The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1979 to 1983 includes the head coaching reign of Mike Lee. His inaugural season was the worst in the history of Le Moyne men's basketball, and the Dolphins repeated the feat with an even worse season in Lee's sophomore campaign. Le Moyne's final season under Lee was their best during his tenure. Players recruited by Lee, including Wright Lassiter, Paul Galvin and Bobby Chestnut, would go on to play keys roles in more successful Dolphin teams after Lee's departure.
Orangeman takes the helm for the Green and Gold (1979–1980) The coaching tenure of Mike Lee, a former three-year starter and captain of the Syracuse Orangemen, began with the loss of five seniors to graduation: Jene Grey, Tom Fletcher, Mike Ruff, Dan Fiaschetti and Matt Wadach. Jim Maney was the only senior returning to the team. The starting duo of McDermott brothers, junior Jim and sophomore Mike, returned. Redshirt sophomore Frank Cooper, who missed the previous season with a severe back injury, and junior reserve Joe Fletcher were also back along with sophomores Dave Hart and Chris LaCombe. Dan Fletcher, a 6'2" sophomore, regarded by Lee as a good shooter and the team's best defensive player, was elevated from the junior varsity squad. Junior 6'5" transfer Danny Kempf had to wait until January, to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. New recruits included 6'4" forward Joe Nowak, a strong inside player, and 6'2" guard John Miranda. As a high school senior, Miranda's buzzer beater clinched the section championship for Newark High School, advancing them to the New York state tournament, where they were defeated by Nowak's Lackawanna High School. Two other freshmen, Dennis Fleming, a 5'10" guard, described by Lee as the team's best shooting backcourt player, and 6'8" Pete Constandy, a good outside shooter, also joined the team. John Leone, formerly head coach at Nottingham High School, was hired as an assistant coach.
Starting with the 1979–80 academic year, Le Moyne increased the number of athletic scholarships offered by the school (for all sports) from six to eight.
After opening the season with a blowout loss at Boston College, Mike Lee got his first win as head coach in dramatic fashion in the Dolphins home opener against Ithaca on December 4, 1979. With Le Moyne trailing by five points in the final minute, the Dolphins were inspired by the mocking hand-clapping of Ithaca guard George Piniella, which led to some shoving between Piniella and Jim McDermott. McDermott's brother, Mike, drove to the basket and scored with 16 seconds to play, cutting the Bombers' lead to three points. The Dolphins fouled Piniella, who missed the front end of a one-and-one two seconds later. Mike McDermott was fouled with 10 seconds on the clock and sank both free throws to bring Le Moyne within a point at 59–58. Piniella, who had become a villain in the eyes of Dolphin fans, was fouled again with seven seconds left. He hit the first shot but missed the second, and Dolphins freshman Joe Nowak was fouled collecting the rebound. Nowak hit the first free throw but missed the second. Mike McDermott collected the rebound and banked a soft fadeaway jump shot off the glass for a 61–60 Le Moyne victory. Mike McDermott scored eight points for the game, six of which came in the final 16 seconds. Jim McDermott and Dave Hart scored 14 points each to lead the Dolphins.
Dolphins head coach Mike Lee returned to his alma mater as Le Moyne met Syracuse, ranked no. 11 in the AP poll, in the opener of the Carrier Classic on December 7. Despite Jim McDermott's drive through the lane for a dunk on Roosevelt Bouie, the Orangemen easily handled the Dolphins, 107–61. Bouie and Louis Orr each scored 14 points to lead Syracuse. McDermott had a game-high 16 points for Le Moyne. The following evening, the Dolphins lost the consolation game to Hofstra, 75–64. McDermott and Dave Hart each scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne, and McDermott was named to the all-tournament team.
The Dolphins met Maryland Eastern Shore in the Loyola Tournament in Baltimore on January 3, 1980. After shooting poorly early in the game, Le Moyne got within three points in the final minute but were unable to force a turnover and committed a foul with one second to play. The Hawks hit their free throws to seal a 73–68 victory. Junior transfer Danny Kempf became eligible and made his season debut with a double double, scoring 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds. Mike McDermott had a game-high 20 points to lead the Dolphins. In the consolation game the following evening, the Dolphins let a five-point second-half lead slip away and missed four potential game-winning shots in the final 40 seconds, falling to Loyola Maryland, 62–61. Jim McDermott's basket in the final minute had put Le Moyne ahead, 61–60, but the Greyhounds raced down the floor and responded immediately with ago-ahead basket, before the Dolphins' scrambling finish came up short. Jim McDermott had a game-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Le Moyne and was named to the all-tournament team. Kempf had six points and eight rebounds for the Dolphins.
East Stroudsburg State avenged a road loss 11 days earlier, a game won by the Dolphins, 82–80, with a nine-point burst in the final minute capped by a 17-foot jumper from freshman Dennis Fleming with three seconds to play, when they won the opener of the Pocono Classic on their home floor, 88–76, on January 23. Mike McDermott and Dave Hart each scored 20 points to lead the Dolphins. Danny Kempf had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Dolphins fell to Hartwick, ranked no. 12 in Division II, 102–67 in the following evening's consolation game. Dave Hart scored 22 points to lead Le Moyne, which saw their record drop to 4–11.
Following the Dolphins' physical 70–66 home victory over Clarkson on February 12, police officers had to enter the court to separate the players, after a brawl broke out between the teams. The game featured 50 fouls, 25 assessed to each team. Dolphins freshman Joe Nowak was ejected in the first half for throwing the ball out of bounds toward a Clarkson player sitting on the bench. Clarkson's Andy Bright was ejected in the second half for his football-style tackle of Le Moyne's John Miranda. One Clarkson player confronted a Le Moyne priest during the melee. Both coaches expressed frustration at the quality of officiating. Dan Fletcher scored 13 points, all in the second half, for the Dolphins, who finished the game strong and erased an eight-point lead. Jim McDermott had 19 points to lead Le Moyne, which improved to 6–15 on the season.
Freshman John Miranda's layup at the buzzer sent the Dolphins' February 27 season finale at Cortland State into overtime with the score tied at 75. After the Dolphins scored first in the extra session, the Red Dragons took control and defeated Le Moyne 88–85. Jim McDermott scored 19 points to lead the Dolphins. The loss was the Le Moyne's fourth straight and dropped their record to 6–19, the worst in program history. The Dolphins were 0–11 on the road and 0–3 on neutral floors, the first time in program history Le Moyne was winless away from home. They had just four wins and five losses against Division III opponents and managed just two victories in 13 games with Division II foes.
Another worst season in program history (1980–1981) Jim Maney was the only player the Dolphins lost to graduation in 1980. Leading scorer Jim McDermott returned for his senior season. Senior Danny Kempf, Le Moyne's leading rebounder in the 1979–80 season, left the team on the advice of his doctors due to blood clots in his right leg. Juniors Mike McDermott, Chris LaCombe and Dan Fletcher and sophomores John Miranda, Joe Nowak and Dennis Fleming all returned. Nowak was ineligible for the season's first five games as a penalty for playing in an unauthorized summer league. Junior Jim Grabowski, who saw a little varsity action the previous season but primarily played junior varsity, was added to the squad. Junior transfer Jim Morrissey made the team as a walk-on. Freshman Paul Galvin, a 5'11" guard, was expected to get playing time running the point. Other freshmen added to the team were Mark Prechtl, a 6'4" forward from Jamestown High School, and Mike Leithead, a 6'5" center from Philadelphia, both of whom head coach Mike Lee thought would see action immediately. A fourth freshman, Greg Martin, a 6'0" guard, tore cartilage in his knee in training camp, forcing him to miss the entire season. During the season, Galvin established himself as the starting point guard. Jim McDermott continued in his role as team captain for a second year. For the first time in program history, the Dolphins' 1980–81 schedule did not include any Division I opponents. Previously, Le Moyne had faced at least two top-tier foes in each season.
After starting the season 1–3, the Dolphins lost their opening game in the Assumption College Classic to host Assumption on December 12, 1980, 70–63. Le Moyne had a one-point lead with four minutes to play, but the Greyhounds closed the game on a 9–1 run to secure the victory. Freshman Mark Prechtl scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Dolphins. The Dolphins defeated Adelphi, 74–70, in the consolation game the following evening. Joe Nowak made his season debut, having finished serving his five-game suspension, and had 20 points and nine rebounds for Le Moyne.
The Dolphins lost their opening game in the Yellow Jacket Invitational, 79–67, to host Randolph–Macon on January 9, 1981. The following evening, Le Moyne lost the consolation game to Longwood, 96–75. Joe Nowak scored 24 points to lead the Dolphins, who fell to 2–6 on the season.
The Dolphins' 71–57 loss at Buffalo State on January 17, was called with just under 38 minutes having been played rather than the regulation 40. Joe Nowak got into a shoving match with a Bengals player, and both benches emptied. Le Moyne had 25 turnovers in the game and were never closer than 10 points down in the second half, prompting the officials to call the game early after the scuffle was broken up. Dan Fletcher scored 15 points to lead the Dolphins, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 2–9.
Head coach Mike Lee was criticized on campus for disparaging remarks he made to the news media about his team and for not accepting responsibility for the Dolphins' poor performance. Lee addressed these comments with the team and said that his quotes were taken out of context, since they were alluding to the state of the team in light of the absence of Chris LaCombe, who was injured at the time, and not to the team as a whole.
The Dolphins lost their 13th straight game, 65–54, at home against Cheyney State on February 9. Jim McDermott scored 16 points to lead Le Moyne, which dropped to 2–17 on the season. The following evening, Mike McDermott scored 13 points to lead the Dolphins to a 69–56 win at Clarkson, ending Le Moyne's longest losing streak in program history.
After starting 0–6, the Dolphins earned their first home victory of the season and first on their own court in one year and five days, when they defeated St. Lawrence, 76–61, on February 17. Jim McDermott scored 18 points to lead the Green and Gold. Le Moyne improved to 4–18 with the win.
The Dolphins salvaged the season finale in what was for the second straight season the worst campaign in program history, defeating Pratt at home, 85–69, on February 28. Jim McDermott, the team's only senior, scored 29 points in his final collegiate game to finish his career with 1,228 points, sixth best in Le Moyne's history. The Dolphins finished the season 5–21. They were 3–5 against Division III opponents and 2–16 versus Division II foes.
Lassiter and Chestnut arrive (1981–1982)