DELHI, N.Y. (November 12, 2019) – As it has become a staple on the SUNY Delhi campus, it is no question about when basketball season has begun. Every home game marks a gathering between the campus and local community, bearing witness to the great talents before them on the court. The SUNY Delhi men's basketball team has been a consistent driving force in that history, exemplified by numerous honors during the program's time in the NJCAA and their recent accomplishments in NCAA Division III.
Broncos men's basketball began their 2019-20 season with a win on Saturday, defeating Mount Saint Vincent, 80-61, in a great second-half performance. It marked a positive first step for head coach Zack Thomsen's team in their pursuit of a second straight American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) championship. SUNY Delhi will serve as the hosts for this year's ACAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 29 and Sunday, Mar. 1.
With our annual Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony just days away, we shine this edition of our Alumni Spotlight on 2012 Inductee Stephen Hutchinson, a 1970 graduate of Delhi and a star basketball player from 1968 to 1970. This year marks 50 years since Hutchinson graduated from Delhi, and who recently celebrated his 75th birthday over the summer. Also known as "Hutch," Stephen went down an unusual path that led him to the Delhi hardwood. A Schenevus, NY native, Hutch enlisted in the Air Force upon graduation from Schenevus High School in 1962, spending time stationed at Hickam Air Force Base before being honorably discharged in 1966. He returned to his home state and worked in construction, when one of his assignments landed him on Delhi's campus, offering Stephen a life-changing opportunity.
From Stephen Hutchinson:
"I made the decision [to return to school] after being contacted by both Cobleskill and Broome Tech. about potentially going to college and playing basketball. I was working construction in one of the dorms at Delhi when I went to the athletic department during lunch time and spoke with the current basketball coach, Bill Vesp. He was probably wondering who this person was telling him that I wanted to go to college and play basketball. He helped start the process and I enrolled in 1968. I knew that if I didn't try to better myself that I was destined to be a construction worker for the rest of my life. No disrespect because they are great people, but I felt I had more to offer."
Hutchinson enjoyed two spectacular seasons with the Broncos, setting the school career points record with 1,088, which still stands today among two-year student-athletes. The Broncos went 30-13 over Hutchinson's two seasons, led by head coach Bob Costellanos.
"Coach Castellanos was a great person and a good role model," said Hutchinson. "The whole experience at Delhi was very positive. I played with a great group of young men and developed lifelong friends. The social side of Delhi was also a positive experience. I did belong to a social athletic group called the Pirates. We didn't have any hierarchy; we were just a group of guys who liked to have a good time and were focused on sports. We were very successful in all of the intramurals sports. Academically, Delhi provided me with a solid foundation in an environment where the faculty really cared and was invested in your success."
Hutchinson graduated from Delhi with an AAS in Business Administration. He transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology, continuing his basketball career and earning his BS in Business in spring 1972. He enjoyed a career in sales for healthcare companies for 43 years, including leading sales teams for the last 20 years as Vice President and General Manager of North America. Hutchinson has been happily married to fellow Delhi graduate Joan Eckert Hutchinson '66 for 41 years, where they raised two children and have four grandchildren. They currently live in "beautiful" Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
"When you play sports, you learn to be disciplined. You practice, you prepare, you learn to be part of a team, you learn to be coached, and finally you compete with a determination to never quit," remarked Hutchinson. "These attributes are core to success in any given field, but are absolutely essential to success in sales."
With their first victory in hand, the 2019-20 edition of the SUNY Delhi men's basketball team continues their season with four straight road contests. They square off at Lycoming on Saturday, Nov. 16, then at Pennsylvania College of Technology on Sunday, Nov. 17. After meetings at Cazenovia Nov. 19 and Alfred Nov. 22, the Broncos make their home debut versus Centenary on Saturday, Nov. 23, then welcome Castleton on Tuesday, Nov. 26. A local rivalry awaits Delhi when they visit SUNY Cobleskill Dec. 2, after which it's three straight home dates, starting with Bard Dec. 3, Sage Dec. 6, and Houghton Dec. 7.
The Broncos pick things up from a three-week break as they head to Utica College for its Utica Classic. They play RPI on Dec. 29, then the host Utica Pioneers Dec. 30. The men are back home to ring in the new year against local rival Hartwick on Jan. 2, then host SUNY Canton on Jan. 4. Following a tour at the Northern Vermont University schools of Johnson Jan. 6 and Lyndon Jan. 7, Delhi plays five straight home games. They host Morrisville State Jan. 9, Maine Fort Kent Jan. 11, Pine Manor Jan. 14, Clarks Summit Jan. 22, and finally Pratt Feb. 1. Coach Thomsen's team visits Albany College of Pharmacy on Feb. 4, then round out the regular season hosting Bryant and Stratton Liverpool on Feb. 12 and a visit at Pine Manor Feb. 15. Looking at the postseason, they seek their second straight ACAA title when they host the conference tournament Saturday, Feb. 29 and Sunday, Mar. 1. The Broncos also aspire to qualify for their first USCAA National Tournament, set to be held Mar. 12, hosted by Penn State Fayette.
