CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Lipscomb men’s basketball team made final preparations for its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance on Thursday, as the Bisons participated in Media Day and a brief practice at the Spectrum Center.
After a press conference that included coach Casey Alexander and Lipscomb’s entire starting five, the team took the court for light drills and a shootaround. The practice was open to the public, and fans from both Lipscomb and North Carolina were in attendance.
From custom Nike shoes to Fortnite to The Jim Rome Show, here’s a brief glance at what went down in Charlotte on Thursday.
Decked-out: The Bisons are staying at the Holiday Inn Charlotte-City Center, which is chalked full of Lipscomb signage. Purple and gold signs greet the team and support staff staying at the hotel, and an adhesive Power L is displayed on the elevator. Each team in the Charlotte regional is housed in a different hotel so the Holiday Inn rolled out the red carpet for the Bisons.
Nice Kicks: Lipscomb’s Director of Baseball Operations Brian Ryman had a special gift delivered to Alexander when the Bisons arrived at their hotel on Wednesday. Much like the custom Nike Air shoes that Kentucky coach John Calipari wore last season, Alexander received his own pair of customized Lipscomb kicks, complete with player names engraved on the sides. Ryman said he hoped that Alexander would don the custom shoes for Thursday’s practice, but the coach said he instead plans to display them in his office.
High Praise: North Carolina head coach Roy Williams had plenty of kind words for the Bisons during his media availability period. The legendary head man listed Garrison Mathews and the team’s three-point shooting as Lipscomb's strengths.
“There’s a lot of things that stick out that could give us problems,” Williams said. “One thing that really jumps out at me is Mathews’ shot. They have rebounders, defenders, guys who set screens. Casey’s done a nice job. It’s a very well-coached team.”
Spring Breakin’: Lipscomb is in the midst of its spring break this week, allowing for the players to focus completely on the NCAA tournament. According to Eli Pepper, the team isn’t shedding any tears over missing beach and relaxation time.
“This is the best spring break I could have ever asked for,” the junior forward said.
A-Team: CBS sent a star-studded cast of broadcasters for the Friday’s game. Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will be on the call starting at approximately 1:45 p.m. central time on Friday. The talking heads were in attendance for Thursday’s practice and briefly met with Alexander and Lipscomb SID Kirk Downs.
Fornite, anyone?: One reporter asked the Lipscomb player panel if they have any pre-game superstitions. Following a brief pause, junior forward Rob Marberry spoke up.
“I like to play a little Fornite in the hotel,” the Nashville native said. “That’s about it. Just have to get a win in Fornite.”
The newly-released survival game is a favorite among the Bisons, who often play Fortnite on campus and on road trips.
A Day in the Life: The Player’s Tribune, a media outlet focused on telling athlete’s stories, followed the Bisons around last week after their ASUN title victory. The two-man video crew of Sam Maller and Dan Treadway ordered pizza, played video games and went to church with the team. The four-minute feature can be viewed HERE.
Ex-teammates: Lipscomb guard Michael Buckland and North Carolina swingman Theo Pinson both played at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina. Pinson is two years older than Buckland, but the two played together during Buckland’s freshman and sophomore seasons with the Trojans.
“Me and (Michael) are really good friends,” Pinson said. “In high school, he was always that guy that looked up to the older guys. He always listened and tried to learn from us… he was under the radar. But he always worked hard and wanted to get better.”
Jim Rome appearance: Alexander made yet another national radio appearance when he hopped on the Jim Rome Show on Thursday afternoon. The two spoke about a variety of topics including the North Carolina matchup, Don Meyer and the ‘dork defense.’ The interview can be heard in its entirety HERE.
Limited tickets are still avaliable on Ticketmaster HERE. Fans unable to make the trip to Charlotte can tune in to CBS or NCAA.com at 1:45 p.m. central time on Friday to view the game.
