| Bucknell Bison | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Bucknell University | ||
| Head coach | John Griffin III (1st season) | ||
| Conference | Patriot | ||
| Location | Lewisburg, Pennsylvania | ||
| Arena | Sojka Pavilion (Capacity: 4,000) | ||
| Nickname | Bison | ||
| Student section | TBD | ||
| Colors | Blue and orange[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions | |||
| 1901 | |||
| NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
| 2005, 2006 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1987, 1989, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| ECC: 1987, 1989 Patriot League: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| ECC: 1979, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989 Patriot League: 1992, 1993, 1995, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 | |||
The Bucknell Bison men's basketball team represents Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Patriot League and plays home games in Sojka Pavilion.[2] John Griffin III was appointed the program's 22nd head coach on March 21, 2023.[3]
Bucknell began varsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in 1896.[4] The Bison were retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion for the 1900–01 season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[5]
Postseason
Bucknell has appeared in 11 postseason tournaments, with three wins in total. In 2005, Bucknell defeated #3 seed Kansas in the first round as a #14 seed, in the biggest upset of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. They received the award for "Best Upset" at the 2005 ESPY Awards. The following year, they received a #9 seed (highest in Patriot League history) and defeated the #8 seeded Arkansas in the first round.
NCAA tournament results
The Bison have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 2–8.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | #16 | First Round | #1 Georgetown | L 53–75 |
| 1989 | #15 | First Round | #2 Syracuse | L 81–104 |
| 2005 | #14 | First Round Second Round | #3 Kansas #6 Wisconsin | W 64–63 L 62–71 |
| 2006 | #9 | First Round Second Round | #8 Arkansas #1 Memphis | W 59–55 L 56–72 |
| 2011 | #14 | First Round | #3 UConn | L 52–81 |
| 2013 | #11 | First Round | #6 Butler | L 56–68 |
| 2017 | #13 | First Round | #4 West Virginia | L 80–86 |
| 2018 | #14 | First Round | #3 Michigan State | L 78–82 |
From 2011–2015 the round of 64 was known as the Second Round
NIT results
The Bison have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) three times. Their record is 1–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | First Round Second Round | Arizona Nevada | W 65–54 L 67–75 |
| 2015 | First Round | Temple | L 67–73 |
| 2016 | First Round | Monmouth | L 80–90 |
Seasons
Records
Award winners
Conference Player of the Year
| Year | Player | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Jaye Andrews | East Coast Conference |
| 1992 | Patrick King | Patriot League |
| 1993 | Mike Bright | Patriot League |
| 2006 | Charles Lee | Patriot League |
| 2011 | Mike Muscala | Patriot League |
| 2013 | Mike Muscala (2) | Patriot League |
| 2014 | Cameron Ayers | Patriot League |
| 2017 | Nana Foulland | Patriot League |
| 2018 | Zach Thomas | Patriot League |
Conference Coach of the Year
| Year | Player | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Charlie Woollum | East Coast Conference |
| 1985 | Charlie Woollum (2) | East Coast Conference |
| 1987 | Charlie Woollum (3) | East Coast Conference |
| 1993 | Charlie Woollum (4) | Patriot League |
| 1995 | Pat Flannery | Patriot League |
| 1997 | Pat Flannery (2) | Patriot League |
| 2006 | Pat Flannery (3) | Patriot League |
| 2011 | Dave Paulsen | Patriot League |
| 2012 | Dave Paulsen (2) | Patriot League |
| 2016 | Nathan Davis | Patriot League |
| 2017 | Nathan Davis (2) | Patriot League |
Retired numbers
The Bison have retired three jersey numbers in program history.[6]
| No. | Player | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Al Leslie | 1977–1981 |
| 31 | Mike Muscala | 2009–2013 |
| 44 | Hal Danzig | 1956–1959 |
NBA draft
Bucknell has had three players drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA). Mike Muscala is the only current active Bison playing in the NBA.
| Player | Draft | Round | Pick | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Leslie | 1981 | 2 | 37 | Indiana Pacers | Highest drafted in program history |
| Jaye Andrews | 1985 | 7 | 169 | Philadelphia 76ers | — |
| Mike Muscala | 2013 | 2 | 44 | Atlanta Hawks | Only Bison to play in the NBA |
Bisons in international leagues
- Bryan Cohen (born 1989), American-Israeli basketball player
- Nate Sestina (born 1997), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
References
- ↑ "Bucknell University Brand Guidelines". Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ↑ Bucknell Bison men's basketball 2007-08 media guide Archived April 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed April 19, 2008.
- ↑ "John Griffin III ’08 Named Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Bucknell," Bucknell University Athletics, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Bucknell Bison". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ↑ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. p. 529. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ↑ "Bucknell to Retire Jerseys of Former Basketball Stars Hal Danzig, Al Leslie". CBS Sports. February 6, 2006. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
