As we enter the second weekend of March Madness, it’s impossible to not think of the college basketball legends of the past few decades. So many undersized scoring guards, guys like Carsen Edwards, Melo Trimble, and Markus Howard, would seemingly drop multiple 30-point masterclasses every March. And then there are the old-school big men, Perry Ellis, Udoka Azubuike, and Brice Johnson, who could dominate your favorite team in the paint. There’s one thing that all six of those guys have in common: they played their entire college career with one single team.

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.

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.

Unfortunately for WashU, their magic ran out on Friday, March 8, when the Bears faced off against the No. 13 Trine University Thunder in the third round of the tournament. The Thunder dominated the whole way, ending the Bears season with an 86-65 loss.

After his game-winning shots, Oliff sat down with Student Life to discuss that high-pressure situation, his adjustment to college basketball, his experience as a Jewish college athlete, and his interests off the court.

The team’s tournament run ended abruptly in the first round, however, as they fell to the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils 71-61 on Mar. 1.

Oliff stayed confident, like the Bears have all year in clutch situations, and sank both shots to give the Bears a 68-67 lead that they would not relinquish. After a failed full-court heave from Illinois College, the rambunctious WashU student section stormed the court as the Bears stamped their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.

The Bears not only earned a spot in the tournament field, but obtained hosting privileges in the first and second rounds, one of just 16 teams to do so.

Following a dominant win against Brandeis, the Washington University women’s basketball team needed to close its season with a big win against University Athletic Association (UAA) foe University of Chicago to secure its at-large spot in the NCAA tournament. 

The script for the Washington University Men’s basketball team has been pretty much the same lately: overcome early struggles, make clutch shots, and leave with a win. That’s the pattern they’ve been following for much of the past season, and it’s one they followed once again in their regular-season finale against the University of Chicago.