T-Rat

[Michael W Pickens]

Last night I went to the game and actually sat in the box seat thanks to a
couple of friends.  I was having a very good time watching our Cats beat up
on Valpo and drinking the free beer.  I enjoyed the game very much.
However it got much better at the end.  Instead of sitting in the traffic
after the game we hung out in the box.  I turned around and there was none
other than T-Rat, Terrance Gibson.  I have to say I was very impressed with
him.  He seemed educated and well spoken, exactly the kind of person you
want representing your University.  He stood and talked to us for almost an
hour.  It was in one word Awesome.  I thought I would share some of the
questions we asked and his comments.

Q - 1992 (Final Four year) versus Kenyon's senior year.
A - They would have never even made it past half court against our defense.
That team was good but it wasn't even close.  The only person on that team
that would have started would have been Kenyon.

Q - K Legree good point guard or bad point guard.  (I had told my friends
that he was a good point guard)
A - Your point guard is supposed to be a floor general and Legree was
definitely that.  He was better than Nick as a point guard.  Legree got
everyone around him involved he just didn't have the talent around him that
Nick had.  Nick was a much better player but Legree was a better point
guard.

Q - True or False you don't want Legree shooting foul shots at the end of
the game.
A - Dumbfound look and a noshit answer.  (I was making a point with this
one to my friends, I didn't do that one again.)

He talked about the days when he was playing and the fact they didn't have
cell phones, pagers, cars and they lived in the dorms together.  Now a days
its like baby-sitting for the coaches.  They were more focused and listened
to everything Huggs said when he played.  The last few teams did not do a
very good job of that.  He seemed to care about Huggs a lot and seemed very
proud to have played on that team.  He said that Herb Jones was the best
player he has ever played with.  There is nothing that Herb could not do.

Q - Do you think E. Hicks will be a great player when he leaves here?
A - He told us a story about calling up Huggs to stay for a few days longer
at home for a family gathering and cookout because Huggs wanted him to be
in Cincinnati to start working out.  Huggs let him stay and that is when he
got shot in the leg.  If Hicks had listened to Huggs and come up when he
should have he would be a much better player right now than what you are
seeing.

He then started talking about when Huggs would put him in, that he was
supposed to know where everyone was and what they were supposed to be
doing.  He said he would come into the game and they had a set designed for
Nick but Nick would not be where he was supposed to be and so he would get
taken out of the game. However he would always stay close to Huggs because
he didn't want him to forget that he was there.   He wouldn't sulk like a
lot of players.

I won't bore you anymore with this but man it was just very nice to meet a
player like him.  It made me proud to be supporting the team and that we
had players like him out in the community doing good things.

If you see this T-Rat thanks man and keep up the good work of spreading
Beacat Cheer.

M!