9 degrees when I entered Alumni Hall around 8 am today. It hit 22 at lunchtime, but any way you spin it this is a bitter, brutal cold. So cold that I didn’t even want to venture out to the center of campus to catch a glimpse of the ladies going through sorority recruitment. Today is Day 1, and that is a long day for everyone. Best wishes to all the young women involved.
Lastnight was the Wake-Duke basketball game, always one of the biggest games of the season. Despite the cold weather and the tremendous win, there was a good crowd at the Joel and our team showed a lot of energy and talent. Our unranked Deacs were up against the #2 in the country, but we held our own. For those of you watching the game or following online, we were down by 9 at the half and made a magnificent climb back into the game, even leading for a time. Eventually Duke got the better of us and won the game. The 73-65 final score in my mind does not reflect just how close the game was. You can read the game recap online.
So yes, it is a loss, but it’s also a win in the sense that we see the sparks of greatness in this team. My Wake Forest friends on social media had a lot of very positive things to say about our team and Coach Manning. They used words like ‘moral victory’ and they were excited and proud of our guys. I have complete faith in Coach Manning and believe he’ll build on that greatness. My prediction: this team is one we are going to enjoy watching more and more and more.
For those of you with Deacs still at home, tomorrow and Saturday will be warmer, but not by much. It will be a cold reentry into college life for our students.
