# Lyceum Pirates basketball

The Lyceum Pirates basketball program represents Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in men's basketball as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) (NCAA). The Lyceum Pirates previously co-founded the Inter-Scholastic Athletic Association (ISAA).

## History
### Run at MUCAA

Leo Austria and Dante Gonzalgo played for Lyceum while it was a member of the now defunct Manila Universities and Colleges Athletic Association (MUCAA) in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

### Stint with NCRAA

The Lyceum Pirates previously saw the likes of Gary David and Chico Lanete play for the Intramuros-based school. Playing at the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA), Bay Cristobal coached Lyceum at this time. The Pirates were defeated by the St. Francis Doves in 2003.

### ISAA champions

Coached by Bonnie Tan starting in 2003, the Pirates won two undefeated championships in the ISAA, and two runs to the Sweet 16 in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL).

### Entry to the NCAA

Lyceum then entered the NCAA as a guest team in 2011, and was admitted as a regular member in 2015. Tan resigned as coach in 2014, and was replaced by Topex Robinson. They would first make it to the playoffs in 2017 when CJ Perez led them to an 18–0 elimination round record, only to lose in the finals to the San Beda Red Lions. The Pirates defeated the Red Lions for the championship though in the postseason 2017 PCCL. They would meet in an NCAA Finals rematch as a #2 seed with the Red Lions in the next season, but still lost. The championship series saw Perez suspended in Game 1 for failing to notify the NCAA of his intentions to join the 2018 PBA Draft.
The Pirates then finished second in 2019, but lost to eventual champions Letran Knights in the playoffs. After being appointed as head coach of the Philippine Basketball Association's Phoenix Fuel Masters in 2018, Robinson was replaced by Jeff Perlas. Perlas himself didn't coach the Pirates in an NCAA game as he resigned for personal reasons in 2021; he was replaced by Gilbert Malabanan. Malabanan coached the Pirates in the 2021 bubble season to 2–7 record, way off the play-in tournament places. The Pirates made it to the playoffs in the 2022 season, losing out to Letran in the semifinals. They made it to Final Four the following 2023 season with a twice to beat advantage as the second seed but lost both games to the eventual champions San Beda and the Benilde Blazers in the first battle for third place in NCAA basketball history.

## Current roster

NCAA Season 100

## Head coaches

* c. 2001: Bai Cristobal
* 2003–2014: Bonnie Tan
* 2014–2020: Topex Robinson
* 2021–present: Gilbert Malabanan

## Season-by-season records

| Season | League | Elimination round | Elimination round | Elimination round | Elimination round | Elimination round | Elimination round | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | League | Pos | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | GP | W | L | Results |
| 2009 | ISAA | | | | | | | | | | Won Finals |
| 2010 | ISAA | | | | | | | | | | Won Finals |
| 2011 | ISAA | | | | | | | | | | Lost Finals vs TIP |
| 2011 | NCAA | 6th/10 | 18 | 7 | 11 | .389 | 9 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2012 | NCAA | 10th/10 | 18 | 3 | 15 | .167 | 12 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2013 | NCAA | 7th/10 | 18 | 8 | 10 | .444 | 7 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2014 | NCAA | 7th/10 | 18 | 7 | 11 | .389 | 6 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2015 | NCAA | 9th/10 | 18 | 4 | 14 | .222 | 9 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2016 | NCAA | 9th/10 | 18 | 6 | 12 | .333 | 8 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2017 | NCAA | 1st/10 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 1.000 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | Lost Finals vs San Beda |
| 2018 | NCAA | 2nd/10 | 18 | 15 | 3 | .833 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Lost Finals vs San Beda |
| 2019 | NCAA | 2nd/10 | 18 | 13 | 5 | .722 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Lost stepladder round 2 vs Letran |
| 2020 | NCAA | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled | Season canceled |
| 2021 | NCAA | 9th/10 | 9 | 2 | 7 | .222 | 7 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2022 | NCAA | 3rd/10 | 18 | 12 | 6 | .667 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Lost semifinals vs Letran |
| 2023 | NCAA | 2nd/10 | 18 | 13 | 5 | .722 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Lost 3rd place playoff vs Benilde |
| 2024 | NCAA | 4th/10 | 18 | 10 | 8 | .556 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Lost semifinals vs Mapua |
| ISAA totals | ISAA totals | ISAA totals | | | | | — | | | | 2 championships |
| NCAA totals | NCAA totals | NCAA totals | 225 | 118 | 107 | .524 | — | 9 | 1 | 10 | 5 playoffs appearances |
* ↑ Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
* ↑ Season postponed to early 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.