Seattle’s ‘other’ Division 1 men’s basketball team has lofty goals

Would it not shock you to know that the final males’s basketball group from Seattle to make it to the NCAA Remaining 4 wasn’t the College of Washington?

In 1958, the Seattle College Chieftains (now referred to as the Redhawks) made it to the nationwide championship sport led by Elgin Baylor who would go on to be an NBA legend with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Huskies final made it in 1953.

Do you know that the Huskies aren’t the one Division 1 males’s basketball squad in Seattle? SU shares that honor. It regained Division 1 standing in 1980 after a protracted hiatus.

As we shut in on March Insanity, UW is 15-13 general. SU is 18-10 and has misplaced two in a row. The Hawks play within the Western Athletic Convention and wrap up their season on March 3. On March 6, the group heads to the WAC Match in Las Vegas.

Cameron Tyson, an SU guard, is a neighborhood man and was the all-time main scorer at Bothell Excessive. He’s now one of many stars at SU.

“I really feel just like the final couple years, we’ve been giving the College of Washington, every thing they will deal with,” Tyson stated. “We perceive you guys have been the extra talked about faculty, however we play good basketball over right here, too.”

The Huskies have dominated the collection 15-0, however the Hawks have given them a run the previous couple of years.

Washington state namesake’s difficult historical past of slavery

The WAC isn’t residence to groups like UW, Washington State, and Oregon. As an alternative, the convention consists of lesser-known names like Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, and Utah Valley. You’d be forgiven in case you didn’t know the Hawks misplaced to the Wolverines earlier than a couple of hundred followers final Saturday 58-67.

Make no mistake, this SU squad is loaded with pleasure with stars like Tyson, and guard-forward Riley Grigsby. They’re led by Coach Chris Victor.

Seattle College head coach Chris Victor. (Picture by Invoice Kaczaraba)

“Not solely is that this the proper degree for us, however we’re competing at a better degree yearly and getting higher yearly and enhancing,” stated Victor. “And we’re enthusiastic about the place this program goes.”

The Hawks gained a WAC common season championship final 12 months and made it to the finals of the WAC Match. The winner will get an automated bid to the NCAAs.

Though many observers really feel the Hawks aren’t as sturdy this season, they nonetheless consider they will win.

“We bought some massive video games arising. So we’ll care for enterprise,” Grigsby stated. “I believe we’ve positively a very good probability of profitable.”

SU performs most of its residence video games at Local weather Pledge Space with a smattering of different residence video games on campus on the Redhawks Heart. The upside to Local weather Pledge is it’s a first-class facility that homes the Seattle Storm and hopes to be residence to the reincarnated Sonics. The draw back is that it’s typically empty.

“Enjoying Local weather Pledge is de facto cool. You’re taking part in in an NBA area,” Grigsby defined. “Clearly, we don’t get that many followers there. We don’t replenish the entire area. However simply being in like a brilliant gentle like that and being on the courtroom. That setting is de facto cool.”

However, Grigsby stated taking part in on campus has its benefits as effectively.

“It may get packed and it will get loud. And simply being in that little, small setting, it positively seems like residence courtroom benefit,” Grigsby stated.

“We have now the very best of each worlds. We have now a gorgeous area in downtown, among the finest if not the very best within the nation,” Victor defined. “And we even have a gymnasium on campus, an area that may be a smaller venue, however an amazing residence courtroom benefit. It’s a nice expertise with nice power within the constructing.”

Whichever “residence” venue you present as much as, coach guarantees an thrilling model of basketball.

“We play an aggressive model of protection, which comes first to us. You already know, our protection for us form of units up the remaining,” he stated. “Offensively we play aggressive as effectively. We wish to play quick. Play a pro-style offense with nice area and nice freedom. Our guys shoot loads of threes. It’s a enjoyable sort of basketball.”

Tyson stated, “It simply seems like a tradition right here now. Like there’s one thing that we pleasure ourselves in. And that’s protection and toughness, and one thing to emphasise day by day. I really feel like with that tradition you possibly can’t actually go incorrect.”

It could be some time earlier than we see Gonzaga-sized crowds at Local weather Pledge, however you’re seeing a group that’s establishing itself for the long term.