1997–98 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team

The 1997–98 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team represented Fairleigh Dickinson University during the 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by 15th-year head coach Tom Green. The Knights played their home games at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, New Jersey as members of the Northeast Conference.

1997–98 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball
NEC tournament champions
NCAA tournament, First Round
Conference	Northeast Conference
Record	23–7 (13–3 NEC)
Head coach	Tom Green (15th season)
Home arena	Rothman Center
Seasons ← 1996–97 1998–99 →

1997–98 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Long Island	14	–	2		.875			21	–	11		.656
Fairleigh Dickinson †	13	–	3		.813			23	–	7		.767
St. Francis (NY)	10	–	6		.625			15	–	12		.556
Saint Francis (PA)	10	–	6		.625			17	–	10		.630
Mount St. Mary's	8	–	8		.500			13	–	15		.464
Wagner	7	–	9		.438			13	–	16		.448
Robert Morris	4	–	12		.250			8	–	19		.296
Monmouth	3	–	13		.188			4	–	23		.148
Central Connecticut	3	–	13		.188			4	–	22		.154
† 1998 NEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll

The Knights compiled a 23–7 record and went 13–3 in ECAC Metro play to finish second in the conference regular season standings. They defeated Robert Morris, Wagner, and Long Island University to capture the NEC tournament championship. The Knights received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 15 seed in the East region. The Knights put up a fight – led by senior Elijah Allen's 43-point effort^[1] – but fell to No. 2 seed Connecticut, 93–85, in the opening round.^[2]

Roster

1997–98 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown F Rahshon Turner 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sr Passaic, New Jersey	Head coach Tom Green Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster

^[3]

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	Site (attendance) city, state
Regular season
Nov 18, 1997*		at Maryland	L 70–81	0–1	Cole Fieldhouse  College Park, Maryland
Nov 22, 1997*		Hartford	W 76–66	1–1	Rothman Center  Hackensack, New Jersey
Nov 29, 1997* 4:00 p.m.		Manhattan	W 70–66	2–1	Rothman Center  Hackensack, New Jersey
Dec 9, 1997*		at Seton Hall	L 65–67		Continental Airlines Arena  East Rutherford, New Jersey
Dec 22, 1997*		Milwaukee	W 91–77		Rothman Center  Hackensack, New Jersey
Jan 10, 1998		at St. Francis (NY)	W 72–69		Generoso Pope Athletic Complex (213) Brooklyn, New York
Jan 17, 1998		at Monmouth	W 85–57		William T. Boylan Gymnasium  West Long Branch, New Jersey
Jan 31, 1998		St. Francis (NY)	W 71–67		Rothman Center (3,376) Hackensack, New Jersey
Feb 19, 1998		Monmouth	W 82–65		Rothman Center  Hackensack, New Jersey
NEC tournament
Feb 26, 1998*		vs. Robert Morris Quarterfinals	W 89–73	21–6	Detrick Gymnasium  New Britain, Connecticut
Feb 27, 1998*		vs. Wagner Semifinals	W 78–49	22–6	Detrick Gymnasium  New Britain, Connecticut
Mar 2, 1998*		vs. Long Island University Championship game	W 105–91	23–6	Schwartz Athletic Center  Brooklyn, New York
NCAA tournament
Mar 12, 1998*	(15 E)	vs. (2 E) No. 6 Connecticut First round	L 85–93	23–7	MCI Center (19,288) Washington, D.C.
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East Source[4]. All times are in Eastern Time.

References

1. "HUSKIES SURVIVE 43-POINT EFFORT BY ALLEN". The Washington Post. March 13, 1998. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
2. "Fairleigh Dickinson Gives UConn a Scare". The New York Times. March 13, 1998. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
3. "1997-98 Men's Basketball Roster". Fairleigh Dickinson University Athletics. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
4. "1997-98 Men's Basketball Schedule". Fairleigh Dickinson University Athletics. Retrieved March 4, 2023.