I spent Sunday morning having brunch with Tevin Baskin and Chris Evans, the central figures in tomorrow night’s big city basketball showdown, for a column that will appear in tomorrow’s paper.
Many people don’t know that Baskin, Trinity Catholic High School’s star center, and Evans, Stamford High School’s do-it-all guard, are extremely close friends. Most of their postgame activities include texting each other to catch up on the other’s accomplishments.
Breakfast with the two, as I expected, was part comedy act. Evans came very close to attending Trinity, and the pair mused over what would have happened if Evans was now a Crusader.
“Three state championships,” Evans said.
After brunch Evans and I accompanied Baskin as he headed to Trinity for practice. As the girls team finished practice — it also plays Stamford tomorrow night in a key game that has been overshadowed — Evans joked with Crusader coach Mike Walsh and the rest of the Trinity players.
The visit lasted an hour and was an example of what makes intracity battles so special: the players go all out to capture bragging rights, but after the final whistle the longstanding friendships will resume.
Tomorrow night Baskin and Evans — and their teammates — will look to keep their teams unbeaten before a packed house at Stamford High School. Afterward you can be assured they will be texting each other and renewing a friendship that will be put on hold for two hours.
