“One new guy asked me if my e-mail address was spelled ragoo@fas or ragu@fas,” Marett says.

But now, as the team has successfully jettisoned its image problem and sets its sights toward success on the field, all the fun and joking, Kersey says, could present a problem.

Kersey and Atkinson talk about maintaining a balance between “having fun with the guys” and serious work on the field.

“We’re really open to keeping the atmosphere at practice light but if we’ve got to crack down to make victories happen we’ll do that,” Kersey says.

And besides returning to the Final Four tournament, the team has other plans to make a little more comfortable what Kersey calls “a working man’s game.”

Marett says he hopes that one day the team will be able to build a small locker room by the field.

“It’s nice to be able to clean yourself up after practice and not have to walk into the dining halls reeking of dirt,” Marett says.