Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad regarding COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Cincinnati hoopers Ethan Allen and Sandy Koufax provided MLB headlines on this date. Ex-SEC hoopers Joe Gibbon (Mississippi), Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt) and Riggs Stephenson (Alabama) also supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 4

• Chicago Cubs LF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) went 4-for-4 in an 8-5 win against the New York Giants in 1936.

• Chicago Cubs RF George Altman (hooper appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State) notched his sixth straight multiple-hit game in 1961.

• RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32), supported by an inside-the-park homer from player/manager Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) during a 10-run third inning, earned the triumph in an 18-9 decision over the Philadelphia Athletics.

• Seattle Mariners RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers in 1982.

• Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) scored four runs and banged out three hits for the second of three times in a five-game span in 1936.

• 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC hoops games in 1991-92) selected by the Detroit Tigers in first round (2nd pick overall) in 1990 amateur draft. Sixteen years later with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Clark cracked two homers among his four hits against the Atlanta Braves in a 2006 contest.

• Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) hit for the cycle against the Boston Red Sox in a 1952 outing.

• Atlanta Braves 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) knocked in five runs in a 9-3 win against the New York Mets in 1972.

• St. Louis Cardinals 3B Howard Freigau (Ohio Wesleyan hooper) collected four hits, four stolen bases and five RBI in a 12-5 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1924.

• Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was nation's second-leading scorer as a senior in 1956-57) hurled his final MLB shutout (four-hitter against New York Mets in opener of 1967 twinbill).

• Pinch-hitter Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) hammered a two-out, bases-loaded triple in the ninth inning to spark the Cleveland Indians to an 11-10 verdict over the St. Louis Browns in 1925. Four years later after having his career-high 25-game hitting streak snapped in the final contest of May, 1B Hendrick collected two homers and six RBI for the Brooklyn Robins in an 11-8 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1929 doubleheader.

• RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s) signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1956 after he was released by the New York Yankees.

• Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) became the fourth hurler to toss three no-hitters, blanking the N.L.-leading Philadelphia Phillies, 3-0, in 1964.

• Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) collected three hits and three stolen bases against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1974 game.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) manufactured four hits in a 10-2 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

• Chicago White Sox OF Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) ripped a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers in 1988.

• New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (multiple-sport athlete for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s) secured his fourth shutout in less than a month en route to a total of seven whitewashes in 1933.

• Cleveland Indians 3B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1922 contest. Eight years later as a Chicago Cubs LF, Stephenson amassed five hits, four runs and four RBI against the Boston Braves in a 1930 outing.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) smacked a pair of homers for the second time in five-game span in 2002.

• 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 10-player swap in 1953.

• California Angels 3B John Werhas (Southern California's leading scorer in 1958-59 and 1959-60) whacked a pinch-hit homer against the Minnesota Twins in a 1967 game.

• In 1986, New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered twice in an 11-0 victory over the California Angels in support of RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66), who hurled a no-hitter for 7 2/3 innings before yielding a safety.

• In the midst of five consecutive complete-game triumphs, St. Louis Browns LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC hoops letterman in 1916) tossed a five-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1926.

Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad regarding COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Frank Howard (Ohio State), David Justice (Thomas More KY), Danny Litwhiler (Bloomsburg PA), Jerry Martin (Furman) and Graig Nettles (San Diego State) each hammered two homers in a single MLB game on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 2

• 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Hank Iba while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for reliever Don McMahon in 1967 and wound up playing in the World Series later that year against the St. Louis Cardinals.

• Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) scored six runs in a 1940 doubleheader split against the Philadelphia Athletics.

• Philadelphia Athletics rookie C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) collected five RBI against the Boston Red Sox in a 1925 game.

• In 1951, 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) demoted by the Boston Red Sox to the minors to regain his form after he was A.L. Rookie of the Year the previous campaign.

• Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) banged out four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1945 contest.

• Kansas City Royals DH Gail Hopkins (averaged 2.5 ppg with Pepperdine in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in a 1973 outing.

• Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58 when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding) hammered two homers against the California Angels in the opener of a 1965 twinbill.

• New York Yankees DH David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85) jacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 2001 game.

• Philadelphia Phillies LF Danny Litwhiler (JV hooper with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) launched two homers against the Chicago Cubs in a 1941 contest.

• Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) tied a MLB mark by committing three errors in the first inning of a 6-3 setback against the Montreal Expos in 1973.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) tossed a shutout against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader, notching his 225th career victory.

• Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season) whacked two homers against the San Francisco Giants in a 1979 outing. Two years later as a member of the Giants, Martin capped off a nine-run, fourth-inning outburst with a grand slam against the Houston Astros in 1981.

• C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Cleveland Indians in 1963.

• Cleveland Indians 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) launched two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers in the nightcap of a 1970 twinbill.

• San Francisco Giants CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) went 3-for-3 with three steals in an 8-6 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1979.

• RHP Dick Radatz (center on Michigan State's freshman hoops squad in 1955-56) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Cleveland Indians in 1966.

• Pittsburgh Pirates LF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) knocked in five runs in the nightcap of a 1934 doubleheader against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).

• Baltimore Orioles LF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC hoops selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1987.

• Atlanta Braves LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) won his first six decisions in 1969.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) stroked three extra-base hits (one double/two homers) in 2001 game against the New York Yankees.

• LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) selected by Seattle Mariners in first round (22nd pick overall) in 1998 amateur draft.

• Chicago Cubs RF Bob Will (all-league athlete was Mankato State MN hoops captain in 1954-55) clobbered his third homer in a four-game span in 1960.

June 9 is the day to celebrate the most birthdays this month for former All-Americans. Duke had multiple All-Americans born on two separate days this month (24th and 28th) en route to tying rival North Carolina for most A-As born in June with seven apiece. Following are birth dates in June for All-American players and Hall of Fame coaches:

JUNE

1: All-Americans Don Burness (born in 1919/Stanford), Jerel McNeal (1987/Marquette) and Sam Young (1985/Pittsburgh).
2: All-Americans Paul Huston (1925/Ohio State) and Al Wood (1958/North Carolina).
3: All-Americans Billy Cunningham (1943/North Carolina), Al Horford (1986/Florida), Otto Porter (1993/Georgetown) and Jalen Suggs (2001/Gonzaga).
4: All-Americans Gale Bishop (1922/Washington State), Bill Hanson (1940/Washington), Xavier McDaniel (1963/Wichita State), Greg Monroe (1990/Georgetown) and Gary Thompson (1935/Iowa State).
5: All-American Joe Reiff (1911/Northwestern) and Hall of Fame coach Frank Keaney (1886/Rhode Island State).
6: All-Americans Tommy Amaker (1965/Duke) and John Rudometkin (1940/Southern California).
7: All-Americans Howie Carl (1938/DePaul), George Glamack (1919/North Carolina), Allen Iverson (1975/Georgetown) and Cazzie Russell (1944/Michigan).
8: All-Americans Bill Erickson (1928/Illinois), Mark McNamara (1959/California) and Bryant Reeves (1973/Oklahoma State).
9: All-Americans Udonis Haslem (1980/Florida), Billy Knight (1952/Pittsburgh), E. "Branch" McCracken (1908/Indiana), Bill Stauffer (1930/Missouri), Brian Taylor (1951/Princeton) and Wayman Tisdale (1964/Oklahoma).
10: All-Americans John Gianelli (1950/Pacific), Ralph Hamilton (1921/Indiana) and Jeff Teague (1988/Wake Forest) plus Hall of Fame coach Johnny Orr (1927/Massachusetts, Michigan and Iowa State).
11: All-American Joey Graham (1982/Oklahoma State).
12: All-Americans Bobby Joe Hill (1943/Texas Western), Antawn Jamison (1976/North Carolina), Kerry Kittles (1974/Villanova) and Lee Mayberry (1970/Arkansas).
13: All-Americans Fred Boyd (1950/Oregon State), Arvis "A.W." Davis (1943/Tennessee) and Bill Kinner (1914/Utah).
14: All-Americans RJ Barrett (2000/Duke), Eric Murdock (1968/Providence) and Sam Perkins (1961/North Carolina).
15: All-American Charles Black (1921/Kansas).
16: All-Americans Gus Broberg (1920/Dartmouth), Darrell Griffith (1958/Louisville), Forrest "Fordy" Hamilton (1930/Southwest Missouri State), Angelo "Hank" Luisetti (1916/Stanford) and Wayne "Tree" Rollins (1955/Clemson).
17: All-Americans Nick Fazekas (1985/Nevada), Georges Niang (1993/Iowa State), Allan Ray (1984/Villanova), Marion "Odie" Spears (1924/Western Kentucky) and Maurice Stokes (1933/St. Francis PA).
18: All-Americans Rod Griffin (1956/Wake Forest), George Mikan (1924/DePaul) and Evan Mobley (2001/Southern California).
19: All-American Bennedict Mathurin (2002/Arizona).
20: All-Americans Josh Childress (1983/Stanford), Rodney Rogers (1971/Wake Forest) and William "Carlyle" Towery (1920/Western Kentucky) plus Hall of Fame coach Herb Magee (1941/Philadelphia Textile).
21: All-Americans Derrick Coleman (1967/Syracuse), Dale Hall (1924/Army), Sam Ranzino (1927/North Carolina State) and Jimmy Rayl (1941/Indiana) plus Hall of Fame coach Everett Case (1900/North Carolina State).
22: All-Americans Clyde Drexler (1962/Houston), Milo Komenich (1920/Wyoming), Pete Maravich (1947/Louisiana State), Johnny Oldham (1923/Western Kentucky) and Charles "Hawkeye" Whitney (1957/North Carolina State).
23: All-American Walter Dukes (1930/Seton Hall).
24: All-Americans Art Heyman (1941/Duke), Luke Kennard (1996/Duke), Ron Kramer (1935/Michigan) and Jonathan "J.J." Redick (1984/Duke).
25: All-Americans Wardell "Dell" Curry (1964/Virginia Tech), Michael Dickerson (1975/Arizona), Collin Gillespie (1999/Villanova), Reggie Johnson (1957/Tennessee), Dikembe Mutombo (1966/Georgetown) and Forest "Aggie" Sale (1911/Kentucky).
26: All-Americans Raymond Felton (1984/North Carolina), Quincy Lewis (1977/Minnesota) and Deron Williams (1984/Illinois).
27: All-Americans Russ Critchfield (1946/California), Kevin Joyce (1951/South Carolina) and Brice Johnson (1994/North Carolina).
28: All-Americans Bobby Hurley (1971/Duke), Jeff Malone (1961/Mississippi State), Chuck Person (1964/Auburn), Jim Spanarkel (1957/Duke) and Terrence Williams (1987/Louisville).
29: All-Americans Wes Fesler (1908/Ohio State), Kawhi Leonard (1991/San Diego State) and Ron Slay (1981/Tennessee).
30: All-American Mitch Richmond (1965/Kansas State).

Birthdays in April for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in May for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches

This mess is Minnesota's sickening stomping on Ohio State in 1971-72 times 270-plus vandalized businesses. If wayward basketball players such as Stephen Jackson and Royce White are among principal "protest" spokesmen, then Minnesota is in deep spit. If Israeli brother-hating Keith Ellison is your attorney general and consultant/brother-loving Ilhan Omar is a Congressional representative, then your riotous state is beyond repair, anyway. #MessMedia strives to box in #TheDonald as if he was supposed to have super pooper scooper capable of cleaning up all of DC dung in last 3 1/2 years. Meanwhile, Antifa-enabling #Dimorat Senators/Congressmen Joe Biden, Dick Durbin, Dianne Feinstein, Steny Hoyer, Patrick Leahy, Patty Murray, Jerry Nadler, #NannyPathetic, Jack Reed, Chuck Schumer and #MadMaxine Waters each have "served themselves" an average of more than 33 years. What in the hell did these pretentious politicians do to improve lot of oppressed over their prolonged self-absorbed tenures?

Another longstanding charlatan, a farce with which to be reckoned, won't show up for funerals of TV journalists and policemen after their assassinations. But as Rev. Sharpnado, creator of the Tawana Brawley hoax among countless other frauds, descended upon another shakedown town devouring donations via mentally-stimulating intimidation tactics, it's time to acknowledge the "protester" chaos in blunt Donald Trump-like fashion. Backbone, not thumb-sucking mayor, is required to promptly end Minneapolis mess and accompanying hoodlum outbreaks across country showing law enforcement how we can all get along. It's a Ferguson do-over. Based on checkered selective-outrage track record, our nation of cowards can't rest easy because "color-brave" ex-Attorney General Eric Holder put the cart before horse. Upon being dispatched by a community-organizing sociopath, they immersed themselves in the Michael Brown shooting death in Ferguson, Mo., including ordering an additional autopsy probably because the first one didn't measure up to their audience's #BlackLiesMatter preconceived shot-in-the-back execution narrative.

Perhaps we would have been spared if only the wizards from Starbucks tackled race relations years ago, listened to liberal lunatic Joe Lockhart about NFL signing washed-up QB to defuse demonstrations or if African-Americans held their community to a standard at least a fraction of what they expect from law enforcement. Deeply-personal, raced-obsessed Holder, receiving support from the #AudacityofHype and fellow JV leftists comparable to humiliated Huma (#ShrillaryRotten II) standing by perverted Carlos Danger after the weiner's he-man online dialogue with a progressive activist from the Midwest, showed as much legal expertise on a wide variety of issues as he did as a Columbia hooper (missing all four field-goal attempts for the Lions' 1969-70 freshman squad). Scrawny surrogate Huma was too busy to provide authorities requested documents while helping/humanizing Hellary as the anointed one exhibits her brilliance battling a fax machine and wiping a server (with cloth or BleachBit).

While seeking reparations from NFL for foisting flag-hating QB Colon Krapernick's "out-of-control spirals" upon our senses, the political prowess certainly doesn't end with Clinton's claptrap worthy of inclusion in MTV series Jackass. Led by completely inept scripted rush-to-judgment former Gov. Jay Nixon (Dem.), a lynch mob-like Saturday afternoon travesty of a press conference in a church chock full of apostates exhibited decorum akin to an inmate shouting match/battle of wits featuring energized hooked-on-ebonics scholars in a federal penitentiary. Similar to Minneapolis mouse Jacob Frey, Nixon displayed the ultimate dereliction of duty when unavailable for consultation with Ferguson's mayor in the aftermath of the county prosecutor's no-indictment announcement. In the wake of having the National Guard stand down as Ferguson businesses burned, this was another Nixon who should be impeached/recalled. Equally disgusting to Nixon's inaction was New York's mayor siding with protesters more than policemen before a couple of NYPD police families were left fatherless by assassinations the week before Christmas. Eight times as many white Union soldiers as blacks died during the Civil War. Shouldn't blacks be paying reparations to descendants of those deceased whites?

De-fund mindless #Dimorats! Just as With(Holder) stepped down from his lofty position, the rioting and violence erupted in Baltimore amid flailing leadership of mayor and incompetent local prosecutor Marilyn Mosby. We saw a comparable tired act in the Trayvon Martin shooting and subsequently got a similar fairytale from journalistic lemons such as aptly-named Don "Bite Me" Lemon of CNN (Contemptible News Network promoting departure of local police chief) playing judge and jury by portraying Brown on his way to Grandma's house in the hood as if he was Gentle Ben Walking Hood trying to avoid the wolf in sheep's clothes (unprincipled and ill-informed parroting pap about perpetually pestilent police targeted for pinata pelting). Many in the media such as NBC dim bulb Lisa Bloom, virtually provoking a nasty response at nearly every turn, were as naive as state highway patrol official Ron Johnson planning for peace more than savagery and five members of best-and-brightest St. Louis Rams' receiving corps boasting collective knowledge comparable to the rioters' ruins. Hope the NFL pass catchers study their routes in playbook more than they did in generating passing grades amplifying on ample evidence in the Ferguson case.

Apparently incapable of comprehending the difference between a road and sidewalk or just needing a wider swath, Brown lumbered through middle of the street following his heavyweight pre-fight intimidation tactics involving a convenience-store dwarf. Even if Fundraiser Extraordinaire Barry was in one of his 57 states too busy on a golf course to join them or assemble a strategy to combat ISIS while the thugs conducted a pool party at U.S. embassy in Libya, it won't be long before ignorance-is-bliss mental midgets will march in middle of night seeking to have the public right-of-way named after the deceased to honor his larger-than-life contributions in Mr. Brown's Neighborhood. In the meantime, know-it-all petty politicians and non-essential workers in #MessMedia supporting #ShrillaryRotten such as Dimorat Air Claire McCaskill, spotlighting side issues and exacerbating tensions, tried to rev up the intellectually-challenged base with baseless insinuations of voting restrictions. The answer is pretty clear when it comes to Holder, Lemon, Obama and Sharpton, but how much do "Blue Lives Matter" to misguided petty politicos?

Dwyane Wade and his former hypersensitive Miami Heat teammates discerned how to don hoodies in their self-appointed roles as victimization humanitarians but he couldn't explain the Martin verdict declaring George Zimmerman not guilty. "What do I tell my kids?" Wade tweeted, opening a lane for a mocking layup. Wade, rather than brushing up on facts concerning the Zimmerman case, exploited his sons as hoodie-donning props on an Ebony magazine cover. No word if another cerebral cover shot was contemplated by Wade when his cousin was murdered transporting her infant baby in stroller down sidewalk in certifiably-chaotic Chicago just weeks after signing with the Bulls. In conjunction with ambulance-chasing attorney Benjamin Crump's college-bound crumbs to enhance "racial spoils" budding settlement value, similar celebrities predictably racially soiled the scene in the Brown case. King (LeBron) James, Wade's former teammate with Miami, turned up the heat without citing many pertinent facts as he has enough to do trying to steer the Los Angeles Lakers in the right direction; let alone the entire country. Meanwhile, Brown's grieving family reportedly brawled over cashing in on the selling of "what-can-Brown-do-to-you" merchandise such as T-shirts and went on swagger-speaking circuit, giving torturous justice speeches before forums such as U.N. in Switzerland and #Democrap Convention, mixed in with step-dad weighing in via incendiary "burn this bitch down" remarks after announcement there would be no indictment. Of course, we're supposed to believe the deceased never was exposed to any mob-like mentality.

Isn't it about time to exhibit a mite more integrity than duplicating the zero-credibility leadership stemming from Big Brother Barack, disgusting Dr. Huxtable, Washington's Marion Barry, Baltimore's battery of bozos, Lawless in Seattle story and Minneapolis' MIA mayor? "Leaders" could have emphasized cooperation with, not condemnation of, cops in an effort to possibly start upgrading community standards. Instead, the cringe-worthy double-digit IQ crowd seeking to add a third digit after midnight is convinced it's the fault of the untrustworthy police, yadda, yadda, yadda, via rare wayward Minneapolis cop following myth-making template about a prowling renegade bigoted white cop with no disciplinary history extemporaneously seeking to gun down Gentle Ben in cold blood or failing to treat drug dealer Freddie Gray with kid gloves. His Earness, ESPN's NCAA playoff prognosticator pre-COVID-19, certainly implied as much "justice" with funeral representation and pandering pap to the otherwise "numbers-don't-lie" daytime audience for the sports cable network while most of America is working (and paying for their free goodies and "40 or so" FBI-agent invasion plus biased far-left ideologue DOJ flaks overdosing on secular-progressive politics "racing" to probe a single death).

Whether or not they are purchased or stolen, it won't be long before denials will surface about Swisher Sweets being sliced open and swapping all or a portion of tobacco with marijuana for a gentle high or bullish rush. The quality of players for some schools might be more like Holder than Wade, but college basketball would benefit enormously if there was an influx of sanity stemming from enforcing more common-sense roster control and higher academic standards. After all, "black lies matter." Turning the "national-conversation" heat high while unsure of the quality of classes Wade took under coach Tom Crean at Marquette, following are dos and don'ts (a/k/a "affirmative action") do-gooder Dwyane and other minority fathers (if they're around) should tell their sons so they wade in wise, not wayward, waters by adhering to a series of elusive community-healing guidelines:

• Don't show any confidence in an elitist mess media reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly if an incident doesn't fit their liberal narrative (see sexy domestic terrorist Rolling Stone cover as classic example plus phantom Virginia fraternity rape). It's time to step up to the plate and offer more adroit commentary than MSLSD misfit Joyless Reid, who continuously offers so much misguided drivel it seems she must be the trans-racial lovechild of Joy Behar and Harry Reid. Also, maybe we missed the politically-correct police memo, but is it now OK to deploy the word "boy" with such regularity or is it reserved solely for excuse-filled leftists similar to other intemperate terms? Similarly, why is the great-and-wonderful #AudacityofHype able to throw around the "N" word?

• Unlike having majority of Jackie Robinson West players outside Little League boundaries, pull your pants up and do the right thing like the courageous IT director even if you get fired by a fluffy Florida state attorney for sharing all of the trial evidence. Tell the whole truth unlike the putrid press, dishonorable state attorney who filed a misleading affidavit in the Martin case and changing-story Brown accomplice/scholar with checkered past propped up by his attorney/ex-St. Louis mayor. Naturally, one-sided CNN and MSLSD, the Ebola of journalism, don't tell the whole truth by at least acknowledging the honorable mayor's suspect legal expertise. The lame-stream media doesn't give a "smidgeon" of an effort to try to tell a balanced entire story and it's left up to a citizen journalist to try to unearth juvenile record.

• Don't impair your education by conducting yourself in such a manner you get kicked out of your home and/or school. Remember: Only about half of black males graduate from high school. In your academic pursuits, don't fall for pap such as the former hooper-in-chief claiming that raising the debt ceiling does not increase the nation's debt or ObamaCare is a first-rate online venture. Rather than lamely explaining away the fact a disproportionate number of lawbreakers are angelic young black males, provide a cogent response why resembling some repulsive rapper from the wrong side of the hood might make you look like a real or wannabee "knockout" criminal. For instance, former New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets minority owner Jay Z said dealing drugs helped shape his business skills long before inspiring our nation by becoming comrade cozy in Communist Cuba with wife Beyoncé for their anniversary vacation before reportedly bail bankrolling protesters in Ferguson and Baltimore similar to what #Hollyweird is doing now. Set your rapt on correcting the gap between graduation ratios for white and black athletes.

• Do become an authentic "national action" leader such as Congressman Allen West (FL), Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, economist Thomas Sowell, Senator Tim Scott (SC), Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke and Dr. Ben Carson while rejecting the predictable pandering poison from retread race-baiting hustlers, aspiring to be relevant through their all-dark rainbow prism, directed at the low-information sheep mob prior to passing their donations cap. You need a "lifetime of resistance" from affiliating with half-baked reverends wallowing in the grievance industry of shakedown selective civil rights such as their sainthood of aging Anita Hill. Rather than resembling CNN's Van Jones, MSLSD's hyphenated ex-weekend agitator and knucklehead Spike Lee doing more harm to blacks than David Duke and George Wallace combined by always playing the "battered race syndrome" card from the bottom of a decadent deck, it might be a mite more prudent to focus on paying your taxes, explaining to your son how to handle campaign money and mistress plus encouraging your level-headed daughter not to sue a municipality for $5 million stemming from a sprained ankle caused by less-than-level street before she hiked up a mountain in Bali on vacation.

• Don't spend cerebral currency as parasite smoking weed and getting involved with drugs unless it helps prevent you from becoming a nanny-state social engineer fantasizing in the "could've-been-me" world of dismissive and derisive phony scandals. Let me be clear! Phony is telling glaring untruths from the "bullying" pulpit about retaining your existing healthcare or standing in front of caskets and hiding behind a hyped video while meandering to get to the bottom of patriotic, not languishing, Americans being murdered and belittling folks who deserve straight answers. Lacking credibility and courage, you're also a chip-on-your-shoulder phony who will always be left behind like a slug if you can't exercise deductive reasoning and comprehend straight-answer facts staring smear merchants flush in their anti-police, high-tech lynching faces.

• Do steer clear of Antifa a_hole street thuggery attacks and the low-pants Gangsta culture in every way. Spend more time like blustery Big O keeping an inventory of how items such as jewelry, not Skittles or cigarillos, came in your possession. Then you might be able to concentrate on "a spiritual union" with a partner (Mr. Oprah) or keep a keen watch on the "racist" Swiss. The devastation of fatherless boys caused by liberal welfare policies is a factor in the Centers for Disease Control reporting that young black men are 14 times more likely to commit murder than young white men. Here is how you can "improve relations" with cops. Don't commit a crime! Help cops rid your neighborhood of gang members and castigate liberal politicians obsessed with nonsensical revenue-generating ploys to enhance their budgets.

• Don't use the creepy term "Cracka" (offensive to Wheat Thins) when describing a Hispanic; let alone a wily White-Spanic or full-fledged caustic Caucasian. Although you might have a female friend claiming you "wanted to be a basketball player," that dialogue similar to homegrown ISIS fighter Douglas McCain won't get you a passing grade in Trash Talking 101. Let your standards resonate a mite higher than rolling the dice like an AAU team from Atlanta donning "I AM TRAYVON" shirts before and after games in a Las Vegas tournament or the grandstanding Alabama State marching band spelling out his name for some sort of symbolic gesture at halftime of a football game. Liberalism truly is a mental illness. Please get an injection of brain cells! You can do better than this drivel! Let's see if Alabama State's bereaved band can spell the name of any "Cracka" victim stemming from the Navy Yard rampage in the District of Columbia or executed NYPD officer.

• Do be sufficiently discriminating not to be a peer-pressure slave to liberal racism resulting in 90% of tunnel-vision blacks going exclusively one way. A conservative "thinker" can't breathe among the dumb mass of voters. Compare the percentage of blacks who voted for McCain/Romney/Trump in three previous presidential elections to percentage of whites who voted for Obama and then be honest with yourself asking which ethnic group immerses themselves in tarnished practice of bigoted racial profiling to deal with never-forgotten white privilege. An I-have-a-dream struggle does continue trying to overcome prejudiced one-way voting expression. Enhance your independent-thinking credibility by making sure you develop enough remedial initiative to secure simplistic voter ID to exhibit such dynamic diversity. If the biased balloting ceased, the emancipation could be profiled online at www.blackpeoplefeat.com rather than wasting energy stalking Paula Deen. With respect to stark percentages, check out the Department of Justice's annual Victimization Report showing blacks committing more than half of the violent crimes against whites while whites commit only a few percent of the violent crimes against blacks. Among the 20 to 25 cities with the highest murder rates annually, the overwhelming majority are governed by Democrats. If IQ tests with minimum allowable score were given before anyone could vote, the Democratic Party would cease to exist. Instead of helping raise scholastic standards and emphasize textbook student-athletes, the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches), infected by cancel culture, seeks to eliminate ACT and SAT results as part of eligibility process.

• Don't become "a terrible husband" like many promiscuous NBA players or infatuated with 72 virgins via Islamic martyrdom no matter how many condoms you can freely secure from a public school to mingle with a two-bit twerker. After all, "A Father First" divorce settlement in the "War on Women" can cost you in excess of $5 million. Data-driven records are made to be broken but don't secure a spot on the dead-beat "BabyDaddies" team of multiple illegitimate children with irresponsible Kenny Anderson, Willie Anderson, Jason Caffey, Dwight Howard, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Calvin Murphy, Clifford Rozier, Latrell Sprewell, Royce White, etc. The Sperminators squad full of faulty fatherhood would be coached by Scott Skiles. Moreover, don't be as shamelessly reality-show shallow as Lamar Odom, a Heat teammate in 2003-04 when Wade was a rookie, and marry, however briefly, a no-talent Left Coast celebrity only a month after meeting her Kardashian can and/or clan.

• Do show respect for the opposite sex and sanctity of life by not contributing to more than 70% unwed mothers in the black community. Examine why FBI crime statistics show blacks raping several thousand white women annually while white-on-black rapes number between "0.0" and "sample based on 10 or fewer" (see Chapter 11 of "Mugged"). And if you say you're pro-little guy (such as highly-motivated work force seeking to double wages in their "career" at McDonalds); then "choose" to support the ultimate little guy (baby in womb). If not black-on-black crime, where are the marches to curtail the barbaric ISIS-like #PlannedMurderhood genocide of nearly 1,900 black baby abortions per day? A precise definition of blind-eye targeting is when 13% of the nation's population look like the serial-killer nurse from Houston undergoing 35% of all abhorrent abortions. How low can we sink as a society if the remainder of the country ever becomes like New York City where more black babies are killed by abortion than are born there? Incredibly, the New York Slimes was hailed by lib-nut bloodthirsty bloggers when Wade's teammate, Udonis Haslem, and his wife were depicted as courageous for challenging the "persistent abortion stigma that's deeply ingrained in our society." Upon following NFL tight end Ben Watson's leadership and rectifying "redlining" atrocity of Planned Murder in the Hood, then you can credibly lecture everyone about black lives matter. Incredibly, BLM features a convicted terrorist among its fundraising board.

• Don't besmirch Charles Barkley for failing to toe the solidarity line and don't associate extensively with "We Be New School People" who can't read cursive or speak English properly (eloquent to MSLSD's not-so-sharp ton of tampon-earring misfits who believe children belong to communities rather than households, pundits ill-equipped to handle prankster and "clever" editing). Unless, of course, you've undergone PC sensitivity training and helping someone with a genuine learning disability (whether or not they're a homophobic perjurer). Naturally, embrace a father figure with more integrity than "I Spy" credentials giving an entirely new connotation for reasons to spike women's drinks.

• Do stand your moral ground following these ethical principles so your personal responsibility will significantly decrease the odds you'll end up with a suspect legacy like slain boy scouts Martin and Brown or the chronic whiners exploiting tragedy on dopey ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, liberal mouthpiece MSLSD (Mentally Stunted Landfill of Shameless Dolts) and NPR (National Puke Radio). Always "doing stupid stuff," many of the so-called experts should be featured among the lunatic lineup of MSLSD's weekend "Lockup" brain trust. They are not only a disgrace to their own "kind," but also a disgrace to humankind by supporting an arsonist. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt such as "retraining white brains and souls" and striving to change name of UK's Rupp Arena.

Wade was superior at playing on both ends of the court until knee problems left him incapable of being a lockup defender and he just exerted effort primarily on one side (offensively); symbolic of the African-American political effort when it comes to sizing up the entirety of an issue. Thus he could play both sides of the lecture fence comparable to lunatic liberal activists condemning demented #Demorat sexual escapades after the same enablers staunchly defended Sick Willie, the self-styled first black POTUS, for similar political-theatre bozo behavior. At the very least, any perceived problem could be blamed by genuine racial rodeo clowns on George Dubya, global warming, the Australian catcher for East Central (Okla.) murdered by human debris when shot in the back by hate-crime valueless scum while jogging or the white student "justifiably" assaulted on a Florida bus by three black teens for alleged drug ratting. Hopefully, Wade's World won't also take up the mantle of the "stop snitchin'" movement reminiscent of Syracuse All-American Carmelo Anthony, who appeared to do just that in an underground DVD circulated in his hometown of Baltimore in 2004 encouraging those individuals questioned by the police to refuse to "snitch" on drug dealers and other criminals. It's the code-of-silence equivalent of failing to allow anyone to openly display any support for the Ferguson police officer.

Lunatic leftists seek to defund law enforcement. When in trouble, who are they going to call? Ghostbusters! Never let facts get in the way of a get-me-on-TV protest. It's a byproduct of failing to read bills before voting on them and failing to review evidence in crime cases prior to weighing in on them with alleged expertise. Encumbered by loathsome leftist leaders, we see low-life decay from sea (fatally shooting baby in a stroller in coastal GA, 14-year-old murdering his MA math teacher with a box cutter and slaughtering civilians at a Navy complex in nation's capitol) to dying sea (beating WWII veteran to death with flashlight in Washington state after he survived Okinawa). The so-called leaders with a deficit in character content more than 50 years removed from MLK mooch off vet Shorty's sacrifice but probably never would mention him unless it was for gun-control purposes if he had tried to defend his "welfare" with a weapon. There is infinitely more evidence of a longstanding absence of authentic leaders in and for communities such as Ferguson across the nation than anything nefarious about Officer Darren Wilson's career actions.

Where are the facts-challenged arrogant activists when it comes to excessive black-on-black crime? Are the black thrill killers in Oklahoma, Beltway snipers, Virginia TV journalist executioner, DC mansion torturer/murderer or hammering Bosnian man to death in St. Louis also going to be portrayed as possible bored sons of former POTUS? Would Aaron Alexis, Brown, Vester Flanagan, Gray, Christopher Harper-Mercer, Micah Johnson, Gavin Long, Lee Boyd Malvo, Martin, Jesse Matthew, Shannon Miles, Alton Nolten and Daron Wint have been in a healthier state of mind if they simply drank more water, ate more organic food and participated regularly in "Let's Move" exercises? Did wise Wade or any of the race-card charlatans show solidarity with a Melbourne mom by having him and his sons don a catcher's mask for a magazine cover shot or express condolences to families of cops assassinated by human debris or math flash cards supporting the young MA math teacher or Naval gear honoring the D.C. deceased? Integrity questions to ponder after shedding authentic "Be Like Mike" mementos and trying to learn how to put on a "Hands Off, Don't Loot" hoodie (not made from white sheets contrary to rumors stemming from legal meal-ticket vultures descending upon Brown household like repugnant Rev. Sharpnado and his never-ending defining-moment ilk).

Finally, here's a novel all-lives-matter thought modifying a genuine culture of corruption: How about not protesting a modest late-night curfew by simply getting a good night's sleep to either function better the next day as a student or parent or employee? Unless, of course, none of those objectives mean as much to you as a contrived definition of assassinating character after a "Mikey Beats Anything" (especially pint-sized store owner and cop) surveillance video clearly defines an individual exhibiting his authentic "character." Following the crowd like trained animals, the carcasses of integrity and intellect were left abandoned in the stereotypical shallow streets by so many victimization sellouts much longer than any 4 1/2 hours in plain view. It's really not that difficult and can be summarized somewhere between 4 1/2 seconds and 4 1/2 minutes. In regard to college hoops although the one-sided sports media won't acknowledge it, coaches should discard efforts to be a hipster rubbing shoulders with "respectable" rappers to reel in regal recruits and simply preach these time-tested basics: Get grades! Get job! Get tired! Get to bed! Rather than simpleton reparations repartee, can I hear an Amen regarding four-step plan to changing a hell-hole culture? These basics are remedial rules Mr. Brown, Mr. Gray and their pigs-in-a-blanket belligerent boosters fail to comprehend as freak-show protesters listen to their respective parents less than did the slain stoned-before-noon sons. Shouldn't there be infinitely more investment of time, energy, emotion and devotion to supporting nine-year-old murder victim Jamyla Bolden, who was truly innocent, and latest disturbing incident involving George Floyd? Alas, many foaming-at-the-mouth coaches, athletes and #MessMedia weighing in on issue sound as if they have as much fentanyl, morphine and meth in their system. Want to bet some counterfeit money on who was most responsible for demise? There is incontrovertible evidence of self-administered drug overdose where a non-compliant Floyd had more than three times the potentially lethal dose of fentanyl in his bloodstream when arriving unresponsive at hospital.

Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad about COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former West Liberty WV hooper Joe Niekro was involved in one of the most unusual incidents in MLB annals. The only homer of Niekro's 22-year career occurred in 1976 and came at the expense of his brother (24-year big leaguer Phil). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 29 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 29

• Rookie RHP Mark Acre (played in 1990 NCAA Basketball Tournament with New Mexico State) allowed his only run through 10 relief appearances to early June 1994 with the Oakland A's (0.82 ERA in first 3 1/2 weeks).

• SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 team ending the Bears' streak of 12 straight losing records) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the New York Mets in 1987.

• In 1955, Cleveland Indians RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) launched the first MLB homer over the outer wall at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium.

• Boston Red Sox RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) hurled his third shutout of the month in 1946.

• In the midst of a 20-game hitting streak, New York Yankees 1B-OF Buddy Hassett (hooper for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) contributed four hits in a 16-1 rout of Washington in 1942.

• LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) swatted two homers in a 5-3 triumph against the Milwaukee Braves in 1965.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer in 1944-45) ended a personal streak of 15 straight defeats with a 12-8 relief victory over the St. Louis Browns in 1950.

• OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when averaging 12.4 ppg) purchased from the Montreal Expos by the New York Mets in 1974.

• RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) notched a 3-0 shutout over the Boston Braves in 1916, sparking the New York Giants to their 17th triumph in a row (all on road).

• In MLB debut as reliever, New York Yankees RHP Bobby Munoz (scored 35 points for Polk Community College FL in game against Palm Beach in mid-November 1986) struck out first two batters he faced in hurling a 1-2-3 ninth inning in 8-2 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1993.

• New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) socked two homers against the Oakland Athletics in a 1973 game.

• Philadelphia Phillies RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) provided his third consecutive three-hit contest in 1953. Nicholson supplied only one more safety in the final 40 at-bats of his 16-year MLB career.

• Houston Astros RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) belted the only homer of his 22-year career in 1976. The round-tripper against the Atlanta Braves came at the expense of his brother (Phil).

• RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs in 1939.

• LF Ray Pepper (Alabama hoops letterman in 1926-27) banged out five hits, including two homers, and drove in five runs to boost the St. Louis Browns to a 12-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers in 1934.

• OF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice while averaging 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90) pounded a pinch homer for the Atlanta Braves against the Chicago Cubs in 1998.

• Philadelphia Phillies LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) yielded a ninth-inning inside-the-park homer but held on for a 4-3, 13-inning victory against Pittsburgh. It is the only homer Rixey allowed in 301 innings pitched.

• Baltimore Orioles DH Larry Sheets (All-ODAC hoops selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) smacked two homers in an 8-6 win against the Oakland Athletics in 1986. Three years later, Sheets socked a round-tripper in his third of last four outings.

• In 1926, Cleveland Indians 2B Freddy Spurgeon (Kalamazoo MI hooper in 1921-22) extended his hitting streak to 11 games in a row with eighth contest of the month boasting at least three safeties.

• Chicago White Sox DH Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) whacked two taters in a 2006 game against the Cleveland Indians.

• Chicago Cubs OF Bob Will (all-league athlete was Mankato State MN hoops captain in 1954-55) slugged his second pinch-hit homer in an eight-game span in 1962.

• Second homer of game by CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) provided the decisive tally for the San Francisco Giants in a 4-3 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008.

Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad regarding COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Frankie Baumholtz (Ohio University), Mickey Brantley (Columbia-Greene Community College SC), Bob Cerv (Nebraska), David Justice (Thomas More KY), Billy North (Central Washington), Larry Sheets (Eastern Mennonite VA) and Babe Young (Fordham) supplied significant performances as MLB outfielders on this date. Ex-NYU hoopers Hank Greenberg and Eddie Yost made American League news with their offensive outputs on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 28 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 28

• In a 1954 game, Chicago Cubs CF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University basketball history to score 1,000 career points) stroked four hits against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).

• Cincinnati Reds 2B Jim Begley (played hoops for San Francisco during first half of 1920s) went 1-for-5 and scored one run in 1924 doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals in his only MLB action.

• In midst of hitting safely in 25 of 26 games (raising batting average 100 points from .211 to .311), Seattle Mariners LF Mickey Brantley (averaged 10 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 5.4 apg for Columbia-Greene Community College SC in 1979-80) collected four RBI in a 6-1 victory against the New York Yankees in 1988.

• New York Yankees LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 whacked a pinch grand slam against the Chicago White Sox in a 1961 contest.

• RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1922) acquired by the Philadelphia Athletics from Baltimore in 1928.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) smacked two homers in an 8-3 win against the New York Yankees in 1935.

• RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85) provided a two-run single to spark a ninth-inning rally propelling the Atlanta Braves past the San Diego Padres, 8-6, in 1991.

• San Francisco Giants CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases in a game for the third time this month in 1981.

• RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975.

• Baltimore Orioles LF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC hoops selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) socked two homers against the California Angels in a 1987 outing.

• Boston Red Sox RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) won his first nine decisions in the 1971 campaign, posting a 1.77 ERA in April and May.

• Entering the game with a .177 batting average, Washington Senators 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year hoops letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in final season in 1947-48) went 3-for-3 and homered for the first of three consecutive contests in 1954 (all of his round-trippers for season in 106 outings).

• As a substitute in a 17-inning tie, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie 3B John Werhas (USC's leading scorer in 1958-59 and 1959-60) collected a career-high three hits against the Cincinnati Reds in 1964.

• In 1994, Minnesota Twins DH Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected his 3,054th MLB hit, surpassing former Twin Rod Carew into 15th place on the all-time list.

• Detroit Tigers 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) drew four walks in a 1960 game against the Cleveland Indians. He was in midst of receiving at least one free pass in last nine contests of the month en route to pacing A.L. in on-base percentage for second of back-to-back seasons.

• New York Giants CF Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) went 4-for-4 against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1946 game.

Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad about COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Santa Clara basketball guards Tim Cullen and Randy Winn each supplied MLB-career defining games on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 27

• CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Giants in 1930. Five years later, Allen was with the Philadelphia Phillies when he stroked four hits in a 4-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) whacked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1933 game.

• INF Pat Crawford (Davidson hoops captain in early 1920s) traded by the New York Giants to Cincinnati Reds in 1930.

• Washington Senators 2B Tim Cullen (starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when averaging 10 ppg and 3.4 rpg) contributed four hits in an 8-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers in 1967.

• Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) tossed his fourth shutout in first six starts in 1945.

• Baltimore Orioles 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) cracked a grand slam against the California Angels in a 1984 outing.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) provided at least three hits in fourth consecutive contest in 1981.

• Los Angeles Dodgers RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1962 doubleheader.

• RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan hoops letterman in mid-1930s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Boston Braves in 1947.

• Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases against the Oakland Athletics in a 1994 game.

• Chicago Cubs LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in a 1918 game.

• Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) fired the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1949.

• Closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) traded by the California Angels to the Cincinnati Reds in 1996.

• Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) provided three straight three-hit games in 1927. Four years later in 1931, Stephenson went 4-for-4, including three extra-base hits, against the Cincinnati Reds. In a 1932 contest, he went 4-for-4 again against the Reds.

• In 1975, Oakland Athletics RHP Jim Todd (averaged 16 ppg for Millersville PA in 1968-69 after transferring from Parsons IA) didn't allow an earned run in nine straight relief appearances in the month until doing so against the Baltimore Orioles.

• Seattle Mariners LF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 5-for-5 in a 15-7 triumph against the Kansas City Royals in 2003.

Extra! Extra! If spittin' made about COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former hoopers from small Southern colleges Fayetteville State NC (Jim Bibby), Morehouse GA (Donn Clendenon), Guilford NC (Rick Ferrell), Hampden-Sydney VA (Bobby Humphreys), William Carey MS (John Stephenson) and Nicholls State LA (Champ Summers) made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 25 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 25

• RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup basketball player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) and Pittsburgh Pirates teammate Jim Winn tied a MLB record by combining to walk seven consecutive batters in the third inning of a 1983 game against the Atlanta Braves.

• New York Yankees LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing career) cracked a grand slam against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1956 game.

• Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) capped a streak of five multiple-hit games in succession with four safeties against the Chicago Cubs in a 1965 contest.

• Hall of Fame C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s), after socking a third-inning homer for the Detroit Tigers against the New York Yankees in his final official at-bat, incurred a skull fracture in three places when beaned by a 3-1 pitch in the fifth in 1937. The player-manager never returned to active duty as a player. In 1950, Cochrane was named general manager of the Philadelphia Athletics.

• In 1960, St. Louis Cardinals 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming the first high school player named the state's "Mr. Basketball") clobbered a MLB career-record 11th pinch-hit homer.

• In 1928, St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) endured his only hitless contest in a 28-game span to early June.

• California Angels 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered his fifth three-hit performance of the month in 1974.

• Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 in 1942-43), en route to becoming 1950 A.L. Rookie of the Year, drove in six runs (four with grand slam) in a 15-12 verdict over the St. Louis Browns.

• Washington Senators C Rick Ferrell (forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) stroked three doubles against the St. Louis Browns in a 1938 outing.

• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) hurled his third shutout of the month in 1969.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) went 4-for-4, including two homers, against the New York Yankees in a 1938 game.

• Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice off the San Francisco Giants' Mike McCormick in a 1959 contest.

• Washington Senators RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman graduated from Hampden-Sydney VA in 1958) had his streak of eight straight scoreless relief appearances come to an end in 1969.

• 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) lashed the last of seven homers for the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 3-0 delivery in a 17-6 whipping of the Cincinnati Reds in 1979. In Lopes' next at-bat, he was decked on four straight pitches, precipitating a brawl. Six years earlier as a rookie, Lopes notched his eighth multiple-hit contest in a 10-game span in 1973.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) notched his sixth consecutive complete-game victory during the month in 1930.

• St. Louis Cardinals rookie CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) swiped four bases in a 9-4 decision over the Chicago Cubs in 1954.

• Detroit Tigers OF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) contributed five RBI against the Boston Red Sox in a 1967 outing.

• New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) went 5-for-5 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1938 game.

• Boston Red Sox RHP Mike Smithson (teammate of Tennessee All-American Ernie Grunfeld averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg under coach Ray Mears in 1974-75 and 1975-76) twirled a shutout against the Seattle Mariners in 1989.

• In 1971, California Angels C John Stephenson (scored 1,361 points for William Carey MS in early 1960s) hit safely in his first 15 games of the month until he was held hitless by the Oakland Athletics.

• OF Champ Summers (team-high scoring averages of 15.7 ppg for Nicholls State in 1964-65 and 22.5 ppg for SIUE in 1969-70) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Detroit Tigers in 1979.

Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad about COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Eventual Big 12 Conference members Baylor (Ted Lyons), Kansas State (Elden Auker) and Texas A&M (Davey Johnson) boasted former hoopers who made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 24

• Detroit Tigers 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center for Milligan TN in mid-1920s) whacked two homers in an 8-7 defeat against the Chicago White Sox in 1930.

• RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first five hoops selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) pitched the first night game in St. Louis in 1940 when Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame P Bob Feller defeated the Browns, 3-2.

• Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) went 4-for-4 in a 4-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1967 twinbill.

• Subbing for Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame 1B Ernie Banks, Leo Burke (averaged 9.2 ppg for Virginia Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54) went 3-for-3 with two extra-base hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1964 doubleheader.

• Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1929 game. Eight years later with the Detroit Tigers, Cochrane collected four hits against the Senators in a 1937 contest.

• St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1931 twinbill.

• Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) banged out four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1970 outing. The next year, Doyle's two-run homer gave Philly a 2-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1971.

• Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) replaced Tony Perez as manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1993.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team hoops selection for Baylor in early 1920s) surrendered 24 hits in going the distance in a 21-inning, 6-5 defeat against the Detroit Tigers in 1929. In 1946, 45-year-old Lyons relinquished the mound to become manager of the White Sox. In his last 28 appearances, he hurled complete games.

• St. Louis Browns rookie RHP Dave Madison (Louisiana State hoops letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43) didn't yield a run in his first eight relief appearances in 1952.

• New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24 consecutive times until losing to the Cards, 3-1, in 1909.

• Atlanta Braves rookie RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) won his sixth straight start in 1968.

• 1B Howie Schultz (Hamline MN product played and coached professional basketball) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cincinnati Reds in 1948.

• In the midst of five straight starts yielding fewer than three earned runs, Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 for Benedictine KS) tossed a three-hit shutout against the Montreal Expos in 1970.

• San Diego Padres OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) supplied four hits and scored three runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2015 contest.

• 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) contributed a triple and homer in helping the Pittsburgh Pirates snap an 11-game losing streak with a 15-1 romp over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.

Some gave all as we contemplate honoring authentic heroes with the 76th anniversary of D-Day on the horizon. The fallen didn't have to worry about manipulation of waiting lists and receiving proper medical care from the VA because they didn't make it back home alive. Unless you're an inferiority-complex coward comparable to BSNBC up-tight host Chris Hayes uncomfortable with calling fallen military "heroes", hoops aficionado/despicable NOKO despot Kim Jong Un, #NewYorkSlimes op-ed writer or presstitute-promoted #ShrillaryRotten telling lies in front of caskets at Dover Air Force Base, a Memorial Day weekend generates sobering reminders of what is really important to our freedom. College basketball ultimate-sacrifice contributions are aplenty, magnified in first-class significance when compared to low-class scheming by FBI/CIA/DOJ upper brass regarding General Flynn. Who do you really believe the memorialized specifically and military in general would and do support more - pushy President Trump or pussy press infested by jet-lagged #CNNSucks, "dynastic" dolts at MSNBC fawning over "Weissmann" Report, #Dimorats dumpster diving with fossil John Dean and weepy Obama lackey "dude" Ben Rhodes on election night?

While Baylor's football program became Animal House, the school's basketball roster developed a reputation the past several seasons for having some "soft" players who played with the fervor of a man holding his female companion's purse at the mall much of a shopping excursion afternoon. But Baylor is believed to be the only non-service academy in America to have two former athletes go on to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Both men, Jack Lummus and John "Killer" Kane, earned the nation's highest military honor for heroics in World War II. Lummus played football, basketball and baseball for the Bears from 1938 through 1941. He was an All-Southwest Conference center fielder before signing with the NFL's New York Giants.

After one year of pro football, Lummus joined the U.S. Marines and was a platoon leader in the initial days of fighting on Iwo Jima. While leading a charge on enemy positions, Lummus stepped on a land mine and lost both legs. Despite heavy bleeding, he led his platoon to knock out several pockets of Japanese fire, a vital part of the U.S. victory. Alas, Lummus died of his wounds shortly after the battle.

Kane, who also played football and basketball, was one of the survivors on Baylor's ill-fated 1927 basketball squad that lost 10 of its 21-member traveling party in a bus-train wreck en route to Austin, Tex. As a result of the "Immortal Ten" tragedy, the remainder of the first of coach Ralph Wolf's 15 seasons was cancelled, and the first highway overpass in Texas was constructed.

Kane joined the Army Air Corps in 1932 and soon became a bomber commander of legendary proportions. It was said he was the best pilot and toughest commander in the Air Corps. It was often debated who feared him more - the Germans or his own men.

On August 1, 1943, Kane led what at the time was the deadliest air battle in history - a low-level, long-range bombing raid on Hitler's oil-refining complex in Rumania. The site produced a major portion of the Axis' fuel and was one of the most heavily-guarded locations in history.

Letting freedom ring amid bugle playing of "Taps" on sacred ground, the heroism exhibited by ex-hoopers doesn't stop there. Al Brown, Creighton's leading scorer in 1925-26, survived the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines. Glenn Wilson, captain of Dartmouth's 18-7 team in 1954-55 when averaging around 11 ppg for the third straight season, joined the Air Force, where he served as a fighter pilot and flight instructor during the Cold War and Vietnam War. Wilson was shot down over North Vietnam and taken prisoner in early August 1967. As a POW, he spent 2,047 days in captivity and was tortured repeatedly until his release in early March 1973 as part of Operation Homecoming. More recently, Eric "Nasty Zasty" Zastoupil (2.5 ppg and 1.7 rpg for Army from 2006-07 through 2009-10) was on foot patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in mid-August 2012 when an IED explosion blew off lower half of First Lieutenant's left leg. Amid "Taps" playing in the background and issuing kudos to research by baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com, ex-players warranting we-regret-to-inform-you salutes during Memorial Day weekend for making the supreme sacrifice include:

• All 11 regulars on Pittsburgh's 1941 Final Four team participated in World War II and one of them, guard Bob Artman, was killed in action.

• Kentucky players who competed multiple years for the Wildcats before they were killed during WWII included Mel Brewer (Army Second Lieutenant/died in France), Ken England (Army Captain of ski troop/Italy), James Goforth (Marine First Lieutenant/Marshall Islands) and Jim King (Army Second Lieutenant and co-pilot/Germany). Brewer, England and King were three of the top seven scorers for UK's first NCAA Tournament and Final Four team in 1942.

• Bart Avery, an Alabama letterman in 1942 and 1943, was killed in action on April 6, 1945, as a newly-promoted Captain aiding final push against the Germans.

• Gene Berger, a Syracuse letterman from 1939-40 through 1941-42, was killed in 1961 during flight maneuvers in the Pacific after taking off from the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. He was a Commander in the U.S. Navy and a Naval aviator.

• Archie Buckley, letterman from 1928 to 1930 as a Washington State forward, was a Lieutenant in charge of physical conditioning of Navy pilots aboard the USS Saratoga aircraft carrier on February 21, 1945, when he was among 123 crew members dead or missing after five Kamikaze bomb hits.

• Young Bussey, a letterman for LSU in the late 1930s, participated in numerous landing assaults in the South Pacific during WWII before dying as head beach-master in early January 1945 in the Philippines.

• Bob "Ace" Calkins, UCLA's top scorer in the late 1930s before Jackie Robinson arrived, was navigator on an airplane ("The Flying Fortress") gunned down during WWII. He later died in an Italian prison camp from wounds suffered in the crash.

• John Campbell, a four-year hooper for Dickinson (Pa.), was a Second Lieutenant who failed to return from Army Air Corps sea sweep mission off northeastern Tunisia in late March 1943.

• Edward Christl, a center and Army team captain for the Cadets' unbeaten squad in 1944, was a First Lieutenant during WWII the next year when he was killed in action. Army's arena is named after him.

• Bill Coleman, a Georgia Tech letterman in 1909, was in the Army in 1918 when he perished in plane crash in France during WWI.

• Joe Comer, captain of George Washington's 1940-41 squad, was an Army Lieutenant two years later when he died in a military plane crash.

• Andy Curlee, Auburn's captain in late 1930s, died on April 6, 1943, when the First Lieutenant was leading his squadron in Tunisia.

• Francis "Reds" Daly, a Georgetown letterman from 1938 through 1940, served as a Major in U.S. Marines and as battalion commander was killed in action during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 22, 1945.

• George Davison, a Washington State letterman in 1943, was a Second Lieutenant on March 18, 1945, when he was killed in action while his infantry regiment was attacking German Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrucken.

• Jack Dean, a starting forward as freshman for DePaul's 1944 NIT runner-up was assigned to the ill-fated USS Indianapolis, which was sunk by a Japanese submarine and suffered the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy. Out of 1,196 men on board, almost 300 went down with the vessel in late July 1945. The remaining 900 or so men were left floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats and most with no food or water. Dean reportedly survived for about 2 1/2 days in the ocean before succumbing.

• Colorado A&M's Lewis "Dude" Dent, voted the best all-around athlete in the Mountain States Conference in 1943, was an Army Lieutenant among forward observers giving firing coordinates on the radio when killed in action in France in August 1944.

• Edward Drake, who played for Rutgers in 1929-30, died on December 21, 1943, in a plane crash over the Mediterranean Sea shortly after his promotion to Major.

• Bob Duffey, a backup swingman for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up, was killed on November 13, 1944, in European theater combat. Teammate Lloyd Potolicchio, who matched DePaul legend George Mikan's 11-point output in the 1943 national semifinals when the Hoyas eliminated the Blue Demons before bowing to Wyoming in title tilt, joined the Air Force. Potolicchio was boom operator Master Sergeant when killed in a refueling mission on January 17, 1966, in a B-52 crash off the coast of southern Spain. His KC-135 tanker was completely destroyed when its fuel load ignited, resulting in the B-52G breaking apart with B28RI hydrogen weapons falling to earth and plutonium contamination occurring near the fishing village of Palomares. In March 2009, Time magazine identified the Palomares accident as one of the world's "worst nuclear disasters."

• Texas' Pete Edmond died on October 11, 1918, charging a German machine-gun position in the Battle of the Argonne Forest, one of the bloodiest campaigns in the history of American warfare.

• Second Lieutenant John Eggleton (Alfred NY) was an Army platoon leader on December 11, 1942, when he died while engaging German tanks and artillery on road outside Tunis in North Africa.

• Charles "Herb" Fash averaged 7.2 ppg for Saint Louis from 1933-34 through 1935-36. On January 21, 1945, the Lieutenant was one of 52 sailors killed when a torpedo bomber, returning from a South Pacific sortie, made a routine landing on the USS Hancock, taxied and disintegrated in an explosion as one of its 500-pound bombs detonated on the aircraft carrier.

• Bob Fischer, letterman in 1941 and 1942 as a Notre Dame guard, was serving with an Army squadron on November 17, 1944, when he was killed while bailing out of his fighter plane as it went down in flames over Italy.

• William Gamber, a hooper for Tri-State (Ind.), was a pilot who died with three aspiring Army Air Corps fliers on November 18, 1942, on a routine training mission after leaving Mather Field in Sacramento. In 1947, it was determined their plane crashed hundreds of miles off course into 13,841-foot-high Mount Darwin in Kings Canyon National Park after a hiker initially discovered some of the wreckage on a glacier. Sixty-three years later, climbers discovered his body entombed in ice.

• Bob Gary, captain for Washington & Lee (Va.), was a navigator on a routine training flight in early February 1944 when his bomber crashed Southeast of El Paso.

• Montana State's Cyrus Gatton, a pilot with the 11th Aero Squadron, was killed in action in Europe the first week in November 1918, a week before the Armistice was signed ending World War I.

• James Gillespie, Georgia letterman in 1939, served in the Navy when killed in action.

• John Goodrich, named outstanding all-around athlete in the class of 1940 for St. Lawrence NY, was a Naval patrol bomber pilot lost in action in 1944 over the English Channel.

• Eddie Grant, who played basketball for Harvard at the turn of the 20th Century before becoming an infielder for 10 years in the majors, died from shelling on October 5, 1918, in the Argonne Forest, France, during WWI while in charge of his battalion after his commanding officer was killed.

• Frank Haggerty, St. John's senior co-captain in 1939-40 who averaged 5 points per game in his three-year career under legendary coach Joe Lapchick, was a Second Lieutenant in Air Force. Haggerty was killed instantly on training mission in fall of 1942 when his plane crashed into the Catawba River in Charlotte area.

• Frank Hill, a Clemson letterman in 1942 and 1943, was an Army First Lieutenant killed in action in Germany on April 10, 1945.

• Henry "Red" Hinkley, a letterman for Southern Illinois from 1940-41 through 1942-43, was fighting with U.S. Army at an island near New Guinea, sought for its strategic location to refuel aircraft, when killed by machine gun fire on June 7, 1944.

• Ernie Holbrook was a three-year letterman as USC forward and hero of 1935 PCC playoff series against Oregon State. He died in mid-December 1944 during opening salvos of the Ardennes offensive in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge.

• Bob Holmes was a forward who helped guide Central Methodist (Mo.) to MCAU title in 1942-43. In the Marines invasion of Iwo Jima in mid-February 1945, he was mortally wounded while spraying the enemy with machine gun fire. Holmes subsequently was buried at sea.

• Thomas P. Hunter, a three-year letterman who was a sophomore member of Kansas' 1940 runner-up, was killed in action against the Japanese on Guam, July 21, 1944, while fighting with the Ninth Marines as a First Lieutenant. Hunter was elected posthumously as captain of the Jayhawks' 1945-46 squad that compiled a 19-2 record.

• Dave Kanning, who averaged 3.4 ppg and 4 rpg for Navy in 1961-62 and 1962-63, was an instructor pilot aboard a T-34B on June 2, 1980, when killed in an aircraft accident near Fairhope, Ala.

• Track star Jack Kelleher, who briefly played hoops for Washington State's 1941 NCAA Tournament runner-up, died in mid-September 1944 from wounds the Infantryman incurred in France in an assault of Germany's Siegfried Line.

• Nile Kinnick, Iowa's Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback-halfback in 1939, played basketball for the Hawkeyes during his sophomore year, averaging 6.1 ppg to finish as their second-leading scorer. After bypassing pro football to attend law school, he was killed in a plane crash on June 2, 1943, on a routine training flight from the aircraft carrier USS Lexington off the coast of Venezuela while serving in the Navy. Kinnick's body never was recovered after his attempt to land in the water following a serious oil leak.

• George Lenc, a four-year letterman for Augustana (Ill.) in the late 1930s, was completing his cadet training as a bombardier and navigator in mid-November 1942 when his bomber crashed near Pasco, Wash.

• Felix Little, a player for Catawba (N.C.) in the late 1930s, was a Navy bomber pilot among nine crew and passengers who perished on December 18, 1944, when a port engine exploded and plane crashed while leaving runway in Brazil.

• Si Lobello, LIU's leading scorer for 1941 NIT titlist, served in the U.S. Army in the European Theater during WWII. He went missing during the Battle of the Bulge in early March 1945 and was later found to be killed in action.

• James Loenshal, a Dickinson (Pa.) hooper, was co-pilot on a mission to bomb an oil refinery near Vienna when the Lieutenant in Army Air Force's aircraft disintegrated in mid-air upon receiving a direct hit from enemy anti-aircraft artillery.

• Walter "Whitey" Loos, an EIBC honorable mention selection as a Carnegie Tech (Pa.) center, died as a navigator in B-24 plane crash in Brazil in mid-January 1944 on the final leg of a journey to Europe.

• Harry Martin, who played for Syracuse in 1916-17, was killed in 1923 when his plane crashed during takeoff at Kelly Field, Tex. Lieutenant and Army aviator served in the AEF in France during WWI.

• Center Bill Menke, the third-leading scorer for Indiana's 1940 NCAA champion who supplied a team-high 10 points in the Hoosiers' national semifinal victory over Duquesne, later became a Navy pilot and served in World War II. In January 1945, he was declared missing in action (and presumed dead) when he didn't return from a flight in the Caribbean.

• John Messina, a member of coach Frank Keaney's innovative fast-break system at Rhode Island State in the mid-1930s, was a paratrooper when killed on July 13, 1943, during the invasion of Sicily.

• Joe Minsavage appeared in 12 games for Syracuse before joining the Navy. On June 19, 1943, he was on board the Henry Knox in the Indian Ocean when it was torpedoed by a Japanese ship. He was lost at sea.

• Bob Morris, who averaged 6.5 ppg for Gettysburg in 1964-65, was killed in March of 1972 when U.S. Air Force captain's plane crashed in northeast Spain.

• Harry Mosher, who led Hartwick NY with 23.2 ppg in 1964-65, was a 2nd Lieutenant in U.S. Army in early February 1968 when killed in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.

• Dick "Hook" Nein, who played for Navy in 1950-51, was a Lieutenant upon perishing on routine gunnery mission when his F86 crashed on November 8, 1954, as student pilot flew from Nellis AFB in Nevada.

• Army Air Force Lieutenant Ralph Nutter, who played for McNeese State's first basketball team when the school was a junior college, died in a plane crash in June 1943.

• Mortimer "Whitey" O'Connell, who played a couple of seasons for Rutgers in the early 1930s, died on March 15, 1945, in a hospital in France.

• Kenneth Omley, who played for Rutgers in the late 1930s and early 1940s, died while in England on November 25, 1944, as a result of wounds received in a plane crash.

• Harry "Porky" O'Neill paced Gettysburg (Pa.) to two Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championships in the late 1930s and caught one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939. After surviving the worst of the horrific fighting at Iwo Jima, the Marine first lieutenant was killed instantly on March 6, 1945, by a sniper's bullet piercing his throat and severing his spinal cord as he prepared to bed down on a starlit night. Gettysburg teammate Gerst Buyer, a First Lieutenant, had died on May 25, 1944, in Italy amid heavy Armored Division tank losses.

• First Lieutenant Jim O'Sullivan (Bates ME) was killed in action in the South Pacific on April 3, 1943, when Marine pilot crash landed at Guadalcanal after returning from a task force coverage mission.

• Captain Scott Pace, who played for Army in 2002-03, died in Afghanistan on June 6, 2012, when the helicopter he was piloting on patrol crashed after riddled by Taliban machine-gun fire.

• Charles "Stubbie" Pearson, captain of Dartmouth's 1942 national runner-up and valedictorian of his class the same year, was killed in action on March 30, 1945, while dive-bombing a Japanese ship off the Palau Islands. Pearson, who also served as captain of the school's football squad, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

• Clyde Pennington, a Clemson letterman in 1935 and 1936, was an Army First Lieutenant who died in a non-battle accident in North Africa on July 23, 1943.

• Four-sport letterman Tommy Peters, who averaged 17.5 ppg to lead the Southern Conference in scoring in 1942-43, died during WWII after only one season with Davidson.

• San Diego State's Milton "Milky" Phelps, the NAIA Tournament's first bona fide standout when he sparked the Aztecs to the 1941 title after two runner-up finishes, gave his life for his country during WWII in the crash of a Navy torpedo bomber.

• Curtis Popham, Texas' co-captain in 1943, was killed during WWII.

• Les Powell, who averaged 11.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg for Utah State in 1965-66 and 1966-67, was a Corporal killed in action in Vietnam by a land mine in April 1969.

• Charles Richardson, a three-year letterman for Gettysburg PA from 1963-64 through 1965-66, was a First Lieutenant piloting a Cessna Super Skymaster that crashed in South Vietnam on October 8, 1968. He was with a psychological air unit equipped with loudspeaker used to urge Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops to defect.

• Robert Roach, a member of Omaha's squad before entering the military, was a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Forces in July 1945 when he died in the crash of his plane in Arizona, where he was an instructor.

• Foy Roberson Jr., a three-year letterman for North Carolina from 1938 through 1940, was killed in a collision at sea on December 21, 1941, while Second Lieutenant in Army Air Corps piloted a military aircraft.

• Jim Robertson was an All-Northwest Conference selection for Willamette (Ore.) in 1941-42. The Marine Corps airman's bomber, damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire in the South Pacific, overshot an island runway attempting a landing in heavy rain and crashed into a lagoon.

• Glenn Sanford, who enrolled at Hillsdale (Mich.) in the late 1930s, was an Army Second Lieutenant stationed in Oakland area in early November 1943 when his plane spiraled into the ocean on a routine patrol along the coast.

• James Scondras, a Holy Cross letterman in 1941 and 1942, was a First Lieutenant in U.S. Marines when killed by Japanese mortar fire on February 25, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

• Don Scott, who made a free throw for Ohio State's national runner-up in inaugural NCAA Tournament championship contest in 1939, died on October 1, 1943, when U.S. Army Air Forces captain's B-26 Marauder bomber crashed in England while in training after football All-American halfback already completed nine bombing missions during WWII.

• Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, Syracuse's first African-American athlete in the late 1930s, became a fighter pilot in unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen. On May 9, 1943, Sidat-Singh was on a training run over Lake Huron when he radioed his engine was on fire. He ejected from the plane but, upon striking the water, Sidat-Singh's parachute pulled him down and caused drowning.

• Eber Simpson, who played for Army in 1941-42 and 1942-43, was the son of an Army Colonel who followed in his father's footsteps, serving in the Air Corps flying 102 missions and 193 sorties in the European Theater. Still in the service in mid-September 1946, he was returning home to Eau Claire, Wis., when his flight was grounded due to bad weather. Following a delay, the plane was cleared to depart but crashed shortly after takeoff, killing Captain Simpson and the four other men on board.

• Carleton (MN) forward Wayne Sparks, a "Little All-American" in 1936-37, died in a bomber crash during WWII.

• Len Supulski, a standout end who also played basketball for Dickinson (Pa.), died in the crash of a B-17 bomber during a routine Army Air Corps training flight near Kearney, Neb., in late August 1943.

• Charles Taggart, who played in 39 games for Syracuse in the early 1930s, was in the Navy on board the USS Frederick C. Davis on April 24, 1945, when the destroyer escort was torpedoed by a German U-boat.

• Burton "Stretch" Thomson, a 6-6 letterman for Iowa State in 1936 and 1937, was an Army Captain in early 1942 when the Japanese captured Corregidor in the Philippines. In mid-May, he was bound after traitorous sergeant in his unit betrayed him to the enemy, taken to a remote area and executed. His remains were recovered in 1946.

• Ed Tuttle, a forward for Lenior-Rhyne (N.C.), was an Air Cadet in the spring of 1942 when his plane collided head-on with another during training in Florida.

• Jimmy Walker was an All-SEC Tournament selection in 1934 and 1935 as an Alabama forward. While on duty as first lieutenant with the Navy, he was seriously wounded in an accident and died on December 22, 1943, in Brazil.

• Four-time All-MCAU forward Eugene "Peaches" Westover, class of '38 for Drury (MO), was killed December 12, 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge while private first class served in Armored Division.

• Claude Whitney, an Indiana letterman in 1910 and 1911, was killed during World War I.

• W.C. Williams, a Clemson letterman in 1940, was an Army Air Corps Major who died while piloting personnel on a ferrying mission in a plane accident in Alaska's Aleutian Islands on August 29, 1944.

• Billy Wohn, a guard for Rice in 1952-53, died in a plane accident in August 1953 while on active duty in the Naval ROTC.

• Henry Woodward, a Clemson letterman from 1933 through 1935, was an Army Major killed in non-battle jeep accident on the Pennsylvania turnpike during maneuvers late in 1943.

• Gene Wright played for Georgia Tech in 1943-44 before he was called into the Navy between the regular season and SEC Tournament. He died months later on Utah Beach in the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

• Gene Ziesel, who also played football for Creighton, was the co-pilot on a bomber shot down by the Germans at high altitude on January 11, 1943, over Italy. Previously, he was a POW in Turkey after his plane was grounded there, but this time he did not survive.

Numerous standout players had their college playing careers sidetracked by WWII. Following is a list of All-Americans who had their college days interrupted in the mid-1940s while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces:

Air Force - Charles Black (Kansas) and Jack Parkinson (Kentucky).

Army - Don Barksdale (UCLA), Lew Beck (Oregon State), A.L. Bennett (Oklahoma A&M), Gale Bishop (Washington State), Vince Boryla (Notre Dame/Denver), Harry Boykoff (St. John's), Bob Brannum (Kentucky), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), Alex Groza (Kentucky), Ralph Hamilton (Indiana), Walt Kirk (Illinois), Allie Paine (Oklahoma), Don Rehfeldt (Wisconsin), Jack Smiley (Illinois), Odie Spears (Western Kentucky) and Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma).

Marine Corps - Aud Brindley (Dartmouth), John Hargis (Texas), Mickey Marty (Loras), Andy Phillip (Illinois), Gene Rock (southern California) and Kenny Sailors (Wyoming).

Navy - Bobby Cook (Wisconsin), Howie Dallmar (Stanford/Penn), Dick Dickey (North Carolina State), Bob Faught (Notre Dame), Harold Gensichen (Western Michigan), Wyndol Gray (Bowling Green State), Hal Haskins (Hamline), Leo Klier (Notre Dame), Dick McGuire (St. John's) and John Oldham (Western Kentucky).

In an incredible achievement, Phillip and Tucker returned to first-team All-American status in 1946-47 after missing three seasons while serving in the military. Black and Sailors also returned to All-American acclaim after missing two seasons. Meanwhile, Whitey Skoog served in the U.S. Navy before becoming a three-time All-American with Minnesota in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Gus Broberg, an aviator with the Marines after being named an NCAA consensus first-team All-American for Dartmouth in 1940 and 1941, lost his right arm in a plane crash. He went on to study law and become a respected judge in Florida. Eventual Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas Maurice Britt was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor after suffering numerous wounds, including one causing his right arm to be amputated. In an intense fire fight during WWII, Britt personally killed five and wounded an unknown number of Germans, wiped out one enemy machine gun crew, fired five clips of carbine and an undetermined amount of M1 rifle ammunition plus threw 32 fragmentation grenades.

Fallen heroes also emerged post-WWII. Don Holleder, who averaged 9.3 ppg as a junior and 6.8 ppg as a senior for Army in the mid-1950s, was a major during the Vietnam War in October, 1967, when he was killed by a sniper's bullet in an ambush 40 miles from Saigon as he hurled himself into enemy fire attempting to rescue wounded comrades. Three months earlier, Don Steinbrunner, who averaged 3.9 ppg for Washington State in 1951-52 before playing with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, was an Air Force navigator shot down and killed over Vietnam.

Proud Americans honor and remember after they went from the playing field to battlefield! For instance, former Dayton standout Bucky Buckhorn had older brothers killed in WWII and the Korean War. That's why right-thinking Americans are disgusted when a Demonrat-controlled Senate several years ago had time for signing a letter encouraging the NFL to have the Washington Redskins change their "bigoted" nickname but wasn't "big" enough or sufficiently honorable to prevent stalling of a three-page veterans health bill. Perpetually-perplexing petty political parasites, transitioning from Tear Down This Wall to Tear Down This Stall, may forget their "sacred obligation" similar to previous POTUS' lame emphasis on climate change rather than military salutes at a Coast Guard ceremony. However, the remainder of us will be "Rolling Thunder" and not forget genuine heroes while tolerating kneeling knuckleheads/social scholars in the NFL, petty politicians (#SickWillie, #ShrillaryRotten, Schmucky Schumer, Speaker #NannyPathetic, #ShiftySchiff, fake squaw Liz-lies-a-lotta War(whoop)ren, #AlBore, #DuhBlasio, Governor Half-Whitmer, avowed socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Know-Nothing "Biggest Loser" Nadler, et al), lame-stream #MessMedia misfits such as textbook "Meathead" Rob Reiner and humiliated heavyset Hollyweird heavyweight Harvey Swinestein plus putrid press like "hacked" Joy-less Reid and Behar more invested in denying #TheDonald any success than inching closer to world peace. If haggard Michael Moore is going to put his fine body on the line and God is on side of know-nothing naggers #MadMaxine and wacky "Get Out of My Butt" Whoopi, then this view is we'd be in deep spit if not for supreme sacrifices made by authentic heroes honored during Memorial Day celebration. In the meantime, #BasementJoe's "not very good people" will have to decide whether to be castigated by self-righteous leftists for intentionally killing people by failing to don a mask and practice "socialism" distancing or be labeled a racist for not supporting walking-in-close-quarters protesters, donning a BLM T-shirt and defunding law enforcement.

Joe Scott, rehired by Air Force after stints with Princeton and Denver, boasts an opportunity to achieve something rare in the major-college coaching community. The Falcons reeled Scott back in despite a trend where resurrected mentors failed to come anywhere close to duplicating success during previous tenure. Although eight of them posted losing marks during initial stint, Ronnie Arrow (South Alabama) and Jim McCafferty (Loyola LA) are the only two of the previous 38 mentors a total of 40 times in this "Comeback Club" category over the last 60-plus years to compile a higher winning percentage the second time around.

Lou Carnesecca (St. John's) and Lake Kelly (Austin Peay State) are the only coaches to win NCAA playoff games in two different stints with the same school. Scott joins the following alphabetical list of coaches returning to their former major-college stomping grounds if their tenures weren't interrupted solely by World War II:

NOTES: VBK also had two stints at Hofstra, but Hofstra wasn't at the major-college level his first stint there. . . . OCU de-emphasized its program to the NAIA level after Lemons returned. . . . ORU wasn't always at the Division I level for either of Trickey's stints.