On Saturday, January 6, my dad and I drove 20 minutes to watch the Boston University Terriers’ basketball game against the Lafayette Leopards to watch TikTok phenom, Otto Landrum.

Landrum has been blowing up all over social media with his “Hi mom” basketball edit. Ever since his rise to popularity, many criticize his game, saying things like “he only averages nine points.” Some refute this saying, “he’s D1 and you’re not.” With all this craze and controversy, I decided to go out and watch the viral player ball.

As I headed into the stadium with my small press pass sticker in hand, the band was blasting their drums, horns, and winds. Even with few people there, I could instantly feel the atmosphere change.

Soon starters were called up, and eventually 6’ 9” forward Otto Landrum stepped up. He was instantly cheered and even hit a little dance before running onto the court. With tip-off in only a few seconds, Landrum stepped up to Justin Vander Baan, a 7’ 0” junior from Lafayette.

The ball tipped off and the Terriers swiftly moved down the glistening BU court, trying to prove their dominance. Four minutes into the game, they were up 8-3, causing the Lafayette Leopards to quickly call a timeout.

The Terriers were cutting, screening, and moving around the court, with Landrum and Nico Nobili, a 6’ 10” sophomore, playing an important role in their team’s offense and defense. Otto held 7’ 0” Justin Vander Baan to only one point.

At the next timeout, the Terriers were up nine points, almost doubling the lead from the last timeout. As halftime was approaching, the Leopards started to get their rhythm, rushing into the double digits and being down by only five points at 26-21. The hype and energy level from the Leopards was more intense than the Terriers, giving them more and more momentum.

As the second half came, the Terriers started to lose their stride. The Leopards broke the lead down bit by bit, slowly getting in their opponents heads. With trash talk coming from the stands, players calling their opponents “little,” and stare-downs after a three-pointer.

Justin Vander Baan locked in this half, blocking Otto Landrum and point guard Ethan Okusowa twice, dropping fifteen more points. The Leopards were up by five with one and one, meaning that even if you commit something that is not a shooting foul, the other team shoots free throws. Essentially, the final minutes became a free throw competition, and the Terriers just could not catch back up, losing. 51-59.

Going to the Terrier’s game was truly a great experience. We even got free pizza! But, as a basketball player myself, it was very cool to see D1 players go at it since most of these players will be going professional.

As for Landrum, he really can play. Most people expect a lot from him, but he doesn’t let that get to his head. He is a solid man and makes a great impact when he is on the court.

The “Hi mom” phenom really can be great, since he’s only a sophomore and has plenty of time to improve his game.