Navy Midshipmen men's basketball

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]

Navy Midshipmen men's basketball
2024–25 Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team
InstitutionUnited States Naval Academy
Head coachJon Perry
ConferencePatriot
LocationAnnapolis, Maryland
ArenaAlumni Hall
(capacity: 5,710)
NicknameMidshipmen
Student sectionTBD
ColorsNavy blue and gold[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1947, 1954, 1986
Other NCAA tournament results
Sweet Sixteen1954, 1959, 1986
Appearances1947, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1997, 1998
Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions
1913, 1919
Pre-tournament Helms 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
Conference division regular-season champions
Patriot South: 2021

The U.S. Naval Academy began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in the 1907–08 season. Navy was retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion for the 1912–13 and 1918–19 seasons by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and for the 1912–13 season by the Helms Athletic Foundation.[3] The Midshipmen have appeared 11 times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 1998.

Early history

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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, Navy was retroactively recognized as national champions for the 1912–13 and 1918–19 seasons by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[4][5] The 1913 team finished with a perfect 9–0 record, while the 1919 squad posted a 10–0 mark. These early successes laid the foundation for Navy’s long-standing basketball tradition.

Tournament success (1986-2004)

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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 center David Robinson, who was selected first overall in the 1987 NBA Draft.[6][7]

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.[8][9]

Present-day success (2020-present)

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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.[10] 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).[11]

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.[12] Following the season, Ed DeChellis retired after 14 seasons, and Jon Perry was promoted to head coach.[13]

Postseason history

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NCAA tournament results

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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 8–11.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1947 Quarterfinals Holy Cross L 47–55
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

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The Midshipmen have appeared in one National Invitation Tournament. Their record is 0–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
1962 First round Duquesne L 58–70

Conference tournament championships

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Patriot League tournament

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See: Patriot League men's basketball 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

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See: Colonial Athletic Association#History of the Tournament Final
  • 1985: tournament champion (tournament MVP: Vernon Butler)[14]
  • 1986: tournament champion (tournament MVP: David Robinson)
  • 1987: tournament champion (tournament MVP: David Robinson)

Awards and honors

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Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Year

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  • 1984–85 – David Robinson
  • 1985–86 – David Robinson
  • 1986–87 – David Robinson[15]

Patriot League Men's Basketball Player of the Year

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Athletic Hall of Fame

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For basketball players in the USNA Athletic Hall of Fame, see footnote[16]

The Athletic Hall of Fame is housed in Lejeune Hall. Among the exhibits is the Eastman Award won by David Robinson in 1987.[17]

Notable players

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References

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  1. ^ "Navy Academy Athletics Logos / Style Sheet". December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Navy men's basketball 2006–07 media guide. Accessed April 20, 2008.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Peterson, Robert W. (1991). Cagers: A History of College Basketball. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195064198. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  5. ^ "Premo-Porretta Power Poll". College Poll Archive. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  6. ^ "Pete Herrmann Coaching Record". Sports Reference. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  7. ^ "Pete Herrmann". Coaches Database. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  8. ^ "Don DeVoe". Coaches Database. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  9. ^ "Don DeVoe Selected for Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame". UT Sports. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  10. ^ "Navy Men's Basketball Earns Patriot League South Division Title". Patriot League. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  11. ^ "2020–21 Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  12. ^ "2025 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  13. ^ "Navy Promotes Jon Perry to Head Men's Basketball Coach". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-05-25.
  14. ^ Men's Basketball Past Team Champions. Colonial Athletic Association official website. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ Hall of Fame Index Archived 2009-10-28 at the Wayback Machine (by sport). Naval Academy Varsity Athletics official website. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
  17. ^ Bailey, Steve (August 22, 2008). "In Annapolis, Md., the Past Is Always at Hand". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
  18. ^ "Navy Men's Basketball: A Tradition of Excellence". NavySports. CBS Sports. 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  19. ^ My San Antonio.com – Christenson: Dreaming of Mr. Robinson's neighborhood. Accessed July 2, 2008. Archived September 30, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ 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").
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