2 • Friday, April 9, 2004 • Technique 2004 FINAL FOUR 2004 FINAL FOUR Technique • Friday, April 9, 2004 • 3 2003-2004 Season A season to remember Game -by-Game From “Big Bird” to Big Man on Campus: Exhibition By Jody Shaw ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Associate Editor Tech 100 Team NIKE 89 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Schenscher develops into legitimate star center Tech 112 Southeastern All-Stars 75 They saw the lack of a legitimate big man and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ By Kimberly Rieck ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the losses of the last two Atlantic Coast Confer- Malcolm Mackey and got tougher over Regular season Sports Editor ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ence Rookies of the Year. They saw a team that the summer,” said team captain Mar- Tech 79 Louisiana-Lafayette 45 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ struggled with consistency throughout its previ- vin Lewis. Tech 75 Hofstra 56 When Chris Bosh left Tech for ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ous campaign. And they saw a team led by a young the NBA last summer and Ed Nelson Besides his teammates, coaches Tech 90 Cornell 69 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ head coach whose career winning percentage at transferred to Connecticut, many around the nation noticed Schenscher’s Tech 77 Connecticutt 61 improvements. “He’s just a different ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the Institute hovered in the .500 range. They sports pundits predicted the Jackets Tech 85 Texas Tech 65 simply saw too many unanswered questions to player [from November’s game against ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ would suffer from a lack of produc- Tech 73 Ohio State 53 predict anything for the team other than a sev- Connecticut], and he’s also grown seven ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ tion in the low post. However, Luke Tech 94 Tennessee State 43 enth place finish in the ACC.The preseason pun- inches, too. He’s got to be 8’3”. He ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Schenscher shocked the sports critics Tech 75 Saint Louis 62 dits only observed the individual parts; they failed dwarfed everybody on the court. He’s ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ shocked with sports critics with his Tech 74 Alabama A&M 41 to see that the whole is greater. the biggest guy I’ve seen in my life,” ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ growth and developed into a legiti- Tech 79 St. John’s 66 The transformation of this squad from a group said Connecticut head coach Jim Cal- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ mate star center. Tech 90 Marist 40 of individually talented young men to a well- “I saw [Bosh’s departure] as an houn. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Tech 86 Virginia Commonwelth engineered team and then to a close-knit family is opportunity for me to step up. I knew Opposing fans, most notably the ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Cameron Krazies, taunted Schenscher Georgia 83 Tech 80 (2OT) the story of the 2004 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets that I had to step up if the team was to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ basketball season. It’s a triumphal story that capti- with chants of “Big Bird,” because of North Carolina 103 Tech 88 be successful. We needed someone to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ vated the entire country. his tall stature and curly red hair. His Tech 75 Virginia 57 fill that void of him leaving and I just ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Coach Paul Hewitt penned this tale’s opening teammates and coach, however, called Tech 81 Maryland 71 took it upon myself to make sure that ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ when he worked to instill in his players the impor- him “The Big Fundamental,” because Tech 73 Wake Forest 66 I could step up and help the team ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ tance of conditioning, a commitment to defense, of the fundamentally-sound, old-school NC State 76 Tech 72 out,” Schenscher said. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ an understanding of the lost art teamwork, and, style of center he played throughout Tech 76 Clemson 69 Schenscher spent all last summer ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ more importantly, the art of the extra pass on improving his skills in optional work- the season. Duke 82 Tech 74 Off the court, Schenscher has be- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ offense and “helping the helper” on defense. His outs, and adding weight to his thin Florida State 81 Tech 65 come one of the most popular figures ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ team bought into this system whole-heartedly, frame. When he arrived on campus Tech 77 Tennessee 62 and it made them greater than the previous one, on campus. A group of Industrial ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ two years ago, the 7’1” center weighed Tech 88 North Carolina 77 despite the fact it had less talent. Design students made “Luke Schen- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ only 215 pounds. “We did a lot as a Virginia 82 Tech 80 The players, however, drove the story’s plot scher has a posse” T-shirts that have ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ team to help him get bigger. We fed Tech 75 Maryland 64 and the development of the family. When Theo- been featured throughout the tourna- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ him. We were making sure he would Wake Forest 80 Tech 76 dius Tarver went down with a knee injury during ment. Schenscher’s teammates have ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ eat four, five, six meals a day to help NC State 79 Tech 69 an early fall practice, Clarence Moore and the donned the shirts at press conferenc- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ him get bigger. He played Tech 79 Clemson 60 other seniors made a decision. Since the moment with guys es, and the pep band and Buzz wore ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ them in San Antonio. Tech 76 Duke 68 of Tarver’s injury, the team said “family” as it like ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ broke each huddle to signify their commitment to “I do have one of those. I’m sending Tech 63 Florida State 60 each other. What they accomplished together on it back home to my mom so hope- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the court demonstrates they meant it every time. fully she can sport it back home ACC Tournament ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ As a team, this Tech squad advanced further in in Australia. But yeah they’re Tech 83 North Carolina 82 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the NCAA basketball tournament than any bas- great. I’m pretty happy about Duke 85 Tech 71 ketball squad in Institute history and set a host of it,” Schenscher said. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ other school records, and every individual con- Schenscher’s family was un- NCAA Tournament ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ tributed to the team’s triumphs. able to make it to the Final Tech 65 Northern Iowa 60 Four but the family held view- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Captain Marvin Lewis became a vital on-court Tech 57 Boston College 54 leader. The previously-discounted center, junior ing parties at their home in ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Tech 72 Nevada 67 Luke Schensher, worked to become a legitimate Hope Forest, Australia. “I think ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Tech 79 Kansas 71 (OT) star in the post. Arizona transfer Will Bynum they were saying there were forty ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Tech 67 Oklahoma State 65 brought an edge and swagger to a team that lacked or fifty people in the house watch- ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ them. Senior forward Moore returned after a year ing the [Oklahoma State] game ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ National Championship away from the game to provide emotional and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ See Luke, page 11 Connecticut 82 Tech 73 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ See Commentary, page 9 Front Photo By Christopher Gooley / STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 4 • Friday, April 9, 2004 • Technique 2004 FINAL FOUR Final Four Recap Last-minute shot lands Jackets in biggest dance Lewis leads, Bynum finishes UConn ends Tech miracle, as Jackets outgun Cowboys confirms preseason ranking By Edward Tamsberg By Edward Tamsberg Staff Writer Staff Writer With 1.6 seconds remaining on the clock, Will In a rematch of the pre-season NIT semifinal Bynum made a clutch layup that launched the game, Tech aimed to repeat its upset of the Jackets into their first National Championship University of Connecticut. The Jackets had soundly game in school history. The team tied a school defeated the then No. 1 Huskies 77-61 at Madi- record for the most victories in a season with the son Square Garden in November. win, matching the 1990 Final Four team. However, the tables were turned this time Oklahoma State was the favorite going into around, as the Jackets faced a strong Emeka Okaf- the game, and the Cowboys had a large crowd or, the Huskies’ star big man, who had suffered advantage. Orange-clad fans packed the Alamo- back spasms at last fall’s game. Okafor had 24 dome. points, 15 rebounds, and was later named Most The Cowboy’s Joey Graham, Tony Allen and Valuable Player for the Final Four tournament, as John Lucas were expected to be a tough combina- he led his team to an 82-73 victory. tion for Tech to handle, but as the first half pro- Though Tech closed the gap to nine points by gressed, the Jackets took the lead. Tech led by the end of the contest, the score fails to illustrate seven at halftime with the help of Marvin Lewis’ the Huskies’ overall domination. At halftime, the five shots from behind the arc. Jackets faced a 10 point deficit, which the Huskies “We pretty much depended on Marvin,” said increased to 25 points in the second half. Jarrett Jack after the game. “He put us on his back Tech suffered scoring problems throughout and we just followed his lead. We have always the night, as it shot under 30 percent from the been there together, but the first half, it was all field in the first half and 38 percent for the game. him.” Bynum led the Jackets with 17 points, B.J. Elder The Jackets also had great defense, holding had 14 and Schenscher had nine. Allen, the Big 12 leading scorer, to only five shots. “Tonight the ball just didn’t fall for me,” Elder Luke Schenscher also dominated the boards, with said. Elder was noe the only one for whom the ball 12 rebounds in addition to his 19 points. would not fall. In the second half, OSU fought back and closed Although Tech had found itself at the lowest in on the Jackets’ lead. Lucas made a three-pointer deficit of the season, the players and fans never and tied the game with 28 seconds left on the gave up and even cheered “family” toward the end clock.