For any college coach, one of the toughest parts of the season comes on that final day, when the time comes to say goodbye to the senior class.
After the men's basketball team fell to the Williams Ephs in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs Saturday, that task was a painful one for coach Bob Sheldon, who never expected the end would come so soon.
"I really hadn't thought a lot about what I was going to say to them," Sheldon said. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to say it for a couple more weekends."
For Tufts, this was the first time in three years that the team's season ended with a first-round exit from the NESCAC Tournament. The squad has come a long way since that one-and-done finish in 2004, largely thanks to the efforts of this year's graduating class.
"The one thing I want to say is thank you," Sheldon said. "They came in and won eight games their first year here, but they've set the bar high now. I want to thank them for starting a tradition, and for getting us back on track as a basketball program."
While the Jumbos went 8-17 on the 2003-04 season, Sheldon had five rookies - freshman guards Dave Shepherd and Ross Trethewey, freshman forwards Brian Kumf and Jason Grauer and sophomore forward Brian Fitzgerald - on his bench. All five, including Fitzgerald, now a grad student, are responsible for improving the Jumbos from 8-17 to 23-7, Tufts' historic record last year.
While Trethewey still has one year of eligibility remaining, as he sat out his sophomore season, the other four have finished their careers at Tufts, leaving the seniors with a bittersweet feeling after Saturday's game.
"It's tough," Shepherd said. "I've spent a lot of time with these guys. I live with half the team, and the rest of them, I might as well live with, since I'm with them all the time. This hurts."
Over their four years together, the five senior Jumbos have formed close friendships with one another. While their basketball careers may be over, there's no doubt that they are all still teammates.
"We're all extremely, extremely close," Kumf said. "We're all best friends, and we all hang out every night together. We're all good players on the court, but what's off the court is what's really important. I can't say enough about that."
-by Evans Clinchy
