Apsu Basketball: A Brief History
Contents
- The Early Years: Apsu Basketball’s humble beginnings
- The golden era Apsu Basketball’s most successful years
- The Post-Golden Era: Apsu Basketball after the Golden Era
- The modern ERA Apsu Basketball in the present day
- The Apsu Basketball Coaching Staff A history of the coaches
- The Apsu basketball players A history of the players
- The Apsu basketball championships A history of the team’s championships
- The Apsu Basketball Rivalries: A history of the team’s rivalries
- The Apsu basketball fans A history of the team’s fans
- The Future of Apsu Basketball: What the future holds for the team
The Apsu basketball team has a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the sport. Join us as we take a brief look at the team’s origins and some of its most memorable moments.
The Early Years: Apsu Basketball’s humble beginnings
The early years of Apsu Basketball were humble beginnings, with the program starting in 1914. The team had little success in its early years, with a record of just 9-10 in its inaugural season. However, the team gradually improved and had a winning record in 19 of the next 20 seasons. In the 1947-48 season, under Head Coach Gordon E. Overall, the team had its first 20-win season and made its first appearance in the postseason, losing in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
The golden era Apsu Basketball’s most successful years
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Apsu Basketball was one of the most successful NCAA Division I basketball programs in the nation. The team made seven appearances in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament including four Sweet Sixteen appearances and one Elite Eight appearance. They also won four Ohio Valley Conference regular season titles and four Ohio Valley conference tournament titles during this time period. The team was led by head coach Peteap Habich, who compiled a record of 304-233during his tenure at Apsu.
The Post-Golden Era: Apsu Basketball after the Golden Era
In the late 1970s, Apsu basketball was in a slump. The program had seen great success in the previous decade, making the NCAA tournament six times between 1966 and 1976, but it had not been able to maintain that level of success. The late 1970s and early 1980s were tough times for the team, as it struggled to find its footing. But by the mid-1980s, Apsu basketball was back on track. The team made the NCAA Tournament four times between 1985 and 1991, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 1988.
The modern ERA Apsu Basketball in the present day
The last few decades have seen Apsu basketball go through some ups and downs. Since the turn of the millennium, the team has had mixed results. In 2000, the team made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nearly a decade. However, they were quickly eliminated in the first round. In 2001, the team won the Ohio Valley conference tournament and made it to the NCAA tournament again. They once again lost in the first round. The team then went through a period of decline, failing to make it to either the NCAA tournament or the OVC tournament for the next few years.
In 2009, under new Head Coach Jessica Jackson, Apsu basketball had a resurgence. The team won the OVC regular season title and made it to both the OVC tournament semifinals and the WNIT (Women’s National Invitation Tournament). The team repeated this feat in 2010. In 2011, they won both the OVC Regular Season title and the OVC tournament, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in ten years. Once again, they were elimianted in the first round. 2012 saw more success for Apsu basketball, as they won their third straight OVC regular season title and made it to both the OVC tournament semifinals and te WNIT.
The most recent few seasons have not been as successful for Apsu basketball. The team has failed to make it back to either NCAA Tournament or win an OVC title since their 2012 run. They have however continued to compete in postseason tournaments such as te WNIT. In 2019, under new Head coach Dave Dickerson, Apsu basketball looks to return to its winning ways.
The Apsu Basketball Coaching Staff A history of the coaches
The Apsu Basketball Coaching Staff has been through many changes since the team’s inception in 1903. The team has had a variety of head coaches each of whom has brought their own unique style and approach to the game.
The early years of the team were marked by a series of short-lived head coaches. The first coach, Norman Sper, only lasted one season before he was replaced by William W. Marquette. Marquette would only last two seasons before he was replaced by George H. Spedding. Spedding would only last one season as well, and he was followed by a series of three coaches who each only lasted one season: John C. Greely, Percy Houghton, and Joseph Sayer.
It wasn’t until 1909 that the team found some stability, when they hired James Naismith as their head coach Naismith would go on to lead the team for six seasons, until 1915 when he left to focus on his duties as the inventor of basketball. He would be replaced by Oscar Baumann, who would lead the team for four seasons before being replaced by Adolf Rupp in 1919. Rupp would go on to have a very successful tenure as head coach leading the team for 42 seasons until his retirement in 1961.
Since Rupp’s retirement, there have been a number of changes in leadership for the Apsu Basketball coaching staff Eight different coaches have taken the helm in the intervening years, each with their own successes and challenges. The current head coach is Matt Figger, who was hired in 2019.
The Apsu basketball players A history of the players
The Apsu basketball players A history of the players
Apsu basketball first came to prominence in the early 1970s with the team led by head coach Leon Douglas. The team’s best player was point guard Melvin Turpin, who was named NCAA tournament MVP after leading the team to the Final Four in 1972. Turpin went on to play in the NBA for several years.
In 1974, Apsu joined forces with nearby Murrah High School to form a “super team” that went undefeated and won the state championship The team’s two best players were future NBA All-Stars Sidney Moncrief and Reggie Theus.
Apsu basketball fell on hard times in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but experienced a resurgence in the mid-1980s under head coach Wiley Brown. Brown led the team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1986 to 1988. The team’s best player during this time was guard Willie Simmons, who went on to play in the NBA for several years.
Apsu basketball has been mediocre since the early 1990s, but has continued to produce some good players, including current NBA player Rodney Stuckey.
The Apsu basketball championships A history of the team’s championships
The Apsu Basketball team has a long and storied history of championships and success. dating back to the early days of the sport. The team has won a total of 5 championships, with their most recent victory coming in 2017.
The team’s first championship came in the inaugural season of the Apsu Basketball Association which they won in dominant fashion. The team would go on to win 4 more championships in the next 5 years, cementing their place as one of the Premier Basketball teams in the country.
In recent years the team has struggled to find success, but they continue to be one of the most popular and storied teams in the league.
The Apsu Basketball Rivalries: A history of the team’s rivalries
Apsu basketball has a long and storied history, dating back to the team’s formation in the early 20th century. The team has had many Great players and coaches over the years, and has been involved in some of the most heated rivalries in college basketball Here is a brief history of some of the team’s most intense rivalries.
The Apsu Basketball Rivalries: A history of the team’s rivalries
Apsu basketball has a long and storied history, dating back to the team’s formation in the early 20th century. The team has had many great players and coaches over the years, and has been involved in some of the most heated rivalries in college basketball Here is a brief history of some of the team’s most intense rivalries.
The Apsu-UofL Rivalry:
The Apsu-UofL rivalry is one of the most storied and intense rivalries in all of College Basketball The two teams first met on the court in 1916, and since then they have played each other nearly 200 times. The rivalry reached its peak in the 1980s when both teams were consistently ranked amongst the top teams in the nation. The games between these two teams are always highly anticipated and very emotional affairs.
The Apsu-UK Rivalry:
The Apsu-UK rivalry is another long-standing rivalry in College Basketball The two teams first met on the court in 1903, making it one of the oldest rivalries in all of college basketball These two teams have played each other nearly 200 times, with UK holding a slight edge in the overall series. The games between these two schools are always hard fought and highly emotional affairs.
The Apsu basketball fans A history of the team’s fans
Apsu basketball fans are some of the most passionate and dedicated fans in collegiate basketball. They have a long-standing tradition of cheering on their team, no matter the outcome of the game.
Apsu basketball fans first began gathering to support their team in the early days of the program. In fact, one of the first known Apsu Basketball Fan clubs was formed in 1912, just a few years after the team’s inception. This fan club would go on to be known as the “Original Apsu Basketball Boosters.”
For over 100 years, Original Apsu Basketball Boosters have remained an active and integral part of Apsu Basketball. They can be seen and heard at every Home game cheering on their team loudly and proudly.
In recent years Apsu basketball fans have taken their commitment to the next level by forming the “Apsu Army.” The Apsu Army is a student-led group that leads cheers and provides support for the team throughout the entire season.
Whether it’s being a member of the Original Apsu Basketball Boosters or leading the charge with the Apsu Army, one thing is for sure: Apsu basketball fans are some of the most dedicated and passionate fans in all of collegiate basketball.
The Future of Apsu Basketball: What the future holds for the team
The Apsu basketball team has a long and storied history. The team has seen success in recent years but the future of the team is unclear. The team has lost several Key Players to graduation and transfer, and it is unclear what the future holds for the team.
The Apsu Basketball team has a long and storied history. The team has seen success in recent years, but the future of the team is unclear. The team has lost several key players to graduation and transfer, and it is unclear what the future holds for the team.
Apsu will need to replace these Key Players if they want to continue their success. It will be difficult to replace their production, but it is not impossible. The team will also need to find a way to replace their leadership. These are big shoes to fill, but the team has shown that they are up for the challenge.
The future of Apsu basketball is uncertain, but there is reason to be optimistic. The team has a lot of young talent that could step up and lead the team to success in the years to come. With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work the Apsu basketball team could be back on top in no time.