The 1998-99 Mary Washingt.on College men's basketball team had one of the most productive seasons in school history, finishing just two wins shy of the school record and achieving numerous firsts for the program. Under the direction of third-year head coach Rod Wood, the Eagles took fourth place in the always-tough Capital Athletic Conference, ending with a 7-7 league record.
But the highlights and achievements don't stop there. For the first time in the 25-year history of the program, the team was ranked nationally (by Columbus Multimedia), climbing as high as twenty-second in the nation. Senior forward George Bunch also gained national attention, as he was named as a preseason
All-American by Street and Smith's College Basketball Yearbook.
The Eagles also brought home the program's first-ever in-season tournament victory, kicking off the season with two wins at the Lynchburg College Tipoff Tournament. Those wins were part of an early-season run that saw MWC win six of its first seven games; including non-conference wins over Western Maryland College and Washington MD College.
After a brief losing skid, the Eagles bounced back with three straight wins, including a big 72-68 win over regionally-ranked Gettysburg College at Goolrick. After dropping CAC games at Catholic and against St. Mary's, Wood's Eagles won six of their last seven games in the regular season, including a 63-62 win over eventual CAC Champion and NCAA Tournament invitee Goucher College. Also in that win streak were road conference wins over Gallaudet University, Salisbury State University and St. Mary's College.
The Eagles lose three seniors to graduation in 1999: forward George Bunch and guards David Love and Burt Burroughs. Bunch leaves third all-time in scoring at MWC, and is among the top five in ten career categories, including rebounding. Love and Burroughs finish among the top 25 in school history in scoring and top ten in assists. The triumvirate is credited with turning the program toward national recognition under Wood's leadership.
Heading the cast of returnees for 1999-2000 is first team All- Capital Athletic Conference center Philip Klaus. In 98-99, Klaus led the CAC in rebounding, with 9.2 rebounds per game, in field goal percentage, with a 55.8 average, and was third in the loop in scoring, netting 16.7 points per contest. The rising junior, who transferred to MWC from Division One Winthrop, will look to earn national recognition this winter after a strenuous off-season conditioning program.
Also returning to the fold for Coach Wood is junior guard Bobby Frazitta. Frazitta, who also transferred in to MWC last fall, netted 11.8 points per game in 98-99, good for third-best on the team. Guard Toler Cross also returns for 1999-2000. Cross, a junior, saw significant minutes as a reserve a year ago, scoring a season-high seven points in the CAC Tournament game against St. Mary's College. Junior forward Paul Stoddard brings game experience and a strong work ethic to the squad as well.