Gerald Greene still looked as if he could put in a solid 15 minutes at point guard. John Morton, his old backcourt running mate, was certain of it.
"I'll tell you this: I bet he can still defend," said Morton.
P.J. Carlesimo, as was his custom at emotional moments away from courtside, had to fight back tears as he watched a video tribute at the Prudential Center just before being introduced to the big crowd and before he would take the microphone and speak from midcourt.
"I was close (to crying)," he said, conceding that tears had welled in his eyes.Twenty years after bringing Seton Hall to the brink of a national championship, the key players -- and coaches -- were back in an unfamiliar haunt telling old, familiar stories before, during and after the Pirates' 65-60 upset of Georgetown. Some of the tales have been embellished over the years, but not much. That whole 31-7 season, which ended with Seton Hall losing to Michigan by one point in overtime in the national championship game, was magical enough.
Sunday's reunion brought back starting guards Greene and Morton and starting forward Daryll Walker, as well as reserves Anthony Avent, Michael Cooper, Frantz Volcy, Jose Rebimbas, Rene Monteserin and Khyiem Long. Andrew Gaze sent a video message from his home in Australia.
Among the coaches, Carlesimo was joined by former assistants John Carroll, Bruce Hamburger and Tom Sullivan.
"To have so many guys come back for this shows you how close this team was," said Greene, who was attending his first Seton Hall function since graduating in 1989. He made the trip from his home in Charlotte, N.C., where he has a home restoration business.
Greene said he still gets recognized as the player who was called for one of the most controversial fouls in Final Four history. Referee John Cloughtery whistled Greene for a bump on Rumeal Robinson with three seconds left in overtime -- enabling Robinson to make the game-winning free throws in Michigan's 80-79 victory.
Told that Cloughtery's son, Tim, was one of the officials working the Seton Hall-Georgetown game Sunday, Greene was surprised.
"You're kidding," he said. "How strange is that?"
Carlesimo's day started in Staten Island, where he took part in ceremonies on the 30th anniversary of the Wagner team he coached to a 21-7 record and into the NIT. That event started at 9:30 a.m., meaning Carlesimo and his oldest son, 6-year-old Kyle, were awake by 8:30.
That's 5:30 back home in Seattle, which is where they flew from on Friday.
"The two of us had major problems getting up," he said.
Not that Carlesimo would have missed the day. He made it from Wagner to the Rock for the tail-end of the pregame reception, about 20 minutes before tipoff, carrying Kyle with him.
"It was a great day," he said. "But being greedy, a perfect day would have been one whole day for one and one day for the other because there were so many people I wanted to see."
Carlesimo pleaded for support and patience for head coach Bobby Gonzalez when he addressed the crowd at midcourt, obviously recalling his six-year struggle to get the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. That was 1988. A year later, Seton Hall was playing for a national title.
"In the locker room after the (national championship) game, the thing was almost as sad -- maybe more sad -- than the loss was knowing that this was the last time this group was going to be together," said Carlesimo, who said he still harbors hopes of a return to the NBA after being fired as coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 22. "That was just a special team. You didn't want it to end."