Men's basketball sends 'positive energy' to CMU football after win
When the press conference following the Central Michigan men's basketball team's 103-75 win over Siena Heights wrapped up, senior guard Shawn Roundtree added an extra comment.
It didn't have anything to do with basketball. Roundtree wanted to show his support for the football team, a team who just fired their head coach John Bonamego after a 1-11 season.
“I was discussing this with some of the guys downstairs, on behalf of the men’s basketball team we want to pay our support to the football team," Roundtree said. "They didn’t have the season they hoped for, but nobody knows how much work they have put in besides them. As a community, as a team and as a Central Michigan family, we want to pay our respects to them and send them positive energy.”
On Nov. 24, the CMU football team finished a 1-11 season which was CMU’s worst record in program history. The team went 0-8 in Mid-American Conference play and the only win was over a Maine — a team which is not in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Hours after the Chippewas were defeated by Toledo, former CMU head coach John Bonamego was fired by Athletic Director Michael Alford. Bonamego was with the program for four seasons.
"Making a leadership change is a difficult decision, especially when you know that coach has given his all to CMU,” Alford said. “After conducting a 360-degree evaluation of the program, it was clear that a change is needed if we are going to compete for and win championships. We greatly appreciate all that John has done for his alma mater and wish him the best moving forward.”
Roundtree is in his second year with the basketball program following a transfer from Mineral Area College. He is known to be one of the leaders on the team.
There will be a CMU football meeting held on the morning of Nov. 26 to discuss the future of the program.
