The moment is days away, but Nick Napolitano has run it through his mind more than a handful of times already.
At some point late Friday night in Cleveland, Methuen’s Napolitano, a first-year Bryant University basketball assistant coach, will look down the other end of the court at Rocket Arena and lock eyes with the opposing head coach, Michigan State legend Tom Izzo, in Round 1 of the NCAA March Madness tournament.
“Being a kid, watching all these (NCAA tourney) games, and now I’m living the dream, living the moment, helping this team try to win,” said Napolitano, a recent Keene State grad, who is Bryant’s Video Analysis Coordinator.
“It’s a surreal moment. When the pairings were announce, coaching in the same game (against Izzo) is one of the first things I thought of.
“He’s one of these guys so well-respected in the business, quite literally a legend. To share the court, be able to go up against him in such a big moment, it’s amazing.”
Bryant, the 15th seed in the South Regional, is a true Cinderella in all this Madness. And Napolitano can speak volumes on the making of this underdog, which earned its way by claiming the America East Conference title.
America East, for you NCAA casuals, is Vermont’s conference. The Catamounts have reached the “Big Dance” 10 times since 2013, including the past three seasons.
Not this year, though.
“You can call it ‘Vermont’s berth’ if you want, but our team went out there and earned it,” said Napolitano proudly.
“We were the regular season champs, the No. 1 seed and won the conference tournament this year.”
For Napolitano, a league championship and the NCAA tourney berth are icing on a cake he has worked hard to bake.
The Methuen High grad saw an opportunity to start at the very bottom, working as an unpaid assistant for one of the coaching game’s rising stars, Phil Martelli Jr. He moved out on his own to Rhode Island and poured himself into the Bulldogs’ program.
The experience and the rewards have been limitless.
“I do a lot of video and film work in support of the scouting reports. And day to day, I’m doing whatever I can to help out. It’s all hands on deck here,” he said. “Coming from Division 3 (as a student assistant at Keene), I always felt like I’ve worked hard. But Coach Martelli and these coaches have instilled something in me. I’ve re-learned what it meant to work hard.
“I love it. It’s why you work so hard at it. I love being part of a team. It’s more special than anything in the world. It’s amazing. It’s what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
Coach Martelli played for his dad, also Phil, at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia.
“It’s crazy. Everyone talks about his dad, a legend, and I’ve had the honor of meeting him,” said Napolitano. “But Coach Martelli (Jr.) handles everything. It’s serious, non-stop work. And the way he treats his staff, it motivates us every day. I’m forever grateful to him. This opportunity is just amazing. He’s pushed me every day to be a better version of myself as a man and a basketball coach.”
Napolitano has seen first-hand how this Bryant basketball team has grown together and developed. It may be facing a hoop Goliath in No. 2 Michigan State, but the Bulldogs aren’t flying to Ohio content on just being there.
“After playing the gauntlet of a non-conference schedule we played, the way the team stuck together, the camaraderie of the coaching staff. We believe in ourselves, and we believe in our players. That’s when I knew how special this could be,” said Napolitano.
“It’s time to get ready to win a basketball game. We’ll game plan, prepare and do whatever we can. Everything we do now is going to trying to win that game.”