Tribe Gets NIT Bid, to Play UNC Tuesday

By Mike Barnes, of the W&M Flat Hat Monday, March 15, 2010

After falling to Old Dominion in the CAA tournament final and missing out on its first NCAA tournament bid, William and Mary (22-10, 12-6 CAA) was forced to wait for Sunday night’s NIT selection show to find out its postseason fate. It took a little while, but the squad and its fans liked the result.

The College received the fifth seed in the final quarter of the bracket revealed by the ESPNU anchors and will travel to face fourth-seeded North Carolina Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

A crowded Commonwealth Auditorium erupted in celebration after learning the outcome, the Tribe’s second NIT appearance after losing to Virginia Tech in the first round in 1983.

“Its really amazing,” senior guard David Schneider said. “To do something that has only been done one other time in our school’s history, especially considering the fact that we are going to be playing North Carolina is truly amazing.”

A victory would likely send the Tribe to take on top-seeded Mississippi State (23-11), while UAB (23-8) and South Florida (20-12) are also present in the region.

After winning the 2009 NCAA national championship, the Tar Heels fell short of expectations this season, mustering a 5-11 record in the conference and 16-16 overall. Despite UNC’s modest 2010 resume, Tribe players and coaches believe that the sheer history and mystique of the North Carolina program alone makes them a formidable opponent.

Although playing in the hostile Carmichael Arena will not be an easy task, the College takes solace in the fact that it is 2-0 on the road against ACC opponents this season after knocking off both Wake Forrest and Maryland on their home courts. North Carolina went 1-2 against those same two teams this season.

“I think, whoever our opponent is, we are going to be prepared and ready,” senior guard Sean McCurdy said. “The fact that our opponent is North Carolina and considering the tradition that they have, it will be something special. It will be a good opportunity for our team to go out there and believe in each other and try to execute our game plan.”

The College amassed 22 victories in one of its most successful years in recent memory. Over the course of the season, the squad garnered national attention and received votes in the major college basketball polls before slowly fading from the NCAA tournament picture. The Tribe recovered from a late season slide to finish third in the CAA, and lost to Old Dominion in the CAA tournament championship game.

“Obviously, we would have liked to host a game, but due to the fact that we get to play North Carolina, its kind of a win-win situation for us,” Schneider said.

The College’s visit to Chapel Hill will also serve as a homecoming for two Tribe coaches. Head Coach Tony Shaver, a 1976 North Carolina graduate, played under legendary UNC coach Dean Smith. Shaver walked on to the team during the 1972 season, and earned a scholarship after his freshman season. The Tar Heels were featured in postseason play in all four years of Shaver’s tenure with the team.

Assistant coach Jonathan Holmes also played basketball for North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels advance to the Final Four in 2000.

Despite the challenge posed by North Carolina, the College will attempt to prove itself on a national stage by relying on the strategies that allowed them to have one of the most successful seasons in school history.

“Coach Shaver and his staff have just done a great job of getting everybody to believe in the system, and believe in each other,” McCurdy said. “This team in particular has been the closest team I have ever been a part of, the most trusting team I have ever been a part of and the most selfless team I have ever been a part of. We really trust each other, we really believe in each other, and we are just going to go out there on Tuesday night and just give it our best.”