Howard Hoops, Campus Buzzing With Excitement
WASHINGTON – When the Howard men’s basketball team kicks off their 2008-09 campaign at home against Oregon State, there will be a couple of historical storylines headed into contest – on and off the court.
The Bison will play the first of two meetings this season against the Pac-10 members, with the Beavers invading Burr Gymnasium for the first time on Friday before playing host to Howard later next month.
But there’s a catch to OSU’s visit this week.
Former Brown head coach Craig Robinson is in his first year at the helm for the Beavers, and he just so happens to be the brother-in-law of President-Elect Barack Obama.
Throughout the week, Howard’s campus has been buzzing with great anticipation for the arrival not only of Robinson and his team, but with the slight possibility that the soon-to-be First Lady and 44th President may take in the night’s action at the 2,700-seat facility. Howard’s Department of Athletics wouldn’t confirm nor deny that it would happen, but the news has officials scrambling to revise their ticket policy for students and outsiders.
Despite the craze, Howard head coach Gil Jackson remains focused on getting his team prepared for the opener, but even he admits that being a part of something special adds to the legacy of the university as a whole.
“Howard is always in the middle of historical happenings and that’s one of the things about attending this school,” said Jackson. “The campus and the team are excited about it, but right now were just preparing to play a great game.”
Howard has seen its share of celebrities and famous people attending special events in the past, mainly during its Homecoming week. But the notion that the President-Elect and First Lady could find themselves sitting in the crowd with the student body may rival former appearances by NBA star Allen Iverson, actors Ice Cube and most recently Terrance Howard.
Of course, Jackson’s team is anxious not only for the season to get underway, but to do so with a bit of history in the making.
“The players are thrilled by it, but I don’t know if (Barack or Michelle) would show up,” said Jackson. “If (Barack) did, it would be great if he came to both locker rooms and said something to the players.”
Oregon State was to have arrived in the Nation’s Capital late Wednesday afternoon, but Robinson would not respond to repeated requests for comment about his ties to Friday’s contest.
As for the game itself, the Bison will surely have their work cut out for them in a powerhouse like Oregon State. Even with the Beavers coming to DC on a 21-game losing streak (including an 0-18 mark in Pac-10 play last season), they boast a pair of solid guards in junior brothers Seth and Josh Tarver. They also have a decent forward in sophomore Daniel Deane. Deane, who enrolled at OSU after being dismissed from Utah for academic reasons, brings both height and experience to Robinson’s squad.
Meanwhile, Howard has senior guard Eugene Myatt leading the Bison attack. He’ll have support out of sophomore guards Kyle Riley and Chris McHenry, whom both, according to Jackson, have excelled in preseason play.
For the Bison, the key to Friday’s contest will be constantly pressuring the Beavers on defense and converting on offense. The other issue is the number of players available. Howard will already be without their top recruit, freshman guard Calvin Thompson, due to an undisclosed injury. So the Bison have to look to the bench for support and hope that each and every player can make an impact once their number is called.
Jackson says if that’s the case, then Howard will not only find themselves hanging around with the Beavers, but they’ll make the MEAC race interesting.
“We definitely have to stay healthy,” he said. “If we can do that, we’ll be able to compete and represent our conference well, out of conference. The guys are working hard to stay in shape and stay healthy. That’s going to be a big part of us this year.”
