Drew family feels other side of March Madness with stunned Baylor
The joy of March Madness put the Drew family on the map in 1998. Seventeen years later, the same family was on the receiving end of one gut-wrenching tournament defeat.
Few will forget how Bryce Drew once took a pass from Jamie Sykes in the waning seconds against No. 4 seed Mississippi and hit a 3-pointer to give 13th-seeded Valparaiso, and his dad, Coach Homer Drew, an incredible 70-69 victory over Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Fast forward to Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday as the same family that savored victory felt the agony of March Madness defeat . . . at the hands of another father-son combination.
Ron Hunter and No. 14 seed Georgia State were trailing late in the second-round contest with No. 3 seed Baylor. However, Coach Hunter's son, R.J., drilled a deep three-point shot late to burn Bears coach Scott Drew and Baylor, 57-56.
If the last name of the Baylor coach sounds familiar, it should.
Scott Drew is the brother of the aforementioned Bryce Drew, and the son of Homer Drew.
"I've been a part of one of the best moments in college basketball in the NCAA tournament with my brother hitting that shot, and I think I've been part of one of the worst that I'll remember, R.J. hitting that shot," Drew said.
"The thing I've been disappointed with is all year long we've executed down the stretch. We've been a tough team, and I feel bad the way that the last five minutes went from that standpoint. ... That's not who we are, and yet I know that's what will be dwelled upon and talked about is how we didn't finish the game, and that's on me as a coach."
FOX Sports' Sam Gardner contributed to this report.
