Saint Louis Billikens basketball — program history
Saint Louis University's basketball program dates to 1915. The 'Billikens' name — one of college sports' most unusual nicknames — was adopted in 1911 after a law student sculpted a figurine of coach John Bender that resembled a popular 'Billiken' good-luck charm of the era. Saint Louis won the NIT Championship in 1948, then college basketball's most prestigious tournament, under coach Eddie Hickey. A longtime member of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1937 to 1974, SLU carries that proud tradition into the Atlantic 10.
The name
A law student's cartoon depicting coach John Bender as the popular 'Billiken' good-luck charm of the era caught on with fans, and the name was adopted around 1911
Signature moment
Winning the 1948 NIT Championship under coach Eddie Hickey, at a time when the NIT was considered college basketball's premier postseason tournament
The Billiken is actually a patented charm doll created by a Kansas City art teacher in 1908 — making Saint Louis one of the few schools whose mascot originated as a mass-produced good-luck figurine
The Saint Louis Billikens compete in the A-10 and hold an all-time record of 1574–1302 (.547 winning percentage) across 110 recorded seasons dating back to 1915-16.
Season-by-season results
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