Navy Midshipmen men's basketball
| Navy Midshipmen men's basketball | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Institution | United States Naval Academy | ||||||
| Head coach | Jon Perry (1st season) | ||||||
| Location | Annapolis, Maryland | ||||||
| Arena | Alumni Hall (capacity: 5,710) | ||||||
| Conference | Patriot | ||||||
| Nickname | Midshipmen | ||||||
| Colors | Navy blue and gold[1] | ||||||
| Student section | TBD | ||||||
| NCAA Division I tournament Elite Eight | |||||||
| 1947, 1954, 1986 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Pre-tournament Helms national champions | |||||||
| 1913 | |||||||
| Conference tournament champions | |||||||
| CAA: 1985, 1986, 1987 Patriot: 1994, 1997, 1998 | |||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||
| CAA: 1985, 1986, 1987 Patriot: 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2026 | |||||||
| Conference division champions | |||||||
| Patriot South: 2021 | |||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||
| |||||||
The Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team represents the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, in NCAA Division I college basketball. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays its home games in Alumni Hall.[2]
The U.S. Naval Academy began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in the 1907–08 season. Navy was retroactively listed as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion for the 1912–13 season by the Helms Athletic Foundation and was retroactively listed as the country's best college team for the 1912–13 and 1918–19 seasons by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[3] While the NCAA lists the historical Helms selections for reference, the Helms selections are not officially recognized as NCAA national championships, and the NCAA does not acknowledge the Premo-Porretta rankings. The Midshipmen have appeared 11 times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 1998.
Early history
The Navy Midshipmen men's basketball program began play in the early 20th century, quickly establishing itself as one of the nation’s top teams. In the pre-NCAA Tournament era, the 1913 team was retroactively recognized by the Helms Athletic Foundation, finishing with a perfect 9–0 record. In addition, the 1919 squad posted a 10–0 mark and was retroactively ranked as the country's top team by Premo-Porretta. These early successes laid the foundation for Navy’s long-standing basketball tradition.
Tournament success (1986–2004)
Pete Herrmann served as head coach of the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team from 1986 to 1992, succeeding Paul Evans. In his first season, he led the Midshipmen to a 26–6 record, winning both the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) regular season and tournament titles, and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The season also marked the final collegiate campaign for All-American and future hall of fame center David Robinson, who was selected first overall in the 1987 NBA Draft.[4][5]
In 1992, Don DeVoe succeeded Herrmann as head coach and held the position from 1992 to 2004. During his 12 seasons, DeVoe amassed a 184–161 record and led the Midshipmen to five Patriot League regular season titles and three Patriot League tournament championships. Under his leadership, Navy earned NCAA tournament berths in 1994, 1997, and 1998. DeVoe was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in 1994, 1997, and 2000.[6][7]
Present-day success (2020–present)
During the 2020–21 season, under head coach Ed DeChellis and assistant coach John Perry, the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team posted a 15–3 overall record and went 12–1 in Patriot League play, winning the Patriot League South Division title.[8] The Midshipmen secured the No. 1 overall seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since the 1996–97 season, but were upset in the quarterfinals by No. 9 seed Loyola (Maryland).[9]
In the 2024–25 season, Navy advanced to the Patriot League Tournament championship game as the No. 5 seed after upsetting top-seeded Bucknell in the semifinals, but fell to No. 2 seed American University, 74–52, in the final.[10] Following the season, Ed DeChellis retired after 14 seasons, and Jon Perry was promoted to head coach.[11]
In the 2025–26 season, Navy lead by Austin Benigni, clinched the Patriot League's regular-season title for the first time since 2000, and their first outright title since 1997.[12] However, the season would come to a close in an Patriot League Tournament semi-finals upset against No. 4 seed Boston University 73–72.
Postseason history
NCAA tournament results
The Midshipmen have appeared in the NCAA tournament 11 times and made regional finals (the "Elite Eight") in 1947, 1954 and 1986. Their overall tournament record is 8–12.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Quarterfinals Regional 3rd-place game |
Holy Cross Wisconsin |
L 47–55 L 49–50 | |
| 1953 | First round | Holy Cross | L 74–87 | |
| 1954 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
Connecticut Cornell La Salle |
W 85–80 W 69–67 L 48–64 | |
| 1959 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game |
North Carolina Boston U. Saint Joseph's |
W 76–63 L 55–62 W 70–56 | |
| 1960 | Regional Quarterfinals | West Virginia | L 86–94 | |
| 1985 | 13 | First round Second Round |
(4) LSU (5) Maryland |
W 78–55 L 59–64 |
| 1986 | 7 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight |
(10) Tulsa (2) Syracuse (14) Cleveland State (1) Duke |
W 87–68 W 97–85 W 71–70 L 50–71 |
| 1987 | 8 | First round | (9) Michigan | L 82–97 |
| 1994 | 16 | First round | (1) Missouri | L 53–76 |
| 1997 | 15 | First round | (2) Utah | L 61–75 |
| 1998 | 16 | First round | (1) North Carolina | L 52–88 |
NIT results
The Midshipmen have appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments. Their record is 0–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | First round | Duquesne | L 58–70 |
| 2026 | First round | Wake Forest | L 72–82 |
Conference tournament championships
Patriot League tournament
- 1994: tournament champion (tournament MVP: T.J. Hall)
- 1997: tournament champion (tournament MVP: Hassan Booker)
- 1998: tournament champion (tournament MVP: Skip Victor)
Colonial Athletic Association tournament
- 1985: tournament champion (tournament MVP: Vernon Butler)[13]
- 1986: tournament champion (tournament MVP: David Robinson)
- 1987: tournament champion (tournament MVP: David Robinson)
Awards and honors
Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year
- 1984–85 – David Robinson
- 1985–86 – David Robinson
- 1986–87 – David Robinson[14]
Patriot League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
- 2007–08 – Greg Sprink
- 2025–26 – Austin Benigni
Athletic Hall of Fame
For basketball players in the USNA Athletic Hall of Fame, see footnote[15]
The Athletic Hall of Fame is housed in Lejeune Hall. Among the exhibits is the Eastman Award won by David Robinson in 1987.[16]
Notable players
- Laurence Wild (1913) – Later head coach of the team, and the 30th Governor of American Samoa.[17]
- Brian Gregory (1985–86) – General Manager for the Phoenix Suns
- Cliff Rees (1984–88) – over 1,100 career points at the Naval Academy and teammate of David Robinson.[18]
- David Robinson (1983–87) – two-time NBA champion and a 2009 inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame; the CAA's all-time points leader (2,669);[2] won college basketball's two most prestigious player awards, the Naismith and Wooden awards[19]
- Doug Wojcik (1982–86) – a teammate of David Robinson; former head coach at the College of Charleston and Tulsa University. Associate HC at Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
References
- ^ "Navy Academy Athletics Logos / Style Sheet". December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Navy men's basketball 2006–07 media guide. Accessed April 20, 2008.
- ^ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. pp. 532–34. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "Pete Herrmann Coaching Record". Sports Reference. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Pete Herrmann". Coaches Database. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Don DeVoe". Coaches Database. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Don DeVoe Selected for Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame". UT Sports. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Navy Men's Basketball Earns Patriot League South Division Title". Patriot League. 28 February 2021. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "2020–21 Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "2025 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ "Navy Promotes Jon Perry to Head Men's Basketball Coach". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
- ^ Bill Wagner (February 18, 2026). "Navy men's basketball routs Lehigh, 72-49, to capture Patriot League title". Capital Gazette. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ Men's Basketball Past Team Champions. Colonial Athletic Association official website. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
- ^ Robinson also received several national awards, including: Naismith College Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award (Player of the Year), and Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year.
- ^ Hall of Fame Index Archived 2009-10-28 at the Wayback Machine (by sport). Naval Academy Varsity Athletics official website. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
- ^ Bailey, Steve (August 22, 2008). "In Annapolis, Md., the Past Is Always at Hand". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ "Navy Men's Basketball: A Tradition of Excellence". NavySports. CBS Sports. 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
- ^ My San Antonio.com – Christenson: Dreaming of Mr. Robinson's neighborhood. Accessed July 2, 2008. Archived September 30, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ According to the following article about the city of Annapolis, Robinson won the "Eastman Award" in 1987 and the award is in Lejeune Hall. Bailey, Steve (August 22, 2008). "In Annapolis, Md., the Past Is Always at Hand". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-18. See also the footnote at United States Naval Academy#Halls and principal buildings (at "Lejeune Hall").