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.

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.

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.

In the world of college basketball, Division III programs are often overlooked. Most D-III athletes don’t play for national glory, future NBA careers, or to profit off of their name, image, and likeness. Yet to all those who have found a special community around Division III athletics, the D-III tier — where student-athletes are able to pursue a more well-rounded college experience than Division I athletes —  stands out.

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.