Hall of Fame
The 2003-04 Men's Basketball Team had expectations placed upon it following a league championship and NCAA round of 32 run from the year before. The expectation was not only met but exceeded, as the Blue Streaks won both the OAC regular season and tournament titles, and finished third in the nation following a postseason that yielded five victories. Mike Moran's 12th season at the helm was without a doubt his greatest, as the 2003-04 edition accrued 27 total wins, which still stands as a record.
Moran and his assistant coaches John Steadman, Shaun Kearney, Antonio McCladdie, Jason Pecjak, and Pat Prosser guided a senior-leaden team through the usual gauntlet of conference opponents, needing a dramatic win over Baldwin Wallace and a road victory at Marietta in the final week of the season to secure the league title and the number one seed in the league playoffs. John Carroll made quick work of Heidelberg and Ohio Northern before surviving a classic championship battle with Mount Union to claim the program's second consecutive conference tournament crown.
JCU was guaranteed just one home game in the NCAA Division III Championship tournament, and it was against perennial power Calvin. The Golden Knights led by 15 at one point in the first half, but a ferocious rally that had become a staple of JCU efforts turned things around to produce an 88-77 win. Next up was another perennial power, Wittenberg, on the road in round two. There would be no slow start this time, as JCU raced out to a 16-6 lead and never looked back in stunning the Tigers in front of their home crowd, 84-65.
The Blue Streaks moved onto Wooster for the sectional round, and drew Maryville (TN) in its first game. Hall of Famer David Gibbons picked up a loose ball and scored on a lay-up with four seconds left to help JCU escape with a 76-74 win, setting up an "Elite Eight" showdown with host Wooster. Trailing by 13 points in the second half, the patented JCU pressure game worked to perfection as the Blue Streaks caught fire to knock off the Fighting Scots, 70-64.
Although the national semifinal game with eventual champion Wisconsin-Stevens Point did not go according to plan, JCU rebounded the next day to defeat Amherst in the third place contest to complete an unprecedented season in the annals of John Carroll athletics let alone men's basketball.
The Roster
Mike Moran - Head Coach
John Steadman - Assistant Coach
Shaun Kearney - Assistant Coach
Antonio McCladdie - Graduate Assistant Coach
Jason Pecjak - Assistant Coach
Pat Prosser - Volunteer Coach
Mike Zbiegien - Special Asssistant (Scorebook)
Conor Donelon - Student Manager
Chris Green - PA Announcer
Jerry Angel
Dan Budzar
Joe Cooney
Chris Day
Ryan Dolatowski
Jon Franks
David Gibbons
Mike Grogan
Joe Kimener
Peter Koch
Brandon Mimes
Matt Moran
Pete Moran
Rory O'Neil
Kevin Pap
Justin Ragor
Jim Rosol
Drew Salata
Mike Salopek
Derek Smith
Demetrius Travis
