A History of Lamar Cardinals Basketball in the NCAA Tournament

The Lamar Cardinals basketball team, representing Lamar University, boasts a storied history, particularly concerning their appearances in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. This article delves into the program's journey, highlighting key moments, influential figures, and their impact on the university and the sport.

Early Years and Transition to Division I

Basketball at Lamar began in 1923 with the founding of South Park Junior College, which was renamed Lamar in 1932. In those early years, the team faced challenges due to a lack of consistent opponents and often played local high schools or city amateur teams. By 1931, the program was reduced to an intramural level. However, in 1946, the program was revived as Lamar entered the Southwestern Junior College Conference. The revived squad quickly found success, finishing 2nd with a 10-4 record under head coach Dave Engman. The following year, coached by Elbert Pickell, the 1947-1948 team achieved a significant upset by capturing the state title with a 13-3 record.

J. D. "Jack" Martin became the first head basketball coach for Lamar as a four-year college. He was also the longest-serving head coach in Lamar's history. Martin began coaching the Cardinals as they entered the college division Lone Star Conference in 1951. In 1964, Lamar began its transition into Division I and the Southland Conference.

Jack Martin Era: Building a Foundation

Jack Martin's tenure was marked by consistent success. His Cardinals won the Lone Star Conference title three times, the Southland Conference title two times, and competed in five NCAA College Division (now NCAA Division II) tournaments. A notable highlight of Martin's career was the 1968-1969 squad, which earned a #1 national ranking in the Associated Press college division poll. That year, the Cardinals won their first 15 games against strong competition, including victories over Pepperdine, Memphis State, and Texas A&M.

Joe Lee Smith, then LU's director of sports information, recalled, "Since we had gone 8-17 the previous season, what that team did to start that year has to be one of the greatest surprises ever in Lamar basketball, at least up until that point." The Cardinals' victory over sixth-ranked Tulsa triggered national attention. They rose to No. 18 in the United Press International major college poll after holding off Arkansas State. The Cardinals, with a record of 6-0, faced the Houston Cougars, who had been to the Final Four the previous season. With 8:15 left in the game, the Cardinals trailed 56-44 but rallied to go ahead 61-59 in the final minute. The overflow crowd in McDonald Gym erupted when Jim Nicholson stole the ball and went in for a layup seconds after the overtime tipoff.

Read also: Lamar's Visual Identity

Billy Tubbs: The First NCAA Tournament Appearance

After the 1975-76 season, Coach Martin was replaced by Billy Tubbs, one of his former players and assistant coaches. Tubbs led the Cardinals to their first NCAA Division I basketball tournament in 1979. As a tenth seed, the Cardinals upset the seventh-seeded Detroit before falling to tournament champion Michigan State in the second round.

The following year, under Coach Tubbs, the Cardinals had a Cinderella story in the 1980 NCAA basketball tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 as a ten seed. Tubbs left the Cardinals after the 1979-1980 season to become the head basketball coach at Oklahoma. During his time at Lamar, he recruited Mike Olliver, who would later become an All-American for Lamar. Clarence Kea, another Tubbs recruit, was drafted by the NBA while Tubbs was still at Lamar.

Pat Foster: Sustained Success and Southland Dominance

Pat Foster was hired to replace Billy Tubbs in 1980. Foster had previously been an assistant coach under Eddie Sutton at Arkansas. He continued Lamar's men's basketball success by leading the Cardinals to three Southland Conference titles and postseason play each of the six years he was head coach. This included two NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the second round in both, and four National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearances, advancing to the second round once.

Under Foster, the Cardinals won twenty or more games in five of his six seasons. He coached one All-American, two Southland Conference Players of the Year, two Southland Conference Newcomers of the Year, seven Southland Conference First Team selections, and fifteen All-Southland Conference team selections. Five of Coach Foster's recruits were drafted by the NBA. Foster resigned as Lamar's head coach in April 1986 to take the head coaching position at Houston following Guy Lewis's retirement. He was named to the Lamar Hall of Honor in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to the program as Lamar coach and athletic director.

The Abatemarco and Branch Years

Tom Abatemarco was hired in 1986, after serving as an assistant coach for the North Carolina State Wolfpack under Jimmy Valvano. Abatemarco's first season record as head coach at Lamar was 14-15 (4-6 SLC). The next season saw a new conference and a better record, with the Cardinals posting a 20-11 overall and a 5-5 conference record in the newly created American South Conference.

Tony Branch, an assistant coach under Tom Abatemarco, was named head coach in 1988. After two seasons, he was relieved of his duties at the end of the 1989-1990 season.

The Newell and Giovanine Years

Mike Newell was hired in 1990, after serving as head coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for six seasons. The Cardinals moved from the American South Conference to the Sun Belt Conference in Coach Newell's second season.

Grey Giovanine, an assistant coach at Wichita State, was hired to replace Mike Newell. The Cardinals competed as members of the Sun Belt Conference during his first five seasons before returning to the Southland Conference in his final season.

Mike Deane and the Return to the NCAA Tournament

Mike Deane was hired in 1999. In his first year, he led the Cardinals back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the Pat Foster era.

Billy Tubbs' Return

Billy Tubbs returned to Lamar University in 2002 as Athletics Director and, in 2003, as the head coach of the basketball team, following Mike Deane's reassignment. Tubbs' return was highly anticipated and increased attendance. He turned the program around from 10th place in 2003 to tied for 4th in 2006.

Roccaforte Era

During the Steve Roccaforte era, Lamar Basketball had mixed success. The Cardinals had wins over major programs like Texas Tech in 2008. Roccaforte led the Cardinals to the East Division Championship and a 19-win season in 2007-2008.

Pat Knight Era

On April 5, 2011, Lamar University announced the hiring of Pat Knight as its new head men's basketball coach. In Knight's first season, he led them to their first 20-win season since Tom Abatemarco's 1988 squad. The 2011-2012 squad finished with a 20-11 regular-season record and an 11-5 Southland Conference record, finishing in 3rd place. In the last game of the regular season, Lamar won at home over McNeese State, clinching the Southland Conference East Division Championship. Lamar would go on to win the Southland Conference Championship and earn their first NCAA appearance since 2000.

Tic Price Era

On February 16, 2014, Lamar University announced that Tic Price would be interim head men's basketball coach. In Price's first full season as head coach, the Cardinals had the 11th-best turnaround in NCAA Division I men's basketball.

Home Court Advantage: McDonald Gym and the Beaumont Civic Center

From 1978 to 1984, Lamar had one of the longest home-court win streaks in NCAA history, compiling 80 wins between February 18, 1978, and March 10, 1984. The streak began on February 18, 1978, against Arkansas State. McDonald Gym (37 games) and the Beaumont Civic Center (43 games) served as Lamar's home court during the win streak.

Notable Players

Lamar University has had four players who played in the NBA and ten players who were selected in the NBA draft.

NCAA Tournament Appearances

The Lamar Cardinals have appeared in six NCAA Division I Tournaments and five NCAA Division II Tournaments. They have also appeared in four National Invitation Tournaments (NIT) and two CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT).

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1979	#10	First Round	Detroit	W
		Second Round	Michigan State	L
1980	#10	First Round	Weber State	W
		Second Round	Oregon State	W
		Sweet Sixteen	Clemson	L
1981	#11	First Round	Alabama	L
1983	#11	First Round	Alabama	W
		Second Round	Louisville	L
2000	#16	First Round	Duke	L
2012	#16	First Round	Vermont	L

Conference Affiliations

Lamar has been affiliated with the following conferences:

Lone Star Conference
Southland Conference
American South Conference
Sun Belt Conference
Western Athletic Conference (WAC)

Current Status

The Cardinals currently play in the Southland Conference after returning from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 11, 2022.

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