Wagner College defied all odds, including numerous injuries, to earn its way into the NCAA tournament
NEW YORK -- Selection Sunday for the NCAA tournament is this weekend, but the days leading up to it are reserved for numerous conference tournaments.
It represents a chance for teams to win their way into the dance.
One local school has already booked its ticket.
Wagner College, as the No. 6 seed, won the Northeastern Conference tournament on Tuesday night, defeating No. 2 Merrimack 54-47, and will next be playing in the NCAA tournament for just the second time ever.
This year's journey defied all odds.
All was quiet on the Staten Island campus on Wednesday, a stark contrast to the emotions of the night before.
"A lot of emotion. I had to be reminded that I did show the emotion that way," Wagner coach Donald Copeland said.
It was the unlikeliest of outcomes because the Seahawks only had seven healthy players.
Injuries are a silent thief that can steal away a season. It has been so bad, for the past three months Wagner had no-contact practices, leaving the players to practice with nothing more than drills and their own spirit.
"The grind every day. Every day was hard and you had to squeeze the most out of every day," Copeland said. "It hasn't been ideal. Seven players. A lot of inconsistencies throughout the season. We never doubted ourselves and stayed with it."
But there they were in the NEC championship game with only seven players, their synergy compensating for lack of depth.
"It wasn't shocking because, win or lose, I've been winning my whole life. It still didn't phase me yet because we're not done yet," guard Melvin Council Jr. said.
"It feels good to know that 10 years from now or 20 years from now we'll be a part of Wagner history that not many have done," guard Tahron Allen said.
When the final buzzer sounded, it heralded the Seahawks' unlikely victory. With it, they earned more than just a berth in the NCAA tournament. They earned a place in the hearts of all that cherish the underdog.
"Coach preaches toughness to us every day. That's why we know we got toughness and we got heart. We've always been the underdogs. That don't phase us," Council said.
The Seahawks they're not done yet. Anyone who doubts their chances need look no further than last year's NEC champs. Fairleigh Dickinson, as a No. 16 seed, knocked off No. 1 Purdue in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history.
