They stand up. They yell. They complain to referees. They hold up Wolfpack hand signs when players attempt free throws. They do everything you would expect from fans. Then, you hear something unexpected.
“Bend your knees, C.J.! Bend your knees!”
C.J. Leslie, taking a free throw, glances to the side. He gives his mom a nod. He bends his knees a bit further and throws it up. Nothing but cotton.
These are the Pack parents. Siblings. Cousins. They usually have the best seats in the house, but they deserve them. Usually, they’re among the loudest spectators. They make their presence known.
When asked if they expected to find themselves at the Sweet 16, watching a member of their respective families compete, the responses were mixed. Some were pleasantly surprised. Others expected nothing less. Junior forward Scott Wood’s dad, Scott Wood, had a business-like expression on his face while waiting for his son’s game to begin.
“I expect, every year he’s played, to be here,” Wood said. “I’m just happy for him and his teammates.”
In the dying moments of State’s game against Kansas Friday, Leslie’s mom, Lisa Leslie, was seen in the front row, hands clasped together.
“Please. Please. Please,” Leslie’s mom said, hoping for the tide to turn.
Her son, who could not have possibly heard her over the deafening Jayhawk “Rock Chalk” chanting, seemed to be inspired. He made a drive down the lane trying to draw a foul. His attempt was unsuccessful.
Many of the parents sat down after this play. They seemed to know it was over. Lisa Leslie, aware of the situation, rested her head on her hands, having trouble watching the game.
“It just didn’t happen,” Leslie said, moments after the end of the game. “It was a tough loss. The guys played hard. The heart was in it. We’re still proud of them and we will always be proud of them.”
C.J. William’s dad, Wendell, could not find the words to respond. He stared in the direction of the court. His wife, Dolores, gave her opinion of their son’s final collegiate competition.
“I have to look at it this way: this was my son’s last game in college ball,” Williams said. “Did I want him to win? Yes. But the one thing I want all of those guys to do is keep their heads up. It’s been what, six years since N.C. State has been at this level? I don’t want them to allow anybody to make them feel bad, because they’ve accomplished something that several teams could not.”
Before the game, Wendell Williams described his dream scenario: play Carolina, beat Carolina and go to the Final Four. Unfortunately, that dream did not come true. Dolores Williams expects to continue to see great things in 2013.
“Guess what, we’ll go at them again,” Williams said. “We’ll go at them again. I know we’ll be right back here next year.”
