Jeremy Viens:
The Fabled NCAA Tournament
As Seen from the Front Row

In the three years I have attended Syracuse University, I have had the privilege of being a student manager for the men's basketball team. There have been long nights at the Carrier Dome rebounding for players who worked out with coaches after practice, getting posters and basketballs signed, and cleaning up, and sometimes during my freshman year I questioned why I was in the gym five hours a day from October through March.

Any uncertainties disappeared last spring during my sophomore year when I was named one of two head managers, an honor usually reserved only for seniors. It meant I would be lucky enough to get two years doing everything and going everywhere with a competitive Division I team—even to the fabled NCAA tournament.

Being at every practice, in the locker room, and courtside at home games is amazing, but I have never had an experience like I did this year traveling with the team and being courtside everywhere we played.

The year started with a Thanksgiving trip to Anchorage, Alaska, and the championship in the Great Alaskan Shootout. It ended with the Big East Tournament in New York City and with the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional in Dayton, Ohio, in mid-March. Going to Alaska and the rest of the regular season were great, but it was our conference tournament and the trip to the "Big Dance" that were truly amazing.

Being a student in March has always been pretty tough for me. I have been a college basketball fan since I was very young, and in early March I couldn't escape the knowledge that at almost any time of day on a Thursday or Friday I could catch an NCAA game on television. At times I even tried to get out of class to catch a glimpse of a game at school, sometimes successfully.

When I traveled to the Big East Tournament on March 6 as a member of the Syracuse Orangemen, I got to experience this first hand as we wrapped up our season in preparation for the NCAA tournament.

Our first round game was against Connecticut. We were the highest seed playing that day and got to have the New York Knicks' locker room. All of the Knicks players' things had been taken out, but the carpeted locker room with a large Knicks logo in the middle was, nonetheless, still something to behold.

I had to take a cab back to the hotel to get our extra white jersey, but I made it back in time to walk out onto the court with the team and the coaches, though; I wouldn't have missed that for anything. I can remember coming out of the locker room in high school when everyone was cheering for us. Every time we walk out of the tunnel in any arena is fun, but the thrill of doing so at the Garden is incredible. It is the greatest arena in the world; any basketball great you could name in the last 40 years has played at the Garden. I won't ever play on that court, but I can say I got to set foot on it. We beat UConn, 86-74, for the second time in two weeks, in an emotional game that has been the premier match-up in the Big East over the last three years—Connecticut is only three years removed from their 1999 National Championship.

The SU locker room was a loose and happy one following the win, but everyone was wary of tougher games on the horizon with less than 24 hours rest. Our victory got us another 9:30 start the following night against Providence.

The quarterfinal was more physical, but early on it looked like we would coast past the Friars and into the semifinals, using a 19-0 run to take a 32-17 half-time lead. Providence did not go quietly, however, hitting eight of their first 11 three-point attempts to start the second half, propelling them to a 47-43 lead. The Orangemen would not be denied another game, though, bouncing back with some key buckets and big stops, taking a 55-50 lead, and then holding on for a sweet 55-54 victory. It is games like these that gave these guys their character and showed what big hearts they have.

We were only able to play seven guys on a consistent basis, and fatigue was always an issue. Coach Jim Boeheim praised point guard Allen Griffin for the way he wills us to victory. Coach has said that he has never been prouder of a player than he is of Allen. That is the highest compliment one could receive from a legendary coach such as Boeheim.

Next in the Big East was upstart Pittsburgh, which had already beaten Miami and Notre Dame.

Unfortunately, our leading scorer Preston Shumpert was forced out of the game with an eye injury, leaving our offense stagnant. We forced the game into overtime, again clawing back from a slim deficit late, but two late free throws by the Panthers gave them the victory, 55-54. It was a dejected locker room, one that carried a good deal of anxiety, surrounding Shumpert's condition.

We took Saturday off to fly home, get rested, and wait for the Sunday evening announcement of where the NCAA tournament selection committee would send us. Selection Sunday is always exciting, but while I was sitting with the players, coaches, and staff awaiting our fate, I realized how much more it meant this year because I would be going to the NCAA tournament as part of a team.

We all hoped for San Diego or New Orleans, but we were sent to Dayton, the fifth seed to face twelfth-seeded Hawaii on Friday night.

In Dayton March 14, the whole city was abuzz, and the hotel lobby soon became "tournament central," with everyone from fans to autograph hounds hanging around all the time. The day before our game we had a closed practice at a local high school, and then made our first trip to cozy Dayton Arena, with seating for just over 13,000. There were only a few hundred spectators when we arrived for our 50-minute practice and the media session that followed. On the way in we were all given participation pins and security passes that identified us and would allow us to move freely throughout the arena.

The practice was uneventful, but the media session was pretty loose and fun. The players were all in good moods, and myself and a couple of staff members had a good time just looking around the room and laughing at the seriousness of the media.

On my way out a reporter wanted to talk to a manager about one of our players, DeShaun Williams, who he was doing an article on. I didn't know where he was from, but I gave him a few words, trying to make sure I didn't say anything that would draw too much attention. Our sports information director gave me a good ribbing for the rest of the trip, and said that from now on I was off limits from the media.

Game day was one of the longest days of the season, since we didn't tip off until almost 10:30 p.m. Other than breakfast and the pre-game meeting, no one has any real responsibilities on the road, so there is a lot of down time. At this time of year, anxiety pretty much has control over everybody.

Our pre-game meeting was short and simple; we knew that we had plenty of advantages over Hawaii as long as we played solid defense. The only way they could have beaten us was to shoot the lights out, and our defense could prevent that. Then it was the waiting game again: waiting for the bus to leave, waiting for Kansas to finish off Cal State Northridge; and finally walking onto the court to cheers—and the realization that I was personally at courtside in an NCAA Tournament game.

When we finally tipped off, everyone's nerves were put to rest. We took the lead early and refused to relinquish it. Hawaii closed to eight points several times, but we made our foul shots down the stretch to seal a 79-69 first-round victory. The win was the 600^th for Coach Boeheim and his long-time assistant Bernie Fine. The crowd, armed with "600" signs, led by Coach Boeheim's wife, celebrated in the stands while Coach pretended not to notice. Coach did not talk long after the game; he praised the players for their performance and spoke of getting rested because bigger prizes lay before us.

Any victory in March is good, though, and should be savored as long as possible, even if that is only for one night. Kansas, a midwest powerhouse, was looming just two days away.

Beating the Jayhawks would mean a trip to the Sweet 16 and to San Antonio. It also meant that this joyride through March and different cities would continue. Once it starts you never want it to end, and I honestly did not think it would.

Collectively, as a team, we were all confident despite Kansas's size advantage along the front line. We were very thin on the inside, a glaring weakness all year long, but one that we had been able to hide for much of the season. Only Tennessee in late December really did a number on us.

To win would require putting up a great fight against the Jayhawk bruisers. I had seen Kansas play a good deal over the season, and although I respected their team, I thought that we could beat them; late in the season I never thought we were going to lose.

Arriving at the arena early Sunday morning, I could not imagine our season ending. The first time that I saw some of the Kansas forwards I remember being in awe, not so much for their height, but of their bulk. No matter how many times you watch a team on television or tape you cannot get a good sense of bulk and power until you see them up close.

Once the game started, it was clear they could have their way with us down low. The Jayhawks got 18 of the first 20 rebounds and jumped out to a 17-point lead late in the first half. We stuck around by hitting some timely jumpers against the Kansas zone and getting a couple of breaks. By half-time the KU lead was down to five, 39-34, and our confidence had been restored. I remarked to a couple of people at half-time that Kansas could not play that well in the second half. Well, either they played better than they were capable of playing, or I had been completely ignorant the whole time. Really, it doesn't matter, but they came out blazing again, and we could not find the basket, and had to rely on jump shots. We found ourselves down 58-44 with about 10 minutes remaining before the roof caved in. When the dust settled, the 87-58 defeat was in fact as bad as it looked, the worst NCAA Tournament loss in school history.

Just like that, as quickly as it had all started on the first day of practice back on Oct. 14, it was over. Our whirlwind tour landed with a thud, and before we could make a big splash we were sent packing. The locker room was quiet and solemn; the end had come too quickly for seniors Griffin and Damone Brown.

Everyone's words came out slower, softer, more thoughtfully, and sadness could not escape anyone. Coach Boeheim told everyone to keep their heads up; we finished 25-9 when nothing was expected of us, but is that really what anyone wants to hear when it ends so abruptly?

I am lucky; I have another year of touring the country, sleeping in first-class hotels, and having the privilege of being a part of Syracuse basketball. Firsts are times that you don't forget, though, and I won't ever forget my first trip to the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Nothing is guaranteed in basketball, as with everything else in life. There are 318 Division I teams all fighting to get to a tournament that only has room for 65. If we get back next year it will be great, and if we don't, it will be sad.

This year has given me a great opportunity, though. For part of March all eyes were on college basketball, and being a part of that, being right there, knowing the history of the NCAA Tournament, makes it all more special. I will never lose the visions in my mind of all my tournament memories, the first time I was there, even if I am lucky enough to go again in my years after Syracuse.

By Jeremy Viens