To be clear: It doesn't take much to fire up Monmouth's bench.
But when one of its own, walk-on Daniel Pillari, scores his first career points? Well, that's not only a huge deal, it also proves that college basketball's most famous celebrants are, in fact, very capable college basketball players, too.
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Ahead of Monmouth's key MAAC game against, Iona coach Tim Cluess was asked about Monmouth's bench, which has gained attention this season with its at times highly choreographed celebrations of Hawks successes.
"Are they on the team? I didn't know if they were on the team or wearing uniforms as cheerleaders," Cluess said. “I’ve never seen them on the court doing anything, so to me they’re not basketball players.”
.@ICGaels HC Tim Cluess on @MUHawks bench: Are they on the team? I didn't know if they were on the team or wearing uniforms as cheerleaders
— Dan Koob (@DanKoob) January 13, 2016.@ICGaels Cluess continued: I've never seen them on the court doing anything, so to me, they're not basketball players.
— Dan Koob (@DanKoob) January 13, 2016Of course, in the wake of Monmouth's 110-102 win Friday over Iona, the teams got into a fight in the handshake line.
In the Hawks' next game, Pillari proved Cluess wrong by hitting a pair of 3-pointers and a free throw late in a blowout win Monday over Siena, the first points of his college career and much to the delight of, yes, the other members of Monmouth's bench.