Jesuit basketball is marked by team-focused play and over a century of teaching respect for the game. With continuous historic rivalries dating back to 1914, the basketball team earned its first state championship in 1939.

The team’s state championship runs include victories in 1939, 1944, 1946, 1948, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 2001.

Jesuit’s gym, the home of Blue Jay basketball, first opened in 1957. After a major upgrade, the gym was dedicated in 2019 as the Gayle & Tom Benson Arena. In 2025 the floor was named for captain Peter Michell ’63 in honor of legendary coach Kevin Trower, underscoring a lineage of team-first basketball.

The program’s heritage also includes hosting Louisiana’s first integrated high-school game in 1965.