McMurry University Athletics

The Men's Basketball Team of 1999-2000 holds the distinction of advancing further into the NCAA playoffs than any team before or since in program history, making it all the way to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight!  It was the school's first-ever NCAA playoff berth, while also claiming both the ASC regular season and tournament crowns, and winning both the Alamo Shootout and the Shenandoah University Tournament championships.

The team rolled through both the ASC regular season - and the ASC tournament. The Indians were 12-0 in the ASC regular season, averaged 104.5 points per game in its ASC tourney wins and, out of 14 total ASC games – season and tournament – had only three wins that were less than double-digit victories!

The team averaged more than 100 points per game on offense and yet proved it could get it done on both ends of the floor with, well over twice as many steals than its opponents:   544-to-230.

Three players – Alex Denson, Daniel Martinez and Anthony James – all averaged double-figure scoring. Denson and Martinez were both first team All-West Division and All-Conference selections, while James and three others – Abran Aragon, Travis Hull and Thomas Drakeford – were honorable mention All-West Division selections.

Martinez was the ASC “Player of the Year” and the “Defensive Player of the Year,” while Brian Stickel earned the “Freshman of the Year” award from the league.

Denson was the MVP of the conference tournament…with Martinez and Aragon making the All-tournament team, as well.

Denson and Martinez also went on to earn All-America recognition.

Martinez ended his career ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division III for both career steals and steals average in a career, even though the NCAA only recognizes his last three years because McMurry was in “transition” to Division III his freshman year.  Had those stats counted, he would have obliterated those records!

Head Coach Ron Holmes was named as the South Region “Coach of the Year” after leading the Indians to the regional title in the school's first NCAA post-season basketball appearance.

That team still holds several school records today, including:  Most Wins (27), Winning Percentage (.931), and Most Steals (544).  The team also set single game records for steals, with 31, and blocks, with 11.

Individually, Martinez still holds the single season assists record – with 229 – and steals, with 178. Both totals led NCAA Division III, as well.

The team ended up being ranked in the top-10 in two national polls:  No. 3 by Columbus Multimedia and No. 6 by D3Hoops.com.