Birth of a program

The Dolphins' first varsity basketball game was a home game at the State Fair Coliseum against Siena on December 7, 1948, a 41–39 loss for Le Moyne.^[2] Trailing by eight points with seven minutes remaining in the first half, Le Moyne went on a 21–6 run to claim a seven-point lead at the break. The Dolphins came out cold in the second half, scoring just a single basket in the first 16 minutes to surrender the lead. Le Moyne bounced back to tie the game in the final minute, but a buzzer-beating set shot by Roy Peters gave the Indians the victory.^[3] The opening game against Siena had been treated by Le Moyne's students as not simply a debut of the Dolphins as a basketball team but as the first game of what was expected to become a heated rivalry. In anticipation of the game, "BEAT SIENA!" was the front-page headline on the school newspaper.^[4] A pep rally was held the night before the Siena game and was attended by the team, the head coach, the athletic director and, of course, the cheerleaders.^[5]

Le Moyne's first head coach was Tommy Niland, and he led the team for 25 years, until 1973. Niland remained at Le Moyne after his coaching career ended, continuing in his role as the athletic director until his retirement in 1990. Le Moyne's athletic center is named in his honor.

Le Moyne's first victory came on the road at the Geneva Armory against Hobart in the Dolphins' second game.^[2] Dave Lozo scored three early baskets to give Le Moyne a lead they never relinquished. Coach Niland pulled the Dolphins' starters off the floor midway through the second half with a 22-point lead. Lozo finished the game with 13 points, and team captain Don Savage added 11, as Le Moyne cruised to a 50–37 victory.^[6]

During the first three years of its varsity basketball program, Le Moyne was led on the court by Don Savage. Savage had appeared in Le Moyne College's first ever intercollegiate contest on December 4, 1947, a 62–57 overtime victory for the freshman basketball team over Utica.^[7] Savage had eight points in that game, while Dave Lozo had a game-high 18 for the Dolphins.^[8] Joe Boehm served as captain of that freshman team,^[9] which was coached by Tommy Niland in an effort to build the basketball program from the ground up. Niland pulled double duty, serving as coach of both the varsity and freshman teams through the end of the 1949–50 season.^[10]

The challenge faced by Le Moyne during its inaugural varsity season was unique. The Dolphins were not simply a first-year basketball team; Le Moyne was a second-year institution. Therefore, the Dolphins were composed entirely of sophomores and faced teams with experienced juniors and seniors in every game.

More than halfway through their inaugural season, a 53–31 loss at Siena on January 29, 1949,^[11] left the Dolphins with a 5–6 record. A 70–40 home victory over McMaster^[12] proved to be the turning point, sparking a five-game winning streak.^[13] After losing on a neutral floor to Brockport State in Auburn, New York,^[13] the Dolphins won their final two games of the season, both on the road, to make it seven wins in their final eight games and finish 12–7, a respectable mark for an all-sophomore team.^[14]

Following a disappointing 1949–50 regular season that saw the Dolphins finish 8–12, Le Moyne was invited to a four-team post-season tournament sponsored by the Utica Optimist Club and played in the Utica Free Academy gymnasium. In the semifinal, the Dolphins avenged a loss earlier in the season by beating Brockport State, 67–60. The following night, Le Moyne found themselves in a tight contest, clinging to a 57–55 lead over Utica, playing on their home court. Captain Don Savage^[15] was fouled with about a minute remaining and sank both free throws to extend the Dolphins' lead to four points. Utica scored the game's final basket, but the Dolphins won the game, 59–57, and took the tournament title. Savage scored 25 points in the semifinal and 26 in the final to claim the tournament's Outstanding Player award.^[16]

Aside from the victory in the Utica Optimist Club tournament, the highlight of Le Moyne's 1949–50 season was the 40 points scored by Don Savage on December 16, 1949, in a 78–68 loss to St. Francis (NY). The point total was a new high for a Le Moyne player as well as the most points scored by any player in a college or professional game at the State Fair Coliseum.^[17]

First national postseason tournament appearances

In June 1950, Le Moyne became a charter member of the Eastern Catholic Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (ECIAC). Earlier in 1950, Le Moyne had declined an invitation to join the conference during its initial formation stage. The major concern was the expected difficulty in scheduling home games, since Le Moyne was sharing the State Fair Coliseum with both the Syracuse Nationals and the Syracuse Orangemen.^[18] The ECIAC did not schedule conference games for its members. Instead, teams were expected to schedule at least five conference games in order to be considered in the standings of the league, the champion of which would be determined by winning percentage in conference games.^[19] The Dolphins scheduled seven conference matchups for the 1950–51 season, five of which were road games.^[20] Shortly before the start of the season, one more home game and one more road game were added to the conference schedule.^[21] After only one season, the ECIAC ceased publicizing itself as a conference and became an association of its members schools with no champion crowned, leaving Le Moyne an independent again for 1951–52.^[22]

By the 1950–51 season, team captain Don Savage was a seasoned senior.^[23] Despite efforts to prepare the team, including scheduling preseason scrimmages against the Syracuse Nationals featuring future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes,^[24] Le Moyne got off to a terrible start, losing their first five games (one of which was against the New York Athletic Club which in 1953, was retroactively erased as a collegiate contest by the Bevo Francis rule)^[25][26] and six of their first seven, all of which were on the road. Savage led the Dolphins to a win over rival Siena, who had beaten Le Moyne in double overtime in the season opener, and the team's fortunes turned from there. It was the first time the Dolphins had ever beaten Siena after five losses. The victory ignited a seven-game winning streak^[27] and a run of 10 wins in 11 games, giving the Dolphins an 11–7 record (11–6 in collegiate contests, as retroactively adjusted in 1953).^[25]

The Dolphins were again invited to participate in the second annual Utica Optimist Club tournament. Le Moyne recorded two blowout victories, first over Utica, which was playing on its home court, 86–69, in the semifinal and then over Hartwick, 86–65, in the title game to secure their second straight tournament championship.^[2] These two wins along with a 20-point home victory over King's in their regular-season finale gave the Dolphins six straight wins and a run of 13 wins in 14 games, pushing their record in collegiate contests to 14–6. As one of the hottest teams in college basketball, Le Moyne was awarded an at-large berth in the prestigious National Catholic Invitational Tournament (NCIT), its first major post-season appearance.^[7] At the time, it was not unusual for a team to participate in more than one post-season tournament.

The 1951 NCIT was played in Albany, New York, in the backyard of rival Siena, which also received an invitation and got a bye to the quarterfinals. In the first round, Don Savage set a new single-game scoring record for an NCIT game with 33 points, and the Dolphins cruised to a 95–67 blowout victory over Saint Michael's.^[28][29]

The Dolphins faced Siena in the quarterfinals in what was essentially a road environment, but Le Moyne came away with a 57–53 victory. A Dave Lozo layup in the second half gave the Dolphins a 32–31 lead they never relinquished. Le Moyne's lead grew as large as nine points, and the Indians continued to claw their way back into the game, but the Dolphins maintained the lead. Siena's All-America finalist, Billy Harrell was frustrated on the boards by Le Moyne's Joe Endres and guarded ferociously by Billy Jenkins. Harrell finished with only four points. Don Savage led the Dolphins with 20 points.^[30][31]

Despite 14 points from Don Savage and 12 from Billy Jenkins, the Dolphins fell in the NCIT semifinals, 84–66, to St. Francis (NY).^[32] Le Moyne went on to defeat Mount St. Mary's, 63–61, in the third-place game,^[2][7][33] the final game in the collegiate career of Don Savage, who went on the play parts of two seasons in the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals.^[34] The Dolphins had a 61–50 lead with four minutes to play, but Mount St. Mary's went on an 11–0 run to tie the game. Jim Hand's one-handed shot 10 feet from the basket with 13 seconds on the clock provided the winning margin for the Dolphins. Savage was named to the all-tournament first team.^[35]

During the 1950–51 season, Don Savage and Dave Lozo became the first Dolphins to reach the 1,000 career points plateau. Savage was the first to reach the mark in a home game against Brockport State on January 6.^[36] Lozo followed exactly two weeks later, at home against Oswego State.^[37]

In March 1951, Le Moyne announced it would play its home games in the upcoming season in the new Onondaga County War Memorial. Most of the games would be part of doubleheaders that would also feature Syracuse Orangemen home games.^[38]

In April 1951, the NCAA granted a blanket waiver allowing freshmen at schools with fewer than 1,000 male students to play varsity basketball to address a manpower shortage caused by the Korean War.^[39][40] Le Moyne opted not to field a freshman team for 1951–52, and allowed freshmen to try out for the varsity team instead.^[41] The Dolphins did, however, field a junior varsity team.^[42]

The Dolphins elected senior Jim Hand and junior Billy Jenkins co-captains for the 1951–52 season. As they had done the previous year, Le Moyne played several scrimmages against the Syracuse Nationals during training camp.^[43]

Despite a disappointing 5–14 regular-season record, Le Moyne was invited to the 1952 Utica Optimist Club tournament for the third straight year. Sparked by Jim Hand's 22 points, the Dolphins rushed to a 21–8 lead at the end of the first quarter and were ahead by 37–16 at halftime, cruising to a 72–42 victory over host Utica in the semifinal. Billy Jenkins had 16 points, while Fred Sheridan added 14, and Hand had 13 to lead the Dolphins to a 72–61 victory over Hartwick in the tournament title game, avenging a loss earlier in the season. Jenkins was named the tournament MVP.^[44]

Following the victories in Utica, Le Moyne was invited to the NCIT for the second consecutive season. The 1952 tournament was played in Troy, New York, and Le Moyne's student newspaper speculated that the Dolphins may have been invited, at least in part, because of support shown by their fans the previous year. In the first-round game against Providence, the Dolphins surged ahead in the second quarter after trailing by three points at the end of the first quarter. Dick Shea, who finished with 10 points, fouled out midway through the fourth quarter. A short time later, Jack Young, Billy Jenkins and Fred Sheridan all fouled out, leaving Le Moyne thin on manpower and clinging to a four-point lead. The Dolphins went into a deep freeze for the final three minutes to protect their lead. Le Moyne waived the free throws on five Friars fouls during this deep freeze in order to maintain possession of the ball. Providence was unable to regain possession, and Le Moyne held on for a 67–63 victory.^[45][46]

Despite 20 points from Freddy Sheridan, the Dolphins fell in their NCIT quarterfinal game, 75–61, to St. Francis (NY).^[45][47]

Le Moyne moved its home games to the West Jefferson Street Armory in Syracuse for the 1952–53 season.^[48] With the other 1951–52 co-captain, Jim Hand, having graduated, the Dolphins elected senior Billy Jenkins captain for 1952–53.^[49] All 11 of Le Moyne's scheduled home games were to be broadcast on WOLF with the station's sports director, Red Parton, doing the play-by-play.^[50] Despite an improved 12–8 record in collegiate contests and finding their way through a more difficult schedule than the previous season, Le Moyne did not participate in the post-season.

During training camp in November 1953, Le Moyne scrimmaged against the Syracuse Nationals, the Syracuse Orange and Cornell.^[51] In addition to carrying Le Moyne home games, WOLF also planned to broadcast select Dolphins road games during the 1953–54 season with Red Parton continuing in his role as the play-by-play man.^[52] Dick Shea was elected Le Moyne's team captain for the 1953–54 season.^[53] Prior to the 1953–54 season, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) passed a regulation barring freshman from playing varsity basketball, unless the institution had fewer than 500 male students. Le Moyne had fewer than 1,000 male students, the NCAA's criteria for allowing freshmen to play, but more than 500 male students. Although Le Moyne was not a member of the ECAC, many of its opponents were. The college decided to voluntarily comply with the ECAC rule to maintain good relations with the conference's members. Don Savage was appointed head coach of the hastily formed freshman team.^[54] The Dolphins finished the 1953–54 season 10–6.

Le Moyne had four of their five regular starters, including leading scorer Dick Kenyon, from the previous season return for 1954–55. The addition of Ron Mack, who had an outstanding season on the freshman team in 1953–54, to the varsity team was highly anticipated. However, Mack suffered torn ligaments in his ankle during a pre-season scrimmage.^[55] Patsy Leo, the only senior on the squad, was named team captain for 1954–55.^[56]

For the first time in team history, the Dolphins won their season opener, 71–57, over Saint Peter's at the West Jefferson Street Armory on December 4, 1954. Bob Dietz scored 21 points, 17 of them coming on free throws, for Le Moyne in the first game the team played under the NCAA's new one-and-one free throw rule. The Dolphins outscored the Peacocks, 35–15, from the charity stripe. Dick Kenyon added 16 points, all coming on field goals, for Le Moyne.^[57] Ron Mack did not appear in the game, but he made his varsity debut three days later at Niagara.^[58] Kenyon set a new Le Moyne single-game scoring record with 41 points on January 7, 1955, in a home victory over Saint Joseph's.^[59] After starting the 1954–55 season 9–3, the Dolphins slumped in February, losing five straight collegiate contests, and finished 11–8.^[2]

In April 1955, the Dolphins and Syracuse Orange reached an agreement to schedule their home games for the 1955–56 season as doubleheaders at the Onondaga County War Memorial.^[60]

In June 1955, Le Moyne became a charter member of the new Middle Eastern College Athletic Association (MECAA).^[61][62] The MECAA included teams that were also members of other conferences, a practice not uncommon at the time. When the NCAA split its members into the College Division and University Division in 1956,^[63] the MECAA included four teams (St. Francis (NY), Iona, St. Bonaventure and Siena) that were placed into the University Division, while Le Moyne and Saint Peter's were placed into the College Division. St. Francis was also a member of the Metropolitan New York Conference, and St. Bonaventure was also a member of the Western New York Little Three Conference. Nevertheless, all six schools initially continued their affiliation with the MECAA after the split.

Seniors Dick Kenyon and Lenny Mowins were elected co-captains for the 1955–56 season.^[64] Syracuse University radio station WAER began broadcasting all Dolphins home games, all of which were part of doubleheaders that also included Syracuse Orange home games, during the 1955–56 season. Hunter Low, the station's sports director, and John Laudermilch handled the play-by-play.^[65]

Although one of the stated goals of the MECAA's founding institutions was to avoid overemphasis on athletics,^[61] Le Moyne had its best season on the court up to that point in the inaugural MECAA campaign, their final year in the pre-division NCAA. The Dolphins started the season with seven straight wins in collegiate contests, including two at the Quantico Christmas tournament. After stumbling at mid-season, the Dolphins closed the campaign by winning seven of their final eight games to finish 15–6.^[2] Le Moyne's 4–2 conference record fell just short of capturing the MECAA title, which was won by St. Francis (NY), whom the Dolphins did not play, with a record of 4–1. Dick Kenyon became Le Moyne's all-time career points leader, surpassing Don Savage, in a 73–58 home victory over Cortland State on February 29, 1956. Kenyon played four years of varsity basketball, because freshmen were temporarily allowed to play in 1952–53, while Savage was a varsity player for only three seasons.^[66] Kenyon's efforts were recognized: he was named a first-team MECAA All-Star, while Bob Dietz was named to the second team.^[67]

Senior Ron Mack was elected team captain for the 1956–57 season.^[68] The Dolphins lost two prolific scorers, Dick Kenyon and Bob Dietz, to graduation and were plagued by a rash of injuries,^[69] finishing the season 10–9.^[2] Four of Le Moyne's losses came against teams that received NIT bids.^[70] A fifth loss came at the hands of Saint Michael's, who went to the NCAA College Division tournament. Dolphins senior Don Cavellier was named All-MECAA second team, and Bob Smolinski earned All-MECAA honorable mention.^[71][72]

Le Moyne ended its agreement with the Syracuse Orange to play its home games as part of doubleheaders at the Onondaga County War Memorial and moved back to the West Jefferson Street Armory for the 1957–58 season.^[73][74] Senior Frank Bergen was elected team captain.^[75] The Dolphins started the season 4–8 but rebounded to finish 11–11 with five of their losses coming against teams that received NIT bids.^[2][76] Le Moyne's Dick Lynch was named All-MECAA first team, and senior John Young earned honorable mention.^[77] Lynch set a new record for points scored in a MECAA game on February 21, in an 81–67 loss at Saint Peter's.^[78][79]

The 1958–59 season was the start of a golden era for Le Moyne Dolphins basketball. They appeared in six of the 10 NCAA College Division tournaments between 1959 and 1968, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1964. The Dolphins went 4–1 in MECAA play in 1958–59, and lost out on the conference title to St. Bonaventure, who went 4–0 but did not play Le Moyne. Nevertheless, a 17–5 regular season was good enough to earn the Dolphins their first berth in the NCAA tournament. The Dolphins won their first ever NCAA tournament game, 72–66, over Williams. However, in the Regional Final Sweet 16 game, Le Moyne fell short, 71–70, against Saint Michael's, who was playing on their home court.^[80][81]

The Dolphins were 13-3 during the 1959–60 regular season and earned their second straight NCAA tournament berth.^[2] Le Moyne also won their first MECAA title with a 4–1 conference record. In the tournament, the Dolphins fell to St. Anselm in the regional semifinals and then lost the consolation game to Assumption to finish fourth in the region.^[80] Le Moyne's head coach, Tommy Niland, was named MECAA coach of the year. The 1959–60 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2011.^[82]

Up to the 1959–60 season, some MECAA teams did not play full round-robin conference schedules, and others played each conference opponent with home-and-home series versus some but not all conference members. The uneven scheduling created controversy about which team deserved the championship in cases where it had been decided in favor of a team that had scheduled one extra or one fewer game, since the conference title was awarded based on winning percentage against conference opponents.^[83] To address this perceived inequity, the MECAA staged the 1960 Christmas tournament, which was originally planned to be held annually in December to determine a champion with all conference teams on equal footing. Since the MECAA had five members at the time (Le Moyne, St. Francis (NY), Iona, Saint Peter's and Siena), three other teams (Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island and Wagner) were invited to ensure the tournament champion would need to win three games.^[84] St. Francis (NY) had won the 1955–56 conference championship with a 4–1 record, while both Le Moyne and St. Bonaventure were 4–2 versus conference opponents that season. St. Bonaventure had won the 1958–59 title in its final year as a member of the conference with a 4–0 record, while Le Moyne was 4–1 in conference games that season. The Brown Indians had two wins against Siena and one win against each of St. Francis (NY) and Iona but did not play Le Moyne or Saint Peter's, who was 3–1 with its loss coming against Le Moyne.

The Dolphins defeated Saint Peter's, Iona and Long Island to take the 1960 MECAA tournament title. Despite the initial plans, the 1960 Christmas tournament was the only tournament the MECAA ever held. The tournament was unique, since it could be differentiated from a conference tournament, because it was not held at the end of the season and included non-member teams. It also does not resemble an in-season multiple-team event, since all MECAA teams participated rather than limiting tournament entries to one team per conference.

Following the tournament, the MECAA awarded its championship for the 1960–61 season to the team with the best winning percentage against conference opponents excluding games played during the Christmas tournament. The title was again decided by the result of an extra game. The final game of the season between conference opponents matched Iona and Siena with Iona and Saint Peter's tied for first place at 3–1. Siena's upset victory over Iona, who had given Saint Peter's their only conference loss, dropped the Gaels' record to 3–2 and gave the Peacocks the championship.^[85] Le Moyne's Bill Stanley was named a 1961 MECAA All-Star. John Caveny and Tom Burns were named Second Team MECAA All-Stars.^[83]

Starting with the 1961–62 season, the MECAA began to play a round-robin schedule with each team playing one conference game against each other member. If conference members scheduled more than one game against each other, one game was designated in advance as the game that would count in the conference standings. This system continued for the remainder of the MECAA's existence, except for a few instances in which conference games could not be scheduled or needed to be cancelled. Le Moyne took the 1962 MECAA title with a 4–1 record.

In 1963–64, Le Moyne won their third MECAA title with a 4–1 record and returned to the NCAA tournament after a 17–5 regular season.^[2] The Dolphins' 65–63 late-season victory at Buffalo ended the Bulls' 45-game home winning streak and was a key element in Le Moyne securing an NCAA tournament bid.^[86][87] A regional semifinal victory over Youngstown State, ranked no. 6 nationally in the Associated Press College Division poll at the time,^[88] put the Dolphins in the Sweet 16, where they fell to Akron, the region's top seed, who were playing at home.^[80]

Le Moyne won its second straight MECAA championship in 1964–65, and returned to the NCAA tournament. The Dolphins were the top seed in the New England Region and hosted the regional semifinals and final.^[89] However, Le Moyne suffered losses to Assumption and Hartwick and finished fourth in the region.^[80] Tom Mullen led the Dolphins with 18 points in an 18-point loss to Assumption. Le Moyne trailed by 16 at halftime and spent most of the game in foul trouble. Despite a brief spurt early in the second half, the Dolphins could not get closer than 10 points behind the Greyhounds the rest of the way.^[90] In the regional third-place game, Hartwick used an 11–0 run in the later stages of the second half to erase the Dolphins' 56–53 lead and go ahead by eight points. Le Moyne fought back with a 12–6 run and had the ball down by two points with 31 seconds to play. However, the Warriors' defense held on for a 70–68 victory. Gary DeYulia and Tom Mullin led the Dolphins with 17 points each.^[91]

The only blemish on Le Moyne's 1965–66 conference slate was a February loss at Saint Peter's. However, the Peacocks went 5–0 in MECAA play to take the title. The Dolphins' 15–5 regular-season record^[2] was good enough to earn them a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament, and they were chosen to host first-round and regional semifinal games. Le Moyne lost their first-round game to Philadelphia Textile but were able to salvage their consolation game against Potsdam State.^[80]

After a disappointing 1966–67 season, Le Moyne earned their fourth NCAA tournament berth in five years in 1968, following a 14–6 regular season.^[2] The Dolphins suffered defeats at the hands of Buffalo State and Northeastern to finish seventh in the region.^[92]

The Dolphins won their fifth MECAA championship in 1968–69 with a 4–1 conference record and were 15–8 over all,^[2] but they were not selected to play in the postseason.

In 1972–73, Tommy Niland's 25th and final season as head coach, Le Moyne went 5–0 in MECAA play to win their sixth conference championship. Niland closed his coaching career with a 65–61 loss at archrival Siena on March 3, 1973. The Dolphins were 13–9 in his final season,^[2] and his 326 wins and six NCAA tournament appearances both remain the most ever by a Le Moyne head coach.

Le Moyne remained a member of the MECAA throughout the conference's entire existence, until it was dissolved following the 1975–76 season. The Dolphins took the MECAA title six times during their 21 seasons of membership, the most championships of any member. Since conference membership crossed NCAA divisions, the MECAA champion was not awarded an automatic bid to any NCAA tournament.

Le Moyne became a Division II institution, when the College Division was split in 1973. Following the dissolution of the MECAA in 1976, the Dolphins played as an independent until joining the Mideast Collegiate Conference (MECC) in 1983, and remained a member of that conference, until it dissolved in 1991. Le Moyne won two MECC regular-season titles and one conference tournament during their eight years in the league.

As MECC tournament champions in 1988, Le Moyne returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 20 years with a 23–5 regular-season record under the leadership of head coach John Beilein.^[2][93] After suffering a first-round loss to California (PA), the Dolphins rebounded to defeat Kutztown and finish third in the region.^[94] The 24 wins were the most in program history up to that point. The 1987–88 Dolphins were inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame as a team in 2017.^[95]

After playing the 1991–92 season as an independent, Le Moyne joined the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) in 1992. Led by head coach Scott Hicks,^[93] a Le Moyne alumnus whose playing career spanned 1984 to 1988, the Dolphins won the NECC tournament in 1996, their final season in the league, and that earned them a berth in the NCAA tournament, where they were seeded 5th in the Northeast Region. Although they entered the tournament with a 24–5 record,^[2] the Dolphins suffered a 30-point loss in the first round at the hands of Franklin Pierce.^[94] The 24 wins matched the highest total in program history, previously achieved in 1987–88.

In 1996, the Dolphins joined the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10), where they remained until beginning reclassification to Division I as a member of the NEC in 2023. During their 26 seasons over a span of 27 years in the NE10 (the 2020–21 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Le Moyne won four regular-season conference championships and two conference tournaments.

Despite a losing record in their first NE10 season, Le Moyne won the conference tournament and advanced to the 1997 NCAA tournament, their second straight appearance. The Dolphins lost in the first round to Saint Rose.^[96]

Le Moyne followed up their 1997 NCAA tournament appearance with a 20–8 season in 1997–98, under first-year head coach Dave Paulsen.^[93] Their 14–6 conference record was good enough for a share of the NE10 regular-season crown.^[2] The Dolphins' season ended with a loss to Assumption in the conference tournament semifinals.^[97] Le Moyne had finished in a three-way tie for first place with Assumption and Stonehill, who was upset in the tournament quarterfinals. Assumption won the conference tournament and was the only NE10 team selected to play in the 1998 NCAA tournament.

Although it was an exhibition game, the Dolphins nevertheless attracted national attention when they defeated Syracuse at the Carrier Dome on November 3, 2009. Syracuse was ranked no. 25 in the preseason AP poll at the time. However, Christopher Johnson's three-pointer with 8.3 seconds remaining gave Division II Le Moyne an 82–79 road victory over a Division I national power.^[98] Syracuse had finished the previous season 28–10, ranked no. 13 in Division I, and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Once the season started, the Orange recovered. They were 2009–10 Big East Conference regular-season champions and reached the Sweet 16 of the 2010 NCAA tournament.

Despite an exit from the 2014 NE10 tournament in the semifinals,^[97] Le Moyne received and at-large NCAA tournament bid. As the 6th seed in the East Region, the Dolphins were defeated by St. Anselm. Le Moyne finished the 2013–14 season 17–12.^[2]

Patrick Beilein, son of John Beilein, who coached the Dolphins from 1983 to 1992, took the head coaching reigns in 2015. After a losing record in his first season, Beilein produced an era of success for Le Moyne basketball with three straight NCAA tournament appearances. Beilein made his debut as the Dolphins' head coach in an exhibition game against Michigan, coached by his father, at the Crisler Center. More than 70 members of the Beilein clan traveled from around the country to attend the game, which Michigan won, 74–52.^[99]

In 2016–17, the Dolphins won the NE10 Southwest Division title and had the best regular-season record in the entire conference. Despite being upset in the NE10 tournament semifinals,^[97] Le Moyne's 22–6 record was good enough to secure an at-large berth as the no. 1 seed in the East Region of the NCAA tournament, hosting the first three rounds. However, the Dolphins suffered a first-round loss to Merrimack, 72–68, in overtime in front of the home crowd.^[100] For his efforts, Beilein was named 2017 NE10 coach of the year.^[101]

Le Moyne's 2017–18 season was perhaps the best in program history by all measures. They achieved a new high in wins with 27,^[2] won the NE10 Southwest Division title, had the best conference record of any NE10 team, won the conference tournament^[97] and secured a no. 1 seed and hosting rights at the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight. The Dolphins were an astounding 18–2 in conference play and entered the NE tournament with a 21–6 record and blitzed their way to the title. They defeated Stonehill by 39 points in the quarterfinals and topped Merrimack, 83–55, in the semifinals. The title game was a 69–63 victory over Northeast Division champion St. Anselm. Le Moyne's Isaiah Eisendorf was named tournament MVP. Coach Beilein collected his second straight NE10 coach of the year award.^[97]

Playing at home in the NCAA tournament, Le Moyne scored victories over Jefferson, Saint Rose and Bloomfield. The Elite Eight was held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the Dolphins fell to West Texas A&M, 87–73. Entering the NCAA tournament, Le Moyne was ranked no. 24 nationally in the season's final Division II coaches poll.^[88][102]

Le Moyne won another NE10 Southwest Division title in 2018–19. The Dolphins were upset at home in the conference tournament semifinals by Merrimack, 84–77, in overtime.^[97] Nevertheless, Le Moyne's 18–10 record^[2] earned them the no. 3 seed in the East Region at the NCAA tournament. The Dolphins were matched up in the first round with St. Thomas Aquinas, coached by former Le Moyne assistant coach, Tobin Anderson.^[103] After the Dolphins built a 19-point lead, the Spartans staged a furious comeback to earn a 61–59 victory and eliminate Le Moyne from the tournament.^[104] After the season, Beirlein left Le Moyne to become the head coach at Division I Niagara.^[105]

Nate Champion, a Le Moyne alumnus, was hired as the new head coach in 2019.^[106][107] The Dolphins won their fourth straight NE10 Southwest Division title and had the best NE10 regular-season conference record in Champion's first season. Le Moyne bowed out at home in the NE10 tournament quarterfinals to New Haven, 75–73. Champion was named NE10 coach of the year, the third straight season the award has been won by a Le Moyne coach.^[97] The 2020 NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 10, 2023, Le Moyne announced that the Dolphins would begin a transition to Division I, joining the Northeast Conference (NEC).^[108] The Dolphins officially became a Division I program and a member of the NEC on July 1.^[109]

As a team transitioning from Division II, Le Moyne will not be eligible to participate in the NCAA Division I tournament until 2028, since there is a required four-year transition period. However, effective for the 2023–24 academic year, NEC teams transitioning from Division II are eligible for the NEC tournament during the entirety of their transition periods.^[110] Prior to the conference's rule change, NEC teams were eligible for the conference tournament only during their third and fourth transition years. As a result, Le Moyne became eligible for the 2024 NEC tournament. The top eight finishers in the nine-team NEC participate in the conference tournament.

Darrick Jones Jr. hit a three-pointer from the top of the key early in the Dolphins' season opener at Georgetown for Le Moyne's first points scored as a Division I program on November 7, 2023. Ball State transfer Kaiyem Cleary led the Dolphins with 11 points, all in the second half, and seven rebounds. Georgetown used a 9–2 run to take a 12–5 lead early in the game. The Hoyas extended the lead with an 8–0 run that made the score 20–7. After a brief flurry led by Jones, Trent Mosquera and Mike DePersia got the Dolphins within single digits at 28–19, the Hoyas closed the first half with a 19–4 run that gave them a 47–23 halftime lead on their way to a 94–57 victory. Jones and Luke Sutherland each contributed nine points for Le Moyne in the losing cause.^{[111][112][113]}

Le Moyne used first-half runs of 16–2 and 20–2 to build a 47–15 lead and never looked back on their way to a 105–46 victory, their first as a Division I program, over Division III SUNY Canton in their 2023–24 home opener on November 13, 2023. Five Dolphins had double-figure scoring games led by Kaiyem Cleary with 21 points, Nate McClure with 16, Darrick Jones Jr. with 13 and freshman AJ Dancler with 12. Redshirt freshman Nate Fouts made his collegiate debut and scored 11 points with three assists and two blocked shots. Cleary shot 8-for-10 from the field, while adding seven rebounds and two steals in just 16 minutes. McClure hit six of his seven shots, including 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range. Dancler grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. The Dolphins shot 32-for-37 on two-point field goals for the game, including 15-for-16 in the first half.^[114][115]

Le Moyne recorded its first victory over a Division I opponent as a Division I program, an 80–70 win at Cal State Northridge on November 21, 2023, in their opening game of the Golden State Hoops Jam, a multi-team event sponsored by Pacific. Luke Sutherland led the Dolphins with 24 points and five rebounds. Le Moyne started five graduate students for the first time in the program's history, and they responded by sprinting to an 11–4 lead to start the game, getting early scoring from Sutherland, Nate McClure (12 points, four rebounds and three steals for the game) and Isaiah Salter. After Le Moyne fell behind, 15–12, Mike DePersia (eight points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals for the game) sparked a 19–2 run with a pull-up jump shot. The Matadors could not get closer than three points behind the rest of the way. The Dolphins closed out the game with strong free-throw shooting, finishing the game 31-for-34 from the charity stripe.^{[116][117][118]}

NCAA tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the Division II tournament with the 1989 edition.

Between 1958 and 1988, the NCAA chose eight schools as hosts for the College Division/Division II regionals. These teams played their regional semifinal games and (if they won) their regional final (Sweet 16) games at home during years the tournament included 32 teams. In some years, there were 36 teams with seven regions having four teams and one region having eight teams. In eight-team regions, the host school might have played as many as three tournament games at home. A host school effectively had the privileges of what would later be identified as a no. 1 seed. However, factors such as facilities, expected fan support and travel arrangements may have entered into the choice of a host school. In addition, teams played in regions that reflected the locations of the schools. Therefore, if the two best teams in the College Division or Division II were near each other, it is likely only one of them would be selected to host. Thus, the hosts were not necessarily the top eight teams. Nevertheless, Le Moyne was one of the eight host schools for the 1965 NCAA tournament.

Honored players

Honored coaches

Others honored

Le Moyne Events Center (1961–present)

The Le Moyne Dolphins presently play their home games on Ted Grant Court in the 2,637-seat Le Moyne Events Center; the maximum seating capacity for basketball is likely somewhat different from the arena's reported maximum capacity, since that includes seats placed on the floor, but it includes portable bleachers at only one end of the building rather than at both the east and west ends, which is possible for basketball games.^[157]

The Events Center was built in 1961, as part of the larger Henninger Athletic Center.^[158] The arena underwent a significant renovation in 2016,^[159] and reopened on October 12 of that year.

The Events Center hosted the New England Regional games of the 1965 NCAA College Division tournament.^[89]