EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University senior guard
Andy Heimbach shared his thoughts on the Warriors' trip through the PSAC and NCAA Tournaments with a series of entries on esuwarriors.com.
ESU finished the season with a 24-6 record, setting a new school record for victories in a season, and made its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Warriors' season came to a close on Saturday night with an 89-79 loss to WV State in the first round at IUP.
Heimbach, a History and Secondary Education major, filed three entries for the PSAC prior to the Final Four at Koehler Fieldhouse. He led ESU with 12.6 points per game this season, ranks 15th in school history with 1,153 career points, and holds school records for three-pointers in a season (76) and career (236).
Sunday, March 14 - Final thoughts on a record-setting season
Well, all good things must come to an end. This was not the way we wanted our season to end, but what a season it was. We accomplished so much more than people expected us to. It's still painful for us right now because our season, and for some of us, our career is over. Our season started in early September and ended in March. It was a long and somewhat difficult journey to accomplish what we did, but it was all worth it. Nobody except for the 13 guys will know the dedication and hard work we put into this season. Long hours of practice, bus rides to away gyms, stressful games, and little rest were just a few things we worked through this year. The 13 players and handful of coaches all worked together every day for one goal, to become a family; we succeeded. This team will be bound together forever. We may not have been the most talented or most highly recruited team, but we worked harder and longer than any team.
It is going to be odd not having practice every night or games anymore. It will be weird not seeing Mr. & Mrs. Pines in the crowd or talking to the DeMarco's after the game or looking up at Mr. Tobin as Mike does one of his crazy reverse layups. I'm going to miss seeing my mom and dad, sister and uncle at all of my games happy to drive as far as they need to, in order to watch us play. I'll miss hearing Q and Bryan along with the rest of the crowd picking on players from the other teams. I think everyone is going to miss the postgame snacks my mom and sister make, especially Eric who seems to always eat the most. I've enjoyed playing with my fellow seniors Rob and Preston; we accomplished a lot in our years here. Rob and I have been together for four years and he is one of the best players I've ever played with, it's been fun having him as a point guard and a friend.
From Judge Ford teaching me how to shoot in CYO all the way up to Coach Wilson showing me how to run a full-court press, basketball has always been a part of my life. I've played for some great coaches, at some great schools, and in some huge games. But the players I've played with is what I will always remember. We are all one big family and I have enjoyed every minute of my long career. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in my basketball life, especially my parents Gail and Dave and my sister Julie.
Friday, March 12 (10:30 PM) - Night before ESU's first round game
We got to finally practice at IUP today and even though it was only for an hour, we had pretty good focus. We are ready to play tomorrow and look forward to playing in our first NCAA Tournament game. After practice we went out to dinner and had a great meal at Applebee's.
No meeting as a team tonight, Coach Wilson just wants us to think about what we need to do to be successful tomorrow. Even though the game is approaching we are still a loose team always playing jokes on one another. I think our free spirit and positive attitude has helped us throughout our season and is something that can benefit us this tournament.
Tomorrow is a pretty big day for us all and we are trying to enjoy this experience because not many people get this chance. Our work is cut out for us since our opponent is high scoring and quick, but we know what we need to do, and I'm confident we are as prepared as we can be.
Thursday, March 11 (9:30 PM) - Arriving in Johnstown, dinner and team bonding
We left ESU this morning and took the long bus ride all the way out to Johnstown where our hotel is. We watched Dumb & Dumber on the way out here and got some good laughs out of the guys. Once we got here we dressed in our practice gear and went to practice at Pitt-Johnstown. Practice was pretty routine except we finished with a game of knock-out between everyone on the team. This was the first time we had done this all year, and it actually took a pretty long time to find the winner, which was me! We left campus, came back to the hotel to take quick showers and then went over to dinner. We had a good meal and myself, Rob, Labick, and Mason threw out some pretty funny jokes aimed at Duane and Terrance. Naturally they had no good comeback.
Tonight Tobin, Labick, and I went in to pool and watched the ACC Tournament on television. Disappointing that UNC lost but they will probably be back in the Final Four next year. Now we are all just laying around watching the Big East Tournament getting ready for our meeting around 10:30 where we will watch film on West Virginia State. It's good to be at the hotel tonight and not have to travel and practice the day before the game. Going to relax the rest of the night and check back in tomorrow night after practice at IUP.
(Note: Andy outlasted Micah Covert in the finals of the Warriors' game of knock-out on Thursday afternoon)
Thursday, March 11 (11:00 AM) - Hitting the road, Postseason Honors for the Warriors
Getting my bag packed for our trip to IUP today and I'm not sure when we are coming back. It's going to be a long trip out there but I'm ready to finally get on the road and get a change of scenery. The last few days we have had practice trying to sure up some things before our departure today. We have had most of our meals together as a team this week and it has just allowed us another opportunity to bond with each other. Everyone is sort of itching to go since it has been almost a week since we have played in a game.
Yesterday after practice coach Wilson informed our team that some team members had been recognized by the PSAC in their annual awards. I was named first-team All-PSAC while Rob Pines was named to the second team.
Terrance King was named Rookie of the Year in the PSAC East and our head coach
Jeff Wilson was named East Coach of the Year. This is a huge accomplishment for us as individuals, but also reflects our great season as a team. We all stepped up throughout the season and preformed at a high level. Our team has accomplished a lot this season and these individual awards are just another thing that will link us all forever.
Tuesday, March 9 - Getting back at it and heading home
We got back to practice yesterday after having the weekend off after our last game. It was a pretty tough and physical practice; we were trying to get our legs back and play against each other a little bit. We did a lot of running and individual drill work and finished the day up with a team lift. Being up at school while the rest of campus is on break is something we have grown used to. We were at school during Thanksgiving break and most of Christmas break as well. It allows our team to grow closer with each other while focusing all of our attention on basketball. It would be nice to be home with our families for spring break, but being in the NCAA Tournament is worth giving up a few days at home.
We will be practicing the rest of the week trying to get ready for our game against West Virginia State. Watching film and studying scouting reports will be very beneficial for us, being that we really don't know much about our opponent. This afternoon we have a media day on campus in order to complete television and newspaper interviews. It is nice to do all of those obligations at one time to get them over with.
Some of us will be taking advantage of the fact we live close enough to campus that we can go home for the night. It will be nice to spend a night at home and do laundry and eat a home cooked meal. Most of us haven't been home since Christmas time so this visit home is long overdue. The visit will be quick because we will come back for practice again on Wednesday, but it will be very enjoyable.
(Note: Heimbach's next entry will be on Thursday before the Warriors' trip to IUP for their first round game vs. West Virginia State)
Monday, March 8 - NCAA Tournament selection reflections
Being selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament is an incredible feeling that only 64 teams have each year. It is really a great feeling to know that we will be continuing on in our season and have the chance for a national championship. This is a great accomplishment that our team has worked towards all year. Making the tournament is not something our university is able to do every year, which makes it even more satisfying. We have a great opportunity to do something special. We have handled ourselves well all season, and are looking forward to representing East Stroudsburg University at the national level.
Last night was nerve racking, knowing that we had a good chance at making the NCAA Tournament, but still not sure if we would hear our names. All the players, coaches, and managers met in the gym to have a team meal and watch the announcement live. When we finally saw our name appear we were ecstatic; we yelled and clapped so loud we couldn't even hear what the announcer said about our team. We were proud of our achievement and let it sink in for a little, then talked about our next opponent. We will get back to practicing today to give ourselves time to work out any problems we have had. Congratulations to Kutztown and IUP who also will be representing the PSAC in the NCAA Tournament.
Saturday, March 6 - Following the PSAC semifinal (IUP 67, ESU 63)
The game last night was a tough one for us. We kept the game close throughout yet we weren't able to get over the hump and take the lead. We were able to enforce our style of play for short spurts but not long enough to have the desired outcome. We didn't play our best game as a team, but we were still able to bring the game down to the wire. IUP took away some of our usual looks and forced us to play different than we are used too.
The atmosphere was great at ESU, we had a packed house and the noise was deafening at numerous points. Our fans were behind us the entire game and it truly felt like a big time playoff game. It is disappointing for our team to have lost last night because winning the PSAC Championship was our goal from day 1. We had worked hard all year to put ourselves in that position, but we just came up a bit short. Playing in the semifinals was a great experience and I'm proud to have been a part of it.
If our team is selected to play in the NCAA tournament it would be a great accomplishment. At the beginning of the season our goal was the PSAC playoffs, playing in the NCAA tournament would be very exciting. Our university has not played in the NCAA tournament in 20 years, so for our team to have this chance is exciting. We are anxiously awaiting Sunday night to see if we are among the lucky few to be selected.
Friday, March 5 - Game Day, ESU vs. IUP
Playing a team that is highly ranked nationally will be a challenge for our team, but one we are looking forward to. They have proven throughout the year that they are one of the best teams not only in the PSAC but in the nation. This is an opportunity for us to show our talent and ability in a big-time game. There is a lot at stake in this game and this is a position our university has not been in for over a decade. Our team has handled different scenarios all year and we will be ready for tonight's challenge as well.
Knowing that we will not have to travel for the game tonight is an advantage that we have worked for all season. Our crowd has supported us at home all year and tonight should be no different. IUP is a very tough team and our game will be highly contested throughout. We know it will take a strong 40 minute effort in order to secure a win.
Since we aren't as familiar with IUP as PSAC East teams, the preparation process has been going on since right after our last game. They have a well-built team with very good players who are capable of taking over. We are as prepared as we are going to be, it will just come down to going out and playing our style of basketball.
Thursday, March 4 - Preparing for the PSAC Semifinals
Today our team had a physical practice trying to get accustomed to the style of play IUP uses. We broke down individual areas we need to improve by game time as well as focused on what we do that can be successful. Our attitude was very loose like always, but still very focused on the task at hand. The opportunity to play in the Final Four of the PSAC is something every team in the conference strives for; as a team we are trying to take in the experience and achieve our one goal set at the beginning of the season. Dedication and hard work is what has gotten us this far, and we will continue to work every day to move forward.
To be able to play in front of our home crowd is something we are looking forward to. We have a great environment at ESU and emotional fans that make it easy for us as players to play with excitement. We feed off of their energy and with our up-tempo style, energy is always needed.
The win over Cheyney was a typical PSAC East game; one that was close throughout and where both teams were very familiar with each other. Every play was crucial and we were just able to make a few more stops and shots down towards the end of the game. Throughout the season we played in a few big games, but to be able to play in the PSAC semifinals for the first time since 1992 will be the biggest. We look forward to playing a strong team in IUP and know it will be another classic.
