For Phil Martelli Jr. and Sr., VCU’s upset for the ages, and adding ‘a new story to that legacy’
Whether it was the greatest win in Martelli family history was a debate for another day. All that mattered was that Phil Martelli Jr. guided his VCU team to a remarkable upset over North Carolina.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The game was over, and bedlam was erupting, and somehow the players in the trademarked-colored jerseys were the ones removing themselves from the teeming mass. As the Carolina blue melted away, the court became all black-and-gold and bouncing up and down: players, coaches, cheerleaders, pep band members, many with nowhere to go except around in circles. And there was 71-year-old Phil Martelli Sr., trying his damndest to climb out of the stands over a waist-high wall so that he could give his sons a hug.
“That was the greatest win in VCU history,” the elder Martelli shouted to nobody in particular after he’d finally been helped down.
Whether it was the greatest win in Martelli family history was a debate for another day. All that mattered at the moment was that Phil Martelli Jr. — eldest son and namesake of the legendary St. Joseph’s head coach — had just guided his team to the most remarkable upset of the first day of the tournament. Down by 19 to a team that ranked 11th in the country as recently as a month ago, 11th-seeded VCU (28-7) outscored North Carolina 45-22 over the last 18 minutes, 48 seconds of regulation and overtime to advance to the Round of 32 with an 82-78 win.
» READ MORE: How the Martellis continue to make college basketball a true family affair
The Rams’ wild comeback stunned the overwhelmingly pro-Carolina crowd at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, located 238 miles south on I-85 from the Tar Heels’ home in Chapel Hill. Flustered in the first half by Carolina’s ball pressure, Martelli Jr. switched to a three-guard lineup down the stretch and watched it pay dividends. Sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. destroyed Carolina’s defense off the dribble, scoring 23 of his 34 points in the second half and overtime, including a driving layup with 11 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 75-75. Hill’s penetration played a key role in the Rams’ 8-for-14 performance from the three-point line in the game’s final 25 minutes after shooting just 3-for-12 in the first half.
The significance of Martelli Jr.’s decision to go small wasn’t lost on his father, who once upon a time led a team that started three of them en route to an NCAA regional final.
“It was unbelievable,” the elder Martelli said. “The fact that he went with three small guards … I’m very, very proud.”
The Rams have a long way to go to equal that 2003-04 St. Joe’s team, which rode the play-making of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West and the sweet-shooting of Pat Carroll to the precipice of the Final Four. But Martelli Jr., who was hired at VCU this year after leading Bryant to an America East Conference title last year, made sure to note that his father didn’t win his first NCAA tournament game until his second season as an Atlantic 10 coach.
“He won his first A-10 championship his second year, and he went to the Sweet 16,” Martelli Jr. said. “So we’re semi even right now, I guess. Winning in your first year and winning a game your first year would make us semi even, but we’ve got to try to top what he did.”
Nothing would make the elder Martelli happier. He spent the vast majority of Thursday’s game rooted to his seat next to his wife in the lower rows of the seating bowl, his daughter-in-law standing and shouting behind him. When Hill made a driving layup to cut VCU’s deficit to 72-70 late in the second half, Martelli sat and clapped as the rest of the section leapt to his feet. Hill’s game-tying layup with 11 seconds left finally brought the ol’ ball coach to his feet. When VCU turned the ball over with 2.8 seconds left, Judy, Phil Sr. wife, buried her face in his shoulder.
» READ MORE: From 2025: Phil Martelli Sr. will watch his son Phil Jr. coach in the NCAA Tournament: ‘Stressful is the right word’
“The funny thing with him is it’s never Xs and Os,” Martelli Jr. said of his pregame conversations with his father. “We never talk Xs and Os. He never says to me, ‘Hey, here’s a really good play to run. You should be playing more of this, do more of that.’ He never says that. It’s always about keep your guys focused. Look out for this. Make sure you’re blocking out distractions, all those things. It is awesome. It’s awesome.”
The Martellis will have plenty of time to reflect on the accomplishment within it all. Father and son have spent their lives together on the basketball court, with Martelli Jr. playing at Saint Joe’s before embarking on a 20-year odyssey as an assistant coach. Still only 41 years old, Martelli Jr. is quickly establishing himself as a college basketball coaching commodity the way Martelli Sr. did during his early years at St. Joe’s. But on Thursday night, as the post-upset din subsided and the next two teams took the court, both Martellis had already turned their attention to Saturday, where a second-round game against third-seeded Illinois awaits (7:50 p.m., CBS3).
“One of the big words in there is legacy. All the tournaments and the big shots and the wins and all that, and we’re just trying to add to that legacy,” Martelli Jr. said with regard to VCU. “We’re not trying to create anything new. We’re just trying to build on what’s been built upon and add a new story to that legacy.”