2008 Woodie Awards
Men's hoops ready to take care of unfinished business after heartbreaking finish last year
Brian Fitzsimmons
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Sports
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It will hurt to walk through the long, lonely corridors inside Detrick Gymnasium.
"The sting of last year will be in the back of our minds," said senior Luke Granato. "But this is a new season."
And this time it isn't about shutting down Northeast Conference Player of the Year Javier Mojica, finding ways to hold off a late second half surge, or getting even with a team that unraveled championship dreams.
This is all about coming away with a win inside a dungeon where the Sacred Heart men's basketball team hasn't won as a Division I program. Tonight, they will travel to New Britain to visit their 2006-2007 graveyard and the very site where Central Connecticut danced to an NEC crown last March.
This time, the plot entails so much more - thus leading onlookers to believe this one can be different. It is a team that has nearly everyone back from last year against a program who is in its rebuilding stages - despite doing a great job of hiding it because of Tristan Blackwood, the only key player left from the title team.
The Pioneers have caught fire with two convincing wins over Columbia and league opponent Monmouth at the right time. And maybe, just maybe, they can make Blue Devils' coach Howie Dickenman look like a prophet. In the NEC final's press conference, he told the media after he embraced Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike, he claimed, "This is where the Pioneers will find themselves next year."
A win tonight won't clinch any crown, make the demons of last year disappear, or solidify the team's spot in the Big Dance. A win tonight, however, would sure help a dreadful 0-6 start seem a lot less dooming. Actually more than anything, it will establish the Pioneers are the team to beat.
"Thursday's game is huge for us," said Sacred Heart senior Drew Shubik. "They beat us three times last year, including the championship game, and this is going to be our last game for almost two weeks, so we want to head into finals break with a win."
"The sting of last year will be in the back of our minds," said senior Luke Granato. "But this is a new season."
And this time it isn't about shutting down Northeast Conference Player of the Year Javier Mojica, finding ways to hold off a late second half surge, or getting even with a team that unraveled championship dreams.
This is all about coming away with a win inside a dungeon where the Sacred Heart men's basketball team hasn't won as a Division I program. Tonight, they will travel to New Britain to visit their 2006-2007 graveyard and the very site where Central Connecticut danced to an NEC crown last March.
This time, the plot entails so much more - thus leading onlookers to believe this one can be different. It is a team that has nearly everyone back from last year against a program who is in its rebuilding stages - despite doing a great job of hiding it because of Tristan Blackwood, the only key player left from the title team.
The Pioneers have caught fire with two convincing wins over Columbia and league opponent Monmouth at the right time. And maybe, just maybe, they can make Blue Devils' coach Howie Dickenman look like a prophet. In the NEC final's press conference, he told the media after he embraced Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike, he claimed, "This is where the Pioneers will find themselves next year."
A win tonight won't clinch any crown, make the demons of last year disappear, or solidify the team's spot in the Big Dance. A win tonight, however, would sure help a dreadful 0-6 start seem a lot less dooming. Actually more than anything, it will establish the Pioneers are the team to beat.
"Thursday's game is huge for us," said Sacred Heart senior Drew Shubik. "They beat us three times last year, including the championship game, and this is going to be our last game for almost two weeks, so we want to head into finals break with a win."
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