Tigers

Pacific Tigers

General Information

Founded: 1910

Conference: West Coast Conference (WCC)

Past Conferences: Big West, Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), California Basketball Association (CBA), Independent, Northern California Conference

Arena: Alex G. Spanos Center

City: Stockton, California

Championships and Titles

5 Conference Tournament Championships
13 Conference Regular Season Championships*

Pacific Tigers Team History

The Pacific Tigers have been around since the 1910s. It sporadically appeared in men’s Division I basketball during the late 1930s but did not officially settle until the 1953-54 season with the California Basketball Association (CBA.) In 1963, Dick Edwards came on board as coach and took the program to a higher level.

Led by star player Keith Swagerty, the Tigers won its first conference regular season title in Edwards’ third season in 1966. Thus, it also qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Swagerty led the Tigers’ team stats and was named a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year.

The following season, the team reached the Regional Final (Elite Eight.) And in 1971, it reached the Sweet Sixteen. When Edwards departed following the 1971-72 season, Pacific struggled to recapture the success of his tenure. It wasn’t until the 1978-79 season that the team would return to the NCAA Tournament.

While the 1980s were predominantly a dark era for the Tigers, the program returned to prominence under Bob Thomason’s reign. Thanks in part to Michael Olowakandi, who led the Pacific Tigers’ team stats and became the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, the Tigers returned to the NCAA Tournament.

By the early 2000s, the Tigers entered a new golden age. They became a successful team on both the court and the NCAAB odds. The Tigers won a pair of conference tournaments and in 2004-05, became ranked as high as 17th in the AP Top 25.

They advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Pacific produced three consecutive conference Player of the Year awardees in Miah Davis (2004,) David Doubley (2005,) and Christian Maraker (2006.)

However, after Thomason’s departure in 2013, the school became embroiled in a scandal. Both the new head coach Ron Verlin and assistant coach Dwight Young were suspended and eventually fired for their role in improper academic benefits provided to the players.

Since then, the Tigers have been unable to string winning seasons. Damon Stoudamire briefly led them to a 23-10 (11-5 conference) record in 2019-20 but they have since struggled mightily.

All-Time Pacific Tigers Records

Points Scored

Ron Cornelius: 2,065
Dell Demps: 1,742
Christian Maraker: 1,667

Rebounds

Keith Swagerty: 1,505
Leroy Wright: 1,442
John Gianelli: 1,329

Assists

Adam Jacobsen: 436
Kyle Pepple: 403
Dell Demps: 350

Pacific Tigers FAQs

Is Pacific University in Division 1 Basketball?

The Pacific Tigers are a men’s D-1 basketball team. It first played in Division I in 1937, then permanently settled during the 1952-53 season. It has played primarily in the West Coast Conference (then known as the West Coast Athletic Conference.)