Marist Basketball: D1 Status And Future Prospects

is marist basketball d1

The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team represents Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, and currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The team has a rich history, with their first varsity season taking place in 1961-62 at the NCAA Division III level. Since then, Marist has gone on to appear in two NCAA Tournaments and two National Invitation Tournaments, as well as recruiting international players and achieving unprecedented success in the mid-1980s. With notable alumni such as Jared Jordan and Rik Smits, who have gone on to successful NBA careers, the Marist Red Foxes have left their mark on the basketball world.

Characteristics Values
Team Name Marist Red Foxes
University Marist University
Location Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
Conference Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Division Division I
NCAA Tournament Appearances 1986, 1987, 1996 NIT
MAAC Regular Season Titles 2002 (shared), 2007 (outright)
Notable Players Jared Jordan, Alan Tomidy, Kareem Hill, Danny Basile, Sean Kennedy, James Smith, Will Whittington
Current Coach John Dunne
Notable Past Coaches Ron Petro, Chuck Martin, Jeff Bower, Mike Maker

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The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team

The Red Foxes have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice, in 1986 and 1987, losing in the first round on both occasions. In the 1986 NCAA Tournament, Marist lost 68–53 to a Georgia Tech team that went on to send four players to the NBA. The Red Foxes have also appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments (NIT), with a combined record of 1–2. In 2007, they defeated Oklahoma State in the first round of the NIT 67–64, with point guard Jared Jordan and shooting guard Will Whittington contributing to the win. Jordan went on to become the second Marist College basketball player to be selected in the NBA draft in 2007, as the 45th overall pick.

Prior to joining the MAAC in 1997, Marist was a member of the ECAC Metro Conference (later the Northeast Conference) in 1981. The team's first varsity season was 1961–62 at the NCAA Division III level, and they played at this level for 20 years. Their most successful season during this time was the 1970–71 season under head coach Ron Petro, with a record of 21–7.

In the mid-1980s, Marist recruited talented international players, leading to on-court success and national recognition. Notable players during this era included Rik Smits from the Netherlands, Rudy Bourgarel and Alain Forestier from France, Peter Krasovec from Hungary, Curtis Celestine from Canada, and Miroslav Pecarski from Serbia.

Since joining the MAAC, Marist has won the regular-season title twice, in 2002 and 2007. The team has also experienced recent successes, such as knocking the Red Foxes out of a tie with Quinnipiac atop the MAAC in 2022, and a quarterfinal victory over Marist by Mount St. Mary's in the MAAC Tournament.

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The team's history in Division I

The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team represents Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The team first competed in the NCAA Division III level during the 1961–62 season and played at this level for 20 years.

Marist transitioned to Division I before the 1981–82 season. In 1986 and 1987, the team won the ECAC Metro Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA tournament, losing in the first round both times. In 1988, Marist player Rik Smits became the first from the team to be drafted to the NBA.

In the 1990s, Marist became one of the first college programs to recruit players from overseas, attracting talented international players to Poughkeepsie. This strategy led to on-court success and national recognition for the school. The team's most notable players during this period included European and Canadian athletes such as Rudy Bourgarel, Alain Forestier, Peter Krasovec, Curtis Celestine, and Miroslav Pecarski.

Since joining the MAAC in 1997, Marist has not won a conference tournament title or qualified for an NCAA berth. However, they have won the MAAC regular season title twice (shared in 2002 and outright in 2007). The Red Foxes have appeared in two NCAA Tournaments, with a combined record of 0-2. They have also appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments, with a combined record of 1-2, and one NAIA Tournament, with a record of 0-1.

Marist has had several notable players and coaches throughout its Division I history. In 2007, Jared Jordan became the second Marist player to be selected in the NBA draft, and two Marist players have won the Haggerty Award: Izett Buchanan in 1994 and Jared Jordan in 2007. The team's head coaches have included Ron Petro, Dave Magarity, Jeff Bower, Mike Maker, and John Dunne, who was hired as the 12th coach in 2018.

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International recruitment strategy

The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team represents Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. The team currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) as part of NCAA Division I athletics.

Marist became one of the first college programs to recruit players from overseas in response to the competitive landscape of Division I basketball recruitment. This strategy proved successful, attracting talented international players and leading to on-court success and national recognition for the school. The most successful Marist men's basketball teams of the mid-1980s were predominantly composed of players from Europe and Canada. Notable names include Rik Smits from the Netherlands, Rudy Bourgarel and Alain Forestier from France, Peter Krasovec from Hungary, Curtis Celestine from Canada, and Miroslav Pecarski from Serbia.

Former assistant coach Andy Johnston, who was the Men's Head Coach in Iceland for the 2013-2014 season, played a pivotal role in recruiting international players to Marist. His experience and connections in Europe facilitated the increase in international recruitment. The international players themselves attributed this trend to the coaches' focus on winning rather than the nationality of the players.

Over the past two decades, 15 international men's basketball players from 15 different countries have played at Marist College. The current roster includes five international players: Andrea Bernardi (Italy), Lasse Gummerus (Finland), Tobias Sjoberg (Sweden), Aleksandar Dozic (Montenegro), and David Knudsen (Denmark).

While the impact of a new coaching staff on international recruitment remains to be seen, it is possible that there may be a slight decrease in the number of international recruits for the upcoming season.

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Notable players and their achievements

The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team has had several notable players over the years. The team's most successful period was in the mid-1980s, with players like Rik Smits, who went on to become the first Marist player drafted to the NBA and had a long and successful career with the Indiana Pacers. Smits was originally from the Netherlands, and he led a team of talented international players from Europe and Canada. These included Rudy Bourgarel and Alain Forestier from France, Peter Krasovec from Hungary, Curtis Celestine from Canada, and Serbian player Miroslav Pecarski, who was considered Europe's top 17-year-old player at the time.

Another notable player is Jared Jordan, who became the second Marist College basketball player to be selected in the NBA draft in 2007, as the 45th overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. Jordan also won the Haggerty Award the same year, an award given annually to the top men's Division I basketball player in the Metropolitan area. The first Marist player to win the Haggerty Award was Izett Buchanan in 1994.

Other notable players include Alan Tomidy, who led the 1995–96 team as a 6'11" center, averaging 18.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Shooting forward Kareem Hill and guard Danny Basile are also worth mentioning, with 13.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and 15 points per game, respectively. The team also benefited from strong guard play by Sean Kennedy in 2002 and Will Whittington in 2006–07.

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Coaching staff and their tenures

The Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team has had 12 coaches in its history, 8 of whom were across Division I. The current head coach is John Dunne, who was hired on April 3, 2018, as the team's 12th coach. He was previously at MAAC rival Saint Peter's.

Jeff Bower was the tenth head coach, appointed on April 10, 2013. He replaced Chuck Martin, who was fired on March 14, 2013. Bower led the team to a 12–19 record in one season before resigning on June 2, 2014, to become General Manager of the Detroit Pistons.

Mike Maker was hired as the eleventh head coach on June 17, 2014. He had previously been head coach at Division III Williams College, where he led the team to a 147–32 (.821) record and three Division III Final Fours in six seasons.

Before these three coaches, Ron Petro was head coach for the team's most successful season in 1970–71, during which they went 21–7.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, the Marist Red Foxes men's basketball team is Division 1. The team has competed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) since 1997.

The Marist Red Foxes have qualified for the NCAA tournament twice (in 1986 and 1987), losing in the first round on both occasions. They have also appeared in two National Invitation Tournaments, with a combined record of 1-2. The team's most successful season was in 1970-71 under head coach Ron Petro, where they went 21-7.

Notable players include Jared Jordan, who was drafted to the NBA in 2007, and Alan Tomidy, who led the team in the 1995-96 season. Rik Smits, who went on to become an NBA All-Star, played for Marist in the mid-1980s. The current head coach is John Dunne, who was hired in 2018.

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