College hoops’ road warriors
IF TRUMP University had been subjected to NCAA basketball inspections instead of those of the N.Y. Attorney General’s Office, Trump U. would be playing Electoral College on ESPN2 tonight, right after the Colgate-Palmolive game.
What we lately know about Delaware State basketball is that it’s a Division I team that last week, at 1-5, came here and beat St. John’s by seven, as seen on FOX Sports 2.
Not that St. John’s, the higher educational institution, serves as much better than a front for its basketball program, but when play-by-player Rich Ackerman said Delaware State is in the midst of “an eight-game road trip,” he had to have misspoken.
What college team goes on an eight-game road trip? Answer: Delaware State. At a time when less and less surprises us about the twisted condition of college sports, this one stands out as the latest impossible attachment to any college that holds a charter as one:
When the Dover, Del., taxpayerfunded school played at St. John’s, it already had played at Maryland-Baltimore County, at Louisiana-Lafayette, at Rice (in Houston) then at Montana State.
After St. John’s, Delaware State returned to Delaware, but to play at the University of Delaware, then it’s back to Texas to play at SMU, then at North Texas. Next, after two home games, it will be off to play at Binghamton (N.Y.), at Indiana, at Iowa then into the Pacific to play Hawaii.
DSU had a similar itinerary last season, starting 0-13, with road games at Nebraska, Fresno State, Michigan, Utah and TCU.
Despite its unplanned win at St. John’s, Delaware State is one those willing NCAA schedule-fillers and record-padders, paid a cut of the gate to travel anywhere — an NCAA version of the Washington Generals, engaged to be beaten by the Globetrotters here, there and everywhere.
School? When? In the players’ spare time? Where? Hotel lobbies? And with players recruited from Serbia, Russia and Nigeria, in what language would classes be taught?
What happens to these young men when they’re done playing for, if not at, Delaware State? Does it even matter? If it does, maybe they can go to college.