Remember me? I used to write a sports blog in this parcel of cyberspace. So where has this scribe been hiding? I've spent the last 45 days in total immersion, preparing for one of the more inspiring undertakings I have experienced in more than 25 years of working at Georgetown: the 100th anniversary celebration of Georgetown basketball. Just for the record, I plan to be contributing here a bit more frequently going forward.

This centennial reunion weekend was all about building and strengthening community. As with the holidays I wrote about last December, when a large family gathers to celebrate, they re-acquaint themselves and re-live earlier memories through the sharing of stories from the past. All of that took place during last weekend's Hoya basketball family reunion and it infused every attendee with the same familiar sentiment: "We are Georgetown."

For the widespread and diverse community that is Georgetown basketball, this coming together was unprecedented in both size and substance. It began on Friday evening with a gathering of more than 100 former players, managers, and coaches renewing their friendships and establishing new ones. It continued on Saturday afternoon as the current edition of the Hoyas delighted their predecessors and fans everywhere with a convincing thrashing of the #11-ranked Golden Eagles of Marquette. That evening, it culminated with a spectacular pageant that provided historical context, special recognition, and collective reminiscing for an enchanted audience. You could feel the magic in the air. Amidst the ballroom throng of 800, it flashed from the simultaneous outpouring of heartfelt emotion by participants and audience alike.

Kudos to Coach Thompson and the basketball office for their lead role in the weekend and to Associate AD Kyle Ragsdale who took responsibility for promoting an event on a scale never before attempted by the athletic enterprise on the Hilltop. The 100-year video from the Gala, with bonus features added, will be available for sale in a DVD format in the near future.

Hoya Saxa!