Notables

By Evans Clinchy
For D3hoops.com

SALEM -- Troy Ruths is no stranger to monster Final Four performances. Last year he piled up 38 points and 15 rebounds here against Virginia Wesleyan and Wooster, leading the Wash U Bears to third place in the 2007 Final Four.

But in the end, numbers are just numbers. It sure feels better to put them up in a winning effort.

“So much better,” Ruths said. “Virginia Wesleyan was a tough loss, and then playing in that consolation game after that was bittersweet. This was so much better. I couldn't think of a better week in my life.”

This time around, Ruths was the hands-down, no-brainer, no-question-about-it Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Ruths' mind-boggling numbers -- 30 points and six rebounds in a semifinal win over Hope, followed by 33 and eight in the Bears' title-clinching victory over defending champion Amherst -- speak for themselves. But after Saturday's win, after the plaques had been handed out and the nets cut down, coach Mark Edwards was more than happy to speak for him too.

“Those were two special days,” Edwards said. “What a way to end your career. What a way to end your career and to go off into the light with one more accomplishment. Now he's got the ultimate accomplishment that any Division III basketball player can have, and that's a national championship.”

“He's been an integral part of this program, and he's going to leave his imprint on this program for many years to come. But there are other people sitting at this table that are going to do the same thing.”

Alongside Ruths at his final postgame news conference were three teammates -- sophomore Aaron Thompson, junior Tyler Nading and senior Danny O'Boyle -- who helped Ruths lead the Bears to their first title.

Thompson let out an unbelievable scoring outburst in the second half against Hope, dropping 15 points in five minutes to dispatch the Dutchmen in the semifinal. Nading was a consistent presence down low all tournament long for the Bears, scoring in double figures in all six games. And O'Boyle made his last collegiate game one to remember, playing 18 minutes off the bench in the title game and scoring eight second-half points to help ice the win.

“Coming into this tournament, I knew that without Sean (Wallis, injured point guard), we were going to need people to step up at critical times,” Ruths said. “And throughout this whole tournament run, we've had a lot of key players step up -- whether it's A.T. or Danny or Tyler, or me.”

“I think in the end, we were just taking what they were giving us. Throughout the regular season, I saw a lot of things. I saw a lot of double teams, some triple teams -- and these last two games, they decided to play me straight up. And that's what I was praying for. I just took advantage of that.”

Ruths played 39 minutes in the title game, including the entire first half. At halftime, he had 17 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. He finished the day 9-for-13 from the floor and 15-for-17 from the line. His 33 points were the second-highest total of his career.

“You've got to tip your hat to a guy like that,” said Amherst's Kevin Hopkins, the opposing big man in the title game. “He worked hard, he got good position, and he finished some great shots. I can't say enough about the kid. He played a great game.”

For Ruths, it was an incredible week. Not only did his team bring home the walnut and bronze, but the Bears' captain was awarded both the D3hoops.com Player of the Year award tonight and, in a presentation in Salem on Thursday, the Jostens Trophy. The prestigious honor, awarded to the nation's one player who combines elite basketball ability, academic prowess and community service, was a special one for Ruths. But as he made perfectly clear, the team came first.

“The Jostens is a great honor,” Ruths said. “I'm very proud to have received it. But I feel like this goes above and beyond the Jostens, because we're bringing it home to a program that's never won it, to a coach that's deserved it for a very long time. We deserve that banner. That's what I think.”

What makes this year's run even more impressive is the adversity the team overcame this season. The Bears were without Wallis, their lone representative on last year's All-Tournament team, due to a season-ending leg injury sustained just three games into November. Wallis stayed on in a leadership role; the junior helped guide his backup, sophomore Ross Kelley, into the starting role.

“It's amazing to look back at that team,” Ruths said. “With Sean, we were a great team. And we managed to put it together so that with him coaching and helping Ross out, we had a great point guard to step in. And he led us to the national championship.”

And as it turned out, it was a national championship that Ruths had been eying all along.

“Honestly, my goal was to win it,” Ruths said. “Looking back at how we finished the regular season, I think a lot of people were saying, ‘Oh, you know, Wash U ... They're good, but they're not really clicking.' Well, we managed to click. That's all I can say.”