Where are the Lipscomb Bisons from? Here’s what you need to know about this No. 14-seeded NCAA tournament team
A Christian college snuggled in south Nashville, Tennessee, Lipscomb University will make its second-ever men's NCAA tournament appearance when the No. 14 seed plays No. 3 Iowa State at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Here are some facts to know about the university and its basketball program.
How Lipscomb University was founded
In 1889, Christian ministers David Lipscomb and James A. Harding established Lipscomb University in Nashville with the idea of offering academic coursework alongside spiritual teaching rooted in the Church of Christ, according to the university’s website. The Christian liberal arts institution started with nine students in 1891.
Present day Lipscomb University
The university has grown to host 5,000 students, according to the university’s website. Its undergraduate enrollment was 3,024 in the fall of 2023 and has an acceptance rate of 67%, according to US News & World Report. More than half of its classes have fewer than 20 students. The four-year graduation rate is 61%.
Famous alumni from Lipscomb University
Naturally, for a university based in Music City, Lipscomb is known for its artists. Five-time Grammy Award nominee Kelsea Ballerini studied two years at Lipscomb before pursuing her musical career. Pat Boone, a singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality and radio host, primarily attended Lipscomb University. He went on to sell more than 50 million records and had 38 top-40 hits. Garrison Matthews, a 6-foot-6 guard for the Atlanta Hawks, is the program’s lone player in the NBA.
How the Lipscomb athletics program got its nickname
In 1931, Lipscomb fielded its first men’s basketball team. Coach Robert Alexander brought team captain Jack Draper to a local clothing company in Nashville to pick out the uniforms, according to the school’s website. Draper spotted a jacket with a buffalo across the back and wanted to call the team the Thundering Herd. Alexander took a more direct approach, selecting the Bison as the team’s mascot.
NCAA tournament history for Lipscomb
In 2018, Lipscomb made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament as a No. 15 seed in the West Region. The Bisons were automatic qualifiers as Atlantic Sun tournament champions after finishing the regular season with a 23-9 record. They lost 84-66 to No. 2 seed North Carolina.
How the Lipscomb Bison made it to this year’s tournament
After winning the Atlantic Sun in the regular season, the Bison beat North Alabama 76-65 in the conference tournament to stamp its ticket to the Big Dance. Lipscomb survived a 81-75 win in overtime against Queens University in the conference tournament semifinals. They are led by senior forward Jacob Ognacevic’s 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Lennie Acuff has coached the program since 2019.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where is Lipscomb? All you need to know about Bisons basketball team
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