NCAA Tournament: Gardner-Webb’s road to NCAA started a half-century ago

More than once this week, you’re likely to hear a TV analyst refer to Gardner-Webb as a new kid on the block in the world of college basketball success.

Don’t believe it.

Once upon a time – before this school expanded across the southwest corner of the Cleveland County town of Boiling Springs, adding buildings and sports venues – Gardner-Webb was a national basketball power.

Over the years, the Runnin’ Bulldogs made a habit of knocking off some of the nation’s big-name programs.

“Our guys know about the legacy of basketball here,” said Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft, whose 16th-seeded team faces top seed Virginia at 3:10 p.m. Friday in a first-round NCAA South Regional game in Columbia.

“We’ve had some of the great names come back here to visit,” Craft said. “Now we’re adding a new chapter.”

To be accurate, this will be Gardner-Webb’s first appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament.

But the school was in back-to-back junior college national tournaments in 1968 and 1969. Then in Gardner-Webb’s first year as a four-year school, it reached the NAIA national tournament in 1971 with a 31-5 record.

And there was an NCAA Division II tournament appearance in 2000, before the Runnin’ Bulldogs moved to Division I.

Of course, playing Virginia before a national TV audience is a lot different than playing in the junior-college nationals. Eddie Holbrook, Gardner-Webb’s coach during those big seasons a half-century ago, talks about recruiting players in small gymnasiums and on outdoor basketball courts.

When Craft finally looked at his cellphone the morning after Gardner-Webb defeated Radford in the Big South Conference tournament final that clinched a NCAA berth, he found more than 180 messages.

“It’s been hectic,” he said. “But it’s been fun.”

After winning the Big South title, Craft and his players talked about what it meant.

“We talked about what it meant to our community, to the former players, to the athletic history at this school,” he said. “But then we said, ‘We have another game to play.’ ”

Craft said the Runnin’ Bulldogs won’t be satisfied just to make the field. They want to make a mark, although they know their opponent, Virginia, will be trying to make a statement after what happened last March – when the Cavaliers became the first team ever to lose to a No. 16 seed.

“We’ve tried to prepare ourselves with tough games,” Craft said.

After all, Gardner-Webb has a winning record against the ACC this season. Craft’s team beat Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, with a loss to Virginia Tech.

But that’s nothing new. Gardner-Webb beat Minnesota in 2005, Kentucky in 2007, DePaul in 2012, Clemson and Purdue in 2015, and Nebraska in 2016. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have posted winning records six of the past seven seasons.

Gilmore’s message to Gardner-Webb’s coaches, players and fans: “I hope Tim Craft, the coach, will take the guys and run.”

Wilkins added, “You guys had an amazing season.”

Craft and his wife, Jessica, have three children and are fostering a 1-year-old boy. But Craft said “family” goes beyond the household.

“We have guys who have bought into the system, believe in themselves, and believe in each other,” Craft said. “We’re battle-tested. We’ve played six overtime games (with four victories – second only to LSU in Division I).”

David Efianayi (18.4 points a game) and D.J. Laster (13.7) are the senior leaders. Freshman Jose Perez (15.0) and sophomore Nate Wilkins (9.8) are the future leaders. Craft says seniors like Eric Jamison and Justin Jenkins, don’t get much publicity but have played key roles.

And there was support from those Gardner-Webb greats – Gilmore, Wilkins, and others – who spent time with the team during this 50th anniversary season of the junior college powerhouse.

“That meant a lot to us,” Craft said.

So Gardner-Webb’s coach views this NCAA appearance not as a surprise, but rather a half-century in the making.

This story was originally published March 20, 2019 at 12:11 PM.