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Getting back to the rings. Nothing wrong with critiquing why this program hasn't won anything in nearly 30 years until last season. Nothing wrong with saying the next step has to be winning the tournament. That's obvious. But they should be promoting the shit out of winning the regular season and hats off to PS for doing that on Twitter. Ring the hell out of it. That shouldn't necessarily be his job but somebody has to do it. And I get that we're an athletic department in flux with a new AD, who has to hire two senior associate ADs very shortly. Yet, promoting something that wins is the key. You can only do so much after a 4-7 football season and I like the fact that they have the open practice on Saturday night. And you should put Piggy out front of the promotions due to his years at Maryland, but again, RA hasn't named a starting QB, so there's that. Maybe when he's named starter (probably), they'll start using his name in promotional ads. There's also a few other things I'd be doing on the website and that's a thread for another time. But we all have the same goal. It does get tiresome at times when hearing the negativity (not talking about the cheesy comment by B-Lounge) in basketball. Especially now. We were kicked around for 10 years or so on CAA Zone and deservedly so in some cases because we had one of the shittiest programs in the nation in hoops and football was up-and-down like a rollercoaster, though mostly down. Everyone on here or most know what we went through as fans. That was tough as hell to take from aholes from programs that we used to respect. I would hope that PS keeps it up the Tweeting. It's a positive thing and something we need more from the athletic department. I hate to be the pied piper of Towson positivity, but I'm still trying to create a vibe when things are good in hoops. We had 15 straight seasons of losing and a conference record under 30%. It's been a long ride, but this present staff has knocked down a bunch of doors and has just one to go. It's my own fault that I haven't done enough on social media, especially Twitter to promote this site. I'll try and do a better job this season. Hopefully, football creates some kind of buzz. I don't want a medal. I can't say I love going to 6-8 off-season practices in football and hoops. Getting up early when I could use some extra sleep. I do it because I love this program and want to promote that shit out of it as best I can. I want people to know if the backup point guard is any good or if the freshmen can play or not. Somebody has to. Not going to get that from The Sun or any other publication or radio station. I do appreciate everyone who comes on here and gives their opinions. Sorry that I can be an ahole as well when it comes to dissenting ones. I think we're all passionate about it and that's a good thing. I really hope that this upcoming 2022-23 season will be a special one.

Tough call by Steve and kudos to Rob for a job well done in 13 years (I know the record was .500). Taking us to a place I'd never thought we get and that was Frisco. Unfortunately, the standards were set and we couldn't get close to reaching them after the 2013-14 season. Sure, there were a lot obstacles like Covid, some budgetary issues and a pretty weak donor base. But ultimately, the QB position wins or loses games. Other than Tom Flacco, since 2014 we started or played (off the top of my head), Tyrrell Pigrome, Scott Smith, Chris Ferguson, Nathan Kent, Morgan Mahalak, Connor Frazier, Ryan Stover, Ellis Knudson, Jeff Miller, Heath Dalgren and Vincent Amendola. I'm not going to take shots other than to say I wish him and his family good luck. The decision had to be made quickly either way and it was.

I just think it's refreshing and fascinating to see someone who has no prior/existing connection to Towson at the helm. Our previous 4 coaches were all Towson "lifers". Felt a bit high schoolish that each coach was someone with direct ties to the program.....felt a little bit like nepotism and a small-minded approach to hiring. Having an outsider, with bona fide success and credentials at other programs with no preconceived notions or bias towards the program is great. He's coming in looking at things with fresh eyes and is not jaded by any historical connection to the program. Will he succeed? Who knows. However, he's not beholden to doing things the "Towson" way, he gets to do things his way. With each passing day and with every little bit more info/content I see or read about him, I like this hire more & more. Can't wait to see the staff he puts together.

It’s the right move and affirms in my mind that the new A.D. has autonomy to make these type of decisions without interference from the university president. I don’t take any joy in seeing someone lose their job, but I suspect Ambrose will not have much difficulty transitioning to his next job, whether it’s as a head coach or not. The bottom line is he wasn’t achieving the results necessary to keep his job. He deserves credit for the championship game run, but the results since the end of that season speak for themselves. I’m excited for the next chapter

I actually think this is all happening at the right time. I am not as down on Ambrose as many on this board, but the writing for me has probably been on the wall since we lost to Elon and missed the playoffs in Flacco's last year in 2019. All the COVID stuff made it hard to do anything in a fair way, and frankly I don't think we would have been prepared enough to get a good outcome out of a search process. I appreciate everything Ambrose has done and while you all want to equate all his success to Terrance West and say Ambrose got lucky, that was a badass offensive line that West was running behind. Ambrose was a big part of putting that line and team together. I was in Baton Rouge when we actually physically hung with LSU for a half and that was a pretty amazing thing to watch. I also think Rob deserves some credit for getting Flacco here, although I don't think we were nearly as successful at that time as we should have been. I love having an alum as a coach, and I always appreciated that Ambrose shows his love and pride for Towson in a landscape dominated by the Ravens and Terps. As for the bad, I always felt like we weren't very good on special teams, had some dumb penalties, bad clock management, have been very hit or miss on QB transfers, didn't capitalize on run to the national title game, and have not developed a system where our players have developed well (although the transfer portal has thrown that out the window). Right now, this program does not have an identity at all (as evidenced with all of the transfers that aren't amount to much colletively) and we need to have one in a league that feels like it is there for the taking if we can just get back on track as a program. There were a lot of highs with Rob, but this program is having more bad moments than good ones recently. I have always been against the trigger happy fire-the-coach crowd mainly because I didn't think think AD we had in place would do a great job finding a replacement. I feel like now that we gone out and hired what I consider a quality AD I have more confidence that we are in the right space to hire new football coach. There is a lot of season left and I will be rooting for Rob to turn this ship around, but I think it is pretty evident a change is needed at this point.

I know everyone wants the coach gone and there’s basically no chance of making the playoffs. There’s nothing wrong with pulling for the team as a fan because wins will be tough to come by the rest of the way. I’m still going to cover this team while pointing out the bad and the occasional good.

On Monday afternoon, I was able to speak with new AD Steve Eigenbrot for about an hour at the Towson. Eigenbrot had only been on the job for about 3 1/2 months and has had to hire three new coaches (WBB, SWIM, WTrack). He also is about to embark on his first football season after spending 12 years at an SEC school in Columbia, S.C. What he brought from South Carolina "I would say that based on where TU is right now, and my background having worked in the external side of the shop and sport administrator, two of those opportunities I had that I can bring my experiences from SC and change where we look at in terms of handling things. The external part getting some synergies. We have a number of positions that are open and we are going to need a couple of more bodies which will be important to our future. Sponsorships sales, ticket sales and development. How are they working together and making sure they are the best version of TU and collaborating on campus. I had a chance to hire three coaches this spring. My experience at South Carolina and was able to spend time on search committees. The challenge was trying to figure it out. Leaning on people here. Hiring coach Harper..." My fourth day on the job, Temple's AD called me and said she's (Coach Richardson) on the top of his list. Two days later she was hired. Credit it to her, she made the position much more attractive. We used the same search firm that hired me. Leaning on Dan (Crowley) and Tricia (Turley Brandenburg)." On using South Carolina to get more people in the seats "There are a lot of opportunities here. Nick Saban is complaining about students not coming to the Alabama games. There are challenges across the board with live sport in this day and age. It was part of my life at South Carolina for 12 years. Great ideas at South Carolina maybe don't play at Towson. Trying to get all the smart people in the room that have tried things. What worked and what didn't work? The student population changed or...I haven't been to a Towson football game yet. I got hired on a Tuesday. We played at Wilmington. Won by 24 points on the road. Before the game, I was near some Towson donors. They were like, "We have to make SECU Arena like this." Wilmington is a different market, but what kinds of experiences do kids want in terms of sports." On getting students to games (giving gifts) "The Delaware re-start game. We were giving Calzones to get the kids to games. I'm not beyond for sure." On the CAA "I'm bullish on it. Getting used to the way we interacted with the SEC was different the way we interacted with the CAA. A lot of history and ebbs and flows of the football program. Our profile is one of the better ones in that conference. It's still an attractive place to be. We have the opportunity to be very successful moving on." On Flo Sports and the CAA "I think that it's easy to knock on FLO. The landscape has changed and what are the alternatives. To be able to have CBS Sports and be on National TV it's extremely valuable. We're still trying to figure out the TV deal moving forward. If we were in the future where Peacock, Hulu and other streaming services were interested in competing against Flo, that I'd be surprised to find that out. ESPN, as powerful as they are, and easy as it is to log in to ESPN+, there are production standards, you are not going to be on National TV with any regularity. What are the resources provided? Flo is easy to knock, but the money is real. How many players are there: Fox Sports, Peacock? Or is it just two options? We have new members that have experienced the other alternatives. The fact that we have an opportunity to be on CBS is top of theist. How can you repackage to get linear opportunities?" ADs agree that regardless of who the partners will be, that we need to invest more in our broadcasts. Our arena helps with that (production). Baseball does one camera shoots while the rest of the conference does two. The standard moving forward, regardless of who your partner is, this is what you have to do." On FCS and the future "Just had the conversation with someone that had some tenure in our league that move on to a different role. Being with a Group of Five, with the landscape, the teams that left FCS to compete, I'm not saying this sarcastically, hope for their sake that the way that FBS football thing plays out over the next couple of years that they don't get send down to this level. There are probably some sleepless nights. I'm pretty comfortable where we are. FCS football is well-aligned with the values of being in an institution of higher education. I like where we're at. I don't want to speak ill of others seeking the football thing. It's a complicated and expensive formula. That world is shifting really fast." There are a lot of Power Five schools that aren't making a profit on football. You have to find value in the institutional prestige that you are competing at the highest level." On Marketing for football "We have to develop better marketing plans. We have to have more resources that are involved in trying to promote. We're a little bit short on the external side. We've not realized the synergies that are possible. COVID probably had something to do with it. Investing time, energy, effort and money on staff and/or advertising. Whether it's students and faculty, in our community or alums, all we are crafting plans for. Trying to do a better job. We have to try and do a better job of getting former student-athletes that we want them to be here. You're going to have a short conversation about pro sports in South Carolina. This area is complicated, it's crowded, there's traffic and there's lots of competition for the entertainment dollar. If they are not coming, are we inviting them?" "Part of our history, commuter school, teacher's college. They are becoming less true today. You spend four years on campus and intercollegiate athletics is more a part of the average students' experience. It's something we need to work towards. Osler is a challenge. The University's Master Plan has a bridge over Osler, which will certainly help. Us promoting the program to our students that live here will be very important." Merge campus "At Wilmington, they have a good program. Not all just geography. That kid falls out of his dorm room and lands at Trask Coliseum. It's a nice walk. Long term, it would be nice to have an easier path getting here. " Practice facility on promotion "When I came here, I came here for a study abroad meeting, it's changed a ton. You come here and I met with Pat's recruits and talked to the parents. They are blown away with what they see. They come here and they think they'll see a scene from The Wire. They drive up here and green trees. Uptown is beautiful. We can't afford to be in the same place that we are. We've had some success. We all want more success. Our storytelling. We have to get better at storytelling. I'm very bullish on investment there. Facilities are nice. From a weight room to a training room to mental health. We need to invest and figure ou ways to find more for our kids." On Field House, etc. "Our academic center was moved to the Field House. There are some funds that came from the state and fundraising success behind it. Further advancement to the academic center and field house. Master Plan around the Towson Center. A four-phased approach. We have a lot of square footage. Racquetball courts. Trying to figure out the best for moving forward to fulfill the needs to our student-athletes. It will be 30-40 million price tag. We have to figure out how to make it more functional. One of the things I've been impressed with is that there are no shortage of dreams on South campus of how this could become a better version of how this it today. Don't know that those dreams are necessarily rooted in practical methodology for delivering these dreams. How are you getting these things funded? Doing public and private partnerships with the facility work at my old institution. Is there something else that we can do to get heartbeats on South campus so that this becomes more of a part of the local community and a reason for people in the greater Towson area to come to campus and maybe they stay at the basketball game because they want to a local restaurant? What that is and what it looks like. We have more work to do. We know that there will be more work for the Field House. The Towson Center services a lot of our student-athletes. Trying to figure out what it needs to be." Indoor practice facility "It snows in Maryland. Our lacrosse teams are outside in the winter. They know they are not going to get a lot of practice that day. Trying to figure out viable solutions there. We're studying it right now.Having a meeting about it tomorrow." There's no shortage of great dreams about South campus. Put a hotel there. Three hospitals, a restaurant. Putting a dorm would help. Auburn Drive is a sleepy campus road. Trying to get more concerts there. We do a great job with graduations. Just saw Women's World Lacrosse Tournament. We have a great infrastructure. Drive revenue and pay the bill." On weight room in Field House "Our weight room staff gets in a 5am and trains people through 6pm. Our teams can't get into the single weight room that we have and can't always get in. That's high on the list that we need to prioritize. The Towson Center is another possibility for extra space. What are you going to do in the short term\ that our student-athletes have a better experience from a S&C perspective? That can be multiple millions of dollars. Are you raising the money? We have kids that need to have a better experience. There's the short term and then the long term. I went to some lacrosse games over the spring. We'll keep our eyes on things. There's no shortage of quality ideas. At South Carolina, we were in the process of laying the plan on a public/private project that was part of the football stadium. I need some time to get some wear on the tire and figure out the lay of the land around here." Approach to NIL "One of the things that I'm thankful for is that it's a different part of the conversation. Coming from South Carolina, it wasn't really a part of the recruiting conversations. A year later, it was all the rage. I think that what that means in the mid-major space is something that is being fleshed out. It's harder to raise money. There are not as many people that are quite as passionate. In the high major world, there are collectives to raise money. NCAA has changed some of that. There are schools in our conference that have collective. Not sure that that's going to be part of our future. Feel like the volume has been turned down on NIL. But that's going to change in the next couple of months. I don't know if I have the answer after 3.5 months that I have an answer of what the future what NIL will look like in this athletic's dept. Our state law goes into effect next summer (Alston Image Likeness). You are walking this awkward tightrope. We're not too far away from launching an NIL website that will be a better place for somebody that wants to engage one of our student athlete's to go to and find them. We will support them. The world change and you have to adapt. Over the next year, we're going to watch other changes happen in our landscape. Alston lawsuit. Federal Supreme Court ruled that you can award $5,980 per student-athlete. Starting in 2023-24 can award funds in the CAA. Academic benefit. Some schools tie it to academic outcomes. Getting money in their pocket providing they are meeting their academic marks. Not just by scoring 20 points." https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ncaa-v-alston-the-beginning-of-the-end-9351737/#:~:text=In its unanimous 9-0,related expenses) on antitrust grounds. On Cost of Attendance "Where we are right now, be careful what you say or put it in ink. Our conference is stable of how we are attacking COA. The Alston piece in our conference. Delaware is the only one that does COF, but is not planning on doing the Alston funds. Money going to student-athletes. Most are not going to attack COA for 2022-23 academic year, but never say never. It's complicated. Each institution doing it at as they seek fit it a bit wonky. I get it. There's a fair amount of integrity to it. " UNderfunded Olympic sports Funding sports at a higher level. Making us more competitive in our conference. You have plenty of P5 institutions that don't fund all their sports. Yes, one of the pieces to that puzzle is what do we need to help our sport become more successful. How can you use money in a better way. It would be great to get more scholarships with some of our sports. Ways to be more efficient with your money. And how to fund more scholarships for our student-athletes." More alumni-engagement "Re-examining our marketing. We need to do a better job of welcoming our former student-athletes and offering them tickets. We need to show some more want to. Hired three new coaches. What's been done here and what we need to do better. Those former student-athletes might not want to find the number of the new coach. Marketing perspective. That's my background. Trying to examine what we're doing. Be more engaged with the non-student athletes. Buy tickets. Show up." On Scheduling "In football, we need to play a guaranteed game in football. Unless we can figure out another scenario. In 2026, we have the opportunity to play two guaranteed games, but we're not married to that. The basketball thing is a little bit more challenging. We've worked on trying to put together a tough schedule. Making sure they play a schedule that's appropriate for the team and fans. Really good returning roster. Worked at South Carolina basketball, making some calls to help Pat (Skerry). What does that do for you moving forward. He has to have a schedule where his team has their legs in December. The challenges are real. You have to figure out a schedule that you fell comfortable with. Two spots left in basketball. Can't get people to return phone calls. On seeing a name team come to SECU "Coming this year, will be tough. So many of the teams have their schedules done. There are more games out there to get. Can we be patient? We got Pitt late last year in August." On playing local schools "I haven't talked to Loyola or UMBC. I let Pat steer those conversations. Calling former SEC colleagues. Plenty of that was done. Some calls were more effective than others." Playing Maryland next season in football and in 2025. 2024 is not complete yet. Would like to play Maryland in basketball. A double-header. Get them up to Baltimore. Celebrate Maryland's two largest schools."

I remember the effort we gave back when we were down in Baton Rouge. Oh how we’ve fallen.

While everybody else is stressing out over football, I will go ahead and pour my thoughts out here. I just need to decompress a bit, and this space is as good as any. As you all either know or will soon be finding out, Towson defeated #7 Pitt on the road this evening, 3-1 (25-12, 25-23, 16-25, 25-18). It was, without question, the best volleyball match Towson has ever played. Pitt may not be quite as good as they were last year (when they made the Final Four), but make no mistake: They are unquestionably a top 20 team at minimum, and they are the best team Towson has ever beaten. They already have wins this season over Hawaii, Texas A&M, Cincinnati, and BYU. But not Towson. And we didn't just beat them, either. We smoked them. They didn't even belong on the floor with us. It looked like we were the team that had just been to the Final Four. Yes, they played an awful match. I don't care. We made them play that way. At just about every single position, Pitt is 3-4 inches taller than us. Our tallest player would be one of their shorter starters. Yet, right from the jump we played like we were the bigger team. We had 9 blocks in the first set alone. That is an unfathomable number for a team like Towson. Occasionally, a powerhouse like Nebraska will get like 12 blocks in a set against a bad mid-major team. Towson grabbing 9 in a set against Pitt? Unheard of. Over the course of the whole match, we out-blocked them 16-3, the final one coming on match point. We just looked, felt, and played big. Victoria Barrett is listed at 5'9". She's probably not even that tall. And yet, of all the offensive players on the floor, it was she who left her mark on the match. She attacked the ball 25 times this match. She scored on 16 of those, and only made 3 errors. 64% of the time that Barrett attacked the ball, it ended up on the floor on Pitt's side. For an outside hitter, that is crazy. Outside hitters usually have low hitting percentages (between 15-30%), as they are often put in disadvantages situations where scoring is highly improbable. Not Victoria, not tonight. It was a career-defining performance on a program-defining night, on the back of a win earlier today against American that we would have considered program-defining 5 years ago. Of course, the whole season won't be like this. This Towson team is good, but we're not THAT good. We're not a top 10 team. We will not make the Final Four, we will probably not make the Sweet 16, and just making the tournament again would constitute a successful season for us. For now, this win doesn't mean all that much. The American match was more indicative of how our season will be (3 tight and nervy sets against a strong mid-major). But maybe, just maybe, it'll make a couple more people in the volleyball world say "oh yeah, I hear they're pretty good" when somebody brings up Towson. Maybe it'll make just a few more people show up for home games this year. Maybe it'll makes us get just one more good recruit that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It feels like the culmination of something. But maybe, just maybe, it's the start of something instead. What a day to be a Tiger.

Don’t worry, Skerry will find a way to bury him on the bench; “he needs to bulk up and learn to play better D.”

This hire is starting to grow on me the more I look into it. My initial reaction was “meh” but most of the comments I have seen from West Florida folks are something to the effect of “Towson has no idea what a great coach they just landed”. He seems to be well loved by players and fans.

I don't think there is any right or wrong recipe when it comes to hiring a stepping stone type coach or someone who would stay and be loyal. There are always a variety of choices that lead down each of those paths, along with a variety of paths of commitment we might take. In my opinion, as we have talked about the Power 5 conference stuff has changed the dynamic of what our level of FCS will be. If things continue to play out the way they have, the non-power 5 could be a strong version of FCS football, the good FCS can be jumping into that or being on the outskirts of it, and the current FCS that we reside in might become more of a D-2 level of football. Power 5 is obviously way above our scope, but I am interested if we hire a coach and show enough commitment in resources to aspire to where the JMUs have gone and the Delaware's are going. It will take a pretty big swing here to do that. It is truly incredible that we have had three coaches (I think I am right on this) in our football program since 1972. I give all of them props for moving the program to the next level in their own way, and no matter that criticism about West being a big part of getting us to the title game Rob led the charge and in showing Towson football where it can go. He just didn't do a great job of keeping us there. If the next coach can continue that incremental build and make us a consistent winner and playoff team at a high level (whatever that shakes out to be in this modern NIL, conference shift every three years) world of football I will be happy. It would also give me a lot of confidence in Eigenbrot if he can get someone at the top of his list (which I hope he already has in his head) quickly (like 2-3 weeks at the most). I know it may be unrealistic, but I do think good ADs plan for this stuff all the time no matter how good or bad the coach is doing.

Ed, no one questions -- or even approximates -- your commitment to TU football. Believe it or not, those of us who have soured on Rob take no pleasure in the disappointing run since 2013 (two semi-successful Flacco years aside). But it's because we support the program that we applaud the change and the chance for better things to come. I look forward to seeing you next year in the stands.

Ed, no argument here that you are the programs #1 fan. I think everyone who knows you (or knows of you) realizes all the effort you have put in over the past few decades. However, your post makes it seem like the rest of us aren’t worthy of having an opinion. We all want Towson football to succeed, that’s why we post here. A lot of us felt that RA’s release was overdue. And while we can’t all be super fans like you, that doesn’t mean that we don’t support the program.

Well, you all got what you wanted. Rob brough this program to a place we had never been to before. The playoffs and the NC. I want to personnly thank Rob for bring life to our program. For those that say I am a Rob Supporter, I am. I am a supporter of the program period. I started with Gordy (1991 - when there was no fundrsiing at all for football) and was a super Gordy Supporter. I started the Quarterback Club to help Gordy and the program raise funds (funds the school by the way would not give the program). I don't want to go into all the things I have done to help this program, but I can tell you it is more than any of you all have done combined. When Gordy was let go, I became a Rob Supporter. I will be a Super Supporter of whoever the next coach is too. For me it's not about who the coach is, its about the program. I get behind whoever the coach is and give my TOTAL suppoprt to him. I have been involved for 31 years (as a volunteer, never paid for anything I do). My wife and I have been to every game home and away for 31 years (Minus the Eastern Washington game in 2013 due to canceld flight and snow storms). Can any of you people who are so negative about this program say that! I hope that the next coach gets all the support from the Admin he needs for US to be successful. I know that I will be a big supporter of whoever it is, because thats what I do, SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM with my heart and soul. So whoever the next coach is, I am your biggest supporter. Go Tigers Ed Molen

Cannot be understated just how big the two wins were this weekend on the road. It finally brings us to the main event of the entire CAA season next week: 14-0 Hofstra @ 13-1 Towson. I'm thinking I'll do a detailed breakdown of the matchup and provide a little context for the matchup later in the week. Long story short: Hofstra vs. Towson is the biggest sport-specific rivalry in the conference, and these 2 matches will be intense and emotionally loaded.

Heard we played La Salle in a closed scrimmage today. Wasn't pretty. For the Explorers.

There are many that come to mind but the greatest was beating Princeton in three overtimes in 1991 on the road to reach our first FF. Probably the greatest Towson event I’ve ever covered.

This should probably be a thread under the basketball talk category. Just saying

So did we win?

Hey guys, I’m not in the State Department, but I’d like to see if I can get you all to bury the hatchet (not in each other’s shoulder blades 😆) and move on. I think it’s safe to say we’re all frustrated with what we saw Saturday night (and going back well before Saturday night, for that matter). It’s a message board, and from time-to-time we’re going to take exception to what someone posts, to varying degrees. At the end of the day, I say take it with a grain of salt. Life’s too short to get too stressed out about this, especially with some of the other stuff going on in the world. Ok, I’m done playing peacemaker

Inexplicably, the writer's email address at the bottom of the story misspells his name: To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irwin@1819news.com. I tried to send him a polite correction, but the email bounced back as undeliverable. I checked the top of the story, and his name is Irvine. Strange. Anyway, I re-sent the email to that address; am curious to see if he responds.

Here are some comments from the Cam Holden interview after practice: On chemistry of last year's team "I think the chemistry came together around this time late last summer. I feel like we all clicked together. Make sure everybody is sharp physically and mentally. Today was a great practice, even though it wasn't much basketball. Make sure everybody toughened up and competed. I think it clicked mostly off the court. We're all best friends and a bunch of brothers. It's more off the court than on the court." On new guys "These guys fit perfectly. Sekou was a D2 Player of the Year-a great player. Nyga (Russell), I played against him in my old conference (at Tenn Martin). He brings great energy. Great defender and shooter. Ryan Conway comes from a high major and has great skills. Is a very good scorer and has to learn how to tell with us. We have a great freshman corps. They came in and were ready to compete." On his accolades last season (1st team All-CAA, All-Defense) "My year was great. My teammates trust me. Coming from being a transfer they let me lead and play my style. All the accolades had my name on it, but it should have their names on because they gave me the ball where I wanted. They trusted me on the defensive end to guard 1-through-5." On being unselfish "What I noticed this team, they didn't need a big-time scorer. They needed a piece. A versatile piece that I am. A swiss-army knife that can post up and play inside out. I was that guy that helped gel. Same with Terry Nolan. We helped changed Towson basketball. We re-loaded. A lot of guys say re-build, but we re-loaded." On playing with mask "Playing with a broken jaw was the hardest thing. I had to accept it. The first game against Drexel (on the road), I was complaining to the coaches that I couldn't see (with the mask). Eventually, I just practice every day with it and became something I couldn't go without. I got a new mask that was clear from Ohio State and my face was molded up. By the time I got the clear mask, it was time to take it off." On the CAA Tournament "We had the worst luck going into the semifinals game against Delaware. They were a great team, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth and adds fuel to the fire. We all look back and think about that game that we dropped. We definitely were a tournament team. So this year is nothing but a revenge tour. The main reason I hopped out of the portal, I just knew I couldn't leave on that note knowing that this team hadn't been in the tournament since 1991. We brought a regular season championship. I'm here to set the tone every day. Now, it's all about the tournament." "It's like a bad nightmare. It was hard to watch tournament teams after that." On cutting down the nets after Delaware "Still a great experience. I never won a regular season championship. Just seeing everyone happy. Students running around. Happy that we could do something special. It's July, I'm thinking about what we need to do at D.C." On what he needs to work on "Catch-and-shoot. We have great shooters. If I shoot the ball better, it will help those guys get open. Free thrown line. I went there a bench. Try to improve." On portal "My ultimate goal was to play at the high-major level. When I look back and think about it, this school took time. I thought about it. I had 15-20 high majors. I returned the call and said this is home. They accepted me from a school that wasn't winning. I felt like I couldn't leave guys like Nic, Charles and Jason. They treated me like family. Made me feel like I was home. I feel like I could finish my career here." To get that ring "We have to get to the end. Playing a team three teams, it's hard to beat them three times. Delaware caught on what we did. They capitalized and adjusted better. Unfortunately, Charles and I were banged up. We never had our true lineup. We were always playing with a different lineup. I played point guard at Elon with all point guards out. (Tyler) Gill did a nice job for a few minutes. We make sure everyone is ready and prepared. When your number is called, you should be ready to go."

So much of it goes back to tailgating and the atmosphere the university has unfortunately created. in 2011, my fraternity, along with a bunch of others would set up in the corner of Lot 11. We would all grill, brought generators and speakers. It was a giant party. We did a good job of policing our own and never really had any issues. I can remember us racing to get to Unitas so we would get a good tailgate spot Now, you have a bunch of rent a cops hassling both students and alumni about what is in their coolers. It’s absurd to me that we treat our guests like children and then expect them to want to come to games. I’m not saying we can have a bunch of 18 year olds just ripping shots from handles of vodka in plain sight, but a bit of discretion can go a long way. If students have stuff in cups, just let them be for the most part, otherwise they’re just going to go uptown and do the same thing there. Two homecomings ago SAFE got on our ass, despite our tailgate being a mix of students, alumni, families and even some folks in their 60s. It’s never pleasant with them either. Never “hey guys, mind putting that in a cup?”. Always just a flex of their wanna be powers.