CHAPTER 49

For the second straight Monday morning Lonnie found himself in the President’s office, along with the AD. The President, always a busy man, had canceled all his important meetings. Everything else could wait.

They reveled in their success and replayed the prior weekend’s games. They talked about the trip to Phoenix, travel plans, tickets, and so on, delightful details they never dreamed they would have the chance to discuss.

Lonnie surprised them when he said, “Look, I really want to get the team out of town and as soon as possible. The distractions are already overwhelming. I’ve stopped answering my phone and can’t even look at my emails. Everybody wants a piece and Sooley is the main attraction. We’ve got to protect the kid. ”

“You want to leave now? ” the President asked, feigning disapproval but knowing damned well where this was headed.

“Today. Forget classes this week. Don’t think for a minute that these kids will be able to study. Hell, they can’t even go to class. We need to go hide somewhere to practice and get away from this craziness. ”

“You have someplace in mind? ” asked the AD.

“Yes. I have a buddy who coaches at Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, about two hours north of Phoenix. I talked to him last night and he’s on board. He’ll arrange hotel rooms under his name and give us his gym for the week. We cannot practice here. It’s impossible. ”

The President offered the standard frown and asked, “And miss an entire week of classes? ”

“Absolutely. It’s imperative. Get the deans on board, talk to their professors, and I’ll make sure they keep up online. They’ll have plenty of time when we’re not in practice. I’ll make it work. ”

All three knew the score. Lonnie’s team had just collected another $2 million for the school’s athletic programs and he would get whatever he wanted.

The President shrugged as he caved.

The AD said, “I assume you’ll want an airplane this time. ”

Lonnie laughed and said, “Well, Sooley asked about taking a bus and I thought the guys might choke him. ”

“I’ll bet they don’t, ” the President said.

Lonnie said, “No. That won’t happen. They are being extremely protective. ”

“Where is he? ”

“In Ida Walker’s basement. She’s standing guard but she’s a bit rattled. Word’s out and there were people knocking on her door last night. ”

The AD said, “Let’s get ’em out of here. ”

The President said, “Agreed. You have the university’s full support, in every way. ”

“Thank you. ”

The AD said, “And you do prefer to fly? ”

“Yes. ”

· · ·

When the team boarded the bus Monday afternoon, not a single player knew where they were going. They had been told what to wear and what to pack, and they watched with amusement as the driver followed the signs to the Raleigh-Durham airport. At the general aviation terminal, they got out and were directed to a private charter waiting on the tarmac. They grew more excited as they took their seats. Mitch Rocker finally asked, loudly, “Say, Coach, where we going? ”

“To Disney World, ” Lonnie replied. “Until we get there, I want every one of you to hit the books. ”

Studying was the last thing on their minds.

After takeoff, the cabin’s in-flight navigational system was turned off and all screens went blank. It was obvious, though, that they were headed west. Four hours and two thousand miles later, they began a descent and saw mountains and deserts, rarities in their world, which confirmed the suspicion that they were headed to Arizona. After the plane landed and was taxiing to the terminal, Lonnie addressed the team and laid out the plan for the week. He instructed them to keep their location and practice schedule secret. Nothing on social media.

On Tuesday they practiced early and hard at the Walkup Skydome on the NAU campus, then relaxed and watched an hour’s worth of film of Villanova, their Saturday opponent. The Wildcats were the number one seed in the East. The other two teams were Oregon from the West and Kansas from the Midwest. After lunch, they suffered through a one-hour study hall, then boarded a bus and rode an hour to a national park where a giant meteor had landed 50, 000 years earlier and changed the landscape. Far from home, the players and most of their coaches had never seen such a rugged and beautiful landscape. They took hundreds of photos, but were strictly forbidden from posting anything on social media. At night, after dinner, they hung out in their rooms and watched and listened as the commentators and talking heads went on and on about the Final Four. The Eagles, and their improbable run to Phoenix, were the main topic.

Their stories and angles varied little. The other school from Durham taking on established programs. The first Historically Black College to make it so far. The showstopping play of Samuel Sooleymon, a freshman freak averaging 41 points a game, a modern tournament record. A one-man team against far superior talent.

Early Wednesday morning, Sooley talked to his mother and listened with great pride as she described watching him play with tens of thousands of other refugees. He was the pride of South Sudan, or at least of his scattered people.

Wednesday and Thursday followed the same routine. Hard work in the mornings, bus rides in the afternoon. The highlight was a trip to the Grand Canyon.

On Friday, the team rode the bus two hours into Glendale, to the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the NFL Cardinals. Their coaches had shown them photos of the space-age stadium, indoors and out, and had tried to brace them for the shock of seeing a tiny basketball court in the middle of such a vast venue. But the shock wore off as they went through a light shootaround. Cameras were everywhere and the players thoroughly enjoyed the attention. Afterward, a crew from CBS interviewed the players, with most of the attention directed at Sooley.

Lonnie had been criticized for hiding his team but he didn’t care. Once in the glare, they opened up and said all the right things. With his ever-present smile and good nature, Sooley became the darling of the press.

Back at the hotel they watched a movie until eleven, then all lights were out. At ten Saturday morning, they enjoyed a catered brunch in a large conference room while Coach Britt reviewed the game plan and matchups. At noon, they boarded the bus for the return to Glendale. At 2: 30 they ambled onto the court and began stretching and warming up. The Villanova players were at the other end, doing the same, and some of the players eventually met in the center and said hello. Coach Jay Wright walked over and introduced himself. The mood was light, even festive, and the Wildcats were an amiable group.

Sooley chatted with Coach Wright, who introduced him to Darrell Whitley, their All-American forward. With a smile Whitley said, “I got you man. ”

Sooley replied, “And I got you. ” It was a dream matchup the pundits had been discussing for a week. Whitley was a junior averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds and was expected to go high in the draft. The Central coaches had watched hours of film and were of the opinion that he occasionally relaxed a bit on defense. Not surprisingly, they planned to go to Sooley.

Back in the locker room, the team changed into its maroon road uniforms and tried to relax. Most of the players wore headphones or earbuds and listened to music.

Sooley checked his phone and was delighted to see a text that read: “Best of luck, Samuel. I am very proud of you. Leave it all out there on the court. ” It was his third text in two weeks from Niollo. He replied with a quick thanks.

When it was time to play, Lonnie huddled his team around him and told them how much he loved them. Win or lose, they had come together and made history. They were the pride of their school, their families, their state, and all those black colleges and universities that had always struggled to get this far. For the rest of their lives they would not forget what happened out there in the next two hours. The world was watching. Go have some fun.

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