Unquestioned leader of band
WORCESTER -- Sometime this morning, the buses will load in Scranton, Pa., and head east on Interstate 84, instead of north on I-81 toward Syracuse. It is a game-day ritual for the following known as McNamara's Band. They still talk of the time last month that 50 buses took fans to see Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara come up with his latest bit of magic in a game against Notre Dame.
Two years ago, McNamara did it well enough for Syracuse to win the national championship. Tonight at the DCU Center, McNamara will again play the role of leader of the band as the fourth-seeded Orange play an NCAA Austin Regional first-round game against No. 13-seeded Vermont.
The Orange's fate may very well be determined by forward Josh Pace's and Big East Player of the Year Hakim Warrick's ability to make things happen. But count on McNamara to start the proceedings. And somehow it is fitting that the kid from the blue-collar city of Scranton is beginning his latest NCAA journey in a blue-collar city such as Worcester.
At first, the bus thing was no big deal. Just some fans wanting to see the kid who was the seventh-leading scholastic scorer in Pennsylvania history (2,917 points at Scranton's Bishop Hannan High School) blossom. But the more McNamara played -- he has started 99 games in three years at Syracuse -- his reputation as a player of the people increased. Not only in Scranton, where there is such a loyal McNamara following that the Syracuse Post-Standard puts a newspaper box outside of Bishop Hannan High during the college basketball season, but in Syracuse as well.
Tonight, Syracuse will try to advance at the expense of Vermont, in what could very well be the last game for coach Tom Brennan, guard T.J. Sorrentine, and center Taylor Coppenrath. The journey the Orange are starting is reminiscent of the 2003 tournament, when they started as a No. 3 seed in Boston, marched to Albany, and then onto New Orleans, where they won their first national championship.
This week, they are also starting in Massachusetts, but will have to go to Austin before they can reach the Final Four in St. Louis. That is predicated on beating Vermont tonight, of course, beating the winner of today's first-round game between Old Dominion and Michigan State, and having an all-star performance from McNamara.
McNamara said he is ready for whatever comes his way.
"We were terrible in a loss to UConn [88-70] and then we kicked it up a notch in the Big East tournament [won by Syracuse]," said McNamara after the Orange's public practice yesterday. "We have to kick it up a notch again."
McNamara says having the fan base from Scranton has been gratifying, "and it's been humbling to have all those people come out and show so much support."
And McNamara receives plenty of support from within, as well.
"I don't worry about Gerry," said coach Jim Boeheim. "I don't even think about him. I know he's going to be there for us when we need him."
Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins has compared McNamara to Roy Hobbs, the fictional hero in "The Natural" and to Forrest Gump.
Whatever he has tried has worked, and at the most opportune times.
McNamara has done that throughout his career at Syracuse, especially from 3-point range. He is the all-time Syracuse leader in 3-point field goals for a season and a career, and he is the all-time season and career leader in free throw percentage,
"This is what it's all about," said McNamara. "This is the best time of the year. I'm looking forward to it. Just being part of it is fun."
And joining in the fun will be busloads of people from Scranton -- as many as could get tickets -- including his parents, Gerry and Joy, who have never missed one game of McNamara's career at Syracuse.
