My Immediate Reactions to URI's "Celebrate with the Champs" Event
Call me crazy but these are some of my immediate thoughts and reactions to URI's "Celebrate with the Champs" Event:
1. Dan Hurley is a stand-up guy. I went to go get my poster signed by him and after saying, "Thank you, Coach", the New Jersey native said "No problem!" and apologized for taking so long to attain a marker. This particular interaction is the exact type of interaction that I expect to have with a championship-winning coach. I am dreading the day that Dan Hurley leaves the Rhode Island Rams to go coach another basketball program.
2. Making a bold prediction here and saying it right now, Christion Thompson will transfer away from the University of Rhode Island. I was going to make this prediction at some point anyways but tonight just made me believe it even more. After being used sparingly from URI's senior night to all throughout the Atlantic 10 tournament to in the NCAA tournament, we have rarely seen action from Rhode Island's #25. During his introduction at this event, he looked almost depressed that he had to be in the Ryan Center. The person who accompanied me to the celebration saw exactly what I saw - the body language of a defeated individual. When moving down the line of players to get autographs, I overheard a discussion that the man in front of me was having with Thompson and the responses from the Louisiana native did not sound like an athlete who expects to play for the same team next season. I certainly hope that Christion Thompson remains a Rhode Island Ram for the remainder of his career but I will not be surprised to hear that he is transferring out.
3. The Rhode Island men's basketball fanbase is ON FIRE (not literally) nowadays and I LOVE IT. I wouldn't have had as much fun as I did standing in line today without the surrounding presence of other Rhode Island men's basketball fans.
4. The Rhode Island men's basketball team needs to make this "Celebrate with the Champs" event a tradition so we can hang up more banners in the Ryan Center.
5. Two of the most interactive players at the table for autographs were Hassan Martin and Kuran Iverson and (obviously) they will be SORELY missed.
