They first officially spoke in Stanford during a recruiting
trip. They talked hours on end about water polo and experiences on
the U.S. National Team.
Yet when UCLA senior Brett Ormsby’s decision came down to
it, being convinced by Stanford superstar Tony Azevedo wasn’t
enough to draw him to the Cardinal red.
Instead he wound up a Bruin blue.
After his decision to attend UCLA, Ormsby, who could face
Azevedo’s Stanford team in the NCAA Championship game Sunday,
never made a phone call to his counterpart. Instead, they both knew
there would be plenty of chances when their teams met in what was
already the greatest rivalry in collegiate water polo.
One might think there would be hatred between the two senior
attackers, but that’s far from the truth. More than anything
Ormsby wants to emulate Azevedo’s success.
“That’s what I would like to accomplish,”
Ormsby said.
At the age of 16, Azevedo played for the U.S. National Team, a
feat incomprehensible since the team is comprised of players that
are between 20 and 30 years old. Two years later, Azevedo joined
the U.S. Olympic team in Sydney, after which he was named to the
All-World team followed by yet another appearance in the Olympics
this past summer in Athens, Greece.
Though Azevedo is considered one of the best players in the
world, with international experience and two national championship
rings under his belt, Ormsby doesn’t care. He has one goal in
mind during this weekend’s NCAA Final Four: winning his first
championship.
“That’s my No. 1 goal right now,” Ormsby said.
“The other five seniors they feel the same way. It’s
our last chance. I want it really bad. Winning a championship has
always been a goal in sight. Having not accomplished that I’d
struggle with that for a while.”
It’s been a three-year drought, and in all likelihood,
Ormsby will have to go through Stanford and Azevedo in
Sunday’s final to claim his first ring.
Despite the UCLA-Stanford rivalry, Ormsby and Azevedo have
mutual respect for one another.
“When we get into the water we’re going to do
whatever we can to help our team win,” Ormsby said.
“And then when the game is over, that fighting and that
competitive drive is over.”
Since Azevedo joined the Cardinal in 2001, he has led the team
to an 11-3 record versus the Bruins, but just a 2-2 record this
season.
While they may be attending rival schools, this past summer
Ormsby and Azevedo were teammates at the highest stage of the
sport. Both were members of the U.S. Olympic team.
For over six months, Ormsby and Azevedo spent countless hours
training together in preparation for the Olympics. While they
traveled, Ormsby roomed with Azevedo on occasion and during that
time he learned the dedication and drive that made Azevedo earn the
right to be named by Men’s Journal as one of the 20 best
athletes in the world.
“I’ve never heard him complain about going to
practice; he loves to play, and he loves working hard and learning
and that’s what I learned from him,” Ormsby said.
“We talked a lot about the games we were playing, what other
teams are doing, and what we need to do because we play the same
position he tells me what he sees and I tell him what I
see.”
While Azevedo receives all the accolades year in and year out,
coaches have seen just what makes Ormsby special.
“Tony has an experience advantage over Ormsby, but Brett
has great promise,” USA head coach Ratko Rudic said.
“He can be the same as Tony, he can arrive at a high level in
the international level. But, Ormsby needs more international
experience. And if he keeps playing like he is now he has great
possibility to arrive at Tony’s level.”
Bruin coach Adam Krikorian feels the same way. In his four
seasons thus far at UCLA, Ormsby has improved in virtually every
single statistical category and has developed into one of the most
devastating shooters in the game collecting 238 goals thus far.
But, it’s been more than Ormsby’s arm that has led
the Bruins to success.
“Undoubtedly, Brett is the best scorer I’ve seen
here at UCLA since I’ve been here,” Krikorian said.
“He’s meant more to this team than ever before, not
because of his talent or ability, but because of his leadership.
He’s probably been the most important player on any of the
teams we have had.”
Without a doubt, Ormsby and Azevedo sit atop the collegiate
water polo scene as kings. But while Azevedo holds a sizeable edge
over Ormsby in experience, Krikorian is adamant that the gap
between Ormsby and Azevedo is closing.
“If you were to make a comparison to them four years ago
when Tony was a young pup on that Olympic team but was still an
amazing player,” Krikorian said, “Brett was a scrawny
little kid that shot the ball pretty well. And now he’s
certainly closed the growth in a lot of ways and he can be dynamic
and at times even more dynamic than Tony.”
But as Ormsby’s career at UCLA winds down to just two
games to possible win that elusive championship, he can’t
help but not think about the “what-ifs” of going to
Stanford, or what if Azevedo were not at Stanford.
“I think about that, and I think that’s probably
true, things would have been a lot different,” he said.
“I know that if Tony weren’t at Stanford maybe I
would’ve had more success in my college career at UCLA.
“But you know what, it is what it is. I like the challenge
to play against him, it makes it more worthwhile to play against
Tony and if your successful more power to you.”
So when it comes down to it Ormsby has an immense task to fill
this weekend. But, if it comes down to it, he’ll take the
last shot. He’ll guard the best player. Even if it’s
Azevedo. It’s that confidence of knowing that he can stop the
best player on any team that has allowed Ormsby to be
successful.
There won’t be any phone call made before this
weekend.
Ormsby will let his actions say what’s needed in the
pool.
And after the monolithic clash ends, Ormsby hopes Azevedo will
be the one congratulating him on his first NCAA ring.