Just as the most miserable era in ECU football history winds to a close, the PIrate hoopsters mercilessly toyed with their fans' emotions over a stretch of 4 games within the last week. Two dramatic wins over Pepperdine and Oregon State respectively in the BCA classic set up a championship game with much hated NC State. Some Pirate fans even dared to hope for a win over the ranked Wolfpack. Not to be.
NC State's 34-point humbling of the upstarts only diminished the Pirate faithful's dreams a little.
The poor showing was no doubt the result of tired legs. right? Wrong. A trip to little Boiling Springs, NC, and a 30-point shellacking by Gardner-Webb College has left ECU fans bewildered,
and dismayed over a program that they thought was on the ascend.
Why the ECU hoop fans had such high hopes for their team to begin with is somewhat questionable. Sure, the Pirates under head coach Bill Herrion have had some moments of glory, a win or two over the likes of Marquette and Loisville, but no real sustained success - evn when they were competing in the CAA. After all, ECU has not posted a winning basketball season since...well, you get the idea.
One wonders is new athletic director Terry Holland knew the magnitude of the task that lays before him in righting ECU's floundering revenue sports' ships. At least with the football program there is some history of success. Pirate basketball by contrast has a history of futility.
Good luck Terry, and Happy Thanksgiving!