Senior Drake Kindsvater drives past a defender during a regular season game. He has been a key player for the Bears during the NCAA Tournament. (Ella Giere | Photo Editor)

In March 2020, the WashU men’s basketball team was preparing for a Sweet 16 matchup against North Central College. Fresh off of an upset victory over Nebraska Wesleyan University on their home court, the Bears were in prime position to go on a deep run in the NCAA tournament. 

Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the tournament got cancelled. WashU never got their chance to prove themselves five years ago. In 2025, the Bears know they can’t let another opportunity for NCAA glory pass them by. 

“Our season ended [in 2020] in the middle of a practice. We didn’t get a chance to compete,” head coach Pat Juckem said, following his team’s victory over the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in the Elite Eight on March 15. “There was one thing we promised our guys this year: that we’re going to finish this.”

For the first time since the 2008-09 season, WashU finds itself as one of the final four teams in Division III men’s basketball. On Thursday, March 20, they have a date with a conference rival they know well: No. 1 New York University (NYU). 

Of the four teams still dancing, WashU is the only one to enter the tournament ranked outside of the top four nationally. The other Final Four matchup is between New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rivals — either No. 3 Wesleyan University or No. 4 Trinity College (CT) will advance to the national championship. This is the first time in Division III men’s basketball tournament history where just two conferences are represented in the Final Four. 

Under longtime head coach Mark Edwards, WashU made it to the Final Four three years in a row between 2006-07 and 2008-09, winning the program’s only two national championships. However, they have not made it back since. This is Juckem’s first time guiding the Bears to a Final Four in his seven-year tenure with WashU. In 2017-18, the year before he became head coach at WashU, Juckem led the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh to the national championship game; Oshkosh lost to Nebraska Wesleyan in the final. 

“It helps that I have experienced [a Final Four] before,” Juckem said, when asked about his tournament experience. “I think a younger version of me would have already moved onto the next thing, but this time, I’m trying to live in the moment. It’s really hard to get back to where we are now, and it’s exciting.” 

The Violets have been a thorn in the Bears’ side this season, defeating WashU in both conference matchups this year. They are led by graduate student guard Tristan How, who transferred to NYU from the Division I University of Virginia. How nearly averaged a double-double this year, while graduate student Brock Susko averaged 13 points and sophomore guard Hampton Sanders shot 53% from the field. 

NYU is formidable, and they have only lost once this season. WashU senior guard Hayden Doyle knows his team needs to be more physical, but says the team is up for the challenge.

“Both games against NYU this season, we got outrebounded, which is very unlike us since we’re so defense-oriented,” Doyle said. “A big focus for us this week is getting back to the physical mindset we know we all have.”

Senior forward Drake Kindsvater, Doyle, and first-year forward Connor May have led WashU to this stage of the tournament. The Bears overcame a closer-than-expected bout with Central College in the first round, with Doyle contributing 24 points. Doyle and May spearheaded a dominant 83-54 win over Franklin College in the second round. In their Sweet 16 matchup against No. 22 Wisconsin Lutheran College, an uncharacteristically defensive battle, those three were the only Bears to record more than 10 points. And in their commanding 80-66 victory over No. 5 Wisconsin–La Crosse, Kindsvater led the way with 31 points and 16 rebounds. 

Despite coming into the season with sky-high expectations, the Bears slightly underperformed in the regular season. They lost frustrating games against NYU, Illinois Wesleyan University, the University of Chicago, and Brandeis University. A three-game losing streak in early February briefly diminished the Bears’ hope to host tournament games, but they regained momentum by winning four crucial UAA games at the end of the season. Much of the Bears’ success comes back to their best three players. To win against NYU, Doyle, Kindsvater, and May must be on their sharpest game. 

“We know we have to go out and compete with no fear,” Doyle said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun, and continue to trust each other and trust the plan that our coaches have for us.” 

Among the four teams left, WashU is playing as underdogs. They will first need to beat the No. 1 team in the country, NYU, at 7 p.m. in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the NCAA website. If WashU wins, they will face either the No. 3 or No. 4 team in the nation. Sure, the odds may be stacked against No. 17 WashU. But they’re here — why not them?