The 1979–80 Iona Gaels men's basketball team represented

Iona College Iona University () is a private Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York, United States. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of in New Rochelle and a campus of in Bro ...

during the

1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 17, 1979, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1980 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on Mar ...

. The Gaels, led by fifth-year head coach

Jim Valvano James Thomas Anthony Valvano (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster. Valvano had a successful coaching career with multiple schools, culminating at NC State. Whi ...

, played their home games at the

Hynes Athletic Center The James P. Hynes Athletics Center is a 2,578-seat multi-purpose arena in New Rochelle, New York. It was built in 1974 and is home to the Iona University Gaels basketball and volleyball teams. In 2005, the building was renamed the Hynes Center ...

. The Gaels won the ECAC Metro Basketball tournament to receive a bid to the 1980 NCAA tournament. As the No. 6 seed in the East region, the Gaels defeated No. 11 seed

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast o ...

in the opening round – the first and only NCAA Tournament victory in school history. Iona was narrowly defeated by No. 3 seed Georgetown in the round of 32. As of the

2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 25, 2020, and concluded on March 14, 2021. The 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament culminated the season and began on March 18 and concluded on April 5. Season ...

, this is the furthest any Iona men's team has ever advanced in the NCAA Tournament. On February 21, Iona halted No. 2

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

’s 18-game winning streak by dominating the Cardinals, 77–60, at Madison Square Garden. It was the last game Louisville would lose during the season en route to winning the 1980 NCAA Championship. It was the 12th straight of what would end up being a 17-game win streak for the Gaels.

Roster

Schedule and results

, - !colspan=9 style=, Regular season , - !colspan=9 style=, ECAC Metro tournament , - !colspan=9 style=, NCAA tournament

Rankings

Awards and honors

Jeff Ruland Jeffrey George Ruland (born December 16, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, best known for his tenure as a player in the NBA which saw him selected to two All-Star games. After playing college basketball for Io ...

–

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

Haggerty Award __NOTOC__ The Lt. Frank J. Haggerty Award is given to the top men's college basketball player from an NCAA Division I school in the New York metropolitan area. The Haggerty Award is presented by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MB ...

Great Alaska Shootout The Great Alaska Shootout is an annual women's college basketball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska that features host University of Alaska Anchorage and three visiting NCAA Division I teams. The four-team tournament resumed in 2022 following a ...

Tournament MVP

NBA draft

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1979-80 Iona Gaels men's basketball team Iona Gaels men's basketball seasons

Iona Iona (; , sometimes simply ''Ì'') is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaeli ...

Iona Gaels men's basketball The Iona Gaels men's basketball team represents Iona University in New Rochelle, New York in NCAA Division I competition. The school's team competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and plays home games in Hynes Athletic Center. ...