New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Hawks, Gallagher ‘grateful’ following NCAA loss
Fifteen minutes before the game, 15 minutes and 16 seconds before the wonderful magic began to wear off, coach John Gallagher walked out of the tunnel at Lucas Oil Stadium and walked toward the small sea of red.
He pointed to the Hartford fans.
“One of my close friends is Steve Levy from ESPN,” Gallagher said. “I coach his kids in baseball. He texted me, ‘I want you to walk out 15 minutes before and just breathe and see what you did for the community and the program.”
He took Levy’s advice.
“It was amazing to see the 300-and-change people in Hartford red, and we were louder than Baylor even though we didn’t win the game,” Gallagher said after the No. 16 Hawks fell to top-seed Baylor, 79-55. “I just wanted to embrace the moment and not let it slip away.”
Dreams end hard in March. They also can end quickly. Moments embraced? They can never be taken away.
“The word,” Gallagher said,
“is grateful.”
Who would have guessed D.J. Mitchell, a valuable piece to Hartford’s first trip to the NCAA tournament in program history would go up for a 3-point shot 16 seconds in, only to land on Mark Vital’s foot and roll his ankle bad enough he could not return?
“It affected us a lot to have our best shooter out,” said Austin Williams, who led the Hawks with 19 points. “It hurt to see him not be able to play, but we were still determined to try to win. There’s going to be many obstacles, you’ve just got to persevere. We definitely have to get back here for him.”
Moses Flowers, who Gallagher called his best player, was in
jured in late December and was lost with hip surgery. The Hawks still found a way. It was just too much to ask on this March Friday against a terrific team.
“D.J. Mitchell is a joy to coach, he’s a details guy, all the little things,” Gallagher said. “Obviously, we missed him. If you’re going to upset somebody, you can’t have any injuries. Everything happens for a reason. Feast of St. Joseph, it wasn’t our day.”
The Hawks scrapped, scrapped hard. They led 10-6 after six minutes, and even after Baylor began to heat up, Miroslav Stafl and Traci Carter hit 3s to keep Hartford within four, 2420, with 4:03 left in the first half.
The slower the pace, the uglier it got and the better for the Hawks. Yet the more profound ugly — the dream-killing kind — hit hard and quickly because of the speed, talent and defense of the Baylor guards. Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, Davion Mitchell, Adam Flagler, they just kept coming.
Hartford had 13 turnovers in the first half and 24 in the game and those are devastating numbers against a No. 1 seed. Coach Scott Drew, who sounded more excited about exBaylor assistant Paul Mills’ stunning victory with No. 15 Oral Roberts over No. 2 Ohio State than his own win, said good things happened when nerves settled. A few transition baskets, the Bears relaxed, and the 3-ball started falling.
“They’re a national champion contender for a reason,” Gallagher said. “I watched 11 games of them. They present problems in a lot of areas. They’re probably one of the best two teams in the country, them or Gonzaga.”
Said Williams, “They just keep going and going.”
The Hawks didn’t score until three minutes into the second half. Three minutes later, a personal and technical to foul out Vital, allowed Hartford to cut a 22-point deficit to 13. Hope quickly diminished. The truth is there was too much Teague (22 points). Too much Butler (13). Too much Mitchell and Flagler (12 each).
The truth also is Connecticut and a bunch of folks outside Connecticut couldn’t get enough of Gallagher this past week. As Tom Cruise said in the movie, “Far and Away,” he’s a corker. From Vin Baker to former school
president Walter Harrison and former athletic director Pat Meiser, Gallagher brought a lot of joy to the West Hartford school. Hugging everyone, including the custodial crew, after the America East title victory over UMass Lowell? Check. Interviews and more interviews? No problem. The guy even wrote a diary of the team’s trip to Indianapolis for the Hartford Courant.
“It’s transformative,” Gallagher said. “You can’t put a price tag on this for our program and our university. I’m blessed and thankful. We didn’t get the result we wanted, but we as a program, a university and a neighborhood represented ourselves in a firstclass manner. I’m proud of the players.”
He said a large contingent of Hartford firefighters reached out to him the last few days. So did Jeff Flaks, CEO of Hartford HealthCare, mayor Luke Bronin and the governor.
“I really believe this week was a four-year culmination,” Gallagher said. “I don’t think the program is going to look back. I think we’re going to continue to win, continue to recruit at a high level and now I think we’re going to get huge turnouts with fans. I think we have a huge opportunity for branding with The Neighborhood. It’s real. You can feel it.”
If someone doesn’t get a Yale-Hartford game for next season — some serious New Haven vs. Hartford stuff — and promote the heck out of it, they’re foolish.
In the meantime, the Hawks weren’t about to complain about the NCAA, the lodging or amenities, a popular hobby among many this week. No way.
“I’m so grateful,” Williams said. “The hotel was nice, the food was great, too. I just loved being here with my brothers. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a kid.”
“Dan Gavitt and the NCAA have absolutely done the best job,” he said. “Whatever Dan is making, he’s underpaid. This was as well-run, 68 teams, 67 games, the hotels, the infrastructure, Dan and his staff deserve so much credit.”
It was said the other day they’re going to make a movie about Gallagher someday, maybe call it, “I Kissed The Blarney Stone.” In a conversation with Jim Calhoun, the Hall of Fame coach said, “John Gallagher is the guy you meet in an Irish bar.” After a
Hartford victory, Gonzaga coach Mark Few is known to text Gallagher, “Whalers win!” To paraphrase another Irishman from the Whalers’ days, Brian Burke, “Johnny Gal can talk a dog off a meat wagon.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Gallagher said. “We’ll be back next year. We lose one guy. Traci Carter. It’s an exciting time for the future of the program.”
“We got a taste, we’re blood thirsty now,” Williams said.
Gallagher said his wife and kids, his parents, his three sisters, 25 of his 50 cousins came to the game. In all, he used 120 tickets. Williams, a transfer from Marist, was thrilled his parents could see him play for the first time in a Hawks uniform.
“I was surprised to see so many people,” Williams said. “It was like the Red Sea. I was happy. We’ve haven’t had fans all year.”
There was a great moment last Saturday when John Gallagher grabbed Carter and wouldn’t let go.
“I love you … we did it.” They kept saying.
Carter’s younger brother Semaj was killed last summer in Philadelphia. Two of his nephews also were shot. Growing up, his mom’s life was riddled with drugs. Gallagher, from nearby Delaware County, and Carter had developed a strong bond over the two years since he transferred. Carter started a camp for underprivileged city kids in upstate New York. He had played at La Salle and Marquette and now here he was at age 24, a graduate student, again in the arms of Gallagher.
“I love you, man,” Gallagher whispered in his ear. “This is so much fun coaching you.”
“Can you believe it?” Carter said.
“I’m going to miss him,” Gallagher said.
“So many people in the Hartford basketball community have waited for this moment for 36 years. Jack Phelan took us to Division I, he passed away in July. I was on the golf course with (Penn Coach Steve Donahue). I cried. I couldn’t even hit a shot. What does it mean? People who care about Hartford, the community and the program has changed before my eyes. It’s hard to believe this, but I’m speechless.”
That is how to believe.