1997–98 South Carolina State Bulldogs basketball team

The 1997–98 South Carolina State Bulldogs basketball team represented South Carolina State University during the 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bulldogs, led by head coach Cy Alexander, played their home games at the SHM Memorial Center and were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The team won the MEAC regular season and conference tournament titles, and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

1997–98 South Carolina State Bulldogs men's basketball
MEAC tournament champions
ConferenceMid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Record22–8 (16–2 MEAC)
Head coach
Home arenaSHM Memorial Center
Seasons
1997–98 MEAC men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Coppin State 17 1   .944 21 8   .724
South Carolina State 16 2   .889 22 8   .733
Hampton 11 7   .611 14 12   .538
Morgan State 11 7   .611 12 16   .429
Florida A&M 8 10   .444 11 17   .393
Delaware State 7 11   .389 9 18   .333
Maryland Eastern Shore 7 11   .389 9 18   .333
North Carolina A&T 7 11   .389 8 19   .296
Howard 5 13   .278 8 20   .286
Bethune–Cookman 1 17   .056 1 26   .037
Norfolk State 0 0   6 21   .222
1998 MEAC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

As No. 16 seed in the Southeast region, the team lost to No. 2 seed and eventual National champion Kentucky in the opening round,[2] and finished with a record of 22–8 (16–2 MEAC).

Roster

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1997–98 South Carolina State Bulldogs men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 12 Roderick Blakney 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Hartsville, South Carolina
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Schedule

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
Dec 1, 1997*
at No. 1 Duke L 40–98  0–2
Cameron Indoor Stadium 
Durham, North Carolina
Dec 20, 1997*
at NC State L 67–68  1–3
Reynolds Coliseum 
Raleigh, North Carolina
Dec 23, 1997*
at No. 10 South Carolina L 85–90  1–4
Carolina Coliseum 
Columbia, South Carolina
Dec 28, 1997*
at No. 21 Clemson L 60–84  1–5
Littlejohn Coliseum 
Clemson, South Carolina
MEAC tournament
Mar 4, 1998*
vs. North Carolina A&T
Quarterfinals
W 64–58  20–7
Richmond Coliseum 
Richmond, Virginia
Mar 6, 1998*
vs. Morgan State
Semifinals
W 82–69  21–7
Richmond Coliseum 
Richmond, Virginia
Mar 7, 1998*
vs. Coppin State
Championship game
W 66–61  22–7
Richmond Coliseum 
Richmond, Virginia
NCAA tournament
Mar 13, 1998*
(15 SE) vs. (2 SE) No. 5 Kentucky
First round
L 67–82  22–8
Georgia Dome 
Atlanta, Georgia
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
SE=Southeast.
All times are in Eastern Time.

[3]

References

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  1. ^ sports-reference.com 1997-98 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Season Summary
  2. ^ "Kentucky Dominates South Carolina State". The New York Times. March 14, 1998. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "1997-98 South Carolina State Bulldogs Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved March 4, 2023.