Randy Monroe isn't complaining by any means. Just making a simple statement of fact.
"There's good basketball programs in this area," says Monroe, the fourth-year men's coach at UMBC. "I think sometimes we don't get our just due - sometimes we get overshadowed by College Park - but there are some good programs around here."
He's right, of course. In Maryland, the almighty state school is often regarded as the only fish in the water; every other basketball team is treated like pebbles lining the bottom of the tank.
It's probably worth noting that until recently, not a lot of teams were making waves. Consider:
The year before Monroe took over at UMBC, the Retrievers were 7-21. (Four years later, they enter today's game 17-7.)
The year before Todd Bozeman took over at Morgan State, the Bears were 4-26. (Two years later, they're 15-9 after yesterday's overtime loss to Florida A&M).
And the year before Jimmy Patsos took over at Loyola, the Greyhounds were 1-27. (Four years later, they're 15-12, after yesterday's big overtime win at Siena.)
Baltimore has long been known for its talented high school players, but when the final buzzer of the season sounds in a couple of weeks, we'll have to dig deep into the history books to find a better year of college hoops in the area. It's a credit to the three coaches who've performed minor miracles, turning around their respective programs more quickly than other coaches can pump up a basketball.
Because Morgan State and UMBC lead their respective conferences, the so-called bracketologists at sites such as ESPN.com, SI.com and CBSSports.com have each team projected as a No. 15 or 16 seed in the NCAA tournament.
To understand what exactly that means - having two or more local schools playing in March - you have to appreciate the recent postseason drought.
Coppin State made its memorable run in 1997, Towson last reached the tournament in 1991 and Loyola made it in 1994. Neither UMBC nor Morgan State has received a bid.
The rebuilding at each school has been deceptively quick and goes much deeper than overhauling rosters.
When you grab the ratty reins to a perennial loser, there's a certain culture and a mind-set that needs addressing.
Bozeman realized that right away and wasted no time changing it. He remembers catching Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on television a couple of years ago, talking about the Blue Devils' struggles.
