The term "Local Legend" can sometimes be thrown around rather freely, but in the case of Steve Tiedeman, the moniker might not be good enough to fit the bill.
Tiedeman came to Sonoma State basketball program with his longtime friend and teammate, Tom Fitchie, and helped transform a team that had set a NCAA mark for futility into a power in the West Region.
When Fitichie was told he was being inducted into the SSU Athletic Hall of Fame last year, the first words out of his mouth were, "what about Tied?" He asked because while Fitchie might have been the pilot of those early 70's teams, Tiedeman was the jet fuel that made them take off.
A standout in high school and at Santa Rosa JC, Steve made the move to Sonoma State with coach Bill Trumbo. He then led one of the great turnaround stories as the Cossacks rebounded from a 3-24 season in 1971-72, to go 16-8 in Tiedeman's first year the following season. The sharpshooting guard was named Far West Conference MVP that year after leading the league in scoring with a 22.4 points per game average.
Entering the 1973-74 season, Tiedeman was no longer just a "Local Legend" but had made a name for himself in the region and the country. In his senior season, he was named to the NCAA All-America team as he once again propelled his squad to the West Regional playoffs. He was also selected to the All-West Coast team, a group that featured players like Bill Walton and Jamal Wilkes. Not a bad group to be associated with!
Steve went on after college to tour China with the FWC All-Star team and was later drafted into the World Basketball League.
