To Alex Baron, it all felt eerily similar. The slow start, the midseason winning streak that pulled the team together, and the defensive tenacity that culminated in a championship. Yet, this time the title came for Baron on the college level. Two years ago, Baron was a starter on Whitman High’s boys basketball state championship squad, and last month Baron added some more hardware to his trophy case, as a reserve on Washington (Mo.) University men’s basketball team, which won the NCAA Division III national title with a 90-68 win over Amherst (Mass.) College on March 22.
‘‘This run really reminded me of high school,” Baron said. ‘‘We had an early setback when our starting point guard went down, but our backups did a tremendous job, and we started a winning streak that put our season back on track. Along the way, we realized how intense we had to be and how hard we had to play.”
In 2006, Baron’s senior season at Whitman, he helped set the defensive tone as a forward⁄center, and the Vikings won their final 13 games, including a shocking 39-38 win over powerful Eleanor Roosevelt in the Class 4A state championship. His classmate Michael Gruner, who now plays at Lafayette (Pa.) College, was the player that Whitman relied on to score points, but Baron’s vocal intensity served as an emotional catalyst for his team. He played a similar role with the Bears.
‘‘One of the reasons that he is so beloved by his teammates is that he makes everyone work so hard in practice,” Washington University coach Mark Edwards said. ‘‘People who have had success understand what it means to be part of a team, and they understand sacrifice. Alex brought us that attitude and focus.”
There was one major difference for Baron, 20, of Bethesda, in this run to a championship. At Whitman, he logged a lot of minutes on the floor, but played sparingly for the Bears, getting into just two games for a total of three minutes all season. Yet, the mere fact he was on the team was not something Baron anticipated when he stepped on to Washington University’s campus in St. Louis two years ago.
‘‘I did not think that I would continue playing basketball when I got to college,” he said. ‘‘I thought that winning a championship was a great way to end my basketball career, but when I got here, the atmosphere was so positive that I felt really ready to play.”
It was an arduous process, as Baron had to compete with 10 other freshmen recruits for a spot on the roster. What stuck out to Edwards was his enthusiasm for hard work.
‘‘He did anything that we asked him to do,” Edwards said. ‘‘Alex is a tremendous kid. He kept working hard. Even though he did not get a lot of floor time, he cheered on his teammates throughout the tournament.”
Part of the reason Baron saw very little time on the floor was senior forward Troy Ruths played ahead of him. Like Whitman in 2006, which relied on Gruner, the Bears relied on Ruths, who averaged 20.5 points per game this season, and dropped 33 on Amherst in the final. For his efforts, Ruths was named the national player of the year by the Web site D3hoops.com. Baron served as an apprentice to Ruths at practice all season.
‘‘I learned a ton from Troy,” Baron said. ‘‘He helped my development in every aspect of my game, especially in showing me how to execute different offensive moves.”
If Baron can incorporate some of those moves in game situations next year, he may see more time on the floor. As it was, however, this season was an unforgettable experience even from the sidelines.
‘‘It’s a fact of playing in college,” Baron said. ‘‘You go from being among the best players on your team to the second or third string and it can be tough to get used to it. I realized my role on this team early on and went with it. I hope that I can still fill the role that I had in high school. On a personal level, I feel I can do more for this team.”
He may get his chance next season, with the graduation of Ruths.
‘‘We might have to change our system because we are graduating a big part of our offense,” Edwards said. ‘‘The opportunity for Alex will be there, and it’s going to be an open competition for that spot on the floor. Alex does not shy away from competition.”
And, it is that competitive fire that will fuel Baron to be part of what he hopes are a few more championship seasons.
‘‘I want to play a more significant role [on the floor],” Baron said. ‘‘I think we can repeat as champions and I want to be a part of it.”
Notes: Baron did play significant minutes for Washington University’s junior-varsity men’s basketball team this season, starting half of the team’s 12-game schedule. Though there are no official statistics available, Baron estimated that he averaged four points and eight rebounds per contest.
