Day goes from routine to anything but with death of Prosser

LAS VEGAS -- I was sitting at the Riverview Park Activities Center last week in North Augusta, S.C., watching a summer basketball game, and when the buzzer signified halftime I hopped up, ran to the hospitality room, grabbed three bottled waters and returned courtside, handing one to Texas assistant Russ Springmann and another to a fellow writer.

I kept the third for myself.

It's a tragic day at Wake and a sad one for college hoops with the passing of Skip Prosser. (Getty Images)

"Did you think we weren't thirsty, too?" asked Wake Forest's Skip Prosser, who was sitting to my immediate left with assistant Pat Kelsey.

"I was looking for one of those trays like waiters have so I could bring drinks for everybody," I answered. "I just couldn't find one. But I've got you on the next trip."

Skip laughed.

I laughed.

And that was the last conversation I ever had with him.

"Yeah," answered Clemson assistant Shaka Smart when I called him Thursday and asked if he was hearing the same thing I was hearing, that Prosser had collapsed while jogging and subsequently died on campus. "Yeah, it's true."

Truly sad.

There are certain things you expect to wake up with in Las Vegas, specifically hangovers and pockets full of ATM receipts. That's just part of the deal. But you are not supposed to awake to text messages from people wanting to know if the rumors circulating are accurate, that a man universally respected in this business where so many are not has suddenly and unexpectedly died.

That's not normal.

You can't prepare for it.

Which is why even the most upbeat college coaches out here evaluating prospects at three major summer basketball tournaments spent Thursday afternoon in a daze, mourning and wondering just how a 56-year-old colleague, husband and father can die in such an abrupt manner.