In 2011, the Bellarmine men’s basketball team made history by winning its first NCAA Division II national championship. The team, led by head coach Scott Davenport, finished the season with a record of 33-2.

The Knights’ championship run was marked by dominant performances on both ends of the court. Offensively, the team ranked first in the nation in field goal percentage and third in scoring. Defensively, the Knights ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage defense and held opponents to an average of just 58 points per game.

In the national championship game, Bellarmine faced off against BYU-Hawaii. Led by tournament MVP Jeremy Kendle, who scored 22 points in the final, the Knights cruised to a 71-68 victory, clinching the first national championship in program history.

The championship was a culmination of several years of success for the Bellarmine men’s basketball program. Under Coach Davenport’s leadership, the Knights had established themselves as a perennial contender in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and had made several deep runs in the NCAA tournament.

Since winning the national championship, the Bellarmine men’s basketball team has continued to be a force in NCAA Division II, consistently ranking among the top teams in the nation and making several appearances in the NCAA tournament. In 2020, Bellarmine University transitioned to NCAA Division I and joined the Atlantic Sun Conference.