Dear Editor:

In response to the cover story “One and Done” (March 18), the headline and story do not accurately portray the season the record-breaking men’s basketball team compiled this year. After finishing 25-9 (school record for wins), the Saints deserve a more respect than a headline emphasizing a loss in the Sweet 16 of National Tournament play. “One and Done” carries a connotation that the team lost in first round action when, in fact, Coach Dave Hammer and the Saints secured the first national tournament win in Aquinas’ history. The 91-66 victory over unseeded Dakota Wesleyan was not an upset. The Saints earned an at-large berth and the #16 seed in the tournament. A check of the national tournament bracket before writing the story would have shown this. In the end, Aquinas lost in the second round by four points to top-seeded Bellevue University, who played for the NAIA National Championship.

Saints season highlights include victories over NCAA Division III Final Four participant Hope College and local rival Calvin College. Undefeated and top-ranked Grand Valley State University is playing in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Saints 3 point loss to the Lakers provided the stiffest competition GVSU has faced. Add to that, a WHAC regular season championship to match last year’s WHAC Tournament Championship.

The Saints have been to the National Tournament three years running now, a great accomplishment, considering the Aquinas’ men’s team had never appeared in a National Tournament before. Coach Hammer continues to bring in student athletes with strong maturity, integrity and passion for winning. May the Saints success continue and the Saint and the Aquinas community begin to recognize that we have our own version of March Madness and a hotbed of small college basketball on our own campus.

Go Saints!

Damon Bouwkamp,
Assistant Director of Admissions