The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Column: Hoops could use more YouTube material

By Jared Sugerman, News Staff

‘Rebound to Allen, with three seconds left to go. Allen will try one last-second shot ‘hellip; It’s good! Chaisson Allen wins the game for the Huskies (Oh my God!) on a half-court shot! They rush the court as Chaisson Allen (Oh) hits (my) from (God) half-court.’
But who, and where, exactly, are ‘they’ who rushed the court? I have watched the YouTube clip entitled ‘Buzzer Beater ‘- Northeastern University Basketball vs. Wright State 11/28/09’ at least six or seven times now, and I have yet to see many aside from Paws and Allen’s teammates congratulating him after his shot beat the buzzer and the Raiders. Why was he not encircled and venerated by a group of his most adoring supporters in the N-Zone? The junior guard was bereft of adulation not because he had selected an inappropriate place to accomplish his impressive feat, but because he had chosen the wrong time to do so.
After earning just one win and two losses to begin the season, the Northeastern men’s basketball team hosted Wright State at Matthews Arena Saturday, Nov. 28, two days after Thanksgiving. Although the Huskies had been given the opportunity to host an opponent of a fairly high caliber, they would be forced to do so in an atmosphere that might have made the Museum of Fine Arts seem lively. And it was in this setting, devoid of students who had gone home to enjoy food and family, where Allen made the play that has now become a YouTube sensation. ‘Buzzer Beater’ has been viewed about 70,000 times and secured Northeastern’s second victory this year.
Allen’s shot will never be canonized in the annals of New England sports lore as if it were one of Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning kicks or David Ortiz’s walk-off home runs. But it was selected as the ‘shot of the week’ by ESPN’s Andy Katz, and it could have been parlayed into a seminal moment for Northeastern and its basketball program, once thought to be among the best in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
Since Nov. 28, however, the Huskies have played two games. Dec. 1, the Providence College Friars became the first team from the Big East Conference to visit Northeastern in 24 years. They left with a 76-72 victory, disappointing a sizable contingent of students at Matthews Arena. Dec. 5, Drexel hosted Northeastern to initiate regular season competition within the CAA. The Dragons downed the Huskies 49-47.
On both occasions, Northeastern could have proven before a television audience that its win versus Wright State was not merely the result of an unlikely last-second conversion. The Huskies have failed to do so, and their record now rests at 2-4. They have one game to play, another televised contest at Rhode Island before they travel to Hawaii and take part in a holiday tournament that ESPNU will broadcast. Northeastern seemed worthy of the attention after a 19-13 campaign led to a postseason victory and high hopes for this year’s squad. Now, a season once so full of promise now appears to be falling, (like Allen’s shot) into an empty void, where few fans might follow.

‘- Jared Sugerman can be reached’
at [email protected].

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