2008 Woodie Awards
Men's basketball starts with blue and white
Kate Ambrose
Issue date: 11/13/04 Section: Sports
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Last Wednesday night, November 3, 2004, the men of the Assumption Hounds basketball team brought a new tradition to Assumption. Actually, it was an old tradition that had been dug up by Head Coach Tom Ackerman, Assistant Coach Casey Carney, and the men's team to offer an exciting experience for the fans, better known as the Hound Pound.
The tradition dates back to at least the time that former coach O'Brien was still here at AC. The purpose of the Blue and White Game, then and now, was two-fold, providing positives for both the team and the fans. The team has the chance to play together in front of an actual crowd before the season begins, giving the coaches the option to see players work together on the court and respond to a fan base. For the fans, it was an option to not only pick-up a free "Hound Pound" t-shirt to wear on game days, but also for the fans to see all players display their talents.
This game also gave the coaches and team an opportunity to thank the fan base.
"When the blue and white game used to take place here at AC, the fans were not called the 'Hound Pound,' said Ackerman. "They were called the '500 Man Defense'"
This truly shows how important the fans were to the Hounds, then and now.
The Blue and White Game began with five players wearing blue and the rest wearing white. As a buzz went through the crowd that the men in blue would be this year's basketball starters, the buzz as it was, was confirmed.
"The team was somewhat accurate of what we are looking at to be the starters this season," said Ackerman. "But we also wanted to take a look at other guys and how they played together."
This would account for the occasional jersey reversal from blue to white and white to blue during the two 20 minute halves.
"We weren't concerned with who was going to win," said Ackerman. "We just wanted to see different combinations."
Throughout the already 22 practices the team has had as of Friday, November 5th, the game on the night of the 3rd proved their second opportunity to have an inter-squad scrimmage. Their first scrimmage, which fell on the previous Sunday and served as the second practice of that particular day, allowed the players to display what most would think as their first opportunity to take the court and showcase their skills.
The tradition dates back to at least the time that former coach O'Brien was still here at AC. The purpose of the Blue and White Game, then and now, was two-fold, providing positives for both the team and the fans. The team has the chance to play together in front of an actual crowd before the season begins, giving the coaches the option to see players work together on the court and respond to a fan base. For the fans, it was an option to not only pick-up a free "Hound Pound" t-shirt to wear on game days, but also for the fans to see all players display their talents.
This game also gave the coaches and team an opportunity to thank the fan base.
"When the blue and white game used to take place here at AC, the fans were not called the 'Hound Pound,' said Ackerman. "They were called the '500 Man Defense'"
This truly shows how important the fans were to the Hounds, then and now.
The Blue and White Game began with five players wearing blue and the rest wearing white. As a buzz went through the crowd that the men in blue would be this year's basketball starters, the buzz as it was, was confirmed.
"The team was somewhat accurate of what we are looking at to be the starters this season," said Ackerman. "But we also wanted to take a look at other guys and how they played together."
This would account for the occasional jersey reversal from blue to white and white to blue during the two 20 minute halves.
"We weren't concerned with who was going to win," said Ackerman. "We just wanted to see different combinations."
Throughout the already 22 practices the team has had as of Friday, November 5th, the game on the night of the 3rd proved their second opportunity to have an inter-squad scrimmage. Their first scrimmage, which fell on the previous Sunday and served as the second practice of that particular day, allowed the players to display what most would think as their first opportunity to take the court and showcase their skills.