The science of the transition

UC Riverside completed a two-game season sweep of UC Davis last night, riding out a back-and-forth game to take an 80-76 victory. The Highlanders' year, although there are some serious mitigating factors, has gone almost as poorly as the Aggies'. Riverside beat only one Division I team in its first 18 tries. The Highlanders completed their regular season last night with a 7-22 record, although they are playing much better basketball than they did even when they beat the Aggies the first time back in late January. The reality of Riverside's situation is this: If it can piece together the requisite luck and timing, it could end its season in the NCAA Tournament. If there were ever a reason not to come apart during a tough season, it's that.

This is all to say that there's really no honest comparison for what UCD' senior class has lived through. The four-year Division I transition is basically uncharted territory in the NCAA. And men's basketball may have been the program that has suffered the most. Because there is no sport in the NCAA where the postseason is such an integral part of the entire lore around the sport. March Madness trumps all.

UCD will say good-bye to three program stalwarts on Saturday, Thomas Juillerat, Rommel Marentez and Ari Warmerdam. At a time in their lives when maximum selfishness is expected and often even encouraged, those three players chose to stick things out at UCD, even if the transition wiped out any chances they would have to play in the NCAA Tournament. Aggie coach Gary Stewart said on Tuesday he had a hard time putting into words what those three players have meant to the program over the last four years. But this is what Juillerat said when asked what the program meant to him.

“I have -- along with a couple of other people in the program – probably the biggest vision as to what UC Davis can become. Soon, UC Davis is going to be my alma mater. I want to see the program escalate in level and success in terms of honors.”

So I expect a great deal of emotion Saturday, although the game itself probably will be quite a tough one. Afterward, we'll start looking to what the future holds. Check the paper and this space for details on that.