2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

VIKING VIKING TRADITIONTRADITION

J’NATHAN BULLOCKJ’NATHAN BULLOCKIS ONLY THE THIRD PLAYERIS ONLY THE THIRD PLAYERIN CSU HISTORY TO LEADIN CSU HISTORY TO LEADTHE TEAM IN SCORING INTHE TEAM IN SCORING INEACH OF HIS FIRST THREEEACH OF HIS FIRST THREESEASONSSEASONS

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 75

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

The 1929-30 Fenn Foxes were the school’s fi rst organized men’s basketball team. Pictured are: Front

Row (L-R): Ted Okonski, L. Ulrick, manager F. Haddad, Walter Okonski & J. Glover. Second Row (L-R):

George Parmalee, H. Gebler, head coach Homer Woodling, Clifford Sahle & Ed Reps. Back Row (L-R): A.

Frush, Virgil Speece & H. Benditz

1934-35:1934-35:Fenn suffers through a record six-game losing

streak as part of a 5-12 campaign. Feb. 23,

1935: Fenn tops Hiram, 44-27, in the fi rst battle

for the “Woody Brick”. The Woody Brick, which was

bought by coach Homer E. Woodling for $1.00 after

Hiram’s Administration Building had burned down,

would be awarded to the winner of the Fenn-Hiram

matchup for the rest of Woodling’s tenure.

1935-36:1935-36:Fenn suffers its fourth straight losing season

by going 4-11. Offensive players are no longer

permitted to park themselves in the lane as the

three-second rule is instituted.

1936-37:1936-37:The Foxes tie the record for victories as they

improve to 8-9. Dec. 28, 1936: Fenn defeats

Lawrence Tech, 41-37, in the 100th game in

school history.

1937-38:1937-38:Fenn slips to 6-10. The center jump ball after every

basket is eliminated. Dec. 12, 1938: The Foxes

defeat Alliance, 44-32, for Homer E. Woodling’s

50th win. Feb. 23, 1938: Ed Hrdlicka sets the

school scoring record with a 25-point explosion in

a 56-47 win over Slippery Rock.

1938-39:1938-39:The 10th season of basketball sees Fenn post a

3-13 record. Dec. 29, 1938: Despite having three

Fenn players foul out, the 0-4 Foxes upset Ohio

Wesleyan (5-1), 47-41, as the teams combine

for 36 fouls.

1939-40:1939-40:The Foxes go 4-11. Dec. 30, 1939: Fenn tops As-

sumption College from Windsor, Ontario, 39-30, to

end a record eight-game losing streak that started

the season before.

1940-41:1940-41:Fenn compiles another 4-11 record. Jan. 31, 1941:

The Foxes give up a school-record 67 points in a

loss to Mt. Union. After 12 seasons, Homer Woo-

dling steps down as head coach.

1929-30:1929-30:Fenn College goes 5-5 in its fi rst season of intercol-

legiate basketball. Homer E. Woodling, who also

serves as Fenn’s athletic director, is the school’s

fi rst head basketball coach. Dec. 6, 1929: Ted

Okonski scores seven points as Fenn loses in its

fi rst-ever basketball game, 27-18, at Hiram. Dec.

7, 1929: Fenn defeats Wilcox, 50-22, for the fi rst

win in school history. Feb. 1930: Fenn defeats Y

Commerce, 29-6, to set the school record for fewest

points allowed in a game.

1930-31:1930-31:Fenn records its fi rst winning season with an 8-6

mark. Jan. 1, 1931: St. Mary’s defeats Fenn,

29-27, in the only New Year’s Day game in school

history.

1931-32:1931-32:A 7-7 record gives Fenn its third straight non-

losing season. Fenn wins its last four games, the

longest win streak to date. Fenn also loses four

straight games for the fi rst time.

1932-33:1932-33:Fenn has its fi rst losing season with a 4-6 record.

Feb. 4, 1933: Ralph Staten ties a record with 17

points in a 40-35 win over Rio Grande.

1933-34:1933-34:The Fenn Foxes set a record for defeats during a

5-11 campaign. Feb. 10, 1934: Fenn goes over

the 50-point mark for the fi rst time ever in a 54-19

win over Franklin.

The Fenn Foxes:The Fenn Foxes:Just as Cleveland State University, one of Ohio’s major

state-supported universities, traces its beginnings

to Fenn College, a small private college noted for its

engineering and business schools, so too do the Cleve-

land State Vikings cagers recognize the ancestry of the

Fenn Foxes. With its newly appointed athletics director,

Homer E. Woodling, serving as the head coach, Fenn

launched a varsity basketball program in 1929 with

a 27-18 loss to Hiram, followed by a 50-22 win over

Wilcox Business College. With Fenn students obligated

by the college’s co-operative education curriculum to

alternate quarters between the classroom and on a job

related to their course of studies, playing a basketball

schedule extending over two quarters created some

unique and occasionally insurmountable problems,

such as hoping players could fi nd a job within hail-

ing distance of the campus--or at least the city-- and often-times make their own way to games.

Nevertheless, the Foxes managed to compile .500 or better records in nine of their 34 seasons (the

program was suspended for two years during World War II) and 15 of their players, beginning with

charter class member Al Jones, were subsequently deemed worthy of induction into the CSU Ath-

letic Hall of Fame. Included in that group are Dan Avis, Tony Fedor, Ed Hrdlicka, Fred Infi eld, Dave

Jacklitch, George Kappos, Alex Jamieson, Weldon Kytle, Dennis Lenk, Ted Okonski, Dennis Turkall,

Jack Shaugnessy, Ralph Staten and Don Yontz.

76 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

The 41 points scored by Dave Jacklitch against Hiram on March 3, 1951 remain the third-highest single game total in school history.

1947-48:1947-48:Fenn records its fi rst winning season since 1930-

31 and sets a school record for victories with a

10-8 record. Feb. 1948: The Foxes outlast Kent

State-Canton, 80-76, to shatter their single-game

scoring record.

1948-49:1948-49:A 4-14 season sets a school record for defeats.

Dec. 9, 1948: Kenyon defeats Fenn, 57-40, in

a game called after three quarters because of

a power failure. George McKinnon steps down

as head coach after compiling a 20-40 record in

four seasons.

1949-50:1949-50:George Rung takes over the head coaching duties

and Fenn goes 9-8. The Foxes set records with

fi ve straight wins and seven home wins. Jack

Shaughnessy twice sets a record with 33 points

in a game. Dan Avis ends his career as Fenn’s top

scorer with 706 points.

1950-51:1950-51:Fenn compiles a 6-11 mark in the 20th season of

basketball. Dec. 9, 1950: The Foxes set a single-

game scoring record as they slip past Western

Reserve, 84-83. March 3, 1951: Dave Jacklitch

sets records with 41 points and 16 fi eld goals

as Fenn defeats Hiram, 80-67, in the 100th win

in school history. Jacklitch becomes the career

scoring leader with 712 points.

1951-52:1951-52:Fenn drops to 4-12 as George Rung steps down as

head coach. Dec. 11, 1951: Fenn drops a 59-46

decision to Oberlin in the 300th game in school

history. Feb. 29, 1952: Fenn sets the school scor-

ing record in a 94-73 win over Hiram.

1952-53:1952-53:Homer Woodling returns for his fi nal season as

head coach and Fenn goes 2-15, setting a record

for losses in a season. Feb. 21, 1953: The Foxes

defeat Steubenville, 54-53, in Woodling’s fi nal

game as coach. Woodling leaves with a 65-128

record in 13 seasons.

1953-54:1953-54:George Rung returns as head coach and Fenn

again sets a record for losses with a 1-18 record.

Jan. 12, 1954: Fenn sees an opponent top the

century mark for the fi rst time in a 113-63 loss to

Baldwin Wallace.

1954-55:1954-55:The Foxes “improve” to 2-15.

1955-56:1955-56:Fenn goes 3-15 in the school’s silver anniversary

season of basketball. John Harper becomes the

school career scoring leader with 873 points.

1956-57:1956-57:For the second straight year, Fenn goes 3-15. Feb.

16, 1957: Fenn defeats Edinboro, 81-68, in the

school’s 400th game.

1957-58:1957-58:George Rung steps down as head coach with a

34-107 record in eight seasons. Fenn improves

to 6-13.

1958-59:1958-59:Bill Gallagher is head coach for one season as

Fenn goes 7-12. Dec. 6, 1958: Gallagher wins

his fi rst game as head coach, a 45-42 victory in

four overtimes over Kenyon, the longest game in

school history.

1959-60:1959-60:Fenn suffers its worst season ever as the team

goes 0-19 in Jim Rodriguez’s fi rst season as head

coach.

1960-61:1960-61:The Foxes improve to 4-15 as Fenn marked its

30th season of basketball. Feb. 25, 1961: Ernie

Kremling grabs a record 25 rebounds against

Allegheny.

1961-62:1961-62:Weldon Kytle, the greatest player in Fenn history,

helps Fenn improve its record to 6-13. Kytle sets

records with 363 points and 287 rebounds as

a freshman to become the fi rst player in school

history with 300+ points and 200+ rebounds in

a single season.

1941-42:1941-42:Bruce T. Brickley becomes the second head coach

in school history but Fenn can manage just a 2-12

record. Dec. 12, 1942: Kent State defeats Fenn,

59-27, in the 200th game in school history.

1942-43:1942-43:Aaron L. Andrews assumes the coaching reins but

the Foxes suffer their fi rst-ever winless season,

going 0-13. Fenn suspends its basketball program

following the season until the fall of 1945 because

of World War II.

1943-44 & 1944-45:1943-44 & 1944-45:Fenn College did not fi eld a men’s basketball team

because of World War II.

1945-46:1945-46:Fenn resumes play after a two-year hiatus with

George McKinnon as the head coach. The Foxes

go 1-8, playing the fewest games in school history.

Jan. 12, 1946: Fenn defeats Hiram, 53-35, in the

latest season-opener in school history, ending a

record 16-game losing streak.

1946-47:1946-47:The Foxes improve to 5-10. March 1, 1947: Fenn

squeaks past Hiram, 68-67, setting the school

record for points in a game.

Homer Woodling, who was hired as Fenn’s fi rst

athletic director in 1929, retired from coaching

in 1940-41, only to return to coach in 1952-53.

He retired in 1966 after 36 years as athletic

director.

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 77

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

In 1970-71, 30-year old LaMoyne Porter (54) became the oldest player to suit up for the Vikings.

Weldon Kytle (1962-65)Weldon Kytle (1962-65)The greatest player in Fenn College basketball history, Weldon

Kytle closed out his collegiate career in 1964-65 by earning his

third straight Athletic Alumni Association Most Valuable Player

Award. In his three seasons, Kytle set school career records for

points (1,408), scoring average (18.8), rebounds (1,241) and

rebounding average (16.5) and almost 40 years later, he still holds

the school standard for rebounds and rebounding average. He

was inducted into the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976.

1967-68:1967-68:CSU goes 7-15. Jan. 17, 1968: The Vikes lose

to Detroit, 85-81, in the 600th game in school

history.

1968-69:1968-69:The Vikings win a record 12 games, going 12-14 in

John McLendon’s fi nal season as coach. Mike

Campbell becomes the third player to be named

CSU’s Most Outstanding Player award for a second

time. McLendon leaves CSU with a record of 27-

42 in three seasons to become head coach of the

Denver team in the ABA.

1969-70:1969-70:Ray Dieringer becomes the ninth head coach in

school history. The Vikings set a record for losses

in a 5-21 season. Dec. 30, 1969: CSU defeats

Federal City, 81-74, for the 200th win in school

history. Feb. 11, 1970: The Vikings score a record

117 points in a win over Walsh.

1970-71:1970-71:CSU celebrates the 40th season of basketball.

Thirty-year old LaMoyne Porter, who served eight

years in the Air Force before coming to CSU, scores

180 points and grabs 104 rebounds as the oldest

player to ever play basketball in school history.

1971-72:1971-72:The Vikings improve to 8-18. Dec. 11, 1971: Toledo

tops CSU in the school’s 700th game.

1972-73:1972-73:CSU compiles a 9-14 record. Dec. 29, 1972: Gale

Drummer blocks a record seven shots in CSU’s 76-

73 triple overtime win over Wichita State.

1973-74:1973-74:The Vikings slip to 6-20. Jan. 19, 1974: Wilbur

Starks scores 37 points on a record 18 fi eld goals

against Ball State. Pat Lyons becomes the fi rst

Academic All-America, which is awarded by the

College Sports Information Directors of America.

1974-75:1974-75:The Vikes win a record 13 games in a 13-11 cam-

paign. Gale Drummer becomes the third player

in school history to score 1,000 points, fi nishing

with 1,039 points. Drummer is named the team’s

Most Outstanding Player as well as CSU’s Athlete-

of-the-Year. Homer Woodling and Al Jones (‘37) are

members of the fi rst class inducted into the CSU

Athletic Hall of Fame.

1962-63:1962-63:Fenn goes 9-9, the fi rst non-losing season in

13 years. Dec. 15, 1962: Fenn defeats Detroit

Tech, 64-56, in the school’s 500th game. Feb.

23, 1963: Kytle pulls down a record 27 rebounds

as Fenn tops Fredonia, 61-49. Kytle receives the

fi rst Athletic Alumni Association Most Outstanding

Player award.

1963-64:1963-64:The Foxes go 10-9, their fi rst winning season since

1949-50. Dec. 10, 1963: Fenn passes the century

mark in 112-72 win vs. Walsh. Feb. 13, 1964:

Weldon Kytle sets a record with 30 rebounds in

a win over Malone. Kytle, who becomes the fi rst

player to score 1,000 career points, repeats as

the team’s Most Outstanding Player and is named

Fenn’s Athlete-of-the-Year.

1964-65:1964-65:Fenn once again goes 10-9 in the fi nal season

of basketball as Fenn College. In 34 years, Fenn

teams compiled a 167-386 record. March 6, 1965:

Fenn goes out on a winning note with a win over

Carnegie Tech. Kytle is named Most Outstanding

Player for the third straight year.

1965-66:1965-66:The Fenn College Foxes become the Cleveland

State University Vikings. CSU goes 4-14 in its

inaugural season. Jim Rodriguez steps down

as head coach, owning a 43-88 record in seven

years.

1966-67:1966-67:John McLendon takes over as head coach and

becomes the fi rst African-American to coach at

an integrated college in the country. McLendon

guides CSU to an 8-13 mark. Jan. 11, 1967: The

Vikes top Walsh, 24-22, to give McLendon his

500th career victory. Dennis Lenk becomes the

second player in school history to score 1,000

points, fi nishing with 1,032.

J im Rodriguez (1959-94)J im Rodriguez (1959-94)An athletic administrator and coach at Fenn College and

Cleveland State for 35 years, Jim Rodriguez served as

men’s basketball coach for seven years (1959-66). He

coached baseball from 1959-72 before moving into the

athletic administration in 1972 as assistant athletic

director, a position he held for 22 years until retiring

in 1994. He was inducted in the CSU Athletic Hall of

Fame in 1995.

78 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

Franklin Edwards Franklin Edwards (1977-81)(1977-81) By the time he fi nished playing, Franklin Edwards

had rewritten the CSU record book. The 6-1 guard from

New York, NY, held 23 career, season and single-game

records when he fi nished his collegiate career. Today,

he still holds 11 of them.

Edwards led CSU in scoring in each of his four

years and was the fi rst Viking to score 2,000 career

points. His 21.9 average tops the CSU list while his

2,235 points are second all-time. He averaged a

school record 25.5 ppg in 1979-80. In his senior year

of 1980-81, he averaged 24.6 ppg which included a

school record 49 points against Xavier. Edwards also

set the school record with 265 fi eld goals and a .882

free throw percentage. He fi nished his career by scoring

in double-fi gures in a school record 68 straight games.

He is second all-time with 459 assists and fi fth with

204 steals.

Edwards, CSU’s fi rst two-time All-American, was

named CSU’s Most Outstanding Player three times and

the school’s Athlete-of-the-Year twice. He was the #1

pick of the Philadelphia 76’ers in 1981 and played in

the NBA for eight years.

CSU’s color analyst for television, Edwards cur-

rently resides in Sacramento, Calif., and is employed

by the NBA.

Ray Dieringer Ray Dieringer (1969-83)(1969-83)The winningest coach in Cleveland State University history,

Dieringer took over as head coach in 1969 and compiled

149 wins in 14 seasons. Included in the total was a

then-school record total of 18 wins in 1980-81.

Player award. Darren Tillis blocks a record 51

shots. Jack Shaughnessy (‘50) is inducted into the

CSU Hall of Fame.

1979-80:1979-80:The Vikings go 14-1 at home and win a record 17

games in an 17-9 season. Jan. 31, 1980: CSU

defeats Xavier, 85-75, for the 300th win in school

history. Franklin Edwards and Andre Battle both

surpass the 1,000 point mark, the only time in

school history that two players have accomplished

it in the same season. Edwards becomes CSU’s

career scoring leader with 1,571 points. Edwards

sets records with 637 points (25.5 ppg) and is

named All-American, CSU’s Athlete of the Year

and Most Outstanding Player. The CSU Hall of

Fame inducts Dan Avis (‘51), Ted Okonski (‘34)

and Don Yontz (‘60).

1980-81:1980-81:CSU goes 18-9, breaking its record for wins in the

golden anniversary season of basketball. Jan. 29,

1981: CSU falls to Marquette in front of a record

7,441 fans at Public Hall. Franklin Edwards

passes the 2,000-point mark en route to earning

All-America honors and his third straight Most

Outstanding Player award. Edwards becomes the

fi rst basketball player to be named CSU’s Athlete

of the Year twice. Edwards ends his career with

2,235 points and becomes the fi rst player to have

his number retired (14). Alex Jamieson (‘37) Wil-

liam Pugh (‘41) and Leo Johnson (‘71) are inducted

into the CSU Hall of Fame.

1981-82:1981-82:The Vikings go 12-0 at home en route to a 17-10

season. Darren Tillis earns All-America accolades

after grabbing a record 348 rebounds. Tillis ends

1975-76:1975-76:CSU goes 6-19. Jan. 7, 1975: Wright State defeats

CSU in the 800th game in school history. Dave

Kyle becomes the school’s fi rst All-American after

averaging 24.5 points a game. Kyle is also named

CSU’s Most Outstanding Player and Athlete-of-

the-Year. Former Fenn stars Dave Jacklitch (‘51)

and Weldon Kytle (‘66) are inducted into the CSU

Athletic Hall of Fame.

1976-77: 1976-77: The Vikings improve to 10-17. Dave Kyle becomes

the fourth player in school history to pass the

1,000-point mark, repeating as the team’s Most

Outstanding Player. Kyle ends his career with

a record .544 FG%, second with 1,168 points

and third with 726 rebounds. Fenn standout Ed

Hrdlicka (‘38) is inducted into the CSU Athletic

Hall of Fame.

1977-78:1977-78:Franklin Edwards scores a freshman record 467

points as the Vikings fi nish with a 12-13 record.

Former Fenn stars George Kappos (‘53) and Den-

nis Turkall (‘65) are inducted into the CSU Hall

of Fame.

1978-79:1978-79:The Vikings set a school record for wins with a

15-10 record. Franklin Edwards ties his record

with 467 points and wins the Most Outstanding

Cleveland State 82, Cleveland State 82, Akron 82:Akron 82:On Feb. 8, 1983, Lee Reed, then a Viking guard, fi red

a long jumper at the fi nal buzzer to lift the Vikings

to an 83-82 victory over arch-rival Akron. You can

look it up. Just ignore the headlines which appeared

in papers around the country two days later read-

ing “Cleveland State Beats Akron, 82-82.” Seems

the offi cial scorer had inadvertently credited CSU

for a missed free throw in the fi rst half but Akron

coach Bob Rupert had stormed to the scorers table

at halftime and again at the end of the game to

grab his scorebook on his way to the locker room.

An Akron reporter had questioned the scoreboard

shortly after the phantom free throw was scored,

but the totals in the offi cial scorebook jibed and

the Akron scorekeeper never had an opportunity

to total his book. So when the referee asked the

perfunctory “does everything check out?” both

scorekeepers nodded , the offi cial book was signed

and the game offi cially ended. Only the next day

when the play-by-play was closely rechecked did

the mistake surface and another coaching lesson

was learned the hard way.

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 79

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

1985-86 Cleveland1985-86 ClevelandState VikingsState Vikings

NCAA Sweet 16

From L-R: Hersey Strong, Pat Vuyan-

cih, Tyrone Kingwood, Clinton Smith,

Vince Richards, Eric Mudd, Elgin

Womack, Shawn Hood, Bob Crawford,

Eddie Brant, Warren Bradley, Ray

Salters, Paul Stewart, Clinton Ransey,

Steve Corbin, Marty Sweeney, Ken

McFadden, Manager Dan Garven.

The Anatomy Of A Win Streak:The Anatomy Of A Win Streak:For 54 days in the Spring of 1986, the CSU men’s basketball team captured the attention of not only the sports fans in Cleveland, but across the country as well. The

school-record 14-game win streak that culminated in an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance is unquestionably the most memorable run in program history. Here is a game-by-

game look at the win streak:

Date Opponent CSU OPP Game Note

Jan. 27 at Kent State 75 -55 CSU shoots .739 (17-23) from the fi eld in the fi rst half to pull away and start the win streak.

Feb. 1 Valparaiso 91 -66 Ransey (6 points) and Mudd (5) ignite an 11-0 run to open the game and CSU never looks back.

Feb. 8 UW-Green Bay 103 -64 The Vikings break the school record with their ninth 100-point game of the year.

Feb. 12 Illinois-Chicago 113 -75 Mudd (24 points, 15 rebounds) and Smith (23/12) each post double-doubles.

Feb. 15 at Northern Iowa 80 -65 CSU claims its 20th win, giving it back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the fi rst time in program history.

Feb. 17 at Western Illinois 76 -64 Mudd grabs eight rebounds to become the ninth Viking to grab over 500 career rebounds.

Feb. 22 Southwest Missouri State 94 -67 The Vikings cruise to a school-record 22nd win of the year.

Feb. 24 Eastern Illinois 76 -68 CSU trails 8-3 in the fi rst half, the largest defi cit of the streak. Woodling attendance record falls.

Feb. 27 at Valparaiso 72 -50 Clinton Smith scores 25 points. The Vikings end the regular season with a 24-3 mark

March 6 vs. Northern Iowa 73 -68 CSU opens the AMCU-8 Tourney by shooting .600 from the fi eld (30-50).

March 7 vs. Illinois-Chicago 100 -84 The Vikings go over the 100-point mark for the 11th time, including in all three games against UIC.

March 8 vs. Eastern Illinois 70 -66 McFadden leads CSU to the AMCU-8 Tourney title with 13 points in the closest win in the streak.

March 14 vs. Indiana 83 -79 CSU outlasts the 14th-ranked Hoosiers as Smith goes over the 500-point mark for the season.

March 16 vs. St. Joseph’s 75 -69 St. Joseph’s leads, 28-26, with 15 minutes left, the only second half CSU defi cit during the streak.

March 21 vs. Navy 70 -71 Clinton Smith’s 25-footer at the buzzer is off the mark as the season ends in the NCAA Sweet 16.

1983-84:1983-84:The “Run & Stun” era begins as Kevin Mackey

leads CSU to a 14-16 record in his fi rst season

as coach. Nov. 26, 1983: CSU drops an overtime

decision to Eastern Michigan in Mackey’s fi rst

game, the 1,000th in school history. Dave Youdath

ends his career ranking fourth with 1,306 points.

1984-85:1984-85:The Vikings win 20 games for the fi rst time, cap-

turing the fi rst conference championship in school

history with a 21-8 overall and an 11-3 AMCU

mark. March 2, 1985: The Vikings top Valparaiso,

105-87, in front of a Woodling Gym record crowd

of 3,429 for their 20th win of the season. Clinton

Ransey and Clinton Smith are honorable mention

All-America picks and share the team’s Most

Outstanding Player award. Mackey is named the

AMCU-8 Coach-of-the-Year and Smith the AMCU’s

Newcomer-of-the-Year. Ralph Staten (‘35) is

inducted into the CSU Hall of Fame.

1985-86:1985-86:The most memorable season in school history as

the Vikings go 29-4, including a record 15-0 at

home, and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA

Tournament. CSU wins the AMCU’s regular-season

title with a 13-1 record and goes on to claim the

AMCU tournament title as well. Nov. 30, 1985:

CSU sets a school scoring mark in a 118-66 win

over Central Connecticut State. Jan. 27, 1986:

The Vikings defeat Kent State, 75-55, for the

400th win in school history. Feb. 22, 1986: CSU

routs Southwest Missouri State, 94-67, in front

of a then-Woodling Gym record crowd of 3,599 to

claim the AMCU-8 regular season crown. Feb. 24,

his career with a record 197 blocked shots and is

second in both scoring (1,423) and rebounding

(1,045). Dennis Lenk is inducted into the CSU

Hall of Fame.

1982-83:1982-83:CSU drops to 8-20 in Ray Dieringer’s fi nal season.

The Vikes post a 1-4 league mark in the Associa-

tion of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU), their

fi rst-ever season in a conference. Dec. 4, 1982:

Jim Les plays a record 56 minutes in a 91-89 four

overtime loss to Kent State. Dave Youdath, who

leads CSU in scoring (466) and rebounding (231),

is named CSU’s Most Outstanding Player and

becomes the fi rst CSU player chosen to an All-

Conference team (2nd Team All-AMCU). Dieringer

departs with a 149-311 record in 14 seasons at

the Viking helm.

80 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

1987-88 Cleveland State Vikings1987-88 Cleveland State Vikings — — NIT Second RoundNIT Second Round

Front Row (L-R): Herb Dixon, Kenny Robertson, Ken McFadden, Eric Mudd, William Tomlin & Desmond

Porter. Back Row (L-R): Hersey Strong, Warren Bradley, Darwyn Ingram, Ray Foster, Mike Raby &

William Stanley.

1986-87 Cleveland State Vikings1986-87 Cleveland State Vikings — — NIT Second RoundNIT Second Round

Front Row (L-R): Shawn Hood, Clinton Ransey, Eric Mudd, Elgin Womack, Pay Vuyancih, Ray Salters &

Eddie Bryant. Back Row (L-R): Anthony Gay, Hersey Strong, Greg Lockhart, Darwyn Ingram, Warren

Bradley, Ken McFadden, Kenny Robertson, head coach Kevin Mackey.

Almost An Almost An International Incident:International Incident:It was only an exhibition game and the score

is not even listed in the CSU record books, but

the international contest between CSU and a

traveling Yugoslavian team at Woodling Gym

on Nov. 18,1988, provided a textbook lesson

on how to destroy international goodwill. The

visitors were held up getting through customs

at the airport and arrived late, there was a

problem in hanging up the Yugoslavian fl ag,

some of the visitors’ uniforms were lost so the

numbers in the program were wrong and the

p.a. announcer with little time for prepara-

tion had a battle with the pronunciation of

names. Then the game began. The fi rst half

was fairly competitive, but fouls had begun

to pile up on the Yugos, playing under less

than familiar rules. With 11 minutes in the

game, the nine-man visiting team was down

to fi ve worn-out players trying to keep up

with the fatigue-inducing run-and-stun CSU

game. The whistles kept blowing and with

less than four minutes left it was 5 v 2. And

then another whistle. Even though there was

3:07 left, the game was over. The remaining

eligible player had no one left to inbound the

ball to. Enjoy your stay in Cleveland fellas.

1986-87:1986-87:The Vikings top the 20-win mark again, fi nishing

with a 25-8 overall record and appear in the NIT for

the fi rst time. April 30, 1986: Popular sophomore

Paul Stewart dies of a heart attack during a pickup

game in Woodling Gym. Dec. 1, 1986: CSU sets

records for points and margin of victory (74) in a

135-61 romp over Clarion. Dec. 28, 1986: The

Vikes set a CSU and then-NCAA record with 29

steals as they defeat Canisius, 82-61. March 12,

1987: CSU runs past UT-Chattanooga, 92-73, in

the fi rst-round of the NIT. Only a sophomore, Ken

1986: The Woodling Gym attendance record falls

for the second time in three days as 3,688 fans see

the Vikings edge Eastern Illinois, 76-68. March 8,

1986: Cleveland State receives its fi rst-ever NCAA

Tournament invitation, garnering an at-large bid

as the No. 14 seed in the east regional. March

14, 1986: Clinton Ransey scored 27 points as

CSU upends Indiana, 83-79, in the fi rst-round

of the NCAA Tournament. March 16, 1986: Ken

McFadden scores 23 points, Clinton Smith adds

17 and Ransey 16 as the Vikings dismiss St.

Joseph’s, 75-69, to advance CSU to the Sweet 16.

March 20, 1986: CSU’s “Magic Carpet Ride”ends

as Navy defeats the Vikings, 71-70, in the NCAA’s

East Regional semifi nals at the Meadowlands in

East Rutherford, New Jersey; Ken McFadden is

named to the East Regional all-tournament team.

All-American Clinton Ransey moves into second in

career scoring with 1,415 points. Ken McFadden

and Clinton Ransey each earn All-America honors,

McFadden being tabbed for the Basketball Weekly

fi fth team while Ransey earned honorable mention

accolades from the Associated Press. Mackey

repeats as the AMCU’s Coach-of-the-Year. Ransey

and Smith are fi rst team all-AMCU 8 picks while

Eric Mudd and Ken McFadden are second team

selections. Clinton Smith is tabbed as the Varsity

“C” Club Player of the Year.

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 81

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

Ken “Mouse” McFadden (1985-Ken “Mouse” McFadden (1985-89)89) Known as the “Mouse,” Ken McFadden played on some of CSU’s

most successful teams, including the 1985-86 team that won a school

record 29 games and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.

The 6-1 guard from New York, N.Y., is CSU’s all-time leading scorer

with 2,256 points and led the team in scoring three times. He is second

all-time with a 19.3 scoring average. He is the only Viking to average

20.0 ppg three times. His 708 points in 1986-87 is the season record

and included a career- high effort of 41 points versus UIC.

McFadden also is one of CSU’s top foul shooters, holding the career

mark for free throw attempts (761) and free throws made (597) as well

as both season records with 233 attempts in 1987-88 and 177 free

throws made in both 1986-87 and ‘87-88. His ‘86-87 effort included

a school record 27 straight. He also holds the all-time (463), season

(177) and game (16) assist records. His 245 steals rank him second

all-time.

McFadden was named CSU’s Most Outstanding Player three times,

only the second player so honored, and is CSU’s only four-time All-

American.

After playing overseas for several years, McFadden returned to

Cleveland. He currently resides in nearby Euclid.

Claiming A Claiming A Record In Style:Record In Style:With six seconds left in his college career, Kenny

Robertson, a 6-0 guard from Barberton, Ohio who

many felt was the best pure athlete ever to pull

on a Viking uniform, raced down court, uncorked

a remarkable dive to intercept an Illinois-Chicago

pass, dribbled once and stopped with a huge smile

on his face as the Woodling Gym crowd erupted into

a roaring ovation. In almost unbelievable fashion,

“Kenny Rob” had established a new NCAA career

records for steals (341), the fi rst, and to date the

only, national record set by a CSU cager. A season

earlier, in 1988-89, Robertson had given a hint of

things of come by leading the NCAA in steals with

a 4.0 per game average, well ahead of runner-up

Mookie Blaylock’s 3.7 for Oklahoma. The single

season title was also a CSU fi rst.

1988-89 Vikings. . . LPL 1988-89 Vikings. . . LPL ChampionsChampions When an NCAA probation led to a temporary ban from being

eligible for the AMCU basketball title in 1988-89, head coach Kevin

Mackey elected to get a little creative to find a way to motivate the

Vikings.

Despite the ban, the Vikings were permitted to play all the

games on their Mid-Con schedule as “independent” games. With

not even a regular season conference title to play for and the

nucleus of a 22-8 team returning and in need of some incentive, the

resourceful Mackey proposed pitting his Vikes against the other Mid-

Continent schools by counting the results of CSU’s games with its

old conference mates and publicly incorporating them into the

standings of their very own league, the LPL (short for the Let’s

Pretend League.)

The Vikes, to the unappreciative frowns of some league mem-

bers, won the title with an 11-3 record, edging out arch rival

Southwest Missouri State (10-4). Before the opening game of the 1989-1990 season the returning members

of the “championship” team were introduced to the strains of “You Gotta Have Heart,” and the specially

designed 1988-89 “LPL” championship pennant was unfurled from the Woodling Gym rafters, hanging side-

by-side with league championship banners from the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.

Mid-Continent officials, showing a complete lack of humor, quickly demanded the banner be taken down

and CSU administrators complied. But it remains a vivid memory to the 1988-89 team and its fans. Although

you can no longer look up at it, you can look it up.

1988-89:1988-89:CSU is placed on probation for two years by the

NCAA for recruiting violations. The Vikings battle

through a tough season to fi nish 16-12 overall.

Dec. 3, 1988: Kenny Robertson has a record 12

steals vs. Wagner. Feb. 4, 1989: Ken McFadden

becomes the second CSU player to score 2,000

career points, ending his career as CSU’s top

scorer with 2,256 points. McFadden receives All-

America honors for the third straight year while

also garnering first team all-league and CSU

Most Outstanding Player honors. March 6, 1989:

McFadden has his number retired before his fi nal

home game.

1989-90:1989-90:The Vikings fi nish 15-13 in Kevin Mackey’s fi nal

season as head coach. The AMCU becomes the

Mid-Continent Conference. March 1, 1990: CSU

defeats UIC, 91-79, in Mackey’s fi nal game as

coach. He ends his seven-year reign as CSU coach

with a 142-69 record and a school-record .673

McFadden passes the 1,000-point mark, ending

the year with 1,161 points. Clinton Ransey closes

his career with 1,946 points. Ransey and Eddie

Bryant set a CSU record by playing in 125 career

games. McFadden earns All-America honors.

McFadden and Ransey are named first team

All-AMCU and share the CSU Most Outstanding

Player award.

1987-88:1987-88:The Vikings return to the NIT with 22-8 record,

tying a record by going 15-0 at home. Jan. 18,

1988: Kevin Mackey becomes the second coach

in CSU history to win 100 games as CSU defeats

Eastern Illinois, 95-84. March 18, 1988: CSU tops

Illinois State, 89-83, in overtime in the fi rst-round

of the NIT to avenge an NIT loss from the year

before. Ken McFadden earns honorable mention

All-America kudos while also being tabbed the

AMCU Player-of-the-Year. Eric Mudd earns fi rst

team all-league honors, ending his career with

1,402 points.

82 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

After almost a decade of planning and construc-

tion, the Wolstein Center opened in time for the

start of the 1991-92 season. The Wolstein Center

is pictured above at the time of its opening (note

that Progressive Field is conspicuously missing

from the current background). The fi rst event

came on Nov. 3, 1991 when a Randy Travis Concert

was held (right).Pat Lyons, who made the fi rst basket in the fi rst

game in Woodling Gym, came back to make a

ceremonial last shot following CSU’s 71-65 win

over Eastern Illinois on Feb. 17, 1991, the fi nal

men’s basketball game played in the gym.

1992-93 Cleveland State Vikings1992-93 Cleveland State Vikings — — Mid-Cont inent Confe rence ChampionsMid-Cont inent Confe rence Champions

Front Row (L-R): Student manager Ann Babitsky, strength coach Hal Estis, Mark Gannon, Craig

Caldwell, Anthony Reed, Greg Allen, David Moore, Gravelle Craig, assistant coach Dave Balza &

manager Jimmy Meyer. Front Row (L-R): Head coach Mike Boyd, assistant coach Dave Paulsen,

Juan Hill, Steve Belter, Walter Evans, Eric Nichelson, Shawn Fergus, Sam Mitchell, Matt Dellinger,

Reggie Welch, athletic trainer Jack McNeeley & assistant coach Shawn Hood.

winning percentage. Kenny Robertson ends his

career with an NCAA, league and school record

341 steals.

1990-91:1990-91:Mike Boyd is named the 11th head coach in

school history. CSU goes 12-16 overall and 8-8

in the Mid-Con. Jan. 19, 1991: The Vikings beat

Eastern Illinois, 58-56, for the 500th win in school

history. Feb. 18, 1991: CSU tops Eastern Illinois,

71-65, in the fi nal game at Woodling Gym, clos-

ing out Woodling with a 130-24 (.844) record in

18 seasons.

1991-92:1991-92:The Vikes move into the 13,610-seat Convocation

Center. CSU improves to a 16-12 overall mark and

7-9 in the Mid-Con. Dec. 7, 1991: A record home

crowd of 13,055 watches the Vikes take on the

Michigan Wolverines in the opener at the Convo.

1992-93:1992-93:CSU tops the 20 win mark for the fi rst time since

1987-88, going 22-6 overall and a record 15-1

in the Mid-Con to capture its fi rst regular-season

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 83

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

Men’s basketball alumni, including most of the 1985-86 NCAA Sweet 16 team, returned to CSU in February, 2006 to celebrate the 75th season of basketball at Cleveland

State and Fenn College.

championship since 1985-86. The Vikes run off

a record-tying 14 straight wins. Feb. 20, 1993:

Anthony Reed becomes the 12th Viking to pass

the 1,000-point mark as CSU outlasts Valparaiso,

85-81. Mike Boyd is named the Mid-Con’s Coach

of the Year. Sam Mitchell earns All-America honors

from the Basketball Times after leading the team

in scoring.

1993-94:1993-94:CSU slips to 14-15 overall and fi nishes fourth

in the Mid-Con with a 9-9 mark, their 12th and

fi nal season in the league. Dec. 10, 1993: The

Vikings lose to Cincinnati in the 1,300th game in

school history.

1994-95:1994-95:The Vikings fi nish 10-17 overall and 3-13 in their

fi rst year in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Dec. 17, 1994: CSU tops Ohio State, 77-75, in the

Rock-N-Roll Shootout at Gund Arena to gain their

fi rst-ever win over the Buckeyes. Former Viking

head coach Jim Rodriguez is inducted into the CSU

Athletic Hall of Fame.

1995-96:1995-96:The 65th season of intercollegiate basketball at the

school and 31st under the CSU fl ag sees the Vikes

suffer their worst season since 1969-70 by going

5-21, tying a school record for losses. The season

is also the fi nal one as head coach for Mike Boyd.

Nov. 25, 1995: Elwyn McRoy hits a three-pointer at

the buzzer as CSU tops Iona 65-62, in the 800th

game at CSU.

1996-97:1996-97:Rollie Massimino becomes the 12th head coach in

school history. The Vikings improve to 9-19 overall

and tie for sixth in the MCC with a 6-10 mark. Feb.

8, 1997: Malcolm Sims hits a three-pointer at the

buzzer as the Vikings defeat UW-Milwaukee, 56-54,

in the 1,400th game in school history.

1997-98:1997-98:The Vikings continue to improve, going 12-15

overall and 6-8 in the MCC. CSU’s 9-4 home record

is the second best in Convo history.

1998-99:1998-99:CSU takes another step, fi nishing 14-14 overall,

including a 9-5 mark at home. Nov. 18, 1998:

James Madison explodes for a Convocation Center

record 33 points in a loss to Providence. Dec. 27,

1998: Theo Dixon buries an 18-foot jumper as time

expires to lift the Vikes over Rhode Island 73-72 in

the Gatorade Rock-N-Roll Shootout at Gund Arena,

earning him the Compaq “Play of the Week.”

Theo Dixon hit an 18-foot jumper at the buzzer to

lead Cleveland State to a 73-72 win over Rhode

Island in the Gatorade Rock-N-Roll Shootout at

Gund Arena on Dec. 28, 1998. The shot earned

him the Compaq “Play of the Week”.

84 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

1999-2000:1999-2000:The Vikings post a 16-14 mark, the program’s fi rst

winning season since 1992-93. Senior Damon

Stringer is named the MCC Newcomer of the Year

and fi rst-team All-MCC.

2000-01:2000-01:CSU goes 19-13 but narrowly misses out on a

postseason bid. The 11-2 home mark equals the

1992-93 for the most wins ever in the Convoca-

tion Center. Jan. 17, 2001: The Vikings hold UW-

Milwaukee to a Goodman Arena scoring record low

in a 57-34 win. Theo Dixon is named MCC Player

of the Week three times and caps off the season

with fi rst team all-league honors. Dixon becomes

the 14th 1,000 point scorer in school history as he

wraps up the year with 1,161 career points.

2001-02:2001-02:CSU slips to 12-16. Senior Theo Dixon closes

out his career ranked fi fth in scoring with 1,572

points. Senior Jamaal Harris becomes the 15th

player in school history to top 1,000 points for his

career, fi nishing with 1,297 points. Tahric Gosley

leads the league in blocked shots for the second

year in a row.

2002-03:2002-03:The Vikings drop 13 of their last 14 games and

fi nish with an 8-22 record. Rollie Massimino steps

down as CSU basketball coach. April 17, 2003:

Mike Garland is named head coach.

2003-04:2003-04:Mike Garland debuts as head coach but injuries

and a thin roster cause the Vikings to struggle.

Omari Westley is named to the Horizon League

All-Newcomer team after leading the league in

rebounding. Nov. 29, 2003: 11,534 fans see CSU

nearly topple 10th-ranked North Carolina.

2004-05:2004-05:The Vikings open the year with three straight wins

for the fi rst time since 1985-86. Omari Westley

leads the Horizon League in rebounding for the sec-

ond straight year and Walt Chavis leads the league

in steals. Raheem Moss sets a school record for

three-point fi eld goals per game (2.6). Westley

is named to the All-Horizon League second team

with Moss being on the fi ve-player all-newcomer

team and Chavis on the all-defensive team. Jan.

21, 2005: The CSU Board of Trustees formally

change the name of the CSU Convocation Center

to the Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center.

2005-06:2005-06:Cleveland State wins four straight league games

for the fi rst time since 2000-01 but a 1-7 home

record in league play relegates the Vikings to an

eighth place fi nish. J’Nathan Bullock becomes the

fi fth Viking freshman to lead the team in scoring

(11.3 ppg). Nov. 26, 2005: CSU plays fi rst game

in Woodling Gym in 14 seasons, routing Rochester

College, 76-43. March 31, 2006: Mike Garland

is removed as head coach. April 16, 2006: Gary

Waters named 14th head coach in program his-

tory. June 8, 2006: CSU announces formation of

CSU McLendon Scholarship Series with the Vikings

slated to host Ohio State at Quicken Loans Arena

on Dec. 18, 2007 in the series fi rst game.

2006-07:2006-07:Gary Waters debuts as head coach and leads team

to a 10-21 record. J’Nathan Bullock is the 13th

player to lead the team in scoring (13.5 ppg) in

consecutive years. Nov. 1, 2006: CSU announces

television partnership with SportsTime Ohio,

resulting in fi ve men’s basketball games and a

weekly half-hour coach’s show being broadcast.

2007-08:2007-08:Cleveland State tops the 20-win mark for just the

sixth time in program history and fi rst since 1992-

93, appearing in postseason play for just the fourth

time in school history and fi rst since 1987-88. The

Vikings fi nish second in the Horizon League regular

season with a program record 12 wins. Dec. 18,

2007: CSU hosts Ohio State at Quicken Loans Arena

in the inaugural McLendon Scholarship Series

game. Jan. 12: Kevin Francis hits a three-pointer

with 11 seconds left giving CSU a 65-63 win at

Wright State. Jan. 17, 2008: CSU tops 12th-ranked

Butler, 56-52, just the second time in 26 tries that

the Vikings have knocked off a ranked opponent.

Jan. 19, 2008: J’Nathan Bullock scores 17 points in

a win over Valparaiso, becoming the 17th player in

school history to reach the 1,000 point mark. Feb.

11, 2008: J’Nathan Bullock scores a CSU Wolstein

Center record 39 points in a win over Green Bay.

Feb. 20, 2008: Cedric Jackson just misses the fi rst

triple-double in school history, fi nishing with 18

points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a victory

over Milwaukee. March 8, 2008: The Vikings defeat

Valparaiso in the Horizon League semi-fi nals to

advance to the Horizon League Championship

for the fi rst time in 14 years as a member of the

league. March 11, 2008: Playing in the Horizon

League Championship for the fi rst time in school

history, CSU falls at Bulter. March 19, 2008: The

Vikings return to postseason play for the fi rst time

in 21 years, falling at Dayton in the fi rst round

of the NIT. Bullock becomes just the third player

in school history to lead the team in scoring in

each of his fi rst three seasons, earning fi rst team

All-Horizon League honors. Cedric Jackson sets a

school-record with 88 steals and is named to the

All-Horizon League second team, as well as the

league all-defensive and all-newcomer teams.

Gary Waters is voted the Horizon League Coach of

the Year in just his second season at the helm.

The 2007-08 squad, under second year head coach Gary Waters, became the fi rst Viking team to play in the

postseason since 1987. CSU earned an NIT bid after appearing in the Horizon League Championship game for

the fi rst time in school history. CSU fi nished the campaign with 21 wins, marking the sixth time in program history

that the Vikings reached the 20-win mark.

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 85

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

Al l -Americans:

CSU Basketball has

produced 11 All-

Americans, 10 on

the court and one

in the classroom.

Pat Lyons used his

head to become

the Vikings’ first

honoree, as a fi rst

team Academic

All-American in

1972-73. Dave Kyle

became the fi rst to

win All-American

status solely for his

athletic prowess,

doing so in 1975-76.

In 1981-82 Darren

Tillis joined Kyle as

a first-team pick.

Ken McFadden is the only Viking to earn All-

America kudos in all fours seasons. The rest of the

Viking honorees were all honorable mention selec-

tions, led by Franklin Edwards and Sam Mitchell,

who were each chosen in multiple seasons. The

most recent All-American came in 2007-08 when

J’Nathan Bullock was named an honorable mention

choice to to the Mid-Major All-America squad by

collegehoops.net.

AMCU: Cleveland

State ended 53

years of basket-

ball competition

as an indepen-

dent in July, 1983,

joining Eastern

I l l i n o i s , U I C ,

Northern Iowa,

Southwest Missouri State, Valparaiso, Western

Illinois and UW-Green Bay to create the Associa-

tion of Mid-Continent Universities. Because the

league was approved so late in the year, it played

a makeshift conference schedule in 1983-84 with

some teams playing as many as 13 games and

CSU playing the fewest with fi ve. The Vikings

played their fi rst league game at Valparaiso on

Jan. 4, 1983, winning 52-49. The league changed

its name to the more upscale AMCU-8 in 1984-85,

went back to AMCU in 1987-88 after a couple of

unkind souls, including Viking head coach Kevin

Mackey, suggested publicly that AMCU-8 sounded

like a motor oil and in 1990 changed its name

to the Mid-Continent Conference, a name it still

retains. Cleveland State ended its relationship

Cleveland State Basketball GlossaryCleveland State Basketball Glossarywith the league in 1994-95 to join the Midwestern

Collegiate Conference.

Danferd C. Avis: A 1951 graduate of Fenn College,

Avis has continued to work tirelessly on behalf of

his alma mater. Avis, who at one time held the

Fenn career scoring mark and was voted into the

CSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991, has served

as president of the Cleveland State Alumni As-

sociation and the Athletic Alumni Association

and has played leading roles in a plethora of key

fund raising activities for the university. He is

currently the executive director of the Varsity “C”

Club. A drive to raise $250,000 to fully fund a CSU

basketball scholarship in his name was completed

in the winter of 2004, making it the fi rst endowed

scholarship specifi cally for men’s basketball.

Andre Battle: One of 17

Vikings to score 1,000

points in a career, he

totalled 1,129 points

from 1976-80. He went

over the 1,000 point

mark against Akron on

Jan. 29, 1980, joining

teammate Franklin Ed-

wards, who had accomplished the feat earlier in

the year. Battle and Edwards are the only men’s

tandem to go over the 1,000 point mark in the

same season.

Mike Boyd: CSU’s head

coach from 1990-96, he

was named the Mid-

Continent Coach of the

Year in 1992-93 when

CSU won the regular

season championship

with a 15-1 record

while also going 22-6

overall.

ESPNU BracketBusters: The late February men’s

basketball extravaganza created to pit potential

NCAA tournament hopefuls has grown to 102

teams for the seventh annual event (Feb. 20-21)

CSU is 3-2 in the ESPNU BracketBusters, losing to

Eastern Michigan in 2004 and at Central Michigan

in 2005 before upending Delaware in 2006, Cal

State Northridge in 2007 and Marist in 2008.

Twelve games will be televised on the various

ESPN network channels this year as part of the

sponsorship package.

Dave Burger: You’ll not

find his name on the

offi cial list of Cleveland

State’s head basketball

coaches, but Burger,

CSU’s head track coach

for over 30 years, was

announced as the Vi-

kings’ head cage coach

in the spring of 1966 by retiring athletic director

Homer E. Woodling. Shortly thereafter, John McLen-

don became available for the job and Burger gra-

ciously — and many felt gratefully — relinquished

his assignment to concentrate on track.

Robert F. Busbey: A

world class swimmer

who put Fenn College

very much in the na-

tional collegiate athletic

picture in the late ‘40s,

Busbey took over as the

school’s second direc-

tor of athletics in 1966

and went on to preside

over a still unmatched

period of growth for

CSU basketball. On his

watch, which ended in

1990, construction was

begun and completed

on the Geodesic Dome

which provided the Viking cagers with their fi rst

on-campus practice facility, then the PE Building,

whose Woodling Gym gave CSU its fi rst home bas-

ketball court and fi nally the Wolstein Center, one

of the nation’s fi nest collegiate basketball arenas.

He was instrumental in the formation of CSU’s fi rst

basketball conference, the AMCU.

Craig Caldwell: The

only CSU player with 100

assists in each of his

four seasons, he accom-

plished it from 1991-95.

He was named to the

Mid-Continent All-New-

comer team in 1991-92

and earned honorable

mention All-America accolades from Basketball

Weekly in 1993-94. He ranks third at CSU with

455 career assists and is second with a .814 free

throw percentage (240-295).

Clarion: The Vikings established school records

for most points and scoring margin when they ran

Ken McFadden, the only

four-time All-American

in CSU history, receives

the basketball he used to

score his 1,000th career

point.

86 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

past Clarion, 135-66, on Dec. 1, 1986.

CSU Convocation Center: The original name of the

Wolstein Center from its opening on Nov. 1, 1991

until the name change on January 21, 2005.

Ray Dieringer: He began the longest tenure as

the university’s head basketball coach--14 years-

-with the 1969-70 season, charged with the task

of transforming the basketball program from

fl edgling to full-

fledged major

college status.

Although his

won-lost record

at CSU was only

149-211, he

produced two

NBA fi rst-round

selections in

All-Americans

Frankl in Ed-

wards and Dar-

ren Tillis, a third

All-American in

Dave Kyle and

CSU’s only basketball Academic All-American

in Pat Lyons; moved the majority of CSU’s home

games into the 10,000-seat Cleveland Public Hall

and notched victories over such established major

college foes as Wichita State, Xavier, Fairleigh-

Dickinson, Pitt, VMI, Rutgers, South Carolina and

Penn State.

Flip The Script: Coined as a team goal prior to

the 2007-08 season, the term refers to the Vikings’

desire to take the 10-21 record from the season

before and turn it around, making it 21-10 the

next year. CSU did just that, becoming just the

16th program in NCAA history to go from losing

20 games in one

season to winning

20 in the next.

Franklin Edwards:

Probably the best

player ever to pull

on a CSU jersey,

he left school in

1981 as the holder

of six career, seven

season and four

single game CSU

records and he re-

mains the school

record-holder for

career scoring av-

erage (21.9 ppg)

and fi eld goals made (906). His 25.5 and 24.6

scoring averages from his junior and senior

seasons, respectively, remain the top two ef-

forts in school annals. He also holds the season

marks for fi eld goals made (265) and free throw

percentage (134-152, .882) and the single game

standard with a 49-point explosion against Xavier

in 1980-81. The 6-1 guard from New York City

was the fi rst round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers

in the 1981 NBA draft and went on to play eight

seasons with them, earning an NBA championship

ring in 1982-83. Now living in Sacramento, Calif.,

he has served as the color analyst for CSU games

in recent seasons.

Fenn College: The

forerunner to Cleve-

land State, the school

was named in honor of

Sereno Peck Fenn who

was president of the

Cleveland YMCA for

25 years. The YMCA’s

educational programs

evolved into Fenn Col-

lege. Fenn’s teams

were known as the

Foxes because an ad-

ministrator liked the alliteration of the name. The

Fenn Tower and the Fenn College of Engineering

keep the Fenn name alive at CSU.

Fight Song: The origin of the CSU Fight Song

dates back to 1980 when Dave Hager, a high

school student playing in the Pep Band because

his brother dragged him to the game because the

band needed additional players, hastily scribbled

out the melody on pieces of scrap paper during

a game in Woodling Gym. CSU athletic director

Robert Busbey didn’t like the song, likening it to

a polka. Hagar, who played with the band from

1979 until his retirement early in the 2004-05

season (with a break from 1984-88 due to a stint

in the miltary), brought the song back in 1989

as Busbey was retiring and the song has been

played ever since. Viking All-American Darren

Tillis is responsible for one edit in the song, the

Viking Trumpet Call in the middle of the song. As

the legend goes, it was added after Tillis repeat-

edly attempted to duplicate the sound of the call

while being interviewed live on a local radio show,

prompting Hagar to add the call to the middle of

the song. The lyrics are:

Oh hail the Green and White

and for our colors

we shall fi ght

To battle Vikings All

We’ll sound the Viking trumpet call!

We always will defend

The pride of Cleveland faithfully;

For Cleveland State we’ll fi ght on to

Victory

Henry J. Goodman Arena: The varsity basketball

bowl within the Wolstein Center is named for the

former president of the CSU Board of Trustees

who devoted many long hours to assure the con-

struction of the building. Boasting some of the

fi nest sight lines of any basketball facility in the

country, it hosted its fi rst men’s basketball game

on Dec. 7, 1991 when the University of Michigan’s

highly-touted freshman ”Fab Five” squeezed by the

Vikes, 80-61, before an offi cial crowd of 13,055.

In anticipation of the opening event, CSU Coach

Mike Boyd, an ex-Wolverine assistant, had ca-

The Fenn College Logo

Dave Hager, who played in the CSU Pep Band from 1979-2005, was responsible for writing the school fi ght

song in 1980.

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 87

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

joled the build-

ing’s contrac-

tors to slightly

re-confi gure the

seating plan to

hike the seating

capacity for bas-

ketball to 13,610,

one more than

can be seated

at U-M’s Crisler

Arena.

Hagar & Helga:

A pair of very familiar characters borrowed from

the comic strip Hagar with the permission of its

creator, Dik Browne, kept older Viking fans amused

and kids delighted with their sideline antics, Hagar

for two decades, Helga joining him when the Convo

opened. CSU’s Vikings are believed to be the only

team granted permission to use Hagar in their

promotions, which they did in a variety of ways.

Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1979, the late John

McLendon, who coached at CSU from 1966-69,

is the lone member of the CSU basketball family

inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame

in Springfi eld, Mass. There are also 25 basketball

players and three basketball coaches in CSU’s

Varsity “C” Club Athletic Hall of Fame. Fenn head

coach Homer E. Woodling and Fenn standout Al

Jones were part of the fi rst class of inductees in

1975 while former Viking Mike Sweeney, inducted

in 2005, is the most recent to enter the hall.

Hiram: Fenn lost to Hiram, 27-18, in the school’s

fi rst game on Dec. 6, 1929. Hiram was also the

opponent when the Vikings lost, 83-65, on Dec. 1,

1965 in its fi rst game as Cleveland State. With

the exception of a two-year hiatus due to World

War II, Fenn-CSU squads played Hiram in each of

the school’s fi rst 37 seasons from 1929-68, the

longest consecutive rivalry in school history. CSU

went 29-35 against Hiram with the 64 games

played being the most CSU has played against

any opponent.

The Horizon League:

Formerly known as

the Midwestern Col-

legiate Conference

until a name change

in 2001. CSU left

the Mid-Continent in

1994 in favor of the

MCC, joining forces with fi ve fellow Mid-Continent

members — UIC, Northern Illinois, Milwaukee,

Green Bay and Wright State — to enter the highly

Before his life was tragically cut short following his

sophomore year in 1994-95, Jamal Jackson was one

of the most promising players in the Midwestern

Collegiate Conference.

The Carrier Dome scoreboard shows the results from the 1986 NCAA Tournament game against Indiana, which

is considered by most to be the biggest win in program history.

respected league. Within two years, LaSalle, North-

ern Illinois, Notre Dame and Xavier had elected

to move on, but the remaining nine teams have

formed one of the best mid-major conferences in

the nation, with representation in fi ve of the top

30 U.S. television markets.

Indiana: Until a more startling event takes place,

Indiana University will remain the most famous up-

set victim in CSU basketball annals. The Hoosiers

lost, 83-79, to CSU on March 16 in the fi rst round

of the 1986 NCAA Tournament, marking the fi rst

time a No. 3 seed had ever lost to a 14 seed and IU

Coach Bobby Knight’s fi rst-ever fi rst round loss in

the championship playoffs, propelled the Vikes to

an eventual berth in the Sweet 16 and onto the lips

of every college basketball fan in the country.

In-Season Tournaments: The Vikings have played

in 27 in-season tournaments over the years, taking

home the championship three times. CSU defeated

Buffalo State, 88-87, in triple overtime to win the

fi rst Cleveland Invitational Tournament in 1967.

The Vikings defeated host Marquette, 72-70, to

capture the 1987 First Bank Milwaukee Classic.

In 2000, the Vikes again defeated the host school

as they slipped past Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,

81-75 to claim the Islander Classic.

Jamal Jackson: A promising sophomore with the

1994-95 Vikings, Jackson was a second team

all-league choice after leading the team in scor-

ing (16.4) and rebounding (8.1). He set a school

record for most points by a reserve when he poured

in 31 points against Southern Utah State on Dec.

5, 1994. His life was tragically cut short in the

summer of 1995 when he was murdered on a visit

to his hometown of Boston.

Dave Kyle: Inducted into the CSU Hall of Fame in

1987, Kyle played for CSU from 1974-77. He was

an honorable mention All-America choice in 1975-

76 when he set school records for points (613),

fi eld goals (255) and FG percentage (.544). CSU’s

Athlete of the Year in 1975-76 and Most Outstand-

ing Player in 1975-76

& 1976-77, he ranks

11th in school history

with 1,168 career points

and sixth with 726 re-

bounds. He was a sixth

round draft choice by

the NBA’s Milwaukee

Bucks in 1978.

Weldon Kytle: The unchallenged choice as the

best player ever to wear the Red and Grey of Fenn

College, he was the fi rst Fox player to reach the

1,000-point mark in career scoring and his fi nal

total of 1,408 was nearly 400 more than that of the

any other Fenn player. He is one of two players to

accumulate more than 1,000 rebounds in a career

at CSU and he has the three highest season aver-

ages and six best single game rebounding marks

in CSU history. The 6-6 product of Euclid (OH) High

School, who was the only Fenn player ever drafted

by an NBA team (the St. Louis Hawks), remained

88 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

Kevin Mackey’s passion, which helped him to a school-record .673 winning percentage (142-69), is shown

in the series of sideline photos from the 1986-87 season.

extremely active in alumni affairs after gradua-

tion until his death at the age of 47 in 1989. An

endowed scholarship bearing his name is awarded

annually to an undergraduate working in a service

position with the athletic department.

Peter B. Lewis: A serious basketball fan, the CEO

and president of The Progressive Corporation, a

major insurance organization headquartered in

suburban Mayfi eld Heights, presented the CSU

Athletic Department with a donation of $1 mil-

lion in 1997, the largest gift ever received by the

department. The gift was used to build the Peter

Lewis Center for Academic and Athletic Excel-

lence in the Wolstein Center. The Peter Lewis

Center includes a computer and learning lab, a

state-of-the-art interactive classroom/theater;

and a student recreation and staff entertainment

area. It is equipped with a kitchen for team meals

and VIP functions and an updated strength and

conditioning center.

Kevin Mackey: The holder of the CSU record for

highest winning percentage by a Viking head

coach (.673), he guided the team to its only NCAA

Tournament bid in 1986 and to national accolades

when it advanced to the Sweet 16. Mackey then

guided CSU to two straight NIT post-season ap-

pearances (1987 & 1988) as well as its fi rst-ever

conference championship (1986). He compiled a

142-69 record in seven seasons, including four

20 win seasons and a school-record 29 wins in

1985-86.

Rollie Massimino:

The head coach of

the Vikings from

1996-2003, he sur-

passed the 500-vic-

tory mark for his

career against with

an 82-64 win over

Duquesne on Dec.

27, 2001. The win

made him just the

16th coach ever to

win both an NCAA

championship and 500 games and the second

to achieve win number 500 while at Cleveland

State.

John McLendon: The most renowned of all Viking

bench bosses, he served as head coach from 1966-

69. He became the fi rst black coach to head a

major college basketball program at an integrated

school when he took over the reins at CSU in 1966.

Just nine games into his tenure, the man who

was considered one of the leading proponents

of fastbreak basketball won No. 500 in startling

headline-making fashion at Walsh College. The

home team captured the opening tip and held the

ball for almost nine minutes before taking—and

missing—the fi rst shot of the game. The tempo

never picked up as CSU won, 24-22. McLendon was

inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979,

owning a 523-165 record.

McLendon Scholarship Classic: The annual

basketball game, which is hosted by CSU in con-

junction with the National Association of Collegiate

Directors of Athletics (NACDA), debuted during the

2007-08 season to benefi t several scholarships in

the name of Hall of Fame basketball coach John

McLendon and his wife, JoAnna. Cleveland State

lost to Ohio State on Dec. 18, 2007 at Quicken

Loans Arena in the inaugural series event. CSU

will host Kansas State on Saturday, Nov. 22 in the

second annual event.

Ken ‘Mouse’ McFadden: The catalyst of the Kevin

Mackey-led teams of the late 1980’s, McFadden

ended his career as CSU’s career scoring leader

with 2,256 points while also owning the career

marks for assists (463) and free throws made

(597) and attempted (741). He was named to

four All-America squads and owned a national

reputation unmatched by any Viking. The 6-1 guard

from New York City has been voted into both the

CSU and Greater Cleveland Sports Halls of Fame.

Navy: The Midshipmen, led by center David Rob-

inson, ended CSU’s record-setting 1985-86 season

with a 71-70 victory in the Sweet 16 round of the

NCAA Tournament. The Vikes gained a measure

of revenge when they scorched Navy for a school

record 70 fi rst half points in a 106-98 victory at the

Gator Bowl Tournament on Dec. 1, 1990.

NCAA Tournament: CSU has made only one

trip to the NCAA Tournament, but it was some

journey. In March of 1986, the Vikes ignited the

city and captivated the country with their fi rst

round victory over Indiana at the Carrier Dome in

Syracuse and continued their march to the Sweet

16 with a 75-69 win over St. Joseph’s (PA) in the

second round. A borderline “possession” call in

the fi nal seconds of the East Regional semifi nals

at The Meadowlands led to a driving basket by

Navy’s David Robinson with less than 10 seconds

remaining to clinch a 71-70 win for the Middies

and eliminate the Vikings.

NIT: Once the top post-season tournament op-

portunity in the country, it took a backseat to

the NCAA Championships when it emerged as

a powehouse tournament in the 1960’s. Now a

32-team tournament whose fi eld is selected once

the NCAA Championship lineup is determined,

Cleveland State has taken part in it three times,

boasting a 2-3 overall record in the tourney. CSU

fi rst played in the NIT in both 1986-87 and 1987-

88, taking a two-decade break before playing in

it again in 2007-08.

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 89

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

Cleveland State has a 2-4 record playing in nearby

Quicken Loans Arena, including this win over Ohio

State in 1994.

Numbers Of Note: Every Viking fan should know:

10 & 14. . . the retired jersey numbers of Mouse

McFadden and Franklin Edwards respectively.

27-3. . . the fi nal regular season record of the

1985-86 team which earned it an at-large berth

in the NCAA Tournament.

29-4. . . the 1985-86 team’s fi nal record.

17. . . CSU’s highest fi nal national ranking in a

season (by USA Today, 1986).

7,9,12,14,15. . . highest preseason ranking

(by various publications prior to start of 1986-87

season).

1. . . The team’s rank in fi nal NCAA statistics in

1985-86 in average margin of victory (19.3) and

steals per game (13.2).

68. . . number of consecutive games that

Franklin Edwards scored in double fi gures, a school

record.

Ted Okonski: In-

ducted in to the

CSU Hall of Fame in

1980, Okonski and

his brother, Walter,

played for Fenn Col-

lege from 1929-32.

Ted scored seven of

Fenn’s 18 points in

a 27-18 loss to Hi-

ram in the school’s

fi rst game. A third

brother, Ed, lettered

for Fenn from 1935-

38.

Overtime: CSU has played three games that have

been extended to four overtime periods. It defeated

Kenyon, 45-42, to give Bill Gallagher his fi rst win

as Fenn head coach on Dec. 6, 1958. On Dec.

4, 1982, CSU dropped a 91-89 decision to Kent

State. The Vikings turned the tables on KSU on

Dec. 23, 1993 when they won a 104-101 thriller

in the Wolstein Center. CSU is 37-34 all-time on

overtime games.

The PE Building: Opened in 1973, the $9.1 million

Physical Education Building provided Cleveland

State with its fi rst true varsity, intramural and

instructional physical education facilities. The

building features two major competitive arenas,

one a 50-meter by 25-yard competitive pool which

was in its early years considered the fastest pool

in the nation and became the site of four NCAA

Division I National Swimming Championships.

The other, the 3,000-plus seat Woodling Gym,

hosted CSU’s fi rst on-campus varsity basketball

game on Feb. 2, 1974 and eventually evolved into

a quintessential “home court advantage gym”

before the varsity abandoned it in 1991 for the

Wolstein Center. It remains the home for CSU vol-

leyball and wrestling.

Peering Viking: The new athletic and spirit logo

for Cleveland State, it made its debut on Aug. 22,

2007, replacing Vike, the cartoon character that

had served as the primary athletic logo for more

than a decade. The new mark was created by Frank

Cucciarre, a former designer in the CSU Marketing

and Public Affairs offi ce, who is now the president

of Blink Concepts & Design in Perrysburgh, Ohio.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Seventy-two

seasons of competition have taken the men’s

cage team to 38 of the 50 states plus Canada,

Switzerland, Italy and Spain. To get to those games

the squad has traveled by car, van, chartered bus,

a school-owned bus, commercial airliner and for

one adventurous period in the early ‘70s via a

chartered 17-passenger converted B-17 bomber.

The team has never traveled by boat and, oddly,

the closest they have come to train transportation

was in 1975 when the Vikes traveled from their

Manhattan hotel to a game in Brooklyn versus Long

Island University on New York’s subway system.

The team did try to book passage on a train from

Sioux City, Iowa to Billings, Montana in 1970, to

avoid a 9-hour plane layover in Rapid City, S.D.,

but that effort ended abruptly when the railway

agent explained he would have no trouble moving

the team’s livestock, but couldn’t get all those

people on the same train.

LaMoyne Porter: The oldest player to take the

court for the Vikings, Porter played for CSU from

1969-71. After leading Cleveland East Tech High

School to a state title, he enlisted in the Air Force

and served for eight years. In 1969, Porter left the

military and enrolled at CSU. He was 29-years old

when he took the fl oor for CSU during the 1969-70

season and he went on to set school records for

points (384) and free throw percentage (.800) en

route to earning team Most Outstanding Player

honors. He went on to score 180 points and grab

108 rebounds at the age of 30 during the 1970-71

campaign, his last at CSU.

Public Hall: With no on-campus gym, CSU pur-

chased a portable fl oor and moved its basketball

act to Public Hall for the 1970-71 season. A part

of the Cleveland Convention Center, the Hall served

as the Vikes’ full-time home until Woodling Gym

opened during the 1973-74 season. Even then,

the team continued to play the bulk of its games

The completion of the Physical Education Center (left) in 1973 gave CSU Athletics its fi rst true athletic

venue, consisting of Woodling Gym (right) and Busbey Natatorium.

90 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

In January, 2005, Mike Sweeney became the 28th

Viking basketball player inducted into the CSU Athlet-

ics Hall of Fame.

Completed in 1991 at a cost of $55 million, the Wolstein Center served as a site of the 2005 NCAA Men’s Basketball

Tournament fi rst and second round games.

at the Hall until Kevin Mackey elected to move

all the home games to Woodling for the 1984-85

season. However, the team returned intermittently

to the Hall after its 1986 success in the NCAA’s,

defeating Wright State, 99-92, in its fi nal contest

there on Nov. 25, 1990 in the consolation fi nals of

the North Coast Tournament.

Quicken Loans Arena: Normally the home to

the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Vikings own a 2-5

mark in The “Q” (formerly known as Gund Arena),

doing so as part of six Rock ‘N Roll Shootout ap-

pearances and the 2007-08 meeting with Ohio

State that served as the inaugural game in the

McClendon Scholarship Classic. Included in the

record is a 75-73 victory over Ohio State on Dec.

17, 1994, the Vikings’ fi rst win over Ohio State in

fi ve meetings. CSU has also served as the host of

an NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four (2006-07)

and regional (2005-06) in the facility.

Quiet Strength: The book by Indianapolis Colts

head coach Tony Dungy that has served as the

textbook for the third year of Success Class at

CSU. Instituted prior to the start of the 2006-07

season by head coach Gary Waters, the fi rst year

of Success Class was based on John Wooden’s

book, Pyramid of Success. Last year, Waters

turned to John Maxell’s Talent Is Never Enough

as his inspiration for the class. Waters teaches

the weekly non-credit class to his players in order

to instill upon the Vikings what is necessary to

become a success, both on the court and in their

every day life.

Clinton Ransey: An All-America choice in both

1984-85 and 1985-86, he was the fi rst Viking to

earn all-league honors three times. He shares

the school mark with 125 career games played

with Eddie Bryant, starting a record 122 contests.

He ranks third in CSU annals with 1,946 points.

Named the team’s Most Outstanding Player in

both 1985 and 1987, he was selected to the Mid-

Continent’s All-Decade Team in 1992.

Vince Richards: A regular in the Viking lineup from

1981-86, he became the fi rst CSU player to make

a three-pointer, doing so at Michigan on Dec. 8,

1981 in a game using the Big Ten’s experimental

three-point rule.

Pete Ritzema: The 7’2” center was the tallest

player to ever don a Viking uniform and was just

the third seven-footer to play for CSU.

Kenny Robertson: A Viking from 1986-90, Robert-

son set an NCAA career record with 341 steals. He

holds CSU’s records for steals in a game (12) and

season (111), becoming the only Viking to record

a steal in every game in a season in 1989-90. He

is the only Viking in the career top 10 in assists,

steals and blocks.

Run & Stun: The immortalized name of the CSU

attack installed by Kevin Mackey based on revolv-

ing his players every four minutes to allow them to

apply full court pressure during their entire stay

on the fl oor.

Streaks: The longest winning streaks in school

history are a pair of 14-game streaks. CSU won

14 in a row from Jan. 27, 1986 to March 16, 1986

en route to a 29-4 record, advancing to the Sweet

16 of the NCAA Tournament. In 1992-93, CSU

won 14 straight games from Jan. 16-Feb. 24, 1993

on the way to a 22-6 record and the Mid-Continent

regular-season title. The 1992-93 streak is CSU’s

longest regular-season winning streak.

Mike Sweeney: The 28th — and most recent —

Viking basketball player inducted into the CSU Hall

of Fame when he was honored in January of 2005.

Known for his competitiveness and toughness, he

used electric stimulation on his knees when he was

on the bench during games to battle tendonitis.

A four-time recipient of the team’s Viking Award,

he fought through chronic injuries to help lead his

team’s to a then-school record 67 wins during his

career. He was the squad’s sixth-man of the year

as a sophomore and started 46 games his fi nal

two years. He played professionally in Norway,

returning to CSU as an assistant coach for the

1984-85 season.

Threes: The Vikings enter the 2008-09 campaign

having made a three-pointer in a school record

327 straight games dating back to the fi rst game

of the 1998-99 season. William Stanley holds the

school individual record with a three-pointer in 19

straight games from February of 1989 to January

of 1990. Greg Allen holds the season mark with

a trey in 18 straight contests during the 1991-92

season.

Darren Tillis: A fi rst team All-American on the

1981-82 First Interstate Bank (previously Helms

Foundation) Team, the 6-11 215-pound native

of Dallas, Texas was the third leading rebounder

in the nation as a senior (12.8 rpg). He set a

CSU career record with 197 blocked shots and a

single season record with 346 rebounds, becoming

just the second player in school history to record

1,000 rebounds (1,045) in a career. He became

the Vikings’ second NBA fi rst round selection,

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y 91

2 0 0 8 - 0 9 V I K I N G S

going to the Boston Celtics in the 1982 draft. He

was inducted into the CSU Athletic Fall of Fame

in 1999.

Unsung Hero: The fourth

fl oor atrium in the Wol-

stein Center Annex has

been named in his honor,

serving as a reminder

of the tireless efforts

by Patrick Sweeney to

make the Wolstein Cen-

ter a reality. Sweeney,

who was the minority leader in the Ohio House of

Representatives in the early 80’s, played a major

role in securing the state’s approval for the con-

struction of the Wolstein Center. Now a part-time

CSU professor, he can be found in his courtside

seat at Viking basketball games, a tradition he

established for himself long before there was a

Wolstein Center.

Vikings: When Fenn College faded into history, so

too did the athletic teams’ nickname of the Foxes.

A survey of the student body came up with several

new names which were voted on in a campus-wide

election. While athletic department personnel

quietly rooted for such appropriate candidates

as “Foresters” or “Lakers,” when the ballots were

counted the landslide winner was “Vikings.”

Where did THAT come from? Election analysts had

no problem coming up with the answer. Seems that

Cleveland State was drawing heavily upon Cleve-

land St. Joseph High School for students at the

time. The nickname of St. Joe’s rabidly supported

athletic teams? The Vikings, of course.

Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein: The philanthropic couple

for whom the Wolstein Center gets its name. Bert

Wolstein, who passed away in May, 2004, was a

graduate of the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.

He was a fi xture in the professional sports scene

in Cleveland, serving as the founder and owner of

the Cleveland Force indoor soccer team. It was

named after the couple made the latest in a long

string of contributions to the university, a $6.25

million commitment to CSU Foundation that was

the largest philanthropic gift in CSU history.

The Wolstein Center: The crown jewel in CSU’s

conglomerate of athletic facilities, the Wolstein

Center is headquarters for Viking basketball, hous-

ing a 13,610-seat arena along with the athletic

administration and basketball offi ces. Built at a

cost of $55 million and opened in 1991, the build-

ing annually holds numerous major public events

ranging in scope from concerts and rodeos to trade

shows and business meetings. It has served as

the site of the NCAA Division I championships in

wrestling and women’s volleyball and the fi rst

and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball

Championships.

“Woody”: Seemingly nobody at Fenn College and

later Cleveland State knew him by any other name

for 45 years until they named Homer E. Woodling

Gym after him. He came to Fenn to start an in-

tercollegiate athletics program and stayed on to

launch every men’s varsity program in existence

here today. He coached most of those sports too,

including basketball for its fi rst 12 years (1929-

41) and one encore season much later (1952-53).

He also drove the team bus and served as trainer,

equipment man and surrogate father. After 36

years as Fenn’s only athletic director, he spent

one more year in offi ce as Cleveland State’s AD.

When he died on Sept. 14,1984, he had the satis-

faction of knowing that the athletic department’s

largest endowed fund, the Homer E. Woodling

Homer Woodling, who served as athletic

director at Fenn College from 1929-66, is

widely recognized as the father of intercol-

legiate athletics at CSU.

Derrick Ziegler is one of two Vikings to fi nish his

career with 700 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists

and 100 steals.

Athletic Scholarships, was annually providing

help for student-athletes in several sports. Just

like Woody did.

YMCA: The Fenn Foxes played the fi rst home game

in the program’s history against Detroit Tech on

Dec. 28, 1929 at the YMCA located in downtown

Cleveland. Fenn College, which was affi liated with

the YMCA at the time, owned a 1-1 record head-

ing into the contest. Fenn opened the year with

a 27-18 loss at Hiram on Dec. 6 before

winning, 50-22, at Wilcox on Dec. 7.

Youngstown State: The rivalry with

Youngstown State is the oldest in

school history, having begun during the

1930-31 season when Fenn defeated

Youngstown, 35-18, in the 15th game

in school history. The schools have

battled 69 times in 47 seasons of play

with the Penguins holding a 35-34 edge.

Youngstown State and Akron (44) are

the only schools CSU has played in 40

or more seasons.

Derrick Zeigler: A multi-talented

player with CSU from 1993-97, Zeigler

is one of two Vikings to end his career

with 700 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists and

100 steals. A force on defense, Zeigler was named

to the MCC’s All-Defensive Team as a senior in

1996-97.

92 C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y w w w . c s u v i k i n g s . c o m 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 M e n ’ s B a s k e t b a l l