On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on April 7 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Former Hofstra top scorer and rebounder Brant Alyea set a MLB Opening Day RBI record on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
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Minnesota Twins LF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous basketball season) amassed seven RBI, a major league record for opening day, against the Chicago White Sox in 1970. Alyea drove in 19 runs in P Jim Perry's first four starts that year.
In his MLB debut in 1970, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered three hits, including a RBI triple in the third inning for the game's first run, in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Cubs.
In his MLB debut in 2017, Cincinnati Reds LHP Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before RS transfer year at Cal State Northridge) hurled six shutout innings to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals.
RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman for Hampden-Sydney VA in mid-1950s) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1965.
RHP Dave Madison (hoops letterman for LSU from 1939-40 through 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1952.
Boston Red Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s), after allowing no earned runs in 32 spring training innings, secured a 4-3 season-opening win at New York in 1970.
New York Yankees LF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered in each of his first three games in 1983.
College Exam: Day #22 of One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 22 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only player to lead an NCAA Tournament team in season scoring and rebounding before becoming the only NCAA playoff participant to subsequently appear in both the NBA Finals and World Series. Hint: He became his alma mater's athletic director.
2. Name the only championship team to have two guards be its top two scorers for the season. Hint: It's the only school to win an NCAA title the year after losing an NCAA Tournament opener by a double-digit margin.
3. Who is the only individual to play for an NCAA champion, NBA champion and ABA champion? Hint: The 6-2 swingman averaged almost three times as many rebounds per game for back-to-back NCAA titlists as he did points per game in his pro career.
4. Name the only school to lose an NCAA Tournament game in which it connected on at least three-fourths of its field-goal attempts. Hint: The school's leading scorer in that game was a freshman who went on to average at least 22 points per game in four tourneys, including first-round games against No. 3 and No. 4 seeds his last three years.
5. Who is the only player to hit a game-winning basket in an NCAA final one year and become a consensus All-American for another university the next season? Hint: He was a second-team All-American the same season a former teammate was first-team All-American one year after being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player as freshman.
6. Name the only team to defeat three #1 seeds in a single tourney. Hint: The three #1 seeds were three winningest schools in history of major-college basketball. The champion is only team needing at least four games to win NCAA title to have all of its playoff games decided by single-digit margins. It is also the only titlist to finish as low as fifth place in its conference standings.
7. Name the only NCAA championship team to have four freshman starters. Hint: Two of the freshmen were among three starters who also excelled in a sport other than basketball.
8. Who is the only Final Four coach to previously lead the nation in a statistical category as a major-college player? Hint: He coached his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament six years later before guiding another school to Final Four twice in a four-year span.
9. Name the only school to appear in the NCAA Tournament under two coaches who subsequently became NBA coach of the year. Hint: The school participated in NCAA playoffs under these individuals in back-to-back seasons before they earned their NBA awards in a five-year span.
10. Who is the only player to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for an NIT semifinalist one year and an NCAA semifinalist the next season? Hint: After earning an NIT Most Valuable Player award, he helped his school become the first member of a first-year conference to reach NCAA Final Four.
Final Deplore: From Clean Sister Jean to Pearls of Wisdom & MSU Masquerade
Tainted by FBI scandal likely to get worse, this year's Final Four featured a couple of coaches immersed in culture-of-corruption controversy earlier this decade - Pearls of Wisdom from Auburn's Bruce "On the Loose" plus #MeToo mentor Tom Izzo of Michigan State. Pearl knows what his chief assistant is doing as much as he recognized his former residence in Tennessee and Izzo plays Sgt. "I Know Nothing" Schultz routine regarding "sons" he brought to campus whenever female abuse charges surface. Unless your mindset resembles rose-colored glasses donning Gov./interim school prez John Engler and place some credence in merits of a lawsuit against MSU, players such as John Doe 1, 2 and 3 feel entitled to relieve stress and/or capitalize on notoriety from participating in national semifinals. Tweets by Garrick Sherman, a transfer to Notre Dame, several years ago gave Izzo and MSU's administration another hint of what was transpiring in East Lansing but he was ignored.
Beyond permanent residents of Pollyannaville, the Final Four isn't nearly as clean as Loyola of Chicago's high-flying nun Sister Jean a year ago. Celebrated coaches, occasionally recruiting anyone with a pulse if they exhibit hoop skills, expect us to believe prize prospects arrive on campus as authentic student-athletes knowing precisely how to assemble class schedule without silver-platter input citing no-risk-to-eligibility courses. The academic anemia is as disgusting as much as Charles Barkley barks about #TheDonald's presidency. Any "stable genius" knows nothing could be further from the truth amid the institutional self-interest. What was the average SAT score differential between majority of suspect individuals acknowledged in list below and the everyday student attending same institutions?
For decades, this scholastic sham has been stacking up as a farce devaluing many diplomas and denigrating the mission of higher education. The NCAA Tournament is tremendous, but has blemishes including a striking number of the following former Final Four scholars who plummeted from their lofty All-American pedestal:
Lew Alcindor, UCLA (coached by John Wooden) - Two-time national player of the year and three-time Final Four MOP in late 1960s ran into trouble with law over marijuana twice in two years at the turn of 21st Century (paid fine after surrendering small amount to officers at Toronto airport and arrested on suspicion of driving under influence). Islamic convert Kareem Abdul-Jabbar offended majority of patriotic Americans by comparing national anthem to slaves singing songs during manual labor. To that bitter end depicted in book Showtime describing disdain for white people, doubt that Kareem "feels" differently in morning than Barack Obama about Arabic call to prayer.
Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech (Bobby Cremins) - Despite earning close to $63 million in his NBA career, the second-leading scorer and leader in assists for 1990 Final Four squad declared bankruptcy shortly after retiring in 2005. "When you're an athlete, there is always someone holding your hand, helping you get it done, guiding your every step," said Anderson, who had seven children from five different women. "But that NBA lifestyle isn't real. It can gobble you up. And it did me." Anderson was fired from his coaching job at a small Jewish high school in south Florida following his arrest in Pembroke Pines, Fla., at about 4:30 a.m. in late April 2013 after police allegedly saw him driving in and out of his lane. He also was arrested in Miranar, Fla., in mid-December 2011 after leaving the scene following crashing his vehicle into two trees along a swale. In a documentary (Mr. Chibbs), Anderson said he was sexually molested by a Queens neighbor during his childhood.
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2003 NCAA titlist was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at 4 a.m. in mid-April 2008 after one of his worst games of the NBA season in Denver. He was suspended for 25 contests during the 2006-07 campaign for punching New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins in the face during one of the NBA's worst brawls. Took up the mantle of the "stop snitchin'" movement, appearing in an underground DVD circulated in his hometown of Baltimore in 2004 encouraging those who are questioned by the police to refuse to "snitch" on drug dealers, murderers and other criminals. Suspended for one game without pay midway through the 2012-13 campaign for confronting an opposing player (Boston's Kevin Garnett) multiple times (in the arena tunnel, near the players' locker rooms and in the parking garage) following a loss against the Celtics.
Marvin Barnes, Providence (Dave Gavitt) - Unanimous first-team All-American in 1973-74 was arrested for a variety of things - trespassing, being under the influence of narcotics, burglary of a locked vehicle. Homeless in San Diego, he stole X-rated videos to sell for drug money. Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for 1973 Final Four team claimed his cocaine addiction escalated to the point where he snorted the drug on the Boston Celtics' bench during a game. Barnes contends he hit rock bottom during one of his drug-related prison stints when he almost killed a fellow inmate. Barnes attended the John Lucas Treatment Center in Houston and worked as a director at a halfway house before encountering liver problems. In mid-May 2007, he was arrested by state police on a felony charge of cocaine possession. In mid-January 2012, Barnes, 59, was arraigned in Rhode Island on a charge of soliciting a 17-year-old minor for sex after they met through his Rebound Foundation for at-risk youths. In 1972, he was charged with assault after allegedly hitting PC teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron following a scrimmage. Barnes once asked Providence Journal columnist Bill Reynolds if cocaine kills brain cells before saying: "I must have been a genius when I started out." While incarcerated, Barnes also told Reynolds: "Here I am trying to get myself straightened out and they come out with a brand-new drug (crystal meth)."
William Bedford, Memphis State (Dana Kirk) - All-American as a junior in 1985-86 was arrested in February 2001 after Taylor, Mich., police said they found 25 pounds of marijuana in his car. Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1985 Final Four squad subsequently served time in a Fort Worth, Tex., prison on drug-related charges. In 1987, he was subpoenaed by a Maricopa County (Ariz.) grand jury investigating drug use among Phoenix Suns players and testified against his teammates after receiving immunity. In March 1988, Bedford admitted he was addicted to cocaine and marijuana and was committed to the NBA's treatment facility in Van Nuys, Calif. Known as "Willie B" - as in "Will he be at practice?" - Bedford relapsed the following October and was readmitted to the clinic. When he returned, his behavior on and off the court grew more erratic. He received a dozen traffic tickets and 10 license suspensions in less than four years. In September 1997, Bedford, who was on three years probation at the time, tested positive for cocaine and was sent to a Texas state jail for one year. Also arrested in Texas for failing to pay more than $300,000 in child support.
Charlie Bell, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Third arrest of 2011 came in December when the three-time Final Four participant showed up drunk to the court hearing regarding his previous arrest, an October 2011 DUI. All-American point guard as senior in 2000-01 was also arrested for DUI in February of same year. His estranged wife, a former Miss Michigan USA, was arrested in spring of 2011 for allegedly stabbing Bell with a box cutter.
Mike Bibby, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Police investigated sexual-abuse harassment accusations in late February 2019 but filed no charges against second-leading scorer as freshman of 1997 NCAA titlist while coaching his high school alma mater (winning five titles in six years this decade). Bibby exited his position following the allegations.
Daron "Mookie" Blaylock, Oklahoma (Billy Tubbs) - Leader in assists and steals for 1988 NCAA Tournament runner-up was busted in 1997 when drug sniffing dogs uncovered marijuana on him in a Vancouver, Canada airport. Second-team All-American was arrested around 4 a.m. in early March 1989 and charged with public drunkenness following a report of an argument at a convenience store. He was charged with vehicular homicide arising from a head-on crash killing a mother of five in suburban Atlanta in late May 2013. Blaylock, accused of driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain his lane in the crash, was also wanted on charges of failure to appear in court, DUI and drug possession. Bond was set at $250,000 stemming from a criminal record including six DUIs in a six-year span from late 2007 to late 2013 (one when blood alcohol content was 4 1/2 times legal limit) before he pleaded guilty (term reduced to seven years - suspended after three - and eight years' probation according to a plea deal). Prior to the crash, a doctor had ordered Blaylock (treated for seizures) not to drive, prosecutors said. A former Hawks ball-boy told SI that Blaylock was stoned a large part of the time he played for Atlanta after spending many game days at a strip club.
Tom Burleson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for 1974 NCAA titlist was greeted by Duke's pep band with chorus of "Pinball Wizard" after two-time All-American center admitted to taking $117 in change from three pinball machines in dormitory lobby.
Marcus Camby, Massachusetts (John Calipari) - National POY in 1996 as leading scorer and rebounder with Final Four team was arrested for possession of marijuana in mid-June 1997. Also arrested by Pearland, Tex., police in mid-September 2011 in black Porsche and charged with marijuana possession. Admitted accepting thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry, rental cars and prostitutes from agents while in college.
Howard Carter, Louisiana State (Dale Brown) - Charged in the spring of 1995 with buying and using drugs after French police arrested him and seized a dose of heroin. He was arrested with five suspected drug dealers in the stairwell of a building shortly before his team was slated to play. Carter, a two-time All-American who averaged 15.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for LSU from 1979-80 through 1982-83 and appeared in the 1981 Final Four, took out French citizenship and played for the country's national team.
Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State (Jim Valvano) - All-American as junior in 1983-84 stolen two pizzas from delivery boy while in summer session in 1982. Brooklyn native was handed a 10-year suspended sentence for larceny, made to perform 300 hours of community service, do some custodial work for police department and undergo psychiatric counseling. Charles went from doghouse at start of 1982-83 campaign to penthouse in NCAA Tournament title game with decisive dunk vs. heavily-favored Houston.
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Two-time Big Ten Conference MVP and 2000 Final Four MOP arrested in mid-March 2010 on suspicion of drunken driving but ended up leading to careless driving. Acquitted of sexual assault charges in late summer 2019 after accused of false imprisonment by intoxicated woman who said she was driven in his Cadillac SUV to a Knights Inn and attacked four years earlier following a Flint-area charity golf outing and trip to local bar for drinks. A surveillance video showed Cleaves, clad only in socks, pulling the near-naked woman back to a motel room twice. He faced misdemeanor charges of stealing beer while in college but that case eventually was dropped.
Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - The Big East Conference's 1990 MVP was stopped in Farmington Hills, Mich., at 3:30 a.m. in late July 2002 for speeding (120 mph in a 70 mph zone) and taken into custody after refusing a breathalyzer test. Arrested in late October 1999 in Charlotte for driving while under the influence after the vehicle he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. A couple of months earlier, he was accused of urinating in front of patrons at a downtown Detroit Chinese restaurant and charged with disorderly conduct. Leading rebounder for 1987 national runner-up also faced a civil lawsuit in Michigan in which he was accused of trespassing and battery at a Detroit woman's home in 1997. In summer of 1995, he was arrested and charged with refusing to move his truck and swearing at a police officer in Detroit. Despite earning an estimated $87 million in his NBA career, he owed creditors $4.7 million after a series of poor real estate investments in Detroit. In college, Coleman was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to make restitution for damage after pleading guilty to charges of harassment and disorderly conduct at a campus dance.
Sherron Collins, Kansas (Bill Self) - In June 2008, months after KU won the NCAA title, a judge ruled in favor of a woman he allegedly sexually assaulted in an elevator the previous year, granting damages in excess of $75,000 in a civil suit. A 35-year-old woman said she was unable to continue working at the Jayhawker Towers because of an incident where Collins was accused of exposing himself and rubbing against her despite being told repeatedly to stop. Collins, a two-time All-American in subsequent seasons, denied the assault but was a no-show at the hearing. The accuser later dropped the lawsuit for mental and physical problems when Collins agreed to drop his counterclaim of defamation.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Louisiana State (John Brady) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2006 Final Four team as SEC Player of the Year was arrested at a Hampton Inn in Baltimore suburb in early February 2018 with a quarter of a pound of marijuana and $92,000 in cash. Arrested a couple of months later for felony assault with intent to cause great bodily injury. When confronted by a man he apparently almost struck with his vehicle outside a West Hollywood nightclub, Davis allegedly picked up the victim and slammed him on the concrete (facial fractures, broken tooth and broken ribs).
Raymond Felton, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2004-05 as leader in assists and steals for NCAA titlist was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted knowingly having a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a pistol without a license in his Manhattan apartment. The attorney for his estranged wife turned a semiautomatic firearm into police in late February 2014 after alleging Felton used gun to "intimidate" her during domestic disputes.
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Leading scorer for 1982 NCAA Tournament runner-up was arrested in early January 1996 in a Houston suburb on charge of misdemeanor assault after a fight with his wife.
Phil Ford, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Four-time All-American from 1974-75 through 1977-78 was arrested in fall of 1999 and charged with drunken driving for the second time in 25 months. Leader in scoring and assists for 1977 national runner-up pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and entered a treatment center for the second time.
Joseph Forte, North Carolina (Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty) - Maryland state police arrested leading scorer for 2000 Final Four team in early May, 2003, after finding marijuana and a handgun in his car on a trip back from New York, where he met his idol, rapper Jay-Z. Two-time All-ACC guard (1999-00 and 2000-01) also faced an assault charge when he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game. Questions linger about his mother being hired by the sports agency he subsequently affiliated with upon leaving school early.
Jason Gardner, Arizona (Lute Olsen) - Leader in assists and runner-up in steals for 2001 national runner-up was dismissed after five seasons as IUPUI head coach in late August 2019 after being apprehended intoxicated at 4:30 a.m. asleep behind the wheel of his Nissan.
Jack "Goose" Givens, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall) - Final Four MVP in 1978 found not guilty following arrest during summer of 2004 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation of 14-year-old girl after giving her a private basketball lesson at her home while parents were away. Givens acknowledged "bad judgment" via instant-message conversations with the girl, some involving sexual topics, and apologized for "whatever she assumed I did" during a taped phone call with her. A police affidavit said the girl's grandmother was at the home, called the girl's mother twice at her work to report what she thought was inappropriate behavior in the swimming pool and later called the girl out of her bedroom out of concern for her well-being. After first 14 years of the franchise, Givens' contract as a color analyst for the Orlando Magic was not renewed.
Ben Gordon, Connecticut (Jim Calhoun) - Scoring leader for 2004 NCAA titlist was arrested during 2002-03 season for allegedly slapping a female student. Fiancee Sascha Smith was involved in an early-morning brawl at a Charlotte nightclub in mid-December 2012 that landed Tyrus Thomas' wife in jail. Four run-ins with the law in six-month span in 2017 (arrested in early June after allegedly pulling multiple fire alarms at his L.A. apartment complex, hospitalized for a psych evaluation in his hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., in October after cops responded to a confrontation he had with a woman at his sports rehab center-owned business, arrested in mid-November in New York City for driving with forged license plate and arrested in late November for felony robbery of apartment manager over his security deposit).
Luther Head, Illinois (Bill Self and Bruce Weber) - Leading scorer for 2005 national runner-up was suspended four games with a couple of teammates for being among individuals in a fall 2003 burglary entering an apartment and pilfering as much as $3,000 worth of goods. He also sat out Big Ten Conference opener in 2003-04 following arrest on charges of driving on a suspended license.
Mark Jackson, St. John's (Lou Carnesecca) - In the summer of 2012, a salacious story unfolded as a stripper and co-conspirator were busted for a purported $200,000 extortion plot against Jackson, who moonlighted as a minister at a LA suburb-based non-denominational church, for sending compromising nude photographs during a 2006 affair. The NCAA assists average leader in 1985-86 after participating in Final Four the previous season "shimmied off" being called "a Bible-pounding phony" by ESPN colleague Bob Ryan although the network suspended the venerable ex-Boston Globe columnist, not "Action" Jackson, for a couple of weeks.
Marques Johnson, UCLA (John Wooden and Gene Bartow) - Three-time Final Four participant in mid-1970s was arrested in late July 1988 on suspicion of beating his wife during an argument. Nine months after Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in fall of 1984, they filed suit in federal court to nullify the transaction because the Milwaukee Bucks had not told them about him undergoing treatment at a drug rehabilitation center.
Christian Laettner, Duke (Mike Krzyzewski) - NCAA national player of the year in 1991-92 was suspended for five NBA games in 2003-04 after violating the league's drug policy. Four-time Final Four participant (MOP in 1991) was sued multiple times for failure to repay loans, including $671,309 owed to former teammate Johnny Dawkins. In 2010, Laettner's attorney said his client had $10 million in assets and $40 million in debt. His $3.65 million mansion outside Jacksonville, Fla., was foreclosed on in 2015. In the fall of 2016, a federal judge dismissed an involuntary bankruptcy case against him (five creditors claimed they were among those owed $14.05 million) after he reached a repayment deal his lawyer said should bring a decade of financial woes to a close. He earned $61 million as an NBA player.
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2008-09 when reaching Final Four for second season in a row was arrested in an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in mid-August 2013. In mid-July 2015, he was arrested for DUI for the fourth time in an eight-year span and subsequently served two DUI-related suspensions during the first half of the 2015-16 NBA campaign.
Ron Mercer, Kentucky (Rick Pitino) - Leading scorer as All-American for 1997 NCAA Tournament runner-up faced misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a scuffle in a Nashville strip club in April 2007. Police said Mercer punched a bouncer in the face. He was sued along with Chauncey Billups for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court (Walker sued for failing to stop alleged incident after socializing at Boston comedy club before also settling). In August 2013, a jury sided with Mercer in a lawsuit brought by an ex-girlfriend over the ownership of a $45,000 Range Rover.
Joakim Noah, Florida (Billy Donovan) - Final Four MOP in 2006 before becoming an A-A the next season was arrested for possession of marijuana in late May 2008 (also cited hours later for driving with suspended license and not wearing seat belt). Suspended 20 games late in 2016-17 NBA season for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Annoyed about playing time, he got into an altercation with coach Jeff Hornacek during a practice that ultimately triggered his exile from the New York Knicks.
Greg Oden, Ohio State (Thad Matta) - All-American center as freshman in 2006-07 was formally charged with battery for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face around 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 2014, at his mother's home in Lawrence, Ind. In a plea agreement, the leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker for 2007 NCAA Tournament runner-up was found guilty of felony battery with moderate bodily injury.
Howard Porter, Villanova (Jack Kraft) - Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1971 served six months in jail for probation violation on a previous drug conviction. "I was a junkie like any other junkie," Porter told the Tampa Tribune. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
Jason Richardson, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Leading scorer for 2001 Final Four team was found guilty of domestic violence in early summer of 2003 stemming from a dispute with an ex-girlfriend at her home in Saginaw, Mich., resulting in a three-game suspension by the NBA and a one-year probation sentence. Fresh off a DUI arrest, he was pulled over in late 2008 for going 90 mph in a 35-mph zone with his three-year-old son in the back of vehicle (although not in car seat).
Rumeal Robinson, Michigan (Bill Frieder and Steve Fisher) - Best remembered for converting the game-winning free throws in the 1989 NCAA title game against Seton Hall, he was sentenced in early 2011 to 6 1/2 years in jail for financial fraud. The charges against Robinson were bank bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. The two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection borrowed more than $700,000 from a bank in Iowa in 2004, claiming it was for a business. He used the money for personal purposes instead (buying a condominium, cars, furniture and investing in an energy company). He's a bankrupted "strip club addict," according to his adoptive brother. Sparked outrage in his Cambridge, Mass., hometown when he reportedly caused his adoptive mother to be forcibly removed from her home after being tricked into signing a deed that sold a house to Robinson's business associate while receiving no money.
Thomas Robinson, Kansas (Bill Self) - Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2011-12 for NCAA tourney runner-up was cited with misdemeanor battery in spring of 2011 following an incident at a nightclub. The city prosecutor dismissed charge involving spitting on a bouncer, who did not want the prosecution to go forward. Robinson completed 20 hours of community service and agreed to write a letter of apology to the victim.
Derrick Rose, Memphis (John Calipari) - Assists leader and second-leading scorer for 2008 tourney runner-up was cleared with a couple of friends of all charges stemming from a civil rape lawsuit in a Los Angeles court. Rose and his co-defendants maintained the sex was consensual. His fraudulent SAT score resulted in the Tigers' vacating their runner-up finish.
Jalen Rose, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - The Wolverines' leader in assists for back-to-back Final Four teams in 1992 and 1993 was arrested around 2 a.m. in March 2011 on suspicion of drunken driving. Accused of operating a vehicle (Cadillac Escalade) while impaired (said he drank six martinis), he declined to take a Breathalyzer. Rose, who put the unbecoming "Uncle Tom" tag on Duke, was pulled from the air briefly by ESPN for failing to disclose his DUI arrest shortly after the release of a controversial documentary about his time with the Fab Five. Given a speeding ticket only hours after being ordered to serve 93 days in jail (all but 20 of them suspended; served 16 days).
Curtis Rowe, UCLA (John Wooden) - Two-time All-American while playing for three straight NCAA champions from 1969 through 1971 was charged in mid-October 1989 with possession of cocaine after Detroit police said they saw him and a companion throw packets of drugs on the ground. Arrested in late February 2008 in a drug raid in a building on Detroit's west side as officers found him with a baggie containing a substance believed to be heroin on his person.
Clifford Rozier, North Carolina (Dean Smith)/Louisville (Denny Crum) - After years of personal and legal trouble (five arrests and bankruptcy), the 1994 first-team All-American was incarcerated in his hometown of Bradenton, Fla., in May 2001, after being charged with grand theft auto. Rozier, jailed after an accusation of stealing a Manatee County sheriff deputy's personal car, was on the run for about a month before police apprehended him in Orlando. His ex-wife had him committed various times to a psychiatric care facility under Florida's Baker Act. Drug panhandler after participating in 1991 Final Four for UNC had three vehicles repossessed and his liabilities included child support to three women. After spending time in jail cells and psychiatric wards, Rozier lived in a halfway house following a 2006 arrest on an assault charge. Arrested in summer of 1998 on charges of assaulting his mother but the case was dropped. According to a 2010 Sarasota Herald-Tribune story, Rozier was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Brandon Rush, Kansas (Bill Self) - Leading scorer for 2008 NCAA titlist was suspended five games for violating NBA drug policy in late August 2010. Arrested while in college for not appearing in court to settle multiple traffic incidents. Faced family court date in spring of 2008 related to a child-support case.
Ralph Sampson, Virginia (Terry Holland) - Three-time national player of the year from 1981 through 1983 was accused of lying to federal authorities about his finances in a child-support case. Sampson pleaded guilty in 2005 in Richmond to failing to pay about $300,000 in court-ordered child support for two children who live in northern Virginia and have different mothers. Sentencing was postponed after leading rebounder and second-leading rebounder for 1981 Final Four team was indicted on perjury and false claim charges before mail fraud and false-statement allegations were added. In a plea agreement, he was slated to serve two months in jail for mail fraud.
Damon Stoudamire, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Co-Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1994-95 after appearing in Final Four the previous campaign was arrested three times on marijuana-related charges in 2002 and 2003. "You live and you learn," Stoudamire said.
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas (Bill Self) - In the spring of 2015, the assists leader for 2012 NCAA Tournament runner-up allegedly cashed a fake money order for $1,000 cash at a food store in his hometown of Hoboken, N.J. Sustained a dislocated thumb in fall of 2009 in an altercation involving several football and basketball players outside of the student union building. Late in 2010-11 campaign, KU suspended Taylor and a women's hooper for reportedly getting frisky playing unauthorized one-on-one inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Isiah Thomas, Indiana (Bob Knight) - A Detroit TV reporter filed an assault and battery complaint against 1981 Final Four MOP during his NBA playing days with the Detroit Pistons, claiming Thomas choked him and threw him against a car. A jury decided in the fall of 2007 that Thomas sexually harassed a former Knicks team executive, subjecting the former Northwestern basketball player to unwanted advances and a barrage of vulgarity (Madison Square Garden eventually settled for $11.5 million). The CBA almost disbanded after Thomas purchased the minor league before selling his interest in 2000. Multiple CBA executives said Thomas was "rude. . . . very poor business person. . . . doesn't listen to people. . . . makes poor decisions."
David Thompson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - National player of the year in 1973-74 and 1974-75 had well-publicized involvement with cocaine. Final Four MOP in 1974 was accused of assaulting his wife while free-basing cocaine (received 180-day sentence in minimum security prison in 1987), filed for bankruptcy and suffered a severe knee injury in a dispute at Studio 54 in New York.
Bernard Toone, Marquette (Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds) - All-American in 1978-79 was charged with attempted grand larceny, criminal possession of burglar's tools and criminal mischief in April 1988 in White Plains, N.Y., after allegedly attempting to steal a car stereo system from a new Porsche. Member of 1977 NCAA titlist had been arrested twice in less than a year in 1985 - charged with third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car radio and pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after he was arrested at a fast-food restaurant in a rental car that had been reported stolen.
Kenny Walker, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton) - Two-time NCAA consensus All-American after helping UK reach 1984 Final Four received seven-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to menacing his wife. He had been arrested in early January 1996 and charged with assault for allegedly choking his spouse.
John Wallace, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - A little over a year after becoming an All-American in 1995-96, his girlfriend withdrew a harassment charge alleging he punched her in the face and choked her during a quarrel over their son. Arrested in Brooklyn for driving with a suspended license in late February 2016. Leading scorer and rebounder for 1996 tourney runner-up also charged in summer of 1996 for failing to follow officers' instructions after issuance of a ticket.
Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1995 Final Four team apologized in court and agreed to perform 50 hours of community service plus seek counseling following accusation of choking the mother of his child while visiting her and the infant over Easter weekend in 1996. Arrested with Portland "Jail Blazers" teammate in late November 2002 in a speeding car in which officers smelled pot.
Chris Webber, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - Leading rebounder for back-to-back NCAA Tournament runner-up teams in 1992 and 1993 was charged with marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer in 1998. He was pulled over and resisted the officer. The vehicle was impounded and traces of marijuana were found inside. Also that year, he was arrested by customs officials for possession of marijuana as he returned from a promotional trip to Puerto Rico. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit in September, 2002, on four felony counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to federal investigators (regarding money laundering tied to a shady UM booster, a bookmaker who was convicted of tax evasion and robbery before dying of a heart attack before he testified against Webber, who subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intent for lying about his role in the scandal). Suspended in mid-February, 2004, for five games by the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program. Sued over the closing of his Sacramento restaurant after signing a 20-year lease in 2005.
Bob "Zeke" Zawoluk, St. John's (Frank McGuire) - All-American in 1950-51 and 1951-52 after scoring school-record 65 points against St. Peter's in 1949-50 had turbulent life including vast emotional instability, an arson rap, crack addiction, grand larceny conviction and prison. After getting fired by one of a series of auto dealers for which he worked, leading scorer and rebounder for 1952 NCAA Tournament runner-up got even in an alcohol-fueled rage in Queens and Nassau County in 1986, dousing two luxury cars with gasoline, torching them, then ramming into 17 other cars, before being apprehended after a high-speed chase. Following another transgression, he was paroled on Christmas Eve, 1993, after serving nearly two years at Clinton Correctional Facility on robbery and grand larceny charges. A subsequent positive drug test violated his parole and sent him to Rikers Island in the mid-1990s.
DISHONORABLE MENTION
Dispensing with politically-correct niceties, many extra-baggage players simply have difficulty comprehending the difference between right and wrong. Heaven only knows how many other Final Four performers have run afoul of the law except for schools protecting them like their Praetorian Guard. Wichita State reached a $495,000 settlement with a former university vice president who sued WSU for retaliation. The ex-VP said he was demoted and his employment subsequently terminated after trying to investigate two student athletes, including one member of the 2013 Final Four squad. By no means comprehensive, following is an alphabetical list of non-All-Americans who didn't generate a prison bus break but might be of sufficient number for some concerned citizen to organize a "Mothers Against Final Four" group:
Player | School | Summary of Off-the-Court Shenanigans |
---|---|---|
Darrell Allums | UCLA | Center for the Bruins' NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1980 was sentenced to nine years in state prison for armed robbery. According to a probation report, Allums became dependent on cocaine and turned to robbing Target stores and Domino's Pizza deliverymen to get cash. |
Benny Anders | Houston | Flamboyant dunker with Phi Slama Jama had his college career end in the summer of 1985 when he was sentenced to three years' probation for possession of a gun on campus after a pick-up game dispute. Boasting a personalized license plate called "Outlaw" on his new Camaro, he arrived at the 1984 Final Four donning a pink tux. |
Gilbert Arenas | Arizona | Leading scorer for 2001 tourney runner-up was suspended for most of 2009-10 NBA season stemming from a felony gun possession in locker room and subsequent actions appearing to make light of the episode. Arrested in May 2006 in Miami after allegedly ignoring a police officer's command to return to his car (charges later dropped). Pleaded no contest to misdemeanor weapon charges resulting from an incident in San Mateo County (Calif.) in 2003 after becoming an All-Pacific-10 Conference selection as a sophomore. Arrested in California in late June 2013 for possession of illegal fireworks in the back of his pickup truck. In the spring of 2014, Arenas took a cinder block and smashed a Mercedes his longtime flame had been driving, claiming the incident was revenge for her allegedly breaking numerous windows in his house and ruining his Netflix account by throwing his computer into the pool. In late January 2016, Arenas bragged on social media how he committed credit-card fraud at strip clubs. |
Vincent Askew | Memphis State | Freshman starter for the Tigers' 1985 Final Four team was arrested in mid-August 2008, accused of unlawfully having sex with a minor (16-year-old girl) in a Miami hotel room. He pleaded guilty to a charge of child abuse with no great bodily harm and was placed on probation for three years. Briefly coached Elliston Baptist Academy in Memphis before leaving the job under a cloud. Attended summer school at Kansas under coach Larry Brown before returning to Memphis. KU was placed on probation stemming from wrongdoing in connection with improper inducements to Askew. |
Lonny Baxter | Maryland | Leading rebounder for the Terrapins' 2002 NCAA champion was sentenced to two months in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, including carrying a handgun without a license a few blocks from the White House, in mid-August, 2006. Uniformed Secret Service agents responded after shots were fired from a white SUV. Two summers earlier, Baxter was arrested at his Washington condominium after a shotgun went off and bullet shattered a neighbor's window across the street. In July, 2007, he pleaded guilty to illegally shipping guns through Federal Express and was sentenced to 60 days in prison. |
Corey Beck | Arkansas | Arrested at 2:00 a.m. midway through 1992-93 season for allegedly driving while intoxicated before pacing the NCAA champion Hogs in assists and steals the next campaign. In early November 2004, he was jailed for the third time in two years for failure to pay child support and violating his probation. According to court documents, Beck flunked multiple drug tests for cocaine, admitted to marijuana use and lied to his probation officer about where he lived. In the fall of 2007, he was shot in the hand and face defending himself during an attempted auto theft in Memphis. Arrested in summer of 2008 for contempt of court stemming from failure to pay child support for four daughters. In summer of 2010, he was booked into jail at almost 3:00 a.m. following an arrest for driving while intoxicated. Arrested in late January 2013 for failure to pay fines and costs in connection with his conviction for driving while intoxicated and other traffic offenses in 2011. |
Chane Behanan | Louisville | Member of 2013 All-NCAA Tournament team dismissed from U of L squad midway through the next season for a violation of university policy. Suspended that preseason for a similar disciplinary infraction. In an interview with Bleacher Report's Jason King, Behanan said he "began smoking weed regularly (at Louisville), often after a long practice or a tough, physical game - and almost always when he was alone." After the Cardinals captured the NCAA title, Behanan told King "there were parties every night. People were inviting us places all the time and trying to give us stuff. It was a good feeling. I got caught up in it. Everywhere you went, there was something to get into. It was so easy." Cited for marijuana possession in early April 2014 in Louisville. "Guys like Chane, they think they're living a pro life," said John Lucas, ....... "But it's really a $200 life. You have friends who send you a couple of dollars from time to time, you get free shoes from AAU teams. You have just enough money to make you think you have money, but you really don't have any." In early August 2018, he was arrested and accused of being a backseat passenger in a car with "marijuana residue" and was sitting next to a stolen AK-47-style rifle (marijuana charge dropped after completing education program; possession of stolen firearm charge also dropped after another person in auto took responsibility for weapon). Two months later, Behanan was indicted by a grand jury after allegedly failing to pay child support. |
Winston Bennett | Kentucky | In UK's regular rotation for 1984 Final Four, he was terminated as a Boston Celtics assistant coach after violating the team's contractual agreement for practicing at Brandeis by having a sexual relationship with a female student enrolled there. All-SEC second-team selection as a junior in 1985-86 was fired as coach at Kentucky State in 2003 after striking a player in the face. Despite being the ultimate backup pro player, Bennett said he "slept with 90 women a month." After only 10 weeks on the job, he was fired in fall of 2017 from his state government position after sending inappropriate emails (including subordinates). |
Corie Blount | Cincinnati | Center for 1992 Final Four team served a one-year prison sentence for possession of marijuana. He was charged with felony drug possession in early December 2008 after Butler County (Ohio) authorities saw him pick up a package from California they knew contained marijuana and then found more weed at his home. Deputies confiscated a total of 29 pounds of marijuana, several vehicles, three guns and $34,400 in cash. Blount, who avoided trafficking charges as part of his plea agreement, also was ordered to pay $10,000 in fines, serve 250 hours of community service and lose his driver's license for three years. |
Delray Brooks | Providence | Head coach in mid-May 2000 when he pleaded no contest to stealing $25,000 from Texas-Pan American and was sentenced to 10 years probation. He had been dismissed the previous August for depositing a check from a tournament hosted by Southwest Missouri State into his personal account, then frittering away the money. After transferring from IU, Brooks was the second-leading scorer for PC's 1987 Final Four squad. In 2006, he was arrested for a probation violation stemming from his first run-in with the law (failure to pay restitution in the case). |
Derek Brower | Syracuse | Member of the Orangemen's 1987 NCAA Tournament runner-up pleaded guilty in a Cincinnati courtroom to interstate travel for drug dealing. Served six months of a five-year sentence in federal prison. |
Lewis Brown | UNLV | Beset by an arrest history including charges for drugs, the third-leading rebounder and sixth-leading scorer for the Rebels' 1977 national third-place team spent more than 10 years homeless on the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., before passing away in mid-September 2011 at the age of 56. According to the New York Times, family members said he was using cocaine at UNLV. "Drugs were his downfall," said his sister. |
Anthony Buford | Cincinnati | Second-leading scorer for the Bearcats' 1992 Final Four team and his girlfriend were sentenced in February 2012 to 41 months in federal prison for mortgage fraud conspiracy and ordered to pay nearly $2.8 million in restitution to lending institutions they defrauded. |
Marcus Bullard | Mississippi State | Starting point guard for 1996 Final Four team was sentenced to three years in prison for violating his probation on drug charges. He was accused of pistol-whipping another student on MSU's campus in 1996, violating terms of his probation by possessing a weapon and failing to report to his probation officer. He had pleaded guilty in 1994 and was put on probation after being charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute the previous year. His older brother served time in the same penitentiary for manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in 1998 to crack cocaine possession and received three years of probation. While on probation, he was accused of hitting a rival fraternity member in the head with a gun. The incident led to revocation of his probation, and he served a short prison term. He went to prison again after pleading guilty to cocaine and ecstasy charges in 2004. Bullard was sent to prison in summer of 2013 on a parole violation following a drive-by shooting in late 2012. In 2016, he was in trouble with the law multiple times. |
Norm Cook | Kansas | After several run-ins with the law, he was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in 1996 and was incarcerated or confined to his home in Lincoln, Ill., for 30 years until slipping into a diabetic coma and dying in late 2008 at the age of 53. He was KU's second-leading rebounder as a freshman for 1974 national fourth-place team. |
Ed Cota | North Carolina | Assists leader and teammate Terrence Newby, the only seniors on UNC's 1999-00 Final Four squad, were arrested on misdemeanor charges stemming from an early-morning, Halloween-related altercation. Despite claiming they were trying to break up a fight, the duo subsequently agreed to a last-minute deal (community service and sharing cost of medical bills generated by melee). |
Teddy Dupay | Florida | Guard for the Gators' 2000 NCAA Tournament runner-up was bound over for trial on charges of rape, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping of a woman in mid-June 2008 at a Utah ski resort. The woman, who had been in a relationship with him for two years, said the telemarketer hit and kicked her 150 times before the rape. More than a year later, he accepted reduced charges, went to jail for 30 days and was placed on a lengthy probation. Previously, evidence surfaced that Dupay, dismissed from UF's team before his senior season, asked another student to place bets for him on the Gators' program. The first UF recruit by Billy Donovan after setting the state's high school career scoring mark (3,744 points) was never charged criminally with gambling violations but state attorney Bill Cervone said there is "no doubt in my mind" Dupay bet on college sports. Dupay subsequently launched a website endorsing the legalization of marijuana. |
Billy Edelin | Syracuse | Suspended for the 2001-02 season following a female student's claim of sexual harassment (no charges filed but he was booted him school prior to reinstatement). Career was riddled with off-court issues leading to multiple suspensions as he spent portions of four seasons with the Orange but never played an entire campaign (including 2003 NCAA titlist). Starter suddenly disappeared from squad midway through 2003-04. |
Rakym Felder | South Carolina | Brooklyn native arrested in mid-October 2016 at 1:30 a.m. outside a bar after knocking one victim unconscious and fighting police upon confronted by a taser. Regular for USC's 2017 Final Four team was arrested around 2:45 a.m. in mid-July 2017 and charged with third-degree assault and battery stemming from a brawl reportedly precipitated by him spitting on a woman (charges subsequently dismissed). Dropped from Gamecocks' squad in April 2018 after failing to meet guidelines he faced upon him allowed to re-enroll in spring semester. |
Manuel Forrest | Louisville | Prize prospect hampered by a knee ailment (averaged 8.4 ppg and 4.1 rpg from 1981-82 through 1984-85 during which Cardinals made back-to-back Final Four appearances) was arrested in September 2013 after police, stopping vehicle for weaving from lane to lane, discovered marijuana and crack cocaine. |
Glen Gondrezick | UNLV | The third-leading scorer for the Rebels' 1977 Final Four team attempted suicide in Boulder, Colo., in the summer of 1986 following an incident where he was charged with third-degree assault on his wife. Immersed in marital problems, he shot himself with a .22-caliber rifle. The bullet punctured his lung and passed through his body. He went on to become a UNLV radio/TV color commentator for 17 years before passing away in late April 2009 due to complications from a heart transplant he received the previous September. |
Michael Graham | Georgetown | Freshman enforcer and member of 1984 All-NCAA Tournament Team for the Hoyas' national champion was dropped from roster of CBA's Tulsa Fast Breakers in 1989 after testing positive for cocaine. |
Steve Gray | Duke | Member of the Blue Devils' 1978 NCAA Tournament runner-up pleaded guilty in fall of 2014 to insider trading and was sentenced to 46 months in prison along with a $7,500 fine and forfeiture of his illegitimate profits ($326,159). Gray, as CEO of a Houston firm, had access to press releases and confidential information used to prepare releases for his clients prior to their issuance to the investing public. |
Keith Harris | Kansas | Member of the Jayhawks' 1988 NCAA playoff champion was charged in February 1989 with assault after choking and biting a female student in her apartment. In the spring of 1993, Harris was jailed on a warrant containing felony counts of selling marijuana and cocaine to an undercover informant and not affixing a state drug-tax stamp to illegal narcotics. |
Baskerville Holmes | Memphis State | A starting forward who averaged 9.6 ppg and 5.9 rpg for the Tigers' 1985 Final Four team, he was arrested twice for domestic violence. Later, Holmes, an out-of-work truck driver, and his girlfriend were found shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide in Memphis on March 18, 1997, when he was 32. |
Ron Huery | Arkansas | Received a five-year prison sentence in mid-2008 for violating his probation and attempting to break into his ex-girlfriend's home. Arrested in mid-July 2005 on charges of rape, first-degree false imprisonment and third-degree domestic battery, plus a misdemeanor charge of obstructing governmental operations stemming from an incident involving an ex-girlfriend. In 1994, he was put on probation for eight years after a cocaine conviction in his hometown of Memphis, where he was also charged with drunken driving and driving on a revoked license. In 2002, Huery, who scored 1,550 points for the Razorbacks, sold his ring from the 1990 Final Four to help pay off fines and interest on 1991 traffic charges. |
Anderson Hunt | UNLV | The second-leading scorer for the Rebels' 1990 NCAA champion pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with marijuana found in his possession during a traffic stop in October, 1993. In September, 2002, Final Four Most Outstanding Player was sentenced to probation and fined more than $1,300 for attempted embezzlement after acknowledging he kept a Las Vegas rental car beyond its due date. In May 1991, the local newspaper published photos of him with teammates David Butler and Moses Scurry in a hot tub drinking beer with known sports fixer Richard Perry. Hunt never married and is the father of five. |
Sam Jacobson | Minnesota | Second-leading scorer for 1997 Final Four squad pleaded guilty to residential mortgage fraud over $35,000 stemming from the "short sale" (worth less than what was owed forcing lender to eat loss) to his then-girlfriend and subsequent wife of his house in August 2011. |
Courtney James | Minnesota | After helping the Gophers reach the Final Four earlier in the year, he was sentenced in mid-November 1997 to two years of probation and suspended for the entire 1997-98 campaign for a misdemeanor domestic-assault conviction for intending to cause fear by hitting his former girlfriend in the face with an address book. |
Terrence Jones | Kentucky | Only UK player other than All-American Anthony Davis to average more than 12 ppg and 7 rpg for 2012 NCAA titlist was arrested in late July 2013 for stomping on a homeless man's leg in Portland. Charges were dropped in civil compromise after agreement to pay $10,000 to a charity organization benefitting the homeless. |
Dontae' Jones | Mississippi State | The most serious charges were dismissed but he faced up to 14 years in prison if convicted on all charges stemming from a shooting where seven people were wounded in late April, 1999, outside a Nashville, Tenn., nightclub after an argument between a Memphis rap group and an entertainment promoter. Jones, the NJCAA player of the year in 1994-95 before helping lead the Bulldogs to the 1996 Final Four, was accused of simple assault with bodily injury, reckless endangerment and felony vandalism. Midway through the 1996-97 NBA season, he was suspended two games by the New York Knicks for repeated team violations even while on the injured list. |
Jimmy King | Michigan | "Fab Five" member was arrested in Pontiac, Mich., in August 2011 on accusations he failed to pay $17,000 in child support and ignored repeated warnings to get back on schedule. Authorities had been working for three years to get King to get up to date with the payments. |
Tom Kivisto | Kansas | Oilman in Tulsa, founder of the fifth-largest privately held company in the U.S. in 2007, promised to donate $12 million to renovate his alma mater's football stadium. He was fired as president and CEO in 2008 from SemGroup LP, the energy company based primarily on the delivery of crude oil he founded eight years previously. The firm filed for bankruptcy earlier that year because of $2.4 billion in debt stemming from bad gambles in the oil futures market. Former FBI director Louis J. Freeh was appointed by a bankruptcy court to sort out petition documents claiming Kivisto owed the company $290 million in trading losses through his personal trading company. Kivisto, a starting playmaker for the Jayhawks' 1974 national fourth-place team, agreed to pay $225,000 in fines and give up $1.2 million in stock to settle a SEC civil lawsuit alleging he misled investors while the energy company was collapsing financially. Kivisto, whose business-career roots began at Koch Industries before striking out on his own, does not admit wrongdoing. |
Todd Leary | Indiana | Handed a two-year home detention sentence after pleading guilty in mid-July 2010 to charges stemming from an ex-business partner's multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme. Prosecutors say Leary, who was an analyst for IU's radio broadcasts when he was arrested, worked for a title insurance broker who pleaded guilty in a $2.7 million fraud case. Leary, who averaged 3.8 ppg for the Hoosiers' 1992 Final Four squad, also faced charges connected to the theft of high-end appliances from foreclosed homes and served one year in prison. Leary said he and his fellow IU seniors each raked in $56,000 cash for a 19-game, 21-day barnstorming tour filling gyms across the state. |
Sidney Lowe Sr. | North Carolina State | Playmaker for 1983 NCAA championship team pleaded guilty after being arrested in mid-February 2013 and charged with failing to file his state income tax returns the last three years he coached his alma mater (2009 through 2011). Lowe, earning about $900,000 annually, was one of the state's highest-paid employees. In the summer of 2008, his son was sentenced to 15 months at a prison farm after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana and the drug Ecstasy, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and six counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and second-degree kidnapping stemming from a home invasion. |
Korie Lucious | Michigan State | Suspended a game for missing class during 2009-10 NCAA championship season before being charged with drunk driving in late summer 2010. Dismissed for violation of MSU team policy (smoking weed) midway through 2010-11 campaign before transferring to Iowa State. |
Elmer Martin Jr. | Arkansas | Memphis product was backup forward for the Razorbacks' 1994 NCAA titlist and starter at the end of the next season before receiving a 15-year prison term in late July 2008 after pleading guilty to drug charges. A county deputy prosecutor said that delivery of a controlled substance charges involved cocaine, and that intent to deliver charges involved cocaine and Ecstasy. During two weeks earlier in the year, detectives made two controlled cocaine purchases from Martin. |
Walter McCarty | Kentucky | Second-leading rebounder and third-leading scorer for 1996 champion was fired as Evansville's coach midway through 2019-20 season amidst a Title IX investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. McCarty, who previously participated in a training program about unacceptable behavior, reportedly attempted to improperly influence witnesses. |
Mitch McGary | Michigan | Leading rebounder for NCAA Tournament runner-up as freshman in 2012-13 left UM before his junior year after testing positive for marijuana, avoiding a one-year ban by the NCAA. Failed a drug test before start of 2016-17 NBA season. He was slated to sit out first five games of year before suspension turned into 15 contests upon failing to live up to procedural guidelines. Missed the end of 2015-16 D-League campaign for undisclosed "personal reasons." |
Gary McLain | Villanova | Assists leader for 1985 NCAA titlist confessed in a 1987 first-person SI article that he used cocaine throughout his college career including before national semifinal victory against Memphis State. "I lost my way," he said of mistakes leaving him briefly homeless and needing stint in a PA treatment center dealing with addiction. McLain wrote that he snorted coke with teammates although none ever acknowledged using drugs. |
Makhtar N'Diaye | North Carolina | Tar Heels captain was found guilty of simple assault and communicating a threat during an argument. He was sentenced to 12 months unsupervised probation, a $200 fine and mandatory anger management classes. Several months earlier, he attracted national attention at 1998 Final Four, where he fouled out after only 14 minutes against Utah and eventually retracted accusation that a Utes player directed a racial slur at him. |
Major Parker | Florida | Staff assistant under Billy Donovan after averaging 4.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg from 1997-98 through 2000-01 (including 2000 Final Four club) was arrested for selling half a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover officer in December 2004. Pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Completed a six-month sentence under house arrest and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of probation and more than 200 hours of community service. |
Frank Peters | Oregon State | Third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer for fourth-place team in 1963 NCAA playoffs served 2 1/2 years in prison of a 10-year sentence following a 1989 conviction for statutory rape and drug offenses (busted for possession of 800 marijuana plants worth a reported $1 million). Affiliated for more than 20 years with a bar/dancehall in Southeast Portland, where he served everything from reindeer to rodent while presiding over events such as strip karaoke and lesbian dance party. He played a supporting role in a Netflix film The Battered Bastards of Baseball, which is purportedly about a minor-league baseball franchise that thrived in the 1970s during a time when it was the nation's only professional club not owned by a MLB team. While managing the Mavericks, Peters was also the maestro of several of Portland's most notorious nightspots, including Satan's Disco. |
Brandon Powell | Florida | Freshman member of school's second straight NCAA titlist was arrested in mid-June 2007 with UF's kick return specialist as part of a reverse sting drug operation. Disciplined internally during season after videotape showed Memphis product sucker punched a Vanderbilt fan when Commodore fans stormed the court following an upset of the top-ranked Gators. Transferred to Marshall, where he was dismissed from Thundering Herd squad early in 2008-09 campaign. |
Zach Price | Louisville | Backup frontcourter who appeared in tourney opener for 2013 NCAA titlist was dismissed from Missouri's team following an arrest in early April 2014 in the wee hours of the morning on suspicion of assaulting his Adonis-looking Tigers roommate (Earnest Ross) and a female friend. Unbelievably, Price was arrested and booked again later the same day for allegedly ramming his vehicle into a car containing the same two people. Ross filed a restraining order petition against Price the day before the twin incidents, alleging he stalked them in his vehicle and tried to drive their auto off the road. Price received two years of probation along with 80 hours of community service upon pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanor careless driving and two counts of misdemeanor disturbing the peace. Was assistant coach Tim Fuller, who joined Mizzou's staff from Louisville, totally in the dark about Price's volatility before Price was charged with first-degree tampering? |
Zach Randolph | Michigan State | Starting center for 2001 Final Four team was implicated in the spring of 2010 after Indianapolis police found a cooler filled with marijuana in a Cadillac Escalade registered to him plus gun ammunition stowed inside a hidden compartment. Cops raided storage space rented by Randolph, where weed and "(four) cars with secret compartments" were found. Randolph's previous problems when he was a member of the Portland "Jail" Blazers included underage drinking, sucker-punching a teammate in practice, reportedly being spotted at a strip club while on bereavement leave and getting sued by an exotic dancer for sexual assault although police never filed criminal charges. Randolph, who chose "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper)" as his pregame warm-up song in Portland, was questioned but not charged in an August 2004 nightclub dance-floor shooting in Indiana leaving three people wounded. His brother, Roger, was sentenced to three years in prison in a plea deal. Zach was convicted of battery in 1997, and spent time in a juvenile detention center in 1999 for receiving stolen guns. He also had a DUI in Los Angeles in 2009 and police claimed Randolph invited a drug dealer to his party gone awry at his Oregon home in August 2011. Following a chartered cruise, the expectation was that the invitee would sell marijuana to the guests but his asking price apparently was too high and he was beat with pool cues by multiple individuals. In the fall of 2017, he had a felony marijuana-distribution charge in Sacramento reduced to a misdemeanor (resisting arrest). In summer of 2018, his brother was shot and killed outside a bar in their hometown around 5 a.m. |
Reggie Redding | Villanova | Runner-up in assists for 2009 Final Four team was arrested in late summer that year for possession of marijuana. He was stripped of team captaincy and suspended 10 games at start of senior season. |
Andre Riddick | Kentucky | In early August 2018, the Wildcats' leader in blocked shots for 1993 Final Four team faced charges of alcohol intoxication in a public place, fourth-degree assault, disorderly conduct in the second degree and resisting arrest. After leaving a bar, Riddick allegedly picked up his girlfriend and pushed or tossed her down stairs before punching her in the chest. |
Chianti Roberts | Oklahoma State | Sixth man for 1995 Final Four squad was arrested in mid-June 2003 about 2:45 a.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. |
Delco Rowley | Michigan State | Member of 2005 Final Four squad was arrested in late October 2007 as a YMCA behavior specialist on charges of sending nude pictures of himself to a 15-year-old girl. |
Randy Rutherford | Oklahoma State | Still in spring of 1995 after reaching Final Four as the Cowboys' second-leading scorer and rebounder, he was accused of threatening to blow up a city block after becoming upset his electricity had been disconnected. |
Casey Sanders | Duke | Starting center for 2001 national champion was arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend in spring of 2002, grabbing her arm and pushing her into a wall during a breakfast dispute. Arrested in Tampa in early 2012 and charged with DUI. |
Melvin Scott | North Carolina | Point guard who averaged 6.8 ppg from 2001-02 through 2004-05 had rape charges dropped after an arrest in fall of 2014 involving a female acquaintance who according to police was "mentally incapacitated and physically helpless." Previously, Scott was arrested in spring of 2002 and charged with assaulting a female student at 1:30 a.m. at a local night club. Member of 2005 NCAA champion was apprehended again in 2010 for assault on a law enforcement officer after being approached for being drunk and disorderly. Before he was a teen, Scott reportedly was arrested for burglary and carrying drugs and expelled from multiple Baltimore-area schools. |
Moses Scurry | UNLV | A key backup player on the Runnin' Rebels' 1990 NCAA champion was sentenced to two years in prison in December 1994 for his role in a carjacking that left the driver shot in the thigh in the parking lot of a Las Vegas lounge. In May 1991, the local newspaper published photos of him with teammates David Butler and Anderson Hunt drinking beer in a hot tub with known sports fixer Richard Perry. |
Lazarus Sims | Syracuse | Big East Conference leader in assists for NCAA tourney runner-up in 1996 resigned as Syracuse parks commissioner in spring of 2018 before pleading guilty to stealing $5,400 from city taxpayers (pocketed cash payments from park rentals and city fees). |
Ervin Small | Illinois | Member of 1989 Final Four team faced a 51-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in June, 1999, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. His term was reduced after high school and college teammate of Nick Anderson and Deon Thomas assisted authorities in prosecuting other drug traffickers. Small, who worked as a correctional officer, reportedly had prior convictions for battery and theft. |
"Sudden" Sam Smith | UNLV | J.C. recruit, the Rebels' second-leading scorer for 1977 Final Four team, was arrested and charged with two counts of selling crack cocaine in mid-February 1997. |
Sean Tunstall | Kansas | Reserve guard for the Jayhawks' 1991 NCAA Tournament runner-up was shot and killed at age 28 in the parking lot of a recreation center in his native St. Louis on October 16, 1997, in a drug deal gone bad. He had received a prison sentence in 1993 after pleading guilty to one count of selling cocaine. "He was one of the few kids I never thought I completely reached," coach Roy Williams said. |
Wayne Turner | Kentucky | Starting playmaker for 1998 NCAA titlist was arrested in summer of 2003 in hometown Boston after police found a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 12 rounds in his rental car (pleaded innocent to charges of illegal possession of firearm and weapon with high-capacity magazine). His brother, Tiny, was arrested for armed robbery and spent time in and out of prison for a decade. Their parents were absent from their lives, leaving the two boys to mostly fend for themselves in a toxic environment. |
Lagerald Vick | Kansas | Although never charged with criminal conduct, a KU probe resulted in recommendation of two years probation after determining Memphis product likely committed domestic violence in late 2015. At the time, coach Bill Self selflessly said Vick was sidelined two games due to "illness." There was no description for ailment the season after reaching 2018 Final Four when Vick took a leave of absence midway through the 2018-19 campaign to return to his hometown "to help out with family issues." |
Jay Vincent | Michigan State | Third-leading scorer and rebounder for 1979 NCAA champion was indicted in mid-August 2010 for an internet employment scam bilking more than 10,000 job-seekers out of nearly $2 million. He faced charges of mail fraud and an income tax violation. According to the U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit, he and an associate concocted a scheme to defraud people seeking work through their Foreclosure Bank Inspection Company. The company claimed to test, certify and employ people to inspect bank foreclosed homes, and advertised that the company had contracts and received large checks from major banks to do the work. In reality, the copies of contracts and checks used in the ads were altered or counterfeit. The company also did not hire contractors to perform inspections. What it did do was charge $149 to provide liability insurance for each job applicant and $89 for background checks. False insurance policies were prepared in the company's offices and no background checks were made. Tests, completed and returned by applicants, were stored in boxes without reviews. Vincent was ordered to pay the government $110,000. In the income tax charge, Vincent was accused of reporting a business income of $62,438 on his 2008 tax return. Authorities said the actual amount he earned was $330,269. Sent to jail in late July 2011 five weeks before he was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison in the federal case after he was accused of writing, or causing others to write, bad checks in a different scheme. |
Mark Wade | UNLV | All-PCAA first-team selection, who dished out an NCAA playoff record 18 assists in 1987 national semifinals, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $15,000 during 2006-07 in his former job as an assistant coach with UC Riverside. He was accused of depositing into his personal bank account the proceeds from two university checks and one electronic fund transfer. Some of the money was supposed to cover team expenses during road games over the Christmas break. |
Antoine Walker | Kentucky | Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for 1996 NCAA Tournament champion was arrested in mid-July 2009 at a Harrah's cabaret bar on Lake Tahoe's south shore on criminal charges stemming from $822,500 in gambling debts in Las Vegas. Walker pleaded guilty to one count of passing a bad check. If his massive gambling debt wasn't enough, he had to deal with the city of Chicago calling him a slumlord. Walker's hometown levied fines totaling nearly $1 million against his two real estate investment companies and residents of those properties were filing lawsuits for a number of problems existing in the buildings. In early January 2009, Walker was arrested for DUI in Miami Beach. His combined career salary of approximately $110 million was depleted when he resorted to playing in the D-League with the Idaho Stampede before retiring in early April 2012. Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in spring of 2010, a distant memory were his extravagant "wiggle" days with the Boston Celtics when his condominium complex was a virtual luxury car lot - two Bentleys, a Cadillac Escalade, a bright red Hummer, two Mercedes and a Range Rover. |
Travis Walton | Michigan State | Big Ten Conference defensive player of the year in 2008-09 was allowed to continue duties as student-assistant coach after criminally charged for punching a female student at a bar in January 2010. The victim said she was knocked unconscious by the blow and that bouncers removed Walton from the bar. Walton pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and his assault and battery charges were dropped. He pleaded guilty to a civil infraction for littering. Accused of sexually assaulting a different female with two other MSU players in a separate incident three months later after the Spartans reached the 2010 Final Four. In the spring of 2018, school officials provided more information ab out how the university dealt with the sordid situation, telling ESPN's Outside the Lines that administrators would "handle it differently" if such an allegation were made today. |
Ed Warner | CCNY | Second-leading scorer for team winning NIT and NCAA tourney titles in 1950 had his career shattered by a six-month sentence stemming from point-shaving scandal engulfing the sport. In the 1960s, Warner was imprisoned after pleading guilty to attempting to sell heroin. "I had a problem," he said. "I was trying to play Superfly." |
Kenyan Weaks | Florida | Swingman averaging 10 ppg for the Gators' 2000 NCAA Tournament runner-up and eventual Chowan College/Florida Southern/Marshall assistant coach was charged in spring of 2017 with series of disturbing felonies as a North Carolina high school coach (felony breaking and entering to terrorize or injure, misdemeanor stalking and simple assault). In summer of 1998, he was placed on conduct probation following a dormitory altercation with a woman after previously being suspended for the first three regular-season games for violating unspecified team rules. |
Rob Williams | Houston | Leading scorer for 1982 Final Four team died of congestive heart failure at the age of 52 in March 2014 after suffering a stroke 15 years earlier leaving him blind in his left eye and partially paralyzed on his left side. Williams denied rumors he was too high to play against North Carolina in the national semifinals (0-for-8 field-goal shooting). But Williams admitted he used drugs. "Cocaine came later but I started out smoking weed (in junior high)," Williams said. "I was always a curious type of fellow, so I wanted to see what cocaine was about. So I tried it. And to tell you the truth, I liked it." |
Othell Wilson | Virginia | All-ACC first-team selection as a sophomore in 1981-82 and leading scorer for 1984 Final Four squad was indicted by a grand jury in November 1999 on charges of kidnapping and raping his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend. He had just been appointed coach at St. Mary's College (Md.). |
Rick Wilson | Louisville | In August, 1993, the All-Metro Conference first-team selection in 1977-78 was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violations of the terms of his probation. Wilson, who had joined the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department in 1986, was convicted in July 1990 of cocaine trafficking and possession, but was put on probation for five years after serving a month in a work-release center. In 1991, member of 1975 national third-place club was allowed to remain on probation and undergo addiction treatment despite five urine tests finding evidence of cocaine use. |
Jeff Withey | Kansas | L.A. District Attorney's Office chose not to move forward with case after 2014 Playboy Playmate of the Year accused her ex-fiancee of domestic violence, stemming from a physical altercation between them in 2016. The blonde bombshell reportedly broke things off with Withey the previous fall after learning leader in rebounding and blocked shots for 2012 NCAA runner-up may have cheated with another woman while the couple were engaged. |
Orlando Woolridge | Notre Dame | Irish's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer in 1980-81 when he finished third in the nation in field-goal shooting (65%) was arrested for theft of aluminum lines (valued at $2,000 and sold for scrap) used to transfer water to natural gas drilling sites in DeSoto Parish (LA) only three months before his death at the age of 52 in late May 2012 because of a chronic heart condition. Member of 1978 Final Four squad as freshman in UND's regular rotation entered an NBA drug treatment program for cocaine use in the middle of the 1987-88 season while playing for the New Jersey Nets. |
Personal Items: Few Things You Need to Know About 2019 Final Four Coaches
Did You Know?: Only one of this year's Final Four coaches played major-college basketball (Virginia's Tony Bennett). Naturally, there is a tendency to overindulge at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Anyone digesting the following assortment of did-you-know facts on 2019 Final Four coaches should find that variety is the spice of this smorgasbord:
Chris Beard (Texas Tech): Served as manager at Texas under Longhorns coach Tom Penders.
Tony Bennett (Virginia): Son of former Final Four coach (Wisconsin's Dick Bennett) and brother of former Indiana and Illinois State women's coach Kathi Bennett.
Tom Izzo (Michigan State): Teammate in high school (Iron Mountain, Mich.) and college (Northern Michigan) of former Detroit Lions coach Steve Mariucci. Izzo, a running back,and Mariucci, a quarterback, were the best men in each others' weddings.
Bruce Pearl (Auburn): As an undergraduate at Boston College, he was Dr. Tom Davis' administrative assistant before serving as an assistant coach under Davis at Stanford and Iowa.
Drawing upon all resources including degrees of success to motivate their teams, following are the educational backgrounds of the Final Four coaches:
Final Four Coach School Bachelor's Chris Beard Texas Tech Kinesiology Tony Bennett Virginia Humanities Tom Izzo Michigan State Health & Physical Education Bruce Pearl Auburn Business Administration
Close likely will determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. Ask Arizona fans if close doesn't count after the Wildcats lost five regional finals from 2003 through 2015 by a total of 14 points. Following is how the Final Four mentors have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points:
Final Four Coach | School | DI Seasons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chris Beard | Texas Tech | 2016-2019 | 5-2 | 2-4 | 4-2 | 5-4 | 2-1 | 18-13 | .581 |
Tony Bennett | Virginia | 2007-2019 | 13-4 | 8-16 | 11-15 | 13-8 | 12-6 | 57-49 | .538 |
Tom Izzo | Michigan State | 1996-2019 | 10-14 | 17-25 | 29-15 | 24-15 | 28-20 | 108-89 | .548 |
Bruce Pearl | Auburn | 2002-2019 | 11-18 | 15-14 | 20-11 | 19-6 | 18-4 | 83-53 | .610 |
I Ain't Lyin': Zion Pads ACC Lead for Most National Player of Year Winners
Duke freshman Zion Williamson became the 17th ACC product to become national player of the year. Excluding specialty publications, there are five nationally-recognized Player of the Year awards. None of them, however, comes anywhere close to being the equivalent to college football's undisputed most prestigious honor, the Heisman Trophy. The basketball stalemate stems from essentially the same people voting on the major awards (writers or coaches or a combination) and the announcements coming one after another right around the Final Four when the playoff games dominate the sports page.
United Press International, which was a sixth venue for major awards through 1996, got all of this back slapping started in 1955. Four years later, the United States Basketball Writers Association, having chosen All-American teams in each of the two previous seasons, added a Player of the Year award to its postseason honors. In recent years, the USBWA award was sponsored by Mercedes and then RCA.
The third oldest of the awards comes from the most dominant wire service, the Associated Press. Perhaps because of its vast network of media outlets, the AP award gets more print and broadcast attention than the other honors. The AP award started in 1961 before affiliating in 1972 with the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Lexington, Ky., which was looking for a way to honor Hall of Fame Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp. The result of their merger is the Rupp Trophy.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club initially was associated with UPI before starting its own Naismith Award in 1969. Six years later, the National Association of Basketball Coaches initiated its award, which was sponsored from the outset by the Eastman Kodak Company. In 1977, the Los Angeles Athletic Club began honoring Hall of Fame UCLA coach John Wooden with the Wooden Award sponsored by Wendy's.
Duke has nine different national player of the year winners, including seven of them in a 21-year span from 1986 through 2006. UCLA is runner-up with six individuals earning POY acclaim. Incredibly, perennial power Kentucky never had a representative win one of the six principal national player of the year awards until freshman center Anthony Davis achieved the feat in 2012.
In 2015, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky became the fourth Big Ten Conference player to capture national POY honors in a six-year span. The Big East, Pac-10 and SEC combined to go 15 straight seasons from 1996-97 through 2010-11 without a national POY. Following is a look at the seven conferences with at least three different individuals capturing one of the six principal national player of the year awards since UPI's initial winner in 1955:
ACC (17) - Shane Battier (Duke), Elton Brand (Duke), Johnny Dawkins (Duke), Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), Danny Ferry (Duke), Phil Ford (North Carolina), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Art Heyman (Duke), Antawn Jamison (North Carolina), Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Christian Laettner (Duke), J.J. Redick (Duke), Ralph Sampson (Virginia), Joe Smith (Maryland), David Thompson (North Carolina State), Jason Williams (Duke), Zion Williamson (Duke).
Big Ten (14) - Gary Bradds (Ohio State), Trey Burke (Michigan State), Dee Brown (Illinois), Calbert Cheaney (Indiana), Draymond Green (Michigan State), Jim Jackson (Ohio State), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin), Jerry Lucas (Ohio State), Scott May (Indiana), Shawn Respert (Michigan State), Glenn Robinson Jr. (Purdue), Cazzie Russell (Michigan), Evan Turner (Ohio State), Denzel Valentine (Michigan State).
Pacific-12 (7) - Lew Alcindor (UCLA), Sean Elliott (Arizona), Walt Hazzard (UCLA), Marques Johnson (UCLA), Ed O'Bannon (UCLA), Bill Walton (UCLA), Sidney Wicks (UCLA).
Big 12 (6) - Nick Collison (Kansas), Kevin Durant (Texas), T.J. Ford (Texas), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Frank Mason III (Kansas).
Big East (6) - Ray Allen (Connecticut), Walter Berry (St. John's), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Chris Mullin (St. John's).
Missouri Valley (3) - Larry Bird (Indiana State), Hersey Hawkins (Bradley), Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati).
SEC (3) - Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Pete Maravich (Louisiana State), Shaquille O'Neal (Louisiana State).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on April 6 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid the opening of a new season, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two former small-college hoopers from Iowa - Davey Lopes (Iowa Wesleyan) and Jim Todd (Parsons) before transferring to schools in other states - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 6
Oakland A's RHP Mark Acre (played in 1990 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with New Mexico State) earned his second relief victory in three days against the New York Yankees in 1997.
Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) scored four runs against the Kansas City Royals in 1983.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) contributed two sixth-inning hits, including a grand slam, in a 10-inning, 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox in 2001. Eight years later, Clark clobbered back-to-back homers for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a season-opening, 9-8 win against the Colorado Rockies in 2009.
In 2006, LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding 1992-93 through 1995-96) hurled first complete-game shutout for the Tampa Devil Rays in a span of 349 contests (three-hit, 2-0 whitewash against Baltimore Orioles).
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 to Washburn KS with his coach) collected three runs and three stolen bases against the San Diego Padres in 1974.
RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) purchased from the Atlanta Braves by the Houston Astros for $35,000 in 1975.
In his first start with the St. Louis Cardinals, RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1974.
RHP Darrell Sutherland (averaged 8.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Stanford from 1960-61 through 1962-63) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Mets as a first-year waiver selection in 1964.
RHP Jim Todd (Parsons IA hooper before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville PA in 1968-69) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be designated and cash in 1975.
After 159 MLB starts, RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) made his debut with the Seattle Mariners as a reliever (two hitless innings against Oakland Athletics in 2014).
College Exam: Day #21 of One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 21 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only player to post the highest-scoring game in a single tournament the same year he also played major league baseball? Hint: He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. Who is the only Final Four player to become AAU national champion in the decathlon in the same year? Hint: The Final Four team's third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder finished third in decathlon the previous year.
3. Who is the only Final Four player to finish among the top two high jumpers in four NCAA national track meets? Hint: The starting center for a national championship team is first athlete to place in the NCAA high jump four consecutive years.
4. Name the only coach in NCAA history to reach an NCAA Division I Tournament regional final in back-to-back years with different schools. Hint: He also reached a regional final in his first season at next coaching outpost.
5. Name the only top-ranked team entering the tournament to be eliminated by an opponent it defeated by more than 40 points during the regular season. Hint: The school avenging the embarrassing defeat upended nation's second-ranked team in its next playoff game.
6. Who is the only individual to play in the NCAA Tournament before setting several major league fielding records for a second baseman? Hint: He was the second-leading scorer for his school's playoff team and one of his teammates was a prominent college basketball coach for more than 20 years.
7. Who is the only member of the College Football Hall of Fame to participate in back-to-back Final Fours? Hint: He is one of the few athletes to earn consensus football All-American honors at two positions.
8. Who is the only individual to lead a school in scoring in an NCAA Tournament before leading a major league in doubles as a player and manage a team in a World Series? Hint: The outfielder drove in six runs in one inning of an American League game.
9. Name the only university to win a minimum of two games in four different postseason national tournaments - NAIA, NCAA Division II, NIT and NCAA Division I. Hint: Of the schools to win at least one game in all four national tourneys, it is only one with an overall losing record in postseason competition.
10. Name the only school to win back-to-back basketball championships the same academic school years it participated in New Year's Day football bowl games. Hint: One of the two basketball title teams is the only school to have as many as 26 different players appear in its games in a season winning an NCAA crown. The two titlists helped school become only university to reach NCAA championship game in its first three playoff appearances.
Against All-American Odds: House Stacked Versus Jerry's Kids At Vanderbilt
Patrick Ewing, who won more than 84% of his games with Georgetown the first half of the 1980s (121-23 record) assumed control of coaching position at his alma mater two years ago with an impressive player pedigree as four-time All-American. But the odds are overwhelmingly against Ewing compiling a higher winning percentage as a bench boss than he did as premium player. He would need to supplant UCLA's John Wooden (.808) atop the coaching list in this category. Coincidentally, Wooden assembled the same winning percentage as an A-A player with Purdue as Ewing did for the Hoyas.
The odds of succeeding on Vanderbilt's sideline are even more remote for former North Carolina A-A Jerry Stackhouse, who has zero experience as head coach at the collegiate or NBA level. It's the same amount of experience that Penny Hardaway had when hired by his alma mater last season. But commercial comrade Lil' Penny could lounge in a Memphis Mafia sideline chair and assemble a better differential at Big Penny's alma mater than St. John's luminary Chris Mullin regarding winning percentage as a A-A player compared to coaching acumen. Mullin's winning percentage in his four seasons as coach of alma mater was 31.9% lower than as a player. Other All-Americans who posted significantly worst winning percentages as a DI coach than as a player include Sidney Moncrief (69.3% lower), Bo Ellis (67.1%), Juan Dixon (58%), Corliss Williamson (52.2%), Tony Yates (50.9%), Mark Macon (48.2%), Darrell Walker (47.9%), Clyde Drexler (46.6%), Butch Beard (45.7%), Isiah Thomas (44.8%), Monte Towe (44.6%), Henry Bibby (44.1%), Damon Stoudamire (39.8%), Jason Gardner (37.9%) and Donyell Marshall (35.9%).
Stackhouse faces an uphill battle as a bench boss resembling Hardaway's 31-point defeat with Tigers against Cincinnati in 1992 regional final. Indiana's Branch McCracken, who directed the Hoosiers to NCAA tourney titles in 1940 and 1953, is the only one of the first 61 All-Americans who became major-college mentors to compile a higher winning percentage as coach. Fewer than half of the following alphabetical list of All-American players posted winning career records as a DI mentor:
*Active coaches.
Playing Race Card: Wisconsin's Ethan Happ Only White NCAA Consensus A-A
Since MJ couldn't handle him one-and-one, heaven knows how Daddy Ball Game would treat average white player. If not a generous dose of humility, "Slow" Hoops Daddy Lavar Ball probably needs a history lesson. The hoop lowdown might not rise to the level of aggressive African-American commentary on presidential prowess of Donald Trump or previous POTUS lecturing Christians rather than unprincipled marauders, but it could be time to proclaim white players matter. Many white-privilege provocateurs, who should seek reparations of their own for being exposed to race hustlers such as "Not So" Sharpton clamoring for "R-E-S-P-I-C-T," seem to care as much about the basketball topic, however, as far-left zealots are outraged about Muslim terrorists murdering saints and believers.
A milestone didn't trigger White History Month several seasons ago, but 2013 marked the first time in 34 years at least half of the list of NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans were white players. From 1980 through 2012, less than one-fifth of the NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans were Caucasian. "Resist We Much" RevAl and (Mad)Maxine Waters may consider this repulsive racist research but he probably should be more concerned about paying his fair share of taxes on filing deadline day and she should return to concocting conspiratorial claptrap more worthy of April Fool's Day about CIA planting drugs in the hood.
Unless there are some closet Rachel Dolezals in the identity mix or Jussie Smollett's air-head attorney is accurate about an outbreak of white-face escapades, Gonzaga (Dan Dickau, Blake Stepp, Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk and Kyle Wiltjer) was alone boasting the most white consensus All-Americans thus far in 21st Century with five until Duke tied the Zags a couple of seasons ago when Luke Kennard was anointed.
It might not reign purple important as a photograph of Prince in a junior high basketball uniform but we could be in the midst of a modest resurgence for the white player represented each year thus far this century. After all, Duke was the nation's only school to supply a white first-team All-American in a nine-year span from 1987-88 through 1995-96 (Danny Ferry in 1989, Christian Laettner in 1992 and Bobby Hurley in 1993). For those keeping track of such demographics or who might be a dues-paying member of another NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Caucasian Players), following is a list of white NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans since Indiana State's Larry Bird was unanimous national player of the year in 1979:
1979 (6 of 12) - Indiana State's Larry Bird (1st), Duke's Mike Gminski (1st), North Carolina's Mike O'Koren (2nd), Dayton's Jim Paxson (2nd), Duke's Jim Spanarkel (2nd) and Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka (2nd)
1980 (3 of 10) - Duke's Mike Gminski (2nd), Kentucky's Kyle Macy (1st) and North Carolina's Mike O'Koren (2nd)
1981 (4 of 11) - Brigham Young's Danny Ainge (1st), Virginia's Jeff Lamp (2nd), Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka (2nd) and Utah's Danny Vranes (2nd)
1982 (1 of 10) - Notre Dame's John Paxson (2nd)
1983 (4 of 14) - Notre Dame's John Paxson (2nd), Missouri's Steve Stipanovich (2nd), Missouri's Jon Sundvold (2nd) and Indiana's Randy Wittman (2nd)
1984 (2 of 11) - Brigham Young's Devin Durrant (2nd) and St. John's Chris Mullin (2nd)
1985 (3 of 11) - Southern Methodist's Jon Koncak (2nd), St. John's Chris Mullin (1st) and Georgia Tech's Mark Price (2nd)
1986 (2 of 11) - Indiana's Steve Alford (1st) and Michigan State's Scott Skiles (2nd)
1987 (1 of 10) - Indiana's Steve Alford (1st)
1988 (2 of 11) - Duke's Danny Ferry (2nd) and Brigham Young's Michael Smith (2nd)
1989 (2 of 11) - Duke's Danny Ferry (1st) and Stanford's Todd Lichti (2nd)
1990 (0 of 12)
1991 (1 of 10) - Duke's Christian Laettner (2nd)
1992 (2 of 10) - Duke's Christian Laettner (1st) and UCLA's Don MacLean (2nd)
1993 (3 of 12) - Duke's Bobby Hurley Jr. (1st), Vanderbilt's Billy McCaffrey (2nd) and North Carolina's Eric Montross (2nd)
1994 (1 of 11) - North Carolina's Eric Montross (2nd)
1995 (0 of 10)
1996 (1 of 11) - Utah's Keith Van Horn (2nd)
1997 (2 of 10) - Kansas' Raef LaFrentz (1st) and Utah's Keith Van Horn (1st)
1998 (2 of 10) - Notre Dame's Pat Garrity (2nd) and Kansas' Raef LaFrentz (1st)
1999 (2 of 10) - Northwestern's Evan Eschmeyer (2nd) and Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak (2nd)
2000 (2 of 12) - Texas' Chris Mihm (1st) and Notre Dame's Troy Murphy (1st)
2001 (3 of 10) - Villanova's Michael Bradley (2nd), Stanford's Casey Jacobsen (1st) and Notre Dame's Troy Murphy (1st)
2002 (3 of 10) - Gonzaga's Dan Dickau (1st), Duke's Mike Dunleavy (2nd) and Stanford's Casey Jacobsen (2nd)
2003 (2 of 10) - Kansas' Nick Collison (1st) and Creighton's Kyle Korver (2nd)
2004 (2 of 10) - Oregon's Luke Jackson (2nd) and Gonzaga's Blake Stepp (2nd)
2005 (2 of 11) - Utah's Andrew Bogut (1st) and Duke's J.J. Redick (1st)
2006 (3 of 12) - North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (2nd), Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (1st) and Duke's J.J. Redick (1st)
2007 (2 of 10) - Nevada's Nick Fazekas (2nd) and North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (1st)
2008 (3 of 11) - North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (1st), Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2nd) and UCLA's Kevin Love (1st)
2009 (2 of 11) - North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (1st) and Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2nd)
2010 (3 of 11) - Kansas' Cole Aldrich (2nd), Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (2nd) and Duke's Jon Scheyer (2nd)
2011 (2 of 11) - Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (1st) and Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough (2nd)
2012 (2 of 10) - Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st) and North Carolina's Tyler Zeller (2nd)
2013 (5 of 10) - Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st), Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk (1st), Duke's Mason Plumlee (2nd), Kansas' Jeff Withey (2nd) and Indiana's Cody Zeller (2nd)
2014 (2 of 11) - Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st) and Michigan's Nik Stauskas (2nd)
2015 (3 of 11) - Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky (1st), Northern Iowa's Seth Tuttle (2nd) and Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer (2nd)
2016 (2 of 11) - Utah's Jakob Poeltl (2nd) and Iowa's Jarrod Uthoff (2nd).
2017 (1 of 10) - Duke's Luke Kennard (2nd).
2018 (1 of 11) - Saint Mary's Jock Landale (2nd).
2019 (1 of 10) - Wisconsin's Ethan Happ (2nd).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on April 5 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season continues to unfold, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Former college hoopers Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi), Fred Kipp (Emporia State KS), Roger Mason (Saginaw Valley State MI), Ted Savage (Lincoln MO) and Ken Singleton (Hofstra) were involved in MLB transactions on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 5
INF Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi basketball letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles in 1973.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) smacked two homers among his four hits in a 15-12 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1997. Four years later, Clark contributed four hits against the Minnesota Twins in 2001.
LHP Fred Kipp (two-time all-conference selection for Emporia State KS in early 1950s) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees in 1960.
RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year letterman for Saginaw Valley State MI in late 1970s) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the San Francisco Giants in 1985.
California Angels 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) supplied four hits in an 8-2 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1974 season opener.
OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970.
OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman squad in mid-1960s) traded with Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub in 1972.
Atlanta Braves reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered the victory in a season-opening 7-4 success at Cincinnati in 1971. Upshaw missed the previous campaign after almost losing the ring finger on his right hand when it got entangled in a net while dunking basketball.
RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) became the first hurler in New York Mets history to collect two hits in an inning (pair of singles in third against Philadelphia Phillies in 2011). Young contributed a third single in the fifth in his first start with the Mets.
College Exam: Day #20 of One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 20 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only athlete to rank among the top five in scoring average in an NCAA Tournament and later start for an NFL champion? Hint: He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection who played in back-to-back Super Bowls. His brother was the first black player for major leagues' last integrated team.
2. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA championship game in scoring while playing for his father? Hint: The son has the lowest game-high point total in NCAA final history.
3. Who comprise the only father/son combination to twice reach the Final Four together as coach and player? Hint: The son was a starter for team undefeated entering Final Four.
4. Who is the only active coach to have played in the NCAA Tournament and College World Series in the same year? Hint: He served as captain on the baseball and basketball teams as a college senior. After graduation, he played minor league baseball before becoming an outstanding fast-pitch softball player named to a couple of national All-Star teams.
5. Name the only school to have a single coach guide the same group of players to victories in the NAIA Tournament, NIT and NCAA Tournament. Hint: It's the only school in last 60-plus years entering the NIT with an undefeated record. One of the five regulars from the three national postseason tournament winners was one of NBA's premier rebounders before becoming an assistant coach in the league and head coach of his alma mater.
6. Who is the only coach to guide teams to the championship game in both the Division I and Division II Tournaments? Hint: He is the only coach to have a career NCAA Division I Tournament record as many as eight games below the .500 mark, only title-team coach compiling a non-winning career playoff mark and only coach to lose three consecutive regional final games.
7. Who is the only player to score more than 60% of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game and be on the losing end of the score? Hint: It was a first-round contest and the individual was national player of the year.
8. Who is the only player to score more than two-thirds of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game? Hint: He scored more than 50% of his squad's points over three playoff outings.
9. Name the only school to win a small college national postseason tournament before capturing at least one NCAA Division I title. Hint: The school opposed same coach in championship game of small-college tournament and NCAA Final Four. The school also supplied only team to win an NCAA crown after setting or tying an existing school record for most defeats previous season.
10. Who is the only individual to participate in the Final Four before playing and coaching in the NFL at least five seasons apiece? Hint: He was a member of an NFL team moving to another city the year after capturing league title.
False Start: NIT Championship Won't Mean Too Much for Texas Next Season
Don't mean to hurt "wittle" feelings of safe-space snowflakes sympathetic to roof-top dancing bartender #AOC (Always Outlandish Commentary), Jussie Smollett supporters believing fictional tale about #MAGA caps/bleach/noose/nutritional white face, Mayor Pete pundits accepting "All Lives Matters" whether you're the husband or wife and Emory students terrified by Trump chalk talk. But if history means anything, a National Invitation Tournament crown earned in a poorly-attended game won't serve as a springboard to NCAA playoff success for Texas. Defending NIT champions combined for a 12-18 NCAA Tournament record from 1986 through 2019 with four of the previous five kingpins not participating at all in NCAA tourney or NIT.
The NIT titlists from 1985 through 2004 combined for a losing national postseason tournament record (15-17) the year after capturing an NIT championship - NCAA (8-13) and NIT (7-4) - with three of them not reaching national postseason play. Four more NIT champions in the last 12 years - South Carolina '06, Penn State '09, Minnesota '14 and Stanford '16 - also failed to appear in NCAA playoffs or NIT the next season. West Virginia '08, Ohio State '09, Wichita State '12 and TCU '17 combined for a 2-4 NCAA playoff mark the years after winning an NIT title.
Only three schools in the last 35 years reached an NCAA regional semifinal the year after capturing an NIT title - (Virginia '93, West Virginia '08) and Baylor '14. Following is a breakdown of how the NIT champions fared the next season since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985:
Year NIT Champion Season Summary the Following Campaign 1985 UCLA 15-14 record in 1985-86; 9-9 in Pacific-10 (4th place); no postseason 1986 Ohio State 20-13 in 1986-87; 9-9 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1987 Southern Mississippi 19-11 in 1987-88; 5-7 in Metro (7th); lost in NIT 2nd round 1988 Connecticut 18-13 in 1988-89; 6-10 in Big East (T7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 1989 St. John's 24-10 in 1989-90; 10-6 in Big East (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1990 Vanderbilt 17-13 in 1990-91; 11-7 in SEC (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1991 Stanford 18-11 in 1991-92; 10-8 in Pacific-10 (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1992 Virginia 21-10 in 1992-93; 9-7 in ACC (5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinal 1993 Minnesota 21-12 in 1993-94; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1994 Villanova 25-8 in 1994-95; 14-4 in Big East (2nd); lost in NCAA 1st round 1995 Virginia Tech 23-6 in 1995-96; 13-3 in Atlantic 10 (T1st/W); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1996 Nebraska 19-14 in 1996-97; 7-9 in Big 12 (4th/N); lost in NIT 3rd round 1997 Michigan 25-9 in 1997-98; 11-5 in Big Ten (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1998 Minnesota 17-11 in 1998-99; 8-8 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1999 California 18-15 in 1999-00; 7-11 in Pacific-10 (7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 2000 Wake Forest 19-11 in 2000-01; 8-8 in ACC (T5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2001 Tulsa 27-7 in 2001-02; 15-3 in WAC (T1st); lost in NCAA 2nd round 2002 Memphis 23-7 in 2002-03; 13-3 in C-USA (1st/National); lost in NCAA 1st round 2003 St. John's 6-21 in 2003-04; 1-15 in Big East (14th); no postseason 2004 Michigan 13-18 in 2004-05; 4-12 in Big Ten (9th); no postseason 2005 South Carolina 23-15 in 2005-06; 6-10 in SEC (5th/East); won NIT championship 2006 South Carolina 14-16 in 2006-07; 4-12 in SEC (6th/Eastern); no postseason 2007 West Virginia 26-11 in 2007-08; 11-7 in Big East (T5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2008 Ohio State 22-11 in 2008-09; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2009 Penn State 11-20 in 2009-10; 3-15 in Big Ten (11th); no postseason 2010 Dayton 22-14 in 2010-11; 7-9 in Atlantic 10 (T8th); lost in NIT 1st round 2011 Wichita State 27-6 in 2011-12; 16-2 in Missouri Valley (1st); lost in NCAA 1st round 2012 Stanford 19-15 in 2012-13; 9-9 in Pac-12 (T6th); lost in NIT 2nd round 2013 Baylor 26-12 in 2013-14; 9-9 in Big 12 (T6th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2014 Minnesota 18-15; 6-12 in Big Ten (T10th); no postseason 2015 Stanford 15-15; 8-10 in Pac-12 (9th); no postseason 2016 George Washington 20-15; 10-8 in Atlantic 10 (6th); lost in CBI 2nd round 2017 Texas Christian 21-12; 9-9 in Big 12 (5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2018 Penn State 14-18; 7-13 in Big Ten (T10th); no postseason 2019 Texas To be determined in 2019-20
Slow Start: Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura Averaged Only 2.6 PPG as Freshman
In a microwave atmosphere of instant expectations, Gonzaga's Rui Hachimura (2.6 points per game in 2016-17) failed to generate national headlines in his freshman season before blossoming into an All-American. He is a textbook example why fans shouldn't put too much stock in freshman statistics.
Hachimura isn't the only All-American who endured growing pains. He joins the following alphabetical list of players who averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman before eventually earning All-American acclaim:
Eventual All-American Pos. School Freshman Scoring Average Cole Aldrich C Kansas 2.8 ppg in 2007-08 Lorenzo Charles F North Carolina State 2.2 ppg in 1981-82 Rakeem Christmas F Syracuse 2.8 ppg in 2011-12 Keith Edmonson G Purdue 1.3 ppg in 1978-79 Aaron Gray C Pittsburgh 1.7 ppg in 2003-04 Erick Green G Virginia Tech 2.6 ppg in 2009-10 Tom Gugliotta F North Carolina State 2.7 ppg in 1988-89 Rui Hachimura F Gonzaga 2.6 ppg in 2016-17 Roy Hamilton G UCLA 1.2 ppg in 1975-76 Jeff Jonas G Utah 2.8 ppg in 1973-74 Frank Kaminsky C-F Wisconsin 1.8 ppg in 2011-12 Ted Kitchel F Indiana 1.7 ppg in 1979-80 Bob Kurland C Oklahoma A&M 2.5 ppg in 1942-43 Tom LaGarde C North Carolina 2.2 ppg in 1973-74 Jock Landale C Saint Mary's 2.1 ppg in 2014-15 Kenyon Martin C Cincinnati 2.8 ppg in 1996-97 Luke Maye F North Carolina 1.2 ppg in 2015-16 John Pilch G Wyoming 2.4 ppg in 1946-47 Thomas Robinson F Kansas 2.5 ppg in 2009-10 Steve Scheffler C Purdue 1.5 ppg in 1986-87 Russ Smith G Louisville 2.2 ppg in 2010-11 Earl Tatum G-F Marquette 1.5 ppg in 1972-73 Kurt Thomas F-C Texas Christian 0.8 ppg in 1990-91 Al Thornton F Florida State 2.8 ppg in 2003-04 B.J. Tyler G DePaul 2.9 ppg in 1989-90 Scottie Wilbekin G Florida 2.4 ppg in 2010-11 Jeff Withey C Kansas 1.3 ppg in 2009-10 NOTES: Oregon's Wally Borrevik (1.8 ppg in 1940-41), Wisconsin's Gene Englund (2.3 ppg in 1938-39), California's Darrall Imhoff (0.9 ppg in 1957-58), Kansas' Dean Kelley (0.8 in 1950-51), Purdue's Bob Kessler (2.3 ppg in 1933-34), Notre Dame's Leo Klier (2.7 in 1942-43), Oklahoma A&M's Gale McArthur (2.96 ppg in 1948-49), Notre Dame's Bob Rensberger (1.5 ppg in 1940-41) and Stanford's George Yardley (2.9 ppg in 1947-48) averaged fewer than three points per game as sophomores when freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity basketball before becoming All-Americans. . . . Tyler became an All-American with Texas after transferring to his home state. . . . Withey originally attended Arizona.
Mid-Majors Hachimura and Morant Named NCAA Consensus First-Team A-As
NBA success in several years likely will reveal voter shortcomings after Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura and Murray State guard Ja Morant became the only mid-major players anointed as an NCAA consensus All-American this campaign. Hachimura and Morant represent only the third mid-major duo in the last 46 years to be named NCAA consensus first-team A-As in the same season. Following is a chronological list of mid-level NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans since the ACC was introduced in 1953-54:
Sky is Falling: Can Auburn or Michigan State Capture Crown Sans Key Starter?
Villanova captured two NCAA championships in the previous three campaigns - one without star sixth man Donte DiVincenzo and one with him. His absence in 2016 offered a classic example depicting lame-stream media and so-called experts getting all bent out of shape while possessing little more than a rudimentary NCAA playoff perspective. They should brush up on their amateurish hoops history and go beyond "feeling" to "knowing" what in the world they are discussing. How about a little texture describing numerous teams boasting the resourcefulness to cope without a key player and go on to capture a national championship? Auburn (without Chuma Okeke/ACL surgery) or Michigan State (Joshua Langford/stress injury in left foot) could join the following titlists not fond of Chicken Little:
Stanford '42 overcame the title game absence of flu-ridden Jim Pollard, who scored 43.4% of Stanford's points in its first two tourney contests.
Kentucky '51 (sans Walt Hirsch) and San Francisco '56 (K.C. Jones) won NCAA titles although key players were ineligible for the tournament.
Forward Edgar Lacey, the leading rebounder for UCLA's 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 championship campaign because of a fractured left kneecap. Lacey dropped off the Bruins' titlist the next year in mid-season following a dispute with all-time great coach John Wooden after a highly-publicized defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome when UH All-American Elvin Hayes erupted for 29 first-half points.
All-American guard Lucius Allen missed the 1968-69 campaign because of academic problems but it didn't stop UCLA from winning its third of seven straight NCAA titles.
Louisville '80 excelled with a freshman center Rodney McCray, who replaced his brother, Scooter, in the middle after Scooter suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Kansas, riding the coattails of national player of the year Danny Manning, withstood the loss of regulars Marvin Branch (academic problems) and Archie Marshall (knee injury) to capture the 1988 NCAA title.
In 1990, UNLV was without frontcourter George Ackles (medical redshirt because of a wrist injury) when the Rebels' 103-73 rout of Duke enabled them to become the only team to score more than 100 points in a championship game and establish a record for widest margin of victory in a final.
Donte DiVincenzo, sixth man as redshirt freshman for top-ranked Villanova's defending NCAA titlist in 2016-17, missed majority of previous championship campaign because of a broken right foot.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on April 4 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season unfolds, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Small-school hoopers Chuck Hinton (Shaw NC) and "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State) were traded for each other in 1969.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 4
OF-INF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) traded in 1969 by the California Angels to the Cleveland Indians.
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State basketball teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded in 1969 by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels.
Seattle Mariners RF Leon Roberts (grabbed one rebound in four basketball games for Michigan in 1970-71 under coach Johnny Orr) smacked a go-ahead, two-run homer off Frank Tanana in sixth inning of 5-4 win against the California Angels in 1979 season opener.
College Exam: Day #19 of One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 19 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only Final Four team to have a trio all average more than 20 points per game in the same season. Hint: The school won its conference tournament that year although none of threesome shot better than 50% from floor over the three games.
2. Name the only duo to twice reach the Final Four and both players average more than 20 points per game each season. Hint: Their team lost each year at the Final Four by same score. One of the pair is only player to score more than 25 points in Final Four defeats in back-to-back years.
3. Who is the only one of UCLA's eight first-team All-Americans from 1964 through 1975 to fail to earn a spot on an All-NCAA Tournament team when the Bruins won 10 national titles? Hint: He averaged more than 15 points per game in two of his three varsity seasons and went on to coach the Bruins' crosstown rival to a regional final.
4. Who is the only NCAA baseball championship coach to direct a basketball team from the same school to the Final Four? Hint: He is the school's all-time winningest basketball coach.
5. Who is the only championship team senior to average seven points per game or less entering the national semifinals before seizing the moment and averaging double digits in scoring in his last two games with an increase of at least six points per game from his pre-Final Four scoring mark? Hint: He was the seventh-leading scorer for the season on a team with only two seniors among its top eight point producers.
6. Who is the only player to score more than half of a championship team's points in a single NCAA Tournament? Hint: He was the team's only player to compile a double-digit season scoring average and no teammate scored more than seven points in either of two Final Four games.
7. Name the only school to lose three national championship games in a city where it enjoyed a distinct homecourt advantage. Hint: The school lost two of the three title games by one point before capturing title there in a season it became the only NCAA champion to lose four consecutive conference contests.
8. Name the only team to fail to have at least one player score in double figures in the championship game. Hint: It was the school's only NCAA Tournament appearance until university started appearing regularly in tourney since 1975.
9. Name the only Division II school to have three of its former head coaches go on to direct major-college teams to the NCAA Division I Tournament championship game. Hint: None of the three coaches compiled a losing record in any of the total of 11 seasons they coached at small school, which won Division II Tournament in 1984 and captured first two NAIA Tournament titles.
10. Who is the only one of the individuals named NBA Most Valuable Player, score more than 20,000 pro points or be selected to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in more than six NCAA Division I Tournament games and not compile a winning tourney record? Hint: He left college with eligibility remaining, but was involved in two NCAA playoff defeats when the tournament conducted regional third-place games.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Made Mark on April 3 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! With a new season underway, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 3
1B Donn Clendenon (played basketball for Morehouse GA) ended his retirement and reported to the Montreal Expos in 1969.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in 1996.
1B Bill White (played two years of hoops with Hiram OH in early 1950s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.
RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers in 2004.
College Exam: Day #18 of One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 18 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only major-college coach to finish his career with more than 500 victories and never participate in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: The coach spent his entire four-year school coaching career at one institution and had nine consecutive winning seasons at Division I level from 1972-73 through 1980-81.
2. Who is the only player to average more than 26 points per game for an undefeated NCAA champion before averaging less than five points per game in his NBA career? Hint: He averaged the same number of points in NCAA Tournament as he did for entire season.
3. Who is the only coach to win three national third-place games? Hint: No coach accumulated as many different All-Americans as he did (16) in his first 20 campaigns at a single school.
4. Who is the only former major-college player to score more than 23,000 points in the NBA after never participating in the NCAA Tournament or NIT? Hint: His alma mater returned to small-college status after being at the Division I level for more than 50 years but never appearing in NCAA playoffs or NIT.
5. Of the 10 different players to compile season scoring averages of more than 23 points per game for a national champion, who is the only individual in this group to tally fewer than 40 points in two games at the Final Four? Hint: His team won both Final Four games that year by a minimum of 20 points.
6. Who is the only individual to coach a team to the Final Four after becoming an NCAA consensus first-team All-American and NBA first-round draft choice? Hint: He joined Chet Walker and Bob Love as 20-points-per-game scorers for the Chicago Bulls in 1969-70 after becoming the first African-American to earn a league MVP while attending Southern school.
7. Who is the only national player of the year to score less than 10 points when his school was eliminated in a Final Four contest the same season? Hint: He averaged more than 25 points per game in his four previous playoff contests that year.
8. Name the only Final Four team to have as many as six players still on its roster with double-digit season scoring averages. Hint: All six individuals played in the NBA as did another player on squad who averaged eight points per game.
9. Who is the only All-Tournament selection to finish his college playing career at another major university? Hint: His brother was a wide receiver for a Super Bowl champion.
10. Who is the only leading scorer for a Final Four team to also play for the school's football squad in a New Year's Day bowl game and win a silver medal in the Olympics as a high jumper? Hint: The Olympics climaxed a superb academic school year for the versatile athlete who won NCAA high jump crown and led his school's football and basketball teams in scoring. He also appeared in the first two NBA All-Star Games.
Youth Movement: Duke Duo Among First-Team All-Americans as Freshmen
Duke's R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson achieved a distinction luminaries Mark Aguirre, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Patrick Ewing, Phil Ford, Tyler Hansbrough, James Harden, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Bernard King, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Derrick Rose, Ralph Sampson and Russell Westbrook failed to do. Barrett and Williamson, joining Kentucky tandem DeMarco Cousins and John Wall in 2009-10, became an NCAA consensus first-team All-American as a freshman. Eighteen of the 24 yearlings on the following chronological list in this rare-air category were named first-team A-A in the last 13 seasons:
Freshman First-Team All-American | Pos. | College | Year | Freshman All-American Recognition |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arnie Ferrin | F | Utah | 1944 | C1 |
Tom Gola | C-F | La Salle | 1952 | C1 |
Keith Lee | C | Memphis State | 1982 | C1, AP2 |
Wayman Tisdale | F-C | Oklahoma | 1983 | AP1, C1, USBWA1, UPI2, NABC3 |
Chris Jackson | G | Louisiana State | 1989 | AP1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2 |
Kenny Anderson | G | Georgia Tech | 1990 | NABC1, AP3 |
Kevin Durant | F | Texas | 2007 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Greg Oden | C | Ohio State | 2007 | AP1, NABC2, USBWA2 |
Michael Beasley | F | Kansas State | 2008 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Kevin Love | C | UCLA | 2008 | AP1, USBWA1, NABC2 |
DeMarcus Cousins | C | Kentucky | 2010 | AP1, NABC2, USBWA2 |
John Wall | G | Kentucky | 2010 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Jared Sullinger | F-C | Ohio State | 2011 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Anthony Davis | C | Kentucky | 2012 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Jabari Parker | F | Duke | 2014 | USBWA1 |
Jahlil Okafor | C | Duke | 2015 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
D'Angelo Russell | G | Ohio State | 2015 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Ben Simmons | F-G | Louisiana State | 2016 | NABC1, USBWA1, AP2 |
Lonzo Ball | G | UCLA | 2017 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Deandre Ayton | C | Arizona | 2018 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Marvin Bagley III | F-C | Duke | 2018 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Trae Young | G | Oklahoma | 2018 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
R.J. Barrett | G | Duke | 2019 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
Zion Williamson | F | Duke | 2019 | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Made Mark on April 2 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season unfolds, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only four percent of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 2
In 2001, San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC basketball second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) became the fifth player in N.L. history to spend 20-plus years playing his entire career with one franchise.
New York Mets manager Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948), two days shy of his 48th birthday, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972 after playing a round of golf in West Palm Beach with his coaches on Easter Sunday.
RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman for Hampden-Sydney VA in mid-1950s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Washington Senators in 1966.
LF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85), debuting with the Cleveland Indians, whacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh inning in a 9-7 decision over the Oakland A's in 1997.
College Exam: Day #17 of One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 17 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Which school had the only trio to each score at least 20 points in two Final Four games? Hint: All three players finished their college careers with more than 2,000 points and were on roster the next year when school lost its playoff opener. The school is only national runner-up to score more than 85 points in an NCAA final.
2. Name the only school to have three players score more than 20 points in a Final Four game. Hint: The school lost championship game that year by more than 20 points although score was tied at halftime.
3. Who is the only player to score 40 or more points in a Final Four game and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: He was held under 10 points in his other Final Four game that year.
4. Who is the only coach to go more than 40 years from his first to his last appearance in the playoffs? Hint: He and his son, who succeeded him, both compiled a losing tourney record.
5. Who is the only player to compile an NBA playoff scoring average more than 15 points per game higher than his NCAA Tournament average? Hint: He scored just six points in his NCAA playoff debut against a school participating in the tourney for just second time.
6. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA tournament in scoring with more than 120 points and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: He averaged 32.3 points per game in his three-year college career.
7. Who is the only player from 1957 through 1996 to lead a tournament in rebounding and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: His school was making just its second tourney appearance the year he led in rebounding.
8. Who is the only non-guard to be the undisputed leading scorer of an NCAA Tournament and not participate in the Final Four? Hint: He never played in the NBA.
9. Who is the first coach to make more than a dozen NCAA playoff appearances before reaching the Final Four? Hint: He was coach of the first team to win national championship in its first Final Four appearance since Texas Western in 1966.
10. Who is the only player to take more than 40 field-goal attempts in a playoff game his team lost? Hint: The guard was the nation's leading scorer with more than 36 points per game for only school to reach national semifinals of a small-college tournament one year and participate in NCAA Tournament the next season.
Penthouse to Outhouse: F4 Appearance Won't Guarantee Success Next Season
Loyola of Chicago was in transition this season after reaching the Final Four last year. The Ramblers became the 35th school since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980 to fail to qualify for the NCAA playoffs the ensuing season after advancing to the national semifinals. Despite the disappointment of not participating in the NCAA playoffs, the last 19 schools in this category averaged 20 victories.
Final Four Team Record Next Year League Finish Indiana State '79 16-11 in 1979-80 T5th in MVC Michigan State '79 12-15 in 1979-80 9th in Big Ten Purdue '80 21-11 in 1980-81 4th in Big Ten Louisiana State '81 14-14 in 1981-82 T4th in SEC Georgia '83 17-13 in 1983-84 T7th in SEC North Carolina State '83 19-14 in 1983-84 7th in ACC Houston '84 16-14 in 1984-85 T5th in SWC Virginia '84 17-16 in 1984-85 8th in ACC Louisville '86 18-14 in 1986-87 1st in Metro Providence '87 11-17 in 1987-88 8th in Big East Kansas '88 19-12 in 1988-89 6th in Big Eight Seton Hall '89 12-16 in 1989-90 T7th in Big East UNLV '91 26-2 in 1991-92 1st in Big West Duke '94 13-18 in 1994-95 9th in ACC Oklahoma State '95 17-10 in 1995-96 T4th in Big Eight Mississippi State '96 12-18 in 1996-97 T3rd in SEC Western Syracuse '96 19-13 in 1996-97 T4th in Big East 7 Minnesota '97 20-15 in 1997-98 8th in Big Ten Marquette '03 19-12 in 2003-04 8th in C-USA Louisville '05 21-13 in 2005-06 T11th in Big East George Mason '06 18-15 in 2006-07 T5th in CAA Louisiana State '06 17-15 in 2006-07 6th in SEC Western Florida '07 24-12 in 2007-08 4th in SEC Eastern Ohio State '07 24-13 in 2007-08 5th in Big Ten Connecticut '09 18-16 in 2009-10 T11th in Big East North Carolina '09 20-17 in 2009-10 T9th in ACC Butler '11 22-15 in 2011-12 T3rd in Horizon League Kentucky '12 21-12 in 2012-13 T2nd in SEC Connecticut '14 20-15 in 2014-15 T5th in AAC Florida '14 16-17 in 2014-15 T8th in SEC Oklahoma '16 11-20 in 2016-17 9th in Big 12 Syracuse '16 19-15 in 2016-17 T7th in ACC Oregon '17 23-13 in 2017-18 T6th in Pac 12 South Carolina '17 17-16 in 2017-18 T11th in SEC Loyola of Chicago '18 20-14 in 2018-19 T1st in Missouri Valley NOTES: Kansas and UNLV were on NCAA probation. . . . Duke, Florida '14, George Mason, Indiana State, Louisiana State '07, Louisville '87, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Providence and Seton Hall were eligible schools also failing to participate in the NIT.
First-Year Flash: Scholl Edges Ballard For Most Victories by Rookie DI Coach
Since Gonzaga's Mark Few in 1999-00, 12 of the next 19 winningest first-year head coaches subsequently moved on to other similar jobs. Paul Weir (28-6 record with New Mexico State before leaving for New Mexico) posted the most first-year victories for an NCAA Division I coaching newcomer two seasons ago. Will San Diego's Sam Scholl (21-15) be next newbie seeking greener pastures after edging Florida International's Jeremy Ballard (20-14) for most triumphs by first-year mentor? Following are rookie NCAA Division I head coaches with the best winning percentages going back to 1963-64 when Tates Locke became Bob Knight's predecessor at Army:
Season | First-Year Head Coach | School | W-L | Pct. | Predecessor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963-64 | Tates Locke | Army | 19-7 | .731 | George Hunter |
1964-65 | Gary Thompson | Wichita State | 21-9 | .700 | Ralph Miller |
1965-66 | Lou Carnesecca | St. John's | 18-8 | .692 | Joe Lapchick |
1965-66 | Bob Knight | Army | 18-8 | .692 | Tates Locke |
1966-67 | Tommy Bartlett | Florida | 21-4 | .840 | Norm Sloan |
1967-68 | John Dromo | Louisville | 21-7 | .750 | Peck Hickman |
1968-69 | Tom Gola | La Salle | 23-1 | .958 | Jim Harding |
1969-70 | Terry Holland | Davidson | 22-5 | .815 | Lefty Driesell |
1970-71 | Richard "Digger" Phelps | Fordham | 26-3 | .897 | Ed Conlin |
1971-72 | Chuck Daly | Penn | 25-3 | .893 | Dick Harter |
1972-73 | Norm Ellenberger | New Mexico | 21-6 | .778 | Bob King |
1973-74 | Lute Olson | Long Beach State | 24-2 | .923 | Jerry Tarkanian |
1974-75 | Tom Apke | Creighton | 20-7 | .741 | Eddie Sutton |
1974-75 | Wayne Yates | Memphis State | 20-7 | .741 | Gene Bartow |
1975-76 | Bill Blakeley | North Texas State | 22-4 | .846 | Gene Robbins |
1976-77 | Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | 26-4 | .867 | Roy Danforth |
1976-77 | Charlie Schmaus | Virginia Military | 26-4 | .867 | Bill Blair |
1977-78 | Gary Cunningham | UCLA | 25-3 | .893 | Gene Bartow |
1978-79 | Bill Hodges | Indiana State | 33-1 | .971 | Bob King |
1979-80 | Bob Dukiet | St. Peter's | 22-9 | .710 | Bob Kelly |
1979-80 | Dave "Lefty" Ervin | La Salle | 22-9 | .710 | Paul Westhead |
1980-81 | Pat Foster | Lamar | 25-5 | .833 | Billy Tubbs |
1981-82 | Jim Boyle | St. Joseph's | 25-5 | .833 | Jim Lynam |
1982-83 | Ed Tapscott | American University | 20-10 | .667 | Gary Williams |
1983-84 | Rick Huckabay | Marshall | 25-6 | .806 | Bob Zuffelato |
1984-85 | Newton Chelette | Southeastern Louisiana | 18-9 | .667 | Ken Fortenberry |
1985-86 | Pete Gillen | Xavier | 25-5 | .833 | Bob Staak |
1986-87 | Pete Herrmann | Navy | 26-6 | .813 | Paul Evans |
1987-88 | Rick Barnes | George Mason | 20-10 | .667 | Joe Harrington |
1988-89 | Kermit Davis | Idaho | 25-6 | .806 | Tim Floyd |
1989-90 | Jim Anderson | Oregon State | 22-7 | .759 | Ralph Miller |
1990-91 | Alan LeForce | East Tennessee State | 28-5 | .848 | Les Robinson |
1991-92 | Blaine Taylor | Montana | 27-4 | .871 | Stew Morrill |
1992-93 | Fran Fraschilla | Manhattan | 23-7 | .767 | Steve Lappas |
1993-94 | Kirk Speraw | Central Florida | 21-9 | .700 | Joe Dean Jr. |
1994-95 | George "Tic" Price | New Orleans | 20-11 | .645 | Tim Floyd |
1995-96 | Mike Heideman | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 25-4 | .862 | Dick Bennett |
1996-97 | Bill Carmody | Princeton | 24-4 | .857 | Pete Carril |
1997-98 | Bill Guthridge | North Carolina | 34-4 | .895 | Dean Smith |
1998-99 | Tevester Anderson | Murray State | 27-6 | .818 | Mark Gottfried |
1999-00 | Mark Few | Gonzaga | 26-9 | .743 | Dan Monson |
2000-01 | Thad Matta | Butler | 24-8 | .750 | Barry Collier |
2001-02 | Stan Heath | Kent State | 29-6 | .829 | Gary Waters |
2002-03 | Brad Brownell | UNC Wilmington | 24-7 | .774 | Jerry Wainwright |
2003-04 | Jamie Dixon | Pittsburgh | 31-5 | .861 | Ben Howland |
2004-05 | Mark Fox | Nevada | 25-7 | .781 | Trent Johnson |
2005-06 | Rob Jeter | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 22-9 | .710 | Bruce Pearl |
2006-07 | Anthony Grant | Virginia Commonwealth | 28-7 | .800 | Jeff Capel III |
2007-08 | Brad Stevens | Butler | 30-4 | .882 | Todd Lickliter |
2008-09 | Ken McDonald | Western Kentucky | 25-9 | .735 | Darrin Horn |
2009-10 | Shaka Smart | Virginia Commonwealth | 27-9 | .750 | Anthony Grant |
2010-11 | B.J. Hill | Northern Colorado | 21-11 | .656 | Tad Boyle |
2011-12 | Steve Prohm | Murray State | 31-2 | .939 | Billy Kennedy |
2012-13 | Kevin Ollie | Connecticut | 20-10 | .667 | Jim Calhoun |
2013-14 | Brad Underwood | Stephen F. Austin | 32-3 | .914 | Danny Kaspar |
2014-15 | David Richman | North Dakota State | 23-10 | .697 | Saul Phillips |
2015-16 | Matt McCall | Chattanooga | 29-5 | .853 | Will Wade |
2016-17 | Paul Weir | New Mexico State | 28-6 | .824 | Marvin Menzies |
2017-18 | Bob Richey | Furman | 23-10 | .697 | Niko Medved |
2018-19 | Sam Scholl | San Diego | 21-15 | .583 | Lamont Smith |
Juco Jewels: Auburn and Texas Tech Extend Impact of J.C. Recruits on Final 4
Junior college products have made a significant difference for NCAA Tournament titlists. Keith Erickson (El Camino CA), Jack Hirsch (Los Angeles Valley CA), Larry Hollyfield (Compton CA), Terry Schofield (Santa Monica CA), John Vallely (Orange Coast CA) and Sidney Wicks (Santa Monica CA) were instrumental in helping UCLA win seven of its NCAA championships (1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973) and mighty mite Bobby Joe Hill (Burlington IA) was the spark-plug for Texas Western when the Miners captured the 1966 title. Wicks is the only individual to become a member of three NCAA champions after playing in junior college.
Auburn and Texas Tech made contributions this year, joining the following alphabetical list of key Final Four team members who previously played for a junior college:
J.C. Recruit | Pos. | Final Four Team(s) | Junior College(s) |
---|---|---|---|
George Ackles | C | UNLV '91 | Garden City (Kan.) |
Tony Allen | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
Malcolm Armstead | G | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.) |
Rex Bailey | G | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
Jarvis Basnight | F | UNLV '87 | Mount San Antonio (Calif.) |
Warren Baxter | G | San Francisco '55 & '56 | San Francisco City |
Corey Beck | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
Walter Berry | F | St. John's '85 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
Kavell Bigby-Williams | F-C | Oregon '17 | Gillette (Wyo.) |
Daron "Mookie" Blaylock | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
Corie Blount | C | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
Carl Boldt | F | San Francisco '56 | Glendale (Calif.) |
Kenny Booker | F-G | UCLA '70 & '71 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
Roy Boone | G | Wisconsin '00 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
Ron Brewer | G | Arkansas '78 | Westark (Ark.) |
Karl Brown | G | Georgia Tech '90 | Chipola (Fla.) |
Terry Brown | G | Kansas '91 | Erie (Pa.) & Northeastern Oklahoma A&M |
Pembrook Burrows | F | Jacksonville '70 | Brevard (Fla.) |
David Butler | C | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
Chet Carr | F | Southern California '54 | Vallejo (Calif.) |
Jerry Chambers | F-C | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
Jason Cipolla | G | Syracuse '96 | Tallahassee (Fla.) |
DeShawn Corprew | F | Texas Tech '19 | South Plains (Tex.) |
Charlie Criss | G | New Mexico State '70 | New Mexico J.C. |
Howie Dallmar | G | Stanford '42 | Menlo (Calif.) |
Bennett Davison | F | Arizona '97 | West Valley (Calif.) |
Art Day | C | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
Jason Detrick | G | Oklahoma '02 | Southwest Missouri State-West Plains |
Alex Dillard | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | Southern Union (Ala.) |
Don Draper | G | Drake '69 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
Al Dunbar | G | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
Malik Dunbar | G-F | Auburn '19 | College of Central Florida |
Jerry Dunn | F | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
Cleanthony Early | F | Wichita State '13 | Sullivan County (N.Y.) |
Ebi Ere | G | Oklahoma '02 | Barton County (Kan.) |
Denny Fitzpatrick | G | California '59 | Orange Coast (Calif.) |
Jerry Frizzell | F | Seattle '58 | Grays Harbor (Wash.) |
Dean Garrett | C | Indiana '87 | City College of San Francisco |
Alex Gilbert | C | Indiana State '79 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
Armon Gilliam | F-C | UNLV '87 | Independence (Kan.) |
Artis Gilmore | C | Jacksonville '70 | Gardner-Webb (N.C.) |
Ricky Grace | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
Harvey Grant | F | Oklahoma '88 | Independence (Kan.) |
Jeff Graves | F-C | Kansas '03 | Iowa Western |
Hassani Gravett | G | South Carolina '17 | Pensacola State (Fla.) |
Evric Gray | F | UNLV '91 | Riverside (Calif.) |
Rickey Green | G | Michigan '76 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
Carl Hall | F | Wichita State '13 | Middle Georgia & Northwest Florida State |
Arnette Hallman | F | Purdue '80 | Joliet (Ill.) |
Dick Hammer | G | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
Darrin Hancock | F | Kansas '93 | Garden City (Kan.) |
Josh Harrellson | C | Kentucky '11 | Southwestern Illinois |
Bobby Joe Hill | G | Texas Western '66 | Burlington (Iowa) |
Larry Hollyfield | G-F | UCLA '72 & '73 | Compton (Calif.) |
Lenzie Howell | F | Arkansas '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
Othello Hunter | F | Ohio State '07 | Hillsborough (Fla.) |
Roy Irvin | C | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
Aundre Jackson | F | Loyola of Chicago '18 | McLennan (Tex.) |
Bobby Jackson | G | Minnesota '97 | Western Nebraska |
Alonzo Jamison | F | Kansas '91 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
David Johanning | C | Kansas '91 | Hutchinson (Kan.) |
Larry Johnson | F | UNLV '90 & '91 | Odessa (Tex.) |
Dontae' Jones | F | Mississippi State '96 | Northeast Mississippi |
Herb Jones | F | Cincinnati '92 | Butler County (Kan.) |
John Keller | F-G | Kansas '52 | Garden City (Kan.) |
Larry Kenon | F | Memphis State '73 | Amarillo (Tex.) |
Weldon Kern | F | Oklahoma A&M '45 & '46 | Cameron (Okla.) |
Charlie Koon | G | Washington '53 | Olympic (Wash.) |
Don Kruse | C | Houston '67 | Kilgore (Tex.) |
Vern Lewis | G | Houston '67 & '68 | Tyler (Tex.) |
Chadrack Lufile | F | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.), Vincennes (Ind.) & Coffeyville (Kan.) |
Akolda Manyang | C | Oklahoma '16 | Indian Hills (Iowa) |
Archie Marshall | F | Kansas '86 | Seminole (Okla.) |
Erik Martin | F | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
Bob McAdoo | C | North Carolina '72 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
Bill McClintock | F | California '59 & '60 | Monterey Peninsula (Calif.) |
J'Von McCormick | G | Auburn '19 | Lee (Tex.) |
Aaron McGhee | F-C | Oklahoma '02 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
Johnny McNeil | C | Georgia Tech '90 | Chowan (N.C.) |
Lincoln Minor | G | Kansas '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
Wat Misaka | G | Utah '44 | Weber (Utah) |
Casey Mitchell | G | West Virginia '10 | Chipola (Fla.) |
Larry Moffett | C | UNLV '77 | Compton (Calif.) |
Rex Morgan | G | Jacksonville '70 | Lake Land (Ill.) |
Roger Morningstar | F | Kansas '74 | Olney (Ill.) Central |
Willie Murrell | F | Kansas State '64 | Eastern Oklahoma A&M |
Swen Nater | C | UCLA '72 & '73 | Cypress (Calif.) |
Carl Nicks | G | Indiana State '79 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
Jim Nielsen | F | UCLA '67 & '68 | Pierce (Calif.) |
Charles Okwandu | C | Connecticut '11 | Harcum (Pa.) |
Ehimen Orukpe | C | Wichita State '13 | Three Rivers (Mo.) |
V.C. "Buck" Overall | F | Texas '43 | Tyler (Tex.) |
Andre Owens | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Midland (Tex.) |
Gerald Paddio | F | UNLV '87 | Kilgore (Tex.) & Seminole (Okla.) |
Hal Patterson | F | Kansas '53 | Garden City (Kan.) |
Mike Preaseau | F | San Francisco '56 & '57 | Menlo (Calif.) |
Ryan Randle | F-C | Maryland '02 | Allegany (Md.) |
George Reese | F | Ohio State '99 | Independence (Kan.) |
George Reynolds | G | Houston '68 | Imperial Valley (Calif.) |
Morris "Moe" Rivers | G | North Carolina State '74 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
Dave Rose | G | Houston '83 | Dixie State (Utah) |
Lynden Rose | G | Houston '82 | North Harris County (Tex.) |
Terrell Ross | G | Texas '03 | Allegany (Md.) |
Randy Rutherford | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Bacone (Okla.) |
Greg Samuel | G | Florida State '72 | Broward (Fla.) |
Terry Schofield | G | UCLA '69, '70 & '71 | Santa Monica (Calif.) |
Moses Scurry | F | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
Daryan Selvy | F | Oklahoma '02 | Carl Albert (Okla.) |
Tony Skinn | G | George Mason '06 | Blinn (Tex.) |
Keith Smart | G | Indiana '87 | Garden City (Kan.) |
Odie Smith | G | Kentucky '58 | Northeast Mississippi |
Robert Smith | G | UNLV '77 | Arizona Western |
Sam Smith | F | UNLV '77 | Seminole (Okla.) |
Phil Spence | F | North Carolina State '74 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
Elmore Spencer | C | UNLV '91 | Connors (Okla.) State |
Leroy Staley | F | Indiana State '79 | Florida J.C. |
Dwight Stewart | C | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
Jozsef Szendrei | C | Oklahoma '02 | Northeastern (Colo.) |
Rich Tate | G | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
Ron Thomas | F | Louisville '72 | Henderson County (Tex.) |
Tom Tolbert | F | Arizona '88 | Cerritos (Calif.) |
Nick Van Exel | G | Cincinnati '92 | Trinity Valley (Tex.) |
Eloy Vargas | C | Kentucky '11 & '12 | Miami-Dade (Fla.) |
Toby Veal | F | Virginia Commonwealth '11 | Northwest Florida State |
Mark Wade | G | UNLV '87 | El Camino (Calif.) |
Dinjiyl Walker | G | Oklahoma '16 | Iowa Western |
Russell Walters | F | Mississippi State '96 | Jones County (Miss.) |
Lloyd Walton | G | Marquette '74 | Moberly (Mo.) |
Janavor Weatherspoon | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Odessa (Tex.) |
Wes Westfall | F | Memphis State '73 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
Quannas White | G | Oklahoma '02 | Midland (Tex.) |
Jerome Whitehead | C | Marquette '77 | Riverside (Calif.) City |
Nick Wiggins | G | Wichita State '13 | Vincennes (Ind.) & Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
Andre Wiley | F | Oklahoma '88 | Compton (Calif.) |
David Willard | C | UNLV '87 | Laredo (Tex.) |
Willie Wise | F | Drake '69 | San Francisco City |
Gary Zeller | G | Drake '69 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
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