Celebrating family is foundational to the Brockport men’s basketball culture. Over the past weekend, the team celebrated their familial values by inviting the 2001-’02 alumni team to their game.
The SUNYAC ‘01-’02 Champions returning to the nest was not only a celebration, but a teaching moment for the current team. Assistant Coach Joe Clarke reminds the team that the winning and success of their team was founded on these alumni.
“We talked about the tradition and culture of our program and all things we preach and strive for each year,” Clarke said. “Since the 2000’s, we have been to multiple NCAA Tournaments, Sweet 16s and Elite Eights. There are a lot of wins there. We have done this by valuing the whole student-athlete on and off the court while preaching what we stand for: family.”
Graduate student Tyler Cowie has spent the past five years hearing and living the culture set by the alumni team.
“The family aspect being here has shown me over the years is how blood isn’t the only thing that makes you family. It’s the people who fight for you and have your best interest day after day. Those are the people I consider my family and those are the people I get to surround myself with,” Cowie said.
Every day the team walks into the gym for practice and every day they are reminded of the standards set for them when they look at the walls. The 2022-’23 team is currently in a position to meet the standards the alumni team set two decades ago.
“It was a very special feeling to have arguably the best Brockport basketball team in attendance at our game. It provided me with extra motivation to show them we have a shot to do what they did,” Cowie said.
For the returning team, it was equally as special. 2015 inductee to the Brockport Athletics Hall of Fame and 2001-’02 alumnus Mike Medbury was proud to see the team’s success.
“As alumni, we love to see the current team playing and winning at a high level,” Medbury said. “To continue that winning legacy validates the process we started 20 years ago. To see the team continue to be a formidable threat in the SUNYAC year after year shows the dedication that the players and coaches have put into the program. Even today, when I answer people who ask me where I played, they respond with ‘great team’ or ‘great program.’ It is a great compliment to hear. I only hope the current team can surpass the season we had 20 years ago. It would solidify the position of SUNY Brockport Men’s Basketball having a culture of hard work and winning that we are all proud to be a part of.”
The alumni team spent time admiring the decades of changes as they visited old hangout spots. Medbury felt like he was back home.
“Coming back onto campus after all these years was surreal,” Medbury said. “It was like taking a walk in the past. We visited the old places where we used to spend time and we were just amazed at the changes they have made to the facilities. In general, coming back after all these years and seeing players that are wearing the same uniforms that we wore once upon a time is like coming home for a family reunion.”
The legacy still stands, the culture still shapes and the banner still hangs, 20 years later.
