Bucknell thrilled with site, if not foe

By J-W Staff Report     Mar 15, 2005

Bucknell University’s basketball players, who knew they would receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Patriot League postseason-tournament title game Saturday, jumped for joy while watching the NCAA Tournament selection show Sunday.

The No. 14-seeded Bison (22-9) weren’t necessarily thrilled about being matched against powerhouse No. 3 seed Kansas (23-6) in the first round. They were ecstatic about the location of the game — Oklahoma City — a 1,313-mile trip from Bucknell’s campus in Lewisburg, Pa.

“We really didn’t want to go back to Worcester,” Bucknell coach Pat Flannery told the Sunbury Daily Item.

That’s because the Bison, in search of some big-dance excitement, had just returned from Worcester, Mass., site of Saturday’s 61-57 Patriot League title win over Holy Cross.

Worcester, home of Holy Cross, is 342 miles from Lewisburg.

“I also didn’t want to play Villanova,” Flannery said, “because of coach Wright.”

Bucknell grad Jay Wright’s Wildcats are a No. 5 seed in the same Syracuse Regional, but can’t meet the Bison until the Elite Eight.

The Bison will leave Pennsylvania on Wednesday night in plenty of time for Thursday’s 8:10 p.m. practice at Ford Center in OKC.

“We’re going to enjoy every second,” Flannery said. “This is a great group to be going with. We’re going to take our camcorders and talk to every reporter. But, come Friday, we’ll be ready to play.”

Two Bison are especially thrilled they are headed to OKC.

Assistant coach Bryan Goodman hails from Choctaw, Okla., while sophomore guard John Clark is a Tulsa native.

“Everyone I’ve known in my whole life growing up lives within 90 miles of Oklahoma City,” Clark told the Daily Item.

His playing time has been limited lately because of foot problems that likely will lead to offseason surgery.

“My parents never get to see me play,” Clark added, noting his dad has attended two games this season, his mom just one.

Goodman hasn’t been home to see his father, who lives eight miles east of Oklahoma City, since his dad’s 70th birthday party last July.

“It would have been a dream of mine to play Oklahoma,” Goodman said. “But it’s going to be nice to play where so many of my family and friends are.”

Of course, Kansas University also has some players with Oklahoma ties — J.R. Giddens (Oklahoma City), Darnell Jackson (Midwest City) and red shirt Jeremy Case (McAlester).

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