STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The 1999-00 season for the Stony Brook men's basketball team was one for the ages. A new year, a new coaching staff and a new level of competition took the team on a journey that won't soon be forgotten. The Seawolves were introduced to D-I basketball in a true trial by fire, taking on some of the best teams in the country on their way to a 6-23 final record. And while most teams are measured on what shows up in the wins and losses column, this group can certainly be taken for more than that. Thirteen players donned Stony Brook uniforms and were asked to usher in a new era with a schedule that a Top 20 team wouldn't want to play.
It started in Binghamton, N.Y., and ended in Corpus Christi, Texas, twenty nine games and over 23,000 miles on the road brought a team together for what will be remembered as a special season no matter what the final record states. The 1999-00 season had plenty of memories, exciting wins and experiences to cherish for a lifetime. Each player was a valuable member of a squad that saw 10 players average double figures in minutes played. First year head coach Nick Macarchuk used 21 different starting lineups over the course of 29 games, giving each player the opportunity to make significant contributions to the team.
Steve Pratta (Queens, NY) was the team's most valuable player all year long. The leader scorer, Pratta averaged 10.6 points and 3.7 assists per game, both team highs. He turned in several outstanding efforts, leading the team in scoring on seven occasions and in assists 19 times. In the final week of the season, Pratta finished up his career on a high note, notching a career-high 25 points versus Lafayette and then registering 17 points and six assists against Cleveland St. in the final two home games of the year. His efforts earned him Independent Conference Player of the Week honors.
The surprise of the 1999-00 season had to be Pablo Porras (Bogota, Columbia). For a guy who played all of 68 minutes and scored six points for the entire 1998-99 season, Porras emerged as the team's most dependable shooter, shooting a team high 43 percent from the field, 45 percent from three-point land. He led the team in scoring three times and lead the team in rebounding eight times, finishing the year tied for the team lead in rebounding at a 3.6 rebounds per game clip. He registered 10 double digit scoring scoring efforts as he started 11 of the last 12 games, scoring in double figures in nine of those games.
Francois Oloa (Paris, France) came on strong as the season wore on. The versatile forward began to show off his offensive ability against Texas A&M-CC, scoring 13 points in the win. His knack for breaking down defenses also helped, highlighted by his seven assists at Elon. He best game of the season occurred in Ithaca, N.Y. where he notched a career-best 20 points, six rebounds and four assists versus Cornell.
Ryan McDermott (Rexford, NY) concluded his career by achieving several milestones. When he suited up for the final game of the year, he became only the tenth player in school history to appear in 100 games for SB. He also now ranks third all-time in blocked shots with 98. McDermott turned in several outstanding performances this season, including a double-double in the opener versus St. Francis (NY).
Michael Sales (Tinley Park, IL finished his second season at Stony Brook as a valuable member off the bench for coach Macarchuk. His size at 6-10, 240, gave the Seawolves a presence in the middle. His best performance came at home versus Drake, when he sparked a rally with 14 points and nine rebounds that almost propelled the Seawolves to victory.
Junior Josh Little (Rocky Hill, CT) again provided a threat from long range for Stony Brook, bouncing back from a subpar sophomore season to once again find his range. He also was one of the most consistent players on the defensive end as well. Little hit a team-high 51 treys this year, helping Stony Brook set a new team single-season record for threes in a season with 182, eclipsing the former mark of 166. Little now has 161 career threes and stands only 25 away from becoming the school's all-time leader for three-pointers made. Emeka Smith is the current leader with 185.
Chris Balliro (Swampscott, MA) again assumed his reliable shooting role coming off the bench for Stony Brook. Balliro came up big in SB's wins this year with a double-double versus Columbia and 16 points at Elon. He finished the season on a high note, nailing a season-best 21 points on 8-15 shooting versus Texas A&M-CC.
Rob Hartman (Jackson Heights, NY) gave the team the energy that has characterized his play over his first three seasons at Stony Brook. Hartman made 12 starts this year, all consecutive, most of which came in the stretch where the Seawolves won four out of five games. Despite being only 6-0 tall, Hartman's tenacity was evident by his play on the boards. He led the team in offensive rebounds with 38 and provided some scoring punch, scoring in double figures six times, highlighted by a season-best 19 points at Seton Hall.
A host of newcomers provided coach Macarchuk with a deep bench in '99-00. Four junior college transfers joined the program this year. Terrill Ware (Buffalo, NY) came from Erie CC to back up Steve Pratta at the point guard spot. Nelson Pena (Washington Heights, NY) and Donte Blades (New Rochelle, NY) arrived at SB from Westchester Community College where they had been teammates for two years. Both made their presence felt this season. Pena appeared in 20 games, starting five in that span. Blades appeared in 15 games, making three starts. Hausan Hunter (Brooklyn, NY), a transfer from Genessee CC, appeared in 14 games, backing up up the forward and center position.
The lone freshman on the team was Joakim Eriksson. Eriksson, a native of Ostersund, Sweden, improved steadily as the year progressed showing signs that he will be a valuable member of the Seawolves basketball program. He cracked the starting lineup midway through the season and finished with 13 game starts on the year. During an eight-game stretch in January and February, he averaged 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, well above his season average of 5.1 and 3.2 respectively. His career-best scoring performance came on the road against Albany when he scored 16 points, but his biggest shot of the year occurred at Loyola. In a game that was rescheduled due to snowstorm, Eriksson found himself in the right place at the right time late in the game. The Seawolves trailed by one with eight seconds to go and inbounded for the last shot. A Pablo Porras three-point attempt went awry, but Eriksson calmly grabbed the rebound and put up a 10-foot jumper that banked in as the buzzer sounded to give SB a thrilling 51-50 win.
As the curtain closed on the 1999-00, there is much to be proud of for the men's basketball team. They competed and perservered through a difficult schedule to win six games and represent the university in the first season of Division I. The transition to Division I has finally arrived and the memories of the first year will be long lasting. Despite the rigors of a difficult schedule and the transition to a new level of competition, the Seawolves gave the university, the community and their fans something to cheer about and more importantly, something to look forward to.
