The Florida A&M University men’s basketball team was ousted from the 2009 MEAC tournament after a landslide 71-41 loss in the quarterfinals to the top-seeded Bears from Morgan State University.
On opening night of the tournament the Rattlers advanced gracefully over rival Howard University 71-58 securing a spot in the conference quarterfinals.
That game the Rattlers finished with an all-time-best single-game three point shooting percentage at 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from behind the arc.
The tournament upset versus Morgan State where the Rattlers finished the game shooting 24.6 percent closed the curtains on the Rattlers (10-21) season two days before the big dance for the MEAC title. The Rattlers finished the season eight in the MEAC with a conference record of (6-10).
The Rattlers struggled during various parts of the season to include an eight game losing streak. However, the team overcame this obstacle and managed to finish out the season by winning their last home game and advancing to the MEAC tournament.
“We came up short on occasion but somebody has to lose,” said senior Lamar Twitty. “There were a few games that I know we could’ve won. Overall we still had a good season.”
While the Rattlers will be losing three seniors from their roster, they will have plenty of capable players to fill their shoes. Josh Davis and Brandon Bryant will be entering their senior year and both have plenty of experience behind them.
The pair combined for a total of 342 points to contribute in helping the Rattlers salvage this year’s season.
“We have a great group of guys taking over,” Twitty said. “Hopefully they have learned from our tough games and will have a winning season next year.”
Head Coach Eugene Harris is currently in and out of town on recruiting visits to potential players for the upcoming 2010 season.
For many college athletes, the last time they will play for an official team will be while they are in school. However, each year a select few are granted the opportunity to play professionally overseas or in the NBA.
Currently, Joe Ballard is exploring the possibility of playing overseas. Fellow teammate Twitty also plans on playing basketball after college.
Twitty has been offered a pre-draft workout with two NBA teams.
What positions Harris plans to fill have yet to be released from the teams recruiting staff.
Harris has been in and out of his office on the road meeting and searching for prospects to help propel Florida A&M’s basketball program for the 2010 season.