Idaho State Bengals | |||
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University | Idaho State University | ||
Conference | Big Sky | ||
Location | Pocatello, ID | ||
Head coach | Bill Evans (5th year) | ||
Arena |
Reed Gym Holt Arena |
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Nickname | Bengals | ||
Colors | Black and Orange |
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NCAA Tournament Elite Eight | |||
1977 | |||
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1977 | |||
NCAA Tournament appearances | |||
1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1974, 1977, 1987 | |||
Conference tournament champions | |||
(Big Sky) 1977, 1987 | |||
Conference regular season champions | |||
(RMAC) 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 (Big Sky) 1974, 1976, 1977 |
The Idaho State Bengals men's basketball team represents Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big Sky Conference. They are currently led by head coach Bill Evans and play most of their home games at Reed Gym, with some select home games at Holt Arena.
The Bengals have appeared in eleven NCAA Tournaments and have a cumulative record of 8–13. The team came to national prominence as a member of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) under head coach Steve Belko, who arrived in 1950 and stayed for six seasons, followed by John Grayson for the next three. Belko left for Oregon, Grayson for Washington.
In the sixth season under head coach Jim Killingsworth, Idaho State advanced to the Elite Eight in 1977. It was a 32-team field, and through 2014 it is the furthest any Big Sky team has advanced in the NCAA tourney. The Bengals won an opening round game at home at the Minidome and then upset UCLA by a point in the Sweet Sixteen in Provo, Utah. Both teams entered the game with records of 24–4. After the high-scoring loss to UNLV in the regional final, Killingsworth left for Oklahoma State.