Before the season opener against Appalachian State on Nov. 14, the ETSU men’s basketball team honored their fallen teammate Seth Coy, who was killed in a car accident on July 29. Coy was driving from Johnson City to his hometown of Montgomery, Ind., when his car hydroplaned into a tree about 25 miles outside of Louisville, Ky. According to the police report, Coy was thrown from the vehicle upon impact.

Coy’s mother, Rhonda Gray, and 50 friends and family from Montgomery were in attendance to take part in the pre-game ceremony. Athletic Director David Mullins and head coach Murry Bartow presented Gray and her youngest son Austin with a commemorative frame of Coy’s jersey and photos at center court.

“I think what we miss most is his presence in the locker room,” Bartow said. “He was so funny, so upbeat, … such a great kid.”

Before the ceremony, the Bucs took the floor for warm ups wearing navy shirts which read “Our Boy Coy” with a silhouette of Coy behind the letters and No. 43 stenciled on the back.

“This was a very emotional night,” Bartow said. “I’m so proud of our guys and the way they handled everything.”

After the game, Bartow invited Coy’s family and friends into the Bucs’ locker room, where he further honored the family by presenting Gray with the game ball.

One ETSU player in particular held the evening in special regard. Sophomore guard Adam Sollazzo, who roomed with Coy last year, credits him with helping him get through his freshman year. In honor of his good friend, Sollazzo changed his number from 20 to 43.

“I decided to change my number a couple days after I heard the news,” Sollazzo said. “I really wanted to change it because he was a big part of my life. I want every time I step onto the court to remember him, and everyone out in the crowd to remember what we lost, and that he is still watching over us and here with us.”

In the closing seconds of the game, Sollazzo hit two free throws to solidify a tenuous ETSU lead. On the night that was dedicated to Coy, it seemed only fitting that No. 43 would be the one to make the final two-point play of the game.

“That was really neat, especially with Seth and Adam being so close,” Bartow said.

The Bucs have dedicated the 2009-2010 season to Coy, and wear patches on their jerseys embroidered with his name and number. They have also decided to leave his locker intact for the remainder of the season. In it sits a picture of Coy emerging from the ETSU tunnel in his warm-ups, above it are his shoes with a cross hanging from them, and to the left a nameplate.

Coy brought significant basketball experience to ETSU from Washington High School. Alongside Tyler Zeller, Coy helped lead the Hatchets to their fifth state championship during his senior year. Zeller, who now plays center for the University of North Carolina, met Coy when they were both 11 years old while playing on the same Amateur Athletic Union team.

“You could be in the worst mood and he would put you in a great mood,” Zeller said, in a telephone interview. “He would help out anybody. You could be the richest person in the world or the poorest person in the world and he would treat you the same. He never made up what he thought of people before he talked to them.

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