When a basketball team’s best player happens to have leadership qualities, victories often follow.
From time to time, however, an on-court disappointment leads to that player’s most memorable moment.
At a post-game press conference following his team’s 71-68 opening-round NCAA Tournament loss to the Wagner Seahawks on Tuesday — a loss that ended his team’s “March Madness” experience almost as quickly as it began — junior guard Bryce Harris of the Howard Bison delivered thoughtful remarks that one broadcaster called “amazing.”
“Playing on a basketball team is one of the more beautiful things in life, because it gives you a group of brothers who have a common goal,” Harris said in a video posted to the social media platform X.
“And it allows you to have a deeper connection past just being a teammate,” he added.
Harris spoke of “beautiful things” and a “deeper connection” shortly after his Bison suffered a crushing, season-ending loss.
In the second half, the Seahawks built a 17-point lead. But Howard rallied late. Harris scored with 18 seconds remaining to trim the Wagner lead to 69-68.
Following a pair of Seahawks free throws, however, the Bison missed three consecutive three-point attempts that would have tied the game and likely sent it into overtime.
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Readers may view the game’s frantic final seconds below.
WHAT A FINISH!@Wagner_MBB SURVIVES and secures its first #MarchMadness win in school history 😱 pic.twitter.com/X1sYRJdU21
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2024
Note that Harris — who led the 2023-24 Bison in points, rebounds, steals and blocks — did not attempt any of the three missed shots. But he did not sulk over it, as some top players would have done if denied the game’s last shot. Instead, he talked about metaphorical family.
“What we speak a lot about is having brothers. You want to have brothers. You’re gonna go through things with your brothers, you’re gonna have good moments, you’re gonna have bad moments, you’re gonna have moments where you’re mad at your brother, [or] your brother’s mad at you,” Harris said at the press conference.
“But you guys have to go through the rocky mountain and get over it,” he added.
Readers may view the full 73-second clip of Harris’s admirable remarks below.
“Playing on a basketball team is one of the more beautiful things in life because it gives you a group of brothers who have a common goal. It allows you to have a deeper connection past just being a teammate.”
—@HUMensBB‘s Bryce Harris pic.twitter.com/It00b3H7sc
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2024
Praise came swiftly on social media. And it came from veteran voices affiliated with the game.
For instance, Fox Sports college basketball broadcaster John Fanta called it an “amazing answer.”
“This is an amazing answer from @HUMensBB’s Bryce Harris on basketball. Really good,” Fanta tweeted.
This is an amazing answer from @HUMensBB’s Bryce Harris on basketball. Really good.
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 20, 2024
Basketball analyst, former NBA player and 1974 University of Maryland All-American center Len Elmore agreed.
“Among the real and true gifts of playing college sports admirably articulated by a bright young man who gets it,” Elmore tweeted.
Among the real and true gifts of playing college sports admirably articulated by a bright young man who gets it.
— Len Elmore (@LenElmore) March 20, 2024
Another social media user called “Hoop Fiends” credited Harris for putting something intangible into compelling words.
“This gave me the chills. Bryce Harris from Brentwood, Long Island speaks about something we all can relate to but can’t all describe this well,” Hoop Fiends tweeted.
This gave me the chills ‼️🙏🏽
Bryce Harris from Brentwood, Long Island speaks about something we all can relate to but can’t all describe this well.
pic.twitter.com/t15WVFqMgY— Hoop Fiends 🏀💉 (@hoopfiends) March 20, 2024
Howard and Wagner faced off in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round, commonly known as the “First Four.”
With their victory, the Seahawks advanced as a 16-seed in the tournament’s West Region. They were scheduled to play the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday at 2:45 EST in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the season ended for the gritty Bison, who recovered from a 9-14 start by winning nine of their final 11 games entering the tournament.
For most of America, March Madness was set to begin on Thursday. Sixty-four of the tournament’s original 68 teams remained in contention for a national championship.
Four of those 68 already have experienced crushing disappointment. Another 63 will experience it before the tournament ends.
Perhaps many players will handle it well. But probably none will handle it better than Harris did.
