OGDEN, Utah, Jan. 21, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — “The Show” was back in town Saturday night and “The Thrill” returned to the Dee Events Center.
Harold Arceneaux and Eddie Gill, the dynamic duo who helped put Weber State on the college basketball map in 1999, were back on the court with several of their former teammates to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament run.
The 1998-99 Wildcats were one of the most successful men’s basketball teams in school history, and they’re responsible for a memorable NCAA Tournament upset that continues to hold a place in college basketball lore.
“It’s a moment that’s etched in history for quite some time — forever,” Gill said following the halftime ceremony. “It’s one of the greatest upsets in NCAA Tournament history.”
On March 11, 1999, Weber State introduced itself to a national college basketball audience by handing North Carolina its first opening-round NCAA Tournament loss in 19 years.
Arceneaux put on a show, scoring 36 points — hitting five 3-pointers in the game and knocking down a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to clinch the victory.
Gill added 16 points, five rebounds and two steals as the 14th-seeded Wildcats won over fans at Seattle’s Key Arena and across the county by knocking off the third-seeded Tar Heels.
Current Weber State coach Eric Duft remembers watching the Wildcats’ upset as a kid growing up in central Kansas. He was a North Carolina and Kansas fan at the time and recalls rooting for the Tar Heels against a school he knew nothing about.
“Who knew as a kid watching that game that I’d be sitting in here coaching this team,” Duft said, noting the significance of the victory and its importance to the program going forward.
“But just the memory of seeing a smaller school be able to go and beat one of the true blue bloods of college basketball, that is a remarkable thing to do,” he said. “It’s one thing if you go beat a Power Five school, but when you beat one of the blue bloods, that’s a special thing. I think people from everywhere have memories of that win.”
Duft’s Wildcats did their part to support the celebration Saturday night, shaking off a slow start and pulling away in the second half for an 88-65 victory over Idaho.
Blaise Threatt (24 points) and Dyson Koehler (23 points) both had career-highs in scoring, each hitting three 3-pointers as WSU (12-7 overall, 3-3 Big Sky Conference) snapped a three-game losing streak.
Neither was alive when the 1999 Wildcats toppled the Tar Heels, but Koehler said he’d seen highlights of the upset and understands the team’s place in school history.
“They basically set the foundation for the team now,” the WSU junior forward and former Jordan High School star said. “So we just knew that in the back of our heads, we’re playing for them and the legacy we received. So that’s what we were trying to do, come out and represent them as well — and all the past teams.”
Dillon Jones picked an appropriate time to collect his 180th career steal, becoming Weber State’s all-team leader with Gill, the previous record-holder, looking on.
In all, seven members of the 1998-99 WSU team returned for the on-court reunion: Arceneaux, Gill, Andy Jensen, Shawn Moore, Joey Haws, Eric Ketcham and Freddie Dawson. Joe Cravens, an assistant coach to late head coach Ron Abegglen that season, also was in attendance.
Gill went on to play professional basketball for 12 years, including seven in the NBA.
“I tell people I chased the basketball all over the world,” he said.
Gill spent two seasons with the Indiana Pacers in 2004-2006 and ended up making Indianapolis his home.
Despite winning back-to-back Big Sky MVPs and gaining national notoriety as a junior, Arceneaux never played for an NBA team. That said, he enjoyed a long career playing basketball overseas — with stops in Argentina, Australia, France, Portugal, the Philippines, Venezuela and Mexico — before hanging up his high tops in 2010.
After basketball, Arceneaux got into the music business and is part owner of a record label. He currently resides in Atlanta.
Saturday’s reunion at the Dee Events Center was the first time several members of the team had seen each other since their college days.
“It’s awesome to be back and see the guys, see how they’re doing and catch up with them, and just be back in the Dee,” Gill said.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be back,” added Arceneaux. “It brings back so many old memories. Just to see where the program went from then to now, it’s just a great thing.”
