She stood in one of the front rows of the arena, clapping, cheering and yelling as loud as she could. She and her husband have been through this before.
When their son, Sam, committed to Marquette in 2015, the Hausers didn't expect him to follow him there two years later. When a child commits to a college, no family does anything. They think they will stay and finish. Have fun. If you are lucky, leave early for the NBA.
Sam and Joey did not go pro early. The Golden Eagles had their top scorer announce his departure just days before the Final Four, shocking fans and college basketball watchers.
Sam and Joey left for Virginia and Michigan State, respectively. They accomplished a lot between them. Sam was a first-team All-ACC nod last year.
One thing they failed to achieve in four previous attempts was an NCAA tournament win.
Going into the tournament, Joey knew this. He had one of the best games of his college career against Davidson on Friday night, with 27 points. He looked like the best player on the floor at times. With Michigan State clinging to a one-point lead, they understood what it meant.
The Spartans won. By the end, she was a bit hoarse.
Pick the winner of the games in the NCAA tournament from the Sweet 16 to the championship. The tournament challenge had a second chance.
The experiences they had first at Marquette and then Sam with coach Tony Bennett and Joey are what makes them so lucky.
The win is incredible. Sometimes people don't realize that it's more than just a game.
In the moment, the Hausers downplayed the significance of the family's first NCAA basketball win, but it wasn't far from their minds.
The past few weeks, Joey thought about it. In Stevens Point, Wisconsin, it came up in the backyard and on the family boat on Lake Du Bay.
Michigan State took a three-point lead after a wide-open 3-pointer by Gabe Brown.
The kids are all back, so they want to get their bragging rights back.
Sam is out. It is a fun thing that comes up every once in a while.
Joey was aware of the fact that Sam wouldn't have a chance to win a tournament game again because he was on a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics. Even though Joey downplayed the win, he still took a dig at his brother.
Joey said about 15 minutes after Friday's win that he got one win. I will probably give him a call about that.
Sam was in the middle of the Celtics game against the Kings. As they rode the Michigan State team bus back to the hotel with their family, Dave,Stephanie andNicki pulled up NBA Game Pass. Boston was blowing out the Kings in the fourth quarter. With 3:25 left, Sam Hauser checked into the game.
A minute later, grabbed a rebound. A minute after that, hit a 3-pointer. After a day full of unknowns, basketball happiness and promise for the Hausers became an hour.
Sam was on the bench in Sacramento, getting updates from an equipment manager. But not about his brother.
He saw the box score when he found out Michigan State won. I watched Joey's game.
Sam said it caught him by surprise.
He caught some highlights on the bus. Texted him good luck. They spoke later. Joey had his first life-long bragging rights when they did. Sam told him how he felt.
He told Joey how proud he was of him.
It had been an up and down season for Hauser, who averaged 6.7 points on 43.1% shooting in 21.7 minutes per game. He was not shooting as much. He had as much confidence as ever Friday night.
The Hausers saw Joey for the first time since he won. The faith they had in Izzo and Joey was reflected in the NCAA tournament. They could see it in Joey's face, the biggest smile he had seen in a long time.
It was a mini-reunion of his journey. Scott Anderson was the high school coach for Joey.
There is still business after they visited briefly. If he can beat Duke on Sunday, he'll get to play in the NCAA tournament for the rest of his life.
The celebration was short. After the meetings, he had to sleep. The Hausers are not simple in basketball. The executive director of the state basketball tournament isStephanie. Six years and one day after Joey's first NCAA tournament win, some of the Hausers were in South Carolina, where they lost to South Carolina in the Final Four.
Joey was not in the area that day. He won a state semifinal for Stevens Point High on March 17, 2017, in Wisconsin. Joey won a state title after Sam was in attendance.
At 2:30 a.m. Dave made the 90-minute drive from Greenville to Charlotte so that he could fly to Wisconsin to run the tournament that Joey won three times. Saturday presented a lack of sleep and a trip to Top Golf for the family. Dave will drive to Charlotte on Sunday morning to pick up his wife. For the first time in their family's history, there is a second-round NCAA basketball tournament game. For a career for Joey that has been extended for at least one more game, it is another ride to a game for a family familiar with them.
A lot of things have happened and I wouldn't take them back. I have gotten to experience a lot of different people.
It's weird that it's going to end but I hope it ends with a win.
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