Catching up with Dalen Cuff '06CC
3/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dalen Cuff '06CC is a former captain of the Columbia men's basketball team and now works alongside Jerry Recco as the color commentator for all Columbia men's basketball games on gocolumbialions.com. This article originally appeared in the February issue of Lions Den.
Q: You're in your fourth season as the color commentator for Columbia Men's Basketball. How has it been to remain close to a team you played for here?
A: It's been a great experience and it does keep me close to the Columbia program through following the team, interacting with the players and talking to the coaches about upcoming opponents or their take on past games. Also, it keeps me actively involved in the current happenings within college basketball and the Ivy League. I have always loved college basketball so I would have watched without broadcasting, but covering the team allows me to remain close but have a different perspective and share those thoughts and insights with other Columbia alumni and fans.
Q: Talk about teaming with Jerry Recco and how he helped you transition to the radio side of the game.
A: Simply put, Recco is the man. I came into this field with absolutely no past experience or credentials to be on the air – so thanks to Barry Neuberger for thinking I could do this without any past experience. Recco's talent and professionalism made a complete novice like myself feel very comfortable and pick it up relatively quickly. We have always had a good rapport on air and I think people recognize that. We work well together. That good rapport really comes from his lead. He does a great job of painting the picture of the game in people's minds and makes it easy for me to fill in and add value where I can.
Q: One thing Joe Jones consistently emphasizes is the family nature within the program. How have you seen that grow since your time as a player?
A: Coach Jones has always been about the Columbia Basketball family. When he first got here, that was one thing he wanted to create and instill in his players – that we were more than a team. We were a family and the school, community and alums are extended members of the Columbia Basketball family. This sense of family is very strong. When I see guys I played with years ago, we can still connect and relate like we are still in school. Even more impressive is that this kinship translates to players, coaches and other alums that I had never played with. It's tough to appreciate it until you leave the program as a player, but it is a feeling and relationship that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Q: What was your favorite memory from your playing days or what most stands out from that period?
A: That's a tough one. I always ask guys that on the radio when doing interviews with former players but I have two favorite on-court memories: the double-overtime win over Yale in 2004 and the sweep of Penn and Princeton at home my senior year. Those are probably my favorite game memories but there are the litany of memories that took place in practices and huddles that I won't share now but are always discussed when the guys I played with get back together. The thing that most stands out though in a general sense is the family feeling that I spoke about before. Coach always said the players, and the coaches for that matter, that you go through this experience with you will be close with for years to come and I think he is right. We were a very tight group and I do miss the times on the practice floor, in the locker room after practice, in the house just hanging out just as much as I miss playing in the games.
Q: Post-playing career. What was your favorite moment calling a game? Or what most stands out in your mind when thinking back on the past four years?
A: Another tough question. I think it is watching the guys that I helped recruit and played with as an upperclassman and captain develop in their later years as the leaders of the program and ultimately graduate. To see those guys – Baumann, Ben, Brett, Mack, Bova, Miller, KJ, just to name a few – develop into the program leaders and build on the foundation that the previous classes helped build is rewarding. We have not gotten to the top of the league yet, but the program is in a better place than we left it, so it was great to see those guys further elevate Columbia Basketball.
