The Wagner players and their supporters erupted Sunday when the fourth bracket finally was announced and they learned their destination for the Staten Island school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in more than two decades.
The Seahawks, the surprise champions of the Northeast Conference, will need to win a play-in game against Howard for the No. 16 seed in the West Region on Tuesday in Dayton for the right to face No. 1 North Carolina in the Round of 64.
“Amazing; This is everything I hoped it would be for my players,” second-year coach Donald Copeland said Sunday at Spiro Sports Center, the Seahawks’ home arena. “I’ve been through it as a player, as a coach, but to see them react that way, you can’t put a price on it. We knew it was coming, but when you actually see your name up there and hear it called, you can’t beat it.”
With St. John’s and Seton Hall — Copeland’s alma mater — among several bubble teams left out due to some unexpected conference tournament results across the country, Wagner and St. Peter’s — helmed by former Wagner coach Bashir Mason — are the only teams representing the metropolitan area in the Big Dance.
“It feels good, and we’re excited to put it on for our city and our school and our community,” said junior guard Tahron Allen, a product of Brooklyn Collegiate High School who transferred in this year from Monmouth. “I’ve been dreaming of this my whole life since I was a kid.
“We’re overcome a lot of adversity this year, but we’re definitely having fun with it, and you never know what can happen.”
Only two No. 16 seeds ever have knocked off a No. 1, but both have occurred in the past six years — UMBC ousted Virginia in 2018 and Fairleigh Dickinson shocked Purdue last year.
But first things first, Wagner knows it must take care of Howard, winners of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tourney.
“We don’t know much about them, but we will,” Copeland said. “It’s their second time going in back-to-back years, so you know it’s going to be another tough one against a team with a championship pedigree.”
Wagner, which has an enrollment of around 2,000 students, had just seven healthy players while punching its ticket in the NEC title game against Merrimack last Tuesday.
The Seahawks (16-15 overall) finished sixth in the NEC regular season with a 7-9 record before also winning road games against Sacred Heart and top-seeded Central Connecticut State in the conference tournament.
“We only have seven, and we’ll only have seven,” Copeland said. “It hasn’t been ideal, but we’ve been dealing with it for a while and we’re going with what we’ve got.”
And they’re fully enjoying only the second time in school history Wagner has reached the Big Dance, and the first since falling to Pittsburgh as a No.15 seed in 2003.
“Words can’t describe it right now. We’re still shocked, but proud that we did this with seven players,” said leading scorer Melvin Council Jr., a junior guard from Rochester who previously played at JUCO Monroe College in New Rochelle. “Coach preaches toughness every day and no excuse, and we’ve been taking in everything he says. I know we’ll be ready. He always has us ready.”
Meet Wagner
Location: Staten Island
Enrollment: 1,800 undergraduates (2,200 total)
Coach: Donald Copeland (2nd season)
Last NCAA appearance: 2003
NCAA Tournament history: One appearance, 0-1
How they got here: Wagner was an afterthought entering the NEC Tournament, the sixth seed with just seven healthy players. It had lost four of its last five games. Then, magically, the Seahawks pulled off three consecutive upsets on the road to reach the Dance for the second time in program history.
Starters
G Melvin Council Jr. (14.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 spg)
G Javier Ezquerra (7.1 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.9 rpg)
G Julian Brown (9.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.7 apg)
G/F Tahron Allen (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.0 apg)
F Keyontae Lewis (6.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.5 apg)
Key Reserves
F Tyje Kelton (6.0 ppg, 4.0 pg, 0.6 spg)
F Seck Zongo (3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.6 apg)
Player to watch: Junior college transfer Melvin Council Jr. does it all for Wagner, its leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker. At 6-foot-4, he has good size for a guard and can score at all three levels.
Key Numbers
21 – Years since Wagner last reached the NCAA Tournament.
290 – Wagner’s NET ranking, the lowest of any team in the tournament.
32.2 – Wagner’s 3-point percentage, which ranks 271st nationally.
7 – Healthy players after a rash of injuries devastated the roster, especially early in the season.