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Opinion EOU men’s basketball shines in Missouri
EOU men’s basketball shines in Missouri
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What a difference a few years make. Quinn Coliseum has gone from a
relatively sedate venue for watching college basketball to earning the
delightful moniker Looney Bin. And this miraculous transformation has
taken just four short years. If you’re not already on the bandwagon, here’s a brief look at the history that got us to this point. Many local basketball fans remember the suffering and gnashing of teeth involved as the Mountaineers reeled to a 4-22 record in head coach Ryan Looney’s first year at the helm, 2004-05. Just four years later, EOU has reached the nation’s elite eight. EOU made it to that lofty perch in the NAIA Division II national tournament in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri only to fall in a heartbreaker to the nation’s No. 1 team, Oklahoma Wesleyan, 79-77. The Mountaineers ended the year with a stellar 25-8 record. That’s just one win shy of the school record for wins. The resurgence of EOU basketball is thanks in large part to some talented, hard-working players of character like Kris Groce and Paul Carollo and the brilliant coaching and practice and game preparation of Looney. What makes the year even more special is that the Mountaineers started the season with a 6-4 record. Some people may have doubted the Mountaineers program. But then, putting the season into fast-break mode, EOU reeled off 14 consecutive wins. It ended the year as co-Cascade Collegiate Conference champions and enjoyed a trip to the first national quarterfinal appearance in school history. What’s more, this year’s team was only the second in EOU history that has advanced past the opening round in the national tournament. Before last season, EOU had not reached the national tournament since the 1950s, and many people may have believed the program could not achieve such a level of quality. The team has an amazing 91-33 record over the current seniors’ careers. Over the past three seasons, in fact, the team has averaged 25 wins a year. EOU’s rise to prominence proves the value of hard work, determination, talent, preparation and what a group of quality young men can do given the chance to shine. It shows what enthusiasm can build in a community over a winning, quality program. Congratulations to Looney and the Mountaineers for a season well done. |
