ERAU Basketball: A Brief History

ERAU Basketball has a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the sport. Today, the team is one of the most successful in the country, with a string of conference and National Championships to their credit. Read on to learn more about this storied program.

Introduction

The Basketball Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University began in 1968 with the men’s team. The women’s team began in 1972. Since its inception, the Basketball Program has been successful at both the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels. The men’s team has won four conference championships and made two trips to the NCAA Division II tournament. The women’s team has won seven conference championships and made three trips to the NAIA tournament.

The Early Years

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has a long and successful history in collegiate basketball. The team started in 1966 as a Division II independent before joining the Sunshine State Conference in 1980. The Eagles quickly made their mark, winning the conference tournament in just their third season in the league. They would go on to win the tournament four more times in the next decade.

In 1992, Embry-Riddle made the jump to Division I, becoming a member of the Mid-Continent Conference. They would win the conference tournament in their first season at the Division I level and would go on to win it three more times in the next decade.

The team has seen success at both the Division I and II levels, making seven NCAA Division II tournament appearances and five NCAA Division I tournament appearances. The Eagles have also won 20 conference championships overall, including 12 at the Division II level and eight at the Division I level.

The Golden Era

Basketball first came to ERAU in the late 1960s, when the university was known as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute. The team quickly gained a reputation for being a tough, physical squad that wasn’t afraid to mix it up with opponents. In those early years, ERAU teams were composed mostly of students who were passionate about the game but didn’t have much experience playing organized basketball. That all changed in the mid-1970s, when ERAU began recruiting talented players from around the country.

The result was a golden era for ERAU basketball, as the team became one of the best in the nation. From 1976 to 1983, ERAU won six conference championships and made seven trips to the NCAA Division II tournament. The highlight of this period came in 1980, when ERAU reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament before losing to eventual National Champion UCLA.

Despite their success on the court, ERAU teams of this era were perhaps even more remembered for their physical style of play. The rough-and-tumble style often led to scuffles with opponents, and ERAU was even banned from playing in one Conference Tournament because of its reputation for fighting.

While the golden era came to an end in the early 1980s, basketball remains an important part of student life at ERAU and the university continues to field competitive teams.

The Post-Golden Era

The Post-Golden Era refers to the time period after the retirement of Earvin “Magic” Johnson in 1991. This was a tough time for the Lakers, as they struggled to find their identity without their star player The team made the playoffs just once in the next four years, and things looked bleak for the franchise. However, in 1996, the team drafted Kobe Bryant who would go on to become one of the greatest players in Lakers history. With Bryant leading the way, the Lakers won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002.

The Modern Era

Since the late 1950s, college basketball has become a hugely popular sport in the United States Every March, NCAA Division I schools compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion. This event, commonly known as “March Madness ” is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.

In addition to the NCAA Tournament there are also several other tournaments that take place throughout the country. These include the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), the college basketball Invitational (CBI), and the Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Although these tournaments are not as highly publicized as the NCAA tournament they still provide an opportunity for teams to compete for a championship.

The introduction of television broadcasts and increased media coverage has helped to make College Basketball even more popular in recent years Today, millions of fans tune in to watch their favorite teams play. And with so much at stake, it’s no wonder that College Basketball has become one of the most exciting and popular sports in America.

The Women’s Program

In 1978, the women’s basketball team at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) was founded. The team enjoyed early success, going undefeated in their first three seasons. In 1981, they made the jump to Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), but struggled to find their footing and were winless in conference play for their first two years. Since then, however, the team has slowly but steadily improved. They made it to the Division II tournament for the first time in 2008 and have qualified for the tournament three times in total. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC).

The Men’s Program

The Men’s Basketball Program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has a long and storied history. The program was founded in 1968, and since then, the team has won numerous conference championships and made several trips to the NCAA Division II tournament.

In recent years the team has struggled to find success, but the Eagles are hopeful that they can turn things around in the near future.

The Coaches

Basketball is a relatively new sport, and thus, ERAU’s basketball program does not have a long history. However, the program has been highly successful in recent years thanks in large part to the efforts of Head Coach Dave Christensen.

Coach Christensen took over the program in 2014 and led the team to its first conference championship in 2016. Under his guidance, the team has continued to improve, culminating in ERAU’s first-ever NCAA Division II tournament appearance in 2019.

Christensen is not the only coach to have left his mark on ERAU basketball. In its brief history, the program has seen a number of successful coaches, including Joe Mills (who led the team to its first Conference Championship in 2016) and Brian Pierce (who led the team to its first NCAA Division II tournament appearance in 2019).

As ERAU basketball looks to the future, it is clear that the program has a bright future ahead of it. Thanks to the efforts of its coaches, players, and support staff, ERAU is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with on the court.

The Players

The Eagles have had many talented players come through the program in its brief history. Some have gone on to play professionally while others have enjoyed long and successful careers in other arenas. Here are just a few of the Eagles’ most outstanding alumni.

-John Gustafson: A star player on the Eagles’ first team, Gustafson went on to play professionally in Europe for many years.
-Mikey Henson: Henson played for the Eagles for four years and is now the head coach of the men’s Basketball team at his alma mater, ERAU.
--Joe Johnson One of the most successful players in ERAU history, Johnson played for the Eagles for two years before moving on to a successful career in the NBA.

Conclusion

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has a long and proud tradition of excellence in basketball. The program has produced many Great players coaches, and teams over the years. Today, the Eagles continue to compete at the highest levels of collegiate basketball.

The Embry-Riddle men’s basketball team has enjoyed a great deal of success since its inception in 1967. The Eagles have won four conference championships and made six trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. In addition, the team has produced a number of All-Americans and professional players.

The Embry-Riddle women’s Basketball team has also enjoyed a high level of success since its inception in 1974. The Eagles have won four conference championships and made five trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. In addition, the team has produced a number of All-Americans and professional players.

The Embry-Riddle Basketball program has a long tradition of excellence and continues to be one of the top programs in Division II.