So this is how it ends. There's no retired jersey. There's no standing ovation from a sellout crowd. There's no championship trophy to hoist. There's no school record or all-conference honor. For Trevor Cockayne, like many NCAA Division III basketball players, his career went out like a lamb.

For just the seventh time in his career, Trevor trots onto the court for the opening tip. He's the starting point guard for this senior-night game, the last game in his four-year career. He plays fewer than four minutes, but does manage to convert on a fast-break layup for what turns out to be his only points of the game. He is surely disappointed to come out of the game so early, but you couldn't tell by the way he reacts. He takes his seat on the bench and does everything in his power to help his team from the sidelines.

His Carthage teammates take a three-point lead into the locker room at halftime, and Trevor realizes he has only 20 minutes left in his career. He starts the second half and plays about five more minutes before taking a seat for the final time. Although he holds out hope he will be reinserted into the game, the realization that he may have stepped off the Physical Education Center court for the final time is accompanied by a flood of memories from the past four years. The thrill of an upset win over Wheaton the year before, about which he said afterward, "It was the first time I felt that I was one of the main contributors to the team winning the game."

There also was the pain from a national semifinal loss to Otterbein his freshman year. But perhaps the most painful memory of all was knowing that this season -- a season full of hope and promise -- had gone awry. "The most disappointing thing was not meeting the expectations we as a team set for ourselves," he said. "I would have loved to have the team do something special."

Trevor had his moments on the basketball court. There was the career-high 10 points he posted three times during his junior year. There was the three-pointer he hit in the final seconds of the California Lutheran tournament to send the game to overtime, the only three-pointer he would attempt this season. But those moments are gone. So are the little things that he got used to over the years. His favorite mannerism from Carthage head coach Bosko Djurickovic, which -- although he admits it was hard to choose just one -- was the coach's tendency to sing along to the National Anthem before each game. "He should really try out for American Idol," said the 6-4 senior from Naperville, Illinois.

While to most observers Trevor is now just another name and number, there are some -- including myself -- who have felt a lasting impact from seeing him in action. He wasn't flashy and didn't pile up gaudy statistics. He didn't take days off or look for shortcuts to make it easier on himself. What he did do was give every effort he could to make the team better. He fought for every rebound, he hustled after every loose ball, he played in-your-face defense, set solid screens, and made the extra pass to get his teammate an open shot. Nobody wanted to win more than Trevor. "I know that no matter how much basketball I play," he said, "nothing will compare to being a member of the Carthage basketball team."

While the joys of playing have come to an end, Trevor is just starting to recognize the benefits of playing college basketball. "I have come to realize how lucky I am to be able to be a college basketball player and how people would give anything to have the opportunity I have been given," he said.

This statement strikes a particular nerve with me, because I would give anything to be able to put myself in his shoes. I have just completed my second year of junior varsity basketball at Carthage and would like nothing more than to reach the varsity level.

I know I will never be a starting, 35-minute-per-game player. I won't be the leading scorer or the focus of opposing defenses. But that's not what I'm aiming for, either. I strongly desire to be the type of player Trevor was. I want to be the guy who does all the little things that help a team win. I want to dive on the floor, play team defense, block my man off the boards and work to get other people open shots. I want to be a Trevor-like player.

Some people may ask why I would want to emulate a student-athlete who averaged only 7.7 minutes per game. But when you look at it from my point of view, that's 7.7 more minutes than I get right now. That's 7.7 minutes of realizing my dream of being a college basketball player. That's 7.7 minutes for someone who, like Trevor, is short on talent but big on heart. That's 7.7 minutes of success.

When it is all said and done, it is not the wins and losses that matter most. Rather, it is the friends you make while participating in intercollegiate athletics. It is the memories that will stick with you forever. It is the qualities you develop in yourself. It is the lessons that you will never forget. It is the ability to trust others and have others depend on you. It is the knowledge that you cannot do everything yourself. It is learning to give credit when credit is due.

Above all, it is the fact that you gave yourself whole-heartedly to something you wanted. It is knowing that you put yourself on the line several times and always came away better off for having done so. It is appreciating that you pursued something you loved and will have no regrets to carry with you. Trevor accomplished all of these as a result of playing basketball at Carthage.

As members of the class of 2005 go their separate ways, other players will step up and take their place. They will be given a chance to pursue their dreams, much like Trevor did. I can only hope that they learn from Trevor and follow the example he set with his actions. I can only hope that one day they will be sitting in Trevor's shoes, looking back on their career knowing they left everything they had on the floor. As for me, I dream of becoming the type of player Trevor was for the 2004-05 team. I dream that someday I will get to have my 7.7 minutes of success, too.

Justin Schroeder is a sophomore basketball student-athlete at Carthage College.