The Missouri State Bears basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. The Bears compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. They were previously coached by Paul Lusk, who was hired April 1, 2011 and was fired on March 3, 2018. Missouri State plays its home games at the 11,000 seat JQH Arena. The Bears have been a Division I school since the 1982–83 season. Prior to 2005, the school was known as Southwest Missouri State. Prior to joining Division I, they were members of the NAIA, winning national championships in 1952 and 1953, and NCAA Division II, where they were the national runner-up four times. They were also champions of the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.