The Army Black Knights men's basketball team represents the United States Military Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball. Army currently competes as a member of the Patriot League and plays its home games at Christl Arena in West Point, New York. The Black Knights are the oldest college basketball team in the United States to have never appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
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History
Bob Knight, the coach with the most wins in NCAA men's basketball history, began his head coaching career at Army from 1965 to 1971 before moving on to Indiana. One of Knight's players at Army was Mike Krzyzewski, who later was head coach at Army before moving on to Duke and becoming the winningest men's basketball coach in NCAA Division I history.
Since its inception in 1903, Army retrospectively has been awarded a national championship, has made eight NIT appearances, has refused two NCAA tournament invitations, in 1944 and 1968, and has an overall 49.7% winning percentage.
The Black Knights were retroactively ranked as the nation's top college team by Premo-Porretta for 1923 season and were retroactively listed by the Helms Athletic Foundation as the national champion for 1944, when they went undefeated (15–0), but declined an invitation to the NCAA tournament due to World War II. While the NCAA lists the historical Helms selections for reference, neither the Helms title nor the Premo-Porretta ranking are officially recognized as national championships. The 1944 squad was captained by Edward C. Christl, who earned a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross during World War II and for whom the Black Knights' home arena is named.
Head coach Bob Knight turned down the 1968 NCAA tournament invitation in favor of the NIT, because he believed the Black Knights had a better chance of winning the NIT with Lew Alcindor and UCLA playing in the NCAA tournament. Further, Madison Square Garden was close enough to West Point to allow the Corps of Cadets to attend the games, and Army had participated in the NIT seven times in 10 years, including four of Knight's five seasons as head coach. They would go on to lose their first game of the 1968 NIT to Notre Dame.
As of 2025, the Black Knights are one of only three active Division I programs that were playing college basketball in 1939—when the inaugural NCAA tournament was held—but have never participated in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Army shares this distinction with William & Mary and The Citadel. (St. Francis Brooklyn was also part of this group before it discontinued athletics in 2023.)
The Black Knights have played in the National Invitational Tournament eight times and also played in the 2016 edition of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT), their first appearance in a postseason tournament in 38 years, losing to NJIT in the first round.
Seasons
In 119 seasons, the Black Knights have a record of 1262–1276.
Postseason results
National Invitation Tournament
The Black Knights have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) eight times. Their combined record is 13–10.
CollegeInsider.com tournament
The Black Knights have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
CBI results
The Black Knights have appeared in two College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their record is 1–2.
All-Americans
The following Army players were named NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans:
William Copthorne – 1910 (Helms Athletic Foundation)
William Roberts – 1913 (Helms Athletic Foundation)
Elmer Oliphant – 1915 (Helms Athletic Foundation)
Gene Vidal – 1918 (Helms Athletic Foundation)
Harry Wilson – 1927 (Helms Athletic Foundation)
Dale Hall – 1944 (Consensus Second Team), 1945 (Consensus Second Team)
Gary Winton – 1977 (AP Honorable Mention), 1978 (AP Honorable Mention)
Kevin Houston – 1987 (NABC Third Team)
Academic All-Americans
The following Army players were named Academic All-America:
Mike Silliman – 1964
John Ritch – 1965
Robert Sherwin – 1972, 1973
Steve Rothert – 1989
Basketball Hall of Fame
The following Army players and coaches have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Ernest Blood – 1960, former coach
John Roosma – 1961, former player
Elmer Ripley – 1972, former coach, inducted as a contributor
Harry A. Fisher – 1973, former coach, inducted as a contributor
Bob Knight – 1991, former coach
Mike Krzyzewski – 2001, former coach and player, inducted as a coach
Major awards
Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Award: Outstanding Scholar-Athlete of the Year
John Ritch – 1965
Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award
Robert Sherwin – 1973
Haggerty Award
Kevin Houston – 1987
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Randy Cozzens – 1985
Kevin Houston – 1987
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
Les Wothke – 1985
Patriot League Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
Pat Harris – 2001–02
Zach Spiker – 2012–13
Patriot League Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year
David Ardayfio – 1990–91
Alex Morris – 1992–93
Kyle Wilson – 2012–13
Patriot League Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year
Marcus Nelson – 2008–09
Josh Caldwell - 2020-21
Josh Caldwell - 2021-22