Lynchburg Basketball: A Look at the Program’s History

The Lynchburg college basketball program has a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the school. The team has seen its ups and downs over the years, but has always been a force to be reckoned with. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the program’s history, from its humble beginnings to its current status as a Division III powerhouse.

Introduction

The Lynchburg men’s Basketball Program has a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the sport. The program has seen its share of ups and downs over the years, but it has always been a competitive force in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

Today, Lynchburg is widely regarded as one of the top basketball programs in the ODAC. The team has won 18 conference championships and made seven trips to the NCAA Division III tournament. The program has produced a number of standout players, including two-time All-American forward Jesse Harmon and current NBA player Reggie Bullock.

Lynchburg’s success on the court is matched by its commitment to academics. The team has been honored by the NCAA for its academic progress rate (APR) in four of the last five years. In addition, Lynchburg’s players have earned All-Academic honors from the ODAC on 17 occasions.

The Lynchburg men’s Basketball Program is a proud tradition within the university and the city of Lynchburg. The team’s success on and off the court is a source of pride for everyone associated with the program.

The Early Years

Founded in 1909, Lynchburg Basketball is one of the oldest basketball programs in the country. The program has a storied history, having produced some of the game’s greatest players and coaches.

In its early years, Lynchburg was a Basketball powerhouse winning multiple National Championships The program’s success continued into the 1950s and 1960s, when it produced some of the game’s most iconic players.

However, the program hit a rough patch in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it struggled to compete at the highest level The program regained its footing in the mid-1970s, but has since been through ups and downs.

Today, Lynchburg remains one of the nation’s top basketball programs It has produced numerous NBA players and continues to be a perennial contender for conference and national championships.

The Lynchburg Way

In 1923, Dr. Edgar shaping the program and giving it direction. He coached the team for two seasons before stepping down to focus on his duties as the school’s president. Over the next few years, Lynchburg basketball experienced moderate success under a number of different coaches. It wasn’t until 1941 that the program really began to take off. That year, Lynchburg hired Bert Bassett as its new Head Coach

Under Bassett’s leadership, the Lynchburg Way began to take shape. Bassett emphasized teamwork, sportsmanship, and hard work above all else. His teams were known for their unselfish play and their ability to come from behind in close games. In his six seasons at Lynchburg, Bassett compiled a record of 126-32 (.795), won four State Championships and cemented Lynchburg’s reputation as a basketball powerhouse.

Following Bassett’s untimely death in 1947, Assistant Coach Paul Strong was promoted to head coach Strong continued to instill the values of the Lynchburg Way in his teams. In his eight seasons at the helm, Strong led Lynchburg to six state championships and a record of 247-62 (.801).

When Strong retired in 1955, he was succeeded by his assistant coach Gus Tebell. Under Tebell’s leadership, Lynchburg won four more State Championships and cemented its place as one of the Premier Basketball programs in Virginia High School history. In 21 seasons at Lynchburg, Tebell compiled a record of 524-176 (.748), won 12 State Championships and sent dozens of players on to successful college careers.

Today,Lynchburg basketball is widely regarded as one of the best high school programs in Virginia history. The team has won 20 State Championships and has produced a long list of successful college and professional players. The Lynchburg Way continues to shape the program today and is sure to produce even more success in the years to come.

The Golden Era

Led by Head Coach Jerry Pettibone, the Lynchburg Basketball Program enjoyed a golden era in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During that time, the team won four straight conference championships and made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Division III tournament. In addition, the team produced a number of All-American players including Pettibone himself.

The Dark Ages

The late 1970s and early 1980s were not kind to the Lynchburg college basketball program. The team suffered through eight consecutive losing seasons, including a near-winless campaign in 1981-82. Things began to turn around in 1984, when the Hornets finished with a winning record for the first time in nine years. But it would be another four years before Lynchburg truly began to emerge from the “dark ages.”

The Resurgence

Since its inception in 1909, the Lynchburg basketball program has seen its fair share of ups and downs. In the early years, the team struggled to find consistent success, but in recent years they have experienced a resurgence that has seen them become one of the top programs in the state. Here is a look at the program’s history and how they have become one of the top teams in Virginia.

In the early years, Lynchburg was a small town with a small college and not much in the way of athletics. The basketball team was mostly made up of local players who just wanted to play for the love of the game. They didn’t have access to much in terms of resources or facilities, but they made do with what they had. The team was mostly made up of local players who just wanted to play for the love of the game.

The team began to see more success in the late 1920s and early 1930s under Head coach Gus Tebell. Tebell led Lynchburg to a record of 185-66 over his 12 years at the helm, which included four trips to the NCAA tournament The team saw even more success under head coach Dixie Howell, who led Lynchburg to six NCAA Tournament appearances between 1943 and 1955.

After a period of decline in the late 1950s and 1960s, Lynchburg experienced a resurgence in the 1970s under head coach Charlie Moir. Moir led Lynchburg to eight NCAA tournament appearances between 1970 and 1982, which included two trips to the Final Four. The team continued to find success under head coach John Kresse, who led Lynchburg to six NCAA tournament appearances between 1983 and 1995.

In recent years Lynchburg has continued to be one of the top programs in Virginia thanks to head coach Rick Pitino. Pitino has led Lynchburg to four NCAA tournament appearances since taking over in 1996, which includes a trip to the Elite Eight in 2000. Pitino has also been named National Coach of the Year three times during his time at Lynchburg.

With its rich history and tradition of success, it’s no wonder that Lynchburg basketball is one of the top programs in Virginia. The team has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but thanks to some great coaches and players, they have become one of

The New Era

In 2019, Lynchburg men’s basketball will embark on a new era, as head coach Keenan Wilkins begins his first season at the helm of the program. Wilkins takes over for Ritchie McKay, who led the Hornets for four seasons before taking the head coaching job at Liberty University

In his four years at Lynchburg, McKay compiled a record of 80-52 (.606), including a 30-4 (.882) mark in conference play The Nets Won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) regular season title in 2017 and 2018, and made appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament in each of those seasons.

Now, with Wilkins at the helm, Lynchburg will look to build on its recent success and continue its ascent up the ranks of Division III The Hornets will return a talented core of players from last year’s team, including All-ODAC first team selection Nate Gritts and second team selection Shawn Darden. With a solid foundation in place, Lynchburg appears poised to make another run at an ODAC title in 2019.

The Lynchburg Legacy

The Lynchburg Legacy is a look at the program’s history, from its humble beginnings to its current status as one of the top basketball programs in the country. The book chronicles the team’s ups and downs, from its early days as an independent program to its current membership in the Atlantic Coast Conference

The Future of Lynchburg Basketball

As the Lynchburg men’s Basketball team looks to the future, it does so with a proud history behind it. The program has been a staple of Lynchburg athletics since the early days of the school, and it has produced some of the finest players in Lynchburg lore.

The future of the program is bright, as it returns a core group of experienced and talented players. The team will look to build on its recent success, and it is poised to compete for conference and national honors in the years to come. With a rich history and a bright future Lynchburg basketball is poised to continue its tradition of excellence for years to come.

Conclusion

The Lynchburg Basketball Program has a long and proud history. The team has won several conference championships and made several appearances in the NCAA Tournament The program is also known for its success in recruiting and developing players.

The Lynchburg Basketball Program has a long and proud history. The team has won several conference championships and made several appearances in the NCAA Tournament The program is also known for its success in recruiting and developing players.

The Lynchburg basketball program has a long and proud history. The team has won several conference championships and made several appearances in the NCAA tournament The program is also known for its success in recruiting and developing players. In recent years the Lynchburg basketball program has been one of the most successful in the country, winning multiple conference championships and making numerous appearances in the NCAA Tournament

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