Skip To Main Content

MSU Denver Athletics

Schedule

MSU Denver March Madness Championship Game, No. 3 seed 2012-13 vs. No. 5 seed 2013-14.

Men's Basketball by Rob White

Championship: #3 2012-13 vs. #5 2013-14

Back-to-back versions of MSU Denver teams square off

DENVER – Two teams that came oh-so-close to winning national championships are playing for a title today.
 
In our Sweet 16 of the best men's basketball teams in MSU Denver history, the No. 3 seed national runner-up team from 2012-13 will face the No. 5 seed national semifinalists from 2013-14. Yes, there will be a certain familiarity between the foes, since they are Roadrunners teams from back-to-back vintages.
 
In real life, both teams had their season's end in heartbreaking fashion. The No. 5 seed from 2013-14 lost on a basket just before the buzzer to eventual national champion Central Missouri in the national semifinals, while the No. 3 seed from 2012-13 lost in the championship game to Drury (Mo.) by one point after allowing the final seven points of the game.
 
In our tournament, both teams scored victories over MSU Denver's two national championship teams, the No. 1 seed from 1999-2000 and the No. 2 seed from 2001-02. The 2013-14 team knocked out the 2001-02 team relatively easily Tuesday, garnering 64.0 percent of the vote across all platforms.
 
So it's all come down to this.
 
Who will it be? Your votes determine the winner.
 
Voting will be conducted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and will run from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.
 
The winner will be announced on social media on Thursday.
 
TODAY'S PREVIEW
#3 seed 2012-13 (32-2, national runner-up) vs. #5 seed 2013-14 (32-2, national semifinalists)

THE STARTERS
2012-13 (32-3)                     Ht.       Yr.      Pts     Reb    Ast
F—Jonathan Morse             6-8      Sr.      14.6     8.5     0.8
F—Nicholas Kay                6-8      So.      10.7     5.6     0.9
G—Mitch McCarron             6-3      So.      13.2     6.6     2.9
G—Demetrius Miller            6-1       Sr.      13.8     2.0     2.0                 
G—Brandon Jefferson         5-9       Jr.      14.8     3.0     2.3
Off the bench: Tyler Cooper (6-3, Sr., 2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg), Jamal McClerkin (6-2, Jr., 2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg), Derrick January (6-6, Sr., 2.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg), DeShawn Phenix (6-5, So., 2.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg).
 
2013-14 (32-2)                     Ht.       Yr.      Pts     Reb    Ast
F—Nicholas Kay                 6-9      Jr.      15.9     7.4     1.9                 
F—Will Sinclair                  6-9      Jr.       4.3     4.1      0.3
G—Jamal McClerkin            6-3      Sr.       7.3      3.1     1.1
G—Mitch McCarron             6-3      Jr.       16.0     7.5     3.9
G—Brandon Jefferson          5-9      Sr.      21.6     3.0     2.4
Off the bench: Harrison Goodrick (6-9, Fr., 5.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg), Raul Delgado (6-2, Sr., 6.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Jourdon Hunter (6-1, So., 2.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg).
 
THE DETAILS
2013-14: The 2013-14 team gave MSU Denver the second of three straight trips to the Elite Eight under Derrick Clark. That 32-2 Roadrunners team played four exhibition games against Division I teams as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off, going 3-1, with the only loss coming to Rhode Island by three points. Its only regular-season loss was on Nov. 30, at No. 7 Western Washington, and the Roadrunners were 22-0 in league play. MSU Denver lost 71-69 in the national semifinals to eventual national champion Central Missouri on a basket at the buzzer. Led by National Player of the Year Brandon Jefferson, future national player of the year Mitch McCarron and future All-American Nicholas Kay, the 2013-14 Roadrunners showed their mettle right off the bat, going 3-1 win in exhibitions with Division I teams Rhode Island (three-point loss), Fairleigh Dickinson (11-point win), Elon (one-point win) and Canisius (14-point win). Ranked No. 1 in Division II, the Roadrunners lost Nov. 30 at seventh-ranked Western Washington, which earned its 31st straight home win only after a game-tying 3-point try at the buzzer went off the back of the rim. The Roadrunners were rarely challenged while going 22-0 in the RMAC, with an exception a 57-54 win over No. 11 Colorado School of Mines, when Jefferson put the Roadrunners ahead to stay on a 3 with 35.9 seconds left. The Roadrunners went 4-0 against UCCS and future NBA player Derrick White, including wins the RMAC tournament championship game and in the South Central Regional.

2012-13: Ranked No. 5 in the preseason, the Roadrunners were rarely challenged before losing 61-54 at Fort Lewis on Feb. 22. One week later, CSU-Pueblo upset the second-ranked Roadrunners, 70-69, on a last-second basket. MSU Denver got a measure of revenge in the RMAC Tournament final, beating Fort Lewis 61-60 on a last-second basket by Brandon Jefferson. The Roadrunners beat three Texas teams by an average of 8.3 points in the regional, then cruised into the national final. In the Final Four win over West Liberty, the five starters all scored between 17 and 14 points, with Mitch McCarron going for 14 points and 16 rebounds. In the championship game against Drury, the Roadrunners twice missed the front end of a one-and-one in the final 25 seconds and a last-second jumper was off target, or the program's third national championship may have been secured. Derrick Clark was the National Coach of the Year, while Jonathan Morse earned All-America second team honors.
You've got your scouting report, now pick your winner and vote!
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
 
FIRST ROUND/SWEET 16
Thursday, March 19: #1 1999-2000 def. #16 1990-91, 85.7-14.3
Friday, March 20: #8 2011-12 def. #9 2002-03, 56.7-43.3
Monday, March 23: #13 2014-15 def. #4 1998-99, 59.0-41.0
Tuesday, March 24: #5 2013-14 def. #12 2008-09, 71.6-28.4
Wednesday, March 25: #2 2001-02 def. #15 2000-01, 77.6-22.4
Thursday, March 26: #7 2004-05 def. #10 1989-90, 62.5-37.5
Friday, March 27: #3 2012-13 def. #14 1997-98, 82.3-17.7
Monday, March 30: #6 2003-04 vs. #11 2006-07, 60.6-39.4
 
QUARTERFINALS/ELITE 8
Tuesday, March 31: #1 1999-2000 def. #8 2011-12, 63.6-36.4
Wednesday, April 1: #5 2013-14 def. #13 2014-15, 73.8-26.2
Thursday, April 2: #2 2001-02 def. #7 2004-05, 55.8-44.2
Friday, April 3: #3 2012-13 def. #6 2003-04, 66.7-33.3
 
SEMIFINALS/FINAL 4
Monday, April 6: #5 2013-14 def. #1 1999-2000, 51.8-48.2
Tuesday, April 7: #3 2012-13 def. #2 2001-02, 64.0-36.0
 
CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday, April 8: #5 2013-14 vs. #3 2012-13
 
TOURNAMENT SEEDINGS:
  1. 1999-2000 National Champions (33-4 overall/17-2 RMAC/RMAC regular-season and tourney champs). Coached by Mike Dunlap.
  2. 2001-02 National Champions (29-6 overall/16-3 RMAC). Dunlap.
  3. 2012-13 National Runners-Up (32-3/20-2/RMAC regular-season and tourney champs). Coached by Derrick Clark.
  4. 1998-99 National Runners-Up (28-6/15-4/RMAC division and tourney champs). Dunlap.
  5. 2013-14 National semifinalists (32-2/22-0/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Clark.
  6. 2003-04 National semifinalists (32-3/19-0/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Dunlap.
  7. 2004-05 Regional champions (29-4/16-3/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Dunlap.
  8. 2011-12 Regional champions (25-7/17-5). Clark.
  9. 2002-03 Regional finalists (28-5/16-3/RMAC tourney champs/lost in 2 OT in regional final). Dunlap.
  10. 1989-90 Regional finalists (28-4/8-2 GNAC/GNAC regular season champs). Coached by Bob Hull.
  11. 2006-07 Regional semifinalists (28-4/17-2 RMAC/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Coached by Brannon Hays.
  12. 2008-09 Regional qualifiers, No. 3 seed (27-4/18-1/RMAC regular season and tourney champs). Hays.
  13. 2014-15 Regional qualifiers, No. 2 seed (26-6/19-3/RMAC regular season champs). Clark.
  14. 1997-98 Regional qualifiers, No. 4 seed (25-5/16-3/RMAC regular season champs). Dunlap.
  15. 2000-01 Regional qualifiers, No. 4 seed (23-7/14-5/RMAC tourney champs). Dunlap.
  16. 1990-91 Regional third place, No. 3 seed (23-8/8-2 CAC/CAC regular season champs). Hull.
Print Friendly Version