![\"Andre](\"http:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/library\/blog\/Bball_1984_108_2.jpg\")
The Warhawks had made it to the Final Four the previous season before falling to Wittenberg University 85-80 in the national semifinal and Roanoke College 83-77 in the third-place game. A controversial call marred the loss to Roanoke when UW-Whitewater sophomore center Mark Linde was called for a questionable foul with 17 seconds to go and Whitewater trailing 79-77.[3]<\/a> Reflecting on the disappointing losses, junior guard Anthony Brazzel stated that their season \u201cwill be hard to duplicate,\u201d but \u201cnow we know what it’s like to play in the national tournament, and hopefully, we’ll be back. There\u2019s no substitute for experience.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Brazzel\u2019s hope for the following season was not unfounded, as the 1984 Warhawks finished the regular season by clinching a share of their conference title and earning a second consecutive national tournament berth. Led by leading scorer Andre McKoy and returning veterans Anthony Brazzel and Mark Linde, the Warhawks rode four straight wins against Illinois Wesleyan (75-67), St Norbert College (87-84), Nebraska Wesleyan (65-54), and DePauw (85-69) before facing Clark University in the national championship. In the championship game, a slim 46-43 halftime lead turned into a lopsided 103-86 victory for the Warhawks, clinching their first-ever national championship in men’s basketball. McKoy and Linde made the all-tournament team, with McKoy leaving as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. This award was well-deserved, as McKoy set a record for most points (145) and free throws made (45) in a five-game tournament stretch.[6]<\/a> Coach Dave Vander Mullen described the victory as \u201cthe greatest feeling in the world. Being a champion is one thing, but being a national champion is something you dream of as a little kid.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 1984 men’s basketball team was UW-Whitewater’s first-ever national championship team. Since then, UW-Whitewater has seen 19 other championships across other sports, including three more men’s basketball titles in 1989, 2012, and 2014.[9]<\/a> Whenever we reflect on our college’s storied history of champions, we must never forget the 1984 team as the one that set the precedent for success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [1]<\/a> Randy Ruef, \u201cWarhawks Survive to Quarterfinals,\u201d The Royal Purple<\/em> (Whitewater), March 7. 1984.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2]<\/a> UW-Whitewater, 1984 Minneiska<\/em>. 1984, 108, https:\/\/jstor.org\/stable\/community.30477057<\/a>. Accessed November 7, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [3]<\/a> Dave White, \u201cWarhawks End Season on a Disappointing Note,\u201d The Royal Purple<\/em> (Whitewater), March 23, 1983.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [4]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [5]<\/a> UW-Whitewater, 1984 Minneiska, 1984, 108, https:\/\/jstor.org\/stable\/community.30477057<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [6]<\/a> Randy Ruef, \u201cOh Yeah! Warhawks Best in the Nation,\u201d The Royal Purple<\/em>, March 21, 1984.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [7]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [8]<\/a> UW-Whitewater, 1984 Minneiska<\/em>. 1984, 108, https:\/\/jstor.org\/stable\/community.30477057<\/a>. Accessed November 7, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [9]<\/a> \u201cNational Champions,\u201d UWWSports.com<\/em>, https:\/\/uwwsports.com\/sports\/2012\/3\/27\/GEN_0327122239.aspx#1989%20Men’s%20Basketball<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This post was written by Jacob Ober. In March 1984, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Men\u2019s Basketball team emerged victorious in the Division III Men\u2019s Basketball Tournament after defeating Clark (MA) University 103-86 in the National Championship game. The road to … Continue reading ![\"Center,](\"http:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/library\/blog\/Bball_1984_108.jpg\")
![\"Members](\"http:\/\/www.uww.edu\/images\/library\/blog\/Bball_1984_108_1.jpg\")
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