NJIT Highlanders - Recognitions

Recognitions

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Recognitions for futility
NJIT‘s Men’s basketball program set the record of the most winless team in D-I history (see 2007–08 NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team) in the 2007-2008 season with a losing streak of 51 games, breaking Sacramento State University’s old D-I record. This acknowledgment has given NJIT’s athletic program national recognition for futility. The unofficial NCAA record was set during its second NCAA Division 1 transitional season. It came despite a promising debut 5-24 Division 1 transitional season (2006-2007) whereby the rookie team won its first two matches (away and home). With a new head coach (Jim Engles), an entire new team of coaching staffs and additional new recruits, the NJIT Men’s basketball team ended a 51-game losing streak on January 21, 2009 with a 61-51 win over the Bryant University Bulldogs ending the 2008-2009 season with a 1-30 record. The Highlanders improved the following season (2009–2010) and ended with a 10-21 record during its first official NCAA Division 1 season.

It currently holds 3 NCAA Division I Men's basketball reclassifying records: Defeats in a winless Season (29 games), Consecutive Defeats in a Season (29 games) and Consecutive Defeats (51 games).

NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Recognitions for best performances
Despite performing way below Division I standard during its reclassifying seasons from Division II to Division I, the Highlanders till this day still hold several Division III Men's Basketball records more than a decade after elevation from Division III. These records include:

• All-time best 3-pt field-goal percentage in one season (67% by Reggie James in 1989 ).
• All-time 2nd best 3-pt field-goal percentage in one season (63.1% by Chris Miles in 1987).
• All-time 3rd best 3-pt field-goal percentage in one season (61.3% by Chris Miles in 1989).
• All-time highest number of block-shots in one season (198 by Tory Black in 1997).
• All-time highest number of block-shots per game in one season (7.62 by Tory Black in 1997).
• All-time highest 3-pt field-goal percentage (min 100 made) by a team in one season (62% on 124 of 200 shootings in 1989).

As of the end of 2009-2010 season, the NJIT Men's Basketball team records stood as follows:

• Division I basketball : 13/104 (12.5% winning percentage)
• Division I, II & III composite records since 1924 : 810/1544 (52.46% winning percentage)

The NJIT Men's Basketball team had a good rebounding year in the 2010-2011 season breaking-even with a 15-15 (D1: 11/26) record to finish second (D1: 9-3) in the Great West Conference Regular Season. The records stood as follows at the end of the 2010-2011 season:

• Division I basketball : 24/130 (18.46% winning percentage)
• Division I, II & III composite records since 1924 : 825/1574 (52.41% winning percentage)