Monmouth University Basketball, Bizarre Benchwarmers Celebrations After USC Trojans Win

Monmouth University is taking over the college basketball landscape. Not for their play on the court, but rather for a series of bizarre, yet endearing, bench celebrations--the latest coming in their 83-73 win over the USC Trojans.

After a made bucket against the Trojans, the Monmouth bench celebrated in a fashion that suggested two things: something tremendous just happened, and clapping with hands isn't tolerated on the New Jersey campus. The best thing is, the guy doing the feet clapping will probably become an astronaut and walk on Mars.

After seeing that, it's safe to assume that the Monmouth bench holds two-a-days to practice celebrations. That type of creative choreography doesn't happen by accident. It takes hours in the gym, and countless texts between bros to come up with solid ideas. The Internet is also paramount. After all, what's the point of a sweet celebration if you can't immediately Instagram it? No Wifi? No deal.

Celebration like that isn't easy, either. To be that dialed in night-in-and-night-out takes a type of focus usually reserved for Nobel Prize winners. For example, three days before their victory over USC, the Monmouth bench celebrated with aarows, and this (whatever this is), on their way to an upset victory over Notre Dame. However, they may have saved the best celebrations for their postgame festivities.

However, anybody can celebrate a good upset. What separates the Monmouth bench from just about everybody else is their willingness to get hyped up over a run of the mill three ball while down fifteen. Which is exactly what they did earlier in the year when they took on Dayton.

The bench efforts almost won them the game. Well, that and Monmouth guard Justin Robinson, who was in just about every highlight (with a ball in his hands, too).

And while Monmouth may now be better known for their abilities off the court, they do deserve some recognition for what they've done on it. The small school from New Jersey plays in the MAAC. Compared to the power conferences (Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12, ACC) of the world that's like being a veggie wrap in a steak restaurant. But that hasn't deterred them--quite the opposite. They've already beat UCLA, Notre Dame, and USC this year (strong basketball programs in strong conferences)--proving they're more than just a good bench celebration.