Best Panther Team Ever!

by Tony Zachariadis

For the few of you out there who have not heard by now, Adelphi's Men's Basketball Panthers, are one of three undefeated teams in the nation with a record of 16-0 for the 2000-2001 Season and are ranked number one in the Division II rankings (as of this printing). This is the first time a Division II school on Long Island has been ranked No. 1. They are also at the top of the NYCAC with a 12-0 record in that division.

Just to show how much of an achievement this truly is, Adelphi (18-0 overall, 14-0 NYCAC), Division I Stanford (19-0) and Division III Wilkes (16-0) are the only undefeated teams in college basketball. The Panthers are on their longest winning streak in the 55-year history of the program. Adelphi won 15 straight games over the course of two seasons. The Panthers were victorious in their last 11 games of the 1976-77 season and their first four games of the 1977-78 season.

The latest Panther victory came against Dowling on the Saturday of Superbowl weekend, as the Panthers won 92-72, in a New York Collegiate Athletic Conference game.Junior forward Kendell Craig tied a season high with 28 points. Senior point guard Ryan McCormack totaled 22 points, six assists and six rebounds. The Panthers, in the midst of their longest winning streak in school history, have won 21 straight regular-season NYCAC games.

Here is a quick breakdown of all the Adelphi wins over the winter-break. On January 6th the Panthers defeated New York Tech, 81-73, in a New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) game at home. Sophomore guard Tony Kellman,had 15 points and a career-high nine assists. Senior point guard Ryan McCormack, totaled 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. On January 8th the Panthers won at home again, this time defeating the University of New Haven, 63-56, in a non-conference game. .Junior forward Eddie Williams, had a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

On January 10th, Sophomore forward Wayne Nelson, tied his career high with 24 points as the Panthers, defeated Queens College, 65-59, in a NYCAC game at Fitzgerald Gymnasium in Queens. On January 13th the then No. 3-nationally ranked Adelphi University Men's Basketball team had five players in double-figure scoring, led by junior forward Eddie Williams, with a game-high 15 points, in an 86-57 win over Molloy College at Quealy Gymnasium. Then on January 15th, Junior forward Eddie Williams and sophomore forward Wayne Nelson, each had 21 points as the Panthers, defeated C.W. Post, 87-78, in another NYCAC game at Conolly Gymnasium.

The Panthers winning streak continued on the 17th of January as they beat Bridgeport, 92-77, in a NYCAC game at Hubbell Gymnasium. Junior forward Eddie Williams, totaled 18 points, including 11 in the second half. Sophomore guard Tony Kellman,had 17 points followed by senior point guard Ryan McCormack, and junior forward Kendell Craig, with 11. Senior point guard Ryan McCormack, had game-highs of 17 points and six assists to lead the Panthers to an 86-57 victory over Molloy College in a NYCAC game at home.

The Panthers next win was on January 22 beating Philadelphia University 67-51. A more recent Panthers victory came at home last week against St. Thomas Aquinas College, as the Panthers took the game by a score of 74-54. Senior point guard Ryan McCormack, had a season-high 27 points, including 21 in the second half.Adelphi built 19-point lead, 56-37, with 9:20 left as a result of a 10-4 McCormack-led run. He had seven points on two lay-ups, one jumper and a foul shot during the spurt.