To Demetrius Jackson,
Thank you for bringing celebrity status back to Notre Dame basketball. Thank you for being in the headlines and welcoming the fame. Thank you for being the face of Notre Dame basketball. Thank you for being apart of the emergence of Dunks DuLac. Thank you for the tears, though they were hard to see, it was great knowing we had a captain that cared deeply about this team. We needed someone to help spark the fire and I thank you for taking that role. Thank you for not giving up after a less than stellar freshman season. Many would have been down and out but you saw the potential in the team and in yourself, I thank you for the tenacity in your training to come back and be better than ever.
Most of all thank you for leaving early. We will miss you, but you leaving early helps to legitimizes the program. Notre Dame can develop players who are capable of declaring for the draft and leaving early. As my good friend Lil Wayne once said, “hate to see them go but love to watch them leave.” We wish you the best of luck, DJ.
To the last two years of basketball,
Thank you for the 14.7 million views in the 2015 Elite 8 and the 10.1 million in 2016. Thank you for giving the fans two players that we can watch in the NBA. Thank you for allowing the Notre Dame fan base to extend into basketball, you guys are a major part of the stardom that has hit Notre Dame basketball. Thank you for the 56 wins in a two year span. We had our ups and downs, but you have prepared the fans for a life of following Notre Dame basketball. Thank you for bringing to light what a great coach Mike Brey is and how wonderful our program and atmosphere. Thank you for the lack of scandal and the class act guys that have come out of the Notre Dame basketball program. Thank you for making it possible to have my school in my March Madness bracket, it’s been hard to leave y’all out in the past.
Thank you for the hashtags that trended on Twitter and being #1 trends. Thank you for the heart attacks from many of the thrilling wins. Thank you for giving me hope and excitement for the years to come.
- The Shirt 2016: A ND Student’s Perspective - April 21, 2016
- Thank you, DJ - April 4, 2016
- The Stages of Watching a Notre Dame Basketball Game - March 25, 2016
