(WBOC) PRINCESS ANNE, Md.—University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hall of Famer and member of the storied National Invitational Tournament Team, Dr. Michael D. Casey, was recognized on recently by the school’s National Alumni Association as they inducted him into the UMES Hall of Excellence. The HOE ceremony was held on campus as part of the school’s annual Homecoming celebration and is a bi-annual event that takes place on the years opposite the school’s athletic Hall of Fame ceremony.

A 1975 Business Administration graduate of UMES, Casey first earned accolades helping his men’s basketball team to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championship in 1974. The team went on to earn a spot in the prestigious NIT and became the first Historically Black College or University to earn a berth to the event. Soon after, UMES won their first round game over Manhattan, 84-81, becoming the first HBCU to win an NIT game. The team finished the season with a 27-2 record, was ranked during the season as high as No. 20 in the National Associated Press poll and finished the regular season with one loss, enough at the time to deny the Hawks a bid to the NCAA Tournament, which took just 25 teams at the time.  Read Full