Since the final buzzer, I’ve been trying to think of something to say about tonight’s game.  Well, truthfully I’ve been trying to think of several things to say about the game.  I think this post may upset a few people (and believe me–while that isn’t my intent, if this strikes a nerve, maybe it needs to).

I was excited to see Coach McGeehan’s Camels take the court tonight.  It was the first men’s home game of the season, and I was ready to see what we may look like.  I missed the Oklahoma State game on TV because I was watching the Lady Camels last Friday.  A look at the numbers from that game told me it went about like I expected it to.  What the numbers didn’t tell me is how the team looked.  How did they handle that loss?  Were their heads held high?  Did they show frustration?  Were they a mess?

I hoped tonight would answer some of those questions.  I was impressed with the offense.  We seemed to have abandoned the half court offense we opened the season with last year and ran a lot more tonight.  Last season, it felt like we were waiting until the ball crossed mid-court to start our offense.  Tonight, we were moving well without the ball while the ball was coming up the court.  THAT was encouraging.  Really encouraging.  The Camels looked like they were having fun, and that put a smile on my face and the faces of the few fans in attendance (more on this in a moment).  

The Camels started two freshmen (Damontez Oliver and Cory Gensler) along with Whitfield (Jr.-R), Eudy (So.), and Clemons (So.–2015-16 Freshman of the year).  Our freshmen starters combined for 20 points (10 a piece), and the rest of the starters put up 34 points (Clemons had 28 of those-4 for 4 from the 3 point line).  We played all 15 that dressed tonight as well, which is to be expected in these early season games.  Dunn’s own Nick Parker put up 9 points in 6 minutes of play.

All in all, it was a great night to be a Campbell fan.

Except when you looked around and saw Gore arena mostly empty.  I’m realistic.  I don’t expect every basketball game to be a sellout, but I do expect the student section to be more full that it was (and was all of last season).  When I got to Campbell (a lot of years ago), “Lee’s Army” (named after former coach Billy Lee) was disbanding and there wasn’t a ton of interest in Campbell Games.  I remember my sophomore year listening to an away game on the radio where we put up single digit points by halftime.  I remember when we weren’t good–and by not good, I mean kind of bad.  I also remember showing up to Carter Gym (yes, current Campbell students–we actually played our home games in Carter Gym).  We started the Camel Crazies.  There was a group of about two dozen of us at first but by the end of my freshman year if you weren’t in Carter Gym an hour before tip you didn’t have a seat in the student section.  

It was hot.  It was loud.  It was small.  We lost.  A lot.  We didn’t have a winning season 4 of the 5 years I was in Buies Creek (men’s).  That didn’t matter.  We supported our basketball teams (and soccer, and baseball, and softball, and wrestling. . .).  We supported our classmates and our friends.  I was close with a lot of the atheletes during my time at Campbell, and I loved supporting them.  Why?  Because they were my friends.  I sat next to a lot of them in class.  Studied with even more.  We planned our weeks around sporting events.  It was a priority to us, and let’s face it:  there isn’t much else to do in Buies Creek (back then we didn’t have Starbucks, Moe’s, Chick-fil-a, Subway…really anything besides the two cafeterias, and Chelle’s Place).  I’ve maintained relationships with a lot of those men and women (though admittedly not as closely as I’d like…such is life I suppose).  

A couple of hours of your life isn’t a lot to give to support your classmates.  A couple of hours of your life isn’t a lot to give to support your University.  Why is the student section so consistently empty?  It shouldn’t take a t-shirt, or 400 sandwiches to get you to go to a sporting event.  I don’t have the unreasonable expectation that every event on Campbell’s campus will be a sell out, but come on CU-we are better than this.  This is free, and it is a part of your college experience.  

There’s a group of Crazy’s that I saw at nearly every game last year and they have been faithful at both home basketball games this season.  To those few, I tip my hat.  Keep up the support–you’ll never regret it.  To those who aren’t coming to the gym, do it.  You need to.  You should support your classmates, your friends, and your University.  Win or lose, these people are a part of your community.  Treat them that way.  

Ok.  Fine.  I’ll hop down off my soapbox (for now).  I think the Camels are putting a good, “product”on the floor in Gore arena, and I’m excited to see what the coming months hold.  

#thecreekisrising