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 2000âÂÂ2001 season, and are the only program in Division III to reach the Sweet Sixteen in five consecutive seasons, from 1998 to 2002.
The team began as a club sport in the 1909âÂÂ10 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 42âÂÂ33 home victory over Gallaudet University on January 7, 1911. They followed it with a 37âÂÂ34 victory over St. John's College in Annapolis, but lost the remaining six games of the season to finish 2âÂÂ6.
Fred Rice, a graduate student, joined the team in the 1911âÂÂ12 season as a player coach. Rice had previously played at Georgetown, where he earned a law degree. The team improved to 10âÂÂ7, and then 13âÂÂ3 in 1912âÂÂ13.
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 38âÂÂ15 from 1925 to 1928.
The 1943âÂÂ44 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.
In the 1963âÂÂ64 season, Catholic played the NCAA College Division (Division II) Tournament at Hofstra, losing to Hofstra and Philadelphia.
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.