Kevin Mackey was named Cleveland State's basketball coach in 1983 and arrived with a plan.
He wanted to recruit guys who had fallen through the cracks, guys who had something to prove, guys who may not be the ideal height for their position -- but could play basketball anyway. At the time, no one had heard of Mackey and few knew of Cleveland State.
But Mackey was a proven specialist in landing players who no one else noticed. For instance, he had been an assistant at Boston College, where he recruited 5-foot-10 guard Michael Adams. It was the only Division I scholarship offered to Adams, who eventually starred for BC and went on to become an effective NBA player for more than a decade.
After being passed over for the head coaching job at Boston College, Mackey accepted the same post at Cleveland State. There, he signed little-known players who went by names like Mouse, Hood and Mudd and led a Vikings team that played in a league called the AMCU-8.
In other words, it was an obscure corner of the sports universe, a college basketball island that rested in the shadows of the Big Ten, Big East and ACC.
Still, Mackey never doubted he could turn this program into something special. Not to say it would be easy. After all, we're talking about a program that was once known as the Fenn College Foxes and had only been a member of Division I for 11 years.
So Mackey knew he would have to get a little bit crazy. He instituted an offense he called the "Run 'n Stun," rotating 10 players in waves and occasionally substituting five fresh guys at one time.
And so it was. The Vikings would run, gun and have lots of fun -- and harass their opponent in a man-to-man defense that extended the length of the court.
It worked, as Cleveland State played an exciting and effective brand of basketball that began to draw the interest of fans and attention of recruits.
In Mackey's second season, the Vikings finished 21-8. But they failed to win the conference tournament, and not only were they ignored by the NCAA selection committee, but the smaller NIT. It was then Mackey realized the Vikings had to "kick the door down." Basically, he knew if the Vikings wanted to make the NCAA tournament, they would have to force their way in.
So the pudgy little coach with the salesman's smile hit the recruiting trail again.
Chasing a Mouse
In 1986, Ken McFadden had yet to be called "Mouse" by anyone who mattered. He was just some kid from the mean streets of New York City who failed to graduate from high school. As for basketball, McFadden played mostly in the New York street ball and AAU circuits.
Mackey attended one of those AAU games, saw McFadden and thought the pint-sized point guard would be a good fit in the Vikings' system. And not just because McFadden could dribble a basketball and moonwalk at the same time.
Not once did Mackey consider McFadden a risk.
Instead, Mackey saw a young man who really seemed to enjoy playing the game, as well as one who was looking for a chance to improve his life. So McFadden obtained his GED and headed for college in Cleveland.
McFadden became the Vikings' starting point guard right away and a natural initiator of an up-tempo and freewheeling offense. He was also the poster child for a team that seemed oblivious to the fact it wasn't supposed to be as good as nearby programs such as Ohio State and Michigan.
McFadden was joined in the lineup by center Eric Mudd, forward Paul Stewart and two forwards named Clinton. And Clinton Smith and Clinton Ransey also happened to be the team's two best all-around players.
Throw in guards Shawn Hood and Eddie Bryant, and center Bob Crawford, and Cleveland State had a deep, talented unit that played with tons of gusto.
The Vikings' first eye-opener came in the fifth game of the regular season at Ohio State, a 95-91 loss to a Buckeyes team that featured all-Americans Dennis Hopson and Brad Sellers. They later walloped Kent State by 25 points, Eastern Michigan by 49 and then-power DePaul by 15 on its own home floor.
They finished 27-3 and 13-1 in the AMCU-8, breezing through the first two games of the league tournament and holding off Eastern Illinois (70-66) in the championship game.
This time, the Vikings kicked down the door and the NCAA had no choice but to let them in. Actually, the AMCU-8 didn't have an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament -- but the selection committee took into account the Vikings' schedule and record, and deemed them a worthy at-large team.
Running and stunning
Cleveland State received the NCAA tournament's No. 14 seed. Its first-round opponent? None other than legendary coach Bobby Knight, star guard Steve Alford and the third-seeded Indiana Hoosiers.
Mackey was a fast-talker who played up the perceived mismatch, saying Indiana was ready for prime time while his team was made up of off-Broadway players. He said his players wanted what Indiana had: the national spotlight.
Mackey's players got it soon enough, using their always-in-your-face style to pressure the methodical Hoosiers into turnovers and rushed shots. Ransey was unstoppable on the other end, finishing breaks and burying pull-up jumpers on his way to 27 points.
In the end, the Vikings pulled off an 83-79 stunner.
They advanced to meet St. Joseph's, another rising program out of the Atlantic 10 conference. And despite the fact St. Joseph's was far from a traditionally dominant program (and the Vikings had just defeated Indiana), Mackey again made it sound like his team had little chance.
It was more or less just a psychological ploy that guys like McFadden, Ransey and Smith probably didn't need. But they admired their coach and appreciated his strategy nonetheless.
And why not? It did the trick for the second straight game, with the Vikings fighting their way to a 75-69 victory behind McFadden's 23 points.
In one short season, the Vikings compiled a number of awesome firsts, including the first conference title, first NCAA tournament berth, first tourney victory -- and now, first appearance in the Sweet Sixteen.
Date with Navy
The Vikings turned into a national story, as every major media outlet landed in Cleveland to report from the mostly concrete campus on the edge of downtown. As Mackey once described the scene, "They wouldn't leave us alone."
But Mackey and his players soaked it all in. They felt the extra attention was something they always deserved.
Their next opponent was the U.S. Naval Academy, making this truly a mid-major event, long before the term had been invented.
In most years, a game against Navy would be considered a once-in-a-lifetime pass to the Elite Eight.
Not in 1986.
Instead, the Midshipman featured a senior center by the name of David Robinson, a 7-footer with skills and strength who would soon become the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. In fact, Robinson was so good that no pro team cared it would have to wait two years for him to complete his military commitment.
On the bright side, the Vikings were more talented at every other position. Still, everyone wondered if they had enough to overcome Robinson's raw power near the rim.
Initially, it looked like they did. Their chaotic defense disrupted the Navy guards, particularly when it came to passing the ball in to Robinson. Their offense was often able to get down the floor before Robinson got into position (a good thing, considering he compiled a whopping nine blocks when stationed on the low block).
With 11 seconds left, the Vikings held a one-point lead -- and it appeared they had possession of the ball when Stewart swiped an inbound pass intended for Robinson. But as soon as Stewart gained control, a Navy player tied him up. So the Midshipmen quickly got the ball back via the possession arrow.
Six seconds later, Robinson banked in a leaning shot in traffic. Navy led 71-70. The game, the season and the basketball fairy-tale had ended.
That season, the Vikings finished 29-4 and were ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press college basketball poll.
The Aftermath
Things at Cleveland State began to fall apart almost as quickly as they had come to life. Two months after the NCAA tournament, Stewart collapsed and died of a heart defect during a pickup game.
The Vikings missed the NCAA tournament each of the next two seasons, qualifying only for the NIT and losing in the second round each time. During that time, Smith and Ransey had used up their eligibility and opponents did a better job of scouting McFadden.
Those seasons weren't bad. McFadden became the school's all-time scoring leader (a position he still holds today) and the first Cleveland State player to be named conference player of the year (1987-88).
But it wasn't the same.
Then in 1990, reports broke that Mackey was arrested outside of a Cleveland crack house. That news led to Mackey admitting he had abused cocaine and alcohol. It also led to Mackey's dismissal at Cleveland State and the end of an era.
"I fired Kevin Mackey," said Cleveland State president John Flower at a press conference. "But he really fired himself."
Mackey spent a few years after that cleaning up at the rehabilitation center founded by former NBA guard John Lucas, then bounced around pro basketball's minor leagues as a head coach. While his hiring was usually passed off as a publicity stunt, Mackey's minor-league teams normally fared well -- he often pointed out that 37 of his players made it to the NBA.
In 2004, Mackey was hired by Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird as a scout, a position he still holds today. Bird has said he always felt like Mackey "deserved a second chance," and Mackey has always made it clear he's grateful for the opportunity.
And he knows it all started because of Cleveland State -- and mostly, the Vikings' NCAA tournament run of 1985-86.
