CSUN Basketball: A Brief History

Sun Basketball is a program with a rich history. From its early days as a Division III powerhouse to its recent years as a Division I force, the Matadors have always been a team to watch In this blog post, we’ll take a brief look at the history of Sun Basketball from its humble beginnings to its present-day status as a top program.

Early History

Sun Basketball began in 1957 as a Division III program. The team struggled in its early years, posting a losing record in 9 of its first 10 seasons. In 1967, the team made the jump to Division II and experienced success almost immediately, reaching the Division II Final Four in just their second season at the higher level.

The team continued to find success in Division II, making the playoffs in 8 of their next 9 seasons. In 1976, CSUN made the move to Division I and experienced immediate success, reaching the NCAA tournament in their first season at the highest level The team would go on to make 5 more NCAA Tournament appearances in the next 6 seasons.

The Birth of CSUN Basketball

CSUN’s men’s Basketball Program began in the 1957-58 season. The team played their first games that year off-campus at local High School gyms. The program gained immediate success, reaching the NCAA Division II Final Four in just their third season of existence. CSUN would go on to make the Division II playoffs in 12 of their first 13 seasons.

CSUN’s women’s Basketball Program began in 1974-75. The team had immediate success, winning the Division III National Championship in just their second season of existence. The team would go on to make the Division III playoffs in 9 of their first 10 seasons.

The CSUN Titans

The CSUN Titans have a long and illustrious history in college basketball They’ve been to the NCAA tournament several times and have produced some Great players over the years. Here’s a brief rundown of their history.

The Titans began life as the Cal State Northridge Matadors in 1958. They were a Division II school for many years and had moderate success. In the early 1970s, they made the jump to Division I and slowly began to improve. By the early 1980s, they were a force to be reckoned with, making the NCAA tournament several times.

In 1985, they made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to eventual National Champion Villanova. That team featured several future NBA players including first-Round Draft pick Bo Kimble.

The Titans continued to be a strong team in the late 1980s and early 1990s, making several more NCAA tournament appearances. In 1992, they made it back to the Sweet Sixteen before losing again to eventual national champion Duke.

In 2001, the Titans made one final NCAA Tournament appearance before changing their name to the CSUN Matadors in 2002. Since then, they’ve been a solid mid-major team but haven’t had much success in terms of postseason play.

The CSUN Matadors

The CSUN Matadors basketball team is a Division I program that competes in the Big West Conference. The Matadors are currently coached by Mark Gottfried and play their home games at the Matadome on the campus of California State University Northridge.

The CSUN men’s Basketball Program was founded in 1969, and has been a member of Division I since 1973. The Matadors have appeared in two NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournaments in 1987 and 2001. They have also appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments, in 1981, 1985, and 2002. In 1987, CSUN upset the No. 5-seeded UNLV Running Rebels in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Indiana in the second round. In 2001, CSUN defeated New Mexico State in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing to no. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils in the second round.

The Matadors have had two players named First Team All-American: Stojan Vrankovic (1987) and Michael Haynes (2001). Vrankovic was also named Big West Conference Player of the Year in 1987.

The CSUN women’s basketball program was founded in 1974, and has been a member of Division I since 1986. The Matadors have never made an appearance in either the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament or National Invitation Tournament

The Move to Division I

In the early 1990s, the CSUN Basketball team made the move to Division I. This meant that the team would now be competing against some of the best college teams in the country. The move was a risk, but it paid off. The team quickly became one of the top programs in the nation, making it to the NCAA Tournament multiple times.

Today, CSUN is one of the most successful mid-major basketball programs in the country. The team has produced numerous NBA players including DeAndre Jordan and jamal crawford

The Modern Era

Since the late 1990s, the CSUN men’s basketball team has been a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA. In 1998, the team made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and in 2001 they were runners-up in the NIT tournament. In 2007, the team won the Big West Conference regular season title.

The team has produced a number of standout players over the years, including Ivan Johnson, who was named Big West Conference Player of the Year in 2007, and Mark Hill, who was named Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2001.

CSUN in the NCAA Tournament

San Diego State men’s basketball has a long and storied history, dating back to their time as a Division I program in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They have been to the NCAA tournament eleven times, with their most recent appearance coming in 2020. They have also won conference championships in four different conferences: the PCAA, the WAC, the Mountain West and the PAC-12.

CSUN’s most successful period came in the early 1990s, when they made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament In 1992, they upset No. 6 seed Louisville in the first round before falling to Ohio State in the second round. In 1993, they defeated No. 5 seed Iowa in the first round before losing to No. 1 seed Kentucky in the second round.

Since then, CSUN has only made one other appearance in the NCAA tournament which came in 2001. They lost to Gonzaga in the first round.

Notable Players

Some of the most notable CSUN basketball players include Michael Cage, who played for the Suns from 1983 to 1987. He is CSUN’s All-time leading rebounder, with 1,370 total rebounds. He was also named first-team All-American in 1987.

Other notable CSUN basketball players include Mark Creech, who played for the Suns from 1989 to 1993. He is CSUN’s all-time leading scorer, with 2,053 total points scored He was named first-team All-American in 1992 and 1993.

Notable Coaches

Bobby Dye coached the Matadors from 1963 to 1977, during which time he won five conference championships. He remains the winningest coach in school history.

Denny Wasco was hired in 1986 and led the team to two conference championships in his four seasons at the helm.

Other notable coaches include Steve Lavin (who led the team to the NCAA tournament sweet sixteen in 1997) and Reggie Theus (who played in the NBA for many years before returning to CSUN to coach from 2007 to 2011).

The Future of CSUN Basketball

In recent years CSUN Basketball has struggled to maintain a winning record. The team has not made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2012, and has not won a tournament game since 2001. However, there are some bright spots on the horizon.

The team’s current Head Coach Mark Gottfried, is a well-respected figure in the Basketball World He has led teams to the NCAA tournament in five of his seven seasons as a head coach and has experience coaching at some of the top programs in the country. In addition, the team’s starting point guard Terrell Gomez, was recently named the Big West Conference Player of the Year.

With a strong Head Coach and a talented player leading the way, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of CSUN Basketball. The team faces some challenges, but if they can overcome them then they could be poised for a return to prominence in the years ahead.