Hope

Hope – Waking up with optimism that today will be better than yesterday. First, I should start off by introducing myself. I am a soon-to-be graduate of college, a former D3 athlete, and an avid college basketball fan. In less than 90 days, I will be living in Columbus, starting a job that, admittedly, I am more anxious about than excited for. But F*** it, we ball.

I have watched many college basketball games this year. I am a loyal Ohio State basketball fan, a MAC supporter, and my brother exposed me to the CAA this year (go Seawolves). Cooper Flagg has taken college basketball by storm, Tom Izzo is him, and Alabama can’t play defense. Opponents are averaging 80 points against them, which ranks them 346 out of 364, but that’s a story for another time.

I’m sure by the third paragraph, you are wondering why the title is called "Hope" and where I’m going with this. Well, without further ado, let me introduce you to the UC San Diego King Tritons in the Big West Conference. They are currently on the verge of winning the league and heading to the dance. That sounds cool, right? 68 other teams make it, so what? Well, 25 years ago, this school was transitioning to D2. In their first year, they had no athletic scholarships to give out — what an insane challenge! They then transitioned to D1 in 2020, and, with the world’s condition, that was a tough challenge as well. This is an insane journey for a program over the last 25 years.

Now that we know about the Tritons, let me tell you why I think they should be attached to the definition of "hope." They are a great example of constant self-improvement. This program did the unthinkable: they jumped up 2 divisions in 25 years! I say this as a retired D3 athlete. The level of competition across the divisions is extremely different. Some programs haven’t even been in the tournament for several decades or at all. The Tritons did it in five seasons. So when someone tells you that you aren’t good enough, maybe you're not — not yet, at least. Focus on yourself and the grind, and one day you just might be!

I had ChatGPT pull some numbers so you can get a better grasp on how hard it is to make it to the Gala. 

Never Made the NCAA Tournament:

1. St. Francis College (Brooklyn)

   • Basketball Began: 1896
   • NCAA Tournament Appearances: Never made it.

2. Army (United States Military Academy)

   • Basketball Began: 1890
   • NCAA Tournament Appearances: Never made it.

3. The Citadel (The Military College of South Carolina)

   • Basketball Began: 1900
   • NCAA Tournament Appearances: Never made it.

4. William & Mary

   • Basketball Began: 1905
   • NCAA Tournament Appearances: Never made it.

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Longest NCAA Tournament Droughts:

1. Dartmouth College

   • Basketball Began: 1906
   • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1959
   • Drought Duration: 66 years.

2. Rice University

   • Basketball Began: 1912
   • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1970
   • Drought Duration: 55 years.

3. Seattle University

   • Basketball Began: 1946
   • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1969
   • Drought Duration: 56 years.

4. VMI (Virginia Military Institute)

   • Basketball Began: 1900
   • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1977
   • Drought Duration: 48 years.