Surprisingly, there is more to Malibu than just surf, sun, and beaches. There is also college basketball in the form of the aptly named Pepperdine Waves. Since there is no shortage of college basketball programs in the state of California, cheap Pepperdine basketball tickets are more plentiful than other teams. But the Waves have a special history, one that includes legendary coaches and players, including Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson. True college basketball fans know that the Waves have a prestigious history and aren’t just any other college basketball team, which is why last-minute Pepperdine basketball tickets are always in high demand when the Waves hit the hardwood.

The First Wave

Pepperdine was a program to be reckoned with during the 1940s and 50s. The Waves reached the Elite Eight in 1944 and were then runners-up in the NAIA in 1944. During the 1950s, coach Robert “Duck” Dowell made Pepperdine one of the elite NAIA programs in California and would later guide the Waves to the Sweet 16 in 1962.

Big Names

Before he led UCLA to a national championship, coach Jim Harrick helped to put Pepperdine back on the college basketball map during the 1980s. In nine seasons with the Waves, Harrick led Pepperdine to five West Coast Conference regular-season titles and four appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Tom Asbury picked up the torch from there, winning three more conference titles and making three more NCAA Tournament appearances with the Waves during a four-year span in the early 90s.

Crashing

Outside of a 2002 trip to the NCAA Tournament, the 21st century has been unkind to Pepperdine. However, winning the CBI postseason tournament in 2021 under Lorenzo Romar was a sign that the Waves may have been forgotten, but they are not gone forever. Given the history of Pepperdine basketball, there is always hope that brighter days are ahead.