2008 Woodie Awards
There's always next season to win
Anthony Olivieri
Issue date: 2/19/04 Section: Sports
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In his 18th season as the head coach of the Marist College men's basketball team, Dave Magarity probably thought he had seen all the highs and lows of Division I college basketball.
After all, Magarity had brought the Red Foxes to the NCAA tournament in the late 1980's. He also experienced the growing pains of moving the Red Foxes to the highly competitive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and as recently as two years ago, won a share of its regular season title.
However, nothing can match the 2003-2004 season, which has been the toughest stretch of Magarity's career.
That may be precisely why there is hope for the Red Foxes in the near future. Magarity can attest to the fact that college
basketball can be a roller coaster ride, and Marist may have dipped down to its lowest point this season.
With the loss of seniors David Bennett and Nick Eppenhimer to graduation, the defection of Steve Castleberry to Rider, and Jared Hunsaker deemed ineligible by the NCAA, the Red Foxes had a hill to climb.
Marist started the 2003-2004 season with seven newcomers who were each going to play integral roles for the team on game nights.
Pierre Monagan, the most anticipated newcomer of the group, was coming off a medical red shirt season, and would have to shake off the rust to be the team's leader.
Marist began its season by hosting the first round of the preseason National Invitational Tournament at the McCann Center, a landmark moment for the program.
The Red Foxes narrowly lost to Hofstra that night, and ever since, have not been able to right the ship.
As Monagan began to shake off the cobwebs and take the reigns as leader of the Red Foxes, he suffered another medical setback tearing the PCL in his right knee ending his season.
If that was not bad enough, the Red Foxes also ended the second-longest losing streak in Division I history by losing to Loyola, and even allowed Castleberry to dump in a few jump hooks to sweeten his homecoming in a loss to Rider.
After all, Magarity had brought the Red Foxes to the NCAA tournament in the late 1980's. He also experienced the growing pains of moving the Red Foxes to the highly competitive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and as recently as two years ago, won a share of its regular season title.
However, nothing can match the 2003-2004 season, which has been the toughest stretch of Magarity's career.
That may be precisely why there is hope for the Red Foxes in the near future. Magarity can attest to the fact that college
basketball can be a roller coaster ride, and Marist may have dipped down to its lowest point this season.
With the loss of seniors David Bennett and Nick Eppenhimer to graduation, the defection of Steve Castleberry to Rider, and Jared Hunsaker deemed ineligible by the NCAA, the Red Foxes had a hill to climb.
Marist started the 2003-2004 season with seven newcomers who were each going to play integral roles for the team on game nights.
Pierre Monagan, the most anticipated newcomer of the group, was coming off a medical red shirt season, and would have to shake off the rust to be the team's leader.
Marist began its season by hosting the first round of the preseason National Invitational Tournament at the McCann Center, a landmark moment for the program.
The Red Foxes narrowly lost to Hofstra that night, and ever since, have not been able to right the ship.
As Monagan began to shake off the cobwebs and take the reigns as leader of the Red Foxes, he suffered another medical setback tearing the PCL in his right knee ending his season.
If that was not bad enough, the Red Foxes also ended the second-longest losing streak in Division I history by losing to Loyola, and even allowed Castleberry to dump in a few jump hooks to sweeten his homecoming in a loss to Rider.