March 20, 2007
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BARCA BLOG – Sweet 16 Reflections
MEN’S BASKETBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT
Vanderbilt 78 Washington State 74 – 2 OT
SIXTEEN MEMORABLE MOMENTS ON THE WAY TO THE SWEET SIXTEEN
WASHINGTON STATE SECOND ROUND BLOG
Well, it has been a crazy couple of days since Vanderbilt won a double-overtime thriller over Washington State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament out in California. I was lucky enough to make the trip with the team and witness probably the best basketball game I’ve seen in person in my 28 years of living on planet earth.
Back in 2004, I was in my first year working for the ‘Dores and didn’t make the trip to Orlando for that special post-season run. I have always looked back on that with regrets, so I knew when the brackets came out last Sunday that I had to be a part of this year’s tournament.
This blog is a little different than some of my previous posts and off-the-wall ramblings. After letting Saturday’s win sit for a little over 48 hours, I decided to reflect on the game from a fan’s perspective (and not as an expert – because clearly I am not).
I would love to hear from other Vanderbilt fans out there – your stories about where you were and how you felt during this dramatic win. Feel free to email me your thoughts at brandon.barca@vanderbilt.edu.
Now, on with the show…. here are 16 moments that stood out to me at ARCO Arena last Saturday… (side note: I don’t mean to leave anything out… if I do, it’s by accident… and be sure to tell me what I missed!).
1. We left the Radisson hotel about two hours prior and headed to ARCO for our second-round battle with the Cougars. This was my first time getting pre-game jitters as a spectator during this trip. I really didn’t know what to expect, but being around the team set me at ease because everyone looked relaxed, as if it were just another game of roundball. Here are some photos I shot as the team boarded the bus – Click here to view
2.Although we didn’t have the biggest contingent of fans all the way out on the west coast, we still had some dedicated die-hards behind our boys in what might as well have been considered a road game. You see, WSU hadn’t played in the dance in more than a decade and their fans brought a pretty large following. Throw in the fact that UCLA fans were in attendance as well (since they played Indiana in the second game) and you pretty much had an gym full of Pac-10 fans against several hundred Commodore faithful. I give credit to our fans for stepping up to the challenge. Larger opposing crowds always seem to bring the best out of die-hards, and this was the story once again. Our fans were also treated to white “Band Togther” t-shirts and headbands, which were a huge hit with the crowd. We even had Indiana fans asking for headbands to show their support. And don’t forget, our Band Together campaign will continue this weekend – so wear white! And if you’re not in East Rutherford, send us your Band Together pictures from your viewing parties – click here for the official site
3. Can’t say enough about Dan Cage’s gritty performance during the first and second rounds. He took a tough spill in the opener versus George Washington just minutes into the game, followed by another rough collision during the WSU contest (pictured here by Neil Brake). He ended up playing a game-high 49 minutes Saturday. I think it would have taken two broken legs to keep this guy out of the lineup.
4. I tell you what… I have enjoyed watching Red Gordon and how his career has progressed. He doesn’t get a lot of the limelight, but consistently performs at a high level. I am most confident when he spots for three, even with a hand in his mug… he makes knocking treys down look so routine.
5. One moment in the arena that you wouldn’t have noticed on television was when the Cougar band started playing the classic oldie “Hey Baby” … followed by the Spirit of Gold quickly joining in on the number at the spur of the moment.. first time I’ve witnessed both bands at an event joining in with each other instantly, rather than playing over the other. Nice touch that always makes the college atmospehere what it is – unique.
6. The speech. Down 50-43, WSU big man Aron Baynes was fouled, sending us to our media timeout prior to him shooting his two free throws… At this point in the game, we still hadn’t found our offensive mojo… This is when Coach Stallings did something I will probably remember most about this game. He sat on a folding chair in front of the team and (my assumption, of course) pretty much told the team we weren’t playing up to our capabilities. Now, I don’t know if this was the “it’s now or never rallying cry” … but that’s what I like to think it was (can you blame me). Wasn’t sure how the team would respond to this passionate and fiery display by our Coach. In the end, it was just what the doctor ordered. After Baynes hit one of two freebies to push the score to 51-43, we proceeded to roll off 12 straight points on four threes (order: Gordon, Byars, Byars, and Cage). Like I said – I don’t know what was said at that stoppage, but whatever it was, it awoke our team and changed the game completely… and I’ll never forget it.
7. Both teams would then trade the lead a couple of times…. and then another special moment happend. Down 59-57 with under 1:30 to play, Vanderbilt gained possession on a steal by Derrick Byars, eventually leading to an open look for Shan Foster from downtown. The first one didn’t go in, but Dan Cage grabbed the rebound and dished it back out to Foster for another look… this time, Foster nailed it with nothing but net to give the ‘Dores a 60-59 advantage with 1:11 remaining. It was Foster’s first converted three of the night, after being just a hair off on several previous attempts. He was due to hit and the clutch triple couldn’t have come at a better time. Whew.
8. My heart stopped for a few seconds on one of the final plays of regulation. Cougar sharpshooter Daven Harmeling missed his only three-point shot of the day with one second remaining on the clock. He spotted up from the corner, where he had successfully drilled a three-pointer earlier on the day from that exact same spot. This time, he was just barely off target and we had new life in overtime.
9. Fast-forward to the final moments of the first overtime…. Vanderbilt turned the ball over with six seconds remaining in a tie game, sending WSU into a fast break… it looked like Taylor Rochestie had an open runner until Derrick Byars came out of nowhere to swat it back towards the WSU bench to send the game into a second OT. Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. Byars only had a couple blocks on the year coming into the game, but I believe he would have jumped out of the building if it meant continuing his college career another game (not to mention that he made that spectacular play with his left hand). You can vote for Derrick’s game-changing performance by clicking here
10. Senior leadership. That’s what this team has… players that are unselfish and play as a team. Ted Skuchas may have played the best 28 minutes of his career on Saturday, although you wouldn’t notice it just by looking at the stat sheet. The “Skooch Montage” started quickly in the next overtime.. first he calmly sank two free throws, and then on the next offensive series, he grabbed an offensive board and then scored with a putback. Those four points accounted for our total amount of bench points on the day, but proved to be the most important. On the third possesion, Skuchas just missed a thunderous dunk after Robbie Cowgill contested it (I will say there was an awful lot of body contact from Cowgill that should have sent Skuchas back to the line for six consecutive points).
11. Shan Foster provided another highlight reel play after grabbing a steal with 2:36 to play and the ‘Dores up by two…. Foster drove the ball down the court and it looked like Derrick Low would contest it, but at the last second, Low held off, and Foster threw down a dunk that was so hard it seemed like he was trying to shatter the glass on the backboard. This was just no ordinary dunk. You could hear the impact of it ripple throughout the gym. No kidding. You could feel the energy off of it, almost as if he was trying to send the Cougars home in one full swoop.
12. With WSU down 76-74 and 23 seconds remaining, Taylor Rochestie missed a three… Dan Cage grabbed the board and was swarmed by Cougar defenders…. Cage then slung a pass across the court to Ted Skuchas near the sideline, who quickly reacted by dumping the ball off to a darting Alex Gordon, who delivered the ball to Shan Foster for the final game-clinching bucket. I tell you what, it was hard sitting on press row and not cheering. I wanted to jump out of my seat and yell at the top of my lungs. On a side note, one of the things I enjoy the most about watching the Commodores is knowing that my dad will call me sometime after the game to discuss the outcome – win or lose. Now, he had no ties with VU until I began working here four years ago … so he doesn’t have to sit at home and watch our televisied games … But he does. And he loves it. And I cherish talking about all the great moments with him. It’s one of those things we can share, and I am forever thankful for it. Okay, enough with the sappy stuff.
13. Being in all the post-game press conferences and seeing Derrick Byars finally get his due, outside of the south region, was long overdue. Yes, Derrick was honored as SEC Player of the Year, but if you asked anyone on the west coast about Byars, they knew little to nothing. That has all changed after two NCAA wins as Byars has been thrusted into the national spotlight. I will also give props to WSU’s Derrick Low. I hadn’t seen him play before until Saturday… but gained a new respect for him. That kid could run you in circles (for a game with two overtimes!) … he was always slashing and cutting like he was Reggie Miller. He finished with 21 points and was the real deal.
14. I enjoyed hearing the “SEC” chant at the end of the game in the crowd, especially in a Pac-10 filled arena. I love conference spirit, and it was nice to see us down a school from another power league.
15. After all the post-game hoopla, we headed back on a Delta chartered flight to Nashville… and the coaches had a couple of surprises. One – the players were seated in the first class section of the plane…. and two, they put on a replay of the entire WSU game on the plane monitors. I was already spent and on my last thread (it was time for a nap), but couldn’t pass up watching this game again so I stayed up another hour and a half to view this instant classic… Nothing like hearing the rest of the plane cheer and clap after all the big plays. What a game.
16. We didn’t land until around 2 a.m. in Nashville. Back in 2004, the Sweet Sixteen run prompted a student rally outside of Memorial when the team returned from Orlando. There were questions on the plane if the students would show up for this one… not because they lacked spirit… but because the team wouldn’t arrive until very late in the night (or should I say morning). The students did not disappoint! It was a mob scene when we arrived (watch it here). The players deserved this celebration, especially after a lot of people counted them out after a rough 1-3 start. It was a nice closing to an unbelievable trip. Now it’s on to East Rutherford for a rematch with Georgetown. Don’t think for a second that this team is content with just being in the Sweet Sixteen. Because they’re not.
Brandon Barca is the online director for VUcommodores.com. Send him your thoughts at brandon.barca@vanderbilt.edu.