Briercrest basketball team viral Willem Dafoe media day video hits eight million views Briercrest's men's basketball team went viral for copying Willem Dafoe poses during media day, racking up nearly eight million views as their season opens Friday in Red Deer. Briercrest's men's basketball team has gone viral after posting an Instagram reel of players copying unusual poses from actor Willem Dafoe during their annual media picture day. The original video, posted last week on the team's Instagram account, had racked up close to six million views as of Friday afternoon. It added another two million views and counting after ESPN's TikTok account reposted it on Thursday, bringing the total to roughly eight million. The post was captioned, Media day Willem Dafoe edition. It follows a viral trend on TikTok and Instagram of copying Dafoe's poses from various photoshoots.Players Copy Willem Dafoe PosesDuring the team's annual media picture day, players were randomly handed a photo of Dafoe and told to copy the pose shown in it. Commenters have praised the players, saying everyone understood the assignment. The poses include highlights such as a wide stance with a deep lean, laying down for a little nap, and crouching on a chair in a way that heavily invokes the Green Goblin, one of Dafoe's most iconic roles.The video has been widely shared across social media platforms. The viral moment serves as well-timed promotion for the men's and women's basketball teams, which open their season Friday in Red Deer. The school's volleyball teams are also in action at home. The attention arrives just as Briercrest's college-level athletics programs begin their competitive schedules.Based in Caronport, Saskatchewan, Briercrest is a private Christian high school, college and seminary. The school's college-level athletics teams compete in the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference, known as the ACAC, and the Prairie Athletic Conference. The institution has a long history in the region. The unexpected social media fame has brought national attention to the small Saskatchewan school and its athletic programs.Viral Fame Boosts Briercrest AthleticsWith millions of views across Instagram and TikTok, the video has introduced Briercrest to a much wider audience than typical for a private Christian college in rural Saskatchewan. The school's teams now look to carry that momentum into their season openers Friday.