“Sorrentine hit that one from the parking lot!”, Gus Johnson exclaimed. The deep three pointer all but sealed the Catamounts’ overtime upset over reigning Big East champions Syracuse and Boeheim’s army in the first round of the 2005 NCAA tournament. As the final horn sounded, an at-capacity crowd sat stunned in the Worcester DCU center. Thirteen had trumped four; the Burlington, Vermont David had taken down Goliath. It was my first impression of collegiate basketball, and I knew immediately it was something I needed to be apart of.
Fast-forward to today.
This weekend the Belfast Classic will be returning to Northern Ireland for the second consecutive year. And it’s bigger and better than ever. Eight teams, three days, and several thousand miles traveled by teams stretching from San Fran to New York.
For the next five days, I am privileged to be working alongside the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks of Nacogdoches, Texas, a team I have prior experience with from my own collegiate career. The team enters the weekend event 4-1, looking to collect statement wins over the USF Dons and the #21 team in the country, the Bulls of Buffalo. SFA is nothing short of a storied basketball culture though: four conference titles in the last five seasons, the best home court winning percentage in the NCAA (something I sadly helped contribute to), and the winningest program in the state of Texas in the last decade.
While the trip is sure to be memorable for the traveling party, with community outreach opportunities and historical city monument tours scheduled, the impact that this event will have on the local youth and the city itself cannot be overstated. It’s a chance to share a piece of American culture with my new home and to contribute to the growing popularity of the sport across the island. Sometime in the SSE Arena this weekend, these eight teams will inspire a new generation of youth, just as T.J. Sorrentine did for me all those years ago.
To find more information about the upcoming event, including games times and ticket pricing, visit our website at http://www.belfastbasketballclassic.com/.
“Ready, set, dunk!”
