CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This truly is a family affair.
With serious and sophisticated consequences.
Doug Wojcik is an assistant coach for Tom Izzo at Michigan State.
Paxson Wojcik is a graduate-student guard at North Carolina.
They’re father and son.
Michigan State and North Carolina play one another within the NCAA Tournament second round Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. within the Spectrum Center for a cherished place within the Sweet 16 regional in Los Angeles.
So, you get the purpose: That is pretty unique and special.
“It’s going to be really fun and clearly really special … not many fathers and sons get a share March Madness together like this,’’ Paxson said Friday.
“It’s a father’s dream,’’ Doug Wojcik said Friday from contained in the Spartans locker room. “Initially, he plays at North Carolina. And secondly, I coach at Michigan State. So, that in itself is a win-win.’’
This actually shall be the second time Doug has coached against Paxson, who played for Brown last 12 months before transferring to UNC for this, his final 12 months of eligibility. Brown played at Michigan State last season and lost, 68-50, while Paxson scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds in the sport.
“Playing at Michigan State last 12 months as a senior at Brown was really cool, an amazing experience for me my family and I,’’ Paxson said. “But with what’s at stake on this tournament with the loser going home, obviously there’s more on the road. So, that definitely makes it harder.
“There definitely shall be emotions involved. Just seeing him doing his thing coaching on the opposite sideline and him seeing me as an opposing player is unquestionably different from a standard game, so there’ll definitely be some emotions.’’
Asked if he has to avoid becoming too emotional, potentially attempting to do an excessive amount of in front of his father, Paxson indicated it is likely to be the opposite way around.
“There’s a viral clip of him crying when the starting lineups got here out [for the Brown game last season] that lots of people saw, so I believe he can have to regulate his emotions a bit of higher than I do,’’ Paxson said.
It’ll definitely be most difficult for Paxon’s mom and Doug’s wife, Lael Wojcik, who’ll surely be torn, and for Paxson’s younger brother, Denham, who just finished his sophomore season as a guard on the Harvard hoops team.
“I believe my wife shall be rooting for the Heels and my other son shall be rooting for the Spartans,’’ Doug said.
Paxson confirmed that intel.
“My mom, of course, goes to have the hardest time, but my brother already texted me and said he’s rooting for Michigan State, in order that was cold,’’ Paxson said.
Schieffelin during a game earlier this season. AP
“I believe it’ll be a bunch of emotions, whether it’s excitement or nervousness,’’ UNC guard and leading scorer RJ Davis said. “I do know if it was me and I used to be playing against my dad, I can be locked in. But when I had a corner 3-pointer near his bench, I might definitely turn around and talk some trash to my dad.’’
Paxson, who averages 8.3 minutes per game, had a 3-pointer and two rebounds within the Tar Heels’ 90-62 win over Wagner in Thursday night’s opening round. His father sat within the stands for the sport — watching his son and scouting the Tar Heels, for whom he was an assistant coach from 2000-03.
“It’s gotta be a weird position for him to be in — attempting to have a serious face on when he’s scouting, but additionally be watching your son,” Paxson said.
“It’ll be really cool in pregame and leading as much as the sport and after the sport, years from now, talking about. But once that ball’s tipped, he’s on his sideline, I’m on mine and we’re just attempting to win and it’s just one other ballgame.’’
No, it’s not.
Paxson grew up around Michigan State while his father coached in his first stint there, and he was best friends with Izzo’s son, Steven, who’s a graduate-student guard on this Spartans team.
“We used to take them on recruiting trips,’’ Izzo recalled. “We’d beg the mothers to let their son come to our place by utilizing our children at bait.’’
Izzo took the more pragmatic approach because it pertains to Doug and Paxson meeting on opposite sides Saturday.
“We played Brown last 12 months and that was an emotional time,’’ Izzo said. “How does it get any more emotional? I suppose, in the event you have a look at it on the nice side, [Doug] goes to LA either way — either with me or with Pax. So, I suppose that’s the positive side of it for him.’’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This truly is a family affair.
With serious and sophisticated consequences.
Doug Wojcik is an assistant coach for Tom Izzo at Michigan State.
Paxson Wojcik is a graduate-student guard at North Carolina.
They’re father and son.
Michigan State and North Carolina play one another within the NCAA Tournament second round Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. within the Spectrum Center for a cherished place within the Sweet 16 regional in Los Angeles.
So, you get the purpose: That is pretty unique and special.
“It’s going to be really fun and clearly really special … not many fathers and sons get a share March Madness together like this,’’ Paxson said Friday.
“It’s a father’s dream,’’ Doug Wojcik said Friday from contained in the Spartans locker room. “Initially, he plays at North Carolina. And secondly, I coach at Michigan State. So, that in itself is a win-win.’’
This actually shall be the second time Doug has coached against Paxson, who played for Brown last 12 months before transferring to UNC for this, his final 12 months of eligibility. Brown played at Michigan State last season and lost, 68-50, while Paxson scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds in the sport.
“Playing at Michigan State last 12 months as a senior at Brown was really cool, an amazing experience for me my family and I,’’ Paxson said. “But with what’s at stake on this tournament with the loser going home, obviously there’s more on the road. So, that definitely makes it harder.
“There definitely shall be emotions involved. Just seeing him doing his thing coaching on the opposite sideline and him seeing me as an opposing player is unquestionably different from a standard game, so there’ll definitely be some emotions.’’
Asked if he has to avoid becoming too emotional, potentially attempting to do an excessive amount of in front of his father, Paxson indicated it is likely to be the opposite way around.
“There’s a viral clip of him crying when the starting lineups got here out [for the Brown game last season] that lots of people saw, so I believe he can have to regulate his emotions a bit of higher than I do,’’ Paxson said.
It’ll definitely be most difficult for Paxon’s mom and Doug’s wife, Lael Wojcik, who’ll surely be torn, and for Paxson’s younger brother, Denham, who just finished his sophomore season as a guard on the Harvard hoops team.
“I believe my wife shall be rooting for the Heels and my other son shall be rooting for the Spartans,’’ Doug said.
Paxson confirmed that intel.
“My mom, of course, goes to have the hardest time, but my brother already texted me and said he’s rooting for Michigan State, in order that was cold,’’ Paxson said.
Schieffelin during a game earlier this season. AP
“I believe it’ll be a bunch of emotions, whether it’s excitement or nervousness,’’ UNC guard and leading scorer RJ Davis said. “I do know if it was me and I used to be playing against my dad, I can be locked in. But when I had a corner 3-pointer near his bench, I might definitely turn around and talk some trash to my dad.’’
Paxson, who averages 8.3 minutes per game, had a 3-pointer and two rebounds within the Tar Heels’ 90-62 win over Wagner in Thursday night’s opening round. His father sat within the stands for the sport — watching his son and scouting the Tar Heels, for whom he was an assistant coach from 2000-03.
“It’s gotta be a weird position for him to be in — attempting to have a serious face on when he’s scouting, but additionally be watching your son,” Paxson said.
“It’ll be really cool in pregame and leading as much as the sport and after the sport, years from now, talking about. But once that ball’s tipped, he’s on his sideline, I’m on mine and we’re just attempting to win and it’s just one other ballgame.’’
No, it’s not.
Paxson grew up around Michigan State while his father coached in his first stint there, and he was best friends with Izzo’s son, Steven, who’s a graduate-student guard on this Spartans team.
“We used to take them on recruiting trips,’’ Izzo recalled. “We’d beg the mothers to let their son come to our place by utilizing our children at bait.’’
Izzo took the more pragmatic approach because it pertains to Doug and Paxson meeting on opposite sides Saturday.
“We played Brown last 12 months and that was an emotional time,’’ Izzo said. “How does it get any more emotional? I suppose, in the event you have a look at it on the nice side, [Doug] goes to LA either way — either with me or with Pax. So, I suppose that’s the positive side of it for him.’’
