Wright State University CORE Scholar Athletics Publications Athletics 3-2-1979 Great Lakes Basketball Regional 1979 Wright State University Athletics Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/athletics_publications Part of the Public Relations and Advertising Commons Repository Citation Wright State University Athletics (1979). Great Lakes Basketball Regional 1979. : Wright State University. This Media Guide is brought to you for free and open access by the Athletics at CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Athletics Publications by an authorized administrator of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Price$1.00 cD Division II Great lakes Basketball Regional March 2-3, 1979 Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio I - Division II Basketball Regions WELCOME THE GREAT LAKES REGIONAL TOURNAMENT Welcome On behalf of the President, Dr. Robert J. Kegerreis, and tournament manager Don Mohr, we would like to welcome you to the campus of Wright State University for the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament. We extend best wishes and invite you to visit our campus and its excellent facilities. Those of you who have been chosen to represent your institution should be very proud of that selection. Our university personnel are always available to you should you require any assistance or informa­ tion. Please do not hesitate to call upon us. As in all championship events, excellenc.e is what all of us strive for. We wish all of you the best of luck and hope that you will perform to the peak of your abilities. To the winner of the regional tournament, may you represent the Great Lakes region well in furthar competition. Background The National Collegiate Division II Basketball Championships is an out­ growth of the former College Division program of the NCAA. Initiated in 1957 to meet the needs and desires of the Association's smaller institu­ tions, the tournament bracket now calls for a maximum 32 teams. In the tournament's 21-year history, 244 institutions have competed for the National Collegiate Division II Basketball Championship with 15 different institutions winning the crown. Don Mohr, The University of Evansville (15), Assumption College (15), and Toumament Manager Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science (14) have made the most appearances in the tournament. Evansville's five championships give Current members of the committee are: Chairman: Thomas J. Mar­ the Aces the edge over Kentucky Wesleyan's four for most titles. tin, chairman, Department of Education and Physical Education, Cheyney State College won its first National Collegiate Division II Roanoke (Va.) College; Howard Davis, Director of Athletics, Tuskegee Basketball Championship in 1978, with a 47-40 upset over top-rated (Ala.) Institute; Don Leahy, Director of Athletics, University of Nebraska, Wisconsin-Green Bay before 6,458 fans at Southwest Missouri State Omaha; Thomas J. Niland, Jr., Director of Athletics, LeMoyne (N.Y.) University. Eastern Illinois captured third place with a 77-67 victory over College; Paul Rundell, Director of Athletics, San Francisco State Univer­ Florida Tech. sity; Floyd Walker, Director of Athletics, Central Missouri State Univer­ Andrew Fields, the tournament's most outstanding player, scored sity. 11 points and had eight rebounds in the title game; while teammate Charles Murphy tallied 10 points to spark Cheyney State. The all­ Structure NCAA Tournament Records tournament team consisted of Cheyney State's Kenneth Hynson and The Division II Basketball Championship provides for a maximum field of SPORTSMANSHIP CODE Fields, Tom Anderson of Green Bay, Charlie Thomas of Eastern Illinois 32 teams. Eight regional tournaments will be conducted to determine the School Years Won Lost Pct. and Jerry Prather of Florida Tech. eight quarterfinalists. The winners of the four quarterfinals will earn the BE COURTEOUS-to the teams, officials, and Eastern Illinois (1975-76-77-78) 4 10 4 .71 4 The 1979 finals return to Hammons Center on the campus of right to play in the finals at Hammons Center on the campus of South­ visiting fans; they are our guests. Northern Michigan 1st year Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. west Missouri State University in Springfield. BE ENTHUSIASTIC-by "rooting" for your St. Joseph's (1970-74-75-76-78) 5 7 6 .538 The National Collegiate Division II Basketball Championship is one Of the 728 active member institutions of the NCAA, 181 compete in own team(s); not "booing" opponents of the 41 national championships in 18 sports conducted by the NCAA. basketball in Division II. The Division II Basketball Committee may elect Wright State (1976) .500 to conduct a two-, three-, or four-team regional tournament. Only those or officials. Administration teams with outstanding records will be selected, and the committee may BE GOOD SPORTS-by all-out support of The National Collegiate Division II Championship is under the control, assign byes within the bracket as it sees fit. your favorite team before, during and direction and supervision of the six-man Division II Basketball Commit­ If, for unforeseen circumstances, it becomes impossible to play a after games. tee, subject to such requirements, standards and conditions as may be regional tournament game, the committee is authorized to determine Great Lakes Pairings prescribed by the Association's executive regulations and Executive which team or teams shall advance in the bracket. BE FAIR-by having confidence in the honesty and integrity of the game officials. Committee. Membersof the Divisionjll Great Lakes Advisory Committee include: Wright State Matters of the tournament policy and dates and sites of the cham­ Chairman Don Mohr, Wright State University; Paul Amodio, Youngstown Remember, they are neutral; pionship are subject to approval of the NCAA Executive Committee. State University; Lonnie Davis, Northern Kentucky University; Chalmer you are partisan. (19-7) Members of this committee are nominated by the Committee on Hixson, Wayne State University; and Mike Mullally, Eastern Illinois Uni­ BE A COOPERATIVE FAN-by not walking Committees and elected by the annual NCAA Convention. versity. on the court, staying back from the sidelines, keeping your silence during free throws, not smoking in the arena. Northern Michigan BE A GOOD FAN-it's a game with a (18-9) respected opponent, not a fight with a bitter enemy. BE SUPPORTIVE-of your basketball St. Joseph's coaches and other university officials when (18-9) they seek positive crowd control. (Courtesy of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the NCAA) Eastem Illinois (18-9) Great Lakes Field A Well-Balanced One Eastern Illinois Panthers If this four-team field which starts play on Friday night at Wright State Michigan against only Eastern Illinois. St. Joe's split both with Eastern University could be any closer matched, find one somewhere else in the and Wright State while Wright State split with Eastern and St. Joe's. The country. The closeness of competition between Eastern Illinois, North­ lone road victories came in the St. Joe's-Wright State series, trading ern Michigan, St. Joseph's and Wright State is remarkable. road victories. During regular-season competition, Eastern Illinois met all three tournament teams and split with all three. The same goes for Northern A Look at the Teams Eastern Illinois Winning on the road has been a key for Coach George Waggoner's Coach Don Eddy is taking his Panther basketball team into its fifth team with an 8-4 markon foreign courts. Included were four straight wins to straight NCAA Division II appearance. Along the way, EIU garnered two close out the road schedule, all against tournament contenders ... Indiana third place finishes (1976 and 1978) along with two regional champion­ State-Evansville, Kentucky Wesleyan, Indiana Central and Wright State. ships. Leading the way for the Pumas has been senior Dave Downey with his A late-season surge almost has become a tradition for Eastern and 17.6 scoring average and 11.7 rebound average, 15th in Division II. The 6-8 Front row: Jeff Butler, Dave LeTourneau, this year was no exception. After being ranked as high as sixth in Divi­ frontliner has been described by many coaches as the best big man in the Mike Pickens, Chuck Turk, James Oldham, sion II in early January, EIU lost four games in seven outings . all Great Lakes region and one of the premier men in the nation. His single­ Kurt Lorenzen, Granado Walton, Delbert corning on the road against Northern Iowa, Northern Michigan, Quincy game highs this season were 32 points against both Grace and Butler. Miller, Tony Armstead. Back row: Lance and Wright State. St. Joe's might termed a giant-killer. SJC knocked off Division I teams Jones, Tom Thigpen, Mike Stumpe, Jim From there it was off and running for Eastern, winning four of its in three out of four tries going into the season-finale at Evansville last Williams, Craig DeWitt, Dennis Mumford, Jeff next five games with only a one-point loss in overtime at St. Joe's thrown Tuesday. The Rensselaer team looked like a sure-fire tournament team Jacob, Ricky Robinson, Mark Schrnersahl, in. Included in the final four wins were impressive victories over Northern when it rolled off five straight wins to open the season, but losses in four of Leigh Hankins. Michigan (82-64), Northern Iowa (71-67) and Butler (88-74). the next five left the Pumas reeling. Junior Craig DeWitt put together an outstanding season with a 16.3 Most of the problems came about with a shoulder injury to Dave Dow­ scoring average along with 7 .2 rebounds, both team highs. Except for an ney in a 103-85 loss at Eastern Illinois. Although he recovered from the Won 18, Lost 9 early season bout with mononucleosis, DeWitt was the most consistent shoulder injury, he later broke a bone in his left hand, but he continued to Eastern Illinois, 75, Miiiikin 54 No.