Interesting Basketball Story

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Over the weekend, after hearing my godson tell me he's a classmate of Karl Towns Jr. who's headed to Kentucky next season (said he was on pace to graduate in 2015 and in the fall it was announced he had taken summer classes, and would now graduate in 2014; also has 25,000 followers on Facebook) contrasted with this article from the New Haven Register in what could only happen in an Ivy (or maybe BYU for a mission).



http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20140510/yales-brandon-sherrod-skipping-season-to-tour-with-whiffenpoofs

Yale's Brandon Sherrod skipping season to tour with Whiffenpoofs

By Bill Cloutier, New Haven Register

Posted: 05/10/14, 7:30 PM EDT | Updated: 8 hrs ago

NEW HAVEN >>
After finishing in second place in the Ivy League last season, the Yale men's basketball team appears poised to make a run at their first NCAA tournament berth since 1962.

But the Bulldogs will have to do it without forward Brandon Sherrod. Faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he decided to take a year off from basketball.

Sherrod was one of 14 Yale juniors selected to join the Whiffenpoofs, an all-male a capella group that has been traveling the world singing since 1909.

"It was an incredibly hard decision," Sherrod said. "But basketball is not my life. I have a lot of other interests and music is one of them."

It is more than just a hobby. Music has been one of Sherrod's passions for most of his life. He taught himself to play several instruments and has been a fixture in his church choir for years.

Established in 1909, the Whiffenpoofs are scheduled to sing on every continent except Antarctica next year.

"I'm hoping we sing there, too," Sherrod said.

Since joining the group is a year-long commitment, Sherrod and the rest of the Whiffs will not enroll in Yale next year. The native of Bridgeport has worked with the school's compliance office and has been assured by the NCAA that he will be allowed to return to Yale the following year and have his final year of eligibility remaining.

"It would have been great if I was allowed to play this season and then join the group after my senior year," Sherrod said. "That would be ideal. But, they're not going to make exceptions just for me. There's 13 other juniors that would love to graduate with their class and then take a year off to travel and perform before heading into the workforce."

Yale coach James Jones was also torn by the decision.

"I'm disappointed," Jones said. "I told my wife I was disappointed, but then she said, 'What if it was your son who had that opportunity and really wanted to do it? Wouldn't you want him to have that chance?' It's also not like his career is over. He will get to come back and it is an amazing opportunity."

The Bulldogs fully expect to challenge Harvard for the Ivy League championship next season. Yale battled for the league title until losing four of its final five regular-season games. An injury to star guard Javier Duren played a major part in the skid.

Once Duren regained his health, Yale again took off and advanced all the way to the final of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, winning three straight on the road.

The Bulldogs lost at Murray State 65-57 in the CIT title game, again hindered by a major injury after leading scorer and rebounder Justin Sears suffered a sprained wrist in the semifinals. Sherrod made the start in the championship game and scored six points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds while blocking three shots.

Sherrod averaged 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds on the season and made 14 starts.

Sherrod said the Whiffenpoofs are believed to be the longest-running a cappella group in the world. Legendary American composer Cole Porter was once a member and wrote Yale's famous "Bulldog, Bulldog, Bow, Wow, Wow" song.

Sherrod said the allure of the group and their travels were too much to pass up.

"I love Yale basketball, but basketball is not totally who I am," Sherrod said. "I know why coach Jones is disappointed, and I'm disappointed, too, but this was something I couldn't pass up. Leaving this year made the decision even tougher because everyone knows that this is a big season."

Said Jones: "He's just a special kid. He's very much into politics and he loves music. These are the type of students that make Yale so special."

Both Sherrod and his coach said the Bulldogs will fill the shoes of the 6-6, 240-pounder next season.

"We're going to miss his athleticism, his defense and his shot-blocking, but there will be more time for the other guys," Jones said. "Matt Townsend will get more minutes and Greg Kelley will get a bigger role. There are a lot of guys, including (freshman) Sam Downey, who have been working hard and they'll get the chances."

Sherrod said he'll continue working out even while on the lengthy tour.

"I'm not going to be ostracized from my teammates," he said. "I'm going to keep in touch with them and come back when I get the chance and talk to coach Jones."

As far as the Whiffenpoofs go, he doesn't expect too much of a challenge on the hardwood from them.

"They're not really basketball players," Sherrod said. "It's going to be 1-on-13, but I think I can take them."

Bill Cloutier
Reach the author at bcloutier@nhregister.com or follow Bill on Twitter: @BillCloutier.

[keefe]

Nutmeg

That is a great story. I saw the Poofs in Cambridge - dragged along reluctantly by my wife. I had very low expectations for the evening but what followed was one of the better performances I have ever enjoyed. This show had the added twist of playing on enemy ground and they managed to work in a number of wry comments on the rivalry into their music that made it all the more pleasurable. They are an incredible treasure and Sherrod has made the right decision for a number of reasons.

[MU82]

The article's closing quote is wonderful.

[muwarrior69]

Being a member of the MU chorus, when I attended, I can relate to this story. We came from all disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, History, English, Foreign language, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology Majors; Pre-Med, Pre-Dent, Pre-Law, Nursing, Med Tech, Business and Journalism. It was like being in a Fraternity and Sorority at the same time with choral music being the bond that brought us together. Athletics can teach us to stretch the limits of our minds and bodies; but music lifts the spirit and feeds the soul.