On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on April 3 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! With a new season underway, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 3
1B Donn Clendenon (played basketball for Morehouse GA) ended his retirement and reported to the Montreal Expos in 1969.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in 1996.
1B Bill White (played two years of hoops with Hiram OH in early 1950s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.
RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers in 2004.
Hot or Not?: Nova First Titlist in Five Years Entering Tourney on Winning Note
Which cliche is most accurate? If a team is on a winning streak entering the NCAA Tournament, it has momentum on its side and is peaking at the right time. On the other hand, some observers contend a loss before the start of the playoffs is deemed a wake-up call. Villanova's championship this season marked the first time in five years the titlist entered the playoffs on a winning note. All five of Duke's champions under coach Mike Krzyzewski entered the NCAA tourney with fewer than eight straight triumphs.
Since the last undefeated team in Division I (Indiana was 32-0 in 1975-76), there have been 42 national champions. Twenty-three of those teams entered the tourney with a victory; 19 entered with a defeat after UNC bowed against Duke in the ACC Tournament. The longest winning streak of a champion-to-be in that span was by UCLA, which won 13 in a row in 1995 before posting six more triumphs in the playoffs. Louisville accounted for two of the other double-digit victory streaks for champions-to-be entering the playoffs.
Of the 23 aforementioned squads entering on a winning note, the average winning streak was six in a row. Following in reverse order is how those 42 post-unbeaten IU titlists entered the NCAA playoffs (including conference tournaments):
Pennsylvania Becomes Fourth State With at Least Four NCAA Championships
Villanova's championship enabled Pennsylvania to become the fourth state with at least four NCAA Division I crowns. North Carolina and Duke combined for four NCAA Tournament titles in the previous nine years. The only time two different schools from the same state captured three consecutive NCAA titles was from 1960 through 1962 when Ohio State and Cincinnati reigned supreme. North Carolina was twice involved in back-to-back crowns with an in-state counterpart - 1982 and 1983 (N.C. State) plus 2009 and 2010 (Duke).
California is the only state with as many as four different universities win an NCAA Division I Tournament championship. The following eight different states have multiple schools capturing an NCAA DI Tournament crown:
California (15) - California (1959), San Francisco (1955 and 1956), Stanford (1942), UCLA (1964-65-67-68-69-70-71-72-73-75-95)
North Carolina (13) - Duke (1991-92-01-10-15), North Carolina (1957-82-93-05-09-17), North Carolina State (1974 and 1983)
Kentucky (11) - Kentucky (1948-49-51-58-78-96-98-12), Louisville (1980-86-13)
Pennsylvania (4) - La Salle (1954), Villanova (1985, 2016 and 2018)
Michigan (3) - Michigan (1989), Michigan State (1979 and 2000)
Ohio (3) - Cincinnati (1961 and 1962), Ohio State (1960)
Victory Map: Nova Sixth Champion Winning All Tourney Games by > 11 Points
There has been some smooth sailing such as Villanova becoming the sixth champion to win all of its tourney games by at least 12 points, but it usually is a rugged road en route to becoming NCAA kingpin such as North Carolina last year when the Tar Heels won their last three playoff games by an average of three points. Carolina '09 was the 12th NCAA Tournament champion to win all of its playoff games by double-digit margins. The first nine champions in this category came before the NCAA field was expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
Most titlists have near-death experiences and are severely tested at least once on the serpentine tourney trail. In 1997, Arizona won each of its playoff contests by a single-digit margin.
A total of 50 champions won a minimum of one playoff game by fewer than five, including 23 titlists to win at least one contest by just one point. Wyoming '43 would have become the only champion to trail at halftime in every tournament game if the Cowboys didn't score the last three baskets of the first half in the national final to lead Georgetown at intermission (18-16). Four titlists trailed at intermission in both of their Final Four games - Kentucky '51, Louisville '86, Duke '92 and Kentucky '98.
UCLA '67, the first varsity season for Lew Alcindor (became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), set the record for largest average margin of victory for a champion when the Bruins started a dazzling streak of 10 consecutive Final Four appearances. They won their 12 NCAA playoff games with Alcindor manning the middle by an amazing average margin of 21.5 points.
Which of John Wooden's 10 national champion UCLA teams did the Wizard of Westwood perceive as his best?
"I've never come out and said it," Wooden said before passing away two years ago, "but it would be hard to pick a team over the 1968 team. I will say it would be the most difficult team to prepare for and play against offensively and defensively. It created so many problems. It had such great balance. We had the big center (Alcindor) who is the most valuable player of all time. Mike Warren was a three-year starter who may have been the most intelligent floor leader ever, going eight complete games once without a turnover. Lucius Allen was a very physical, talented individual who was extremely quick. Lynn Shackleford was a great shooter out of the corner who didn't allow defenses to sag on Jabbar. Mike Lynn didn't have power, but he had as fine a pair of hands around the boards as I have ever seen."
The roster for UCLA's 1968 national champion included six players with double-digit season scoring averages, but senior forward Edgar Lacey dropped off the team with an 11.9-point average following a dispute with Wooden after a ballyhooed mid-season defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome. Lacey, assigned to defend Cougars star Elvin Hayes early in the game, was annoyed with Wooden for singling him out following Hayes' 29-point first-half outburst. Lacey, the leading rebounder for the Bruins' 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 campaign because of a fractured left kneecap.
The three Lew-CLA teams rank among the seven NCAA champions with average margins of victory in a tournament of more than 19 points per game. It's no wonder a perceptive scribe wrote the acronym NCAA took on a new meaning during the plunderous Alcindor Era - "No Chance Against Alcindor."
"Bill Walton might have been a better all-around player (than Alcindor)," Wooden said. "If you were grading a player for every fundamental skill, Walton would rank the highest of any center who ever played. But Alcindor is the most valuable, owing to the pressure he put on the other team at both ends of the court."
UNC won all six of its playoff contests by double digits in 2009 but the only titlist to win all of its tournament games by more than 15 points was Ohio State '60. Center Jerry Lucas, a first-team All-American as a sophomore, averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds in four playoff contests for the Buckeyes. He collected 36 points and 25 rebounds to help them erase a six-point halftime deficit in their Mideast Regional opener against Western Kentucky.
Duke's five kingpins under Mike Krzyzewski have all come with average winning margin of at least 12.5 points per playoff game. Following is the breakdown of point differential and average margin of victory in NCAA playoffs for first 80 national champions:
*All-time tournament record (111-42 first-round victory over Tennessee Tech).
NOTE: Fifteen teams participated in a total of 21 overtime games en route to national titles - Utah (1944), North Carolina (two triple-overtime Final Four games in 1957), Cincinnati (1961), Loyola of Chicago (1963), Texas Western (two in 1966, including a double overtime), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1974), UCLA (two in 1975), Louisville (two in 1980), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1983), Michigan (1989), Duke (1992), North Carolina (1993), Arizona (two in 1997), Kentucky (1998), Kansas (2008) and Connecticut (2014).
Senior Moments: No Seniors Among Champion Nova's Eight-Man Rotation
Half of roster was comprised of redshirts of one kind or another, but Villanova's senior-less eight-man regular rotation showed again why a senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since Villanova captured the NCAA crown in 1985 when the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams. National titlists UConn '11, Florida '06 and Arizona '97 also didn't have a senior among their top six scorers.
Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers, which is what ACC rival Duke had three years ago. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - featured seniors as their top two scorers. Following is a look at the vital seniors for the last 34 basically youthful championship teams (in reverse order):
2018 - Villanova (no one among eight-man rotation was a senior)
2017 - North Carolina (three of 10-man rotation were seniors/Kennedy Meeks was third-leading scorer, Isaiah Hicks was fourth and Nate Britt was eighth).
2016 - Villanova (two of eight-man rotation were seniors/Ryan Arcidiacono was third-leading scorer and Daniel Ochefu was fourth).
2015 - Duke (one of eight-man rotation was a senior/Quinn Cook was second-leading scorer).
2014 - Connecticut (four of top 10 scorers were seniors/Shabazz Napier was leading scorer, Niels Giffey was fourth, Lasan Kromah was fifth and Tyler Olander was 10th).
2013 - Louisville (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Peyton Siva was second-leading scorer).
2012 - Kentucky (one of top seven scorers was a senior/Darius Miller was fifth-leading scorer).
2011 - Connecticut (none of top six scorers was a senior).
2010 - Duke (three of nine-man rotation were seniors/Jon Scheyer was leading scorer, Brian Zoubek was fourth and Lance Thomas was sixth).
2009 - North Carolina (two of top eight in scoring average were seniors/Tyler Hansbrough was leading scorer and Danny Green was fourth).
2008 - Kansas (one of top six scorers was a senior/Darnell Jackson was fourth-leading scorer).
2007 - Florida (two of nine-man rotation were seniors/Lee Humphrey was fifth and Chris Richard was sixth).
2006 - Florida (none of top seven scorers was a senior).
2005 - North Carolina (one of top five scorers was a senior/Jawad Williams was third).
2004 - Connecticut (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Taliek Brown was sixth).
2003 - Syracuse (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Keith Duany was fourth).
2002 - Maryland (three of top eight regulars were seniors/Juan Dixon was top scorer, Lonny Baxter was second and Byron Mouton was fourth).
2001 - Duke (two of top nine scorers were seniors/Shane Battier was second and Nate James was fifth).
2000 - Michigan State (three of top 11 scorers were seniors/Morris Peterson was first, Mateen Cleaves was second and A.J. Granger was fifth).
1999 - Connecticut (one of top seven scorers was a senior/Ricky Moore was fifth).
1998 - Kentucky (two of top seven scorers were seniors/Jeff Sheppard was first and Allen Edwards was fifth).
1997 - Arizona (none of top seven scorers was a senior).
1996 - Kentucky (three of top 10 scorers were seniors/Tony Delk was first, Walter McCarty was third and Mark Pope was sixth).
1995 - UCLA (three of top seven scorers were seniors/Ed O'Bannon was first, Tyus Edney was second and George Zidek was fourth).
1994 - Arkansas (one of top 10 scorers was a senior/Roger Crawford was eighth).
1993 - North Carolina (one of top seven scorers was a senior/George Lynch was second).
1992 - Duke (two of top 10 scorers were seniors/Christian Laettner was first and Brian Davis was fifth).
1991 - Duke (one of top 10 scorers was a senior/Greg Koubek was seventh).
1990 - UNLV (two of top eight scorers were seniors/David Butler was third and Moses Scurry was sixth).
1989 - Michigan (two of top 11 scorers were seniors/Glen Rice was first and Mark Hughes was sixth).
1988 - Kansas (two of top 11 scorers were seniors/Danny Manning was first and Chris Piper was fourth).
1987 - Indiana (two of top eight scorers were seniors/Steve Alford was first and Daryl Thomas was second).
1986 - Louisville (three of top nine scorers were seniors/Billy Thompson was first, Milt Wagner was second and Jeff Hall was fifth).
1985 - Villanova (three of top eight scorers were seniors/Ed Pinckney was first, Dwayne McClain was second and Gary McLain was fourth).
One Shining Moment: Big East Basement Dweller Defeated NCAA Champ Nova
St. John's tied for last place in the Big East Conference but it had "One Shining Moment" this campaign by winning at Villanova before the Wildcats went on to capture the NCAA Tournament title. From a historical perspective, only Northwestern '79 notched a worse league record despite upsetting national titlist-to-be.
All-time great Wilt Chamberlain's final season at Kansas in 1958 included one of the most amazing turnarounds in NCAA history. Nebraska, in the midst of 15 consecutive losing campaigns, was clobbered at Kansas by 56 points (102-46) before upsetting the Jayhawks (43-41) four games later in Omaha. In the Huskers' next outing, they defeated top-ranked Kansas State (55-48) after the Wildcats overwhelmed them by a total of 46 points in two previous match-ups. Nebraska never has won an NCAA Tournament game, making the Huskers treasure the moment even more when their second-division squad upended NCAA champion-to-be Kansas in the regular season in 1988.
Cincinnati, compiling only one winning record in Metro Conference competition (8-6 in 1985) in a 12-year span from 1978 through 1989, is the lone school registering a losing mark in a season it won a road game against a league rival later becoming NCAA kingpin. The 12-16 Bearcats, notching a 5-7 Metro worksheet, won at Louisville (84-82) midway through 1985-86 when guard Roger McClendon poured in 24 of his 35 points in the second half. The Cardinals recovered from their only home-court loss that year and the embarrassment of squandering a 13-point, second-half lead against Cincy to wind up capturing the NCAA title.
Michigan State dominated the 1979 NCAA tourney, handing all five playoff opponents, a quintet averaging 25.6 victories, their worst defeat of the year - Lamar (31-point margin), LSU (16), Notre Dame (12), Penn (34) and Indiana State (11). Consequently, most observers don't remember the glaring defect of the Magic Johnson-led Spartans earlier in the season when they succumbed to four Big Ten Conference second-division members (including three finishing at least four games below .500 in league play). One of MSU's setbacks was by 18 points against perennial cellar dweller Northwestern.
Florida '98 is the only school at least four games below .500 in league play to win on the road against a conference opponent (Kentucky) finishing season with an NCAA playoff crown. Following is a chronological list of the 12 schools at least four games under .500 in conference competition despite defeating league foe ending season as NCAA titlist:
| Second-Division Team | League | League Mark | Overall Mark | Upset Against Eventual NCAA Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State '39 | PCC | 6-10 | 13-11 | Beavers defeated Oregon, 50-31 |
| Oregon '59 | PCC | 3-13 | 9-16 | Ducks defeated California, 59-57 |
| Illinois '79 | Big Ten | 7-11 | 19-11 | Illini defeated Michigan State, 57-55 |
| Northwestern '79 | Big Ten | 2-16 | 6-21 | Wildcats defeated Michigan State, 83-65 |
| Wisconsin '79 | Big Ten | 6-12 | 12-15 | Badgers defeated Michigan State, 83-81 |
| Nebraska '88 | Big Eight | 4-10 | 13-18 | Huskers defeated Kansas, 70-68 |
| Florida '98 | SEC | 6-10 | 14-15 | Gators won at Kentucky, 86-78 |
| Rutgers '03 | Big East | 4-12 | 12-16 | Scarlet Knights defeated Syracuse, 68-65 |
| South Carolina '06 | SEC | 6-10 | 23-15 | Gamecocks defeated Florida, 68-62 |
| Louisiana State '07 | SEC | 5-11 | 17-15 | Tigers defeated Florida, 66-56 |
| North Carolina State '10 | ACC | 5-11 | 20-16 | Wolfpack defeated Duke, 88-74 |
| St. John's '18 | Big East | 4-14 | 16-17 | Red Storm defeated Villanova, 79-75 |
We Marred the Champions: Butler & Creighton Post 1st Wins vs. NCAA Titlist
Notre Dame has a significant lead in compiling the most all-time victories against teams in a season the opponent went on to capture the NCAA championship. The Fighting Irish, boasting 14 such triumphs despite never winning a Final Four contest, are joined by Kentucky (eight), Maryland (eight), St. John's (eight), Duke (seven), Indiana (seven), Louisville (seven), Virginia (seven) and Wake Forest (seven) as the only schools defeating more than six eventual NCAA playoff titlists. Louisville leveled Connecticut a total of five times in 2011 and 2014.
St. John's (Georgetown '84/Villanova '85/Louisville '86) and Illinois (Indiana '87/Kansas '88/Michigan/'89) are the only schools to upend three different NCAA champions-to-be in as many years. Wake Forest knocked off four different North Carolina titlists in a 28-year span (1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009). Saint Louis, which kayoed four different national kingpins in a 13-year span from 1949 through 1961 (champions combining to win 94.3% of their other games those seasons), never has reached an NCAA tourney regional final.
In 2018, Butler and Creighton each collected their first-ever triumph against an NCAA titlist. Michigan State, despite advancing to seven Final Fours under coach Tom Izzo, never has beaten a school during the season the opponent eventually captured an NCAA championship. Other prominent universities with that dubious distinction include Arizona State, Baylor, Brigham Young, Colorado, Dayton, Penn State, Saint Joseph's, San Francisco, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
Surprisingly, Northwestern has notched three triumphs against NCAA titlists despite never participating in the national tourney until 2017. Additional schools with more wins against NCAA kingpins during the regular season than playoff victories include Bowling Green (one tourney triumph), Nebraska (winless), Niagara (two tourney wins), Texas-Pan American (never appeared) and Wright State (winless). DII Alaska-Anchorage is among more than 25 non-power league members on the following alphabetical list of schools defeating NCAA DI champions-to-be:
NOTE: During World War II, NCAA champions Stanford lost to the Athens Club in 1942, Wyoming lost at Denver Legion in 1943, Utah lost to Ft. Warren, Salt Lake AB and Dow Chemical in 1944 and Oklahoma A&M lost to NATTS Skyjackets in 1945.
Better Late Than Not: League Non-Titlists Go On to Win NCAA Championship
Connecticut wasn't a regular-season league champion any of the three times the Huskies went on to earn an NCAA title in an 11-year span (2004-11-14). NCAA kingpins UConn '11 and Villanova '85 both finished six games behind the Big East Conference regular-season champ. National tourney runner-up Michigan '18 also had been there/done that - capture NCAA Tournament title in 1989 after failing to win regular-season conference championship. Nova, after dropping half of the Wildcats' Big East assignments in a six-game span down the stretch, finished runner-up to Xavier by one game. They are among the following list of power-league school NCAA titlists failing to at least tie for regular-season title since multiple conference members were allowed to participate in playoffs when field was expanded to 32 teams in 1975 (in reverse order):
| Year | NCAA Champion (League/Finish) | Regular-Season Titlist(s) | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Villanova (Big East/2nd) | Xavier (15-3) | 1 |
| 2015 | Duke (ACC/2nd) | Virginia (16-2) | 1 |
| 2014 | Connecticut (AAC/T3rd) | Cincinnati/Louisville (15-3) | 3 |
| 2011 | Connecticut (Big East/T9th) | Pittsburgh (15-3) | 6 |
| 2006 | Florida (SEC East/2nd) | Tennessee (12-4) | 2 |
| 2004 | Connecticut (Big East/2nd) | Pittsburgh (13-3) | 1 |
| 1997 | Arizona (Pacific-10/5th) | UCLA (15-3) | 4 |
| 1989 | Michigan (Big Ten/3rd) | Indiana (15-3) | 3 |
| 1988 | Kansas (Big Eight/3rd) | Oklahoma (12-2) | 3 |
| 1985 | Villanova (Big East/3rd) | St. John's (15-1) | 6 |
| 1983 | North Carolina State (ACC/T3rd) | North Carolina/Virginia (12-2) | 4 |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on April 2 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season unfolds, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only four percent of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 2
In 2001, San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC basketball second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) became the fifth player in N.L. history to spend 20-plus years playing his entire career with one franchise.
New York Mets manager Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948), two days shy of his 48th birthday, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972 after playing a round of golf in West Palm Beach with his coaches on Easter Sunday.
RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman for Hampden-Sydney VA in mid-1950s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Washington Senators in 1966.
LF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85), debuting with the Cleveland Indians, whacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh inning in a 9-7 decision over the Oakland A's in 1997.
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tourney Trivia Challenge (Day #23)
CollegeHoopedia.com hopes the rigors of our daily Q&A didn't give you an inferiority complex. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, this is the climax of 23 days featuring a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from (10 per day from Selection Sunday until a grand finale added value of 20 on the day of the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only automatic qualifier to enter the NCAA playoffs with an overall losing record despite compiling a winning conference mark. Hint: The school lost in first round to nation's top-ranked team, an opponent the school succumbed to four seasons earlier when eventual NBA guard Lindsey Hunter scored a then school-record 48 points.
2. Name the only one of the different teams to twice defeat an eventual NCAA champion in their title season to not appear in the NCAA Tournament that year. Hint: A former NBA coach guided the school to its only NCAA playoff victory against an opponent whose coach also later coached in NBA.
3. Name the only team since seeding started to reach the Final Four without meeting a top eight seed. Hint: The team was eliminated in national semifinals.
4. Name the only school to twice be denied an at-large bid in a 10-year span despite going undefeated in regular-season conference competition. Hint: The school reached a regional final next time it went unbeaten in league play.
5. Name the only school in the 20th Century to compete for the national championship in both football and basketball in the same academic school year. Hint: The school lost both games.
6. Who is the only individual to win tournament games while coaching schools from the three conferences with the top winning percentages in NCAA Tournament competition reflecting actual membership (ACC, Big East and Big Ten)? Hint: He is the only coach to win playoff games with as many as three different schools when they were seeded ninth or worse.
7. Who is the only coach to win national championships in junior college, the NIT and the NCAA. Hint: He won the NIT in his first year as a major college head coach.
8. Who is the only leading scorer in an NCAA Tournament championship game to subsequently serve as an admiral in the U.S. Navy? Hint: He was an NCAA consensus first-team All-America the next season before eventually commanding aircraft carrier Saratoga for two years.
9. Who is the only championship game starter in the 20th Century to be the son of a former NCAA consensus All-American? Hint: The father was a U.S. Olympic team member and the star player for first black coach at a predominantly white Division I school.
10. Name the only teammate twosome to each score more than 25 points in an NCAA final. Hint: They combined for 53 points to lead their school to its first of multiple NCAA Tournament titles.
11. Name the only starting backcourt to combine for more than 50 points in a Final Four game. Hint: They combined to shoot 39 percent from the floor in two Final Four games that year.
12. Who is the only individual to coach teams in the NAIA Tournament, NCAA Division III Tournament, NCAA Division II Tournament, National Invitation Tournament and NCAA Division I Tournament? Hint: He took two different schools to the five levels of national postseason competition in a 13-year span beginning with an appearance as an interim head coach.
13. Who is the only individual to be the team-high scorer for both winning and losing teams in NCAA championship games although his season scoring average was less than half of the team leader each year? Hint: He played in the shadow of an All-American whose total of points and rebounds (4,663) is highest in NCAA history.
14. Who is the only coach to guide teams from the same school to the football Rose Bowl and basketball Final Four? Hint: The Rose Bowl and Final Four appearances were 17 years apart.
15. Name the only son of a member of one of the first classes of baseball Hall of Fame selections to start for a school in its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Hint: The son pitched for four major league teams before becoming a prominent executive. His father was a first baseman.
16. Name the only school to reach the Final Four and College World Series championship game in the same year. Hint: The school advanced to Final Four again the next season.
17. Who is the only coach to win three first-round games with teams seeded 12th or worse? Hint: The former coach was 4-1 in tournament games decided by fewer than five points. He played basketball at Fordham when NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi was the Rams' freshman basketball coach.
18. Name the school that won all four of its first-round games despite being seeded eighth or worse each time. Hint: The four victories came in first five tournaments after NCAA introduced seeding.
19. Name the only school to appear in at least three NCAA Tournaments in the 20th Century and reach a regional final each time. Hint: The school's playoff appearances were in successive years.
20. Who is the only player to obtain NCAA and NBA championship rings without participating in postseason competition for either the college or pro title teams? Hint: The 7-0 center was in his first year with both of championship squads.
Last of Unbeatens: MAC Attacks String of Seasons Sans Undefeated Squad
Indiana, the last NCAA Division I school to go undefeated (32-0 in 1975-76), is also the last team to go unbeaten in Big Ten Conference play. The Mid-American (60 straight years) is the only league posting a longer active streak than the Big Ten without an undefeated team in conference competition.
Analyst Dick Vitale, rather than chronically currying favor with the big boys energizing ESPN elitism, should always promote the MAC. After all, he has firsthand experience dealing with the league, losing his first six games against MAC members when coaching Detroit.
The Big East Conference, Northeast Conference and Summit League never have had an undefeated club since their alliances were formed in the early 1980s. Following are the seven longest current streaks without a team going unbeaten in league competition:
| Conference (Years) | Last Unbeaten Team in League Play | Coach (Overall Record) |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-American (60) | Miami (Ohio) in 1957-58 | Dick Shrider (18-9) |
| Big Ten (42) | Indiana in 1975-76 | Bob Knight (32-0) |
| Pac-12 (40) | UCLA in 1977-78 | Gary Cunningham (25-3) |
| Big East (39) | None since inaugural year (1979-80) | never achieved in league |
| Northeast (37) | None since inaugural year (1981-82) | never achieved in league |
| Summit League (36) | None since inaugural year (1982-83) | never achieved in league |
| Colonial (35) | William & Mary in 1982-83 | Bruce Parkhill (20-9) |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Making Mark on April 1 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season unfolds this week, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only four percent of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Former college hoopers Tom Dettore (Juniata PA) and Paul Popovich (West Virginia) were traded for each other at MLB level on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 1 calendar of trades focusing on several such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 1
OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA basketball titlist) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Cleveland Indians in 1958.
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Angels in 1961.
OF-1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985.
INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Tom Dettore (averaged 14.1 ppg and 9 rpg for Juniata PA in 1965-66) and cash in 1974.
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tourney Trivia Challenge (Day #22)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 22 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only player to lead an NCAA Tournament team in season scoring and rebounding before becoming the only NCAA playoff participant to subsequently appear in both the NBA Finals and World Series. Hint: He became his alma mater's athletic director.
2. Name the only championship team to have two guards be its top two scorers for the season. Hint: It's the only school to win an NCAA title the year after losing an NCAA Tournament opener by a double-digit margin.
3. Who is the only individual to play for an NCAA champion, NBA champion and ABA champion? Hint: The 6-2 swingman averaged almost three times as many rebounds per game for back-to-back NCAA titlists as he did points per game in his pro career.
4. Name the only school to lose an NCAA Tournament game in which it connected on at least three-fourths of its field-goal attempts. Hint: The school's leading scorer in that game was a freshman who went on to average at least 22 points per game in four tourneys, including first-round games against No. 3 and No. 4 seeds his last three years.
5. Who is the only player to hit a game-winning basket in an NCAA final one year and become a consensus All-American for another university the next season? Hint: He was a second-team All-American the same season a former teammate was first-team All-American one year after being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player as freshman.
6. Name the only team to defeat three #1 seeds in a single tourney. Hint: The three #1 seeds were three winningest schools in history of major-college basketball. The champion is only team needing at least four games to win NCAA title to have all of its playoff games decided by single-digit margins. It is also the only titlist to finish as low as fifth place in its conference standings.
7. Name the only NCAA championship team to have four freshman starters. Hint: Two of the freshmen were among three starters who also excelled in a sport other than basketball.
8. Who is the only Final Four coach to previously lead the nation in a statistical category as a major-college player? Hint: He coached his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament six years later before guiding another school to Final Four twice in a four-year span.
9. Name the only school to appear in the NCAA Tournament under two coaches who subsequently became NBA coach of the year. Hint: The school participated in NCAA playoffs under these individuals in back-to-back seasons before they earned their NBA awards in a five-year span.
10. Who is the only player to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for an NIT semifinalist one year and an NCAA semifinalist the next season? Hint: After earning an NIT Most Valuable Player award, he helped his school become the first member of a first-year conference to reach NCAA Final Four.
Dead Teams Walking: Colgate Almost Left Brown as Only Club Sans 20 Wins
Colgate (19-14) nearly erased a striking shortcoming this campaign. New Hampshire, after reaching the 20-win plateau for the first time in school history in 2015-16, duplicated the feat again in 2016-17. After UNH shed a big blemish on its hoops resume, Brown and Colgate remained the only long-time NCAA Division I schools never to be part of a 20-win season at the major-college level. Harvard and Northwestern reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in school annals in 2009-10.
Following is a summary of how Brown and Colgate have been mired in mediocrity as the only institutions never to post a 20-win campaign despite participating at the NCAA Division I level more than 60 years:
| School | Most Victories (Season/Coach) | Sizing Up Recent State of Longstanding Futility |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | 19-10 (2007-08/Craig Robinson) | two winning records in last 14 years |
| Colgate | 19-14 (2017-18/Matt Langel) | four winning records in last 23 years |
Final Deplore: National Semifinalists Not Anywhere as Clean as Sister Jean
If truly tainted by scandal, shouldn't this year's Final Four have featured some sort of combination among FBI-fixated/female fatalists Arizona, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and USC? Unless your mindset resembles rose-colored glasses donning Gov./interim school prez John Engler and place some credence in merits of a recent lawsuit against MSU, players such as John Doe 1, 2 and 3 feel entitled to relieve stress and/or capitalize on notoriety from participating in national semifinals.
Unless you're a permanent resident of Pollyannaville, the Final Four isn't nearly as clean as high-flying nun Sister Jean. Celebrated coaches, occasionally recruiting anyone with a pulse if they exhibit hoop skills, expect us to believe prize prospects arrive on campus as authentic student-athletes knowing precisely how to assemble class schedule without silver-platter input citing no-risk-to-eligibility courses. The academic anemia is as disgusting as much as Charles Barkley barks about #TheDonald's presidency. Any "stable genius" knows nothing could be further from the truth amid the institutional self-interest. What was the average SAT score differential between the suspect individuals below and the everyday student attending same institutions?
For decades, this scholastic sham has been stacking up as a farce devaluing many diplomas and denigrating the mission of higher education. The NCAA Tournament is tremendous, but has blemishes including a striking number of the following former Final Four scholars who plummeted from their lofty All-American pedestal:
Lew Alcindor, UCLA (coached by John Wooden) - Two-time national player of the year and three-time Final Four MOP in late 1960s ran into trouble with law over marijuana twice in two years at the turn of 21st Century (paid fine after surrendering small amount to officers at Toronto airport and arrested on suspicion of driving under influence). Islamic convert Kareem Abdul-Jabbar offended majority of patriotic Americans by comparing national anthem to slaves singing songs during manual labor. To that bitter end depicted in book Showtime describing disdain for white people, doubt that Kareem "feels" differently in morning than Barack Obama about Arabic call to prayer.
Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech (Bobby Cremins) - Despite earning close to $63 million in his NBA career, the second-leading scorer and leader in assists for 1990 Final Four squad declared bankruptcy shortly after retiring in 2005. "When you're an athlete, there is always someone holding your hand, helping you get it done, guiding your every step," said Anderson, who had seven children from five different women. "But that NBA lifestyle isn't real. It can gobble you up. And it did me." Anderson was fired from his coaching job at a small Jewish high school in south Florida following his arrest in Pembroke Pines, Fla., at about 4:30 a.m. in late April 2013 after police allegedly saw him driving in and out of his lane. He also was arrested in Miranar, Fla., in mid-December 2011 after leaving the scene following crashing his vehicle into two trees along a swale. In a documentary (Mr. Chibbs), Anderson said he was sexually molested by a Queens neighbor during his childhood.
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2003 NCAA titlist was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at 4 a.m. in mid-April 2008 after one of his worst games of the NBA season in Denver. He was suspended for 25 contests during the 2006-07 campaign for punching New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins in the face during one of the NBA's worst brawls. Took up the mantle of the "stop snitchin'" movement, appearing in an underground DVD circulated in his hometown of Baltimore in 2004 encouraging those who are questioned by the police to refuse to "snitch" on drug dealers, murderers and other criminals. Suspended for one game without pay midway through the 2012-13 campaign for confronting an opposing player (Boston's Kevin Garnett) multiple times (in the arena tunnel, near the players' locker rooms and in the parking garage) following a loss against the Celtics.
Marvin Barnes, Providence (Dave Gavitt) - Unanimous first-team All-American in 1973-74 was arrested for a variety of things - trespassing, being under the influence of narcotics, burglary of a locked vehicle. Homeless in San Diego, he stole X-rated videos to sell for drug money. Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for 1973 Final Four team claimed his cocaine addiction escalated to the point where he snorted the drug on the Boston Celtics' bench during a game. Barnes contends he hit rock bottom during one of his drug-related prison stints when he almost killed a fellow inmate. Barnes attended the John Lucas Treatment Center in Houston and worked as a director at a halfway house before encountering liver problems. In mid-May 2007, he was arrested by state police on a felony charge of cocaine possession. In mid-January 2012, Barnes, 59, was arraigned in Rhode Island on a charge of soliciting a 17-year-old minor for sex after they met through his Rebound Foundation for at-risk youths. In 1972, he was charged with assault after allegedly hitting PC teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron following a scrimmage. Barnes once asked Providence Journal columnist Bill Reynolds if cocaine kills brain cells before saying: "I must have been a genius when I started out." While incarcerated, Barnes also told Reynolds: "Here I am trying to get myself straightened out and they come out with a brand-new drug (crystal meth)."
William Bedford, Memphis State (Dana Kirk) - All-American as a junior in 1985-86 was arrested in February 2001 after Taylor, Mich., police said they found 25 pounds of marijuana in his car. Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1985 Final Four squad subsequently served time in a Fort Worth, Tex., prison on drug-related charges. In 1987, he was subpoenaed by a Maricopa County (Ariz.) grand jury investigating drug use among Phoenix Suns players and testified against his teammates after receiving immunity. In March 1988, Bedford admitted he was addicted to cocaine and marijuana and was committed to the NBA's treatment facility in Van Nuys, Calif. Known as "Willie B" - as in "Will he be at practice?" - Bedford relapsed the following October and was readmitted to the clinic. When he returned, his behavior on and off the court grew more erratic. He received a dozen traffic tickets and 10 license suspensions in less than four years. In September 1997, Bedford, who was on three years probation at the time, tested positive for cocaine and was sent to a Texas state jail for one year. Also arrested in Texas for failing to pay more than $300,000 in child support.
Charlie Bell, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Third arrest of 2011 came in December when the three-time Final Four participant showed up drunk to the court hearing regarding his previous arrest, an October 2011 DUI. All-American point guard as senior in 2000-01 was also arrested for DUI in February of same year. His estranged wife, a former Miss Michigan USA, was arrested in spring of 2011 for allegedly stabbing Bell with a box cutter.
Mike Bibby, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Police investigated sexual abuse harassment accusations made against second-leading scorer as freshman of 1997 NCAA titlist while coaching his high school alma mater (winning five titles in six years this decade).
Daron "Mookie" Blaylock, Oklahoma (Billy Tubbs) - Leader in assists and steals for 1988 NCAA Tournament runner-up was busted in 1997 when drug sniffing dogs uncovered marijuana on him in a Vancouver, Canada airport. Second-team All-American was arrested around 4 a.m. in early March 1989 and charged with public drunkenness following a report of an argument at a convenience store. He was charged with vehicular homicide arising from a head-on crash killing a mother of five in suburban Atlanta in late May 2013. Blaylock, accused of driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain his lane in the crash, was also wanted on charges of failure to appear in court, DUI and drug possession. Bond was set at $250,000 stemming from a criminal record including six DUIs in a six-year span from late 2007 to late 2013 (one when blood alcohol content was 4 1/2 times legal limit) before he pleaded guilty (term reduced to seven years - suspended after three - and eight years' probation according to a plea deal). Prior to the crash, a doctor had ordered Blaylock (treated for seizures) not to drive, prosecutors said. A former Hawks ball-boy told SI that Blaylock was stoned a large part of the time he played for Atlanta after spending many game days at a strip club.
Marcus Camby, Massachusetts (John Calipari) - National POY in 1996 as leading scorer and rebounder with Final Four team was arrested for possession of marijuana in mid-June 1997. Also arrested by Pearland, Tex., police in mid-September 2011 in black Porsche and charged with marijuana possession. Admitted accepting thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry, rental cars and prostitutes from agents while in college.
Howard Carter, Louisiana State (Dale Brown) - Charged in the spring of 1995 with buying and using drugs after French police arrested him and seized a dose of heroin. He was arrested with five suspected drug dealers in the stairwell of a building shortly before his team was slated to play. Carter, a two-time All-American who averaged 15.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for LSU from 1979-80 through 1982-83 and appeared in the 1981 Final Four, took out French citizenship and played for the country's national team.
Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State (Jim Valvano) - All-American as junior in 1983-84 stolen two pizzas from delivery boy while in summer session in 1982. Brooklyn native was handed a 10-year suspended sentence for larceny, made to perform 300 hours of community service, do some custodial work for police department and undergo psychiatric counseling. Charles went from doghouse at start of 1982-83 campaign to penthouse in NCAA Tournament title game with decisive dunk vs. heavily-favored Houston.
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Two-time Big Ten Conference MVP and 2000 Final Four MOP arrested in mid-March 2010 on suspicion of drunken driving but ended up leading to careless driving. Sexual assault charges dismissed in 2016 after he was charged with false imprisonment by woman who said she was driven to a motel and attacked following a Flint-area charity golf outing and trip to local bar for drinks. Faced misdemeanor charges of stealing beer while in college but that case eventually was dropped.
Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - The Big East Conference's 1990 MVP was stopped in Farmington Hills, Mich., at 3:30 a.m. in late July 2002 for speeding (120 mph in a 70 mph zone) and taken into custody after refusing a breathalyzer test. Arrested in late October 1999 in Charlotte for driving while under the influence after the vehicle he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. A couple of months earlier, he was accused of urinating in front of patrons at a downtown Detroit Chinese restaurant and charged with disorderly conduct. Leading rebounder for 1987 national runner-up also faced a civil lawsuit in Michigan in which he was accused of trespassing and battery at a Detroit woman's home in 1997. In summer of 1995, he was arrested and charged with refusing to move his truck and swearing at a police officer in Detroit. Despite earning an estimated $87 million in his NBA career, he owed creditors $4.7 million after a series of poor real estate investments in Detroit. In college, Coleman was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to make restitution for damage after pleading guilty to charges of harassment and disorderly conduct at a campus dance.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Louisiana State (John Brady) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2006 Final Four team as SEC Player of the Year was arrested at a Hampton Inn in Baltimore suburb in early February 2018 with a quarter of a pound of marijuana and $92,000 in cash. Arrested a couple of months later for felony assault with intent to cause great bodily injury. When confronted by a man he apparently almost struck with his vehicle outside a West Hollywood nightclub, Davis allegedly picked up the victim and slammed him on the concrete (facial fractures, broken tooth and broken ribs).
Raymond Felton, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2004-05 as leader in assists and steals for NCAA titlist was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted knowingly having a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a pistol without a license in his Manhattan apartment. The attorney for his estranged wife turned a semiautomatic firearm into police in late February 2014 after alleging Felton used gun to "intimidate" her during domestic disputes.
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Leading scorer for 1982 NCAA Tournament runner-up was arrested in early January 1996 in a Houston suburb on charge of misdemeanor assault after a fight with his wife.
Joseph Forte, North Carolina (Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty) - Maryland state police arrested leading scorer for 2000 Final Four team in early May, 2003, after finding marijuana and a handgun in his car on a trip back from New York, where he met his idol, rapper Jay-Z. Two-time All-ACC guard (1999-00 and 2000-01) also faced an assault charge when he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game. Questions linger about his mother being hired by the sports agency he subsequently affiliated with upon leaving school early.
Jack "Goose" Givens, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall) - Final Four MVP in 1978 found not guilty following arrest during summer of 2004 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation of 14-year-old girl after giving her a private basketball lesson at her home while parents were away. Givens acknowledged "bad judgment" via instant-message conversations with the girl, some involving sexual topics, and apologized for "whatever she assumed I did" during a taped phone call with her. A police affidavit said the girl's grandmother was at the home, called the girl's mother twice at her work to report what she thought was inappropriate behavior in the swimming pool and later called the girl out of her bedroom out of concern for her well-being. After first 14 years of the franchise, Givens' contract as a color analyst for the Orlando Magic was not renewed.
Ben Gordon, Connecticut (Jim Calhoun) - Scoring leader for 2004 NCAA titlist was arrested during 2002-03 season for allegedly slapping a female student. Fiancee Sascha Smith was involved in an early-morning brawl at a Charlotte nightclub in mid-December 2012 that landed Tyrus Thomas' wife in jail. Four run-ins with the law in six-month span in 2017 (arrested in early June after allegedly pulling multiple fire alarms at his L.A. apartment complex, hospitalized for a psych evaluation in his hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., in October after cops responded to a confrontation he had with a woman at his sports rehab center-owned business, arrested in mid-November in New York City for driving with forged license plate and arrested in late November for felony robbery of apartment manager over his security deposit).
Mark Jackson, St. John's (Lou Carnesecca) - In the summer of 2012, a salacious story unfolded as a stripper and co-conspirator were busted for a purported $200,000 extortion plot against Jackson, who moonlighted as a minister at a LA suburb-based non-denominational church, for sending compromising nude photographs during a 2006 affair. The NCAA assists average leader in 1985-86 after participating in Final Four the previous season "shimmied off" being called "a Bible-pounding phony" by ESPN colleague Bob Ryan when the network suspended the venerable ex-Boston Globe columnist for a couple of weeks.
Christian Laettner, Duke (Mike Krzyzewski) - NCAA national player of the year in 1991-92 was suspended for five NBA games in 2003-04 after violating the league's drug policy. Four-time Final Four participant (MOP in 1991) was sued multiple times for failure to repay loans, including $671,309 owed to former teammate Johnny Dawkins. In 2010, Laettner's attorney said his client had $10 million in assets and $40 million in debt. His $3.65 million mansion outside Jacksonville, Fla., was foreclosed on in 2015. In the fall of 2016, a federal judge dismissed an involuntary bankruptcy case against him (five creditors claimed they were among those owed $14.05 million) after he reached a repayment deal his lawyer said should bring a decade of financial woes to a close. He earned $61 million as an NBA player.
Ron Mercer, Kentucky (Rick Pitino) - Leading scorer as All-American for 1997 NCAA Tournament runner-up faced misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a scuffle in a Nashville strip club in April 2007. Police said Mercer punched a bouncer in the face. He was sued along with Chauncey Billups for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court (Walker sued for failing to stop alleged incident after socializing at Boston comedy club before also settling). In August 2013, a jury sided with Mercer in a lawsuit brought by an ex-girlfriend over the ownership of a $45,000 Range Rover.
Greg Oden, Ohio State (Thad Matta) - All-American center as freshman in 2006-07 was formally charged with battery for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face around 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 2014, at his mother's home in Lawrence, Ind. In a plea agreement, the leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker for 2007 NCAA Tournament runner-up was found guilty of felony battery with moderate bodily injury.
Howard Porter, Villanova (Jack Kraft) - Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1971 served six months in jail for probation violation on a previous drug conviction. "I was a junkie like any other junkie," Porter told the Tampa Tribune. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
Jason Richardson, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Leading scorer for 2001 Final Four team was found guilty of domestic violence in early summer of 2003 stemming from a dispute with an ex-girlfriend at her home in Saginaw, Mich., resulting in a three-game suspension by the NBA and a one-year probation sentence. Fresh off a DUI arrest, he was pulled over in late 2008 for going 90 mph in a 35-mph zone with his three-year-old son in the back of vehicle (although not in car seat).
Rumeal Robinson, Michigan (Bill Frieder and Steve Fisher) - Best remembered for converting the game-winning free throws in the 1989 NCAA title game against Seton Hall, he was sentenced in early 2011 to 6 1/2 years in jail for financial fraud. The charges against Robinson were bank bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. The two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection borrowed more than $700,000 from a bank in Iowa in 2004, claiming it was for a business. He used the money for personal purposes instead (buying a condominium, cars, furniture and investing in an energy company). He's a bankrupted "strip club addict," according to his adoptive brother. Sparked outrage in his Cambridge, Mass., hometown when he reportedly caused his adoptive mother to be forcibly removed from her home after being tricked into signing a deed that sold a house to Robinson's business associate while receiving no money.
Thomas Robinson, Kansas (Bill Self) - Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2011-12 for NCAA tourney runner-up was cited with misdemeanor battery in spring of 2011 following an incident at a nightclub. The city prosecutor dismissed charge involving spitting on a bouncer, who did not want the prosecution to go forward. Robinson completed 20 hours of community service and agreed to write a letter of apology to the victim.
Derrick Rose, Memphis (John Calipari) - Assists leader and second-leading scorer for 2008 tourney runner-up was cleared with a couple of friends of all charges stemming from a civil rape lawsuit in a Los Angeles court. Rose and his co-defendants maintained the sex was consensual. His fraudulent SAT score resulted in the Tigers' vacating their runner-up finish.
Jalen Rose, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - The Wolverines' leader in assists for back-to-back Final Four teams in 1992 and 1993 was arrested around 2 a.m. in March 2011 on suspicion of drunken driving. Accused of operating a vehicle (Cadillac Escalade) while impaired (said he drank six martinis), he declined to take a Breathalyzer. Rose, who put the unbecoming "Uncle Tom" tag on Duke, was pulled from the air briefly by ESPN for failing to disclose his DUI arrest shortly after the release of a controversial documentary about his time with the Fab Five. Given a speeding ticket only hours after being ordered to serve 93 days in jail (all but 20 of them suspended; served 16 days).
Curtis Rowe, UCLA (John Wooden) - Two-time All-American while playing for three straight NCAA champions from 1969 through 1971 was charged in mid-October 1989 with possession of cocaine after Detroit police said they saw him and a companion throw packets of drugs on the ground. Arrested in late February 2008 in a drug raid in a building on Detroit's west side as officers found him with a baggie containing a substance believed to be heroin on his person.
Clifford Rozier, North Carolina (Dean Smith)/Louisville (Denny Crum) - After years of personal and legal trouble (five arrests and bankruptcy), the 1994 first-team All-American was incarcerated in his hometown of Bradenton, Fla., in May 2001, after being charged with grand theft auto. Rozier, jailed after an accusation of stealing a Manatee County sheriff deputy's personal car, was on the run for about a month before police apprehended him in Orlando. His ex-wife had him committed various times to a psychiatric care facility under Florida's Baker Act. Drug panhandler after participating in 1991 Final Four for UNC had three vehicles repossessed and his liabilities included child support to three women. After spending time in jail cells and psychiatric wards, Rozier lived in a halfway house following a 2006 arrest on an assault charge. Arrested in summer of 1998 on charges of assaulting his mother but the case was dropped. According to a 2010 Sarasota Herald-Tribune story, Rozier was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Brandon Rush, Kansas (Bill Self) - Leading scorer for 2008 NCAA titlist was suspended five games for violating NBA drug policy in late August 2010. Arrested while in college for not appearing in court to settle multiple traffic incidents. Faced family court date in spring of 2008 related to a child-support case.
Ralph Sampson, Virginia (Terry Holland) - Three-time national player of the year from 1981 through 1983 was accused of lying to federal authorities about his finances in a child-support case. Sampson pleaded guilty in 2005 in Richmond to failing to pay about $300,000 in court-ordered child support for two children who live in northern Virginia and have different mothers. Sentencing was postponed after leading rebounder and second-leading rebounder for 1981 Final Four team was indicted on perjury and false claim charges before mail fraud and false-statement allegations were added. In a plea agreement, he was slated to serve two months in jail for mail fraud.
Damon Stoudamire, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Co-Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1994-95 after appearing in Final Four the previous campaign was arrested three times on marijuana-related charges in 2002 and 2003. "You live and you learn," Stoudamire said.
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas (Bill Self) - In the spring of 2015, the assists leader for 2012 NCAA Tournament runner-up allegedly cashed a fake money order for $1,000 cash at a food store in his hometown of Hoboken, N.J. Sustained a dislocated thumb in fall of 2009 in an altercation involving several football and basketball players outside of the student union building. Late in 2010-11 campaign, KU suspended Taylor and a women's hooper for reportedly getting frisky playing unauthorized one-on-one inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Isiah Thomas, Indiana (Bob Knight) - A Detroit TV reporter filed an assault and battery complaint against 1981 Final Four MOP during his NBA playing days with the Detroit Pistons, claiming Thomas choked him and threw him against a car. A jury decided in the fall of 2007 that Thomas sexually harassed a former Knicks team executive, subjecting the former Northwestern basketball player to unwanted advances and a barrage of vulgarity (Madison Square Garden eventually settled for $11.5 million). The CBA almost disbanded after Thomas purchased the minor league before selling his interest in 2000. Multiple CBA executives said Thomas was "rude. . . . very poor business person. . . . doesn't listen to people. . . . makes poor decisions."
David Thompson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - National player of the year in 1973-74 and 1974-75 had well-publicized involvement with cocaine. Final Four MOP in 1974 was accused of assaulting his wife, filed for bankruptcy and suffered a knee injury in a dispute at Studio 54 in New York.
Bernard Toone, Marquette (Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds) - All-American in 1978-79 was charged with attempted grand larceny, criminal possession of burglar's tools and criminal mischief in April 1988 in White Plains, N.Y., after allegedly attempting to steal a car stereo system from a new Porsche. Member of 1977 NCAA titlist had been arrested twice in less than a year in 1985 - charged with third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car radio and pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after he was arrested at a fast-food restaurant in a rental car that had been reported stolen.
Kenny Walker, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton) - Two-time NCAA consensus All-American after helping UK reach 1984 Final Four received seven-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to menacing his wife. He had been arrested in early January 1996 and charged with assault for allegedly choking his spouse.
John Wallace, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - A little over a year after becoming an All-American in 1995-96, his girlfriend withdrew a harassment charge alleging he punched her in the face and choked her during a quarrel over their son. Arrested in Brooklyn for driving with a suspended license in late February 2016. Leading scorer and rebounder for 1996 tourney runner-up also charged in summer of 1996 for failing to follow officers' instructions after issuance of a ticket.
Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1995 Final Four team apologized in court and agreed to perform 50 hours of community service plus seek counseling following accusation of choking the mother of his child while visiting her and the infant over Easter weekend in 1996. Arrested with Portland "Jail Blazers" teammate in late November 2002 in a speeding car in which officers smelled pot.
Chris Webber, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - Leading rebounder for back-to-back NCAA Tournament runner-up teams in 1992 and 1993 was charged with marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer in 1998. He was pulled over and resisted the officer. The vehicle was impounded and traces of marijuana were found inside. Also that year, he was arrested by customs officials for possession of marijuana as he returned from a promotional trip to Puerto Rico. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit in September, 2002, on four felony counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to federal investigators (regarding money laundering tied to a shady UM booster, a bookmaker who was convicted of tax evasion and robbery before dying of a heart attack before he testified against Webber, who subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intent for lying about his role in the scandal). Suspended in mid-February, 2004, for five games by the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program. Sued over the closing of his Sacramento restaurant after signing a 20-year lease in 2005.
Bob "Zeke" Zawoluk, St. John's (Frank McGuire) - All-American in 1950-51 and 1951-52 after scoring school-record 65 points against St. Peter's in 1949-50 had turbulent life including vast emotional instability, an arson rap, crack addiction, grand larceny conviction and prison. After getting fired by one of a series of auto dealers for which he worked, leading scorer and rebounder for 1952 NCAA Tournament runner-up got even in an alcohol-fueled rage in Queens and Nassau County in 1986, dousing two luxury cars with gasoline, torching them, then ramming into 17 other cars, before being apprehended after a high-speed chase. Following another transgression, he was paroled on Christmas Eve, 1993, after serving nearly two years at Clinton Correctional Facility on robbery and grand larceny charges. A subsequent positive drug test violated his parole and sent him to Rikers Island in the mid-1990s.
Personal Items: Few Things You Need to Know About 2018 Final Four Coaches
Did You Know?: Three of this year's Final Four coaches played major-college basketball (all but John Beilein). Naturally, there is a tendency to overindulge at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Anyone digesting the following assortment of did-you-know facts on 2018 Final Four coaches should find that variety is the spice of this smorgasbord:
John Beilein (Michigan): Only active mentor in the country to register 20-win seasons at the junior, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division levels. A 22-7 record in 1993-94 in his second campaign at the major-college level with Canisius was the winningest in school history at the time and came just two years after the Golden Griffins incurred an all-time high in defeats (8-22 mark in 1991-92). His uncle, Joe Niland, coached Canisius for five seasons from 1948-49 through 1952-53. They are relatives of soldiers who inspired the best-selling book Band of Brothers and Oscar Award-winning move Saving Private Ryan.
Porter Moser (Loyola of Chicago): Teammates while playing for Creighton included back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference MVPs Bob Harstad (1990) and Chad Gallagher (1991).
Bill Self (Kansas): Served as an assistant on the Big Eight Conference coaching staffs of Larry Brown (Kansas) and Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State). Self, an OSU alumnus, played in the Big Eight against Maryland coach (Mark Turgeon) and top two NBA draft picks Steve Stipanovich (2nd selection overall in 1983/Missouri), Wayman Tisdale (2nd in 1985/Oklahoma) and Danny Manning (1st in 1988/Kansas). Self, Oklahoma's High School Player of the Year over Tisdale in 1980-81, directed Oral Roberts to the nation's best winning percentage among independent schools in 1996 (18-9) and 1997 (21-7).
Jay Wright (Villanova): Worked as an administrative assistant with the Philadelphia Stars football franchise, which captured the 1983 United States Football League championship. He married a former Villanova cheerleader.
Drawing upon all resources including degrees of success to motivate their teams, following are the educational backgrounds of the Final Four coaches:
| Final Four Coach | School | Bachelor's | Master's |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Beilein | Michigan | History | |
| Porter Moser | Loyola of Chicago | Business Management | |
| Bill Self | Kansas | Business | Athletic Administration |
| Jay Wright | Villanova | Economics/Sociology |
Close likely will determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. Loyola's emergence on the national scene stems from learning how to win close games after the Ramblers went winless in eight close contests decided by fewer than five points in 2016-17. Ask Arizona fans if close doesn't count after the Wildcats lost five regional finals from 2003 through 2015 by a total of 14 points. Following is how the Final Four mentors have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points:
| Final Four Coach | School | DI Seasons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Beilein | Michigan | 1993-2018 | 24-15 | 21-22 | 31-36 | 34-26 | 29-11 | 139-110 | .558 |
| Porter Moser | Loyola of Chicago | 2001-2018 | 11-10 | 7-14 | 13-13 | 11-18 | 7-9 | 49-64 | .434 |
| Bill Self | Kansas | 1994-2018 | 19-15 | 22-13 | 19-21 | 25-19 | 26-10 | 111-78 | .587 |
| Jay Wright | Villanova | 1995-2018 | 10-20 | 24-20 | 27-19 | 17-14 | 19-17 | 97-90 | .519 |
Honors Court: KU Only 2018 Final 4 Team Among Schools With > 20 A-As
Kentucky and North Carolina rank 1-2 for most All-American honorees over the years. Duke isn't far behind UK and UNC although none of the Blue Devils' All-Americans came from the state of North Carolina (20 different states plus District of Columbia).
Illinois, Notre Dame and Purdue never have won an NCAA championship despite all three schools supplying more than 20 different individuals as All-Americans. Following is a list of the top 10 universities boasting the most All-Americans since 1928-29 (AP, Converse, NABC, UPI and USBWA):
Rank School (Different Individuals) Rank School (Total # of All-Americans) 1. Kentucky (47) 1. North Carolina (74) 2. North Carolina (45) 2. Kentucky (72) 3. Indiana (41) 3. Duke (63) 4. Duke (40) 4. Indiana (56) 5. Kansas (37) 5. Kansas (55) 6. UCLA (32) 6. UCLA (48) 7. Illinois (31) 7. Ohio State (47) 8. Ohio State (30) 8. Notre Dame (44) 9. Notre Dame (26) 9. Illinois (36) 10. Purdue (22) 10. Purdue (32) T11. Michigan (20) T11. Syracuse (20)
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tourney Trivia Challenge (Day #21)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 21 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only player to post the highest-scoring game in a single tournament the same year he also played major league baseball? Hint: He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. Who is the only Final Four player to become AAU national champion in the decathlon in the same year? Hint: The Final Four team's third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder finished third in decathlon the previous year.
3. Who is the only Final Four player to finish among the top two high jumpers in four NCAA national track meets? Hint: The starting center for a national championship team is first athlete to place in the NCAA high jump four consecutive years.
4. Name the only coach in NCAA history to reach an NCAA Division I Tournament regional final in back-to-back years with different schools. Hint: He also reached a regional final in his first season at next coaching outpost.
5. Name the only top-ranked team entering the tournament to be eliminated by an opponent it defeated by more than 40 points during the regular season. Hint: The school avenging the embarrassing defeat upended nation's second-ranked team in its next playoff game.
6. Who is the only individual to play in the NCAA Tournament before setting several major league fielding records for a second baseman? Hint: He was the second-leading scorer for his school's playoff team and one of his teammates was a prominent college basketball coach for more than 20 years.
7. Who is the only member of the College Football Hall of Fame to participate in back-to-back Final Fours? Hint: He is one of the few athletes to earn consensus football All-American honors at two positions.
8. Who is the only individual to lead a school in scoring in an NCAA Tournament before leading a major league in doubles as a player and manage a team in a World Series? Hint: The outfielder drove in six runs in one inning of an American League game.
9. Name the only university to win a minimum of two games in four different postseason national tournaments - NAIA, NCAA Division II, NIT and NCAA Division I. Hint: Of the schools to win at least one game in all four national tourneys, it is only one with an overall losing record in postseason competition.
10. Name the only school to win back-to-back basketball championships the same academic school years it participated in New Year's Day football bowl games. Hint: One of the two basketball title teams is the only school to have as many as 26 different players appear in its games in a season winning an NCAA crown. The two titlists helped school become only university to reach NCAA championship game in its first three playoff appearances.
Familiar Territory: Romar and Dooley Return to Old DI Stomping Grounds
Lorenzo Romar and Joe Dooley, rehired by Pepperdine and East Carolina after stints with respective schools in the late 1990s, boast an opportunity to achieve something rare in the major-college coaching community. The Waves reeled Romar back in despite failure of a similar tactic earlier this decade when Tom Asbury won fewer than 30% of his games in three seasons after prevailing more than 2/3 of the time from 1988-89 through 1993-94. Asbury failed to come anywhere close to duplicating success of Ronnie Arrow (South Alabama) and Jim McCafferty (Loyola LA). Arrow and McCafferty are the only two of the previous 38 mentors in this "Comeback Club" category over the last 60-plus years to compile a higher winning percentage the second time around.
Lou Carnesecca (St. John's) and Lake Kelly (Austin Peay State) are the only coaches to win NCAA playoff games in two different stints with the same school. Romar and Dooley joined the following alphabetical list of coaches returning to their former major-college stomping grounds if their tenures weren't interrupted solely by World War II:
| Two-Time Coach | DI College | First Stint | W-L | Pct. | Second Stint | W-L | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Arrow | South Alabama | 1988-95 | 114-93 | .551 | 2008-13 | 97-68 | .588 |
| Tom Asbury | Pepperdine | 1989-94 | 125-59 | .679 | 2009-11 | 28-68 | .292 |
| Lou Carnesecca | St. John's | 1966-70 | 104-35 | .748 | 1974-92 | 422-165 | .719 |
| Paul Cormier | Dartmouth | 1985-91 | 87-95 | .478 | 2011-16 | 55-116 | .322 |
| Kermit Davis | Idaho | 1989 and 1990 | 50-12 | .806 | 1997 | 13-17 | .433 |
| Mike Dement | UNC Greensboro | 1992-95 | 55-56 | .495 | 2006-12 | 69-125 | .356 |
| Joe Dooley | East Carolina | 1996-99 | 57-52 | .523 | since 2019 | TBD | TBD |
| Homer Drew | Valparaiso | 1989-2002 | 235-185 | .560 | 2004-11 | 136-120 | .531 |
| Marshall Emery | Delaware State | 1977-79 | 30-50 | .375 | 1986-88 | 18-66 | .214 |
| Dan Fitzgerald | Gonzaga | 1979-81 | 51-29 | .638 | 1986-97 | 203-140 | .592 |
| Blair Gullion | Washington (Mo.) | 1948-52 | 65-41 | .613 | 1954-59 | 69-61 | .531 |
| Lou Henson | New Mexico State | 1967-75 | 173-71 | .709 | 1998-2005 | 136-105 | .564 |
| Ben Jobe | Southern (La.) | 1987-96 | 191-100 | .656 | 2002 and 2003 | 16-40 | .286 |
| Phil Johnson | San Jose State | 1999 | 12-16 | .429 | 2003-05 | 19-67 | .221 |
| Donald Kellett | Penn | 1944 and 1945 | 22-9 | .710 | 1947 and 1948 | 24-22 | .522 |
| Lake Kelly | Austin Peay State | 1972-77 | 110-52 | .679 | 1986-90 | 79-70 | .530 |
| Joe Lapchick | St. John's | 1937-47 | 181-54 | .770 | 1957-65 | 154-75 | .672 |
| Dave Leitao | DePaul | 2003-05 | 58-34 | .630 | 2016-18 | 29-65 | .309 |
| Abe Lemons | Oklahoma City | 1956-73 | 309-181 | .631 | 1984-90 | 123-84 | .594 |
| Jim McCafferty | Loyola (La.) | 1950 | 9-15 | .375 | 1955-57 | 38-36 | .514 |
| Dave McDowell | Kent State | 1949-51 | 56-20 | .737 | 1956 and 1957 | 15-29 | .341 |
| Ritchie McKay | Liberty | 2008 and 2009 | 39-28 | .582 | 2016-18 | 56-48 | .538 |
| Doc Meanwell | Wisconsin | 1912-17 | 92-9 | .911 | 1921-34 | 154-90 | .631 |
| Robert Moreland | Texas Southern | 1976-2001 | 399-352 | .531 | 2008 | 7-25 | .219 |
| Joe Mullaney | Providence | 1956-69 | 271-94 | .742 | 1982-85 | 48-70 | .407 |
| Buzz Peterson | Appalachian State | 1997-2000 | 79-39 | .669 | 2010 | 24-13 | .649 |
| Bill Reinhart | George Washington | 1936-42 | 100-38 | .725 | 1950-66 | 216-201 | .518 |
| Elmer Ripley | Georgetown | 1928 and 1929 | 24-6 | .800 | 1939-43 | 68-39 | .636 |
| Elmer Ripley | Georgetown | 1939-43 | 68-39 | .636 | 1947-49 | 41-37 | .526 |
| Jack Rohan | Columbia | 1962-74 | 154-161 | .489 | 1991-95 | 43-87 | .331 |
| Lorenzo Romar | Pepperdine | 1997-99 | 42-44 | .488 | since 2019 | TBD | TBD |
| Glen Rose | Arkansas | 1934-42 | 154-47 | .766 | 1953-66 | 171-154 | .526 |
| John "Honey" Russell | Seton Hall | 1937-43 | 101-32 | .759 | 1950-60 | 194-97 | .647 |
| Larry Shyatt | Wyoming | 1998 | 19-9 | .679 | 2012-16 | 98-69 | .587 |
| Norm Sloan | Florida | 1961-66 | 85-63 | .574 | 1981-89 | 150-131 | .534 |
| Ken Trickey | Oral Roberts | 1970-74 | 118-23 | .837 | 1988-93 | 96-93 | .508 |
| Billy Tubbs | Lamar | 1977-80 | 75-46 | .620 | 2004-06 | 46-43 | .517 |
| Butch van Breda Kolff | Lafayette | 1952-55 | 68-34 | .667 | 1985-88 | 64-51 | .557 |
| Butch van Breda Kolff | Hofstra | 1956-62 | 112-43 | .723 | 1989-94 | 79-81 | .494 |
| Donald White | Rutgers | 1946-56 | 98-145 | .403 | 1963 | 7-16 | .304 |
| Davey Whitney | Alcorn State | 1971-89 | 395-199 | .665 | 1997-2003 | 115-93 | .553 |
NOTES: VBK also had two stints at Hofstra, but Hofstra wasn't at the major-college level his first stint there. . . . OCU de-emphasized its program to the NAIA level after Lemons returned. . . . ORU wasn't always at the Division I level for either of Trickey's stints.
Slow Start: Ascending All-Americans Overcoming Shaky Freshman Season
In a microwave atmosphere of instant expectations, North Carolina's Luke Maye (1.2 points per game in 2015-16) and Saint Mary's Jock Landale (2.1 ppg in 2014-15) failed to generate national headlines in their freshman seasons before blossoming into All-Americans. They are textbook examples why fans shouldn't put too much stock in freshman statistics.
Maye and Landale aren't the only All-Americans who endured growing pains. They joined the following alphabetical list of players who averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman before eventually earning All-American acclaim:
Eventual All-American Pos. School Freshman Scoring Average Cole Aldrich C Kansas 2.8 ppg in 2007-08 Lorenzo Charles F North Carolina State 2.2 ppg in 1981-82 Rakeem Christmas F Syracuse 2.8 ppg in 2011-12 Keith Edmonson G Purdue 1.3 ppg in 1978-79 Aaron Gray C Pittsburgh 1.7 ppg in 2003-04 Erick Green G Virginia Tech 2.6 ppg in 2009-10 Tom Gugliotta F North Carolina State 2.7 ppg in 1988-89 Roy Hamilton G UCLA 1.2 ppg in 1975-76 Jeff Jonas G Utah 2.8 ppg in 1973-74 Frank Kaminsky C-F Wisconsin 1.8 ppg in 2011-12 Ted Kitchel F Indiana 1.7 ppg in 1979-80 Bob Kurland C Oklahoma A&M 2.5 ppg in 1942-43 Tom LaGarde C North Carolina 2.2 ppg in 1973-74 Jock Landale C Saint Mary's 2.1 ppg in 2014-15 Kenyon Martin C Cincinnati 2.8 ppg in 1996-97 Luke Maye F North Carolina 1.2 ppg in 2015-16 John Pilch G Wyoming 2.4 ppg in 1946-47 Thomas Robinson F Kansas 2.5 ppg in 2009-10 Steve Scheffler C Purdue 1.5 ppg in 1986-87 Russ Smith G Louisville 2.2 ppg in 2010-11 Earl Tatum G-F Marquette 1.5 ppg in 1972-73 Kurt Thomas F-C Texas Christian 0.8 ppg in 1990-91 Al Thornton F Florida State 2.8 ppg in 2003-04 B.J. Tyler G DePaul 2.9 ppg in 1989-90 Scottie Wilbekin G Florida 2.4 ppg in 2010-11 Jeff Withey C Kansas 1.3 ppg in 2009-10 NOTES: Oregon's Wally Borrevik (1.8 ppg in 1940-41), Wisconsin's Gene Englund (2.3 ppg in 1938-39), California's Darrall Imhoff (0.9 ppg in 1957-58), Kansas' Dean Kelley (0.8 in 1950-51), Purdue's Bob Kessler (2.3 ppg in 1933-34), Notre Dame's Leo Klier (2.7 in 1942-43), Oklahoma A&M's Gale McArthur (2.96 ppg in 1948-49), Notre Dame's Bob Rensberger (1.5 ppg in 1940-41) and Stanford's George Yardley (2.9 ppg in 1947-48) averaged fewer than three points per game as sophomores when freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity basketball before becoming All-Americans. . . . Tyler became an All-American with Texas after transferring to his home state. . . . Withey originally attended Arizona.
Tiny Dancers: Numerous Examples For Why Mid-Majors Warrant At-Large Bids
When given an opportunity via an at-large invitation to the Big Dance, members from 10 different mid-major conferences have more than held their own against opponents from elite leagues. The greatest example was Virginia Commonwealth, which defeated members from five different power leagues en route to the 2011 Final Four. It was preposterous there were any questions at all about Middle Tennessee State as an at-large team after MTSU beat a Big Ten Conference member each of the previous two tourneys.
Power-conference setback totals against mid-major at-large entrants since 1992 include: Big Eight/Big 12 (22), Big East (19), SEC (15), Big Ten (14), ACC (13) and Pac-12 (11). In the last 27 years (all but 2009 and 2017), the following total of 38 different mid-major at-large entrants went on to win in the NCAA playoffs against a total of 53 different power-conference members (listed in reverse chronological order):
NOTE: Butler (Big East), Cincinnati (Big East), Louisville (Big East and ACC), Utah (Pac-12) and Xavier (Big East) subsequently joined a power conference.
Jalen Brunson Becomes Sixth Big East Product Named National Player of Year
Villanova's Jalen Brunson became the sixth Big East Conference product to become national player of the year. Excluding specialty publications, there are five nationally-recognized Player of the Year awards. None of them, however, comes anywhere close to being the equivalent to college football's undisputed most prestigious honor, the Heisman Trophy. The basketball stalemate stems from essentially the same people voting on the major awards (writers or coaches or a combination) and the announcements coming one after another right around the Final Four when the playoff games dominate the sports page.
United Press International, which was a sixth venue for major awards through 1996, got all of this back slapping started in 1955. Four years later, the United States Basketball Writers Association, having chosen All-American teams in each of the two previous seasons, added a Player of the Year award to its postseason honors. In recent years, the USBWA award was sponsored by Mercedes and then RCA.
The third oldest of the awards comes from the most dominant wire service, the Associated Press. Perhaps because of its vast network of media outlets, the AP award gets more print and broadcast attention than the other honors. The AP award started in 1961 before affiliating in 1972 with the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Lexington, Ky., which was looking for a way to honor Hall of Fame Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp. The result of their merger is the Rupp Trophy.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club initially was associated with UPI before starting its own Naismith Award in 1969. Six years later, the National Association of Basketball Coaches initiated its award, which was sponsored from the outset by the Eastman Kodak Company. In 1977, the Los Angeles Athletic Club began honoring Hall of Fame UCLA coach John Wooden with the Wooden Award sponsored by Wendy's.
Duke has eight different national player of the year winners, including seven of them in a 21-year span from 1986 through 2006. UCLA is runner-up with six individuals earning POY acclaim. Incredibly, perennial power Kentucky never had a representative win one of the six principal national player of the year awards until freshman center Anthony Davis achieved the feat in 2012.
In 2015, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky became the fourth Big Ten Conference player to capture national POY honors in a six-year span. The Big East, Pac-10 and SEC combined to go 15 straight seasons from 1996-97 through 2010-11 without a national POY. Following is a look at the seven conferences with at least three different individuals capturing one of the six principal national player of the year awards since UPI's initial winner in 1955:
ACC (16) - Shane Battier (Duke), Elton Brand (Duke), Johnny Dawkins (Duke), Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), Danny Ferry (Duke), Phil Ford (North Carolina), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Art Heyman (Duke), Antawn Jamison (North Carolina), Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Christian Laettner (Duke), J.J. Redick (Duke), Ralph Sampson (Virginia), Joe Smith (Maryland), David Thompson (North Carolina State), Jason Williams (Duke).
Big Ten (14) - Gary Bradds (Ohio State), Trey Burke (Michigan State), Dee Brown (Illinois), Calbert Cheaney (Indiana), Draymond Green (Michigan State), Jim Jackson (Ohio State), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin), Jerry Lucas (Ohio State), Scott May (Indiana), Shawn Respert (Michigan State), Glenn Robinson Jr. (Purdue), Cazzie Russell (Michigan), Evan Turner (Ohio State), Denzel Valentine (Michigan State).
Pacific-12 (7) - Lew Alcindor (UCLA), Sean Elliott (Arizona), Walt Hazzard (UCLA), Marques Johnson (UCLA), Ed O'Bannon (UCLA), Bill Walton (UCLA), Sidney Wicks (UCLA).
Big 12 (6) - Nick Collison (Kansas), Kevin Durant (Texas), T.J. Ford (Texas), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Frank Mason III (Kansas).
Big East (6) - Ray Allen (Connecticut), Walter Berry (St. John's), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Chris Mullin (St. John's).
Missouri Valley (3) - Larry Bird (Indiana State), Hersey Hawkins (Bradley), Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati).
SEC (3) - Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Pete Maravich (Louisiana State), Shaquille O'Neal (Louisiana State).
False Start: NIT Championship Won't Mean Too Much For PSU Next Season
Don't mean to hurt "wittle" feelings of safe-space snowflakes sympathetic to Emory students terrified by Trump chalk talk. But if history means anything, a National Invitation Tournament crown won't serve as a springboard to NCAA playoff success for Penn State after the Nittany Lions went winless in the NCAA extravaganza over the last 17 campaigns. Defending NIT champions combined for a 12-18 NCAA Tournament record from 1986 through 2018 with the three of the previous four kingpins not participating at all in NCAA tourney or NIT.
The NIT titlists from 1985 through 2004 combined for a losing national postseason tournament record (15-17) the year after capturing an NIT championship - NCAA (8-13) and NIT (7-4) - with three of them not reaching national postseason play. Four more NIT champions in the last 12 years - South Carolina '06, Penn State '09, Minnesota '14 and Stanford '16 - also failed to appear in NCAA playoffs or NIT the next season. West Virginia '08, Ohio State '09, Wichita State '12 and TCU '17 combined for a 2-4 NCAA playoff mark the years after winning an NIT title.
Only three schools in the last 34 years reached an NCAA regional semifinal the year after capturing an NIT title - (Virginia '93, West Virginia '08) and Baylor '14. Following is a breakdown of how the NIT champions fared the next season since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985:
Year NIT Champion Season Summary the Following Campaign 1985 UCLA 15-14 record in 1985-86; 9-9 in Pacific-10 (4th place); no postseason 1986 Ohio State 20-13 in 1986-87; 9-9 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1987 Southern Mississippi 19-11 in 1987-88; 5-7 in Metro (7th); lost in NIT 2nd round 1988 Connecticut 18-13 in 1988-89; 6-10 in Big East (T7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 1989 St. John's 24-10 in 1989-90; 10-6 in Big East (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1990 Vanderbilt 17-13 in 1990-91; 11-7 in SEC (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1991 Stanford 18-11 in 1991-92; 10-8 in Pacific-10 (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1992 Virginia 21-10 in 1992-93; 9-7 in ACC (5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinal 1993 Minnesota 21-12 in 1993-94; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1994 Villanova 25-8 in 1994-95; 14-4 in Big East (2nd); lost in NCAA 1st round 1995 Virginia Tech 23-6 in 1995-96; 13-3 in Atlantic 10 (T1st/W); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1996 Nebraska 19-14 in 1996-97; 7-9 in Big 12 (4th/N); lost in NIT 3rd round 1997 Michigan 25-9 in 1997-98; 11-5 in Big Ten (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1998 Minnesota 17-11 in 1998-99; 8-8 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1999 California 18-15 in 1999-00; 7-11 in Pacific-10 (7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 2000 Wake Forest 19-11 in 2000-01; 8-8 in ACC (T5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2001 Tulsa 27-7 in 2001-02; 15-3 in WAC (T1st); lost in NCAA 2nd round 2002 Memphis 23-7 in 2002-03; 13-3 in C-USA (1st/National); lost in NCAA 1st round 2003 St. John's 6-21 in 2003-04; 1-15 in Big East (14th); no postseason 2004 Michigan 13-18 in 2004-05; 4-12 in Big Ten (9th); no postseason 2005 South Carolina 23-15 in 2005-06; 6-10 in SEC (5th/East); won NIT championship 2006 South Carolina 14-16 in 2006-07; 4-12 in SEC (6th/Eastern); no postseason 2007 West Virginia 26-11 in 2007-08; 11-7 in Big East (T5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2008 Ohio State 22-11 in 2008-09; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2009 Penn State 11-20 in 2009-10; 3-15 in Big Ten (11th); no postseason 2010 Dayton 22-14 in 2010-11; 7-9 in Atlantic 10 (T8th); lost in NIT 1st round 2011 Wichita State 27-6 in 2011-12; 16-2 in Missouri Valley (1st); lost in NCAA 1st round 2012 Stanford 19-15 in 2012-13; 9-9 in Pac-12 (T6th); lost in NIT 2nd round 2013 Baylor 26-12 in 2013-14; 9-9 in Big 12 (T6th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2014 Minnesota 18-15; 6-12 in Big Ten (T10th); no postseason 2015 Stanford 15-15; 8-10 in Pac-12 (9th); no postseason 2016 George Washington 20-15; 10-8 in Atlantic 10 (6th); lost in CBI 2nd round 2017 Texas Christian 21-12; 9-9 in Big 12 (5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2018 Penn State To be determined in 2018-19
Preseason Treason: Duke Loses > 7 Games as Preseason #1 Fourth Time
Duke (29-8) became the 12th Associated Press preseason No. 1 selection to suffer at least eight defeats after bowing in regional final against Kansas. The Blue Devils became only the fourth of the first 12 preseason #1 choices notching at least eight reversals - Duke '89, Arizona '01 and Kentucky '14 - compiling a winning NCAA Tournament record that year. In relying solely on ranking of recruiting classes, are we bound for another such squad in 2018-19? Odds are comparable to Marvin Bagley III attending more days of classes this semester than games played in same time frame. Let's just hope Bagley and fellow celebrated frosh centers Deandre Ayton (Arizona) and Mohamed Bamba (Texas) were as quick to answer professor questions in class as they were to announcing intentions to leave college early following elimination from NCAA playoffs.
The lowest winning percentage for a preseason top-ranked squad was registered by John Wooden-coached UCLA, which was 18-8 (.692) in 1965-66 when the Bruins finished second in the AAWU behind Oregon State. Duke accounted for four of the following 12 preseason #1 choices compiling a minimum of eight setbacks since 1961-62:
| PS #1 Team | Season | Coach | Record | Pct. | NCAA Tournament Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 2013-14 | John Calipari | 29-11 | .725 | Lost in NCAA title game against Connecticut, 60-54. |
| Connecticut | 1999-00 | Jim Calhoun | 25-10 | .714 | Lost in Second Round against Tennessee, 65-61. |
| Syracuse | 1987-88 | Jim Boeheim | 26-9 | .743 | Lost in Second Round against Rhode Island, 97-94. |
| Duke | 2016-17 | Mike Krzyzewski | 28-9 | .757 | Lost in Second Round against South Carolina, 88-81. |
| UCLA | 1965-66 | John Wooden | 18-8 | .692 | DNP after failing to win league title for only time in 18-year span. |
| Indiana | 1979-80 | Bob Knight | 21-8 | .724 | Lost in Regional Semifinals against Purdue, 76-69. |
| Duke | 1978-79 | Bill E. Foster | 22-8 | .733 | Lost playoff opener against St. John's, 80-78. |
| North Carolina | 1977-78 | Dean Smith | 23-8 | .742 | Lost in First Round against San Francisco, 68-64. |
| Cincinnati | 1996-97 | Bob Huggins | 26-8 | .765 | Lost in Second Round against Iowa State, 67-66. |
| Arizona | 2000-01 | Lute Olson | 28-8 | .778 | Lost in Championship Game against Duke, 82-72. |
| Duke | 1988-89 | Mike Krzyzewski | 28-8 | .778 | Lost at Final Four against Seton Hall, 95-78. |
| Duke | 2017-18 | Mike Krzyzewski | 29-8 | .784 | Lost in Regional Final against Kansas, 85-81 in OT. |
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tourney Trivia Challenge (Day #20)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 20 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only athlete to rank among the top five in scoring average in an NCAA Tournament and later start for an NFL champion? Hint: He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection who played in back-to-back Super Bowls. His brother was the first black player for major leagues' last integrated team.
2. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA championship game in scoring while playing for his father? Hint: The son has the lowest game-high point total in NCAA final history.
3. Who comprise the only father/son combination to twice reach the Final Four together as coach and player? Hint: The son was a starter for team undefeated entering Final Four.
4. Who is the only active coach to have played in the NCAA Tournament and College World Series in the same year? Hint: He served as captain on the baseball and basketball teams as a college senior. After graduation, he played minor league baseball before becoming an outstanding fast-pitch softball player named to a couple of national All-Star teams.
5. Name the only school to have a single coach guide the same group of players to victories in the NAIA Tournament, NIT and NCAA Tournament. Hint: It's the only school in last 60-plus years entering the NIT with an undefeated record. One of the five regulars from the three national postseason tournament winners was one of NBA's premier rebounders before becoming an assistant coach in the league and head coach of his alma mater.
6. Who is the only coach to guide teams to the championship game in both the Division I and Division II Tournaments? Hint: He is the only coach to have a career NCAA Division I Tournament record as many as eight games below the .500 mark, only title-team coach compiling a non-winning career playoff mark and only coach to lose three consecutive regional final games.
7. Who is the only player to score more than 60% of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game and be on the losing end of the score? Hint: It was a first-round contest and the individual was national player of the year.
8. Who is the only player to score more than two-thirds of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game? Hint: He scored more than 50% of his squad's points over three playoff outings.
9. Name the only school to win a small college national postseason tournament before capturing at least one NCAA Division I title. Hint: The school opposed same coach in championship game of small-college tournament and NCAA Final Four. The school also supplied only team to win an NCAA crown after setting or tying an existing school record for most defeats previous season.
10. Who is the only individual to participate in the Final Four before playing and coaching in the NFL at least five seasons apiece? Hint: He was a member of an NFL team moving to another city the year after capturing league title.
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