It’s known simply as “The Shot” and you’ve seen the play a million times: Trailing by two with seconds to go, Valparaiso inbounds the ball from under its own hoop to halfcourt. It ends up in the hands of the coach’s son, Bryce Drew, who nails the shot, dives head-first onto the floor and gets mobbed by his teammates.
You probably even remember the dad’s name (Homer), the opponent (Ole Miss) and the play (“Pacer”). That’s how iconic the play has become 11 years after Valpo shocked the world and eventually wound up the 1998 Sweet 16.
What you probably didn’t know? Homer’s still coaching the Crusaders, and Bryce has been back on his bench since 2005 as an assistant after a career in the NBA and overseas.
We recently caught up with Bryce to talk about his dad, the current state of Valpo hoops and hitting the shot of a lifetime:
Lost Lettermen: What’s it like coaching under your dad?
Bryce Drew: It’s great times. I’m really enjoying being with him, really enjoying learning from him. So far it’s just been a great experience.
LL: How much does coaching fill your competitive void now that you’re done playing?
BD: I really enjoy it because my life was around basketball and being able to get that competition. It’s very competitive coaching, it’s just a different type. You can’t go out there physically and do anything but where you can help the players get better is in practice. It does definitely satisfy the competition that lingers in all athletes.
LL: We hear you have given up basketball cold turkey. What’s that about?
BD: You know, coaching is totally different than playing. You spend a lot of time watching film and recruiting and things like that. I don’t think I have much time to work on my game because that’s not really going to help me win. I’ve really kind of put the ball aside and maybe shoot the ball on the driveway a couple times, but besides that, mostly when I’m at school I try and watch film or give our players some type of advantage.
LL: Valpo hasn’t made The Dance since 2004, the year before you got there. Has coaching there made you appreciate what you guys did even more?
BD: That’s a great point. We were very blessed we made it three straight years when I was here and the last couple we have not made the NCAA Tournament so it will make it that much more rewarding if we get that opportunity.
LL: Do the kids you recruit even remember you?
BD: It was ten years ago and a lot of kids don’t necessarily remember it as much as their parents will and things like that. So hopefully their parents can update them and give us a recruiting edge on them.
LL: Do you feel like you’re losing a little bit of a recruiting edge every year as it gets more distant?
BD: I still think every year is different and that it boils down to the relationship you have with the kid and whether he feels comfortable with you. Some kids have been big Valpo fans and never come here and some kids have never heard of it but just really got along with the coaches when they came. So just because they are familiar with the program doesn’t result in getting the kid.
LL: You look the exact same as you did in 1998. How often are you still recognized on the road?
BD: You know, sometimes. It matters what venue you’re in. I’m very happy with my life and I’m married and really enjoy it, so I don’t necessarily pay attention too much to that kind of stuff.
LL: Speaking of your wife, she’s a former Atlanta Hawks cheerleader. Isn’t there some kind of rule against that?
BD: (Laughs) We actually just met and were friends until a couple years after that but technically, you’re not supposed to talk. But it was kind of ironic because her parents own the world’s largest Christian ballet company, so with that faith background we kind of became friends and then we didn’t date until two years after our initial meeting.
LL: Your brother, Scott, has already turned around Baylor. Are you getting the itch to be a head coach?
BD: I’m very proud of my older brother, he’s done a tremendous job in a short amount of time at Baylor for a program that was basically beneath ground level. As far as being a head coach, I don’t really have an itch yet. I’m really enjoying working under my dad and still learning from him. Everyday I enjoy it.
LL: What do you remember from “The Shot” and those two weeks?
BD: It was a whirlwind of events, just from making the tournament to when we upset Ole Miss in that first round. The next couple weeks were a blur – it went so quick. It was so enjoyable, for myself and my family, my team and whole school. It was a magical two weeks for us.
LL: How special did it make the tournament that you were playing under your dad?
BD: I definitely think that had a big part of making that so long-lasting for myself and my family. My brother was an assistant coach on that team also so we’d been through the hardships of being through the low points and to share that high point together, it’s something we’ll be able to talk about for the rest of our lives.
LL: How did you come up with “The Dive”? Had you ever done it before?
BD: Completely spontaneous. Never knew what I did until I saw it on the highlight video that night. Definitely not premeditated or something I worked on. Just something that kind of happened.
