Most of us probably didn’t realize an “oh-for-the-season” was possible. Until last week, only one team in the last 50 years had ever finished a season winless. But the Savannah State men’s basketball team made history last Monday when it lost to Florida A&M, 49-44, to complete an 0-28 season.
The Tigers, who lost by an average of 23 points per game, now own a 55-game losing streak dating back to last season. They were forced to forfeit four victories in 2003-04 after one of their top players was discovered to be ineligible.
Since making the ill-advised jump to Division I in 2002, the Tigers have a dismal 3-82 record, and are the premiere doormat in college basketball.
But before you belittle the players for their poor play on the hardwood, note the questionable decision-making and mishandling of funds by the Savannah State athletics department.
In light of the winless record, the dirt is now hitting the fan.
Savannah State president Dr. Carlton Brown was hoping the move to D-I would increase revenue and draw national exposure to the small Georgia school of 2,800 students. With a total athletic budget of roughly $2 million, the men’s basketball roster consisted of only eight scholarship spots – five short of the NCAA allotment and several million short of the $8 million a D-I program typically needs to successfully operate.
After the 2003-04 season, an internal investigation uncovered the team’s leading scorer, Jamal Daniels, son of coach Edward Daniels, did not register for spring classes. The four games they forfeited gave the Tigers their first – unofficial – winless season.
Edward Daniels was fired three days after the hard-fought loss to the Rattlers in the season’s final game. The Tigers, despite dressing only nine players, trailed by two at the half and lost by the closest margin this season in front of a packed and supportive home crowd.
Though the fans spent most of the season grimacing over huge deficits, such as a 31-point loss to Norfolk State and a 62-point loss to then-ranked Memphis, they weathered 28 games riddled with air-balls and bricks. The Tigers shot a dreary 35 percent from the field for the season, but the fans, who must have admired the players’ effort, still came.
The Temple football team can probably sympathize with Savannah State. Both struggling programs are searching for D-I conferences to call home.
After the Owls posted only 14 conference wins in 14 seasons, the Big East Conference gave the Owls the boot in 2004. Temple is now slated to join the likes of Notre Dame and Navy as an independent. The Owls haven’t appeared in a bowl game since 1979 and haven’t had a winning season since 1990, but continue to play hard in front of thousands of empty seats at Lincoln Financial Field.
Although the Owls enjoyed only two victories last season, both wins came at home. So Temple fans were at least able to leave two games saying their team won.
Savannah State fans haven’t been able to say that in two years.
Kurt West can be reached at krt_wst@yahoo.com.
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