SACRAMENTO — The difference between sports film and life is monotony. The banal. The monthly, weekly, daily and minute-by-minute routines, the things you force yourself to do until you no longer linger, the menial tasks you train yourself to accept. A college basketball career is full of it. It’s practically made of them. Shootaround, walkthrough, weightlifting, running, ice box, film study, classes. Ball screen, hurdle, fall, closure. Slide your feet. Make 100 free throws. Do 1000 3s. Repeat.
If you do it right, when it comes time to ask, when it would be easier to let something go, the habits are still there for you. You will know what to do.
Matt Allocco knew what to do. He was perhaps the only one. The arena around him had tilted off its axis; the fans were blowing and pushing; the colors bled. In the corner, Arizona guard Courtney Ramey was on the ground, already crying, comforted by her coach. Princeton coach Mitch Henderson ran halfway to the sideline. The other Wildcats stared at the scoreboard and chewed on their shirts. Princeton players were jumping in uncertain directions. Arizona had missed several shots on its penultimate offensive possession of the game; Princeton got the rebound. The Wildcats foul. The Golden 1 Center screamed.
And then Allocco – the last sane man in a place gone wild – put his hands to his head and screamed. “HUDDLE!” The Princeton players came out of their runaway. Allocco brought them together.
On the eve of a historic upset against second-seeded Arizona, Allocco had the moment to deliver a moving final comment, a final monologue as the ropes soared and the audience wiped away their tears. What did he say?
“Honestly? Just covers,” Allocco said. Who’s guarding who. “If there’s three of us, what’s the cover? If we miss here, what do we do? know?
And There you go. That’s why Princeton won, 59-55.
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(Photo: Kyle Terada/USA Today)
