Nick Shattuck tried, tried oh so hard, to hide the pain. There was no hobbling up and down the court, no call for any breaks, not even the slightest cringe.
But Shattuck knew, his teammates knew, and head coach Kevin Small knew he just wasn’t anywhere near 100 percent.
And 50 percent may have been pushing it.
The Ursinus senior, who set the tone for the Bears’ offense all season - setting school and Centennial Conference scoring records along the way - was almost a non-factor in Friday night’s NCAA Division III Final Four semifinal against Amherst.
But only a non-factor on the stat sheet.
That’s where Shattuck simply could not hide the fact he wasn’t himself. The numbers - 3 of 16 from the field for only 10 points, only three rebounds and seven, count em’, seven turnovers - were very uncharacteristic Shattuck numbers.
The 6-foot-5 guard went into the postseason with a badly bruised heal. Before he recovered from that painful injury, he turned an ankle. Then, just as that was beginning to feel better, he turned the other ankle.
Rest and rehabilitation couldn’t get him back to 100 percent. Neither could workouts in the pool.
And stepping into the national spotlight on two bad wheels?
“I thought I was OK with the one bad ankle, but after (hurting the other) last week, it’s been pretty tough,” Shattuck said following Friday’s 84-58 loss to Amherst. “I wasn’t able to work out with the team that much either, so I was feeling a little winded in the beginning of the game.”
A 53 percent shooter from the field this season, Shattuck’s versatility was limited. Even though he had three blocks to go with those three rebounds - three below his norm - his explosiveness on the offensive end just wasn’t there.
There was simply no first step.
“And a big part of my game is that first step,” Shattuck said. “I beat guys on that first step, so not having it hurt.”
But not once did Shattuck offer an excuse — or even think about sitting down this weekend.
“Not playing never once crossed my mind,” he said. “This is a once in a life opportunity. I wanted to be here, and I wanted to help my teammates. (The injuries) hurt, but I felt I had to be out there.”
Small sure won’t forget the effort.
“I can’t say enough about Nick,” Small said. “His courage, his conviction — the kid played on two severely injured ankles. He’s been the heart and soul of this team.”

FAMILY TIES
Ursinus junior guard Eric Burnett’s uncle, Dr. Carl Burnett, used to have a practice in Roanoke, just a few blocks from the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, where Burnett and the Bears are staying.
Originally from Delaware County, Dr. Burnett was also once affiliated with Stowe Family Practice.

ENCORE
Ursinus junior guard John Noonan’s uncle, Kevin McClatchy, played the final game of his collegiate career at the Salem Civic Center back in 1985. McClatchy was a member of the Washington & Lee College team, which is north of here, off I-81.
McClatchy, who became an actor and appeared such soap operas as Another World, Guiding Light and General Hospital as well as the television series NCIS, now resides in Ohio. He drove here Friday to watch Noonan and the Bears take on Amherst.

BEAR FANS
Ursinus may have had the largest following of anyone for Friday’s semifinals. A bus of students and fans arrived here a few hours before the 5 p.m. tip-off. A line of cars full of students pulled into the Hotel Roanoke shortly before noon.
Among those making the trip south was Boyertown High School graduate Mike Ziemak, a member of Ursinus’ baseball team.
“We were rained out Thursday and our game (today) was pushed back, so a lot of us wanted to get down here to support the (basketball) team,” Ziemak said.
Ziemak had an outstanding career at Boyertown and was a four-year starter in the infield for the American Legion Bears who played in the 2004 World Series in Corvallis, Ore.
Teaming up with Ziemak in a pregame pep rally were Ursinus field hockey standouts Kate Sutherland (Perkiomen Valley), Jen Moore (Phoenixville) and Nikki Thren (Upper Perkiomen) and football starter Shea Wisler (Upper Perkiomen). Also making the trip was Upper Perkiomen senior Dane Kress, who had an outstanding season at defensive end for the Tribe.


FROM ALL CORNERS
Washington, which is located within a mile of the St. Louis Cardinals’ ballpark, has the only starting lineup with players from five different states.
The Bears opened Friday night’s semifinal with Ross Kelley of Portland, Ore.; Tyler Nading of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; Division III Player of the Year Troy Ruths of Sugar Land, Tex.; Aaron Thompson of Elida, Ohio; and Carmeron Smith of Noblesville, Ind.
Amherst’s starting lineup features two players from California and one each from New York, Michigan and New Jersey.
Hope has four players from its home state of Michigan, while the fifth is from Burr Ridge, Ill.

None of the local folk have any idea who came up with the phrase, but “The Little City That Could” sure fits their easy-to-miss town that sits a short drive off I-81, in the foothills of the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains and just down the road from Roanoke, Va.
The NCAA sure knows what can get done here in Salem, and done well — and there’s never any trouble finding it anymore.
At least not since 1993, when the first NCAA Division III Football Championships — the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl — was held at Salem Stadium, and has remained here since.
The town has flicked on its spotlight for a number of other national championships, too.
So Ursinus would like nothing more than to come up with a pair of wins today and Saturday in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championships and be crowned the 50th champion in the “The Little City That Could.”
Since that inaugural Stagg Bowl, the town has hosted 49 NCAA championships in baseball, basketball, lacrosse, softball, and volleyball. And that number is second only to Omaha, Neb., home of the NCAA Division I Baseball World Series.
“In two years, we plan on catching Omaha,” said John Saunders, assistant director of facilities at the Salem Civic Center.
Saunders spoke with pride as he explained how the NCAA has returned time and time again. The football championships hold the lead, with 15 of them played out here. Right behind is softball (14) and men’s basketball (12), with baseball (five), volleyball (two), and women’s lacrosse, which debuted here last spring.
No one knew exactly how many AAU championships — mostly basketball and volleyball — have been held here. But one thing is for sure. All the games and the national exposure they bring with them has injected millions and millions of dollars into this town’s economy.
Carey Harveycutter, the director of civic facilities who steps up as tournament director when the NCAA moves in for one of its national championships, estimated the annual impact of the events to be between $3 million and $5 million.

YOUNGSTER
Ursinus head coach Kevin Small is 38 years old, in his eighth season guiding the Bears and already the program’s winningest coach with 145 career victories.
But those numbers pale in comparision to his three rivals here this weekend.
Hope’s Glenn Van Wieren is in his 31st season and has 617 career wins.
Amherst’s David Hixson, who Small will attempt to match wits with tonight, is in his 31st season as well and owns 574 career wins.
And Washington’s Mark Edwards is in his 26th season and has 498 career wins.
Van Wieren was fifth all-time in Division III when the season began. The leader was Franklin & Marshall’s Glenn Robinson, who in 36 years leading up to this season was 718-271.

LAST TIME AROUND
Ursinus’ only other trip to the Final Four was to Rock Island, Ill., 27 years ago.
The Bears opened postseason play in the Mid-Atlantic Regional at Franklin & Marshall, defeating the hosts, Diplomats (69-58) and William Patterson (66-64). The two victories advanced them to the national quarterfinals in East Orange, N.J., where they edged Upsala (71-69) to earn a spot in the Final Four.
After falling to eventual national champion Potsdam State, N.Y., (63-61) in the semifinals, the Bears bounced back to defeat Otterbein (82-79) for third place.

HE AIN’T HEAVY
Washington’s Troy Ruths was presented the Jostens Trophy on Thursday morning during a special ceremony honoring him as the Division III Player of the Year.
The Salem Rotary Club hosted the event and made the presentation — and Ruths likely needed some help getting his prize back to the hotel.
The Jostens Trophy is 2 feet high, featuring an 8-inch basketball in the center made of Czech crystal on a solid cherry wood base, and weighs 64 pounds.

RANK AND FILE
Amherst comes into tonight’s opener ranked No. 1, a spot it’s held the past four weeks. The Lord Jeffs opened the season at No. 2 but moved on top for two weeks before slipping as low as No. 4.
Washington was actually the preseason No. 1 but held that spot for just one week after the season began and is now No. 7.
Hope comes in at No. 3, while Ursinus — which didn’t even appear in the national rankings until debuting at No. 21 four weeks ago — comes in at No. 17.

ALL ALONE
Even though Amherst, Hope and Washington were here for last year’s shootout, only Amherst point guard Andrew Olson returns from the All-Tournament Team. Olson, who at 5-10 will be the shortest starter on the court tonight, happened to be the MVP of last year’s Final Four, too.

SMALL WORLD
One of Hope’s fans strolling around the Civic Center on Thursday was wearing a T-shirt with Midland Legion printed on the front. He said he was a former player in the Midland American Legion baseball program and had played in Bear Stadium in Boyertown during his final summer with the team.

THE CASTLE
Ursinus, as well as the other three teams in today’s Final Four lineup, are all staying at the Hotel Roanoke and Convention Center, a 15-minute drive from the Civic Center.
The hotel, as grand in appearance as any in America, was built in 1882 and has endured bankruptcy, the Great Depression, a major fire and a number of different owners. One interesting aspect of its history, though, is that a $1,050,000 renovation in 1938 made it the first hotel in the nation to offer its guests air conditioning.

Kevin Small passed on having the spotlight all to himself Tuesday night.
Instead of dressing up in a coat and tie and attending the Philadelphia Area Small College Coaches Association’s annual dinner at the University of the Sciences – where he was to receive the Sam Cozen Coach of the Year award – Small stepped into his sweats and retreated to Helfferich Hall to run his Ursinus basketball team through one more two-hour practice.
“Of all the honors, well, this one matters the most because it comes from my friends in the (coaching) profession, my colleagues,” Small said. “It carries a very special meaning to me.”
But…
“We have some work to do here, though,” Small added, pointing toward the nearby Ursinus gym.
Tuesday evening’s practice was the Bears’ last one at home. They’ll get together for another workout soon after arriving at the Salem Civic Center in Salem Va., to prepare for the NCAA Division III semifinal showdown against defending champion Amherst, Mass.
“We can’t wait to get down, work on some things, and get ready for Amherst,” Small said.
Small was excited.
But no more than he was for the season’s first practice back in October. And no more than he was for his very first practice at Ursinus eight years ago.
An assistant for nine years – three seasons each at Haverford (1991-94), Ursinus (1994-97) and Swarthmore (1997-99) – Small was finally a head coach … and just a flip or two of the desk calendar past his 30th birthday.
Ursinus never saw anyone bring as much energy and enthusiasm into its basketball program as Small did, never had anyone as committed to the game and the young men who played it as Small was.
It became evident that first season.
And it’s been oh so evident this season.
“We had the youngest staff in the (Centennial Conference) when we first came here,” Small said. “I wasn’t awestruck, but I knew what I was up against, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
Small was referring, of course, to conference coaching legends like Glenn Robinson of Franklin & Marshall, Bill Nelson of Johns Hopkins, Dave Madera of Muhlenberg, and George Petrie of Gettysburg – who he got the best of four times this winter.
“Those guys aren’t just good coaches, they are some of the pillars of Division III basketball,” Small said.
Perhaps, but it didn’t take Small long before he was matching wits – and wins – with the hierarchy.
That first season (2000-01), the Bears won the Centennial Conference’s Eastern Division title and advanced to the playoffs for the first time … and they haven’t missed the playoffs in any season since.
During the remarkable run, two of Small’s teams have posted unbeaten CC seasons. And as good as any may have been, none have rivaled this year’s team, which has strung together a school-record 23 straight wins, put together a school-record 29 wins overall, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships’ Final Four for the first time in 27 years.
And Small, as always, deflects the credit to his players.
“We’ve just been fortunate to have remarkable kids,” Small said. “We prioritize. We recruit kids of good character because we want kids of good character. We want kids who’ll put their basketball family first, kids who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Those early Ursinus recruits bought into Small’s approach.
Those who followed have been an easy sell, too.
“When we first started here we thought we were looking at a five-year rebuilding project,” Small recalled. “But in our third year (2002-03), we went undefeated in the Centennial Conference. That was fun … a great year. But it caught us off-guard, to be honest.
“That’s when we realized we were fortunate to be getting the kids we were getting here. They all worked incredibly hard. They were selfless. They wanted something.”
So did Small. And he’s gotten it.
“We’re committed to what’s in front of us, to improving every day,” he said. “We’re not about winning, winning, winning.
“If you come here, we want you to be a great student, an engaged student, not someone merely going through the motions. And as a basketball player, we want you to be committed to execution, committed to getting better. If everyone does that, winning takes care of itself.”
Few can criticize Small’s approach.
Even though he’s already the winningest coach in the 92-year history of the Ursinus men’s basketball program (145-72), Small again likes to emphasize the achievements of those who play the game – like the 21 who have been named All-Centennial Conference; the six who have been named the CC’s Player of the Year; the four who have been named All-Americans; and the two Josten’s Trophy finalists (Division III Player of the Year). And he’s even more proud of the many players who have been selected to the conference’s Academic Honor Roll.
Small is a class act himself while courtside. Three times he has been presented regional sportsmanship awards, and two years ago was presented the College Basketball Officials Association’s National Sportsmanship Award.
“But I do this because I have a passion for basketball and I get the opportunity to work with kids,” Small said. “I am not employed to go to the Final Four … I am here to work with and mentor kids every day, to inspire them to become better people. That’s what is important.”