Randy Monroe isn't complaining by any means. Just making a simple statement of fact.
"There's good basketball programs in this area," says Monroe, the fourth-year men's coach at UMBC. "I think sometimes we don't get our just due - sometimes we get overshadowed by College Park - but there are some good programs around here."
He's right, of course. In Maryland, the almighty state school is often regarded as the only fish in the water; every other basketball team is treated like pebbles lining the bottom of the tank.
It's probably worth noting that until recently, not a lot of teams were making waves. Consider:
The year before Monroe took over at UMBC, the Retrievers were 7-21. (Four years later, they enter today's game 17-7.)
The year before Todd Bozeman took over at Morgan State, the Bears were 4-26. (Two years later, they're 15-9 after yesterday's overtime loss to Florida A&M;).
And the year before Jimmy Patsos took over at Loyola, the Greyhounds were 1-27. (Four years later, they're 15-12, after yesterday's big overtime win at Siena.)
Baltimore has long been known for its talented high school players, but when the final buzzer of the season sounds in a couple of weeks, we'll have to dig deep into the history books to find a better year of college hoops in the area. It's a credit to the three coaches who've performed minor miracles, turning around their respective programs more quickly than other coaches can pump up a basketball.
Because Morgan State and UMBC lead their respective conferences, the so-called bracketologists at sites such as ESPN.com, SI.com and CBSSports.com have each team projected as a No. 15 or 16 seed in the NCAA tournament.
To understand what exactly that means - having two or more local schools playing in March - you have to appreciate the recent postseason drought.
Coppin State made its memorable run in 1997, Towson last reached the tournament in 1991 and Loyola made it in 1994. Neither UMBC nor Morgan State has received a bid.
The rebuilding at each school has been deceptively quick and goes much deeper than overhauling rosters.
When you grab the ratty reins to a perennial loser, there's a certain culture and a mind-set that needs addressing.
Bozeman realized that right away and wasted no time changing it. He remembers catching Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on television a couple of years ago, talking about the Blue Devils' struggles.
"He told his team, 'Listen, Duke is a storied program, but you guys didn't inherit the winning. You create your own,' " Bozeman remembers. "I took that and told our guys, 'You didn't inherit the losing. You have a chance to create your own thing here.' And I think that they are buying into that."
That's an understatement. A team that just two years ago lost its first 18 games of the season and was ranked No. 334 in the country rode an eight-game winning streak into last night, its longest since 1975. Barring a collapse, the Bears will post their first winning season since 1988-89.
"It's not done," Bozeman says. "I'm by no means saying we're a finished product. I continue to tell the guys there's time left on the clock. The game's still going on."
By virtue of their mid-major status, for area teams, the regular season is essentially jockeying for position. No local team will get a sniff of an at-large bid, so sweeping the conference tournament is the only way to punch a ticket into the NCAA tournament.
After Patsos took over a Loyola team that won a combined 10 games in three seasons before his arrival, he has quickly found consistency. His Greyhounds have been making noise in their conference the past three seasons, but he concedes, "breaking through to the last level is the toughest."
"Some days, it definitely feels like you've accomplished a lot, but other days, you lose a big game and it feels like you're still a long ways away," Patsos says. "I feel we're a little ahead of schedule, but on the other hand, I want to win the league this year. Because we have the kids this year."
Around some programs, talk of the NCAA tournament is nearly forbidden. Coaches and players brag about their nearsighted, one-game-at-a-time approach. There's no false pretense swirling around UMBC these days. With a two-game conference lead, even Monroe says he has envisioned the satisfaction that Selection Sunday could bring. The rebuilding, the struggles and the long journey make the current rash of winning - five games in a row heading into today's contest - all the more rewarding.
"This is what you live for. If you don't enjoy this part, you're in the wrong business," Monroe says. "I want these guys to feel like we can get to the NCAA tournament. I want them to speak it, walk it, talk it and work like they want to be there."
Even if only one area team receives a bid, Baltimore basketball benefits. Local players realize they have a good college outlet in their backyard, and local fans know they can find a good game most nights of the week just around the corner.
"When we got here, just about everybody was bad," Patsos says. "There's more of a buzz right now; people want to be a part of the Baltimore college scene. Four years ago, you might've had a kid who was embarrassed to stick around and play in Baltimore. No one's embarrassed with what's happening right now."
rick.maese@baltsun.com
Rick Maese -- Points After
Spring fever: I don't know whether it's sad or only slightly amusing, but the months of February and March are when interest in the Orioles seems to be highest. Unlike the NFL, when the preseason games are little more than a nuisance, if the Orioles could somehow extend spring training a few months, we'd never stop talking about them.
Logging in, freaking out: Anyone else catch the YouTube clip last week of a Baltimore police officer berating a young skateboarder in the Inner Harbor? I don't know what will come of the internal investigation, but anyone else have a feeling this cop might pop up at Oriole Park down the road, guarding the impenetrable and mostly vacant box-seat sections?
Still working on my submission: I'm just glad Rudy Gay didn't stumble upon that clip. It would've changed last night's dunk contest considerably. Kudos to Gay, from Archbishop Spalding, for taking dunk suggestions via YouTube and finding a novel way to include fans in the most exciting part of All-Star Weekend.