Men's Basketball Team
The Men's Basketball Team is a NCAA Division I basketball program in the Ivy League conference, playing its home games in the Francis S. Levien Gymnasium on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus. The current head coach is Kyle Smith.
The men's basketball team is over 100 years old, having played its first games in 1900. Unlike Football, which did not have a league or conference prior to the formal establishment of the Ivy League in 1956, Ivy basketball programs participated in the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (EIBL). The EIBL was founded 1901 by five now-Ivies (Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale), and membership grew and contracted through the leagues final season in 1955.
While Columbia's basketball program has not finished over .500 in Ivy League play since 1992-1993, they're not nearly as awful as the Football team, and are arguably the more decorated team, despite lacking famous victories like Football's 1934 and 1947 triumphs over Stanford in the Rose Bowl, and defending national champion Army, respectively.
Team honors
The team has won 12 EIBL titles (1903-04, 1904-04, 1910-11, 1911-12, 1913-14, 1925-26, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1935-36, 1946-47, 1947-48, and 1950-51) and one Ivy League championship (1967-1968). The team has played in the NCAA Basketball Tournament three times (1948, 1951, and 1968), and been nationally ranked in the AP Poll during 4 seasons (1950-51, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70), finishing 3rd in the country in 1951, and 7th in 1968. The Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively recognized Columbia as national champions in college basketball 1904, 1905, and 1910.[1]
Individual honors
Columbia's program has also featured 13 consensus first team all-american players, their 19 combined selections ranking Columbia 9th all time among college basketball programs, tied with Duke. The last all-american was Chet Forte in 1957, where his co-honorees included future NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (whom Forte outscored over the course of the season), and future NBA all-star Rod Hundley.[2]
The program also has its fair share of black sheep, most infamously, Jack Molinas CC'53, who bet on games while a student, leading to a lifetime ban from the NBA, and later was involved in a point-shaving scandal that led to his imprisonment.
Team Record
| Year | Overall Record | Ivy League Record | Ivy Finish | Coach | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |||
| 2013-14 | Kyle Smith 42-44 Overall; 14-28 Ivy League | |||||
| 2012-13 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 8 | |
| 2011-12 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2010-11 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 8 | T-5 | |
| 2009-10 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 9 | T-5 | Joe Jones 86-108 Overall; 39-59 Ivy League |
| 2008-09 | 12 | 16 | 7 | 7 | T-4 | |
| 2007-08 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 7 | T-4 | |
| 2006-07 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2005-06 | 11 | 16 | 4 | 10 | T-7[3] | |
| 2004-05 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 8 | |
| 2003-04 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 8 | T-5 | |
| 2002-03 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 14 | 8 | Armond Hill 72-141 Overall; 33-79 Ivy League |
| 2001-02 | 11 | 17 | 4 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2000-01 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 7 | T-4 | |
| 1999-00 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 7 | T-3 | |
| 1998-99 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 1997-98 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 8 | T-4 | |
| 1996-97 | 6 | 20 | 1 | 13 | 8 | |
| 1995-96 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 11 | T-7[3] | |
| 1994-95 | 4 | 22 | 1 | 13 | 8 | Jack Rohan 197-248 Overall; 106-145 Ivy League |
| 1993-94 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 10 | 7 | |
| 1992-93 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1991-92 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1990-91 | 7 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 7 | |
| 1989-90 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 12 | 8 | Wally Halas 18-60 Overall; 8-34 Ivy League |
| 1988-89 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 7 | |
| 1987-88 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 12 | T-7[3] | |
| 1986-87 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 6 | Wayne Szoke 37-41 Overall; 21-21 Ivy League |
| 1985-86 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 8 | T-6 | |
| 1984-85 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1983-84 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 7 | Buddy Mahar 70-86 Overall; 41-43 Ivy League |
| 1982-83 | 10 | 16 | 7 | 7 | T-3 | |
| 1981-82 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 5 | T-2 | |
| 1980-81 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 9 | T-4 | |
| 1979-80 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 1978-79 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1977-78 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 3 | T-2 | Thomas Penders; 43-60 Overall |
| 1976-77 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1975-76 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 8 | T-4 | |
| 1974-75 | 4 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1973-74 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 12 | T-7[3] | Jack Rohan 154-161 Overall; 78-103 Ivy League |
| 1972-73 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 6 | |
| 1971-72 | 4 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 1970-71 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 7 | |
| 1969-70 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 5 | T-3 | |
| 1968-69 | 20 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1967-68 | 23 | 5 | 12 | 2 | T-1[4] | |
| 1966-67 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 5 | |
| 1965-66 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 4 | T-2 | |
| 1964-65 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 1963-64 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 8 | T-5 | |
| 1962-63 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 7 | |
| 1961-62 | 3 | 21 | 1 | 13 | 8 | |
| 1960-61 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 10 | T-6[3] | Archie Oldham 15-39 Overall; 4-2? Ivy League Kenneth Hunter 5-11 Overall; 4-? Ivy League[5] |
| 1959-60 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 8 | |
| 1958-59 | 3 | 21 | 2 | 12 | 8 | |
| 1957-58 | 6 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 8 | Lou Rossini 117-71 Overall; 63-43 Ivy League |
| 1956-57 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 5 | T-3 | |
| 1955-56 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 5 | T-2 | |
| 1954-55 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 4 | T-2[6] | |
| 1953-54 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 5 | |
| 1952-53 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1951-52 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1950-51 | 21 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1949-50 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 2 | Gordon Ridings 70-21 Overall; |
| 1948-49 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 4 | T-2 | |
| 1947-48 | 20 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1946-47 | 15 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1945-46 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 4 | Paul Mooney 101-81 Overall; 64-52 Ivy League |
| 1944-45 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | Elmer Ripley 16-19 Overall; 3-11 Ivy League |
| 1943-44 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 6 | T-3[3] | |
| 1942-43 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | Cliff Battles 8-8 Overall; 5-7 Ivy League |
| 1941-42 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 7 | Paul Mooney 90-72 Overall; 61-47 Ivy League |
| 1940-41 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | |
| 1939-40 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 5 | |
| 1938-39 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1937-38 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | T-4 | |
| 1936-37 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 5 | T-3 | |
| 1935-36 | 19 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1934-35 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 2[6] | |
| 1933-34 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 6 | |
| 1932-33 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Daniel Meehan 94-56 Overall; 51-29 Ivy League |
| 1931-32 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2[6] | |
| 1930-31 | 20 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1929-30 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1928-29 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | T-3 | |
| 1927-28 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 6 | |
| 1926-27 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 5 | T-3 | |
| 1925-26 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1924-25 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | T-2 | Joseph Deering 47-40 Overall |
| 1923-24 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 4 | T-2 | |
| 1922-23 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1921-22 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 5 | |
| 1920-21 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | |
| 1919-20 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Bebe Benson 4-10 Overall; 3-7 Ivy League |
| 1918-19 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 5 | Fred Dawson 3-7 Overall; 2-6 Ivy League |
| 1917-18 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 5 | John Murray 4-9 Overall; 2-8 Ivy League |
| 1916-17 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Carl Merner 6-8 Overall; 3-7 Ivy League |
| 1915-16 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Harry Fisher 101-26 Overall; 46-28 Ivy League |
| 1914-15 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 4 | T-3 | |
| 1913-14 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 2 | T-1[7] | |
| 1912-13 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | T-3 | |
| 1911-12 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1910-11 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1909-10 | 11 | 0 | No League Play[8] | |||
| 1908-09 | 15 | 1 | No League Play[8] | |||
| 1907-08 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 3 | T-2 | |
| 1906-07 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1905-06 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | No coach |
| 1904-05 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1903-04 | 17 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1902-03 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1901-02 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | T-2 | |
| 1900-01 | 1 | 4 | No League Play[9] | |||
References
- ↑ Later research by Patrick Premo and Phil Porretta endorsed the 1904 and 1905 honors.
- ↑ NCAA Awards through 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Multiple teams tied with worst record in the league.
- ↑ Tie for best record with Princeton. Won playoff game.
- ↑ Oldham abruptly resigned mid-season on Janury 4, 1961 after two and a half rocky years. Hunter served as acting coach to finish the 60-61 season.[1]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Tied for best record. Lost playoff.
- ↑ Co-Champions with Cornell. The shared title in league history; all others ties were broken by a playoff game.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The EIBL collapsed after 1907-1909 and was re-founded in 1910-1911.
- ↑ Columbia's first season of basketball occurred prior to the formation of the EIBL in 1901-1902.
