While some conference tournaments can call for as many as four games in four days, American has had nearly a week — five days, on an empty campus, no less, as many students are gone for Spring Break — to prepare for today’s Patriot League final against visiting Colgate.
“I did call out some of my friends, let them know that they could possibly be missing history,” said Eagles junior guard Garrison Carr. “But that couldn’t stop them from going to Florida or Acapulco or wherever they were going.”
Indeed, history is the goal for the top-seeded Eagles (20-11), as a win over the third-seeded Raiders (18-13) would mean a conference tournament championship and more importantly, a first-ever invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
American senior forward Travis Lay knows the chance to play for a league championship doesn’t come around as often as one might think. The Rockville native and Bullis Prep graduate watched the Eagles advance to three straight title games from 2002-04 — losing all three — while he was in high school.
“I was like, they’ve got a good chance of in the conference tournament again,” said Lay. “And yet for the next couple years, we’d lose in the semifinal and were unable to get past that. I think we understand the opportunity that’s there, and hopefully we can capitalize.”
To a player, the Eagles say they’ve achieved nothing yet, but the school itself cannot help but soak up the exposure and attention that comes with being a Cinderella story during March madness.
“It can be very seductive to get caught up in all that,” said Eagles head coach Jeff Jones. “But if we don’t win on Friday, it all goes away. The bottom line is, we’ve got to be mature enough to handle this.”
Eagles athletic director Keith Gill said a capacity-plus crowd of 3,500-4,000 is expected at Bender Arena, a number that will include alumni, community members, and especially students, some of those who are cutting short their vacations to return.
“If they come back [and the dining halls aren’t open],” said Gill, “They can come eat at my house.”
