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Catholic University Cardinals
Catholic University Cardinals
University	The Catholic University of America
Head coach	Aaron Kelly (1st season)
Conference	Landmark Conference; III Division
Location	Washington, D.C.
Arena	Raymond A. DuFour Athletic Center
Nickname	Cardinals
Colors	Cardinal red and black;
NCAA tournament champions
	2001
NCAA tournament Final Four
	2001
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
	2001
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
	1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
NCAA tournament round of 32
	1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015
NCAA tournament First Four
	1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016
NCAA tournament appearances
	Division I: 1944; Division II: 1964; Division III: 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016

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.^[2] Although it did not have an official head coach, the roster listed Joseph Bollin as the team's "manager."^[2] 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.^[2] 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.^[2]

Fred Rice, a graduate student, joined the team in the 1911–12 season as a player coach.^[2] Rice had previously played at Georgetown, where he earned a law degree.^[2] The team improved to 10–7, and then 13–3 in 1912–13.^[2]

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.^[2]

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,^[3] 2016,^[4] 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

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