And boy were there huge plays along the way. Williams was Jordan-esque in the first half as he elevated from just inside the free-throw line and threw down a halacious dunk. Boozer also sent the crowd into a frenzy with both of his rim-rocking efforts.

Despite the impressive displays of athleticism, it was really the experience of being one of the Cameron Crazies that I will remember best. The bouncing was one thing, but learning the cheers and not feeling weird doing them was another.

My favorite cheer was probably the one involving an old alum who frequents Duke home games. There’s this guy (he’s probably in his 50s) who brings a white towel to every game and sits directly opposite and in plain view of the student section. At certain times, the students will break out with chants of “CRA-ZY TOWEL-GUY (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap) CRA-ZY TOWEL-GUY” to which he responds by popping out of his seat and going crazy with his towel. It is a thing of beauty, really.

In all, everything about the game literally left me speechless. I guess covering men’s basketball here at Harvard has slanted my view of what college basketball and college fans should be. After all, here at Harvard a student need only go to a game seconds before it begins, flash an ID and have his pick of any number of good seats instead of waiting for hours outside in the cold.

One could argue, though, that Harvard basketball has its big moments, such as Penn-Princeton weekend when the home games are sold out. While those games certainly are fun to watch and cover, I have to scoff a little bit at the idea that the Penn-Princeton weekend constitutes a great sports atmosphere. Come on, half the fans are from the other school and even at its most fevered pitch, the crowd can’t even hold a candle to the intensity of the Cameron Crazies.

In fact, all aspects of the Cameron experience left me, as a sports fan, insanely jealous of Duke students who can go to these spectacles nine or ten times a year. That opportunity, coupled with the prospect of girls actually walking around in mini-skirts for most of the year, was almost enough to make me call the Registrar’s Office and ask about a transfer application.

Then again, I’m not stupid. Harvard really is a great place even if it can’t compare to Duke on the hardcourt. I just wish that our student body was a little more energized about the sports we have and the athletes who are, in many cases, legitimately stellar in their respective pursuits.

Honestly, people, our teams are fun to watch and you should try it more often. Come on down tomorrow to watch the men’s basketball team take on the Brown Bears in an important Ivy League showdown (it will be televised on DirecTV on Channel 631) and I will personally teach you some of the Dukies’ better cheers.

As I close this long column, I freely admit that despite my amazing time at Cameron Stadium, my favorite part of visiting Duke was experiencing the warmth and friendship of the students who go there. Duke was, as the brochures promise, the epitome of Southern hospitality.

So, I just wanted to take this chance to thank all of those strangers-turned-friends who made my visit to Blue Devil Country so memorable. Thanks Kate, Jen, Jon, Davis, and everyone else who contributed to my fantastic stay.

And, of course, a hearty thank you is in order for my alter ego, Chris, without whose ID I surely would not have been able to live out a dream. Chris, if you’re ever in the Boston area, you are more than welcome to drop by Lavietes Pavilion and take in a Harvard basketball game as “Dan Fernandez.” I know the Crimson Crazies experience can never come close to the Cameron Crazies experience, but hey—at least you’ll get to be me for a day.

And if that isn’t enough to make you bounce up and down, I don’t know what is.

-- Staff Writer Dan Fernandez can be reached at dfernand@fas.harvard.edu