February 23, 2002
Cliff Washburn stares into his plate at the pre-game meal, never taking a bite or saying a word.
Alan Puckett refuses all phone calls from prospective employers, preferring to concentrate on basketball.
Travis Cantrell tells people, "I'm playing every game like it's my last."
Such is the focus of The Citadel's basketball team's three seniors as they play the final games of their college careers - their final home game today against Wofford at McAlister Field House, and the Southern Conference Tournament next week at North Charleston Coliseum.
Seldom in the history of Citadel basketball have three seniors played as many games - Cantrell and Puckett are just three games shy of the school record - or meant as much to the Bulldogs as the familiar trio of Cantrell, Puckett and Washburn.
The cry of "Travis Cantrell for three!" or "Alan Puckett for three!" has echoed through McAlister Field House more than once. With a combined total of 487 career 3-pointers, the roommates are the top 3-point shooting duo in Southern Conference history, with Cantrell No. 2 and Puckett No. 5 in league history.
And Washburn, a 6-7, 248-pound teddy bear at kids' basketball camps, has a well-earned reputation as one of the SoCon players opponents least like to face, as "mean as a rattlesnake on the court," according to coach Pat Dennis.
When Washburn scores his 1,000th career point - either today or in the SoCon tournament - the Bulldogs will have three 1,000-point scorers on the floor at the same time for the first time since 1960, when Art Musselman, Dick Wherry and Ray Graves played for Stormin' Norman Sloan.
Together, this trio has survived The Citadel - there were six freshmen in their recruiting class four years ago - and helped transform the Bulldogs from SoCon cellar dwellers to a competitive team.
In the nine years before the trio arrived on campus, the Bulldogs had one winning season, in 1997-98. Over the last two years, The Citadel has put together its first back-to-back winning seasons in more than 20 years (since 1979-80).
The Bulldogs were 2-17 against rival College of Charleston from 1985 through 2000; they are 2-2 against the Cougars the last two seasons, and the photo of Cantrell being carried off the court by delirious cadets after last year's 62-58 win is one of the enduring memories of their careers.
"They have meant so much to us in turning things around and becoming more of a consistent, winning program," said Dennis.
"These three guys have been through thick and thin. They kept working, got better, built their bodies up and really went from boys to men.
"It seems like they just got here as knobs with no hair, and all of a sudden they are leaving with hair and degrees."
For the three seniors, the last four years have flown by (except for some of those practices, perhaps). Cantrell is contemplating a career in the Air Force or in coaching; Puckett will return those job-offer calls some day soon; and Washburn will likely pursue pro ball, either in Europe or the NBDL.
"It's crazy that it's over so soon," said Puckett. "I never thought I would make it this far, and I'm glad I have. I love playing basketball here, and it has been wonderful for me and Travis and Cliff. I'm definitely going to miss it."
