I received an invitation to the Dance last week. Lafayette College asked me to go to Pittsburgh for the start of the NCAA tournament and do some internet work for them leading up to the first round game: Lafayette vs Villanova. RCN was kind enough to allow me to go. I am glad I did.
In the past, high school basketball conflicted with the NCAA tournament first round so I was never able to attend. Now, it seems that the college season is pushed back one week and there is no conflict.
We left the Kirby Sports Center on Wednesday morning and arrived in Pittsburgh at 3:00pm. The first Lafayette press conference was scheduled for 5:15pm at the CONSOL Energy Arena so we checked in to the hotel and went to the Arena. The student-athletes spoke first followed by head coach Fran O’Hanlon. Lafayette was allowed to take the floor for a 40-minute workout. Lafayette had a full workout that morning at Duquesne University, so they went through some quick drills and a shoot-around. I chatted with Coach O’Hanlon and immediately made the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the next day:
Prior to leaving the arena, I did a stand-up report for the Lafayette website and then was quickly corralled by the Villanova radio announcer for some background on Lafayette. What I thought was going to be a quick discussion turned into a lengthy question and answer session. It was so long that I missed the team bus when it returned to the hotel. In all honesty, I was a bit shocked by the lack of pre-game knowledge the radio guy had about the Leopards. That is not my style, to be sure.
I was able to get a cab back to the hotel just in time for the team meal which was at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a short walk down the street. Nothing beats great food and great company. Some of the players were not accustomed to eating at such an up-scale restaurant claiming Outback Steakhouse was the epitome of their dining experience.
Thursday was game day with Northeastern meeting Notre Dame and Butler playing Texas in the afternoon session. Our hotel also housed the Butler contingent so the Bulldogs were well-represented throughout the trip. I went to the arena for the second game and stayed for the rest of the day. It was interesting to attend the press conferences for the winning and losing teams, experiencing the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
Although I had press row access for the Lafayette game, I chose instead to sit in the arena seats and had a great view of the game. Lafayette did not play well; Villanova played like a #1 seed and won easily, a disappointment to all who made the trip. The Lafayette players handled themselves exceptionally well speaking before the press as did Coach O’Hanlon. Villanova’s players and Coach Jay Wright spoke about the difficulty of playing against a Villanova icon like Hall-of-Famer Fran O’Hanlon. He used the word “bittersweet” when discussing the win.
I stayed to watch the LSU-North Carolina State game and I was glad I did. It came down to the final shot with NC State winning a thriller.
Back at the hotel, everyone was contemplating the end of the season. A Patriot League championship, three one-thousand point scorers, and a trip to the NCAAs made the sting of that night’s loss a bit more palatable. Villanova looked that night like a potential national champion. Not so much on Saturday when they lost to North Carolina State and were eliminated from the tournament.
Best of all was the publicity leading up to the game. MarketWatch and Payscale.com reported that of all 68 teams in the tournament, Lafayette was #1 in return on investment for their college degree. In the long run, for more than 90% of the athletes playing in the tournament who will never become professional players, that is the most important outcome. For the Lafayette players, in the most critical of competitions – the game of life- they are the national champions!!
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
No musings this week, just some pictures thanks to Rick Smith/Lafayette Athletic Communications:
