Galloway, N.J. — “Hey, did you guys raise the rims. Are these legal? They seem a little higher,” Chad Davis said with a chuckle as the former Stockton University basketball player ran down Gerry Matthews Court on Saturday.

Davis ’09 was one of several members of the most successful men’s basketball team in school history who gathered at the Sports Center for an alumni scrimmage and a chance to catch up with Coach Matthews. The 2008-09 team advanced to the NCAA Division III men’s basketball championship game before losing to Washington (Missouri) 61-52. The team finished with a school record 30 wins and only three losses.

“You pick up right where you left off,” said Davis, of Vineland, who was a co-captain of the team and now works as a prosecutor in Cumberland County. “I played my freshman year through my junior year, but my senior year (the 2008-09 season) was fun. It was a brotherhood. Everyone got along. The trips were fun. It was a really special experience that year.”

Several of the former players enjoyed being back on campus to remember an unforgettable season.

“It was fun to connect with guys I haven’t seen in a long time,” said Steve Scheck ’12, who played forward and center on the 2008-09 team. “It was a good turnout. Guys who I haven’t seen in years, we haven’t skipped a beat. That group of guys, we will always be tight no matter what.”

Scheck, who lives where he grew up in Absecon, credited the fact that most of the team was “a bunch of regular guys from New Jersey” as one of the reasons why they were so close.

“I think that brought a lot of us together. We all hung out outside of basketball as well,” he said. “Everybody made each other compete in practice, and then we were all friends off the court and still friends to this day.”

He added that it was also great to see Matthews, 84, one of the greatest basketball coaches in New Jersey history. Matthews, who also led Stockton to the NCAA Final Four in 1987, finished his career with a 603-243 record in 30 seasons. Matthews’ Ospreys won nine New Jersey Athletic Conference titles and 16 appearances in the NJAC final. His teams never had a losing season.

“I spent 30 seasons here and there’s an awful lot of memories, an awful lot of players and an awful lot of games, and I don’t forget any of that stuff,” Matthews said. “Basketball was life for me.”

That’s not an exaggeration. For more than half his life, 43 years, Matthews coached high school and college basketball from freshman to junior varsity to varsity to college.

“I tell some of the referees that they aren’t allowed to run on my name (on the court). They have to go around and not step on it,” he said with a laugh.

He still makes it to six or seven Stockton basketball games a year, often sitting in current coach Scott Bittner’s office, which has a window overlooking the court.

“I’m just glad to see that Stockton’s doing well and Scott’s done a nice job when he took my place,” Matthews said.

Bittner was an assistant coach on the 2008-09 team. He said Matthews taught him how important it is to teach his players not only basketball skills but life skills, as well.

“He made me understand that if you care about the kids first, they’ll really let you challenge them and coach them hard,” said Bittner, who became Stockton’s coach in 2016 after being an assistant for Matthews for 10 years. “You’re trying to get them to be great people. If you can’t be a great teammate and you don’t work as hard as you can doing something you love, then how are you going to work hard at something you don’t love.”

Bittner said the 2008-09 team was not only “the best team, but the most fun team to be around.”

"The best group of personalities, they were the most connected group. And it’s interesting how important that is,” he said. “That’s what you strive for in every group. I tell my players that it’s my goal for you to leave Stockton with 10 or 15 of your best friends that you’ll have for the rest of your life.”

That camaraderie was evident Saturday as members of the 2008-09 team joined other Stockton basketball alumni for a competitive scrimmage full of 3-point shots, no-look passes, dunks and, of course, laughs.

As Davis jogged up and down the court, he kept an eye on his young son, Barney, wearing a Philadelphia 76ers jersey and dribbling a ball behind one of the baskets.

“I knew he wanted to come and watch. He’s playing basketball now,” Davis said. “It’s a treat to come out here. I’m a big proponent of Stockton. I’m going to make it a priority to make sure we get back for a few games every year.”

-- Story and photos by Mark Melhorn