It was a long, somber walk back to the locker room for Eisenhower basketball seniors Romio Harvey and DeShawn Cruse following an excruciating overtime loss to eventual state champion Tulsa Memorial two months ago.
"What if" questions filled the air moments after the loss in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A State Tournament.
What if Eisenhower had been able to shut the door and hold onto its double-digit lead in the fourth quarter? What if the seniors could step on the court one last time?
The Eagles may have ended up state champions for the second time in Harvey and Cruse's high school career. Harvey and Cruse also would've likely raised more eyebrows on the recruiting trail while on Oklahoma's biggest hoops stage.
Back in Lawton two weeks earlier, Lawton High senior Tre Vaughn watched helplessly as Choctaw's Brock Schreiner kissed a buzzer-beater layup off the glass to upset the host school Wolverines in the first round of the Class 6A regional playoffs.
It was a cruel twist of fate for the flashy guard who had a knack for buzzer beaters -- having hit three unbelievable game winners of his own earlier in the season.
He was devastated. This wasn't how the script was supposed to read. "Honestly," Vaughn said. "After the season was over when we lost in the first round, I'm like, 'Man … None of the schools are calling me.' So I'm doubting myself thinking I'm not good enough."
Just like it was for Harvey and Cruse, the playoffs were Vaughn's last go-around and a chance to make some noise.
After all, scouts were out in full force during the playoffs. It was time to impress them and turn some heads.
Instead, heartbreaking playoff exits for all three seniors led to a dry spell on the recruiting trail.
A trio of prolific Lawton hoopers stuck in the recruiting abyss, desperately searching for their landing spot.
But who would call their name, and more importantly, how long would they have to wait?
Humbling journey
A few weeks after the season ended, Harvey was restless. Sleepless nights consumed him wondering who might give him an opportunity. Harvey -- who was named All-State this season, said it wasn't easy watching other prospects in the state rake in more and more offers while his mailbox remained empty. He wanted them to succeed, but he wanted to join in their celebration.
"Keep grinding," Harvey's coach Todd Millwee told him. "Someone is gonna be really fortunate to get you."
Enter Northern Oklahoma College in Enid -- a junior college with a rich basketball tradition having won two conference titles and made three regional finals in the last seven years. For Harvey, a state champion with four state tournament appearances, it was the perfect match.
Harvey's mom took him to the tryout. Immediately after, Harvey had some good news to share with his coach.
"When he called me, his voice was pretty giddy," Millwee said.
Northern coach Greg Shamburg told Romio that he was aware more tryouts awaited him. "I'm sorry to interrupt you right there, but I'm in," Harvey said. "I want to go here."
For Harvey, who was offered a full-ride scholarship, it was all about feeling at home. More importantly, he needed someone to believe in his abilities.
"Northern felt like a legit family atmosphere. Everyone is looking out for each other," Harvey said. "As soon as I walked in the coaches office, Shamburg said, 'We wouldn't recruit you if we didn't want you.
We believe you have talent that you can make it to the next level.' I feel like it's a perfect fit for me."
Vaughn found the perfect fit at Western Oklahoma College in Altus, where he was immediately offered a full-ride scholarship after a tryout.
"He's going to be missed," LHS coach Eric Wiley said of Vaughn. "20 points a game is hard to replace. He's a little seasoned, too. Most guys aren't ready, but he started early. He was making an impact as a freshman and that's not something you see a whole lot. He's the man for the job."
Much like Harvey though, getting the offer was a long, winding road.
Following a bitter end to his high school career, Vaughn turned to his love for the sport. During a trying time in his young life, basketball is what he found solace in.
"I don't know what I would do without it," Vaughn said. "It's what I do when I get stressed. I just go play basketball."
Shortly after his tryout, Western called Vaughn to come back and visit. "In a blink of an eye, everything can change, though," Vaughn said.
"Just like that if you pray hard enough. It's crazy how things happen." His new coaches were thrilled to see him and asked if he was ready to sign.
"My heart dropped," Vaughn said. "I was like 'Dang! this is really happening?' I'll never forget that."
Harvey's teammate, Cruse, will be joining Vaughn on the hardwood at Western this year. Nicknamed 'Top Gun', the lanky big man is surprisingly is soft spoken, despite his aggressive play and solid frame that he impressed coaches with at a spring tryout.
"He always had the exact same demeanor -- whether you were getting on him or complimenting him," Millwee said. "It was 'Yes sir.' He listens so well."
Part of the recruiting pains had to do with proximity. To some extent, Lawton and the rest of southwest Oklahoma lies on a recruiting island of sorts in basketball.
Most eyeballs are diverted toward the talent at the Oklahoma City and Tulsa area schools while little attention is given in this sector of the state.
"It's just Lawton basketball sometimes," Eisenhower coach Millwee said. "We don't always get the same respect other schools do."
Now, the trio will get to play against each other as their colleges lie in the same conference. It seems only fitting they will have to once again have to fight for respect playing on a smaller stage.
All three Lawton products have aspirations of still playing Division I in the future. It's not uncommon for JUCO athletes to rise to stardom at the next level either, which excites Vaughn.
"The next chance I get at the next level, I'm not gonna let it slip through my hands," Vaughn said. "I can't wait. I'm hungry."
Fellow LHS product Tevin Foster worked his way up the ladder and just recently transfered from Drury, a Division II school, to play basketball at Division I Abilene Christian.
"Now that I went through this recruiting process, I'm like 'Dang. It's not as easy as everybody makes it out to seem,'" Vaughn said. "Tevin (Foster) told me it takes a lot of hard work to get there."
At Northern, Ty Lazenby turned into a JUCO All-American and recently committed to OU. Don't tell Harvey, Vaughn or Cruse they can't do the same.
As agonizing as the drawn out recruiting process was, Harvey said that it humbled him more than anything. Vaughn and Cruse can echo that sentiment, though the trio is thankful for the silver lining. "It sucks to have to wait out for so long, but in the long run, I feel like this was the best thing for us," Vaughn said. "It humbled us for the future."
Natural born leader
It's the spring of 2013 and coach Millwee is in Willow Creek Park with his two young kids. He looks over at a young man with a basketball in one hand and a football in the other while taking care of his younger sisters. He sees leadership and a drive in the young man's eyes. Little did Millwee know that in his first year at the helm, that eighth grader in the park would become his star and the Eagles' anchor.
"You could just tell then he was a good kid," Millwee said. "He uses his voice and leads by example. Whatever position he's in, I know he's going to be a leader. He's just a natural one."
Harvey always has been a leader, but what helped him grow into a mature one was working his way up the ladder.
"Senior night was so emotional because I've done it all," Harvey said. "I've been the last player on the bench, I've been a role player, the star of the team. Not many players gone through all the phases. I'm thankful for it all though because it got me to where I'm at today."
Faith and family over fear
As frustrations continued to mount, the trio relied on their faith to silence the fear of not being signed.
"Leaning on God -- now that's the most important," Vaughn said.
Their trials weren't immediately solved. Vaughn, Harvey and Cruse had to learn the hard way when it came to timing.
"With NOC-Enid offering, I just feel like that's the way God wanted it to happen," Harvey said. "God has the perfect timing and everything happens for a reason so I'm blessed to be in this situation."
In addition to their faith, they confided in their families and coaches for moral support. Both coach Millwee and coach Wiley took their seniors on multiple recruiting visits and tryouts. After all, it's the simple tokens in life that sometimes matter the most.
"Once their seniors graduate, most coaches move onto next year and how they can improve their team," Harvey said. "For him (Millwee) to take time out of his schedule and take me to a school for a visit or tryout, that means a lot. He's still trying to help me out. I'm thankful to have a coach that cares so much about me and wants me to succeed at the next level."
Vaughn, meanwhile, leaned on his mom and coach to power through.
"My mom helped me with everything," Vaughn said. "And I've known Coach Wiley all my life. He's always looked out for me and got me to where I am today. They are both really big pieces of my life."
A basketball brotherhood
It's another 6 a.m. wakeup call for Harvey who doesn't want to get out of bed, discouraged by the tumbleweeds on the recruiting trail. But one of his teammates and best friends, Mookie Douglas drags him out of bed as they hit the weights to get in an early workout. It's more than accountability. It's about restoring faith in a friend. Good things don't come to those who wait. Rather, good things come who work hard while they wait.
"It's good to have someone like that when you lose some motivation," Harvey said. "He would tell me, 'Hey man all these people trying to be in your spot, you need to work for it.' That's what helped me the most having a guy in my shoes saying that."
Douglas, who will be playing football at East Central University in Ada starting this fall, had his own personal recruiting vendetta. Following a crushing injury at an OU football team camp last summer, the first team 5A All-State selection watched Division I offers get wiped off the table.
"We have similar stories and being best friends going through the same thing, he gave me great advice," Harvey said. "Whenever he's down, I pick him up. Whenever I'm down, he's there to pick me up. It's just great to have someone like that."
So when Harvey's Division I offers from the likes of Air Force, Navy and Mercer among others washed away last summer at AAU camps, it was Douglas who was there to console Harvey.
"We believed in each other even if we didn't believe in ourselves," Douglas said. "'Man I don't have this offer,' one of us would say. 'Bro it's gonna be alright we're gonna get something,' we'd respond. That's what made our friendship stronger. It kept us motivated and wanted to succeed in our sport."
Ever since Millwee met them, Harvey and Douglas have been best friends and have continued to motivate each other on and off the court.
"That's a pretty neat friendship those two have," Millwee said. "They are completely honest with each other. They can get in each other's face a little bit and say anything they want, but they still have each other's backs."
And now, Harvey, Cruse and Vaughn have one another's backs as they continue to pursue their basketball dreams.
"We all push each other to be great," Cruse said. "It's exciting to be able to do it again and play together."
Vaughn and Harvey have played on the same traveling team since eighth grade. They even went to a tryout together at Western this spring.
Vaughn beat Harvey and Eisenhower once this season on Vaughn's coast-to-coast layup as time expired.
"When they beat us on his buzzer beater, I was like 'Dang.' But after the game it was all love," Harvey said. "I know if I would've hit the game winner, he would've done the same for me. It'll be fun playing against him again."
After months of stress in the recruitment process, Harvey, Vaughn and Cruse were glad their basketball brothers were enduring the same journey that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"What's crazy is we're arch rivals on the court," Harvey said. "Off the court, we've been friends for the longest time. We're brothers. I think it's gonna work out great for both of us being able to continue pursuing our education and basketball career. It's just a blessing."