A Season of Unprecedented Hoopla for Men’s & Women’s Basketball

Every coach’s dream is to help their team achieve an undefeated season. This year, Coach Mike MacDonald did just that, not only leading the men’s basketball team to a historic 25-0 regular season record, but also empowering them to become the first Division I or II team from Western New York to be ranked No. 1 in the country.

How did the Wildcats pull this off? MacDonald chalks it up to this team being the most connected of any he’s ever coached, anywhere. “They had those three Cs – they were very competitive, connected, and caring, and they genuinely liked each other,” said MacDonald. “They didn’t care who played, who started, or who scored. It was very much a team from day one, and, of course, they were very talented.”

They were also academically focused; the team had a GPA of over 3.0. “That shows they were students, too, and here for the right reasons,” MacDonald added. “We had three players who just graduated with their MBAs: Matt Becker ’25, Andrew Mason ’24, ’25, and Ryan Salzberg ’24, ’25.”

The team’s success didn’t come easy. Heading into the season, MacDonald and his coaching staff had concerns about the intensity of their schedule. “We knew we had scheduled games against one team that had been in the Elite 8, two teams that had been in the Sweet 16, and four other teams that had been NCAA tournament second round teams, so we knew we were playing really good competition and it was going to be tough.”

On Point

Two of this season’s three leading scorers – Benjamin Bill and Zach Philipkoski – weren’t in the starting line-up, but they took everything in stride. “I talked to both of them ahead of time and said, ‘Right now, our best move is to bring you off the bench,’” said MacDonald. “‘You’re going to play as much as the other guys, but you won’t be introduced with the starters.’ They were both fine with it. They embraced the opportunity, put their trust in the coaches, and made a significant impact on the team.”

Bill and Philipkoski were recognized as two of the best 15 players in the conference. “Ben was player of the year in the conference and Zach was third team all conference,” MacDonald said, adding, “It shows that you don’t have to start to have an effect. It’s a great lesson in sports.”

Three other players – Ronnie Williams, Ayden Harrison, and Jackson Kulik – also had a special influence on the team. “Of the twelve guys who dressed, they didn’t play as much, but they were a big part of us being good,” MacDonald said. “Their attitude and commitment to the team really helped us. They said, ‘Whatever it takes, we’re going to win, and we’re going to keep going.’”

The Wildcats got off to an exciting start with a stunning exhibition win against Division I University at Buffalo in October – the second time in program history that the men’s basketball team defeated a Division I program team. “I was really happy for the guys; they were very excited,” said MacDonald. “It was an exhibition game, so it didn’t count. But, in the end, we always say every game counts. It was also great for the Daemen community to see that we can play at that level.”

The week after the UB win, the Wildcats played their first two home games vs. Chestnut Hill and St. Anselm. “It was crucial for the team to get off to a strong start and survive November,” said MacDonald. “We had five games and we knew it was going to be very challenging. The next thing you know, we won them all.”

The Wildcats’ winning streak continued week over week, and the crowds at Daemen continued to grow. “After we beat Gannon, from January on, all of the games were really packed and it became an event,” MacDonald said.

During the final four weeks of the regular season, the Wildcats were ranked No.1 in the country by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) national poll. “Being ranked No.1 in the country was unbelievable, very surreal,” said MacDonald. “When you look at the big picture, a lot of schools are fully-funded. We aren’t. We may not have all the bells and whistles, but we have good people who care about each other and care about winning, and that makes a special team.”

In addition, MacDonald and the men’s team received national coverage in The New York Times for being the last undefeated team heading into the Division II NCAA Tournament. “It’s great for other people to see the special place Daemen is and what we have here,” said MacDonald. “To me, that is the byproduct of all of this. We have a really good team, but we also have a really good university. Athletics can be the front porch of a university, and if this gets people in the door to find out about how great the PA program is or how you can get an MBA here, I think it’s awesome. That’s what we should be doing.”

The Women’s Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

The women’s basketball team also shined on the court this season, finishing with a 22-8 final overall record and their fourth straight East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship title.

Coming off an NCAA Elite 8 appearance and graduating four of five starters, they knew they had their work cut out for them. “Playing one of the most difficult schedules, including the No. 1 team in the country, as well as two other recent Elite 8 teams, we knew we had to hit the ground running,” said Head Coach Jenepher Banker. “The returners were more motivated to prove this team would also accomplish great things regardless of how many starters graduated and how many new players were in the program.” The team delivered by finishing with a 15 -1 ECC Conference record.

“This team, more so than any other team I’ve coached here, went through different starting lineups due to injuries,” said Banker. “We made a lot of changes to the style of play, and the team remained resilient. We still had confidence in each other no matter how many changes we had to make and we kept our sights on one game at a time.”

What has kept the team consistently at the top? Teamwork. “Players share the ball,” said Banker. “It’s important to us as a team to have more assists than turnovers. That’s something we value as a program and I believe is a big reason for our success.”

Banker’s recruiting approach is simple, but effective. “We’re looking for a good person, a good student, and somebody we feel will be complementary to our team and culture.” Banker encourages her team to meet with potential players when they come to campus. “I will ask our players after they meet with an incoming student what their thoughts are and if they think they would be a good fit. We will listen to them if there are any concerns.”

Clearly, Banker’s approach is working.

Shooting Their Shot

The men’s and women’s teams – both top seeds coming out of the regular season – earned hosting rights for the ECC championships in March 2025.

The energy and excitement in Lumsden Gymnasium was electric, and it showed on the court. Both teams won their respective ECC Championship titles – the men’s first title in program history, the women’s fourth consecutive title, and fifth in six years.

“To come back and host the conference tournament and see the crowd here for that, especially seeing the women play before us, it was a really special weekend of basketball,” said MacDonald.

Banker added, “We’ve hosted the ECC Women’s Basketball Championships for several years in a row. The ECC did an outstanding job elevating the atmosphere and the experience. Even though we were in our own gym, the players noticed the difference and it made them feel like they were really playing in a championship.”

Fresh off the men’s ECC victory – for the first time in program history – Daemen hosted the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship East Regional in Lumsden Gymnasium.

The gym, which seats 400, was bursting with excitement and the Daemen community was there for it. “Hats off to Traci Murphy and her whole staff,” said MacDonald. “What they pulled off is not easy, and it was great for our players to see all the work everyone put into hosting the conference tournament and then the NCAA tournament.”

The women’s team moved on to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship East Regional that was hosted at Bentley University.

It’s All About the Rebound

The men’s winning streak was cut short in a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas during the second round of the NCAA tournament, but MacDonald isn’t dwelling on it. “We won 28 games in a row. In the end, we were 28-1. I can’t complain about being 28-1. Unfortunately, we didn’t get all the way to the end where we wanted to be, but that happens. It was a special, special group. One loss isn’t going to diminish what the team did or take away the ECC championship or being ranked No. 1 in the country.”

MacDonald’s pride for this team is evident. “This was a true team. They all participated. We had four guys who redshirted – who were part of the team but didn’t play in games. The way they practiced helped us get better. We had guys who didn’t play as much. We’d say all the time, you’re going to have your moment. Everybody had their moment, they accepted it, and realized that when everybody works together and you don’t care who gets the credit, amazing things can happen.”

That’s exactly what transpired this year. “It was the perfect confluence of everything coming together at the right time: good players, unselfish play, talent, and competitiveness,” said MacDonald. “That all worked together to help us win.”

The women advanced to the NCAA tournament regional semifinals, but came up short against Holy Family University. It was a tough loss, but Banker isn’t looking back. “I told the team how proud I am of them for the success they had. We graduated four players and only lost one conference game. We faced so many injuries, illnesses, and everything that changed the dynamic of what we were doing, but everyone on the team stepped up and we had an incredible season. We’re not a fully funded program. For us to be able to get to this level is really pretty amazing.”

Keeping Their Eye on the Ball

As MacDonald looks ahead to next season, he is taking a realistic approach. “We can’t go out there saying we have to go undefeated again. Every team has its own personality. We’re going to take the lessons we learned from this year’s team, add to next year’s team, and build on it with the next team’s personality to get better. I’ve already started thinking about how we need to approach that.”

Banker is taking a consistent approach. “Our goals will be the same; they’re always very high. We’ll be trying to take it to the next level.”

One thing is for sure – these were two incredibly remarkable teams that will leave their legacy on the court for years to come.

2024 – 2025 Awards & Achievements

VP Traci Murphy

• 2024-25 Athletics Directors of the Year Award by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics

Coach Mike MacDonald

• The Clarence Gaines Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com
• East Region Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches
• ECC Coach of the Year

Coach Jenepher Banker

• ECC Coach of the Year

Men’s Basketball team

• NABC Team Academic Award

Women’s Basketball team

• Special Mention WBCA Academic Top 25

Benjamin Bill

• East Coast Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-ECC
• First Team All-Region, Division II Conference Commissioners Association
• First Team All-District, NABC
• Consensus All-American, D2 CCA Third Team; NABC

Justin Hemphill

• First Team All-ECC
• Second Team All-Region, D2 CAA
• Second Team All-District, NABC

Claire Pikett

• First Team All-ECC
• Academic All-District, College Sports Communicators