Feb. 29, 2008

By Bob Socci

For a moment on Wednesday there was a flashback to the late afternoon of March 5, 1998, when a most appropriately-named midshipman leaped onto the press tables of Alumni Hall.

Celebrating as he did, because Navy once again stood atop the Patriot League.

By then, the votes had already been cast in favor of Skip Victor as the Most Valuable Player of the conference tournament. Strangely - considering the 93-85 score - as much for his defense as his offense.

The Midshipman had just survived one postseason to advance to another, having outdistanced Lafayette across the Patriot League finish line to take their place in the then 64-team field of the NCAA Tournament.

From across the floor, as much as Victor and his teammates appeared to be preening as conference champs for the second straight year, it seemed they were also drinking in all that surrounded them.

Whether a player, coach, fan or even a broadcaster it was intoxicating. Alumni Hall - in all its elegance, despite its cushioned comfort - was alive.

What made it so was a raucous crowd - including lacrosse players who raced across the Yard still fully equipped from practice, helmets on, sticks in hand - and the game they were treated to.

So it wasn't The Palestra or Cameron Indoor Stadium, McArthur Court or Hinkle Fieldhouse.

For a single afternoon at least, it was as good as just about any other home to college basketball.

It made for, as proven a decade later, a scene unforgotten.

And, as it's unfortunately turned out, one that's gone unrepeated.

Until Wednesday night, when the current Mids ensured an end to six straight losing seasons with their 83-68 victory over American and breathed in the rarified air of first place.

Once again, Alumni Hall was transformed from a performing arts center to an authentic sports arena - as much by the sounds from the stands as the sights on the floor.

There were two battalions who turned out, joined in the lower bowl by the two pep bands who wailed away in stereo from opposite baselines.

Even if, for perhaps a few, showing up wasn't entirely voluntary, shouting out - as they did throughout the second half - was strictly their doing.

The atmosphere they created was a metaphor for the Midshipmen they cheered.

Four seasons into the tenure of its 36-year-old head coach Billy Lange, Navy now sits on the brink of something entirely unexpected by most and supremely special for those who've made it happen.

Not so long ago, Lange came to Annapolis untested as a head coach at the Division I level and spelled out his plans to revive a struggling program in a rapid-fire, South Jersey dialect.

For the next three and a half seasons, hard as he and his staff worked, the energetic coach in the Hugo Boss seemed more visionary than prophet.

Except for the only people whose opinion really mattered.

In mid-December, those individuals still developing into a team had lost to eight of their first 11 non-conference opponents. Very much resembling the squad picked seventh in the Patriot League's preseason poll.

At that time, only their inner circle could dare to envision the present reality through the fairly recent past.

Such as the night Navy made just 4-of-22 three pointers and was out-rebounded, 51-37, in a home loss to Mount St. Mary's.

As recent as the first round of conference games, second-half leads over Bucknell, Lafayette, Army and Colgate all disappeared in defeat. Three of them at home.

Still, Lange kept coaching and his Mids kept shooting.

Particularly, the trio of Greg Sprink, Chris Harris and Kaleo Kina - three of the four guards who start for Navy and remain undeterred by any distance when it comes to the three-point shot.

Soon enough in a most unpredictable winter they started winning consistently. Six straight victories later, they've yet to stop.

While Sprink has only bolstered his case for the conference Player of the Year award with his recent play as the league's top scorer and second-leading rebounder, Harris may very well be the team's MVP.

Of course, both have been season-long threats from the outside. But in the last month their roles have expanded greatly - as have those of their teammates.

Like Cliff Colbert, who returned from early-season wrist surgery to lend a Midas touch at both ends of the floor. He defends, rebounds, scores (especially at Lafayette and Army).

Adam Teague has found his niche off the bench as much more than a spot-up shooter, complementing his deft touch with grittiness on the glass.

Freshman Romeo Garcia has been unflappable blocking shots, taking charges, keeping rebounds in play and in-bounding the ball. Or - as he showed late on Wednesday - not in-bounding and, instead, wisely opting for a timeout.

For much of the roster, you can point to specific plays at every critical juncture since early February.

There's T.J. Topercer delivering the dagger with a trey at American or standing his ground to draw offensive fouls by Bucknell.

Brian Richards playing his way from junior varsity to varsity and fighting his way through injuries to contribute. Against American, he risked his well being in exchange for three charges drawn.

With them in mind, forget that these are the Mids of a new up-tempo style. After all, they were scoring early and often even when wins were hard to come by.

In essence, their success has been achieved not by reinventing Navy basketball so much as recapturing it.

Not by way of jump shots. But rather loose balls and put-backs.

Driving and sharing. Staying focused and maintaining composure while your opponents lose theirs.

Just like, you guessed it, the Mids' championship predecessors from the '90s.

Naturally, much as fortunes have reversed in recent weeks, they can just as drastically change again.

Winning at Colgate will be anything but easy on Saturday. As will winning three straight games in what figures to be a wide-open Patriot League Tournament.

Long rebounds can carom in the other direction. The whistle can sound more quickly if officials don't take kindly to the type of touchy-feely defense we've seen in ultra physical games of late.

The three-point or foul line can suddenly shift sides - from ally to nemesis.

All of which can happen. It's how March Madness got its name.

But none of which, should it occur, would detract from either Wednesday night or what Lange and the Midshipmen did to get there.

It took them six consecutive wins. For the rest of us, it was 10 years in the making.