There, amidst an atmosphere that seems almost built to produce as many basketball game results as possible with maximum efficiency and speed, he takes a seat in time to watch a team from Tennessee with John Fulkerson on the roster.
The 6-foot-8 combo forward then puts on a show.
He's skinny and angular, showing a workable shot in warm-ups, and then he unleashes an aggressive side. He slashes in, scores and-1s and shows both timing and hops as he swats away shots. Even his turnovers reek of an attacking mindset, showing no sign of the passiveness that often accompanies size.
He doesn't play much as his Bobcats tear out to a big lead and the reserves get time they've missed in closer games.
Fulkerson says his recruiting picked up after he transferred from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, Tennessee, to Christ School in Arden, North Carolina. Thus far, interest has mostly come from smaller schools such as Appalachian State, Samford, South Carolina Upstate, Navy and UNC-Asheville. He's talked to Radford and George Mason, hopes for an offer from the home state Volunteers and says versatility has become his calling card. He takes a moment, searching for the right way to describe how this process has taken off.
"I really just see how blessed I am to see I can play at the next level," Fulkerson says.
When it became clear Fulkerson's night was finished, Whitford slipped out, back to North Central to relieve his assistant and put the plan back on track.
But it seems there's a new part.
Less than an hour after his game, Fulkerson tweets out the news: he's now the proud holder of a Ball State offer.
