Despite winning Sun Belt player of the year, and defensive player of the year, Mike Wells was out of contention Tuesday night for the one accolade he wanted most – a fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship. He and the rest of the Toppers could only look on from the second tier of Diddle Arena as the University of Louisiana-Lafayette celebrated at center court after their first tournament championship in four years.

With his jersey pulled over his head and face buried in his hands, an emotional Mike Wells left Sunday’s game to a standing ovation as the final seconds of his season – and collegiate career – ticked off the clock. It was a bittersweet farewell for the senior guard, who failed to win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time in his four years as a Hilltopper.

For the past three seasons Western basketball has been the butter of the Sun Belt Conference. Fans and players are spoiled, accustomed to dominance in their own small niche of collegiate basketball. A conference championship and a trip to the Big Dance have been marks of a good season, almost taken for granted.

For three Western basketball players, the glory days of college roundball are nearing an end. Gone will be the days of road trips with catered buffets, rowdy student sections, teammates that are like family and all the other nuances that will be looked back upon with nostalgia.