Western Illinois Leathernecks men's basketball

Western Illinois Leathernecks men's basketball
2024–25 Western Illinois Leathernecks men's basketball team
UniversityWestern Illinois University
First season1904
All-time record557-789 (.414)
Athletic directorPaul Bubb
Head coachChad Boudreau (2nd season)
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
LocationMacomb, Illinois
ArenaWestern Hall
(capacity: 5,139)
NicknameLeathernecks
Student sectionPurple Platoon
ColorsPurple and gold
   
Uniforms
Home
Away
NCAA tournament appearances
1959*, 1980*, 1981*
NAIA tournament runner-up
1954, 1958
Other NAIA tournament results
Semifinals1954, 1955, 1958, 1962
Quarterfinals1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1962
Appearances1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1963
Conference tournament champions
Mid-Cont: 1984
Conference regular-season champions
Mid-Cont: 1983
Summit: 2013

* at Division II level

The Western Illinois Leathernecks men's basketball team represents Western Illinois University of Macomb, Illinois, in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball competition. As of the 2023–24 NCAA season, the Leathernecks compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Western Illinois' first men's basketball team was fielded in 1904. The Leathernecks men's basketball program made the transition from Division II to Division I beginning in the 1981–82 season. They were selected to play in the College Basketball Invitational tournament following the 2011–12 regular season, the first Division I postseason appearance in school history. The Leathernecks were selected again to play in the College Basketball Invitational tournament after the 2012–13 season. The Leathernecks have never appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.