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March 2, 2008

The bike paths have been filled since the start of winter quarter, and the Gauchos have played the majority of their big west conference play that was sparked on January 3rd, and the opportunity to reach the dance is still alive. We would like to thank the students for supporting the team and stacking the Tdome since their return from break. The Gauchos greatly appreciate a campus that is occupied with valuable fans who were truly missed over break. You guys really should know how much you are appreciated. The potential energy of the T-dome is through the roof, it should be a challenge to see just what we can bring to the table on senior night this Saturday against Riverside.

Since the conference play has begun we have played games that proved one point, we are going to have to bring a forty-minute fight every game. We knew that nothing is going to be handed to us, and the losses against Northridge and UC Irvine proved that, however pain is just fear leaving the body. Needless to say those two losses were painful. Since then we have suffered losses to Pacific and another to Irvine. We have recently redeemed ourselves to an extent with Pacific gaining a win on their home court. As for Irvine the second loss always hurts more, however with the conference coming to an end we are still in a position to achieve our goal as conference champions.

Now that we have experienced the bitter taste of defeat, we have realized our potential and that our palettes are sensitive to the L word. As the collegiate basketball season pushes forward opponents profoundly scout the habits and defenses of the other teams so that they can put together a game plan that will lead to victory. Now that our pre-conference win streak has come to an end it seems as though the secret to beating the Gauchos is out. This is not out of the ordinary and every successful team must make changes to their game that gives their opponents different looks than they prepared for. This is one of the many secrets of college basketball that parallels the da vinci code, stone henge, and Atlantis in its secrecy.

Our trust and buy-in to the decisions of the coaching staff could not be more respected. It is their leadership, with close to 100 years of experience that we will follow with no questions asked. There is a plethora of opportunity concerning finishing strong with two games left in regular season. Our win over Riverside at home and Irvine beating Northridge only increased our chances. We head to Northridge Wednesday and Long Beach Saturday, tune in if available. I know it’s hard to get a hold of a broadcast of the games, but if you can, they are bound to be entertaining. These steps at the end of the season are large but our legs are long and up to the challenge. We are looking forward to the month ahead that leads to bringing back a Big West title to Santa Barbara. I personally am tired of the season ending with a bus ride home on a cold winter night, and I can assure you that the feeling is mutually detested.