Best Season Yet for Men’s Basketball

Game photos by Steve Lanava, courtesy of Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Ryan Cain ‘07

The 2004–05 season was marked by several historic milestones for the men’s basketball team: the team was ranked 24th nationally in February; its 24 wins broke the previous record of 20 wins in a single season (set in 1984–85 and tied in 2003–04); and it clinched the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference regular season title, earning the No. 1 seed in the NEWMAC postseason tournament, which it won by edging out Wheaton, 64-60, before an enthusiastic crowd in Harrington Auditorium.

The tournament victory gave WPI a first-round bye in the NCAAs; it was the first time in 20 years that a men’s team from WPI reached the national championship.

But on Friday, March 11, the team saw its hoop dreams dashed as it lost, 99-80, to York College in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III tournament.

Before WPI defeated Western Connecticut, 79-77, in the NCAA Division III second-round game at Harrington Auditorium on March 5, Worcester Telegram & Gazette correspondent Craig Holt wrote an insightful article about the team’s success, portions of which are excerpted below.

Ryan Flynn ‘06

More than likely, none of the current juniors on the WPI men’s basketball team had taken a jumper, or even walked a few steps, the last time the Engineers reached the NCAA Tournament [in 1985].

This year’s club, which has eight juniors on its roster, can take solace in the fact that its dedicated juniors stuck with the program and produced 43 victories over the last two years. According to fourth-year WPI coach Chris Bartley, that means playing pressuring, man-to-man defense, and pushing the ball up court at all times. Bartley also likes his team to share the ball in its half-court offense, and run an effective motion offense.

The juniors on the roster, who represent Bartley’s first recruiting class, include guards Kevin Reidy, Brett Dickson, Mike Prestileo, Brian Steele, and Ryan Flynn, and forwards Jason Krol, Travis Weber, and Steve Furber.

“The juniors are the guys who’ve really turned the program around,” Bartley said. “They were the ones who took the leap of faith and trusted in the vision that I had for the program. They’ve been great role models as we’ve brought younger players into the program. The juniors have shown the younger players the good work ethic and the team attitude that it takes to be successful at this level.”

Steele, Prestileo, Dickson, and Flynn have been diligent in their efforts to help revive WPI basketball. That includes playing hoops year-round, honing their skills in summer leagues, and staying in game condition.

Coach Chris Bartley

“When we came in as freshmen, we were all smaller and weaker,” Prestileo said. “Our first year, the program was freshman-dominated with guys brought in by Coach Bartley. He told us from the beginning that it was going to be a process for us, and things weren’t going to get better right away. But he also told us that if we put in the time and the extra work, things would definitely get better. The last two years, we’ve seen the fruits of our labor.”

The basic college basketball experience, along with increased knowledge of one another and each player’s role, has helped the juniors evolve, Flynn said. “Everyone does his role very well on this team. We don’t have all the talent in the world compared to most teams, but we play very well together, and we have a great group of guys. Everybody is on the same page, everybody works hard.”

“Playing together and working out together have helped us get better as a team,” Dickson said. “When we started out as freshmen, we all were trying to find out where we fit. I think we started jelling at the beginning of our sophomore year.

Since then, we’ve established our roles and have come together rather nicely.”

—Courtesy of Craig Holt

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Last modified: Apr 12, 2005, 08:44 EDT