Twenty years later, Virginia Union is still one of NCAA basketball’s unique stories

Before dropping the mic became a thing, Virginia Union senior point guard Luqman Jaaber had his moment during Midnight Madness inside Barco-Stevens Hall, the home court of the Panthers.

It didn’t matter that the start of the 2004-05 season was weeks away. Jaaber grasped the microphone and confidently proclaimed the Panthers would win the Division II national title. His comments did not spark an overwhelming response from the crowd.

“They were a little shocked by what I said,” said Jaaber, now 44. “But I made that statement because I knew the type of team we had, and I knew my comment would generate the kind of commitment we had to make.”

Behind a veteran-laden team, a legendary coach and one preseason boast, Virginia Union, in fact, did win the 2005 Division II NCAA men’s basketball title — the last time an HBCU member won a men’s NCAA basketball title. Only six HBCU schools have won a men’s NCAA basketball title: Winston Salem State (1967), Morgan State (1974), Cheyney State (1978), Virginia Union (1980, 1992 and 2005), District of Columbia (1982) and North Carolina Central (1989).

Why has it been 20 years since an HBCU has won a men’s NCAA national title? Well, for lots of reasons, from better players not attending HBCU’s to start with, to those who do further developing their skills and then seeking higher-profile programs and exposure via name, image and likeness (NIL) options.

“So far, no one’s been able to put together the type of group we had,” said Antwan Walton, who played forward and center for Virginia Union. “We had a deep bench that could’ve started elsewhere, but they chose to stay because we believed in each other.”

Faith in Virginia Union started when the school hired the first white head coach, Dave Robbins, in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in 1978. By the time he retired in 2008, he had won over 700 games, collected three national titles, won 14 conference titles and was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. He’s only the second coach to win national titles in three different decades. Robbins also coached five NBA players: Charles Oakley, Ben Wallace, Terry Davis, A.J. English and Jamie Waller.

No future NBA players played on the 2005 championship squad.

“None of those [NBA players] won a national championship, which tells you what kind of team we had [in 2004-05],” said Robbins, who coached his last game after the 2008 season. “All five starters averaged in double figures. They just played hard and well together. No one cared who got the credit, and that was the formula for the season.”

The Virginia Union roster was unique in many ways. No starter was taller than 6-foot-6, which meant the team depended on the likes of the 6-4 Walton to match up against much bigger opponents. There was the 5-10 Jaaber, who led the nation in free-throw percentage (90%) and was the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year.

Add 6-4 forward Ralph Brown, 6-6 guard Duan Crockett and 6-4 forward Darius Hargrove — who would become the D-II Player of the Year the following season — and it was a squad that used its length, speed and athleticism, especially on defense.

“Jaaber was tough as nails and my coach on the floor,” said Robbins, 82. “When I got ready to call a play, he was already executing it.”

Walton would jump center against much bigger opponents.

“His nickname was ‘Grown man,’ ” Jaaber said. “Antwan had a phenomenal motor. He was so strong, and his hops were so quick. He could get off the ground like that.”

Apparently, size didn’t matter for this squad.

“We never looked at size as an issue, because we felt like we were going to play hard and be smart enough,” said Jaaber, a basketball trainer. “Plus, for many of us, we were on our second chance. And that played a huge role.”

Second chances certainly rang true for several players, especially for those who transferred from other programs. For instance, Jaaber was ruled academically ineligible after one season at Virginia State. During his two years out of school, he got married, had children and went to work. The life change aided in Jaaber’s maturity. He would go on to become a two-time CIAA All-Academic Team member.

“I looked at life a little differently,” said Jaaber, who now has five children with his wife Deloris of 23 years. “I wasn’t making decisions just for myself anymore.”

That maturity was on display just before the start of the regular season in an exhibition game against D-I Virginia Commonwealth University. The Panthers shot out to a 17-point halftime lead and held on for a two-point victory.

“That game really let us know what type of team we had, even though we were undersized,” Walton said. “It was like our coming-out party. It let us know that we could make some noise.”

The message was loud and clear as Virginia Union rose to the top of the D-II poll. After an early slip-up at Winston-Salem State, the Panthers suffered two of their four losses to Bowie State. The defeats to Bowie State didn’t go unnoticed.

“Those losses humbled us and brought us back down a bit,” said Walton, now a high school head basketball coach at Greenville County in Emporia, Virginia. “Especially in that first loss, because they blew us out. Those losses let us know that we weren’t there yet.”

The Panthers got closer after winning the CIAA Tournament. They earned a No. 2-seed in the South Atlantic region. Bowie State was the No. 1 seed and the region’s host. Virginia Union opened the tournament against Catawba, Robbins’ alma mater, and found itself down 20-2.

“Coach called a timeout,” Jaaber said. “He chewed us out and we responded.”

Virginia Union cut the deficit to single digits at the half and went on to win by four. An easier win in the regional semifinal set up the showdown against Bowie State. A victory meant a trip to the Elite Eight in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Despite getting swept in the regular season, facing Bowie State was the matchup Virginia Union craved — especially after the Falcons rolled up to the AC Jordan Arena, left the bus and squeezed through the massive crowd waiting outside the entrances.

“People were whooping and hollering and cheering on their school, but that was normal because Bowie’s always jumping,” Jaaber said. “It’s HBCU culture.”

But that culture caused Jaaber to take a second look. Several Bowie players were among the hyped crowd.

“Now, mind you, we’re getting ready to play for the regional championship, and they’re not in their locker room or in the gym putting up shots,” Jaaber said. “Because of their arrogance, they’re in the crowd taking us for granted, and that rubbed us the wrong way.”

Bowie got on the wrong side of the officials when its players dunked during warmups and received a technical. Because of the “T,” Virginia Union led 2-0 after making two free throws before the game even started — and it was on from there. The Panthers jumped to a double-digit lead, but Bowie, on its home court, rallied. It wasn’t enough as the Panthers held on for a six-point victory.

“We took care of business,” Jaaber said. “And there’s nothing sweeter than cutting down the nets on [Bowie’s] home court and advancing to the Elite Eight.”

Virginia Union blew out a much-bigger Metro State in the quarterfinals and rolled over Lynn University in the semifinals, which set up the national championship against Bryant University.

Jaaber said he and many of his teammates didn’t sleep well the night before the game. That anxiety spilled over the next day in the first half behind Virginia Union’s 29% field-goal shooting. But, fortunately, Bryant didn’t shoot well, either, and the Panthers managed a two-point halftime lead. Walton was especially a step slow in the first half due to the pain of a hairline fracture in his left shin that he played through all season. 

“We came out slow,” Walton said. “We forced shots and were making too many turnovers. I’m sure coach yelled at us to wake us up and get us going.”

The Panthers shot better in the second half [40%] but so did Bryant at 52%, and took a one-point lead. The score was tied at 58 with 2:20 left. With 1:29 left, a play was called for Walton who was defended by a 6-10 center. Walton took the pass at the free-throw line, made a move, got bumped and scored. His free throw gave Virginia Union a three-point lead. 

“I yelled because I was pumped,” said the mild-mannered Walton. “That was probably the most emotion I ever expressed in a game.”

Jaaber’s steal and free throw in the final seven seconds sealed the victory. Walton scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half. In three games during the Elite Eight, Walton scored 43 points and had 11 rebounds and was named the Elite Eight’s Most Outstanding Player. Jaaber and Crockett joined him on the all-tournament team.

That summer, Virginia Union (30-4) was invited to the White House by President George W. Bush to help celebrate Black Music Month. 

“We didn’t get recognized or announced about winning the national title, nor were we able to present President Bush with a jersey,” said Jaaber, who was a head coach at Virginia Union from 2011-14. “But it was all good. It was cool to be in the White House.” 

Virginia Union became the first team in the history of the NCAA tournament to beat four No. 1 seeds in consecutive games to win the title.

The championship memories still linger.

“I’m from a small town about an hour from Virginia Union, and we don’t have a lot of people who get opportunities to go to college or play college sports,” said Walton, 45. “So, for me, going to school and winning was a way of showing the kids of my community that you can do it, too, [that] if you apply yourself and make wise decisions, you can also achieve.”