The 2024-25 NYU men’s basketball team didn’t just make history, it set a new standard.
Behind a core of veteran graduate transfers, homegrown leadership and a defense-first mindset, the Violets stormed through the regular season, captured the UAA title and reached the NCAA Division III National Championship game for the second time in program history. The team finished the season 29-2 overall and 13-1 in conference play, with its only losses being to Emory University in January and to Connecticut’s Trinity College in a heartbreaking national final.
Though the ultimate prize of a championship title slipped through their fingers in Fort Wayne, IN, NYU’s resurgence was undeniable.
“When I got here, NYU wasn’t in the national conversation,” senior co-captain and guard Zay Freeney told WSN. “Now? Winning is the standard.”
The wake-up call and Freeney’s legacy of culture
NYU opened the year on a 12-game win streak, including dominant wins over Brandeis University, Purchase College and Williams College. But on Jan. 17, the Violets fell 77–65 at home to Emory University, a game that exposed cracks in the team’s mentality and focus.
“That was a reality check,” Freeney said. “A lot of the new guys didn’t know how good our conference really was. I don’t think we had the right mindset going into the game, and after the loss it was like, ‘We understand the feeling [of losing] now, let’s make sure it never happens again.’”
From that point on, NYU kicked into a new gear. The team closed the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, including a revenge win at Emory on Feb. 14, 82-79, where Freeney led the team with 21 points.
A four-year starter, Freeney crossed the 1000-point milestone in November, finishing his career with 1364 points, 228 assists and a legacy built on leadership.
“It wasn’t just about me,” said Freeney. “It was about building a culture. A locker room where everyone understood what it meant to wear NYU on your chest.”
That culture was tested and strengthened after the Emory loss. From there, NYU’s players bought into every practice, every film session and every possession.
How a walk-on became a star
At the heart of NYU’s rise was graduate student transfer Tristan How, a former walk-on at the University of Virginia who led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals, with nearly 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. Named UAA Player of the Year, How was the team’s engine — on both the offensive and defensive ends.
“No matter the role — whether I was at the end of the bench at UVA or leading this team — it was always about service,” How said.
His breakthrough came early; after a quiet debut, he exploded with 26 points in NYU’s second game of the year and never looked back. He logged 16 double-doubles this season.
How’s value extended far beyond the statistics sheet. As a vocal leader in the locker room, he brought a maturity and steadiness that elevated the group’s day-to-day standards. Whether by watching extra film, organizing post-practice workouts or mentoring younger players like sophomore Hampton Sanders, How’s presence has shaped the team’s identity.
On the floor, he was a versatile piece for NYU. His ability to switch onto smaller guards on defense and stretch the floor as a forward gave NYU the flexibility to play fast and space the floor without compromising toughness inside.
Perhaps his most defining moment came in the Elite Eight game against the University of Redlands, when, despite being in foul trouble and scoring zero points, How contributed five assists, eight rebounds and multiple deflections down the stretch to help NYU advance.
The Chicago buzzer-beater and buy-in
On Feb. 7, in what would become one of the defining moments of NYU’s season, the Violets hosted the University of Chicago in a UAA matchup. With the score tied and just seconds left, graduate student transfer Brock Susko slipped through the defense on a baseline inbound play and scored a layup at the buzzer, sealing a 61-59 win and preserving NYU’s unbeaten conference record.
“That was the game that changed everything,” Susko told WSN. “We learned how to win tight games, and that carried us in March.”
Susko, who averaged 12.7 points per game, credited the team’s all-in mentality for its chemistry.
“Everyone sacrificed,” Susko said. “Guys could’ve averaged more. But they chose to win instead.”
Sanders, the breakout sixth man
No player on NYU’s roster embodied growth more than Sanders. After averaging just 7.5 points per game and shooting 36.8% from three as a first-year, Sanders returned with a new role, a new mindset and a deadly jumper.
He averaged 11.6 points, shot over 48% from three and earned Second Team All-UAA and NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team honors.
“Last year, I was tentative as to how I wanted to go about what my role was on the court,” said Sanders. “This year, I felt like I was able to put things together and ended up having a good year.”
Depth matters: Moose’s career night
In the UAA title-clinching win over Carnegie Mellon on Feb. 21, reserve guard Bryan “Moose” Moussako delivered a career night: 15 points, 5-for-5 from three.
“I was worrying a little bit about my individual performance before that game,” Moose said in an interview with WSN. “Then I realized the whole reason our team was so good this year was because everyone put off their own individual goals and aspirations for the win.”
Through team bonding drills, film study and shared sacrifice, the locker room became a brotherhood, and the players learned to trust each other and step up when the team needed it.
“The ball came to me more in that game,” said Moose. “I was prepared for it, because that’s what all of us did this year — we were prepared for when it was our turn, but when it wasn’t, we still did what we needed to do to win.”
Fort Wayne: Final Four glory and title game heartbreak
After cruising through the NCAA opening rounds, NYU earned a trip to the Final Four in Fort Wayne, IN. In the semifinal on March 20, the Violets faced conference rival Washington University in St. Louis and delivered a statement win: 72-60.
Susko scored 16 points. Sanders added 20, going 6-6 from three-point range. NYU’s defense forced 13 turnovers and held WashU to just 24 second-half points.
But in the national championship on March 22, NYU came up just short, falling to Trinity 64-60. Despite 12 points and rebounds from How and 15 points from Sanders, late turnovers and missed shots sealed the loss.
“We didn’t get the ending we wanted,” Freeney said. “But we gave everything. We put NYU basketball back where it belongs.”
What comes next
With all five starters graduating, NYU faces a reset. Sanders has entered the transfer portal, and the architect of the run, head coach Dave Klatsky, is joining the current Division I national championship team — the University of Florida — as an assistant coach.
“We came up short of the national championship,” Freeney said. “But the historic season that we had is something that I’ll always be proud of. It’s great to see NYU at the top of the conversation when it comes to Division III basketball, and I’m happy to be a part of the change.”
Contact Sidney Snider and Brian Sanchez at [email protected]
