Western Carolina Catamounts | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
University | Western Carolina University | ||
Head coach | Tim Craft (1st season) | ||
Conference | SoCon | ||
Location | Cullowhee, North Carolina | ||
Arena | Ramsey Center (capacity: 7,826) | ||
Nickname | Catamounts | ||
Colors | Purple and gold [1] | ||
NCAA tournament appearances | |||
1996 | |||
Conference tournament champions | |||
1996 | |||
Conference division season champions | |||
1996, 2009, 2011 |
The Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men' basketball team that represents Western Carolina University. The team currently competes in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina won the 1996 Southern Conference tournament and participated in the 1996 NCAA tournament.
The school's first basketball team convened for the 1928-29 season and has played continuously since. The Catamounts were 1930 Southeastern Junior College champions and made their first NAIA tournament appearance in 1947. Jim Gudger brought success to the program, leading them to its first 20-win season in 1952-53, a North State Conference tournament championship in 1959, two Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament championships in 1962 and 1963, four NAIA District tournament appearances in 1959, 1963, 1966, and 1968, and an appearance in the 1963 NAIA national championship game where the Catamounts lost to Texas-Pan American (now UT Rio Grand Valley). After leaving for Texas A&M, Commerce, Gudger was succeeded by Jim Hartbarger who continued the Catamounts success by appearing in the 1971 and 1972 NAIA District tournaments. After moving to NCAA Division I, the Catamounts made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 1996 after winning the 1996 Southern Conference tournament. They fell to 1 seed Purdue 71-73, almost becoming the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed in NCAA tournament history.
In 2005, Western Carolina hired N.C. State assistant coach, and former Ohio and Wittenberg head coach, Larry Hunter to succeed Steve Shurina as head coach. Hunter led the Catamounts to their first winning season since 1999-00 with a record of 16-15 and a co-Southern Conference North Division title during the 2008-09 season. Hunter followed up this success in 2009-10 by leading the Catamounts to a 22-12 record and an appearance in the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament, their first 20-win season since 1971-72 and their first postseason berth since 1996. Hunter again led the Catamounts to a co-Southern Conference North Division title during the 2010-11 season. On February 2, 2012, Hunter won his 100th game as head coach of the Catamounts with an 82-76 win over Chattanooga. The Catamounts made an improbable run to the 2012 Southern Conference tournament championship game before falling to Davidson 91-93 in double overtime, their first appearance in the championship game since 1996. Hunter led the Catamounts to another run during the 2014 Southern Conference tournament, this time falling to Wofford 53-56 in the championship. Hunter returned the Catamounts to the postseason in 2016, accepting a bid to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) where they fell to Vermont in the first round. Larry Hunter resigned as head basketball coach on March 4, 2018. He finished his career at Western Carolina with a record of 193-229, two postseason appearances, and two divisional titles.
Mark Prosser was hired to succeed Larry Hunter on March 27, 2018. After leading the team to a 7-25 record in his first season, Prosser led the Catamounts to a 19-12 record during the 2019-20 season. The 12 win improvement was the second-most in Division I. The Catamounts were set to compete in a postseason tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled all postseason basketball tournaments. After leading the team to an 11-16 record during the 2020-21 season, Prosser accepted the head coaching job at Winthrop.
On April 13, 2021, former Wake Forest standout Justin Gray was hired as Prosser's successor, the 19th head coach in program history. [2] Leading the team to a 11-21 record in his first season, Gray turned a corner and led the Catamounts to a 18-16 record and 4th place finish in the Southern Conference, their best finish since 2014-15. Gray again led the Catamounts to a 4th place finish in the Southern Conference in his third year, finishing with a 22-10 record during the 2023-24 season. The 22 wins were the most in a season for the Catamounts since 2009-10. After a successful three-year stint, Gray accepted the head coaching job at Coastal Carolina. [3]
On March 13, 2024, Tim Craft was hired from Gardner-Webb to become the next head coach, succeeding Gray. [4]
Breese Gymnasium served as the home of Catamounts basketball until 1956. The team moved into the larger Reid Gymnasium the next year and played there until 1986. The success under Jim Gudger, combined with the compacted seating, gave a home-court advantage to the Catamounts. The Catamounts moved to the Ramsey Center in 1986 and have played there since. The Ramsey Center was dedicated in front of a still-record crowd of 8,114 when the Catamounts hosted N.C. State on December 6, 1986. In addition to hosting N.C. State, the Catamounts have also hosted Kansas, Florida State, and South Carolina in the Ramsey Center. [5]
Western Carolina Catamounts in the NBA | ||||
Player | Position | Years in NBA | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mel Gibson | G | 1963-1964 | ||
Bubba Wilson | SG | 1978-1980 | ||
Frankie King | G | 1995-1997 | ||
Jarvis Hayes | SF | 2003-2010 | ||
Kevin Martin | SG | 2004-2016 | ||
Western Carolina and Appalachian State played their first game against each other on December 16, 1927. The two teams met consistently until Appalachain State moved to the Sun Belt Conference in 2014. The last game between the two teams occurred on December 4, 2017, with the Catamounts winning 72-71 on a last-second dunk by Mike Amius. [6] Appalachian State leads the all-time series 108-68. [7]
Since 2009-10
Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009-10 | Larry Hunter | 22–12 | 11–7 | T-4th | CIT First round | ||||
2010-11 | Larry Hunter | 18–15 | 12–6 | T-3rd | |||||
2011-12 | Larry Hunter | 17–18 | 8–10 | T-7th | |||||
2012-13 | Larry Hunter | 14–19 | 9–9 | T-5th | |||||
2013-14 | Larry Hunter | 19–15 | 10–6 | 5th | |||||
2014-15 | Larry Hunter | 14–16 | 8–8 | 4th | |||||
2015-16 | Larry Hunter | 16–18 | 10–8 | T-5th | CBI First round | ||||
2016-17 | Larry Hunter | 9–23 | 4–14 | T-8th | |||||
2017-18 | Larry Hunter | 13–19 | 8–10 | 6th | |||||
2018-19 | Mark Prosser | 7–25 | 4–14 | T-8th | |||||
2019-20 | Mark Prosser | 19–12 | 10–8 | T-5th | |||||
2020-21 | Mark Prosser | 11–16 | 4–13 | 9th | |||||
2021-22 | Justin Gray | 11–21 | 5–13 | 10th | |||||
2022-23 | Justin Gray | 18–16 | 10–8 | 4th | CBI First Round | ||||
2023-24 | Justin Gray | 22–10 | 11–7 | 4th | |||||
Total: | |||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
On November 29, 1980, Ronnie Carr hit the first 3-point shot in NCAA history against Middle Tennessee State in Reid Gymnasium. The ball is currently on display at the Basketball Hall of Fame. [9]
On December 9, 2012, in a game against Appalachian State in Cullowhee, Mountaineer center Brian Okam shot a free throw that landed 10 feet short of the basket. A Western Carolina TV analyst commentating on the game soon reacted, in a surprised manner, "I'm not sure what that was. Good lord." The incident has gone viral on YouTube, reaching over 19 million views. [10]
The Catamounts have appeared in one NCAA tournament. Their record is 0–1. In the 1996 Tournament, Western Carolina was seeded #16 and played #1 seed Purdue close before falling 71–73.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Round of 64 | #1 Purdue | L 71–73 |
The Catamounts have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | First round | Marshall | L 88–90 |
The Catamounts have appeared in two College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournaments. Their combined record is 0–2.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | First round | Vermont | L 74–79 |
2023 | First round | Charlotte | L 56–65 |
The Catamounts have appeared in seven NAIA tournaments. Their record in the National tournament is 4–3 while their record in the District tournament is 6–4. In the 1963 tournament, the Catamounts made it to the national championship game where they lost to Pan American.
Year | Tournament | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1947 | National | First round | Canterbury (Ind.) | L 55–68 |
1959 | District District | Semifinals Finals | Wofford Leinor-Rhyne | W 74–58 L 42–48 |
1963 | District District National National National National National | Semifinals Finals First round Second round Elite Eight Semifinals Championship | Erskine Leinor-Rhyne Montana State - Billings Miles Lewis & Clark Fort Hays State Pan American | W 52–51 W 64–56 W 64–61 W 107–86 W 77–57 W 100–84 L 62–73 |
1966 | District | Semifinals | Erskine | L 58–68 |
1968 | District | Semifinals | Pembroke State | L 76–93 |
1971 | District District | Semifinals Finals | Newberry UNC Asheville | W 69–68 L 61–62 |
1972 | District District National | Semifinals Finals First round | Mars Hill Newberry Pittsburg State | W 68–65 W 84–68 L 75–98 |
Larry Hunter was an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Wittenberg University from 1976 to 1989, Ohio University from 1989 to 2001, and Western Carolina University from 2005 to 2018, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 702–453. As head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team from 1989 to 2001, he had a record of 204–148. His Bobcats teams made one NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearance in 1994, an NIT appearance in 1995, and won the Preseason NIT in 1994. Despite his winning record and being second on Ohios' all-time wins list with only two losing seasons, he was fired in 2001. Hunter also played at Ohio University from 1970 to 1971.
The Battle for the Old Mountain Jug was the name given to the Appalachian State–Western Carolina football rivalry, an American college football rivalry game that became dormant when Appalachian State left the Southern Conference and moved to the FBS in 2014.
The Western Carolina Catamounts are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Western Carolina University. The Catamounts compete in the NCAA Division I as members of the Southern Conference. Western Carolina fields 16 varsity sports teams. The men's and women's teams are called the Catamounts.
The Western Carolina Catamounts football program represents Western Carolina University. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southern Conference. Since the school's first football team was fielded in 1931, the Catamounts have a record of 364–540–23, have made two postseason appearances, and have played in one national championship game.
The Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball team represents Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. They compete in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Thundering Herd are led by head coach Cornelius Jackson and play their home games at the on-campus Cam Henderson Center which opened in 1981.
The 2012–13 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by eighth year head coach Larry Hunter, played their home games at the Ramsey Center and were members of the North Division of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 14–19, 9–9 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for third place in the North Division. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SoCon tournament to the College of Charleston.
Anquell McCollum is an American college basketball associate head coach for Fayetteville State University. McCollum previously coached college and high school basketball, and as a professional player he competed in numerous countries during a four-year career between 1996 and 2000. His collegiate career at Western Carolina University was also successful, as he was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year in 1996.
The 2013–14 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by ninth year head coach Larry Hunter, played their home games at the Ramsey Center and were members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 19–15, 10–6 in SoCon play to finish in fifth place. They advanced to the championship game of the SoCon tournament where they lost to Wofford.
The East Texas A&M Lions men's basketball team is the men's intercollegiate basketball program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team plays its home games at the University Field House on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. They are currently coached by Jaret von Rosenberg.
The 2014–15 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by thenth year head coach Larry Hunter, played their home games at the Ramsey Center and were members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 15–17, 9–9 in SoCon play to finish in fourth place. They advanced to the semifinals of the SoCon tournament to Wofford.
The 2015–16 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by 11th year head coach Larry Hunter, played their home games at the Ramsey Center and were members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 16–18, 10–8 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They defeated Wofford to advance to the semifinals of the SoCon tournament where they lost to Chattanooga. They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they lost in the first round to Vermont.
The 2016–17 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by 12th-year head coach Larry Hunter, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina as members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 9–23, 4–14 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They lost in the first round of the SoCon tournament to The Citadel.
The 2017–18 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by 13th-year head coach Larry Hunter, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). They finished the season 13–19, 8–10 in SoCon play, to finish in sixth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament to Furman.
Mark Prosser is an American college basketball coach and current head coach of the Winthrop Eagles men's basketball team.
The 2018–19 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by first-year head coach Mark Prosser, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina as members of the Southern Conference (SoCon). They finished the season 7–25, 4–14 in SoCon play to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place. In the Southern Conference tournament, they were defeated by VMI in the first round.
The 2019–20 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by second-year head coach Mark Prosser, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina, as members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 19–12, 10–8 in Southern Conference play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They defeated Mercer in the quarterfinals of the Southern Conference tournament before losing in the semifinals to East Tennessee State.
The 2020–21 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by third-year head coach Mark Prosser, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina, as members of the Southern Conference. They finished 11–16, 4–13 in Southern Conference play, to finish in ninth place. They were defeated by The Citadel in the first round of the Southern Conference tournament.
The 2021–22 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by first-year head coach Justin Gray, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina, as members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 11–21, 5–13 in SoCon play to finish in last place. They lost to Mercer in the first round of the SoCon tournament.
The 2022–23 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by second-year head coach Justin Gray, played their home games at the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina, as members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 17–14, 10–8 in SoCon play to finish in fourth place. In the SoCon tournament, they defeated East Tennessee in the quarterfinals before narrowly losing in overtime to Furman in the semifinal round. The Catamounts were invited to the CBI tournament, where they were defeated by eventual champions Charlotte in the first round.
The 1995–96 Western Carolina Catamounts men's basketball team represented Western Carolina University during the 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Catamounts, led by first-year head coach Phil Hopkins, played their home games at the Ramsey Center and were members of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 17–13, 10–4 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for first place. They defeated Appalachian State, VMI, and Davidson to capture the SoCon tournament title to receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament – the first, and only, appearance in program history. Playing as No. 16 seed in the West region, Western Carolina was narrowly beaten by No. 1 seed Purdue, 73–71, in the opening round.