It’s all over. After six months of Division I NCAA men’s college basketball, the season ended Monday night with the traditional playing of CBS’s ballad ‘One Shining Moment.’

Most Division I teams finished the season in the same manner — with a loss. Sixty-four teams lost their season finales in the NCAA Tournament, another 39 lost in the NIT and most of the remaining 224 either lost in one of their conference tournaments or didn’t even qualify for postseason play.

But losing the final game brings out different reactions. After Texas Tech lost its final regular-season game, coach Bob Knight pledged to return $250,000 of his salary to the university because he didn’t believe he deserved it. The Red Raiders finished their season without an NCAA Tournament bid.

St. Bonaventure completed the season with two consecutive losses — both 2-0 finals — to Massachusetts and Dayton when its players forfeited after receiving sanctions for having an ineligible player. The decision to sit led to the firing of, among others, university President Robert J. Wickenheiser.

Other losses were a bit more conventional. After gaining fame for tearing the pants of his only suit while celebrating an upset victory in the Mid-Continent Conference championship game, IUPUI coach Ron Hunter was brought to tears when the Jaguars were blown out by Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament first round.

‘The guys were awesome,’ Hunter said. ‘I think these young men were the feel-good story of college basketball this year. We heard so much negative news surrounding college basketball this season and along came a school called IUPUI that made everybody feel good.’

After being excluded from the field of 65 last season, Butler won two NCAA games before being defeated by Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. Senior center Joel Cornette neglected to even talk about losing during Butler’s postgame press conference.

‘We were part of something special,’ Cornette said. ‘The special thing wasn’t making it here to the Sweet 16, it was being together. Being with these 13 guys was the best experience of my life. These were 14 brothers, a big family that laughed, cried, enjoyed every minute of it.’

Even after being blown out by Kansas in the Final Four, Marquette point guard Travis Diener showed pride in his team’s accomplishments.

‘We’re extremely disappointed not to be playing Monday night for the chance to win the championship,’ Diener said. ‘But no one can take away that we’re one of the top four teams in the nation. This will live with us forever. But also, making it to the Final Four will live with us forever, too.’

After losing to Syracuse in the Elite Eight, Oklahoma guard Hollis Price was saddened for a different reason than most of his teammates. The loss stripped him of his chance to play for a national championship in his hometown of New Orleans.

‘We came so far and got so close,’ Price said. ‘I was 40 minutes from getting back to the Final Four and going home.’

St. John’s senior guard Marcus Hatten helped his team win the NIT. Though the title makes SJU the ‘best of the rest,’ Hatten was still satisfied after winning his final college game.

‘There’s no better feeling,” Hatten said. ‘Even if it’s not an NCAA championship, it’s an NIT championship. I’m just glad to be a part of history right now.’

Syracuse also won its final game, taking home its first championship trophy. For freshman guard Carmelo Anthony, feelings were simple to describe.

‘Man, this was fun,’ Anthony said. ‘This was just so fun.’

Published on April 9, 2003 at 12:00 pm