When Sean Wallis stepped foot on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, the Field House rafters did not have a single NCAA Division III Final Four banner hanging.

Five years later, Wallis is still on campus. And the Field House has acquired some new decorations.

‘We had won a bunch of conference championships before I got here,’ Wallis said. ‘But getting over that final hump and being a part of it all has been amazing.’

Wallis and the Bears have soared over that final hump. The Bears have been to three Final Fours in a row and won two straight national championships. Over the past two seasons the team has gone 52-4. And Wallis has been a part of it all.

As a fifth-year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in finance, Wallis is looking to lead the No. 1 ranked Bears to the promised land one last time. The Bears stand at 23-2 overall and 13-1 in the University Athletic Association. They are riding a 12-game winning streak into the first round of the D-III NCAA Tournament, in which they will host Westminster College on Friday.

A Northbrook, Ill., native, Wallis is averaging 12.8 points and dishing out a team-high 7.3 assists. As a standout point guard at Glenbrook North High School, Wallis played with Duke star Jon Scheyer. He won a state title as a senior. Bears head coach Mark Edwards knew Wallis would be a perfect hit for his team.

‘I value the point guard and believe that position is the key to success,’ said Edwards, who is in his 29th season at the helm for the Bears. ‘With Sean, players on the team start to anticipate and get open because they know they will be rewarded.’

And while Wallis says he wouldn’t change a thing, his success has not come without some adversity.

After a sophomore season in which Wallis started and led his team to a third-place finish in the Final Four, he broke his leg the third game into his junior season. He was out for the year and had to watch his replacement Ross Kelley lead what was supposed to be his team to the school’s first national championship.

‘I didn’t want to be one of those kids at the end of the bench in a sweatsuit, uninvolved, ‘Wallis said. ‘So I became a student-assistant coach and gained a great appreciation for what my coaches do and how they make the team better.’

Every game Wallis sat on the bench between the top assistant coach and the head coach. He watched film and worked with the coaches and players. When the Bears faced Amherst in the national championship game, it was Wallis who had scouted them and put together the game plan.

He also served as his replacement’s mentor.

‘He was real good with giving me advice,’ said senior and backup point guard Kelley. ‘But only when I sought it. He struck a great balance by giving me the reigns and freedom, but giving advice when I asked.’

As soon as the buzzer sounded against Amherst, Wallis jumped around on one foot. The genuine excitement that Wallis displayed despite being injured is something Kelley says he will never forget.

‘It just showed us that it was not about him, it was all about the team,’ Kelley said. ‘After all the celebration he just sat on the bench with a happy smirk, all by himself. That is just Sean. He is all about the team.’

With a plate and screws in his leg, Wallis returned and won his starting job back. He came back a different player. A year of watching every game from the sideline taught Wallis the value of the basketball. How every possession matters. He made it his mission to get his team a good shot every time down the court.

His coach noticed the improvement.

‘The year off made him even more effective when he came back,’ Edwards said. ‘He saw the game from a different perspective and just has such a high basketball IQ. He makes everyone else look good.’

After leading the Bears to a national championship, Kelley was relegated to the bench. He served as Wallis’ backup. And while it was tough, Kelley realized it was the right decision.

‘It was kind of weird at first,’ Kelley said. ‘Not many people win a national championship and then become the backup. But we went 29-2, so obviously it was the right decision.’

The Bears won the championship again, and Wallis was named an All-American. Unfortunately for the rest of the Division III basketball world, Wallis returned for his fifth year of eligibility. And after years of success and memories, it is easy for Edwards to pinpoint his most memorable moment.

In the Bears’ last regular-season home weekend, Wallis asked his coach to start Kelley in the team’s final game on Sunday. Edwards has a tradition of not starting all the seniors on Senior Day, but Wallis wanted to make sure his friend got to start one last time.

‘Just out of the blue he came into my office and said Ross should get the start,’ Edwards said. ‘That just shows his values and shows what is important to him. That moment was incredibly characteristic of him.’

Though he had a successful stint as an assistant coach, he hopes to play basketball overseas for a couple years and then pursue a career in finance.

And while he certainly hopes to add another banner to the Field House rafters, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the Bears do not three-peat.

‘It is funny because when you win it you realize how close you came to not winning it,’ Wallis said. ‘A bounce here, a missed shot there. Of course the main goal is a championship, but at the same time you cannot say it will be a failure if it doesn’t happen. It wouldn’t take away the great things that have happened.’

restern@syr.edu

No. 13 Vanderbilt at Florida (Tuesday, 7 p.m., ESPN)

After three impressive wins for Florida, the Gators lost a tough game by two at Georgia. The Gators will have to get this big win against No. 13 Vanderbilt to keep their NCAA Tournament dreams alive.

Florida 77, Vanderbilt 74

Louisville at Marquette (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m., ESPNU)

Each team stands at 10-6 in the Big East and is playing to secure its NCAA Tournament. Louisville is coming off a huge win against UConn, and Marquette just squeaked by Seton Hall. Samardo Samuels should have a field day against Marquette’s small interior.

Louisville 70, Marquette 66

No. 4 Duke at No. 22 Maryland (Wednesday, 9 p.m., ESPN)

The Terps are on fire. They have won five in a row, including an overtime thriller against Virginia Tech. They sit at second in the ACC, below Duke by a game. Duke beat Maryland by 21 points about two weeks ago, but the Terps are really clicking.

Maryland 75, Duke 67

Connecticut at Notre Dame (Wednesday, 7 p.m., ESPN)

Luke Harangody who? The Irish have strung together two big wins after a crushing overtime loss to Louisville. With their tournament hopes on the line, Notre Dame will have a big challenge handling the Huskies backcourt of Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson.

UConn 72, Notre Dame 68

No. 1 Syracuse at Louisville (Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN)

Syracuse will look to avenge one of its two losses in the last regular-season Big East matchup of the season. Playing in Louisville is never easy, and the Cardinals will have much more at stake.

Louisville 67, Syracuse 63

restern@syr.edu