Patrick Henry College’s men's basketball competed in the 2025 Bible College National Invitational Tournament (NIT), taking 3rd place. Senior and guard Rob Canfield said he is honored to be a part of this achievement for PHC, viewing it as evidence that the program can go so much farther. “I think the long-term trajectory of PHC basketball is the continued improvement of the program toward even more success,” Canfield said.
The men’s basketball team traveled to The Crown College in Knoxville, Tennessee on February 13th with one goal: to win their first game in the tournament.
Throughout the season, Coach Roynstead emphasized how the initial win would allow the team to play competitively in the rest of the tournament. By the time they arrived at the college, the team knew the stakes.
Since the start of the Spring semester, the team felt a newly invigorated dynamism.
While various factors contributed to the team’s success, players noted Coach Roynstead’s greater intentionality in analyzing the team’s failures and successes, as well as a change in strategy.
“You can lose five games in a row and not actually get anything from it, or use it to improve the team overall and improve that trajectory,” Canfield said.
The 2024-2025 season began with quite a few tough losses for the team. Though disappointing, the team was determined not to get bogged down by errors, keeping their eyes set on the tournament.
The start of the 2025 spring semester gave the team a new chance to implement what they learned. Playing competitively against better teams, they felt swelling confidence and a growing momentum.
“It's like, wait, that wasn't a fluke. Hold on a second. We actually can compete,” Junior Nathan Semlick said.
Then, during a game at Williamson College of the Trades, disaster struck. "I was sick. Jake rolled his ankle. Adrian dislocated his shoulder twice. It was like, oh, and there goes everything,” said Canfield.
But Semlick said, “It was actually one of the best things that could happen, especially in preparation for the tournament.”
As it turned out, injured starters meant that many non-starters got much-needed playing time. Even with many of their starters down and only five players on the court, PHC only narrowly lost to Williamson College of the Trades by four points.
Freshman and point guard Adrian VanHofwegen believes the hardships brought the team together. “We stayed together through it and constantly looked forward to how can we be better and how can we change things, [which] just kind of led to us clicking all of a sudden,” VanHofwegen said.
The team began winning as injured players healed and started participating again. The team heading into the NIT tournament with fresh energy.
And their confidence was validated when they soundly won their first game!
Though it was exciting to see how hard work paid off, not everything was smooth sailing. In the second round of the tournament, after playing a competitive game, PHC narrowly lost to the team with the number one seed.
However, they ultimately won their final game by over thirty points, bringing home the 3rd-place trophy. “Praise the Lord King Jesus! We implemented everything we learned over the season and the team really came together at the end,” Junior Andrew Penrod said.
Coach Roynstead felt like the tournament version of the team was the best he had seen yet. “Without a doubt, in the tournament, we moved the ball and played offense more efficiently and more successfully than we did the rest of the year. It was fantastic to watch,” Coach Roynstead said.
VanHofwegen is excited to see how the program progresses during his next three years at PHC.
“I think the team focus and culture built around glorifying God is just such a crucial aspect of what makes Patrick Henry basketball different,” VanHofwegen said. He appreciated the frequency with which the team prays before, after, and during games.
The team especially thanked the student body for their enthusiasm, noting how encouraging it was to have fans cheering them at home and away games.
“What it's taken to get to that point is not just like adding talent and experience, but also just taking a bunch of guys that are willing to make sacrifices and show up to early morning and late-night practices and put in a lot of time and effort and show up consistently," Canfield said.
Patrick Henry College challenges the unacceptable status quo in higher education by combining the academic strength and commitment to biblical principles that elite institutions have lost; a commitment to high academic rigor, fidelity to the spirit of the American founding, and an unwavering biblical worldview.