More than a banner: Remembering the 2016 men’s basketball National Championship

Ten years after the men’s basketball team captured the 2016 NCAA Division II national championship, the legacy of that team continues to shape the program — from the banners hanging overhead in the Elmen Center to the culture in the locker room.

In 2016, the Vikings finished 34–2 and secured the program’s first national title, a milestone that continues to define Augustana basketball today. A decade later, former players, coaches and supporters returned to campus during a Feb. 14 halftime ceremony to celebrate not just a championship but the foundation it built.

For former head coach Tom Billeter, the significance of that run has only grown with time.

“I think I probably appreciate it more than I did then,” Billeter said. “When you look back and you see the development of all those players…none of it surprises me. They were driven, goal-oriented and mature. It was just a special group.”

That group entered the 2015–16 season with unfinished business after falling short the year prior, a motivation that shaped its approach from the start.

“We should have won it the year before,” Billeter said. “So going into that next year, we knew.”

The team’s confidence showed early with a statement exhibition win over Division I University of Iowa, but the Vikings were quickly reminded of the season’s challenges with a loss to Washburn a week later during a tournament in Las Vegas.

“We got humbled pretty quick,” former guard Casey Schilling said. “It made us realize you can lose to anybody if you’re not ready.”

“After that loss…we won like 25 games,” Billeter added. “That team just responded.”

The response, both said, came from a shared understanding of roles and a commitment to team success over individual recognition.

“I think we had so many guys that bought into their roles,” Schilling said. “Everybody kind of put the selfish stuff aside and did what needed to be done.”

“Everybody knew their role. They accepted it. They wanted to win,” Billeter said. “We didn’t have a single problem. Nothing.”

That alignment created a rare level of chemistry, one that extended far beyond practices and games.

“Your teammates were your best friends on campus,” Schilling said. “That’s the definition of a healthy team.”

Billeter saw that same connection in how the team prepared and carried itself throughout the season.

“They practiced hard, they showed up—it was just a really good group,” he said.

The culture established during that run is something current head coach Cody Schilling—a 2012 alum, former assistant coach under Billeter and Casey’s older brother—still emphasizes today.

“We still have a very strong culture, a very strong locker room,” Cody Schilling said. “The brotherhood is as strong as it’s ever been.”

For Casey Schilling, watching his brother lead the program adds another layer to the legacy.

“I couldn’t be happier that he took over,” he said. “It’s fun to watch and be around.”

The anniversary celebration brought many former players back together, this time with families and new chapters in their lives, highlighting both how much has changed and how much has stayed the same.

“It was awesome just seeing everybody again,” Casey Schilling said. “Most of us are married now. A bunch of us had our kids there. It’s just cool to see how everyone’s grown.”

Even as time has passed, the significance of the championship has not faded.

“When a program proves it can win a national championship, it puts itself in a different category,” Cody Schilling said.

That standard is reinforced daily for current players, who are constantly reminded of what the program has achieved.

“Every day, they can look up at those NCAA banners and that national championship banner,” he said. “They can take pride in the program that they play for.”

For the players who were part of that run, the title remains something deeper than a single season — it is a shared accomplishment that continues to connect them.

“A lot of teams have Elite Eight banners,” Casey Schilling said. “But very few have that national title banner. That’s something nobody can ever take away.”

Billeter believes the legacy of that team ultimately comes down to the people involved.

“Every single member of that team was special,” he said. “They all had an important part in that success.”

Ten years after cutting down the nets, the 2016 championship is no longer just a moment in time. It is a standard — one built on selflessness, accountability and belief — and one that Augustana basketball continues to chase.