They believe last year was nothing to worry about, a year where some of the team’s youngest players were forced to step into pivotal, sometimes unexpected roles. A hall-of-fame head coach, a revamped roster and a record that didn’t reflect what they had hoped for.
They slowly crept in, their elevated frames alternating views with one another as they strolled to their respective seats. Chris Mullin was still speaking to the media, with players concentrating just as intently as tape recorders and cameras yearning for the slightest hint about the season lurking nearby.
And even then, as waves of noise began to form around the year’s newest guards and playmakers, big man Kassoum Yakwe sat quietly, enclosed by a scrum of teammates and reporters, lifting his head to uncover the veil left behind by his blue and red St.