The 2007 edition of March Madness is underway yet the incredible shot by Northwestern State’s Jermaine Wallace to beat Iowa in last year’s NCAA Tournament First Round keeps being relived throughout the national airwaves.
A 55 second clip of the shot of the 14th seeded Demons defeating No. 3 Iowa is listed as one of the 25 historical highlights of all time and is featured on the March Madness On Demand section of www.cbssportsline.com.
The highlight joins memorable clips such as North Carolina State’s improbable win over Houston and Phi Slamma Jamma in the 1983 championship game. It also ranks with the 1985 Villanova upset win over Georgetown and Christian Laettner’s miracle jumper to beat Kentucky in 1992.
The win has also been mentioned this past week on national television programs such as ESPN’s Around the Horn and HBO’s Costas Now. It was also the topic of conversation early on in the Oral Roberts-Washington State game Thursday. ORU, like the Demons, was seeded 14th.
Other Cinderellas will be born during this year’s first round, but one thing is for sure, that game-winning shot with .5 seconds remaining will truly be Northwestern State’s one shining moment for years to come.
Matt Bonnette, Asst. SID
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Dance partners
The NSU Demon basketball team is in this year’s NCAA Tournament even though they’re not playing.
Northwestern State is definitely on the radar of the media previewing the first-round matchups this week. You can count on seeing “The Shot” a few times this month.
While watching CBS’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show Sunday afternoon, there it was – Jermaine Wallace nailing the 3-pointer to beat Iowa last March 17. Last year’s Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Tournament was shown (although not verbally acknowledged) in a promo for this year’s contest.
Monday evening, the ESPN SportsCenter crew, with college basketball experts Andy Katz and Doug Gottlieb, was breaking down the Field of 65 by region. When the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi-Wisconsin matchup was discussed, Katz chimed in with the observation that TAMCC beat Northwestern State to win the Southland title – yes, that Northwestern State, the team that beat Iowa in 2006 on a buzzer-beater.
Several media around the country have already called Demons coach Mike McConathy to talk about NSU’s NCAA Tournament experience – both last year and in the 2001 Opening Round Game win over Winthrop.
Just a few minutes ago, this Tuesday afternoon, if you were watching ESPN’s “PTI (Pardon the Interruption)” roundtable talk show, you heard this:
Sportswriter Woody Paige in a discussion of the pros and cons of the Opening Round Game:
"I remember the first play-in game. Little Northwestern State got the win. It's a great way to get attention on the national level." (as heard by ESPN watcher Brian Seiler)
I'm not a fan of NSU being described as "little" (is Duke “little”? We’re bigger, as far as enrollment) but I'll take it if we're being talked about on ESPN any place, any time.
The obvious parallel between TAMCC’s pairing against Wisconsin has generated interest already – the Demons were matched against a nationally-ranked Big Ten foe, too. Note today’s story in the Madison (Wis.) newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=123105&ntpid=1
That’s just the few I’ve seen or heard.
… Congrats to former Demon baseball assistant coach Travis Janssen and wife Christy. Big sister Avery has welcomed little brother Tate Alan, over in Jacksonville, Ala., where Travis is an assistant coach for the Gamecocks baseball team. Dad was the Demons’ third base coach from 2002-04.
Doug Ireland, SID
Northwestern State is definitely on the radar of the media previewing the first-round matchups this week. You can count on seeing “The Shot” a few times this month.
While watching CBS’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show Sunday afternoon, there it was – Jermaine Wallace nailing the 3-pointer to beat Iowa last March 17. Last year’s Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Tournament was shown (although not verbally acknowledged) in a promo for this year’s contest.
Monday evening, the ESPN SportsCenter crew, with college basketball experts Andy Katz and Doug Gottlieb, was breaking down the Field of 65 by region. When the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi-Wisconsin matchup was discussed, Katz chimed in with the observation that TAMCC beat Northwestern State to win the Southland title – yes, that Northwestern State, the team that beat Iowa in 2006 on a buzzer-beater.
Several media around the country have already called Demons coach Mike McConathy to talk about NSU’s NCAA Tournament experience – both last year and in the 2001 Opening Round Game win over Winthrop.
Just a few minutes ago, this Tuesday afternoon, if you were watching ESPN’s “PTI (Pardon the Interruption)” roundtable talk show, you heard this:
Sportswriter Woody Paige in a discussion of the pros and cons of the Opening Round Game:
"I remember the first play-in game. Little Northwestern State got the win. It's a great way to get attention on the national level." (as heard by ESPN watcher Brian Seiler)
I'm not a fan of NSU being described as "little" (is Duke “little”? We’re bigger, as far as enrollment) but I'll take it if we're being talked about on ESPN any place, any time.
The obvious parallel between TAMCC’s pairing against Wisconsin has generated interest already – the Demons were matched against a nationally-ranked Big Ten foe, too. Note today’s story in the Madison (Wis.) newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal:
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/index.php?ntid=123105&ntpid=1
That’s just the few I’ve seen or heard.
… Congrats to former Demon baseball assistant coach Travis Janssen and wife Christy. Big sister Avery has welcomed little brother Tate Alan, over in Jacksonville, Ala., where Travis is an assistant coach for the Gamecocks baseball team. Dad was the Demons’ third base coach from 2002-04.
Doug Ireland, SID
Monday, March 12, 2007
Little things mean a lot
Scenes from behind the closed door of the NSU Demons locker room after Sunday’s last-second SLC Basketball Tournament Championship Game loss to a very good Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team …
… Emotion was powerful, as you would expect, especially for the four seniors. After the team’s prayer, forward Jermaine Spencer asked to call “up” the team one more time. The chant goes “1-2-3, TOGETHER!” And they were.
Spencer then gave a passionate talk about how the teammates and coaches had supported him through several personal trials along with his five years in the program, and he thanked each of the team. He also challenged the returning players to get back to the championship game next year, and to get back to the NCAA Tournament and win. With six seniors next year, that seems possible.
Kennan Jones was quiet as ever. He’s Mr. Even Keel. He was clearly in agony, but still, had a relatively calm demeanor. I would hate to play poker against him! His career ends with “the Chief” fourth in NSU’s all-time assists list. That is absolutely amazing when you consider he didn’t even play half of each game until this season, because the No. 2 all-time assists man and the career steals king, Tyronn Mitchell, was the starting point guard.
Luke Rogers was the most emotional before Coach Mike McConathy began to talk. After Spencer’s remarks, Luke went around the room, shaking hands and hugging each teammate and coach.
Eric Woods got a special hug from Coach Mike. His bad knees really limited E-Woo in his only season in the uniform for NSU, but he’s been part of the team for two years and he’s a quiet favorite, both among teammates and coaches, and among kids in the community.
… As Coach Mike said the benediction, he mentioned something Demon football great Marcus Spears said to him coming off the court. Spears pointed out this senior class had been at the heart of taking NSU basketball to unprecedented levels of success and expectations. It’s really amazing when you look back at the scope of it. NSU basketball was in a state of flux upon the arrival of Spencer and Jones, both fifth-year seniors. Look what they’ve left behind. Just amazing. No wonder that comment choked up Coach Mike as he verbalized it.
…Spears, who was given a championship ring for his passionate involvement with last year’s team, asked to speak. He told the players how proud he was of that little ring, the only championship ring he’s ever gotten in his athletic career. He also told them to remember in life, and definitely in competition, that mistakes make a huge impact. That coming back from mistakes is the sign of true champions, and that he loved them all like brothers.
… Then former Demon footballer Andy Perot chimed in to echo Spears’ comments. Andy – a favorite of the players and a dear friend of Coach Mike’s – and his wife Angie, administrative assistant to Vice President Jerry Pierce, were with the team all week long and are “part of the family.”
… Finally, your support was noticed. Those young men were amazed at the tremendous turnout of NSU fans in the Campbell Center and the text messages, e-mails, and calls they received from friends and fans. They regretted they couldn’t give us one last celebration, but once again, they gave us lots of magical moments and kept us believing until the final horn sounded.
Doug Ireland, SID
… Emotion was powerful, as you would expect, especially for the four seniors. After the team’s prayer, forward Jermaine Spencer asked to call “up” the team one more time. The chant goes “1-2-3, TOGETHER!” And they were.
Spencer then gave a passionate talk about how the teammates and coaches had supported him through several personal trials along with his five years in the program, and he thanked each of the team. He also challenged the returning players to get back to the championship game next year, and to get back to the NCAA Tournament and win. With six seniors next year, that seems possible.
Kennan Jones was quiet as ever. He’s Mr. Even Keel. He was clearly in agony, but still, had a relatively calm demeanor. I would hate to play poker against him! His career ends with “the Chief” fourth in NSU’s all-time assists list. That is absolutely amazing when you consider he didn’t even play half of each game until this season, because the No. 2 all-time assists man and the career steals king, Tyronn Mitchell, was the starting point guard.
Luke Rogers was the most emotional before Coach Mike McConathy began to talk. After Spencer’s remarks, Luke went around the room, shaking hands and hugging each teammate and coach.
Eric Woods got a special hug from Coach Mike. His bad knees really limited E-Woo in his only season in the uniform for NSU, but he’s been part of the team for two years and he’s a quiet favorite, both among teammates and coaches, and among kids in the community.
… As Coach Mike said the benediction, he mentioned something Demon football great Marcus Spears said to him coming off the court. Spears pointed out this senior class had been at the heart of taking NSU basketball to unprecedented levels of success and expectations. It’s really amazing when you look back at the scope of it. NSU basketball was in a state of flux upon the arrival of Spencer and Jones, both fifth-year seniors. Look what they’ve left behind. Just amazing. No wonder that comment choked up Coach Mike as he verbalized it.
…Spears, who was given a championship ring for his passionate involvement with last year’s team, asked to speak. He told the players how proud he was of that little ring, the only championship ring he’s ever gotten in his athletic career. He also told them to remember in life, and definitely in competition, that mistakes make a huge impact. That coming back from mistakes is the sign of true champions, and that he loved them all like brothers.
… Then former Demon footballer Andy Perot chimed in to echo Spears’ comments. Andy – a favorite of the players and a dear friend of Coach Mike’s – and his wife Angie, administrative assistant to Vice President Jerry Pierce, were with the team all week long and are “part of the family.”
… Finally, your support was noticed. Those young men were amazed at the tremendous turnout of NSU fans in the Campbell Center and the text messages, e-mails, and calls they received from friends and fans. They regretted they couldn’t give us one last celebration, but once again, they gave us lots of magical moments and kept us believing until the final horn sounded.
Doug Ireland, SID
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