As at the end of any season, the men's basketball team will honor its seniors this weekend in its penultimate regular season game at Cousens Gym on Saturday.
But this year, it will say goodbye to a duo that helped the program grow from a sub-par 8-17 squad to a NCAA and NESCAC championship contender.
Together from day one, senior tri-captains Brian Kumf and Dave Shepherd's legacy will be forever associated with last year's historic postseason run.
"They aren't just good players, they are good citizens," coach Bob Sheldon said. "They've been Dean's List every semester here, and they work hard at basketball too, which sets a good example for younger players and recruits."
The two arrived on campus in the fall of 2003, both coming off stellar high school careers - Shepherd enjoyed a prep career at Proctor Academy in New Hampshire while Kumf starred for his local Milford High School in central Massachusetts - and were ready for the next level. Living on the same floor in Bush Hall freshman year, the two players met even before their basketball careers began.
"We lived right across the hall freshman year by chance," Kumf said. "I think it was great for the both of us. More than just being best friends, we have always been very competitive with one another, and we have pushed each other to become better players and better teammates today."
"It was lucky that we were able to meet so quickly," Shepherd said. "It helped us throughout our years here."
Kumf's career at Tufts has been defined by his hustle and his tenacity on the boards. His hard work in the weight room in the past years has enabled him to rip down over 500 rebounds in a Jumbo uniform. Due to the Jumbo's small size, Kumf has often been forced to play against bigger opponents, but the height deficiency hasn't hurt him on the glass or in the scoring column.
Over the weekend, the small forward dominated rival Middlebury, scoring a career-high 26 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The next afternoon, he torched Williams for 19 points and seven rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end.
"[Kumf] leads by his performance," Sheldon said. "He has stepped up in big games for us the past few years."
Shepherd has run the point position effectively for four years, and by the end of his career he will be one of the all-time assist leaders in program history. Shepherd has hit double-figures in helpers seven times as the Tufts point man and is currently fifth all-time with 450 assists.
Even with all his success, Shepherd's best attributes may be his intangibles: his intensity, his demeanor, his fearlessness in being the guy to take the last shot.
"[Shepherd] really embodies the point position," Sheldon said. "I think he has reached his full potential from all the work he has put in, which as a coach is all you can ask for from a player."
Kumf and Shepherd have had a front-row seat to the rejuvenation of the Tufts basketball program as a regional power. After a dismal 8-17 freshmen campaign, the team surprised everyone in the NESCAC the next season by going 16-10 and 7-2 in the conference. Things only got sweeter for the Jumbos in the class of 2007's junior season, as the Jumbos advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, winning 23 games in the process to set the program mark for victories in a season.
"I think that being a part of the rebuilding of the team will be the most valuable lessons I learn at Tufts," Shepherd said.
He added, "You just can't recreate that type of learning and knowledge in a classroom setting. I am very proud of where we are and where we were. I think for the guys who have been around since then, that freshman season and its lessons will never leave us."
The two seniors attributed the team's vault back to the top of the NESCAC to their coach and mentor.
"[Sheldon] is a great coach with his own, unique style which works incredibly well for our team," Kumf said. "He lets his players play and gives us the freedom to do what we do best on the basketball court. He has a great sense of humor and is a lot of fun to be around."
"Playing for coach Sheldon is a great experience because he is a player's coach," Shepherd added. "His style allows you to grow as a player without losing confidence in your own ability."
This Saturday, Kumf and Shepherd, along with Jason Grauer, Ross Trethewey and Brian Fitzgerald, will be honored before the Jumbos' contest against Colby. It will be the final conference regular-season home game for these seniors, who have come a long way since the ugly hiccup of the 2003-04 season.
