Past Season Results & Statistics
2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 | 2019-20 | 2018-19 | 2017-18 | 2016-17 | 2015-16 | 2014-15 | 2013-14 | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07 | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03 | 2001-02 | 2000-01 |
Here (PDF) | All-Time Statistical Records
Here (PDF) | All-Time Head-to-Head Records vs. Single Opponent
Here (PDF) | All-Time Year-by-Year Single Season Results
Here (PDF) | All-Time Roster
Program History
Beginning in the early 1950's as an official varsity sport, the University of Northwestern men's basketball program has always been a successful program. Throughout the past six decades, the purple and gold have continued to win championships from the conference level to the national level.
Duane Christopherson is the first known head coach as he took over the Eagles in 1973-1974 and immediately made his presence felt. Northwestern went 20-10 in his debut season and would follow that with 3 more winning seasons. The Eagles won conference championships in 1974, 1975, and 1977, as the program quickly established itself as a top small-college competitor. Paul Christopherson was recognized in 1975 at the program's first National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) All-American. He was the all-time career scoring leader until the late 1990's. Duane Christopherson finished his career at the conclusion of the 1977-1978 season and still owns the third highest career winning percentage for men's basketball coaches at Northwestern.
From 1978 to 1981, Dave Sulack owned the head coach responsibilities and picked up right where his predecessor left off. Sulack led the 1979-1980 squad to a mark of 21-11. More impressively, that squad won the NCCAA Division II national championship and the program's fourth conference title. Though he only called the shots for three years, Sulack was able to bring the Eagles' Men's Basketball program the first of their three National Championships.
After Dave Westlund took over the head reins for one year in 1981-1982, Ron Bocken took a turn on the coaching carousel and stayed with the program for 9 years. Bocken's led the Eagles to 22 wins in his first season on his way to leading the Eagles to 2 conference championships and 3 appearances in the NCCAA national championship tournament. The 1980's featured Eagle rosters that boasted several All-American caliber players. Ron Lievense, Scott Anderson, Brian Miller, Paul Hubbard, Joel Holm, and Kevin Ewert all received NCCAA All-American recognition. Anderson, who was a three-time All-American, experienced one of the most successful individual careers the program has ever witnessed.
Joe Smith began his monumental coaching duties during the 1991-1992 season and would take the Eagle program to a new level. Smith produced winning teams year-after-year. Joe's tenure with Northwestern included 4 of the top 10 all-time single season records, including the 1997-1998 season, which boasted the most wins in a single season with a 25-11 record. In addition, the Eagles won conference championships in 6 of his 9 years at the helm of the program. Smith retired with the most career wins in program history at the time and averaged almost 18 wins per season. It was during Joe's time with the program that Northwestern proved they could play with NCAA Division II and nationally ranked NCAA Division III opponents.
Current head coach Tim Grosz took possession of the coaching duties in 2000-2001 and led Northwestern to back-to-back regular season and post-season tournament conference championships in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. Both campaigns reached the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II national championship tournament and each winter included the conference player of the year belonging to the Eagles. Chad Nuest, Dan Westin, Jon Anderstrom, and John Reeves all collected NAIA Honorable Mention All-American recognition in that time span as they all rank amongst the top ten career leaders in numerous statistical categories.
Northwestern added their 14th and 15th outright conference titles in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Jeff VerSteeg became the program's fifth NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2004 and earned the recognition again in 2005. He was selected as the UMAC Player of the Year in both campaigns.
The 2005-2006 season would provide plenty of additional accomplishments and milestones for the Eagle men's basketball program. Northwestern claimed a share of the regular season conference title, marking the program's 5th conference crown in a span of 6 seasons. The Eagles posted a 20-7 overall record, reaching the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 1997-1998 campaign, which at that time marked the best regular season in program history. Coach Grosz surpassed the 100-career win mark during the season, hitting the milestone faster than any other head coach in Northwestern men's basketball history.
2006-07 set another landmark in Northwestern's history, with the team earning another conference championship and a berth in the NCCAA National Tournament, posting a 22-9 overall record. The 2007-08 season fell just short of another NCCAA National Tournament bid, after the Eagles lost in the region tournament. Daniel Hanson was crowned the UMAC's Player of the Year after NWC finished 20-9. Northwestern returned to the national stage in 2008-09, taking fourth place in the NCCAA National Tournament.
In 2009-10, Grosz's squad won Northwestern's first-ever NCCAA Division I National Championship (second National Championship overall), as the sixth-seeded Eagles defeated the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds to win the title. NWC also tacked on another UMAC conference championship that season, giving the Eagles 22 league trophies. The Eagles added another first in 2010-11, winning the UMAC Tournament to earn the conference's first-ever automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. Northwestern, who won the UMAC regular season title in 2010-11 as well, fell to eventual NCAA Champion St. Thomas in the tournament's first round. The Eagles returned to the NCAA Tournament again in each of the next three years after winning the UMAC automatic qualifier in 2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014. While Northwestern received its fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid in 2014-2015, UNW made a name for itself with upset victories in the first and second rounds over No. 3 St. Thomas and Elmhurst to advance to the Sweet 16. That run led to the Eagles being ranked No. 25 in the D3hoops.com final Top 25 poll for the first time in program history. In 2015-16 and 2016-17, the Eagles once again returned to the National Tournament, defeating the College of St. Scholastica in the UMAC Tournament Championship to advance to their sixth and seventh-straight NCAA Tournament. In the 2018-19 season the Eagles returned to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in the last nine years, upsetting No. 8 St. John's in the first round before losing to the eventual National Champions Wisconsin Oshkosh. Grosz was named the UMAC's All-Decade Coach of the Year and tacked on his ninth UMAC Coach of the Year nod. The Eagles put together another dominant year in 2019-20 led by senior Tanner Youngberg. UNW won the 2019-20 UMAC Regular Season Title as Grosz was tabbed the league's Coach of the Year. The regular season championship was Northwestern's 15th in the last 20 years.The Eagles advanced to the NCCAA Regional Championship before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The No. 2 seeded University of Northwestern St. Paul Eagles upset the No. 1 seeded St. Scholastica Saints in the 2020-21 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Championship in a thrilling 74-61 victory. Freshman, Henry Fahnbulleh, lead the team to a 69-68 win over Trinity Christian College in the first round of the NCCAA National Tournament. Fahnbulleh hit a game-winning buzzer beater from the three-point line that eventually made its way to ESPN's SportsCenter #1 Play of the Day. UNW advanced their way to Winona Lake, Indiana to play in the final rounds of the NCCAA National Tournament. Ultimately, the Eagles secured it's third NCCAA National Championship (second at the Division I level) defeating Ottawa University Arizona 82-75 in the Championship game. The Eagles ended their season on a nine-game winning streak. Head Coach, Tim Grosz, secured his 400th Win in the NCCAA D1 National Championship Quarterfinal round while senior, Noah Alm scored his 1,000 point in the UMAC Quarterfinal round matchup.
Grosz's 475 career victories and career winning percentage of 64.9% place him first all-time in program history. Since the 2000-2001 season, Grosz has collected 11 UMAC Coach of the Year awards.
Coaching History
Duane Christopherson
1973-74 | 20-10
1974-75 | 15-10
1975-76 | 14-10
1976-77 | 18-9
1977-78 | 10-14
TOTAL: 77-53 (59%)
Dave Sulack
1978-79 | 16-12
1979-80 | 21-11
1980-81 | 15-12
TOTAL: 52-35 (60%)
Dave Westlund
1981-82 | 16-14
TOTAL: 16-14 (53%)
Ron Bocken
1982-83 | 22-10
1983-84 | 15-17
1984-85 | 17-15
1985-86 | 18-10
1986-87 | 17-13
1987-88 | 6-18
1988-89 | 10-15
1989-90 | 9-17
1990-91 | 8-16
TOTAL: 122-131 (48%)
Joe Smith
1991-92 | 10-16
1992-93 | 16-12
1993-94 | 12-14
1994-95 | 22-10
1995-96 | 14-17
1996-97 | 22-11
1997-98 | 25-11
1998-99 | 18-12
1999-00 | 18-9
TOTAL: 157-112 (58%)
Tim Grosz
2000-01 | 19-11
2001-02 | 19-14
2002-03 | 15-16
2003-04 | 17-14
2004-05 | 19-9
2005-06 | 20-7
2006-07 | 22-9
2007-08 | 20-9
2008-09 | 19-10
2009-10 | 22-7
2010-11 | 21-7
2011-12 | 17-11
2012-13 | 21-7
2013-14 | 16-12
2014-15 | 20-10
2015-16 | 22-6
2016-17 | 20-8
2017-18 | 14-13
2018-19 | 22-7
2019-20 | 20-7
2020-21| 17-3
2021-22 | 22-7
2022-23 | 14-12
2023-24 | 16-10
2024-25 | 15-12
2025-26 | 6-19
TOTAL: 475-257 (64.9%)
