Roger State Athletics Hall of Fame
Arguably the best team in school history, the 2008-2009 Hillcat men’s basketball team set the standard of excellence that has followed. Led by head coach Lloyd Williams and first-year assistant coach Justin Barkley, RSU finished the year with an eye-popping 30-2 record and spent the entire season ranked in the NAIA National Coaches Poll, including seven-straight weeks at No. 1 to close out the season. In a year that saw the Hillcats have very few equals on the court, RSU started an outstanding 14-0 before taking the first blemish to their record in a lost to rival Oklahoma Baptist on the road. However, the loss only provided more motivation as they tore off another 14-0 run, getting revenge on the No. 2-ranked Bison in a 84-78 win in Claremore in the regular season home final to polish off a sterling 14-0 record inside the Claremore Expo Center.
In the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament in Lubbock Texas, the Hillcats ran roughshod through the bracket, winning three-straight over Lubbock Christian, John Brown and USAO by an average margin of 10 points to earn both the regular season and tournament SAC Championships. After earning the top-seed in their first-ever NAIA National Championship Tournament appearance, RSU’s fairytale season came to an unceremonious end as they were upset in the first round by William Jewell in a heartbreaking 76-73 decision in historic Memorial Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
After the season, both Eric Young and Sylvester Spicer became the first Hillcat basketball players to earn All-American honors, with Young being named to the All-America second team while Spicer was tabbed as an honorable mention. Lloyd Williams was named the SAC Coach of the Year and six players earned All-SAC honors. This team featured some all-time great Hillcats including two members of the six-person 1,000-point club, including Spicer (1,111 points) and Deveric Taylor (1,079 points).
