COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – MSU Denver's rich history of athletics success will be celebrated again on Thursday, as both of the Roadrunners' national championship men's basketball teams, and former MSU Denver President Dr. Stephen Jordan will be enshrined in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
 
Dr. Jordan, as well as the 1999-2000 and 2001-02 MSU Denver men's basketball teams will be honored during the annual ceremony and awards banquet at the Colorado Springs Marriott, 5580 Tech Center Dr.
 
Doors open at 5 p.m., and a cash bar is available. Dinner and the awards program start at 6 p.m. Tickets are available here.
 
After reaching the national championship game to cap the 1998-99 season, the Roadrunners opened the 1999-2000 season ranked No. 1 in the country. They lost their first two games against ranked teams, then went 33-2 the rest of the way and earned the program's first national title in Mike Dunlap's third season as head coach. The Roadrunners were led by All-Americans DeMarcos Anzures, who is still the program's all-time leading scorer (2,116 points), and Lee Barlow, who was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Player of the Year. After losing those first two games by a combined total of four points, MSU Denver went on a 13-game winning streak to get back on track. After a loss at Chadron State, another seven-game winning streak ensued before a big loss against Fort Hays State (Kan.) on Feb. 12. The Roadrunners didn't lose another game. MSU Denver was riding an 11-game winning streak when it got to the title game for a rematch with Kentucky Wesleyan. The Roadrunners led comfortably most of the way and won 97-79. Beyond Anzures (18.3 points per game) and Barlow (14.6), the championship team featured guard John Bynum at 12.8 points per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. Rashawn Fulcher added 8.4 points off the bench, while Kane Oakley averaged 7.8 points.
 
In 2001-02, With three returning starters at the guard positions, Mike Dunlap moved Patrick Mutombo and Lester Strong into the starting lineup and took off. They won 74-73 at fourth-ranked Washburn (Kan.) on Dec. 29, and they were 9-0 to start RMAC play. After losing at home 82-81 to Fort Hays State and 83-73 to Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 25-26, they lost only once (76-75 at Fort Hays State) for the rest of the regular season. After being knocked off by Fort Lewis (95-86) in the RMAC Tournament semifinals, they defeated Nebraska-Kearney 59-51 and South Dakota State 87-86 in the North Central Regional. The Elite Eight proved far easier with wins of 17 points over No. 10 Cal State San Bernardino, 30 over No. 16 Indiana (Pa.) and by eight over top-ranked Kentucky Wesleyan. Luke Kendall scored 38, including 6 of 9 from 3 and a game-winning jumper with seven seconds left, against South Dakota State, with Clayton Smith adding 10 points and 14 assists. In the national final, Mutombo had 29 points, Lee Bethea scored 19, Strong had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Smith had nine points, 12 assists and four steals.
 
Dr. Jordan was a tremendous supporter of MSU Denver athletics, RMAC athletics and Division II athletics during his tenure as president of MSU Denver from 2005-16. As president, softball, women's golf and men's and women's track & field were all added to the list of NCAA-sponsored sports in the Roadrunners athletics department and during his tenure MSU Denver built the Regency Athletic Complex (now Assembly Athletic Complex) for men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball and men's and women's tennis. He served for two years as Chairman of the NCAA Division II Presidents Council and chaired the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He played a significant role in conference and national legislation, leading Division II in its commitment to "Life in the Balance." During his time on the Division II Presidents Council Dr. Jordan was highly involved and supportive of one of the main tenants of Division II – a student-athlete's degree completion, and in December 2017, the RMAC Degree Completion Award was renamed after Dr. Jordan due to his substantial contribution and dedication to the RMAC and student-athletes. Also in 2017, he received the RMAC Meritorious Service Award, which is presented to individuals who have made significant and substantial contributions to the RMAC, consistent with the purposes of the conference. He was a recipient of the Clair Van Ummersen Presidential Leadership Award from the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators, the Civil Rights Award from the Anti-Defamation League, the Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues in Higher Education from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, and the Sol Trujillo National Lifetime Leadership Award from the Latin American Education Foundation. He was widely acknowledged as a leader in NCAA athletics as a four-year representative from the RMAC to the Division II Presidents Council and the NCAA Board of Governors.