A week ago, Mike Hopkins told one of his favorite stories that gives insight into his always-optimistic approach and encapsulates his undying love of March Madness.
“When I was at Syracuse and we weren’t in the NCAA tournament, we were the first team to go into the Big East tournament and win four games,” Hopkins said. “It was Gerry McNamara’s great run. The game-winner against Cincinnati, then Connecticut, the number-one team in the country.
“And then we ended up beating Georgetown and Pittsburgh, teams we struggled with that year. The biggest thing was that first win. Somebody stepping up and making a big play, and with that, build some momentum.