Parkside Athletics

Featuring UW-Parkside Hall of Famers Abdul Jeelani (formerly known as Gary Cole), Bill Sobanski, Al-Haj Jameel Ghuari (formerly Chuck Chambliss), Rade Dimitrijevic and Hall of Fame Coach Steve Stephens, the 1974-1975 men's basketball squad racked up a school record 24 wins on the year, including a program record 16 in a row.
 
Playing a national schedule that included three Division I programs and 11 games against team's currently competing in Division I, the Rangers made their first ever postseason appearance, qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., after winning the NAIA District 14 Championship. At the National Tournament, the Rangers dispatched Morningside College (Iowa) 57-54 in the opening round before slipping past Marymount College (Kan.) in the Sweet 16. UW-Parkside's tournament run came to a close in the Elite Eight, falling 70-54 to eventual national champion Grand Canyon University (Ariz.).
 
The 1974-1975 team finished with a 24-9 record and kicked off a golden era for Parkside hoops, the first of four straight national tournament appearances while the Rangers routinely played in front of capacity crowds inside DeSimone Gymnasium. Junior forward Abdul Jeelani led the team in scoring with 23.2 points per game, before going on to play in the NBA for both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks.