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,

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 Dartmouth College L 38–63 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 Hofstra University L 91–92 (2OT) 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 2nd Johns Hopkins University W 67–62 Sectional Semifinals Hunter College L 82–84 (2 OT) 1999 1st Lebanon Valley College W 77–72 2nd Goucher College W 73–69 Sectional Semifinals William Paterson University L 71–79 2000 2nd Christopher Newport University W 65–64 Sectional Semifinals William Paterson University W 57–52 Sectional Finals Franklin & Marshall College L 74–85 2001 1st City College of New York W 82–65 2nd Widener University W 69–67 Sectional Semifinals State University of New York at Brockport W 69–64 Sectional Finals Clark University W 82–78 National Semifinals Ohio Northern University W 82–76 Championship William Paterson University W 76–62 2002 2nd Hampden–Sydney College W 74–66 Sectional Semifinals Clark University L 72–75 2003 2nd Montclair State University L 78–95 2004 1st SUNY-Old Westbury W 75–50 2nd Gwynedd–Mercy College L 72–74 (OT) 2006 1st Widener University L 59–61 2007 1st Messiah College W 37–58 2nd Lincoln University L 70–81 2013 1st College of Staten Island W 67–61 2nd Williams College L 78–89 2015 1st Alvernia University W 87–80 2nd Randolph–Macon College L 65–78 2016 1st Endicott College L 76–84 2024 1st Worcester State University W 75-72 (OT) 2nd Rowan University L 85–89 20251stFranklin & MarshallW84-502ndRandolph–MaconW79-67Sectional SemifinalsRoanokeW95-91 (OT)Sectional FinalsTrinityL86-63

Coaches + Cardinals' CoachesYearsCoach 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

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