The Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents
Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). They have been a member of the
Horizon League since 2020 (departing from the
Summit League after thirteen years). Formerly, they represented the now defunct
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). The team has yet to participate in the
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...
. The Mastodons are coached by
Jon Coffman and play their home games at the
Hilliard Gates Sports Center and the
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, near present-day Johnny Appleseed Park. It opened in 1952 with a construction cost of nearly $3 million. The Allen County War Memorial Colise ...
in
Fort Wayne, Indiana.
History
The Mastodons' first season was 1973–74. Two-time All-American and conference player of the year
Sean Gibson (1993) is the current all-time leading rebounder and Hall of Fame member. In 2013,
Frank Gaines passed Gibson to be the Mastodons all-time leading scorer. Their first season in
Division I was
2001–02. In 2007, the Mastadons joined the
Summit League. Before joining NCAA Division I athletics, IPFW competed in
NCAA Division II's
Great Lakes Valley Conference.
In
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
IPFW reach their first
Summit League tournament championship before losing to
North Dakota State.
Beginning in 2016, the school rebranded itself from IPFW to Fort Wayne to build a stronger tie to the Fort Wayne community. The transition only affected the athletic department's branding efforts. The university's IPFW academic brand remained unchanged.
On November 22, 2016, the
Mastodons defeated the then No. 3-ranked
Indiana Hoosiers 71–68 in overtime in front of 11,076 in attendance at
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, near present-day Johnny Appleseed Park. It opened in 1952 with a construction cost of nearly $3 million. The Allen County War Memorial Colise ...
. This defeat of Indiana was the Mastodons first victory over an
AP Top 25 ranked team in program history.
Conference affiliation
Postseason
NCAA Division II Tournament results
The Mastodons have appeared in one
NCAA Division II tournament. Their record is 0–2.
NIT results
The Mastodons have appeared in one
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
(NIT). Their record is 0–1.
CBI results
The Mastodons have appeared in one
College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 0–1.
CIT results
The Mastodons have appeared in four
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). Their combined record is 2–4.
Division I season records
Source
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Wayne Mastadons men's basketball
1973 establishments in Indiana
Basketball teams established in 1973