The New PH

Saturday night we went back to the dome with the old PH, the original PH, lately of Canajoharie, or Johnston Falls, or Sprakers or Woodchuckville. Somewhere out there, thirty or forty miles from East Bumblefuck. Before the game, we went to Kitty Hoyne’s to drink Irish whisky and bourbon, and to eat shepherd’s pie. At least that’s what PH ate; he claimed it was first made by his grandmother in the old country, but I think he’s got it mixed up with Tzimmis. Schnapps and Tzimmis; or shepherd’s pie and Red Breast. I can’t remember what we ate in the old country; it was so long ago.

Afterward, we headed back to the dome, to see game two of the current season, which ended in win number 728 for the coach. The Cuse looked good again. After a tight start, D-Nic hit a few shots from the outside; Matt Gorman came off the bench to contribute putbacks and a couple threes; and the defense played well again, this night mostly in the 2-3. By half-time we were up double figures; we let Penn make a little run early in the second half; and then it was twenty points when we left with a couple minutes to go.

On this night, Paul Harris, the new PH, only scored six, but he still managed to fill up the box score. Rebounds, assists, a couple steals. He’s not the new Melo; that’s unfair. What he is, aside from being the new PH, is the new Josh Pace. He does everything. And he does everything well. He’s already the best defender in the man. Penn had this guard who got hot in the first half, and the coach brought PH off the bench to shut him down. He’s also got great court sense, recognizing where rebounds will be before the shot ever hits the glass. And when he gets where he’s going, where the ball is also going, he goes after it big time. And hangs onto it. If he played even thirty minutes a night, he’d be our leading rebounder, easy. Another thing is that he's a great passer; he had the best pass of the entire weekend, a no-look bounce pass to Roberts underneath for a dunk. Plus, he’s smoother and more athletic than Josh Pace, even than Josh was as a senior. And PH, after all, is only in his first week of college hoops, so that’s saying a lot.

I missed the weekend’s final game against UTEP, where PH hit double figures off the bench, for the second time in three games. It was a good start to the season, and after this barren fall, I’m really looking forward to this season. Eight or nine deep; four seniors; four, five, six guys scoring in double figures. And the new PH, coming off then bench.