Years to Remember: 1998-99 Men’s Basketball

Introduction
The Miami RedHawks entered the 1998-99 season with high expectations. Nearly every player from the core of the team that had led them to an NCAA Tournament appearance two seasons ago and a MAC Championship appearance the season before returned and were now either juniors or seniors. As high as those expectations were, Miami would go on it exceed them as it fielded the greatest team in school history.

Passing the Early Tests
Head Coach Charlie Coles was famous for testing his teams in the non-conference season, and the 1998-99 version was no exception. The campaign started with a trip to Notre Dame on Nov. 13.

After staking a one-point lead at the half, the 'Hawks shot 16-for-25 (64.0 percent) from the field in the second half to earn a 76-65 victory. Wally Szczerbiak led five in double figures with 19 points.

The home opener came six days later on Nov. 19 as Miami welcomed Tennessee out of the SEC to Millett Hall. An incredible crowd of 8,840 fans saw Szczerbiak put on a show as he finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds to lead the RedHawks over the Volunteers, 68-62.

Miami improved to 3-0 with a 76-62 win over Dayton on Nov. 22. The RedHawks then got a unique opportunity to play their first game in school history outside of the United States as they traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada on Nov. 27. Guard Damon Frierson had 19 points as the Red and White cruised past the Terriers, 70-53.

Adversity and MACtion Going Overtime
The RedHawks cracked the national rankings at no. 22 after their 4-0 start. However, adversity struck Miami as it dropped its next two games, 64-56 at Xavier on Dec. 2 and 78-60 to UW-Green Bay on Dec. 5. Coles knew the Red and White had to focus more on its defense after the Phoenix shot 30-for-41 (73.2 percent) for the game.

Back then teams would play a pair of Mid-American Conference games in December to help teams fit a total of 18 league games. So the RedHawks hosted Marshall to begin MAC play on Dec. 8. After the Thundering Herd made up a late five-point deficit to force overtime, back-to-back buckets by Szczerbiak and Jason Stewart in the final minute of the extra frame helped Miami come away with an 81-79 victory.

The 'Hawks next game on Dec. 12 at Central Michigan also went to overtime, but Stewart scored 12 of his team-high 20 points to help Miami pull away and win, 81-69.

Non-conference play concluded with a trip to Fresno, California for the Coors Light Classic, Dec. 22-23. In the first round the RedHawks took down a very strong San Diego team, 58-52. Miami fell in the championship game to host Fresno State, 73-62, despite 29 points and 16 rebounds from Szczerbiak. That performance earned him All-Tournament honors.

Dominating MAC Play
MAC play resumed in earnest as the calendar switched over to 1999. The 'Hawks moved to 7-0 in the league with dominant victories over Northern Illinois (83-51), Western Michigan (80-62), Eastern

Michigan (73-49), Buffalo (76-48) and Akron (80-62). Miami next went on the road to Kent State. The Golden Flashes entered the game with a 12-4 record. The 'Hawks took a 35-33 lead at the half, but despite 23 points from Szczerbiak and 17 points from Frierson, Kent State pulled away late to hand Miami its first MAC loss, 68-62.

The RedHawks quickly rebounded to win their next seven games in a row. A 28-point, 10-rebound effort from Szczerbiak, and 16 points off the bench for Jason Grunkenmeyer led MU to a 63-55 road win at Marshall on Jan. 23. Home wins over Bowling Green (83-72), Toledo (63-57) and Ohio (69-54) followed before the Red and White escaped with a 70-69 win at Western Michigan on Feb. 6. After defeating Ball State, 71-56, on the road on Feb. 10, Miami improved to 14-1 in the MAC with a dominating 78-56 win over Eastern Michigan. Szczerbiak had another giant game with 35 points and 16 rebounds, Frierson contributed 18 points and Rob Mestas recorded six assists.

For only the second time all season, the RedHawks lost back-to-back games when they fell on the road to Toledo (66-63) and Bowling Green (69-58). MAC play concluded with Senior Night on Feb. 24 as Miami looked for revenge against Kent State. This time the RedHawks used a dominant first half performance to take a 32-19 lead into the break. They increased their lead to as many 22 point at 59-37 before coasting in for a 73-60 victory. The win game Miami its first outright MAC regular season championship since the 1994-95 season (team shared MAC title in 1996-97).

MAC Tournament Speed Bump
The top eight teams made the MAC Tournament that season with higher seeds hosting the quarterfinal games. With its 15-3 record, Miami was the number one seed. It hosted 10-8, eighth seed Ball State at Millett Hall on Feb. 27. A low scoring defensive struggle saw the teams tied at 22 at the half. In the second half the RedHawks shot 66.7 percent (20-for-30) from the field as they outscored the Cardinals 47-21 to take a 69-43 win. Szczerbiak led the way with 25 points, while John Estick added 14 points and eight rebounds.

The semifinal and championship rounds took place March 2-3 at the SeaGate Center in Toledo, Ohio. In the semifinals, Miami faced off against Bowling Green, the team that handed the 'Hawks their last loss 10 days earlier. The Falcons used a late first half run to take a 29-23 lead into the halftime break. Miami quickly tied the score at 32 early in the second half and neither team would take a lead of more than five points for the remainder of regulation. The teams went to overtime tied at 52.

The extra frame saw the RedHawks and Falcons score only two points apiece in the first three and a half minutes. A pair of free throws gave BGSU a 56-55 advantage with 1:17 to go. On the next

possession as the shot clock was expiring, Frierson drained a jumper to put Miami on top, 57-56, with 47 seconds remaining. The 'Hawks held the Falcons without a point the rest of the way while hitting some free throws to advance to the championship game with a 60-56 win.

The MAC Championship came down to the league's top two teams on March 3, Miami and Kent State. Another defensive struggle ensued as the teams combined for 14 buckets in a 17-17 first half tie. The Golden Flashes built an early six point lead at 27-21 in the second half. The RedHawks rebounded when Szczerbiak hit a triple to give them a 30-29 advantage with 10:57 to go. It was the final lead Miami would have as Kent State answered with a triple and remained in front the rest of the way to take the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 49-43 victory.

NCAA Comes Calling
Miami finished the 1998-99 regular season with a 22-7 record and an RPI in the 20s. Without an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the RedHawks had to hope their resume warranted an at-large selection. On Sunday, March 7, Miami's hopes were rewarded as the team was awarded the 10th seed in the Midwest Region. The RedHawks were sent to New Orleans and the cavernous Superdome, where they would take on the seventh seed, Washington, in the first round on Friday, March 12.

The Historic Run
With so much experience, Miami went into its game with the Huskies confident. Four times in program history (1958, 1969, 1978 and 1995), the Red and White had won its first round contest.
Washington came into the contest with a 17-11 record and a fourth-place finish in the PAC-10. The game remained close throughout as the Huskies largest lead of the game was six points and the RedHawks largest lead was five.

Ultimately this game introduced Szczerbiak to the national stage. The senior forward went an unbelievable 18-for-33 from the field, including 5-for-12 from behind the arc to finish with a career-high 43

points. His best play came on the defensive end however. With Miami on top 59-58 in the final seconds, Anthony Taylor knocked the Huskies' ball loose, but Senque Carey was able to recover for a shot. Szczerbiak blocked his shot and grabbed the rebound, allowing the 'Hawks to dribble out the clock and earn the first round win.

Two days later on March 14, Miami would face an even bigger challenge in second seed Utah. The Utes were champions of the Western Athletic Conference and entered the game with a 28-4 record and a number six national ranking. In 1998, they advanced all the way to the National Championship game and had similar expectations in 1999. Utah was led by its star guard Andre Miller, who would go on to have a 17 year career in the NBA.

The Utes' plan was evident from the jump, they were trying to limit Szczerbiak's shot attempts as much as possible, even if it meant fouling him. Utah built an early 24-13 lead, but Stewart came in and hit three 3-point baskets in a span of 85 seconds to cut the deficit to only two. The Utes went into the halftime break with a 32-29 lead.

Miami was able to use Estick down low to eventually take a 42-41 advantage. The RedHawks went on a 14-5 run and pushed their lead to 56-46 with only five minutes to go. Utah did not give up as Miller went on a tear to help cut the deficit to only three at 58-55. The RedHawks were able to get the ball in the hands of Szczerbiak however, and he completed a perfect 10-for-10 day at the line to finish off a 66-58 win. Miami was on its way to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

Despite taking only 11 shots from the field, Szczerbiak still led the 'Hawks with offense with 24 points. Estick scored a season-high 18, while Stewart finished with 12 points on four 3-pointers off the bench.

Miami headed to St. Louis, Missouri and the Trans World Dome for the Sweet 16. The RedHawks had a showdown with third seed Kentucky on Friday, March 19. The Wildcats were the defending National Champions, having defeated Utah in the 1998 title game. They entered the game with a 27-8 record and a number eight national ranking.

A slow start offensively saw UK build a 16-5 advantage 10 minutes into the contest. Szczerbiak hit some three-pointers, while a layup from Mestas capped a 12-5 run that cut the deficit to four at

21-17 with 2:50 left in the half. A three-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave the Wildcats a 26-19 advantage going into the break.

Szczerbiak found Estick for a layup to open the second half and pull Miami to within five, but the Kentucky defense never let the 'Hawks build a sustained run. The Wildcats eventually went up by as many as 22 points before finishing off a 58-43 win to eliminate Miami.

National Recognition
Miami's Sweet 16 run resulted in a number 20 ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll that was released at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament. (Connecticut defeated Duke in the championship game). After averaging 24.2 points per game during the season, Szczerbiak became the first Miami player to be named a First-Team All-American, earning that honor from four different organizations. Three other groups named him a Second-Team All-American. He went on to be drafted sixth overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Key Players
Wally Szczerbiak – AP First Team All-American, 1999 MAC Player of the Year, First Team All-MAC, single-season record 775 points scored in season, led Miami with 8.5 rebounds per game.
Damon Frierson – Second Team All-MAC, 13.0 points per game and team-leading 106 assists.
Rob Mestas – Honorable Mention All-MAC, defensive specialist who averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.
John Estick – Starting center, third on RedHawks with 8.3 points per game and second with 6.2 rebounds per contest.
Jason Stewart – Sharpshooter who often came off bench, was second on Miami with 42 three-point makes on season. Averaged 6.1 points per game.
Anthony Taylor, Jason Grunkemeyer, Refiloe Lethunya, Mike Ensminger – Each regulars in the rotation off the bench throughout the season.

Years to Remember: 1998-99 Men’s Basketball

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