On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 14 MLB Games

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

Ex-Fordham hoopers Frankie Frisch and Babe Young were full of MLB extra-base hits on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 14 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 14

  • In 1977, RHP Jim Colborn (attended Whittier CA in mid-1960s before studying for master's at Edinburgh where he was All-Scotland in basketball) hurled the first no-hitter at Royals Stadium by a Kansas City pitcher (6-0 win against Texas Rangers).

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) went 5-for-5 in a 1954 game against the Chicago Cubs.

  • San Francisco Giants 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college basketball crown) homered twice for the second time in a six-game span in 1983.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) threw only 78 pitches in a 3-0 shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1946.

  • Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman hoops squad in 1971-72) fired his first MLB shutout, a five-hitter against the Oakland Athletics in 1977. Four years later, Flanagan hurled his second whitewash in a little over two weeks in 1981.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) supplied three extra-base hits against the New York Giants in a 1930 contest.

  • One of five victories by Kansas City Royals RHP Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) during the month in 1979 was a five-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) whacked two homers against the St. Louis Browns in the opener of a 1939 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg for Texas A&M in 1961-62) jacked two homers against the San Diego Padres in a 1977 game.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Rusty Kuntz (J.C. hooper for Cuesta CA) registered two extra-base hits among his three safeties against the Seattle Mariners in a 1984 outing.

  • SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) purchased from the Washington Senators by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1919.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team hoops selection for Baylor in early 1920s) hurled a shutout against the New York Yankees. The whitewash was one of four triumphs for Lyons in a 12-day span in 1925.

  • Mel McGaha (first Arkansas player to earn four letters from 1943-44 through 1946-47) fired as manager of the Kansas City Athletics by owner Charlie Finley in 1965.

  • New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) smashed two homers against the California Angels in a 1977 game.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie SS Paul Popovich (teammate of Jerry West for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) stroked four hits and scored three runs in a 6-3 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1967 twinbill.

  • OF Ted Savage (Lincoln MO scoring average leader in 1955-56) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Chicago Cubs in 1967.

  • 1B Dick Siebert (Concordia-St. Paul MN hooper in 1929 and 1930) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in final season in 1947-48) stroked two doubles in each end of a 1950 doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • Minnesota Twins DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected two homers and five RBI against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1994 contest.

  • PH Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1936) contributed a double and triple in a 10-run, eighth-inning explosion propelling the New York Giants to a 12-6 triumph against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1942.

National Review: State-By-State Winners and Sinners in NCAA Tournament

No state has won as much as 63% of its NCAA Tournament games and none has as many as five different schools with winning playoff records. The Michigan Wolverines reaching the 2018 NCAA final instead of the Kansas Jayhawks enabled Michigan (.6284) to nudge ahead of Kansas (.6279) as the state with highest all-time winning percentage. Additional stately views of national winners and sinners you might want to review include:

  • Schools from the state of North Carolina have collected more NCAA Tournament triumphs (319) than a total of 22 states including those with power-conference members such as Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and West Virginia.
  • All four ACC members in Carolina have more than 25 playoff triumphs. Each of them (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest) has more all-time wins than entire states such as Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island and South Carolina.
  • California is the only state with as many as 17 schools winning at least one NCAA Tournament game. Alas, less than 1/4 of them (four) have winning marks.
  • Other than Syracuse, Canisius is the only current New York Division I school to compile a winning NCAA playoff record (6-4). CCNY, the NCAA's DI champion in 1950, assembled a 4-2 mark ledger before de-emphasizing its program.
  • Despite Villanova's two NCAA titles in the last three seasons, Pennsylvania is the only state with at least 140 tourney victories to compile an overall losing mark (187-206).
  • Syracuse (plus 29 in NY; 68-39) and Villanova (plus 28 in PA; 64-36) are the most games above .500 in states with overall losing playoff marks. On the flip side, Miami OH (minus 13; 6-19) and Murray State KY (minus 13; 3-16) are tied for most games below .500 in states with overall winning worksheets.
  • Texas is tied with California for most different schools participating in the tourney with 23 although Houston (27-25) is the only institution from the Lone Star State posting a winning record. Texas (139-188) has a total of 12 Final Four teams but is more games under .500 than any state (minus 49).
  • Two of the institutions have break-even marks but none of Louisiana's 12 schools appearing in the playoffs have notched a winning record. South Carolina has the most universities participate in the tourney (nine) without any of them posting a break-even or winning playoff record.
  • All six Mid-American Conference members from Ohio have losing records, combining for a 19-52 mark (.268).
  • Virginia and Tennessee are the winningest states in NCAA playoff competition (75 triumphs apiece) despite never having a national champion. Virginia is the only one of 12 different schools from its state and Memphis is only one of 11 different Tennessee schools appearing in the tourney to post a winning record.
  • Memphis (34-26) is joined by Spokane, Wash.-based Gonzaga (31-21) as the only mid-major schools leading a state with more than 60 playoff wins.
  • Alabama is the winningest state in NCAA playoff competition (45 victories) despite never having a Final Four participant. Missouri is runner-up in dubious category (31).
  • The only states with fewer than 45 tourney triumphs to assemble overall winning records are Nevada (39-27 by 6-8 Nevada and 33-19 UNLV) plus New Hampshire (10-7 by Dartmouth).
  • Utah is the only state saddled with as many as three schools posting tourney marks more than 10 games below .500 - Brigham Young (15-32), Utah State (6-22) and Weber State (6-17).

Following are NCAA Division I playoff cumulative records listed by most state victories through 2018:

STATE (# of Tourney Schools) Overall Record Pct. School-By-School NCAA Playoff Marks
NORTH CAROLINA (15) 319-191 .625 Appalachian State (0-2), Campbell (0-1), Charlotte (7-12), Davidson (8-15), Duke (111-37), East Carolina (0-2), North Carolina (124-46), North Carolina A&T (1-10), North Carolina Central (0-3), North Carolina State (37-26), UNC Asheville (2-4), UNC Greensboro (0-3), UNC Wilmington (1-6), Wake Forest (28-23) and Western Carolina (0-1)
CALIFORNIA (23) 234-212 .525 California (20-19), UC Davis (0-1), UC Irvine (0-1), Cal Poly (1-1), UC Santa Barbara (1-5), Cal State Bakersfield (0-1), Cal State Fullerton (2-3), Cal State Los Angeles (0-1), Cal State Northridge (0-2), Fresno State (2-6), Long Beach State (7-10), Loyola Marymount (5-5), Pacific (4-10), Pepperdine (5-14), Saint Mary's (5-9), San Diego (1-4), San Diego State (6-12), San Francisco (21-14), San Jose State (0-3), Santa Clara (11-13), Southern California (14-20), Stanford (23-16) and UCLA (106-42)
KENTUCKY (seven) 232-152 .604 Eastern Kentucky (0-8), Kentucky (128-52), Louisville (76-43), Morehead State (6-8), Murray State (3-16), Northern Kentucky (0-1) and Western Kentucky (19-24)
PENNSYLVANIA (15) 187-206 .476 Bucknell (2-8), Drexel (1-4), Duquesne (4-5), Lafayette (0-5), La Salle (14-11), Lebanon Valley (1-2), Lehigh (1-5), Penn (13-26), Penn State (9-11), Pittsburgh (24-27), Robert Morris (2-8), St. Francis (0-1), Saint Joseph's (19-25), Temple (33-32) and Villanova (64-36)
INDIANA (nine) 178-146 .549 Ball State (3-7), Butler (24-16), Evansville (1-5), Indiana (66-34), IUPUI (0-1), Indiana State (5-4), Notre Dame (38-40), Purdue (39-30) and Valparaiso (2-9)
OHIO (12) 171-167 .506 Akron (0-4), Bowling Green (1-5), Cincinnati (46-31), Cleveland State (3-2), Dayton (19-20), Kent State (4-6), Miami (6-19), Ohio University (7-14), Ohio State (56-31), Toledo (1-4), Wright State (0-3) and Xavier (28-28)
KANSAS (three) 162-96 .6279 Kansas (107-46), Kansas State (37-34) and Wichita State (18-16)
NEW YORK (22) 139-166 .456 Albany (1-5), Binghamton (0-1), Buffalo (1-3), Canisius (6-4), CCNY (4-2), Colgate (0-2), Columbia (2-4), Cornell (2-6), Fordham (2-4), Hofstra (0-4), Iona (1-13), Long Island (0-7), Manhattan (3-9), Marist (0-2), NYU (9-9), Niagara (2-4), St. Bonaventure (7-9), St. John's (27-31), Siena (4-6), Stony Brook (0-1), Syracuse (68-39) and Wagner (0-1)
TEXAS (23) 139-188 .425 Baylor (13-13), Hardin-Simmons (0-2), Houston (27-25), Houston Baptist (0-1), Lamar (5-6), North Texas (0-3), Prairie View A&M (0-1), Rice (2-5), Sam Houston State (0-2), Southern Methodist (10-14), Stephen F. Austin (2-5), Texas (35-37), Texas A&M (13-15), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (0-1), Texas-Arlington (0-1), Texas Christian (5-8), Texas-El Paso (14-16), Texas-San Antonio (1-4), Texas Southern (1-8), Texas State (0-2), Texas Tech (11-17), Trinity (0-1) and West Texas A&M (0-1)
MICHIGAN (eight) 137-81 .6284 Central Michigan (3-4), Detroit (3-6), Eastern Michigan (3-4), Michigan (59-27), Michigan State (65-31), Oakland (1-3), Wayne State (1-2) and Western Michigan (2-4)
OKLAHOMA (five) 101-92 .523 Oklahoma (41-31), Oklahoma City (8-13), Oklahoma State (38-27), Oral Roberts (2-5) and Tulsa (12-16)
ILLINOIS (10) 95-94 .503 Bradley (11-8), DePaul (21-25), Eastern Illinois (0-2), Illinois (40-31), Illinois-Chicago (0-3), Illinois State (3-6), Loyola of Chicago (13-5), Northern Illinois (0-3), Northwestern (1-1) and Southern Illinois (6-10)
WISCONSIN (four) 83-64 .565 Green Bay (1-5), Marquette (41-33), Milwaukee (3-4) and Wisconsin (38-22)
FLORIDA (11) 83-66 .557 Florida (46-19), Florida A&M (1-3), Florida Atlantic (0-1), Florida Gulf Coast (3-3), Florida International (0-1), Florida State (19-16), Jacksonville (4-5), Miami (8-10), North Florida (0-1), South Florida (2-3) and UCF (0-4)
VIRGINIA (12) 75-95 .441 George Mason (5-6), Hampton (2-6), James Madison (4-5), Liberty (0-3), Norfolk State (1-1), Old Dominion (3-11), Radford (1-3), Richmond (8-9), Virginia (29-22), Virginia Commonwealth (13-16), Virginia Military (3-3) and Virginia Tech (6-10)
TENNESSEE (11) 75-115 .395 Austin Peay (2-8), Belmont (0-7), Chattanooga (3-11), East Tennessee State (2-11), Lipscomb (0-1), Memphis (34-26), Middle Tennessee State (4-9), Tennessee (20-22), Tennessee State (0-2), Tennessee Tech (0-2) and Vanderbilt (10-16)
ARIZONA (three) 69-52 .570 Arizona (56-34), Arizona State (13-16) and Northern Arizona (0-2)
WASHINGTON (five) 65-59 .524 Eastern Washington (0-2), Gonzaga (31-21), Seattle (10-13), Washington (18-17) and Washington State (6-6)
UTAH (five) 65-104 .385 Brigham Young (15-32), Southern Utah (0-1), Utah (38-32), Utah State (6-22) and Weber State (6-17)
CONNECTICUT (four) 60-41 .594 Central Connecticut State (0-3), Connecticut (59-30), Fairfield (0-3) and Yale (1-5)
IOWA (four) 58-58 .500 Drake (5-4), Iowa (29-27), Iowa State (19-19) and Northern Iowa (5-8)
MARYLAND (eight) 53-55 .491 Coppin State (1-4), Loyola (0-2), Maryland (41-26), Maryland-Baltimore County (1-2), Morgan State (0-2), Mount St. Mary's (2-5), Navy (8-12) and Towson (0-2)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (five) 51-47 .520 American (0-3), Catholic (0-2), George Washington (4-11), Georgetown (47-29) and Howard University (0-2)
MASSACHUSETTS (nine) 48-66 .421 Boston College (22-19), Boston University (2-7), Harvard (2-6), Holy Cross (8-13), Massachusetts (11-9), Northeastern (3-8), Springfield (0-1), Tufts (0-2) and Williams (0-1)
ARKANSAS (four) 45-39 .536 Arkansas (42-32), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-1), Arkansas State (0-1) and UALR (2-5)
ALABAMA (nine) 45-63 .417 Alabama (21-21), Alabama A&M (0-1), Alabama State (0-4), Auburn (13-9), Jacksonville State (0-1), Samford (0-2), South Alabama (1-8), Troy State (0-2) and UAB (10-15)
NEVADA (two) 39-27 .591 Nevada (6-8) and UNLV (33-19)
LOUISIANA (12) 39-75 .342 Louisiana-Lafayette (4-11), Louisiana-Monroe (0-7), Louisiana State (24-24), Louisiana Tech (4-5), Loyola (0-3), McNeese State (0-2), New Orleans (1-5), Nicholls State (0-2), Northwestern State (2-3), Southeastern Louisiana (0-1), Southern (1-9) and Tulane (3-3)
OREGON (four) 35-38 .479 Oregon (23-14), Oregon State (12-20), Portland (0-2) and Portland State (0-2)
NEW JERSEY (seven) 35-63 .357 Fairleigh Dickinson (0-5), Monmouth (1-4), Princeton (13-29), Rider (0-3), Rutgers (5-7), Saint Peter's (0-3) and Seton Hall (16-12)
GEORGIA (five) 33-38 .465 Georgia (7-12), Georgia Southern (0-3), Georgia State (2-4), Georgia Tech (23-16) and Mercer (1-3)
WEST VIRGINIA (two) 32-35 .478 Marshall (1-6) and West Virginia (31-29)
MISSOURI (four) 31-44 .413 Missouri (22-27), Missouri State (3-6), Saint Louis (6-10) and Southeast Missouri State (0-1)
RHODE ISLAND (three) 23-33 .411 Brown (0-2), Providence (15-21) and Rhode Island (8-10)
SOUTH CAROLINA (nine) 22-58 .275 Charleston Southern (0-1), Clemson (11-12), Coastal Carolina (0-4), College of Charleston (1-5), Furman (1-7), South Carolina (8-10), South Carolina State (0-5), Winthrop (1-10) and Wofford (0-4)
MISSISSIPPI (six) 19-35 .352 Alcorn State (3-6), Jackson State (0-3), Mississippi (5-8), Mississippi State (11-10), Mississippi Valley State (0-5) and Southern Mississippi (0-3)
NEW MEXICO (two) 18-42 .300 New Mexico (8-16) and New Mexico State (10-26)
COLORADO (four) 14-32 .304 Air Force (0-4), Colorado (10-16), Colorado State (4-11) and Northern Colorado (0-1)
MINNESOTA (one) 13-13 .500 Minnesota (13-13)
NEBRASKA (two) 12-29 .293 Creighton (12-22) and Nebraska (0-7)
NEW HAMPSHIRE (one) 10-7 .588 Dartmouth (10-7)
WYOMING (one) 9-20 .310 Wyoming (9-20)
IDAHO (three) 9-24 .273 Boise State (0-7), Idaho (1-4) and Idaho State (8-13)
VERMONT (one) 2-6 .250 Vermont (2-6)
MONTANA (two) 2-15 .118 Montana (2-12) and Montana State (0-3)
NORTH DAKOTA (two) 1-4 .200 North Dakota (0-1) and North Dakota State (1-3)
HAWAII (one) 1-5 .167 Hawaii (1-5)
SOUTH DAKOTA (one) 0-5 .000 South Dakota State (0-5)
DELAWARE (two) 0-6 .000 Delaware (0-5) and Delaware State (0-1)

NOTE: Two states - Alaska and Maine - never had a school participate in the NCAA Division I Tournament.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 13 MLB Games

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

Former college hoopers Beau Bell (Texas A&M), Larry Doby (Virginia Union), Hoot Evers (Illinois) and Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan) 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 a May 13 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 13

  • Cincinnati Reds LF Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) socked two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1951 twinbill.

  • OF-1B Beau Bell (Texas A&M two-year hoops letterman in early 1930s) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Detroit Tigers in a 10-player deal in 1939.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ownie Carroll (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1922), in the midst of winning five straight decisions, didn't allow an earned run in a 10-inning, 1-1 tie against the Cincinnati Reds in 1933.

  • OF Larry Doby (reserve hoops guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by the Chicago White Sox in 1959.

  • RF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Baltimore Orioles in 1956.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RF Joe Ferguson (hooper in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) smacked a homer in his third consecutive contest against the Montreal Expos in 1979.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) set an A.L. record for scoreless innings at the start of a MLB career by reaching 22 shutout frames before allowing a tally in 1945. Ferriss struck out Detroit Tigers 1B Rudy York four times - all on called third strikes in an 8-2 win in the opener of a doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s for Lebanon Valley PA) contributed four hits in an 8-7 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1932.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time hoops All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) went 6-for-6 (including three doubles) in an 8-2 triumph over the Milwaukee Braves in 1960.

  • In 1984, 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) knocked in all of the Baltimore Orioles' runs in a 5-1 win against his former team (Oakland Athletics).

  • Chicago Cubs RF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) banged out four hits in a 7-5 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1933 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Doug Howard (second-team All-WAC choice for Brigham Young in 1968-69 and 1969-70) delivered a career-high three hits against the Boston Red Sox in 1976.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (three-year hoops letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) clobbered two homers against the St. Louis Browns in a 1947 game.

  • C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading hoops scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies in a four-player swap in 1960.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) yielded a lead-off HR before retiring the next 27 Cincinnati Reds batters to prevail, 8-1, in 1954.

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

  • Baltimore Orioles DH Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) cracked two homers against the Texas Rangers in a 1983 game.

  • In 1940, Cincinnati Reds 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) became the only player to hit four consecutive doubles in a game in each league (14-inning, 8-8 tie with St. Louis Cardinals).

  • In the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, Chicago Cubs RF Bob Will (all-league athlete was hoops captain for Mankato State MN in 1954-55) supplied three hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1961 contest.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 12 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Former Washington State hoops starters Gene Conley and Ted Tappe contributed significant National League performances on this date.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 12 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 12

  • In 1984, Seattle Mariners RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected basketball team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) registered his second shutout in last four starts.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) suffered a broken leg sliding into second base, missing most of the remainder of the 1978 season.

  • Milwaukee Braves RHP Gene Conley (All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection led North Division in scoring as Washington State sophomore in 1949-50) toiled 12 innings in prevailing, 2-1, ending the Dodgers' streak from the start of the 1955 season of 25 consecutive contests where they led at some point in the game. It was one of five straight wins for Conley during the month following a setback when he went 11 1/3 innings at Brooklyn.

  • CF Billy Cowan (Utah letterman from 1957-58 through 1959-60 was co-captain of NCAA playoff team as senior) rapped a game-winning, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the California Angels a 6-5 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1970.

  • In 1940, Cincinnati Reds CF Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) contributed three hits in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals for the second straight day.

  • In 1930, Philadelphia Athletics RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1922) committed three balks and Cleveland Indians counterpart Milt Shoffner had five balks (three in third inning).

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RF Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) jacked a homer in his third consecutive contest against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) supplied four hits against the Brooklyn Robins in a 1929 game.

  • LHP Johnny Gee (sixth-leading scorer in Big Ten Conference for Michigan's 16-4 team in 1936-37) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the New York Giants in 1944.

  • Boston Red Sox LF Dick Gernert (Temple hoops letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) contributed two homers and six RBI but it wasn't enough to prevent a 12-9 reversal against the Washington Senators in 1956.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) struck out the side on nine pitches in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969.

  • After seven scoreless relief appearances, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Dallas Green (Delaware's runner-up in scoring and rebounding in 1954-55) made his first start of 1963 campaign. The next year, Green yielded his only run covering first eight relief stints of 1964.

  • Washington Senators 3B Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) hammered a homer for the Nats' lone safety in the nightcap of a 1963 twinbill at Boston.

  • New York Mets 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hit a ninth-inning, game-ending HR in the nightcap of a 1962 doubleheader. Teammate Hobie Landrith did the same thing in the opener against the Milwaukee Braves.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six games as 6-6 freshman for Louisiana State in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) squared off against 6-10 Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners in 1991 in the tallest starting pitching matchup in MLB history.

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) notched his second five-hit game and scored five runs in a 13-5 pounding of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Ted Tappe (leading scorer in 1949 NJCAA Tournament was Washington State's third-leading scorer following year) opened the game's scoring with an RBI double and closed scoring with a homer off Vern Law when Sam Jones no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0, in 1955.

  • Washington Senators 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year hoops letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in final season in 1947-48) stroked four hits against the Detroit Tigers in a 1953 outing.

  • SS Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Boston Red Sox in 1933.

  • Boston Braves 3B Chuck Workman (two-time All-MIAA first-five selection was leading scorer in 1937 when Central Missouri won inaugural NAIA Tournament) slugged a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1945.

  • LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC hoops letterman in 1916) awarded on waivers from the New York Yankees to the Boston Braves in 1930.

Retirement Planning: Weep On It/Sleep On It/Think On It/Drink To It

It's patently clear not every coach departs with pomp-and-circumstance style such as luminaries John Wooden, Al McGuire, Ray Meyer and Dean Smith when they bowed out. From 1964 to 1975 with Wooden at the helm, UCLA won an NCAA-record 10 national titles, including seven straight from 1967 through 1973. McGuire's goodbye in 1977 with an NCAA title marked Marquette's eighth straight season finishing among the Top 10 in a final wire-service poll. Meyer directed DePaul to a Top 6 finish in a final wire-service poll six times in his final seven seasons from 1978 through 1984. Smith won at least 28 games with North Carolina in four of his final five seasons from 1992-93 through 1996-97.

But fond farewells are the exception, not the rule, in coping with Father Time. Just ask Tim Floyd, the only coach ever to guide teams in seven different DI conferences. Floyd, who gave up the ghost early last campaign with Texas-El Paso, assembled a losing record in his last three seasons (35-36). How many school all-time winningest mentors rode off into the sunset donning at least a partial black rather than white hat? How much they may have tarnished their legacy is debatable but hanging around too long probably caused a few of the following celebrated coaches to lose a portion of their luster:

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 11 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Former Texas A&M hoopers Beau Bell and Wally Moon had significant offensive performances as National League outfielders on this date. Ditto ex-Santa Clara hoopers Bruce Bochte and Randy Winn in the American League.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 11 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 11

  • Cincinnati Reds LF Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) cracked two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1952 game.

  • St. Louis Browns RF Beau Bell (two-year hoops letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) went 4-for-4 in a 7-5 win against the Washington Senators in 1937.

  • OF-1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's 1970 NCAA playoff team) traded by the California Angels to the Cleveland Indians in 1977.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1950 contest.

  • Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hooper in mid-1920s) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Boston Red Sox in 1933.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) socked a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1935.

  • Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers for the Washington Senators but they weren't enough to prevent a 6-5 defeat at Seattle in 1969.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54), continuing his comeback from a circulatory ailment in his left index finger, hurled a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in 1963.

  • INF Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) contributed a 10th-inning squeeze bunt to give the Chicago Cubs a 1-0 victory against the San Diego Padres in 1988.

  • OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) traded by the Boston Braves to the Cincinnati Reds in 1948.

  • Washington Senators OF Don Lock (Wichita State field-goal percentage leader in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) banged out four hits against the California Angels in a 1966 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) lashed two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1923 contest.

  • New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (Kent State scoring leader with 14 ppg in 1957-58) generated his fifth two-hit outing in first seven games of the month in 1973.

  • In the midst of a career-high 24-game hitting streak in 1957, St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) homered in four consecutive contests. Moon assembled a 20-game hitting string later in the season.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) manufactured four hits against the Cleveland Indians in a 1934 contest.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie LF Ted Savage (Lincoln MO scoring average leader in 1955-56) stroked four hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1962 contest. Nine years later, Savage was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Kansas City Royals in 1971.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) knocked in five runs against the New York Yankees in a 1941 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) contributed three homers and seven RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1923 outing.

  • RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972), citing a no-trade clause in his contract with the New York Yankees, refused to report to the Angels after being traded in 1990. Five days later, he accepted the deal.

  • RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) whacked a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning to give Tampa Bay a 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in 2002, snapping the Devil Rays' 15-game losing streak.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 10 MLB Games

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

Two former hoopers from Minnesota small colleges - Rip Repulski (St. Cloud State) and Howie Schultz (Hamline) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 10

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) jacked two homers against the Minnesota Twins in a 1961 game.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) hurled a 1-0 shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1977 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out two hits in six straight games in 1942.

  • 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) went hitless in his first 18 at-bats with the St. Louis Cardinals until stroking two safeties against the Houston Astros in 1972.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (five-sport athlete with Boston University) collected four hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1928 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Grant Dunlap (Pacific hoops letterman in 1942-43 and 1946-47) hammered a pinch-hit homer against the Cincinnati Reds in 1953. The circuit clout was Dunlap's lone MLB round-tripper.

  • Brooklyn Robins 2B Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College MD) contributed four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1930 outing.

  • 1B-OF Dick Gernert (hoops letterman with Temple in 1948-49 when he averaged 2.7 ppg) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Cincinnati Reds in 1961.

  • The first MLB shutout supplied by Kansas City Athletics RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 with Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference), 10-0 against the Baltimore Orioles, was one of three complete-game triumphs for him this month in 1960.

  • Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 4-for-4 with five RBI in a 10-5 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957.

  • Boston Red Sox OF Rip Repulski (started several basketball games for St. Cloud State MN) ripped a grand slam against the Chicago White Sox in 1960.

  • 1B Howie Schultz (Hamline MN product played and coached professional basketball) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Philadelphia Phillies for $50,000 in 1947.

  • 3B John Werhas (led Southern California in scoring average in 1958-59 and 1959-60) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the California Angels for fellow USC product Len Gabrielson in 1967.

  • San Francisco Giants OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) collected four hits and scored four runs in a 7-5 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2009 game. The next day, Winn chipped in with three hits and three runs against the Washington Nationals.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 9 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Former LSU hoopers Joe Adcock and Alvin Dark delivered significant MLB performances on this date. Ex-cagers Danny Coombs (Seton Hall) and Eric Stults (Bethel IN) hurled shutouts in National League games on this date.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 9 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 9

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) clobbered two homers against the Chicago Cubs in a 1961 game.

  • In his final game with the California Angels, DH Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) collected four hits in a 5-3 win against the Kansas City Royals in 1977.

  • New York Giants 2B Andy Cohen (Alabama hoops letterman in 1924 and 1925) cracked a leadoff homer but they wound up losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2, in 1929.

  • Houston Astros LHP Danny Coombs (Seton Hall's third-leading scorer and rebounder as sophomore in 1961-62) tossed his lone MLB shutout (two-hitter against Montreal Expos in 1970).

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) amassed four hits and four RBI for the second time in a four-game span in 1951.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) stroked four hits against the Boston Braves in a 1930 contest.

  • Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hooper in mid-1920s) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Boston Red Sox in 1933.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) banged out four hits against the Boston Braves in a 1938 outing.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) supplied five RBI against the Oakland Athletics in a 1982 game.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) collected two homers and five RBI against the Colorado Rockies in a 1993 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Lynn King (All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team hoops selection with Drake from 1928-29 through 1930-31) collected a career-high three hits against the Chicago Cubs in 1936.

  • Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) reached base in his first six pinch-hit appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965.

  • C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962.

  • INF-OF Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg in 1952-53 in Virginia's final season prior to helping form ACC) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Chicago Cubs for OF-INF Frank Thomas in 1961.

  • In his first game outside of New York City, Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) collected two hits and scored two runs in a 6-5 loss at Philadelphia in 1947.

  • RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) homered for the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1965 doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Eric Stults (hooper for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) fired a four-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants in 2009.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) won for the fourth time in first five relief appearances of the month in 1980.

  • New York Yankees CF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered three extra-base hits against the Cleveland Indians in a 1984 game.

Men For All Seasons: Ex-Hooper Graham Serves as TE for Greatest NFL QBs

If you need more unassailable evidence proving who are the best team-sport athletes in the world, check out some of the premier tight ends in NFL history (past and present). Who will be the next former hardwood hero to become the a prominent hooper-turned-TE after stints learning their new craft? A striking number of the elite players at that rigorous position thus far this century have been former college basketball players with ex-Miami FL hoop regular, Jimmy Graham, acknowledged as the premier athlete in this category while catching passes from several of the league best QBs (Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers).

In the past, what kind of "picks" do you think imposing Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh) and John Mackey (Syracuse) set back in the day before the Big East Conference was formed? Wouldn't you love to see LeBron James maneuver down the field like Charles Atlas the same way he does when forcefully driving down the lane? It might be as entertaining as watching #TheDonald decide whether to have a New Jersey Generals (USFL) reunion or invite James and other NBA stars to the White House for a social-engineering summit seeking scuttlebutt on all of their colleagues harassed by policemen.

Graham is the latest Ivan Drago-like football specimen policing the gridiron. Although ex-California hooper Tony Gonzalez failed to reach the 2013 postseason with the Atlanta Falcons in his quest to finally win a playoff game before retiring, succeeding in the NFL remains a "Battle of the Titans" at the TE position. Bursting on the scene at the same position was fellow ex-college hoopster Julius Thomas, the most sought-after free agent four years ago after originally being a relatively obscure player for the Denver Broncos until emerging as their runner-up in touchdowns with 12 and contributing a team-high eight pass receptions in an AFC title-game victory against the New England Patriots. Thomas, an All-Big Sky Conference hoopster with Portland State, flashed potential as the next game-changing tight end when he caught nine touchdown passes in the Broncos' first five games three seasons ago en route to signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A 74-yard TD strike to "It's So Easy" at San Diego in mid-season four years ago illustrated how QB Peyton Manning capitalized on Thomas' athleticism the same way he did ex-hooper Marcus Pollard (Bradley) with the Indianapolis Colts. Pollard, a J.C. transfer who was the Braves' leading rebounder in 1992-93, caught at least three touchdown passes each of Manning's first seven NFL seasons from 1998 through 2004.

Ditka, muzzled by ESPC for boasting sufficient fortitude to tackle mom-jeans POTUS, had a quality successor as an ex-hooper tight end with the Bears in Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M). Rather than fretting about #TheDonald nixing White House visit by Super Bowl champion (Philadelphia Eagles), consider the following list of Top 25 NFL tight ends who were former college basketball players:

Rank Former College Hooper Alma Mater Summary of NFL Tight End Career
1. Tony Gonzalez California First tight end in NFL history with 100 touchdowns completed his 17-year career in 2013 with 1,325 receptions for 15,127 yards and 111 TDs. He was 13-time Pro Bowl selection.
2. Antonio Gates Kent State Eastern Michigan transfer set an NFL single-season record with 13 TD receptions in 2004 en route to becoming San Diego Chargers' all-time leader for TD catches, receptions and receiving yards.
3. Mike Ditka Pittsburgh Five-time Pro Bowl selection caught 427 passes for 5,812 yards and 43 TDs in 12 seasons.
4. John Mackey Syracuse Hall of Famer caught 331 passes for 5,236 yards and 38 TDs in 10 seasons.
5. Jimmy Graham Miami (Fla.) Led New Orleans Saints in pass receptions in 2012 and 2013. Twice has had streaks of at least four games with more than 100 yards in pass receptions. After only four years, he ranked second all-time among New Orleans Saints' tight ends in receiving before five-time Pro Bowler transitioned to the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
6. Todd Heap Arizona State Caught 467 passes for 5,492 yards and 41 TDs with the Baltimore Ravens from 2001 through 2010, leading them in receptions in 2002 with 68.
7. Ben Coates Livingstone (N.C.) Established NFL single-season record for most receptions by a TE with 96 in 1994.
8. Marcus Pollard Bradley Finished his 13-year career with 349 receptions for 4,280 yards and 40 TDs (long of 86 yards in 2001 midway through stint as starter for the Indianapolis Colts).
9. Pete Metzelaars Wabash (Ind.) Played in more games at TE than any player in NFL history when he retired. Led the Buffalo Bills with 68 receptions in 1993.
10. Julius Thomas Portland State Began 2014 campaign with a bang by catching three first-half TD passes in season opener from Peyton Manning en route to nine TDs in first five games for the Denver Broncos. Thomas, Denver's runner-up with 12 TD receptions the previous year, went on to sign as a high-value free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
11. Martellus Bennett Texas A&M Caught 348 passes for 3,586 yards and 23 TDs with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Chicago Bears in first eight years from 2008 through 2015 prior to trade to New England Patriots.
12. Joe Senser West Chester State (Pa.) Caught 165 passes for 1,822 yards and 16 TDs in four-year career with the Minnesota Vikings in early 1980s.
13. Andrew Glover Grambling State Caught at least one TD pass each of his 10 pro seasons from 1991 through 2000, finishing with 208 receptions for 2,478 yards and 24 TDs.
14. Rich McGeorge Elon (N.C.) Caught 175 passes for 2,370 yards and 13 TDs with the Green Bay Packers in nine years from 1970 through 1978.
15. Rickey Dudley Ohio State Scored 29 TDs in five seasons with the Oakland Raiders before hooking on with two other teams.
16. Derrick Ramsey Kentucky Caught 188 passes for 2,364 yards and 21 TDs with three different teams from 1978 to 1987.
17. Jordan Cameron BYU/Southern California Blossomed in third year with Cleveland Browns in 2013, catching 80 passes for 917 yards and seven TDs (three in game at Minnesota). He had three contests with at least nine receptions.
18. Jean Fugett Amherst (Mass.) Caught 156 passes for 2,270 yards and 28 TDs with the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins in eight years from 1972 through 1979.
19. Kevin Boss Western Oregon Caught 150 passes for 2,033 yards and 22 TDs with the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs in six years from 2007 through 2012. His 45-yard pass reception sparked a fourth-quarter TD drive for the Giants in their 17-14 win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
20. Reuben Gant Oklahoma State Caught 127 passes for 1,850 yards and 15 TDs with the Buffalo Bills in seven seasons from 1974 through 1980.
21. Bob Windsor Kentucky Caught 185 passes for 2,307 yards and 14 TDs with the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots in nine years from 1967 through 1975.
22. Keith McKeller Jacksonville State (Ala.) Caught 124 passes for 1,464 yards and 11 TDs with the Buffalo Bills in seven years from 1987 through 1993.
23. Greg Latta Morgan State (Md.) Caught 90 passes for 1,081 yards and seven TDs with the Chicago Bears in five years from 1975 through 1979.
24. Pat Richter Wisconsin Caught 99 passes for 1,315 yards and 14 TDs in nine seasons for the Washington Redskins after being their first-round pick in 1962.
T25. Al Dixon Iowa State Caught 84 passes for 1,248 yards and eight TDs with four different teams from 1977 through 1984.
T25. Jeff King Virginia Tech Registered 93 receptions for 802 yards and seven TDs with the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals in first seven years from 2006 through 2012.
T25. Dee Mackey East Texas State Caught 94 passes for 1,352 yards and eight TDs in six NFL/AFL seasons from 1960 through 1965.
T25. Ulysses Norris Georgia Best season of seven-year career was in 1983 when he had seven TDs with the Detroit Lions.
T25. Morris Stroud Jr. Clark Atlanta Believed to be the tallest TE (6-10) in NFL history, he caught 54 passes for 977 yards and seven TDs with the Kansas City Chiefs in five years from 1970 through 1974.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 8 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Former Duke basketball All-Americans Dick Groat and Billy Werber had significant performances as MLB infielders on this date.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 8

  • Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's three leading basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) committed an eighth-inning miscue for the Baltimore Orioles against the Detroit Tigers in 1965, ending his MLB-record streaks for consecutive errorless games by a 2B (89) and consecutive chances handled without an error (438).

  • San Diego Padres RHP Mike Adams (Texas A&M-Kingsville hooper in 1996-97) notched his fourth hold in nine days but was scored upon for the first time in last 16 relief appearances in 2011.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) supplied five RBI in a 13-6 triumph against the Chicago Cubs in 1934.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers C Ferrell Anderson (Kansas hoops letterman in 1936-37 and 1937-38) furnished four hits in an 8-5 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1946.

  • LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 at conclusion of career) acquired from the Los Angeles Angels by the New York Yankees in 1961 for his third tour of duty in pinstripes.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (five-sport athlete with Boston University) collected three doubles against the Cleveland Indians in a 1932 game.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's Mr. Basketball) clobbered two homers in a 7-6 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957.

  • In 1948, Cleveland Indians RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) whacked the longest home run at Washington's Griffith Stadium since Babe Ruth in 1922.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) contributed four hits against the Boston Braves in the first of six straight outings with multiple safeties in 1929.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) provided three hits in each game of a 1955 doubleheader split against the New York Giants.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in a 1934 contest.

  • RHP Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer with 10.7 ppg as a sophomore in 1955-56) traded by the New York Mets to the Milwaukee Braves in 1964.

  • Atlanta Braves 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg for Texas A&M in 1961-62) delivered two homers and five RBI against the New York Mets in a 1973 outing.

  • LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State hoops teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Milwaukee Braves with cash to the Detroit Tigers in 1963.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Bob Keegan (Bucknell hoops letterman in 1941-42 and 1942-43) yielded three homers to Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame OF Ted Williams in a 4-1 defeat in 1957.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV hoops squad previous season) registered his second four-hit outing in a six-game span in 1956.

  • Chicago Cubs 3B Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) went 3-for-3 with six RBI against the San Francisco Giants in a 1988 game.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) hit safely as a pinch-hitter for the third straight time in 1963.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring previous season) stroked four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1979 contest.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) won his first seven starts in 1994.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) provided five RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1949 twinbill.

  • Boston Red Sox 2B Marv Olson (All-Iowa Conference hoops selection in 1929-30 with Luther IA) manufactured four hits in a 7-5 win against the St. Louis Browns in 1932.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers C-OF Don Padgett (freshman in 1934 excelled in multiple sports for Lenoir-Rhyne NC) smacked a decisive three-run pinch homer in an 8-5 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1946.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) supplied five RBI in a 7-6 victory against the Detroit Tigers in 1938.

  • New York Giants rookie 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) collected four hits and four RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1940 game.

Power Danger: X Head Coaching Newcomer Steele Bound for Modest Mark

There was no grooming comparable to most coaches working their way up the ladder from the bush leagues. Despite boasting zero head-coaching experience, Travis Steele (Xavier) was hired to be in charge of a power-conference member. He joins more than 20 active head coaches for power-league members getting their starts as bench boss without serving as head coach for another college.

Ranging from regal (Pitt's Jamie Dixon in 2003-04) to repulsive (St. John's Chris Mullin in 2015-16) in the Big East Conference, there is no rhyme or reason regarding first-year results. But if Steele assembles an average inaugural campaign, the novice head coach faces an overall record of 18-14 with losing league mark. First-year worksheets for mentors in this category have dramatically gone downhill this decade. In the previous six years, the seven latest newcomer power-league coaches - Rick Ray, Kevin Ollie, Chris Collins, Steve Wojciechowski, Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, Mike Hopkins and David Padgett - combined for an average record of 15-17 overall and 6-12 in league competition. Only six active coaches on the following alphabetical list compiled a winning league ledger in his inaugural season:

Active Head Coach Current School 1st Season Guiding Power-League Member Overall League
Tommy Amaker Harvard Seton Hall (1997-98/Big East) 15-15 9-9
Rod Barnes Cal State Bakersfield Mississippi (1998-99/SEC) 20-13 8-8
Tony Bennett Virginia Washington State (2006-07/Pacific-10) 26-8 13-5
Jim Boeheim Syracuse Syracuse (1976-77/independent) 26-4 N/A
Todd Bozeman* Morgan State California (1993-94/Pacific-10) 22-8 13-5
Chris Collins Northwestern Northwestern (2013-14/Big Ten) 14-19 6-12
Mike Davis Texas Southern Indiana (2000-01/Big Ten) 21-13 10-6
Johnny Dawkins UCF Stanford (2008-09/Pacific-10) 20-14 6-12
Jamie Dixon Texas Christian Pittsburgh (2003-04/Big East) 31-5 13-3
Patrick Ewing Georgetown Georgetown (2017-18/Big East) 15-15 5-13
Frank Haith Tulsa Miami FL (2004-05/ACC) 16-13 7-9
Leonard Hamilton Florida State Oklahoma State (1986-87/Big Eight) 8-20 4-10
Mike Hopkins Washington Washington (2017-18/Pac-12) 21-13 10-8
Tom Izzo Michigan State Michigan State (1995-96/Big Ten) 16-16 9-9
Jeff Jones Old Dominion Virginia (1990-91/ACC) 21-12 6-8
Frank Martin South Carolina Kansas State (2007-08/Big 12) 21-12 10-6
Chris Mullin St. John's St. John's (2015-16/Big East) 8-24 1-17
Rick Ray Southeast Missouri State Mississippi State (2012-13/SEC) 10-22 4-14
Rick Stansbury Western Kentucky Mississippi State (1998-99/SEC) 20-13 8-8
Roy Williams North Carolina Kansas (1988-89/Big Eight) 19-12 6-8
Steve Wojciechowski Marquette Marquette (2014-15/Big East) 13-19 4-14

*Bozeman was named interim coach in mid-season the previous year when he replaced Lou Campanelli.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 7 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Two former Michigan small-college hoopers - Freddy Spurgeon (Kalamazoo) and Matt Thornton (Grand Valley State) - manufactured significant MLB performances on this date.

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 a May 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 7

  • Baltimore Orioles DH Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in basketball scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) provided four hits for the second time in a four-game span in 1975.

  • INF-OF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) traded by the Brooklyn Robins to the Cincinnati Reds in 1931.

  • LF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) jacked two homers while going 4-for-4 to help the Cleveland Indians erase a 9-1 deficit and defeat the Tampa Devil Rays, 20-11, in 1999. The next year, Justice provided three extra-base hits and five RBI against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 2000 contest.

  • In 1946, Philadelphia Athletics 1B Bruce Konopka (Southern California hoops letterman in 1940-41) collected his third extra-base pinch-hit the first week of the month.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV hoops squad previous season) contributed four hits against the Chicago White Sox in a 1955 outing.

  • Boston Braves LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) notched multiple-hit games in his first five outings of the month in 1920.

  • 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) hit safely in first 14 starts of the 1934 campaign with the Boston Red Sox before he was blanked by the Detroit Tigers.

  • RHP Jack Ogden (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1918) traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Leo Durocher to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1933.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) amassed multiple-hit outings in 13 of first 19 games in 1951.

  • RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper) combined with New York Giants teammate Carl Hubbell to toss back-to-back shutouts in a 1932 doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie 3B Freddy Spurgeon (Kalamazoo MI hooper in 1921-22) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in a 1925 game.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) fanned five Toronto Blue Jays in two innings as he went unscored upon in 10 relief appearances during the month in 2010.

  • 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading hoops scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) tripled after three teammates walked to spur the Brooklyn Dodgers to a 9-5 victory at Chicago in 1948.

  • New York Giants 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) homered in his first MLB at-bat in 1956 (against St. Louis Cardinals).

Currying Favor: Much of Criticism Directed at Stephen is Completely Misplaced

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player while shattering the league's record for most three-pointers, neither is too small nor too fragile despite missing much of the regular-season stretch run because of a knee injury. What is too small and fragile are the brains of any genius who overlooked the Davidson All-American for significantly inferior performers as a high school recruit, those who subsequently bypassed him in a similar fashion in the NBA draft and blabbermouth such as Charles Barkley claiming Curry is "just a shooter." Whether or not it's simply superficial envy because Curry continues his reign as the best-selling NBA jersey, even LeBron James and Russell Westbrook appeared annoyed with his hype.

Legendary Oscar Robertson came close to joining the condemnation chorus by saying "coaches today don't know anything about defenses." The Big O scored more valid points than Sir Charles on the state of the game but their "mid-major" mistake was including Curry in any critique. By any measure, Curry can compete in any era against anybody after becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Knuckleheads offended by Curry's dynamo daughter at a post-game press conference podium should have saved their angst for those individuals on a basketball payroll despite shunning Curry - occasionally including media or front-office colleagues.

In retrospect, it defies belief ESPN "expert" Seth Greenberg wasn't among their series of layoffs after boasting the gall to patronize Virginia Tech All-American Dell Curry's son by offering a spot on the Hokies' roster as a walk-on before the Minnesota Timberwolves picked long-forgotten Jonny Flynn one slot ahead of the incomparable Curry in 2009. In other words, Greenberg and the Timberwolves are the only individual and pro team capable of stopping Curry. Of course, Loyola (Md.) is the only college capable of containing Curry, holding the nation's top point producer scoreless in a 2008-09 contest.

In a previous non-sexist straightforward generation when announcers were significantly more knowledgeable about hoops than ESPN's Michelle Beadle and Rachel Nichols, Stockton-to-Malone could have been a hallmark of the Washington Bullets/Wizards rather than the Utah Jazz if there were more astute judgments made in 1984 and 1985 between mid-major and SEC/ACC players. Smug egghead prosecutors seeking face time appealing to low-information voters by indicting hard-working policemen probably would have more stature probing low-intelligence individuals previously laying an egg bypassing workmanlike Curry. Following is an alphabetical list of mid-major standouts selected behind players from current power conference members before they became league MVP such as Curry, Finals MVP, appeared in five or more All-Star Games or all-time Top 10 in assists, blocked shots, rebounds or steals:

Mid-Major Standout (Draft Pick Overall) College Year Players From Current Power League Member Chosen Ahead of Standout
Tiny Archibald (19) Texas-El Paso 1970 Jim Ard (Cincinnati)/Gary Freeman (Oregon State)/Al Henry (Wisconsin)/Mike Price (Illinois)/John Vallely (UCLA)
Maurice Cheeks (36) West Texas State 1978 Marty Byrnes (Syracuse)/Harry Davis (Florida State)/Jack Givens (Kentucky)/Butch Lee (Marquette)/Wayne Radford (Indiana)/Raymond Townsend (UCLA)/Rick Wilson (Louisville)
Larry Costello (12) Niagara 1954 Ed Kalafat (Minnesota)/Bob Mattick (Oklahoma State)/Dick Rosenthal (Notre Dame)
Stephen Curry (7) Davidson 2009 Jonny Flynn (Syracuse)/Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)
Joe Dumars (18) McNeese State 1985 Uwe Blab (Indiana)/Kenny Green (Wake Forest)/Keith Lee (Memphis State)
Wayne Embry (23) Miami (Ohio) 1958 Pete Brennan (North Carolina)/Archie Dees (Indiana)/Roy DeWitz (Kansas State)/Vern Hatton (Kentucky)/Frank Howard (Ohio State)/John Nacincik (Maryland)/Joe Quigg (North Carolina)/Lamar Sharrar (West Virginia)
Walt Frazier (5) Southern Illinois 1967 Sonny Dove (St. John's)
Hal Greer (14) Marshall 1958 Pete Brennan (North Carolina)/Archie Dees (Indiana)/Vern Hatton (Kentucky)/Joe Quigg (North Carolina)/Lamar Sharrar (West Virginia)
Richie Guerin (17) Iona 1954 Dick Farley (Indiana)/Ed Kalafat (Minnesota)/Bob Mattick (Oklahoma State)/Dick Rosenthal (Notre Dame)
Dennis Johnson (29) Pepperdine 1976 Bob Carrington (Boston College)/Norm Cook (Kansas)/Jacky Dorsey (Georgia)/Scott Lloyd (Arizona State)/Willie Smith (Missouri)/Chuckie Williams (Kansas State)
Gus Johnson (11) Idaho 1963 Art Heyman (Duke)/Tom Hoover (Villanova)/Tom Thacker (Cincinnati)/Gerry Ward (Boston College)
Sam Jones (8) North Carolina Central 1957 George BonSalle (Illinois)/Lennie Rosenbluth (North Carolina)/Win Wilfong (Memphis State)
Rudy LaRusso (12) Dartmouth 1959 Don Goldstein (Louisville)/John Richter (North Carolina State)/Joe Ruklick (Northwestern)
Karl Malone (13) Louisiana Tech 1985 Kenny Green (Wake Forest)/Keith Lee (Memphis State)
Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (12) UNC Charlotte 1977 Tom LaGarde (North Carolina)
Steve Nash (15) Santa Clara 1996 Todd Fuller (North Carolina State)
Willis Reed (10) Grambling 1964 Gary Bradds (Ohio State)/George Wilson (Cincinnati)
John Stockton (16) Gonzaga 1984 Lancaster Gordon (Louisville)/Terence Stansbury (Temple)/Melvin Turpin (Kentucky)
Nate Thurmond (4) Bowling Green 1963 Art Heyman (Duke)/Tom Thacker (Cincinnati)
Chet Walker (14) Bradley 1962 Paul Hogue (Cincinnati)/John Rudometkin (Southern California)

NOTE: Drafts in 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963 and 1964 included territorial picks.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 6 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Former college hoopers Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State) and Graig Nettles (San Diego State) each delivered three doubles as lefthanded hitters for the Cleveland Indians in a MLB game on this date.

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 a May 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 6

  • Hall of Fame C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University basketball player in early 1920s) clobbered his first MLB homer with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing) tossed a two-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) hurled his second straight shutout in 1945, whitewashing the New York Yankees, 5-0.

  • New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1924 game.

  • RF Jim Gleeson (NAIA Hall of Famer was all-league hoops pick for Rockhurst MO in early 1930s) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1942.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) contributed three extra-base hits in a 6-4 victory against the New York Yankees in 1940.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) collected three doubles against the Chicago White Sox in a 1983 outing.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) supplied at least three hits for the third consecutive contest in 1959.

  • In 1968, San Francisco Giants RHP Lindy McDaniel (Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) established a N.L. record with his 225th consecutive errorless game.

  • New York Yankees LF Bud Metheny (William & Mary hoops letterman from 1935-36 through 1937-38) stroked four hits in a 4-3 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1944.

  • In 1967, 1B Cotton Nash (three-time All-American averaged 22.7 ppg and 12.3 rpg for Kentucky from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the California Angels with cash to the Chicago White Sox for 1B Bill "Moose" Skowron (scored 18 points in eight games for Purdue in 1949-50).

  • Cleveland Indians 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) stroked three doubles against the Chicago White Sox in a 1972 game.

  • A two-out, seventh-inning single by CF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) was the Detroit Tigers' lone safety when they were blanked, 4-0, by Dave Leonard of the Baltimore Orioles in 1968.

  • Chicago White Sox rookie LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s) won his first MLB start in 1963, limiting the Kansas City Athletics to four hits and one run over eight innings.

  • LF Rip Repulski (started handful of hoops games for St. Cloud State MN) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox in 1960.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with five RBI against the Houston Astros in the opener of a 1979 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox C Birdie Tebbetts (Providence hooper in 1932) blasted two homers against the Chicago White Sox in a 1950 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered twice in a 5-4 win against the New York Giants in 1924.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do: Numerous Head Coaches Left Alma Mater in Lurch

We don't know if the song "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" was the background music when they made up their mind. But Jamion Christian, Chris Mack and Nick McDevitt are the latest coaches to make gut-wrenching decision to leave alma mater for a similar coaching position with another school or NBA franchise. Following is an alphabetical list of active mentors who voluntarily left their Division I alma maters:

Active Coach Alma Mater (Coaching Years) Subsequent Job (Years)
Jamion Christian Mount St. Mary's '04 (2012-13 through 2017-18) Siena (since 2018-19)
Keith Dambrot Akron '82 (2004-05 through 2016-17) Duquesne (since 2017-18)
Ed DeChellis Penn State '82 (2003-04 through 2010-11) Navy (since 2011-12)
Bryce Drew Valparaiso '98 (2011-12 through 2015-16) Vanderbilt (since 2016-17)
Sydney Johnson Princeton '97 (2007-08 through 2010-11) Fairfield (since 2011-12)
Billy Kennedy Southeastern Louisiana '86 (1999-00 through 2004-05) Miami FL assistant (2005-06)
Lon Kruger Kansas State '74 (1986-87 through 1989-90) Florida (1990-91 through 1995-96)
Larry Krystkowiak Montana '86 (2004-05 and 2005-06) Milwaukee Bucks (2006-07 and 2007-08)
Mike Krzyzewski Army '69 (1975-76 through 1979-80) Duke (since 1980-81)
Dave Leitao Northeastern '82 (1994-95 and 1995-96) Connecticut assistant (second stint from 1996-97 through 2001-02)
Chris Mack Xavier '92 (2009-10 through 2017-18) Louisville (since 2018-19)
Greg McDermott Northern Iowa '88 (2001-02 through 2005-06) Iowa State (2006-07 through 2009-10)
Nick McDevitt UNC Asheville '01 (2013-14 through 2017-18) Middle Tennessee State (since 2018-19)
Wayne Tinkle Montana '89 (2006-07 through 2013-14) Oregon State (since 2014-15)

NOTE: Kennedy (Texas A&M), Kruger (Oklahoma), Krystkowiak (Utah), Leitao (DePaul) and McDermott (Creighton) currently are coaching other colleges.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 5 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN) and Bill White (Hiram) each hit two homers as a MLB first baseman on this date.

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 a May 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 5

  • Los Angeles Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) launched two homers against the Kansas City Royals in a 1964 game.

  • Chicago White Sox SS Bosey Berger (Maryland's first hoops All-American led Southern Conference in scoring in league competition in 1930-31) banged out four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1938 contest.

  • Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) contributed four hits against the Boston Red Sox in a 1979 outing.

  • In 1943, New York Giants LF Vic Bradford (Alabama hoops letterman in 1937) supplied his lone MLB hit with a single against the Boston Braves.

  • 2B Marv Breeding (Samford hooper in mid-1950s) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the San Francisco Giants in 1966.

  • Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for hoops Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 5-for-6 in a 1945 doubleheader against the New York Giants.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with four RBI in a 1951 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • After two shaky starts in 1951, Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Con Dempsey (played hoops for San Francisco during Golden Age of athletics on Hilltop) tossed two shutout innings of relief against the New York Giants in his third and final MLB appearance.

  • RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1922) ignited a 17-game winning streak for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931 with a 4-1 triumph over the Boston Red Sox.

  • St. Louis Browns C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) furnished four hits for the second time in a three-game span in 1931.

  • Oakland Athletics 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) went 4-for-4, including three extra-base hits, in a 6-2 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1981.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1951 contest.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) smacked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1996 game.

  • St. Louis Browns LHP Ernie Koob (Western Michigan hoops letterman in 1914) hurled a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in 1917.

  • OF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Boston Red Sox in 1969.

  • In a twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) began a 24-game hitting streak, the longest of the 1957 season in the N.L.

  • Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) went 5-for-6 and scored five runs in an 18-6 romp over the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1962 doubleheader.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Ken Szotkiewicz (Georgia Southern hoops letterman in 1966-67) supplied career highs of two hits and two RBI against the Minnesota Twins in a 1970 contest.

  • San Diego Padres OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) stroked a game-winning, two-run single in the bottom of the 12th inning in a 6-5 win against the Kansas City Royals in 2014.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) belted two homers against the San Francisco Giants in a 1965 contest.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered twice against the New York Giants in a 1925 game.

  • San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered two homers against the Montreal Expos in a 1979 outing.

Beat 'Em/Then Join 'Em: Non-League Game Serves as Head Coaching Audition

"Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time." - Arnold H. Glasow

Kermit Davis Jr.'s job switch from Middle Tennessee State to Ole Miss probably stems partially from a job audition last season when MTSU ripped the Rebels by 19 points. The shift resembles 1970-71 when Digger Phelps guided Fordham to its winningest season in school history. But what likely really impressed Notre Dame's administration was a 94-88 victory that season over the Irish. He was UND's bench boss the next campaign and went on to win seven games against nationally top-ranked opponents in his career at South Bend.

Non-conference schedules frequently are frustrating for fans of power-league members because of what seems like feasting on a steady diet of cupcake opponents. But you never know when a single game becomes a career changer. Similar to almost any job, timing is everything. Following is an alphabetical list of impressionable coaches such as Davis generating such favorable reviews after defeating a school (in a non-conference game) they were hired by for the same role before the next campaign:

Coach Departing School Triumph(s) Over Non-League Foe Hiring Him Next Season
Tommy Amaker Michigan Defeated Harvard, 82-50, in 2006-07
Duggar Baucom Virginia Military Defeated The Citadel, 66-65, at Army* in 2014-15
John Brady Samford Defeated Louisiana State, 53-50, in 1996-97
Tom Brennan Yale Defeated Vermont, 84-75, in 1985-86
Jim Calhoun Northeastern Defeated Connecticut, 90-73, in 1985-86
Joe Callero Seattle Defeated Cal Poly, 60-59, in 2008-09
Ben Carnevale North Carolina Defeated Navy, 51-49, in 1945-46
Kermit Davis Jr. Middle Tennessee State Defeated Mississippi, 77-58, in 2017-18
Charles "Lefty" Driesell Davidson Defeated Maryland, 83-69, in 1968-69
Pat Foster Houston Defeated Nevada, 92-80, in 1992-93
Jim Hayford Eastern Washington Defeated Seattle, 80-76 in 2OT and 93-88 in 2OT, in 2016-17
Maury John Drake Defeated Iowa State, 87-63, in 1970-71
Ed Kelleher Fordham Defeated Army, 68-42, in 1942-43
Lake Kelly Austin Peay State Defeated Oral Roberts, 80-76, in 1976-77
Billy McCann Washington & Lee (VA) Defeated Virginia, 73-69, in 1956-57
Neil McCarthy Weber State Defeated New Mexico State, 62-56, in 1984-85
Dan Monson Gonzaga Defeated Minnesota, 75-63, in 1998-99
Don Monson Idaho Defeated Oregon, 56-53, in 1982-83
Donald "Dudey" Moore Duquesne Defeated La Salle, 74-55, in 1957-58
Stew Morrill Colorado State Defeated Utah State, 68-59, in 1997-98
Richard "Digger" Phelps Fordham Defeated Notre Dame, 94-88, in 1970-71
Elmer Ripley Georgetown Defeated John Carroll (Ohio), 73-53, in 1948-49
Les Robinson East Tennessee State Defeated North Carolina State, 92-82, in 1989-90
Lorenzo Romar Saint Louis Defeated Washington, 71-70, in 2001-02
Charles "Sonny" Smith Auburn Defeated Virginia Commonwealth, 85-79, in 1988-89
Charlie Spoonhour Southwest Missouri State Defeated Saint Louis, 66-59, in 1991-92
Bill Strannigan Colorado State Defeated Iowa State, 65-57, in 1953-54
Bill Wade Virginia Commonwealth Defeated Louisiana State, 85-74, in 2016-17
Raymond "Bucky" Waters West Virginia Defeated Duke, 90-88, in 1968-69
Paul Weir New Mexico State Defeated New Mexico, 84-71, in 2016-17
Tim Welsh Iona Defeated Providence, 68-62, in 1997-98
Gary Williams Boston College Defeated Ohio State, 87-74, in 1985-86
Matt Zunic Boston University Defeated Massachusetts, 75-55 and 61-56, in 1958-59

*Competed in season-opening Military Classic before VMI defeated The Citadel twice in Southern Conference competition.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 4 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Former Notre Dame hoopers Ron Reed and Cy Williams made National League news in games involving the Philadelphia Phillies on this date.

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 a May 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 4

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) cracked a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning of a 10-6 triumph against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961.

  • Chicago Cubs 1B Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Buena Vista IA in 1966-67) banged out four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1980 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered four hits against the Kansas City Royals in a 1976 game.

  • Oakland Athletics 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) contributed two homers and five RBI in an 11-5 win against the New York Yankees in 1979.

  • In the midst of a career-high 23-game hitting streak in 1980, Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) supplied at least one RBI in his eighth consecutive contest.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 plus Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) went 4-for-4, including two homers and two doubles, against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1959 game.

  • In 1927, New York Giants RHP Mul Holland (Virginia hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1926-27 was All-Southern Conference Tournament selection as sophomore) posted his lone MLB victory.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) logged three doubles in a 9-4 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953.

  • San Diego Padres 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) whacked two homers against the Chicago Cubs in a 1985 game.

  • St. Louis Browns LHP Joe Ostrowski (leading scorer in 1942-43 for Scranton PA) tossed his second complete-game victory in as many starts in 1950.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) incurred the defeat in a 20-inning marathon against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973.

  • In 1966, Houston Astros RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) tossed the last of 45 MLB shutouts in his 19-year Hall of Fame career.

  • RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) shipped by the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers as part of a conditional deal in 1973.

  • RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals for OF Tom Brunansky in 1990.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Freddy Spurgeon (Kalamazoo MI hooper in 1921-22) supplied four hits and four RBI against the St. Louis Browns in a 1926 outing.

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) stroked four hits against the Minnesota Twins in a 1976 contest.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) collected three extra-base hits against the New York Giants in a 1923 game.

Making the Rounds: Tubby Smith Joins List of Eight Meandering DI Mentors

Alma mater-bound Tubby Smith, headed to High Point for his seventh NCAA Division I school as head coach, is joining the following alphabetical list of eight meandering mentors guiding teams in at least six different DI conferences (six of them included C-USA among their pit stops):

Coach (# of DI Leagues) Different Division I Conferences as Head Coach
Tim Floyd (7) Big Sky, American South, Sun Belt, Big Eight, Big 12, Pacific-10 and C-USA
Gene Bartow (6) Missouri Valley, Big Ten, Pacific-10, Sun Belt, Great Midwest and C-USA
Mike Deane (6) North Atlantic, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Great Midwest, C-USA, Southland and Northeast
Bob Huggins (6) Ohio Valley, Metro, Great Midwest, C-USA, Big 12 and Big East
Pat Kennedy (6) Metro Atlantic Athletic, Metro, ACC, C-USA, Big Sky and CAA
Tom Penders (6) Ivy League, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Atlantic 10, SWC, Big 12 and C-USA
Oliver Purnell (6) Big South, CAA, Great Midwest, Atlantic 10, ACC and Big East
Tubby Smith (6) Missouri Valley, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, AAC and Big South

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 3 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Former NCAA Tournament hoop starters Steve Hamilton (Morehead State) and Rollie Sheldon (Connecticut) became MLB pitchers who were traded on this date.

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 a May 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 3

  • In 1977, Chicago Cubs RHP Ray Burris (basketball-baseball standout in Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame) fired a five-hit shutout against the Houston Astros for his first of five victories in the month.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) cracked two-run homers in the 8th and 12th innings in a 5-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1966.

  • Detroit Tigers C Mickey Cochrane (five-sport athlete with Boston University) collected four hits, including three for extra bases, against the Chicago White Sox in a 1937 contest.

  • New York Yankees LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing) tossed a three-hit shutout in the opener of 1964 doubleheader against the Washington Senators, notching 13 of his A.L.-leading 217 strikeouts.

  • Boston Red Sox LF Hoot Evers (Illinois hoops starter in 1939-40) scored four runs against the St. Louis Browns in the opener of a 1953 doubleheader.

  • Washington Senators C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) registered four hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1939 game.

  • First triumph in 1982 campaign for Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman squad in 1971-72) was a three-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners. Seven years later with the Toronto Blue Jays, Flanagan provided the final whitewash of his 18-year career (four-hitter against the Oakland Athletics in 1989).

  • INF Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship hoops squad for Washington College MD) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Brooklyn Robins in 1927.

  • LHP Steve Hamilton (Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Washington Senators in 1962.

  • Teammates OF Irv Noren (hoops player of year for California junior college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) and INF Tommie Upton (led Southeast Missouri State in scoring three years last half of 1940s and was school's career scoring leader upon graduation; while serving in military, Upton was All-EIBL first-team selection with Penn in 1945-46) traded by the Washington Senators to the New York Yankees for promising OF Jackie Jensen and three other players in 1952. Upton never played for the Yanks.

  • RHP Steve Roser (hoops center for Clarkson NY before passing up senior season after signing professional baseball contract in 1940) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Boston Braves in 1946.

  • RHP Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) traded by the New York Yankees to the Kansas City Athletics in 1965.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1950 contest.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) jacked two homers against the St. Louis Browns in a 1940 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA scoring leader in 1958-59 and 1959-60 when named All-Evergreen Conference) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds in 1967.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bob Will (all-league athlete was hoops captain for Mankato State MN in 1954-55) stroked two doubles in midst of four consecutive two-hit contests in 1960.

Gender Neutral: DI Men's Head Coaches Previously Coaching Female Hoopers

Is there any doubt Michael Porter Sr. received a whopping three-year, $1.125 million contract as assistant coach at Missouri more for delivering two sons who were regal recruits rather than value of his previous one season of experience as an NCAA Division I men's coaching aide for Washington? But perhaps Mizzou also factored in worth of Porter's previous collegiate coaching experience as an assistant for the Tigers' female program. Whatever the case, how many current DI head coaches have coaching women at collegiate or professional level on their resumes? New Maine mentor Richard Barron is on the following alphabetical list of active coaches, including four HBCU bench bosses, in this unique category:

Active DI Mentor School Experience Coaching Women at Collegiate or Professional Level
Richard Barron Maine Compiled 232-228 record with Sewanee (Tenn.), Princeton and Maine in 17 seasons from 1996-97 through 2006-07 and 2011-12 through 2016-17. Assistant at Baylor and North Carolina State for four seasons from 2007-08 through 2010-11.
Juan Dixon Coppin State University of District of Columbia head coach in 2016-17.
Bob Hoffman Mercer Compiled 88-16 record at Southern Nazarene (Okla.) from 1987-88 through 1989-90.
George Ivory Arkansas-Pine Bluff Jackson State assistant from 1987-88 through 1997-98.
Edward Joyner Jr. Hampton Johnson C. Smith assistant from 2002-03 through 2006-07.
Kevin Nickelberry Howard University Columbia Union (Md.) head coach from 1991-92 through 1993-94.
Fran O'Hanlon Lafayette Temple assistant in 1984-85.
Russ Pennell Central Arkansas Phoenix Mercury interim head coach in 2013 (9-4 record).

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 2 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Graig Nettles, John Wathan and Jim Wilson - former hoopers from San Diego-based universities - supplied significant MLB performances on this date.

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 a May 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 2

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year basketball letterman for Allegheny PA) contributed three extra-base hits against the Atlanta Braves in a 1972 game.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) stroked four hits against the Seattle Mariners in a 1979 contest.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Billy Cowan (hoops co-captain of Utah's 1970 NCAA playoff team) knocked in five runs against the Houston Colt .45s in a 1964 game.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named the state's "Mr. Basketball") drove in six runs in a 7-3 victory at St. Louis in 1958.

  • Boston Red Sox C Gene Desautels (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1929 and 1930) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1938 outing.

  • San Francisco Giants 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered in both ends of a 1981 doubleheader split against the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • After winning four straight starts in April, Florida Marlins LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding 1992-93 through 1995-96) earned the triumph in a 6-4 verdict over the San Diego Padres in 2008.

  • New York Yankees rookie LF Charlie Keller (three-year hoops letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) scored four runs and chipped in with six RBI against the Detroit Tigers in a 1939 contest.

  • INF Buddy Myer (hoops letterman for Mississippi State in 1923-24) traded by the Washington Senators to the Boston Red Sox in 1927.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) swatted a pinch-hit grand slam for the Atlanta Braves in a 12-4 victory against the Houston Astros in 1987.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) struck out 13 Chicago Cubs in a 4-2 triumph in 1957. No Philly infielder had an assist in the contest.

  • In 1958, Boston Red Sox RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA Tournament team in 1952) fired his lone MLB shutout (against Detroit Tigers). The next year, Sisler was traded by the Red Sox to the Tigers on this date.

  • Kansas City Royals C John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) went 4-for-5 against the Boston Red Sox in 1980.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 4-for-4 with two triples against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1914 game.

  • First MLB win for RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) was a four-hit shutout for the Boston Red Sox against the Washington Senators in 1945.

College Basketball's Incredible Impact on Ridding Earth of Human Debris UBL

Do you want to be our hero? The last several years, Fox News has aired a riveting two-part program featuring Navy SEAL Team 6 member Robert O'Neill (senior chief petty officer is recipient of two Silver and five Bronze Stars) as "The Man Who Killed Usama Bin Laden." Amid focusing on the seventh anniversary ridding Planet Earth of UBL, it seems we should also be celebrating authentic courage from the college basketball ranks stemming from an individual instrumental in tracking the terrorist down. But the selfless ex-athlete from a Midwest university hasn't "come out of the closet" for security reasons and might be underground with a fake identification unless, of course, ax-grinding Left Coast Sen. Dianne Feinstein rats him out amid another of her vendettas or someone from the Obama Administration eventually unmasks him via a smut merchant Michelle Wolf monologue.

In the documentation about dispatching UBL to hell (equivalent status even if nonsense about satisfying 72 virgins is what transpired), the White House unveiled a photograph of President Barack Obama and his Cabinet inside the Situation Room, watching the daring commando raid unfold on May 1, 2011. But POTUS (JV player for Occidental CA) apparently wasn't the tallest ex-college hooper in the room. Standing just outside the frame of that famous pic was an anonymous Central Intelligence Agency officer ("CIA John") who pursued UBL as a dogmatic deputy chief and reportedly was also influential as one of the principal proponents of drone deterrence. Two days after the world's most-wanted man was transformed into marine treat when dumped into the North Arabian Sea, "CIA John" accompanied then CIA Director Leon Panetta to Capitol Hill, where the Senate Intelligence Committee received a full briefing on the mission.

According to AP accounts at the time, the meticulous senior intelligence analyst was the first individual to put in writing that a legitimate CIA lead had been assembled on possibly locating UBL. He spearheaded the collection of clues for nearly 10 years, leading the agency to a fortified compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and its epic counter-terrorism success. Our freedom-loving nation is eternally grateful that his manhunt accuracy as a deep-cover agent in pinpointing UBL's whereabouts stood in stark contrast to his free-throw marksmanship as a deep-bench player (barely over 30%) as a member of multiple NCAA playoff teams.

Sy Hersh muckraking notwithstanding, box-office hit "Zero Dark Thirty" was an inspiring movie focusing on a young female CIA operative allegedly also from flyover country. She exhibited her tenacity, dedication and courage in primarily monitoring a vital courier for al-Qaeda's upper brass. According to Esquire, the shooter who killed UBL (subsequently acknowledged as Butte MT native O'Neill) gave the magazine out of his gun as a souvenir to bloodhound "Maya." While the film doesn't do justice to the male super spy, the patriot is likely to defer anyway to the concept "there is no 'I' in team" insofar as it was a remark his college hoops coach frequently cited. Naturally, Langley issued a perfunctory "no comment" because concern exists about publishing his name and running biographical details might make him a target for retribution.

Over the decades, there have been other notable "Secret Agent Men" in the CIA who were former college hoopsters. In fact, a Final Four player isn't required to hit a decisive basket or be selected Most Outstanding Player to be a hero. He doesn't even need to participate on the court. Bob Ames, a member of the Tom Gola-led La Salle teams in 1954 (national champion) and 1955 (runner-up to San Francisco), never got off the bench at the Final Four those two years although he was the only La Salle player to hit more than three-fourths of his free throws the season the Explorers won the NCAA title.

"Our coach, Ken Loeffler, only used seven guys, and Bob was the eighth man," said Frank Blatcher, a starter for the Explorers each season and their leading scorer with a total of 42 points at the Final Four on the championship team. "He had the talent. He just never got a chance to show it."

Ames, a pre-law major who scored a total of eight points in three NCAA playoff games in 1955, did have an opportunity to show his ability in another more vital endeavor, however. He joined the CIA and worked his way up the chain of command to become the Director of the CIA's Office of Analysis of the Near East and South Asia. "The Spy Who Loved Basketball" worked closely with both the Carter and Reagan administrations.

Regrettably, Ames was killed in Beirut in 1983. A truck loaded with TNT on a suicide mission rammed into the facility where Ames was staying while serving as a liaison trying to allay contacts among the Lebanese, Syrians and Israelis in hopes of calming the escalating discord.

"Here was a guy that turned out to have had a greater influence on our lives than just about any 1,000 other basketball players you can name," Blatcher said. "It just shows you that you don't have to be a star to accomplish something." Something like becoming a genuine American hero.

Elsewhere, the CIA's deputy director under George Bush in 1976 was Hank Knoche, the leading scorer in the Mountain States (Big Seven) Conference with 16.4 points per game for Colorado's 1946 NCAA Tournament team. Knoche, the father of former American University coach Chris Knoche, reputedly was the first player selected in the NBA's first college draft in 1947 after enrolling at Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) to play on a 16-4 team with two of his brothers. But he never appeared in the then-fledgling league, which doesn't have any official draft records prior to 1949. The franchise that selected him, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, folded shortly after the draft, and his rights reverted to the New York Knicks.

"I didn't know I was the first No. 1 pick until a writer from Atlanta called me for a story," Knoche said. "An NBA historian had informed him of my alleged status."

The elder Knoche, who went to live in the Denver area, chose not to play in an uncertain situation for little money. "I never received any contact from the Ironmen," he said. "The Knicks sent a contract offer in the mail, but it was for just $3,500 and that's if I made the team (many NBA standouts earn five times that amount every quarter).

"I chose to play industrial basketball, where I remember playing six times one year against seven-footer Bob Kurland (Oklahoma State three-time first-team All-American who never played in the NBA). That wasn't much fun going against Kurland because I was just a 6-4 center."

Knoche was recalled to the military during the Korean War, where he was assigned to intelligence work for the Navy and later embarked on a civilian career leading to a job with the CIA.

Another former college hooper who carved out a CIA career was Pete Sivess, a center for Dickinson PA in 1935-36 before compiling a 7-11 record as a righthanded pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies in three years from 1936 through 1938. While Moe Berg is the most famous MLB player linked with the CIA, his career as a spy pales in comparison to baseball contemporary Sivess, who is credited with defining CIA policy for handling Eastern Bloc defectors. During the height of the Cold War, Sivess conducted a "first haven" on Maryland's Eastern Shore where defectors were shipped to be debriefed. Probably the highest-profile spy Sivess monitored was "notorious double agent" Nicholas Shadrin, who died on a trip to Vienna in 1975 in a kidnapping attempt by Moscow's counterspies.

In the shadowy world of the CIA, no precise clues exist as to whether a basketball background for "CIA John" contributed to helping POTUS develop a comfort-zone bond with him similar to other ex-college hoopers in his inner circle - Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (Harvard), departing Attorney General Eric Holder (Columbia), former "body man" Reggie Love (Duke) and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen (Navy). But it isn't ridiculous to suggest there might not have been a second inauguration for President Obama if he didn't trust "CIA John."

A vital hurdle approving the raid came when the SEAL Squadron leader briefed Mullen on merits of the mission. According to O'Neill's anonymous interview with Esquire, Vice Admiral William McRaven, head of Joint Special Ops Command, compared the raid and its fighters to the basketball movie Hoosiers in a final briefing with the participants in Operation Neptune's Spear.

A pithy precept occasionally surfaces in basketball trash talking that "some talk a good game and some play a good game." Depending upon your point of view, Time's Person of the Year in 2011 and each subsequent year could have been "CIA John." Surely, ex-Time managing editor Rick Stengel, a backup for Pete Carril-coached Princeton in the mid-1970s, would have encouraged co-workers to give "CIA John" special consideration after the White House acknowledged him and his colleagues as "unbelievably competent professionals" prior to joining Obama's State Department.

The dumber-than-doorknob Obama Administration admitted doctoring State Department videos. Wanna bet whether "CIA John" was photo-shopped out of the famous Situation Room pic? Deserved or not, other ex-college hoopers may get the bulk of the glory ranging from taking credit for UBL's demise to some searing social issue actually paling in comparison. When, if ever, will our nation get the opportunity to pay homage to a genuine hoop hero comparable to Ames, Knoche and Sivess? Heaven only knows we need an authentic hero these days to offset riots in major U.S. cities, lying by eventual Presidential nominee in front of caskets as server-swiping Secretary of State, a lawless Demonrat West Wing supported by ideologically-driven lame-stream media plus collegiate academic scandals and athletes treating women as bad as Sharia-Law zealot Islamic radicals. But at the moment, the stirring tale will simply be "The Greatest Hoop Story Never Fully Told."

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on May 1 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! 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. Former New England university hoopers Jim Beattie (Dartmouth) and Rollie Sheldon (Connecticut) hurled MLB shutouts on this date.

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 a May 1 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 1

  • Seattle Mariners RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected basketball team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in 1985.

  • After teammate Bill Parsons walked the first three Oakland A's batters, RHP Jim Colborn (Whittier CA in mid-1960s before studying for master's at Edinburgh where he was All-Scotland in basketball) came in and pitched a complete-game 4-3 victory for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1973.

  • California Angels RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) permitted his lone earned run in first 12 relief appearances in the 1970 campaign.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished three extra-base hits and four RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1927 contest.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) banged out four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1941 outing.

  • Cleveland Indians LF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) delivered two homers against the Oakland Athletics in a 1997 game.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (three-year hoops letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) collected seven RBI against the St. Louis Browns in a 1941 contest.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Rusty Kuntz (J.C. hooper for Cuesta CA) went 3-for-3 with three RBI against the Boston Red Sox in a 1984 outing.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 4-for-4 in a 4-2 loss against the San Francisco Giants in 1962.

  • Kansas City Athletics RHP Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) hurled a three-hit shutout against his original team (New York Yankees) in the opener of a 1966 doubleheader.

  • Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament hoop titles in 1952 and 1953) smacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1960 doubleheader, igniting a streak of five consecutive two-hit contests.

  • 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) contributed a homer and double for the Cincinnati Reds during their eight-run fourth inning in 1940 when they defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers, 9-2.

  • A seventh-inning single by Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) represented the only hit Hall of Fame P Bob Feller yielded in a 2-0 win for the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a doubleheader in 1955. It was Feller's MLB-record 12th one-hitter.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered twice among his four hits and scored four runs against the Boston Braves in a 1923 game.

  • INF Dib Williams (Hendrix AR hooper in mid-1920s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Boston Red Sox in 1935.

Fantastic Four: Dunphy in Exclusive Coaching Company Upon His Retirement

Fran Dunphy will have had only one Top 20 team in 30 seasons of coaching (Temple in 2009-10), but he will finish his career in exclusive company after stepping aside for former Owls player Aaron McKie following the 2018-19 campaign. Dunphy, who was bench boss for Penn 17 years prior to joining the Owls, is one of only four Division I mentors compiling more than 200 victories and at least seven NCAA Tournament appearances with two different universities.

"I've just been coaching a long time," said a modest Dunphy, who fell short of joining Roy Williams as the only coaches with 300 triumphs for two DI schools. Following is an alphabetical list of Dunphy, Williams and the two other coaches (Lou Henson and Eddie Sutton) in this select circle (Rick Pitino made six straight NCAA playoff appearances with Kentucky in the mid-1990s and John Calipari appeared in six NCAA tourneys with Memphis in the previous decade):

Coach Subject Seasons Two Different Schools With More Than 200 Victories (Minimum of Seven NCAA Playoff Appearances)
Fran Dunphy 29 (1989-90 through 2017-18) Penn (1993-94-95-99 and 2000-02-03-05-06)/Temple (2008-09-10-11-12-13-16)
Lou Henson 38 (1966-67 through 1995-96, 1997-98 through 1999-00 and 2000-01 through 2004-05) New Mexico State (1967-68-69-70-71-75-99)/Illinois (1981-83-84-85-86-87-88-89-90-93-94-95)
Eddie Sutton 27 (1974-75 through 1984-85 and 1990-91 through 2005-06) Arkansas (1977-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85)/Oklahoma State (1991-92-93-94-95-98-99 and 2000-01-02-03-04-05)
Roy Williams 30 (1988-89 through 2017-18) Kansas (1990-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99 and 2000-01-02-03)/North Carolina (2004-05-06-07-08-09-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18)

NOTE: Henson (Hardin-Simmons), Pitino (Hawaii, Boston University and Providence) and Sutton (Creighton, Kentucky and San Francisco) also coached other colleges.

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