1997–98 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 1997–98 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team was a National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I college basketball
team that played in the Mid-American Conference
(MAC). The Broncos, 21–8 overall and 12–4 in the conference, shared a piece of the MAC West Division title and earned an at-large
bid in the 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
.
As an 11-seed, WMU upset six-seeded in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual Final Four
team Stanford in the second round.
in Indianapolis, Indiana
. The Broncos played in the first game of the tournament, winning 81–65. In the championship game against , WMU held a 31–29 lead at the half before losing 70–63. Saddi Washington was named tournament MVP.
. In the first round of the tournament, WMU faced No. 7 seed Miami on their home court in Kalamazoo, Michigan
. Miami upset the Broncos 67–63 but the notable event of the game was Miami coach Charlie Coles
collapsing midway through the first half. The game was stopped while Coles was transported to a local hospital. Without Coles, the game resumed about two hours later.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
team that played in the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC). The Broncos, 21–8 overall and 12–4 in the conference, shared a piece of the MAC West Division title and earned an at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
bid in the 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
.
As an 11-seed, WMU upset six-seeded in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
team Stanford in the second round.
Hoosier Classic
Western Michigan participated in the 1997 Hoosier Classic, the 16th-annual holiday tournament held at Market Square ArenaMarket Square Arena
Market Square Arena was an indoor arena, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530, for basketball and 15,993, for ice hockey.-History:...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The Broncos played in the first game of the tournament, winning 81–65. In the championship game against , WMU held a 31–29 lead at the half before losing 70–63. Saddi Washington was named tournament MVP.
Conference tournament
Western Michigan finished the season tied with Ball State with the best conference record but lost the head-to-head tiebreaker and was given the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament1998 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1998 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament, a part of the 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place at SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio. Its winner received the Mid-American Conference's automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Tournament. It was a single-elimination tournament with three...
. In the first round of the tournament, WMU faced No. 7 seed Miami on their home court in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. Miami upset the Broncos 67–63 but the notable event of the game was Miami coach Charlie Coles
Charlie Coles
Charlie Coles is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Miami University....
collapsing midway through the first half. The game was stopped while Coles was transported to a local hospital. Without Coles, the game resumed about two hours later.
Schedule
See also
- Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
- Western Michigan BroncosWestern Michigan BroncosThe Western Michigan Broncos are a NCAA Division I FBS team representing Western Michigan University. They compete in the Mid-American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football, soccer and tennis; and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field,...
- Western Michigan Broncos men's basketballWestern Michigan Broncos men's basketballThe Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school's team competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2004...