2008 Woodie Awards
Seniors let emotions pour
Ryan Ferguson
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Summit League Basketball Tournament
TULSA, Okla. - Each of Western Illinois' four seniors were visibly devastated after suffering a 14-point defeat to Oakland in the opening round of the Summit League Tournament Sunday night in Tulsa, Okla.
David Jackson, Chris Gonzalez, Jerryck Owens-Murrey and Louis Johnson let the emotions flow when the final buzzer of their collegiate careers sounded. Jackson saw his Leatherneck finale end prematurely when he fouled out with 56 seconds left in the game. Johnson was the last of the Western players to leave the court, as he appeared to be savoring his final moments involved with college basketball.
For coach Derek Thomas, the pouring of his seniors' emotions made Sunday night's post game trip to the locker room very difficult.
"It was one of the hardest locker rooms to go in and say something because you had certain guys blaming themselves for us losing," Thomas said. "I know David Jackson's in there saying it's his fault, 'I didn't step up, I had a bad game,' and you feel bad for a guy like that.
"You like guys trying to take some ownership, but I don't want them putting it all on them," he added. "We all had a part in this."
Having a significant number of contributing seniors on Western's basketball team made Oakland coach Greg Kampe very uneasy heading into Sunday's contest.
"I was very, very concerned about this game because we don't have seniors, and they do," Kampe said. "I think that any time you go into a tournament and you've got seniors who are playing, that's it for them."
The 'Necks were led by redshirt freshman guard James Washington and junior forward David DuBois, who scored 20 and 18 points, respectively. While those two players saw great individual performances, their hearts also went out to the departing seniors.
"We weren't overexcited or anything," Washington said. "We just wanted our seniors to go out the best way possible, and we were unsuccessful tonight."
Thomas added this team was a "very tight-knit group," which makes this year's first-round loss that much more difficult to move past. "They didn't want (the seniors) to go out, but there wasn't much for me to say except for great effort, we dug ourselves a hole, but I was proud of how you fought," Thomas said.
The Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament has been in the John Q. Hammons Arena in Tulsa, Okla., for the last four years. Each time, the 'Necks were ousted in the first round.
Of Western Illinois' four seniors, Jackson was the only player who was a part of each of those four opening-round losses. He was held to five points in 29 minutes of work Sunday night.
There will be a new postseason venue beginning next season when the Summit Tournament moves to Sioux Falls, S.D.
David Jackson, Chris Gonzalez, Jerryck Owens-Murrey and Louis Johnson let the emotions flow when the final buzzer of their collegiate careers sounded. Jackson saw his Leatherneck finale end prematurely when he fouled out with 56 seconds left in the game. Johnson was the last of the Western players to leave the court, as he appeared to be savoring his final moments involved with college basketball.
For coach Derek Thomas, the pouring of his seniors' emotions made Sunday night's post game trip to the locker room very difficult.
"It was one of the hardest locker rooms to go in and say something because you had certain guys blaming themselves for us losing," Thomas said. "I know David Jackson's in there saying it's his fault, 'I didn't step up, I had a bad game,' and you feel bad for a guy like that.
"You like guys trying to take some ownership, but I don't want them putting it all on them," he added. "We all had a part in this."
Having a significant number of contributing seniors on Western's basketball team made Oakland coach Greg Kampe very uneasy heading into Sunday's contest.
"I was very, very concerned about this game because we don't have seniors, and they do," Kampe said. "I think that any time you go into a tournament and you've got seniors who are playing, that's it for them."
The 'Necks were led by redshirt freshman guard James Washington and junior forward David DuBois, who scored 20 and 18 points, respectively. While those two players saw great individual performances, their hearts also went out to the departing seniors.
"We weren't overexcited or anything," Washington said. "We just wanted our seniors to go out the best way possible, and we were unsuccessful tonight."
Thomas added this team was a "very tight-knit group," which makes this year's first-round loss that much more difficult to move past. "They didn't want (the seniors) to go out, but there wasn't much for me to say except for great effort, we dug ourselves a hole, but I was proud of how you fought," Thomas said.
The Summit League Men's Basketball Tournament has been in the John Q. Hammons Arena in Tulsa, Okla., for the last four years. Each time, the 'Necks were ousted in the first round.
Of Western Illinois' four seniors, Jackson was the only player who was a part of each of those four opening-round losses. He was held to five points in 29 minutes of work Sunday night.
There will be a new postseason venue beginning next season when the Summit Tournament moves to Sioux Falls, S.D.
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