Missouri State Bears basketball

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Missouri State Bears basketball
Basketball current event.svg 2024–25 Missouri State Bears basketball team
Missouri State Athletics wordmark.svg
University Missouri State University
First season1908
Head coach Cuonzo Martin (1st of current stint, 4th overall season)
Conference Missouri Valley
(Conference USA in 2025–26)
Location Springfield, Missouri
Arena Great Southern Bank Arena
(capacity: 11,000)
Nickname Bears
Student sectionThe Cave
ColorsMaroon and white [1]
   
Uniforms
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Home
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Away


NCAA tournament runner-up
1959*, 1967*, 1969*, 1974*
NCAA tournament Final Four
1959*, 1967*, 1969*, 1974*
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1958*, 1959*, 1967*, 1969*, 1974*
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1958*, 1959*, 1966*, 1967*, 1968*, 1969*, 1974*, 1978*, 1999
NCAA tournament round of 32
1958*, 1959*, 1966*, 1967*, 1968*, 1969*, 1970*, 1973*, 1974*, 1978*, 1987, 1999
NCAA tournament appearances
1958*, 1959*, 1966*, 1967*, 1968*, 1969*, 1970*, 1973*, 1974*, 1978*, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999
* at Division II level
NAIA tournament champions
1952, 1953
Conference tournament champions
Mid-Continent Conference
1987, 1989

Missouri Valley Conference
1992
Conference regular season champions
Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1928, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1978

Mid-Continent Conference
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990


Missouri Valley Conference
2011

The Missouri State Bears basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. The Bears compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. They are currently coached by Cuonzo Martin. Missouri State plays its home games at the 11,000-seat Great Southern Bank Arena.

Contents

The Bears have been a Division I school since the 1982–83 season. Prior to 2005, the school was known as Southwest Missouri State. Missouri State has appeared six times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 1999. The Bears most notable NCAA tournament run came in 1999 when they advanced to the Sweet 16, defeating #5 seed Wisconsin and #4 seed Tennessee.

Prior to joining Division I, they were members of the NAIA, winning national championships in 1952 and 1953, and NCAA Division II, where they were the national runner-up four times (1959, 1967, 1969, 1974). They were also champions of the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Head coaches

Postseason

NCAA Division I Tournament results

The Bears have appeared in six NCAA Division I Tournaments, all as Southwest Missouri State. Their combined record is 3–6.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1987 No. 13Round of 64
Round of 32
No. 4 Clemson
#5 Kansas
W 65–60
L 63–67
1988 No. 13Round of 64No. 4 UNLVL 50–54
1989 No. 14Round of 64No. 3 Seton HallL 51–60
1990 No. 9Round of 64No. 8 North CarolinaL 70–83
1992 No. 12Round of 64No. 5 Michigan StateL 54–61
1999 No. 12Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
No. 5 Wisconsin
#4 Tennessee
#1 Duke
W 43–32
W 81–51
L 61–78

NCAA Division II Tournament results

The Bears appeared in ten NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their combined record is 23–10.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1958 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Centenary
Regis
South Dakota
W 74–69
W 73–65
L 58–63
1959 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
Abilene Christian
Centenary
Hope
Cal State Los Angeles
Evansville
W 87–67
W 65–62
W 76–74
W 72–59
L 67–83
1966 Regional Semi-finals
Regional Finals
Arkansas State
Abilene Christian
W 72–71
L 58–63
1967 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
Arkansas AM&N
Lincoln (MO)
Valparaiso
Illinois State
Winston-Salem State
W 83–80
W 87–77
W 86–72
W 93–76
L 74–77
1968 Regional Semi-finals
Regional Finals
Colorado State-Pueblo
Evansville
W 69–68
L 73–79
1969 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
Saint Olaf
South Dakota State
Montclair State
Ashland
Kentucky Wesleyan
W 75–47
W 87–74
W 92–76
W 58–48
L 71–75
1970 Regional Semi-finals
Regional 3rd Place Game
South Dakota State
Cornell (IA)
L 71–82
W 76–65
1973 Regional Semi-finals
Regional 3rd Place Game
South Dakota State
Colorado State-Pueblo
L 74–85
W 76–62
1974 Regional Quarterfinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
North Dakota
Kentucky Wesleyan
Saint Joseph's (IN)
New Orleans
Morgan State
W 71–63
W 89–86
W 80–78
W 68–63
L 52–67
1978 Regional Semi-finals
Regional Finals
Columbus State
Lincoln (MO)
W 69–67
L 83–84

NAIA Tournament results

The Bears appeared in six NAIA Tournaments. Their combined record is 15–4 and are two time NAIA national champions (1952, 1953).

YearRoundOpponentResult
1939 First roundEast Texas StateL 45–68
1943 First roundMurray StateL 44–72
1949 First round
Second Round
Portland
Beloit
W 59–56
L 47–66
1952 First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
National Championship Game
Chadron State
Indiana State
Morningside
Texas State
Murray State
W 87–66
W 82–64
W 87–74
W 70–67
W 73–64
1953 First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
National Championship Game
Gonzaga
Stetson
Nebraska Wesleyan
Indiana State
Hamline
W 95–74
W 98–71
W 78–74
W 84–78
W 79–71
1954 First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
National 3rd Place Game
East Tennessee State
Gustavus Adolphus
Texas State
Western Illinois
Arkansas Tech
W 77–72
W 66–57
W 65–59 OT
L 75–78
W 75–61

NIT results

The Bears have appeared in 10 National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 10–10. [2]

YearRoundOpponentResult
1986 First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Pittsburgh
Marquette
Florida
W 59–52
W 83–69
L 53–54
1991 First round
Second Round
Coppin State
Southern Illinois
W 57–47
L 69–72
1993 First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
St. Joseph's
Jackson State
UAB
W 56–34
W 70–52
L 52–61
1997 First roundNorth Carolina StateL 66–77
2000 First round
Second Round
SMU
Mississippi
W 77–64
L 48–70
2005 First round
Second Round
Rice
Davidson
W 105–82
L 76–86
2006 First round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Stanford
Houston
Louisville
W 76–67
W 60–59
L 56–74
2007 First roundSan Diego StateL 70–74
2011 First round
Second Round
Murray State
Miami (FL)
W 89–76
L 72–81
2022 First roundOklahomaL 72–89

CIT results

The Bears have appeared in two CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their combined record is 4–1 and were the 2010 Champions.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2010 First round
Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
Finals
Middle Tennessee State
Louisiana Tech
Creighton
Pacific
W 87–79
W 69–40
W 67–61
W 78–65
2014 First roundMurray StateL 63–66

Retired numbers

Missouri State Bears retired numbers
No.PlayerTenureNo. ret.Ref.
22 Winston Garland 1985–1987 [3]
32Danny Moore1996-19992023
32Daryel Garrison [n 1] 1971–19752008 [3]
43Jerry Anderson1951–1955 [3]
54Curtis Perry1966–1970 [3]
Notes
  1. Bears all-time leading scorer with 1,975 points.

Bears in NBA

Draft

The following former Missouri State players were drafted into the NBA:

References

  1. "Colors - Identity Standards - Missouri State University". February 5, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  2. NAIA Championship History Archived May 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 3 4 Missouri State to retire Daryel Garrison's basketball jersey No. 32 at MSU, 22 Feb 2008