Photo courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics
Adversity.
It’s an overused, simplistic, easy go-to word too often murmured by an athlete in order to characterize an experience. Some would argue it is cliché, but even to suggest such would be cliché as well.
But “adversity” was the word used by Ousmane Drame to describe his senior class’ four years at Quinnipiac, in the wake of a 73-63 win at home against the Siena Saints Friday night. It would be the last time Drame, Zaid Hearst, Evan Conti, Justin Harris, Emanuel Binyam and even the red-shirted T’ziah Wood-Smith would step on the hardwood at Lender Court. And as each exited with their own moment of bliss, with Quinnipiac locking up a trip to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament that won’t include Iona on the guest list until at least the finals, it posed a point to ponder.
Is adversity a proper characterization of these players?
To say their last three years were successful is subjective. A Northeast Conference semifinal exit in their freshman campaign was followed by one in the quarterfinals the season after. One Umar Shannon torn meniscus later, and the Bobcats were bounced in the semis once more in 2014. That in a year where they were picked to be closer to the cellar of the conference, but instead finished with a more than respectable MAAC slate.
Drame himself most certainly faced adversity coming into Quinnipiac. A battle with Osgood-Schlatter disease weakened his knees after he grew more than seven inches in a short timespan in high school. He played in the shadow of Ike Azotam for much of his tenure, facing the likes of Rhamel Brown, Julian Boyd among countless others. And though some said he was too skinny, or that he was uncoachable, he still flourished into one of the country’s most-watched big men.
Conti was a polarizing player in his own manner, of course. Even as his fellow seniors bagged on him in Friday’s press conference (Wood-Smith said there are “crickets” going through his head when he squares up to nail his patented 3 in motion), his presence on the court when he plays well is undeniable. Much like against UConn in the Paradise Jam in his sophomore season, Conti shot with confidence and poise against Siena. One shot from the perimeter in particular, which not only sunk but drew a foul as well, called back to that night in the U.S. Virgin Islands when Conti made a gym explode with a long-range trey. His jumper could hardly be described as finesse, but it works, and often it works well.
Harris had not even averaged eight minutes per game prior to his senior season. His promotion to the starting lineup was out of necessity, something head coach Tom Moore noted has been a trend with this year’s team. At 6-foot-8 and nearly 260 lbs., the frame was there for Harris to become one of the MAAC’s most consistent big men. But with talented interior stars in front of him in the array, there was little chance for him to have his moment. Every now and then, he’d get the opportunity to hit a free throw and call it a night. Yet as opportunity arises, so does he. The Paramus Catholic-alum has nearly quadrupled his previous highest single-season points per game margin, and capped his career in Hamden with a solid 15 points on nine rebounds against the Saints.
Then, there is Hearst. The Derek Jeter of the Quinnipiac Bobcats. If basketball players wore caps, he’d have received a salute more fitting than any Gatorade commercial could provide. He’s the face of the franchise, the captain and the model for success any collegiate institution could wish its athletes would embody. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he has made it no secret the second half of his senior campaign has been a stressful one. His numbers have dipped, and his tailor pull-up jumper normally hit with fluidity has become rigid. But all was well in his final contest in front of Bobcats faithful, as he hit 20 points for the first time since Feb. 1 and received perhaps the largest ovation of them all as he left the court.
Following the game, Moore was also sure to praise the efforts of the walk-ons Binyam and Wood-Smith. “They are rocks in that group,” he said. “They are very bright guys with a ton of personality.”
Can adversity be self-imposed? It wouldn’t be too cynical to suggest such, but if it is, it may not always be intentional. The group of seniors who played their last home games Friday night comprised perhaps Moore’s most extravagant collection of individuals over the course of the past four years.
“There’s a bond that goes beyond basketball with those guys,” Moore said. “It’s a long journey. It’s hard. It’s hard, there’s a lot of good and a lot of bad. Big games, big wins. You’re sort of a celebrity on campus. When you screw up, it’s out there, you’re sort of a dog on campus. They’ve all grown and matured from the experience.”
And for the first time in their four years, all six seniors shared the podium following the game. Not because they were requested, but they wanted to.
“We need our own TV show,” Wood-Smith said as the others huddled around the microphone and laughed. “We’re really close though. Obviously, like brothers, we fight, we argue. If we didn’t do that, we wouldn’t be normal.”
Of the names suggested for the show, “T’ziah & Company” along with “Ous and the Rest” seemed to be the most popular, of course.
In the span of four years, this squadron has seen it a lot. They’ve been coached into wins and coached out of wins. They’ve played themselves into victories, and beaten themselves into defeat. Some of their brethren have transferred out of the program, while others have opted in. They’ve been cast as outsiders to court cases, and followed with triumph and tragedy on the court.
What haven’t they seen?
The promised land. The greener grass. The NCAA Tournament.
“Next week, we’re gonna shock some people,” Hearst said. “We’re ready to turn up.”
As a No. 6 seed in Albany with some of the MAAC’s best just around the corner, it will take more than individuality to move past it. But one more time, the Bobcats will have a chance to conquer it.
Adversity.
