One by one, they run through a tunnel of teammates before turning to shake the opposing coach's hand.

Player introductions follow a similar pattern for Hayfield, until the final Hawk has his named called. That's when senior Chris Kardelis turns to the crowd, smiles and waves his arms as he backs through the line.

The game is still minutes from tip-off, but Kardelis is already making his presence felt.

Top-ranked Hayfield - which brings a 25-2 record into Saturday's Group AAA Tournament quarterfinal against Central Region runner-up Thomas Dale (20-7) - can find many reasons for this season's success.

At or near the top of that list is Kardelis. The 6-foot-1 senior guard has emerged as the emotional leader and defensive stopper for the Northern Region champs.

Hayfield's starters have taken to calling themselves the Fab Five, borrowing the name from the quintet that starred at Michigan in the early 1990s.

Kardelis is the Hawks' answer to Jalen Rose.

Four of Hayfield's five starters - guards A.J. Fitzgerald and Mike Lee and forwards James Steward and Jahmar Claxton - portray a reserved on-court demeanor.

Not Kardelis. When there are words to be said or a spark is needed, he steps to the forefront.

``If I get pumped up, everybody else follows and gets pumped up, too," Kardelis said. ``Then we just start ballin'."

That emotional leadership is not reserved just for games. Kardelis feels free to chide any of his teammates, whether in a game or in practice.

``I think we feed off his enthusiasm," Lee said. ``I know I do. Everything he does is emotional, even in practice. We'll turn the ball over and he'll just yell. Not necessarily at anybody, but he just yells and it basically tells everybody, `Get focused.' "

Kardelis was the seventh man last season but played sparingly for a Hayfield team that went 23-6 and lost to eventual state-finalist Gar-Field in a Group AAA quarterfinals.

This season, Kardelis rarely leaves the floor and has established himself as one of the region's best defenders. No matter their position or size, Kardelis is assigned to the opposition's best player each game.

It's a challenge he relishes.

``Everybody on the team has a certain job," Kardelis said. ``My job is to stop the best player [the opposition] has on their team. I like sticking the best player. Because when I shut him down, everybody knows I've got defense."

In Oakton's semifinal victory over Fairfax, Cougars junior forward Mike Harn scored a team-high 17 points. A night later in the region final, with Kardelis hounding his every move, Harn finished with two points.

Kardelis' prowess on that end of the court eased his transition into first-year Hayfield Coach Charlie Thompson's system that operates with a defense-first emphasis.

``[Kardelis] is a very good, instinctive defensive player," Thompson said. ``The biggest thing is, he likes it. He can take away the other team's best player and cut his scoring average in half, and Chris is still going to score. That's a big plus."

With Kardelis locking up the opposition's main scoring threat, it allows the 6-5 Steward - the Most Valuable Player of both the region tournament and the Patriot District - to stay out of foul trouble and concentrate on rebounding.

``[Kardelis] just comes out every night willing to strap up for the team," Steward said. ``He knows Coach is relying on him to guard the best player, whatever team we play. I think he'll be guarding [Thomas Dale leading scorer Derius] Swinton and once we win this game, he'll probably be guarding [Duke-bound Cave Spring guard] J.J Redick. Chris is just a big part of our team. Without him, I don't know where we'd be right now."

Steward and Kardelis, Hayfield's senior captains, met on a basketball court in their Hagel Circle neighborhood of Lorton two years ago.

Steward, who transferred to Hayfield last spring, was a sophomore at Paul VI at the time. And while those competing in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference aren't always quick to give respect to Northern Region players, Steward liked what he saw in Kardelis.

``I knew [Kardelis] had some game," Steward said. ``I could tell right away. We were playing full court and he was doing his thing so I knew there was some competition out there."

This season, Kardelis has gained added respect from his teammates and coaching staff for battling through a difficult injury. A starter at cornerback on Hayfield's football team this past fall, Kardelis fractured his thumb twice during the season and didn't have the cast removed until the third day of basketball tryouts. It caused Kardelis some concern, especially because the injury was on his shooting hand.

Kardelis regained his touch by staying in the gym and working on his release after his teammates had long since headed for the locker room.

However, the thumb injury may explain why Kardelis's offense has taken some time to catch up with his defense.

He reached double-digits in just five of Hayfield's first 11 games. But since that point, Kardelis has failed to score at least 10 points just once in 16 games and tallied a career-high 23 points in the Hawks' 69-47 win over Annandale in the Patriot District semifinals.

In the region final, Kardelis, who has raised his scoring average to 12.5 points per game, tied a season-high with four 3-pointers in Hayfield's 62-47 triumph over Oakton.

``I didn't think I'd be shooting or scoring as much as I have," Kardelis said. ``I thought I was going to be the defensive man. But I started working more on my shot and getting more confident. When I have confidence in my three-point shot, I feel like I can make it anytime I want to."

With four new starters and a new coach, it took time for each player to determine how they fit in to Thompson's offensive scheme, and Kardelis was no exception.

``He's just getting comfortable with his role," Thompson said of Kardelis. ``He's a complete basketball player. It took a while to get some football out of him, but now he's ready to go."

Ready to go to the state final and bring home the region's first title in 21 years, if you ask Kardelis. Spend any time with him and it becomes clear self-confidence is not in short supply.

When asked to describe himself, he pauses briefly before answering. ``I guess I'm just a good player," Kardelis said. ``An emotional player that doesn't like to lose - at anything."

It's a response that would make Jalen Rose proud.