NEW MADISON – Layne Sarver, a 2022 Tri-Village graduate, along with the Gannon Knights basketball team, will play for an NCAA Division II National Championship on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers.
Sarver and the Tri-Village boys basketball team finished as state runner-up in the OHSAA Division IV state championship game in 2022. Now a senior at Gannon, Layne has come full circle and will be playing on an even bigger stage Sunday.
Sarver sees similarities between that Tri-Village Patriots team and his current collegiate squad that helped both reach a championship game.
“I definitely think a key is how connected our team is, just like in high school,” Sarver said. “We have a bunch of different personalities on our team, we all get along, everyone blends together perfectly. In the locker room, on the basketball court, and off – we’re always hanging out together and stuff. It’s just a really special group of guys.”
On their way to Indianapolis, the Gannon team made a special pit stop in little old New Madison on Downing Road, where Eric and Christy Sarver hosted a dinner for the team.
“This was definitely pretty special, to be able to stop here with the team and have a home-cooked meal from my mom,” Layne said.
After traveling five hours from Erie, Pennsylvania, the team was grateful for the opportunity to stretch their legs, eat, and relax a bit before heading on to Indianapolis.
Gannon, 33–3 on the year, entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and reached the Final Four for the first time since 1987 by beating No. 6 Michigan Tech, 75–49.
They then defeated No. 7 Oklahoma Baptist, 98–80, for their 33rd win, setting a program record for most wins in a season and advancing to the Division II Championship game, where they will take on No. 5 Lander.
Lander, a team from Greenwood, South Carolina, upset Nova Southeastern, the No. 1 seed and defending national champion, to reach the title game.
Gannon bowed out last year in the Sweet Sixteen, and coming into this season, second-year head coach Easton Bazzoli had a feeling this group could be special with a number of key players returning and a few additions.
“The staff believed early on this team could be very good, but you’re never really sure if players will make the necessary individual sacrifices,” Bazzoli explained. “The talent was clear from when the group was signed, but the question was whether they would make the right decisions in big moments. Then as the players became more comfortable, taking the right shots and feeding off each other, we knew the ceiling was much higher for this group.”
“Then we lost our league tournament championship game … and as painful as it was, it may have been the necessary turning point to push this team forward,” Bazzoli continued. “We used film study of that loss to drive growth and learning from it, and we responded well. Several players are now playing their best basketball of the season.”
“We have many players on this team who could be starters almost anywhere in the country. I feel comfortable knowing that any of the 13 players on the roster could contribute to big moments.”
Layne Sarver is one of those players who has had some big moments for the Knights, and he believes Coach Bazzoli, being a younger coach who played not too long ago at Cedarville University with Layne’s brother, Colton Linkous, relates well to his players.
“Coach definitely has a distinct line between being our coach and being a friend, which I think is really special about him,” Layne observed. “He can go from being a coach, getting on you and expecting the best out of you, and then flip at the end of the day to being somebody you can go talk to, which is pretty unique.”
Coach Bazzoli’s relationship with Layne goes back years, having worked with him when he was in junior high at a Cedarville basketball camp.
“I was just telling somebody about how I got a picture from Christie a year ago of me coaching Layne as a middle schooler at a Cedarville basketball camp,” Bazzoli said. “To have played with his brother and now be coaching Layne, I’m just extremely fortunate to have been this close to him and his family for this long. And now we’re sitting here in their house as a team, where I used to come and hang out as a player, is really cool.”
“Then to be able to have the trust of them and Layne, to have him come down to Tennessee and play for me at Union and then follow me up to Erie, means the world to me. So, when Layne talks about connection, he literally means it not only with the players but with me as well. Layne is such a great kid. I always describe that he’s everybody’s favorite teammate. He’s funny, he’s never too high, never too low. He’s steady, consistent, and in the gym all the time. So, it’s awesome that we are getting to be together for one more game, and it doesn’t get any bigger.”
Layne described the moment as kind of surreal, but he and the team are ready.
“I think we’re the better team. They’re pretty athletic, but we’ve got some good guard play,” Layne said. “I think if we come out, do what we’re supposed to do, then things should work in our favor, and to win a national championship to end my career would be pretty special.”
As the Knights take the floor in Indianapolis, Layne’s journey from the gym in New Madison to the bright lights of Gainbridge Fieldhouse feels complete. It’s clear this run is about more than just one game. It’s about a coach who once worked with a skinny junior high kid at camp and now trusts him on the biggest stage. It’s about parents opening their home to an entire college team. It’s about teammates who chose to sacrifice and buy in for something bigger than themselves.
Sarver’s story has become more than just about basketball – it’s about faith, family, and the power of a small-town kid daring to dream big. One thing is certain: for a kid from Downing Road, the road to a national championship has already been one unforgettable ride.
