OP-Ed: Why everyone in Shul is Talking about the Macs

Last week, I wrote about enjoying the journey.

About soaking in the season while it lasts and appreciating the growth of a group of seniors on their “one last ride.” About a team that had already accomplished something special before the NCAA Tournament even tipped off. But something changed this weekend. At some point during a magical season, the ride stops feeling like a surprise and becomes destiny.

That’s what Montclair State felt like. The NCAA called it a neutral site. Anyone inside the Panzer Athletic Center knew better. YU fans turned Montclair into Washington Heights. Students. Alumni. Families. Community members. Everywhere you looked, there was blue and white, even outside where fans unfortunately were turned aside due to limited capacity. 

When Max Zakheim stepped to the free-throw line with 0.2 seconds left against Bates, the moment felt massive, and the crowd felt like it was holding its breath.

Then, on Saturday night's rout against Maine-Farmington, the chants started. “Sweet 16. “ATL.” This wasn’t just a basketball crowd. It felt like a community event. And that’s when it hit me. Everyone is talking about Yeshiva basketball right now. Not just on campus. Not just on social media. In shul. At Shabbat tables. In WhatsApp chats. In places where people usually talk about everything except Division III basketball. And the funny thing is, if you’ve followed this program long enough, you know exactly why.

Macs Nation is a tough crowd. Yet they’re also the most loyal crowd you’ll find. And maybe the best way to understand YU basketball fandom is to realize Macs fans are basically sports parents.

Most college fanbases meet players when they arrive on campus, but YU fans don’t.

We watch these guys grow up. We watch them as freshmen, figuring things out in the motion offense. We watch them as sophomores finding confidence. We watch them become leaders as juniors. And by the time they’re seniors, it feels like they’re ours. So when they succeed, we react exactly like any sports parent would, by going nuts. Now multiply that feeling by the worldwide Jewish Basketball community.

The Macs are in the Sweet 16 this Friday, 1:00 PM. Against Emory. In Atlanta.

Now, technically speaking, this isn’t the first time YU has reached this stage. As avid Macs fan Samuel Rosenblatt referenced The 2019-20 team with Ryan Turell, Simcha Halpert, Dani Katz, Gabe Leifer, Ofek Reef, and Eitan Halpert, also stormed into the Sweet 16 before COVID-19 shut down the tournament. That team featured five players who have played professionally at some point. SAR coach Jack Turell noted if Leifer had wanted to go that route, he probably could have as well. That team dominated its schedule from the start. They burst onto the national scene and rode momentum all the way into March.

However, the feeling around this run is different. This Elliot Steinmetz group took a harder road. They’ve had to grow together. They’ve had to respond to adversity. They’ve had to learn how to win tight games and trust each other when the pressure rises. And now that growth is showing up in moments like the ones we saw this weekend. Against Bates, the Macs survived chaos. Against Maine-Farmington, they showed depth, balance, and a team that doesn’t fall apart even when Zevi Samet isn’t raining threes.

Yes, Samet is the program’s all-time leading scorer. Yes, Zakheim is the Skyline Playoffs MVP.

Yes, Roy Itcovichi, Dothan Bardichev, and Yoav Oselka have been anchors for years. However, the beauty of this team isn’t just the stars. It’s the way everyone fits together. 

There's Yair Dovrat. He’s a 6’7” guard who can score at every level, but whose court vision is the most impressive part of his game. He led the Skyline and all Division III freshmen in assists this season. More importantly, as Rosenblatt noted “He fits in perfectly with the offense, he contributes to the selfless culture of the team”.

Unselfish. That’s kind of the whole vibe of this program. Which leads to a debate people love to have: Ryan Turell or Samet, who’s the GOAT? I don’t know, but I don’t care. Debate it at the Shabbat table if you want. Yet the funny thing is that both of them seem like the kind of players who couldn’t care less about the GOAT debate anyway.

Because the program has never been about one player, rather about the system and brotherhood that has carried the Macs somewhere special. They’re headed to Atlanta, still dancing, representing Washington Heights, the Jewish people, Israel, and a community that suddenly can’t stop talking about Division III basketball. Last week, the message was about enjoying the journey. Now? The ride has reached a stage where everyone can see it. And the Macs look like they belong there.