We’re excited to hear that, even after declaring for the NBA Draft, Jeff and Roy are considering a hero’s homecoming for their senior season. Die-hard basketball fans have to admit: our hearts are aflutter. Until they make their final decision, we’ll be going to sleep with dreams of back-door cuts, put-back slams and buzzer beaters dancing in our heads. Wouldn’t a championship banner be a nice little memento for the big men to leave behind? The thing is, we’re emotionally involved here. We’ve seen them grow from dread-locked and awkward to awe-inspiring and intimidating.
Jeff is 70-30 leaning toward another year in school to defend the Big East title. Roy is a little more unsure—still at 50-50—but has shown the maturity to realize that he may not develop the way he needs to at the end of the bench for a team like the Charlotte Bobcats or LA Clippers.
They’ve both worn the McDonough hardwood thin enough to earn the respect of NBA lottery teams who would be placing a chunk of their rocky future in their hands. But here are a couple of things, besides the obvious glory of a championship and the benefit of a degree, that we could try and do as a student body to convince them to stick around for their senior year.
We’ll make sure their coach is back. We all know he’s underpaid, so if his guaranteed return is what you need, we’ll make it happen. Hunger strikes are bad news, but we could set up shop in Red Square eating only Chicken Madnesses for as long as it takes. President DeGioia would be forced to make a move or he’d be risking a campus-wide angioplasty. It’s deliciously flawless.
The boys are excited about what kinds of sweet rides they’ll be able to pick up after they sign their lucrative lottery deals. We’re not exactly allowed to buy them new whips (especially a spanking new Land Rover—sorry, Jeff) without recklessly plowing through NCAA athlete-payment regulations. But if a ride is all they need, I’m sure we could figure out some sort of car pool system to get them to class, practice, Leo’s, etc. Leg room could be an issue but we’d spring for one of those classy beaded seat covers and we could even make a concession for music control. Who needs a car when you’ve got 6,000 friends willing to help you out?
If all this grease consumption and carpooling isn’t enough and they end up heading for the green, then more power to them. They’ve earned it. We’ll do our best not to gouge our eyes out with foam fingers wondering what might have been. For now, all we can do is cross our fingers and hope that the allure of Chicken Fingers, M Street and Senior Week gets the best of the two future millionaires. We’re looking forward to seeing Jeff and Roy sit in anticipation with their close-ones and wait to hear their names called. We would just rather it be in May of 2008 for graduation.
