Hoosier Hysteria Hits USD

They’ve talked about it ever since the first day of basketball practice. They’ve circled the date on their calendars, told their friends about it, and have prepared the relatives to get the scrapbooks ready.

Now, after a wait that has seemed eternal, playing the Gonzagas and Pomona-Pitzers long enough, the University of San Diego is ready for the big time.

The Toreros, after blitzing North Carolina-Wilmington, 75-51, Friday night in the second game of the Indiana Classic, have earned the right to play the biggest basketball game of their lives.

Indiana University, yes, that Indiana, awaits. The Hoosiers clobbered Niagara in the first game of the tournament, 101-64.

These are the guys who have Bobby Knight as coach, the NBA as career employers, and a fan-base four times as large as USD’s enrollment.

These are the same guys who are ranked seventh in the country, have five NCAA championship banners hanging from the rafters, and have played in a postseason tournament every year since 1971.

These are the same guys who never have lost a game in this tournament since it began in 1974, winning 33 consecutive games.

And this is why just moments after the Toreros’ convincing victory, raising their record to 5-0 for the best start in their 12-year history of Division I basketball, USD Coach Hank Egan was popped this question:

“Coach, what will you have to do to be competitive with them?”

Although Egan might have a legion of concerns entering tonight’s championship game, he can go ahead and forget that nagging problem of making sure the troops aren’t overconfident.

“Hey, don’t worry about me,” Egan said. “When we had a 30-point lead tonight, I was still concerned.”

Actually, for roughly the first 15 minutes of the game, there was reason to be concerned. For awhile there, Egan wondered if his team would ever score.

The Toreros didn’t score their first basket until five minutes, 47 seconds was elapsed in the game, when Reed Watson hit a follow shot. And with 13:26 still left in the half, the Toreros found themselves trailing 10-2.

“I’m not going to lie to you,” said USD guard Pat Holbert, who scored a game-high 19 points, “We were so nervous out there. It’s just that we wanted to play Indiana so bad, we were getting too excited.”

Said forward Anthony Thomas, who scored his 12 points in the second half: “You saw me shooting out there, you knew how nervous I was.”

But within minutes, realizing their dream would be shattered if they weren’t careful, the Toreros went on a roll that had UNC-Wilmington Coach Kevin Eastman almost apologizing to tournament officials.

Beginning with Holbert’s three-point shot from the right wing with 11:46 remaining, the Toreros went on a streak that looked like the Harlem Globetrotters were playing the Washington Generals.

The Toreros outscored UNC-Wilmington, 50-8, in the next 23 1/2 minutes. By halftime, it was 30-18. By the time they made their first eight shots in the second half, it was 49-20. By the time their run had ended, it was 54-20, and 14:07 still remained in the game.

By the time the game ended, UNC-Wilmington had hit only 26.9% of its shots, while the Toreros scored 25 points off the fast break, helping them to a 57.3 shooting percentage.

“They just overwhelmed us,” Eastman said. “Really, we played scared, and in a place like this, it can happen.”

So, tonight when the Toreros take the court, look up at 17,000 sea of red fans glaring back at them, look for the same to happen to them?

“You know, they’re a good ballclub,” Eastman said. “We knew that watching them on film, and they proved it in person.

“I’ll tell you what, they’ll compete.”

And when you’re in Assembly Hall, playing against the mighty Hoosiers, what more can anyone expect?

“Of course,” Holbert said, “if we win, it’ll just happen to be the biggest win of my life.”