What do you do after you and your Amherst College Lord Jeffs men?s basketball team just won the Division 3 NCAA national championship?
If you?re Allen Williamson of Saugus, you celebrate a little bit with teammates, family and friends, and then it?s back to school to finish up your senior thesis. There?s no Disney World in his plans, at least not just yet.
It?s been a whirlwind experience for the Saugonian since that April 7 day, when his Lord Jeffs took home the title after beating Mary Hardin-Baylor of Belton, Texas Crusaders going away, 87-70. But Williamson still found time to answer some post-game questions about the championship and everything that went along with it for the Saugus Advertiser this week.
The atmosphere at Atlanta?s Philips Arena appeared to be electric just watching it on TV. As a player, what are your lasting impressions of the championship game on and off the court from the time the team entered the arena all the way to the end?
I was up before 5 a.m. that Sunday [April 7], and was wide awake.
Playing in a national championship game in an NBA arena was such a unique experience for me, so it all kind of felt surreal.
Everything from our entrance into the arena to the actual game itself to the postgame press conferences and interviews was so official. Bright lights and cameras were everywhere. My most savored memory of the afternoon was the way my team showed up, and represented our school and D3 basketball in general.
When did you realize the title was pretty much wrapped up, and what was it like to run out onto the court to celebrate with your teammates?
We hit a 3-pointer to go up by 17, I think, with under two minutes left, so I knew it was a rap then.
It was great, because we knew we were champions before the game was even over, so we celebrated a bit on the bench before running onto the court. But it was really a relief. So many hours and months of dedication had paid off in the ultimate way.
What was your reaction to be chosen the best player of the Final Four?
I wasn?t even sure there was a Final Four MVP award given out, so when I heard my name I was pretty excited. I wanted more than anything to win it all this year, and the award proves to me that I did what I had to do.
What was the rest of the day like for the team? What did you guys do to celebrate?
We celebrated the win from the moment the buzzer sounded until the moment we woke up the next morning.
It was amazing being with teammates, family, alumni and the members of the class who won it all in 2007 during those hours. Monday [the day after the championship] was incredible, because everywhere we went we were champions.
You mentioned previously that the Division 3 championship team has an invite to the Division 1 championship game, and would be introduced as champions at halftime. What are your thoughts about that experience?
That was literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We stood in front of 75,000 basketball fans as the best team in D3, and I was fortunate enough to be holding up the trophy. I?m just glad I didn?t drop it.
Have you heard from any of your Saugus friends and neighbors since the championship, and what did they say to you?
The congratulations have been amazing, and I?ve made a lot of my friends proud.
I know it was a big win for my boys like Dana Buonopane, Mike Silva, Damon Wilson, Nick Bertrand, Dave Ferreira and Jesse Sullivan.
Jaimie Cappucci was a friend of mine in high school too and she hit me up after the game.
When I was looking through the 50-plus texts I had after the game, it was wild to see all the people who had been following [it].
What are your plans now after the championship run, and when do you think you will be coming back to Saugus?
My immediate plans right now are to finish writing my senior thesis, and to finish up my semester strong.
I?ll be back home in mid-May, and I?m going to start training again to get ready to play ball in Europe next year.
Did you spend time with your family after the championship game, and what was that like? Could you talk about what transpired during that moment with the family?
I had an emotional moment with my parents in the stands right after the game. My mom was screaming: ?You did it!?
It?s so pleasing to have made my parents proud after the relentless commitment they?ve made to my basketball career over the years. This is as much of a win for them as it is for me.
Mom and Dad have been with me every step of the way this season, and I?m thankful they have been such positive influences in my life.
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