After defeating Brandeis University 83-58 on Jan. 3, No. 6 WashU men’s basketball broke their five game winning streak on Sunday, losing 77-62 to the No. 5 New York University (NYU) on Feb. 2. The Bears are now 15-3 overall and 5-2 in University Athletic Association (UAA) play.

On Feb. 26, 2022, two months after he graduated from WashU, Justin Hardy subbed into WashU’s final regular season game against The University of Chicago. Weak from months of chemotherapy, he dribbled down the court and scored the Bears’ final points of the game. When the final buzzer went off, WashU and Chicago players embraced Hardy in what would be his last game for the Bears.

The No. 11 WashU men’s basketball team traveled along the East Coast this past weekend, beating the University of Rochester 99-82 on Jan. 24 and No. 2 Emory University 81-63 on Jan 26. The win over the Emory Eagles marks the first victory for the Bears against a Top 10 team this season.

The No. 11 WashU men’s basketball team defeated Case Western Reserve University 104-66 and No. 23 Carnegie Mellon University 99-74 on Jan. 17 and 19, respectively. With these wins, the Bears are now 2-1 in University Athletic Association (UAA) play.

During his first year of college, Connor May has been a key rotation player for the WashU men’s basketball team. Across thirteen games, the six-foot-six-inch forward from just outside Chicago averaged  10 points, 5.5 boards, and almost 1 assist per game.

The No. 5 WashU men’s basketball fell to The University of Chicago 66-71 in the Bears’ first  University Athletic Association (UAA) game of the season. With the loss, the Bears are now 10-2 this season.

With the No. 15 women’s team’s 93-35 win, and the No. 2 men’s team’s 107-57 victory later that night, WashU played its final basketball games against its neighbor Fontbonne, which will close after the 2024-25 academic year. Fontbonne’s gym and facilities will soon adorn WashU red and green, when WashU absorbs Fontbonne’s land into its campus over the summer. 

The Bears left the weekend with a 6-0 record, bolstering their nationally-ranked pedigree. But they struggled in games for the first time this season, unable to put teams away, particularly against Rhodes. Whether or not this persists remains to be seen, but WashU’s identity seems to be taking form.

Coming into the 2024-25 season, the No. 4 WashU men’s basketball team had high expectations. They were coming off of a Sweet 16 appearance in last year’s NCAA tournament, and were ranked No. 4 overall in the nation. While they’ve only played three games, and it’s still early in the season, the Bears have, so far, looked the part of a national championship contender.

After finishing last season with an NCAA Division III Sweet 16 loss to Trine University, WashU opened the 2024-2025 season with a decisive 75-53 win at home against Rhodes College.