The Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley, Colorado, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference. Northern Colorado made its first and to date only NCAA tournament appearance in 2011.
Team History Northern Colorado began men’s basketball play in 1901. The program joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 1924 and remained in that conference into 1973. From 1973 to 1976, Northern Colorado moved and competed in the Great Plains Athletic Conference before a brief period as an independent. In 1979, the Bears joined the North Central Conference. Northern Colorado then competed as an independent during the 2003-04 through 2005–06 seasons while transitioning to NCAA Division I men's basketball. The move was finalized in 2006 with the program’s entry into Division I and membership in the Big Sky Conference.
Coaches The following is a list of Northern Colorado Bears men's basketball head coaches. There have been 20 head coaches of the Bears in their 120-season history.
Northern Colorado's current head coach is Steve Smiley. He was hired as the Bears' head coach in March 2020, replacing Jeff Linder, who left to become the head coach at Wyoming. Smiley served as associate head coach before moving to the head coaching role.
Northern Colorado has had three Big Sky Coach of the Year award winners. B.J. Hill won in 2011, Jeff Linder won in 2019, and Steve Smiley won in 2024.
+ Head Coaching HistoryUnknown^1901-19145-3.423Royce Long1914-19163-5.375Paul Abbott1916-19175-7.417Ralph Glaze1917-19198-13.381William E. Search1919-192211-13.458George E. Cooper1922-193188-48.647John S. Davis1931-193771-53.573Jules Doubenmeier1937-194033-24.579Pete Butler1940-1943 1945-1956151-133.532John W. Hancock1943-19451-25.038John Bunn1956-196373-94.437George Sage1963-196895-36.725Thurm Wright1968-1983156-216.419Ron Brillhart1983-1992121-132.478Ken Smith1992-199978-111.413Craig Rasmusson1999-200663-129.328Tad Boyle2006-201056-66.459B.J. Hill*2010-201610-21.323Jeff Linder2016-202080-50.615Steve Smiley2020-present109-82.571
^ Northern Colorado did not field a team for the 1903–04, 1907–08, or 1909–10 seasons. * Northern Colorado vacated all results between 2010 and 2015. Hill's on-court record is 86–98 (.467).
Players
Career leaders
+ Career Points Leaders1Jordan Davis2015-20192,2722Mike Higgins 1985-19892,1123Chuck Knostman1981-19851,6644Daylen Kountz2021-20231,6495Devon Beitzel2006-20111,5686Bodie Hume2018-20221,5307Derek Chaney1990-19941,4918Matt Johnson II2018-20231,4259Brock Wisne2022-20261,39810Tevin Svihovec2010-20151,391 + Career Assist Leaders1Jordan Davis2015-20195162Sean Nolen2000-20054273Jonah Radebaugh2015-2020384Derek Chaney1990-19943845Matt Johnson II2018-20233586Matt Kline2003-20073377Tevin Svihovec2010-20153318John Olander1988-19923279Carlos Martinez1996-200031310Troy Graefe1983-1985299 + Career Rebound Leaders1Mike Higgins 1985-19899592Jonah Radebaugh2015-20207763Robert Skinner1976-19807674Jim Hruska1956-19607545Kur Jongkuch2018-20226986Bodie Hume2018-20226767Toby Moser1986-1990669 8Tom Kummer1971-19756489Mike Proctor2008-201263910Robert Ruffin1959-1962617
+ Career Steals Leaders1Knute Peterson1981-19851602Jordan Davis2015-20191553Devon Beitzel2006-20111514Jonah Radebaugh2015-20201485Antwine Williams1996-19981346Mike Higgins1985-1989131Sean Nolen2000-20051318Derek Chaney1990-19941309Erik Olson2002-200612310Tedd Sabus1984-1988113 + Career Blocks Leaders1Mike Higgins1985-19893022Ryan Adle1996-1999158 3Dave Mellick1989-19921464Bodie Hume2018-2022131 5Jason Jacob1993-199778 6Connor Osborne2009-201471 7Dennis Jenkins1984-198569 8Jalen Sanders2017-201967 9Todd Lane1990-199366
Individual awards
All-Americans
Devon Beitzel2011AP (Honorable Mention)Jordan Davis2019AP (Honorable Mention)
Big Sky Player of the Year Devon Beitzel – 2011 Jordan Davis – 2019
Big Sky Rookie of the Year Bodie Hume – 2019
Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Yahosh Bonner - 2010 Jonah Radebaugh - 2017, 2019, 2020
Big Sky Sixth Man of the Year Kai Edwards - 2020 Dejour Reaves - 2024
Big Sky Tournament MVP Devon Beitzel - 2011
Big Sky All-Conference First Team Jabril Banks - 2009 Will Figures - 2010 Devon Beitzel - 2011 Derrick Barden - 2013 Andre Spight - 2018 Jordan Davis - 2019 Jonah Radebaugh - 2020 Daylen Kountz - 2022 Saint Thomas - 2024 Langston Reynolds - 2025 Isaiah Hawthorne - 2025 Jaron Rillie - 2025 Quinn Denker - 2026
Big Sky All-Conference Second Team Devon Beitzel - 2010 Neal Kingman - 2011 Tate Unrah - 2013, 2014 Derrick Barden - 2014 Bodie Hume - 2020 Dalton Knecht - 2023 Dejour Reaves - 2024 Brock Wisne - 2026
Big Sky All-Conference Third Team Jordan Davis - 2017, 2018 Bodie Hume - 2021 Matt Johnson II - 2021, 2022
Big Sky All-Conference Defensive Team Zach Bloch - 2025, 2026
Postseason history
NCAA Division I tournament results The Bears have appeared in the NCAA Division I Tournament once, where they lost to San Diego State in 2011 (led by coach B. J. Hill). 2011 15 Round of 64 (2) San Diego State L 50–68
NCAA Division II tournament results The Bears have appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament four times. Their combined record is 1–6.
1964 Regional semifinalsRegional 3rd-place game Southeast Missouri StateLamar L 79–83L 85–116 1965 Regional semifinalsRegional 3rd-place game Minnesota State–MoorheadMinnesota–Duluth L 73–74L 58–86 1966 Regional semifinals North Dakota L 71–84 1989 Regional semifinalsRegional Finals Alaska–FairbanksWisconsin-Milwaukee W 92–70L 88–89 OT
NIT results The Bears have appeared in one National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Their record is 0–1.
2025 First round UC Irvine L 72–82
CBI results The Bears have appeared in two College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 2–2.
2022 No. 12 First round QuarterfinalsSemifinals No. 5 Florida Atlantic No. 13 UNC AshevilleNo. 9 UNC Wilmington W 74–71W 87–84L 64–80 2024 No. 8 First round No. 9 Cleveland State L 49-51
CIT results The Bears have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) three times under three different head coaches (Tad Boyle, B. J. Hill, Jeff Linder). Their combined record is 5–2. They were CIT champions in 2018.
2010 First roundQuarterfinals Loyola MarymountPacific W 86–76L 59–63 2014 First round Texas A&M–Corpus Christi L 71–82 2018 Second RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship Game DrakeSan DiegoSam Houston StateUIC W 81–72W 86–75W 99–80W 76–71
Bears in the NBA NBA players Mike Higgins 1989-1991 Lakers, Nuggets, Kings Appeared in NBA 18 gamesDalton Knecht 2024-present Lakers Drafted 17th overall in the 2024 NBA draft
References
External links