San Francisco Dons basketball — program history
San Francisco's basketball program dates to 1910, and the Dons are one of the most historically significant programs in college basketball. USF won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956 behind Bill Russell, who went on to become the greatest winner in NBA history.
The name
The Dons name is Spanish for "lords" or "gentlemen," reflecting San Francisco's Spanish colonial heritage and the Jesuit university's connection to the city's history.
Signature moment
Bill Russell leading USF to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956, fueling a winning streak that reached 60 games and remains one of the longest in college basketball history.
USF's mid-1950s teams reeled off a then-NCAA-record 60-game winning streak, and Bill Russell revolutionized basketball with his shot-blocking and defensive dominance — he went on to win 11 NBA championships with the Celtics.
The San Francisco Dons compete in the WCC and hold an all-time record of 1528–1098 (.582 winning percentage) across 99 recorded seasons dating back to 1923-24. The program has won 2 NCAA national championships (1955, 1956) and reached 3 Final Fours.
National championships
1955, 1956
Season-by-season results
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