Jumping in Office Pool: Sweet 16 Dos and Don'ts Assembling NCAA Bracket
Participating in office pools for major sports events, whether for money or not, has become as American in the national workplace as filling out your vacation schedule. Both forms can be perplexing because you frequently second guess yourself on where to go, when to go and exactly what to do. More often than not, you want to modify the submissions moments after turning them in. You feel as if you've flunked Office-Pool Economics 101.
No office pool heightens your frustration more than the NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. Just ask Pete Rose when he was relaxing at spring training. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.
If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for relevant handicapping tips, a sane approach to surviving March Madness has arrived. It is time to start chewing on historical nuggets to avoid making another April Fool appearance when results are posted on the bulletin board. Pay close attention to these sweet 16 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. As events unfold, you might want to rekindle old memories by assessing CollegeHoopedia.com's most magical playoff moments and All-Time All-NCAA Tournament teams.
1. SEEDING CAPACITY
DO pick a top three seeded team to win the national title.
In the first 35 years since the NCAA Tournament embraced seeding, 31 of the champions were seeded No. 1 (20 titlists), 2 (six) or 3 (five). The only championship game without at least one No. 1 or No. 2 seed was 1989, when a pair of No. 3 seeds clashed (Michigan and Seton Hall), until last year when #3 Connecticut opposed #8 Butler.
DON'T pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four.
No. 1 seeds always look tempting (especially after all four advanced to national semifinals in 2008). But the Final Four did not have more than two of them any year from 1979 through 1992.
2. DOUBLE TROUBLE
DO pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded two through four and one team seeded 12th to reach a regional semifinal.
Since the seeding process started in 1979, never have all of the top four seeds in each regional survived their opening round. A No. 12 seed advanced to the round of 16 five consecutive years from 1990 through 1994.
DON'T automatically pick a perennial power to defeat a team with a double-digit seed.
More than 100 different coaches have lost at least one tournament game to an opponent with a double-digit seed since the seeding process was introduced. Playoff newcomers shouldn't be shunned if they get any break at all in the seeding process. First-time entrants assert themselves when they receive a decent draw. Of the schools making their tournament debuts since the field expanded to at least 52 teams, almost one-fourth of them survived the first round.
3. SCORING SUMMARY
DO shun a potential championship team if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
The only freshmen to lead a national champion in scoring were Utah forward Arnie Ferrin in 1944 and Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Of the sophomores to lead national titlists in scoring average, the only guards were Indiana's Isiah Thomas (16 ppg in 1981) and Duke's Jason Williams (21.6 ppg in 2001).
DON'T tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four.
No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game. The only player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a school to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game was Clyde Lovellette, who carried Kansas to the 1952 title. The only other player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a team advancing to the Final Four was Oscar Robertson, who powered Cincinnati to the national semifinals in 1959 and 1960 before the Bearcats were defeated both years by California. The Bears restricted the Big O to a total of 37 points in the two Final Four games as he was just nine of 32 from the floor.
4. PICKS AND PANS
Unless vital criteria is met to suffice otherwise, DO go with better-seeded teams to win games in the four regionals.
The better-seeded teams win a little over 2/3 of the games in regional competition. However, Final Four games have virtually broken even in regard to the original seedings.
DON'T pick a team to capture the NCAA title if the club lost its conference tournament opener.
No team ever has won an NCAA championship after losing a conference postseason tournament opener.
5. DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS
DO remember the cliche "East is Least."
No Eastern school won the East Regional and the national title in the same season since the tournament went to four regionals until Syracuse achieved the feat in 2003. The first seven national champions from the East Regional since 1956 were all ACC members (North Carolina '57, N.C. State '74, North Carolina '82, Duke '92, North Carolina '93, Duke '01 and Maryland '02) before Carolina won the East Regional again in 2005.
DON'T accept the axiom that the "West is Worst."
What does the Left Coast have to do to shed a misguided image? The Pacific-12 Conference supplied two NCAA champions in a three-year span (UCLA '95 and Arizona '97) before Stanford and Utah reached the 1998 Final Four. Arizona was runner-up in 2001 before UCLA participated in three straight Final Fours from 2006 through 2008. Although the Pac-12 struggled this season, the multiple-bid Mountain West and/or West Coast could take up the slack.
6. MATHEMATICAL ODDS
DO pick two of the ten recognizable schools with the all-time best playoff records to reach the Final Four.
There is a strong possibility some familiar faces will arrive in New Orleans since at least two of the ten winningest schools by percentage (minimum of 50 playoff games) usually appear at the Final Four. The top ten schools are Duke (.744 entering the '17 tourney), UCLA (.725), North Carolina (.719), Florida (.714), Kentucky (.707), Kansas (.699), Michigan State (.683), Michigan (.672), Indiana (.667) and Ohio State (.667).
DON'T be too wary of first-rate coaches with dime-store playoff results.
High-profile coaches are occasionally grilled because of their dismal tournament resumes. But they're due to eventually turn things around and shouldn't be written off altogether. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of more than 11 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975. It doesn't seem possible, but additional elite coaches who didn't win their first NCAA playoff game until their 10th DI season or longer include Dana Altman, Rick Barnes, P.J. Carlesimo, Pete Carril, Bobby Cremins, Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Bill E. Foster, Hugh Greer, Leonard Hamilton, Marv Harshman, Terry Holland, Maury John, Mike Krzyzewski, Ralph Miller, Mike Montgomery, Joe Mullaney, Pete Newell, Tom Penders, George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson, Norm Sloan, Butch van Breda Kolff and Ned Wulk.
7. GO WITH MIGHTY MO?
DO remember the odds about a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
There is a theory that burnout has a tendency to set in. But more than half of the NCAA titlists since seeding started in 1979 also won their conference postseason tournament the same year.
DON'T be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney.
Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory.
8. LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1
DO look for a school other than the defending champion (Connecticut in 2014) to become national titlist.
Duke was fortunate to repeat in 1992 when they reached the Final Four on Christian Laettner's last-second basket in overtime in the East Regional final against Kentucky. Florida repeated in 2007 despite winning its last five contests by 10 or fewer points.
DON'T pick the top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown.
There is a clear and present danger for pole sitters. Only three of the 29 schools atop the national rankings entering the NCAA playoffs from 1983 through 2011 went on to capture the national championship and only six No. 1 squads in the last 25 seasons of that span reached the title game.
9. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
DO pick at least one Final Four team with a coach making his debut at the national semifinals.
Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience. There has been at least one fresh face among the bench bosses at the national semifinals all but one of the last 27 years. In 1993, coaches Steve Fisher (Michigan), Rick Pitino (Kentucky), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Roy Williams (Kansas) returned to familiar surroundings at the Final Four.
DON'T pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
Steve Fisher guided Michigan to the 1989 title after succeeding Bill Frieder just before the start of the playoffs. But the only individual to capture an NCAA crown in his first full campaign as head coach at a university was Ed Jucker (Cincinnati '61 after seven years at King's Point and Rensselaer). The average championship team head coach has been at the school almost 13 years and has almost 17 years of college head coaching experience overall. The only championship head coaches with less than five years of experience were Fisher and Fred Taylor (second season at Ohio State '60).
10. SENIORS AND SHEEPSKINS
DO realize that senior experience needs to be complemented by the vigor from undergraduates.
A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - had seniors as their top two scorers.
DON'T pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
A champion is almost never guided by a graduate of that university.
11. CHANGE OF ADDRESS
DO pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter.
Almost every Final Four features at least one starter who began his college career at another four-year Division I school.
DON'T pick schools that lost a vital undergraduate to reach the Final Four if you think the defectors will become pro stars.
Ten individuals scored more than 20,000 points in the NBA or were named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining - Charles Barkley (departed Auburn early), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), Isiah Thomas (Indiana), Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas), Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech), Magic Johnson (Michigan State), Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and Elgin Baylor (Seattle). None of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college.
12. CONFERENCE CALL
DO pick two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four, with at least one of them advancing to the championship game.
Double your pleasure: A pair of members from the same conference frequently advance to the Final Four.
DON'T be condescending and overlook quality mid-major conference teams.
It's not a question of if but where will David defeat Goliath. There have been more than 100 Big Boy losses against members of lower-profile conferences seeded five or more places worse than the major university which is currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues. A total of 74 different lower-profile schools and current members of 23 different mid-major conferences (all but Great West, Northeast and Summit) have won such games since seeding started in 1979.
13. REGULAR-SEASON REVIEW
DO pick two of your Final Four teams from schools failing to finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
The best is yet to come for a team or two that might have been somewhat of an underachiever during the regular season. Almost half of the entrants since the field expanded to 48 in 1980 did not win outright or share a regular-season league title.
DON'T put much emphasis on comparing regular-season scores.
A striking number of NCAA champions lost at least one conference game to a team with a losing league mark. Many NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as a majority of them lost a regular-season games by a double-digit margin.
14. AT-LARGE ANSWERS
DO avoid picking an at-large team with a losing conference record to go beyond the second round.
An at-large team with a sub-.500 league mark almost never wins more than one NCAA Tournament game.
DON'T pick an at-large team compiling a mediocre record to reach the regional semifinals.
Only a handful of at-large entrants winning fewer than 60 percent of their games manage to reach the second round.
15. RACIAL PROFILING
DO pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
More often than not, at least two teams coached by African Americans reach the regional semifinals (round of 16).
DON'T pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are white athletes.
Duke had the only two teams in recent memory to win the NCAA title with white players comprising its top two point producers that season. In 1991, the two two scorers were Christian Laettner and Billy McCaffrey, who subsequently transferred to Vanderbilt. In 2010, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were Duke's top two scorers. Laettner also led the Blue Devils in scoring when they captured the 1993 crown. The only other white players ranked among the top three scorers for NCAA championship teams since the field expanded to at least 40 teams included: Randy Wittman (third for Indiana '81), Steve Alford (led Indiana '87), Kevin Pritchard (third for Kansas '88), Eric Montross (led North Carolina '93), Jeff Sheppard/Scott Padgett (first and third for Kentucky '98), Gerry McNamara (third for Syracuse '03) and Tyler Hansbrough (led North Carolina '09).
16. LAW OF AVERAGES
DO pick one "sleeper" team not ranked among the top ten in either of the final wire-service polls entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
There likely will be a Rip Van Winkle finally waking up to advance to the national final after not being ranked among the top ten in an AP final poll.
DON'T pick the national runner-up from one year to win the championship the next season.
The only three teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982), Duke (1990 and 1991) and Kentucky (1997 and 1998).
Sky is Falling: Been Done Before But Doubtful Without Fallen Nova Star
Villanova captured two NCAA championships in a recent three-campaign span - one without star sixth man Donte DiVincenzo and one with him. His absence in 2016 offered a classic example depicting lame-stream media and so-called experts getting all bent out of shape while possessing little more than a rudimentary NCAA playoff perspective. They should brush up on their amateurish hoops history and go beyond "feeling" to "knowing" what in the world they are discussing. How about a little texture describing numerous teams boasting the resourcefulness to cope without a key player and go on to capture a national championship? At first glance, it doesn't seem possible this season. But Nova (without playmaker deluxe Collin Gillespie/left knee injury), UCLA (without Chris Smith) or Michigan (sans Isaiah Livers) could join the following titlists not fond of Chicken Little:
Stanford '42 overcame the title game absence of flu-ridden Jim Pollard, who scored 43.4% of Stanford's points in its first two tourney contests.
Kentucky '51 (sans Walt Hirsch) and San Francisco '56 (K.C. Jones) won NCAA titles although key players were ineligible for the tournament.
Forward Edgar Lacey, the leading rebounder for UCLA's 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 championship campaign because of a fractured left kneecap. Lacey dropped off the Bruins' titlist the next year in mid-season following a dispute with all-time great coach John Wooden after a highly-publicized defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome when UH All-American Elvin Hayes erupted for 29 first-half points.
All-American guard Lucius Allen missed the 1968-69 campaign because of academic problems but it didn't stop UCLA from winning its third of seven straight NCAA titles.
Louisville '80 excelled with a freshman center Rodney McCray, who replaced his brother, Scooter, in the middle after Scooter suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Kansas, riding the coattails of national player of the year Danny Manning, withstood the loss of regulars Marvin Branch (academic problems) and Archie Marshall (knee injury) to capture the 1988 NCAA title.
In 1990, UNLV was without frontcourter George Ackles (medical redshirt because of a wrist injury) when the Rebels' 103-73 rout of Duke enabled them to become the only team to score more than 100 points in a championship game and establish a record for widest margin of victory in a final.
Donte DiVincenzo, sixth man as redshirt freshman for top-ranked Villanova's defending NCAA titlist in 2016-17, missed majority of previous championship campaign because of a broken right foot.
The Thrill is Gone: Six Ex-F4 Schools Winless in Playoffs Previous 20 Years
Whether we need backbone transplants or vaccine injections, these are bubble-wrapped times trying sports fans' souls. Even before cancellation of 2020 extravaganza, a significant number of schools turn sheepish at the mention of recent NCAA Tournament success. Among Division I institutions making at least 10 NCAA playoff appearances, six former Final Four participants - New Mexico State, Princeton, St. John's, San Francisco, Southern Methodist and Texas-El Paso - combined to go winless in the previous 20 years.
DePaul and San Francisco each have won more than 20 NCAA tourney games but collaborated for only one win in the past 31 years (DePaul over Dayton in double overtime in 2004). With B.B. King "The Thrill is Gone" lyrics in the background, following is an alphabetical list of schools with at least 10 NCAA playoff appearances for which Sweet 16 is a distant memory:
School (Playoff Appearances) Recent NCAA Tournament Travails Boston College (18) winless previous 12 years with only one appearance Charlotte (11) no appearance previous 14 years; winless previous 18 years DePaul (22) appeared once previous 19 years; one victory previous 30 years George Washington (11) one victory previous 25 years Georgia (12) one victory previous 23 years Holy Cross (13) posted first win since 1953 five seasons ago in play-in game Idaho State (11) winless previous 42 years New Mexico State (23) winless previous 26 years Old Dominion (12) one victory previous 24 years Penn (24) one victory previous 39 years Pepperdine (13) one victory previous 37 years Princeton (25) winless previous 21 years St. John's (30) winless previous 20 years San Francisco (16) appeared once previous 37 years Santa Clara (11) no appearance previous 23 years Seattle (11) winless since 1964 Southern Methodist (12) winless previous 31 years Texas-El Paso (17) winless previous 27 years Utah State (21) one victory previous 49 years Weber State (15) winless previous 20 years Wyoming (15) one victory previous 32 years
Runaway Winners: Most Dominant Regular-Season Conference Kingpins
Three years ago, Virginia became the first ACC member since Duke in 1999-00 to win the regular-season league title by as many as four games in final standings. The most dominant clubs in conference competition this season could be a surprise - Navy won Patriot League/South Division by six games.
The SEC is the only power league in the previous decade to have a team finish atop conference standings by at least five games (Kentucky in 2011-12 and Florida in 2013-14). Navy joined UK and UF among the following teams to win a DI conference regular-season crown by at least six games since Stephen Curry-led Davidson achieved the feat in 2007-08 (listed in reverse order):
| Season | League Champion (Coach) | Conference | Mark | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Navy (Ed DeChellis) | Patriot League/South | 12-1 | +6 |
| 2019-20 | New Mexico State (Chris Jans) | Western Athletic | 16-0 | +6 |
| 2017-18 | Buffalo (Nate Oats) | Mid-American/East | 15-3 | +6 |
| 2014-15 | Murray State (Steve Prohm) | Ohio Valley/West | 16-0 | +6 |
| 2013-14 | Wichita State (Gregg Marshall) | Missouri Valley | 18-0 | +6 |
| 2013-14 | Florida (Billy Donovan) | SEC | 18-0 | +6 |
| 2011-12 | Kentucky (John Calipari) | SEC | 16-0 | +6 |
| 2011-12 | Middle Tennessee State (Kermit Davis) | Sun Belt/East | 14-2 | +6 |
| 2009-10 | Butler (Brad Stevens) | Horizon League | 18-0 | +6 |
| 2007-08 | Davidson (Bob McKillop) | Southern/South | 20-0 | +7 |
Conference Kingpins: KU and UK Collaborate for 116 Regular-Season Crowns
Baylor can brag about bagging its first regular-season conference championship since 1950. Southern California came close to securing its first such outright crown since 1961 but was denied by Oregon. Their fans may have thought things were bad over the decades, but just remember, there are fools out there who actually care about the gender of a plastic toy potato and want a grade school kid to be able to choose his or her gender while not allowing an individual's parents to select what school he or she attends.
By any measure, the 2020-21 season has been unusual. One of the odd traits was none of the schools with more than 25 regular-season major-college conference championships captured such a title this campaign. It shouldn't be any surprise that league titlists Kansas and Kentucky are accustomed to capturing conference crowns as each school has won more than 50 regular-season league titles. The Jayhawks lead for most championships, collecting 62 regular-season conference titles in their illustrious history despite having a streak of 14 straight Big 12 titles come to a halt two years ago. KU and UK are atop the following list of schools with more than 25 regular-season major-college league championships:
- Kansas - 62 (13 of the 21 Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles from 1908 through 1928, 30 in Big Eight and 19 in Big 12)
- Kentucky - 54 in SEC
- Pennsylvania - 40 in EIBL/Ivy League
- North Carolina - 39 (7 in Southern and 32 in ACC)
- Princeton - 37 in EIBL/Ivy League
- UCLA - 35 in Pacific-12
- Connecticut - 29 (19 in Yankee and 10 in Big East)
- Western Kentucky* - 28 (19 in Ohio Valley and 9 in Sun Belt)
- Arkansas - 26 (22 in SWC and 4 in SEC)
- Texas - 26 (22 in SWC and 4 in Big 12)
*WKU's total is 42 if include 14 titles won in the KIAC/SIAA in the 1930s and 1940s. All current members of the SEC (except for Arkansas) previously were in the SIAA and six ACC members comprised a portion of the former alliance.
On This Date: March Calendar for Great Games in NCAA Basketball History
Existing single-game rebounding records for San Francisco (Bill Russell) and Santa Clara (Ken Sears) were set on the same day (March 4) in West Coast Conference competition in 1955. Two Philly Big 5 institutions - Penn (37 points by Keven McDonald) and La Salle (35 by Michael Brooks) - had players establish school NCAA Tournament single-game scoring marks in the same regional (East) on same day (12th in 1978). Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (44 points) and Auburn's Chris Morris (36) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring standards in the same contest in 1988 (March 17). Two years apart in the late 1980s, Reggie Williams and Charles Smith set and tied Georgetown's single-game scoring mark in NCAA tourney competition on the same day (March 19). Sixty-five years apart, Bill Logan and Luka Garza set and tied Iowa's standard on the same day (March 22). In another oddity, Yale's single-game scoring and rebounding marks against a major-college opponent were established in the same game against Harvard in 1956. Following is a day-by-day calendar citing memorable moments in March major-college basketball history:
MARCH
1 - Kentucky's Cliff Hagan (42 points vs. Georgia in 1952 semifinals) set SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . New Hampshire's Matt Alosa (39 vs. Hartford in opening round of 1996 North Atlantic Conference Tournament at Newark, DE), Saint Louis' Anthony Bonner (45 at Loyola of Chicago in overtime in 1990), Southern Illinois' Dick Garrett (46 vs. Centenary in 1968) and Southern Utah's Davor Marcelic (43 at Cal State Northridge in 1991) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Larry Jeffries (40 vs. Abilene Christian in 1969) had highest-scoring game for Trinity TX in season when school made its lone NCAA DI Tournament appearance. . . . In 1952, Penn State and Pittsburgh combined for only nine field-goal attempts (fewest in a game since 1938). . . . North Carolina State ended South Carolina's school-record 32-game winning streak (43-24 in 1934) and Southern Methodist's school-record 44-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Texas A&M (43-42 in 1958). . . . East Tennessee State's Tommy Woods (38 vs. Middle Tennessee State in 1965) and Holy Cross' Tom Heinsohn (42 vs. Boston College in 1956) set school single-game rebounding records. Heinsohn also scored 51 points against BC to become the only player in NCAA history to collect more than 50 points and 40 rebounds in single contest against major-college opponent. . . . Chris Collier (23 vs. Centenary in 1990) set Georgia State's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
2 - Junior forward Ralph Jukkola became the only LSU teammate to outscore NCAA all-time leading scorer Pete Maravich in a regular-season game (22-17 in 74-71 loss at Tennessee in 1968) when Pistol was limited to fewer than 20 points for the lone time in college. Jukkola averaged 9.1 ppg in his three-year varsity career compared to Maravich's lofty mark of 44.2 ppg. . . . Campbell's Chris Clemons (51 points vs. UNC Asheville in 2017 Big South quarterfinals) and San Francisco's Tim Owens (45 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1991 WCC quarterfinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Colgate's Jonathan Stone (52 vs. Brooklyn in 1992), McNeese State's Michael Cutright (51 at Stephen F. Austin in double overtime in 1989), New Mexico's Marvin Johnson (50 vs. Colorado State in 1978) and Southern Methodist's Gene Phillips (51 at Texas in 1971) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Johnson's output is also a Western Athletic Conference record in league competition. . . . Oklahoma tied an NCAA single-game record by converting all 34 of its free-throw attempts (against Iowa State in 2013). . . . Penn State's school-record 45-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Penn (85-79 in 1955). . . . Jameel Warney (23 vs. UMBC in 2016 America East Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set Stony Brook's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
3 - Jacksonville's Dee Brown (41 points vs. Old Dominion in 1990 quarterfinals) set Sun Belt Conference Tournament single-game scoring record and Monmouth's Rahsaan Johnson (40 vs. St. Francis NY in 2000 quarterfinals) set Northeast Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Weber State's Jerrick Harding (46 at Montana State in overtime in 2018), Drake's Philip "Red" Murrell (51 vs. Houston in overtime in 1958), Lafayette's Bobby Mantz (47 vs. Wilkes College PA in 1958), Maine's Jim Stephenson (54 vs. Colby in 1969), St. John's Bob Zawoluk (65 vs. St. Peter's in 1950), Santa Clara's Carlos "Bud" Ogden (55 at Pepperdine in 1967), Temple's Bill Mlkvy (73 at Wilkes College PA in 1951), Tulsa's Willie Biles (48 vs. Wichita State in 1973), UNLV's Trevor Diggs (49 vs. Wyoming in 2001) and Weber State's Jerrick Harding (46 vs. Montana State in overtime in 2018) set school single-game scoring records. Mlkvy scored an incredible 54 unanswered points for the Owls. Diggs' output is also a Mountain West Conference record in league competition. . . . Florida State's Al Thornton (45 vs. Miami in 2007) and Tennessee-Martin's Lester Hudson (42 vs. Tennessee Tech in 2009) set school single-game scoring records against a Division I opponent. . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 800 victories the fastest with a 90-86 win at Auburn in 1969 (974 games in 37th season). . . . Army's Todd Mattson (24 vs. Holy Cross in 1990), Iowa's Chuck Darling (30 vs. Wisconsin in 1952) and Minnesota's Larry Mikan (28 vs. Michigan in 1970) set school single-game rebounding records.
4 - Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 points at Texas-San Antonio in 1989), Marshall's Skip Henderson (55 vs. The Citadel in 1988 Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Asheville, NC) and Montana State's Tom Storm (44 vs. Portland State in 1967) set school single-game scoring records against NCAA Division I opponents. Henderson's output is also highest-scoring contest in NCAA history for a DI league postseason tourney. . . . Lehigh's Joe Knight (45 vs. Colgate in 2005 quarterfinals) set Patriot League Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Villanova's school-record 72-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by St. Francis PA (70-64 in 1958). . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (35 vs. Loyola Marymount) and Santa Clara's Ken Sears (30 vs. Pacific) set school single-game rebounding records in WCAC contests in 1955. . . . Collis Jones (25 vs. Western Michigan in 1971) set Notre Dame's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent. . . . One of the most tragic moments in college basketball history occurred in semifinals of 1990 West Coast Conference Tournament at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed and died on his homecourt during the Lions' game with Portland.
5 - Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (41 points vs. Indiana State in 1988 Missouri Valley quarterfinals) and Texas Tech's Rick Bullock (44 vs. Arkansas in 1976 SWC semifinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Cal State Northridge's Mike O'Quinn (39 vs. Eastern Washington in overtime in 1998 Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals at Northern Arizona), Cornell's George Farley (47 at Princeton in 1960), Michigan's Cazzie Russell (48 vs. Northwestern in 1966), Minnesota's Eric Magdanz (42 at Michigan in 1962), Southeastern Louisiana's Cedric Jenkins (39 at New Orleans in 2015) and Wichita State's Antoine Carr (47 vs. Southern Illinois in 1983) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Carnegie Tech's Melvin Cratsley set Eastern Intercollegiate Conference single-game scoring record with 34 points vs. West Virginia in 1938. . . . Boston University's Kevin Thomas (34 vs. Boston College in 1958), Delaware State's Kendall Gray (30 vs. Coppin State in 2015), Pacific's Keith Swagerty (39 vs. UC Santa Barbara in 1965) and Saint Louis' Jerry Koch (38 vs. Bradley in 1954) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Baylor's Jerome Lambert (26 vs. Southern Methodist in 1994) and Wyoming's Leon Clark (24 vs. Arizona in 1966) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
6 - Texas Christian's Mike Jones (44 points vs. Fresno State in 1997 quarterfinals) set WAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Duquesne's Ron Guziak (50 vs. St. Francis PA at Altoona in 1968), Minnesota's Ollie Shannon (42 vs. Wisconsin in 1971), Missouri's Joe Scott (46 vs. Nebraska in 1961) and Sam Houston State's Senecca Wall (45 vs. Texas-Arlington in double overtime in 2001 Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Ohio State set an NCAA single-game record by making 14 consecutive three-point field-goal attempts (against Wisconsin in 2011).
7 - North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth (45 points vs. Clemson in 1957 ACC quarterfinals) and Southern Utah's Randy Onwuasor (43 vs. Montana State in triple overtime in 2017 Big Sky first round) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 vs. Georgia Southern in 1989 TAAC Tournament quarterfinals), Lehigh's Daren Queenan (49 vs. Bucknell in double overtime in 1987 ECC Tournament semifinals at Towson State), Notre Dame's Austin Carr (61 vs. Ohio University in first round of 1970 NCAA Tournament Mideast Regional), Rhode Island's Tom Garrick (50 vs. Rutgers in 1988 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament quarterfinals at West Virginia) and Saint Mary's Jordan Ford (42 vs. Pepperdine in 2OT in 2020 WCC Tournament quarterfinals) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Carr's output is also an NCAA playoff single-game record and outputs by Garrick and Gibbs are single-game records in respective league tourneys. Gibbs tied his own school mark set only three days earlier. . . . Oklahoma State center Arlen Clark established an NCAA standard for most successful free throws in single game without a miss by converting all 24 of his foul shots against Colorado in 1959. . . . In 1928, Butler beat Notre Dame, 21-13, in inaugural game at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. at the time and retained that distinction until 1950. . . . Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (30 vs. Western Kentucky in 1970 first round) and Southern California's John Rudometkin (31 vs. Utah in 1960 first round) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records.
8 - Wright State's Bill Edwards (38 vs. Illinois-Chicago in 1993 Summit League final) set conference tournament single-game scoring record and Kentucky's Melvin Turpin (42 vs. Georgia in 1984 quarterfinals) tied SEC Tournament single-game scoring standard. . . . Harvard's Brady Merchant (45 vs. Brown in 2003), Miami of Ohio's Ron Harper (45 vs. Ball State in 1985 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals) and Vanderbilt's Tom Hagan (44 at Mississippi State in 1969) set school single-game scoring records. Harper's output is also a MAC tourney single-game scoring mark. . . . Brown's Gerry Alaimo (26 vs. Rhode Island in 1958) and Georgia's Bob Lienhard (29 vs. Louisiana State in 1969) set school single-game rebounding records against a Division I opponent.
9 - Greg Ballard (43 points at Oral Roberts in 1977 NIT first round) set Oregon's single-game scoring record. . . . Marcus Mann (28 vs. Jackson State in 1996) set Mississippi Valley State's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent. . . . Houston's Elvin Hayes (49 vs. Loyola of Chicago in 1968 Midwest Regional first round), Marquette's Terry Rand (37 vs. Miami of Ohio in 1955 East Regional first round) and Texas-El Paso's Jim "Bad News" Barnes (42 vs. Texas A&M in 1964 Midwest Regional first round) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. Bill Butler (34 vs. Boston College in 1968 East Regional first round) tied St. Bonaventure's NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard.
10 - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons (47 points vs. Louisiana Tech in 1983 Southland quarterfinals), Northwestern's Michael Thompson (35 vs. Minnesota in 2011 Big Ten opening round) and Washington State's Klay Thompson (43 vs. Washington in 2011 Pac-12 quarterfinals) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. Lyons' output is also a school single-game scoring record. . . . Paul Williams (45 at Southern California in 1983) set Arizona State's single-game scoring record. . . . John Lee (41 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Lamar's school-record 80-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Louisiana Tech (68-65 in 1984 Southland Conference Tournament championship contest). . . . Ed Robinson (32 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game rebounding record. . . . Johnny O'Brien (42 points vs. Idaho State in 1953 West Regional first round) set Seattle's NCAA playoff single-game scoring record.
11 - Connecticut's Donyell Marshall (42 points vs. St. John's in 1994 Big East quarterfinals), Texas Tech's Mike Singletary (43 vs. Texas A&M in 2009 Big 12 opening round), Hofstra's Justin Wright-Foreman (42 vs. Delaware in 2019 CAA semifinals), Old Dominion's Trey Freeman (42 vs. Western Kentucky in 2016 C-USA semifinals), Cal State Fullerton's Josh Akognon (37 vs. UC Riverside in 2009 Big West opening round) and Bethune-Cookman's Richard Toussaint (49 vs. Morgan State in 2003 MEAC first round) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. . . . Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (52 vs. New Mexico in 2011 Mountain West Tournament semifinals at Las Vegas), Montana's Anthony Johnson (42 at Weber State in 2010 Big Sky Tournament final) and Nebraska's Eric Piatkowski (42 vs. Oklahoma in 1994 Big Eight Tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City) set school single-game scoring records. Outputs for Fredette and Piatkowski are also single-game scoring records in their respective conference tourneys. . . . Indiana (95) and Michigan (57) combined for an NCAA single-game record of 152 rebounds in 1961. Walt Bellamy (33) set IU's individual rebounding record in the contest. . . . Ohio State's Jerry Lucas (36 vs. Western Kentucky in 1960 Mideast Regional semifinal) and Utah's Jerry Chambers (40 vs. Pacific in 1966 West Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records.
12 - Bradley's Bob Carney set NCAA Tournament single-game record by converting 23 free-throw attempts (against Colorado in 1954 West Regional semifinals). . . . Stony Brook's Jameel Warney (43 points vs. Vermont in 2016 America East final) tied conference tournament single-game scoring mark. Warney's output is also a school standard since moving up to NCAA Division I level. . . . DePaul's George Mikan (53 vs. Rhode Island State in 1945 NIT semifinals), Fairleigh Dickinson's Elijah Allen (43 vs. Connecticut in 1998 NCAA Tournament East Regional first round) and Navy's David Robinson (50 vs. Michigan in 1987 NCAA Tournament East Regional first round) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Allen's output also set a Northeast Conference NCAA playoff scoring standard and Robinson's output established a Colonial Athletic Association NCAA playoff scoring mark. . . . Syracuse outlasted Connecticut, 127-117, in six overtimes in 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals in longest postseason game in NCAA history. . . . Georgia's Willie Anderson (35 vs. Kansas State in overtime in 1987 West Regional first round), Kentucky's Dan Issel (44 vs. Notre Dame in 1970 Mideast Regional semifinal), La Salle's Michael Brooks (35 vs. Villanova in 1978 East Regional first round) and Penn's Keven McDonald (37 vs. St. Bonaventure in 1978 East Regional first round) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (30 vs. Iowa in 1970 Mideast Regional semifinal) and Penn State's Jesse Arnelle (25 vs. Kentucky in 1955 East Regional third-place game) tied their own school NCAA playoff single-game scoring marks. . . . Morehead State's Dan Swartz (39 vs. Marshall in 1956 Midwest Regional first round) set Ohio Valley Conference NCAA playoff single-game scoring record. . . . Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak (43 vs. Washington in 1999 Midwest Regional first round) set Mid-American Conference NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard in a 59-58 win. Never before has a player exhibited such dominant solo act in NCAA tourney history as Szczerbiak accounted for an incredible 72.9% of Miami's offensive output.
13 - Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath (43 points vs. Maine in 2004 final) set America East Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Charlotte's Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (32 vs. Central Michigan in 1977 Mideast Regional first round), Colorado's Cliff Meely (32 vs. Colorado State in 1969 Midwest Regional semifinal), Duke's Jeff Mullins (43 vs. Villanova in 1964 East Regional semifinal), Holy Cross' Togo Palazzi (32 vs. Wake Forest in 1953 East Regional semifinal), Oklahoma State's Bob Mattick (35 vs. Texas Christian in 1953 West Regional semifinal), San Francisco's Ollie Johnson (37 vs. UCLA in 1965 West Regional final), Tennessee's Ernie Grunfeld (36 vs. Virginia Military in 1976 East Regional first round), Texas Christian's Lee Nailon (32 vs. Florida State in 1998 Midwest Regional first round) and Washington's Bob Houbregs (45 vs. Seattle in 1953 West Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. . . . Brigham Young made the largest comeback in NCAA playoff history, erasing a 25-point deficit to beat Iona (78-72 in 2012 First Four). Iona scored 55 points in first 16 minutes before collecting only three field goals and seven points over the next 16 1/2 minutes.
14 - Louisville's Russ Smith (42 points vs. Houston in 2014 semifinals) set American Athletic Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. Smith's output also set a school mark for most points against a major-college opponent. . . . Indiana's Don Schlundt (41 vs. Notre Dame in 1953 East Regional final), North Carolina State's David Thompson (40 vs. Providence in 1974 East Regional semifinal), Providence's Austin Croshere (39 vs. Marquette in 1997 South Regional first round), St. Bonaventure's Fred Crawford (34 vs. Rhode Island in 1961 East Regional first round), Santa Clara's Dennis Awtrey (37 vs. Long Beach State in 1970 West Regional third-place contest) and Wichita State's Dave Stallworth (37 vs. Kansas State in 1964 Midwest Regional final) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. Billy Knight (34 vs. Furman in 1974 East Regional semifinal) tied Pittsburgh's NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard. . . . Wyoming's Fennis Dembo (41 vs. UCLA in 1987 West Regional second round) set Western Athletic Conference NCAA playoff single-game scoring mark.
15 - Andrew Goudelock (39 points vs. Dayton in 2011 NIT first round) set College of Charleston's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Arizona State's Byron Scott (32 vs. Kansas in 1981 Midwest Regional second round), Boston College's John Bagley (35 vs. Wake Forest in 1981 Mideast Regional second round), Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (56 vs. Arkansas in 1958 Midwest Regional third-place contest), George Mason's George Evans (27 vs. Maryland in 2001 West Regional first round), Louisville's Junior Bridgeman (36 vs. Rutgers in 1975 Midwest Regional first round), North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth (39 vs. Canisius in 1957 East Regional semifinal), Rutgers' Phil Sellers (29 vs. Louisville in 1975 Midwest Regional first round), Virginia Commonwealth's Rolando Lamb (30 vs. Marshall in 1985 West Regional first round) and West Virginia's Rod Thorn (44 vs. St. Joseph's in 1963 East Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. . . . Houston's Rob Gray (39 vs. San Diego State in 2018 West Regional first round) set American Athletic Conference NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard.
16 - Kentucky's Kenny Walker (11-of-11 vs. Western Kentucky in 1986 Southeast Regional second round) became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make all of more than 10 field-goal attempts in a single playoff game. . . . Temple's Fred Cohen (34 vs. Connecticut in 1956 NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals) set school and NCAA Tournament single-game rebounding records. . . . Nate Thurmond (31 vs. Mississippi State in 1963 Mideast Regional third-place game) set Bowling Green's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent. . . . Alabama's Antonio McDyess (39 points vs. Penn in 1995 East Regional first round), Arkansas' Mario Credit (34 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1989 Midwest Regional first round), Loyola of Chicago's Jerry Harkness (33 vs. Illinois in 1963 Mideast Regional final), New Mexico State's Zach Lofton (29 vs. Clemson in 2018 Midwest Regional first round), Northwestern's Bryant McIntosh (25 vs. Vanderbilt in 2017 West Regional first round), Pittsburgh's John Riser (34 vs. Notre Dame in 1957 Mideast Regional third-place contest), Southern Methodist's Jim Krebs (33 vs. St. Louis in 1957 Midwest Regional third-place contest), Virginia's Richard Morgan (33 vs. Providence in 1989 Southeast Regional first round) and Wake Forest's Len Chappell (34 vs. St. Joseph's in overtime in 1962 East Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. McIntosh's output occurred in Northwestern's first-ever tourney contest. JeQuan Lewis (30 vs. Saint Mary's in 2017 West Regional first round) tied Virginia Commonwealth's NCAA playoff single-game scoring mark. . . . Loyola Marymount's Bo Kimble (45 vs. New Mexico State in 1990 West Regional first round) set West Coast Conference's NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard.
17 - Texas' Travis Mays (23-of-27 vs. Georgia in 1990 Midwest Regional first round) tied NCAA Tournament single-game record for most free-throws made. Mays (44 points), Auburn's Chris Morris (36 vs. Bradley in 1988 Southeast Regional first round), Baylor's Taurean Prince (28 vs. Yale in 2016 West Regional first round), Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (44 vs. Auburn in 1988 Southeast Regional first round), Dayton's Roosevelt Chapman (41 vs. Oklahoma in 1984 West Regional second round), DePaul's Dave Corzine (46 vs. Louisville in double overtime in 1978 Midwest Regional semifinal), Mississippi's Stefan Moody (26 vs. Brigham Young in 2015 First Four), Oregon State's Gary Payton Sr. (31 vs. Evansville in 1989 West Regional first round), Texas A&M's Acie Law IV (26 vs. Louisville in 2007 South Regional second round) and Virginia Tech's Glen Combs (29 vs. Indiana in 1967 Mideast Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring standards. Mays' point production is the highest in tourney history for an individual never named an All-American. Hawkins' output is also Missouri Valley Conference's NCAA playoff record. . . . Harvard's Bryce Aiken (38 vs. Yale in 2019 final) set Ivy League Tournament single-game scoring mark. . . . Maurice Stokes (43 vs. Dayton in 1955 NIT semifinals) set Saint Francis (PA) single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . In 1939, Villanova defeated Brown, 42-30, in the first NCAA Tournament game ever played. . . . Al Inniss (37 vs. Lafayette in 1956 NIT first round) set St. Francis NY single-game rebounding record.
18 - Loyola Marymount's Jeff Fryer (11 three-pointers vs. Michigan in 1990 West Regional second round) became the only player in NCAA playoff history to make more than 10 three-point field-goals in a single playoff game. . . . Arizona's Khalid Reeves (32 points vs. Loyola MD in 1994 West Regional first round), Iowa State's Lafester Rhodes (34 vs. Georgia Tech in 1988 East Regional first round), Louisiana State's Bob Pettit (36 vs. Washington in 1953 national third-place contest), Minnesota's Willie Burton (36 vs. Northern Iowa in 1990 Southeast Regional second round) and Syracuse's Gerry McNamara (43 vs. Brigham Young in 2004 Phoenix Regional first round) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. Richard Morgan (33 vs. Middle Tennessee in 1989 Southeast Regional second round) tied his own Virginia NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard.
19 - Louisiana State's Shaquille O'Neal (11 rejections vs. Brigham Young in 1992 West Regional first round) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most blocked shots. . . . Texas Southern's Aaric Murray (38 points vs. Cal Poly in 2014 First Four) became only HBCU player to score more than 30 in a single NCAA Division I Tournament game. . . . Butler's Shelvin Mack (30 vs. Pittsburgh in 2011 Southeast Regional second round), Georgetown's Reggie Williams (34 vs. Kansas in 1987 Southeast Regional semifinal), Kansas State's Jacob Pullen (38 vs. Wisconsin in 2011 Southeast Regional second round), Massachusetts' Marcus Camby (32 vs. Maryland in 1994 Midwest Regional second round), Memphis' Roburt Sallie (35 vs. Cal State Northridge in 2009 West Regional first round), Michigan's Glen Rice (39 vs. Florida in 1988 West Regional second round), Nebraska's Eric Piatkowski (29 vs. New Mexico State in 1993 East Regional first round), Oklahoma's Stacey King (37 vs. Auburn in 1988 Southeast Regional second round) and Wisconsin's Michael Finley (36 vs. Missouri in 1994 West Regional second round) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring standards. Georgetown's Charles Smith (34 vs. Notre Dame in 1989 East Regional second round) and North Carolina State's Rodney Monroe (40 vs. Iowa in 1989 East Regional second round) tied school NCAA playoff single-game scoring marks.
20 - Duke's Mike Krzyzewski passed North Carolina's Dean Smith (65 victories) for the most coaching wins in NCAA Tournament history with a 63-55 second-round triumph against Mississippi State in 2005 Austin Regional. . . . Michigan State's Adrien Payne (17-for-17 from free-throw line vs. Delaware in 2014 East Regional opener) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most successful foul shots without a miss. Payne (41 points), California's Lamond Murray (28 vs. Duke in 1993 Midwest Regional second round), Florida State's Sam Cassell (31 vs. Tulane in 1993 Southeast Regional second round), Missouri's Willie Smith (43 vs. Michigan in 1976 Midwest Regional final), Penn State's Jesse Arnelle (25 vs. Southern California in 1954 national third-place contest), South Carolina's Tom Riker (39 vs. Fordham in 1971 East Regional third-place contest) and Villanova's Howard Porter (35 vs. Penn in 1971 East Regional final) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring standards. Iowa State's Dedric Willoughby (34 vs. UCLA in 1997 Midwest Regional semifinal), Minnesota's Bobby Jackson (36 vs. Clemson in 1997 Midwest Regional semifinal) and Texas A&M's Josh Carter (26 vs. Brigham Young in 2008 first round) tied school NCAA playoff single-game scoring marks. . . . Princeton's Bill Bradley (58 vs. Wichita in 1965 national third-place contest) and UNLV's Armon Gilliam (38 vs. Wyoming in 1987 West Regional semifinal) set NCAA playoff single-game scoring standards for the Ivy League and Big West Conference, respectively. Bradley's output is the highest in any Final Four contest. . . . UCLA's Gail Goodrich (18 vs. Michigan in 1965 championship contest) established Final Four single-game record for most free throws made.
21 - UNC Wilmington's John Goldsberry became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make as many as eight three-pointers without a miss in single playoff game (against Maryland in 2003 South Regional first round). . . . Creighton's Doug McDermott (30 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette in 2014 West Regional first round), Drake's Jonathan Cox (29 vs. Western Kentucky in overtime in 2008 West Regional first round), Illinois' Deron Williams (31 vs. Cincinnati in 2004 Atlanta Regional second round), Miami's Jack McClinton (38 vs. Saint Mary's in 2008 South Regional first round), Mississippi State's Charles Rhodes (34 vs. Oregon in 2008 South Regional first round), Vanderbilt's Matt Freije (31 vs. North Carolina State in 2004 Phoenix Regional second round) and Washington State's Paul Lindemann (26 vs. Creighton in 1941 Western Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. Shaquille O'Neal (36 vs. Indiana in 1992 West Regional second round) tied Louisiana State's NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard. . . . Davidson's Stephen Curry (40 vs. Gonzaga in 2008 Midwest Regional first round) and North Carolina Central's Jeremy Ingram (28 vs. Iowa State in 2014 East Regional first round) established NCAA playoff single-game scoring marks for the Southern Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, respectively.
22 - The only time in major-college history two undefeated teams met in a national postseason tournament was 1939 NIT final between Loyola of Chicago and Long Island University (LIU won, 44-32). . . . University of Chicago ended Penn's school-record 31-game winning streak (28-24 in 1920) and LIU ended Seton Hall's school-record 41-game winning streak (49-26 in 1941 NIT semifinals). . . . Duquesne's Jim Tucker (29 points vs. Illinois in 1952 East Regional final), Iowa's Bill Logan (36 vs. Temple in 1956 national semifinal), Kansas' Clyde Lovellette (44 vs. St. Louis in 1952 West Regional final), St. John's Bob Zawoluk (32 vs. Kentucky in 1952 East Regional final), Stanford's Brook Lopez (30 vs. Marquette in 2008 South Regional second round) and Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver (29 vs. Northern Kentucky in 2019 West Regional first round) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. In 2021, Luka Garza (36 vs. Oregon in West Regional second round) tied Iowa's standard.
23 - Hal Lear (48 points vs. Southern Methodist in 1956 NCAA Tournament third-place contest) set Temple's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. In addition to Lear, Clemson's Gabe DeVoe (31 vs. Kansas in 2018 Midwest Regional semifinal), Gonzaga's Brandon Clarke (36 vs. Baylor in 2019 West Regional second round) and Oregon's Tajuan Porter (33 vs. UNLV in 2007 Midwest Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring standards. . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (27 vs. Iowa in 1956 championship contest) established Final Four single-game mark for most rebounds.
24 - Askia Jones (62 points vs. Fresno State in 1994 NIT quarterfinals) set Kansas State's single-game scoring record. . . . Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox (39 vs. UCLA in 2017 South Regional semifinal) set NCAA Tournament single-game scoring standard by a freshman. . . . Florida's KeVaughn Allen (35 vs. Wisconsin in overtime in 2017 East Regional semifinal), Indiana State's Larry Bird (35 vs. DePaul in 1979 national semifinal) and Purdue's Glenn Robinson Jr. (44 vs. Kansas in 1994 Southeast Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records. Arizona's Derrick Williams (32 vs. Duke in 2011 West Regional semifinal) and Connecticut's Kemba Walker (36 vs. San Diego State in 2011 West Regional semifinal) tied school NCAA playoff single-game scoring marks.
25 - Eventual 10-year N.L. OF Frankie Baumholtz scored a team-high 19 points for Ohio University in 1941 NIT final defeat against LIU. . . . Connecticut's Ray Allen (36 points vs. UCLA in 1995 West Regional final), Dartmouth's Audley Brindley (28 vs. Ohio State in 1944 Eastern Regional final), Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott (40 vs. Minnesota in 1990 Southeast Regional final), St. Joseph's Jack Egan (42 vs. Utah in 1961 national third-place contest) and Xavier's Jordan Crawford (32 vs. Kansas State in 2010 West Regional semifinal) set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records.
26 - UCLA's Bill Walton (44 points vs. Memphis State in 1973) set NCAA Tournament championship game scoring record by sinking a Final Four standard 21-of-22 field-goal attempts (95.5%). Walton's output remains a school NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard. . . . DePaul's Mark Aguirre (34 vs. Penn in 1979 national third-place game) set Final Four single-game scoring mark by a freshman. . . . Buddy Hield (37 vs. Oregon in 2016 West Regional final) tied Oklahoma's NCAA playoff single-game scoring record.
27 - Jim McDaniels (36 points vs. Kansas in 1971 national third-place contest) set Western Kentucky's NCAA playoff single-game scoring record and Ben Gordon (36 vs. Alabama in 2004 Phoenix Regional final) tied Connecticut's NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard. . . . Garrison Mathews (44 at North Carolina State in 2019 NIT) established Lipscomb's single-game scoring mark at Division I level.
28 - UNLV's Mark Wade (18 vs. Indiana in 1987 national semifinal) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most assists. Teammate Freddie Banks established Final Four mark for most three-point field goals with 10. Banks established the Big West Conference mark and tied the Rebels' NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard with 38 points against IU. Also tying school NCAA playoff single-game scoring marks were Iowa State's Dustin Hogue (34 vs. Connecticut in 2014 East Regional semifinal) and North Carolina's Al Wood (39 vs. Virginia in 1981 national semifinal). Wood's output set scoring record for NCAA Tournament national semifinal game.
30 - Doremus Bennerman (51 points vs. Kansas State in 1994 NIT third-place game at Madison Square Garden) set Siena's single-game scoring record. . . . Juan Dixon (34 vs. Kansas in 2002 national semifinal) established Maryland's NCAA playoff single-game scoring standard.
31 - Villanova made Final Four-record 18 three-pointers (2018 national semifinal vs. Kansas). . . . Kansas' Jeff Withey (7 rejections vs. Ohio State in 2012 national semifinal) set record for most blocked shots in a Final Four game since they became an official statistic. . . . Duke made the largest comeback in Final Four history, erasing a 22-point deficit to defeat Maryland (95-84 in 2001 national semifinal).
APRIL
3 - John Morton (35 points vs. Michigan in 1989 national final) set Seton Hall's existing NCAA playoff single-game scoring record.
Memorable Moments in February College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in January College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in December College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in November College Basketball History
Happy Birthday! March Celebration Dates for All-Americans and HOF Coaches
North Carolina (seven) and Duke (six) combine for 13 All-Americans born in the month of March. Duke is among three different North Carolina universities providing a striking number of 11 All-Americans born on the 14th of March. Two Oklahoma State All-Americans were born on the 6th of the month, two from Purdue on the 12th and two from Duke on the 18th. This year marks the 100th anniversary of birth of Notre Dame All-American Bob Rensberger. Following is a day-by-day calendar of All-Americans and Hall of Fame coaches born in March:
MARCH
1: All-American Mayce "Chris" Webber (1973/Michigan).
2: Hall of Fame coach Denzil "Denny" Crum (1937/Louisville).
3: All-Americans Allan Hornyak (1951/Ohio State), Markus Howard (1999/Marquette), Jim Jarvis (1943/Oregon State) and Corey Kispert (1999/Gonzaga).
4: All-Americans Melvin Ejim (1991/Iowa State), Draymond Green (1990/Michigan State), Jack Parkinson (1924/Kentucky), Jared Sullinger (1992/Ohio State) and Obi Toppin (1998/Dayton) plus Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams (1945/American University, Boston College, Ohio State and Maryland).
5: All-Americans Mason Plumlee (1990/Duke), Scott Skiles Sr. (1964/Michigan State), Wally Szczerbiak (1977/Miami of Ohio), Mike Warren (1946/UCLA) and Reggie Williams (1964/Georgetown).
6: All-Americans Eric "Sleepy" Floyd (1960/Georgetown), Josh Hart (1995/Villanova), John Jenkins (1991/Vanderbilt), Gale McArthur (1929/Oklahoma A&M), Shaquille O'Neal (1972/Louisiana State), Marcus Smart (1994/Oklahoma State) and Irv Torgoff (1917/LIU).
7: All-Americans Luke Maye (1997/North Carolina), Wally Palmberg (1912/Oregon State), Andy Phillip (1922/Illinois), Bob Rensberger (1921/Notre Dame) and Jeff Withey (1990/Kansas).
8: All-Americans Marvin Colen (1915/Loyola of Chicago), Robbie Hummel (1989/Purdue), Kenny Smith (1965/North Carolina) and Charles "Buck" Williams (1960/Maryland) plus Hall of Fame coach George Keogan (1890/St. Louis, Valparaiso and Notre Dame).
9: All-Americans Frank Burgess (1935/Gonzaga), Adonal Foyle (1975/Colgate), Chris Jackson (1969/Louisiana State), Jeff Lamp (1959/Virginia), Ed Mullen (1913/Marquette), Wayne Simien (1983/Kansas), Darrell Walker (1961/Arkansas) and Ron Widby (1945/Tennessee) plus Hall of Fame coach Ralph Miller (1919/Wichita, Iowa and Oregon State).
10: All-Americans Austin Carr (1948/Notre Dame), LeRoy Ellis Sr. (1940/St. John's), Kirk Haston (1979/Indiana) and Mark Workman (1930/West Virginia).
11: All-Americans Vince Boryla (1927/Denver), Elton Brand (1979/Duke), Anthony Davis (1993/Kentucky) and Jim McMillian (1948/Columbia).
12: All-Americans Charlie Bell (1979/Michigan State), Norm Cottom (1912/Purdue), Carsen Edwards (1998/Purdue), Bob Houbregs (1932/Washington), John Richter (1937/North Carolina State), Isaiah "J.R." Rider (1971/UNLV) and Doron Sheffer (1972/Connecticut) plus Hall of Fame coaches Ed Diddle (1895/Western Kentucky) and Eddie Sutton (1936/Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State).
13: All-Americans Bobby Jackson (1973/Minnesota), Glen "Max" Morris (1925/Northwestern) and Jack Parr (1936/Kansas State).
14: All-Americans Marvin Bagley III (1999/Duke), Stephen Curry (1988/Davidson), Marv Huffman (1917/Indiana), Larry Johnson (1969/UNLV), Clyde Lee (1944/Vanderbilt), Henry Logan (1946/Western Carolina), Bill Morris (1920/Washington), Paul Nowak (1914/Notre Dame), Charlie Share (1927/Bowling Green State), Gerry Tucker (1922/Oklahoma) and Wes Unseld (1946/Louisville) plus Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins (1930/Texas-El Paso).
15: All-Americans Lawrence Butler (1957/Idaho State), Terry Cummings (1961/DePaul), Kevin Loder (1959/Alabama State), Jabari Parker (1995/Duke) and Don Schlundt (1933/Indiana).
16: All-Americans Toney Douglas (1986/Florida State), Blake Griffin (1989/Oklahoma), Bob Harris (1927/Oklahoma A&M), Porter Meriwether (1940/Tennessee State), Dave Quabius (1916/Marquette) and Jalen Smith (2000/Maryland) plus Hall of Fame coach Arthur "Dutch" Lonborg (1898/Northwestern).
17: All-Americans Danny Ainge (1959/Brigham Young), Sam Bowie (1961/Kentucky), Kyle Korver (1981/Creighton), Clyde Mayes (1953/Furman), Thomas Robinson (1991/Kansas) and Willie Somerset (1942/Duquesne).
18: All-Americans Sherron Collins (1987/Kansas), Kris Dunn (1994/Providence), George Kok (1922/Arkansas), Mike Lewis (1946/Duke), Jeff Mullins (1942/Duke) and Win Wilfong (1933/Memphis State) plus Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean (1898/Indiana and Stanford).
19: All-Americans Larry Fogle (1953/Canisius), Casey Jacobsen (1981/Stanford), Scott May (1954/Indiana), Andre Miller (1976/Utah) and Bill Spivey (1929/Kentucky) plus Hall of Fame coaches Guy Lewis (1922/Houston) and Jim Phelan (1929/Mount St. Mary's).
20: All-Americans Daron "Mookie" Blaylock (1967/Oklahoma), Ken Charlton (1941/Colorado), Chuck Darling (1930/Iowa), Marcus Denmon (1990/Missouri), Bob Lewis (1945/North Carolina), Steve Logan (1980/Cincinnati), Ronnie Perry Jr. (1958/Holy Cross) and Pat Riley (1945/Kentucky).
21: All-Americans Miles Bridges (1998/Michigan State) and Mike Olliver (1959/Lamar).
22: All-Americans Marcus Camby (1974/Massachusetts), Ed Macauley (1928/St. Louis) and Danny Schultz (1943/Tennessee).
23: All-Americans Joseph Forte (1981/North Carolina), Kyrie Irving (1992/Duke), Rich Kelley (1953/Stanford) and Jason Kidd (1973/California).
24: All-Americans Chris Bosh (1984/Georgia Tech), Terrance "T.J." Ford (1983/Texas) and Mike Woodson (1958/Indiana).
25: All-Americans James Anderson (1989/Oklahoma State), Kyle Lowry (1986/Villanova), Lawrence Moten (1972/Syracuse) and Leon Wood (1962/Cal State Fullerton).
27: All-Americans Danny Fortson (1976/Cincinnati), Tom Hammonds (1967/Georgia Tech), John Kotz (1919/Wisconsin) and Chris Lofton (1986/Tennessee).
28: All-Americans Rick Barry (1944/Miami FL), Chris Corchiani (1968/North Carolina State), Len Elmore (1952/Maryland), Justin Jackson (1995/North Carolina) and Jerry Sloan (1942/Evansville).
29: All-Americans Kay Felder (1995/Oakland), Walt Frazier (1945/Southern Illinois), Ed Ratleff (1950/Long Beach State) and Dennis Wuycik (1950/North Carolina) plus Hall of Fame coach Jack Gardner (1910/Kansas State and Utah).
30: All-Americans Wyndol Gray (1922/Bowling Green State), Jerry Lucas (1940/Ohio State), Joe Richey (1931/Brigham Young) and Oscar "Ossie" Schectman (1919/LIU).
31: All-Americans Don Barksdale (1923/UCLA), Dennis DuVal (1952/Syracuse), Herman "J.R." Reid (1968/North Carolina), Chris Smith (1939/Virginia Tech) and Steve Smith (1969/Michigan State).
Birthdays in January for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in February for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in April for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in May for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in June for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in July for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in August for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in September for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in October for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in November for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in December for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Cliff Clavin Musings: Timeless Trivia Tidbits Trace Tantalizing Tourney Trail
The amazing six-overtime thriller between Connecticut and Syracuse in the 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals is relatively easy to remember. But one of the most titillating tourney tidbits among all leagues that gets overlooked because the Southwest Conference is defunct remains Texas Tech's Rick Bullock single-handedly outscoring the "Triplets" from Arkansas (Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph and Sidney Moncrief) by seven points, 44-37, when he set the SWC's single-game tournament scoring record in the 1976 semifinals.
As league tourney action commences, don't hesitate to capitalize on the links for the current Division I conferences cited below to refresh your memory about past champions and events. Following are many of the names and numbers of note only Cliff Clavin knows regarding previous conference tournament competition you can reflect upon as teams tune up for the main event by jockeying for position in the NCAA playoff bracket:
America East - The 1989 North Atlantic Tournament was dubbed the MIT (Measles Invitational Tourney) because all spectators were banned due to a measles outbreak. Delaware competed for 17 years in the East Coast Conference and never won an ECC Tournament championship. But the Blue Hens entered the AEC predecessor, the North Atlantic, in 1992 and won their first-ever title and went to the NCAA playoffs for the initial time. They successfully defended their crown the next year before closing out the decade with another set of back-to-back tourney titles.
American Athletic - In their lone season as members of the conference, Louisville (joined ACC) routed Rutgers (Big Ten), 92-31, in 2014.
Atlantic Coast - Maryland, ranking fourth in both polls, lost in overtime against eventual NCAA champion North Carolina State, 103-100, in the 1974 final in what some believe might have been the greatest college game ever played. Three players from each team earned All-American honors during their careers - North Carolina State's David Thompson, Tom Burleson and Monte Towe plus Maryland's John Lucas, Len Elmore and Tom McMillen. The Terrapins had four players score at least 20 points - Lucas, McMillen, Owen Brown and Mo Howard - in a 20-point victory over 22-6 North Carolina (105-85) in the semifinals. The Terps, of course, didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs that year because a 32-team bracket allowing teams other than the league champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from the same conference wasn't adopted until the next season. Duke and/or Carolina participated in every tourney final from 1996 until 2021.
Atlantic Sun - Belmont hit 12 of 19 first-half shots from beyond the arc in the 2007 final against top seed East Tennessee State.
Atlantic 10 - Temple reached the tourney semifinals 19 consecutive seasons in one stretch.
Big East - St. John's doesn't seem to have any advantage at Madison Square Garden. It lost five consecutive tourney games on its homecourt by an average margin of 11.4 points from 1987 through 1991.
Big Sky - Montana, capitalizing on a homecourt advantage, overcame a jinx by winning back-to-back tournament titles in 1991 and 1992. The Grizzlies had just two losing regular-season league records from 1976 through 1990, but they didn't win the tournament title in that span, losing the championship game five times from 1978 through 1984.
Big South - The No. 1 seed won this unpredictable tourney only five times in the first 17 years. Radford failed to reach the postseason tournament final for nine years until capturing the event in 1998.
Big Ten - Illinois won as many games in the 1999 tourney as the Illini did in regular-season conference competition that season (3-13). Northwestern, en route to its initial NCAA playoff appearance, scored 31 unanswered points in the first half of a 2017 quarterfinal game against Rutgers.
Big 12 - Kansas won the first three championship games from 1997 through 1999 by at least 14 points. No Texas-based member won tourney title until the Longhorns in 2021.
Big West - Pacific didn't compile a winning league record from 1979 through 1992, but the Tigers climaxed three consecutive appearances in the tournament semifinals by advancing to the '92 championship game.
Colonial - Navy, seeded No. 8 in 1991 in its last year in the tournament before joining the Patriot League, upset top seed James Madison in overtime, 85-82, in the opening round.
Conference USA - Three of four C-USA Tournament champions from 1997 through 2000 won four games in four days. Cincinnati captured six league tournament titles in seven years from 1992 through 1998 in the Great Midwest and C-USA.
Horizon League - The first two tournament winners (Oral Roberts '80 and Oklahoma City '81) of the league's forerunner, the Midwestern City, subsequently shed Division I status and de-emphasized to the NAIA level. ORU, which also won the crown in 1984, returned to Division I status in 1993-94. Butler lost its first 12 games in the tourney until breaking into the win column in 1992.
Ivy League - Harvard aspired to become the fourth different member to win the conference's postseason tournament in the first four years of the event until the alliance tucked tail and ran, cancelling the event due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
Metro Atlantic Athletic - Eight different schools won the tournament title in an eight-year span from 1992 through 1999.
Mid-American - Bowling Green never has won the MAC Tournament. John Whorton, tourney MVP in 1999 when guiding Kent State to its initial NCAA playoff appearance, won $1.3 million with his wife in late 2016 on a NBC game show, "The Wall," created and produced by Akron native LeBron James.
Mid-Eastern Athletic - North Carolina A&T won seven consecutive titles from 1982 through 1988. The Aggies defeated Howard in the championship game each of the first six years of their streak with the middle four of them decided by a total of only 17 points.
Missouri Valley - Indiana State won only two of its next 20 MVC tourney games after All-American Larry Bird led the Sycamores to the 1979 title.
Mountain West - Not once has Air Force reached the championship game of the WAC or Mountain West.
Northeast - The final pitted the top two seeds against each other 11 times in a 13-year span from 1983 through 1995.
Ohio Valley - Former member Western Kentucky reached the championship game in eight of the OVC's first 10 tourneys. Tennessee Tech won only one tournament game from 1975 through 1992.
Pacific-12 - Arizona won the last three tourney finals from 1988 through 1990 by a minimum of 16 points before the league discontinued the event until reviving it in 2002.
Patriot League - No seed worse than third reached the championship game in the first 20 years of event from 1991 through 2010.
SEC - Seven of the 13 tourney MVPs from 1979 through 1991 didn't play for the champion. One of them, LSU's John Williams, didn't even compete in the 1986 title game. Although Kentucky standout center Alex Groza saw limited action in the 1947 tournament because of a back injury, the Wildcats cruised to victories over Vanderbilt (98-29), Auburn (84-18), Georgia Tech (75-53) and Tulane (55-38). UK was also without Converse All-American guard Jack Parkinson (serving in the military), but the five-man all-tourney team was comprised of nothing but Wildcats - forwards Jack Tingle and Joe Holland, center Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones and guards Ken Rollins and Ralph Beard. UK (24) has won more than half of the SEC's tourneys.
Southern - Furman's Jerry Martin, an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets from 1974 through 1984, was named MVP in the 1971 tournament after the 6-1 guard led the Paladins to the title with 22-, 36- and 19-point performances to pace the tourney in scoring. Two years earlier, current Davidson coach Bob McKillop scored three points for East Carolina against the Lefty Driesell-coached Wildcats in the 1969 SC Tournament championship game.
Southland - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons outscored Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, 47-6, when Lyons established a still existing single-game scoring record in the 1983 tournament quarterfinals. Malone led the SLC in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and steals (1.9 spg) that season as a freshman before going on to score more than 30,000 points in the NBA. Two years earlier, McNeese State won a first-round game after going winless in regular-season conference competition.
SWAC - Regular-season champion Grambling State lost by 50 points to Southern (105-55) in the 1987 final. An interesting twist that year was the fact Bob Hopkins, Grambling's first-year coach, had coached Southern the previous three seasons.
Summit League - The first tournament final in 1984 featured two teams with losing league records in regular-season competition (Western Illinois and Cleveland State).
Sun Belt - South Alabama's stall didn't prevent the Jaguars from losing to New Orleans, 22-20, on Nate Mills' last-second jumper in the 1978 final. The next season, the Sun Belt became the first league to experiment with a 45-second shot clock. The four different schools that accounted for the participants in six consecutive finals from 1980 through 1985 went on to join other conferences - UAB, Old Dominion, South Florida and Virginia Commonwealth. Two-time champion Charlotte also abandoned ship.
West Coast - Gonzaga has participated in tourney final for the last 23 years from 1998 through 2020. The top two seeds didn't meet in the championship game until 2000. The most tragic moment in the history of any conference tournament occurred in the semifinals of the 1990 event at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed on his home court during the Lions' game with Portland. He died later that evening and the tournament was suspended. The Lions earned the NCAA Tournament bid because of their regular-season crown and advanced to the West Regional final behind the heroics of Bo Kimble, who was Gathers' longtime friend from Philadelphia.
Western Athletic - The tourney's biggest upset occurred in 1990 when No. 9 seed Air Force defeated No. 1 seed Colorado State in the quarterfinals, 58-51. Hawaii's Carl English, averaging 3.9 points per game as a freshman during the regular season, had a season-high 25 in a 78-72 overtime victory against host Tulsa in the 2001 final.
Shooting Stars: NCAA DI Conference Tournament Individual Scoring Marks
Detroit guard Antoine Davis abused Robert Morris with 46 points, breaking Horizon League Tournament scoring record of 45 set by Byron Larkin of Xavier in 1986. Davis is on precipice of joining Louisiana State's Pistol Pete Maravich as the only two players in NCAA history averaging at least 24 points per game in three straight seasons while playing under their father.
Do you know the individual boasting highest-scoring game in history in an NCAA Division I conference postseason tournament is a genuine gamebreaker-turned-lawbreaker? You can find him in prison serving a life sentence without parole after facing felony charges stemming from automobile hijacking, kidnapping the driver by holding a gun to his head and robbing a convenience store following a 3 1/2-year stint in prison for a probation violation. Well, it's Marshall guard Skip Henderson, who erupted for 55 points in the 1988 Southern Conference quarterfinals against The Citadel. Marshall (also C-USA) and Texas Tech (Big 12 and SWC) are the only schools to have two players hold existing league tourney scoring marks in two different NCAA Division I alliances.
Three mid-major leagues - America East (twice after three-time MVP Jameel Warney's 18-of-22 field-goal shooting five years ago for Stony Brook), Ivy League (Bryce Aiken two years ago) and Summit - provide the only players setting existing NCAA DI conference tournament scoring marks in a tourney final. All-Americans Lennie Rosenbluth (North Carolina) and Cliff Hagan (Kentucky) accounted for the two of following DI league tourney scoring standards (ACC and SEC) standing since the 1950s:
| Conference | Round | Record Holder | School | HG | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| America East | Final | Taylor Coppenrath | Vermont | 43 | Maine | 3-13-04 |
| America East | Final | Jameel Warney | Stony Brook | 43 | Vermont | 3-12-16 |
| American Athletic | Semifinal | Russ Smith | Louisville | 42 | Houston | 3-14-14 |
| Atlantic Coast | Quarterfinal | Lennie Rosenbluth | North Carolina | 45 | Clemson | 3-7-57 |
| Atlantic Sun | Quarterfinal | Reggie Gibbs | Houston Baptist | 43 | Georgia Southern | 3-7-89 |
| Atlantic 10 | Quarterfinal | Tom Garrick | Rhode Island | 50 | Rutgers | 3-7-88 |
| Big East | Quarterfinal | Donyell Marshall | Connecticut | 42 | St. John's | 3-11-94 |
| Big Eight | Quarterfinal | Eric Piatkowski | Nebraska | 42 | Oklahoma | 3-11-94 |
| Big Sky | First | Randy Onwuasor | Southern Utah | 43 | Montana State | 3-7-17 |
| Big South | Quarterfinal | Chris Clemons | Campbell | 51 | UNC Asheville | 3-2-17 |
| Big Ten | First | Michael Thompson | Northwestern | 35 | Minnesota | 3-10-11 |
| Big 12 | First | Mike Singletary | Texas Tech | 43 | Texas A&M | 3-11-09 |
| Big West | First | Josh Akognon | Cal State Fullerton | 37 | UC Riverside | 3-11-09 |
| Colonial | Semifinal | Justin Wright-Foreman | Hofstra | 42 | Delaware | 3-11-19 |
| C-USA | Semifinal | Trey Freeman | Old Dominion) | 42 | Western Kentucky | 3-11-16 |
| Horizon League | First | Antoine Davis | Detroit | 46 | Robert Morris | 2-25-21 |
| Ivy League | Final | Bryce Aiken | Harvard | 38 | Yale | 3-17-19 |
| Metro Atlantic | Quarterfinal | Kevin Houston | Army | 53 | Fordham | 2-28-87 |
| Mid-American | Semifinal | Ron Harper | Miami (Ohio) | 45 | Ball State | 3-8-85 |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic | First | Richard Toussaint | Bethune-Cookman | 49 | Morgan State | 3-11-03 |
| Missouri Valley | Quarterfinal | Hersey Hawkins | Bradley | 41 | Indiana State | 3-5-88 |
| Mountain West | Semifinal | Jimmer Fredette | Brigham Young | 52 | New Mexico | 3-11-11 |
| Northeast | Quarterfinal | Rahsaan Johnson | Monmouth | 40 | St. Francis (N.Y.) | 3-3-00 |
| Ohio Valley | Quarterfinal | Charles "Bubba" Wells | Austin Peay | 43 | Morehead State | 2-25-97 |
| Pac-12 | Quarterfinal | Klay Thompson | Washington State | 43 | Washington | 3-10-11 |
| Patriot League | Quarterfinal | Joe Knight | Lehigh | 45 | Colgate | 3-4-05 |
| Southeastern | Semifinal | Cliff Hagan | Kentucky | 42 | Tennessee | 3-1-52 |
| Southeastern | Quarterfinal | Melvin Turpin | Kentucky | 42 | Georgia | 3-8-84 |
| Southern | Quarterfinal | James "Skip" Henderson | Marshall | 55 | The Citadel | 3-4-88 |
| Southland | Quarterfinal | Kenneth Lyons | North Texas | 47 | Louisiana Tech | 3-10-83 |
| Southwest | Semifinal | Rick Bullock | Texas Tech | 44 | Arkansas | 3-5-76 |
| Southwestern Athletic | unavailable | unavailable | unavailable | TBD | unavailable | TBD |
| Summit League | Final | Bill Edwards | Wright State | 38 | Illinois-Chicago | 3-8-93 |
| Sun Belt | Quarterfinal | Dee Brown | Jacksonville | 41 | Old Dominion | 3-3-90 |
| West Coast | Quarterfinal | Tim Owens | San Francisco | 45 | Loyola Marymount | 3-2-91 |
| Western Athletic | Quarterfinal | Mike Jones | Texas Christian | 44 | Fresno State | 3-6-97 |
NOTE: Scoring outbursts by Fredette (Mountain West), Garrick (Atlantic 10), Gibbs (Atlantic Sun), Harper (Mid-American), Henderson (Southern), Houston (Metro Atlantic Athletic), Lyons (Southland) and Piatkowski (Big Eight) are also existing school single-game standards. Warney's output is highest for Stony Brook at DI level.
Senior Celebrations: Pensive Parents Pause at Heart-piercing Homecourt Exit
Naturally, coast-to-coast parental pride displayed during Senior Night or Day the end of February and early March doesn't necessarily need to stem from athletics. Amid proper priorities (including not always being offended by characters in Dr. Seuss books), your child didn't have to be the best but he had to try his level best even amid a disruptive coronavirus.
A parent knows life goes on after the anticipation of a senior salute. But how can a mom and dad express appreciation for all of the memories shared together?
Adding sports as a factor for authentic student-athletes makes the lessons-learned equation more complex. Culminating at bittersweet senior celebration, it takes a significant amount of resilience to endure withdrawal from all of the devotion and emotion, last-second decisive shots, motivational talks coping with occasional slump, chance to dance in postseason competition, title dream dashed in close contest, team awards banquet, etc., etc., etc.
Who would have thought the first time he picked up a ball that he would make such a difference and stand so tall? Reflecting on all they've experienced, the parent is fortunate to still have a pulse whether their offspring is a walk-on or walks to center court as team standout.
It's easy enough to substitute girl for boy in the following poem portraying a parent trying to come to terms with an impending spread-their-wings departure; whether it be from high school to college or from college to the "real world." These reflections might be therapeutic if you went through a similar range of emotions amid whatever success your own flesh and blood enjoyed along the way.
Lord, there's a little thing I need to know
Where in the world did my little boy go?
Perplexed from time to time but one thing I know today
I'm a proud parent beyond words; what more can I say
Kids go through stages but not with this sort of speed
It was only yesterday he was unable to read
Wasn't it just months ago he went from crawl to walk
Hard-headed as a mule; certainly knew how to balk
Took one day at a time raising him the very best we could
Now inspires those around him just like we believed he would
High achiever turning a corner in his life
He has got what it takes to cope with any strife
Can't carry a tune but set school shooting star records
Now, the game-of-life clock dwindles from minutes to seconds
So angels above please watch over him daily
Although some of his antics may drive you crazy
He represents everything that I value the most
For that very reason, I'm offering a toast
But if he feels sorry for himself and about to give up
Do not hesitate to give him a gentle kick in the rump
Remembering what I did wrong but at least a couple things right
Always said you could do it; just try with all your might
I just yearn to see all of his grandest plans come true
God, it's my turn to have a great commission for You
Be with him, bless him and give him nothing but success
Aid his climb up that mountain; settle for nothing less
Guide his steps in the dark and rain
Pick up the pieces and ease any pain
Time to share our best with the remainder of the world
It is much like having a family flag unfurled
How can a once infant son make grown man cry
Groping for right words trying to say goodbye
To me, he'll always be a pure and spotless lamb
Cradled in our arms or holding his little hand
If I was Elton John, I'd tell everyone this is "Your Poem"
Simply sing how wonderful life was with you in our home
My soul swells with pride at any mention of you
How long gone are you going to be; wish I knew
Sure don't believe it is at all out of line
To seek to rebound for you just one more time
Although you're going to be many miles away
I will see you in my heart each and every day
So go down that windy path; don't you dare look back
You've found faith; it will keep you on the right track
He's headed for real world and all it offers
But first, here are your final marching orders
Always do the very best you possibly can
Refuse to lose even when you don't understand
There's no telling the goals you will be able to reach
By giving proper respect to instructors who teach
Aspire each and every day you wake
Not to waste a single breath you take
Might as well let all of your ability show
Because those gifts turn to dust whenever you "go"
Don't bury your talents in the ground
Lend helping hand to those you're around
I'll never forget the times when you were all you could be
Rose to the occasion and sent playoff game to OT
Cherish all the moments - the hugs and tears
For all your passion play through these years
My little guy is bound far beyond a Final Four
Poised for more success; prosperity at his door
All things are possible; he has found out
How much I love him is what I'm thinking about
Wherever you go, you'll be best from beginning to end
To that most truthful statement, I say Amen and Amen
After Senior Night, I'll stroll into your off-limits room
Try to keep my composure when it seems like doom and gloom
You will always be on my mind
But nothing like gut-wrenching time
When I ask the Lord a big thing I need to know
Where in His big world will His maturing man go?
Picture Perfect: Will Gonzaga or Baylor Become 13th Team to Go Unbeaten?
"We will either find a way or make one." - Hannibal, Carthaginian military commander
UCLA, in a stellar 10-year stretch from 1963-64 through 1972-73 ruling the scene much like Hannibal, accounted for four of only 12 major-college squads to go undefeated since the start of national tournament postseason competition in the late 1930s. Gonzaga and Baylor, both boasting approval ratings escalating similar to Reddit thread telling millennials to purchase stock, are competing to become Unbeaten #13.
Kentucky was soundly whipped by undefeated LIU in 1938-39 prior to the Wildcats going unbeaten themselves 15 years later. The average number of defeats the previous year for the first 12 unbeaten teams was five. The only time in major-college history two undefeated major colleges met in a national postseason tournament was the 1939 NIT final between Loyola of Chicago and Long Island University. LIU (23-0) defeated Loyola (21-1), 44-32.
In a seven-year span, all-time greats Lew Alcindor (UCLA in 1966-67), Bill Walton (UCLA in 1971-72) and David Thompson (North Carolina State in 1972-73) weren't freshmen but they were in their first season of varsity eligibility when leading their unbeaten teams in scoring. Alcindor (29 ppg), Lennie Rosenbluth (28 ppg with North Carolina in 1956-57) and Thompson (24.7 ppg) tallied the three highest-scoring averages among these undefeated squads.
Each of the dozen unbeaten major universities had at least one outing decided by fewer than eight points. Following is chronological list of schedules and team statistics for the 12 squads, including last one to achieve feat in 1975-76 (Indiana won five regular-season games by fewer than five points or in overtime), to emerge undefeated since the start of national tournament postseason competition:
Long Island (23-0 in 1938-39)
Coach: Clair Bee (eighth of 18 seasons with Blackbirds)
| 1938-39 LIU Opponents | Score | LIU's High Scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Newark University (N.J.) | 64-14 | George Newman 14 |
| Panzer College | 41-35 | Daniel Kaplowitz 15 |
| Princeton/Seminary | 82-37 | John Bromberg/Irv Torgoff 10 |
| McGill University (Quebec) | 77-39 | Irv Torgoff 12 |
| Montclair Teachers College (N.J.) | 63-40 | Irv Torgoff 10 |
| East Stroudsburg Teachers (Pa.) | 63-33 | John Bromberg 14 |
| Southern California | 33-18 | Daniel Kaplowitz 12 |
| Kentucky | 52-34 | John Bromberg 12 |
| Marquette | 41-34 | Arthur Hillhouse 14 |
| New York Athletic Club | 64-43 | Arthur Hillhouse 15 |
| Toledo | 46-39 | Irv Torgoff 18 |
| Geneva College (Pa.) | 48-39 | Irv Torgoff 15 |
| Duquesne | 48-31 | John Bromberg 13 |
| Scranton (Pa.) | 65-53 | Daniel Kaplowitz 16 |
| Canisius | 62-50 | Myron Sewitch 15 |
| St. Francis (N.Y.) | 61-20 | Ossie Schechtman 13 |
| St. Bonaventure | 70-31 | Irv Torgoff 12 |
| University of Baltimore | 52-34 | Daniel Kaplowitz 9 |
| John Marshall College | 65-25 | Irv Torgoff 11 |
| at La Salle | 28-21 | Daniel Kaplowitz 7 |
| New Mexico State (NIT) | 52-45 | Irv Torgoff 14 |
| Bradley (NIT) | 36-32 | John Bromberg 12 |
| Loyola of Chicago (NIT) | 44-32 | Irv Torgoff 12 |
NOTES: La Salle game technically played on a neutral court (Philadelphia Convention Hall). . . . NIT games played at Madison Square Garden.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR LIU REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irv Torgoff | F | Sr. | 23 | 9.5 |
| Daniel Kaplowitz | F | Sr. | 23 | 8.1 |
| *Arthur Hillhouse | C | Sr. | 12 | 7.1 |
| John Bromberg | G | Sr. | 23 | 6.6 |
| Oscar "Ossie" Schechtman | G | Soph. | 22 | 4.8 |
| Seymour "Cy" Lobello | C | Soph. | 22 | 4.4 |
| **Dolly King | C | Soph. | 10 | 4.0 |
| Myron Sewitch | C | Sr. | 21 | 3.9 |
| Solomon Schwartz | G | Soph. | 22 | 3.8 |
| George Newman | G | Sr. | 23 | 3.5 |
| Joseph Shelly | G | Soph. | 20 | 3.5 |
| Irving Zeitlin | G | Soph. | 18 | 1.7 |
| Maxwell Sharf | G-F | Soph. | 16 | 1.4 |
*Hillhouse completed eligibility at the end of the first semester.
**King became eligible at the start of the second semester.
Seton Hall (19-0 in 1939-40)
Coach: John "Honey" Russell (fourth of 18 seasons with Pirates)
| 1939-40 Seton Hall Opponents | Date | Score | Pirates High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alumni | D8 | 45-29 | Nick Parpan 12 |
| Mount St. Mary's | D18 | 58-32 | Ed Sadowski 13 |
| Tulane | D20 | 53-25 | Bob Davies 9 |
| Florida | D28 | 43-41 | Bob Davies/Ed Sadowski 13 |
| William & Mary | J6 | 51-35 | Ed Sadowski 17 |
| at Scranton | J12 | 48-32 | Ed Sadowski 17 |
| Becker | J17 | 69-29 | Ed Sadowski 14 |
| at Kutztown (Pa.) | J24 | 42-34 | Ed Sadowski 15 |
| Loyola (Md.) | F2 | 50-40 | Ed Sadowski 13 |
| at St. Peter's | F3 | 55-27 | Bernie Coyle 13 |
| at Brooklyn | F5 | 51-34 | Bob Fischer 13 |
| Rider | F9 | 44-32 | Bob Davies/John Ruthenberg 8 |
| St. Francis (Pa.) | F14 | 48-36 | Bob Davies 17 |
| St. Bonaventure | F17 | 46-41 | Bob Davies 19 |
| Kutztown (Pa.) | F21 | 53-33 | Bob Davies 15 |
| Canisius | F23 | 52-46 | Bob Davies 17 |
| Catholic (D.C.) | F26 | 53-27 | Edward Ryan 13 |
| Brooklyn | F28 | 43-41 | Frank Delany 16 |
| Scranton (Pa.) | M1 | 68-39 | Bob Davies 16 |
NOTE: Seton Hall played its home games at five different arenas - East Orange High School, Elizabeth Armory, Orange Armory, Orange High School and Dickinson High School (Jersey City).
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR SETON HALL REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Sadowski* | C | Sr. | 9 | 12.2 |
| Bob Davies | F | Soph. | 18 | 11.8 |
| Bob Fischer | F | Soph. | 18 | 4.9 |
| John Ruthenberg | G-C | Soph. | 19 | 4.7 |
| Bob Holm | G | Soph. | 17 | 4.2 |
| Frank Delany | G-F | Sr. | 19 | 3.8 |
| Bernie Coyle | G-F | Sr. | 18 | 3.7 |
| Nick Parpan | G-F | Jr. | 14 | 3.4 |
| Ken Pine | C | Soph. | 16 | 3.2 |
| Ray Studwell | F-G | Soph. | 18 | 1.2 |
*Sadowski missed the second half of the season because of a broken kneecap.
Army/U.S. Military Academy (15-0 in winter of 1944)
Coach: Ed Kelleher (first of two seasons with Cadets)
| 1943-44 Army Opponents | Score | Army's High Scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Swarthmore (Pa.) | 80-29 | Bob Faas 20 |
| Colgate | 69-44 | Dale Hall 18 |
| St. John's | 49-36 | Dale Hall 21 |
| at Columbia | 55-37 | Dale Hall 17 |
| Penn State | 49-38 | Dale Hall 14 |
| Coast Guard | 55-37 | Doug Kenna 11 |
| West Virginia | 58-31 | Dale Hall 18 |
| at Rochester (N.Y.) | 57-43 | Dale Hall 23 |
| Pittsburgh | 66-32 | Ed Christl 16 |
| Hobart (N.Y.) | 69-36 | Dale Hall/Doug Kenna 20 |
| Pennsylvania | 55-38 | Dale Hall 18 |
| Villanova | 34-22 | Dale Hall 23 |
| New York University | 46-36 | Dale Hall 18 |
| Maryland | 85-22 | Dale Hall 32 |
| Navy | 47-40 | Doug Kenna 17 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR ARMY REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Hall | F | Jr. | 15 | 18.2 |
| Doug Kenna | G | Jr. | 15 | 10.1 |
| Ed Christl | C | Sr. | 12 | 8.3 |
| Bob Faas | F | Sr. | 15 | 7.1 |
| Bill Ekberg | C | Jr. | 15 | 4.7 |
| Jack Hennessey | G | Sr. | 15 | 1.7 |
Kentucky (25-0 in 1953-54)
Coach: Adolph Rupp (24th of 41 seasons with Wildcats)
| 1953-54 UK Opponents | Date | Score | UK's High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | D5 | 86-59 | Cliff Hagan 51 |
| at Xavier | D12 | 81-66 | Frank Ramsey 27 |
| Wake Forest | D14 | 101-69 | Cliff Hagan 18 |
| at St. Louis | D18 | 71-59 | Frank Ramsey 21 |
| Duke | D21 | 85-69 | Cliff Hagan 27 |
| La Salle | D22 | 73-60 | Cliff Hagan 28 |
| Minnesota | D28 | 74-59 | Frank Ramsey 23 |
| Xavier | J4 | 77-71 | Cliff Hagan 20 |
| Georgia Tech | J9 | 105-53 | Cliff Hagan 34 |
| DePaul | J11 | 81-63 | Cliff Hagan/Frank Ramsey 22 |
| Tulane | J16 | 94-43 | Frank Ramsey 26 |
| at Tennessee | J23 | 97-71 | Frank Ramsey 37 |
| at Vanderbilt | J30 | 85-63 | Frank Ramsey 24 |
| Georgia Tech* | F2 | 99-48 | Cliff Hagan 23 |
| Georgia | F4 | 106-55 | Frank Ramsey 29 |
| Georgia* | F6 | 100-68 | Cliff Hagan 29 |
| at Florida | F8 | 97-55 | Cliff Hagan 22 |
| Mississippi | F13 | 88-62 | Cliff Hagan 38 |
| Mississippi State | F15 | 81-49 | Cliff Hagan 26 |
| Tennessee | F18 | 90-63 | Cliff Hagan 24 |
| at DePaul | F20 | 76-61 | Cliff Hagan 29 |
| Vanderbilt | F22 | 100-64 | Cliff Hagan 22 |
| Auburn* | F27 | 109-79 | Frank Ramsey 28 |
| at Alabama | M1 | 68-43 | Cliff Hagan 24 |
| Louisiana State* (SEC Playoff) | M9 | 63-56 | Frank Ramsey 30 |
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR KENTUCKY REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliff Hagan | F-C | Sr. | 25 | .455 | .691 | 24.0 | 13.5 |
| Frank Ramsey | G | Sr. | 25 | .416 | .729 | 19.6 | 8.8 |
| Lou Tsioropoulos | F | Sr. | 25 | .351 | .690 | 14.5 | 9.6 |
| Billy Evans | F-G | Jr. | 25 | .372 | .778 | 8.4 | 7.2 |
| Gayle Rose | G | Jr. | 23 | .346 | .646 | 6.7 | 1.3 |
| Phil Grawemeyer | F-C | Soph. | 25 | .372 | .543 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| Linville Puckett | G | Soph. | 24 | .295 | .673 | 5.1 | 2.2 |
| Bill Bibb | F | Soph. | 16 | .313 | .583 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 25 | .383 | .678 | 87.5 | 52.7 |
San Francisco (29-0 in 1955-56)
Coach: Phil Woolpert (fifth of nine seasons with Dons)
| 1955-56 USF Opponents | Date | Score | USF's High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chico State (Calif.) | D2 | 70-39 | Bill Russell 15 |
| Southern California | D3 | 58-42 | Bill Russell 24 |
| San Francisco State | D6 | 72-47 | Bill Russell 20 |
| Marquette* | D16 | 65-58 | Bill Russell 16 |
| at DePaul | D17 | 82-59 | K.C. Jones 23 |
| at Wichita | D20 | 75-65 | Bill Russell 17 |
| at Loyola of New Orleans | D23 | 61-43 | Bill Russell 20 |
| La Salle* | D26 | 79-62 | Bill Russell 26 |
| Holy Cross* | D27 | 67-51 | Bill Russell 24 |
| UCLA* | D28 | 70-53 | Bill Russell 17 |
| Pepperdine | J6 | 62-51 | Bill Russell 20 |
| Santa Clara | J10 | 74-56 | Mike Farmer 18 |
| at Fresno State | J13 | 69-50 | Bill Russell 22 |
| at California | J28 | 33-24 | K.C. Jones 15 |
| San Jose State | J31 | 67-40 | Bill Russell 21 |
| Loyola of Los Angeles | F3 | 68-46 | Carl Boldt 20 |
| at Pacific | F7 | 77-60 | Bill Russell 24 |
| Fresno State | F10 | 79-46 | Bill Russell 23 |
| at San Jose State | F14 | 76-52 | Bill Russell 21 |
| at St. Mary's | F17 | 76-63 | Bill Russell 28 |
| at Santa Clara | F24 | 80-44 | Bill Russell 29 |
| Pacific | F28 | 87-49 | Bill Russell 28 |
| at Pepperdine | M2 | 68-40 | Carl Boldt 14 |
| at Loyola of Los Angeles | M3 | 65-48 | Bill Russell 24 |
| St. Mary's | M6 | 82-49 | Bill Russell 22 |
| UCLA* (NCAA Tournament) | M16 | 72-61 | Gene Brown 23 |
| Utah* (NCAA Tournament) | M17 | 92-77 | Bill Russell 27 |
| Southern Methodist* (NCAA Tournament) | M22 | 86-68 | Mike Farmer 26 |
| Iowa* (NCAA Tournament) | M23 | 83-71 | Bill Russell 26 |
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR USF REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Russell | C | Sr. | 29 | .513 | .495 | 20.6 | 21.0 |
| K.C. Jones* | G | Sr. | 25 | .365 | .655 | 9.8 | 5.2 |
| Hal Perry | G | Sr. | 29 | .365 | .729 | 9.1 | 2.0 |
| Carl Boldt | F | Jr. | 28 | .326 | .783 | 8.6 | 5.0 |
| Mike Farmer | F | Soph. | 28 | .371 | .548 | 8.4 | 7.8 |
| Gene Brown | G | Soph. | 29 | .377 | .641 | 7.1 | 4.4 |
| Mike Preaseau | F | Soph. | 29 | .366 | .609 | 4.1 | 3.1 |
| Warren Baxter | G | Sr. | 26 | .301 | .667 | 2.2 | 0.7 |
| Bill Bush | G | Sr. | 22 | .208 | .625 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Jack King | F | Jr. | 22 | .162 | .462 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 29 | .388 | .604 | 72.2 | 54.2 |
*Ineligible for NCAA Tournament as a fifth-year player.
North Carolina (32-0 in 1956-57)
Coach: Frank McGuire (fifth of nine seasons with Tar Heels)
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR NORTH CAROLINA REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lennie Rosenbluth | F | Sr. | 32 | .483 | .758 | 28.0 | 8.8 |
| Pete Brennan | F | Jr. | 32 | .394 | .706 | 14.7 | 10.4 |
| Tommy Kearns | G | Jr. | 32 | .434 | .711 | 12.8 | 3.1 |
| Joe Quigg | C | Jr. | 31 | .434 | .719 | 10.3 | 8.6 |
| Bob Cunningham | G | Jr. | 32 | .393 | .598 | 7.2 | 6.7 |
| Tony Radovich | G | Sr. | 16 | .525 | .769 | 3.9 | 1.8 |
| Bill Hathaway | C | Soph. | 15 | .333 | .417 | 2.8 | 5.0 |
| Stan Groll | G | Soph. | 12 | .370 | .556 | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Bob Young | C | Sr. | 15 | .256 | .538 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Ken Rosemond | G | Jr. | 15 | .400 | .556 | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Danny Lotz | F | Soph. | 24 | .350 | .391 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 32 | .431 | .701 | 79.3 | 46.7 |
UCLA (30-0 in 1963-64)
Coach: John Wooden (16th of 27 seasons with Bruins)
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR UCLA REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gail Goodrich | G | Jr. | 30 | .458 | .711 | 21.5 | 5.2 |
| Walt Hazzard | G | Sr. | 30 | .445 | .718 | 18.6 | 4.7 |
| Jack Hirsch | F | Sr. | 30 | .528 | .664 | 14.0 | 7.6 |
| Keith Erickson | F | Jr. | 30 | .403 | .623 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
| Fred Slaughter | C | Sr. | 30 | .466 | .484 | 7.9 | 8.1 |
| Kenny Washington | F-G | Soph. | 30 | .458 | .627 | 6.1 | 4.2 |
| Doug McIntosh | C | Soph. | 30 | .519 | .500 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
| Kim Stewart | F | Sr. | 23 | .393 | .467 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| Rich Levin | F | Jr. | 19 | .372 | .500 | 2.0 | 0.6 |
| Mike Huggins | G | Sr. | 23 | .382 | .478 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| Chuck Darrow | G | Soph. | 23 | .379 | .583 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
| Vaughn Hoffman | C | Soph. | 21 | .476 | .500 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 30 | .455 | .644 | 88.9 | 55.7 |
UCLA (30-0 in 1966-67)
Coach: John Wooden (19th of 27 seasons with Bruins)
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR UCLA REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lew Alcindor | C | Soph. | 30 | .667 | .650 | 29.0 | 15.5 |
| Lucius Allen | G | Soph. | 30 | .479 | .713 | 15.5 | 5.8 |
| Mike Warren | G | Jr. | 30 | .465 | .758 | 12.7 | 4.5 |
| Lynn Shackelford | F | Soph. | 30 | .480 | .821 | 11.4 | 5.9 |
| Ken Heitz | F-G | Soph. | 30 | .506 | .600 | 6.1 | 3.2 |
| Bill Sweek | G | Soph. | 30 | .479 | .565 | 4.7 | 2.8 |
| Jim Nielsen | F-C | Soph. | 27 | .519 | .455 | 4.6 | 3.4 |
| Don Saffer | G | Jr. | 27 | .451 | .542 | 2.9 | 0.8 |
| Gene Sutherland | G | Jr. | 20 | .455 | .583 | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| Neville Saner | F-C | Jr. | 24 | .308 | .667 | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Joe Chrisman | F | Jr. | 19 | .320 | .364 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 30 | .520 | .653 | 89.6 | 49.8 |
UCLA (30-0 in 1971-72)
Coach: John Wooden (24th of 27 seasons with Bruins)
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR UCLA REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Walton | C | Soph. | 30 | .640 | .704 | 21.1 | 15.5 |
| Henry Bibby | G | Sr. | 30 | .450 | .806 | 15.7 | 3.5 |
| Keith Wilkes | F | Soph. | 30 | .531 | .696 | 13.5 | 8.2 |
| Larry Farmer | F | Jr. | 30 | .456 | .549 | 10.7 | 5.5 |
| Greg Lee | G | Soph. | 29 | .492 | .824 | 8.7 | 2.0 |
| Larry Hollyfield | F | Jr. | 30 | .514 | .651 | 7.3 | 3.3 |
| Swen Nater | C | Jr. | 29 | .535 | .609 | 6.7 | 4.8 |
| Tommy Curtis | G | Soph. | 30 | .437 | .636 | 4.1 | 2.1 |
| Andy Hill | G | Sr. | 26 | .356 | .709 | 2.7 | 0.8 |
| Vince Carson | F | Soph. | 28 | .400 | .667 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Jon Chapman | F | Sr. | 28 | .465 | .500 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Gary Franklin | F | Soph. | 26 | .412 | .438 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 30 | .504 | .695 | 94.6 | 54.9 |
UCLA (30-0 in 1972-73)
Coach: John Wooden (25th of 27 seasons with Bruins)
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR UCLA REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Walton | C | Jr. | 30 | .650 | .569 | 20.4 | 16.9 |
| Keith Wilkes | F | Jr. | 30 | .525 | .652 | 14.8 | 7.3 |
| Larry Farmer | F | Sr. | 30 | .511 | .701 | 12.2 | 5.0 |
| Larry Hollyfield | G | Sr. | 30 | .466 | .492 | 10.7 | 2.9 |
| Tommy Curtis | G | Jr. | 24 | .512 | .667 | 6.4 | 1.7 |
| Dave Meyers | F | Soph. | 28 | .477 | .756 | 4.9 | 2.9 |
| Greg Lee | G | Jr. | 30 | .473 | .790 | 4.6 | 1.3 |
| Swen Nater | C | Sr. | 29 | .459 | .652 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Pete Trgovich | G-F | Soph. | 25 | .382 | .400 | 3.1 | 1.7 |
| Vince Carson | F | Jr. | 26 | .514 | .471 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| Gary Franklin | F | Jr. | 24 | .485 | .500 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Bob Webb | G | Jr. | 21 | .148 | .833 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 30 | .519 | .632 | 81.3 | 49.0 |
Assists leader: Walton 168.
North Carolina State (27-0 in 1972-73)
Coach: Norman Sloan (seventh of 14 seasons with Wolfpack)
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR N.C. STATE REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Thompson | F | Soph. | 27 | .569 | .825 | 24.7 | 8.1 |
| Tom Burleson | C | Jr. | 27 | .512 | .730 | 17.9 | 12.0 |
| Monte Towe | G | Soph. | 27 | .468 | .729 | 10.0 | 1.7 |
| Rick Holdt | F | Sr. | 27 | .531 | .660 | 8.3 | 3.7 |
| Tim Stoddard | F | Soph. | 27 | .482 | .569 | 7.9 | 5.3 |
| Joe Cafferky | G | Sr. | 25 | .569 | .767 | 7.2 | 2.1 |
| Greg Hawkins | F | Jr. | 25 | .448 | .706 | 5.6 | 3.3 |
| Mark Moeller | G | Soph. | 27 | .579 | .516 | 4.7 | 1.6 |
| Steve Nuce | F | Jr. | 26 | .474 | .571 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
| Craig Kuszmaul | G | Soph. | 19 | .667 | .400 | 2.4 | 0.9 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 27 | .520 | .715 | 92.9 | 46.5 |
INDIANA (32-0 in 1975-76)
Coach: Bob Knight (fifth of 29 seasons with Hoosiers)
| 1975-76 IU Opponents | Date | Score | IU's High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA* | N29 | 84-64 | Scott May 33 |
| Florida State* | D8 | 83-59 | Scott May 24 |
| Notre Dame | D11 | 63-60 | Scott May 25 |
| Kentucky* | D15 | 77-68 (OT) | Kent Benson/Scott May 27 |
| Georgia | D19 | 93-56 | Scott May 18 |
| Virginia Tech | D20 | 101-74 | Scott May 27 |
| Columbia* | D26 | 106-63 | Kent Benson 15 |
| Manhattan* | D27 | 97-61 | Scott May 32 |
| at St. John's | D28 | 76-69 | Scott May 29 |
| at Ohio State | J3 | 66-64 | Scott May 24 |
| Northwestern | J5 | 78-61 | Kent Benson 22 |
| at Michigan | J10 | 80-74 | Kent Benson 33 |
| at Michigan State | J12 | 69-57 | Kent Benson 23 |
| at Illinois | J17 | 83-55 | Scott May 27 |
| Purdue | J19 | 71-67 | Scott May 32 |
| at Minnesota | J24 | 85-76 | Tom Abernethy 22 |
| at Iowa | J26 | 88-73 | Scott May 32 |
| Wisconsin | J31 | 114-61 | Scott May 30 |
| Michigan | F7 | 72-67 (OT) | Scott May 27 |
| Michigan State | F9 | 85-70 | Kent Benson 38 |
| Illinois | F14 | 58-48 | Kent Benson 17 |
| at Purdue | F16 | 74-71 | Scott May 26 |
| Minnesota | F21 | 76-64 | Tom Abernethy 22 |
| Iowa | F23 | 101-81 | Quinn Buckner 24 |
| at Wisconsin | F26 | 96-67 | Scott May 41 |
| at Northwestern | M1 | 76-63 | Scott May 24 |
| Ohio State | M6 | 96-67 | Kent Benson/Scott May 21 |
| St. John's* (NCAA Tournament) | M13 | 90-70 | Scott May 33 |
| Alabama* (NCAA Tournament) | M18 | 74-69 | Scott May 25 |
| Marquette* (NCAA Tournament) | M20 | 65-56 | Kent Benson 18 |
| UCLA* (NCAA Tournament) | M27 | 65-51 | Kent Benson 16 |
| Michigan* (NCAA Tournament) | M29 | 86-68 | Scott May 26 |
*Neutral court games.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS FOR INDIANA REGULARS
| Player | Pos. | Class | G. | FG% | FT% | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott May | F | Sr. | 32 | .527 | .782 | 23.5 | 7.7 |
| Kent Benson | C | Jr. | 32 | .578 | .684 | 17.3 | 8.8 |
| Tom Abernethy | F | Sr. | 32 | .561 | .743 | 10.0 | 5.3 |
| Quinn Buckner | G | Sr. | 32 | .441 | .488 | 8.9 | 2.8 |
| Bobby Wilkerson | G-F | Sr. | 32 | .493 | .630 | 7.8 | 4.9 |
| Wayne Radford | G | Soph. | 30 | .563 | .712 | 4.7 | 2.1 |
| Jim Crews | G | Sr. | 31 | .468 | .857 | 3.3 | 0.7 |
| Jim Wisman | G | Soph. | 26 | .367 | .724 | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| Rich Valavicius | F | Fr. | 28 | .483 | .625 | 2.4 | 1.8 |
| TEAM TOTALS | 32 | .517 | .698 | 82.1 | 41.4 |
Assists leader: Wilkerson 171.
Blocked shots leader: Benson 39.
Steals leader: Buckner 65.
Presidential Candidates Way: Numerous Politicians Played College Hoops
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 recently-deceased Rush Limbaugh was infinitely more talented than them 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 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and backtracking press puke previously fawning over him. Essentially, the following lineup represents a rebuttal to the chronic complainers who cite politicians generally and writers specifically as individuals who don't know anything about sports generally and college hoops specifically. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Never Never Land: Cold Hard Facts Regarding Hoopdom Re-education Camps
"No, you never get any fun out of the things you haven't done." - Ogden Nash
To freedom loving red-white-and-blue-blooded Americans, Never Never Land is prospect of possible detainment in re-education camps promoted by press pestilence Katie Couric and Eugene Robinson. But nobody other than smug DC swamp cancel-culture creatures said it was going to be easy. The preceding quote definitely rang true for St. Francis PA until it left a portion of Never Never Land behind early this season by posting its first-ever victory against Pittsburgh after 29 defeats. Elsewhere, Baylor aspires to capture the Bears' initial Big 12 Conference title (regular season or league tourney). Complicated by coronavirus, following is a list of college basketball's noteworthy virgin territory:
84: Seasons for The Citadel failing to win Southern Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since the Bulldogs joined league in 1936-37.
82: Seasons for Big Ten Conference member Northwestern plus Ivy League members Harvard and Yale failing to participate in NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
67: Years for Clemson failing to win ACC Tournament title since formation of league in 1953-54.
50: Mountain West Conference entrants without any of them reaching an NCAA playoff regional final. . . . Years for Northwestern as only power-league member failing to lose undergraduate as high draft selection by the NBA or ABA since 1971.
43: Seasons for Duquesne failing to win Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship since its formation (Dukes out of league in 1992-93).
42: Seasons for no Big East Conference member to go unbeaten in league competition since its formation. . . . Seasons for Arizona State failing to win Pac-12 Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since the Sun Devils joined league in 1978-79 (league tourney commenced in 1987). . . . Seasons for Cliff Ellis as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final.
41: Seasons for Providence failing to win Big East Conference regular-season championship since formation of the league. . . . Seasons for Bowling Green failing to win Mid-American Conference Tournament championship since inception of event in 1980. . . . Seasons for Florida A&M failing to win MEAC regular-season championship since joining the league in 1979-80. . . . Seasons for Grambling failing to appear in NCAA Tournament since SWAC moved up to Division I status in 1979-80.
40: Seasons for MEAC and SWAC members never reaching Sweet 16 since number of automatic qualifiers was increased to at least 26 in 1981. . . . Seasons for no Northeast Conference member to go unbeaten in league competition since its formation.
39: Seasons without an undefeated team in Summit League competition since formation of conference when it was known as Mid-Continent. . . . Seasons for Saint Francis (N.Y.) failing to win Northeast Conference Tournament championship since formation of conference in 1981-82.
38: Seasons for William & Mary failing to win CAA Tournament championship since the Tribe joined conference in 1982-83. . . . Seasons for Maryland-Eastern Shore failing to win MEAC championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since the Hawks rejoined league at Division I level in 1982-83.
36: NCAA Tournament appearances for Notre Dame without the Fighting Irish reaching national championship contest.
35: Seasons for Hartford failing to win America East Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since the Hawks joined league in 1985-86.
34: NCAA Tournament appearances for Texas without the Longhorns winning a national championship. . . . Seasons for Stetson failing to win TAAC/Atlantic Sun Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since the Hatters joined league in 1986-87.
33: NCAA Tournament appearances for Temple without the Owls reaching a national final.
32: NCAA Tournament appearances for Oklahoma without the Sooners winning a national championship. . . . Seasons for Leonard Hamilton as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four.
31: NCAA Tournament appearances for Kansas State and Purdue without winning a national championship.
30: NCAA Tournament appearances for Illinois and St. John's without winning a national championship. . . . Seasons for Army failing to win Patriot League championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since formation of conference in 1990-91.
29: NCAA Tournament appearances for Brigham Young without the Cougars reaching a Final Four. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for West Virginia without the Mountaineers winning national title.
28: NCAA Tournament appearances for Xavier without the Muskeeters reaching a Final Four. . . . Seasons for Penn State failing to win Big Ten Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since the Nittany Lions joined league in 1992-93. . . . Seasons for Jeff Jones as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four.
27: NCAA Tournament appearances for Missouri without the Tigers reaching a Final Four.
26: Seasons for Herb Sendek as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final.
25: NCAA Tournament appearances for Princeton without the Tigers reaching a national final. . . . Seasons for Fordham and La Salle failing to win Atlantic 10 Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since both schools joined league in 1995-96. . . . Seasons for Steve Alford as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final. . . . Seasons for Fran O'Hanlon as Division I coach without posting an NCAA Tournament victory. . . . Seasons for Willis Wilson as Division I coach without participating in NCAA Tournament.
24: Seasons for Baylor failing to win Big 12 Conference championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since league's formation in 1996-97. . . . Seasons for Eastern Illinois failing to win Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship since the Panthers joined league in 1996-97. . . . Seasons for Cal Poly failing to win Big West Conference regular-season championship since the Mustangs joined league in 1996-97. . . . Seasons for Cal State Sacramento failing to finish among top two in Big Sky Conference standings or reach postseason tournament title game since joining league in 1996-97. . . . Seasons for Tommy Amaker as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final. . . . Seasons for Fran McCaffery as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
23: Seasons for Northwestern failing to reach Big Ten Conference Tournament championship contest since inception of event in 1997-98. . . . Seasons for Marist and Rider failing to win Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament championship since they joined the league in 1997-98. Marist never has reached MAAC tourney final. . . . Seasons for Dan Monson as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four.
22: NCAA Tournament appearances for Tennessee without the Volunteers reaching a Final Four. . . . Coaches for The Citadel (including Norm Sloan and Les Robinson) failing to reach NCAA playoffs with Bulldogs since inaugural event in 1939. . . . Seasons for Mark Gottfried as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four. . . . Seasons for Lorenzo Romar and Mark Turgeon as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final. . . . Seasons for Ron Hunter and Joe Mihalich as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. . . . Seasons for Greg Kampe and Bob Marlin as Division I coaches without posting an NCAA Tournament victory.
21: NCAA Tournament appearances for Alabama and Creighton without either school reaching a Final Four. . . . Coaches for Army-West Point (including Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski) failing to reach NCAA playoffs with Cadets since inaugural event in 1939. . . . Seasons for Gonzaga coach Mark Few without finishing lower than top two in West Coast Conference standings. . . . Seasons for Colorado State failing to win Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and Air Force failing to reach MWC Tournament title game since formation of league in 1999-00. . . . Seasons for Rod Barnes and Kermit Davis as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final. . . . Seasons for Mike McConathy as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
20: Seasons for Travis Ford as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
19: Coaches for William & Mary (including Bruce Parkhill and Charlie Woollum) failing to reach NCAA playoffs with Tribe since inaugural event in 1939. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Boston College without the Eagles reaching a regional final. . . . Seasons for Steve Donahue as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final. . . . Seasons for Greg McDermott and Mark Schmidt as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. . . . Seasons for Johnny Jones as Division I coach without posting an NCAA Tournament victory. . . . Seasons for Keith Richard as Division I coach without earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
18: Seasons for Mike Anderson and Scott Drew as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four. . . . Seasons for Brad Brownell as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final. . . . Seasons for Ritchie McKay and Rick Stansbury as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. . . . Seasons for Jim Christian as Division I coach without posting an NCAA Tournament victory. . . . Seasons for Tod Kowalczyk as Division I coach without appearing in NCAA Tournament.
17: NCAA playoff appearances for Murray State without the Racers reaching a Sweet 16. . . . NCAA playoff appearances for Miami (Ohio) without the Red Hawks reaching a regional final. . . . Seasons for Jamie Dixon as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four.
16: NCAA playoff appearances for Arizona State and Weber State without reaching a regional final. . . . Seasons for former Big East Conference members Boston College, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia Tech failing to win ACC championship (regular season or postseason tournament) since VT joined league in 2004-05. . . . Seasons for Matt Painter as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four. . . . Seasons for Brian Gregory and Frank Haith as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. . . . Seasons for George "Tic" Price as Division I coach without posting an NCAA Tournament victory.
15: Seasons for Mark Fox as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
14: NCAA Tournament appearances for Mike Brey without reaching a Final Four (most among active coaches). . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Texas A&M without the Aggies reaching a regional final. . . . Seasons for Ed Cooley and Dave Leitao as Division I coaches without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
13: Seasons for Buzz Williams as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Final Four. . . . Seasons for Kevin Willard as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. . . . Seasons for Tim Jankovich as Division I coach without posting an NCAA Tournament victory.
12: Coaches for St. Francis NY (including Lou Rossini and Bob Valvano) failing to reach NCAA playoffs with Terriers since inaugural event in 1939. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Clemson without the Tigers reaching a Final Four. . . . Seasons for Cuonzo Martin as Division I coach without reaching an NCAA Tournament regional final.
11: NCAA Tournament appearances for coach Sean Miller without reaching a Final Four. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for coach Mick Cronin without reaching a regional final.
8: NCAA Tournament defeats for Eastern Kentucky without a victory (most by any school winless in playoffs). . . . Seasons for Missouri failing to win SEC regular-season title or reach league tournament semifinals since joining conference in 2012-13.
7: NCAA playoff appearances for Nebraska and Boise State without either school posting a victory.
BOTTOM OF THE BARREL
A striking number of universities haven't even received a participation trophy. Following is an alphabetical list of 17 NCAA playoff wannabees failing to appear in the national tournament despite being classified at DI level more than 25 years (first season classified as major college in parentheses): Army (1948), Bethune-Cookman (1981), Cal State Northridge (1992), Cal State Sacramento (1992), Chicago State (1985), The Citadel (1948), Grambling State (1978), Maine (1962), Maryland-Eastern Shore (1982), New Hampshire (1962), Saint Francis NY (1948), Stetson (1972), Tennessee-Martin (1993), Texas-Rio Grande Valley (1969), UMKC (1990), Western Illinois (1982), William & Mary (1948) and Youngstown State (1982).
Rest in Peace: Many Head Coaching Careers Curtailed by Untimely Deaths
A couple of bench bosses died suddenly in their 50s since mid-November this season - UTRGV's Lew Hill and Tennessee-Martin's Anthony Stewart. Similar tragic tales have been told before at the NCAA Division I level. Following is an alphabetical list of active major-college head coaches who previously passed away in the prime of life:
- Marshall coach Stu Aberdeen passed away at age 43 in the offseason (mid-June) from a heart attack while vacationing in Florida after his second season with the Thundering Herd in 1978-79. He was credited with recruiting two of the premier players in Tennessee history - New York products Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King.
- Michigan State coach John Benington, 47, died of a heart attack while jogging after the 1968-69 season. He guided St. Louis to four NIT appearances in seven-year stint.
- Dayton coach Tom Blackburn, falling ill with cancer, was 58 when he died eight days after the Flyers' regular-season finale in 1963-64. He directed the Flyers to six NIT championship games in 12-year span from 1951 through 1962.
- Colgate coach John "Jack" Bruen, 48, died of pancreatic cancer just before Christmas in 1997 after guiding the Red Raiders to back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances in 1995 and 1996.
- Franklin "Cappy" Cappon was to have coached in 1961-62, but died of a heart attack at 61 while showering at fieldhouse three days before Princeton's opening game. He previously coached Michigan in the 1930s.
- Nebraska coach Joe Cipriano, 49, died after a year-long battle with cancer three days before the Cornhuskers' 1980-81 season opener. He was their all-time winningest mentor when perishing.
- Tommy Joe Eagles, hired by New Orleans after he was forced out by Auburn at the end of the previous season, died of a heart attack at age of 45 in late July 1994 during a visit to an NBA rookie camp in Utah.
- South Florida coach Bill Gibson, 47, died of a heart attack following the 1974-75 campaign after returning from a recruiting trip. He had suffered a severe heart attack before the start of his only season as coach of the Bulls.
- Hugh Greer, 60, was Connecticut's all-time winningest mentor when he died of a massive heart attack midway through the 1962-63 campaign. Interim George Wigton went on to guide the Huskies to the NCAA playoffs.
- Notre Dame's George Keogan died of a heart attack at his home on February 17, 1943, at the age of 52. In 24 seasons as a college coach (20 with the Irish), he never compiled a losing record and won 13 straight one-point games from 1924-25 to midway through 1933-34. Keogan passed away before ever appearing in the NIT or NCAA Tournament. UND was still bound by the school's ban on postseason competition.
- Paul Lambert, lured by Auburn from Southern Illinois following 1978-79 campaign, died at the age of 43 in a tragic motel fire in Columbus, Ga., while conducting a two-day clinic waiting for his family to move. The Tigers filled the coaching vacancy by hiring Sonny Smith from East Tennessee State.
- Oklahoma coach Lester Lane, a former Sooners All-American, died at the age of 41 in 1973 before ever coaching a game for them.
- Frank "Bucky" O'Connor, who coached Iowa to Final Four in 1955 and 1956, perished at age of 44 in an automobile accident after 1957-58 season. He died after swerving to avoid two guinea hens in the road, lost control of his car and skidded into path of a truck hauling 16 tons of concrete tile.
- Lee Patton, who held the second-best winning percentage in West Virginia history, died at age of 45 in an auto accident late in the 1949-50 season.
- Wake Forest coach George "Skip" Prosser, 56, died of a heart attack following the 2006-07 season after returning to his office from noon jog.
- Only three days after the end of Temple's 1938-39 campaign, James Usilton Sr. died of a heart ailment at the age of 43. Usilton won 68.1% of his games with the Owls decided by fewer than five points (49-23 in close contests).
- Bobby Watson, 35, was in his first season at Evansville when he and his Purple Aces team members were killed. Their plane incurred engine failure and crashed on December 13, 1977, leaving for flight to Nashville. Watson had survived a 31-month tour of duty in Vietnam, where he earned five Purple Hearts.
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hooper Ready to Tackle February 7 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads, 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 Jordan Norwood making a name for himself on February 7 in football at the professional level:
FEBRUARY 7
- Denver Broncos WR Jordan Norwood (collected one rebound and one assist in four basketball games for Penn State in 2006-07) returned a punt 61 yards in 24-10 win against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 following 2015 season.
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hoopers Ready to Tackle February 6 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads, 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 making a name for themselves on February 6 in football at the professional level (especially Philadelphia Eagles tandem of Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens in Super Bowl XXXIX following 2004 season):
FEBRUARY 6
Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (averaged 2.3 points in 18 games for Syracuse in 1995-96 and 1996-97) threw three touchdown passes in a 24-21 setback against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX following 2004 season. Eagles WR Terrell Owens (UTC hooper from 1993-94 through 1995-96 started five games) had nine pass receptions for 122 yards. Patriots SS Rodney Harrison (averaged 7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3 apg and 1.6 spg for Western Illinois in 1992-93) had two interceptions and 10 solo tackles.
Atlanta Falcons WR Andre Rison (backup hoops guard for Michigan State in 1987-88) named NFL Pro Bowl MVP following the 1993 season.
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hooper Ready to Tackle February 5 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads, 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 Martellus Bennett making a name for himself on February 5 in football at the professional level:
FEBRUARY 5
- New England Patriots TE Martellus Bennett (averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.5 rpg as Texas A&M freshman in 2005-06 before playing next season under coach Billy Gillispie) caught five passes for 62 yards from Tom Brady in a 34-28 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 following 2016 season.
Magnificent Seven: Premier College Cagers Who Wound Up in Super Bowl
They might not measure up in two-way athlete category to ex-MLB amateur draftees Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes II. But who are the premier four-year college hoopers to end up competing in the NFL's Super Bowl as players or coaches? There might not be someone in this category in Super Bowl LV, 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. |
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hooper Ready to Tackle February 4 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads, 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 Tony Dungy making a name for himself on February 4 in football at the professional level:
FEBRUARY 4
Super Men: College Basketball's Impact on 55 Seasons of NFL's Super Bowl
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 LV in Tampa between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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 seven former four-year college varsity basketball players for schools currently classified at the NCAA Division I level: Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Reg Carolan, Len Dawson, Dave Robinson, Otis Taylor and Fuzzy Thurston. Bell (Minnesota), Buchanan (Grambling), Dawson (Purdue), Taylor (Prairie View A&M) and Mickey McCarty (Texas Christian) were on the Chiefs' roster 50 years ago when they won Super Bowl IV.
Kneeling in deference to the 55th anniversary of the Super Bowl, following are 55 questions tackling versatile players such as Bell, Buchanan, Carolan, Dawson, Peppers, 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 passes 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 appearing in a couple 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 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 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 played in two 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 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 folk hero James "Fly" Williams.
24. 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.
25. 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).
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. Name the Minnesota Vikings defensive back who 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.
34. 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.
35. Name the defensive lineman in Super Bowl XI for the Oakland Raiders who played basketball in the 1975 NAIA Tournament for Morningside (Iowa).
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. Name the 14-year running back who played in five Super Bowls, catching more passes (five) than anyone in Super Bowls X and XII, after the guard-forward averaged 8.7 points and 6 rebounds per game as a senior in 1966-67 to finish his three-year Illinois varsity career with 5.2 ppg and 3.6 rpg.
41. 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).
42. 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).
43. 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).
44. 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).
45. 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.
46. 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.
47. 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.
48. Name the defensive back for the Baltimore Colts who appeared in two Super Bowls (III and V) after playing basketball for Maryland-Eastern Shore.
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. Name the Denver Broncos tight end who caught four passes from Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLVIII after being Portland State's second-leading rebounder in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
52. 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.
53. Name the Pro Bowl punter who appeared in two 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.
54. Name the 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.
55. 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 55 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. Percy Howard; 24. Brad Jackson; 25. Ed "Too Tall" Jones; 26. Jacoby Jones; 27. Billy Kilmer; 28. Joe Lavender; 29. Ronnie Lott; 30. Bob Lurtsema; 31. Earsell Mackbee; 32. John Mackey; 33. George Martin; 34. Keith McKeller; 35. Herb McMath; 36. Donovan McNabb; 37. Pete Metzelaars; 38. Wayne Moore; 39. Terrell Owens; 40. Preston Pearson; 41. Julius Peppers; 42. Antwaan Randle El; 43. Andre Rison; 44. Art Shell; 45. Rod Smith; 46. George Starke; 47. Roger Staubach; 48. Charlie Stukes; 49. Otis Taylor; 50. Adalius Thomas; 51. Julius Thomas; 52. Fuzzy Thurston; 53. Ron Widby; 54. Alfred Williams; 55. Rayfield Wright.
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hoopers Ready to Tackle February 3 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads, 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 football at the professional level (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 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. 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) had seven solo tackles in a 20-17 setback against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI following 2001 campaign.
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hooper Ready to Tackle February 2 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads, 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 24-13 setback against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLVIII following 2013 season.
On This Date: February Calendar for Great Games in NCAA Basketball History
The three most high-octane outbursts came against small-college competition as highest-scoring games in history by NCAA Division I players occurred in first half of month of February - Furman's Frank Selvy (100 points vs. Newberry SC in 1954), Villanova's Paul Arizin (85 vs. Philadelphia NAMC in 1949) and Portland State's Freeman Williams (81 vs. Rocky Mountain MT in 1978).
Louisiana State's Pete Maravich, the NCAA's career scoring leader who became first player in history to score more than 2,000 points in his first two seasons of eligibility this month along with providing the highest output in a power-conference game (69 at Alabama in SEC play in 1970), wasn't the only prolific point producer in the Pelican State from the guard position. In February 1972, Southwestern Louisiana junior Dwight "Bo" Lamar erupted for 51 points in each of back-to-back Southland Conference road games at Louisiana Tech and Lamar during USL's inaugural season at the major-college level before the school changed its name to Louisiana-Lafayette. For the record, Maravich twice tallied more than 50 in back-to-back SEC contests away from home (end of junior campaign and midway through senior season). This month also featured a third still-existing single-game scoring record by an individual opponent when "Bo Knows (Scoring)" Lamar exploded for 62 points at Northeast Louisiana the previous campaign en route to becoming the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring average at both the college and university divisions.
Outside Louisiana, existing single-game scoring standards for Bradley (Hersey Hawkins) and Detroit (Archie Tullos) were set in the same February assignment in 1988. In 2017, Bogdan Bliznyuk and Jacob Wiley both established Eastern Washington's single-game scoring record against an NCAA DI opponent with 45 points apiece in same contest (130-124 win against Portland State in triple overtime). As for regal rebounding records, Alabama's Jerry Harper retrieved 28 missed shots in back-to-back SEC contests two days apart in February 1956 and Wayne Embry pulled down 34 boards in back-to-back games for Miami of Ohio in same time frame the next year. February 4 is a special day in South Carolina history as John Roche (56 points) and Lee Collins (33 rebounds) set school single-game standards against NCAA DI in-state opponents on that date. Following is a day-by-day calendar citing memorable moments in February college basketball history:
FEBRUARY
1 - Arkansas State's Don Scaife (43 points vs. Northeast Louisiana in 1975), Coppin State's Fred Warrick (40 at Howard in 1999), Hardin-Simmons' Nate Madkins (52 vs. West Texas State in 1964) and Tulane's Jim Kerwin (45 vs. Southeastern Louisiana in 1961) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . North Carolina State's school-record 38-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Maryland (98-97 in 1975). . . . SEC Eastern Division cellar dweller Florida upset NCAA Tournament champion-to-be Kentucky in 1998. . . . Rudy Tomjanovich (30 vs. Loyola of Chicago in 1969) set Michigan's single-game rebounding record.
2 - Brown's Harry Platt (48 points vs. Northeastern in 1938) and Delaware State's Tom Davis (50 vs. Brooklyn in 1989) set school single-game scoring records at the Division I level. . . . Eastern Michigan's Raven Lee (46 vs. Miami OH in 2016) set school single-game scoring record against a DI opponent. Lee's output came in only 24 minutes of playing time. . . . In 2014, Oakland's Travis Bader set an NCAA Division I record for most career three-pointers, surpassing the previous mark of 457 established by Duke All-American J.J. Redick. . . . Arizona's Bob Elliott (25 vs. Arizona State in 1974) set school single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent (subsequently tied). . . . Eventual MLB shortstop and manager Don Kessinger scored a career-high 49 points for Mississippi vs. Tulane in 1963.
3 - Buffalo's Mike Martinho (44 points vs. Rochester NY in 1998), Dayton's Donald Smith (52 at Loyola of Chicago in 1973), Grambling State's Brion Rush (53 vs. Southern in overtime in 2006), Portland State's Freeman Williams (81 vs. Rocky Mountain MT in 1978) and Wyoming's Joe Capua (51 vs. Montana in 1956) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Andre Spight (41 vs. Montana State in 2018) established Northern Colorado's single-game scoring mark at NCAA Division I level. . . . Florida Atlantic's DeAndre Rice (39 at Troy State in 2007) and Long Beach State's Gabe Levin (45 vs. UC Davis in 2OT in 2018) tied school single-game scoring standards. . . . Walt Lysaght (35 vs. North Carolina in 1953) set Richmond's single-game rebounding record.
4 - La Salle's Kareem Townes (52 points vs. Loyola of Chicago in 1995), Monmouth's Rahsaan Johnson (43 vs. St. Francis NY in 2001), Purdue Fort Wayne's Max Landis (44 at South Dakota in 2016), Rhode Island's Tom Harrington (50 vs. Brandeis MA in 1959), South Carolina's John Roche (56 vs. Furman in 1971) and Western Michigan's Gene Ford (46 vs. Loyola of Chicago in 1969) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Eastern Washington's Bogdan Bliznyuk and Jacob Wiley (both with 45 vs. Portland State in triple overtime in 2017) and Denver's Dan Cramer (50 vs. Southern Mississippi in 1974) set school single-game scoring records against a DI opponent. . . . Illinois' school-record 33-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Penn State (66-65 in 2006). . . . Alabama's Jerry Harper (28 vs. Georgia Tech in 1956), Fordham's Ed Conlin (36 vs. Colgate in 1953), Georgia Tech's Eric Crake (27 vs. Georgia in 1953), South Carolina's Lee Collins (33 vs. The Citadel in 1956) and Wake Forest's Dickie Hemric (36 vs. Clemson in 1955) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
5 - Akron's Joe Jakubick (47 points vs. Murray State in 1983), East Tennessee State's Tom Chilton (52 vs. Austin Peay in 1961), Kent State's Dan Potopsky (49 vs. Western Michigan in 1955), Prairie View A&M's Paul Queen (46 vs. Alabama State in 1994) and Troy State's Detric Golden (45 at Jacksonville in 2000) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Yale's Brandon Sherrod extended his NCAA record of consecutive successful field-goal attempts to 30 covering five 2016 games before misfiring against Columbia. . . . Kenny Davis (25 vs. Arizona State in 1977) tied Arizona's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent. . . . Eventual MLB Hall of Fame OF Tony Gwynn (18 vs. UNLV in 1980) set San Diego State's single-game assists record against a DI opponent.
6 - Ernie McCray (46 points vs. Los Angeles State in 1960) set Arizona's single-game scoring record. . . . Southeast Missouri State's Tyler Stone (37 at SIU-Edwardsville in 2014), Southern Mississippi's John White (41 at Virginia Tech in double overtime in 1988) and Tulane's Calvin Grosscup (41 vs. Mississippi State in 1956) tied school single-game scoring records against a major-college opponent. . . . Virginia Tech sophomore guard Bimbo Coles set Metro Conference single-game scoring record with 51 points in a 141-133 double overtime victory against visiting Southern Mississippi in 1988. . . . Bradley's school-record 46-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Drake (86-76 in 1961). . . . Belmont erased an 18-point deficit with 3:22 remaining (75-57) to defeat Campbell, 87-84, in 2009. . . . Alabama's Jerry Harper (28 vs. Vanderbilt in 1956), American University's Kermit Washington (34 vs. Georgetown in 1971), West Virginia's Jerry West (31 vs. George Washington in 1960) and Wichita State's Terry Benton (29 vs. North Texas State in 1971) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
7 - Dartmouth's Jim Barton (48 points at Brown in overtime in 1987), Louisiana State's Pete Maravich (69 at Alabama in 1970) and South Dakota State's Nate Wolters (53 at IPFW in 2013) set school single-game scoring records. Maravich's output is also a SEC record in league competition. . . . Phil Hicks (41 at Samford in 1974) tied Tulane's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . In 1976, Purdue (25) and Wisconsin (22) combined to convert all 47 of their free-throw attempts, an NCAA record for two teams in a single game. . . . Duquesne's Dick Ricketts (28 vs. Villanova in 1955) and Southern's Jervaughn Scales (32 vs. Grambling in 1994) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
8 - Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (62 points vs. North Texas State in 1960) and UNC Charlotte's George Jackson (44 at Samford in 1975) set school single-game scoring records. Robertson's output is also a Missouri Valley Conference record in league competition. . . . Buzz Wilkinson (45 vs. North Carolina in 1954) set Virginia's single-game scoring record against a major-college opponent. . . . Iowa State's Melvin Ejim (48 vs. TCU in 2014) set Big 12 Conference single-game scoring mark in league competition. . . . Kentucky established an NCAA single-game record by grabbing 108 rebounds against Mississippi in 1964. . . . Wofford set an NCAA three-point percentage single-game record (minimum of 20 attempts) by hitting 17-of-21 shots from beyond the arc (81% against VMI in 2016 game). . . . Niagara's school-record 51-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Syracuse (60-55 in 1950). . . . Boston College's Terry Driscoll (31 vs. Fordham in 1969), Davidson's Fred Hetzel (27 vs. Furman in 1964), Eastern Michigan's Kareem Carpenter (27 vs. Western Michigan in 1995), Harvard's Bob Canty (31 vs. Boston College in 1955), Long Island's Ty Flowers (27 vs. Merrimack in 2020), Marquette's Pat Smith (28 vs. Loyola of Chicago in 1967), Oklahoma City's Willie Watson (32 vs. Denver in 1969) and Seattle's John Tresvant (40 vs. Montana in 1963) set school single-game rebounding records. Flowers' output is also a Northeast Conference contest mark. . . . Gene Estes (24 vs. Oklahoma City in 1961) set Tulsa's single-game rebounding record against a major-college opponent. . . . Utah State All-American Wayne Estes, after scoring 48 points vs. Denver to eclipse 2,000-point plateau, was electrocuted following home game in 1965 when the 6-6 forward brushed against downed high-power line upon stopping at scene of an auto accident near campus. . . . Dayton center Chris Daniels, who finished the season as nation's leader in field-goal shooting (68.3%), died in his sleep because of a heart ailment during 1995-96 campaign.
9 - UALR's Carl Brown (46 points at Centenary in overtime in 1989), Butler's Darrin Fitzgerald (54 vs. Detroit in 1987), Canisius' Larry Fogle (55 vs. St. Peter's in 1974), Clemson's J.O. Erwin (58 vs. Butler Guards at Greenville in 1912), Colorado State's Bill Green (48 vs. Denver in 1963), Hofstra's Justin Wright-Foreman (48 vs. William & Mary in 2019) and Loyola of Chicago's Alfredrick Hughes (47 vs. Detroit in 1985) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Brown's output is also an Atlantic Sun Conference record in league competition. . . . DePaul's Tom Kleinschmidt set the Great Midwest Conference single-game scoring record in league play with 37 points against UAB in 1994. . . . Charleston Southern's Tony Fairley set an NCAA single-game record against a DI opponent with 22 assists against Armstrong State GA in 1987. . . . Dartmouth ended Penn's Ivy League-record 48-game winning streak (54-53 in 1996) and Duke's school-record 46-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Maryland (98-87 in 2000). . . . Southern Mississippi's Wendell Ladner (32 vs. Pan American in 1970) and Syracuse's Frank Reddout (34 vs. Temple in 1952) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Canisius' Larry Fogle (22 vs. St. Peter's in 1974) and Idaho's Gus Johnson (31 vs. Oregon in 1963) set school single-game rebounding records against a major-college opponent.
10 - Morehead State's Brett Roberts (53 points vs. Middle Tennessee State in 1992), Ohio State's Gary Bradds (49 vs. Illinois in 1964), Larry Lewis of Saint Francis PA (46 vs. St. Vincent PA in 1969) and Savannah State's Alante Fenner (46 vs. Morgan State in overtime in 2018) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Detroit's school-record 39-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Wisconsin-Green Bay (65-61 in 2002), Oral Roberts' school-record 52-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Marshall (106-103 in 1973) and Virginia Commonwealth's school-record 33-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Virginia Tech (71-63 in 1978). . . . Georgetown's Charlie Adrion (29 vs. George Washington in 1968), Houston's Elvin Hayes (37 vs. Centenary in 1968) and Rider's Jason Thompson (24 vs. Siena in 2008) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Eventual Chicago White Sox RHP Dave DeBusschere scored a career-high 44 points for Detroit against Dayton in a 1962 game.
11 - East Carolina's Oliver Mack (47 points vs. South Carolina-Aiken in 1978), Florida State's Ron King (46 at Georgia Southern in 1971), Hartford's Vin Baker (44 vs. Lamar in overtime in 1992), Southern California's John Block (45 vs. Washington in 1966) and Wisconsin-Green Bay's Tony Bennett (44 at Cleveland State in 1989) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Mal Graham (46 at Holy Cross in 1967) set New York University's single-game scoring record against a DI opponent. . . . Morehead State (53) and Cincinnati (35) combined for an NCAA single-game record of 88 successful free throws in 1956. . . . Indiana State set an NCAA single-game record for most three-pointers without a miss by making all 12 attempts from beyond the arc (against Southern Illinois in 2012). . . . Weber State's school-record 44-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Idaho (68-67 in 1967). . . . Andrew Nicholson (23 vs. Duquesne in 2012) tied St. Bonaventure's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
12 - Marist's Izett Buchanan (51 points at Long Island University in 1994), Northern Iowa's Cam Johnson (40 at Drake in 1994) and Villanova's Paul Arizin (85 vs. Philadelphia NAMC in 1949) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Wake Forest's Len Chappell (50 vs. Virginia in 1962) set ACC single-game scoring record in league competition. . . . Gonzaga's school-record 50-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Santa Clara (84-73 in 2007). . . . Drake's Ken Harris (26 vs. Tulsa in 1977) and Navy's David Robinson (25 vs. Fairfield in 1986) set school single-game rebounding records.
13 - Colorado's Cliff Meely (47 points vs. Oklahoma in 1971), Furman's Frank Selvy (NCAA-record 100 vs. Newberry SC in 1954), Portland's Matt Houle (43 vs. San Francisco in 1993), St. Peter's Rich Rinaldi (54 vs. St. Francis NY in 1971) and San Francisco's Keith Jackson (47 at Loyola Marymount in 1988) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Alabama's Bob Andrews (46 vs. Tulane in 1965), East Carolina's Gus Hill (43 at Navy in 1988), UNC Asheville's Andrew Rousey (41 at Radford in 2014), San Jose State's Olivier Saint-Jean (37 at Air Force in 1997) and Virginia's Buzz Wilkinson (45 vs. Georgetown in 1954) set school single-game scoring records against a Division I opponent. . . . In 1985, Connecticut became the first school to be ranked No. 1 in the men's and women's national polls at the same time. . . . Syracuse's school-record 57-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Georgetown (52-50 in 1980). . . . Kentucky's Bill Spivey (34 vs. Xavier in 1951), New Mexico's Tom King (26 vs. Wyoming in 1960), Northwestern's Jim Pitts (29 vs. Indiana in 1965) and Western Michigan's Frank Ayers (25 vs. Loyola of Chicago in 1973) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Dan Roundfield (25 vs. Bowling Green State in 1974) set Central Michigan's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
14 - Auburn's John Mengelt (60 points vs. Alabama in 1970), Central Connecticut State's Kyle Vinales (42 at Wagner in 2013), College of Charleston's Grant Riller (43 vs. Hofstra in 2019), Coppin State's Larry Stewart (40 vs. South Carolina State in 1991), Mount St. Mary's Sam Prescott (44 vs. Bryant in 2013), South Alabama's Eugene Oliver (46 at Southern Mississippi in 1974), Southwestern Louisiana's Bo Lamar (51 at Louisiana Tech in 1972) and Tennessee's Tony White (51 vs. Auburn in 1987) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Lamar's output also set a Southland Conference record in league competition. . . . Villanova's Larry Hennessy (45 vs. Boston College in 1953) and Virginia's Buzz Wilkinson (45 vs. Clemson in 1955) set school single-game scoring records against a DI opponent. . . . William & Mary's Bill Chambers, standing a mere 6-4, grabbed an NCAA single-game record 51 rebounds against Virginia on Valentine's Day in 1953. . . . Miami of Ohio's Wayne Embry (34 vs. Eastern Kentucky in 1957), Texas Tech's Jim Reed (27 vs. Texas in 1956), Towson's Dennis Tunstall (21 vs. Delaware in 2019), Wagner's Mike Aaman (23 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson in 2015) and West Virginia's Mack Isner (31 vs. Virginia Tech in 1952) set school single-game rebounding records against a major-college opponent. . . . Jacksonville junior-college recruit Artis Gilmore, the only player in major-college history to average more than 22 points and 22 rebounds per game in his career, had his only DI contest retrieving fewer than 10 missed shots (8 caroms at Loyola LA in 1970). . . . Massachusetts' school-record 33-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by George Washington (80-78 in 1995). . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 600 victories the fastest with a 71-52 win over Notre Dame at Chicago in 1959 (705 games in 27th season).
15 - Coastal Carolina's Tony Dunkin (43 points vs. UNC Asheville in 1993), Columbia's Leonard "Buck" Jenkins (47 at Harvard in 1991), Maryland-Baltimore County's Derell Thompson (43 at Towson State in 1992), Southwest Missouri State's Danny Moore (36 at Creighton in 1997) and Wake Forest's Charlie Davis (51 vs. American University in 1969) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Kentucky tied an NCAA record by erasing a 31-point, second-half deficit at Louisiana State (99-95 UK victory in 1994). . . . In 1969, Pete Maravich passed Bob Pettit (1,970 points from 1951-52 through 1953-54) to become LSU's all-time scoring leader and first player in NCAA history reaching 2,000-point plateau in his first two seasons of eligibility. . . . Princeton's Bill Bradley (51 points vs. Harvard in 1964) set Ivy League scoring record in conference competition. . . . Oregon State ended UCLA's Pacific-8 Conference-record 50-game winning streak (61-57 in 1974). . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 400 victories the fastest with a 90-50 win over Mississippi in 1950 (477 games in 20th season). . . . Kansas' Wilt Chamberlain (36 vs. Iowa State in 1958), Oregon State's Swede Halbrook (36 vs. Idaho in 1955) and Rice's Joe Durrenberger (30 vs. Baylor in 1955) set school single-game rebounding records. Halbrook also grabbed 32 rebounds the previous night against the Vandals. . . . Paul Millsap (29 vs. San Jose State in 2006) set Louisiana Tech's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent. . . . Eventual MLB All-Star RHP Sonny Siebert scored a career-high 31 points for Missouri against Oklahoma in a 1958 game.
16 - Illinois' Dave Downey (53 points at Indiana in 1963), Tennessee Tech's Jimmy Hagan (48 vs. East Tennessee State in 1959) and Texas-Pan American's Marshall Rogers (58 vs. Texas Lutheran in 1976) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Dikembe Dixson (40 at Youngstown State in 2OT in 2016) set Illinois-Chicago's single-game scoring record against an NCAA Division I opponent. . . . Wichita State ended Cincinnati's school-record 37-game winning streak (65-64 in 1963) and South Carolina's school-record 34-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Notre Dame (72-68 in 1974). . . . Cincinnati's Connie Dierking (33 vs. Loyola New Orleans in 1957), Miami of Ohio's Wayne Embry (34 vs. Kent State in 1957), NYU's Cal Ramsey (34 vs. Boston College in 1957) and Texas Christian's Goo Kennedy (28 vs. Arkansas in 1971) set school single-game rebounding records. It was the second time in three days for Embry to corral 34 caroms. . . . Texas-El Paso's Jim Barnes (27 vs. Hardin-Simmons in 1963) and Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair (23 vs. Connecticut in 2009) set single-game rebounding records against major-college opponents. . . . Eventual 13-year N.L. LHP Joe Gibbon grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds for Mississippi against Georgia in 1957.
17 - George Washington's Joe Holup (49 points vs. Furman in 1956), Holy Cross' Jack Foley (56 vs. Connecticut in 1962), Quinnipiac's Cameron Young (55 at Siena in triple overtime in 2019), Southwestern Louisiana's Bo Lamar (51 at Lamar in 1972) and Wofford's Fletcher Magee (45 at Chattanooga in 2018) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Young's outburst set a MAAC single-game standard and Lamar's output tied his own Southland Conference mark in league competition established three days earlier. . . . Antoine Gillespie (45 at Hawaii in 1994) set Texas-El Paso's single-game scoring record against a DI opponent. . . . Dartmouth's school-record 38-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Army (44-36 in 1940). . . . Fresno State's Larry Abney (35 vs. Southern Methodist in 2000), Loyola of Chicago's LaRue Martin (34 vs. Valparaiso in 1971) and Toledo's Ned Miklovic (27 vs. Ohio University in 1958) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent. Abney's total is the highest among all schools at the DI level since 1973.
18 - Scott Haffner (65 points vs. Dayton in 1989) set Evansville's single-game scoring record. Haffner's output is also a Horizon League record in conference competition. . . . Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (44 at Loyola Marymount in 2006) and Portland State's Freeman Williams (50 at UNLV in 1978) set school single-game scoring records against an NCAA Division I opponent. . . . Gonzaga and Loyola Marymount each scored 86 points after intermission in 1989 to set an NCAA record for highest offensive output in a half by both teams (172). . . . Louisiana State's school-record 42-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Mississippi (23-22 in 1921). . . . Florida's Jim Zinn (31 vs. Mississippi in 1957), McNeese State's Henry Ray (27 vs Texas-Arlington in 1974), New Orleans' Ervin Johnson (27 vs. Lamar in 1993), Penn's Barton Leach (32 vs. Harvard in 1955), Southern Illinois' Joe C. Meriweather (27 vs. Indiana State in 1974) and Xavier's Bob Pelkington (31 vs. St. Francis PA in 1964) set school single-game rebounding records.
19 - Delaware's Liston Houston (52 points vs. Lebanon Valley PA in 1910), Liberty's Matt Hildebrand (41 vs. Charleston Southern in 1994/subsequently tied), Longwood's Tristan Carey (40 vs. Liberty in 2013), Mississippi Valley State's Alphonso Ford (51 vs. Texas Southern in overtime in 1990), Morgan State's Tiwian Kendley (41 vs. Bethune-Cookman in OT in 2018), Oral Roberts' Anthony Roberts (66 vs. North Carolina A&T in 1977), Stetson's Mel Daniels (48 vs. UNC Wilmington in 1977) and Texas Tech's Dub Malaise (50 at Texas in 1966) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer (45 at Pacific in 2015) and Lafayette's Bobby Mantz (44 vs. Lehigh in 1958) set school single-game scoring records against a DI opponent. . . . Holy Cross' Rob Feaster (46 vs. Navy in overtime in 1994) set Patriot League scoring record in conference competition. . . . Creighton's Paul Silas (38 vs. Centenary in 1962), Northern Illinois' Jim Bradley (31 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1973) and Purdue's Carl McNulty (27 vs. Minnesota in 1951) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (24 vs. Seton Hall in 1977) set Charlotte's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
20 - Baylor's Vinnie Johnson (50 points vs. Texas Christian in 1979), Idaho State's Willie Humes (53 at Montana State in 1971), Illinois State's Robert "Bubbles" Hawkins (58 vs. Northern Illinois in 1974), North Florida's Parker Smith (46 vs. Mercer in 2012), San Diego State's Anthony Watson (54 vs. U.S. International in 1986) and South Carolina State's Jackie Robinson (40 at Morgan State in 1993) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Humes' output is also a Big Sky Conference record in league competition. . . . Delaware State's Tom Davis (47 vs. Florida A&M in 1989) set MEAC scoring record in league competition at DI level. . . . Rhode Island's Art Stephenson (28 vs. Brown in 1968) and Tennessee Tech's Jimmy Hagan (30 vs. Morehead State in 1959) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Kansas' 28-17 victory at Drake in 1924 triggered an NCAA-record 35-game road winning streak.
21 - Boston College's John Austin (49 points vs. Georgetown in 1964), Rutgers' Eric Riggins (51 vs. Penn State in double overtime in 1987) and Virginia Tech's Allan Bristow (52 vs. George Washington in 1973) set school single-game scoring records. Riggins' output is also an Atlantic 10 Conference record in league competition. . . . LSU's Pete Maravich (64) and Kentucky's Dan Issel (51) each scored more than 50 points in the same SEC game in 1970. . . . UCLA's school-record 98-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Oregon (65-45 in 1976). . . . Clemson's Tommy Smith (30 vs. Georgia in 1955) and North Carolina's Rusty Clark (30 vs. Maryland in 1968) set school single-game rebounding records.
22 - Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (63 points at Detroit in 1988), California's Ed Gray (48 at Washington State in 1997), Detroit's Archie Tullos (49 vs. Bradley in 1988), Manhattan's Bob Mealy (51 vs. CCNY in 1960), Missouri-Kansas City's Michael Watson (Summit League-record 54 at Oral Roberts in double overtime in 2003), Oklahoma State's Bob Kurland (58 vs. St. Louis in 1946) and Oregon State's Gary Payton Sr. (58 vs. Southern California in overtime in 1990) set school single-game scoring records. . . . High Point's Nick Barbour (44 vs. Campbell in 2012), Long Island's Antawn Dobie (53 vs. St. Francis NY in 2003), Mississppi State's Bailey Howell (45 vs. Louisiana State in 1958) and Western Illinois' Kobe Webster (40 vs. Omaha in 2020) set school single-game scoring records against a Division I opponent. Dobie's output is also a Northeast Conference record in league competition. . . . Drexel set NCAA record by erasing a 34-point deficit late in the first half (53-19) to defeat visiting Delaware, 85-83, in 2018. . . . Nebraska stunned Wilt Chamberlain-led Kansas, 43-41, in 1958 to avenge a 56-point defeat four games earlier. . . . Memphis' school-record 47-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Tennessee (66-62 in 2008). . . . Massachusetts' Julius Erving (32 vs. Syracuse in 1971) and Mississippi's Ivan Richmann (25 vs. Tulane in 1958) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Hakim Shahid (25 vs. Jacksonville in 1990) set South Florida's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
23 - Boston University's Jim Hayes (47 points vs. Springfield MA in 1970), Indiana's Jimmy Rayl (56 vs. Michigan State in 1963), Louisiana Tech's Mike McConathy (47 vs. Lamar in 1976), Miami's Rick Barry (59 vs. Rollins FL in 1965), Providence's Marshon Brooks (52 vs. Notre Dame in 2011) and Texas Southern's Harry "Machine Gun" Kelly (60 vs. Jarvis Christian TX in 1983) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Brooks' output is also a Big East Conference record in league competition. . . . Los Angeles State's Raymond Lewis set Pacific Coast Athletic Association (now Big West) single-game scoring record with 53 points vs. Long Beach State in double overtime in 1973. . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 700 victories the fastest with a 99-79 win over Auburn at Montgomery in 1964 (836 games in 32nd season). . . . Jimmie Baker (26 vs. San Francisco in 1973) set UNLV's single-game rebounding record before transferring to Hawaii. . . . Eventual 13-year N.L. LHP Joe Gibbon scored a career-high 46 points for Mississippi in 1957 game against Louisiana State.
24 - Alcorn State's DeCarlos Anderson (41 points vs. Southern in 1996), Florida A&M's Jerome James (38 at Delaware State in overtime in 1997), Houston's Elvin Hayes (62 vs. Valparaiso in 1968), Iowa's John Johnson (49 vs. Northwestern in 1970), Northwestern's Rich Falk (49 vs. Iowa in 1964), St. Bonaventure's Bob Lanier (51 vs. Seton Hall in 1969) and Utah's Billy McGill (60 at Brigham Young in 1962) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . East Tennessee State's Tom Chilton (47 vs. Western Kentucky in 1961) and Ohio University's Dave Jamerson (52 at Kent State in 1990) set school single-game scoring records against a DI opponent. . . . Washington & Lee's Jay Handlan hoisted up an NCAA single-game record 71 field-goal attempts vs. Furman in 1951. . . . Alabama A&M's Mickell Gladness set an NCAA single-game record with 16 blocked shots against Texas Southern in 2007. . . . Temple's school-record 33-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by West Virginia (64-61 in 1987). . . . Ed Corell (30 vs. Oregon in 1962) set Washington's single-game rebounding record.
25 - Detroit's Antoine Davis (46 points vs. Robert Morris in 2021 Horizon League first round) and Austin Peay's Bubba Wells (43 vs. Morehead State in 1997 Ohio Valley quarterfinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Alabama A&M's Desmond Cambridge (50 at Texas Southern in 2002), Central Florida's Jermaine Taylor (45 vs. Rice in 2009), Cleveland State's Frank Edwards (49 at Xavier in 1981), Indiana State's Larry Bird (49 vs. Wichita State in 1979), Texas' Raymond Downs (49 at Baylor in 1956), Virginia Military's QJ Peterson (46 vs. Mercer in 2016) and William & Mary's Jeff Cohen (49 vs. Richmond in 1961) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Lew Alcindor (61 vs. Washington State in 1967) set UCLA and Pac-12 Conference single-game scoring record. . . . Jim Christy (44 at Maryland in 1964) set Georgetown's single-game scoring record against a DI opponent. . . . Southwestern Louisiana's Sydney Grider set the American South Conference single-game scoring record in league competition (40 vs. Louisiana Tech in 1989). . . . St. Bonaventure's 99-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Niagara (87-77 in 1961). . . . Appalachian State's Tony Searcy (23 vs. The Citadel in 1978), Memphis' Ronnie Robinson (28 vs. Tulsa in 1971) and Northern Iowa's Jason Reese (21 vs. Illinois-Chicago in 1989) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
26 - Denver's Matt Teahan (61 points vs. Nebraska Wesleyan in 1979), Florida Atlantic's Earnest Crumbley (39 vs. Campbell in 2004), Richmond's Bob McCurdy (53 vs. Appalachian State in double overtime in 1975), Texas' Slater Martin (49 vs. Texas Christian in 1949) and Yale's Tony Lavelli (52 vs. Williams MA in 1949) set school Division I single-game scoring records. McCurdy established mark on his birthday in final home game. . . . Kansas' Isaac "Bud" Stallworth set Big Eight Conference single-game scoring record in league competition with 50 points vs. Missouri in 1972. . . . New Mexico's school-record 41-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Brigham Young (83-62 in 1998). . . . Cornell's George Farley (26 vs. Brown in 1960), Montana State's Doug Hashley (24 vs. Nevada-Reno in 1982), Old Dominion's Clifton Jones (23 vs. UNC Wilmington in 2001), Rutgers' George "Swede" Sundstrom (30 vs. Army in 1954) and Saint Joseph's Cliff Anderson (32 vs. La Salle in 1967) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
27 - Bowling Green's Jim Darrow (52 points vs. Marshall in 1960), George Mason's Carlos Yates (42 vs. Navy in 1985), Georgetown's Jim Barry (46 at Fairleigh Dickinson in 1965), San Diego's Duda Sanadze (38 vs. Portland in 2016), Texas State's J.B. Conley (42 at Northwestern State in 2010), Towson's Devin Boyd (46 at Maryland-Baltimore County in double overtime in 1993) and UAB's Robert Vaden (41 at Texas-El Paso in 2008) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Darrow's output is also a Mid-American Conference record and Boyd's output is a Big South Conference record in league competition. . . . Houston's Robert McKiver (52 vs. Southern Mississippi in 2008) set C-USA scoring record in league competition. . . . Connecticut's Toby Kimball (34 vs. New Hampshire in 1965), Maryland's Len Elmore (26 vs. Wake Forest in 1974) and Tulsa's Michael Ruffin (24 vs. Texas Christian in 1997) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent. . . . Holy Cross' school-record 47-game homecourt winning streak snapped by Connecticut (78-77 in 1954).
28 - Army's Kevin Houston (53 points vs. Fordham in overtime of MAAC Tournament opener in 1987), Eastern Michigan's Ray Lee (50 at Central Michigan in 2017), Long Island's Sherman White (63 vs. John Marshall in 1950), Northern Illinois' Paul Dawkins (47 at Western Michigan in overtime in 1979) and Purdue's Rick Mount (61 vs. Iowa in 1970) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Houston's output is also a MAAC Tournament single-game record and Mount's uprising is a Big Ten Conference record in league competition. Lee's outburst was accumulated in only 26 minutes. . . . Ronshad Shabazz (47 at Louisiana-Monroe in 2019) set Appalachian State's single-game scoring record against an NCAA DI opponent. . . . The first basketball game telecast occurred when W2XBS carried a doubleheader from Madison Square Garden in 1940 (Pittsburgh vs. Fordham and NYU vs. Georgetown). . . . Ron Weilert (21 vs. Tulane in 1970) set Air Force single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent. . . . Eventual MLB All-Star 1B Joe Adcock contributed 15 field goals for Louisiana State in a 74-29 first-round victory against Tulane in 1946 SEC Tournament.
29 - Air Force's Bob Beckel (50 points vs. Arizona in 1959) and Florida's Tony Miller (54 vs. Chicago State in 1972) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Paul Marigney (40 vs. Pepperdine in 2004) tied Saint Mary's single-game scoring record against a major-college opponent. . . . Pittsburgh's school-record 40-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Syracuse (49-46 in 2004). . . . Bernie Janicki (31 vs. North Carolina in 1952) set Duke's single-game rebounding record. . . . Eventual eight-time N.L. All-Star SS Dick Groat scored a career-high 48 points for Duke against North Carolina in a 1952 game.
Memorable Moments in January College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in December College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in November College Basketball History
Happy Birthday! February Celebration Dates for A-As and HOF Coaches
Four Indiana standouts (Archie Dees, Trayce Jackson-Davis plus twins Dick Van Arsdale and Tom Van Arsdale) are among a striking number of 12 All-Americans born on 22nd of February. Two Kansas All-Americans (Ben McLemore and Jacque Vaughn) were born on the 11th but North Carolina has the most A-As born this month with six. This year marks the 90th anniversary of birth of celebrated Carolina coach Dean Smith. Following is a day-by-day calendar of All-Americans and Hall of Fame coaches born in February:
FEBRUARY
1: All-Americans Theodore "T.R." Dunn (born in 1955/Alabama), Malik Sealy (1970/St. John's), Dick Snyder (1944/Davidson) and Robert "Tractor" Traylor (1977/Michigan).
2: All-Americans Dan Callandrillo (1959/Seton Hall), Sean Elliott (1968/Arizona), Ed "Moose" Krause (1913/Notre Dame), Bill Ridley (1934/Illinois) and Orson "Kent" Ryan (1915/Utah State).
3: All-American Darnell Valentine (1959/Kansas).
4: All-Americans Vern Fleming (1962/Georgia), Malik Monk (1998/Kentucky) and Blake Stepp (1982/Gonzaga).
6: All-Americans Shawn Respert (1972/Michigan State) and Carlos Rogers (1971/Tennessee State).
7: All-Americans Juwan Howard (1973/Michigan), James "Banks" McFadden (1917/Clemson), Mike O'Koren (1958/North Carolina) and Ed Shaver (1913/Purdue).
8: All-Americans Rui Hachimura (1998/Gonzaga), JaJuan Johnson (1989/Purdue), Marques Johnson (1956/UCLA) and Alonzo Mourning (1970/Georgetown).
9: All-Americans Kenny Fields (1962/UCLA), Phil Ford (1956/North Carolina), Ricky Frazier (1958/Missouri), Jameer Nelson (1982/St. Joseph's) and John Wallace (1974/Syracuse).
10: All-Americans Cornell Green (1940/Utah State), Tom LaGarde (1955/North Carolina), Bobby Portis (1995/Arkansas) and John "Cat" Thompson (1906/Montana State) plus Hall of Fame coach John Calipari (1959/Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky).
11: All-Americans Eric "Hank" Gathers (1967/Loyola Marymount), Ben McLemore (1993/Kansas), Alando Tucker (1984/Wisconsin) and Jacque Vaughn (1975/Kansas).
12: All-Americans Arthur James "A.J." Guyton (1978/Indiana), Larry Nance (1959/Clemson), Bill Russell (1934/San Francisco) and Ralph Vaughn (1918/Southern California).
13: Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski (1947/Army and Duke).
14: All-Americans Richard "Rip" Hamilton (1978/Connecticut), Walter "Wali" Jones (1942/Villanova), Reggie King (1957/Alabama) and Carl McNulty (1930/Purdue).
15: All-Americans Nate Blackwell (1965/Temple), Jimmy Hull (1917/Ohio State), Mark Price (1964/Georgia Tech) and Tony White (1965/Tennessee).
16: All-Americans Larry Finch (1951/Memphis State), Dave Gambee (1937/Oregon State), Hasheem Thabeet (1987/Connecticut), Kelly Tripucka (1959/Notre Dame) and Herb Williams (1958/Ohio State).
17: All-American Michael Jordan (1963/North Carolina) plus Hall of Fame coach Rick Majerus (1948/Marquette, Ball State, Utah and Saint Louis).
18: All-Americans Jimmy Hagan (1936/Tennessee Tech), Maurice Lucas (1952/Marquette), Roland Minson (1929/Brigham Young) and James "Fly" Williams (1953/Austin Peay State).
19: All-Americans Elliott Loughlin (1910/Navy), Durand "Rudy" Macklin (1958/Louisiana State) and John Pinone (1961/Villanova).
20: All-Americans Charles Barkley (1963/Auburn), Ambrose "A.L." Bennett (1924/Oklahoma A&M), Jarrett Culver (1999/Texas Tech), Stephon Marbury (1977/Georgia Tech) and Frank Oleynick (1955/Seattle).
21: All-Americans Steve Francis (1977/Maryland) and Julius McCoy (1932/Michigan State) plus Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay (1925/St. Joseph's).
22: All-Americans Dennis Awtrey (1948/Santa Clara), Archie Dees (1936/Indiana), Julius Erving (1950/Massachusetts), Devonte' Graham (1995/Kansas), Trayce Jackson-Davis (2000/Indiana), George Kaftan (1928/Holy Cross), Adam Keefe (1970/Stanford), Lewis Lloyd (1959/Drake), Lee Nailon (1975/Texas Christian), twins Dick Van Arsdale and Tom Van Arsdale (1943/Indiana) plus Chester "Chet" Walker (1940/Bradley).
23: All-Americans Mal Graham (1945/NYU), Gary Gray (1945/Oklahoma City), Roger Kaiser (1939/Georgia Tech), Jamal Murray (1997/Kentucky), Phil "Red" Murrell (1933/Drake), D'Angelo Russell (1996/Ohio State), Lee Shaffer (1939/North Carolina) and Andrew Wiggins (1995/Kansas).
24: All-Americans Charley Brown (1936/Seattle), Tommy Burleson (1952/North Carolina State), Mike Robinson (1952/Michigan State) and Al Tucker (1943/Oklahoma Baptist).
25: All-Americans Vernon Carey Jr. (2001/Duke), Jimmer Fredette (1989/Brigham Young), Matt Guokas (1944/St. Joseph's), E'Twaun Moore (1989/Purdue), Joakim Noah (1985/Florida), Fred VanVleet (1994/Wichita State), Malcolm "Sparky" Wade (1910/Louisiana State) and Frank Williams (1980/Illinois) plus Hall of Fame coach Fred "Tex" Winter (1922/Marquette, Kansas State, Washington, Northwestern and Long Beach State).
26: All-Americans Rolando Blackman (1959/Kansas State), Joe Capua (1934/Wyoming), Tom Churchill (1907/Oklahoma), Joe Holup (1934/George Washington), Bob McCurdy (1952/Richmond) and Robert "Bingo" Smith (1946/Tulsa).
27: All-Americans Gus Doerner (1922/Evansville), Charles "Chick" Halbert (1919/West Texas A&M), Devin Harris (1983/Wisconsin), Lloyd Sharrar (1936/West Virginia), Terence Stansbury (1961/Temple) and James Worthy (1961/North Carolina) plus Hall of Fame coach Mike Montgomery (1947/Montana, Stanford and California).
28: All-Americans Luther "Ticky" Burden (1953/Utah), Adrian Dantley (1956/Notre Dame), Chuck Hyatt (1908/Pittsburgh), Tayshaun Prince (1980/Kentucky), Tom Riker (1950/South Carolina), Jamaal Tinsley (1978/Iowa State), Max Williams (1938/Southern Methodist) and Cassius Winston (1998/Michigan State) plus Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith (1931/North Carolina).
Birthdays in January for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in April for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in May for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in June for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in July for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in August for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in September for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in October for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in November for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in December for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
On This NFL Date: Ex-College Hoopers Ready to Tackle January 31 Football
Long before kneeling knuckleheads such as GQ cover boy #ColonKrapernick tried to pinpoint where Iran is on a map, 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-admiration 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 hoops 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 January 31 in football at the professional level:
JANUARY 31
- Denver Broncos WR Rod Smith (swingman was Missouri Southern State hoops letterman as sophomore in 1990-91) caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from John Elway in 34-19 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII following 1998 season. Falcons rookie Ephraim Salaam (scored 22 points in five games for San Diego State in 1996-97) started at RT in their first-ever trip to NFL title tilt.
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