The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Mooney's memoirs: Dec. 22
12.22.2007 | Men's Basketball
I want to say sorry to all of you for getting behind on this. Had to take finals and took my GRE last Wednesday so I've been pretty busy. Here is a little bit of catch-up before I get back to you again soon.
Los Angeles trip
After a good week of practice we headed off for Beverly Hills. Upon arriving in L.A., we made our way to our hotel, which was none other then the Beverly Wilshire. It was great because on the bus Dex was telling us that it was in the movie "Pretty Woman" and we all gave him a hard time because of the fact that he watched that movie. In his defense, he stated, "That junk good. It's about a prostitute." We all joked around and talked about the celebrities that we thought were the hottest. On Rodeo Drive, I noticed there were chandeliers for street lamps and came to think that we were the next best thing to the Beverly Hillbillies. This feeling got even stronger when we pulled into the hotel that had Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces. All the guys were looking at the cars and talking about how they are going to get one of those someday. The hotel was full of stars, including Avril Lavigne, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, The Indiana Pacers, and Mary J. Blige. It was great because Damion and Gary were trying to talk to Mary J. and in their words they wanted to "see what is up." The hotel was very nice and that night I got to see some of my family and friends (the McKnights and the Zimmermans) who live out in L.A.
The next morning we woke up to have breakfast and man, the spread was great. I had the best omelet of my life and couldn't think of a better way to start the day. After breakfast we headed to Pauley Pavilion for practice. When first entering Pauley, there is nothing that blows you away. It appears to be just like any other old gym but when you gaze up and start reading all the banners and begin to think of all the players that have played on that court, it becomes an honor to even be playing there. Practice was good and you could tell that all of us were ready and our coaches had a great scouting report to execute against UCLA. We then went back to the hotel to have lunch and had a little free time which some of the guys used to go shopping. It was funny because no one bought a single thing. They figured out shopping on Rodeo Drive is a little pricy.
I assume if you are reading this you know the results of the game. That game was one of the best basketball games that I have ever witnessed. Playing at Pauley Pavilion in front of the great John Wooden was almost hard to believe. The crowd was very into the game and was a great atmosphere but one you don't usually see in Austin. Sitting courtside at the game was none other then Steve Urkel from the sitcom "Family Matters." He was talking trash to us and you couldn't help but laugh because it was a guy who is known for being the most iconic nerd in history. It was such a big win for our team and a moment that I will never forget.
Our team was so pumped and excited; I thought that nothing could make me lose the high from this win until we spent six hours sitting on the tarmac. Our plane had something wrong with it and needed a new part for it to be fixed. The only problem was that they didn't have the part and it was 11 o'clock at night. We had to wait until they would come in the morning with it. We didn't get back to Austin at 11 a.m. the next day and I spent the night on the floor of the little charter terminal. When I got back to Austin I had to head straight to class and do a presentation. Needless to say I am not sure that I knocked it out of the park but I managed.
The following week of school was very intense for me. I had two large papers, two tests and a group presentation all due in one week. We had a game on Wednesday which didn't help my cause but is something that I have been accustomed to dealing with this time of year. Playing basketball in my opinion is by far the hardest sport to manage your academics in. The hardest thing to manage is the fact that the season interferes with both semesters. Once you feel as though you are accustomed to the classes and teachers you have to start all over again the next semester. Also having two games a week and usually traveling one of those days requires a lot of time management.
End of New York Trip
The Tennessee game was a great win for us. Before the game you could tell that we were very focused and ready to take them on. You could easily see the resentment that our team had because of how we lost to Tennessee last year at their place. Having a 20-point lead at half time and then losing is something that sticks with you. We came out firing, A.J. was lighting it up from the three and D.J. was controlling the game as always. The most important thing that happened in the tournament was the success of Connor. The fact that he got All-Tournament and his first double-double was great. We were all pumped about the win but ready to get home after a few days of being in the hotel.
