KALAMAZOO -- The 2003-04 Western Michigan men's basketball season was surely one that won't be forgotten. It was a time of firsts, including Steve Hawkins as head coach, the only time in WMU men's basketball history a team has brought home a Mid-American Conference Tournament championship and also a season that included the first nationally televised home game in school history.
The Broncos opened the season with a big win over USC on November 21, beating them 83-65 at University Arena.
“There were a lot of reasons why it was important to start the way we did, but the main reason to me was confidence. Beating those large schools gave us the confidence we needed. We felt like we could beat anyone, anywhere, anytime,” said All-MAC center Anthony Kann, who averaged 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Not only did WMU beat USC, but also recorded wins over Arizona State and the College of Charleston, which was nationally televised from University Arena for the first time as a part of ESPN BracketBusters in front of a sold out cowd. Kann's jumper at the buzzer sent the game into overtime, and ultimately resulted in an 83-78 win for the Broncos.
“Kann ended up with the ball in his hands. He pump faked and the defender went right by him and he hit the shot. Not knowing the score, I thought we won the game and I started running down the court screaming. Ben Reed even ran towards me and we did a chest bump at half court. Then we looked over at our bench and saw our coaches and teammates screaming at us to get ready for overtime,” said Mike Williams, who was on his way to being named MAC Player of the Year after averaging 18.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
With an impressive overall record of 26-5, there's no doubt the team had an undeniable chemistry on and off the court, courtesy of the teams leaders, seniors Anthony Kann, Reggie Berry, and Mike Williams. Brian Snider, who led the team with 4.8 assists per game agreed. “Don't get me wrong; we would fight, argue and get after each other on the court as much as any team, but once we stepped off the floor it was over and we were back to being boys. I've never been on a team that had every player buy into the system 100 percent. It didn't matter if you were white, black, European, African, wealthy, or poor; we were all Broncos.”
On March 11, WMU embarked on what would be the start of their MAC Tournament run. “We looked at these three games like they were revenge games, since these teams we were about to play were the only three teams we had lost to in the regular season,” said Williams.
Opening play against Marshall, WMU cruised, 96-62, and followed up the performance with another win the next day over Toledo, 87-77.
With the championship on the line, the Broncos' took on Kent State on March 13. By halftime, WMU was trailing by one, and didn't claim the game until Williams hit the only three pointer of his career with 55 seconds left on the clock, finishing the game with 24 points and MAC Tournament MVP honors. WMU emerged victorious, winning 77-66. All of the hard work in the gym had finally paid off for a program that was long overdue for a MAC Tournament trophy.
“Probably one of the happiest moments of my life was when Mike Williams buried that three and put the dagger in the hearts of Kent State. Winning that game was so exciting, emotional, and rewarding both as a team and personally. I gave my piece of net that I cut down to my dad, hugged him, and cried like a little kid,” said Snider.
Though the season ended abruptly with a loss to Vanderbilt just a week later at the NCAA Tournament in Orlando, it was filled with unforgettable moments for the players. When asked to reflect on the season, First Team All-MAC guard Ben Reed had this to say:
“Looking back on the love we had for one another, as well as being personable with the students and fans at WMU, it was indescribable. Even with all the talent we had, and the great coach, I don't think we would have been able to get as far as we did without the love we saw and heard from the fans. We play the game of basketball for the love.”
