When taking a look at DU’s major sports teams, the transfer portal has had a mixed impact. Basketball is undergoing the biggest transformation, and gymnastics has taken a big hit, losing its biggest star. Hockey and soccer remain stable, and it is a wait-and-see for lacrosse. Continue reading Portal Update – Basketball and Gymnastics Take Hits
Category Archives: Men’s Basketball
The Tim Bergstraser Era Begins
DU held a press conference and meet and greet with new basketball head coach Tim Bergstraser and his family Wednesday morning. The former Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) head coach hire is rumored to include a Moorhead posse of at least five former Dragon players and is joined by his former assistant coach Spencer Bland. It’s a meteoric rise for Bergstraser with a scant three years of D2 head coach experience. Continue reading The Tim Bergstraser Era Begins
PUCK SWAMI’S RAPID REACTION: High Winds May Exist for New DU Basketball Coach Bergstraser
After a “nationwide” search led by University of Denver Director of Athletics Josh Berlo for a new head basketball coach, Berlo has reached to the prairies of northern Minnesota to select Tim Bergstraser, 34, the three-year head coach of NCAA Division II Minnesota State University-Moorhead Dragons. Between 2022 and 2025, the Dragons went 75-32 and reached the NCAA Division II tournament three times, including the Sweet 16 appearance last season. Continue reading PUCK SWAMI’S RAPID REACTION: High Winds May Exist for New DU Basketball Coach Bergstraser
Could Transfer Fees Lessen the Impact of the Transfer Portal?
Jeff Goodman, a national college basketball analyst and co-founder of Field of 68 has come up with a novel idea for basketball – and his idea could expand to other sports as well. The spring college basketball transfer portal closes on April 22nd. By then, well over 2,000 “student”-athletes will have stated their intention to leave their schools for another program. Continue reading Could Transfer Fees Lessen the Impact of the Transfer Portal?
Jeff Wulbrun Out – Part 2: Picking up the Pieces
In Part 1, we talked about how DU basketball came unraveled. Part 2 discusses the implications of this saga on future basketball at DU.
As we already discussed, the process of the recent “mutual agreement to part ways” between basketball head coach Jeff Wulbrun and DU was messy and likely avoidable, and like all major coaching decisions, there will be consequences. Today, we outline what we believe may be the future implications for the DU Men’s Hoops program.
Continue reading Jeff Wulbrun Out – Part 2: Picking up the Pieces
Jeff Wulbrun Out – Part 1: How It All Unraveled
Yesterday’s announcement that now former basketball head coach Jeff Wulbrun and the University of Denver “mutually agreed part ways” lacked transparency and context. Wulbrun was placed on leave on February 21 for what, at the time, appeared to be a serious and urgent reason. The players we spoke to in the following weeks, under the condition of anonymity so they could freely share their thoughts, could not identify any student safety issues, patterns, or events that would warrant such action on DU’s part. Continue reading Jeff Wulbrun Out – Part 1: How It All Unraveled
Breaking: Wulbrun “Out” at Denver
Beware the Ides of March.
Today, DU Athletics announced the departure of basketball Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun on Twitter stating “DU Athletics and head coach Jeff Wulbrun have mutually agreed to part ways.”
Denver men’s basketball update: DU Athletics and head coach Jeff Wulbrun have mutually agreed to part ways after Wulbrun’s four seasons with the program.#GoPioshttps://t.co/X2DPVJU2Bz
— Denver Men’s Basketball (@DU_MensHoops) March 20, 2025
Pioneers Buried in Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals, 80-62
A promising #7 DU men’s basketball season began with hope. That promise was quickly followed by a key player exit and injuries, a number of excruciating losses and an end-of-season coaching mystery – capped by tonight’s quarterfinal blowout loss to St. Thomas in the Summit League Tournament quarterfinals. All eyes now shift to the uncertain future of a program visibly reeling and in search of answers. The loss was all the more disappointing to a #2 St. Thomas team that cannot qualify for the NCAA Tournament due to their elevation from DIII. Continue reading Pioneers Buried in Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals, 80-62
DU Men’s Basketball Faces Headwinds to Finally End NCAA Tournament Futility
Will DU men’s basketball (11-20, 5-11) ever get their “One Shining Moment” with a trip to the NCAA Tournament? It’s been 86 seasons, yet, strangely enough, this may be one of DU’s better chances under uncertain circumstances. Plagued by season-long injuries, a key departure, and a head coach mysteriously “on leave” with no public answers forthcoming, a wobbly DU program travels to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Thursday against an equally fragile conference with no powerhouse team(s). You can argue that nearly any Summit League team can win the tournament and the conference’s autobid this season – including DU. Continue reading DU Men’s Basketball Faces Headwinds to Finally End NCAA Tournament Futility
DU Swamps South Dakota State, 78-62, Awaits Tournament Seeding
DU could have used this performance in Kansas City last week when they fell to the Roos, 64-56. Instead, they needed a win today at Hamilton Gym against South Dakota State and a loss by UMKC tonight to avoid the ‘dreaded play-in game’ at the Summit League Tournament next week. Now, they must wait and watch games to finish this evening to receive their final tournament seed. It was senior day for Pedro Sanvicente, Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Ben Bowen. However, it was a ferocious defensive effort and freshman Sebastian Akins with a team-leading 17 points who controlled the second half to secure the final regular season win. Continue reading DU Swamps South Dakota State, 78-62, Awaits Tournament Seeding