A Mid-Major Statement

NC Wilmington, represent!

The Seahawks, champions of the Colonial Athletic Assn., have their conference’s initials stitched on their shorts. They stamped them on this NCAA tournament with their first-round upset of USC, and struck a blow for some of the overlooked teams.

“The difference between the major schools and the mid-major schools is getting closer and closer,” Seahawk star Brett Blizzard said. “The biggest thing is it gives other schools like us confidence. Other people can do it too.

“I think people know where Wilmington is now. It’s not in Delaware, it’s in North Carolina.”

Added teammate Ed Williams:

“This is the year the mid-majors are rising. Ball State really started it for the mid-majors by beating Kansas and UCLA in Hawaii [at the beginning of the season]. Even though we’re not getting the publicity, we can rise to the occasion just like any Big Ten team or Big 12 team.”

The Seahawks made a quick departure in their first trip to the NCAA tournament in 2000, bowing to Cincinnati in the first round.

This year, “We came here with the right attitude,” Blizzard said. “We didn’t come here with our cameras and stuff like we did the first year. We didn’t talk about it. We did it.”

Williams tried to dunk on USC’s Sam Clancy twice and Clancy made two spectacular blocks. Williams even gave Clancy five after the first block.

“He got me,” Williams said. “He’s bigger than me, but I’m not going to back down.”

The Washington Wizards have held training camp on the Wilmington campus the past two years. It’s the hometown of Michael Jordan.

“You know when you see somebody that you’ve been idolizing forever, when you see them for the first time, you can’t say nothing?” UNC Wilmington forward Anthony Terrell said. “You just drop your mouth. He came and spoke to us, I didn’t say a word. The second time, when he came back to play, I saw him again, I talked to him.”