It was around noon on March 17 at the mostly empty Fieldhouse Arena.

Grand Valley State associate head coach Phil Sayers was barking out instructions to his offense, which was running a pick-and-roll drill in the closing minutes of practice. Some players had 1 p.m. classes after practice, the injured players did homework at the scorer’s table and team trainers waited at the end of the court. It was business as usual for the Lakers.

Only, it wasn’t.

March 17 was the Lakers’ media day, as their Elite Eight matchup with No. 18 Pittsburgh State on March 22 draws closer by the minute. Media personnel from MLive, Fox 17 and others came to talk to the underdog Lakers.

“It’s just crazy how fast this process has gone,” said GVSU guard Taylor Lutz. “We were all sitting in coach’s basement waiting to see if we even got in the tournament, and when we did, it’s just been one game at a time. Now we’re one of eight teams, that’s pretty cool.”

The coaching staff tried to keep the team’s last week of practice before the game as normal as possible. With people throwing around words like “Cinderella” and “Final Four,” this was easier said than done.

“It’s a delicate balance of getting their attention—we’ve still got work to do and we can still get better—and yet, enjoying the fact that you’re in the Elite Eight,” said GVSU first-year head coach Mike Williams. “Not celebrating, but enjoying that success. It’s a delicate balance.”

Upon returning from Ashland University and the Midwest Region Tournament on March 14, Williams gave the team the next two days off after being on the road all weekend, and then got after it again on media day.

Since returning, the players have noticed this isn’t just any other week. Students in Kirkhof Center were asking for signatures on a giant card congratulating the team, signs wishing good luck have been posted all over the Fieldhouse and the players have received several random “Go Lakers” from students on campus. It’s been a delicate balance, indeed.

“You try to say it’s normal, you’re still with the same group of girls,” Lutz said. “But we all know we get to go to South Dakota next week, and do something that the players on this team have never done before.”

The team left for Sioux Falls, South Dakota on March 19. Sioux Falls will be the venue for both the Elite Eight and the Final Four. The games will be played at the Sanford Pentagon Arena, home of the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA’s Developmental League.

This isn’t Williams’ first rodeo. In the 2004-05 season, when he was the top assistant under then-GVSU coach Dawn Plitzuweit, the Lakers advanced all the way to the Elite Eight, but lost to Seattle Pacific, 67-55.

In the 2005-06 season, the Lakers returned, compiled a school-best 33-3 record, advanced to the Final Four and won the NCAA Division II National Championship. In that tournament’s Elite Eight, the Lakers defeated Charleston, 74-59.

Williams is using his experience under Plitzuweit with this year’s team.

“He said ‘we rode too high, we weren’t really dialed in,’” said GVSU guard Janae Langs. “And then the next year, the ’05-’06 season, he said the girls were really dialed in, so he wants to have us focus on those little things and not get caught up in the moment.”

One of the things Williams picked up while under Plitzuweit was dynamic walkthroughs in the days between games and on the day of games, where the goal was to coach a game plan without expending the players’ energy.

Most importantly, though, Williams says getting the players’ attention and keeping it during a run like this is invaluable. With so many things going on, he said it’s the coaches’ responsibility to keep the team’s focus on the task at hand.

“There’s things that you do, that you saw that worked,” Williams said. “Keeping your players light before the games, (Plitzuweit) did a great job at that. I’ve picked up some things that she did, and we’re trying to use those this week and hopefully it’ll help us.”

While the Lakers were favorites in the 2005-06 season, they’re the underdogs this time around. GVSU is a No. 7 seed and has seen top players succumb to injury. Leading scorer Kayla Dawson has been limited with an ankle injury, while senior guard Brionna Barnett and key reserve Korynn Hincka are both out with season-ending injuries.

In a season in which many Lakers have taken on new roles, Williams said the injured players are no different.

“I think they’ve done a great job,” Williams said. “It’s hard to stay engaged when you’re not part of it. You want to be part of it, you see what’s going on, and you want to be on-the-floor part of it, but they are part of it. They’re part of it in all the team activities we do, they’re part of it in practice, they’re part of it during the games. They’re probably the ones up the most during the games.”

Had the Lakers started the tournament with those three players healthy, they’d likely be considered one of the top teams in the field, but they don’t mind the underdog label.

“I think we are a force to be reckoned with,” said forward Taylor Parmley. “A couple weeks ago we wanted to be here, but it wasn’t like, ‘Oh yeah, this is going to be an easy ride.’ Everyone fought, everyone dug in and we held together, and it’s just awesome to be that ‘underdog.’”

If the Lakers do pull off the upset and make it to the Final Four, it will make for a wild story. If they don’t, it won’t take away from what they’ve accomplished this far.

Whatever happens, the Lakers have enjoyed the ride.

“It’s been pretty crazy, if you really think about it,” Williams said, laughing. “Just everything. Obviously from these kids having a new coach, and then dealing with some injuries. Then exceeding some expectations, maybe not theirs, but definitely mine.

“Getting here in the Elite Eight, it just doesn’t happen. It something that just doesn’t happen that often. It’s pretty crazy.”