The men's basketball team of Le Moyne College is referred to as the Le Moyne Dolphins, and they play in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Dolphins have played their home games on Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York since 1962.
The Dolphins played their first basketball game at home on December 7, 1948, a 41–39 loss to Siena. Le Moyne's first victory came on the road at Hobart in the Dolphins' second game.
In 1950, Le Moyne became a charter member of the Eastern Catholic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (ECIAC). [1] After only one season, the ECIAC ceased publicizing itself as a conference and became an association of its member schools with no basketball champion crowned, leaving Le Moyne an independent again for 1951–52. [2]
In 1955, Le Moyne became a charter member of the new Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA). [3] The MECAA included teams that were also members of other conferences, a practice not uncommon at the time. When the NCAA split its members into the College Division and University Division in 1956, [4] the MECAA included four teams (St. Francis (NY), Iona, St. Bonaventure and Siena) that were placed into the University Division, while Le Moyne and Saint Peter's were placed into the College Division. St. Francis was also a member of the Metropolitan New York Conference, and St. Bonaventure was also a member of the Western New York Little Three Conference. Nevertheless, all six schools initially continued their affiliation with the MECAA after the split. Le Moyne remained a member of the MECAA, until it was dissolved following the 1975–76 season. The MECAA awarded its championship based on regular-season winning percentage and did not conduct a post-season tournament. The Dolphins took the title seven times during their 21 seasons of membership, the most championships of any conference member. Since conference membership crossed NCAA divisions, the MECAA champion was not awarded an automatic bid to any NCAA tournament. In December 1960, the MECAA conducted an in-season Christmas tournament that included five of its six teams as well as three non-members. Le Moyne defeated Saint Peter's, Iona and Long Island to win the tournament title.
Le Moyne became a Division II institution, when the College Division was split in 1973. Following the dissolution of the MECAA, the Dolphins played as an independent until joining the Mideast Collegiate Conference (MECC) in 1983, and remained a member of that conference until it 1991. Le Moyne won two MECC regular-season titles and one conference tournament during their eight years in the league.
After playing the 1991–92 season as an independent, Le Moyne joined the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 1992. The Dolphins won the NECC tournament in 1996, their final season in the league.
In 1996, the Dolphins joined the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10), where they remained until beginning reclassification to Division I as a member of the NEC in 2023. During their 26 seasons over a span of 27 years in the NE10 (the 2020–21 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Le Moyne won four regular-season conference championships and two conference tournaments.
Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tommy Niland (Independent)(1948–1950) | ||||||||||
1948–49 | Tommy Niland | 12–7 | ||||||||
1949–50 | Tommy Niland | 10–12 | Utica Optimist Club champion | |||||||
Tommy Niland (Eastern Catholic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(1950–1951) | ||||||||||
1950–51 | Tommy Niland | 17–7 | 2–3 | 6th | National Catholic Invitational third place Utica Optimist Club champion | |||||
Tommy Niland (Independent)(1951–1955) | ||||||||||
1951–52 | Tommy Niland | 8–15 | National Catholic Invitational quarterfinalist Utica Optimist Club champion | |||||||
1952–53 | Tommy Niland | 12–8 | ||||||||
1953–54 | Tommy Niland | 10–6 | ||||||||
1954–55 | Tommy Niland | 11–8 | ||||||||
Tommy Niland (Middle Eastern College Athletic Association)(1955–1973) | ||||||||||
1955–56 | Tommy Niland | 15–6 | 4–2 | T–2nd | ||||||
1956–57 | Tommy Niland | 10–9 | 3–4 | 4th | ||||||
1957–58 | Tommy Niland | 11–11 | 2–5 | 5th | ||||||
1958–59 | Tommy Niland | 18–6 | 4–1 | T–1st [a] | NCAA College Division Sweet 16 | |||||
1959–60 | Tommy Niland | 13–5 | 4–1 | 1st | NCAA College Division Regional fourth place | |||||
1960–61 | Tommy Niland | 16–7 | 2–2 | 3rd | 1960 MECAA Invitational champion [b] | |||||
1961–62 | Tommy Niland | 13–9 | 4–1 | 1st | ||||||
1962–63 | Tommy Niland | 12–10 | 3–2 | T–3rd | ||||||
1963–64 | Tommy Niland | 18–6 | 4–1 | 1st | NCAA College Division Sweet 16 | |||||
1964–65 | Tommy Niland | 18–5 | 4–1 | 1st | NCAA College Division Regional fourth place | |||||
1965–66 | Tommy Niland | 16–6 | 4–1 | 2nd | NCAA College Division Regional fifth place | |||||
1966–67 | Tommy Niland | 11–10 | 1–4 | 6th | ||||||
1967–68 | Tommy Niland | 14–8 | 2–3 | T–3rd | NCAA College Division Regional seventh place | |||||
1968–69 | Tommy Niland | 15–8 | 4–1 | T–1st [c] | NCAA College Division Regional fourth place | |||||
1969–70 | Tommy Niland | 11–10 | 2–2 | 3rd | ||||||
1970–71 | Tommy Niland | 9–12 | 2–3 | 4th | ||||||
1971–72 | Tommy Niland | 13–10 | 3–2 | 3rd | ||||||
1972–73 | Tommy Niland | 13–9 | 5–0 | 1st | ||||||
Tommy Niland (Pre-division NCAA): | 95–69 (.579) | 6–5 (.545) | ||||||||
Tommy Niland (College Division): | 231–141 (.621) | 53–34 (.609) | ||||||||
Tommy Niland: | 326–210 (.608) | 59–39 (.602) | ||||||||
Tom Cooney (Middle Eastern College Athletic Association)(1973–1976) | ||||||||||
1973–74 | Tom Cooney | 14–10 | 2–3 | T–4th | ||||||
1974–75 | Tom Cooney | 14–11 | 2–3 | T–3rd | ||||||
1975–76 | Tom Cooney | 12–12 | 1–4 | 6th | ||||||
Tom Cooney (Independent)(1976–1979) | ||||||||||
1976–77 | Tom Cooney | 15–7 | ||||||||
1977–78 | Tom Cooney | 13–13 | ||||||||
1978–79 | Tom Cooney | 14–10 | ||||||||
Tom Cooney: | 82–63 (.566) | 5–10 (.333) | ||||||||
Mike Lee (Independent)(1979–1983) | ||||||||||
1979–80 | Mike Lee | 6–19 | ||||||||
1980–81 | Mike Lee | 5–21 | ||||||||
1981–82 | Mike Lee | 10–15 | ||||||||
1982–83 | Mike Lee | 13–12 | ||||||||
Mike Lee: | 34–67 (.337) | – | ||||||||
John Beilein (Mideast Collegiate Conference)(1983–1991) | ||||||||||
1983–84 | John Beilein | 20–8 | 5–0 | 1st | ||||||
1984–85 | John Beilein | 19–10 | 4–6 | T–4th | ||||||
1985–86 | John Beilein | 14–15 | 4–6 | 4th | ||||||
1986–87 | John Beilein | 20–10 | 6–4 | T–2nd | ||||||
1987–88 | John Beilein | 24–6 | 8–2 | T–1st [d] | NCAA Division II Regional third place | |||||
1988–89 | John Beilein | 15–12 | 6–6 | 5th | ||||||
1989–90 | John Beilein | 17–12 | 5–7 | T–5th | ||||||
1990–91 | John Beilein | 19–10 | 6–4 | T–3rd | ||||||
John Beilein (Independent)(1991–1992) | ||||||||||
1991–92 | John Beilein | 15–11 | ||||||||
John Beilein: | 163–94 (.634) | 44–35 (.557) | ||||||||
Scott Hicks (New England Collegiate Conference)(1992–1996) | ||||||||||
1992–93 | Scott Hicks | 18–10 | 7–7 | T–3rd | ||||||
1993–94 | Scott Hicks | 16–11 | 11–5 | 3rd | ||||||
1994–95 | Scott Hicks | 16–12 | 9–7 | T–3rd | ||||||
1995–96 | Scott Hicks | 24–6 | 16–4 | T–2nd | NCAA Division II first round | |||||
Scott Hicks (Northeast-10 Conference)(1996–1997) | ||||||||||
1996–97 | Scott Hicks | 13–17 | 7–11 | 7th | NCAA Division II first round | |||||
Scott Hicks: | 87–56 (.608) | 50–34 (.595) | ||||||||
Dave Paulsen (Northeast-10 Conference)(1997–2000) | ||||||||||
1997–98 | Dave Paulsen | 20–8 | 14–6 | T–1st [e] | ||||||
1998–99 | Dave Paulsen | 13–14 | 8–10 | T–6th | ||||||
1999–00 | Dave Paulsen | 9–17 | 2–16 | 10th | ||||||
Dave Paulsen: | 42–39 (.519) | 24–32 (.429) | ||||||||
Steve Evans (Northeast-10 Conference)(2000–2015) | ||||||||||
2000–01 | Steve Evans | 5–21 | 2–20 | 15th | ||||||
2001–02 | Steve Evans | 11–16 | 7–15 | T–11th | ||||||
2002–03 | Steve Evans | 17–12 | 12–10 | T–6th | ||||||
2003–04 | Steve Evans | 17–11 | 14–8 | T–4th | ||||||
2004–05 | Steve Evans | 11–17 | 9–13 | T–9th | ||||||
2005–06 | Steve Evans | 12–16 | 7–15 | 12th | ||||||
2006–07 | Steve Evans | 14–15 | 10–12 | T–9th | ||||||
2007–08 | Steve Evans | 15–14 | 12–10 | T–5th | ||||||
2008–09 | Steve Evans | 20–11 | 13–9 | 6th | ||||||
2009–10 | Steve Evans | 18–10 | 14–8 | T–4th | ||||||
2010–11 | Steve Evans | 12–15 | 10–12 | T–8th | ||||||
2011–12 | Steve Evans | 12–14 | 8–14 | T–13th | ||||||
2012–13 | Steve Evans | 13–14 | 10–12 | T–8th | ||||||
2013–14 | Steve Evans | 17–12 | 13–7 | 3rd Southwest | NCAA Division II first round | |||||
2014–15 | Steve Evans | 16–13 | 10–10 | T–3rd Southwest | ||||||
Steve Evans: | 210–211 (.499) | 151–175 (.463) | ||||||||
Patrick Beilein (Northeast-10 Conference)(2015–2019) | ||||||||||
2015–16 | Patrick Beilein | 10–17 | 7–13 | T–4th Southwest | ||||||
2016–17 | Patrick Beilein | 22–7 | 16–4 | 1st [f] Southwest | NCAA Division II first round | |||||
2017–18 | Patrick Beilein | 27–7 | 18–2 | 1st [f] Southwest | NCAA Division II Elite Eight | |||||
2018–19 | Patrick Beilein | 18–10 | 14–6 | 1st Southwest | NCAA Division II first round | |||||
Patrick Beilein: | 77–41 (.653) | 55–25 (.688) | ||||||||
Nate Champion (Northeast-10 Conference)(2019–2023) | ||||||||||
2019–20 | Nate Champion | 19–9 | 15–4 | 1st [f] Southwest | Selected as No. 5 seed in East Region No postseason held (COVID-19 pandemic). | |||||
2020–21 | Nate Champion | 0–0 | 0–0 | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic). | ||||||
2021–22 | Nate Champion | 12–15 | 8–11 | 5th Southwest | ||||||
2022–23 | Nate Champion | 15–15 | 11–9 | T–5th | ||||||
Nate Champion (Northeast Conference)(2023–present) | ||||||||||
2023–24 | Nate Champion | 15–17 | 9–7 | T-4th | ||||||
Nate Champion (Division II): | 46–39 (.541) | 34–24 (.586) | ||||||||
Nate Champion (Division I): | 15–17 (.469) | 9–7 (.563) | ||||||||
Nate Champion: | 61–56 (.521) | 43–31 (.581) | ||||||||
ECIAC: | 2–3 (.400) | |||||||||
MECAA: | 62–46 (.574) | |||||||||
MECC: | 44–35 (.557) | |||||||||
NECC: | 43–23 (.652) | |||||||||
NE10: | 271–267 (.504) | |||||||||
NEC: | 9–7 (.563) | |||||||||
Pre-division NCAA: | 95–69 (.579) | 6–5 (.545) | ||||||||
Division II [g] : | 972–751 (.564) | 416–369 (.530) | ||||||||
Division I: | 15–17 (.469) | 9–7 (.563) | ||||||||
Major program [h] : | 110–86 (.561) | 15–12 (.556) | ||||||||
Total: | 1,082–837 (.564) | 431–381 (.531) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
The NCAA tournament started in 1939, and the number of teams invited to participate has expanded a number of times over the years. Between 1939 and 1950, the tournament had only eight teams, and then, between 1951 and 1956, the number of participants varied between 16 and 25 teams. Le Moyne was never selected to participate in the tournament prior to the split of the NCAA into divisions.
The first College Division tournament was held in 1957, and Le Moyne was first selected to participate in 1959. The College Division tournament became the Division II tournament in 1974. Le Moyne participated in the tournament 14 times between 1957 and 2023.
Since Le Moyne started its transition to Division I in 2023, it will become eligible to be selected or qualify for the Division I tournament starting in 2028, after its four-year transition period has been completed. As of 2024 [update] , 68 teams participate in the tournament each year.
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT), meanwhile, began in 1938, with only six teams. It expanded several times, reaching a peak of 40 participating teams between 2002 and 2006. After the split of the NCAA into divisions, the NIT had no rule that prevented College Division (or, later, Division II or Division III) teams from participating. In fact, Southern Illinois won the 1967 NIT in their final season as a College Division team. Nevertheless, after 1967, all NIT participants have been either University Division or Division I teams. Starting in 2006, the first year the NIT was operated by the NCAA, only Division I teams may be invited to the NIT. Le Moyne has never been invited to participate in the NIT. The Dolphins may not be selected to play in the NIT until 2028, when their transition period will have been completed. The NIT includes 32 teams per tournament as of 2024 [update] .
The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) and CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) are postseason tournaments that select Division I teams that are not participating in either the NCAA tournament or the NIT. Since the CBI and CIT are not operated by the NCAA, they may invite transitioning Division I teams to participate, and Le Moyne was eligible starting with the 2024 tournaments. In the past, both the CBI and the CIT have extended invitations to transitioning teams.
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The Le Moyne Dolphins are the athletic teams that represent Le Moyne College, located in DeWitt, New York, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sporting competitions. The Dolphins compete as members of Northeast Conference. Le Moyne had been a member of the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference since 1996. At the end of the 2022–23 academic year, Le Moyne began the transition to NCAA Division I as a new member of the NEC.
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The National Catholic Invitational Tournament (NCIT) was a men's college basketball tournament played in the late 1940s and early 1950s. At the time the NCIT was one of the three major college basketball postseason tournaments that included the NCAA, NIT, and NCIT. In 1949 the NCAA and NIT tournaments featured only eight invites each and the scarcity of post season opportunities allowed the NCIT to provide an option for quality basketball programs without conference affiliations to participate in post season play. Only Catholic schools were invited to participate. In the inaugural year sixteen Catholic schools were invited to participate, but the tournament reduced the field to eight teams in 1950.
The Le Moyne Dolphins women's basketball program is the women's college basketball team of Le Moyne College. The Dolphins compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the Northeast Conference and are currently coached by Mary Grimes. The Dolphins have played their home games on Ted Grant Court at the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York. After years of playing in the Northeast-10 Conference in NCAA Division II, the Dolphins are currently transitioning to Division I and are ineligible to participate in the NCAA tournament until the 2027–28 season.
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The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1948 to 1958 begins with the inception of the men's varsity basketball program at Le Moyne College. Le Moyne had seven winning seasons and only two losing seasons during their first 10 years. They participated in a postseason tournament, the Utica Optimist Club Invitational, in only their second season. The Dolphins won the Utica tournament three times: in 1950, 1951 and 1952. Le Moyne participated in the National Catholic Invitational Tournament twice, finishing third in 1951, and reaching the quarterfinals in 1952. Although the Dolphins were classified as a small college program by the Associated Press until 1956, when the school became an NCAA College Division member, Le Moyne played 74 games against major/University Division programs during their initial 10 years, going 25–49. The Dolphins were led by head coach Tommy Niland, who mentored the team for its first 25 years. Their team captain for the first three seasons, Don Savage went on to play in the NBA.
The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1958 to 1960 includes the Dolphins' first two appearances in the NCCA tournament. Led by Dick Lynch, Bob Hollembaek and Chuck Sammons, Le Moyne won a share of the 1959 Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA) championship, the first conference title in program history and earned the first of what would be seven NCAA tournament bids over a span of 11 seasons. Lynch, John Caveny and Bill Stanley led the Dolphins to the outright MECAA championship in 1960, and a second consecutive tournament berth. Head coach Tommy Niland was named MECAA coach of the year for both 1959 and 1960. The Dolphins were 18–6 in 1958–59, reaching the Sweet 16 of the 1959 tournament, and 13–5 in 1959–60, finishing fourth in their region in the 1960 tournament. Lynch was named first-team all-MECAA in both seasons.
The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1960 to 1963 includes the Dolphins' championship at the 1960 Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA) Invitational Tournament and the opening of their on-campus home venue, now known as the Le Moyne Events Center. The Dolphins won their third MECAA championship in 1962, when Bill Stanley became the first Le Moyne player to win a conference player of the year award.
The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1963 to 1966 includes the Dolphins' three consecutive appearances in the NCAA College Division tournament. Led by sophomore Gary DeYulia and senior Tom Cooney, Le Moyne reached the Sweet 16 of the 1964 tournament. Tom Mullen and Dan Frawley provided a strong inside game to complement DeYulia's scoring, and the Dolphins repeated as conference champions but lost in the first round of the 1965 tournament. Head coach Tommy Niland was named conference coach of the year in both 1964 and 1965. As a senior, DeYulia was conference player of the year and teamed with Mullen to lead the Dolphins to a berth in the 1966 tournament, with regional games hosted by Le Moyne for the second straight year. Le Moyne finished third in Section B of the Northeast Region. The Dolphins were 52–17 between the 1963–64 and 1965–66 seasons, including a 7–2 record against University Division opponents.
The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1966 to 1969 includes two appearances in the NCAA tournament by the Dolphins.
The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1969 to 1973 includes the final four years of the coaching reign of Tommy Niland, Le Moyne's head coach since the inception of the program in 1948, and the career of Phil Harlow, one of the Dolphins' all-time greatest players.
The 2024–25 Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team represents Le Moyne College during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dolphins, led by fifth-season head coach Nate Champion, play their home games on Ted Grant Court in the Le Moyne Events Center in DeWitt, New York as second-year members of the Northeast Conference (NEC) and NCAA Division I. This is the 76th season of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball.
The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1973 to 1979 includes the coaching reign of Tom Cooney. Although Le Moyne did not have a losing record in any of the six seasons under Cooney and had an overall record of 82–63, the Dolphins failed to reach the postseason. Rick May became the first Le Moyne player to record 1,000 career rebounds as a senior during the 1973–74 season. The Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA), the conference in which Le Moyne had been a member since 1955, dissolved following the 1975–76 season. Coach Cooney's first recruiting class turned out to be his best, producing a 15–7 record as seniors in the 1976–77 season. They were led by John Lauer and Pete Hogan, both of whom ended their careers in the top six among Le Moyne's all-time leading scorers. Although the Dolphins were not selected for the 1977 NCAA tournament, Le Moyne athletic director Tommy Niland believed they deserved a bid, and that the best 32 teams were not chosen. The Dolphins played their first ever game against Division I power Syracuse, located only four miles away, during the 1977–78 season. Jene Grey, who was selected in the 1979 NBA draft, finished his Dolphins career as the program's second leading all-time scorer and rebounder.