Wednesday January 10, 1990 and a legion of 12,208 red clad fans are keeping an eye on their North Carolina State Wolfpack and beloved basketball coach Jim Valvano.

Pacing the sidelines at Reynolds Coliseum, Valvano appreciates the skills of each and every opponent that dares to venture into Raleigh North Carolina.

He and his team are ready.

This is the first time that the visiting Boston University Terriers have ever played the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack are stacked with four future NBA players Chris Corchianai, Brian Howard, Rodney Monroe and “Googs”.

Googs, also known as Tom Gugliotta, will go on to achieve NBA All Star status during a stellar 13-year career.

But that is the future and this is now.

The Wolfpack are coming off of a five-game winning streak the last three contests all nail bitters.

Following tonight’s game against the Terriers they face the powerful Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets featuring Dennis Scott.

This is the third straight road game of the New Year for the Terriers having faced off against Vermont and Drexel. Teams not really known for their championship basketball programs.

But still Valvano is ready when into the contest comes a sharp shooting Canadian kid.

"Watch Daly he's the shooter!" he yells to his team. “Watch him he’s the shooter!”

A few years later, April 28, 1993 to be more precise, Jimmy V, who had coached his way to a NCAA title in 1983, would die after a 10-month courageous battle with bone cancer.

The final score 95-70 in favour of the Wolfpack did not matter what did matter was that the coach gave Daly respect.

"I will never forgot coming off the bench at NC State and hearing Coach Valvano yell out, ‘Watch Daly he's the shooter!"“ says Daly, a native of Hamilton, Ontario. "I remember thinking it was neat, that for at least a day, he knew who I was."

Thanks to his long distance bombing, the name “Watch that kid Daly” would be echoes by many more opposing coaches and players.

People down south knew who Mark Daly was.

Wearing Terriers colours from 1988-92 he connected on…count em’…a school record 202 three-pointers.

"I always wanted to get a scholarship and play in the NCAA. That was always my goal, and I am really
satisfied that it worked out for me so well," states Daly, who played high school ball at Hamilton’s Cathedral High School. "I was limited athletically, couldn't "D" up or board at all but I seemed to do well in the pressure situations.

“Shooting three hours a day, every day and perfecting my form."

Swish was the only sound Daly wanted to hear.

In high school he was part of three league championships with the highlight being selected 1987-second team all-star at the prestigious ACIT Tournament in Cumberland, MD.  A tourney, which in the past featured talents, like former NBA Rookies of the Year Austin Carr and Adrian Dantley.

That year’s tourney included Jerrod Mustaf and Rodney Monroe both destined for the NBA ranks.

Daly was only the third Canadian to ever achieve such honours, the first being fellow Cathedral alumni John Kijonek and Peter Giftopoulas who got the nod in 1984.

Kijonek was also the tourneys Most Outstanding Player.

Following high school, with several big time offers to head south, he selected BU.

"It was the he top team in the North Atlantic Conference at that time (now the America East Conference –  AEC since 1996) which made it an easy decision. Coach Mike Jarvis (now an ESPN analyst) was an incredible coach to play for and it was a classy program and a great academic institution."

Daly may attest first hand to the academic program in which he was honoured as the very first Terriers dribbler (within the AEC conference) to gain Scholar Athlete status in 1992.

During his stint at BU, in which he totaled 1,016 points, Daly went one-on-one with countless NBA stars, both former and current.

From Michigan came Rumeal Robinson and Tony Massenburg. UCLA boasted Pooh Richardson and Don McLean. Connecticut showcased Scott Burrell, Tate George and Clifford Robinson. Walt Williams and Mustaf from the fields of Indiana. And then the big three of Duke: Bobby Hurley, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill.

In 1990 the Terriers made it to the Big Dance (annual 64-team NCAA tournament) where they were beat in the first round by University Connecticut 76-52.

"Playing in the NCAA tournament was an incredible experience," admits Daly, who is now vice principal and senior boy’s basketball coach at his high school Alma matter Cathedral.

 "We were the #16 seed playing #1 U Connn on their home at Hartford Civic Center (in front of 15,937 fans).

“We were down only one at half and had a lead with about 15 minutes left in the game. It was incredibly quiet for a time in that arena, until we collapsed and they hammered us and it ended in a rout."

Daly is quick to add that a No. 16 seed has never ever upset a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament play to date.

U Conn would make it to the Elite 8 that year falling to Duke 79-78 in OT.

The two teams would meet again seven years later with U Conn edging Duke 77-74 for the NCAA title.

Boston U had made it to the 1990 Big Dance with an AEC Championship 75-57 win over Vermont in which Daly was named to the all championship team.

The previous year the Terriers had lost to Siena in the AEC final 68-67.

Daly is proud, and rightfully so, of his time at BU.

"Personally, 1,000 points was neat…I was a conference tournament all-star in 1990. I hit six of seven three’s in the semi versus UNH (University of New Hampshire) and starting in the NCAA tournament was awesome.
"My favourite game personally was probably my sophomore year versus Maryland in the Boston Garden.
It was my second start and I had 18 at half, and we beat them in a huge upset.

Best of all my parents and high school coach were there."