For all the fanatical boosters, slimy AAU coaches, corrupt administrators (see St. Bonaventure) and class clowns whose gross misdeeds annually tarnish the image of college basketball, there are equally inspirational individual stories which often slip under the media radar.Saturday, the Marquette University Golden Eagles continued a miraculous post-season run, advancing to the Final Four in New Orleans with a 83-69 drubbing of a heavily favored University of Kentucky squad.

The Milwaukee school, which last won a national title in 1977 (under the boisterous leadership of coaching and broadcast legend Al McGuire), cut down the nets in Minneapolis thanks in large part to the stellar play of junior swingman Dwayne Wade (the Illinois native recorded a triple double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) and sophomore sensation Travis Diener.

But ask third-year Marquette coach Tom Crean what has lit this fire under his Conference USA champion squad and he won't hesitate to tell you about assistant coach Trey Schwab.

After arriving at Marquette 18 months ago, Schwab and Crean each developed similarly debilitating nasal symptoms. While Crean's gradually improved, Schwab's worsened. After six operations and 13 months on a portable oxygen machine, doctors discovered that the 38 year-old had a rare, incurable disease called "idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis," a virus that targets the air sacks in the lungs and hinders the body's ability to process oxygen.

As the Eagles have traveled their own version of the yellow brick road to Bourbon Street, Schwab has been a rock next to Crean on the bench for every minute of every game. While the oxygen machine that can be seen wrapped around the front of his face, just below the nose, restricts Schwab's movement, his mere presence is motivation enough for Crean's young bunch.


"We're lucky to be around such a great guy," said Wade, who is relied upon to penetrate opposing defenses and kick the ball our to sharpshooters Diener and freshmen Steve Novak and Karon Bradley, "I consider him a part of my family. He handles it great and never shrugs his shoulders."

Schwab, who is awaiting a life-saving lung transplant (doctors say he's reached the transplant list's top 10), carries a beeper with him at all times, anxiously anticipating one life-altering text message.

"It's getting close enough that at my last appointment, they explained the whole procedure to me and my family and how everything's going to work," said Schwab, "They don't do that until you're close."

The operation, which Schwab is planning to have at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center, could last up to 24 hours. After the surgery, Schwab will have to spend close to two months in the hospital and another six weeks in nearby housing so medics can have easy access to him for daily checkups and lab work.

Marquette (27-5), which defeated Holy Cross, Missouri and Pittsburgh en route to Minneapolis, snapped Tubby Smith's Wildcats' 26-game win streak by registering the most points by a Kentucky opponent since Tennessee State put up 87 (and Kentucky 115) on Dec. 30 in Lexington.

While Schwab is eager to join his team in New Orleans (where they'll meet up with Western region champ Kansas), doctors have insisted that he be able to get to the transplant site within an hour and a half from any arena.

Doctors recently began cutting back on some of his medications in preparation for the operation. Even as Schwab has been left with reduced stamina and strength, he insists on treadmill running and stationary bike work at least four times a week for 45 minutes each time.

As Texas, Marquette, Kansas and Syracuse prepare to enter college basketball's promised land, they each lay claim to having survived four gut-wrenching contests.

The favorite motto of the NCAA Tournament is survive and advance. For one assistant coach, that mantra has taken on more gravity than any of us are comfortable comprehending. We're deep into the Big Dance and Marquette, expected to make a cameo appearance in March, is still alive. So is Trey Schwab.