These are the days on which the NCAA Tournament would have begun and the time is better than ever for the Hofstra Pride to be proud. It is time to remember that this year's team will never be forgotten.

            While the Pride did not get to see its school name on a Big Dance bracket sheet, it always will see its season remembered on a banner in the Mack Sports Complex: "NCAA 2019-20." These players and coaches earned that honor, despite the circumstance that prevented them from actually making the trip. Members of this year's squad always will be royalty on campus, and in the hearts of Hofstra followers.

            At first, after the announcement that the entire 2020 NCAA Tournament had been canceled, there was a rush of sadness and disappointment. But those feelings fade in light of the lives lost and livelihoods devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. For the Hofstra men's basketball team, now is a time to reflect on all that was accomplished, not on what was missed.

            It is an occasion to recall the first words of Joe Mihalich on national TV right after the Pride won a men's basketball conference title for the first time in 19 years. He described Hofstra as "a great university, with great people."

            That message resounded throughout the country during the past week. Now it is time to recognize the size of the achievement: After last season, the Pride lost the heart of the squad, one of its greatest all-time scorers, and it still came back strong. Former teammates proved how much they had learned from the example of Justin Wright-Foreman, who graduated to the NBA's Utah Jazz. He taught them to believe in possibilities.

            No one benefited more than Desure Buie, Wright-Foreman's close friend. Buie had entered college as a hesitant student and is on the verge of earning his master's degree. He had been a pass-first point guard before this season and became a big scorer—right through the final minutes of the CAA championship game.

            Eli Pemberton, another of the university's all-time scoring leaders, let his emotions flow after his final home game and the conference semifinal. Then he played his heart out in his final appearance in a Hofstra uniform.

            Tareq Coburn, who will help carry the torch next season, made big plays. Jalen Ray sank the two biggest three-pointers of his career when it mattered most. Isaac Kante continued his growth and improvement—isn't that what college is all about?—and played the game of his life against Northeastern.

            Bench players did everything Mihalich asked of them, including waiting their turn and supporting the starters.

            Then there is Mihalich himself. He celebrated the honor of coaching a second school into an NCAA Tournament bid, having previously done so at Niagara. His expression last week, as he embraced his seniors and cut down the net, said everything about what this school and this team mean to him.

            That he won his first CAA title in Washington D.C. was a tribute to karma. Washington is where Mihalich grew up and began taking lessons in coaching. His father and hero, Joe Sr., was studying for a doctorate at Georgetown after having been a pitcher in the Yankees minor league chain and a roommate of Whitey Ford.

            Joe Sr. managed his son's Little League team and taught fundamentals, to the point of leading squeeze bunt drills. He also imparted leadership. His son picked up on those lessons and carried on his dad's traits. The younger Mihalich's 2019-20 Hofstra team became known from coast to coast. During a late season UCLA telecast on ESPN, the discussion turned to the Bruins' progress after having sustained early upset losses. One of those, an announcer said, was against Hofstra. But analyst and Hall of Famer Bill Walton interjected, "Hofstra is a good team."
            So good that it finally reached its highest goal.

No, the Pride did not get a chance to dance or make a cameo in the One Shining Moment video at the end of the NCAA Tournament. But the players and coaching staff always will have the satisfaction of knowing that their last game together was their finest hour.

            And at some point, they will have their day. They will gather on their old home court and receive a well-deserved joyful salute from the Hofstra faithful. A banner will honor them for a year filled with shining moments.