If Zak Gaborcik had to describe his first experience in the state basketball tournament in one word, breathtaking would be a good choice.

Gaborcik was a sophomore in 2007 when he and his DeSales teammates couldn't wait for their Division II semifinal against Dayton Dunbar to tip off in Value City Arena.

They found out the hard way that day just how spacious the arena was.

"We decided to run from the locker room to the floor and were out of breath by the time we got there," he said. "This time, we know better. We know we're going to have to pace ourselves."

Being a tenderfoot in the state tournament didn't end there for Gaborcik. He kept looking into the large crowd and the bright lights. The Stallions never came close to playing their game, and lost 56-43.

"I got completely caught up in the moment with so many people watching," he said. "It was a great experience. I was only a sophomore. I also learned what not to do."

DeSales (22-3) is hoping exper-ience will count going into a semifinal against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-4) on Friday, with eight Stallions players having participated in state semifinals in basketball, football and/ or soccer. This is the basketball team's third state appearance in four years.

Gaborcik, Nick Goff and Nick Kellogg have played in the state basketball tournament, and Kellogg and Seun Adejobi played on the soccer team that went to the state semifinals in November.

Ike Ariguzo, Adam Griffin, Chris Rock and Chi-Chi Ariguzo played on the Stallions football team that reached the 2008 Division III semifinals.

"All of those guys have that hunger to win a state championship," coach Blair Albright said. "They've been there and they have that pride. They want to get the job done this time."

It's human nature for players to have a funny feeling in the pit of their stomachs on such a big stage. Simply because of their history, the DeSales veterans shouldn't have anxiety attacks.

There's even more familiarity with Value City Arena, with DeSales having defeated Garfield Heights in the Play-By-Play Classic this season.

"We're familiar with the building, and you can't ask for much more than that," said Goff, a senior forward. "I remember my last two state tournaments, and the feeling was kind of surreal in that we were in this big arena. A lot of us will be coming in there tested."

This will be the first state basketball tournament for Griffin, a junior guard, but he has been through the biggest grind of them all -- football. DeSales played 14 games, or just two fewer than an NFL regular-season schedule.

"What football did was teach me how to win and how to approach big games," Griffin said. "I know that one play can change a game. The crowd shouldn't bother me. That football crowd for the state semifinals was huge."

This will be the second time for Kellogg in the basketball tournament. In his first final four, he leaned heavily on his brother Alex, who was a senior.

"Alex had been in big games before, and I was very, very nervous because of the atmosphere and importance of the game," said Kellogg, who made 1 of 11 shots, with four turnovers. "I had that nervousness the entire game. Now, I'm just (eager) to play."