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Don't laugh this could happen rabbitt fans. We have no business being in Divsison 1 and a student saying We are out of our league are some of the lines for you to think about. Notice they are still an independent. It appears that Shannon Sharpe isn't thrilled with the move. Their basketball season reminds me a lot of yours except they could have probably beaten Morningside and lost by less than 38 to Southwest Minnesota State.
Division I Savannah finishes winless
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Maybe in a few years, they'll be able to look back on this men's basketball season and chuckle just a bit.
Not now.
The pain is too real, the scoreboard all too familiar.
The Savannah State Tigers (0-28) went through an entire season without winning even one game, only the second NCAA Division I team in the last half-century to reach the gold standard for futility.
"Being out in public, walking around on campus, people make jokes about you because you're not winning," senior Sherard Reddick said. "We're all just struggling emotionally. It's hard to describe."
But this much is clear: The Tigers have no business being in Division I, a leap they made a few years ago with hopes of making a name for themselves. Instead, they became a national laughingstock.
National cable network ESPN even did live "cut-ins" during its regular programming to provide updates on Savannah State's quest for infamy Monday night. The Tigers gave their best showing of the season but still lost to Florida A&M 49-44 before a crowd of 1,357.
They joined Prairie View in the hall of infamy. The Texas school went 0-28 in 1991-92 - the only other Division I team in the last 50 years to endure a winless season.
"It's unbelievable," Reddick said.
At least the Tigers didn't go down without a fight. They tied it at 41 with 1:57 remaining when Donald Carson - son of former New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson - hit two free throws.
Carson was 1 of 15, missing all seven of his attempts outside the arc as Savannah State shot 22.6 percent from the field (14 of 62).
Harry Carson traveled from New Jersey to watch his son's final college game, taking part in ceremonies beforehand to honor the team's three seniors.
"You're not always going to be the best," the former football star said. "You've got to learn to deal with adversity. You've got to learn to deal with disappointment."
Savannah State had a chance to lead at halftime for the first time all season. But Michael Ayodele hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining in the period, putting Florida A&M ahead 28-26.
The Tigers won four games last season, but they had to forfeit those because of an ineligible player - the son of Coach Edward Daniels. This time, they completed an imperfect season without having to rely on forfeits.
Savannah State lost by an average margin of nearly 23 points.
"If you looked at our schedule, you'd be hard-pressed to say we had a better team than anyone we faced," Daniels said. "We just had to focus on improving from game to game."
Savannah State has only eight scholarship players - five short of the Division I limit and the most striking example of its dubious decision to move from Division II.
The Tigers had modest success in the lower level - former NFL great Shannon Sharpe is an alumnus - but jumping up has been a major blunder. The school doesn't have enough money to fully fund any of its programs, and no conference stepped forward with an invitation.
So, Savannah State plays on as an independent.
"Basically," said a student who watched the final loss, "they're out of their league."
Division I Savannah finishes winless
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Maybe in a few years, they'll be able to look back on this men's basketball season and chuckle just a bit.
Not now.
The pain is too real, the scoreboard all too familiar.
The Savannah State Tigers (0-28) went through an entire season without winning even one game, only the second NCAA Division I team in the last half-century to reach the gold standard for futility.
"Being out in public, walking around on campus, people make jokes about you because you're not winning," senior Sherard Reddick said. "We're all just struggling emotionally. It's hard to describe."
But this much is clear: The Tigers have no business being in Division I, a leap they made a few years ago with hopes of making a name for themselves. Instead, they became a national laughingstock.
National cable network ESPN even did live "cut-ins" during its regular programming to provide updates on Savannah State's quest for infamy Monday night. The Tigers gave their best showing of the season but still lost to Florida A&M 49-44 before a crowd of 1,357.
They joined Prairie View in the hall of infamy. The Texas school went 0-28 in 1991-92 - the only other Division I team in the last 50 years to endure a winless season.
"It's unbelievable," Reddick said.
At least the Tigers didn't go down without a fight. They tied it at 41 with 1:57 remaining when Donald Carson - son of former New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson - hit two free throws.
Carson was 1 of 15, missing all seven of his attempts outside the arc as Savannah State shot 22.6 percent from the field (14 of 62).
Harry Carson traveled from New Jersey to watch his son's final college game, taking part in ceremonies beforehand to honor the team's three seniors.
"You're not always going to be the best," the former football star said. "You've got to learn to deal with adversity. You've got to learn to deal with disappointment."
Savannah State had a chance to lead at halftime for the first time all season. But Michael Ayodele hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining in the period, putting Florida A&M ahead 28-26.
The Tigers won four games last season, but they had to forfeit those because of an ineligible player - the son of Coach Edward Daniels. This time, they completed an imperfect season without having to rely on forfeits.
Savannah State lost by an average margin of nearly 23 points.
"If you looked at our schedule, you'd be hard-pressed to say we had a better team than anyone we faced," Daniels said. "We just had to focus on improving from game to game."
Savannah State has only eight scholarship players - five short of the Division I limit and the most striking example of its dubious decision to move from Division II.
The Tigers had modest success in the lower level - former NFL great Shannon Sharpe is an alumnus - but jumping up has been a major blunder. The school doesn't have enough money to fully fund any of its programs, and no conference stepped forward with an invitation.
So, Savannah State plays on as an independent.
"Basically," said a student who watched the final loss, "they're out of their league."
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