SEATTLE -- Have no fear, Underdog is here.
Or something like that.Weber State knew coming into the game they were underdogs. They knew all along that very few people gave them a snowball's chance in Hades of surviving to play another game.
What they didn't know, is they were supposed to be intimidated by the glory that is Tar Heel basketball.
"I already told my professors back home that we were going to win," said the ever-confident Noel Jackson after Weber State knocked off 13th-ranked North Carolina. "I don't call this an upset. We have confidence in what we can do."
The fact that Weber State didn't let its collective jaw hit the floor when the Heels waltzed into Key Arena shouldn't be too surprising. This Wildcat team has been one that has never shown much of a sign of being in awe over anything, not even themselves.
"We weren't intimidated," said Harold Arceneaux after pouring in 36 points. "You can't judge something you haven't seen play. You can't judge a book by its cover without even opening it up."
The book on the 14th-seeded Wildcats is wide open now.
Hundreds of North Carolina fans sat in stunned silence as their beloved Tar Heels caused office pools across America to be ripped up.
"I do not think that we overlooked them," said UNC coach Bill Guthridge. "The guys were impressed with what they saw on tape. . . . They are certainly better than a No. 14 seed."
Guthridge and the Tar Heels are certainly believers now.
"We probably gained a lot of respect," said point guard Eddie Gill. "You're not going to have to ask, 'Who's Weber State?' "
The 'Cats are also hoping they make a few believers back home, too.
Gill said he and the team was more than a little upset at hearing lots and lots about the University of Utah and being treated like an afterthought on Utah TV and radio stations.
"We deserve a lot more respect than we get," he said. "They definitely know who we are now."
Arceneaux found himself the center of attention not only on the court but in the locker room as well. National radio shows lined up to talk to him, and reporters begged him to tell them how and why he ended up at Weber State. He, and the rest of the Wildcats, may have been a well-kept secret in the Big Sky Conference, but they are now the nation's favorite story.
"He's a great player and he hit some big baskets," said UNC guard Ed Cota. "I was all over him on defense, and he managed to get a shot off. He played a great game."
To say Arceneaux was in the zone doesn't do him justice. As has been the norm all season, Arceneaux just needed a reason to get upset, to get into the zone.
"Just playing North Carolina got me ticked off," he said. "Just the challenge motivated me."
Once he got into the right mindframe, it was time for The Show to begin. Arceneaux was guarded by either Cota or 6-foot-9 Ademola Okulaja most of the game. "Every time he gave me a step," Arceneaux said. "I was looking to shoot it."
And shoot he did. Arceneaux hoisted up 26 shots, hitting 14, and left the game clearly Seattle's second favorite player, ranking somewhere behind Gary Payton.
Underdog's next chance to save the day comes Saturday when the 'Cats face off with No. 5 seed Florida.
"The sky's the limit," Arceneaux said when asked how far this Wildcat team could go. "We belong in this tournament and have the opportunity to prove we belong here. We felt we had to represent the state, too."
Mission accomplished.