Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball

Lipscomb Bisons
Lipscomb Bisons
	2024–25 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team
University	Lipscomb University
Head coach	Lennie Acuff (6th season)
Conference	Atlantic Sun
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Arena	Allen Arena ; (capacity: 5,028)
Nickname	Bisons
Colors	Purple and gold;
Uniforms
NCAA tournament appearances
	2018
NAIA tournament champions
	1986
NAIA semifinals
	1986, 1990, 1996
NAIA quarterfinals
	1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2000
NAIA tournament second round
	1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000
Conference tournament champions
	2018
Conference regular season champions
	2006, 2010, 2019

Last updated November 22, 2024

The Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, United States in NCAA Division I. The school's team currently competes in the ASUN Conference.^[2] Previously, the Bisons played men's basketball in NCAA Division II and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Bisons made their first ever trip to the NCAA Division I tournament in school history in 2018, when they defeated Florida Gulf Coast in the 2018 ASUN men's basketball tournament. In 2019, Lipscomb made history by becoming the first team in ASUN history to make it to the National Invitation Tournament Final.

History

Lipscomb has a 311–280 all-time record in NCAA basketball and a 186–141 record in ASUN games. Lipscomb won their first ASUN men's basketball tournament title in 2018, despite winning the regular-season conference title twice before, in 2006 and 2010. The Bisons made the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2018. They have competed in the NIT twice, in 2006 and 2019.^[3] Lipscomb is also home to the top two all-time leading college basketball scorers, John Pierce and Philip Hutcheson. Lipscomb also won the NAIA National championship in 1986.

Battle of the Boulevard

Lipscomb maintains a rivalry with nearby Belmont University, and the two men's basketball teams compete annually in a game known as the Battle of the Boulevard. The game is named for Belmont Boulevard, which both schools are located on; the 2 miles (3.2 km) separating the schools makes them among the closest rivals in NCAA Division I men's basketball. The rivalry began in 1953, when both schools played in the NAIA, and continued into the NCAA when both schools transitioned to Division I in the 1990s. Lipscomb leads the all-time series 73–61, while Belmont leads 14–9 in NCAA play.^[4]^[5]

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Bisons have appeared in one NCAA tournament.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
2018	#15	First Round	North Carolina	L 66–84

NIT results

The Bisons have appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments (NITs). Their record is 4–2. They were the runner up in 2019.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
2006	#10	Opening Round	UTEP	L 66–85
2019	#5	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final	Davidson UNC Greensboro NC State Wichita State Texas	W 89–81 W 86–69 W 94-93 W 71–64 L 66–81

NAIA tournament results

The Bison have appeared in the NAIA Tournament 14 times. Their combined record is 21–13. They were NAIA National Champions in 1986.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1982	#5	First Round	#28 Kearney State	L 87–92
1985	#17	First Round Second Round	#16 William Carey #1 Fort Hayes State	W 68–66 L 48–55
1986	#11	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship	#22 Minnesota–Duluth #6 Emporia State #14 Central Washington #7 Saint Thomas Aquinas #25 Arkansas–Monticello	W 62–56 W 79–76 W 80–64 W 102–91 W 67–54
1988	#3	First Round Second Round	#30 East Texas Baptist #14 College of Idaho	W 89–63 L 108–123
1990	#1	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	#32 Midland Lutheran #17 Central Arkansas #24 Pfeiffer #4 Birmingham–Southern	W 92–73 W 70–66 W 125–83 L 96–98
1991	#3	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	#30 Holy Family #14 Briar Cliff #6 Pfeiffer	W 106–75 W 89–87 L 95–105
1992	#11	First Round Second Round	#22 Findlay #6 BYU–Hawaiʻi	W 67–66 L 66–90
1993	#4	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	#29 McKendree #13 Life #21 Georgetown (KY)	W 87–72 W 94–89 L 91–101
1994	#12	First Round	#21 Saint Mary's (TX)	L 62–77
1995	#18	First Round Second Round	#15 Oklahoma Baptist #31 Montana State–Northern	W 74–63 L 78–92
1996	#4	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals	#29 Talladega #20 McKendree #21 East Central #1 Georgetown (KY)	W 91–78 W 95–87 W 93–75 L 84–97
1997	#7	First Round	#26 Point Park	L 100–111
1999	#17	First Round	#16 Biola	L 46–51
2000	#2	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	#31 Saint Gregory's #15 Central State #10 Biola	W 77–66 W 77–41 L 71–82

Notable alumni

Gary Colson, college basketball coach
Adnan Hodžić, professional basketball player
Garrison Mathews, NBA player
John Pierce, college basketball all-time/all-division scoring leader with 4,230 points^[6]
Marvin Williams, professional basketball player

Related Research Articles

Lipscomb University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville; it also maintains one satellite location called "Spark" in Downtown Nashville to serve the business community. Total student enrollment for the fall 2022 semester was 4,704, which included 2,955 undergraduate students and 1,749 graduate students.

The Kennesaw State Owls fields 16 varsity athletics teams, competing for Kennesaw State University. After spending ten years in Division II's Peach Belt Conference, the university fully transitioned to Division I status in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the beginning of the 2009–10 season. All of Kennesaw State's sports teams competed in the Atlantic Sun Conference through the 2023–24 school year, except that football competed as an FCS independent in the 2023 season only. In July 2023, KSU started a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of its move to Conference USA, which happened in 2024. Of its 18 varsity sports, only women's lacrosse is not sponsored by CUSA. The school mascot is Scrappy the Owl.

The Belmont Bruins men's basketball team represents Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont completed a 10-season run in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2021–22, and joined the Missouri Valley Conference in July 2022. The Bruins play their home games at the Curb Event Center under head coach Casey Alexander. Their most recent NCAA Division I tournament appearance was in 2019.

The Austin Peay Governors men's basketball team represents Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Governors play in the ASUN Conference starting in 2022–23, following 61 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament to date was in 2016, making the field of 68 by virtue of having won the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament. The Governors' head coach is Corey Gipson.

The American Eagles men's basketball team represents American University in Washington, D.C. in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Patriot League and play their home games in Bender Arena. Their rivals include the Boston University Terriers, Bucknell Bison, and Navy Midshipmen. Duane Simpkins was appointed the program's 18th head coach on April 1, 2023.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team is the college basketball team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, United States. The Mountaineers compete in the Sun Belt Conference after having competed in the Southern Conference from 1972 to 2014. They are currently a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Appalachian State plays their home games at the Holmes Center.

The Lipscomb Bisons are the athletic teams that represent Lipscomb University, located in Nashville, Tennessee, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the ASUN Conference since the 2003–04 academic year. The Bisons previously competed in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conferences: the Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) until the 1984–85 school year, the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) from 1985–86 to 1995–96, and the TranSouth Athletic Conference from 1996–97 to 2000–01. Their mascot is LU the Bison.

The 2010 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The 73rd annual tournament began on March 16 on campus sites and ended on April 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Dayton won their 3rd NIT title over North Carolina, 79–68.

The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), having joined that conference in 2022 after 74 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round.

The Belmont Bruins are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Belmont University located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The Bruins athletic program is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Prior to 2022, the Bruins were members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and competes at the NCAA Division I level.

The North Florida Ospreys represent the University of North Florida (UNF) in men's college basketball. The Ospreys compete in the ASUN Conference (A-Sun) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They play home games at UNF Arena on the school's campus in Jacksonville.

Casey Alexander is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Belmont University. He previously served as head coach at Stetson University and Lipscomb University.

The Battle of the Boulevard, also referred to as the Belmont–Lipscomb basketball rivalry is a college basketball rivalry between the Belmont University Bruins and the Lipscomb University Bisons. Its nickname was established because of both school's close placement in Nashville, Tennessee– about three miles apart on the same road. The rivalry was classified as non-conference following Belmont's departure from the Atlantic Sun Conference prior to the 2012–13 NCAA Division I basketball season. Their first meeting took place on December 11, 1953. It is one of the geographically closest rivalries in NCAA Division I.

The Bellarmine Knights men's basketball team represents Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The Knights now compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) at the NCAA Division I level, after being a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) from the conference's founding in 1972 through the 2019–20 season. They are currently led by head coach Scott Davenport and play their home games on campus at Knights Hall.

The Lipscomb Bisons women's basketball team is the women's basketball team that represents Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The school's team currently competes in the ASUN Conference.

The 2018–19 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee and were led by 6th-year head coach Casey Alexander. They finished the season 29–8, 14–2 in ASUN play to finish in a share of the regular season championship with Liberty. They defeated Kennesaw State and NJIT to advance to the championship game where they lost to Liberty. As a regular season conference champion and No. 1 seed in their conference tournament who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Davidson, UNC Greensboro, NC State, and Wichita State to advance to the championship game where they lost to Texas.

The 2019–20 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by first-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The 2020–21 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by 2nd-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 15-12, 9-6 in ASUN Play to finish in 3rd place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN tournament to Florida Gulf Coast.

Ahsan Asadullah is an American basketball player. He played in college for the Lipscomb Bisons, where he was a three-time First Team All-ASUN Conference selection.

Adam Sonn is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the Lipscomb Bisons and Belmont Bruins. Sonn was selected as the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year with the Bruins in 2003. He played professionally in Belgium, France, South Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. Sonn became a high school basketball coach after his retirement from playing.

References

↑ Lipscomb University Brand Identity Guide and Stylebook (PDF). January 1, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
↑ "Lipscomb Bisons". ESPN.com . Retrieved November 20, 2012.
↑ "2012–13 Lipscomb Men's Basketball Quick Facts" (PDF). Lipscomb University. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
↑ "Battle of the Boulevard". Lipscomb University . Retrieved November 20, 2012.
↑ "Belmont 89, Lipscomb 60". ESPN.com . Retrieved November 20, 2012.
↑ "Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame bio". Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

External links

Official website

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[1] Lipscomb University Brand Identity Guide and Stylebook (PDF). January 1, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.

[2] "Lipscomb Bisons". ESPN.com . Retrieved November 20, 2012.

[3] "2012–13 Lipscomb Men's Basketball Quick Facts" (PDF). Lipscomb University. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2012.

[4] "Battle of the Boulevard". Lipscomb University . Retrieved November 20, 2012.

[5] "Belmont 89, Lipscomb 60". ESPN.com . Retrieved November 20, 2012.

[tshf-6] "Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame bio". Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

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v t e Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball
Venues	McQuiddy Gym (?–2001) Allen Arena (2001–present)
Rivalries	Belmont
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NAIA national championship in bold

v t e Lipscomb University
Facilities	Allen Arena Dugan Field Lipscomb Academy Nashville Christian Institute
Athletics	Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Men's soccer
People	James A. Harding David Lipscomb H. Leo Boles E. H. Ijams L. Randolph Lowry III

v t e ASUN Conference men's basketball
Current teams	Austin Peay Governors Bellarmine Knights Central Arkansas Bears Eastern Kentucky Colonels Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Jacksonville Dolphins Lipscomb Bisons North Alabama Lions North Florida Ospreys Queens Royals Stetson Hatters West Georgia Wolves
Championships & awards	ASUN men's basketball tournament Player of the Year Coach of the Year
Seasons	1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25