some Titan love - read with discretion:

i was disappointed not to get to the tournament over the weekend (although i felt i could live vicariously through my boyfriend and his buddies who attended), but i was able to get plenty of updates from them when i was presenting at my conference, which was definitely worth attending.  i wish i could have seen the last games those senior Titans played together, but it was not to be.  i'm glad i was able to get to the Puget Sound game at Lawrence and see them off with a fantastic game and a glorious celebration.  maybe a celebration back on campus is in store?  some sort of scrimmage game, just for fun?

i know i haven't been following this board, or even the team, for all four years, but i have attended school with these guys for that long.  in fact, i remember Mike McGraw in my American National Government group presentations my very first semester here, and Steve Schweer and I were carpooling buddies to our field placement in one of our education classes (which we both dropped at the same time, coincidentally).  i'm so impressed with how these guys are, both on and off the court, and i know they'll be successful in whatever they do.  i know that the school cares deeply about them, and it'll be hard to lose them, from the team and from the classroom, too.

i feel a little piece of my IWU heart has left with this postseason, but i'm glad i was able to see them while i could and that i was able to get my family and friends in to see how great DIII basketball really is.  these Titans have really shown me how to truly love the game again, and i will never stop following my Titans now.  the leadership graduating with this senior class will be sorely missed, but I think the Freemans, especially Zach, can carry the team.  in fact, I'm quite excited to see how they'll develop next year as the new leaders.

i'm just glad i had the privilege, not only of seeing these guys play, but of being their classmates.  thanks for a great run, guys.

titan32 (and whoever gave me negative karma for my lastpost) - i would definitely skip out on the literature conference, except the school is funding my entire trip and i think i would be dead if i backed out.  i could shoot myself in the foot for making such a stupid error -- the date conflict didn't cross my mind at all, and if it had i certainly wouldn't have even applied to the conference.  stupid stupid stupid me... it is sort of a big deal to the school (or at least the humanities), though, and i am mentoring other students who are also going... but there is not much that is bigger than titans in the final four, is there?  believe me, thoughts of skipping the conference have tempted me many a time, but i have made an obligation that i must keep.  i am crying inside.      i just hope i can make it to the game tomorrow, and hopefully someone will be able to help me out..

a desperate plea...

i am so psyched about the titans' win tonight.

are any iwu fans from the bloomington or chicago area going to be going up for tomorrow night's game?

i am an iwu student serving on a university search committee, and we are currently doing interviews in chicago, near o'hare.  i would do anything to be able to make it to the game tomorrow night (especially because i am presenting at a literature conference next weekend so this is the absolute last time i could see the titans play).  the only problem is, even though i'll be done with committee work by tomorrow early afternoon, i can't get to the game because i have no transportation.  are any iwu fans coming through the o'hare area who might be willing to pick up a grateful gracious fan for her last iwu game as an undergrad?  i would pay for gas!  please message me if you can help.  my boyfriend may be able to drive and pick me up, and he is getting me a ticket,but it's not looking likely.  

*disclaimer*
I've never posted on this board before, but I've been watching it more and more frequently as the season progresses.  I'm a senior English major at IWU right now, and my boyfriend and I go to all of the games, even the away ones.  He is the "superfan" always all dressed up in green with the green sweatband and glasses, usually front and center court.  I'm definitely not as dedicated an attendant as he is -- he actually has a program from every game they've played since he was a freshman (I hunted people down -- and got pegged by some little kids playing basketball with the abandoned frame of an old hoop -- begging for a sold-out copy of the program from the Augie/IWU game on Wednesday, just so he could complete his collection)-- but, unlike him, I am not ashamed to post something heartfelt about the Titans.

I don't know nearly enough about the CCIW or how the NCAA tournament works.  However, I do know that my team has trouble playing a 40-minute game.  But I also know how much emotion was in the crowd at the last home game on Saturday night, watching 8 awesome seniors play their hearts out.

And I have to say that in my gut I know IWU is going to have more games this postseason.  These kids deserve it... they've worked so hard, learning to play as a team together for four years... they are role models for younger kids in the community... and I have to say, if not for them I probably wouldn't care nearly as much about basketball as I do now.  I used to love watching the game, before the NBA ruined it for me... but the charisma of the IWU team and the always-loyal Titan fans has inspired me to no end.  I was so down all day Sunday, worrying that it was the last game those Titans would have in Shirk, and one of the last they'd have together in front of so many fans... not just because I'm graduating at the end of April, but because they are, and I've seen how much Shirk and their fans and playing together mean to them.

I can't come to the tournament this weekend because IWU is holding its annual creative writing conference for undergrads, of which I am co-chair.  But you can bet I will be calling my superfan boyfriend every free moment I have to get an update.  And thanks for offering the streaming broadcast for people like me that have unavoidable conflicts this weekend.  It is killing me not to go to these games, but I am glad I have access to them in some respect.

That said... I believe in my team.  We can run the different pool scenarios on this board as much as we want, but the bottom line is, the best thing we can hope for is just for our teams to win.

I know IWU's got it in 'em.  It's kind of the Titan spirit to give your all, most of all, when you REALLY need it.

I think anyone who saw Dauksas' "birthday 3-pointer" at the February IWU/Elmhurst game at Shirk can attest to that.

Just win your games, Titans.  That's all I can root for.

*steps off soapbox, admittedly a bit embarrassed for the overshow of wordy emotion... but glad to have done it*