Seinfeld’s George Costanza found out the hard way that showmanship isn’t always ideal.

Three Wolfpack seniors learned the same lesson Saturday.

The dramatic double overtime loss wasn’t the high note they were looking to exit with, and it seems only fair that they’d leave the RBC Center for the final time as winners. But not every story is a fairy tale, and aside from the defeat, I thought the seniors were short-changed. The 10-minute pre-game ceremony just wasn’t enough. We didn’t get a chance to truly thank our seniors.

It’s doubtful that any of the departing seniors will have their jerseys hung from the rafters of the RBC Center, but that shouldn’t take away from their contributions.

For much of last year, Tony Bethel was an enigma. After his transfer from Georgetown, Julius Hodge hyped Bethel’s every move, causing our mouths to water at the prospect of two such talented guards sharing a backcourt.

But Bethel’s junior season was derailed — he missed a significant portion when he developed an intestinal ailment. Bethel returned having lost close to 20 pounds and needed several weeks just to get back in playing shape. Shearing his groin in the ACC Tournament finally ended his campaign.

But Bethel recovered and has established himself as one of the ACC’s most lethal outside shooters. He’s given stability to a team that was expected to be in disarray.

Then there’s Illian Evtimov. After a half decade in Raleigh, Evtimov is a name ACC fans won’t soon forget. He wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school, but he took advantage of playing time made available by an injury to Levi Watkins.

Preceding his sophomore season, Evtimov shredded his knee in a meaningless exhibition. However, we were treated to a token cutaway shot of his mug during each and every game that season, thus prompting fans of opposing teams to label Evtimov, “The guy with eternal eligibility.” But Evtimov has left us in awe with his hook shots, back door passes and seemingly limitless shooting range.

Last, but not least, we have Cameron Bennerman.

Everyone remembers Hodge’s basket-plus-a-foul that propelled State over Connecticut in last year’s NCAA tournament. That moment might have never transpired without Bennerman’s lockdown job in the first round against Charlotte’s Brendan Plavich. Who could forget Bennerman exploding for a slam over Duke’s Shelden Williams?

Bennerman has had his ups and downs over the last four years. The lone survivor of a four-man recruiting class has dealt with injury and occasional stays in Sendek’s doghouse. But Bennerman has never complained. His effort has never wavered. His quiet confidence, I believe, will more than likely take him to the next level.

We all wanted these seniors to leave on a higher note than George Costanza, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

So if you encounter one of these seniors on campus, thank him for what he’s accomplished, and the program he will leave behind. It’s the showmanship he deserves.