List of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball seasons

Last updated

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.

Contents

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 results

Statistics overview
SeasonCoachOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Tommy Niland (Independent)(1948–1950)
1948–49 Tommy Niland 10–7 [a]
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 2–36th 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 4–2T–2nd
1956–57Tommy Niland 10–9 3–44th
1957–58Tommy Niland 11–11 2–55th
1958–59Tommy Niland 18–6 4–1T–1st [b] NCAA College Division Sweet 16
1959–60Tommy Niland 13–5 4–11st NCAA College Division Regional fourth place
1960–61Tommy Niland 16–7 2–23rd1960 MECAA Invitational champion [c]
1961–62Tommy Niland 13–9 4–11st
1962–63Tommy Niland 12–10 3–2T–3rd
1963–64Tommy Niland 18–6 4–11st NCAA College Division Sweet 16
1964–65Tommy Niland 18–5 4–11st NCAA College Division Regional fourth place
1965–66Tommy Niland 16–6 4–12nd NCAA College Division Regional fifth place
1966–67Tommy Niland 11–10 1–46th
1967–68Tommy Niland 14–8 2–3T–3rd NCAA College Division Regional seventh place
1968–69Tommy Niland 15–8 4–1T–1st [d] NCAA College Division Regional fourth place
1969–70Tommy Niland 11–10 2–23rd
1970–71Tommy Niland 9–12 2–34th
1971–72Tommy Niland 13–10 3–23rd
1972–73Tommy Niland 13–9 5–01st
Tommy Niland (Pre-division NCAA):93–69 (.574)6–5 (.545)
Tommy Niland (College Division):231–141 (.621)53–34 (.609)
Tommy Niland:324–210 (.607)59–39 (.602)
Tom Cooney (Middle Eastern College Athletic Association)(1973–1976)
1973–74Tom Cooney 14–10 2–3T–4th
1974–75Tom Cooney 14–11 2–3T–3rd
1975–76Tom Cooney 12–12 1–46th
Tom Cooney (Independent)(1976–1979)
1976–77Tom Cooney 15–7
1977–78Tom Cooney 13–13
1978–79Tom Cooney 14–10
Tom Cooney:82–63 (.566)5–10 (.333)
Mike Lee (Independent)(1979–1983)
1979–80Mike Lee 6–19
1980–81Mike Lee 5–21
1981–82Mike Lee 10–15
1982–83Mike Lee 13–12
Mike Lee:34–67 (.337)–
John Beilein (Mideast Collegiate Conference)(1983–1991)
1983–84John Beilein 20–8 5–01st
1984–85John Beilein 19–10 4–6T–4th [e]
1985–86John Beilein 14–15 4–64th
1986–87John Beilein 20–10 6–4T–2nd [f]
1987–88John Beilein 24–6 8–2T–1st [g] NCAA Division II Regional third place
1988–89John Beilein 15–12 6–65th
1989–90John Beilein 17–12 5–7T–5th [h]
1990–91John Beilein 19–10 6–4T–3rd [i]
John Beilein (Independent)(1991–1992)
1991–92John Beilein 15–11
John Beilein:163–94 (.634)44–35 (.557)
Scott Hicks (New England Collegiate Conference)(1992–1996)
1992–93Scott Hicks 18–10 7–7T–3rd [j]
1993–94Scott Hicks 16–11 11–53rd
1994–95Scott Hicks 16–12 9–7T–3rd [k]
1995–96Scott Hicks 24–616–4T–2nd NCAA Division II first round
Scott Hicks (Northeast-10 Conference)(1996–1997)
1996–97Scott Hicks 13–177–117th NCAA Division II first round
Scott Hicks:87–56 (.608)50–34 (.595)
Dave Paulsen (Northeast-10 Conference)(1997–2000)
1997–98Dave Paulsen 20–814–6T–1st [l]
1998–99Dave Paulsen 13–148–10T–6th
1999–00Dave Paulsen 9–172–1610th
Dave Paulsen:42–39 (.519)24–32 (.429)
Steve Evans (Northeast-10 Conference)(2000–2015)
2000–01Steve Evans 5–212–2015th
2001–02Steve Evans 11–167–15T–11th
2002–03Steve Evans 17–1212–10T–6th
2003–04Steve Evans 17–1114–8T–4th
2004–05Steve Evans 11–179–13T–9th
2005–06Steve Evans 12–167–1512th
2006–07Steve Evans 14–1510–12T–9th
2007–08Steve Evans 15–1412–10T–5th
2008–09Steve Evans 20–1113–96th
2009–10Steve Evans 18–1014–8T–4th
2010–11Steve Evans 12–1510–12T–8th
2011–12Steve Evans 12–148–14T–13th
2012–13Steve Evans 13–1410–12T–8th
2013–14Steve Evans 17–1213–73rd
Southwest		 NCAA Division II first round
2014–15Steve Evans 16–1310–10T–3rd
Southwest
Steve Evans:210–211 (.499)151–175 (.463)
Patrick Beilein (Northeast-10 Conference)(2015–2019)
2015–16Patrick Beilein 10–177–13T–4th
Southwest
2016–17Patrick Beilein 22–716–41st [m]
Southwest		 NCAA Division II first round
2017–18Patrick Beilein 27–718–21st [m]
Southwest		 NCAA Division II Elite Eight
2018–19Patrick Beilein 18–1014–61st
Southwest		 NCAA Division II first round
Patrick Beilein:77–41 (.653)55–25 (.688)
Nate Champion (Northeast-10 Conference)(2019–2023)
2019–20Nate Champion 19–915–41st [m]
Southwest		Selected as No. 5 seed in East Region
No postseason held (COVID-19 pandemic).
2020–21Nate Champion 0–00–0Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic).
2021–22Nate Champion 12–158–115th
Southwest
2022–23Nate Champion 15–1511–9T–5th
Nate Champion (Northeast Conference)(2023–present)
2023–24 Nate Champion 15–17 9–7 T-4th [n]
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:93–69 (.574)6–5 (.545)
Division II [o] :972–751 (.564)416–369 (.530)
Division I:15–17 (.469)9–7 (.563)
Major program [p] :108–86 (.557)15–12 (.556)
Total:1,080–837
(.563)		431–381
(.531)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Notes
  1. ↑ Excludes two wins over Cobleskill State on January 22 and March 5, 1949, which are included in Le Moyne's official records. Cobleskill State was a two-year college offering associate's degrees only at the time. Under the Bevo Francis rule, the NCAA only counts games against four-year institutions as collegiate contests.
  2. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied with Iona. Le Moyne lost the only head-to-head matchup, 58–54, at Iona on February 14, 1959. Nevertheless, the MECAA recognized both teams as co-champions. [5]
  3. ↑ Up until the 1959–60 season, some MECAA teams had not played full round-robin conference schedules, and others played each league opponent with home-and-home series versus some but not all conference members. The uneven scheduling created controversy about which team deserved the league's championship, in cases in which the title had been decided in favor of a team that had scheduled one extra or one fewer game, since the conference champion was the team with the best winning percentage against conference opponents. In part to address this perceived inequity, the MECAA planned to stage this tournament annually in December to determine a champion with all conference teams on equal footing. The MECAA had six members at the time: Le Moyne, St. Francis (NY), Iona, King's, Saint Peter's and Siena. King's was not eligible for the 1960–61 regular-season MECAA championship, since it joined the conference in June 1960, and was able to schedule only three games against league members; King's did not participate in the 1960 MECAA tournament. Therefore, three other teams (Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island and Wagner) were invited to create a full eight-team bracket and ensure the tournament champion would need to win three games. Despite the initial plans, the 1960 tournament was the only one the MECAA ever held. The tournament was unique, because it can be differentiated from a conference tournament, since it was not held at the end of the season and included non-member teams. It also does not resemble an in-season multiple-team event, since five of the six MECAA teams participated rather than limiting tournament entries to one team per conference.
  4. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for first place with Saint Peter's and won the head-to-head matchup, 81–80, on December 3, 1968. Nevertheless, the MECAA recognized both teams as co-champions. [6]
  5. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for fourth place with Adelphi. The teams split their regular-season head-to-head matchups with Adelphi winning at home, 68–60, on January 26, 1985, and Le Moyne winning at home, 93–65, on February 9, 1985. Le Moyne was awarded the no. 4 seed in the conference tournament, based on a better overall record.
  6. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for second place with Saint Michael's. The teams split their regular-season head-to-head matchups with Le Moyne winning at home, 87–81, on January 17, 1987, and Saint Michael's winning at home, 97–82, on February 7, 1987. Both teams were 0–2 versus first-place Gannon. Saint Michael's was awarded the no. 2 seed in the conference tournament, based on a 2–0 record versus fourth-place Pace, compared with the 1–1 record of Le Moyne, which was the no. 3 seed.
  7. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for first place with Gannon and lost both regular-season head-to-head matchups, 87–85, in overtime at home on January 23, 1988, and 77–66, on the road on February 27, 1988. Both teams were recognized as regular-season co-champions. Gannon was seeded first in the MECC tournament.
  8. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for fourth place with Buffalo and lost both regular-season head-to-head matchups, 70–59, at home on January 6, 1990, and 71–62, on the road on February 15, 1990. Adelphi finished in third place but was ineligible for postseason play. Buffalo was awarded the no. 3 seed in the conference tournament, and Le Moyne was the no. 4 seed.
  9. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for third place with Gannon. The teams split their regular-season head-to-head matchups with Gannon winning at home, 87–84, in overtime on January 26, 1991, and Le Moyne winning at home, 97–75, on February 4, 1991. Philadelphia Textile and Pace finished tied for first place. Le Moyne and Gannon were each 1–1 versus Pace. Le Moyne was awarded the no. 3 seed based on a 1–1 record versus Phildelphia Textile, compared with the 0–2 record of Gannon, which was the no. 4 seed.
  10. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for third place with UMass Lowell. The teams split their regular-season head-to-head matchups with UMass Lowell winning on the road, 71–68, on January 9, 1993, and Le Moyne winning on the road, 75–74, on February 21, 1993. Le Moyne was awarded the no. 3 seed in the conference tournament, based on a 1–1 record versus first-place New Hampshire College, compared with the 0–2 record of UMass Lowell, which was the no. 4 seed.
  11. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for third place with UMass Lowell. The teams split their regular-season head-to-head matchups with both teams winning at home. Le Moyne won, 97–93, on January 7, 1995, and UMasss Lowell won, 87–73, on February 19, 1995. Both teams were winless against first-place New Hampshire College, split against second-place Bridgeport, split against Sacred Heart and Southern Connecticut, which finished tied for fifth place, split against sixth-place Franklin Pierce and swept both seventh-place New Haven and eighth-place Keene State, necessitating a coin flip, which was won by UMass Lowell, the no. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Le Moyne was the no. 4 seed.
  12. ↑ Finished tied with Assumption and Stonehill and were seeded third in conference tournament based on tiebreaker procedure. The NE10 recognizes all three teams as regular-season conference co-champions.
  13. 1 2 3 Had best regular-season conference record of all NE10 teams, regardless of division.
  14. ↑ Le Moyne finished tied for fourth place with Fairleigh Dickinson. The teams split their regular-season head-to-head matchups with Le Moyne winning on the road, 74–63, on January 6, 2024, and Fairleigh Dickinson winning on the road, 68–58, on February 24, 2024. Le Moyne was awarded the no. 4 seed in the conference tournament, based on a 2–2 record versus Central Connecticut and Merrimack, which finished tied for first-place, compared with the 0–4 record of Fairleigh Dickinson, which was the no. 5 seed.
  15. ↑ Includes College Division from 1956 to 1973.
  16. ↑ Includes pre-division NCAA seasons through 1955–56 and Division I seasons. The Associated Press (AP) began publishing separate rankings of major programs and small colleges during the 1947–48 season, and the NCAA recognizes this differentiation. Le Moyne was included in the small college poll from the inception of its varsity program. Nevertheless, Le Moyne played a schedule that included a significant number of major program opponents from the 1948–49 season through the 1955–56 season. Of the 164 collegiate contests played by Le Moyne over those eight seasons, 59 (36%) of them featured opponents that were classified as major programs by the AP. Le Moyne was 20–39 in those 59 games, including 5–5 in 1954–55, when 10 (53%) of their 19 games were against major programs and 5–4 in 1955–56, when nine (43%) of their 21 games were against major programs. Also, during those eight seasons, Le Moyne participated in two prestigious National Catholic Invitational Tournaments, a tournament that included both major programs and small colleges.

Postseason results

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.

The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) held a postseason tournament for College Division teams in 1973, and then annual combined tournaments for Division II and III teams from 1974 through 1980. Tournaments for Division II teams resumed in 1988, and were held each year until 2008, except for 2006. One more Division II tournament was held in 2014. ECAC member teams were invited to participate in these tournaments by a selection committee, if they did not receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. Le Moyne has been a member of the ECAC since 1958, but never participated in an ECAC tournament.

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 2025, 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 2025.

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. The College Basketball Crown (CBC) is a postseason tournament that selects teams not participating in the NCAA tournament and may also extend invitations to teams that have qualified or been selected for the NIT. Since the CBC, 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 postseason. In the past, both the CBI and the CIT have extended invitations to transitioning teams.

TournamentSeedResultsRef.
1950
Utica Optimist Club tournament		Utica Optimist Club champion
Won Semifinal vs. Brockport State, 67–60
Won Final vs. Utica, 59–57		 [7]
1951
Utica Optimist Club tournament		Utica Optimist Club champion
Won Semifinal vs. Utica, 86–69
Won Final vs. Hartwick, 86–65		 [8]
1951
National Catholic Invitational tournament 		National Catholic Invitational third place
Won First Round vs. Saint Michael's, 95–57
Won Quarterfinal vs. Siena, 57–53
Lost Semifinal vs. St. Francis (NY), 66–84
Won Third-Place Game vs. Mount St. Mary's, 63–61		 [9]
1952
Utica Optimist Club tournament		Utica Optimist Club champion
Won Semifinal vs. Utica, 72–42
Won Final vs. Hartwick, 72–61		 [10]
1952
National Catholic Invitational tournament 		National Catholic Invitational quarterfinalist
Won First Round vs. Providence, 67–63
Lost Quarterfinal vs. St. Francis (NY), 61–75		 [11]
1959
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Sweet 16
Won Regional Semifinal vs. Williams, 72–66
Lost Sweet 16 vs. Saint Michael's, 70–71		 [12] : 26 
1960
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Regional fourth place
Lost Regional Semifinal vs. St. Anselm, 75–108
Lost Regional Third-Place Game vs. Assumption, 68–94		 [12] : 26 
1964
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Sweet 16
Won Regional Semifinal vs. Youngstown State, 64–53
Lost Sweet 16 vs. Akron, 38–62		 [12] : 26 
1965
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Regional fourth place
Lost Regional Semifinal vs. Assumption, 58–76
Lost Regional Third-Place Game vs. Hartwick, 68–70		 [12] : 26 
1966
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Regional fifth place
Lost First Round vs. Philadelphia Textile, 61–83
Won Consolation Game vs. Potsdam State, 86–63		 [12] : 26 
1968
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Regional seventh place
Lost First Round vs. Buffalo State, 66–83
Lost Consolation Game vs. Northeastern, 54–67		 [12] : 27 
1969
NCAA College Division tournament 		NCAA College Division Regional fourth place
Lost Regional Semifinal vs. Montclair State, 77–81
Lost Regional Third-Place Game vs. Albany State (NY), 70–71		 [13] [14]
1988
NCAA Division II tournament 		3 NCAA Division II Regional third place
Lost Regional Semifinal vs. California (PA), 88–91
Won Regional Third-Place Game vs. Kutztown, 89–81		 [12] : 29 
1996
NCAA Division II tournament 		5 NCAA Division II first round
Lost First Round vs. Franklin Pierce, 53–83		 [12] : 29 
1997
NCAA Division II tournament 		6 NCAA Division II first round
Lost First Round vs. Saint Rose, 76–92		 [12] : 30 
2014
NCAA Division II tournament 		6 NCAA Division II first round
Lost First Round vs. Saint Anselm, 62–73
2017
NCAA Division II tournament 		1 NCAA Division II first round
Lost First Round vs. Merrimack, 68–72OT
2018
NCAA Division II tournament 		1 NCAA Division II Elite Eight
Won First Round vs. Jefferson, 75–57
Won Regional Semifinal vs. Saint Rose, 67–63
Won Sweet 16 vs. Bloomfield, 75–59
Lost Elite Eight vs. West Texas A&M, 73–87
2019
NCAA Division II tournament 		3 NCAA Division II first round
Lost First Round vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, 59–61

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2024–25 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team represents the University of Notre Dame, located in Notre Dame, Indiana, in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is led by head coach Micah Shrewsberry in his second season as head coach and plays home games at the on-campus Joyce Center as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

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. After Le Moyne was plagued by academic suspensions and struggled to an 11–10 record in 1966–67, the Dolphins rebounded to earn an at-large bid to the 1968 NCAA tournament under the leadership of senior captain Gerry McDermott. However, with McDermott slowed by a late-season leg injury, the Dolphins fell in the first round. Junior Tom Downey led Le Moyne to a share of the Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA) championship and a bid to host the regionals of the 1969 NCAA tournament. However, the Dolphins' shooting went cold in the second half of their first-round game, and they were eliminated, despite strong efforts from Chuck Brady and Matt Fallis. Le Moyne's strong play against University Division opponents continued, as the Dolphins won two games against such foes in each of the three seasons.

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. Le Moyne did not earn a postseason berth but did win the Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA) championship in 1972–73, Niland's final season, with an undefeated league record. In 1969–70, the Dolphins failed to earn a win against a University Division opponent, the first time since the 1956 split of the NCAA into divisions they were unable to do so. In 1970–71, Le Moyne suffered their first losing season in 19 years. Harlow finished his collegiate career as Le Moyne's all-time scoring leader. As of 2025, Niland remains the program's all-time leader in wins as a head coach.

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.

The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1983 to 1988 includes the first five years of the head coaching reign of John Beilein. The Dolphins joined the Mideast Collegiate Conference (MECC) in Beilein's first season and went undefeated in league play to win the conference regular-season championship. However, Le Moyne failed to win the MECC tournament and were not selected for an at-large bid to the 1984 NCAA tournament. The 1983–84 season marked the first time in program h istory that Le Moyne won 20 games. Scott Hicks and Pete Jerebko, both of whom would become Le Moyne Hall of Famers, arrived as freshmen in 1984. Despite a solid 19-win campaign in 1984–85, the Dolphins failed to earn an at-large berth to the tournament. After a losing season marred by injuries, illness and suspensions, Le Moyne bounced back with their second 20-win season in 1986–87. However, after falling in the MECC tournament, Le Moyne was not selected for an at-large bid to the 1987 NCAA tournament. Len Rauch, who would go on to finish his college career as Le Moyne's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, arrived for his freshmen season in 1987. Hicks, Jerebko and Rauch led the Dolphins to the regular-season co-championship of the MECC, the conference tournament title and a berth in the 1988 NCAA tournament. Le Moyne finished with a program-best 24–6 record in 1987–88, and that season's team was later enshrined in the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame.

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Le Moyne is Founder-Member of E.C.I.A.C. As 1950–51 Conference Plans are Charted" (PDF). The Dolphin. September 20, 1950. p. 3. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ Butler, Jack (March 8, 1952). "Scholastic Slants". The Tablet. Brooklyn, New York. p. 18. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ↑ "New Loop". Daily News. New York. June 4, 1955. p. 37. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ Hicks, Jay (August 20, 1956). "NCAA Group Opens Talks on Money Aid to Players". Kingsport Times. Kingsport, Tennessee. p. 7. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  5. ↑ "One-Point Win for MECAA Tie". The Tablet. Brooklyn, New York. March 7, 1959. p. 18. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  6. ↑ "St. Peter's Five Wallops Siena". The Troy Record. Troy, New York. March 5, 1969. p. 24. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Varsity Climaxes Season with Tourney Victory at Utica" (PDF). The Dolphin. March 22, 1950. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ Hickey, Bill (March 21, 1951). "Dolphin Sportlights" (PDF). The Dolphin. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 8, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Dolphins Place Third in Catholic Tourney" (PDF). The Dolphin. March 21, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Dolphins Win Utica Tourney" (PDF). The Dolphin. March 13, 1952. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Terriers Top Dolphins in NCIT" (PDF). The Dolphin. March 28, 1952. p. 6. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Division II Men's Basketball Championship (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2010. pp. 26–27, 29–30. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  13. ↑ "LeMoyne Bows to Montclair in Tourney, 81–77". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. March 8, 1969. p. 11. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Montclair State Easily Wins NCAA College Division Title". The Daily Messenger. Canandaiga, New York. March 10, 1969. p. 7. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
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