# Catholic University Cardinals men's basketball

The Catholic University Cardinals men's basketball team represents The Catholic University of America in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III college basketball competition as a member of the Landmark Conference. They won the national championship in the 2000–2001 season, and are the only program in Division III to reach the Sweet Sixteen in five consecutive seasons, from 1998 to 2002.

## History

The team began as a club sport in the 1909–10 season, and gained varsity status the following year. Although it did not have an official head coach, the roster listed Joseph Bollin as the team's "manager." The first game during the club sport era was against Georgetown University, and the first official game was a 42–33 home victory over Gallaudet University on January 7, 1911. They followed it with a 37–34 victory over St. John's College in Annapolis, but lost the remaining six games of the season to finish 2–6.
Fred Rice, a graduate student, joined the team in the 1911–12 season as a player coach. Rice had previously played at Georgetown, where he earned a law degree. The team improved to 10–7, and then 13–3 in 1912–13.
The December 1916 edition of The Catholic University of America Bulletin declared that, under Rice's leadership,
   Our three latest seasons have been records of accomplishment and victory. Schools of much greater prominence have been conquered, and even the acknowledged college champions of the North have bowed in defeat to us. The fastest Southern teams have been unable to best us, and, as a result, the South Atlantic Championship has been awarded to us two times.
The Brookland Gymnasium, the first on-campus arena, opened in 1924. The team won its first two games in it, and went 38–15 from 1925 to 1928.

## NCAA tournament results

The 1943–44 men's basketball team won the Mason-Dixon Conference title and made the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The team played in Madison Square Garden, losing to Dartmouth and Temple.
Cardinals' NCAA D-I Tournament history :
| Year | Opponent | Won/Lost | Result |
| 1944 |
| 1944 | Dartmouth College | L | 38–63 |
| 1944 | Temple University | L | 35–55 |
In the 1963–64 season, Catholic played the NCAA College Division (Division II) Tournament at Hofstra, losing to Hofstra and Philadelphia.
Cardinals' NCAA D-II (College Division) Tournament history :
| Year | Opponent | Won/Lost | Result |
| 1964 |
| 1964 | Hofstra University | L | 91–92 (2OT) |
| 1964 | Philadelphia Textile | L | 64–94 |
The men's basketball team won the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championship and was the only program in Division III to reach the Sweet Sixteen in five consecutive seasons, from 1998 to 2002. They also reached the postseason in 1993, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2024.
Cardinals' NCAA D-III Tournament history :
| Year | Round | Opponent | Won/Lost | Result |
| 1993 | 1st | Stockton State College | L | 91–106 |
| 1996 | 1st | Cabrini College | L | 65–85 |
| 1998 |
| 1998 | 2nd | Johns Hopkins University | W | 67–62 |
| 1998 | Sectional Semifinals | Hunter College | L | 82–84 (2 OT) |
| 1999 |
| 1999 | 1st | Lebanon Valley College | W | 77–72 |
| 1999 | 2nd | Goucher College | W | 73–69 |
| 1999 | Sectional Semifinals | William Paterson University | L | 71–79 |
| 2000 |
| 2000 | 2nd | Christopher Newport University | W | 65–64 |
| 2000 | Sectional Semifinals | William Paterson University | W | 57–52 |
| 2000 | Sectional Finals | Franklin & Marshall College | L | 74–85 |
| 2001 |
| 2001 | 1st | City College of New York | W | 82–65 |
| 2001 | 2nd | Widener University | W | 69–67 |
| 2001 | Sectional Semifinals | State University of New York at Brockport | W | 69–64 |
| 2001 | Sectional Finals | Clark University | W | 82–78 |
| 2001 | National Semifinals | Ohio Northern University | W | 82–76 |
| 2001 | Championship | William Paterson University | W | 76–62 |
| 2002 |
| 2002 | 2nd | Hampden–Sydney College | W | 74–66 |
| 2002 | Sectional Semifinals | Clark University | L | 72–75 |
| 2003 | 2nd | Montclair State University | L | 78–95 |
| 2004 |
| 2004 | 1st | SUNY-Old Westbury | W | 75–50 |
| 2004 | 2nd | Gwynedd–Mercy College | L | 72–74 (OT) |
| 2006 | 1st | Widener University | L | 59–61 |
| 2007 |
| 2007 | 1st | Messiah College | W | 37–58 |
| 2007 | 2nd | Lincoln University | L | 70–81 |
| 2013 |
| 2013 | 1st | College of Staten Island | W | 67–61 |
| 2013 | 2nd | Williams College | L | 78–89 |
| 2015 |
| 2015 | 1st | Alvernia University | W | 87–80 |
| 2015 | 2nd | Randolph–Macon College | L | 65–78 |
| 2016 | 1st | Endicott College | L | 76–84 |
| 2024 |
| 2024 | 1st | Worcester State University | W | 75-72 (OT) |
| 2024 | 2nd | Rowan University | L | 85–89 |
| 2025 |
| 2025 | 1st | Franklin & Marshall | W | 84-50 |
| 2025 | 2nd | Randolph–Macon | W | 79-67 |
| 2025 | Sectional Semifinals | Roanoke | W | 95-91 (OT) |
| 2025 | Semifinals | Trinity | L | 86-63 |

## Coaches

Cardinals' Coaches :
| Years | Coach |
| 1911 – 1930 | Fred Rice |
| 1931 – 1941 | Forrest Cotton |
| 1943 – 1944 | John Long |
| 1952 – 1957 | Joe Della Ratta |
| 1958 – 1967 | Tom Young |
| | Bob Reese |
| 1972 – 1975 | Dick Myers |
| 1975 – 1982 | Jack Kvancz |
| 1983 – 1989 | Jack Bruen |
| 1990 – 1991 | Bob Valvano |
| 1992 – 2003 | Mike Lonergan |
| 2004 – 2019 | Steve Howes |
| 2019 – present | Aaron Kelly |