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 beyond The Audacity of Hoop, 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 pre-Stephen Curry 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 wrote a 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 volumes (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."

The information is as difficult to pry loose as liberal lunatics in #MessMedia acknowledging deceased Rush Limbaugh was infinitely more talented than them (see recent episodes of CBS' Margaret Brennan describing free-speech holocaust and CNN's Kaitlan Collins promote legal fund for murderer a colleague fawned over because of his abs) for decades, transcripts of #ShrillaryRotten's overpaid speeches before Wall Street benefactors and ledger detailing Congressional slush-fund payouts regarding representatives trafficking in creepy stuff. 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. Majority of them boasted a mite more dignity than disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and backtracking press puke previously fawning over him.

Democratic political consultant Thomas "Tad" Devine, who averaged 2.4 ppg and 1.1 rpg with Brown in 1975-76, was senior advisor in Al Gore's 2000 and John Kerrey's 2004 Presidential campaigns. Devine was also the chief strategist for rape-fantasy essayist Bernie Sanders' 2016 Presidential run. Essentially, the following lineup represents a rebuttal to the chronic complainers who cite national-stage politicians generally and writers specifically as individuals who don't know anything about sports generally and college hoops specifically. In deference to Presidents' Day, following 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 ppg 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).

VANCE HARTKE, Evansville
Mayor of Evansville before serving as U.S. Senator from Indiana (1959-77). Democrat ran for President in 1972 as an anti-war candidate, finishing as high as fifth in the New Hampshire Primary. He wrote four books, including "The American Crisis in Vietnam."

Graduated in 1940.

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 point-man 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 against 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 Terrapins 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 Georgia Tech guide as a non-scholarship sophomore. However, Nunn is not included in the 1957-58 school scoring statistics, which include all players who scored, and is not listed on the 1958-59 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.

PAUL SARBANES, Princeton
Democrat served as a member of House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977 and Maryland Senator from 1977 to 2007. Consistent and staunch advocate for Greek-American issues. His son, John, held dad's old House seat.

Teammate of Chuck DeVoe (co-founder of ABA's Indiana Pacers), John Emery (president of McGraw-Hill publishing division) and Dave Sisler (MLB pitcher) scored 19 points in 12 games in 1951-52, including a made free throw against Dayton in East Regional third-place game.

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% 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.

MILWARD SIMPSON, Wyoming
Governor of Wyoming (1954-58) and U.S. Senator from Wyoming (1962-67). Prior to holding elective office, he was a member of his alma mater's Board of Trustees and was the board's president for several years. His son, Alan, played basketball and football for Wyoming in 1952-53 before becoming a U.S. Senator.

Leading scorer for 1918 Wyoming team with 11.6 ppg. He also captained the school's football and baseball teams. Winner in the sports category as Wyoming Citizen of the Century.

JOHN THUNE, Biola (Calif.)
South Dakota member of House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003 until the Republican defeated Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle in 2004. Successor to Mitch O'Connell as Republican Senate Leader.

The 6-4 Thune played two seasons (1979-80 and 1982-83), averaging 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 37 games while shooting 40% from the floor and 73.3% from the free-throw line. His father, Harold Thune, was a starting guard for Minnesota in 1940-41 and 1941-42.

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 Border Conference titlist finishing with a 21-3 record. The next year, he was the leading scorer (13.3 average) on an Arizona 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.

This season marked only the sixth time since introduction of AP poll in late 1940s that a 1-2 game pitted teams from the same state against each other. If history repeated itself, advantage should have gone to #2 Alabama but the Crimson Tide were toppled at home by Auburn in the highest-scoring ever between top two teams from same state. The top-ranked club lost each of first five such "clash of the titans" by an average margin of 11.2 points. Auburn's Bruce Pearl also coached in the previous 1-2 matchup in 2008 when he was Tennessee's bench boss.

Date of 1-2 Game	#1 Team (Coach)	#2 Team (Coach)	Site For In-State Matchup
March 25, 1961	Ohio State 65 (Fred Taylor)	Cincinnati 70 (Ed Jucker)	Kansas City (OT in NCAA final)
March 24, 1962	Ohio State 59 (Fred Taylor)	Cincinnati 71 (Ed Jucker)	Louisville (NCAA final)
February 3, 1994	Duke 78 (Mike Krzyzewski)	North Carolina 89 (Dean Smith)	Chapel Hill
February 5, 1998	Duke 73 (Mike Krzyzewski)	North Carolina 97 (Bill Guthridge)	Chapel Hill
February 23, 2008	Memphis 62 (John Calipari)	Tennessee 66 (Bruce Pearl)	Memphis
February 15, 2025	Auburn 94 (Bruce Pearl)	Alabama 85 (Nate Oats)	Tuscaloosa

Unless two-time defending champion Connecticut, clearly this campaign's biggest disappointment after bowing against struggling Seton Hall, goes on a prolonged hot streak down the stretch, the Huskies will finish out of the AP's Top 20 for the second time in 14 seasons after being ranked in preseason Top Five. A year ago, Michigan State, incurring at least 13 defeats for the fourth consecutive season, finished out of the AP's Top 20 for the fourth time thus far this century despite the Spartans' ranking among the preseason Top 5.

There are additional such tarnished squads failing to live up to enormous preseason hype. The last 24 teams in this great-expectations category incurred at least double digits in defeats. Following is a chronological list of the first 28 clubs included among preseason Top 5 selections since 1968-69 but finishing out of the AP's final Top 20 poll:

Preseason Top 5 Team	Season	Preseason AP Ranking	Coach	Record	Top Players For Disappointing Squad
Notre Dame	1968-69	4th	Johnny Dee	20-7	Austin Carr, Bob Arnzen, Bob Whitmore, Dwight Murphy, Collis Jones and Sid Catlett
Purdue	1969-70	3rd	George King	18-6	Rick Mount, Larry Weatherford, George Faerber, Bob Ford, William Franklin and Tyrone Bedford
Southern California	1971-72	3rd	Bob Boyd	16-10	Paul Westphal, Joe Mackey, Ron Riley, Dan Anderson and Mike Westra
Florida State	1972-73	2nd	Hugh Durham	18-8	Reggie Royals, Lawrence McCray, Otis Cole, Benny Clyde and Otis Johnson
Indiana	1976-77	5th	Bob Knight	14-13	Kent Benson, Mike Woodson, Wayne Radford and Derek Holcomb
Kansas	1978-79	5th	Ted Owens	18-11	Darnell Valentine, Paul Mokeski, John Crawford, Wilmore Fowler and Tony Guy
DePaul	1984-85	3rd	Joey Meyer	19-10	Tyrone Corbin, Kenny Patterson, Dallas Comegys, Marty Embry, Tony Jackson and Kevin Holmes
Indiana	1984-85	4th	Bob Knight	19-14	Steve Alford, Uwe Blab, Stew Robinson, Dan Dakich, Delray Brooks and Daryl Thomas
Louisville	1986-87	2nd	Denny Crum	18-14	Herbert Crook, Pervis Ellison, Tony Kimbro, Mark McSwain, Keith Williams, Kenny Payne and Felton Spencer
Michigan State	1990-91	4th	Jud Heathcote	19-11	Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga, Mike Peplowski and Mark Montgomery
Clemson	1997-98	5th	Rick Barnes	18-14	Greg Buckner, Terrell McIntyre, Harold Jamison and Tony Christie
Auburn	1999-00	4th	Cliff Ellis	24-10	Chris Porter, Doc Robinson, Scott Pohlman, Daymeon Fishback, Mamadou N'diaye and Mack McGadney
UCLA	2001-02	5th	Steve Lavin	21-12	Jason Kapono, Billy Knight, Matt Barnes, Dan Gadzuric and T.J. Cummings
Arizona	2003-04	4th	Lute Olson	20-10	Hassan Adams, Salim Stoudamire, Channing Frye, Andre Iguodala and Mustafa Shakur
Michigan State	2003-04	3rd	Tom Izzo	18-12	Paul Davis, Chris Hill, Kelvin Torbert, Maurice Ager and Alan Anderson
Missouri	2003-04	5th	Quin Snyder	16-14	Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding, Linas Kleiza, Jimmy McKinney, Travon Bryant and Jason Conley
Georgia Tech	2004-05	3rd	Paul Hewitt	20-12	Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder, Will Bynum, Luke Schenscher and Isma'll Muhammad
Michigan State	2005-06	4th	Tom Izzo	22-12	Maurice Ager, Paul Davis, Shannon Brown and Drew Neitzel
Louisiana State	2006-07	5th	John Brady	17-15	Glen Davis, Tasmin Mitchell, Terry Martin, Garrett Temple and Darnell Lazare
Texas	2009-10	3rd	Rick Barnes	24-10	Damion James, Avery Bradley, Dexter Pittman, J'Covan Brown, Gary Johnson and Dogus Balbay
Kansas State	2010-11	3rd	Frank Martin	23-11	Jacob Pullen, Rodney McGruder, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels
Michigan State	2010-11	2nd	Tom Izzo	19-15	Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green, Durrell Summers, Delvon Roe and Keith Appling
Connecticut	2011-12	4th	Jim Calhoun	20-14	Andre Drummond, Jeremy Lamb, Ryan Boatright, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith and Tony Olander
Kentucky	2012-13	3rd	John Calipari	21-12	Willie Cauley-Stein, Archie Goodwin, Ryan Harrow, Julius Mays, Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress and Kyle Wiltjer
Kentucky	2013-14	1st	John Calipari	29-11	Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress, Julius Randle and James Young
Texas	2021-22	5th	Chris Beard	22-12	Timmy Allen, Christian Bishop, Marcus Carr, Dylan Disu, Jase Febres, Andrew Jones, Tre Mitchell and Courtney Ramey
Kentucky	2022-23	4th	John Calipari	22-12	CJ Fredrick, Chris Livingston, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe, Cason Wallace and Sahvir Wheeler
North Carolina	2022-23	1st	Hubert Davis	20-13	Armando Bacot, Leaky Black, RJ Davis, Puff Johnson, Caleb Love and Pete Nance
Michigan State	2023-24	4th	Tom Izzo	20-15	Jaden Akins, Coen Carr, Carson Cooper, Malik Hall, A.J. Hoggard, Tre Holloman, Mady Sissoko and Tyson Walker

Former NCAA Tournament hoopers Antonio Gates (Kent State) and Tony Gonzalez (California) - two of the top three tight end reception leaders in NFL history - never participated in the Super Bowl. The absence of their 22 combined years as NFL All-Pros helped open the door for some other ex-college hoopers to emerge in the Super Bowl spotlight. Following are the 10 most memorable plays in Super Bowl history - good and bad - involving former college hoopers:

1. Jacoby Jones (Lane TN hooper in 05-06) - Ravens WR supplied Super Bowl record 109-yard kickoff return for a touchdown opening the second half of SB XLVII against the 49ers.
2. Don Beebe (Aurora College IL 84/JV) - Despite trailing by 35 points, Bills WR delivered iconic hustle play in Super Bowl XXVII against the Cowboys when stripping Leon Lett of the ball for a touchback just before the showboating defensive end crossed the goal line following running more than 60 yards after fumble recovery.
3. John Mackey (Syracuse 61) - Colts TE had 75-yard reception on a deflected pass from Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas early in second quarter for first touchdown of game in Super Bowl V against the Cowboys.
4. Andre Rison (Michigan State 86-88) - Packers WR opened scoring in Super Bowl XXXI with a 54-yard touchdown reception from Brett Favre on their first pass play against the Patriots.
5. Otis Taylor (Prairie View A&M in early 60s) - Chiefs WR tallied a game-long 46-yard touchdown reception from Len Dawson (Purdue 57) to cap off scoring in Super Bowl IV. Taylor broke a sideline tackle attempt from Vikings LCB Earsell Mackbee (averaged 3.4 ppg for Utah State in 1964-65 as teammate of All-American Wayne Estes).
6. Antwan Randle El (Indiana 99) - Steelers WR threw flea flicker 43-yard touchdown pass to game MVP Hines Ward to cap off scoring in Super Bowl XL against the Seahawks.
7. Jordan Norwood (Penn State 07) - Broncos backup WR, escaping numerous Panthers defenders upon receiving punt, returned it for Super Bowl-record 61 yards in second quarter of Super Bowl 50.
8. Bob Griese (Purdue 65) - Dolphins QB sacked for a 29-yard loss by Cowboys RDT Bob Lilly late in opening quarter of Super Bowl VI.
9. Roger Staubach (Navy 63) - Five-time Pro Bowl TE Jackie Smith, lured out of St. Louis Cardinals retirement by Cowboys, was a little off-balance but flubbed the easiest of touchdown catches from Staubach hitting him right in numbers in third quarter of Super Bowl XIII four-point setback against the Steelers.
10. Percy Howard (Austin Peay State 73-75) - Cowboys backup WR had a 34-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl X. It was one-hit wonder's only NFL reception. A Hail Mary pass in his general direction from Staubach at game's end was foiled by the Steelers.

Excluding wondering about the variety of grub to be consumed at Super Bowl LIX party, college basketball enthusiasts might rather want to enjoy know which former hoopers impacted the championship contest over its 59-year history. Will former Clemson hooper DeAndre Hopkins (Kansas City Chiefs WR) join list of versatile luminaries this year? Emphasizing criteria including multiple appearances, following is a list ranking 59 former varsity hoopers - including multiple athletes from mid-majors Idaho, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Southern, Texas-El Paso and Utah State - impacting Super Bowl history the most from schools currently at the NCAA DI level:

Rank	Four-Year College Hooper	Current DI School/Hoop Season(s)	Super Bowl Participation Summary
1.	Roger Staubach	Navy 63	Cowboys QB completed 61-of-98 passes for 744 yards and eight touchdowns in four Super Bowls (VI, X, XII and XIII). Receivers for three of his TD passes were former major-college hoopers (Mike Ditka/Billy Joe DuPree/Percy Howard).
2.	Rodney Harrison	Western Illinois 93	SS with Chargers contributed one solo tackle in Super Bowl XXIX. After switching coasts and joining Patriots, he registered team-high eight solo tackles in SB XXVIII, game-high 10 solo tackles in SB XXXIX and game-high 11 solo tackles in SB XLII.
3.	Len Dawson	Purdue 57	Chiefs QB completed 28-of-44 passes for 353 yards in Super Bowls I and IV. Threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Otis Taylor.
4.	Preston Pearson	Illinois 65-67	RB returned two kickoffs for 59 yards with Colts in Super Bowl III. Six years later with Steelers, he returned one kickoff for 15 yards in SB IX. After shifting to Cowboys, he rushed five times for 14 yards, caught game-high five passes for 53 yards and recovered one fumble in SB X; rushed three times for 11 yards and and caught game-high five passes for 37 yards in SB XII, plus rushed once for six yards and caught two passes for 15 yards in SB XIII.
5.	Ed "Too Tall" Jones	Tennessee State 70-71	Cowboys LDE amassed a total of 13 solo tackles in three Super Bowls in four-year span (X, XII and XIII). He also contributed one fumble recovery in SB XIII.
6.	Otis Taylor	Prairie View	Chiefs WR caught a total of 10 passes for 138 yards in two Super Bowls (I and IV). His 31-yarder from Len Dawson helped set up KC's first score in second quarter of inaugural SB. Taylor tallied a game-long 46-yard touchdown reception to cap off contest's scoring in SB IV.
7.	Junious "Buck" Buchanan	Grambling 59	Chiefs RDT collected five solo tackles and a sack in Super Bowl I before tying for team high with five solo tackles plus a sack in Super Bowl IV.
8.	Bob Griese	Purdue 65	Dolphins QB completed 26-of-41 passes for 295 yards and one 28-yard touchdown covering back-to-back-to-back Super Bowls (VI, VII and VIII).
9.	Ronnie Lott	Southern California 80	49ers DB amassed total of nine solo tackles in four Super Bowls (XVI, XIX, XIII and XXIV) with a high of four in SB XXIII.
10.	Donovan McNabb	Syracuse 96-97	Eagles QB completed 30-of-51 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXIX.
11.	Antwaan Randle El	Indiana 99	Steelers WR caught three passes for 22 yards, returned two punts for 32 yards in Super Bowl XL and threw flea flicker 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward to cap off scoring in Super Bowl XL before catching two passes for 50 yards including team-long 37-yarder in SB XLV.
12.	Brad Johnson	Florida State 88-89	Buccaneers QB completed 18-of-34 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns (bridging both halves) plus rushed once for 10 yards in Super Bowl XXXVII.
13.	London Fletcher	St. Francis (Pa.) 94	Rams MLB collected game-high seven solo tackles in Super Bowl XXXIV and two solo tackles in SB XXXVI.
14.	Terrell Owens	UT Chattanooga 94-96	Seven weeks after breaking his leg, Eagles WR registered team highs of nine pass receptions and 122 receiving yards (long of 36) in Super Bowl XXXIX.
15.	John Mackey	Syracuse 61	Colts TE caught a total of five passes for 115 yards in two Super Bowls (III and V). He had a 75-yard TD reception on a deflected pass from Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas for their initial score in SB V.
16.	Joe Kapp	California 57-58	Vikings QB completed 16-of-25 passes for 183 yards and rushed twice for nine yards in Super Bowl IV.
17.	Billy Joe DuPree	Michigan State 72	Cowboys TE recorded one solo tackle in Super Bowl X and caught a total of six passes for 83 yards and one touchdown in subsequent back-to-back SBs (XII and XIII).
18.	Keith McKeller	Jacksonville State 83-86	Bills TE caught at least one pass in four consecutive Super Bowls (XXV through XXVIII).
19.	Harold Carmichael	Southern 69-70	Eagles WR caught five passes for 83 yards from Ron Jaworski in Super Bowl XV.
20.	Johnny Sample	Maryland-Eastern Shore	Colts DB supplied five solo tackles and an interception in Super Bowl III.
21.	Tommy Polley	Florida State 97	Rams RLB tied for team high with seven solo tackles in Super Bowl XXXVI.
22.	Andre Rison	Michigan State 88	Packers WR caught two passes for 77 yards in Super Bowl XXXI. He opened game's scoring with 54-yard touchdown reception from Brett Favre.
23.	Martellus Bennett	Texas A&M 06-07	Patriots TE caught five passes for 62 yards from Tom Brady in Super Bowl LI.
24.	Earsell Mackbee	Utah State 65	Vikings LCB managed six solo tackles in Super Bowl IV.
25.	Bobby Bell	Minnesota 61	Chiefs LLB recorded total of five solo tackles in Super Bowls I and IV.
26.	Cornell Green	Utah State 60-62	Cowboys SS contributed a total of four solo tackles in back-to-back Super Bowls (V and VI).
27.	Adalius Thomas	Southern Mississippi 97-98	Patriots OLB contributed five solo tackles and two quarterback hits in Super Bowl XLII.
28.	Don Blackmon	Tulsa 78	Patriots ROLB had five solo tackles in Super Bowl XX.
29.	Julius Thomas	Portland State 07-10	Broncos TE caught four passes for 27 yards from Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLVIII.
30.	Dave Robinson	Penn State 61	Packers LB registered two solo tackles and returned a fumble recovery 16 yards in Super Bowl II.
31.	George Martin	Oregon 73	Giants LDE manufacutred a safety by tackling John Elway in end zone for only second-quarter score in Super Bowl XXI.
32.	Art Shell	Maryland-Eastern Shore	Raiders starting LT in Super Bowls XI and XV. Went on to coach the team for seven years from 1989 through 1994 and 2006.
33.	George Starke	Columbia 69-70	Redskins starting RT in back-to-back Super Bowls (XVII and XVIII).
34.	Wayne Moore	Lamar 66-69	Dolphins starting LT in back-to-back Super Bowls (VII and VIII).
35.	Ron Widby	Tennessee 65-67	Cowboys P recorded 40.2 average on total of 14 punts in back-to-back Super Bowls (V and VI).
36.	Mike Ditka	Pittsburgh 59-60	Cowboys TE rushed once for 17 yards and caught a seven-yard touchdown pass in Super Bowl VI.
37.	Jordan Norwood	Penn State 07	Broncos backup WR returned one punt for 61 yards in second quarter of Super Bowl 50.
38.	Percy Howard	Austin Peay State 73-75	Cowboys backup WR provided a 34-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl X. It was one-hit wonder's only NFL reception. A Hail Mary pass in his direction from Roger Staubach at game's end was foiled by the Steelers.
39.	Fred "Fuzzy" Thurston	Valparaiso 52	Packers starting LG in first two Super Bowls.
40.	Alfred Williams	Colorado 90	Starting RDE for Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII amassed two solo tackles in SB the next year.
41.	Jim Duncan	Maryland-Eastern Shore	Colts RCB delivered one solo tackle, one fumble recovery and four kickoff returns for 90 yards in Super Bowl V.
42.	Julius Peppers	North Carolina 00-01	Panthers LDE provided two solo tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
43.	Napoleon Harris	Northwestern 98-99	Raiders starting MLB notched two solo tackles in Super Bowl XXXVII.
44.	Billy Kilmer	UCLA 60	Redskins QB completed 14-of-28 passes for 104 yards and contributed two nine-yard rushes in Super Bowl VII.
45.	Charlie West	Texas-El Paso 68	Vikings DB returned three kickoffs for 46 yards and two punts for 18 yards in Super Bowl IV before returning two kickoffs for 28 yards in SB VIII.
46.	Marlin Briscoe	Nebraska-Omaha 65	Dolphins WR had two of QB Bob Griese's six pass completions in Super Bowl VIII.
47.	Ephraim Salaam	San Diego State 97	Falcons starting RT as a rookie in Super Bowl XXXIII.
48.	Gerald Perry	South Carolina 84/Southern 87	Broncos starting LT in Super Bowl XXIV.
49.	Derrick Ramsey	Kentucky 76	Patriots TE caught two passes for 16 yards in Super Bowl XX.
50.	Brad Jackson	Cincinnati 98	Ravens backup LB contributed one solo tackle and one fumble recovery in Super Bowl XXXV.
51.	Tony Dungy	Minnesota 74	Steelers DB recorded one solo tackle in Super Bowl XIII. He went on to become the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl (XLI with Colts).
52.	R.W. McQuarters	Oklahoma State 96-97	Giants CB returned three punts for 25 yards in Super Bowl XLII.
53.	David Verser	Kansas 78	Bengals WR returned five kickoffs for 52 yards in Super Bowl XVI.
54.	Tom Mitchell	Bucknell 64	Colts TE-WR caught one pass for 15 yards from Earl Morrall in Super Bowl III.
55.	Ordell Braase	South Dakota 53-54	Colts DE contributed one solo tackle in Super Bowl III.
56.	Charles Philyaw	Texas Southern 74-75	Raiders DE provided a solo tackle in Super Bowl XI.
57.	Reggie Carolan	Idaho 60-62	Chiefs TE caught one pass for seven yards in first quarter of Super Bowl I to set up missed field-goal attempt.
58.	Marvin Washington	Texas-El Paso 85-86/Idaho 88	Broncos DE managed one solo tackle in Super Bowl XXXIII.
59.	Dick Capp	Boston College 64	TE member of Packers special teams recovered a punt return fumble leading to field goal just before time expired in first half of Super Bowl II.

In football feedback prior to a ballyhooed game such as Super Bowl LIX, there is a natural inclination to focus on the quarterback matchup. If adding an emphasis on college basketball to the equation, you should know Purdue alums Len Dawson (played hoops in 1957) and Bob Griese (1965) were involved in three Super Bowl QB duels in a four-year span featuring signal callers who each played major-college varsity basketball. Dawson won SB IV with the Kansas City Chiefs against Minnesota Vikings (23-7 vs. Cal 57-58 hooper Joe Kapp) before Griese split back-to-back Super Bowls against the Dallas Cowboys (lost to Navy 63 hooper Roger Staubach, 24-3, in VI) and Washington Redskins (defeated UCLA 60 hooper Billy Kilmer, 14-7, in VII).

Dawson (IV) and Staubach (VI), each named a Super Bowl MVP in a three-year span, both hooked up with fellow college cagers for touchdowns in SB competition. The initial basketball TD connection in Super Bowl history was Dawson's game-long 46-yard pass reception to Otis Taylor (Prairie View A&M backup forward in era following glory years of pro standout Zelmo Beaty) capping off scoring in SB IV. Taylor eluded Vikings DB Earsell Mackbee, a hoops teammate of Utah State All-American Wayne Estes in 1964-65.

Receivers for three of Staubach's eight TD passes in four SB appearances were former major-college hoopers. The fourth-quarter basketball bounty for Staubach went to:

• Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh 59-60) capping off game's scoring with seven-yard touchdown pass in Super Bowl VI.
• Percy Howard (Austin Peay State 73-75) with a 34-yard catch capping off scoring in Super Bowl X.
• Billy Joe DuPree (Michigan State 72) via a seven-yarder in SB XIII.

Joining Howard among ex-college hoopers catching passes from Staubach in Super Bowl X was Preston Pearson (Illinois 65-67), who competed for three different pro franchises in the SB (also Baltimore Colts III and Pittsburgh Steelers IX). Although none of Pearson's catches found end-zone pay-dirt, he provided game highs of five pass receptions from Staubach for "America's Team" in two Super Bowls (X and XII). In Super Bowl XXXIX, former NCAA Tournament hoopers Donovan McNabb (Syracuse 96-97) and Terrell Owens (UT Chattanooga 94-96) hooked up for nine pass receptions and 122 receiving yards with the Philadelphia Eagles although none for a TD. Where are such incredible versatile athletes like this these days?

College basketball fans shouldn't be assessed an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty if the NFL isn't their favorite sport, but they should rush to hold on because following is more super stuff to digest while blitzed by enough notes, quotes and anecdotes to have one seeking a sedative when assessing Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

For what it's worth hoop-wise, did you know former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue was a 6-5 forward who averaged 11.4 points and nine rebounds per game for Georgetown in three varsity seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62? He led the Hoyas in rebounding as a sophomore (8.9 rpg) and junior (8.2 rpg) and was their second-leading rebounder as a senior captain. Well-rounded trivia buffs should also know that Tagliabue's predecessor, Pete Rozelle, was the basketball publicist for 1949 NIT champion San Francisco before orchestrating events leading to the Super Bowl becoming a national phenomenon.

The Super Bowl's link to college basketball is much more extensive than these commissioners and had more impact than unveiling of new commercials plus halftime entertainers. Actually, there are a striking number of ex-college hoopers who participated in the Super Bowl as players. In fact, the inaugural Super Bowl in 1967 featured eight former four-year college varsity basketball players for schools currently classified at the NCAA Division I level: Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Chris Burford, Reg Carolan, Len Dawson, Dave Robinson, Otis Taylor and Fuzzy Thurston. Former college hoopers have also appeared prominently in previous Super Bowls. There were former college hoopers in each of the first 13 Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys boasting seven such versatile athletes in SB X.

But times have changed and there were only five ex-college hoopers in the previous 16 Super Bowls. Kneeling in deference to the 59th anniversary of the Super Bowl, following are 59 questions tackling versatile players such as Bell, Buchanan, Carolan, Dawson, Robinson, Taylor and Thurston in this distinctive two-way athlete category that should surprise you with some of the marquee names. If you get them all correct before peeking at answers at the end of this gridiron quiz, then you boast inflated brainpower sufficiently omnipotent to know in advance what will transpire at halftime and which new expensive commercials offer the most entertainment.

1. Name the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals who appeared in Super Bowl XVI following the 1981 season after finishing his career as the fifth-leading scorer in his college's history. The high school teammate of Kentucky All-American and All-Pro Dan Issel led Augustana (Ill.) in field-goal accuracy and free-throw shooting as a freshman and sophomore.

2. Name the linebacker who was one of only two first-year players on the Miami Dolphins' undefeated team in 1972 and was still with the franchise the next season when the Dolphins repeated as Super Bowl champions for a 32-2 two-year mark, the best ever in the NFL. He played briefly for Louisville's varsity basketball squad before Cardinals football coach Lee Corso persuaded him to concentrate on the gridiron.

3. Name the nine-time All-Pro linebacker who was with the Kansas City Chiefs for their Super Bowl IV winner after becoming the first African American to play basketball for Minnesota when he appeared in three games in the 1960-61 season.

4. Name the tight end who caught five passes for 62 yards from Tom Brady in the New England Patriots' come-from-behind 34-28 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI after former Pro Bowl selection competed in 2006 NCAA basketball playoffs with Texas A&M.

5. Name the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end who appeared in Super Bowl III with the Baltimore Colts vs. the New York Jets after becoming a first-team selection as a basketball center for South Dakota in the All-North Central Conference when he averaged 7.8 points per game in 1952-53 and 11 points in 1953-54.

6. Name the first black starting quarterback in the NFL who was later converted to wide receiver and caught two of QB Bob Griese's six pass completions to help the undefeated Miami Dolphins beat Minnesota in Super Bowl VIII after averaging 9.5 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 14 basketball games for Nebraska-Omaha in 1964-65.

7. Name the DT who had a streak of eight consecutive campaigns named to either the AFL All-Star Team or NFL Pro Bowl while collecting five solo tackles in each of a pair of Super Bowls. He concentrated solely on football under legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson after earning basketball letter as freshman in 1958-59.

8. Name the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who caught five passes for 83 yards from Ron Jaworski in Super Bowl XV for the Philadelphia Eagles after he was the top rebounder for two seasons with Southern (La.). He established an NFL record for most consecutive games with a pass reception (127).

9. Name the 1963 Pro Bowl selection who participated in Super Bowl I as a defensive end with the Kansas City Chiefs after the 6-6, 235-pounder played three varsity seasons with Idaho's basketball team, averaging four points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

10. Name the 1994 first-round draft choice who was a defensive end on the Dallas Cowboys' last Super Bowl team after playing nine games during the 1992-93 season for Arizona State's hoop squad decimated with injuries.

11. Name the Pro Bowl selection who appeared in Super Bowl XXXI with the New England Patriots after the 6-5, 245-pounder played basketball one season for Livingstone (N.C.). He held the NFL single-season record for most receptions by a tight end with 96 in 1994.

12. Name the four-year starter who set school career records for total offense, passing yards and rushing yards by a quarterback plus rushing touchdowns by a QB. Most Outstanding Player in the 2002 Peach Bowl as a quarterback was activated for Super Bowl XXXVII as a rookie with the Oakland Raiders before succeeding all-time great Tim Brown as a starting wide receiver. He was North Carolina's leader in assists during 2000-01 when he directed the Tar Heels to a basketball No. 1 ranking and an 18-game winning streak.

13. Name the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs who was MVP in Super Bowl IV after playing in two basketball games as a 6-0, 180-pound guard for Purdue in the 1956-57 campaign.

14. Name the defensive left end on Miami's undefeated team in 1972 who played in four Super Bowls with the Dolphins after the 6-6, 220-pound basketball center finished his four-season career at Central College as the Pella, Iowa-based school's all-time leading scorer (15.5 ppg) and rebounder (12.4 rpg). He grabbed a school-record 29 rebounds in a game his senior season (1970-71).

15. Name the Hall of Fame tight end who played in two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, catching a TD pass to cap the scoring in Super Bowl VI, before coaching the Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears following the 1985 season after the 6-2, 205-pound forward averaged 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in two seasons with the Pittsburgh Panthers.

16. Name the defensive back for the Baltimore Colts' Super Bowl V champion who led the NFL in kickoff return average (35.4) in 1970 after playing basketball for Maryland-Eastern Shore.

17. Name the prominent ex-NFL coach who was a defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl XIII champion after averaging 2.6 ppg in 16 basketball contests with the Minnesota Gophers in 1973-74 under coach Bill Musselman.

18. Name the starting middle linebacker for a team in two of three Super Bowls in one stretch (game-high seven solo tackles in SB XXXIV) who started two games at point guard for St. Francis (Pa.) as a freshman in 1993-94 when he averaged three points per game. After transferring back home to Cleveland, the 5-10 dynamo collected 109 points and 52 rebounds in 27 games for John Carroll before quitting basketball midway through the 1995-96 campaign to concentrate on football.

19. Name the Super Bowl X tight end for the Dallas Cowboys after leading Amherst (Mass.) in scoring and rebounding in 1970-71.

20. Name the five-time Pro Bowl defensive back with the Dallas Cowboys who contributed a total of four solo tackles in back-to-back Super Bowls after finishing his three-year varsity career as Utah State's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. The 6-4 forward scored 46 points in a game against New Mexico en route to leading the Aggies in scoring with 21.2 points per game in 1959-60 (34th in the nation), 20.3 in 1960-61 (57th) and 25.6 in 1961-62 (13th).

21. Name the Hall of Fame quarterback who played in three Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins after he was a 6-1, 185-pound sophomore guard in 1964-65 when scoring 22 points in 16 games in his only varsity basketball season for Purdue.

22. Name the 12-year veteran safety who played in Super Bowl IV with the Minnesota Vikings after averaging four points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 10 contests for Wisconsin's basketball team in 1958-59.

23. Name the strong safety for the New England Patriots who registered a team-high eight solo tackles in Super Bowl XXVIII, game-high 10 solo tackles in Super Bowl XXXIX and game-high 11 solo tackles in Super Bowl XLII after starting five basketball games with Western Illinois in 1992-93.

24. Name the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver acquired in mid-season by the Kansas City Chiefs prior to Super Bowl LIX who played hoops with Clemson in 2010-11 in Brad Brownell's first season as coach.

25. Name the wide receiver who caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach for the Dallas Cowboys' final touchdown in a 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X after he averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in three varsity seasons (1972-73 through 1974-75) for Austin Peay. It was the only pass reception in his NFL career. The 6-4, 215-pound forward averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game in four NCAA Tournament contests in 1973 and 1974 as a teammate of NYC playground folk hero James "Fly" Williams.

26. Name the third-round draft choice of the Miami Dolphins in 1998 who backed up MVP Ray Lewis as a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV after being a member of Cincinnati's basketball team for the first month of 1997-98 campaign.

27. Name the three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman who appeared in three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys after the 6-8, 230-pound backup post player averaged 1.7 points and 2.6 rebounds for Tennessee State in his freshman and sophomore seasons (1969-70 and 1970-71).

28. Name the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver who caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco and opened the second half with a 108-yard kickoff return for a TD in a 34-31 win against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII after the Southeastern Louisiana track transfer was a part-time hoop starter for Lane (Tenn.), averaging 3.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

29. Name the 16-year quarterback who started Super Bowl VII for the Washington Redskins after scoring eight points in six games for coach John Wooden's 1959-60 UCLA basketball team.

30. Name the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback who participated in Super Bowl XVII with the Washington Redskins after the 6-4, 190-pound forward averaged 13.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for San Diego State in 1969-70 and 1970-71. He was the Aztecs' second-leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and rebounder (7.6 rpg) as a junior.

31. Name the 10-time Pro Bowl defensive back who competed in four Super Bowls after collecting nine assists, four points and three rebounds in six games for Southern California's basketball squad as a junior in 1979-80.

32. Name the 11-year defensive lineman who played in Super Bowl XIII for the Minnesota Vikings after averaging 12.3 ppg with Michigan Tech in 1962-63.

33. Name the Minnesota Vikings defensive back who had six solo tackles but let former Prairie View basketball player Otis Taylor (Kansas City Chiefs) elude him for a long touchdown in Super Bowl IV after being a basketball teammate of Utah State legend Wayne Estes in 1964-65.

34. Name the NFL Hall of Fame tight end who caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas in Super Bowl V after collecting 28 points and 28 rebounds in six basketball games with Syracuse in 1960-61.

35. Name the defensive end who scored six touchdowns in his 14-year NFL career and tackled John Elway of the Denver Broncos for a safety in the New York Giants' Super Bowl XXI victory following the 1986 season after the 6-5, 225-pound forward-center averaged just over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game for Oregon's freshman squad in 1971-72. He played briefly for the Ducks' varsity basketball team the next season.

36. Name the tight end who played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills after he was the starting center for Jacksonville State's 1985 NCAA Division II championship team. He led the Gulf South Conference in rebounding each of his first three seasons and finished runner-up in that category as a senior.

37. Name the defensive lineman in Super Bowl XI for the Oakland Raiders who played basketball in the 1975 NAIA Tournament for Morningside (Iowa).

38. Name the quarterback who set an NFL record with 24 consecutive completions over a two-game span in 2004 before guiding the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX the next year. He collected a career-high 10 points and six rebounds and made two clinching free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining in a 77-74 victory over Georgetown in 1997 before Syracuse appeared in the NIT. He scored two points in two 1996 NCAA Tournament games for the Orangemen's national runner-up.

39. Name the tight end who played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills, catching a TD pass in Super Bowl XXVI, after the 6-8, 235-pound center for the basketball squad at Wabash (Ind.) averaged 19.2 ppg and 11.4 rpg in four varsity seasons. He set NCAA Division III field-goal shooting records for a single season (75.3% in 1981-82 as a senior) and career (72.4). He collected 45 points and 13 rebounds in the 1982 championship game, scoring a Division III Tournament record 129 points in five games and earning tourney outstanding player honors.

40. Name the tight end-wide receiver who caught a 15-yard pass with the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III after averaging 6.1 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 10 basketball contests for Bucknell in 1963-64.

41. Name the Pro Bowl offensive tackle who appeared in three consecutive Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins after leading Lamar in rebounding as a senior with 12.6 per game in 1968-69.

42. Name the valuable addition to Super Bowl XXXIX-bound Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 who had nine pass receptions for 122 yards against the New England Patriots after setting an NFL single-game record with 20 receptions for the San Francisco 49ers against the Chicago Bears in 2000. He collected 57 points and 49 rebounds in 38 games (four starts) for UT-Chattanooga's basketball squad in three seasons from 1993-94 through 1995-96.

43. Name the 14-year running back who played in five Super Bowls with three different franchises, catching more passes (five) than anyone in Super Bowls X and XII, after the guard-forward averaged 8.7 ppg and 6 rpg as a senior in 1966-67 to finish his three-year Illinois varsity career with 5.2 ppg and 3.6 rpg.

44. Name the 2002 NFL defensive rookie of the year for the Carolina Panthers who appeared in Super Bowl XXXVIII the next season after being a member of North Carolina's 2000 Final Four squad. He started both NCAA Tournament games for the Tar Heels in 2001, including his first double-double (10 rebounds and career-high 21 points against Penn State).

45. Name the St. Louis Rams rookie linebacker who had a game-high 11 tackles (solo and assisted) in Super Bowl XXXVI after playing in one basketball contest for Florida State in 1996-97.

46. Name the wide receiver who made a two-point conversion on a run for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV and threw a flea flicker touchdown pass in Super Bowl XX after collecting 16 points and 11 assists in 11 games for Indiana's 1999 NCAA Tournament team, including two points in each of the Hoosiers' playoff contests (against George Washington and St. John's).

47. Name the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who scored the first touchdown at Super Bowl XXXI for the Green Bay Packers after he was a 6-1, 185-pound backup guard in basketball for Michigan State in two seasons (1985-86 and 1987-88).

48. Name the Hall of Fame offensive tackle who participated in two Super Bowls (XI and XV) with the Oakland Raiders after he was a two-year basketball letterman as a 6-5, 265-pound center for Maryland State College (now called Maryland-Eastern Shore).

49. Name the Denver Broncos wide receiver who had a game-high 152 receiving yards (including 80-yard touchdown pass from John Elway) in Super Bowl XXXIII after earning Missouri Southern State hoops letter as sophomore in 1990-91.

50. Name an offensive tackle for the Super Bowl XVII champion Washington Redskins after the strike-shortened 1982 campaign who averaged 2.9 ppg and 3.7 rpg while shooting 50.5% from the floor with Columbia in 1968-69 and 1969-70.

51. Name the Hall of Fame quarterback who guided the Dallas Cowboys to four Super Bowls after averaging 9.3 points per game for the 1961-62 Navy plebe (freshman) basketball team. The 6-2, 190-pound forward scored five points in four games for the Midshipmen varsity squad the next season. He was MVP in Super Bowl VI.

52. Name the defensive back for the Baltimore Colts who appeared in two Super Bowls (III and V) after playing basketball for Maryland-Eastern Shore.

53. Name the wide receiver who played in two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, catching 10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, after he was a backup small forward in the Prairie View A&M era following the school's glory years with pro basketball standout Zelmo Beaty.

54. Name the linebacker who registered two sacks and five solo tackles in Super Bowl XLII when the New England Patriots lost against New York Giants for first defeat of season after he averaged 2.9 ppg and 1.9 rpg as reserve forward for Southern Mississippi in 1996-97 and 1997-98.

55. Name the Denver Broncos tight end who caught four passes from Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLVIII after finishing as Portland State's second-leading rebounder in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

56. Name the offensive guard with the Green Bay Packers who participated in the first two Super Bowls after originally enrolling at Valparaiso on a basketball scholarship. He averaged 1.5 points per game in eight contests as a freshman with Valpo in 1951-52 before concentrating on football.

57. Name the Pro Bowl punter who appeared in back-to-back Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys after averaging 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds as a sophomore, 17.3 points and eight rebounds as a junior and 22.1 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior for Tennessee. The 6-4, 210-pound forward scored 50 points against LSU as a senior on his way to becoming SEC player of the year in 1967.

58. Name the starting defensive end for the Denver Broncos' back-to-back Super Bowl champions (XXXII and XXXIII) who registered one steal while playing in one minute of one Big Eight Conference basketball game for Colorado in 1989-90.

59. Name the offensive tackle who was an NFL All-Pro six straight seasons in the 1970s and played in the Super Bowl five times that decade with the Dallas Cowboys after earning All-SIAC basketball recognition for Fort Valley State (Ga.).

ANSWERS TO 59 COLLEGE BASKETBALL-IMPACTING SUPER BOWL TRIVIA QUESTIONS
1. Ken Anderson; 2. Larry Ball; 3. Bobby Bell; 4. Martellus Bennett; 5. Ordell Braase; 6. Marlin Briscoe; 7. Junious "Buck" Buchanan; 8. Harold Carmichael; 9. Reg Carolan; 10. Shante Carver; 11. Ben Coates; 12. Ronald Curry; 13. Len Dawson; 14. Vern Den Herder; 15. Mike Ditka; 16. Jim Duncan; 17. Tony Dungy; 18. London Fletcher; 19. Jean Fugett; 20. Cornell Green; 21. Bob Griese; 22. Dale Hackbart; 23. Rodney Harrison; 24. DeAndre Hopkins; 25. Percy Howard; 26. Brad Jackson; 27. Ed "Too Tall" Jones; 28. Jacoby Jones; 29. Billy Kilmer; 30. Joe Lavender; 31. Ronnie Lott; 32. Bob Lurtsema; 33. Earsell Mackbee; 34. John Mackey; 35. George Martin; 36. Keith McKeller; 37. Herb McMath; 38. Donovan McNabb; 39. Pete Metzelaars; 40. Tom Mitchell; 41. Wayne Moore; 42. Terrell Owens; 43. Preston Pearson; 44. Julius Peppers; 45. Tommy Polley; 46. Antwaan Randle El; 47. Andre Rison; 48. Art Shell; 49. Rod Smith; 50. George Starke; 51. Roger Staubach; 52. Charlie Stukes; 53. Otis Taylor; 54. Adalius Thomas; 55. Julius Thomas; 56. Fuzzy Thurston; 57. Ron Widby; 58. Alfred Williams; 59. Rayfield Wright.

They might not measure up in two-way athlete category to ex-MLB amateur draftee Patrick Mahomes II (Kansas City Chiefs QB participating in fifth SB in last six years after he was selected as pitcher by the Detroit Tigers in 37th round in 2014 ahead of Gavin Sheets, Paul DeJong and Drew Rasmussen). But who are the premier four-year college hoopers to eventually compete in the NFL's Super Bowl as players or coaches? A couple of them were hoop All-Americans in the 1960s. There might not be someone in this category in Super Bowl LIX, but the following Magnificent Seven include two small-school hoop sensations who became tight end teammates for multiple Buffalo Bills teams after powering their colleges to non-DI national championships and pair of North Carolina teammates who went from the Final Four to NFL title tilt:

Rank	Versatile Athlete	Pos.	Super Bowl Team/Year(s)	Four-Year College Basketball Career Summary
1.	Ron Widby	P	Cowboys/V & VI	Three-time all-league selection scored 50 points for Tennessee vs. LSU as senior on his way to becoming SEC player of the year in 1966-67.
2.	Cornell Green	DB	Cowboys/V & VI	Finished his three-year varsity career in 1962 as Utah State's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
3.	Harry "Bud" Grant	Coach	Vikings/IV, VIII, IX & XI	Third-leading scorer for Minnesota in 1948-49 (8.5 ppg) after named team MVP previous season over first-team All-American Jim McIntyre.
4.	Ronald Curry	WR	Raiders/XXXVII	Team leader in assists, including career-high 10 in ACC Tournament opener against Clemson, during 2000-01 when directing North Carolina to #1 ranking and 18-game winning streak.
5.	Julius Peppers	DL	Panthers/XXXVIII	Member of North Carolina's 2000 Final Four squad started both NCAA Tournament games in 2001, including his first double-double (10 rebounds and career-high 21 points against Penn State).
6.	Pete Metzelaars	TE	Bills/XXV through XXVIII	Set NCAA Division III FG shooting records for single season (75.3% in 1981-82 as senior) and career (72.4%). Led Wabash IN to 1982 DIII Tournament title, scoring tourney record 129 points in five games and earning tourney outstanding player honors. Scored DIII playoff-record 45 points in championship game against Potsdam State.
7.	Keith McKeller	TE	Bills/XXV through XXVIII	Starting center for 1985 NCAA Division II champion Jacksonville State (Ala.). Led Gulf South Conference in rebounding each of first three seasons and finished second as senior. Four-time all-league pick averaged 12.5 ppg and 10.1 rpg from 1982-83 through 1985-86.

NOTE: Curry was on special teams in Super Bowl.

Long before kneeling knuckleheads such as GQ cover boy #ColonKrapernick, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-honor shatterproof achievement - three members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in the same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball players who made a name for themselves on February 3 in postseason competition (especially in Super Bowl XLII following 2007 season):

FEBRUARY 3

• New York Giants rookie TE Kevin Boss (averaged 3 ppg and 2.7 rpg while shooting 51.9% from floor for Western Oregon in 2004-05 and 2005-06) caught a game-long 45-yard pass from Eli Manning to fuel fourth-quarter touchdown drive in 17-14 win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII following 2007 season. Giants CB R.W. McQuarters (averaged 2.1 ppg for Oklahoma State in 1995-96 and 1996-97 under coach Eddie Sutton) returned three punts for 25 yards. The Patriots incurred their first defeat of campaign despite SS Rodney Harrison (averaged 7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3 apg and 1.6 spg for Western Illinois in 1992-93) providing 11 solo tackles and LB Adalius Thomas (averaged 2.9 ppg and 1.9 rpg for Southern Mississippi in 1996-97 and 1997-98) supplying two sacks and five solo tackles.

• Baltimore Ravens WR Jacoby Jones (part-time starter averaged 3.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg for Lane TN in 2004-05 and 2005-06) caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco and opened second half with 108-yard kickoff return for TD in 34-31 win against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII following 2012 season.

• St. Louis Rams rookie LB Tommy Polley (played in one basketball game for Florida State in 1996-97 under coach Pat Kennedy) provided team-high seven solo tackles in a 20-17 setback against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI following 2001 campaign. Rams MLB London Fletcher (averaged 3 ppg for St. Francis PA as freshman in 1993-94 before transferring home to Cleveland at John Carroll OH) chipped in with a pair of solo tackles.

Long before kneeling knuckleheads such as Colon Krapernick, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-honor shatterproof achievement - three members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in the same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball player Julius Thomas making a name for himself on February 2 in football at the professional level:

FEBRUARY 2

• Denver Broncos TE Julius Thomas (averaged 6.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 66.3% from floor with Portland State from 2006-07 through 2009-10) had four pass receptions in a 24-13 setback against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLVIII following 2013 season.

Particularly during Black History Month, every sports fan accepts the cultural significance of Jackie Robinson. But in the aftermath of a series of anniversary celebrations regarding Robinson beginning his major league baseball career, it is easy to forget there was a time when the now 80%-plus black National Basketball Association was 100% white. It's also easy to forget that Robinson was instrumental in college basketball's "civil rights" movement.

Before Robinson arrived on the scene in the National League, however, there was Columbia's George Gregory, who became the first African-American to gain college All-American honors in 1930-31. In an era of low scoring, he was the team's second-leading scorer with a 9.2-point average. But he was proudest of his defense, and a statistic that is no longer kept: "goals against." In 10 games, Gregory held rival centers to only eight baskets. "That's less than one goal a game," he told the New York Times. "I think they should have kept that statistical category. Nowadays, one guy scores 40 points but his man scores 45. So what good is it?

"It's funny, but even though I was the only black playing for Columbia, and there was only one other black playing in the Ivy League - Baskerville of Harvard - I really didn't encounter too much trouble from opponents. Oh, I got into a couple of fights. And one time a guy called me 'Nigger,' and a white teammate said, 'Next time, you hit him high and I'll hit him low.' And we did, and my teammate, a Polish guy named Remy Tys, said to that other player, 'That's how we take care of nigger callers.'"

But Gregory said the worst racial incident he encountered was at his own school. "After our last game in my junior year, the team voted me captain for the next season. Well, there was a hell of a battle when this came out. Columbia didn't want a black captain, or a Jewish captain, either, I learned. The dean was against it, and the athletic director was against it, and even the coach was against it.

"The coach told me, 'Get yourself together, Gregory, or I'll take your scholarship away.' They were worried that if we played a school in the South and met the other captain before the game, the guy would refuse to come out and it would embarrass the school. But the campus was split 50-50 on whether to have a black captain for its basketball team.

"The fight went on for three or four weeks. The school insisted that the team vote again. We did, and I won again. One of my teammates said, 'You forced the school to enter the 20th Century.'"

Harrison "Honey" Fitch, Connecticut's first black player, was center stage during a racial incident delaying a game at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for several hours in late January 1934. Coast Guard officials entered a protest against Fitch, arguing that because half of the Academy's student body was from southern states, they had a tradition "that no Negro players be permitted to engage in contests at the Academy." Eventually, UConn's coach kept Fitch on the bench the entire contest and never explained why.

The first black to appear in the NBA didn't occur until a couple of decades after Gregory graduated and Fitch transferred to American International. UCLA's first basketball All-American Don Barksdale, one of first seven African-Americans to play in NBA, was the first black U.S. Olympic basketball player (1948) as well as the first black to play in an NBA All-Star Game (as a rookie in 1952).

Inspired by the black labor movement in the 1930s, Barksdale said, "I made up my mind that if I wanted to do something, I was going to try to do it all the way, no matter the obstacles."

As a 28-year-old rookie with the Baltimore Bullets, he was paid $20,850 (one of the NBA's top salaries) to play and host a postgame radio show, but that notoriety also put extra pressure on him. Forced to play excessive minutes during the preseason, he sustained ankle injuries that plagued him the remainder of his four-year NBA career (11 ppg and 8 rpg).

Why play so many minutes? "It's Baltimore, which is considered the South," said Barksdale, who wound up back in the Bay Area as a well-known jazz disc jockey. "So the South finally signed a black man, and he's going to play whether he could walk or crawl."

Chuck Cooper, who attended Duquesne on the GI Bill after originally enrolling at West Virginia State College, was the first black player drafted by an NBA franchise. "I don't give a damn if he's striped or plaid or polka-dot," were the history-making words of Boston Celtics Owner Walter Brown when he selected Cooper, who averaged 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in six pro seasons. In Cooper's freshman campaign, Duquesne was awarded a forfeit after refusing to yield to Tennessee's refusal to compete against the Dukes if Cooper participated in a game just before Christmas.

In the 1955-56 season, the Hazleton (Pa.) Hawks of the Eastern League became the first professional league franchise to boast an all-black starting lineup - Jesse Arnelle, Tom Hemans, Fletcher Johnson, Floyd Lane and Sherman White. Arnelle (Penn State) and White (Long Island) were former major-college All-Americans.

As for the multi-talented Robinson, UCLA's initial all-conference basketball player in the 1940s was a forward who compiled the highest scoring average in the Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with the Bruins (12.3 points per league game in 1939-40 and 11.1 ppg in 1940-41) after transferring from Pasadena (Calif.) City College. Continuing his scoring exploits, the six-time National League All-Star was the leading scorer for the Los Angeles Red Devils' barnstorming team in 1946-47.

Seven-time All-Star outfielder Larry Doby, the first black in the American League, was also a college basketball player who helped pave the way for minorities. He competed on the hardwood for Virginia Union during World War II after originally committing to LIU. The four-month lead Robinson had in integrating the majors cast a huge shadow over Doby, who was the first black to lead his league in homers (32 in 1952), first to hit a World Series homer and first to win a World Series title.

There are ramifications when assessing the issue of race and it would be nice if we were all color blind. Nonetheless, it's impossible to properly evaluate the history of college basketball without broaching the sensitive topic.

Julian Abele, a 1902 Penn graduate considered the first major African-American architect in the U.S., designed Duke's famous Cameron Indoor Stadium, which hosted all-white teams and games for decades after opening in 1939. Nonetheless, Cameron's doors were closed to minority players for an extended period as Duke's roster didn't include a black athlete at the varsity level until C.B. Claiborne in 1966-67. The previous year, Maryland's Billy Jones became the first black player in the ACC. The all-white snack bar at the downtown train depot in Durham, N.C., refused to serve the Terrapins' black players following a game at Duke, and the entire squad went hungry.

"You just learn to deal with that stuff," Jones told Barry Jacobs, the author of Across the Line. "It taught me an awful lot in terms of just plain perseverance, just hang tough, do what you have to do to stay focused."

It was difficult for Claiborne to concentrate amid the problems he encountered at school. Some older players harassed him during practice; he wasn't notified of an end-of-the-year athletic awards banquet at the notoriously segregated Hope Valley Country Club; an engineering professor told him it was impossible for him to earn an A in his class. And, perhaps most telling of all: Claiborne spent so much time at nearby North Carolina Central University, a historically black college, that he had his own meal card there.

Two decades before Robinson was UCLA's meal ticket, the first black to play for the Bruins was Ralph Bunche, who earned letters as a guard for three Southern California Conference champions. Legendary Bruins coach John Wooden acknowledged that Bunche, named UCLA's Alumnus of the Year in 1949, was instrumental in helping recruit New York City native Lew Alcindor to his alma mater for multiple national player of the year seasons in the late 1960s.

Bunche became the first black person to win the Nobel Peace Prize (in 1950 for his deft handling of the armistice negotiations as a U.N. envoy leading to the Arab-Israeli truce). In 1945, Bunche said he was "obsessed with a burning desire to excel in everything I undertake," and moved by "a calculated and deliberate interest to prove to (whites) that I am, despite their race, their equal if not their superior in intellect, ability, knowledge, and general savoir-faire."

In the early 1950s, Wayne State (Mich.) became the first non-historically black college to play five African-Americans together at the same time. They defeated major universities such as DePaul, Detroit, Duquesne, Georgetown, Marquette, Memphis State, Niagara, Penn State, St. Francis (Pa.) and St. Mary's (Calif.).

In the mid-1950s, only about 10% of basketball programs for predominantly white institutions recruited black players. "You could count the number of black players on West Coast teams on the fingers of one hand," said Hall of Fame coach Pete Newell, who guided San Francisco (NIT in 1950) and California (NCAA in 1959) to national tournament titles.

In 1954, the year of U.S. Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of Education desegregation decisions, the pressure escalated for coaches and players alike. No school excelled more than San Francisco, which won 55 consecutive games and back-to-back NCAA titles.

In 1957-58, blacks accounted for five of the six NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans - Seattle's Elgin Baylor, Kansas State's Bob Boozer, Kansas' Wilt Chamberlain, Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson and Temple's Guy Rodgers. All five played at least 11 seasons in the NBA.

USF '55 and fellow kingpin Cincinnati '62 were the first teams to start three and four black players, respectively, in the NCAA Tournament championship game. But Texas Western, now called Texas-El Paso, is credited most for putting the finishing touches on dismantling the prejudiced myth that black athletes couldn't play disciplined basketball by using seven players, all blacks, in winning the 1966 NCAA playoff final against all-white Kentucky.

"Young black players told me that it (the championship) gave them confidence and courage," said Harry Flournoy, a starter for Texas Western. "Some of them, before that game, had been afraid to go to white schools."

In 1956, Texas Western became the first school in the Southern half of the U.S. to integrate its athletic teams. Despite its relative openness, Texas Western did not yet permit blacks to live in campus dorms so the first two African-American basketball players - Air Force veteran Charlie Brown and his nephew, Cecil Brown - lived in a downtown apartment at first after transferring from junior college. George McCarty, the Miners' coach at the time, set aside an empty room in the athletic dormitory for the Browns to dress on game days.

"I wasn't allowed in the movies downtown and things like that, and there were a few minor (racial) incidents with professors," recalled Brown in the book And the Walls Came Tumbling Down. "But there were absolutely no problems with anyone in athletics there. I always said Texas Western was going through integration, I wasn't."

Although UTEP generated much of the integration buzz, Pan American was another school in the state employing numerous black starters while coach Lou Henson broke the color barrier at Hardin-Simmons in his inaugural season as a major-college coach in 1962-63. The next team to win an NCAA major-college title with five black starters was Louisville in 1980. In the first 20 years after the Miners captured their national title, the average number of blacks on college rosters doubled from three to six. About two-thirds of Division I basketball rosters currently are comprised of black players.

In the spring of 1961, Chicago area native Andy Hankins, majoring in medicine, was the first black man to pledge a white Iowa social fraternity before starting swingman was de-pledged six weeks later, apparently under pressure from the fraternity's national organization. Dr. Hankins went on to become a captain in the U.S. Air Force and director of radiology at facility in Detroit.

In 1966-67, Western Kentucky's Clem Haskins, Houston's Elvin Hayes and Louisville's Wes Unseld became the first African-Americans from Southern schools to be named NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans. Haskins, a three-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, and Dwight Smith were WKU's first two black players, sparking the Hilltoppers to a 66-15 record in their three varsity campaigns. "He (Dwight) needed me and I needed him," said Haskins, who is generally considered the first black to earn a league MVP honor while attending a Southern school. "We leaned on each other's shoulders. We had a lot of wars to fight then with the barrier just broken. The people will never know what we went through then. There were many nights where we cried ourselves to sleep."

In early 1966, Hayes and fellow Louisiana product Don Chaney led UH to a victory at Centenary, where the coach (Orvis Sigler) undertook extraordinary measures meeting the mayor and city council to schedule the game. Laws still on the books at the time in Shreveport, La., forbidding whites and blacks from competing against each other had to be rescinded.

A total of 13 of Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith's 22 All-Americans with North Carolina are African-Americans. Wrote Smith in his autobiography A Coach's Life: "To me, the presence of (All-American) Charles Scott on the court for us (from 1967-68 through 1969-70) was nothing to commemorate or remark on. It was simply past due." However, Scott was more fond of Lefty Driesell ("I was a kid who never had anything. He would give me anything I wanted.") and committed to attend Davidson before a racial slur while dining in Charlotte when the eatery owner said to Lefty: "Coach, I'm sorry but my wife and I don't serve n------ on this side of the restaurant."

Bigotry seemed to still persist in 1968-69 when Scott, the first African-American on Carolina's varsity roster, didn't receive his just due by failing to become a consensus All-ACC first-team selection (22.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 3.4 apg for regular-season champion). He also lost the conference player of the year vote to South Carolina's white sophomore guard John Roche (23.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg for league runner-up) by a significant margin. Scott, a first-team All-American by the NABC and USBWA, was left off a handful of first-team All-ACC ballots while Roche wasn't named an All-American by the coaches, writers and either of the national wire services. "I thought it was a slap in the face," Scott told Jim Sumner of theACC.com. "It definitely was a motivator for me. It's the only time in the ACC I felt slighted."

In the midst of perhaps Scott's greatest triumph, a 40-point performance (hitting 13-of-14 second-half field-goal attempts) in a come-from-behind victory over Duke in the 1969 ACC Tournament final, he could not escape the loneliness of his pioneer status. "You want to know what I did after I scored the 40 points?" Scott told Jacobs. "I was by myself. Who am I going to go out with? I was by myself after I did that. We had great fun in the locker room. After that, we walked out of the locker room; everybody went one way, and I went another way. I had to celebrate it myself."

Scott's final season with UNC was the last time a simple majority of the NCAA consensus All-American first-team selections were white (LSU's Pete Maravich, Purdue's Rick Mount and Kentucky's Dan Issel). Since Scott graduated, whites have accounted for only 20% of the NCAA consensus All-American first- and second-team selections.

In 1970-71, the first season that Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina featured an African-American on their varsity rosters, every member of the NCAA consensus All-American first team was black. In the next 10 years, Alabama (Leon Douglas), Clemson (Tree Rollins), Georgia (Dominique Wilkins) and Kentucky (Jack Givens) had blacks pass the test and become among their all-time best All-Americans.

Douglas' Bama club, coached by C.M. Newton, fielded the first all-back starting lineup in SEC history (also included Charles Cleveland, T.R. Dunn, Ray Odums and Charles Russell) on December 28, 1973, in a 65-55 win at Louisville. The groundbreaking game occurred just over nine years after the Boston Celtics fielded the NBA's first all-black lineup at St. Louis on December 26, 1964, when Willie Naulls replaced injured Tommy Heinsohn, joining regular starters K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Bill Russell and Tom "Satch" Sanders. The Celtics won 12 games in a row with Naulls starting in place of Heinsohn and featuring an all-white bench.

It should be acknowledged that Alabama beat liberal bastion New England to the milestone at the collegiate level. Connecticut, coached by Dee Rowe, became the first New England major college to field a starting lineup comprised of five African-Americans (game at Rutgers late in 1973-74 campaign).

A majority of ACC recruits were African-American by 1975 but it took until 1983 for an all-black starting five (North Carolina State) to win a conference title.

Amid burning crosses and waving Confederate flags, prejudice probably prevented the ACC and SEC from becoming the nation's premier conferences in the 1960s and first half of the 1970s. Blacklisting almost certainly kept the SWC as a "football-only" league. All-Americans, future NBA standouts, Harlem Globetrotter greats, small-college sensations and prize postseason performers who attended high school in Southern states and might have enrolled at universities in the ACC, SEC or SWC if not for being deemed second-class citizens included:

Alabama - Harold Blevins (attended Arkansas AM&N), Tom Boswell (South Carolina State/South Carolina), Dave Bustion (Denver), Carver Clinton (Penn State), Danny Crenshaw (Alabama State), Jimmy Dew (Alabama State), Claude English (Rhode Island), Artis Gilmore (Jacksonville), Travis Grant (Kentucky State), Bill Green (Colorado State), Lamar Green (Morehead State), Elvin Ivory (Southwestern Louisiana), Willie "Hobo" Jackson (Morehead State), Larry Kenon (Memphis State), Bruce King (Morehead State), Sam McCamey (Oral Roberts), Thales McReynolds (Miles AL), Cal Ramsey (NYU), Willie Scott (Alabama State), Isaac "Bud" Stallworth (Kansas), Bennie Swain (Texas Southern) and Bob Veale (Benedictine KS).

Arkansas - Herbert "Geese" Ausbie (Philander Smith), Jim Barnes (Texas-El Paso), Frank Burgess (Arkansas-Pine Bluff/Gonzaga), Larry Ducksworth (Henderson State/Arkansas AM&N), brothers Oliver/Melvin/Wilbert Jones (Albany State GA), Eddie Miles (Seattle), Tom Patterson (Ouachita Baptist), Jackie Ridgle (California), Reece "Goose" Tatum (Harlem Globetrotters) and Jasper Wilson (Southern LA).

Florida - Luke Adams (Lamar), James Mack "Red" Allen (Arkansas AM&N), Johnnie Allen (Bethune-Cookman), Cyril Baptiste (Creighton), Waite Bellamy (Florida A&M), Joe Brunson Jr. (Furman), Pembrook Burrows (Jacksonville), Joe Bynes (Arkansas AM&N), Carl Fuller (Bethune-Cookman), Johnny Jones (Villanova), Greg Lowery (Texas Tech), Sam McCants (Oral Roberts), Stan McKenzie (NYU), Otto Moore (Pan American), Howard Porter (Villanova), Leonard "Truck" Robinson (Tennessee State), Harry Singletary (Florida Presbyterian), Joe Strawder (Bradley), Levern Tart (Bradley), Johnny Thornton (South Carolina State), Walt Wesley (Kansas) and Bob Williams (Florida A&M).

Georgia - Don Adams (Northwestern), Al Beard (Norfolk State), Curtis Bell (Morris Brown), Chuck Benson (Southern Illinois), Mack Daughtry (Albany State GA), Leonidas Epps III (Clark GA), Walt "Clyde" Frazier (Southern Illinois), Walt Gilmore (Fort Valley State GA), James Green (Paine GA), Charles Hardnett (Grambling), Garfield Heard (Oklahoma), Merv Jackson (Utah), Ed Johnson (Tennessee A&I), Julius Keye (South Carolina State/Alcorn A&M), George Knighton (New Mexico State), Lewis "Bubba" Linder (Kentucky State), Lloyd Neal (Tennessee State), Johnny Mathis (Savannah State), Larry "Gator" Rivers (Missouri Western), Elmore Smith (Kentucky State), Pete Smith (Valdosta State GA), Larry Strozier (Morehouse GA), Roman "Doc" Turman (Clark GA), LeRoy Walker (Benedict GA), Butch Webster (New Orleans), Joby Wright (Indiana) and Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State GA).

Kentucky - Henry Bacon (Louisville), Alfred "Butch" Beard (Louisville), Bill Bradley (Tennessee State), Bobby Carpenter (Iowa), Whaylon Coleman (Idaho), Ralph Davis (Cincinnati), Clarence Glover (Western Kentucky), Joe Hamilton (North Texas State), Clem Haskins (Western Kentucky), Carl Helem (Tennessee A&I), Lou Herndon (Jackson State), Charlie Hunter (Oklahoma City), Max Jameson (Kentucky State), Lou Johnson (Kentucky State), Bobby "Toothpick" Jones (Dayton), Ron King (Florida State), Jim McDaniels (Western Kentucky), Jerome Perry (Western Kentucky), Bob Redd (Marshall), Mike Redd (Kentucky Wesleyan), Jim Rose (Western Kentucky), Dwight Smith (Western Kentucky), Garfield Smith (Eastern Kentucky), Greg Smith (Western Kentucky), George Stone (Marshall), Tom Thacker (Cincinnati), Ron Thomas (Louisville), Dallas Thornton (Kentucky Wesleyan), Felix Thruston (Trinity TX), George Tinsley (Kentucky Wesleyan), Rich Travis (Oklahoma City), Jim Tucker (Duquesne), Ruell Tucker (Rockhurst MO), George Unseld (Kansas), Wes Unseld (Louisville), Bobby Washington (Eastern Kentucky), Jerry Lee Wells (Oklahoma City), Clarence "Cave" Wilson (Tennessee State) and Willie Woods (Eastern Kentucky).

Louisiana - Charlie Anderson (Grambling), Thurman "Zeke" Baptiste (Grambling/Northwestern State), Jerry Barr (Grambling), Charles Bloodworth (Southern/Northwestern State), Emanuel Cannon (Grambling), Don Chaney (Houston), John Comeaux (Grambling), Jim Duplantier (Grambling), Wilbert Frazier (Grambling), Willie Hart (Grambling), Elvin Hayes (Houston), Fred Hilton (Grambling), James Hooper (Grambling), Bob Hopkins (Grambling), Luke Jackson (Texas Southern/Pan American), Aaron James (Grambling), Rich Johnson (Grambling), James Jones (Grambling), Edmond Lawrence (McNeese State), Theodis Lee (Houston), Bob Love (Southern), Tyronne Marioneaux (Loyola of New Orleans), Jesse Marshall (Centenary), Bob McCoy (Grambling), Surry Oliver (Stephen F. Austin State), Cincy Powell (Portland), Willis Reed (Grambling), Bill Russell (San Francisco after moving to California), Melvin Russell (Centenary), Leslie Scott (Loyola of Chicago/Southwestern Louisiana), James Silas (Stephen F. Austin State), Curtis St. Mary (McNeese State), Henry Steele (Northeast Louisiana), Rex Tippitt (Grambling), Dale Valdery (Xavier LA), Abram Valore (Grambling), Hershell West (Grambling) and Howard Willis (Grambling).

Mississippi - Tommie Bowens (Grambling LA), Eddie Brown (Houston Baptist), Cleveland Buckner (Jackson State), Harvey Catchings (Hardin-Simmons TX), E.C. Coleman (Houston Baptist), Rowland Garrett (Florida State), Earl Glass (Mississippi Industrial), Mike Green (Louisiana Tech), Spencer Haywood (Detroit), Cleveland Hill (Nicholls State LA), A.W. Holt (Jackson State), Joel "McCoy" Ingram (Jackson State), George T. Johnson (Dillard LA), Arvesta Kelly (Lincoln MO), Earnest Killum Sr. (Stetson FL), Sam Lacey (New Mexico State), LyVonne "Hoss" LeFlore (Jackson State), Jesse Leonard (St. Louis), Plummer Lott (Seattle), Nate Madkins (Hardin-Simmons TX), Ed Manning (Jackson State), Jerry Nickens (Tougaloo), Willie Norwood (Alcorn A&M), John "Pete" Perry (Pan American), Aaron Sellers (Jackson State), James Ware (Oklahoma City), Cornell Warner (Jackson State), Donald "Slick" Watts (Xavier LA) and Levi Wyatt (Alcorn A&M).

North Carolina - Walt Bellamy (Indiana), Fred Bibby (Fayetteville State), Lee Davis (North Carolina Central), Larry Dunn (North Carolina Central), Reginald "Hawk" Ennis (North Carolina Central), Herm Gilliam (Purdue), Paul Grier (North Carolina A&T), Happy Hairston (NYU), Harvey Heartley (North Carolina Central), Lou Hudson (Minnesota), Harold Hunter (North Carolina Central), Sam Jones (North Carolina Central), George "Meadowlark" Lemon (Florida A&M), Henry Logan (Western Carolina), Allen McManus (Winston-Salem State), Fred "Curly" Neal (Johnson C. Smith), Willie Porter (Tennessee State), Oscar Smith (Elizabeth City State), Jimmy Walker (Providence), Bobby Warlick (Pepperdine), Willie Watson (Oklahoma City) and Harthorne Wingo (junior college).

South Carolina - Leon Benbow (Jacksonville), Theodore Chaplin Jr. (Voorhees), Larry Doby (LIU/Virginia Union), Gene Gathers (Bradley), Erwin "Chip" Johnson (Augusta), Lee Monroe (Shaw NC), Lindberg Moody (Morgan State MD/South Carolina State), Clifford Ray (Oklahoma), Art Shell (Maryland-Eastern Shore) and Kenny Washington (UCLA).

Tennessee - Willie Brown (Middle Tennessee State), James Douglas (Memphis State), Jerry Dover (LeMoyne-Owen), L.M. Ellis (Drake/Austin Peay State), Larry Finch (Memphis State), Richie Fuqua (Oral Roberts), Joe Gaines (Belmont), Carl Hardaway (Oral Roberts), Albert Henry (Wisconsin), Paul Hogue (Cincinnati), Les Hunter (Loyola of Chicago), James Johnson (Wisconsin), Rich Jones (Illinois/Memphis State), Ron Lawson Sr. (UCLA/Fisk), Ted McClain (Tennessee A&I, Charlie Paulk (Tulsa/Northeastern Oklahoma State), Ken Riley (Middle Tennessee State), Rick Roberson (Cincinnati), Vic Rouse (Loyola of Chicago), Willie Shaw (Lane), Robert "Bingo" Smith (Tulsa), Dwight Waller (Tennessee State) and Henry Watkins (Tennessee State).

Texas - John Barber (Cal State Los Angeles), Zelmo Beaty (Prairie View A&M), Nate Bowman (Wichita), Charlie Brown (Texas Western), Leroy Chalk (Nebraska), Willie Davis (North Texas State), Henry Dooley (Wiley College), Mitchell Edwards (Pan American), Charles "Tex" Harrison (North Carolina Central), Robert Hughes Sr. (Texas Southern), Eddie Jackson (Oklahoma/Oklahoma City), George E. Johnson (Stephen F. Austin State), David Lattin (Texas Western), Charles Lindsey (New Mexico State), Wilbert Loftin Jr. (Southwestern Louisiana), Guy Manning (Prairie View A&M), Joe Billy McDade (Bradley), Elton McGriff (Creighton), McCoy McLemore (Drake), Howie Montgomery (Texas Southern/Pan American), Billy Joe Price (New Mexico State), Nolan Richardson II (Texas Western), Willie Rogers (Oklahoma), Rubin Russell (North Texas State), John Savage (North Texas State), Dave Stallworth (Wichita), Nate Stephens (Creighton/Long Beach State), Fred Taylor (Pan American), Ernie Turner (New Mexico State), Gene Wiley (Wichita), Leroy Wright (Pacific) and John Henry Young (Midwestern State).

Virginia - Leroy Banks (Virginia State), Walker Banks (Western Kentucky), Charles Bonaparte (Norfolk State), Al Bumbry (Virginia State), Bob Dandridge (Norfolk State), Jesse Dark (Virginia Commonwealth), Roy Ebron (Southwestern Louisiana), Bill English (Winston-Salem State NC), William Franklin (Purdue), Bernard Harris (Virginia Commonwealth), Wheeler Hughes (Kansas State), Junius Kellogg (West Virginia State/Manhattan), Earl Lloyd (West Virginia State), James "Bones" Morgan (Maryland State), Rudolph Peele (Norfolk State), Curtis Pritchett (St. Augustine's NC), Reggie Roach Sr. (Virginia State), Bruce Spraggins (Virginia Union), Harley "Skeeter" Swift (East Tennessee State), Jerry Venable (Kansas State), Walter "Fuzzy" Ward (Hampton Institute) and Charles "Jabo" Wilkins (Fayetteville State NC/Virginia Commonwealth).

Willis Reed (21.7 ppg) and Walt Frazier (20.9), the top two scorers for the New York Knicks' 1969-70 NBA champion, could have helped rewrite SEC basketball history in the mid-1960s if they had been allowed to compete in the league. In 1969-70, Florida State's starting lineup under coach Hugh Durham featured one white player (All-American Dave Cowens) and four black players (Ron Harris/Ken Macklin/Willie Williams/Skip Young). Memphis and FSU were joined by Virginia Commonwealth and Western Kentucky in 1970-71 to comprise group of majority-white Southern universities fielding all-black starting lineups. Contrary to the depictions by some naysayers, the influx of black talent showed it could handle pressure by helping Memphis coach Gene Bartow win more than 70% of the Tigers' games decided by fewer than eight points during his four-season tenure. At his debut, the city was only 2 1/2 years removed from perhaps its lowest point, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the balcony of a local hotel. "Memphis State and the rest of the city was racially divided," said Maxine Smith, former executive director of the NAACP. "Sport played such an overwhelming part in our community breaking down barriers."

As for coaches, it took the ACC, SEC and SWC an extended period to embrace their first African-American bench bosses. In 1974-75, Arizona's Fred Snowden became the first African-American coach to have a major-college team finish in a final wire-service Top 20 poll (17th in UPI with a 22-7 record). Two years earlier, Snowden became the first African-American head coach in the Western Athletic Conference and at a major university. Snowden was 26 games above .500 in WAC competition after his first five seasons, but was 18 games below .500 in his last five years. He won a stunning 70% of his games decided by fewer than four points in his first seven campaigns with the Wildcats (33-14 mark in those close contests during that span). In opening round of 1976 West Regional, Snowden defeated John Thompson-coached Georgetown to earn distinction as initial black coach to win an NCAA playoff contest.

Will Robinson had become the nation's first black major-college head coach in 1971-72 when Illinois State moved up to the NCAA Division I level. It was 10 years before the Redbirds joined the Missouri Valley Conference, where Drake's Gus Guydon is generally considered to be the first African-American assistant at a major university. Guydon was a two-time All-MVC first-team swingman for Drake under coach Maury John in the early 1960s as almost 80% of the first-team choices in "The Valley" during that decade were black. The MVC was dubbed a "black" league when a minimum of four first-team selections annually were African-Americans in 12-yearspan from 1961-62 through the season (1972-73) Mississippi State became the last SEC school to integrate at the varsity level. Guydon was an assistant at his alma mater before leaving with John for Iowa State following the 1970-71 campaign.

The 1970s and 1980s witnessed the following head coaches break the color barrier in major conferences: Harvard's Tom Sanders (Ivy League in 1973-74), Wisconsin's Bill Cofield (Big Ten in 1976-77), Arkansas' Nolan Richardson Jr. (SWC in 1985-86), Oklahoma State's Leonard Hamilton (Big Eight in 1986-87), Maryland's Bob Wade (ACC in 1986-87) and Tennessee's Wade Houston (SEC in 1989-90). It was largely overlooked in 1996-97 when three black coaches won or shared divisional titles in Conference USA (Tulane's Perry Clark, Memphis State's Larry Finch and UNC Charlotte's Melvin Watkins).

By 2008-09, eight of the 12 head coaches in the Mid-American Conference were black. However, just barely over 20% of the head coaches nationwide at the time were minorities.

In 1982, Georgetown's Thompson took umbrage to depictions of him as the initial African-American coach to direct a team to the Final Four. But the injustices in the past against his race were sufficient reason for placing emphasis on Thompson's achievements with predominantly black rosters.

Dr. John Edgar Wideman, a novelist who was the first black player for Penn in the early 1960s, said: "(Thompson's) a talented man and a great coach, but the reason he's the first (Final Four) black coach is not because of his unique and individual talent; it's because he was allowed to be. We always have to keep that in mind when we look at firsts, and bests, among black people in any endeavor."

The integration of college basketball, waiting primarily on the South to emerge from the "Jim Crow" dark ages, wasn't complete until the mid-1970s. For instance, Coolidge Ball didn't become the first black athlete to sign a basketball scholarship with Ole Miss until eight years after James Meredith became the initial black student at the university in 1962. Although overt racism probably wasn't quite as pervasive as in professional sports, many of the African-American players who broke the color barriers at colleges post-World War II faced more than their share of hardships and hostility.

"They (opposing fans) were all just rabid," recalls Perry Wallace, Vanderbilt's standout forward who became the first black varsity player in the all-white Southeastern Conference in 1967-68. "I'm talking racial stuff, people threatening your life ... calling you nigger, coon, shoe polish. The first time I played Ole Miss I got spat on at halftime by four generations of one family."

Wallace, a local product from Nashville who went on to become a law professor at the University of Baltimore and American University, encountered raucous road trips throughout the Deep South, where belligerent spectators drenched him with their drinks and cheerleaders led crowds in racist chants. In Mississippi, he was punched in the eye by an opposing player whom he knew he couldn't fight back.

Wallace, overshadowed in the SEC by Maravich's scoring exploits, told the Nashville Business & Lifestyles that "I'm not one of these historical revisionists who tries to claim he was all-smart and all-seeing back in those days. Everybody knew that what was happening was important. You've got to understand that this was post-legal segregation, but it was de facto segregation."

In an interview with The Tennessean, Wallace spoke of also feeling alienated from classmates at Vandy when being informed by older members of the campus church that elders there would withhold contributions and write the congregation out of their will if he continued to attend.

"I can't say it any other way," confided Wallace, an All-SEC second-team selection as a senior in 1969-70. "I have been there by myself. It's been a very lonesome thing. People knew my name but weren't interested in knowing me. They respected my basketball ability but still considered me as a person who sweeps floors."

In The Walls Came Tumbling Down, Wallace said: "There were times when I felt close to a nervous breakdown. They weren't the worst four years any black man ever had experienced, but it took me a while to learn to deal with the pain. The fact that I did is a credit to my parents. They had eighth-grade educations and they worked as servants and what not. But they emphasized education, decency, and morality. I grew up poor but with strong values. My parents wouldn't let me hate back. They used to say, 'No matter what is done to you, you don't get the chance to hate back.'"

Wallace told the St. Petersburg Times that during his first varsity game at Ole Miss, the crowd cheered when he was punched in the eye and injured going for a rebound.

"Both of the Mississippi schools and both of the (SEC's) Alabama schools - those were the worst," Wallace said. "In other places, you still had prejudice, at Louisiana (State) and the University of Tennessee, those could be bad. But the Mississippi and Alabama schools were the worst. Those people were mobsters, like Klansmen, and were people right from that world. They knew how to destroy a black person. And that's what they tried to do to me. They did what they could to try to induce fear in me and basically make me fail. I had to make sure that I did not succumb to that."

Vandy failed to produce a black All-American until swingman Shan Foster was honored in 2008. Elsewhere in the SEC, hate mail didn't arrive just from whites for Alabama's Wendell Hudson, who earned All-American accolades as a senior. "Some of the mail I got was from black people, that was, 'I can't believe you're going to Alabama. You sold out. You should go to a black school,'" said Hudson, a two-time All-SEC first-team selection. "In my mind, this is what the marching was all about. This is what equality was all about. So now you're mad at me?"

Henry Harris, an All-SEC third-team selection in 1971-72 and Auburn's first black athlete, was for a while the only black Wallace played against in the league. Harris took his own life in the spring of 1974 by jumping from a dormitory window at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he'd been a JV coach and intramural supervisor. And Tom Payne, who broke the color barrier at Kentucky a year after Wallace graduated, was imprisoned an extended period for assaulting females.

"Tom Payne had a tragic life and it wasn't all owing to playing in the SEC, but it didn't help," Wallace asserts. "You have to take the time that it requires to recover from an experience like that. You have to heal right. And fortunately, I think I have. I'm not destroyed. I've wrestled with the emotional effect that experience has had on my life. That was a process that was not easy those first few years, but I did it."

Payne, the son of an Army sergeant, went from pioneer to pariah in the wake of incurring rape convictions in three states (Georgia, Kentucky and California). Some might contend that his view is a convenient crutch. But after growing up in the integrated atmosphere of Army bases, he says that the racism he experienced during his one tumultuous season with UK led him to detest white people and abuse women. Threatening phone calls, broken car windows and eggs smashed on his front door became routine.

"That's the kind of abuse I went through," Payne said. "And people think that's not supposed to affect you? Before I went to college, nothing in my life said I was going to be a criminal. My whole life took a turn going to UK and getting damaged so much. My anger and hatred toward white society came up, and I lashed out."

Elsewhere in the SEC, ugly sentiments expressed in various ways were handled infinitely better. Collis Temple Jr., the son of two educators, never wavered in his determination to rid the stain of Jim Crow from LSU's campus. He insists that, despite being recruited by a "very racist" Press Maravich, his college career was a generally positive experience and, in the process, allowed him to help pave a smoother route for those who came after him - including two sons (Collis III and Garrett) who starred for the Tigers.

"It's the best decision I could have made," Collis Jr. said. "If I had to make that choice again, my choice would be the same."

Choices made by Brigham Young's administration probably would be different if it could make them all again. As late as 1969, BYU administrators discouraged blacks from attending the university, fostering numerous problems with Western Athletic Conference opponents. When BYU played at Arizona in 1970, a group of demonstrators tried to force their way onto the court, resulting in a 10-minute brawl with security police. The Cougars' game at New Mexico was delayed nearly one hour after protestors threw eggs and kerosene-filled balloons onto the court. At Colorado State, BYU's team was met by students carrying "Bigot Young University" signs before protestors hurled eggs, a flaming molotov cocktail and a piece of angle-iron onto the court.

Sports Illustrated observed that BYU was no longer certain whether an opponent would "throw a man-to-man defense, a zone, or a grenade." Cougars coach Stan Watts complained that the team was unable to concentrate because they had to keep "one eye on the crowd and one eye on the game."

Race problems weren't restricted to major universities. Two-time NAIA Tournament MVP Al Tucker, who went on to become an NBA first-round draft choice after averaging 28.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game in three seasons for Oklahoma Baptist, played one year with the College of Knoxville before going home to Ohio because of racial issues. Said Tucker about the last straw that sent him home: "We had what they called the Tennessee Theatre and we would give the lady a dollar or whatever it cost to get in and she said 'Sorry, we don't allow Negroes in.' Next thing they're going to call the paddy wagon and take us to jail."

The old bigotry of the South fades virtually every day, but former Mississippi/Arizona State coach Rob Evans thought the lessons in perseverance shouldn't be forgotten. Every year when Evans coached Ole Miss, he took his players to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

"I just think it's important to expand kids' knowledge, but I also wanted my kids exposed to what happened in the '60s, and why things are like they are now," Evans said. "I've had a tremendous amount of my white kids say, 'Coach, did this really happen?' They say, 'How did you take this?' I think it bonds the kids together."

In the early 1990s, Michigan's all-black "Fab Five" generated extensive national headlines with back-to-back NCAA Tournament championship game appearances. But their chest-pounding "me generation" era introducing baggy shorts, sullen stares and hip-hop attitudes might have been more style than substance because they never won a Big Ten Conference championship. At that time, the Center for the Study of Sport in Society supplied the following statistics: More than 55% of the varsity Division I players were black; 7% of the students on campus were black, and 1 1/2% of the faculty was black. The dropout rate after four years of eligibility for blacks was three times higher than the 10% for whites. Whether or not soft bigotry still exists, a 2007 report found that only 43% of black male college players graduate.

To be sure, things in society have changed immeasurably for minority groups since slavery and cotton were king. Gregory, Robinson and Wallace among others could only do so much in venturing into unchartered territory. Prejudice dies hard. Among everyone, actually, as lunatic leftists Don Lemon (formerly at CNN) and Rev. Al "Not So" Sharpton plus Joyless Reid (MSNBC) appear as if they hoped the first five Memphis police officers fired in repulsive beating death several years ago turned out to be white cops in black face similar to former VA governor Ralph Northam, Joyless Behar trying to impress colleague "Cloudy" (a/k/a Sunny), ex-comedian Jimmy "Mailman" Kimmel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Long before kneeling knuckleheads such as Colon Krapernick, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-honor shatterproof achievement - three members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in the same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball players Julius Peppers and Rodney Harrison making a name for themselves on February 1 in Super Bowl XXVIII:

FEBRUARY 1

• New England Patriots SS Rodney Harrison (averaged 7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3 apg and 1.6 spg for Western Illinois in 1992-93) registered a team-high eight solo tackles in 32-29 win against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXVIII following 2003 season. Panthers LDE Julius Peppers (averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg while shooting 60.7% from floor for North Carolina in 1999-00 and 2000-01) provided two solo tackles.