The NJIT Highlanders, formerly the New Jersey Tech Highlanders, are the varsity sport members of the Division I NCAA-affiliated sports teams of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). There are ten men's teams, seven women's teams, and three club teams along with a variety of intramural teams. The school's primary conference is the America East Conference. In November 2017 NJIT opened the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) which incorporates upgraded facilities for most Division 1 sports including a 3,500-seat arena for basketball and volleyball.
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 Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Ford Center. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1920s, the name Aces arose after a local sports writer wrote in a game story of the men's basketball team, "They played like Aces." The team has been known as the Aces and/or Purple Aces ever since. Evansville has won five Division II national championships. On November 12, 2019, the Aces earned one of the biggest victories in their Division I history, upsetting top-ranked Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
Jim Engles is an American college basketball coach and current coach of the Columbia Lions men's basketball team. He is the former head men's basketball coach at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). He replaced Jim Casciano. In Engles' first season (2008), the NJIT Highlanders snapped their Division I-record 51-game losing streak with a win over Bryant. Under Engles, NJIT reached the CIT semifinals in both 2015 and 2016. Engles had been an assistant coach at Columbia before taking over as head coach at NJIT.
The Furman Paladins men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. They are currently led by head coach Bob Richey and play their home games at the Timmons Arena. In 2018, the Paladins entered the College Basketball AP Poll for the first time in program history, coming in at number 23 on December 10. Furman made an appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2023 after having last appeared in 1980, the 43-year absence being the 15th longest drought in NCAA Division I Tournament history. During that tournament Furman would upset 4 seeded Virginia in the first round.
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Ohio Valley Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball.
The Eastern Illinois Panthers men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, United States. The first basketball team started in 1908–09 season. The school's team currently competes in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Panthers competed in the NCAA Division I tournament in 1992 and 2001.
The Mercer Bears men's basketball team represents Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, United States. The school's team competes in the Southern Conference. They are led by head coach Greg Gary and play their home games at Hawkins Arena.
The New Orleans Privateers men's basketball team represents the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes as a member of the Southland Conference. They are currently led by head coach Mark Slessinger and play their home games at Lakefront Arena.
The Norfolk State Spartans men's basketball team represents Norfolk State University, located in Norfolk, Virginia, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Spartans are currently coached by Robert Jones and play their home games at the Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall (7,000). The Spartans men's basketball team is best known for defeating the #2 seeded Missouri in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 86–84, the first tournament appearance for Norfolk State. It was only the fifth time that a 15th seed has defeated a 2nd seed. Norfolk State has qualified for the NCAA tournament at the Division I level three times, in 2012, 2021, and 2022.
The Hartford Hawks men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. The school's team currently competes as a member of the NCAA Division III Commonwealth Coast Conference. In 2008, Hartford made the America East tournament championship game falling to UMBC 65–82. In 2021, they defeated UMass Lowell, 64–50, to make their first NCAA Division I Tournament.
The 2014–15 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by seventh year head coach Jim Engles, played their home games at the Fleisher Center and were in their second year as an Independent.
The 2015–16 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by eighth year head coach Jim Engles, played their home games at the Fleisher Center. After two seasons as the only Division I independent, they were first year members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 20–15, 8–6 in A-Sun play to finish in to finish in a three way tie for second place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the A-Sun tournament to Stetson. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated Army, Boston University, and Texas–Arlington to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Columbia.
The 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a postseason single-elimination tournament of 26 NCAA Division I basketball teams. The first round was played March 14–16, 2016. The second round March 18–20, Quarterfinals March 22–24 the semifinals March 27, and the championship game was played on March 29
The 2016–17 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by first-year head coach Brian Kennedy, played their home games at the Fleisher Center in Newark, New Jersey as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). They finished the season 11–20, 3–11 in ASUN play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN tournament to Lipscomb.
The NJIT Highlanders women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey, United States. The school's teams are members of the America East Conference.
The 2017–18 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by second-year head coach Brian Kennedy, played their home games at the Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). They finished the season 14–16, 7–7 in ASUN play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN tournament to North Florida.
The 2017–18 NJIT Highlanders women's basketball team represents New Jersey Institute of Technology during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by sixth year head coach Steve Lanpher, play their home games at the Wellness and Events Center. They were third year members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 4–26, 2–12 in A-Sun play to finish in last place. They lost in the quarterfinals of A-Sun Tournament to Florida Gulf Coast.
The 2019–20 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by fourth-year head coach Brian Kennedy, played their home games at the Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 9–21, 6–10 in ASUN play to finish in eighth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN tournament to Liberty.
The 2020–21 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team represented the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by fifth-year head coach Brian Kennedy, played their home games at the Wellness and Events Center in Newark, New Jersey as first-year members of the America East Conference. In a season limited by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 7–12, 6–10 in America East play to finish in eighth place. They lost to Albany in the first round of the America East tournament.
