Gene's Blog: 31 wasn't in the cards for Tommies

March 17, 2009

It started with a November game near the beaches in Los Angeles and ended on a balmy March night near Chicago. It was quite a 114-day run for Steve Fritz’ 2008-09 men’s basketball team.

Fritz returned to his desk on Monday and was greeted with nearly 150 e-mail and voice messages. Don’t be surprised if the Tommie coach and his players are still getting well wishes next August after the final “Fore!” of their summer golf seasons.

Fritz’ Tommies pulled off some amazing stuff:

--St. Thomas started the season with 30 wins in 30 games –- a feat never accomplished previously by an MIAC team in any sport. (You might even say the Tommies had 30.5 victories. They were up eight halfway through Saturday’s game but couldn't seal the deal. Hey, there's a reason they didn't call this the "Bracket of Daisies.")

--St. Thomas was ranked No. 1 for the last five weeks and was one of just two of 1,300 college men’s teams (NAIA or NCAA I, II, III) to start 30-0.

--St. Thomas won 30 games without a prototypical power forward or scoring center, instead relying on unusual athleticism, depth, balance and chemistry.

--St. Thomas went 16-0 at home, a record perhaps unmatched this winter in Division III men’s basketball.

--In a 22-0 run against MIAC teams, St. Thomas beat Bethel and Gustavus three times each, and had two 30-plus point wins over rival St. John’s.

--St. Thomas ran the school’s home conference win streak to 46.

Neumann!

Saturday was a tough day to be a top-ranked team in Division III. Plattsburgh State (men’s hockey), Gustavus (women’s hockey) and Illinois Wesleyan (women’s hoops) all took season-ending NCAA playoff losses at home, and UST (men’s hoops) lost on a neutral floor.

UST and Illinois Wesleyan were unbeaten, and Plattsburgh and Gustavus were once beaten. Plattsburgh will spend all spring and summer feeling like an irritated Jerry Seinfeld. The No. 1-ranked New York school lost in overtime to an unranked school named… Neumann!

Ironically, one MIAC winter team did reach the Final Four. They don’t wear purple, and they’re not a women’s team from St. Joseph or St. Peter. The surprise entrant still alive is the Gustie men’s hockey team. And with two more wins, Gustavus, which tied for second in the conference, will become the fourth MIAC team since 2000 to capture a national championship without having won the conference championship. They would join St. Mary’s softball (2000), St. Thomas baseball (2001) and St. John’s golf (2008) in that category.

Not bad for a team that was 13-9 overall on Feb. 13 and not guaranteed a spot in the MIAC playoffs until the final weekend of the regular season. Good luck to the Gusties, who proved that championship seasons come in all shapes and sizes.

Fun While it Lasted

Despite a loud group of nearly 500 Tommie fans on Saturday in Wheaton, UST’s quest to beat three top-seven ranked teams in eight days was denied. A second-half barrage of Wash U. scoring coupled with the Tommies’ cold spell blew open a tight game.

UST gave the Bears fits in the first half. The Tommie pressure helped force 17 first-half turnovers, almost unheard of with a poised, experienced team like the Bears. "St. Thomas caused us more problems than any team we played this year," said WU head coach Mark Edwards.

"It showed in the first half that we did not know what to expect from their pressure,” said ace guard Sean Wallis. “We took a step back at halftime and switched some things up.”

There’s a reason Washington (Mo.) has built a 14-1 NCAA playoff record over the last three years. There’s no panic in this group. One year ago at home in the sectional finals, Wash U. trailed Millsaps 27-18 at halftime. Then the Bears outscored the Mississippi school 39-19 in the second half to make a return trip to the Final Four.

As the days pass and the sting slowly subsides over a season-ending defeat, you can see one positive in losing to an elite team like Washington U. The returning Tommie players get a glimpse of what it takes to be a champion program on the national stage and have incentive to elevate their games to an even higher level.

Made Others Better

The Tommies’ four seniors leave with their heads held high. St. Thomas’ 17-point win last Friday over the athletic No. 7-ranked Puget Sound gave the program 100 wins (in 115 games) in their four-year era.

Alex McCoy, Brett Tuma, Lonnie Robinson and B.J. Viau made unique contributions. None was a superstar in high school. This unselfish quartet busted its collective tail to improve individually. The four were the ultimate team players.

And here’s the lasting legacy that McCoy, Tuma, Robinson and Viau leave behind: They were rare players whose play made everyone around them better.

With their toughness and team-oriented focus, these seniors will handle everything the real world throws their way. Only a select few can survive a postseason Bracket of Death, but I have a hunch that Alex, Brett, Lonnie and B.J. will be winners in the Bracket of Life.