Basketball fans in D.C. were robbed last season when the local CBS affiliate denied us our “One Shining Moment” – the emotional, teary-eyed tournament segment that serves as a finale to the college basketball season. It shows magical highlights of the most shocking of upsets. The triumphs, the defeats, the pain and the joy of two weeks of basketball’s tournament bliss are all revealed. It concludes with a glorious shot of the national champion and then, of course, it abruptly cuts to David Letterman. Hey, we can’t have it all.
Monday night, we were not robbed in any way. We were given our “One Shining Moment” and we were granted one of the more emotional National Championship games ever. And for the third time in 10 years, Duke proved its ultimate worth.
I’ve never felt so torn as to which team to root for. There’s Duke, powerhouse Duke, supposed-to-be-there Duke. But I’ve always rooted for Duke because of Mike Krzyzewski. He’s as classy as they come. So is Lute Olsen, Arizona’s head man, who lost his wife to cancer during the season. The Wildcats’ run to the title game was true inspiration. Arizona proved there were truly no losers Monday night in the greater scheme of things.
There were so many “One Shining Moments” candidates during the tournament – Hampton head coach Steve Merfeld, his legs flailing, being picked up by a player after a thrilling first-round upset over Iowa State. There was Maryland’s win over Stanford and the once Final Four-less Gary Williams finally making it. There was Gonzaga’s annual Sweet 16 run. There was Missouri over Georgia at the buzzer, Georgetown over Arkansas, Georgia State and almost George Mason. There wasn’t George Washington, but there definitely was Temple.
Ah, John Chaney’s Owls, who as we at GW all know probably shouldn’t have made the tourney let alone the Elite Eight. They’re so good, though. And how about the GW women’s nemesis Xavier, falling just eight minutes shy of the Final Four. Not bad at all.
The “One Shining Moment” for me came with one minute left in the final game. After Jason Williams hit a three-pointer that pretty much did `Zona in, Coach K jumped out of his seat with both fists in the air and screamed, “Come on, Come on.” You could read it from his lips.
Coach K is known for his seemingly calm demeanor. But the passion of the moment got him. This was a man who could barely sit or stand without pain during his team’s title game against UConn two years ago. This was a man who contemplated retirement in 1995 after his back pain became so bad that surgery was required.
Coach K hopped up and down, arms extended as Arizona allowed the Blue Devils to dribble out the final seconds of the basketball season. As the buzzer sounded, he turned to his assistant coaches, all former Dukies – Dawkins, Wojo and Collins – and they embraced. National champions. You had to wish for just one second you were a Cameron Crazy, or a Duke alumnus, or truthfully, a Duke player or coach.
So many dreams came true Monday night, while so many others still remained. You’ve got to feel for Lute Olsen, but he’ll be back. Arizona will be back.
“One Shining Moment” came on, music and all, and away we went . into the springtime knowing college basketball is only eight months away.
