NCAA Tournament Brings Fuzzy Feelings Back to Northeastern Campus

Northeastern students gathered for a Selection Sunday event. Asha Michener, Northeastern University

By Jon Mael

March 17, 2015

6 minutes to read

Until last week, you might not have known Northeastern could even qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The Huskies play in the Colonial Athletic Association, one of the smallest Division I conferences, meaning their annual chance of going dancing is diminished because there’s only one bid available. Barirng a miracle season, you have to win the conference tournament to move on to March Madness, and the Huskies hadn’t accomplished that feat since 1991.

They got over the hump this year, to the delight of their alumni and dedicated student section, the N Zone. As excitement ramps up for the 2015 tournament, the Huntington Avenue crowd is catching hoops fever.

Despite a longtime tournament drought, Northeastern has a proud basketball tradition, which head coach Bill Coen and his squad are looking to add to this week with an upset over Notre Dame.

The Huskies have been playing basketball since 1920, but the program first gained true relevance when Jim Calhoun took the reigns prior to the 1972-73 season. Under Calhoun, the Huskies reached their first NCAA Tournament in 1981 and scored an upset win over sixth-seeded Fresno State. They returned to the dance four of the next five seasons, before Calhoun moved on to UConn.

Another part of that success was the late Reggie Lewis. The forward scored more than 2,700 points in his four year career and guided the Huskies to the Tournament in each of those seasons. Lewis played six seasons for the Celtics before tragically passing away in 1993. Other NBA players who have come out of Northeastern include JJ Barea and Perry Moss.

Calhoun, also left a legacy of progress. He was one of the first coaches in the city to start five African-American players, and was a strong force in changing the basketball culture in Boston. After Calhoun moved on, the Huskies went to two more NCAAs in 1987 and 1991, and will now appear in the 2015 dance — their first since leaving America East to join the CAA in 2006.

Northeastern almost reached the Tournament in 2013, but fell to James Madison in the CAA finals, 70-57 . For the Huskies’ biggest fans, that was a tough loss.

“After the heartbreak of freshman year, when they lost to James Madison in the finals, I kind of thought that would be the best chance to see it happen,’’ Emily McCarthy, a junior at Northeastern and leader of the N Zone, said.

That heartbreak didn’t deter McCarthy and some other supporters from making the trek down to Baltimore this year to see the top-seeded Huskies compete for the title.

Eight students from the N Zone went — staying in leftover rooms from the cheer and dance teams — and were rewarded by seeing the Huskies beat William & Mary, in the finals.

“We were waiting to rush the court with six seconds left with Quincy Ford at the line and we were all chanting ‘I believe that we will win,’ it was absolutely incredible,’’ McCarthy said. “It was an amazing feeling, just really unbelievable, kind of hard to put into words.’’

With the NCAA berth, the excitement has been felt well beyond Baltimore, especially back on campus, where basketball has historically taken a backseat to hockey. But not anymore. Students are rallying behind the 14th seeded Huskies as they prepare to take on the Irish Thursday, starting with a strong turnout at a Selection Sunday party held at the Cabot Center Sunday night.

“Once people realized we’re conference champions and we’re getting a bid, they got really excited,’’ McCarthy said. “I know all my friends are really excited, even people who don’t go to a lot of basketball games or don’t necessarily follow the team.’’

The Huskies have noticed the love and are giving it right back. “When we first got back to campus we had a lot of people waiting for us to get off the bus,’’ star forward Scott Eatherton said. “It was a great feeling to see everyone at the tournament and know that we had a lot of support behind us.’’

Students seem to know how rare and meaningful it is to see their team in the NCAA Tournament. Mike Samaha, a third-year student and N Zone leader, is trying to soak the experience in.

“I’m trying to get as much out of it as I can. That’s why we’re trying to get to the Tournament, and stay as long as possible,’’ Samaha said. “We don’t know how many times we’ll be back while we’re here or even after we graduate so that’s why we celebrated that night and now we’re trying to get there to keep the run going as long as we can.’’

Samaha and McCarthy recently started a crowd-funding campaign to help send the most dedicated N Zoners to Pittsburgh, the site of the Huskies’ first round game. They’ve reached out to Northeastern alumni, and former basketball players playing professionally overseas. So far they’ve raised more than $1,000 toward the trip.

“We tried to reach out to JJ Barea,’’ McCarthy said. “We’re like ‘come on, you’re in the NBA, can’t you just throw us a couple thousand dollars?’’’

Northeastern alumni, some of whom are major players in Boston sports media, are possibly even more excited than the students. For any attendee in the 1990s or 2000s, the appearance has been a long time coming. Adam Jones (cq), the evening host on 98.5 The Sports Hub, graduated in the class of 2008, and was a basketball announcer for Northeastern student radio. He continues to be an ardent supporter of the Huskies both on and off the air. According to Jones, it wasn’t a matter of if the Huskies would get back to the dance, but when. “Sure I eventually thought they’d be back,’’ Jones said. “They’ve been a top three or four team in the conference most years. Recently they’ve been on the right track and I think Bill (Coen) does a good job scouring the country and finding under-appreciated talent.’’

Jones said he was in the studio when the Huskies beat William & Mary, but was able to catch the game because he had just wrapped up his Celtics halftime segment. “I was going nuts. I was excited to see it,’’ Jones said. “I kind of pictured from doing games for so many years that I might have been there for [a championship], I might have been in Baltimore. I didn’t really picture sitting in a radio studio watching one on TV but I’m happy either way.’’

Coach Coen and the Huskies are very appreciative of the outpouring of support from students and alumni, and said that every player, coach, and manager on the team has heard from people who have affected their lives.

“That may have been the best part of this week,’’ Coen said. “For me personally it’s been people from high school, other places I’ve worked, friends, family, alumni, former players, it’s just been the full spectrum. This event has been a tremendous connector and reconnecter to people that have helped us along the way, and the outpouring has been tremendous.’’

“For this group to understand that they’re part of something much bigger than themselves; I think that’s the biggest lesson in team sports. It’s not solely about your experience but it’s about you and your teammates and the guys who have come before you, and the fans that are cheering for you, and your parents and alumni and the whole Northeastern community. It’s just been such a positive and thrilling experience for everybody.’’

And what if the Huskies were to upset the Irish and win their first tournament game since 1984? McCarthy has already thought about what she might do. “

I’d most likely try to run down towards the court,’’ she said. “I don’t know how close we’d be but I’d try to get to the players. I’m assuming I’d be making my way through a bunch of unhappy fans. I’d probably be screaming a lot, my voice is still kind of gone from the CAA Tournament. It might be awkward and security might not love that.’’