Originally published on Nov. 25, 2001.
Dwyane Wade stood in the middle of the Sullivan Arena court wearing his favorite outfit.
And it fits him well.
Wade, a dazzling 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, wore the blue-and-gold uniform of Marquette for just the fifth time Saturday.
He never got to put it on as a freshman because he was a partial academic qualifier. He waited patiently, did everything that was asked of him for a year, and now he's finally dressed the way he wants to be.
There Wade was, decked out in Golden Eagles gear, with the Great Alaska Shootout most outstanding player trophy in his hands.
"Getting out there playing is so great, " Wade said. "And it's so much better than wearing a suit on the sidelines.
"It's like taking a deep breath, 'Ah, I'm finally out there in uniform."'
And future Marquette opponents better take notice.
Wade received the award after leading the tournament in scoring and Marquette to the championship. The Golden Eagles downed Gonzaga 72-63 in the title game to improve to 5-0.
Wade averaged 21.3 points and 2.3 steals in three Shootout games. He showcased an ability to make plays from anywhere on the court and proved, without much doubt, that it's been worth it for Marquette to wait around for him to play.
"Dwyane showed that he is a complete player, " Marquette coach Tom Crean said. "And that's what we will need from him all season."
Josh Niva covered sports for the ADN from 2001-02. This story was originally published on Nov. 25, 2001.