TicketsThe group of six seniors who will be honored on Saturday may not have provided the flashy statistics during Cincinnati's rise the past four years, but provided the foundation the NCAA tournament berth was built on.
CINCINNATI - As a transfer from Oklahoma State two years ago, Ibrahima Thomas never experienced the first two full seasons like his fellow seniors.
But, as Thomas listened to Rashad Bishop and Larry Davis carry on Wednesday with the realization they unofficially clinched their first berth in the NCAA tournament, he couldn't help feel like he understood.
"The things they told me they went through their freshman year, I don't think I would have done it," he said. "These guys wake up at five in the morning as freshmen. They would come out in the game, play hard and still lose. That type of stuff will break your heart as a basketball player, as an athlete. It's like showing up to work knowing that you are not going to get paid."
For the past four years Bishop, Davis, Darnell Wilks, Biggie McClain, Eddie Tyree and soon joined by Thomas, fought the good, thankless fight.
Grueling practices. Offseason workouts. Repeated losses. Lack of playing time. Frustrated fan base.
They weren't recruited with the allure of a trophy case full of Big East championships, Hall of Fame coach or daily showcase on Big Monday -- all the prized desires of the nation's top high school players.
"They had to sign on to a vision," Mick Cronin said. "Because when they signed it was a bleak time for Cincinnati basketball. All those guys took a leap of faith and then they had to grind it out."
For this group, the situation fit as nicely as the black and red Adidas jersey on gameday.
These were not blue-chip, can't-miss recruits. They were a class first cultivated when 80 of the top 100 players in the country were already committed, when UC lived at the bottom of the Big East ladder with no guarantees they could reach the first rung to even begin climbing up.
These were the overlooked, the underrated.
In order to withstand the uphill climb, Cronin needed resilient soldiers. That's exactly what he found despite the pickings being slim at the time. As the team increased its win total and postseason status every season, the fight in this class made the difference.
Every player who will stand on the court during pregame ceremonies endured moments where it was unclear if they'd reach Senior Day.
McClain considered a transfer prior to this season, but refused to give and provided a spark while in games and even bigger lift in practices.
Point to the tenacious defense of a guy like Davis who never relented this season, one year after a down season offensively and lack of playing time would have made it easy to walk away.
Look at the maturation of Bishop, who last year was shown the door, pushed into the hallway and asked to make a decision. He didn't just chose to return, he dedicated himself to making sure nobody who allowed his return would regret the decision.
"What I liked about Larry and Rashad, they weren't into bells and whistles," Cronin said. "I knew I would have to have some guys that had the underdog mentality with a chip on their shoulder because we were going to have to go through being underestimated together. Those two kids are big-time fighters."
The steady improvement and versatility of Wilks allowed for some of the most incredible highlights in the Big East all season. Thomas' growth into a strong rebounder and effective finisher around the rim made him indispensable in multiple wins late in the year. Even Tyree earned praise for his relentless attitude every day in practice.
Finding a core group that would come to play every day with a workmanlike attitude sounds like a cliché out of every coach's playbook. But, in the mind of Cronin, such a manta wasn't only a luxury, rather the key.
"The common denominator, to me, the guys that failed in rebuilding (programs) were the guys that panicked and said 'We don't have enough talent' and pulled the plug on certain guys. My belief was we just had to get these guys to the junior and senior class. You are never going to win until you get older guys. Even though some of these guys just play a role for our team, it's an important role. Without them, we'd still be spinning our wheels. They are the backbone of our team."
The backbone grew stronger during the 35-point loss to Connecticut, three straight defeats against Xavier and the heartbreaking string of events that concluded last year's final month.
"We struggled," McClain said. "We struggled bad."
On Saturday against Georgetown, a group that began its journey on the same court against NKU four years ago will celebrate the home conclusion. Yet, because of their perseverance and effort, it will celebrate much more than that. It will celebrate a group of players that grew closer together during the process and built a bond that bludgeoned its way to a season not many outside of the home locker room saw coming.
"They built the program," Cronin said.
This group of seniors perfectly reflects so many pockets of the city it represents. These are the factory workers. These are the guys with lunch pales and overtime stubs. These are the guys who don't quit because the job isn't finished yet.
Even the toughest blue-collar folks aren't beyond showing emotion. McClain jokingly bet on Wilks and Bishop breaking down during Saturday's ceremonies. Thomas pinned McClain as the first one to show tears.
For Thomas, who only joined this crew on the court two years ago, he understands where the emotion will come from. This isn't about mom grasping the arm or ovations from the fans. This will be about this group of guys who worked without thanks or glory for the hopes of earning a common goal; for the hopes of giving a gift to each other.
"Coach, he asked me if it's tough for me to leave," Thomas said. "It's not that, it's the fact I am leaving these guys. I have talked to my mom, for her to come here. She said 'I don't want to be here.'
"I said, 'Why not?'
"She said, 'Because they are your real family. If something happened there, they are the first one there. So, I want you to walk with them.' So I will walk out with these guys because they have done everything for me. That's probably where my break down will come."