Former players cheer on their team
Brad Gerick
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: NEC Champions
Landy Thompson (class of 2006) was not able to see the NEC Championship game in person, but he says if the Mount plays a first-round game at the Raleigh, N.C. site he plans to make the trip.
Nick Whitney (class of 2007) was able to drive down from his home state of New Hampshire and take part in the post-game celebration with his former team.
"I realized we were going to win when I was driving down to the game," Whitney said in a phone interview Saturday. "When the buzzer sounded, it was the greatest feeling to see everybody all excited."
Thompson, who along with Whitney was a four-year letter winner with the men's basketball team, watched the game from his home in Maryland with Jason Epps and Koki Adasi, who also used to play for the Mount.
"Midway through the first half I was like, 'man we got this,'" Thompson said, also in a phone interview Saturday. "We basically all we're jumping up and down, we're just proud of the guys."
The Mount was 7-20 in the 2004-05 season and missed the NEC Tournament for the fourth time in five years before its recent stretch of three straight appearances. Thompson was part of former Mount head coach Jim Phelan's final recruiting class, and Whitney was a walk-on in the first class to play four full seasons under head coach Milan Brown.
The team's success can still be traced back to Brown's earliest players, even if Thompson will not admit it.
"I didn't contribute anything really. It's all those guys, they put in all the work." Thompson said. "The win also shows how much Coach Brown's matured as a coach."
I think basically my senior year we showed you had to work hard and it turned over to CVann and them and they showed the new people they have to work hard and everyone just got on the same page."
Whitney agrees that the recent graduates eased the transition for the new team.
"We set the tone for all these young kids as they came in. You know, we were the first ones in Coach Brown's system," Whitney said.
Neither former player has had a chance to tell the players and coaches more than congratulations, but said they will try to talk to them soon. Thompson and Whitney both said they are not jealous of the team's championship, nor do they wish they were still playing.
"I had a pretty good career, it would've been nice to go but I can't complain," Thompson said. "I'm just happy that they finally made it."
Whitney also regrets little about his team's success.
"Obviously I wish we would've made it last year with the team we had, but I'm just so happy for everybody on the team. I mean that's my family and this is just one of the greatest things that could ever happen."
Nick Whitney (class of 2007) was able to drive down from his home state of New Hampshire and take part in the post-game celebration with his former team.
"I realized we were going to win when I was driving down to the game," Whitney said in a phone interview Saturday. "When the buzzer sounded, it was the greatest feeling to see everybody all excited."
Thompson, who along with Whitney was a four-year letter winner with the men's basketball team, watched the game from his home in Maryland with Jason Epps and Koki Adasi, who also used to play for the Mount.
"Midway through the first half I was like, 'man we got this,'" Thompson said, also in a phone interview Saturday. "We basically all we're jumping up and down, we're just proud of the guys."
The Mount was 7-20 in the 2004-05 season and missed the NEC Tournament for the fourth time in five years before its recent stretch of three straight appearances. Thompson was part of former Mount head coach Jim Phelan's final recruiting class, and Whitney was a walk-on in the first class to play four full seasons under head coach Milan Brown.
The team's success can still be traced back to Brown's earliest players, even if Thompson will not admit it.
"I didn't contribute anything really. It's all those guys, they put in all the work." Thompson said. "The win also shows how much Coach Brown's matured as a coach."
I think basically my senior year we showed you had to work hard and it turned over to CVann and them and they showed the new people they have to work hard and everyone just got on the same page."
Whitney agrees that the recent graduates eased the transition for the new team.
"We set the tone for all these young kids as they came in. You know, we were the first ones in Coach Brown's system," Whitney said.
Neither former player has had a chance to tell the players and coaches more than congratulations, but said they will try to talk to them soon. Thompson and Whitney both said they are not jealous of the team's championship, nor do they wish they were still playing.
"I had a pretty good career, it would've been nice to go but I can't complain," Thompson said. "I'm just happy that they finally made it."
Whitney also regrets little about his team's success.
"Obviously I wish we would've made it last year with the team we had, but I'm just so happy for everybody on the team. I mean that's my family and this is just one of the greatest things that could ever happen."
Be the first to comment on this story