A year ago I thought I had discovered the anti-Kansas University version of men’s basketball.
While in New York for my grandson’s birthday, I had driven a few miles north to West Point, N.Y., to witness my first Army basketball game. A depressing experience it was, too.
The Black Knights of the Hudson were in the throes of another dreadful season and, on that night, Army was drilled by Holy Cross, 84-46.
Adding to the dispiriting evening were the thousands of empty seats in Cristl Arena. The official attendance that January night was 423. That’s right. Fewer than 500 fans in the 5,000-plus-seat facility.
Back in the LoHud area last week for birthday doings, I was curious to see if it was the same old Army. I received some negative response from last year’s column from people thinking I was ragging on men who had dedicated their young lives to the protection of the country.
I apologized to those readers who misinterpreted my intention of comparing the upper echelon of NCAA men’s basketball with the lower rungs.
Now here’s the good news: Army men’s basketball is on the rise.
In the game I saw, the Cadets won. Yes, they actually posted a victory. Army withstood a late rally and knocked off Lehigh, 64-49, to snap an 11-game Patriot League losing streak dating back to last season. What’s more, it was Army’s first victory over the Mountain Hawks – you knew Lehigh’s nickname, didn’t you? – in five years.
At the same time, the Cadets boosted their home record to 7-1, and that’s almost a complete turnaround from last year when they were a dismal 2-10 in their own digs.
What’s the reason for the flip-flop?
In part, coach Jim Crews, a former Indiana University guard, has mixed three or four solid seniors with at least three freshmen who have some ability. Army still doesn’t have much of an inside game, but the Cadets have four or five interchangeable guards who can wreak defensive havoc on opponents.
In the Lehigh game, for example, Army was credited with 17 steals, and no Cadet had more than three thefts. Seventeen is a heckuva lot of steals.
None of Army’s guards is as accomplished at ball theivery as KU’s Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins, but they’re very serviceable at the mid-major level.
Another probable reason for the Army turnabout is increased student participation. A few minutes after the 1 p.m. tipoff for the Lehigh game, hundreds of Cadets decked out in their traditional dress grays began pouring into the arena.
None of the Cadets’ faces was painted black, of course, and none were dressed outrageously. Army boasts too much tradition for all that ridiculous fol-de-rol.
According to that day’s official attendance count, there were nearly 1,300 folks on hand. That may not seem like much compared to the 16,300 who pack Allen Fieldhouse, but the crowd was three times what it was last year.
So here’s a Hoo-Ah for Army basketball. The Cadets won’t win the championship in a league dominated by Holy Cross and Bucknell, but they’re a scrappy, fun-to-watch bunch.
If you’ve a hankering, you can watch the Cadets play Navy on Sunday on ESPNU.
