As I stepped on the illustrious campus of Prairie View A&M University in the fall of 1997, I will never forget that sense of pride and family atmosphere I felt run through my body. It was like the spirits of the “Unknown 8” (The first known class of the Alta Vista Agriculture & Mechanical College for Colored Youth who enrolled and began their studies March 11, 1878) was walking with me. Until you have been on the first state supported college in Texas for African Americans and the second oldest public institution of higher education in the state, you won’t know the jubilation of screaming out, “Who Ya Rooting For” at all sporting events.

That was the feeling present students, alumni, and supporters felt as the Prairie View’s men’s basketball team won the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament by defeating in-state rival, Texas Southern University 92-86 in Birmingham, Alabama. After starting the year with a 1-11 record, including eleven losses in a row to end 2018, the Panthers bounced back to go 21-1 for the rest of the season. That run helped Prairie View win the regular season SWAC title before winning an automatic bid to “March Madness” by becoming tournament champions.

“There is an immense sense of pride in being a PV Panther, but what no one explained to me when I first got on the yard twenty-three years ago is that the pride is lifelong and runs deep. Win or lose, we are a proud group of folks,” said former Mr. Prairie View (1999-2000) Ceasar F. Barajas, who was also a member of the PV baseball team (1996-98) and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Prairie View’s basketball program has come a long way since the early 90’s when athletic scholarships were eliminated at the university for every sport except men’s and women’s track. Financial issues played a major factor in the elimination of sports at PV whose athletics department was trying to recover from an $800,000 deficit. After the alumni protested, the basketball and football programs were reinstated but still had no scholarships and a very limited budget. That would yield no wins for either sport in the 1991-92 season and helped contribute to an 80-game losing streak that started in 1989 and would end in 1998 for the football team. By the time the Panthers made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament they only had less than four scholarships.

This 2019 NCAA appearance marks the second time in school history that the Panthers made it to the “Big Dance.” Twenty-one years ago, Prairie View’s men’s basketball team surprised everyone by upsetting the aforementioned TSU Tigers in the SWAC tournament. They limped into that tournament with a 6-10 conference record with little to no hope of winning it. After making it to the championship game, the Panthers found themselves facing adversity again down by 20 points but rallied to win the game 59-57 sending them to their first ever NCAA tournament. Led by senior guard Tamarron Sharpe, Prairie View lost in the first round 110-52 to Kansas who at the time had four future NBA players including NBA champion and All-Star Paul Pierce.

Seeking its first tournament win, the number 16th seeded Panthers faced off against the equally ranked Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, who won the Northeast Conference tournament to earn the automatic bid to play in the first of four play-in games in Dayton, Ohio. After jumping out to a fast start that saw the Panthers lead by double digit leads in both halves, the Knights would stick to their game plan of good shots and great defense to defeat Prairie View 82-76.

Guard Gary Blackston did everything he could to keep the Panthers in the game by scoring 26 points and hitting 6 three-pointers, but that would not be enough as FDU’s sophomore Jahlil Jenkins who would score 20 points in the second half and send his team to their first tournament win in school history. The Knights other appearance was a defeat in 2016 against Florida Gulf Coast.

"Could have gone either way, but I guess the best team made plays late and they were able to win the game," Prairie View coach Byron Smith said.

Although the Panthers did not advance in this year’s NCAA tournament, the alumni and supporters are still very proud of them.

“Being a witness to both of Prairie View A&M’s trips to the tournament is truly special. Both teams are a band of brothers that just play for one another,” said Donnie P. Howard, a Computer Science graduate (1997-2002) and current employee in the Student Affairs Office at PV.

Houston Style Magazine’s sports department would like to congratulate Prairie View men’s basketball team on a great season. Let’s dance again real soon.