Pepperdine Waves

The Pepperdine Waves play in Firestone Fieldhouse, an intimate gym overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the Malibu campus, giving them one of the most scenic home courts in the country. As a West Coast Conference program sharing a league with Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, Pepperdine has had to scrap for its share of tournament bids. The oceanside setting is part of the program's identity as much as anything that happens on the floor.

Pepperdine basketball began play in the 1938-39 season and made an early NCAA Tournament appearance in just its sixth year of existence, in 1944. The Waves joined the West Coast Conference in 1955 alongside rival Loyola Marymount and moved into Firestone Fieldhouse in 1973. Hall of Fame coach Al Duer helped establish the program's early winning culture before it later reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times overall. Pepperdine's most recent NCAA appearance came in 2002, and the program continues to chase a return to the national stage from its West Coast Conference perch.