2008 Woodie Awards
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Sports
Five Cents...Farewell, Linas: AU will miss its hoops seniors
By Patrick Ambrosio on 3/8/07
Initially, I planned on being done with The Eagle after the end of basketball season, but apparently my one reader was going to be disappointed with that, so here I am. As a compromise, we're introducing a new feature this week: The Ryan Smyth Fact of the Week, where you'll get to read about everyone's favourite new Islander (we here at The Eagle use Canadian spelling when talking about him.)
1. They may never have won the Patriot League, but AU will miss the basketball seniors.
I usually don't write about AU sports in this column, but I have to mention the men's basketball team, which lost a heartbreaker on Sunday against Holy Cross. They may not have had the success that they wanted, but they are a special group of guys who show that success is measured by more than on-the-court contributions, and they have helped make this campus care a little more about athletics.
Andre Ingram is one of the most modest and well-spoken athletes that I have ever met, and served as a great ambassador for this university. He was the heart and soul of the team since he walked onto campus, and is one of the greatest players in recent AU history.
Brayden Billbe may look imposing because of his height and knee-high socks (does he have to special order socks that big?), but like Ingram, he's a friendly guy who was always willing to take the time to talk after the game, even on Senior Night when his parents were waiting for him.
Sekou Lewis may not have started many games in his career at AU, but Coach Jeff Jones has always praised his work ethic, and he admirably stepped up to start several games when the team appeared to be headed for disaster in January.
Finally, how can I not mention Linas, Arvydas, and Paulius, the Lithuanian All-Stars? Brayden complains to me all the time that the photos in The Eagle always are of Linas and Arvydas, but that's because they are cult heroes on this campus. From constant sightings in TDR, or walking around campus listening to their iPods, to their obvious passion for the game (I don't think I've ever seen Linas smile on the court or bench, even when the team won), they have done a great service for a university that likes to pride itself on its diverse population.
1. They may never have won the Patriot League, but AU will miss the basketball seniors.
I usually don't write about AU sports in this column, but I have to mention the men's basketball team, which lost a heartbreaker on Sunday against Holy Cross. They may not have had the success that they wanted, but they are a special group of guys who show that success is measured by more than on-the-court contributions, and they have helped make this campus care a little more about athletics.
Andre Ingram is one of the most modest and well-spoken athletes that I have ever met, and served as a great ambassador for this university. He was the heart and soul of the team since he walked onto campus, and is one of the greatest players in recent AU history.
Brayden Billbe may look imposing because of his height and knee-high socks (does he have to special order socks that big?), but like Ingram, he's a friendly guy who was always willing to take the time to talk after the game, even on Senior Night when his parents were waiting for him.
Sekou Lewis may not have started many games in his career at AU, but Coach Jeff Jones has always praised his work ethic, and he admirably stepped up to start several games when the team appeared to be headed for disaster in January.
Finally, how can I not mention Linas, Arvydas, and Paulius, the Lithuanian All-Stars? Brayden complains to me all the time that the photos in The Eagle always are of Linas and Arvydas, but that's because they are cult heroes on this campus. From constant sightings in TDR, or walking around campus listening to their iPods, to their obvious passion for the game (I don't think I've ever seen Linas smile on the court or bench, even when the team won), they have done a great service for a university that likes to pride itself on its diverse population.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Peter Doro
posted 5/09/08 @ 1:23 PM EST
People who obsessively write about sports typically suck at playing them, and in Pat's case, this is more than true. Poor guy.
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