...should have added, while feeling all gobbed up with national championship endorphins and overflowing unfocused gratitude:

7.  A thank you to all the posters on this board, before everybody departs for tanning until next year. No, seriously. The surrealist slam poets included. (You know who you are--keep bringin the flava, boyz.) (And grrrlz.)

On account of bad mojo, I wasn't able to see any games this year until the NESCAC tourney, so had to watch the season through the prism of all this chat-board jive--and loved it. The waning of Bates, the birth of Middlebury, the chemical imbalance of Tufts, the renaissance of Williams (looks like THAT particular competitive nap is over), the arrival of some dame's infant...all of it. Even found myself looking up formerbant's current professional progress.

Big fun. So thanks. Y'all have more readers than you know.

1.  I'll have what Walzy's having.

2.  Can't let the season go without a public +1 for the T. McLaughlin bandwagon. (Started by the senator, maybe? Apologies if crediting the wrong dude/dudette.) Coming out of last year I probably wasn't the only one who thought McLaughlin's slot might be Amherst's black hole--but by Salem he'd become easily the club's second most valuable player. Defense, yes. (How big was it that against the best team Amherst played this year he made the All-American Cooper look ordinary?) But his offense/competitiveness was just as key. Streaky shooter--but I can't remember a miss when a make was necessary. Lousy free-thrower--but I can't remember a miss when a make was necessary. On a team that, for all its strengths, did not have players who could create their own shots, McLaughlin was the guy who most often generated something when things had gotten ugliest. (Olson will do this more next year because he'll have to.) Dude seemed to have no fear. And what's more fun for a D-III fan (well, besides a CHAMPIONSHIP) than seeing an unheralded kid grow over four years into the co-leader of a championship-level team? So, mad props to McLaughlin. The way he invented himself over his career will serve him well the rest of his life. And should.

3.  And what about Hixon? Apparently he just got this site's Coach of the Year (congrats). On this board, though, it usually seems he's praised for recruiting but not, um, coaching. Let's correct. His offense capitalized on everything his players could do best, and enabled Amherst to exploit opponents outside (Wooster) or inside/mid-range (Va. Wes--with motion, backcuts, and even a little post play despite having no players who can actually do much in the post). But you had to love his ability to teach team/help defense even more, and that's where a coach makes his bones--'cuz, A) you gotta get a whole team to understand how it's played, and B), you gotta get a whole team motivated to play it. Amherst's defense was the difference in Salem, unsexy as it is to admit. Upshot: Just a flat great coaching job by the man this season. Warrants mentioning.

4.  Congrats to ALL Amherst's players and coaches (the above ain't meant to shortchange anybody). Loved your style. Thanks for the memories.

5.  Now lemme have some more of what Walzy's having.

(6.  And some of whatever La Verdad's on wouldn't be so bad either. Don't hurt yourselves in Fla., fellaz....)

More props here from an opposing fan for Vandervaart and his (forgive unavoidable Boston reference) Kevin McHale imitation. The drop-steps, spins, over-under moves...you don't see post work like that very often anymore. Even better than his shooting percentage was the fact that by the time he'd finished his footwork, the shots were actually easy. I didn't think Amherst was going to survive him.

Here's hoping that V. and his teammates will eventually feel the satisfaction they deserve from a strong final game and a great season. Wooster was a pleasure to watch.