Men's Basketball Archives - EMU News /now/news/tag/mens-basketball/ News from the ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø community. Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:32:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 ODAC Hall of Fame: Leonard Dow ’86 /now/news/2026/odac-hall-of-fame-leonard-dow-86/ /now/news/2026/odac-hall-of-fame-leonard-dow-86/#respond Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:00:00 +0000 /now/news/?p=60515 In August 2025, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference announced its inaugural class of 50 to the ODAC Hall of Fame. Four Royals were named to the ODAC’s first-ever class. Over the next week, EMU Athletics will celebrate all four inductees with articles highlighting their illustrious playing and post-EMU careers. Our first inductee is Leonard Dow ’86.

Dow was a standout on the basketball court for the Royals from 1983 to 1986. In 1985, he was named the ODAC Player of the Year. He was a four-time All-ODAC First Team and etched his name in the record books as the all-time career leader in points (2,192), rebounds (1,102), and scoring average (20.4 points per game). He also set the record for most points in a season by a first-year when he scored 534 points in his first season. His jersey was retired in 1986 and he was inducted into the in 1987.

A giant on the basketball court, Dow has been an even bigger force when it comes to his faith during the 40 years since his graduation from EMU. He was a founder of the Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association in Philadelphia, and for nearly 20 years was a pastor at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church. In 2017, he left the church to become the vice president of community and church development for Everence, leading the effort to serve emerging diverse communities and churches that historically have been underserved.

He also serves on the board of directors for The City School, Missio Seminary, The Brooklyn Peace Center, and The Common Place.

Dow, along with EMU’s three other ODAC Hall of Fame inductees, will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the men’s basketball game against Roanoke inside Yoder Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. 

]]> /now/news/2026/odac-hall-of-fame-leonard-dow-86/feed/ 0 Take Flight – An EMU basketball player’s story /now/news/video/take-flight-an-emu-basketball-players-story/ /now/news/video/take-flight-an-emu-basketball-players-story/#respond Wed, 16 Jul 2014 17:11:34 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=872 Failure is not an option for ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø basketball player Andrew Thorne ’14. His accomplishments include all ODAC team selection, five time player of the week, male athlete of the year and an elite eight appearance. More importantly, basketball gave him the opportunity to get an education.

Video produced by visual and communication arts graduate, Shandell Taylor ’13. Music by digitalr3public, “Synthetic Truth.”

Learn more about EMU athletics at http://www.emuroyals.com

]]> /now/news/video/take-flight-an-emu-basketball-players-story/feed/ 0 Men’s Basketball at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø /now/news/video/kirby_dean/ /now/news/video/kirby_dean/#respond Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:31:48 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=500 Coach Kirby Dean talks about the men’s basketball program at ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø.

]]> /now/news/video/kirby_dean/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: Philosophy of the Program /now/news/video/philosophy-of-the-program/ /now/news/video/philosophy-of-the-program/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:19:56 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=479 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/philosophy-of-the-program/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: Loyalty to EMU /now/news/video/loyalty-to-emu/ /now/news/video/loyalty-to-emu/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:19:05 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=477 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/loyalty-to-emu/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: Remarks on seniors /now/news/video/remarks-on-seniors/ /now/news/video/remarks-on-seniors/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:18:16 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=475 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/remarks-on-seniors/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: George Johnson /now/news/video/george-johnson/ /now/news/video/george-johnson/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:17:02 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=473 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/george-johnson/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: Orie Pancione /now/news/video/orie-pancione/ /now/news/video/orie-pancione/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:15:54 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=471 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/orie-pancione/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: Todd Phillips /now/news/video/todd-phillips/ /now/news/video/todd-phillips/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:14:40 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=468 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/todd-phillips/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: DJ Hinson /now/news/video/dj-hinson/ /now/news/video/dj-hinson/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:13:08 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=465 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/dj-hinson/feed/ 0 EMU’s Men’s Basketball Banquet: Eli Crawford /now/news/video/eli-crawford/ /now/news/video/eli-crawford/#respond Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:12:15 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/video/?p=462 View highlights from the 2010-11 EMU men’s basketball team’s end-of-season celebration banquet, including comments from head coach Kirby Dean.

]]> /now/news/video/eli-crawford/feed/ 0 EMU fans pack the house – The Runnin’ Royals take on Randolph-Macon /now/news/video/fans-pack-the-house/ /now/news/video/fans-pack-the-house/#respond Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:43:58 +0000 http://emu.edu/blog/video/?p=315 Over 1,000 fans packed Yoder Arena to watch the No. 3 team ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø play the No. 7 team Randolph-Macon. In the end, Randolph-Macon upset EMU by a score of 73-68.

]]> /now/news/video/fans-pack-the-house/feed/ 0 EMU Men’s Basketball Celebration ’10 /now/news/video/emu-mens-basketball-celebration-10/ /now/news/video/emu-mens-basketball-celebration-10/#respond Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:11:28 +0000 http://emu.edu/blog/video/?p=66 The community gathered in March 2010 to celebrate the phenomenal season of the men’s basketball team, which went to the D-III National Championship and are now No. 4 in the nation.

]]> /now/news/video/emu-mens-basketball-celebration-10/feed/ 0 Record Holder Leonard Dow On Basketball Lessons /now/news/video/record-holder-leonard-dow-on-basketball-lessons/ /now/news/video/record-holder-leonard-dow-on-basketball-lessons/#respond Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:34:48 +0000 http://emu.edu/blog/video/?p=22 Leonard Dow 87 enthusiastically followed the Cinderella story of EMUs mens basketball team in 2009-2010 from unranked to one of the best in the nation. He is someone who knows about breaking records. Leonard, now a bishop in the Mennonite church, remains the all-time record holder for career points at EMU (2,192), career rebounds (1,102), career field goals (872), and points in a season by a freshman (19.8 per game). Leonard is the only EMU player to be selected to the all-conference first team each of his four years. Leonard Dow talks about focusing almost entirely on basketball as an undergraduate, while neglecting his studies and spiritual life. When asked to speak to athletes today, Leonard refers to the three-point stance in basketball, where a player positions himself to either pass, shoot or dribble around someone. “I challenge the young people to have a three-point stance in life mind, body and spirit.”

Learn more about Leonard in the next issue of Crossroads magazine, which feature alumni in ministry.
emu.edu/crossroads

]]> /now/news/video/record-holder-leonard-dow-on-basketball-lessons/feed/ 0 EMU advances to the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament! /now/news/video/emu-advances-to-the-sweet-16-in-the-ncaa-tournament/ /now/news/video/emu-advances-to-the-sweet-16-in-the-ncaa-tournament/#respond Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:12:26 +0000 http://emu.edu/blog/video/?p=68 The ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø Runnin’ Royals beat Wilmington College, 85-7, in the second round of the NCAA tournament. In their first national tournament ever, Eastern Mennonite advances into the Sweet 16 with the win. Eastern Mennonite shot a blazing 57.7% from the floor, including 63.6% in the second half. The win ups the Royals to 24-4 as they continue to build the program’s best ever record.

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