The Seattle University men's basketball program celebrated its best season in 45 years and also prepared for the challenges ahead as it held its annual banquet and auction Saturday evening, May 23, at the Campion Tower Ballroom.
Former head coach Joe Callero was on hand to present a summary of the 2008-09 season in which the team finished 21-8, including 13-8 against Division I opponents. He also announced the winners of the team awards and introduced seniors Shaun Burl (Berkeley, Calif.), Austen Powers (Glendale, Ariz.), Leigh Swanson (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.), and Michael Wright (Lakewood, Wash.) to the crowd of family, friends, and supporters, who gave the team and Callero separate standing ovations at the conclusion of the presentation.
Powers earned both the Most Valuable Player and Most Improved Player awards, as he led the team with 12.9 points per game and also pulled down 6.4 rebounds per contest. During the season, Powers was named second team All-Independent, second team Academic All-District, and All-Tournament at the Great Alaska Shootout, leading Seattle University to its first victory as a Division I school over a Division I opponent in over 28 years against Louisiana Tech.
Burl, a team captain along with Mike Boxley (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.), received the Most Inspirational Player award after averaging 6.6 points and 3.3 assists per game in leading the team to the most victories for the program since the 1984-85 campaign. Wright earned the Coaches Award for his tenacity and work ethic, especially in leading the team on a ten-game winning streak that included a sweep of SIU Edwardsville, home victories over North Dakota and South Dakota, and road wins over Cal State Bakersfield and Eastern Washington.
New men's basketball head coach Cameron Dollar, also the recipient of a standing ovation from the assembled guests, capped off the evening with a stirring speech about his plans and expectations of the program for the future. He talked about how the history of the Seattle University program can foreshadow the future success, that the great players and coaches can come to this school just as they had before.
A silent auction was held before the banquet started, giving supporters a chance to mingle with the players, coaches, and athletic staff as well as contribute to the men's basketball program. The total amount raised through the auction is not known yet, but master of ceremonies Dick Fain was able to secure $13,000 from the guests through the Fund The Dream campaign, which allows supporters to donate money directly to the men's basketball program.
The Seattle University men's basketball team, along with the rest of the athletic department, will enter Year Two of the reclassification process on July 1. The team will play a full Division I schedule during the 2009-10 season, with home games scheduled to occur at KeyArena at the Seattle Center.