We’ll never forget this season, and you’ll never forget this season. You have made the whole state proud with what you have accomplished.
MILWAUKEE – Randy Casey admits he’s a little tired.
But it’s a good kind of tired.
Actually, it’s a really great kind of tired.
Casey, the long-time head coach of Milwaukee Area Technical College’s men’s basketball team, has been talking, smiling, traveling and celebrating for the past two weeks – ever since March 25, when his Stormers team won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II championship in Danville, Illinois.
On Wednesday, April 5, MATC students, faculty and staff celebrated the college’s first men’s basketball title loudly and proudly at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus.
“Since March 25, it has been a non-stop outpouring of support and love,” said Casey, who also serves as MATC athletic director. “This all goes back to the work and sweat from these guys not only on the court, but in the classroom.
“We knew there would be some bumps in the road along the way,” added Casey, in his 15th season as the Stormers head coach. “But we overcame all those bumps and here we are.”
Hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered in the Downtown Milwaukee Campus cafeteria to honor the team, which finished with a record of 32-4 and compiled a 3.13 grade-point average as a team.
“We are in the presence of greatness, ”MATC President Vicki J. Martin, Ph.D., told the cheering crowd at the celebration. “This is such an impressive group of students and coaches.”
See coverage of MATC rally for Stormers
A pounding, pulsating drumline led the team into the cafeteria. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley honored the team by delivering and reading a proclamation, and gave the coaches and each team member their own copy.
“Are we all ready to run this back,” asked Crowley to another round of cheers.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson read another proclamation via video declaring April 5, 2023, MATC Stormers Day in the city. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore also extended congratulations via video. Even Bango, the mascot of the Milwaukee Bucks, made an appearance at the rally, furiously fist- bumping members in the crowd.
Travis Mrozek, one of the team’s assistant coaches and MATC assistant athletic director, trumpeted some of the honors won by the team’s players and coaches:
- Casey was named 2022-23 North Central Community College Conference (N4C) Coach of the Year, the Region 4 - Midwest B District Coach of the Year, NJCAA Tournament Coach, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Two-Year College coach of the year and the NJCAA Division II national coach of the year.
- Guard/forward Shelton Williams-Dryden was named N4C Player of the Year.
- Forward Mason Johnson, a graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools’ Golda Meir School, surpassed the 1,000-point career mark and was named NJCAA DII Tournament Most Valuable Player.
- Point guard Mikale Stevenson was named to the NJCAA Third Team and to the All-Tournament team.
- Guard Ke'Varius Taylor was named to the All-Tournament team
- Guard/forward DeMarco Clayton was named to the N4C All-Conference first team.
Between March 22 and March 25, the Stormers won four games in five days to win the national title. MATC came into the tournament as the No. 7 seed and became the highest seed to win the title. They also won the most games in school history.
After the April 5 campus pep rally, the team was honored by the Milwaukee Bucks at their April 5 game against the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum. On Thursday, April 6, the team gathered for its annual banquet to celebrate an historic championship season.
“We’ll never forget this season, and you’ll never forget this season,” Dr. Martin said. “You have made the whole state proud with what you have accomplished.”
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 25,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.