Draft:Maryland Mustangs
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|  |
| Maryland Mustangs | |
|---|---|
| League | USBL |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Dissolved | 2001 |
| History | Maryland Mustangs 2001 |
| Arena | Show Place Arena |
| Location | Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
| Team colors | |
| Head coach | Robert Parish |
| Ownership | Brett Vickers |
The Maryland Mustangs were an American professional basketball team based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, that played a single season in the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 2001. Coached by Hall of Fame center Robert Parish in his first professional head-coaching job, the Mustangs played home games at the Show Place Arena and won the USBL Northern Division with a 19–11 record before losing in the playoff quarterfinals.[1][2]
Parish was named USBL Coach of the Year and first overall draft pick George Evans was named USBL Rookie of the Year, but the franchise folded after the season.[2][3]
Franchise history
[edit]Formation
[edit]The Mustangs entered the USBL as an expansion franchise for the 2001 season, playing a 30-game schedule beginning in late April. The team was owned by Brett Vickers, who also served as president, with Billy Dreher as general manager. Vickers concentrated the club's marketing on Prince George's County, saying that "the draw comes from a 30- or 40-mile radius of the arena."[1][4]
Vickers sought conventional local-media coverage, reporting that he was close to a deal for radio broadcasts of home and away games, that longtime Maryland Terrapins broadcaster Johnny Holliday was interested in calling home games, and that the club hoped to place games on local cable on a tape-delayed basis.[1]
Coaching staff
[edit]Robert Parish, a 7-foot-1-inch ([convert: unknown unit]) center who won NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, was hired as head coach, assisted by former Washington Bullets forward Harvey Grant. Parish described the job as a step toward an NBA coaching career: "I would like to get to the next level as [a coach]. I think it'll be a nice transition for me."[1][4]
Vickers said hiring a recognizable coach was a deliberate business decision: "It certainly helps having that name to sell to sponsors. If you have a lesser-name coach, it's certainly not as appealing to people."[1]
Draft and roster
[edit]The Mustangs held the first overall pick in the 2001 USBL draft and selected George Evans of George Mason. They also drafted Mike Mardesich of Maryland, though draftees could not join the team until mid-May.[1]
The roster published by The Washington Post at the start of the season comprised Mylo Brooks (VCU), Harold Deane (Virginia), Dennis Edwards (Fort Hays State), Michael Gill (California), Refiloe Lethunya (Miami, Ohio), Patrick Ngongba (George Washington), Jabari Outtz (James Madison), Johnny Rhodes (Maryland), Joel Salvi (Rutgers), Terrance Shannon (Elgin Community College) and Earl Tyson (Fort Hays State).[5]
The roster changed during the season. In June the team signed former Navy center Sitapha Savané, who had recently returned from playing professionally in Spain.[6]
Season
[edit]The Mustangs opened on April 27, 2001, against the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs, coached by Darryl Dawkins, rallying from a 17-point deficit to win 112–109. Johnny Rhodes, a former University of Maryland standout then aged 28, was among the team's local draws.[4]
Attendance fell short of expectations. Opening night drew an announced 1,108 in an arena seating approximately 5,800, followed by 965 the next night against the Long Island Surf. The club had sold about 1,000 season tickets before the season and was targeting an average of 2,000 per game. "I figured it would be about 1,000, and it's a little less than I thought," Vickers said.[1][4]
On the court the team was successful immediately. By June 7 the Mustangs led the Northern Division at 14–7 with nine games remaining.[6] They finished 19–11, one game ahead of Pennsylvania, to win the division.[2]
In the USBL Postseason Festival quarterfinals, Maryland lost to the Dodge City Legend, 109–106. Pennsylvania went on to win the league title.[2]
Awards and dissolution
[edit]Parish was named USBL Coach of the Year for 2001, and Evans was named USBL Rookie of the Year and selected to the All-USBL Team.[2] The franchise did not return for the 2002 season; writing in 2013, The Boston Globe noted that Parish "was Coach of the Year with the Maryland Mustangs of the United States Basketball League in 2001, but the team folded."[3]
Season-by-season record
[edit]| Season | League | W | L | Pct. | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | USBL | 19 | 11 | .633 | 1st, Northern | Lost quarterfinal |
Source:[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Seidel, Jeff (April 26, 2001). "All Systems Go For Mustangs' Inaugural Season". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History of the United States Basketball League". APBR.org. Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- 1 2 Grossfeld, Stan (January 25, 2013). "Robert Parish yearns for NBA coaching job". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Seidel, Jeff (May 2, 2001). "USBL: Minor League, Major Dreams". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Maryland Mustangs". The Washington Post. May 3, 2001. Retrieved September 20, 2026.
Category:Defunct basketball teams in the United States Category:United States Basketball League teams Category:Basketball teams in Maryland Category:Basketball teams established in 2001 Category:Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 2001 Category:2001 establishments in Maryland
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