revised letter to jerel mcneal

[mubball2009]

dear jerel,

first and foremost, thank you for eberythbing you have done for this program. hours away from your last selection sunday, many can and have overlooked your impact on this program because of some unfavorable and more recent transgressions.

the great thing about march madness is that it erases the past and allows a team to start fresh. a season of disappointments can turn into triumph just as easily as a year of hype can fall at the buzzer.
please us the next few days to reflect on your career and what has made you, and the team, successful. whether it is fair or not, you're legacy will parallel the successes and failures of this last tournament. the positive side of that comes from the fact that if you play as if you did in 11 of the last 12 months, there is not 10 better teams in the nation. if you play the game without the weight of its outcome on your shoulders then the mu community will see the true potential of the class of 05.

it must have been tough seeing dj go down. that wasn't in the plan. you three were supposed to go out the way you came in - together and to a arena full of cheers. I can understand that you felt an extra burden after dom left, but we have players who can make up for his loss. mo and lazar found their stroke again and jimmy b is turning into a game chnager. while dj is gone, the season is not over. if you ply hese next few games trying to be the best teammate and not the best player, you will be able to leave the way you deserve. of course, I know you won't read this, but it needed to be said.