NORFOLK, Va. – Excuse Jelani Williams for holding up the start of the Howard University men's basketball press conference last Saturday after the Bison edged Norfolk State, 65-64, in a memorable Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship treasure at the Scope Arena.
 
He had a great reason.
 
The heavy Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference trophy he was carrying slowed his stride behind head coach Kenneth Blakeney and freshman forward Shy Odom, who waited patiently for Williams to arrive.
 
The guest of honor eventually arrived, and upon setting the trophy down on the table, his first words were, "isn't she lovely."
 
For Williams and the entire Howard University men's basketball program, there was nothing in the world prettier than the site of the trophy on the table and a net draped around Blakeney's neck as the Bison celebrated its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992.  
 
Howard will open the 2023 NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed against reigning national champion and No. 1 seed Kansas in a first-round contest of the West Regional. The game will be played Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time on TBS. 
 
"Coach Blakeney told me about his vision and the opportunity I would have here," Williams said. "Being from the DMV, it was about legacy. I had the opportunity to come back home and be around my family to do something that hadn't been done in almost 40 years, so I jumped at it. I went to middle school on Howard's campus, so it was a no-brainer."
 
Tears of joy flowed from Williams as he clutched the game ball tightly with both hands cradled around it once the final buzzer sounded, making Howard's dramatic victory official. Williams' journey to a champion featured many obstacles and detours. 
 
He was at Penn last year, and his season ended with a postseason setback in the Ivy League tournament. Even before he could showcase his skills, Williams overcame various ACL injuries that sidelined him for nearly three years. 
 
Williams made two free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining to provide the winning margin. Those foul shots completed a splendid 20-point performance. He scored nine of Howard's final 15 points in the victory over Norfolk State.
 
With tension swirling inside the Scope Arena and the pressure at its highest, Williams remembered lessons learned from his father to rise to the occasion. 
 
"I was terrible at shooting free throws when I was younger," Williams said. "My dad taught me how to slow myself down, and one way to do that was to sing lullabies. You have the crowd, and it's loud. You understand the depth of the moment at that point, so I sang myself a lullaby in my head because I needed to clear my mind as best as possible."
 
Williams' journey is like many of his teammates and his head coach. Blakeney opened the press conference by reflecting on his winding road to this moment.
 
"I am a little speechless," Blakeney said. "This is a little surreal for me. Six years ago, I was trying to get into the business after being out of the business for eight years and begging people to get a job. I was fortunate that Columbia hired me as a volunteer, driving 2 hours to work and 2 hours home. No pay. 
 
"A lot of grinding just for this moment. Nobody gave these guys a chance here, and many people gave up on them. That's our whole team. A team of guys that people didn't believe in and gave up on. People thought they were afterthoughts. To see this moment come to fruition after a lot of hard work on everybody's part is wonderful."
 
Blakeney's journey has served as an inspiration. His people-first personality has made Blakeney the ideal leader for the Bison.
 
"Many of us have had similar journeys with injuries and family problems," Williams said. "To hear where he came from and with both of us having similar Ivy backgrounds is why I was drawn to Howard. I don't believe in coincidences because everything happens for a reason. Our personalities are aligned. I am glad everything we said we would do is before us. None of this is possible without God, and I am glad we were able to get it done."