WICHITA, Kan. — Fourteen years later, the win still resonates. When Andre Barrett sees Seton Hall fans, they want to know about beating Arizona and its four future NBA draft picks.
“I have people still coming up to me and talking about that game, talking about how they were rooting for me then,” the former star point guard said in a phone interview.
Fourteen years later, Seton Hall is still without an NCAA Tournament victory, having lost four straight tournament games entering Thursday afternoon’s Midwest Region game against N.C. State. Back in 2004, in an 8-9 matchup like this year’s Hall team faces, the Pirates were supposed to be one-and-done, facing an Arizona team that featured Channing Frye, Salim Stoudamire, Andre Iguodola and Hassan Adams in Raleigh, N.C.
The day before the game, legendary coach Lute Olsen was asked about Barrett, an All-Big East player, and said he didn’t know much about him. The Wildcats raced out to a 14-point, first-half lead, looking like they would cruise into the second round.
Grant Billmeier, now a Seton Hall assistant coach who played on that team, believed the turning point came late in the first half, when assistant coach John Dunne tore into the Pirates for poor play, that they didn’t come this far to lay an egg. That team finished in a fifth-place tie in the loaded Big East, and beat the likes of ranked opponents Syracuse, Providence and Pittsburgh. At halftime, still down six, Barrett encouraged everyone.
“As soon as we start to come back, they’re going to fall apart,” Barrett said he told his teammates. “Once we catch up in the game, you’re going to see a difference.”
He had watched them all year, and noticed they were a front-running team. But when adversity hit, Arizona would crumble. Sure enough, when
the Pirates went on their run, Barrett saw Wildcat players arguing with each other.
“We’re going to win this game,” he said to an assistant coach then.
Head coach Louis Orr going to a two-point-guard lineup freed up Barrett to score more, and Arizona struggled to stay with the shifty guard. Forward Kelly Whitney dominated the Wildcats in the paint, to the tune of 24 points and 14 rebounds, and iced the game with two clutch free throws in the waning seconds. Cramping up, he needed to be helped off the floor afterwards.
In the victorious locker room, it was bedlam. It was particularly memorable for the seniors who were part of a blockbuster freshman class four years before, and had never reached the tournament.
“I remember sitting there crying,” emotional leader Marcus Toney-El said. “Everybody was just happy. We finally got there and got a win. We were looking forward to playing Duke.”
Duke, the No. 1 seed, blasted Seton Hall, 90-62, two days later. But all anyone remembers is the victory over Arizona.
“That win was like the icing on the cake as far as to top off my career,” said Barrett, who finished with 19 points.
Barrett hopes history repeats itself Thursday. He’s proud of what his team accomplished, and he would like to see the current group get its own March moment. He sees similarities between the two teams, both led by seniors. His team was supposed to be higher than an eighth seed, before losing in heartbreaking fashion in the Big East Tournament, just like the current crop of Pirates.
“I relived the whole situation,” Barrett said. “Hopefully, that means that it’s something good.
“I definitely want to see them win. I know these guys want to have that same feeling for years to come.”
