Ten years gone, holding on

Iona’s NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, one Gaels led at halftime, closed tenth season of this site’s operation. (Photo by Jaden Daly/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Ten years, come and gone so fast. 

I might as well be dreaming.

It was on this date in 2009 that this website and this space came to be, started in a college radio station office whose front window afforded a view of the studio from which many of my first experiences in this industry were born into reality. What was a contingency plan in the event that the broadcast career I intended to forge following my graduation from St. John’s University one year prior ended up becoming a life — a full-grown child, in some ways — unto its own, and not once — not ever — did I dare to dream that I would be doing the same thing a decade later.

But here we stand on April 17, 2019, a full ten years removed from Daly Dose Of Hoops’ inception, and even longer since the video above was Oprah Winfrey’s theme music in the 1990s, when I was about the same age — give or take — as the venture I operate now. And even though the overall game count decreased significantly this past season when compared to the output of recent years, it was my intent to provide quality coverage for all 74 contests as if each were the national championship.

I was burned out for months on end after all the hundred-plus-game seasons before these last two, and I wanted to take some time to enjoy life without burning the candle at both ends. On top of that, I saw Josh Verlin — a far more talented writer than I could ever hope to be — disband his fantastic City Of Basketball Love website last fall after going through some of his own adversity, and I didn’t want to lose the fire, the passion with which I chronicle college basketball. So even though I wasn’t around as much, I made that choice for a reason.

It was justified though, as the games we did cover were meaningful in more ways than one. This year’s journey included new destinations, such as Maryland, South Carolina, and Ohio. For the first time in almost three years, we went out to Long Island, where Hofstra’s resurgence made for telling a great story and introducing my audience to the exploits of Justin Wright-Foreman. While Seton Hall returned to the NCAA Tournament and Manhattan continued on the long road back to redemption, we also got to cover St. John’s latest taste of March Madness, and ending the year by watching North Carolina — the school that baptized me to college basketball — battle Iona, with whom we’ve been able to witness mounds of success as this site’s brand has evolved, was the perfect touch of icing on this latest birthday cake.

But enough about me, enough about us. This is about all of you. Without you, there is no me, no us. It is all of you that make us so incredibly blessed to tell the stories we share, as your support is what makes the motor run. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, and if you love who you do it for, you’ll have nothing but pride for what you do.

To all the sports information directors and media colleagues that helped promote us and continued to welcome us with open arms, I can’t thank you enough. The same can be said for all the coaches we’ve covered, and we look forward to getting to know Carmen Maciariello, Patrick Beilein and Jay Young just as intimately as we have the rest of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. To my staff, I appreciate your patience and commitment to helping make our outfit what it is. Bob Dea wrapped up his second season as our lead photographer, and his galleries are true works of art. Vinny Simone came on board following the closure of NYC Buckets, and helped out with Hofstra and MAAC coverage so much that I wonder how I ever did it without him. Jason Guerette, in addition to his outstanding work as my tag team partner on Seton Hall coverage, didn’t think I was all that crazy for saying we should drive down to Maryland three days before Christmas, and we were rewarded by getting to see Seton Hall win on the road. At the end of the day, though, all of us were beneficiaries of Jason’s undying passion for his alma mater, which was reflected in the exceptional work he did in this, his fourth year as part of our family.

Finally, I once again thank you, the readers. Without you, we couldn’t go on, and the fact that you joined us for the ride even when it was shorter than usual is something we won’t ever take for granted. I may feel like I cheated you sometimes by not giving you as much content as I once did, but the positive feedback and kind words mean more to me than any of you will ever know. Things like that reinforce my faith in this world and the ability for people like us to make a difference and an impact on one another. I really mean that, and I hope I can continue to make you proud.

In closing, I wish you the very best as this offseason continues to unfold, doing so in the midst of St. John’s wide-ranging search for a successor to Chris Mullin as head coach. Who knows, maybe one of us might get a phone call at this rate. Until we meet again, wherever that may be, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Thank you for everything once more. Ten years have gone, but we’re still holding on, and we’re not letting go anytime soon. Let’s make it another ten more, and maybe even ten after that.

All the best, always.

Jaden Daly

Founder and Managing Editor