The No. 17 WashU’s men’s basketball team fell short of the national championship game, losing 72-60 to No. 1 New York University in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III tournament on Mar. 20 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

As the team charts their path to the program’s first Final Four appearance in 14 years, the men’s basketball senior class is playing some of their best basketball at the right time, delaying the end of their WashU athletic careers until the final possible weekend.

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. 

For the first time in 16 years, the No. 17 WashU men’s basketball team will play in the Final Four after defeating the No. 5 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 80-66 on March 15.

After 16 years, the No. 17 WashU men’s basketball team is headed to the Elite Eight, after a 59-56 Sweet 16 win over No. 22 Wisconsin Lutheran College on March 14.

Fifteen minutes into the second round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Tournament, No. 17 WashU men’s basketball sat tied 22-22 with Franklin College. When the final buzzer sounded 25 minutes later, WashU was up 29 points and headed to the Sweet 16 for the second time in two years.

In 2024, Fontbonne announced that it would close, and that WashU would purchase its campus. Nearly a year later, on Feb. 26, 2025, the Fontbonne baseball team stepped up to the plate at WashU’s Kelly Field to take on WashU in their last-ever athletics contest.

Coming off of two wins for their last home games of the season against the University of Rochester and Emory University, the WashU women’s basketball team fell 65-55 to the University of Chicago in their final game of the season.

The No. 13 WashU men’s basketball team lost their last University Athletic Association (UAA) game of the regular season to the University of Chicago 76-68 on March 1. With the loss, the Bears move to third in the UAA with a record of 9-5, and they will host Central College in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on March 7 at 6:40 p.m. in St. Louis.

Senior Hayden Doyle has been an integral part of the WashU men’s basketball success this season, starting in all 24 games and the most minutes played of any player.