Published: 2012 (Anchor Sports)
Setting: Columbus, Ohio
Summary: Mark Titus’s rollicking adventure as a walk-on superstar for the Ohio State Buckeyes is one worth following. He benchwarmed, pranked, and shit his way to minor fame as the most interesting walk-on in college basketball. Titus’s humility and humor shine, and his keen awareness of the flow of a season is obvious in his pacing. Titus creates interesting characters out of his teammates, but you never forget that they were his teammates. There were some moments in the book that leaned into sophomoric rivalry, but when he wrote this that was his lived experience. If you listen to his podcast, Titus and Tate, you get the humor without some of the more cringey aspects. Nonetheless, Titus’s book is good as it is, a look into the underbelly (i.e. Titus’s muffin top after a Raising Cane’s dinner) of college basketball during a time where I was the most locked into the sport.
Quote of the book: “Evan didn’t take too kindly to any jokes I made at his expense. Being the asshole that I am, I took his reactions as an open invitation to make him a target until he learned to lighten up and realize that his teammates had his back and wants the team the team to be just as successful as he did. This only added fuel to fire and led to Evan and me becoming sworn enemies.” (91).
This passage is indicative of Titus, a consummate teammate, a consummate asshole, always endearing.
Favorite character: The Villain, Evan Turner is the star of this book.
Favorite Setting: The Ohio State Practice Gym, this is where the greatest shenanigans and moments happened, including Titus’ vaunted buzzer-beater.
Please Stay for: Titus’ frankness and love of the game (and the blog).
Please Question: Some of the social commentary seems odd, even if it is in jest, it is obviously written by a 22-year-old college student and I think I hang around too many of them to find this perspective funny or interesting.
Will Reviews Things 