Rhodes College Athletics

The 1980-81 Southwestern Men's Basketball team is arguably the best men's basketball team in the history of the college. Coached by Lynx Hall-of-Fame icon Herb Hilgeman, in his fifth year at the helm, the men finished the year 23-3 overall, advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament and were ranked seventh in the final 1981 NCAA rankings poll. Hilgeman was named South Region Coach of the Year.
 
Southwestern won the College Athletic Conference Championship in 1981 with a 9-1 record and were led by current Rhodes Hall of Fame inductees; Mark Wendel, Mike O'Keefe and Tim O'Keefe. Other team members included Matt Bakke, Jeff Phillips, Rusty McDonald, Kent Wills, Bobby Alexander, Ned Hill, Chip Parrott, Jim Massey, Kurt Wyckoff, Terry Hampton and Danny Gaines served as an assistant coach.
 
The 23-win season is the all-time record at Rhodes for wins in a season as is the 0.885 win/loss percentage.