The conversation in the media room at halftime of Duke's Wednesday win over Loyola predictably centered around Nolan Smith's injury. How hurt was he? What does this mean for Duke? And, for those sitting on press row without access to instant replay, what exactly happened?
I had ventured to the back of the room to watch highlights of the first half on two flat screen televisions when an older man in a Carlyle Cup sweater came up beside me.
"Did you see what happened with Nolan?" I asked him.
"I didn't. I was at the other end of the court," he said. He put his arm around me like a grandfather would, and we talked about the play for a couple of minutes. Then it was time to go back for the second half.
I had no idea who he was, but was struck by how nice he was and how easy he was to talk to. He seemed incredibly unpretentious.
Duke, as you know, ended up slaughtering Loyola, and I went back to the media room to wait for the two coaches to come out and talk. First came Greyhounds coach Jimmy Patsos. The man had screamed the entire game, and his voice was paying for it. He came into the room and, to my surprise, saw the older man in the Carlyle Cup sweater.
"Bucky! How are you, man?" he said. They chatted for a few seconds, then Patsos gave his press conference.
During the break before Mike Krzyzewski came out, a reported asked the sweater-clad man, who I had just learned was former Duke head coach Bucky Waters, to tell some old stories to kill tie.
"No, how about some new stories?" another reporter asked.
"No, I'm too old for those," Waters said, laughing.
I realize that I am an idiot for not recognizing Waters-he's been in broadcasting for 30 years after leaving Duke in 1973 and is a well-known face to any fans of college basketball. When I see him now, though, I'll think of him as the older man in the Carlyle Cup sweater who made a scared kid feel like he belonged.
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