Whitman basketball, under the leadership of Eric Bridgeland, has grown to be the pacesetter not only in the Northwest Conference, but also on the national level. With a record of 132-16 over the 2014-15 through 2018-19 seasons, his Blues have run the Northwest Conference regular season table for three straight seasons with NWC Tournament titles in two of those seasons.
The 2017-18 edition of Whitman basketball earned the top spot in the preseason D3hoops.com poll and maintained that No. 1 ranking for the entire 13-weeks of the regular- and conference-tournament schedules.
The Blues earned their third-consecutive spot in the NCAA D-III tournament and advanced into the Elite 8 round -- marking Whitman as just one of two teams to move into the Sweet 16 or beyond in each of the past three seasons -- and Bridgeland was voted the
Basketball Times D-III men's coach of the year, HoopDirt.com's D-III men's coach of the year, and the NABCÂ West District coach of the year.
Along with Bridgeland's
Basketball Times honor, guard Tim Howell '18 was named the publication's D-III men's player of the year. Howell would also be named a D3hoops honorable mention All-American, an NABC All-West District and D3hoops All-West Region player -- along with teammate Joey Hewitt '19 -- and be chosen as one of two representatives from the West District to participate in the NABC/Reese's All-Star Game played in the Salem (Va.) Civic Center prior to the D-III national championship game on the same court later in the day.
2017 saw Bridgeland guide Whitman to become the first Northwest Conference program in 83 years to complete a perfect 25-0 regular season and the first West Coast team since 1982 to advance to the NCAA Final 4 with a final record of 31-1. For his efforts, Coach Bridgeland was named the National Coach of the Year by both Herosports and D3hoops online publications.
Each of Bridgeland’s four-year graduating classes (Classes of 2012 through 2018) have graduated as the winningest classes in Whitman basketball history, the latest made up of Austin Butler, Jack Stewart, Cedric Jacobs-Jones and Joey Hewitt who went 116-10 over those four season, an NCAA Division III record.
After spending five seasons building conference rival University of Puget Sound into a national power on the strength of three straight Northwest Conference titles (’04, ’05, ‘06) and three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, it was a ‘slam dunk’ decision in 2008 for Whitman to tab Bridgeland as the leader of the Whitman men’s program.
Inheriting a Whitman program with just a single conference win in 2007 and one winning season in its previous 20 overall, Bridgeland went to work.
After only two recruiting classes, he secured the then-best back-to-back seasons in Whitman basketball history with consecutive second-place finishes in the tough Northwest Conference in 2011 and 2012.
On the floor, the success of Bridgeland-led programs after the initial two recruiting classes at both the University of Puget Sound (three seasons) and Whitman (eight seasons) is staggering:
- Overall record: 273Â wins, 62Â losses
- NWC record: 165Â wins, 27Â losses
- 6 NWC titles, 6 runner-up finishes
- 7 NCAAÂ Sweet 16Â appearances
- 3 NCAAÂ Elite 8 appearances
- 1 NCAA Final Four appearance
- NCAA Tournament record: 17-7
- Home record in NCAA Tournament: 7-0
Bridgeland has led two separate programs to the NCAA Elite 8Â
and beyond. He credits the miraculous turnaround of the Whitman program to focusing on building elite, relationship-based cultures, while emphasizing excellence in classroom, on the court and in the community.Â
Bridgeland’s program is best known for its community-serving work in the surrounding Walla Walla area.
Since touching ground in Walla Walla, Bridgeland has established one of the largest FREE leadership-based basketball camps and clinics (Together We Can) in existence. More than 800 children per year get tutored in leadership skills by the men’s program. In addition, each Wednesday in the preseason in the place of practice, the program members travel to two separate underserved areas in the community to spend time making a positive impact.
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- 2018-19: 28-2, including third consecutive 16-0 league record
- Advanced to at least the Sweet for fourth straight season
- Entered postseason as the NCAA Tournament's top seed
- No. 5 final ranking (D3hoops.com)
- 2017-18: 29-2, including second consecutive 16-0 league record
- Voted No. 1 in preseason D3hoops.com poll, a Whitman College first
- Became one of only two teams in each of past three seasons to advance into the Sweet 16
- No. 3 final ranking (D3hoops.com)
- 2016-17: 31-1, Greatest season in history of the Northwest Conference
- 1st West Coast team to Participate in the Final 4 since 1982
- No. 2 final ranking
- No. 1 ranking (unanimous) in both national polls on March 17, 2017 (Herosports/D3hoops)
- 31-Game Win Streak
- 2017 National Coach of the Year (Herosports)
- 2017 Co-National Coach of the Year (D3hoops)
- 2018 'Basketball Times' D-III Coach of the Year
- 2018 NABCÂ West District Coach of the Year
Additional Accolades
- Northwest Conference Coach of the Year 2015-16 & 2018-19
- Blue Mountain Sports Coach of the Year 2015-16
- 'Basketball Times' D-III men's Coach of the Year 2017-18
- Advanced to 2016 NCAA Sweet 16 (program first), 2017 and 2018
- No. 1 ranking in the country in 2016 (D3hoops, 2/27/17); program first (Herosports)
- Ended 2015-2016 season with a No. 7 national ranking from D3hoops.com and a No. 6 national ranking from Herosports
- Ended 2016-2017 season ranked No. 2 by D3hooops.com
- Ended 2017-18 season ranked No. 3 by D3hoops.com
- Nationally ranked in the top 10 by D3hoops.com for 14 consecutive polls during 2016-17 season
- Nationally ranked No. 1 by D3hoops.com for 13 consecutive pools during the 2017-18 season
- Sent ’12 NWC MVP, David Michaels, to NBA Combine*, a program first
*Only the fifth NCAA Division III player ever in its 60-year history to be invited
In just 10 years under Bridgeland's tutelage, Whitman not only sent a player to the NBA Combine (Micheals), but also has seen nine of its graduates go on to play professionally:
Â
- Austin Butler (Australia)
- Joey Hewitt (England)
- Jase Harrison (England)
- Tim Howell (Sacramento, ABA)
- David Michaels (Holland, South Korea)
- JP Alvarez (Ecuador, 1st Division)
- Justin Artis (Olympia Rise, ABA)
- Ignas Pavilonis (Lithuania, 2nd Division)
- Ben Eisenhardt (Israel, 1st Division)
NWC Players of the Year
2012 Â David Michaels
2013Â Â Ben Eisenhardt
2017Â Â Tim Howell
2019Â Â Austin Butler
Career Head Coach Record
| Season |
School |
Overall |
NWC |
| 2018-19 |
Whitman |
28-2 |
16-0 |
| 2017-18 |
Whitman |
29-2 |
16-0 |
| 2016-17 |
Whitman |
31-1 |
16-0 |
| 2015-16 |
Whitman |
24-5 |
14-2 |
| 2014-15 |
Whitman |
20-6 |
14-2 |
| 2013-14 |
Whitman |
16-10 |
11-5 |
| 2012-13 |
Whitman |
19-8 |
12-4 |
| 2011-12 |
Whitman |
18-8 |
11-5 |
| 2010-11 |
Whitman |
19-8 |
11-5 |
| 2009-10 |
Whitman |
12-13 |
6-10 |
| 2008-09 |
Whitman |
9-16 |
5-11 |
| 2007-08 |
Pepperdine |
5-9 |
— |
| 2005-06 |
Puget Sound |
23-5 |
14-2 |
| 2004-05 |
Puget Sound |
22-4 |
15-1 |
| 2003-04 |
Puget Sound |
24-3 |
15-1 |
| 2002-03 |
Puget Sound |
12-13 |
7-9 |
| 2001-02 |
Puget Sound |
11-14 |
7-9 |
| 2000-01 |
UC Santa Cruz |
11-10 |
— |
| @ Whitman |
 |
225-79 (.740) |
132-44 (.750) |
| Overall |
 |
333-137 (.709) |
202-66 (.753) |
