The history of Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball from 1997 to 2000 includes the head coaching tenure of Dave Paulsen. After going 20–8 in Paulsen's first season, the Dolphins struggled with losing records in the next two campaigns. A loss in their 1998 conference tournament semifinal game kept Le Moyne out of the NCAA tournament. John Tomsich was an all-conference player as a junior and senior during the first two seasons of Paulsen's tenure. Michael Culley became the Dolphins' biggest star in his senior season, after Tomsich graduated, finishing as the program's all-time leader in three-point field goals made. However, Paulsen's third season was marred by a dismal 9–17 record that included the worst home loss in program history. This followed an epic collapse in 1998–99, that saw the Dolphins fall from first place in early February, closing the season with eight straight losses. Le Moyne lost 16 consecutive games against conference opponents between January 30, 1999 and January 17, 2000. Paulsen resigned in July 2000, to take the head coaching position at his alma mater, Division III Williams.
Le Moyne's fifth 20-win season (1997–1998) On June 18, 1997, Le Moyne introduced Dave Paulsen as the Dolphins' new head coach, replacing the departed Scott Hicks. Paulsen, 32 years old at the time, had been the head coach at St. Lawrence the previous three seasons with a record of 50–28 and was named Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association coach of the year in each of the previous two campaigns. Assistant coaches Gallagher Driscoll and Sean McDonnell committed to remain on Paulsen's staff. Jim "Duke" McGrath, a Le Moyne alumnus from the class of 1962, joined the staff as a volunteer assistant coach. McGrath played on the Dolphins' 1958–59 freshman team but never played on the varsity squad. He played varsity baseball at Le Moyne for two seasons and was the team's co-captain during his senior year. McGrath had a successful 23-year career as a high school basketball coach. Tobin Anderson was also added to the staff as an assistant coach.
The Dolphins went on a foreign tour to London between August 9 and 19, 1997. Le Moyne played three teams from the British Basketball League, losing all three games, and earned a win against an amateur club team. Only returning players and not any newly recruited players were permitted by NCAA rules to make the trip.
Redshirt senior Bryan Menar and seniors Keith Moyer and Mike Ondrejko, a walk-on, returned for the 1997–98 season. John Henches had a year of eligibility remaining due to a medical redshirt, but he graduated and left the program. Also returning were juniors John Tomsich and Kevin Moyer, a walk-on, and sophomores Rashaan Bute, Michael Culley, Brett Doody and Jesse Potter. New to the team were sophomore walk-ons Shannon Flood, a 6'1" guard and Terry Pudney and freshmen A.J. Warren, a 6'1" swingman, Jakub Hrabovský, a 6'6" forward from the Czech Republic, and guard Ronald Garura. Menar, Keith Moyer and Tomsich were named tri-captains. First-year head coach Dave Paulsen planned to change the team's defensive approach from primarily zone to man-to-man and install a motion offense instead of running set plays. The players were receptive to the changes. Menar, who was a member of the committee that selected the new head coach, praised Paulsen's confidence, noting that was an important trait in a leader.
In an early-season battle of unbeatens, the Dolphins staged a furious rally to overcome an 18-point deficit with eight minutes to play at Assumption on November 29, 1997, and sent the game to overtime. Jesse Potter split a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to force the extra session. However, the Greyhounds dominated the overtime period and rescued a 105–92 victory. Freshman A.J. Warren keyed the comeback, scoring 12 of his career high 23 points during the final eight minutes of regulation, and added six steals. Keith Moyer scored 10 points and matched Le Moyne's program record with 13 assists. John Tomsich had 23 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and six blocked shots, becoming the Dolphins' all-time leader in career blocks with 158. Michael Culley scored 18 points, all of them coming on six triples. Potter finished with 10 points. Le Moyne fell to 4–1 overall and 1–1 in Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) play.
John Tomsich recorded his third straight 20-point double-double to lead the Dolphins to a 73–63 home victory over Saint Michael's, ranked no. 16 in the NCAA Division II Bulletin poll, on December 3. Tomsich had 16 points in the first half as Le Moyne built a 15-point lead at intermission. The Purple Knights made the game tighter in the second half, as the Dolphins struggled at the free-throw line, shooting 10 for 20, after they had been 8 for 12 in the first half. Tomsich finished with 20 points and 14 boards. Keith Moyer added 17 points and nine assists for Le Moyne, who improved to 5–2 overall and 2–2 in NE10 play.
John Tomsich scored 32 points in the Dolphins' 85–81 loss at Stonehill on January 5, 1998. Tomsich achieved his total despite fouling out of the game and committing six turnovers. Jesse Potter added four points, 13 rebounds, two steals and a block, and Keith Moyer had five points, eight assists and a block for Le Moyne, who fell to 8–3 overall and 4–3 in NE10 play.
Following the Dolphins' January 10 home game against Quinnipiac, head coach Dave Paulsen commented, "I told the guys that it's the mark of a good team to get an ugly win, and for that I was proud of them." Keith and Kevin Moyer and Jesse Potter all played through the flu. The game featured 54 personal fouls, and John Tomsich was called for his fourth two minutes into the second half. Senior walk-on Mike Ondrejko came off the bench and kept the game close with Tomsich sitting out in foul trouble. He scored eight points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, five of them off the offensive glass. When Tomsich returned to the floor with 5:57 to play, he was well rested and put his inside game on display. His basket with 1:56 remaining gave Le Moyne a 67–65 lead. After the Braves tied the score, Tomsich responded with another bucket to put the Dolphins ahead, 69–67, with 1:26 to go. A minute later, Tomsich sank a pair of free throws to ice a 71–67 victory for Le Moyne. Tomsich finished with 15 points, and Keith Moyer scored two points and dished nine assists for the Dolphins, who improved to 10–3 overall and 6–3 in NE10 play.
After a win at Merrimack on January 18, the Dolphins completed the sweep of a rare back-to-back home-and-home set with a 62–61 victory three days later. The Warriors scored the first 10 points of the second half to open an 11-point lead, but Le Moyne responded with a 24–4 run and held a nine-point edge with six minutes to play. Merrimack used a 15–6 spurt to tie the score at 61 in the final minute. John Tomsich was fouled with three seconds to play. He missed the first free throw but made the second. Jesse Potter stole a Merrimack pass to secure the win for the Dolphins. Tomsich finished with a game-high 21 points, 10 of them during Le Moyne's second-half run. Potter had four points and 10 rebounds, and Keth Moyer scored seven points and dished eight assists for the Dolphins, who improved to 12–4 overall and 8–4 in NE10 play.
The Dolphins avenged an early-season road loss with a convincing 91–79 home victory over first-place Assumption on January 24. After the Greyhounds took an early 10–3 lead, Le Moyne pushed ahead by the midpoint of the first half and built a nine-point lead by intermission. Assumption cut the lead to four points, holding the Dolphins without a field goal for the first 2:30 of the second stanza. Le Moyne responded with a 10–3 spurt, sparked by an A.J. Warren basket that broke the field-goal drought, and controlled the game the rest of the way. Warren had a career-high 28 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the floor. Walk-on junior guard Kevin Moyer came off the bench to score a career-high 17 points and was matched by John Tomsich, who had a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Keith Moyer added 12 points and six assists for the Dolphins, who improved to 13–4 overall and 9–4 in NE10 play, games behind Assumption in the standings.
John Tomsich and Keith Moyer each had a double-double in the Dolphins' 96–86 home win over Bentley on January 25. Tomsich finished with a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Moyer had 12 points and a program record-tying 14 assists. Le Moyne led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but the hot-shooting Falcons got within three points with 1:27 to play. A layup by Tomsich with 1:02 left put the game away. Michael Culley added 20 points for the Dolphins, who improved to 14–4 overall and 10–4 in NE10 play.
John Tomsich was named NE10 player of the week for his performances in the three home games against Merrimack, Assumption and Bentley.
John Tomsich scored the game's opening basket, surpassing 1,000 career points, in the Dolphins' January 28 home tilt against Hobart. Le Moyne led by as many as 30 points, and their starters played sparingly in the second half of a 78–60 Dolphins victory. Tomsich finished with 16 points, shooting 8 for 8 from the field, and grabbed eight rebounds in only 23 minutes. Michael Culley had 17 points, and Keith Moyer added two points and nine assists for Le Moyne, which won their fifth straight game.
After trailing by five points at halftime at American International on February 1, the Dolphins battled back in the second half and had possession, facing a one-point deficit in the final seconds. Keith Moyer was fouled shooting a three-pointer and awarded three free throws with no time left on the clock. Moyer missed the first two tosses but made the third and sent the game to overtime. Le Moyne dominated the extra session and earned an 86–76 victory. John Tomsich led the Dolphins with 35 points and 18 rebounds before fouling out in overtime. Moyer finished with 14 points and four assists. Le Moyne improved to 16–5 overall and 11–5 in NE10 play.
Stonehill, ranked no. 21 in the NCAA Division II Bulletin poll, visited the Dolphins on February 9, in a battle for first place in the NE10. Le Moyne's defense frustrated the Chieftains in the first half, and the Dolphins built a 38–30 lead at the break. Stonehill's shooting improved in the second half, and they ended up 37% from the floor for the game. The Chieftains tied the score at 60, but an A.J. Warren layup but Le Moyne back in front. After Stonehill got within a point at 66–65, the Dolphins responded with a 7–2 spurt that included a Warren basket inside, Keith Moyer finding John Tomsich for a layup and a Michael Culley three-pointer. Le Moyne controlled the rest of the game, securing an 84–73 victory and first place in the conference. Tomsich finished with 25 points and 17 rebounds. Moyer had five points and nine assists, and Culley added 15 points. The Dolphins improved to 18–5 overall and 13–5 in NE10 play.
Despite a 31-point, 12-rebound effort from John Tomsich, the Dolphins lost, 87–82, at NAIA Division I Roberts Wesleyan on February 11. The Raiders built their lead as large as 15 points in the first half. Le Moyne got back into the game and tied the score at 69 but could not push in front. Keith Moyer missed a three-pointer that would have tied the game with five seconds to play. Roberts Wesleyan then hit a pair fo free throws to seal their victory. The Raiders improved to 10–16 with the win, which likely damaged Le Moyne's chances for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.