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© St. Petersburg Times, published March 20, 2003
TAMPA -- Former Hampton coach Steve Merfeld doesn't recall much about the ride of his life.
"I remember the buzzer going off and I remember David Johnson, who had me in his arms, saying, 'I got you coach. I got you coach,' " Merfeld said of the frenetic moments after his No. 15-seeded Pirates upset No. 2 Iowa State 58-57 in the opening round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
But college basketball fans vividly remember the image of Merfeld and players celebrating their one shining moment. It epitomizes what makes the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament so special.
The seemingly improbable can and often does become reality.
"It certainly creates a lot of excitement," ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said. "The unpredictability. The unbelievable situation of a school without the mega name, the school that doesn't have the visibility nationwide on TV, comes out and plays the big guys with a David-and-Goliath mentality and it's great to see. We've seen it over the years. You can name so many teams that have gone on and shocked people."
So brace yourself, Tampa Bay.
The NCAA Tournament comes to the St. Pete Times Forum on Friday and Sunday.
Is there a Hampton, a Coppin State, a Richmond in the crowd?
Is there an unknown player we'll fall in love with for a weekend?
Chances are good. Enjoy the ride.