Court size wows athletes, coaches
Other than perhaps a video board reference, Arizona State’s presence as host institution at the NCAA Tournament's Final Four will be behind the scenes.
Between game and media operations, there are 150 ASU athletic personnel and volunteers working with them, helping to stage the first Final Four in the West since 1995.
For ASU, though, hosting NCAA postseason basketball is nothing new. This is the 13th time putting on men’s or women’s tournament games up to the regional level.
“This one is completely different,” said Doug Tammaro, ASU assistant athletic director/media relations. “The NCAA does do a lot, but they rely on you a lot. The biggest thing for us that made it a challenge is the building (University of Phoenix Stadium) is so far away not only from (Tempe) campus but where everybody lives.”
Tammaro is the local media coordinator with a volunteer staff of 65 that includes 20 sports information directors from Washington, Colorado, UNLV and Iowa.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for everybody to learn so much,” Tammaro said. “In 1992, I was working in Cincinnati. We made the Final Four. I got to do all this as an intern, and there are still people talking to me about the Final Four that year. For all my volunteers to see all this is pretty cool.”
Others from ASU with support roles include senior associate athletic director Mike Chismar and associate AD J.D. Loudabarger in game operations, associate AD Becky Parke in game presentation and Mark Zimmer in equipment.
Some 65 to 75 people tied to ASU are helping with game operations. “A lot of them have worked college football games and the Super Bowl and have experience,” Loudabarger said.
Dawn Rogers was ASU senior associate AD during the bid process for the Final Four, culminating with the selection announcement in November 2014. Rogers is now executive director/CEO of the local organizing committee.
ASU officials have worked for more than two years on event planning and were observers at the 2016 Final Four in Houston as part of their preparation.
“We walked the house to understand exactly how it was set up,” Chismar said. “Even though we’ve done a number of regionals, this takes it to a whole different level. We’ve had monthly meetings then as we got into the late fall, there might be two or three a week then closer daily. It’s no question a team effort.”
The operations staff began working at University of Phoenix Stadium more than a week before the semifinals. Their work continues through the championship game Monday.
ASU Cronkite School students are involved in covering the event for Cronkite News and other outlets.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Loudabarger said. “Saying you’re involved in Final Four is a big deal.”
The NCAA hasn’t held a men’s Final Four in a traditional basketball arena since 1996. The lure of huge capacities in football stadiums has been irresistible.
This leads every March to that jawdropping moment when players and coaches practice for the first time on the court where they’ll try to win a championship.
“I was wowed. It’s crazy,” South Carolina freshman guard Raykm Felder said.
Added fellow Gamecocks freshman Maik Kotsar: “It’s extraordinary playing in a football stadium. I haven’t experienced anything like it.”
Gonzaga senior center Przemek Karnowski said, “It’s amazing just how big it is. I’ve never had the chance to play in an environment like this.”
Unlike traditional basketball arenas, the football stadium setup requires the court to be raised several feet from floor level. That just adds to the surreal nature of the setting.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s a monster out there,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. “I’m just glad I had a stool. I was afraid I was going to fall off the court out there.”
Although the court has the normal dimensions
South Carolina star Sindarius Thornwell was dealing with an illness two days before the Final Four. He was not at University of Phoenix Stadium due to what coach Frank Martin said was a “little body bug” and did not practice. Martin, who is battling a bug himself, said Thornwell was back at the hotel resting and hydrating.
Thornwell, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, has led South Carolina to its first Final Four, practically carrying the Gamecocks by himself at times. He’s the leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament at 26 points per game and averaging 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals per game.
Oregon's historical motivation
The Oregon contingent to this Final Four brought along a special piece of hardware: The trophy the school won for capturing the first NCAA Tournament in 1939.
Oregon's done this before in the NCAA Tournament, but this is the first time the bronzed memento has made it this far.
“It motivates us so much to have it here and bring it along,” junior forward Dillon Brooks said. “To be the best you can be, you have to remember the history of things, to remember how they got there, how they see it. Knowing the history and knowing that it is here right now is tremendous, and we're creating our own history right now.”
The 1939 team, known as the “Tall Firs” because the squad was taller than most of the competition, finished 29-5.
Did you know: In those days, Oregon's teams were not yet officially called Ducks, but went by Webfoots. Oregon
There is a (March) madness to how fans, students and bands are situated at a Final Four. More like a science, actually.
The fringe benefit for being the higher seeds in the national semifinals is that your support system will be seated near your bench.
For the first game, No. 1-seed Gonzaga's bench will be in front of section 131 or to the right of the official scorer's table (as you'll see it on TV). Gonzaga's block of fan seating will be in the adjacent southeast quadrant of the stadium. The Bulldog Band will be to the left of the team bench in the south end, with students behind them.
In the second game, the other top seed, North Carolina, will have its bench in front of section 128, and Tar Heels fans will be in the northeast quadrant of the bowl. The UNC band will be to the right of the team bench. The Associated Press contributed to this report.