The last day of finals was Dec. 21. The men’s basketball team was back in Ithaca for practice on Dec. 26. That meant it was one of those “wham-bam, thank you ma’am” kind of Christmases; more business than pleasure.

“It wasn’t a long break,” junior center Jeff Bostic said as bluntly as an antique butter knife. But such is the life of a Bomber on the hard court, though the perks weren’t so terrible.

Despite braving Ithaca temperatures for most of January, the team played two games in a holiday tournament in Daytona Beach, followed by two days relaxing in the Orlando sun. Outside of a mediocre tan, it also meant plenty of bus time, which is where this story really starts.

While most teams travel with iPods in their ears, going over game plans or catching up on sleep, these guys wiled away the hours learning the Rubik’s Cube. You know, the little colored square where you line up colors on the same side; the same game normally reserved for casual Friday at the AV club.

Don’t tell that to the men’s basketball team.

Junior Pete Friedland learned the intricacies of the Cube this summer and spent the trip teaching everyone else on the team.

“I brought the Cube on the first road trip earlier this year because my iPod was broken, and I knew I’d be bored,” said the 6-foot-3-inch forward. “No one noticed then, but on the Christmas trip everyone wanted to learn.”

Friedland started by teaching junior Gianni Maratea, who also began teaching other players. Even if it sounds like pay it forward from the twilight zone, senior captain Sean Burton estimates at least eight players can turn the trick now.

“There’s got to be about 10 steps, and let me tell you it’s a long process,” he said, before mentioning that he is one of the eight who has mastered the Cube.

Junior Jeff Bostic, another successful protege of Friedland, thinks there might only be eight steps, but either way, mention the Rubik’s Cube to anyone on the basketball team and it will provoke a smile.

“It’s definitely taken over the team,” Bostic said.

Friedland even goes so far as to say that the Rubik’s Cube has made the Bombers a better basketball team.

“You get guys hanging out who normally wouldn’t be,” he said. “And in a strange way, it’s helped us on the court.”

With many more bus rides still to come this year, it leaves plenty of time to pick up Chinese checkers or canasta. Or maybe not.

This team seems pretty happy just being squares.