Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman cuts the net after their
83-69 win over Norfolk State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic
Conference tournament championship NCAA college basketball
game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, March 14, 2009.
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The Bears are heading to Kansas City, Mo., to compete in the first round of the NCAA National Championship Tournament on Thursday. This is the first time these players have been invited to the 'Big Dance', but lucky for them their coach has plenty of experience to lead the way.
After winning thirteen of their last fourteen games, including the MEAC tournament for the automatic bid, they've earned the right to make their mark on the NCAA basketball landscape.
No, that's not a typo of any sort. I meant to type 'MEAC'. These aren't your Cal Bears that I'm talking about. These Bears would be the Morgan State Bears and that coach with the tournament experience would be former Cal Bears coach, Todd Bozeman.
Remember him?
Bozeman was the coach that took the Cal Bears to the Sweet 16 and was the youngest coach to ever do it at the time. He was also lucky enough to coach players Jason Kidd, Lamond Murray, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sean Marks, Ed Gray, Tremaine Fowlkes, Michael Stewart, and Tony Gonzalez.
Unfortunately, for Bear Backers and for Bozeman, his great recruiting came with a little assistance that was eventually his downfall. After being caught giving some $30,000 to the parents of a recruit so that they could travel to see the kid play, the NCAA came down with what was thought to be a career-ending sanction - NCAA schools would have to show 'cause or reason' as to why he should be hired. In other words, he was essentially banned.
His time away from the college coaching ranks had him selling insurance, running basketball clinics around the globe, and assisting in the pro's. That was until the 4-26 Morgan State Bears gave him a job on April 27, 2006. In his first season with the Bears, they finished 13-18. In his second season, the 22-11 Bears won the MEAC regular season championship for the first time in school history and made its first postseason tournament when they received a bid to the NIT.
This season isn't over yet, but the 23-11 Bears not only won the MEAC regular season championship, but they won their tournament this time - getting their first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Lucky for them, they have a Sweet Sixteen coach to lead the way.
For more stories on Todd Bozeman:
Bozeman's Bears go dancing
A bracket full of coincidences
Scrappy Bears, OU exchange admiration
Two coaches, going to Kansas City
Morgan State cruises into NCAA tournament, UMBC falls short
ESPN interview and story on Bozeman from last year
RECENT STORIES:
For once, the Bears will be the taller team
No. 14 Bears seeded for NCAA Tourney
Pac-10 gets six bids
Loss to USC frustrating to Boyle and her Bears
No. 7 California Golden Bears -vs- No. 10 Maryland Terrapins
Date: Thursday, Mar. 19, 2009
Location: Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
Time: ~11:55 am PST
Bracket: Examiner.com
Ticket Info:
Cal Website Coverage
TV: CBS
Radio: KYOU (1550 AM)
Comments
Always nice to see a Bozeman story. Especially one in which he's not berating a deli worker for supplying his team with ham and turkey sandwiches.
Bozeman screwed up big time in breaking the rules. Jelani Gardner and family ratted him out because he wasn't getting the playing time they wanted. He was one of the top recruits in the country and was supposed to replace Kidd. It didn't work out that way, though, and I remember Gardner often tripping over his own big feet on offense.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!