TOWSON, Md. - With its 66-49 loss to William and Mary Wednesday night, the Towson men's basketball team saw its record fall to 0-17 this year. The Tigers are also 0-5 in conference play. From a win-loss standpoint, it could not be any worse. But overall, it could be much worse.

Having been around college basketball teams for over 30 years now, I have seen the gamut of happy to unhappy groups. When you have 15 young men spending everyday together for five months, much can go wrong. Coaches have to do their best to keep everyone moving in the same direction. 

The greatest manager in Baltimore Orioles history, Earl Weaver, used to say that out of 25 men on the roster, five are going to love you and five are going to hate you. The key is to keep the other 15 players away from the five that hate you.

When teams lose, things can go downhill often. I am going to be frank here - there have been Towson basketball teams that were not pleasant to be around. Because of the amount of games, the broadcaster will spend more time around the basketball team than he will with the football or lacrosse team. You get to know the participants much better.

The 2011-12 men's basketball team has been a joy. While eating with the team during its pre-game meal before their battle against Old Dominion last Saturday, it struck me that this group does not act like one that hasn't won a game. The players all get along very well.  There do not seem to be any cliques. I think this trickles down from the top. Coach Pat Skerry and his staff treat these players like men. 

There have been times through the years where this was not true. There have been Towson teams that barely spoke to each other. Eventually, that would show on the court. It would show during practice. You will not find that with this Tiger basketball team.

This team is so young; they have nothing going in their favor. But, they are sticking together. I still say once this team gets a win, it will make the next easier to get. I tell disappointed Tiger fans all the time that Coach Skerry is changing the culture of this program. The results haven't shown yet, but they will. The atmosphere that he sets for his team is going to pay off in the long run. 

This group of young men represent Towson well off the court. They are giving their all during games and practices. You couldn't always make those last two statements about some of the past Towson men's basketball teams.

I LOVE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO

Since about the middle of October, I began to half kiddingly tell head football coach Rob Ambrose that he is the Coach of the Year. He would always say the same exact thing to me - “stop”. Word leaked out a couple of weeks ago that Rob had in fact won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award. Don't know how any alum and Tiger fan could be any more proud. I will have a full fledged blog interview with the Coach of the Year next week.  Congrats Rob - Nobody deserved the award more.

WELCOME HOME

When the Tigers hosted Northeastern in men's basketball on Jan. 2, I had the pleasure of interviewing new Towson University President Maravene Loeschke. For those that don't know, she is the first Towson alum to become president of the University. What a delightful woman she is. Talking to many who knew her when she was here as a professor and dean, she is the perfect person for the job. Welcome home President Loeschke.

Programming Note:  Join me and Damon Lewis every Thursday night at Bill Bateman's Bistro in Towson for Tiger Talk from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. This week, our guests will be Tiger swimming and diving coach Pat Mead and men's basketball director of operations Duane Simpkins.

If you can't make it to Bateman's, you can hear Tiger Talk on WNST-AM 1570 or right here at TowsonTigers.com.