PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.-All season long, the goal was clear. The men's basketball team expected to make the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament and continued to believe that even after the early-season injury to star forward Steve DeLuca '08. While the Judges ultimately finished 20 minutes shy of their biggest goal, they should not be disappointed, even though Amherst College so thoroughly dominated the second half of the team's Round of Eight contest last Saturday. Undoubtedly, coach Brian Meehan's claim after the game that this team is the team that all future teams should be compared to rang hollow at the time, but the Judges should take those words to heart.

This squad won a school-record 23 games and advanced further in the NCAA Tournament than any other team in Brandeis history, doing so on the backs of players who once performed supporting roles to the injured DeLuca. Sure, the Judges lost to a team they defeated last December, but this wasn't the same Amherst squad that had previously been content to launch contested jumpers instead of using its distinct size advantage. But Meehan's words are on point for reasons that go beyond the team's results.

Take guard Joe Coppens '08, for example. As a senior, he had to make the biggest adjustment to life without DeLuca.

Instead of defenses keying on the two-time all-University Athletic Association forward, defenses were keying on Coppens, and he still led the team in scoring, shot 42 percent from three-point range, and became arguably the most beloved Brandeis player in recent memory.

Watching Coppens as the time in his college career ticked down was an exercise in examining what made him such an easy player to support. Mired in an awful shooting game, Coppens visibly played his heart out, chasing after every missed shot and jumping into the bodies of Amherst's interior giants. When the game was over, he pulled his jersey to his eyes and cried, not only because his career was over, but because he literally had nothing left to give.

Meehan's words apply to the other key seniors on the team as well.

Like the team without DeLuca, forward Stephen Hill '08 was overlooked his entire career. In each of his first three seasons, he entered the season on the bench, only to play his way into a starting role each time.

Last Saturday, however, he fouled out with 6 minutes and 26 seconds left to go in the game. As the Lord Jeffs finished off the game, Hill held his arms over his head, powerless to delay the inevitable ending of his career.

Then there is point guard Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08, whose quiet professionalism symbolized this Judges squad. He committed four quick fouls in the team's 74-63 win over the State University of New York at Plattsburgh last Friday, but Meehan put him back in the game with 12:28 remaining, trusting him to not pick up the fifth foul that would have disqualified him. Graves-Fulgham didn't, and the Judges won because of it.

One cannot forget about guard Florian Rexhepi '08, who never complained even when he lost his starting job, or center John Saucier '08, who provided comedic relief even as his knees deteriorated. This group will undoubtedly be missed, and one look at the Brandeis fan section, whose noise drowned out the far larger contingents from Amherst and Plattsburgh State last weekend illustrates the significant off-court impact the five departed seniors had on the program.

Meehan may not have most of his ballyhooed first recruiting class next season, but it should not matter.

This season was easily the finest coaching job of his career, as he somehow managed to lead the Judges much further than anyone could have anticipated especially without DeLuca. Even last weekend, his coaching was on full display.

His switch to a zone defense late in the team's win over Plattsburgh State neutralized all-American senior guard Anthony Williams, and though the Judges lost in the next round, Meehan was again able to devise a game plan that held Amherst all-American senior point guard Andrew Olson in check.

In the end, the players' resolve and Meehan's coaching weren't able to lead the Judges past Amherst's giants and to their ultimate goal. But this team not only will be the gold standard for all other men's basketball squads, but it also laid the framework for what should continue to be an incredibly successful program.