USF retained its status as a basketball powerhouse into the 1970s and early 1980s, holding the distinction of being a "major" program in a "mid-major" conference (the WCC having declined somewhat in stature since the 1960s).

In 1977, led by All-American center Bill Cartwright, the Dons started 29–0 and were regarded as the #1 team in the nation in both major polls before dropping their last two games.

The San Francisco Dons men's basketball program has been rated the 29th "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's magazine, 49th by NBC Sports "Greatest Programs of All-Time",[4] and 75th by the ESPN/Sagarin All-Time College Basketball Rankings,[5] higher in all three rankings than any other West Coast Conference school and many schools from BCS Conferences (Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Southeastern Conference).

The College Annual reported that "the entire team did nobly in the season just finished and the student body as a unit thanks them for their loyalty and devotion."

[4] After serving in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946, Pete Newell was appointed men's basketball head coach at the University of San Francisco in 1946.

During his four-year tenure at USF, Newell compiled a 70–37 record and coached the Dons to the 1949 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship, beating Loyola (Chicago) 48-47.

He later led the University of California to the 1959 NCAA men's basketball championship, and a year later coached the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Bill Russell was ignored by major college scouts, largely because he didn't even start at McClymonds High School in Oakland.

DeJulio was not impressed by Russell's meager scoring and "atrocious fundamentals",[6] but sensed that the young center had an extraordinary instinct for the game, especially in clutch situations.

[7] Combining the stature and shot-blocking skills of a center with the foot speed of a guard, Russell became the centerpiece of a USF team that soon became a force in college basketball.

After USF kept Holy Cross star Tom Heinsohn scoreless in an entire half, Sports Illustrated wrote, "If [Russell] ever learns to hit the basket, they're going to have to rewrite the rules."

In one notable incident, hotels in Oklahoma City refused to admit Russell and his black teammates while they were in town for the 1954 All-College Tournament.

In protest, the whole team decided to camp out in a closed college dorm, which was later called an important bonding experience for the group.

Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Woolpert.

While Saperstein spoke to Woolpert in a meeting, Globetrotters assistant coach Harry Hanna tried to entertain Russell with jokes.

During his tenure, he was known for building national powers almost exclusively on Bay Area talent; the athletic department had virtually no recruiting budget and had little to offer out-of-state players.

USF retained its status as a basketball powerhouse into the 1970s and early 1980s under Bob Gaillard and Dan Belluomini, holding the distinction of being a "major" program in a "mid-major" conference (the WCC's stature declined somewhat in the 1960s).

Although John Wooden and his UCLA Bruins had eclipsed San Francisco as the premier West Coast power, the Dons remained an elite program well into the early 1980s.

In 1977, led by All-American center Bill Cartwright, the Dons started the season 26–0 and were regarded as the #1 team in the nation in both major polls.

a lifelong basketball enthusiast and all-city power forward in his youth,[23] gave an ultimatum after the second NCAA case was resolved in 1980: if there was any further incident, the program would be shut down.

An exclusive invite-only booster organization called the Dons Century Club committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to illegal recruiting players, paying off family members, and covering travel expenses,[21] while other alumni were also giving or "lending" players large sums of money, paying them for no-show jobs, providing lavish gifts, as well as picking up pricey restaurant and entertainment tabs.

[17] The situation finally came to a head in December 1981, when All-American guard Quintin Dailey was found guilty of raping a female student.

In a prepared statement, Lo Schiavo later said, "We hope that it one day may be possible to restore a men's intercollegiate basketball team.

"[25] His decision made international headlines, to the degree that while visiting San Francisco, Queen Elizabeth II pulled Lo Schiavo aside to ask when he would reinstate the basketball program.

The Dons have never approached the prominence they enjoyed from the 1940s to the 1980s, in part because Lo Schiavo significantly increased admissions standards for all student-athletes.

In a 2011 interview, Lo Schiavo reiterated that he never questioned his decision, noting that all but one trustee voted in favor of shuttering the program in 1982 "because we had to make the point that we mean what we say and we intended to be good citizens.