Crean had just announced that Marquette basketball folk hero Dwyane Wade was unable to attend the night's festivities but had left a video message to voice his support of the team and of the fans.,”No one was really sure who "Brad" was, but everyone in the Al McGuire Center Saturday night for Marquette Madness could tell by the tone of head men's basketball coach Tom Crean that Brad was in deep trouble.

Crean had just announced that Marquette basketball folk hero Dwyane Wade was unable to attend the night's festivities but had left a video message to voice his support of the team and of the fans.

Only one problem: the video board appeared to be malfunctioning. The crowd heard faint traces of Wade's voice but saw no accompanying representation of their man on the big screen.

"Brad, what's the problem?" Crean asked as he glared menacingly at the poor chap. After grabbing a change of pants, Brad continued his futile attempts to get the video message running.

After allowing the awkwardness to linger a few more minutes, Wade finally stepped onto the court to the delight of the fans and the immense relief of Brad. After briefly soaking in the fans' adoration, Wade explained the symbolism of his presence.

"The last time I was at a Madness, we went to a Final Four that year," Wade proclaimed.

Indeed, in 2003 a junior guard from Chicago led the Golden Eagles to the penultimate round of the NCAA tournament. Net-cutting and merriment surrounded the team, and the program has ridden the wave ever since.

This year, the men's basketball team possesses the talent to make a run deep into March. In fact, three of the of the players who will play a vital role in determining whether this squad lives up to its potential took part in the slam dunk contest at Madness.

Junior guard Dominic James, in another interesting bit of symbolism, started his first dunk attempt by throwing the ball up in the air at the three-point line. The plan was to dunk the ball after it had bounced off the hardwood. James, though, didn't like the bounce, so he retrieved the ball and tried again.

After James failed to make a dunk in the contest's final round, it was time for the event's two-time defending champion, junior guard Wes Matthews, to take his turn. Matthews has a history of leaping over things – family members, coaches, etc. – en route to his dunks.

This time around, Matthews tried to jump over a four-wheeler but could not finish either attempt. At the suggestion of Wade – who was not alone in seeing the probability of disaster grow with each try – Matthews stopped after two attempts.

Rather than the two obvious choices, it was junior guard Jerel McNeal who was crowned the dunk contest champion. Arguably the team's most valuable player, McNeal fittingly grabbed some of the spotlight on a night designed to tease what is to come in the next six months.

That future is shaped by the events of the past, which makes Wade's appearance, as well as the actions of James, Matthews and McNeal, all the more symbolically meaningful.

It matters that the men's basketball program has proven it can approach the summit of college basketball's figurative mountain.

It matters that James cast a net into NBA waters this summer, only to come up fishless and return to shore.

It matters that McNeal's absence from the lineup due to injury

last March played a role in the team's postseason demise.

The trials and tribulations that precede grand moments make the joy of success all the more precious.

Just ask Brad, who we assume still has his job.

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