West Virginia’s Mike Gansey talks about what it was like in 2005 – the year of the Mountaineer in the NCAA Tournament – how he still has nightmares about the 93-85 overtime Elite Eight loss to Louisville and what it was like receiving a standing ovation at Panera Bread (run time is 3:40; transcript below the jump).
Lost Lettermen: This is Jim Weber from LostLettermen.com and I’m joined by West Virginia’s Mike Gansey.
I wanted to talk about the 2005 team. Obviously it’s so beloved. Could you talk about what that run was like, beating Creighton, beating Wake Forest and Texas Tech? Those were obviously such nail biters and such exciting games.
Mike Gansey: Yeah I mean it’s funny because we were like a team going into even the Big East Tournament where we weren’t even in the NCAA Tournament picture and we went to the final of the Big East Championship, lost to Syracuse but we just kept rolling. And it was just like surreal to go through it because we kept winning and winning and next thing you know we’re playing Chris Paul at Wake Forest, we’re beating them, beating Bobby Knight and Texas Tech.
It was just … I mean it’s something I always look back at and say, “Man, those were like the best times of my life.” But at the same time, during it, you couldn’t really like feel it, you know? You look back now and to think … it’s nice when you get to go to the NCAA Tournament, let alone win a couple of games and go to the Elite Eight.
That was obviously, that 2005 team was unbelievable and if I could do it again, man. I wish I could go back into a time machine and take a couple of those days back.
LL: Yeah, I think a lot of fans would, too, that was such an exciting time for college basketball fans.
The Elite game against Louisville, do you ever look back and say, “How did we lose that game?” You had eighteen three pointers, you shot the lights out, and still somehow Louisville found a way. They were obviously such a stacked team.
MG: Yeah, you know, I mean that’s one of the games where I still kind of have nightmares occasionally because we were up I think 18 at one point. I mean we were on fire from three, Louisville didn’t know what to do but as the game went on they just kept chipping away, chipping away and, you know it’s overtime and they beat us.
But we were just that close to the Final Four. I mean there’s only so many times you come that close, let alone get in the Elite Eight or go to the Final Four. You know I just think, “Man if we could’ve just got to the Final Four, I couldn’t have cared if we lost by 50 in the Final Four game.” Just to get there, play in front of all those crowds.
That would’ve been a great time.
LL: Could you talk about the celebrity status the team had? You cemented your celebrity with that 29-point game against Wake Forest then obviously everyone loved the name Kevin Pittsnogle. It seemed like everyone was rooting for West Virginia that year.
MG: Yeah, you know, we were just one of those teams that just kind of … the underdogs. No one expected us to be there and we just kept playing well and kept winning games and it was fun because I remember after we beat Wake Forest, I went to Panera Bread, right after we got back from Cleveland. And I just went in there and got a standing ovation from everyone in there and it was like, man.
The fans were there with us because that was like their first really time since they’ve had like a, I guess a winning team that went far in the Tournament since the Jerry West days.
The football team was always the main show but it felt like the basketball team kind of got some love there for a little bit.
LL: Yeah, the 2006 team was also a very special team and also came from a low seed to get to the Sweet Sixteen. How good were they compared to the ‘05 team, you think?
MG: You know, I think our ‘06 team, we weren’t very deep. We only played six or seven guys. We didn’t have as much athleticism as the year before with Tyrone Sally, D’or Fischer. I think if we would’ve had one of them guys the 2006 year team, I think we could’ve went to the Final Four.
But, you know, it was just a different team. Obviously we were experienced, my 2006 team. But 2005 we were just much more deeper and 2006 we just got a bad draw and played Texas, lost at the buzzer and that was that.
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