My Favorite TIme of Year
Used to be, the middle of February was my favorite time of year, when the seemingly endless two-month layoff was over and NASCAR roared back to life with the Daytona 500. Don't get me wrong, I still get a thrill from hearing 43 fast-paced billboards fire up the engines and begin a 10-month trek across the country in search of a Nextel Cup championship and see if we'll one day get into the Guinness Book of World Records for most drunk people in a nation over a one-year period.
But that was before I discovered college basketball.
It was roughly five or six years ago. I had just joined the campus newspaper at Old Dominion University, The Mace & Crown, with the idea of becoming a sports writer. Which was all roses and candy...until I remembered I went to a basketball school. Which meant I would eventually have to cover a basketball game.
I hated basketball. With a fiery passion.
But a funny thing happened when I went to cover my first basketball assignment, the men's team's annual intrasquad scrimmage: I fell in love.
The speed and intensity of the game courtside were nothing like they'd been whenever I flipped past a game on TV. And at that moment, I was hooked. I became an instant college basketball addict.
But what truly cemented my love for the game was two seasons ago. Then serving as the play-by-play voice for Old Dominion basketball on the campus station, WODU Radio, I called every home game and a fair amount of road contests. And it had been fun -- between the annual rivalry with Virginia Commonwealth and the Colonial Athletic Association tournament -- but the 2004-2005 season was the stuff college basketball dreams are made of.
ODU was expected to be good that season, picked to finish first in the CAA and junior Alex Loughton being named preseason Player of the Year. And the Monarchs had held true to form, going 15-3 in conference play and earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament in Richmond. ODU had ended VCU's 10-game winning streak in the rivalry on national television, and everything pointed to a magical season.
Bubble talk surrounded the Monarchs; experts debated whether or not the 25-5 mid-major darling deserved an at-large if it faltered in Richmond (which was possible, given how strong teams like VCU and Hofstra were). But in preparing to call the tournament, I knew one thing: if ODU won three games, the tournament -- and the automatic bid to the Big Dance -- were theirs.
The Monarchs faced William & Mary in their first game, pulling away late for a double-digit win. The next day, ODU faced a tough Hofstra squad in the semifinals. Guard Loren Stokes wasn't much of a factor, thanks to the defense of reserve point guard Brandon Johnson, but CAA Rookie of the Year Antoine Agudio was on fire, and the Pride led at one point by as much as 13.
But conference Coach of the Year Blaine Taylor, so key in turning ODU back into a winning program, rallied his guys around each other and ODU came back to take the win and earn a spot in the CAA championship game to be televised for the whole nation to see on ESPN.
Their opponent? Naturally, the hated Rams of VCU. Duke-North Carolina gets all the headlines when people talk about the great rivalries in college basketball, but to me, ODU-VCU is the biggest rivalry. Not only is it the biggest rivalry in the CAA (sorry, Delaware-Drexel and George Mason-James Madison), it transcends the conference; these two teams hated each other when they played in the Sun Belt Conference over 20 years ago.
You think Duke and UNC fans hate each other? Walk into the Siegel Center wearing an ODU shirt.
As expected, the game was a classic, hard-fought and close the whole way. One of the reasons this rivalry has been so intense over the years is whenever these teams meet, something always seems to be on the line -- conference supremacy, a ticket to the Big Dance, you name it. But more than that, if one team goes on a run, the other always responds in kind.
You'll never see one of these teams beat the other by 20.
Calling the game, I found my heart in my throat as the final seconds of regulation ticked away and VCU had the ball with the game tied. As hot as the Rams had been from behind the arc in the second half -- and really, the entire season -- I just knew they were going to hit a game-winning three. VCU was going to take the automatic bid and Monarch faithful all over the country would sit nervously on Selection Sunday to see if the committee would graciously award the team a rare at-large.
(Before George Mason last season, the CAA had gone 20 years without an at-large...back in the days of Navy and Richmond.)
Jesse Pellot-Rosa takes the shot from the far wing, and time feels like it literally stops. I watch the ball float through the air, silently hoping for something, anything, to keep it from falling through the net. A gust of wind, an unruly fan streaking across the court and leaping to grab the ball-- ANYTHING.
Then, after what seemed like forever, the ball clangs off the back iron and the buzzer sounds. We're going to overtime. ODU and VCU need five more minutes to decide who goes to the NCAA tournament.
Naturally.
Overtime starts, and Loughton takes over. The Player of the Year in the CAA pretty much validates the choice, scoring outside, inside, rebounding and doing just about everything a Player of the Year's expected to do.
Then the big moment comes.
Loughton stands at the baseline, surveying the ful-court press the Rams had installed. Isaiah Hunter, the Monarchs' star guard, notices all five VCU players crowding Loughton and breaks for the other end of the court. Pellot-Rosa, still groggy from hitting his head minutes earlier, tries to chase, but he's no match for Hunter's speed. Loughton sees Hunter and lobs a home-run pass his way. Hunter grabs it, dribbles once, and then...
"He slams it home with one hand and will go to the line! Hunter with the breakaway jam, and he all but punched the Rams right out of the NCAA tournament!"
Yes, I remember my call as vivid as the moment I made it. The buzzer eventually sounds, the Monarchs win the game. Fans flood the court, and I get chills as I scream the words, "And the Monarchs are champions of the Colonial Athletic Association. ODU's going dancing! ODU's going dancing!"
Even as I said it, I couldn't believe it. ODU was going to the NCAA tournament. That was what the conference tournament was all about, getting that bid. Knowing you and your school were going dancing. And in my case, I was broadcasting a small part of the dance, too.
I was no stranger to the NCAA tournament -- I'd covered the last couple women's tournaments by virtue of the ODU women's now-15 straight CAA titles -- but there is a noticeable difference between the women's Big Dance and the men's.
The magic is different, stronger. The excitement, the euphoria that comes with knowing without a doubt you're going. We weren't talking bubbles or at-larges anymore. We punched our ticket; all we needed to know now was what seed and who we'd play in the first round.
But that could wait. There was celebrating to be done.
Once we signed off, I took a seat in the stands at the Richmond Coliseum, merely taking in the sights and sounds. The players and coaches were still on the court, celebrating and embracing with fans. My colleague Ruben Brown took pictures with his camera before stepping onto the court and doing a little jig.
After all, we were dancing.
I eventually made my way to the court as well. I shook every player's hand, congratulating them on a job well done and a memorable ride. Just about all of them knew me, and more than a few -- like reserve center Janko Mrksic, one of the nicest guys I'll probably ever meet, despite his bulking size and menacing tattoos -- sought me out.
I felt especially good for senior Kiah Thomas, Taylor's first recruit. He suffered through two losing seasons and an NIT snub before getting the chance to go to the NCAA tournament. Nobody in the Richmond Coliseum was smiling wider than him that night.
Then I went to shake Taylor's hand. My run in covering the Monarchs began his first season as coach, taking over a struggling program in serious need of direction. He brought the team back to campus, led them to success in the newly-built Ted Constant Convocation Center, and made ODU men's basketball relevant again. Fans had suddenly forgotten who Jeff Capel was...outside of the two or three times a year we faced his son at VCU.
But when I extended by hand, Taylor did something unexpected. He didn't grab my hand; he hugged me. Threw his arms around me, held me in a momentary embrace I thought was merely an expression of his jubilation over winning the conference and going to the tournament.
But the fact that he did that, hugged someone he hardly knew outside of press conferences and interviews set up through the Sports Information office, told me all I needed to know about how important going to the NCAA tournament was, especially for us mid-majors.
Not saying the majors don't get excited over winning their conference tournament and earning the automatic bid, but think about this: most years, if Duke goes down in the quarters or semis of the NCAA tournament, they don't have to sweat too much, because they're still getting an at-large and a high seed. If Ohio State doesn't win the Big Ten tournament this year, it's hopes of dancing aren't squashed.
But in mid-major land -- and the CAA particularly, before last year -- not winning your conference tournament can mean an automatic trip to the NIT. The Not-Invited Tournament, as some people call it. So the conference tournament becomes not only important, but magical in a sense.
And on that Monday night in Richmond, I experienced that magic first-hand. And it was easily one of the best nights of my life.
I get home that night, and not only is the game SportsCenter's lead highlight, but Hunter's breakaway dunk is the night's Top Play. Things get even better Selection Sunday, when we find out ODU is the No. 12 seed and will take on Michigan State in the first round.
I liked that match-up; two teams that like to run, and considering at least one No. 12 seed had advanced every year since the late 1980s had me confident of a possible upset. My colleagues and I load up a car and drive all the way up to Worcester, Mass., where the minute we walk into the DCU Center and see Vermont knock off Syracuse, we knew we'd made the big time.
This was the NCAA tournament!
Calling the game was a thrill in and of itself; ODU led much of the way, playing the same style of ball it had all season. Give the ball to Loughton inside, play good defense, force turnovers and get into the open court in transition. Only problem was, midway through the second half, the Spartans did the same thing, clawing their way back into the game.
A cold Loughton, and an injured Arnaud Dahi missing every 3-point shot he took, led to an 89-81 defeat. The Monarchs' season was over.
But it was still a marvelous season and a memorable ride. And as I get ready for this year's CAA tournament -- which is this weekend -- I think back to that magic of two years ago. ODU is the No. 2 seed this year, behind VCU, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them fighting it out in the final for the automatic bid again. And again, people are talking at-large with ODU, pointing to the team's impressive road win over Georgetown, its RPI in the 30s and a winning streak of 11 games.
George Mason used a 13-game winning streak to close out the season to impress the committee last year, so the Monarchs' case looks strong. Widsom says if ODU advances to the title game, it's in the NCAAs no matter what. I say go out, win the CAA tourney and take the decision out of the commitee's hands. Get that automatic bid and spend a week knowing you're going dancing.
Because I can tell you, that's one of the best feelings in the world.
But that was before I discovered college basketball.
It was roughly five or six years ago. I had just joined the campus newspaper at Old Dominion University, The Mace & Crown, with the idea of becoming a sports writer. Which was all roses and candy...until I remembered I went to a basketball school. Which meant I would eventually have to cover a basketball game.
I hated basketball. With a fiery passion.
But a funny thing happened when I went to cover my first basketball assignment, the men's team's annual intrasquad scrimmage: I fell in love.
The speed and intensity of the game courtside were nothing like they'd been whenever I flipped past a game on TV. And at that moment, I was hooked. I became an instant college basketball addict.
But what truly cemented my love for the game was two seasons ago. Then serving as the play-by-play voice for Old Dominion basketball on the campus station, WODU Radio, I called every home game and a fair amount of road contests. And it had been fun -- between the annual rivalry with Virginia Commonwealth and the Colonial Athletic Association tournament -- but the 2004-2005 season was the stuff college basketball dreams are made of.
ODU was expected to be good that season, picked to finish first in the CAA and junior Alex Loughton being named preseason Player of the Year. And the Monarchs had held true to form, going 15-3 in conference play and earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament in Richmond. ODU had ended VCU's 10-game winning streak in the rivalry on national television, and everything pointed to a magical season.
Bubble talk surrounded the Monarchs; experts debated whether or not the 25-5 mid-major darling deserved an at-large if it faltered in Richmond (which was possible, given how strong teams like VCU and Hofstra were). But in preparing to call the tournament, I knew one thing: if ODU won three games, the tournament -- and the automatic bid to the Big Dance -- were theirs.
The Monarchs faced William & Mary in their first game, pulling away late for a double-digit win. The next day, ODU faced a tough Hofstra squad in the semifinals. Guard Loren Stokes wasn't much of a factor, thanks to the defense of reserve point guard Brandon Johnson, but CAA Rookie of the Year Antoine Agudio was on fire, and the Pride led at one point by as much as 13.
But conference Coach of the Year Blaine Taylor, so key in turning ODU back into a winning program, rallied his guys around each other and ODU came back to take the win and earn a spot in the CAA championship game to be televised for the whole nation to see on ESPN.
Their opponent? Naturally, the hated Rams of VCU. Duke-North Carolina gets all the headlines when people talk about the great rivalries in college basketball, but to me, ODU-VCU is the biggest rivalry. Not only is it the biggest rivalry in the CAA (sorry, Delaware-Drexel and George Mason-James Madison), it transcends the conference; these two teams hated each other when they played in the Sun Belt Conference over 20 years ago.
You think Duke and UNC fans hate each other? Walk into the Siegel Center wearing an ODU shirt.
As expected, the game was a classic, hard-fought and close the whole way. One of the reasons this rivalry has been so intense over the years is whenever these teams meet, something always seems to be on the line -- conference supremacy, a ticket to the Big Dance, you name it. But more than that, if one team goes on a run, the other always responds in kind.
You'll never see one of these teams beat the other by 20.
Calling the game, I found my heart in my throat as the final seconds of regulation ticked away and VCU had the ball with the game tied. As hot as the Rams had been from behind the arc in the second half -- and really, the entire season -- I just knew they were going to hit a game-winning three. VCU was going to take the automatic bid and Monarch faithful all over the country would sit nervously on Selection Sunday to see if the committee would graciously award the team a rare at-large.
(Before George Mason last season, the CAA had gone 20 years without an at-large...back in the days of Navy and Richmond.)
Jesse Pellot-Rosa takes the shot from the far wing, and time feels like it literally stops. I watch the ball float through the air, silently hoping for something, anything, to keep it from falling through the net. A gust of wind, an unruly fan streaking across the court and leaping to grab the ball-- ANYTHING.
Then, after what seemed like forever, the ball clangs off the back iron and the buzzer sounds. We're going to overtime. ODU and VCU need five more minutes to decide who goes to the NCAA tournament.
Naturally.
Overtime starts, and Loughton takes over. The Player of the Year in the CAA pretty much validates the choice, scoring outside, inside, rebounding and doing just about everything a Player of the Year's expected to do.
Then the big moment comes.
Loughton stands at the baseline, surveying the ful-court press the Rams had installed. Isaiah Hunter, the Monarchs' star guard, notices all five VCU players crowding Loughton and breaks for the other end of the court. Pellot-Rosa, still groggy from hitting his head minutes earlier, tries to chase, but he's no match for Hunter's speed. Loughton sees Hunter and lobs a home-run pass his way. Hunter grabs it, dribbles once, and then...
"He slams it home with one hand and will go to the line! Hunter with the breakaway jam, and he all but punched the Rams right out of the NCAA tournament!"
Yes, I remember my call as vivid as the moment I made it. The buzzer eventually sounds, the Monarchs win the game. Fans flood the court, and I get chills as I scream the words, "And the Monarchs are champions of the Colonial Athletic Association. ODU's going dancing! ODU's going dancing!"
Even as I said it, I couldn't believe it. ODU was going to the NCAA tournament. That was what the conference tournament was all about, getting that bid. Knowing you and your school were going dancing. And in my case, I was broadcasting a small part of the dance, too.
I was no stranger to the NCAA tournament -- I'd covered the last couple women's tournaments by virtue of the ODU women's now-15 straight CAA titles -- but there is a noticeable difference between the women's Big Dance and the men's.
The magic is different, stronger. The excitement, the euphoria that comes with knowing without a doubt you're going. We weren't talking bubbles or at-larges anymore. We punched our ticket; all we needed to know now was what seed and who we'd play in the first round.
But that could wait. There was celebrating to be done.
Once we signed off, I took a seat in the stands at the Richmond Coliseum, merely taking in the sights and sounds. The players and coaches were still on the court, celebrating and embracing with fans. My colleague Ruben Brown took pictures with his camera before stepping onto the court and doing a little jig.
After all, we were dancing.
I eventually made my way to the court as well. I shook every player's hand, congratulating them on a job well done and a memorable ride. Just about all of them knew me, and more than a few -- like reserve center Janko Mrksic, one of the nicest guys I'll probably ever meet, despite his bulking size and menacing tattoos -- sought me out.
I felt especially good for senior Kiah Thomas, Taylor's first recruit. He suffered through two losing seasons and an NIT snub before getting the chance to go to the NCAA tournament. Nobody in the Richmond Coliseum was smiling wider than him that night.
Then I went to shake Taylor's hand. My run in covering the Monarchs began his first season as coach, taking over a struggling program in serious need of direction. He brought the team back to campus, led them to success in the newly-built Ted Constant Convocation Center, and made ODU men's basketball relevant again. Fans had suddenly forgotten who Jeff Capel was...outside of the two or three times a year we faced his son at VCU.
But when I extended by hand, Taylor did something unexpected. He didn't grab my hand; he hugged me. Threw his arms around me, held me in a momentary embrace I thought was merely an expression of his jubilation over winning the conference and going to the tournament.
But the fact that he did that, hugged someone he hardly knew outside of press conferences and interviews set up through the Sports Information office, told me all I needed to know about how important going to the NCAA tournament was, especially for us mid-majors.
Not saying the majors don't get excited over winning their conference tournament and earning the automatic bid, but think about this: most years, if Duke goes down in the quarters or semis of the NCAA tournament, they don't have to sweat too much, because they're still getting an at-large and a high seed. If Ohio State doesn't win the Big Ten tournament this year, it's hopes of dancing aren't squashed.
But in mid-major land -- and the CAA particularly, before last year -- not winning your conference tournament can mean an automatic trip to the NIT. The Not-Invited Tournament, as some people call it. So the conference tournament becomes not only important, but magical in a sense.
And on that Monday night in Richmond, I experienced that magic first-hand. And it was easily one of the best nights of my life.
I get home that night, and not only is the game SportsCenter's lead highlight, but Hunter's breakaway dunk is the night's Top Play. Things get even better Selection Sunday, when we find out ODU is the No. 12 seed and will take on Michigan State in the first round.
I liked that match-up; two teams that like to run, and considering at least one No. 12 seed had advanced every year since the late 1980s had me confident of a possible upset. My colleagues and I load up a car and drive all the way up to Worcester, Mass., where the minute we walk into the DCU Center and see Vermont knock off Syracuse, we knew we'd made the big time.
This was the NCAA tournament!
Calling the game was a thrill in and of itself; ODU led much of the way, playing the same style of ball it had all season. Give the ball to Loughton inside, play good defense, force turnovers and get into the open court in transition. Only problem was, midway through the second half, the Spartans did the same thing, clawing their way back into the game.
A cold Loughton, and an injured Arnaud Dahi missing every 3-point shot he took, led to an 89-81 defeat. The Monarchs' season was over.
But it was still a marvelous season and a memorable ride. And as I get ready for this year's CAA tournament -- which is this weekend -- I think back to that magic of two years ago. ODU is the No. 2 seed this year, behind VCU, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them fighting it out in the final for the automatic bid again. And again, people are talking at-large with ODU, pointing to the team's impressive road win over Georgetown, its RPI in the 30s and a winning streak of 11 games.
George Mason used a 13-game winning streak to close out the season to impress the committee last year, so the Monarchs' case looks strong. Widsom says if ODU advances to the title game, it's in the NCAAs no matter what. I say go out, win the CAA tourney and take the decision out of the commitee's hands. Get that automatic bid and spend a week knowing you're going dancing.
Because I can tell you, that's one of the best feelings in the world.
posted by Jeff Cunningham at 7:59 PM
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