When UMBC dethroned the University of Vermont, 65 – 62, to win the America East men’s basketball champion ship on March 10, few anticipated the journey ahead. A stunning three-point shot by Jairus Lyles, with less than a second left on the clock, didn’t just catapult UMBC to the NCAA tournament, it set the tone for the nail-biting, heart-pounding, history-making run that would follow.

By Dinah Winnick and Jenny O’Grady

Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11, Ian Feldmann, Gail Burton, Brian Jenkins, and Mitchell Layton

University of a Million Brackets Crushed

Selection Sunday arrived and joyful fans crowded into the Retriever Sports Zone, surrounding the men’s basketball team as the live broadcast announced they would take on no. 1 seed University of Virginia. Cheers erupted as if UMBC “were announcing itself to the world,” wrote Jonas Shaffer in the Baltimore Sun. “It was less ‘Here we are, America’,” said Shaffer, “and more ‘Here we go.’”

That victory-focused mentality held strong. As the team headed off to North Carolina two days later, guard K.J. Maura ’18, sociology, told local press, “We don’t go to the game thinking we’re underdogs … We go [with] the mindset that we’re going to win the game.” And his vision became a reality.

Basketball fans watched in awe that Friday night as UMBC made history. The Retrievers became the first-ever no. 16 seed to defeat a no. 1 seed in an NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament.

And they didn’t just win. As NPR reported, UMBC “beat the stuffing out of Virginia, the best team in the country.” UMBC bested UVA by 20 points, earning a 74-54 victory. In an instant, UMBC became University of a Million Brackets Crushed. Sports reporters took to social media, proclaiming the win the biggest upset in men’s college basketball history.

How Did It Happen?

How did it happen? UMBC “played loose and fearless,” wrote the New York Times. “When most uber-longshots in the NCAA tournament get tight, the Retrievers instead went to the rim with reckless abandon,” USA Today reported. UMBC shot 54.2 percent from the floor, and as their lead over Virginia ballooned, the Cavaliers “played with nervousness while the Retrievers’ confidence grew.”

UMBC star guard Jairus Lyles ’17, sociology, M.A. ’18, education, again helped lead his team to victory, finishing with 28 points (82 percent from the floor). During the TNT broadcast, analyst Bill Raftery commented, “The kid’s on fire.”

Retriever fandom exploded. UMBC became the world’s top trending topic on Twitter. The university website, ready for an influx of visitors, slowed under the weight of millions of clicks. The UMBC Bookstore, closed for Spring Break, received 3,000 online t-shirt orders overnight. NBA star Steph Curry called to congratulate the Retrievers. Oh, and UMBC appeared on the front page of the New York Times, Washington Post, the NPR website, and Sports Illustrated.

The game grabbed the world’s attention, but news coverage and fan messages from around the globe quickly revealed that Retriever Fever was about more than the game alone. As New York Times reporter Erica Green wrote, “the U.M.B.C. Cinderella story transcends athletics, and has been decades in the making.” The Baltimore Sun captured that feeling in a headline: “Never heard of UMBC? MIT has. And Cal Tech. And Harvard. And Stanford …”

“It’s no coincidence that two of our strongest players, Jairus Lyles and Joe Sherburne, earned 4.0 GPAs this fall, or that Joe was just named a First-Team Academic All-American,” President Hrabowski noted in The Atlantic. He wrote that at UMBC, “our magic comes from questioning expectations, putting in the hard work, and staying focused,” from the court to the classroom.

Schooling the Nation

The victory over UVA certainly crushed millions of brackets, but for the UMBC community that success was emblematic of the university’s larger story of grit and greatness, where drive and support yield astounding achievements. “Our men’s basketball team embodies our definition of grit … bringing both passion and preparation to the game,” Hrabowski wrote.

The Retrievers returned to the court to battle Kansas State in a neck-and-neck round-two contest. Even as UMBC lost, 50-43, game announcers highlighted the Retrievers’ perseverance in fighting to the end, as walk-on and former team manager Isaiah Rogers ’18, biological sciences, sank one last shot while the buzzer rang out.

Changing the Landscape

Since UMBC’s NCAA appearance, accolades and congratulations have continued to pour in. UMBC celebrated as Coach Ryan Odom earned the 2018 Hugh Durham Award, which honors the nation’s top mid-major men’s college basketball coach of the year. Odom led the Retrievers to the 2018 America East tournament title, NCAA Championship first-round victory, and a total of 25 victories over the course of the season, a record for the program.

“Ryan Odom has completely changed the landscape at UMBC,” CollegeInsider.com’s Angela Lento said, calling him “one of the best young coaches in America.”

Even prior to the NCAA victory, UMBC Athletic Director Tim Hall shared, “Obviously, Coach Odom is first class — in all facets — and his student athletes bought in from day one.” Indeed, at the end of last season, Odom received the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation’s top first-year head coach.

CollegeInsider.com also named Lyles to the Lou Henson All-America team. This follows Sherburne ’18, financial economics, being named to the Academic All-America Division I Men’s Basketball First Team — the first UMBC player and first America East player to receive this top academic honor in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. Additionally, Maura was named America East Defensive Player of the Year.

Beyond the coach and players, UMBC Director of Multimedia Communications Zach Seidel ’12, media and communication studies, M.S. ’15, human-centered computing, developed a massive fan following during the Retrievers’ NCAA journey. CBS Sports called him a “March Madness hero” for live-tweeting the games through @UMBCAthletics with an exuberant spirit, gracious competitiveness, and self-deprecating humor. Since then, he’s done interviews with media across the U.S., offering tips to other universities on how to make the most of their NCAA appearances and have fun while they’re at it.

Hometown Heroes

The team also received a massive welcome home from elated fans in Maryland. On March 26, they traveled to Annapolis to meet with the state legislature and Governor Larry Hogan, who, heading into the championship, had selected UMBC as #1 in his NCAA bracket. A joyful UMBC community celebration in the university’s new Event Center followed, and when the Baltimore Orioles announced they would honor the team during a pregame ceremony on April 20, UMBC Pride Night tickets sold out in a day.

As the NCAA Championship came to a close on April 2 and the Retrievers had a chance to step back, take a breath, and reflect, it became clear that the echoes of UMBC’s March Madness journey will be heard for years to come.

“Our colleagues knew about us, but this was an opportunity for the world to better know us,” said President Hrabowski. “We prepared for that moment well,” and when the spotlight turned toward UMBC, “They saw substance. They saw values.”

— Dinah Winnick

When the team returned from Charlotte, the UMBC community greeted them in the new Event Center with a celebration befitting their achievements. UMBC shocked the world, and we will never forget it.

Return to The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

As the team captured the nation’s heart on the court, Zach Seidel ’12, M.S. ’15, captivated Twitter with his snarky-yet-respectful play-by-play of the game. And as the team found themselves the subject of interviews and memes, so did Seidel, as he playfully shut down Sharpie-wielding haters while simultaneously inviting the world to join #RetrieverNation.

Here, Seidel talks with his dad, fellow alum and sports writer Jeff Seidel ’85, about what those first days were like.

Jeff: Did you realize what was going on nationally?

Zach: No, not until there were about three or four minutes left in the game when Tim Hall showed me that another athletic director had texted him a screenshot of one of the tweets and said it was funny. That made me realize we had something going on.

Jeff: And then around midnight, you texted your mom and I and said that the New York Times, ESPN and CBS all wanted to interview you. We didn’t know what the hell you were talking about.

Zach: Yeah, you didn’t believe me.

Jeff: I didn’t know what was going on but then your mom and I saw a big thing on ESPN and started getting texts and links to articles, and then you called around 3:30 a.m. It was a crazy night that we sure enjoyed.

Zach: You guys kept calling me while they were interviewing me, but I had no way of telling you what was going on. My computer was freaking out so much that I couldn’t even send you an iMessage. Everything was going crazy.

Jeff: The whole weekend, I was getting calls, emails, texts asking either if I knew what you had been doing or could I connect them to you for an interview.

Zach: The whole weekend, my phone was buzzing. It just would not stop. I was doing interviews until 4:30 a.m. that first night. And it never stopped the whole weekend. It was an experience I’ll never forget but it wouldn’t have happened if the guys hadn’t pulled off such an upset.

Follow Zach on Twitter at @UMBCAthletics.

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As a student, Cara Dekelbaum ’16, jazz performance, couldn’t talk much about her part-time job; as much as they love what they do, mascots traditionally don’t reveal their identities while they’re still on campus.

Having graduated, and having traveled to Charlotte as True Grit, though, she’s now ready to give us the inside scoop on what it’s like to be the world’s favorite (dancing, drum-playing, scene-stealing) Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Q: What is your favorite memory from the trip to Charlotte?

A: Winning the mascot dance-off and drumming with the pep band were incredible experiences that I ended up getting a lot of publicity for. It was thrilling to hear the cheers!

Q: We saw a clip of you jamming out to Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” with the Pep Band. Is it difficult to play the drums with gigantic puppy arms?

A: The feet are the most challenging. I wear men’s size 13 basketball shoes that are stuffed with a towel so I had to make sure I had control of the high hat and the bass drum. I wore batting gloves to drum so I had decent control. Except I missed the cutoff from our director!

Q: What’s the toughest thing about being True Grit? And what’s the absolute best?

A: The toughest thing is the helplessness of being in the costume. You are in a position where you can’t talk, have limited visibility, and are HOT. The best part is bringing joy to fans!

Q: What might surprise us most about the life of a mascot?

A: Professional mascots are sort of an underground alliance. I go to events with other mascots and we all sit around with our heads off and gossip about our experiences. It’s great! I think we all agree that we smile when we take pictures. And we can’t stand when people ask us if we are hot. They assume we have magical air conditioning in our costumes.

Q: Where did you get those sweet dance moves?

A: I get my sweet moves from my Wii games! The “Just Dance” series and “Michael Jackson: The Experience” taught me some great moves. In fact, my winning moves from the dance-off are from “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.”

Q: How on earth do you handle the heat in there?

A: I wear Under Armour clothes, sweat-wicking socks, and a skull cap to keep my hair off my neck. I hydrate. The heat is tough but I love mascoting more than I hate the heat. You have to love it. And I really do.

Hey @KState can your mascot play drums? pic.twitter.com/pJw6Awzk1N

— Clippy the Useful (@youngpoetdrew) March 19, 2018

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While the world may have just recently noticed UMBC, Retriever fandom goes way back.

Storied Career

This is not the first time the men’s team has danced at March Madness. Having bested Binghamton to become 2007-08 America East champions, the team — along with former coach Randy Monroe — made it to round one of play, falling to #2 Georgetown, but bringing UMBC its first real taste of the national spotlight. The 1978 – 79 and 1979 – 80 men’s teams also went to the NCAA Division II Championships, and the 1978 – 79 team made it to the quarter-finals and finished the season ranked No. 6 in NCAA DII.

Seasoned Fans

For some, the combination of opening the new Event Center plus the excitement of this historic season will mean an introduction to UMBC athletics fandom. But many others, including some retired faculty and staff (pictured below with the team) and longtime season ticket holders, have been Retriever Believers for years.

“I think one of the reasons this team impressed the country so much is because they’re smart and they’re engaging kids. And they have charisma,” said former staff member Charles “Tot” Woolston. Emeritus professor of sociology William Rothstein, who like Woolston already has his tickets for the 2018 – 19 season, agreed. “They’ve proven this wasn’t a fluke.”

To purchase season tickets for the 2018-19 season, visit tickets.umbc.edu or call Seth Nagle at 410-455-8425.

Return to The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

The world celebrated UMBC’s victory in a million ways, but these are our favorite adorably nerdy ones.

Seeing the UMBC Style Guide mentioned in an article on Slate.com

Return to The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

As the world fell in love with UMBC, news outlets around the globe and across the internet fell over each other trying to come up with the most dazzling headlines. Everyone wanted to ride the UMBC wave. These are some of our favorites:

Virginia becomes first No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament in an upset by UMBC
— Washington Post

March Madness: U.M.B.C. Makes NCAA History by Beating No. 1 Virginia
— New York Times

The No. 16 Seed U.M.B.C. Topples Virginia in a Historic N.C.A.A. Basketball Upset
— The New Yorker

UMBC signe l’exploit du siècle dans le tournoi NCAA
— L’Equip (France)

Remember when we trended worldwide on Twitter?

Even the United States Surgeon General, our alumnus Jerome M. Adams ’97, biochemistry and molecular biology, got in on the fun via Facebook:

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Marigold, a seventh grader at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School, moved through the crowd with the poise and professionalism of a public relations veteran as she guided visitors through the Lakeland Community and STEAM Center on their first visit to the new space.

The South Baltimore center opened its doors on June 1, after a two-year, $1.6 million renovation and programming revamp supported by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in partnership with UMBC. Other contributors included the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership. Students and their supporters quickly filled the fresh space, excited to view its state-of-the-art equipment and learn about the activities it will support.

“Marigold is a perfect example of a student who dives into not only school, but extension opportunities,” shared Lakeland Principal Najib Jammal. Her experience shows how “being involved” in enrichment activities “can accelerate learning and growth,” he said.

Just one year ago, Marigold arrived from Ghana, with a love of reading but limited spoken English skills. After a year of hard work in Lakeland’s ESOL program, her English language speaking skills have blossomed. In addition to volunteering as a guide in the STEAM Center (which stands for science, technology, engineering, art, athletics, and math), Marigold serves as captain of her school’s competitive cybersecurity team.

Supporting Baltimore Students

UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski spoke at the June 1 event of the need to spotlight and support the future of Baltimore’s talented youth. He shared, “We believe in the need to be more deliberate and proactive in helping our children. We believe in Baltimore City and Baltimore City Public Schools.”

UMBC’s partnership with Lakeland Elementary/Middle School began in 2013. “The history of the Lakeland partnership has been wide-sweeping and centered on wraparound services to address the needs of the administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the community at large,” explained Rehana Shafi, director of UMBC’s Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program and partnership with Lakeland.

Started through the vision and support of George and Betsy Sherman and the Sherman Family Foundation, the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program prepares UMBC students to become both experts in teaching STEM subjects and civic-minded educators committed to social justice and community engagement in urban schools. Sherman Scholars provide support for in-classroom instruction and afterschool enrichment, and the program has been closely involved in developing the STEAM center.

The UMBC Peaceworker Fellows Program is also closely involved in the holistic partnership. Peaceworkers focus on community connections, which will grow dramatically now that the new center is open. This is particularly essential in a community without a library or other public meeting areas. The center will give residents access to computers and services like financial counseling, and the community association will soon begin meeting in the space.

Growing Together

Northrop Grumman reached out to offer support for this South Baltimore community three years ago. “After the unrest of 2015 we wanted to make a difference in Baltimore, but not just make a difference in that moment,” recalled Northrop Grumman President and COO Kathy J. Warden. “We wanted to make a lasting difference.”

Warden explained, “We had resources, we had dollars, and people that wanted to help, but we didn’t know how. We reached out to UMBC and joined a fantastic partnership that already existed.”

The opening of the new center represents the growth and lasting strength of this community partnership. Knowing that Lakeland students start walking through the center doors as early as 6:45 a.m., Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation, arrived at the center ahead of the launch event to share in the children’s excitement over their new space.

“The Lakeland Community and STEAM Center places a shining light on the stars that were already here and provides them with the resources and the platforms to get out and show how special they are,” said Evers-Manly. Looking out at the crowd that came to celebrate, she shared, “Our young people are so proud that so many across Baltimore took time out to say yes, you can, and yes, you will.”

Ripple Effect

The new space was created by renovating an existing Baltimore City Recreation and Parks building at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School in an innovative way. “This new STEAM Center expands our notion of what recreation should be,” said Rec and Parks Director Reginald Moore. “It is more than just athletics. It is robotics, drones, music. The possibilities are endless.” And, most importantly, says Moore, it’s a place for students to “better prepare for their future.”

This shift is visible in the center’s new recording studio, computer lab, and makerspace. Students can now perform, record, and produce music and audio interviews on site, and the school will have room for robotics teams to develop their projects. The center will also host parenting classes, community fitness sessions, adult education, and mental health services thanks to additional collaborations with local agencies and organizations.

“The incredible transformation of the Lakeland Community and STEAM Center will provide a resource for people of all ages to acquire life-changing knowledge and skills,” said Senator Ben Cardin, at the launch event. “Large-scale, positive changes like these usually require a strong group of partners standing shoulder-to-shoulder.” Senator Chris Van Hollen and Mayor Catherine Pugh also spoke to the power of supporting Baltimore City youth through working together.

Tangible Impact

For the students, these partnerships have already had a major impact. The Baltimore Sun recently highlighted Lakeland students’ major gains in PARCC test scores, thanks to strong collaboration between Lakeland teachers and UMBC math coaches. “This is not your average partnership,” math teacher Carly Harkins told the Sun. “This is my 16th year teaching, and I’ve never seen anything where the schools are so connected in so many ways.”

Kenniyah, a rising 8th grader at Lakeland, learned journalism and media skills through the Media and Rhythm Institute, a hip hop youth program the STEAM center and Sherman Scholars brought to Lakeland as the new space was still in development. In the past two years, she has interviewed the mayor, helped create podcasts, and assisted in producing educational DVDs. With the recording studio officially open, she looks forward to expanding her broadcast skills to recording music.

Now planning her applications for the BARD High School Early College program and Baltimore School for the Arts, Kenniyah shared, “My journalism skills and video production skills will make me stand out.”

For Betsy Sherman, herself a retired teacher, Marigold and Kenniyah show what the Sherman Scholars and the new Lakeland Community and STEAM Center are all about. At the launch, she shared, “It is time we stop talking about ‘at risk’ and start talking about possibility.”

Banner image: UMBC Sherman Scholar leads Lakeland students in a hands-on learning activity. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.