The night just finished up, and while we'll have Matt's full rundown in a few minutes - he's tidying up his notebook as we speak - I wanted to point out something far more entertaining than any of the basketball that was played tonight - the player introductions.
Each player had an individual song, which they presumably selected at some point prior to tonight. The list is as eclectic and wonderful as one would assume it would be, and it shed a little light on some of the personalities of the IU basketball team in their first official practice. The list, with a little commentary on the side, is after the jump.
Xavier Keeling - "Sweet Home Alabama," Lynard Skynard - Keeling is from Hunstville, Alabama, which makes this an obvious choice.
Joey Shaw - "I Think They Like Me," Dem Franchise Boyz - Now this was a funny moment. Players, cheerleaders, fans, all dancing and letting their shoulders lean. More awkward for some than others, as one would imagine.
Kyle Taber - "Welcome to the Jungle," Guns and Roses - Somebody had to do it, right?
Adam Ahlfeld - "And Then What," Young Jeezy - This was a real head-scratcher, as a song about dealing drugs and stacking flo would seem a little out of Ahlfeld's wheelhouse. When we heard Young Jeezy, and started glancing toward the entrance, the last person we expected to see was Adam Ahlfeld. Such is life.
Lance Stemler - "Small Town," John Mellencamp - Appeasing the new home crowd. Understandable.
A.J. Ratliff - "SexyBack," Justin Timberlake - Ratliff actually had the courage to not only pick the song, but to dance profusely on his way out onto the floor, including with some little girls in the crowd. Easily the best dancer on the team.
Earl Calloway - "What You Know," T.I. - After Ahlfeld's selection, we thought maybe Errek Suhr was heading out, but it was Calloway, with an excellent selection. The best song on the list, in fact.
Ben Allen - "The Land Down Under," Men At Work - Like Keeling, an obvious choice.
The rest of the players either didn't have a discernible song, or we missed it, or in D.J. White's case, the cheering was too loud to make out what was coming out of the Assembly Hall speakers. In any case, the musical introductions were a nice little look at the IU basketball team outside of the confines of actual competition.
