SIUE's Ray'Sean Taylor broke down in tears after NCAA loss. The chance to play meant that much
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The best assist that Brian Taylor II made on Thursday after SIU Edwardsville had been routed by Houston in the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament came long after the teams had walked off the floor.
His buddy, Ray'Sean Taylor, was asked about the memories he'd take away from the day, and for him it had been the culmination of a dream. Ray'Sean grew up 20 minutes away from campus in Collinsville, Illinois, and he overcame two torn ACLs to shepherd the unheralded Cougars to an Ohio Valley Conference championship and a No. 16 seed in the March Madness field.
The score of the game — a 78-40 loss that was never really close — hardly mattered to him.
“We won a championship, at the end of the day. I think that's going to cement everything I worked for and everything I went through,” Ray'Sean Taylor said, before his words began to stumble, tears began to flow, and the senior guard broke down in sobs.
His coach, Brian Barone, put his arm around him. Tears were forming in Barone's eyes, too.
That's when Brian Taylor stepped in to help his friend out.
“It's about bouncing back, having the attitude to fight adversity,” he said, while Ray'Sean Taylor tried to compose himself. “This dude right here, he's been through a lot. It's a testament to his character, his work ethic, his community.”
“It's one team,” Brian Taylor said, “and it really is one family.”
It was the kind of raw, endearing moment that underscores exactly what the NCAA Tournament means to those who play in it, and the kind that Houston coach Kelvin Sampson hopes is always a part of it.
As power leagues continue to push for NCAA Tournament expansion, perhaps to 72 or 76 teams in the near future, small schools from low- and mid-major conferences are concerned they might be further marginalized. The extra at-large bids will be handed out to the Big 12, Big Ten, Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences, while smaller schools will be relegated to First Four-type games, and perhaps even have the automatic berths that are given to all conference champions eliminated altogether.
“This game is bigger than any individuals,” Sampson said matter-of-factly. “The people who sit in these back rooms and try to make decisions on kids’ experiences, sometimes those people forget where they came from.”
Sampson certainly hasn’t forgotten. He played at Pembroke State, a Division II school in North Carolina, and his first real coaching job came at Montana Tech, an NAIA school, because nobody else was willing to give him a chance.
“Having conference tournaments and having a chance to play for this tournament is great incentives for teams. It keeps teams in it,” he said. “Most of these low- to mid-major conferences are one-bid leagues, and you never know if you can catch lightning in a bottle. Win three games and you’re in. And once you’re in, you never know.
“I hope we never get to a point where we don’t allow everybody a chance to be involved in this and make memories for them.”
Barone had hoped for a better showing Thursday. Everyone from SIUE did, including the thousands of fans who made the drive across Missouri to watch their team. If they didn't outnumber fans from Houston, Georgia or Gonzaga, they certainly were louder, even when their team was trailing by 30 and hope had long been extinguished.
“We won a championship,” said Barone, whose father, Tony Barone, was a longtime college coach. “We earned the right to be seeded where we were seeded. That's how it works. ... That's what we did. That's what we earned.”
While top-seeded Houston was putting the finishing touches on its seventh straight first-round NCAA Tournament win Thursday, the 69-year-old Sampson did something curious: He began to watch SIUE players rather than his own.
“I got tired of looking at us,” he said later, “so I was really focused on their kids, and I was thinking, ‘What a great memory for them.’ They'll have this tape to show to their kids one day. ‘We played in the greatest event in the world, March Madness.’”
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
-
Houston vs. SIU Edwardsville odds, March Madness predictions: 2025 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model
The SportsLine Projection Model has revealed its SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs. Houston Cougars picks for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on ThursdayCBS Sports - 23h -
Houston a top seed for 3rd straight year, looks to make deeper run after 2 Sweet 16 losses in a row
Houston earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year Sunday and will open against first-time qualifier SIU-Edwardsville in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday. The Cougars ...Yahoo Sports - 4d -
March Madness: How to watch the Houston vs. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville State game today
Houston will face SIU-Edwardsville in the NCAA Tournament First Round — we've got the channel, streaming info and tip-off time.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
No. 1 seed Houston romps past No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville 78-40 in NCAA Tournament opener
Milos Uzan scored 16 points, LJ Cryer added 15 and No. 1 seed Houston was able to rest up for the rest of the NCAA Tournament while romping past No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville 78-40 on Thursday in ...Yahoo Sports - 19h -
Houston vs. SIU Edwardsville schedule, TV channel: How to watch NCAA March Madness game
What time is the Houston vs. SIU Edwardsville NCAA Tournament game? How to watch Cougars vs. Cougars March Madness game on Thursday, March 20 on TV.Yahoo Sports - 4d -
J'Wan Roberts injury update: Houston forward expected to play in NCAA Tournament for No. 1 seed Cougars
After missing the Cougars' last two games with an ankle injury, Roberts said he will play vs. SIUE in the first round of the NCAA TournamentCBS Sports - 1d -
SIU Edwardsville earns 2025's first NCAA men's tournament bid, winning OVC over Southeast Missouri State
SIUE is one of three first-timers in the NCAA tournament, along with Omaha and High Point.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 9 -
Cowboys head to first national tournament under David Taylor
Cowboy wrestling is no stranger to the NCAA Championships, but this year’s tournament – held Thursday to Saturday in Philadelphia – is different for two big reasons. First and foremost, the team’s ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament? Not after another wasted opportunity
North Carolina had a prime chance to strengthen its case for March Madness. Instead the Tar Heels crumbled again and should miss the NCAA Tournament.Yahoo Sports - 6d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Where would Aliyah Chavez be on ESPN's best women's NCAA tournament players rankings?
Aaliyah Chavez is a McDonald's All-American. If she were in college now, where would she rank on ESPN's tournament player rankings?Yahoo Sports - 16m -
Ernie Johnson, Clark Kellogg Kick Off March Madness with Emotional Greg Gumbel Tribute: ‘He Was So Good at What He Did’
Gumbel, the renowned sports broadcaster, died at the age of 78 last DecemberYahoo Sports - 16m -
Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu wins 60m gold at World Indoor Championships
Welshman Jeremiah Azu fought back tears after claiming 60 metres gold in a personal best 6.49 seconds on the first day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China.Yahoo Sports - 18m -
Grant Nelson will be available for Alabama's first NCAA Tournament game
Alabama will have its top rebounder available for its first NCAA Tournament game. According to a report from CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, forward Grant Nelson will be available to suit up, but will ...Yahoo Sports - 19m -
ESPN analyst sees Rams as sleeper to take QB early in 2025 NFL draft
ESPN's Field Yates picked the Rams as his sleeper team to draft a quarterback early this year, potentially in Round 1 or 2Yahoo Sports - 19m
More in Sports
-
Where would Aliyah Chavez be on ESPN's best women's NCAA tournament players rankings?
Aaliyah Chavez is a McDonald's All-American. If she were in college now, where would she rank on ESPN's tournament player rankings?Yahoo Sports - 16m -
Ernie Johnson, Clark Kellogg Kick Off March Madness with Emotional Greg Gumbel Tribute: ‘He Was So Good at What He Did’
Gumbel, the renowned sports broadcaster, died at the age of 78 last DecemberYahoo Sports - 16m -
March Madness live tracker: Highlights, updates, reactions and more
Follow along as we track 16 more games in the round of 64 of the men's NCAA tournament.ESPN - 17m -
Two years after losing the Texas job, Chris Beard right at home at Ole Miss
The university and the city of Oxford have welcomed the coach as he rebuilds the men's basketball team.ESPN - 18m -
Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu wins 60m gold at World Indoor Championships
Welshman Jeremiah Azu fought back tears after claiming 60 metres gold in a personal best 6.49 seconds on the first day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships in China.Yahoo Sports - 18m