Midshipmen
MidshipmenNCAAB Navy Midshipmen
NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Patriot League (1991-present)
Past Conferences: Colonial Athletic Association
City: Annapolis, Md.
Stadium: Alumni Hall
NCAA Tournaments: 11 (1947, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1997, 1998)
Championships:
National Championships: None
Conference Tournament Titles: 6 (1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1997, 1998)
Conference Regular Season Titles: 8 (1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000)
Team History
The Navy Midshipmen left the Colonial Athletic Association for the Patriot League in 1991-92. Navy is coached by Ed DeChellis.
Navy — based in Annapolis, Md. — has been to the Division I men’s basketball tournament 11 times, but not since 1998. The Midshipmen advanced to the Elite Eight during three of those appearances (1947, 1954 and 1986), and are 8-11 all-time in the NCAA tournament.
In 1986, the David Robinson-led Midshipmen won a program-record 30 games, swept the CAA regular season and tournament titles, and rose as No. 17 in the Associated Press rankings. Robinson led the country in rebounds and blocks that year, en route to his second of three straight CAA Player of the Year awards. The seventh-seeded Midshipmen overcame the odds to reach the regional final, where they lost 71-50 to No. 1 Duke.
The following season, Robinson was named National Player of the Year as the Midshipmen went 26-6 and cracked the AP Top 10.
Upon graduation, Robinson was selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1987 NBA Draft. However, because of active-duty obligations with the Naval Academy, he did not begin playing with San Antonio until 1989. Of course, the wait was well worth it for the Spurs, and Robinson went on to become an NBA Hall of Famer.
Robinson still holds several program records, including career scoring (2,669), rebounding (1,314), blocks (516) and field goal percentage (.613). He’s also tied with Vernon Butler for most games played (127).
Since joining the Patriot League, the Midshipmen have won five regular-season championships and three tournament titles. Their last postseason appearance was in 1998, a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to top-seeded North Carolina. That marked their fifth straight tournament loss dating to the 1986 Sweet 16.
Navy also appeared in the 1962 National Invitational Tournament.
DeChellis took over at Navy in 2011-12 following an eight-year stint at Penn State. He’s the fourth-winningest coach in program history, behind Ben Carnevale, John Wilson and Don DeVoe.
All-Time Records
Points Scored
o  David Robinson: 2,669
o  Vernon Butler: 1,952
o  Greg Sprink: 1,785
Rebounds
o  David Robinson: 1,314
o  Vernon Butler: 1,115
o  Eddie Reddick: 875
Assists
o  Doug Wojcik: 714
o  Brian Walker: 531
o  Erik Harris: 472
FAQs
What is the winningest season in Navy history?
Led by future NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, the 1985-86 Midshipmen won 30 games, swept the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Elite Eight, where they lost 70-51 to top-seeded Duke. The Midshipmen were ranked as high as No. 17 by the Associated Press that year, before cracking the top 10 the following season.
What is Navy’s most recent postseason appearance?
The Midshipmen last made the postseason in 1998, when they lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to No. 1 seed North Carolina, 88-52. They went 19-11 that season and won Patriot League regular season and tournament championships.
Who is the most recent player from Navy to win conference player of the year?
It’s not Robinson, the three-time CAA Player of the Year, but rather Greg Sprink, who was named the Patriot League’s top player for the 2007-08 campaign. Sprink averaged 21.1 points per game as a senior and also received an honorable mention for All-American by the Associated Press.
