Much is written about college basketball in the daily newspaper sports pages, weekly/monthly specialty magazines and on the internet. But you might be surprised the extent to which the written word, much of it outside the world of sports, emanates from former college basketball players who became politicians.

For instance, politician extraordinaire Dean Rusk, Davidson's most noted alumnus who wrote his memoirs in the book "As I Saw It", was a star center in the late 1920s and early 1930s with former Davidson President Dr. D. Grier Martin (1957 until 1968).

"Basketball at Davidson reminds me of the old French proverb, `Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose,'" said Rusk, who served as Secretary of State under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War era. "The game itself has been revolutionized since I played it. We once beat North Carolina 17-12; it was not a slowdown game. We both were trying like everything. What has remained the same has been the sheer fun of it, the stimulation of competition, the experience of losing as well as winning and the recognition that basketball is a sport in which a small college can take on the big fellows."

Former Princeton All-American Bill Bradley, a three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995, took on the "big fellows" as a presidential candidate in 2000 and is now out promoting his new book called "We Can All Do Better." Bradley, a tax and trade expert with a strong voice on race issues and campaign finance reform, authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).

"The lessons learned from it (basketball) stay with you," Rhodes Scholar Bradley wrote of the sport he still loves. "I was determined that no one would outwork me."

You might not know it, but there is a striking number of luminaries who displayed determination in the political arena and wrote books after "working the crowd" in a college basketball arena. Essentially, the following lineup represents a rebuttal to the chronic complainers who cite politicians generally and writers specifically as individuals who don't know anything about sports generally and college hoops specifically. Here is an alphabetical list of additional politicians-turned-authors who played the game:

SCOTT BROWN, Tufts (Mass.)
Stunning upset victory in special election in January 2010, becoming the first Republican elected to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since 1979. Brown, filling the Senate seat that opened when Ted Kennedy died the previous August, drove his GMC Canyon pickup with over 200,000 miles on it everywhere during a savvy campaign. Authored a book "Against All Odds" released in 2011.

At Tufts (class of '81), he was known as "Downtown" Scotty Brown because of his long-range marksmanship. Averaging 9 ppg as a freshman in 1977-78, he earned an ECAC Rookie of the Week award that season. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.9 ppg and scored 35 points in a victory against Bowdoin. As a junior, he made 54.3% of his shots and had back-to-back games of 26 and 25 points against Curry and Trinity, respectively, en route to averaging 10.8 ppg. Senior co-captain capped his career with a 10.3-point scoring average, including a 35-point outburst against Brandeis. "He was not born with great basketball attributes," said his coach (John White) in a feature about Brown during his senior season. "He has gone beyond his limitations, which is very admirable." Converted more than half of his career field-goal attempts (422 of 853). Brown's 6-0 daughter, Ayla, was a starting guard most of her career with Boston College from 2006-07 through 2009-10, posting career highs of 18 points against Clemson and 14 rebounds against Wake Forest. Ayla has also released three albums after being a semifinalist in the fifth season of "American Idol," impressing the judges with her rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Reflection."

ROBERT CASEY, Holy Cross
Pennsylvania's 42nd governor served two terms from 1987 to 1995 after winning in his fourth attempt for the office. Casey, a coal miner's son, ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 1996. Pro-life candidate suffered from a rare hereditary disease that caused him to become a heart-liver transplant recipient. He died in late May, 2000, at the age of 68.

He was a 6-2 freshman in 1949-50 when Holy Cross senior Bob Cousy was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American. The 6-2 Casey averaged 1.3 ppg in 1950-51 and 1952-53. Excerpt from Casey's 1996 autobiography Fighting for Life: "I remember best the moments I was on the court with Cousy. He was an icon in the making--a genius with a basketball. Our freshman team provided cannon fodder for Cousy and the rest of the varsity team in practice. What I remember most about Cousy was that he was always the first guy on the court at night, refining his moves a hundred times before practice even started."

WILLIAM COHEN, Bowdoin (Maine)
Moderate Republican was Secretary of Defense in President Clinton's administration after serving as a Senator from Maine. He moonlighted as an author and had a stint in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. Cohen's first bask in the national spotlight came when he voted, as a House member, to impeach President Nixon. In 1992, he pushed to reauthorize the "independent counsel" law and became a founder of the Republican Majority Coalition. "In team sports, there's a game plan," Cohen said in Ira Berkow's Court Vision. "When you're talking military it's still a game plan, but it's a war plan.

It's either how to prevent a war from taking place or what happens if you have to go to war and how you structure your forces, what happens if, what are the contingency plans, what is the escalation. All of that is not identical to a game plan, but it's training and practice." Cohen wrote "The New Art of the Leader" among several books, including mysteries, poetry and (with George Mitchell) an analysis of the Iran-contra affair. His second wife is author Janet Langhart, who was known as "First Lady of the Pentagon" during Cohen's tenure as Secretary.

The New England Basketball All-Star Hall of Fame inductee led Bowdoin in scoring all three varsity seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 (career-high 16 ppg as a junior). "A two-handed set shot was obsolete in college when I was playing, but I shot it," Cohen said. "I was able to shoot it from very far and get it off very fast. Dolph Schayes was kind of a role model for me."

ROBERT J. DOLE, Kansas
Represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1997. Senate majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and again starting in 1995 when he began his third quest for the Republican presidential nomination. He was the Republican nominee for Vice President as Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ben Cramer described Dole as a good player who "could handle the ball, shooting that newfangled one-hand push shot, and big and tough under the boards." Member of Kansas freshman basketball team in 1942-43 for one semester before enlisting in the Army during World War II, where his right shoulder was destroyed in a mortar barrage in the Italian mountains. He spent 39 months in and out of hospitals, returning to his hometown of Russell, Kan., to recuperate from the wound that also cost him a kidney. A book about his recovery, "A Soldier's Story," was published in 2005.

JOHN H. GLENN JR., Muskingum (Ohio)
U.S. Senator (Democrat from Ohio) for 24 years and former astronaut. In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Nearly 40 years later, he became the oldest human to enter space when he joined the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Among the seven candidates who lost to Walter Mondale for the 1984 Democratic Party nomination.

In Glenn's memoir, he wrote: "I went out for the freshman basketball squad and made that, but I noticed that while I had not gotten any faster or grown any taller, the other players had." He also played freshman football in college before World War II interrupted his career. "Each individual has to prepare himself to do his very best, whether it's in an individual or team sport," Glenn said. "In team sports, you have to have great teamwork to reach any goal, which is exactly what we have to do in life after athletics and college."

AL GORE, Harvard
Democratic Presidential nominee against George W. Bush in 2000 waged a long-shot campaign for president in 1988, when he was 39. Vice President in Bill Clinton's administration was a Senator from Tennessee after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1985. Shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize after his film "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary on global warming, won an Academy Award. Gore's book with the same title was published concurrently with the theatrical release. For the "Unabomber" crowd that believes dinosaurs became extinct because they burped and farted too much, he subsequently wrote similar environmental-related books called The Assault on Reason, Our Choice and Earth in the Balance.

Gore averaged 2.8 points per game for Harvard's 12-4 freshman team in 1965-66. In the biography Inventing Al Gore, he was described as "rarely playing but working on his game incessantly." His competitive drive led him to challenge roommates "out of the blue" to push-ups, a vestige of the boyhood regimen imposed by his Senator father. He "wanted to challenge you or himself, intellectually or physically. He was always, `I bet I can beat you at the last thing you did.'"

LEE H. HAMILTON, DePauw (Ind.)
Vice Chairman of 9/11 Commission and co-chair of Iraq Study Group in 2006 was a leading Democratic voice on foreign policy and a steadying force in the House of Representatives for 34 years from 1965 through 1998. He chaired three committees-- Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Joint Economic--and was the ranking minority member of the House International Relations Committee. Representing Indiana's Ninth District, he retained not only his crew cut but also his moderate, common-sense approach and a Methodist work ethic that got him to his office nearly every day before 6 a.m. Wrote a book called "How Congress Works and Why You Should Care."

Ranked fourth on DePauw's career scoring list when he graduated in 1952. The 6-4 Hamilton led the team in scoring as a junior (11.4 ppg) and was the second-leading scorer as a sophomore (9.8 ppg) and senior (10.9 ppg).

HENRY "HANK" HYDE, Georgetown/Duke
Starting out as a Democrat, he became a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois and eventual chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. His towering stature as a lawmaker made him the ideal GOP pointman to lead an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton. Wrote books called Moral Universe and Forfeiting Our Property Rights.

He was a forward-center for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up that compiled a 22-5 record. The 6-3 Hyde scored two points in a 53-49 victory over a Chicago hometown team, DePaul, and fellow freshman George Mikan in the Eastern Regional final (playoff semifinals) before going scoreless in a championship game loss to Wyoming. "I can only say about the way I guarded him (Mikan scored one point in the second half) that I will burn in purgatory," Hyde deadpanned. "The rules were considerably bent." The next season as a Naval trainee at Duke, he earned a letter but was scoreless in the Blue Devils' 44-27 Southern Conference championship game victory over North Carolina. Hyde served as an ensign in the Asiatic and Pacific Theaters during World War II before re-enrolling at Georgetown, where he graduated in 1947. Twenty-one years later, Clinton earned his diploma from the same university. Sketch of Hyde in Georgetown guide: "Possesses a pivot shot, difficult to stop, and a shot made while cutting from the bucket to give his scoring threats a double edge."

TOM McMILLEN, Maryland
Co-chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness under Bill Clinton. Elected in 1987 as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland. From 1991 to 2003, he served on the Knight Foundation's Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics investigating abuses within college sports. He is co-author of Out of Bounds, a book on sports and ethics in America.

The 6-11 center averaged 20.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in three seasons for Maryland from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Member of 1972 U.S. Olympic team is the only player in Maryland history to have a career scoring average above 20 ppg. Averaged 8.1 points and four rebounds in 11 NBA seasons (1975-76 through 1985-86) with four different franchises.

GEORGE MITCHELL, Bowdoin (Maine)
Devout Democrat assumed position as Majority Leader in 1989 after arriving in the Senate from Maine in 1980. The son of a janitor received more than 80% of the vote in 1988. He served as independent chairman of talks that culminated in the signing of the Northern Ireland peace accord in April, 1998 and was tapped by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to spearhead an investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by players. Mitchell served as Disney Chairman of the Board from March 2004 until January 2007. He has written several books - Not For America Alone, World on Fire and Making Peace.

Wiry point guard was a senior in 1953-54 when he scored eight points in eight games.

SAM NUNN, Georgia Tech
Democratic Senator from Georgia retired in 1996 after four six-year terms. Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who served in the Coast Guard, helped defeat President Clinton's intention to allow open gays and lesbians in the military. He authored books on working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

His sketch is included in the 1957-58 Tech guide as a non-scholarship sophomore. However, Nunn is not included in the '57- 58 school scoring statistics, which include all players who scored, and is not listed on the '58-59 roster. His son, Brian, played for Emory University in Atlanta.

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, Occidental (Calif.)
U.S. Senator from Illinois outlasted Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election before defeating Republican John McCain to become the nation's first African-American commander-in-chief. Authored a book entitled "Audacity of Hope."

The 6-1 1/2 lefthander played on Occidental's junior varsity squad in 1979-80 before transferring to Columbia and subsequently attending Harvard Law School. In "Dreams From My Father," Obama described basketball as a comfort to a boy whose father was mostly absent, and who was one of only a few black youths at his school in Hawaii. "At least on the basketball court I could find a community of sorts," he wrote. Pickup basketball was his escape from the sport of politics. Brother-in-law Craig Robinson, a two-time Ivy League MVP with Princeton, was Oregon State's coach when Obama was elected.

ALAN K. SIMPSON, Wyoming
U.S. Senator from Wyoming (1978-96) was a staunch conservative and loyal lieutenant to Republican leader Bob Dole. Simpson's father, Milward, served in the same capacity (1962-67). The younger Simpson, who garnered 78 percent of the vote in 1984, served as chairman of Veterans' Affairs and Social Security and Family Policy. He charmed the Washington establishment with his earthy wit and folksy wisdom, becoming somewhat of a media darling because of his pithy quotes. Simpson authored a book "Right in the Old Gazoo-a lifetime of scraping with the Press."

Forward-center earned a letter in 1952-53 after scoring seven points in six games for a team that went on to participate in the NCAA Tournament. He also played football for the Cowboys.

MORRIS "MO" UDALL, Arizona
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1961 to 1991) and candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Brother of former Secretary of the Interior Stew Udall served as Chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs. Stemming from his wit, columnist James J. Kilpatrick labeled him "too funny to be president," which wound up being the title of his autobiography.

He was the Wildcats' captain and second-leading scorer with an average of 10 points per game for the 1946-47 team that won the Border Conference title and finished with a 21-3 record. The next year, he was the leading scorer (13.3 average) on a squad that successfully defended its league crown. The 6-5, 200-pound forward-center was named to the first five on the 1947-48 Border Conference all-star team and finished second in the league in scoring. He played with Denver in the National Basketball League in 1948-49.

Illinois, Notre Dame and Purdue never have won an NCAA championship despite all three schools ranking among the top 10 in supplying the most All-Americans. Iowa is closing in on becoming the eighth Big Ten Conference member among the top 20 universities boasting the most All-Americans since 1928-29 (AP, Converse, NABC, UPI and USBWA).

Duke freshman guard Austin Rivers became only the eighth son of an All-American to receive the same national recognition as his dad (two-time Marquette All-American guard Glenn "Doc" Rivers). A possible family candidate next season to join this select group is Missouri playmaker Flip Pressey, a son of former Tulsa All-American Paul Pressey.

If Rivers had returned to the Blue Devils to try to improve his assist-to-turnover ratio rather than declaring early for the NBA draft, he and his dad could have become the first father-son duo to each be a multiple-season All-American.

No father-son combination ever earned All-American status for the same university. Virginia Tech probably should have been the first school in this category but the Hokies didn't pursue the son (Stephen Curry) of their lone NCAA consensus All-American (Dell Curry) in a meaningful fashion, which is probably why they never thrived under coach Seth Greenberg. Following is an alphabetical list of the first eight father-son tandems in this elite category:

Steve Alford, an All-American for Indiana in 1986 and 1987, is the only active coach to have been an All-American player before coaching an All-American (New Mexico's Darington Hobson in 2010). Indiana native John Wooden is the only All-American player to coach All-Americans for two different universities (Indiana State and UCLA) with neither of them being his alma mater (Purdue).

Indiana's Branch McCracken, the only one of 41 All-Americans who became major-college mentors to compile a higher winning percentage as a coach than as a player, coached 14 All-Americans with his alma mater. He is among the following alphabetical list of 15 major-college All-Americans who went on to coach major-college All-Americans:

A championship ring certainly propels Kentucky's Anthony Davis into the discussion for acknowledging the best freshman center of all-time along with Patrick Ewing, Keith Lee, Greg Oden, Robert Parish, Jeff Ruland, Ralph Sampson, Joe Smith and Wayman Tisdale. The 2012 NCAA title is a credential making it easier to possibly place him atop the list of premium frosh pivotmen although Ohio State's Oden reached the NCAA final with comparable statistics a mere five years ago.

In any credible assessment, an observer shouldn't get too caught up in the moment. Actually, it's probably stretching credulity to proclaim Davis as the best freshman in SEC history, let alone the greatest yearling in NCAA annals. That's because the most fantastic frosh probably was Tennessee forward Bernard King, who averaged 26.4 ppg and 12.3 rpg while shooting 62.2% from the floor in 1974-75.

A huge difference between Davis and King was the quality of the competition. By any measure, the SEC's top players this season don't come anywhere close to comparing to all-league choices King opposed such as Leon Douglas, Kevin Grevey, Eddie Johnson, Mike Mitchell and Rick Robey - all of whom played at least seven NBA seasons. Another SEC first-year sensation was Louisiana State guard Chris Jackson. Granted, Jackson didn't have the dynamic defensive presence of Davis but you simply can't ignore the fact that Jackson averaged more than twice as many points in 1988-89.

UK fans could even build a case that John Wall's freshman campaign only three years ago was more significant. After all, the Wildcats improved their record from the previous season with Wall in coach John Calipari's debut by a stunning 12 games, which was 50% higher than what they improved with Davis manning the middle.

Frankly, it's disconcerting how much many pundits either have memory loss or possess little more than an amateurish knowledge of hoops history outside the region where they work. Celebrating the first 40 years of freshman eligibility, following is CollegeHoopedia.com's national perspective of the all-time freshman squads:

FIRST TEAM
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (2002-03: 22.2 ppg, 10 rpg)
Leading scorer and rebounder for 2003 NCAA Tournament champion was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Posted a remarkable 22 double-doubles in 35 games.

Kevin Durant, Texas (2006-07: 25.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 40.4 3FG%)
Forced by the NBA's new rule requiring draftees to attend college at least one year, he became national player of the year. Finished fourth in the nation in scoring and rebounding. Led the Big 12 Conference in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and double-doubles (20).

Chris Jackson, Louisiana State (1988-89: 30.2 ppg, 4.1 apg, 81.5 FT%)
Exploded for 53 points vs. Florida and 55 vs. Ole Miss en route to setting NCAA freshman scoring records with 965 points and 30.2 average. Consensus SEC player of the year was an AP and USBWA first-team All-American.

Bernard King, Tennessee (1974-75: 26.4 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 62.2 FG%)
No freshman has matched his overall statistical figures. The Volunteers improved their overall record by only one game from the previous season, however.

Robert Parish, Centenary (1972-73: 23 ppg, 18.7 rpg, 57.9 FG%)
Scored school-record 50 points at Lamar in a game he also grabbed 30 rebounds. Collected 31 points and 33 rebounds vs. Southern Mississippi and 38 points and 29 rebounds vs. Texas-Arlington. Contributed 14 contests with at least 20 rebounds as a frosh, averaging 21.3 rpg in a 14-game, mid-season stretch.

SECOND TEAM
Mark Aguirre, DePaul (1978-79: 24 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 52.0 FG%)
Top freshman scorer in the nation broke the Blue Demons' scoring record with 767 points. He had a 29-point, eight-rebound performance vs. UCLA in his college debut and finished the season by being named to the All-Final Four team.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky ( 2011-12: 14.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg, 62.3 FG%)
Lowest-ever scoring average for a national POY, but he set an NCAA record for most blocked shots by a freshman en route to becoming Final Four Most Outstanding Player despite scoring only six points on 1-of-10 field-goal shooting in NCAA championship contest.

Magic Johnson, Michigan State (1977-78: 17 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.4 apg)
Led the Big Ten Conference in league play in assists (6.8 apg), tied for third in scoring (19.8 ppg) and finished sixth in rebounding (8.2 rpg) to help the Spartans go from a 10-17 record the previous year to 25-5 and capture the Big Ten title.

Keith Lee, Memphis State (1981-82: 18.3 ppg, 11 rpg, 3.5 bpg, 53.8 FG%)
Led the Tigers in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots as they improved their record from 13-14 the previous season to 24-5. Set Metro Conference record with 11.5 rebounds per game in league competition.

Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma (1982-83: 24.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 58.0 FG%)
NCAA consensus first-team All-American. Big Eight Conference player of the year broke Wilt Chamberlain's league scoring record with 810 points, including 46 vs. Iowa State.

THIRD TEAM
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, California (1995-96: 21.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 51.8 FG%)
The first freshman ever to be named Pacific-10 Conference player of the year led the Bears in steals with 52. His best game overall was a 32-point, 18-rebound performance at Washington State.

Adrian Dantley, Notre Dame (1973-74: 18.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 55.8 FG%)
Led the Irish in free-throw shooting (82.6%) and was second on the team in scoring and rebounding. He had a 41-point outing vs. West Virginia. Notre Dame improved its record from 18-12 the previous season to 26-3.

Mark Macon, Temple (1987-88: 20.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)
Scored in double figures in 33 of 34 games. Led the 32-2 Owls in scoring and was second in assists. He was the first freshman ever to be the leading scorer for a team ranking No. 1 in a final AP national poll.

Mark Price, Georgia Tech (1982-83: 20.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 87.7 FT%)
First freshman ever to lead the vaunted Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. He also paced the ACC in free-throw percentage and three-point field goals.

Ralph Sampson, Virginia (1979-80: 14.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.6 bpg, 54.7 FG%)
Led the Cavaliers to the NIT championship. He was the headliner of perhaps the greatest single crop of freshman recruits in NCAA history.

FOURTH TEAM
Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech (1989-90: 20.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 8.1 apg)
Only freshman ever to score more than 20 points in four straight NCAA playoff games. He led the ACC in assists.

Michael Beasley, Kansas State (2007-08: 26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 53.2 FG%)
He had a total of 13 30-point games en route to 28 double-doubles.

Greg Oden, Ohio State (2006-07: 15.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.3 bpg, 61.6 FG%)
Powered the Buckeyes to the NCAA playoff championship game where they lost to two-time champion Florida.

Quentin Richardson, DePaul (1998-99: 18.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg)
Conference USA player of the year when he led the league in rebounding and was second in scoring, seventh in field-goal percentage and ninth in free-throw percentage, making him the only player in the C-USA to rank in the top 10 in each of those categories. He led the Blue Demons in scoring 21 times and in rebounding on 23 occasions.

Joe Smith, Maryland (1993-94: 19.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.1 bpg)
One of only two players in ACC history to be an all-league first-team selection in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.

FIFTH TEAM
Kevin Love, UCLA ( 2007-08: 17.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 55.9 FG%)
Led the Bruins' Final Four squad in scoring and rebounding, contributing 23 double-doubles.

Derrick Rose, Memphis (2007-08: 14.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.7 apg)
Ringleader of team that should have won NCAA title but shoddy free-throw shooting enabled Kansas to frustrate the Tigers in overtime in the championship game.

Lionel Simmons, La Salle (1986-87: 20.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 52.6 FG%)
Set the stage for becoming three-time MAAC MVP and one of only four major-college players ever to score more than 600 points in each of four seasons. La Salle's Tom Gola is the only individual to finish his college career with a higher total of points and rebounds (4,663 from 1952-55).

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State (2010-11: 17.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 54.1 FG%)
Helped the Buckeyes spend the entire season ranked among the nation's top four teams.

John Wall, Kentucky (2009-10: 16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.8 spg)
He was SEC MVP but how impactful was his season when teammate DeMarcus Cousins earned the SEC Freshman of the Year award?

Ten Most Overlooked Freshman Seasons

Freshman, School (Season: Statistical Achievements)
Jason Conley, Virginia Military (2001-02: 29.3 ppg, 8 rpg, 81.8 FT%)
Stephen Curry, Davidson (2006-07: 21.5 ppg, 85.5 FT%, 40.8 3FG%)
Jacky Dorsey, Georgia (1974-75: 25.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg)
Larry Hughes, Saint Louis (1997-98: 20.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 spg)
Harry Kelly, Texas Southern (1979-80: 29 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
Karl Malone, Louisiana Tech (1982-83: 20.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 58.2 FG%)
CJ McCollum, Lehigh (2009-10: 19.1 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 42.1 3FG%)
Jeff Ruland, Iona ( 1977-78: 22.3 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 59.4 FG%)
Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington (2005-06: 24.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.2 spg)
Gary Trent, Ohio University (1992-93: 19 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 65.1 FG%)

Well, at least Hubert Davis didn't think he was qualified sans coaching experience to be the bench boss of a power six conference akin to colleague Doug Gottlieb. Davis, an analyst for ESPN the past seven years, returned to his alma mater after being hired as an assistant by North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

Davis, recruited by Williams before leaving to become Kansas' coach, was an All-ACC second-team selection as a senior in 1991-92 (career averages of 11.8 ppg, 81.9 FT% and 43.5 3FG%) before playing 11 seasons in the NBA with five different franchises. He probably hopes some of the coaching acumen of ESPN Game Day crew members Bob Knight and Digger Phelps rubbed off on him.

With former coach Fran Fraschilla seemingly going after every job opening in Texas the last couple of seasons, ESPN might need to be more sensitive to assessing any ulterior motives of the Worldwide Leader's commentators. Regulars Jay Bilas, Dan Dakich, Dino Gaudio, Miles Simon, Bob Valvano and Tim Welsh each has previous DI coaching experience in various capacities. Theoretically, Dick Vitale could join new SMU mentor Larry Brown in the geriatric crowd.

Davis had an infectious laugh on TV that seemed as if it was forced at times solely to mollify his elders. He became ESPN’s virtual carbon copy of CBS network nabob Greg Anthony — earnest and affable but frequently appeared to be in over his head at the major-league level without first earning his spurs via proper grooming in the minors. Who will replace Davis on the Game Day crew and in CollegeHoopedia.com's ranking of Top 40 college commentators?

Nationally, a GSA (Government Services Administration) salacious scandal fueled distrust of the government. Locally, regional officials can also get caught with their hands and every other appendage in the cookie jar.

A four-month audit generated allegations there was a "toxic culture of entitlement" in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture under former UK guard Richie Farmer, an icon in his native state despite averaging a modest 9.6 ppg for the legendary 1991-92 Rick Pitino-coached squad dubbed "The Unforgettables." Farmer played in a record five Sweet 16 classics, starting with eighth grade and ending as a high school senior when he erupted for 51 points in the 1989 state championship contest. Pitino, who had well-documented problems of his own a couple of years ago in Louisville, said: "I love Richie Farmer, always will love Richie Farmer. He can do no wrong in my eyes. So I don't know what you're talking about. And if he did something wrong, I'll pray for him."

Pitino better get some knee pads if reports are accurate about the extent of state property not being accounted for by the department. Farmer, who refused to speak with auditors about using state resources and employees for personal gain, was accused of using state workers to run his personal errands during his eight years in office as agriculture commissioner. The alleged rampant abuse included taking him hunting (allegedly shot a doe from the passenger seat of state-issued vehicle and told a merit employee to field dress it for him), shopping and doctor visits, mowing his lawn, chauffeuring his dog, reserving questionable hotel rooms, moving a gun safe from his garage to basement and building a basketball court in his backyard. The far-reaching audit, resulting in 42 ethics violations, alleged misuse of state resources. There were reports claiming Farmer spent state money on a 60-inch television so he could watch college basketball in his office, questioned whether he gave his girlfriend/mistress any work to do after putting her on his agency's payroll with a $5,000/month state job and pondered the condition of two returned laptop computers that were "'wiped' in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner."

Did athlete adulation prevent any honorable whistleblower from coming forward during Farmer's stewardship or lack thereof? The report, triggering public pillorying, highlighted a lavish 2008 conference costing the taxpayers almost $100,000 and included gifts such as 25 Remington rifles worth $449 apiece, 52 knives, 50 cigar boxes, 30 $50 mall gift cards, 175 watches and 50 bottles of bourbon. Only 13 of 17 member commissioners attended the conference and the audit reveals Farmer took a majority of the remaining gifts. One of the rifles had a customized #32, which was Farmer's jersey number during his playing days with the Wildcats and hangs from the rafters of their arena. Unforgettably, he reportedly used products purchased by his department and donated by vendors to create gift baskets for his family members and a relative was employed for nearly five years as an amusement ride inspector despite never receiving certification to do the work.

The audit isn't amusing at all when considering Farmer declined to participate in budget furloughs mandated by the legislature because of serious deficits facing the commonwealth while some of his department's employees apparently had unjustified state vehicles. Farmer, facing home foreclosure last summer while in the midst of a divorce, failed in his bid to become lieutenant governor a couple of years ago amid rumors he melted down over a campaign manager refusing to reimburse him for hundreds of dollars worth of candy purchases. Farmer's attorney, originally saying he would be "shocked" if the state attorney general found grounds for criminal charges, also claimed his "somewhat idol" client was accustomed to "receiving gifts you or I might not receive."

An unprecedented animosity seems to be escalating toward greedy segments of government milking the taxpayer and insisting on spending money the country or specific state doesn't have and feeling they can orchestrate guidelines to their wily whims. Amid the unaccountability, House Republicans, perceiving disregard for the Constitution, pursued a contempt citation against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder stemming from his failure to divulge sufficient documents about the "Fast and Furious" ATF "gunwalking" operation selling 1,500 firearms to Mexican drug cartels. The nation's top cop, treating the DOJ as a partisan sanctuary city according to detractors, appeared to be shedding as much information on the controversial ATF topic as the number of FGM he had for Columbia's freshman basketball squad in 1969-70 (misfired on all four field-goal attempts).

At any rate, if you're interested in political players, CollegeHoopedia.com has conducted extensive research on "unforgettable" politicians and political appointees who were college hoopsters.

CollegeHoopedia.com has conducted extensive research on schools hiring coaches of prep phenoms who attended the same university. New Virginia Tech coach James Johnson is one of six active NCAA Division I mentors who got their start as a college assistant by tagging along directly or being reunited with one of their star high school players.

NOTE: Brey and Cronin were high school assistant coaches.

We don't know if the song "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" was the background music. But Donnie Tyndall, departing Morehead State for Southern Mississippi, is the latest coach to make the gut-wrenching decision to leave his alma mater for a coaching position with another school or NBA franchise.

Three former Princeton coaches - Sydney Johnson, Joe Scott and John Thompson III - are among the following alphabetical list of active mentors who voluntarily left their Division I alma maters:

NOTE: Baron (Canisius), Kennedy (Texas A&M), Krystkowiak (Utah), Matta (Ohio State), McCallum (Detroit), McDermott (Creighton), Purnell (DePaul) and Taylor (Old Dominion) are currently coaching other colleges.

It has previously happened once to Kansas and Ohio State, but they aspire not to join Louisville and Louisiana State as schools to twice fail to appear in the NCAA Tournament the season after reaching a Final Four. A total of 27 schools since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980 failed to qualify for the NCAA playoffs the ensuing season after advancing to the national semifinals.

However, Butler found this past year that all isn't lost when failing to return to the tourney. Despite the disappointment of not participating in the NCAA playoffs, the last 11 schools in this category averaged 20 victories.

Final Four Team	Record Next Year	League Finish
Indiana State '79	16-11 in 1979-80	T5th in MVC
Michigan State '79	12-15 in 1979-80	9th in Big Ten
Purdue '80	21-11 in 1980-81	4th in Big Ten
Louisiana State '81	14-14 in 1981-82	T4th in SEC
Georgia '83	17-13 in 1983-84	T7th in SEC
North Carolina State '83	19-14 in 1983-84	7th in ACC
Houston '84	16-14 in 1984-85	T5th in SWC
Virginia '84	17-16 in 1984-85	8th in ACC
Louisville '86	18-14 in 1986-87	1st in Metro
Providence '87	11-17 in 1987-88	8th in Big East
Kansas '88	19-12 in 1988-89	6th in Big Eight
Seton Hall '89	12-16 in 1989-90	T7th in Big East
UNLV '91	26-2 in 1991-92	1st in Big West
Duke '94	13-18 in 1994-95	9th in ACC
Oklahoma State '95	17-10 in 1995-96	T4th in Big Eight
Mississippi State '96	12-18 in 1996-97	T3rd in SEC Western
Syracuse '96	19-13 in 1996-97	T4th in Big East 7
Minnesota '97	20-15 in 1997-98	8th in Big Ten
Marquette '03	19-12 in 2003-04	8th in C-USA
Louisville '05	21-13 in 2005-06	T11th in Big East
George Mason '06	18-15 in 2006-07	T5th in CAA
Louisiana State '06	17-15 in 2006-07	6th in SEC Western
Florida '07	24-12 in 2007-08	4th in SEC Eastern
Ohio State '07	24-13 in 2007-08	5th in Big Ten
Connecticut '09	18-16 in 2009-10	T11th in Big East
North Carolina '09	20-17 in 2009-10	T9th in ACC
Butler '11	22-15 in 2011-12	T3rd in Horizon League

NOTES: Kansas and UNLV were on NCAA probation. . . . Duke, George Mason, Indiana State, Louisiana State '07, Louisville '87, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Providence and Seton Hall were eligible schools that also didn't participate in the NIT.

Seems as if it takes a vagabond to know one. When Tim Jankovich joined Larry Brown at Southern Methodist as coach-in-waiting, it paired two wanderlust bench bosses. USC's Kevin O'Neill is the only active mentor who has packed his suitcases more often for so many moves.

SMU is the fifth different university Jankovich has worked for in the state of Texas. Following is a look at the pit stops for head coaches who worked with more than 10 different colleges and NBA franchises in a coaching capacity:

Kevin O'Neill (14) - *Arizona, Delaware, Detroit (NBA), Indiana (NBA), *Marquette, *Marycrest (Iowa), Memphis (NBA), New York (NBA), *North Country Community College (N.Y.), *Northwestern, *Southern California, *Tennessee, *Toronto (NBA), Tulsa

Larry Brown (13) - *Carolina/Denver (ABA), *Charlotte (NBA), *Detroit (NBA), *Indiana (NBA), *Kansas, *L.A. Clippers (NBA), *New Jersey (NBA), *New York (NBA), North Carolina, *Philadelphia (NBA), *San Antonio (NBA), *SMU, *UCLA

Tim Jankovich (13) - Baylor, Colorado State, *Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, Illinois, *Illinois State, Kansas, Kansas State, *North Texas, Oklahoma State, Pan American, SMU, Texas, Vanderbilt

Billy Kennedy (11) - California, *Centenary, Creighton, Miami (Fla.), *Murray State, New Orleans, Northwestern State, *Southeastern Louisiana, *Texas A&M, Tulane, Wyoming

*Worked for team as head coach.