Behind the scenes of La Salle's journey through the NCAA tournament with associate athletic director Kevin Bonner
His job just got a lot busier as Explorers keep rolling, and rolling, in the NCAA Tournament.
Kevin Bonner, La Salle associate athletic director, agreed to do a diary for the Daily News.
SELECTION SUNDAY
6 p.m. Selection Show starts.
6:15 pm: Nervousness and anxiety at an all-time high. Need to eat something.
6:28 p.m.: Scratch that. Now it's at an all-time high.
6:29 p.m.: La Salle vs. Boise State shows up on the screen. Elation. I'm usually pretty reserved, but I think I gave a fist pump after this one.
6:30 p.m.: Mass chaos ensues.
7:45 p.m.: After some interviews, Coach Dr. John Giannini and I hop in my wife's car to visit with three local television stations. Luckily we didn't have to take my 10-year old Saturn that doubles as my filing cabinet.
11:30 p.m.: Back to the office after a quick bite to eat at a local fast food spot. Have been happy that I've eaten pretty well throughout the season but I have a feeling that will end.
11:35 p.m.: Begin my game notes, which we supply to the media to help cover the team. Need to have them done by Monday at 4. Not sure how that will happen.
MONDAY
3 a.m. Get a good chunk of my game notes done so it's time to head home for a few hours of sleep.
4 p.m.: Media availability before practice, just after finishing the game notes. Ramon Galloway borrows a reporter's microphone to interview Tyreek Duren on camera. The players are so good with the media. I think this will make them easy to root for if we can make a run in this thing.
8:15 p.m.: Bus heads to the airport where the charter is waiting. Rumor has it that the plane is the same one used by the Miami Heat. Guys think that's awesome. I'm asleep before we take off.
TUESDAY
11 a.m. Get a call from Jim Nantz on my cell phone asking about the team. I think about having him record my voicemail for me, but decide that wouldn't be the best idea since we just met. "A tradition unlike any other, leaving a voicemail for Kevin Bonner."
WEDNESDAY
9:10 p.m.: Tip-off vs. Boise State.
11:30 p.m.: Explorers win. Phone explodes with email requests and congratulatory texts. Haven't made a basket all year but glad to accept them. Going to be a long night. But wouldn't trade it for anything.
THURSDAY:
1:30 a.m.: Get on the charter. Can't decide whether to sleep or do work.
3:30 a.m./2:30 a.m. Central: Plane lands in Kansas City. I've neither slept nor completed any work. Good move.
3:05 a.m.: Central: Set up shop in the hotel lobby to bang out some game notes. Try not to drink too much soda but I've got two next to me.
6 a.m.: Finish game notes.
9 a.m.: Alarm goes off. Not pretty.
10 a.m.: In a NCAA meeting with Roy Williams, Bill Self, Bo Ryan and Jay Wright. Wonder if they want my opinion on fouling when leading by three in the final 10 seconds?
10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Full day at the Sprint Center. SID Meeting, open practice, press conferences and more emails.
FRIDAY:
3:10 p.m.: Kansas State tip-off. Place is packed with K-State fans. This is definitely not a neutral site.
5:15 p.m.: Jerrell Wright hits his free throws down the stretch. Explorers win. Bedlam on the court.
11:30 p.m.-5 a.m.: Set up in my normal spot in the hotel lobby to clear out my email and redo the game notes. See a lot of interesting people in a hotel lobby in the wee hours of the night.
SATURDAY:
10:30 a.m.: Behind the scenes video of K-State win by our awesome videographer Molly Gallagher gets posted, 3,000 views in less than 24 hours. Wow.
3 p.m.: Facetime with the wife and my two boys, both under 5 years old. Going to put her up for sainthood for dealing with those two since I've been home 24 hours in the past 10 days. Hear Tyreek in the hallway and have him talk to my 4-year-old. That's the kind of players we have. Makes Kyle's month.
SUNDAY:
7:30 p.m.: Tyrone Garland's Southwest Philly Floater goes viral. Phone exploding with emails and texts.
MONDAY:
3 a.m.: Laundry in the hotel. Was planning on being here a week with a chance to go home. Packed for Dayton and Kansas City weather, not LA. #Sweet16Problems
5:30 p.m.: 36,000 feet in the air buying Internet. Technology amazes me. Have to answer all these emails. With no exaggeration, I received 544 emails on Monday. Tried to answer every one.
TUESDAY:
3 a.m.: Game notes finished. Luckily found a local copy shop that can deliver to the Staples Center by the end of Tuesday.
WEDNESDAY:
2:15 p.m.: Players press conference. Ramon, Tyreek and Tyrone keep them laughing. They represent us well and I told them that's one of the reasons why people are rooting so hard for us.
