We are approaching the fourth anniversary of the night it all ended. The unknowns about COVID-19 stopped almost everything suddenly.
We continue to do shows and one of the coolest things our show has been able to do: #seniornight. We were able to shed light on those whose seasons and careers just ended, unceremoniously. By the time we stopped doing the segment, we had highlighted hundreds of athletes and teams from around the country. It couldn't fix things, but it was an opportunity to let people know: we see you and we salute you.
Fortunately, senior nights in 2024 are the right kind. In gyms full of people. With more games to come. Moms, dads and siblings as careers at home come to an end. There is so much gratitude to see. So much emotion to feel.
North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot tearfully said after his final game in Chapel Hill: “I'm very grateful. I may not have been the best player to ever play here, but in terms of players? “No one has loved me.” this school more than me, and that's something I can be proud of.
You can be proud of your entire career. The interesting thing about this was that it lasted long enough to make it to senior night. The game has a tense relationship with the big boys these days. Not long ago, a talent like Bacot would have completely broken loose after a Final Four run when he averaged a double-double en route to the 2022 title game in New Orleans.
The idea was that something was wrong with anyone who DID NOT run away. But the combination of the game changing and the players' ability to make money off of name, image and likeness allowed him to make a lot of money AND stay in college. What a beautiful thing that is.
The exact same combination of factors led National Player of the Year Zach Edey to stay in West Lafayette for a victory lap. He has one last game at Mackey on Sunday.
Carolina likely has the second spot, Purdue almost certainly has the first spot. Houston will be too. They send Jamal Shead out this weekend after winning the Big 12 in his inaugural season. Every time we show him in the highlights, I always say: grown man behavior. Because that's what he demonstrates in every way. But tough guys can cry too, and he told me when I talked to him on the show: He's cried every night of senior year that wasn't even his night. This one will be. Shead is a leader in every way. A man who, according to Fran Fraschilla, could run practice for Houston if Kelvin Sampson couldn't attend.
It's no surprise that America's best teams can lean on that: while talent is obviously important, I think experienced talent is critical. As Danny Hurley told me, “you've got to have men.” It's a common denominator among virtually all great teams: They have some adults who stick around. Able to remain on the best days of their lives with their companions. You have to make them last as long as you can; the real world will be there when you get there.
