The Viejas Arena lights were still dimmed for pregame festivities, and I was certain SDSU was about to get run out of the damn building. It wasn’t just that Nevada is arguably the conference’s best team (although it is) or the fact that the Aztecs were coming off an embarrassing, listless loss at San Jose State (although they were).
It was also the body language of the players.
As Slash’s opening riff on “Welcome to the Jungle” sounded and the video board cut to the scene in the tunnel outside the Aztecs locker room, the usual bouncy exuberance was missing. Rather than getting amped to someone’s fiery oration, the players looked like weary commuters at a bus stop. During the introduction of starters, there was no joyful dancing – a fact noted by my wife who greatly enjoys such things (she thinks Dakarai Allen has by far the best moves, for the record).
I’m glad to say now, in the wake of SDSU’s 70-56 dismantling of the Wolf Pack, that I had misread the situation. Apparently they weren’t feeling too listless to dance. Maybe they were actually just too pissed.
KABEER THIRTY 