* During the month of July, www.EIUpanthers.com will take a look back at the Top 13 moments that shaped the 2009-10 school year. Stories will be posted each Monday, Wednesday and Friday of July *
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With four starters and 89 percent of the scoring from the 2008-09 team returning, expectations were high for Eastern Illinois men's basketball's 100th season. The Panthers answered the bell during the program's centennial campaign, winning eight straight games down the stretch and advancing to Nashville for the first time since capturing the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title in 2001.
Eastern (19-12, 11-7 OVC) was a perfect 7-0 in the month of February, surging into a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings and earning the right to host an opening-round game in the OVC Tournament. After knocking off Eastern Kentucky in the rubber game of the season series, it was on to Nashville for a semifinal matchup with regular-season conference champ Murray State.
The Panthers took Murray to the wire in a game that featured 12 ties and 10 lead changes. The Racers held on for a 55-51 victory despite not making a field goal in the final three and a half minutes of the contest. Not only did Murray go on to win the OVC Tournament, but also upset Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAAs.
The 100 Years of Panther Basketball celebration was a season-long campaign that began with the unveiling of a 10-player All-Century Team and the six most accomplished teams in program history in August. It culminated the final weekend of February with a Friday evening meet-and-greet at McAfee Gymnasium and a Saturday afternoon banquet before the regular-season finale.
More than 80 former EIU basketball players were in attendance, including five of the seven living members of the All-Century Team. Former head coaches Don Eddy and Rick Samuels also returned to Charleston. The players and coaches were honored at the 100 Years of Panther Basketball banquet and at halftime of the win against Tennessee State that evening.
During the season, junior Tyler Laser emerged as the leader of a balanced EIU attack. He was named First Team All-OVC and the Daily Eastern News' Male Athlete of the Year. He was the first Panther to be a First Team All-OVC performer since 2003. Underclassmen Jeremy Granger and James Hollowell also enjoyed breakout seasons, while seniors Osumane Cisse and #T.J. Marion closed out their careers as key contributors on the best EIU team of head coach Mike Miller#'s tenure.
With Laser, Granger and Hollowell headlining another large group of returning players, the Panthers are expected to remain a contender in the OVC race in 2010-11.
