Jan. 22, 2005

Charleston, SC - Pat Dennis grabbed a microphone in The Citadel's crowded mess hall Friday and shouted to be heard over the lunch-time noise of 1,800 cadets.

"This is your team, your classmates," the Bulldogs' basketball coach yelled. "And we need you out there ... from start to finish!"

The pep band started in, and knobs climbed atop their chairs, spelling out "CITADEL" at the top of their lungs as the Corps of Cadets cheered.

With his team off to its best start in years and fighting to stay in the race in the Southern Conference's tough South Division, Dennis is eager to get the Corps of Cadets on the team's side, and Friday's pep rally was part of that effort.

"The cadets haven't really seen this team play yet," said Dennis, whose 11-4 Bulldogs play host to 11-5 UNC Greensboro today. "And I think there is a pretty good buzz around campus. I think we have a pretty exciting team and a fun team to watch, and I hope the cadets come out in full force. "I'd like to have a good atmosphere for our home games, and the cadets make a big difference when they are here."

Because of the Thanksgiving holidays, mid-term exams and the Christmas break, many cadets haven't had a chance to see the Bulldogs play since the first few games of the season, when The Citadel was playing teams such as Chowan and Voorhees.

Since then, the Bulldogs have beaten defending South Division co-champion Georgia Southern and come from 21 points down to beat Wofford on the road. Today's game against UNC Greensboro is the second of only three home games for The Citadel in January.

Dennis also wants to make it fun for the cadets to come to the games. In the old days, cadets could paint their faces and pile on top of each other in a game they called "buck-buck." That was outlawed in the mid-1990s, but the military school's brass is cooperating with increasing the fun quotient.

For example, all cadets who come to the game today will receive a free overnight leave. Morning inspection has been moved from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to allow cadets to sleep in, and lunch for all cadets will be served at McAlister Field House.

Crazy hats, face painting and McAlister Maniac T-shirts all have been approved, and various goodies will be given away during the game, including 100 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Edge shaving gel and Andolini's pizza.

Of course, the best way to keep the cadets interested is for the Bulldogs to keep winning. That will be difficult against UNC Greensboro, which at 4-1 in the SoCon is tied with Chattanooga for first place in the North Division.

The Spartans, whose lone league loss was by 82-65 at Furman, have a solid inside-outside combo with guard Ricky Hickman (15.4 ppg) and 6-8 senior Ronnie Burrell (15.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg). Kyle Hines, a 6-6, 230-pound freshman, is one of the top rookies in the league, averaging 13.8 points and 8.1 rebounds.

"They've got an experienced backcourt and some good seniors up front, and they've added a freshman in Hines who is a lot like our Warren McLendon," Dennis said. "They are just jelling right now."

-- After the UNC Greensboro game, more than 25 former Bulldogs will play in the third annual alumni game. Ex-players who are expected to participate include Rick Swing (Class of 1979), Kent Hill ('88), Patrick Elmore ('90), Alan Puckett ('02), Michael Joseph ('02) and Cliff Washburn ('02).