COLUMN: The memories will last forever

From Lee Goldsmith's "Standing Room Only," Fall '95 I just hoped it would be later, that's all. But an overtime ambush by Antonio McDyess and the Crimson Tide last week crushed that hope like a recycled aluminum can. And just like that, with no prior warning, it was over. Fate can sure be cruel sometimes. So here I sit, staring blankly at a computer. Trying to somehow write a column thanking the Penn basketball team's five senior starters for all they have done these last few years. Trying to somehow put in perspective what the following five names have meant to this university and its students. Shawn Trice. Scott Kegler. Eric Moore. Matt Maloney. Jerome Allen. I've had more luck writing research papers. This isn't easy for me -- I don't really know where to start. What makes things difficult is that I've been one of the lucky ones here at Penn. I've been lucky enough to know not just the five players, but also the five people. Lucky enough to be not just a fan, but also a friend. As I look back on their Penn careers, I remember countless plays on the court. I remember the dunks and the three-pointers, the rebounds and the steals. There are enough highlights for a lifetime, and each one of them is perfectly clear. But that is not all I remember. There are plenty of memories off the court as well, of things that did not influence the outcome of any game. And for me, these are just as important as the highlights. Maybe even more so. I remember hearing my name called in the crowd on the Palestra floor after Penn clinched its third straight Ivy title this year. I turned around to see Eric Moore. With a grin as wide as his shoulders, he extended his arms and bear-hugged me. I remember interviewing Scott Kegler after he scored a career-high 26 points at Dartmouth this year. We were still discussing basketball when he paused for a minute. Then he thanked me just for being there, and told me how much it meant to have Penn fans at every road game. I remember a bitter cold Sunday two days before Penn was to face Michigan. I finished my interviews, left the Palestra and walked out into a chilling wind. A car pulled up behind me. Jerome Allen was at the wheel. He offered me a ride, and we talked throughout the short drive home -- not only about hoops, but about friendship. I remember when Penn beat Colgate in the first game of a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden. It was just two days after my birthday. During the second game that night, Shawn Trice and Matt Maloney came out of the MSG locker room and straight to my seat. Matt laughed and handed me a card, which Shawn had gotten the entire squad to sign. These are memories I will have with me forever. Just as I still have memories from my senior year in high school, when I was excited about two Penn freshmen named Jerome Allen and Shawn Trice. Back then, I told my high school friends headed to Michigan and Duke that Penn -- yes, Penn -- could actually be good someday. They laughed in my face. Three years later, Penn won at Michigan and finished ranked higher than Duke. It's my turn to laugh. As a kid from the suburbs of Philly who grew up on the Big 5, the three years I've spent here have been a dream come true. Our Ivy League institution, the University of Pennsylvania, hit the big time in the world of college basketball. And in the process, Penn's five seniors gave us one hell of a ride. As most of you probably know by now, I usually try to end these columns with something creative. Or at least something original. Not this time. I can only end my last column on Shawn, Scott, Eric, Matt and Jerome in one way. Thank you. All five of you. For everything. Lee Goldsmith is a College junior from Huntingdon Valley and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian. Standing Room Only normally appears alternate Thursdays.