With triple zeroes on the clock above the basket, Keller Boothby’s 35-footer hung in the air. And through 40 full minutes of play, the narrative was incomplete.
Through most of the afternoon, William & Mary had repeatedly shot itself in the foot. As double-digit favorites in both the computers and the betting markets, the Tribe played to a dead heat with North Carolina A&T thanks to 16 turnovers alongside an inconsistent shooting performance. The Aggies certainly did their part, with big-time shot-making by Landon Glasper and Ryan Forrest, but — save for something special — the Tribe was going to overtime with the team alone in last place in the CAA.
But as Boothby’s high-arcing three-pointer from the logo hit the bullseye, the mood in Kaplan Arena shifted to one of exhilaration and jubilation. In a perfect world, a buzzer beater would not have been necessary to beat a team that entered the contest ranked 319th in the country at KenPom. But the play crystallized something that’s clear through 17 games of the Brian Earl era in Williamsburg: the joy is back for William & Mary men’s basketball.
It feels like I’ve heard the phrase “since 2019-20” a ton in the last few days, after a Thursday night victory over Elon on national TV and Saturday’s 81-78 nailbiter over A&T: the first 4-0 conference start since 2019-20, W&M’s highest rank at KenPom since 2019-20, and on we go. It’s also the most fun I’ve had watching Tribe basketball since 2019-20. That Nathan Knight-led team had a special energy, and this team seems similar.
Of course, it’s easy to build that when you win. Some people believe culture begets winning; I find it to be more of a chicken-and-the-egg proposition. But it’s still incredibly fun to see a team that buys into its unique style and enjoys playing together.
I don’t want to have any delusions of grandeur for what this team is. They’re all alone in first place in the conference, as Charleston lost to Monmouth this afternoon, but I think it’s fair to say the Cougars are still the class of the league along with UNCW. W&M probably belongs in that second tier, alongside teams like Elon, Hofstra, Towson and Drexel. Today may have been a perfect trap-game scenario, but the Tribe still almost lost a contest to the team many believe to be the worst in the league, and at home. There are still areas to shore up (rebounding, for one, as well as avoiding long scoring droughts) and the style of play allows for crazy swings in momentum in a short period of time.
But dammit, it’s fun to be a W&M fan for the first time in a long time. And now’s a good time to hop back on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride.
Great write up! I agree 100%!