KUTZTOWN, PA (February 26, 2010) – Stephen Dennis has mesmerized masses, won games, set records and helped lift the Kutztown University men's basketball program to unimaginable heights during a spectacular four-year career. Now, the greatest show this side of Broadway delivers its final act on the Keystone Arena stage.
A 6 foot, 6 inch point guard and Division II national player of the year candidate, Dennis will play his final home game when 25th-ranked Kutztown (20-6 overall, 7-6 PSAC East) meets Bloomsburg (12-13, 6-7) in a winner-take-all Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division showdown Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The winner earns the No. 4 seed in the upcoming PSAC playoffs beginning Tuesday and will travel to either Mansfield, East Stroudsburg or Cheyney Tuesday night.
“When I came here as a freshman, I wanted to be one of the best players to ever play in the PSAC,” Dennis said. “I also wanted us to be good and for people to notice Kutztown basketball. I also wanted to win championships and get to the NCAAs.”
Dennis, who was featured in the Feb. 8 issue of Sports Illustrated and recently selected to compete at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, has accomplished all of his goals and then some. He has done almost everything in his marvelous career except sell hot dogs, update the website and do a cheerleading stunt.
His career 2,297 points, a total good enough for third all-time on the PSAC scoring list, is number one in Golden Bears history. In addition, Dennis holds school records for assists (429), free throws (583) and field goals (816). He is also second in steals (233), sixth in rebounds (662) and fourth in blocked shots (144) on the all-time KU list. During his career, Kutztown has won 84 games, including 20 or more in consecutive seasons, for the first time in the history of the KU men's basketball program.
The Golden Bears won a school record 28 games and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in Dennis' junior season. The Golden Bears won consecutive PSAC East titles in 2008 and 2009. Yep, people have indeed taken notice of Kutztown hoops as it has been ranked nationally in all 13 polls this season. The Golden Bears reached their apex when they were ranked No. 2 on Jan. 19, the highest in school history.
This season, Dennis has scored 30 or more points 10 times and handed out at least five assists 12 times. He has posted four double-doubles en route to being named PSAC East Player of the Week five times. Dennis enters his home finale having scored in double figures in 41 straight games and having scored double digits 102 times in his career. With 708 points this season, Dennis needs three points to break the single-season point record of 710 he set as a junior.
“It means a lot to me to be the all-time leader in several categories,” Dennis said. “I mean, when I came here, I looked and saw what I needed in order to pass certain people, but I never really thought about actually doing it. Then, when it happened, it was like 'wow'. I know when I get older, all of these records are going to mean more to me, but right now, there's still a lot of basketball left to be played this season.”
Although he is a relentless and ruthless scorer, the numbers only tell part of Dennis' story. With the orange ball in his hands, Dennis glides where he pleases, fearlessly zipping in and out of sneaker-squeaking traffic. He shows more emotion making a great pass to a teammate than he did after making the game-winning shot with 1.7 seconds remaining at Goldey-Beacom on Jan. 5.
Dennis combines the speed of a jaguar with the competitive spirit of a bear disturbed during hibernation. He carves up smaller defenders by shooting over them or blows past bigger ones. Dennis accelerates to the basket like a sports car going from 0 to 60 in an eye-blink.
With an infectious spirit, his presence is fun to watch. He doesn't cheat the game with emotion or negative energy. He's always visibly focused, disciplined and team oriented. Growing up in West Chester and playing with a lot of older guys he revered helped Dennis develop his love for the sport. Believe it or not, there used to be a time when Dennis was the last guy selected for pick-up games.
Of course that's hard to believe for those who witnessed Dennis shake Cope Hall to its core after dunking on a Cheyney defender last year, deliver a career-high 42 points using a variety of moves against East Stroudsburg this year or record a triple-double against Chestnut Hill earlier this year. Then again, Dennis was about the size of a broomstick at the time and he had to prove himself to the older guys.
“We were always pushed to the back when the older guys came to the court,” Dennis said. “We would be on the court first and then when they came, we had to get off. They would pick squads and I was the last one to get picked. Then I guess they started liking how I was playing defense, scoring and being tough so then I they would start to pick me second.”
Dennis, a huge Dallas Cowboy fan, has been winning since he quit football. He was a member of a national championship AAU team, based out of Chester, along with current Saint Joseph's standout Darrin Govens and University of Delaware guard Juwan Carter. After that championship, Dennis came home and played in his hometown of West Chester where he continued to enjoy success.
Henderson High has featured a long line of top players and when Dennis was a wide-eyed youngster, he dreamed of being the next William Fowlkes, Ed Hovington, Scott Dennis (his uncle), Antwan Jacobs and Derek Ray. They all were proud when Dennis scored 1,395 points in high school and deepened the winning footsteps by claiming a pair of Ches-Mont League championships.
“They all influenced me when I was coming up,” Dennis said. “Watching Travis Reed, who wore number 14, when I was in middle school, made me want his number. Then I wanted to make it my own.”
Dennis' debut as a collegian was a sight to behold; he scored 19 points and was 7-for-7 from the field in a runaway victory over Penn State-Hazleton. He followed that effort up with a spectacular 25-point performance on 10-for-13 shooting at Wilmington University. In those first two games, Dennis was a whirling dervish who invaded the key with the ball on some kind of invisible string. Defenders were similarly captivated.
“Then reality hit,” Dennis said. “This level was much faster than I expected. After those first couple of games, I thought it was going to be easy, but it took me about five games to adjust to the speed of the game. Fortunately my teammates helped me adjust to college life and basketball.”
Dennis increased his scoring average each season from 15.4 points per game as a freshman to 17.3 points as a sophomore to 21.5 last year and 27.2 this season to lead Division II. The most impressive thing about Dennis is he has shot 50 percent or better from the field in the last two years. He made 50.2 percent of his shots (254-for-506) last year and 50.5 percent of his baskets (247-for-489) this season.
Now, the curtain is dropping on Dennis' memorable home career. He will be saluted before tip-off against Bloomsburg. Dennis is a two-time all-PSAC first-team honoree; he was the 2007 conference rookie of the year, and this season, he's a contender for PSAC player of the year.
Dennis has helped Kutztown to a 44-11 record at Keystone Arena during his career. In the last two years, the Golden Bears have won 27 of 28 home contests. Dennis promises not to cry.
“There are going to be too many people at the game for me to cry,” Dennis said. “Now, if my mom starts crying, then it might be hard for me to hold back. But I think I'll be good because I am focused on helping us finish with a bang and go out with a win. I had a lot of fun during my time at Kutztown and I wouldn't take anything back. I am glad I met everybody.”
GOLD RUSH IS STILL ON: Kutztown University hosts Bloomsburg University for a basketball doubleheader on Saturday, February 27 and invites the community, alumni, students, staff and faculty to “Jam the Gym” – celebrating KU athletics and a successful season for Golden Bear men's and women's basketball. Their goal is to fill every seat available in Keystone Hall, home to KU basketball.
Fans and friends are encouraged to wear their 'gold' apparel to the final basketball games of the season. At half-time of the men's game, a KU student will be randomly selected to shoot from half-court for a Gold Rush prize of $10,000.
The first-ever Gold Rush begins at noon with a Gold Rush rally for alumni, hosted by the Kutztown University Alumni Association in the Student Recreation Center. The Rush continues with the women's basketball game at 1 p.m. and the men's basketball game at 3 p.m. Tickets are just $5 and are available at the door on game day; KU students, staff and faculty are free.
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