For a Change, the Only Game in Town

GW Revels in NCAA Tournament Berth Denied to Other Local Schools

Coach Karl Hobbs, shown here after GW's win over Saint Joseph's in the Atlantic 10 final, is making his first trip to the NCAA tournament as a head coach. (John McDonnell - The Washington Post)

It's spring break so students did not have to be anywhere near the George Washington University campus yesterday, but that didn't stop senior Thomas Scazzafavo and sophomore Shervin Razavian from going to Smith Center just to watch the men's basketball team board a bus to Coach Karl Hobbs's house to watch the NCAA tournament selection show.

Razavian and Scazzafavo, still bleary-eyed and hoarse from screaming at the television during Saturday night's Atlantic 10 conference championship game, were reveling in the school's first bid to the NCAA tournament since 1999 and taking particular delight in the fact that local rivals Maryland and Georgetown were not going to be invited.

"I have friends who go to Maryland and I have friends who go to Georgetown and they're always talking about how great they are, rubbing it in our face and giving us no respect," Scazzafavo said. "Georgetown fans think they're too good to play us and even when we beat Maryland this year, their fans said it was a fluke. Now, they're going to have to give GW some respect."

Only the Super Bowl rivals the NCAA tournament in the nation's sporting interest, partly due to the popularity of pools in which fans -- and non-fans -- fill out the 65-team tournament bracket trying to predict who will win each game. Tens of thousands of people will spend the days leading up to Thursday's opening game poring over everything from whose players have the best statistics to which schools have the most colorful mascot; the pool strategies vary greatly between the serious and the not-so-serious fan.

George Washington would be considered an upset pick after the Colonials were given a difficult opening game against Georgia Tech by the tournament selection committee. After defeating Saint Joseph's on Saturday night in Cincinnati for the school's first Atlantic 10 tournament championship, the Colonials had hoped for a better seed than No. 12 and perhaps a less-formidable opponent than Georgia Tech, which yesterday lost to Duke, 69-64, in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament final at MCI Center.

But the first-round game Friday in Nashville was of little concern to some students who were delighted by having area bragging rights. It's the first time since 1993 that the Colonials are the only Washington area team invited to the tournament.

"When I got here the team wasn't that good and people weren't as excited about going to games but this season really changed that," said Peter Otlans, a junior from Tacoma, Wash. "It will be cool to look back 10 years from now and say I was here when they made the tournament. It's something everyone remembers."

Even students who don't pack Smith Center for home games are getting caught up in the vibe.

"I have friends who go to schools with good sports teams and they are always bragging about it," said Ellie Brown, a freshman from New Hampshire. "Now, I guess I'll get to brag a little even though I don't even care about basketball."

Students won't return to campus until next Sunday and many of them had already made spring break plans. However, those plans could be changing now that the Colonials are in the tournament.

"I'm going to do everything I can to be there because I've been waiting for this since I got here," said Razavian, who is from Nebraska. "I come from a state where people live and die with college football so when I came here I was a little surprised that the students weren't all that into the teams. But now that we're doing so well, you're seeing some of that passion and it's great. It's part of what college is all about."

George Washington Athletic Director Jack Kvancz, who hired Hobbs in 2001 and recently signed the coach to a contract extension through the 2011 season, was headed to the Cincinnati airport for a return trip to Washington yesterday morning when the driver noticed his George Washington basketball pullover.

"He told me that he loved our team and the way we play basketball," Kvancz said. "And he wished us good look in the tournament."

The Colonials struggled in midseason, losing three of four games in one stretch in January. But with a roster that lacks a true star -- four Colonials averaged more than 10 points a game but the highest scoring average was T. J. Thompson's 13.8 -- Hobbs relied on quickness and balance to wear down opponents.

Saint Joseph's led by three points with less than seven minutes to go on Saturday but could not keep up with the Colonials at the end.

One of the sweetest things about making the NCAA tournament, according to junior forward Mike Hall, is that George Washington students and alumni will get to puff out their chests a little more and feel a little more pride about their school.

Hall, a Chicago native and in many ways, the heart and soul of the team, also hopes that making the tournament will change the way people perceive the George Washington basketball program.

"The first time you tell people you play at George Washington, they're like: 'Oh, Georgetown. Allen Iverson went there,' stuff like that," Hall said. "Now, we're getting a little exposure and it has to feel good for our students and alums. Getting to the tournament is not just about us as a basketball team, it's about the entire university and our fans."

Maryland's fans are coping with one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory. The defending ACC tournament champions were ranked as high as 12th nationally this season but had a string of 11 consecutive NCAA tournament berths snapped yesterday. Maryland twice defeated Duke, named a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament yesterday, but lost seven of its last 10 games and was unable to beat Clemson in three tries.