Pepperdine Basketball Record: Breaking Down the Numbers

The Pepperdine Waves basketball team has had a strong season so far, with a record of 22-5. But what do the numbers really tell us about their performance? Let’s take a closer look.

Introduction

Since its founding in 1937, Pepperdine University’s men’s Basketball team has enjoyed a rich history of success. The team has won one National Championship made nine appearances in the NCAA tournament and produced numerous All-American and professional players.

In recent years the Pepperdine Basketball Program has continued to thrive. The team has posted winning records in each of the last five seasons, and made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the Pepperdine Basketball team’s performance over the years. We will examine the team’s overall record, Conference Standings and postseason success. We will also highlight some of the program’s most notable achievements.

Pepperdine’s All-Time Record

As of the end of the 2017-2018 season the Pepperdine Basketball Program has an all-time record of 1,346 wins and 1,222 losses. That gives the Waves a winning percentage of .524 over their nearly 100 year history.

Pepperdine has been a member of the West Coast Conference since its inception in 1952, and has won the conference tournament eight times (most recently in 2002). The Waves have also made two trips to the NCAA tournament in 1987 and 2002.

Looking at Pepperdine’s all-time record by decade, it’s clear that the program has had its ups and downs over the years. The Waves’ best decade was the 1980s, when they went 234-132 (.639) overall. That includes an appearances in the NCAA tournament in 1987, as well as Pepperdine’s first-ever 20-win season (20-10 in 1986-87).

The 1990s were not as kind to Pepperdine, as the Waves went just 166-190 (.465) during that decade. However, Pepperdine did make some progress in the late 1990s under Head Coach Tom Asbury, winning at least 20 games in three straight seasons from 1999 to 2002. That stretch included another trip to the NCAA tournament in 2002.

The 2000s were a mixed bag for Pepperdine Basketball The Waves started out strong with four straight 20-win seasons from 2002 to 2006, but then things took a turn for the worse. Pepperdine won just 53 games over the next four years combined, and failed to make a postseason appearance during that stretch.

Fortunately for Pepperdine fans, things have been on the upswing lately. head coach Marty Wilson has led the Waves to four consecutive winning seasons, including a 23-10 campaign in 2016-17 that resulted in an appearance in the college basketball Invitational (CBI). And with a young and talented core group of players returning for 2018-19, there is reason to believe that Pepperdine could be poised for even more success in the coming years.

Pepperdine’s Record by Season

In the 18-19 season the Pepperdine Waves had a record of 8-21. This was the program’s Worst Record in over 30 years. The Waves have only had four seasons with a worse record, all of which came before 1982. Here is a breakdown of Pepperdine’s record by season:

Seaons with a winning record: 23
Seasons with a .500 record: 6
Seasons with a losing record: 21
seasons with 20 or more wins: 3
Pepperdine’s best season: 1986-87 (26-7)

Pepperdine’s Record in Conference Play

Since Pepperdine joined the West Coast Conference in 1985, the men’s basketball team has struggled to find consistent success. In the 35 years since the conference’s inception, Pepperdine has only managed to finish above .500 in conference play 18 times. Out of those 18 seasons, the Waves have only earned a top-two seed in the WCC tournament seven times. In fact, Pepperdine has only won the WCC tournament once, in 2002.

In order to get a better sense of why this may be, let’s take a look at some numbers. In the last 35 years, Pepperdine has an all-time record of 296-407 (.423) in conference play The Waves have only managed to win 10 or more games in conference play 11 times, and only twice in the last 15 years.

One area where Pepperdine has seen some success is in recent years is non-conference play. In the last five years, the Waves have gone 48-28 (.632) against non-conference opponents. This includes big wins over Power Five schools like USC, Ole Miss and Texas Tech

While it’s clear that Pepperdine still has some work to do in order to compete at a higher level in conference play, there are some positive signs moving forward. The team’s recent success against non-conference opponents suggests that they are capable of playing with anyone in the country. If the team can continue to build on that success and translate it into conference play, there is no reason why they can’t start contending for a WCC title again soon.

Pepperdine’s Record in NCAA Tournament Games

Since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939, the Pepperdine Waves have participated in the event 20 times. Of those 20 appearances, the Waves have won a total of 11 games. Here is a break-down of Pepperdine’s record in NCAA tournament games by year:

1939: 1-1
1940: 1-1
1941: 0-1
1942: did not participate
1943: did not participate
1944: did not participate
1945: did not participate
1946: 1-1
1950: 1-1
1986: 2-1
1992: 3-0
1993: 0-1
1994: 0-1
1995: 0-1
1996: 1-1
1997: 0-1
1998: 0-1
1999: 1-1

Pepperdine’s Record against Ranked Opponents

Under current Head Coach Lorenzo Romar, the Pepperdine Waves men’s Basketball team has compiled a record of 4-11 against ranked opponents. This includes a 1-5 record against teams ranked in the top 25 and a 3-6 record against teams ranked 26th or lower. The Waves have also lost four games to unranked opponents during Romar’s tenure.

Pepperdine’s Record in Home Games

Heading:
Pepperdine has a storied history when it comes to basketball. The team has been to the NCAA Tournament 16 times and have made it to the Sweet Sixteen four times. They have also won 14 conference championships In the 2017-2018 season, the team had a record of 19-13, which was their best record in four years.

In this article, we will take a closer look at Pepperdine’s Home game record. The team went 13-5 in home games this season, which is their best home record in five years. Here is a break down of the team’s home gamerecord by opponent:

Opponent W/L Pct.
Saint Mary’s 2-0 1.000
San Diego 2-0 1.000
Loyola Marymount 3-0 1.000
Gonzaga 2-1 0.667
BYU 3-2 0.600
Santa Clara 1-2 0.333
Portland 0-1 0.000
USF 0-2 0.000

Pepperdine’s Record in Away Games

Pepperdine has a Basketball Record of 3-5 in away games this season. Two of those wins came against conference opponents, which is good for a conference record of 2-2. The away losses were against tough non-conference opponents, with an average margin of defeat of 13 points. Here’s a closer look at Pepperdine’s away game results:

*Game 1: Pepperdine 65, UC Santa Barbara 63*
This was a close game throughout, with neither team leading by more than six points. Pepperdine got off to a slow start offensively, but picked up the pace in the second half and ended up shooting 45% from the field for the game. The Waves also did a good job of taking care of the ball, committing only eight turnovers.

*Game 2: Pepperdine 74, San Diego 70*
This was another close one, with Pepperdine coming out on top in the end. The Waves shot well from three-point range making 8 of 17 attempts (47%). They also had a significant rebounding advantage, winning the battle on the boards 39-28.

*Game 3: USC 80, Pepperdine 69*
Pepperdine put up a good fight against USC, but ultimately came up short. The Waves struggled with their shooting, finishing at 33% for the game. They were also outrebounded 48-28.

*Game 4: UCLA 93, Pepperdine 81*
UCLA was too much for Pepperdine in this one, as the Bruins shot 54% from the field and had 22 assists compared to just 11 for the Waves. UCLA also held a big advantage in rebounding, pulling down 43 boards to Pepperdine’s 32.

Pepperdine’s Record in Neutral Site Games

Pepperdine has a very good record in neutral site games. In fact, the team is undefeated in such contests over the past two seasons. This success can be attributed to a number of factors, including the team’s ability to play well in big games and its ability to close out close games.

One area where Pepperdine has been especially successful is in rebounding. The team does a great job of crashing the boards and generating second-chance points. This has been a big key to the team’s success in neutral site games.

Another key to Pepperdine’s success has been its defensive intensity. The team does a great job of getting stops and forcing turnovers. This has often led to easy baskets and helped the team get out to early leads.

If Pepperdine can continue to play well in these areas, it should continue to have success in neutral site games.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 2019-2020 Pepperdine basketball team was a force to be reckoned with. They had an impressive season and made program history. Their overall record of 27-4 and conference record of 16-2 are both the best in program history. They also set the single season record for wins and won their first ever regular season conference title Additionally, they made it to the WCC Tournament Championship game for the first time ever and won it, which resulted in their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The future is bright for Pepperdine basketball and we can’t wait to see what they do next!