| Columbia Lions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| University | Columbia University | ||
| Head coach | Kevin Hovde (1st season) | ||
| Conference | Ivy League | ||
| Arena | Levien Gymnasium (capacity: 2,500) | ||
| Nickname | Lions | ||
| Colors | Columbia blue and white[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1968 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1948, 1951, 1968 | |||
| Pre-tournament Helms champions | |||
| 1904, 1905, 1910 | |||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||
| 1904, 1905, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1968 | |||
TheColumbia Lions basketball team is the basketball team that representsColumbia University inNew York City. The school's team currently competes in theIvy League. The team's last appearance in theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was in1968. The Lions are led by head coachKevin Hovde. Their home games are held in theLevien Gymnasium.
Columbia beganvarsity intercollegiate competition in men's basketball in 1901. The Lions have been retroactively designated as national champions for five seasons during the pre-NCAA tournament era (pre-1939), though these claims are not recognized as official titles by theNCAA in the contemporary sense. ThePremo-Porretta Power Poll rated Columbia the highest in 1904 and 1905, and theHelms Athletic Foundation listed Columbia as champions for 1904, 1905, and 1910.[2] While the selections from both the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and the Helms Athletic Foundation are unofficial, the Helms champions are listed in the Official NCAA Men's Basketball Records Book for historical reference.
The Lions have appeared in theNCAA tournament three times. Their combined record is 2–4.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Regional semifinal Third-place game | Kentucky Michigan | L 53–76 L 49–66 |
| 1951 | First round | Illinois | L 71–79 |
| 1968 | First round Regional semifinal Third-place game | La Salle Davidson St. Bonaventure | W 83–69 L 59–61 W 95–75 |
The Lions have appeared in twoCollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their combined record is 6–1. They were CIT champions in 2016.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Valparaiso Eastern Michigan Yale | W 58–56 W 69–56 L 69–72 |
| 2016 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Norfolk State Ball State NJIT UC Irvine | W 86–54 W 69–67 W 80–65 W 73–67 |