An open letter to Mike Popoko,

It pains me to come to the realization that our love-hate relationship has finally come to a close. You're a good player. I'll admit that you've made your presence known on the court, but where do we go from know? Ever since the 2005 tournament, one of my biggest goals has been to throw you off your game. I feel I've done it the requisite number of times, but what will you do now? Who the hell knows?

To be honest, I have no fricken clue what it is college basketball players do when they get out of college. I see a small few of them turn into assistant coaches, and some turn into commentators. But Popoko, sweet Popoko, what will you do?

I'll miss screaming your name out at games, esp. like in the lead-in game of this years tournament where your team blew a 20 point lead and ended up losing to the Hawks. That was an instant classic.

But to think that I'll never again yell out the name Popoko is something that I am not ready for, at least not yet. There are new people to pick on, and this tournament hasn't really yet begun, but please, come back next year, because if teams like yours don't try again after failing, there would be no tournament.

So Popoko, and Stony Brook, I commend you even if you don't deserve it. I know you have the never-say-die attitude. Hell, you guys upset us pretty bad in 2004. I know you'll be back next fall with enough fire and grit to show the America East something new. Show the rest of us something too, if you plan on shaking things up.

PS. Popoko, over the past three years of conference basketball, you've earned my respect as a basketball fan. Congrats, because that doesn't happen too often.