Basketball has long presence at NYU. It began as an intra-school sport in 1897, only six years after the game was invented by Dr. James Naismith. Varsity competition began in 1906. The team, led by a student captain, won six of eight games the first year. Two years later the NYU Violets recorded their first undefeated season, winning all 13 games played. During the 1919-1920 season, the Violets achieved a 16-1 record and took part in the National Championship Tournament in Atlanta, where they won four straight games and became the National and World Champions. Howard Cann, who would go on to coach at NYU for 35 seasons, was voted the best player at that tournament. NYU teams would later practice in a gym on the University Heights campus made of two joined barns and nicknamed Cann's Barn.
A decade later the Violets were playing at Madison Square Garden. Among the early stars of the team were All-American Hagan Anderson, Milt Schulman, Jerry Fleishman, Sid Tanenbaum, Don Forman, Dolph Schayes, Cal Ramsey, Tom "Satch" Sanders, Mal Graham, Barry Kramer, and Boris Nachamkin. These athletes led NYU into the NCAA Division I Championships five times between 1919 and 1960. The Violets were popular among the students, alumni, and the community, and the games were big sellers at Madison Square Garden.
By the 1970s, the University was in a dire financial situation and cut the basketball program in an effort to balance the its budget. Following a gradual improvement in the school's financial standing, NYU reintroduced basketball in 1983 in Division III competition under Coach Mike Muzio.
Women's basketball dates back to 1923. It was initially considered a "co-ed activity" until the 1930s, when it became a varsity sport. The University has had several winning teams since that time. Today the women's basketball team is one of the top teams at NYU and won the Division III Championship in 1997 with Coach Janice Quinn and players Marsha Harris and Jen Krolikowski.
