The Abilene Christian Wildcats men's basketball team represents Abilene Christian University (ACU) in Abilene, Texas, United States. The Wildcats joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 1, 2021, after having spent the previous eight years in the Southland Conference. Before this move, ACU's most recent conference change was in the 2013 offseason, when the Wildcats made the jump to NCAA Division I and rejoined the Southland Conference after a 40-year absence.[2] They are led by head coach Brette Tanner and play their home games at Moody Coliseum.
| Abilene Christian Wildcats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Abilene Christian University | ||
| Head coach | Brette Tanner (3rd season) | ||
| Conference | WAC | ||
| Location | Abilene, Texas | ||
| Arena | Moody Coliseum (Capacity: 4,600) | ||
| Nickname | Wildcats | ||
| Student section | Wildcat Reign | ||
| Colors | Purple and white[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||
| 1966* | |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1960*, 1964*, 1965*, 1966*, 1999* | |||
| NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
| 1959*, 1960*, 1962*, 1964*, 1965*, 1966*, 1986*, 1987*, 1999*, 2021 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1959*, 1960*, 1962*, 1964*, 1965*, 1966*, 1986*, 1987*, 1999*, 2019, 2021 *at Division II level | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| Lone Star: 1985, 1986, 1987 Southland Conference: 2019, 2021 | |||
In 2019, the Wildcats won the Southland Conference and earned their first Division I NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wildcats recorded their first tournament win in 2021, upsetting #3 seeded Texas 53–52.
Postseason
NCAA Division I Tournament results
Abilene Christian has appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament twice. Their record is 1–2.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #15 | First Round | #2 Kentucky | L 44–79 |
| 2021 | #14 | First Round Second Round | #3 Texas #11 UCLA | W 53–52 L 47–67 |
NCAA Division II Tournament results
The Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament nine times. Their combined record is 9–11.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Southwest Missouri State Western Illinois | L 67–87 W 85–81 OT |
| 1960 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Colorado College Northeast Missouri State | W 109–65 L 76–79 |
| 1962 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Southeast Missouri State Lamar Tech | L 55–57 L 74–83 |
| 1964 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Lamar Tech Southeast Missouri State | W 73–71 L 87–90 |
| 1965 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals | Doane Washington (MO) | W 91–50 L 66–69 |
| 1966 | Regional semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight | Jackson State Southwest Missouri State North Dakota | W 94–79 W 63–58 L 62–63 |
| 1986 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Southwest Missouri State Sam Houston State | L 72–94 W 76–60 |
| 1987 | Regional semifinals Regional 3rd-place game | Delta State West Texas State | L 71–88 L 63–67 |
| 1999 | Regional Quarterfinals Regional semifinals Regional Finals | West Texas A&M Pittsburg State Truman State | W 102–96 3OT W 79–59 L 69–76 |
CBI results
The Wildcats have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) one time. Their record is 2–1.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #6 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals | #11 Troy #3 Ohio #2 Middle Tennessee | W 82-70 W 91-86 L 69-85 |
CIT results
The Wildcats have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) two times. Their record is 1–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | First round | Drake | L 73–80 OT |
| 2024 | First round Quarterfinals | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Tarleton | W 73–63 L 59–86 |
