When it comes to Wittenberg men’s basketball, a winning record is sometimes taken for granted. After all, no Wittenberg team has posted anything less than a .500 record since 1956.

Since then, Wittenberg teams have compiled a phenomenal record of 964-257, and the program has become nationally recognized. Even considering such daunting criteria, the 2000-01 squad enjoyed tremendous success.

Coming off three seasons in which they had shown flashes of brilliance but had fallen short of NCAC regular season and tournament titles — and NCAA Division III tournament berths — the Tigers put it together again this season.

Wittenberg went 24-4 overall, posted an NCAC-best 15-1 mark in regular season play and won a pair of in-season tournaments: the Albion Tip-Off Classic in November and the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic in December.

Following a loss in the NCAC tournament final, Wittenberg rebounded to win an NCAA Division III tournament game against Maryville before losing at eventual national semifinal participant Ohio Northern in the Sweet Sixteen.

The Tigers ended the year ranked No. 4 in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and d3hoops.com national polls.

The senior class of Ryan Taylor, Chris Fillmore, Kyle Krauss and Alex Welp was the heart and soul of the team in 2000-01. As a group, they compiled a sparkling overall four-year record of 80-26.

Just as importantly, they led by example, overcoming personal adversities to win with class.

Taylor, the team’s leading scorer, earned NCAC Player of the Year honors and second-team All-America, and finishes as Wittenberg’s ninth all-time leading scorer with more than 1,400 points.

Fillmore started every game the last two years, earning first-team All-NCAC honors in 1999-2000 and second-team in 2000-01. Krauss had a fine season, his first as a regular starter, ranking among the conference leaders in assist/turnover ratio.

Welp was a team leader off the bench, appearing in 15 games. Head Coach Bill Brown ran his eight-year record as Wittenberg head coach to 180-47, putting him No. 2 on the school’s coaching wins list.

The NCAC regular season title was the Tigers’ fourth under Brown, and the NCAA Division III tournament appearance was Wittenberg’s fifth in his eight years.

Brown topped off his season with an NCAC Coach of the Year selection, his third (including one at Kenyon in 1986). The future continues to look bright as well.

Junior guard Greg Rustad, who shot 42 percent from three-point range, and sophomore forward Kevin Longley, an All-NCAC selection who nearly averaged a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds per game, both started all 28 games this season.

They will be joined by a fine crop of underclassmen, including top 2000-01 bench performers, forwards Brian Gratsch, B.J. Harris and Peter Walker, and guards Chad Mossing and Mark Borland.