Park University over the last 150 years has made it its mission to transform lives through accessible, student-centered, quality higher education. In celebration of Park's 150th Year Anniversary, Park Athletics is excited to begin this series to highlight the history, accomplishment, and legacy of Park's athletic programs. As we await the special times ahead for our institution, may we also look back fondly at how Park got to this point in it's voyage in athletics.

As we get deeper into 2025, we look forward to telling the stories of each program's history at Park. 

Our second program to be featured in the 150th tribute is the men's basketball program. Enjoy and if you have an iconic moment within this timeline you can share your experience with Pirate Nation though the Iconic Moments Form.

1959-60

• Park has three teams on record from this year: men's basketball, men's tennis and men's soccer. 

• The only known coach from this year was Lewis Carpenter

 1961-62

• 1961-1962 is Park's first official year of NAIA intercollegiate athletics, under the director Ed Nelson who also served as the school's men's basketball coach.
• Men's basketball went 9-8 in 17 games under coach Nelson on a team that consisted of 16 players.
• Nelson a 2017 inductee into the Park Athletics Wall of Honor, often tabbed the "godfather" and "founder" of athletics at then Park College. He served an 18-year tenure at Park and his work as director of athletics left a lasting mark on Park as it entered the NAIA.

 1962-63

• Men's basketball had a 3-14 record in 1962-63 with 13 players on the roster.

 1964-65

• Nelson again coached both soccer and basketball teams, leading the soccer team with a 5-5-1 finish with 22 players and the basketball team to a 5-12 record with 12 players.

 1964-65

• Men's basketball had an overall record of 12-9 and had 13 players under coach Nelson.

 1966-67

• Men's basketball was ranked as high as NO. 16 in the NAIA Standings, but the Pirates finished the year 8-13 with a 15 player roster.

 1967-68

• This is the first year for the men's basketball program under Harold "Hal" Henderson.
• Henderson was coached in soccer by Nelson from 1961-1964, while also competing for the Pirates in basketball for three years.
• Henderson later would be inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 for meritorious service in the sport of soccer and for his 32-year career as an athletic trainer.
• Henderson would later be inducted into the Park Wall of Honor in 2018.

 1970-71

• Nelson took back the reigns of the program in 1969-70 and in the 1970-71 season, Men's basketball went 7-11 with nine players, led by captain Steve Headrick who led NAIA District 16 in scoring at 23.0 points per game.
• Levi Snow was 15th in District 16 in rebounding at nine rebounds per game, and Park had three double-digit scoring averages, including Headrick, Snow (10.4  ppg) and Robert Jones, who averaged 17.0 ppg.

 1971-72

• The men's basketball team, still coached by Ed Nelson, compiled its first winning record since its first varsity season in 1961-62, going 12-10 with a roster of 13.

 
1973-74

• Two years later, men's basketball had 12 players with an identical 12-10 record as the 1971-72 season.

1974-75 

• Park had its most wins since joining the NAIA in the 1974-75 season with a 15-13 record

 1976-77

• Nelson remained director of athletics after the 1976-77 season, but it would be his last as head basketball coach with a record of 11-14

 1977-78

• Park becomes a member of the Ozark Collegiate Conference and amasses its most wins to this point in program history at an 18-9 record and a 9-1 finish in the OCC
• Park tied for the conference championship under first-year head coach Terry Dennis

 1978-79

• Men's basketball won it's second straight OCC Championship and went 9-1 again in conference play.
• The team fell short of an NAIA District 16 appearance, falling to then School of the Ozarks (now College of the Ozarks), 73-71.
• Monnie Ostrom was named First Team All-OCC, leading the team in scoring. Ray Thompson was named second-team all-conference and led the team in assists, while Terry Read led the team in rebounding and Mark Miller was the team's top free-throw shooter

 1979-80

• Men's basketball coach Hal Shaver led Park to a 9-12 overall record and 4-8 record in the OCC.
• Park beat UMKC, 63-60

 1981-82

• Men's basketball featured its first 1,000 point scorer in Keith Gray
• A teammate of Gray's is a familiar face today in Park Athletics and a 2022 Wall of Honor recipient, Head Baseball Coach Cary Lundy.

 1982-83

• The Pirates got back to a positive record of 14-12

 1985-86

• Park finished the year with a 6-23 record under Randy Farris in his final season as head coach. He began as head coach between 1982 and 1984.

 1986-87

• Will Swoffer picked up the head coaching role and Park only managed a 4-24 record

1989-90

• A turnaround began with new head coach David Francis. He led Park to a 13-15 record and Mark Jones was ranked sixth in the NAIA in field-goal percentage.

 1990-91

• Two years prior, Park went 0-26, but in such a short timespan, Francis led Park to its first-ever men's basketball NAIA National Tournament at Kemper Arena.
• In the first round, Park fell to Briar Cliff, but not before capturing the program's first NAIA District 16 championship.
• This was Park's first 20-win season on a 26-7 record under Francis, who was named NAIA District 16 Coach of the year
• Johnny Davis averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per game, earning First-Team All-District 16 honors. Todd Baugh and Mark Jones were

 1991-92

• The following year was the last season for Francis, ending his time at Park with a 12-17 season

 1992-93

• It was the start of a new era for the basketball program, as former Director of Athletics Claude English led Park to an 8-19 record.

 1993-94

• English eventually went into the Park Wall of Honor in 2015 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. Altogether he has been inducted into five separate hall of fames
•  English's squad went 14-17 and fell in the second round of the AMC tournament
• Park led the conference in field-goal percentage and had two all-conference players, Lacy Mims (17 ppg) and Howard Griffin (16 ppg).

 1994-95

• Beville Taitte was named AMC Player of the Year.
• Taitte was inducted into the Park Wall of Honor in 2015 and was a two-time NAIA All-American. He averaged double-figure scoring in each of his four seasons with the Pirates.
• Park went 13-15 with a 6-8 league record.

 1995-96

• English named 1995-96 American Midwest Conference Coach of the Year
• Walter Bethea named AMC Freshman of the Year.
• This also was the last season of a four-year career for current assistant coach  of Park women's basketball Antowin Edwards.

 1997-98

• English began his tenure as Director of Athletics and Head Basketball Coach
• English named AMC Coach of the Year
• Park had a 27-8 record on the year
• AMC Regular Season Title, clinched with 10-point win over Columbia College 73-63
• Program's second NAIA National Tournament appearance, but this time English led the Pirates to the NAIA Semifinals, where Southern Nazarene University advanced to the championship, 67-57
• Bethea wins AMC Most Valuable Player, three AMC Player of the Week awards, NAIA First-Team All-American, and NAIA All-Tournament Team.
• Bethea was No. 7 in the nation in scoring after the regular season with 23 points per game and 95 three-pointers made in 27 games.
• DeSean Gildyard also stepped up as an all-conference performer and NAIA All-American Honorable Mention
• The 1998 men's basketball team was inducted into the Park Athletics Wall of Honor in 2016 and as a group, won three NAIA tournament games as a No. 15 seed to reach the NAIA Fab Four.

 1998-99

• Bethea would solidify himself as Park's all-time leading scorer with nearly 2,500 points scored by the end of his career in 1999 at Park.
• He would be inducted into the Park Wall of Honor in 2015 with a long list of other accomplishments as a two-time AMC Player of the Year, AMC Freshman of the Year, and a four-time all-conference honoree.

 2001-2002

• Park finished above .500 at 15-12 and were the No. 6 seed in the NAIA Men's Independent Tournament
• Monte Jones, Marvin Cash, and Kelly Kindall were recognized on the NAIA Independent Division I Region. Jones was a First-Team recipient with 17 points per game, while Cash and Kindall were honorable mention. Cash led Park with 99 assists on the season.

 2003-04

• Three Pirates earn NAIA Independent Region honors. Chuck Reed and Ryan Meissner earn Second Team, while Dan Durrer was honorable mention.

 2004-05

• Coach English's final season as Park men's basketball coach and he would transition to only taking on the responsibilities of director of athletics.
• English finished his career with the second most wins in Park history with 182 and in his 17 year of coaching, first at Rhode Island and then at Park, he collected 227 career wins.

 2005-06

• Now current head coach of Park men's basketball Jason Kline takes the helm and earns NAIA Independent Region Coach of the Year.

 2006-07

• In his second season, he was named NAIA Independent Region Coach of the Year two years in a row.
• He was part of another program resurgence with a 26-6 record and advanced to the school's third NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament in program history in the Sweet 16.
• Park won seven games against ranked NAIA Top 25 opponents and against NCAA Division I & II opponents, UMKC and Rockhurst
• Brandon Voorhees and Kevin Nelson were named NAIA All-Americans, Voorhees First Team and Nelson Third Team
• Voorhees was a 2017 inductee to the Park Athletics Wall of Honor and had 10 games of 30 points or more. He was close to a Park record with 39 points in a game against Midland Lutheran College.
• The Basketball Times Co-NAIA Player of the Year led the NAIA in scoring with 25.2 points per game and scored 36 points in an upset of No. 1 nationally ranked MidAmerica Nazarene University.

 2007-08

• Second consecutive season of defeating NCAA Division II opponent Rockhurst. Both were one possession games, 68-67 in 2007 and 76-73 in 2008.
• Semifinal appearance of NAIA Independent Region Tournament
• Jon Meriweather, son of former women's basketball head coach Joe C. Meriweather, earned three NAIA All-American distinctions (NAIA Second Team All-America, Victory Sports Network Third Team All-American, and Basketball Times Third Team All-American)
• Meriweather almost averaged a double-double per game at 20.3 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game in 2007-08.

 2008-09

• Meriweather returned as an NAIA Second Team All-American on the year and would eventually be inducted into Park Athletics' Wall of Honor in 2019. He played 76 career games and scored a total of 1,244 points, secured 623 rebounds, and recorded 160 blocks.

 2009-10

• The Pirates returned to the NAIA national tournament with the second Sweet 16 appearance of Coach Kline's career at Park.
• Park had a 23-10 record with an excellent 12-2 conference record.
• Park earned 105-65 win over Missouri Baptist in the first year back in the AMC.
• Another signature win came through at the national tournament with an 83-75 win over Georgetown College (Ky.).
• Herschell Rogers named NAIA Third Team All-American with 15 points per game.

 2010-11

• The Pirates won the American Midwest Conference Tournament with a big run of three wins against Williams Baptist, Columbia College, and McKendree University.
• Kline led Park back to the national tournament, but were stopped short from advancing by Mountain State (W.Va.) 83-58.
• Finished the season with a 21-9 record and were 10-4 in the AMC.
• Kyle Rausch was an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention award winner with 11 points per game.

 2011-12

• Reco Anderson named NAIA All-American Honorable mention on an average of 15 points per game

 2012-13

• Melvin Rowe named NAIA All-American Honorable mention on an average of 10 points per game

 2013-2014

• Park earns a 21-9 overall record with 13-3 conference record.
• Xavielle Brown named AMC First Team All-Conference for second straight year and earns NAIA Third Team All-American nod with 19.8 points per game.

 2015-16

• The Pirates on a 20-10 season return to the NAIA National Tournament on a 20-10 record
• Park ranks within NAIA Top 25 throughout the season, the highest at No. 15 in 2016.
• With his 183^rd victory, Kline becomes Park's winningest coach in program history with a 112-105 overtime win over William Woods.
• NAIA National Tournament appearance and barely missed the next round in 88-86 loss to Mid-America Christian.
• Xavielle Brown named a First Team NAIA All-American

 2016-17

• Park is ranked No. 12 to begin the season in the NAIA Top 25 Poll.
• Xavielle Brown earns another NAIA First Team All-American Honor and becomes third Pirate to score over 2,000 points in his career. He went over 2,000 points with a 41-point performance against Lyon College in the AMC Quarterfinal.
• Brown would be ushered in to the Park Wall of Honor in 2022, garnering 2,074 points in his career on an average of 18.5 points per game. He recorded 15 games with 30 points or more.
• BJ Watson earns NAIA All-American Honorable Mention award
• Park goes to its second straight NAIA National Championship Tournament, falling in the first round to Georgetown, 81-72

 
 2017-18

• Park began the season as No. 17 in the nation.
• The No. 17 Pirates defeat No. 18 MidAmerica Nazarene with 75-59 win, Zach Rutland scores 24 and has seven assists
• Rutland earns AMC Third Team All-Conference, Mason Stuteville selected as Honorable Mention All-Conference, and Ernest Myles claims place on AMC All-Freshman Team
• Park finished 12-14 on the season and 9-13 in the American Midwest Conference

 2018-19

• Triple Overtime Win Against Freed-Hardeman, 82-80. In the win, Allan Hyatt had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, but none more important than the offensive rebound and put back combo for the buzzer beater in the third overtime period
• Zach Rutland Reaches 1,000t Career Points against Lindenwood-Belleville
• The Pirates went 20-11 with a 16-6 AMC record. The No. 2 seeded Pirates in the AMC Tournament went all the way to the Championship game before coming up short to Central Baptist 71-63
• Rutland earns NAIA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team AMC All-Conference, while Hyatt is placed on Third Team All-Conference

 2019-20

• Pirates rank No. 24 nationally
• On Halloween, Blue Johnson records triple double to open the season with 85-76 win over No. 20 Central Methodist
• Jason Kline picks up his 400^th career victory after 71-55 win over St. Louis College of Pharmacy
• The No. 23 Pirates capture a share of the AMC Regular Season Championship
• Park goes 21-7 and 16-6 on the season, but upset in quarterfinal round by Williams Baptist in the AMC Tournament
• Kline Named AMC Coach of the Year, Cory Reeves selected NAIA Second Team All-American

 2020-21

• The Pirates have their first season in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and Ernest Myles III garners Park's first-ever Heart Player of the Week award
• Park receiving votes in national poll
• Park reaches Heart Semifinals with 14-7 conference record and was 14-8 on the season
• Rodrigue Marthone awarded Newcomer of the Year and Myles was the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. Myles led the Heart and ranked No. 6 in the nation in rebounds per game at 11.71 and he had 13 double-doubles on the season
• 2021 marked the sixth time that Park qualified for the NAIA National Championship under Coach Kline. The Pirates finished 3^rd in the Heart Regular Season and received the conference's host bid to the NAIA Opening Round
• Marthone named NAIA All-American

 2021-22

• Park score 114 points against Bacone
• Myles surpasses 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds at Park. Finished is career with 1,120 rebounds and 38 double-doubles
• Reeves earns 1,000 career points against Clarke, 76-67
• Kline wins 300^th win at Park with 84-71 victory over Baker

 2023-24

• Park wins last five games of regular season to qualify for Heart Conference Tournament
• In his first season at Park, AJ Watson earns Second Team Heart All-Conference, while Augusto Hausmann and DeMarcus Hudson earn Honorable Mention awards
• Hausmann and Watson both pass 1,000 point mark in their careers with Hausmann, a current graduate assistant coach for Park, earning all his points at Park and played in 117 games as a Pirate

 2024-25

• Park becomes just the second college program at any level to land a jersey sponsorship deal, featuring Hardscape Construction's logo on the front chest