UMBC Retrievers men's basketball
| UMBC Retrievers men's basketball | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| University | University of Maryland, Baltimore County | |||
| First season | 1967–68; 59 years ago | |||
| Head coach | Jim Ferry (5th season) | |||
| Location | Catonsville, Maryland | |||
| Arena | Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (capacity: 5,000[1]) | |||
| Conference | America East | |||
| Nickname | Retrievers | |||
| Colors | Black and gold[2] | |||
| Student section | Hilltop Hysteria | |||
| All-time record | 671–943 (.416) | |||
| NCAA Division I tournament Elite Eight | ||||
| 1979* | ||||
| NCAA Division I tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1979*, 1980* | ||||
| NCAA Division I tournament appearances | ||||
| 1979*, 1980*, 2008, 2018, 2026 | ||||
| Conference tournament champions | ||||
| America East: 2008, 2018, 2026 | ||||
| Conference regular-season champions | ||||
| Northeast Conference 1999 America East Conference 2008, 2021, 2026 | ||||
| Uniforms | ||||
| ||||
* at Division II level | ||||
The UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition as a member of the America East Conference. They play their home games at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena[1] in Catonsville, Maryland. Their current head coach is Jim Ferry.[3]
UMBC made its first Division I postseason appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2008, for which it qualified by winning the America East tournament.[4] The Retrievers have appeared three times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2026.
The Retrievers are best known for when they qualified for their second NCAA tournament appearance in 2018 by beating the Vermont Catamounts in the America East tournament final and became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's tournament, beating No. 1-seeded Virginia 74–54.[5][6] The win has been dubbed the greatest upset in college basketball history.[7][8][9]
History
The UMBC men's basketball program began play for the 1967–68 season, finishing with a 4–7 record under head coach Joe Phillip.[10] The Retrievers joined NCAA Division I for the 1986–87 season, competing as an independent.[11] In 1990, UMBC joined the East Coast Conference, later joining the Big South Conference in 1992, Northeast Conference in 1998, and America East Conference in 2003.
Under the leadership of head coach Randy Monroe, the Retrievers went 24–9 and made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2008, defeating Hartford in the America East championship. At the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, UMBC lost to Georgetown 66–47 in the first round.[12][13]
In 2018, UMBC returned to the NCAA tournament under head coach Ryan Odom after defeating Vermont 65–62 in the America East championship.[14] In the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, the Retrievers achieved a historic upset win over No. 1 seeded Virginia 74–54.[15] With the win, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to ever defeat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.[16] In the second round they would lose to No. 9 seeded Kansas State 50–43.[17]
In 2026, after an eight-year absence, the Retrievers returned to the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament led by Jim Ferry after earning a 24–8 record and defeating Vermont 74–59 in the America East championship game.[18] UMBC's DJ Armstrong scored 33 points including seven three-pointers to lead the Retrievers back to the NCAA tournament.[19] They would lose to No. 16 seeded Howard in the First Four 86–83.[20][21]
Postseason
NCAA Division I Tournament results
The Retrievers have appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament three times. Their combined record is 1–3.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | #15 | First Round | #2 Georgetown | L 47–66 |
| 2018 | #16 | First Round Second Round |
#1 Virginia #9 Kansas State |
W 74–54 L 43–50 |
| 2026 | #16 | First Four | #16 Howard | L 83–86 |
The Basketball Classic results
The Retrievers have appeared in The Basketball Classic one time. Their record is 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | First round | Merrimack | L 0–2* |
* UMBC withdrew from the tournament citing health concerns and not enough players. As a result Merrimack was granted a 2–0 win.
NCAA Division II Tournament results
The Retrievers have appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament two times. Their combined record is 3–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight |
Mount St. Mary's Virginia Union Cheyney |
W 79–74 W 58–56 L 62–65 |
| 1980 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals |
Benedict Virginia Union |
W 86–69 L 65–80 |
Records
References
- ^ a b Scherr, Rich (February 3, 2018). "UMBC's Loss to Vermont Doesn't Dampen Excitement for Event Center Opener". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- ^ "UMBC Colors". UMBC Brand and Style Guide. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ Lee, Edward (April 12, 2021). "UMBC hires Jim Ferry, former Duquesne and Penn State coach, to lead men's basketball program". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Fittipaldo, Ray (December 13, 2008). "Pitt: UMBC angles for a second run at postseason". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Wilco, Daniel (March 17, 2018). "Last perfect bracket busts after UMBC pulls off biggest upset in NCAA tournament history". NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ Reed, Steve (March 17, 2018). "No. 16 UMBC stuns No. 1 Virginia 74–54 to make NCAA history". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI. Associated Press. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- ^ "No. 16 UMBC beats No. 1 Virginia: How the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history happened". The Tennessean. USA Today Network–Tennessee. March 16, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "UMBC over Virginia: Ranking the 10 greatest upsets in modern March Madness history". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "The greatest upset ever: UMBC's shock win comes when the sport needs it most". The Guardian. March 17, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "UMBC Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). UMBC Retrievers Athletics. May 16, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers Men's Basketball Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Georgetown Box Score (Men), March 21, 2008 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "2007-08 UMBC Retrievers Men's Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "2017-18 UMBC Retrievers Men's Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Virginia Box Score (Men), March 16, 2018 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ Bushnell, Henry (March 16, 2018). "UMBC shocks Virginia, first 16-seed ever to beat a 1". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Kansas State Box Score (Men), March 18, 2018 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Vermont vs. Maryland-Baltimore County Box Score (Men), March 14, 2026 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Champs! Armstrong Leads UMBC to First Men's Basketball Title Since 2018". America East Conference. March 14, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ "Retrievers Historic Season Comes to a Close Versus Howard in NCAA First Four". UMBC Retrievers Athletics. March 17, 2026. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ^ "Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Howard Box Score (Men), March 17, 2026 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved March 19, 2026.