NCAA Pants Party: Monmouth Vs. Hampton

Monmouth Hawks (18-14) vs. Hampton Pirates (16-15). When: Tuesday, 7:35 p.m. Where: Dayton, Ohio.

(Logos from Chris Creamer's Sportslogos.net.)

MONMOUTH

1. It's A Reality TV Training Ground. Life in the jungles of West Long Branch prepared alumni Stephenie LaGrossa and Katie Gallagher, both 2002 graduates, for their stints on Survivor: Palau. Gallagher finished second.

2. Monmouth NBA Trivia. Quick: Name the only Monmouth player to ever play in the NBA. Come on ... anybody? Bah! Time's up! The answer of course is Alex Blackwell. (And you call yourself a NBA fan.) Yeah, an early 90's NEC All-Star forward, Blackwell signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1992-93 season. His performance? Not so hot. In 27 games, Blackwell scored 34 points, snagged 22 rebounds and smoked 8 packs of Marlboro's with Vlade Divac. True story.

3. Coach, We Need A Three. Get In There. Coach Dave Calloway, a former Monmouth Hawk and Northeast Conference (NEC) All-Star, use to really love the long ball. Not only does Calloway still hold every single 3-point shooting mark in school history, but he even managed to lead the nation in 3-point field goal percentage in '89, nailing 42-of-82 shots from downtown. So, yeah, if we find the Hawks down big in the 2nd half — and I'm sure we will — don't be surprised if Coach Calloway loosens the tie, subs himself in, and just gets "hotter than a pistol" from deep. — J.E. Skeets and Dan Cordella

HAMPTON

1. Booker T Was Here. Booker T Washington ( not this one) went to Hampton in 1872 as a student and eventually taught there. In 1881, he left to start a new institute, Tuskegee, in Alabama.

2. No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. Hampton has one of the more strict dress codes for any university. No caps, do-rags or hoods. No midriffs, tube tops or tee shirts. No short shorts. No undershirts. No clothing with lewd messages. I am pretty sure this is what the student body looks like.

3. Remember, You've Met Them Before. Back in 2001, No. 15 seed Hampton upset No. 2 seed Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was only the 4th time that a 15 seed had upset a 2 seed since the 16 seed format in 1985. — Andrew White

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