The program experienced success during the 1950s and 1960s, reaching the NCAA Division I tournament eleven times.

Led by Elgin Baylor (the future 1958 number one draft pick), Seattle finished as the runner-up in the 1958 NCAA University Division basketball tournament.

[6] On January 21, 1952, the Seattle Chieftains beat the Harlem Globetrotters in a stunning 84–81 upset, led by Johnny O'Brien.

[7] Six years later, Elgin Baylor led the Chieftains to the championship game of the 1958 NCAA tournament, but fell to the Kentucky Wildcats 84–72 at Freedom Hall in Louisville on March 22.

[8] Despite finishing runner-up, Baylor was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and was the first selection of the 1958 NBA draft in April.

Notable alumni of Seattle University basketball include Elgin Baylor, Johnny O'Brien, Eddie O'Brien, Charlie Brown, Eddie Miles, Clint Richardson, John Tresvant, Tom Workman, Frank Oleynick, Charlie Williams, Jawann Oldham, Charles Garcia, and Plummer Lott.

[9] The decline of local businesses such as Boeing (the largest employer in the region) in the late 1970s led to drastic cuts to keep the program steady, which included moving down to NAIA in 1980.

[10] Seattle discontinued its men's basketball at the Division I level for some time, initially moving to NAIA in 1980.

In 2009, Cameron Dollar was hired as the new men's basketball head coach to replace Joe Callero.

Seattle beat Pepperdine and Colorado in the first two rounds in the Connolly Center, before losing to Loyola (Ill.) in the semi-finals.

[12] On March 29, 2017, Jim Hayford was hired as the new men's basketball head coach to replace Dollar, coming from rival Eastern Washington University.

[14] In his second year as head coach, Hayford compiled an 18–15 record, marking the Redhawks' first back-to-back 18+ win seasons since 2008–09 and 2009–10.

They went 14–4 in the WAC to finish in a tie for 1st place (with Stephen F. Austin and New Mexico State) for their first regular season championship in Division I play in school history.

[16] Despite seating just over 17,000 people, Seattle curtains off the upper deck and only sells tickets for the lower bowl and luxury boxes, making the official capacity for Redhawks games 8,901.

Seattle has played a game at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington on select years since moving back to D1.

Climate Pledge Arena continues to be considered the program's primary home court; however, it is scheduled to be closed from 2018 to 2021 while being totally rebuilt.

Cameron Dollar came from Washington as an assistant under Lorenzo Romar, which helped restart the rivalry when the Redhawks returned to Division I.