Dateline: 03/07/00  

The Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Blue Devils secured an NCAA berth last night with their 63-46 win over Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference (NEC) finals at Mercer County Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, making the Hartford area home to the champs and the underdogs (some may argue the champs themselves are underdogs!) of this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament.

While many more eyes have been keenly focused on the glory and agony of the defending NCAA national champion UConn Huskies, who coincidentally beat the other Blue Devils (Duke) for that title, over in New Britain, Central has quietly pieced together its second Division I winning season and captured the school's first ever spot in the NCAA tournament. A recap of the team's miraculous season is online at the CCSU Athletics Web site.

Could Central be this year's Gonzaga? Just in case, we'd better brush up on the team that may just take its dream season and turn it into a national phenomenon.

History

This is the 64th season of Blue Devil basketball. Central's first year of competition was the 1934-35 season under coach Harrison J. Kaiser. CCSU did not field varsity teams in the 1943-44 and 1945-46 seasons because of World War II. Central carries an overall record of 825 wins and 633 losses for a .566 winning
percentage. The Blue Devils played in six NCAA Division II Tournaments under coach Bill Detrick. CCSU joined the NCAA Division I ranks in the 1986-87 season, making this year the 14th season at the Division
I level. 

The Coaches

Howie Dickenman (CCSU '70) was 31-54 heading into his fourth season as the head coach at his alma mater and his fourth year as a head coach at a four-year institution. He was an All-American and two-time team captain for the Blue Devils (1966-69), where he became the first player in school history to score more than 1,000 points and gather at least 1,000 rebounds. He was a head coach at Greater Hartford Community College before serving as an assistant coach at New Britain High School, CCSU, Canisius and for 14 years at UConn. Assistant Coach Steve Pikiell has been Dickenman's right-hand man for four years. Pikiell is well known in Connecticut, where he played both high school and collegiate basketball. He was a two-year captain
at the University of Connecticut where Dickenman was an assistant coach and the two worked together on the
coaching staff at UConn during the 1991-92 season. Assistant Coach Patrick Sellers Patrick Sellers rejoined the Central Connecticut State University men's basketball team this year for his second stint on the coaching staff. The 1991 CCSU graduate began his coaching career as an assistant with the Blue Devils for the 1991-92
season following a successful four-year playing career at Central. Assistant Coach Anthony Latina spent the
last four years on the staff at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, where he was responsible for floor coaching and off-season individual player development. This is his first season at Central.

The Team

#3 - 6'6" Forward Harvey Van Stein

#5 - 6'2" Guard Tomas Brookins

#10 - 5'10" Guard Kofi Mensah

#21 - 6'4" Guard Rick Mickens

#22 - 6'5" Forward/Guard Dean Walker

#23 - 6'1" Guard Shaaron Sinvilcin

#24 - 6'5" Forward John Tice

#30 - 6'3" Guard Damian Battles

#32 - 6'3" Guard Bryan Finley

#33 - 6'3" Guard Juan Ramos

#34 - 6'9" Center Corsley Edwards

#35 - 6'9" Forward/Center Jason Smith

#40 - 6'10" Center/Forward Jeremy Bergh

#41 - 6'4" Forward Victor Payne

#50 - 6'10" Center Lauriston Beech

The Outlook

Can Central Win? Post your thoughts in the Hartford Forum.

Helpful Links

CCSU Men's Basketball - The Blue Devils' official Web site.

Central Connecticut Clubhouse - News and features from ESPN.

College Basketball from About.com - About.com Guide Jed Tai provides commentary, links, and more on the topic of college basketball, not just during March Madness, but throughout the year.

NCAA Basketball - Keep your eyes here for the latest tournament news, including schedule information.

UConn Huskies Basketball - Official site of the NCAA champions.

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