Hawk Athletics#SOARABOVEANDBEYOND

Tommy Nelson was inducted into the UMES Hall of Fame in 2004 alongside the rest of his teammates on the historic 1973-1974 Hawk Men's Basketball team.

Under Coach John Bates, the Hawks capped off one of the most dominant seasons in UMES Men's Basketball history with a 27-2 (11-1 MEAC) record, winning both a MEAC Regular Season Championship and a MEAC Tournament Title. The Maroon and Gray won 20 games in a row to begin the regular season and finished first in the NCAA in scoring with 97.6 points per contest.

The Hawks earned a spot in the 1974 NIT Tournament. UMES went on to defeat Manhattan in the first round 84-81 at Madison Square Garden before falling to Jacksonville in the second round of the NIT. 

Nelson was a senior on the 1973-1974 team, averaging a solid 14.2 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. From 1972-1974, Nelson played in 57 games scoring a total of 640 points. The 6’4 guard shot 67% from the free throw line during his career, including a 70% mark in that statistical category in the 1973-1974 season.