The Past Dunce: Basketball Baron MJ's Ill-Conceived Introduction to Baseball
"The basket is in the same place all the time." - Long-time MLB player/manager/executive Joe Torre on why trying to hit a moving target in professional baseball would be more difficult for Michael Jordan than excelling at basketball
Today marks the anniversary of celebrated cager Michael Jordan unceremoniously commencing his Organized Baseball career becoming as much of a dud as Meghan Markle's foray into British royalty. As entertaining as ESPN's 10 episodes of "The Last Dance" were for five quarantined weeks several years ago, the documentary couldn't possibly be rated a "10" by majority of versatile athletes boasting experiential knowledge playing basketball and baseball at the collegiate or professional level. The disconcerting departure from Jordan's regal reality in hoopdom was an absurd implication he could have reached the majors in baseball. Please! What baseball skill set was he betting on? Blended in with weather reports to hideous Hunter, sniffing hair and incoherent policy messages to the nation on economic intercourse, meandering Plagiarist Biledumb, while trying to scale Stair Farce One on "windy" day, might jive-talk say: "He ain't no Daddy Hack, man!"
Yes, an adventurous life includes risk. Just ask self-anointed Ambassador to North Korea Dennis Rodman. But what in the world was NBA GOAT thinking when personally knocking himself off hoops pedestal to become pedestrian baseball player? He was textbook example that even an authentic physical specimen doesn't always possess the aptitude to competently compete, let alone excel, in both basketball and baseball at the highest level. Of course, anyone with a pulse admires Michael's mystical work ethic. Some starry-eyed observers on injured list sans moral compass may even applaud Jordan's extracurricular-activity appetite for betting and bedding. But unless MJ won a wager with actor/director Robert "The Natural" Redford to obtain "Wonderboy" lightning bolt-treated bat, only a fictional-film fan "Airhead" believes "His Airness" was big-league bound as an outfielder.
Numbers don't lie. After his initial retirement, Jordan hit an anemic .202 and scarred his prestigious persona with 30% more strikeouts than base hits (114 to 88) for Double A Birmingham's 1994 Southern League West Division last-place team. He wasn't exactly the South's next Henry Aaron 20 years removed from "Hammerin' Hank" breaking Babe Ruth's MLB career home-run record. None of the Southern League's "44" players with at least 400 at-bats that year registered a lower batting average. In fact, Jordan posted the lowest average in entirety of AA Organized Ball among 180 players with at least 325 ABs (including Eastern League and Texas League). Embracing Jordan's crude Jerry Krause food-consumption lingo, his baseball menu featured more "crumbs" than fine dining. Nonetheless, media leftovers was what eventual MLB veterans Jason Giambi, Doug Glanville, Tony Graffanino, Jason Kendall, Damian Miller, Pokey Reese, Desi Relaford, Alex Rodriguez, Chris Stynes and Chris Widger received in Southern League that season compared to Jordan generating more publicity than all of these genuine baseball players combined.
Anyone with functioning brain realizes Jordan was the Chicago Bulls' centerpiece. But despite Krause assembling rosters including 66 different players for potent teams compiling 11 consecutive winning seasons from 1987-88 through "The Last Dance," Jordan disparaged architect by mooing like a cow when portly executive entered the Bulls' locker room or got on team bus. However, Jordan should currently have at least a little more respect for Krause after an abundance of NBA humble pie served to him in front office as the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets notched winning campaigns only three times in last 11 years since he became majority owner.
Contrary to anything your father may have told you about athletic endeavors, the single most difficult thing to do in any team sport is consistently soundly striking quality baseball pitches. In parallel with Joe Torre's incisive quote above, there is a "Greatest Showman" carnival caveat regarding Jordan's celebrity cruise. If he grudgingly consented to become a 31-year-old replacement player during the MLB strike commencing in mid-August 1994 when Torre was managing the St. Louis Cardinals, perhaps an Eddie Gaedel-like "Field of Schemes" freak show in reverse might have unfolded to put a few more fannies in stadium seats.
Partially influenced by legend-building commercial spoon-fed culture, most "Be-Like-Mike" aficionados are unaware the documentary failed to touch all the bases by pointing out North Carolina's two-time consensus All-American wasn't best former college basketball standout performing as an outfielder on the Barons' baseball roster in 1994. The superior teammate on the diamond was Scott Tedder, a 6-4 lefthander who is Ohio Wesleyan's all-time leading scorer with 2,501 points. Tedder, playing about one-fourth of the '94 campaign with Cubs' affiliate Orlando (also in Southern League), hit .281 for the season. Tedder, a three-time All-NCAC first-team selection in basketball and Most Outstanding Player of NCAA Division III Final Four as senior in 1987-88, posted a .261 batting average over five years with the Barons. Another ex-college hooper on roster of White Sox' affiliate that season was Ken Coleman, a utilityman who hit .191. Coleman is New Haven's all-time leader in assists after pacing the Chargers in scoring feeds all four seasons from 1984-85 through 1987-88. Coleman, a two-time All-NECC hoop selection, played seven years in the minors, finishing with a .258 batting mark. If not a better batting average in order to emerge from basement by winning a few more road games, at least Jordan's teammates got a better traveling bus worth $350,000 financed by him out of the deal.
There are pros and cons about earn-your-spurs hazing of self-absorbed rookies. But former minor-league pitcher Scott Burrell, a Chicago Bulls teammate in MJ's final Bulls season (1997-98) and current hoops bench boss for Southern Connecticut State, was treated like a rented mule by five-time MVP in excessive competitive repartee heaped on a veteran. Odds are UConn product Burrell, the first athlete to become a first-round draft pick of two major sports organizations (MLB/Seattle Mariners in 1989 and NBA/Charlotte Hornets in 1993), missed out on a potential hefty bonus when failing to respond to Jordan by challenging him to a one-on-one baseball gamble. Insofar as Jordan appeared in 127 games with the Barons, how about a symbolic "I love to bet" home-run derby with him facing 127 strikes from Burrell in Comiskey Park or Las Vegas to see if MJ might swat more than the three round-trippers he did with the Barons? Trash-talking Jordan could have condescendingly distributed a diet pill for each Big Fly to competition director if event was "managed" by talent evaluator Krause, who worked as scout for four different MLB franchises (Indians/Athletics/Mariners/White Sox). Naturally, the hoops legend would also emerge as "the best (actor) there ever was" in baseball if resembling Roy Hobbs by knocking cover off Burrell delivery in front of his sons. Parked in first row of stadium, equally-versatile film director-producer-writer-actor Spike Lee/Mars Blackmon would proclaim: "It's gotta be the news (headline)!"
At any rate, never underestimate Jordan's penchant for rising to the occasion and three-time All-Big East Conference hoops selection Burrell failed to reach as high as Double A, compiling a 2-6 Class A pitching record in 14 starts in the Toronto Blue Jays' farm system in 1990 and 1991. In 1989, promising righthander Burrell was picked ahead of supplemental first-rounder Todd Jones plus the following eventual MLB hurlers: Jerry Dipoto (3rd round), Shane Reynolds (3rd), Denny Neagle (3rd), Scott Erickson (4th), Alan Embree (5th), Paul Quantrill (6th), Russ Springer (7th), Curt Leskanie (8th), Sterling Hitchcock (9th), Trevor Hoffman (11th), Mike Trombley (14th), Pat Rapp (15th) and Tim Worrell (20th). In 1990 as a fifth-round selection by Toronto, Burrell was chosen before eventual MLB pitchers Mike Hampton (6th round), Troy Percival (6th), Mike Williams (14th), Rick White (15th), Dave Mlicki (17th), Eddie Guardado (21st), Andy Pettitte (22nd) and Jason Bere (36th).
Baseball Hall of Fame hurlers Bob Gibson (Creighton), Ted Lyons (Baylor), Eppa Rixey Jr. (Virginia) and Robin Roberts (Michigan State) also were standout basketball players for major universities. But hoopers-turned-pitchers such as the HOFers plus Gene Conley (Washington State) and Steve Hamilton (Morehead State) should be exempt from any basketball-to-baseball comparison equation assessing an everyday performer such as Jordan. Conley is the only individual in history to win both MLB (Milwaukee Braves in 1957) and NBA titles (member of three consecutive Celtics championship teams from 1959 through 1961). Hamilton is only athlete to play in World Series (1963 and 1964 with New York Yankees) and NBA Finals (rookie in 1959 when Lakers were swept by Celtics) after participating in NCAA playoffs (averaged 18.5 points in four tourney games in 1956 and 1957).
A hoops-to-MLB transition has been achieved more often than the average fan knows. Jordan was incapable, but former NCAA Division I basketball standouts Tony Clark (San Diego State), Terrell Lowery (Loyola Marymount), Lyle Mouton (Louisiana State) and Desi Wilson (Fairleigh Dickinson) competed in Double A baseball in 1994 - collaborating for .288 batting average - en route to reaching the majors. No matter how much sweat equity is dispensed, you either have "it" (multiple-sport skills) or you don't. Truth be told in evaluating what could be depicted as Jordan's "The Past Dunce," we probably should defer to short-lived uniform #45 during brief career in Organized Ball. Fitting like a glove in baseball infinitely more than MJ's iconic NBA jersey #23, following is an alphabetical list of 45 major-college varsity basketball regulars who went on to enjoy non-pitcher MLB careers of at least six seasons (same number as Jordan's NBA titles) since the start of national postseason competition in late 1930s:
| Two-Sport Athlete | Summary of Major-College Hoops Career | Summary of Non-Pitcher's MLB Career |
|---|---|---|
| Jerry Adair | Played two seasons of varsity basketball under legendary coach Hank Iba with Oklahoma State (third-leading scorer with 9.7 ppg in 1956-57 and second-leading scorer with 11.9 ppg in 1957-58). Adair ranked among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters both seasons when one of his teammates was recently-deceased HOF coach Eddie Sutton. | Hit .254 in 1,165 games in 13 seasons from 1958 through 1970 with the Orioles, White Sox, Red Sox and Athletics before playing one year in Japan. Adair set MLB records for highest fielding average (.994) and fewest errors (five) by 2B in single season in 1964 and for consecutive errorless games by 2B (89 in 1964 and 1965). He participated in 1967 World Series with the Red Sox after being traded by White Sox for reliever Don McMahon. |
| Joe Adcock | Played three seasons from 1944-45 through 1946-47 for Louisiana State as 6-4, 190-pound center. Leading scorer with 18.6 ppg for 1945-46 Tigers team compiling an 18-3 record. All-league second-team selection set SEC Tournament record with 15 field goals in game against Tulane in 1946 (subsequently broken). | 1B hit .277 with 336 homers and 1,122 RBI in 17 seasons from 1950 through 1966 with four different teams. He hit four homers and double for the Braves against Brooklyn Dodgers on 7-31-54, setting MLB record for most total bases in game (18) that stood until broken by Shawn Green in 2002. Adcock was the Braves' regular first baseman on 1957 and 1958 N.L. champions. Adcock, who blasted career-high 38 homers in 1956 between injury-plagued seasons, was an All-Star in 1960 and managed the Indians in 1967. |
| Frankie Baumholtz | First player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 points in career led school to three-year record of 49-18. His high game was 29 points against Dayton. Capped college career by earning MVP honors in 1941 NIT when leading tourney in scoring with 53 points in three games for second-place Bobcats, including game-high 19 in final. | OF hit .290 in 1,019 games in 10 N.L. seasons (1947 through 1949 and 1951 through 1957) with the Cubs, Reds and Phillies. Baumholtz, who finished fifth in inaugural Rookie of Year voting, hit under .283 in only two of his nine full seasons. He hit .325 in 1952, finishing second to Stan Musial in batting championship race. Lefthander led N.L. in pinch hits in 1955 and 1956. |
| Bruce Bochte | Starting 6-3 forward for Santa Clara in 1969-70 when averaging 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg under coach Dick Garibaldi. Collected eight rebounds in loss against Utah State and 10 points in victory against Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State in 1970 NCAA playoffs. One of Bochte's teammates was All-American center Dennis Awtrey, who went on to play 12 NBA seasons with six different franchises. | 1B-OF hit .282 with the Angels, Indians, Mariners and A's in 12 A.L. seasons from 1974 through 1986 (boycotted 1983 as a personal protest over rising player salaries). Lefthander was A.L. All-Star with Seattle in 1979 when finishing 10th in batting average (career-high .316) and eighth in doubles (career-high 38) along with career-high 100 RBI. Representing the Mariners the only time Seattle has hosted the Midsummer Classic, Bochte knocked in run with single off Gaylord Perry. Named team MVP the next year. In post-playing days, the avowed agnostic worked to "save the Mother Earth from humankind's destructive ways." |
| Leo Burke | Averaged 9.2 ppg for Virginia Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54. | Utilityman hit .239 with the Orioles, Angels, Cardinals and Cubs in seven years from 1958 through 1965. Traded by St. Louis to the Cubs in mid-1963 for knuckleballer Barney Schultz, a key reliever for the Cards in their 1964 pennant-winning season. |
| Bob Cerv | The 6-0, 200-pounder averaged 6.2 ppg for Nebraska from 1946-47 through 1949-50, ranking fourth on the school's career scoring list when finishing his eligibility. | OF hit .276 in 12 seasons from 1951 through 1962 with the Yankees, Athletics, Angels and Colt .45s. Cerv played in 1955, 1956 and 1960 World Series with the Yankees. He slugged homer in 1955 WS against the Dodgers and hit .357 in 1960 WS against the Pirates. In 1958, he batted .305 (sixth in A.L.) with 38 homers (fourth) and 104 RBI (fourth) for Kansas City and was chosen over Ted Williams as All-Star LF in year of Boston legend's final batting title. Finished among A.L. top 10 in batting average and RBI in back-to-back years (1958 and 1959). |
| Tony Clark | Played in only five games his freshman season for Arizona in 1990-91 under coach Lute Olson before transferring home to San Diego State. The swingman averaged 11.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg for the Aztecs as sophomore in 1991-92, leading them in scoring in WAC games. | 1B averaged 31 homers per season in four-year span from 1996 through 1999 with the Tigers. Finished sixth in A.L. with 117 RBI in 1997. Tallest switch-hitter (6-7) in major-league history was second pick overall in 1990 amateur draft. Traded to Red Sox following All-Star campaign in 2001. Hit .262 with 251 homers and 824 RBI in 15 seasons from 1995 through 2009 with the Tigers, Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, Diamondbacks and Padres. In 2014, became first former player named executive director of MLB Players Association. |
| Billy Cowan | The 6-0 guard was Utah letterman from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under coach Jack Gardner. Co-captain of Utes as senior when teammate of All-American Billy McGill scored 25 points in three NCAA playoff games. | OF hit .236 with the Cubs, Mets, Braves, Phillies, Yankees and Angels in eight seasons (1963 through 1965, 1967 and 1969 through 1972). PCL MVP in 1963 with the Salt Lake City Bees. His only year as regular was 1964 when posting career highs of 16 doubles, 19 homers and 50 RBI as the Cubs CF ranked among N.L. top nine in stolen bases with 12. Traded by the Cubs to Mets for George Altman on 1-1-65. |
| Tim Cullen | Starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when averaging 10 ppg and 3.4 rpg in Dick Garibaldi's first season as coach. Averaged 3.7 ppg and 2.4 rpg in nine games the previous year when one of his teammates was Bob Garibaldi, who pitched briefly for the Giants. | Infielder, primarily a second baseman, hit .220 with the Senators, White Sox and A's in seven seasons from 1966 through 1972. Led A.L. second basemen in fielding percentage in 1970 one year after committing three errors in one inning on 8-30-69. Traded by the White Sox to Senators for Ron Hansen on 8-2-68. Played in ALCS in his final major-league campaign. |
| Alvin Dark | Louisiana State letterman in 1942-43 before entering military service (Marine Corps V-12 program) during World War II. | Three-time All-Star INF hit .289 in 14 years (1946 and 1948 through 1960) with the Braves, Giants, Cardinals, Cubs and Phillies. Hit career-high .322 with the Braves in 1948 when earning Rookie of Year award. Dark led N.L. in doubles with the Giants with 41 in 1951 and paced league's shortstops three times in putouts and double plays. Ranked among N.L. top 10 in hits seven times in 10-year stretch from 1948 through 1957. Hit .323 in three World Series ('48 with Braves; '51 and '54 with Giants). Dark compiled 994-954 record in 13 years (1961-64, 1966-71, 1974, 1975, 1977) as manager of the Giants, A's, Indians and Padres. Won 1962 N.L. pennant with San Francisco and 1974 WS with Oakland. |
| Walt Dropo | The 6-5, 220-pounder averaged 21.7 ppg in 1942-43, 21 ppg in 1945-46 and 19.7 ppg in 1946-47 in Connecticut career interrupted by World War II. First player in UConn history to average 20 points for a season has second-highest scoring average in school annals (20.7). He didn't play pro basketball despite being the Providence Steamrollers' top draft choice in 1947. | 1B hit .270 with 152 homers and 704 RBI in 13 seasons from 1949 through 1961 with the Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Reds and Orioles. Named A.L. Rookie of Year in 1950 when All-Star pick hit .322 (8th in league) with 34 homers (runner-up) and league-leading 144 RBI for Boston. Also ranked 6th in RBI in 1952 and 9th in 1953. Tied MLB record with 12 consecutive hits in 1952, including 7-for-7 effort in twinbill against the Senators. |
| Sammy Esposito | Scored 81 points in Chicago high school game. He played one season (1951-52) of varsity basketball for Indiana before signing a pro baseball contract, averaging 7 ppg as starting guard under coach Branch McCracken. Assistant basketball coach at North Carolina State for 14 years, including 1974 NCAA champion. | Utility INF hit .207 in 560 games during 10-year career (1952 and 1955 through 1963) with the White Sox and Athletics. Saw action in two World Series games in 1959 with White Sox. On 9-7-60, he started in place of 2B Nellie Fox, ending Fox's consecutive-game streak at 798. Esposito was baseball coach at North Carolina State from 1967 through 1987, leading Wolfpack to third-place finish in 1968 College World Series. |
| Hoot Evers | The 6-2 Evers was starter for Illinois in 1939-40 under coach Doug Mills. | Two-time All-Star OF hit .278 with the Tigers, Red Sox, Giants, Orioles and Indians in 12 seasons in 1941 and from 1946 through 1956. His best season was in 1950 when leading A.L. in triples (11) and ranked third in slugging percentage (.551), fourth in doubles (35), sixth in extra-base hits (67), seventh in batting average (.323), ninth in on-base percentage (.408), ninth in RBI (103) and ninth in total bases (290). Red Sox LF while Hall of Famer Ted Williams served in U.S. military hit for cycle on 9-7-50 with Tigers. |
| Dick Groat | Named College Basketball Player of Year by Helms Foundation in 1950-51. Nation's fifth-leading scorer as junior (25.2 ppg) and runner-up as senior (26 ppg). Scored career-high 48 points for Duke against North Carolina on 2-29-52. Played 26 games in NBA, averaging 11.9 ppg for Fort Wayne Pistons in 1952-53. In 1951, Virginia coach Gus Tebell said Groat is "the finest player I've seen in the South in my 27 years of coaching." | SS hit .286 in 1,929 games in 14 N.L. seasons (1952 and 1955 through 1967) with the Pirates, Cardinals, Phillies and Giants. Eight-time All-Star started on World Series championship teams with Pirates in 1960 and Cardinals in 1964. N.L. MVP in 1960 when pacing league in batting average (.325). Ranked among N.L. top four in hits in 1960, 1962 and 1963 (led league in doubles with 43). |
| Tony Gwynn | Averaged 8.6 ppg, 2 rpg and 5.5 apg with San Diego State from 1977-78 through 1980-81. The 5-11, 170-pound guard was named second-team All-WAC as both junior and senior. Set school DI record with 18 assists vs. UNLV on 2-5-80. Led WAC in assists as sophomore and junior before finishing third as senior. Paced the Aztecs in steals each of his last three seasons. | Padres OF hit .338 in 20 seasons (1982 through 2001), winning eight N.L. batting titles (1984-87-88-89-94-95-96-97). Played in 15th All-Star Game in 1999 before topping the 3,000-hit plateau later in the year. Holds N.L. record for most years leading league in singles (seven). Paced N.L. in runs in 1986 (107) and on-base percentage in 1994 (.454). Gold Glove winner five times (1986-87-89-90-91). He hit .368 in 1984 NLCS to help San Diego reach World Series against the Tigers. Also participated in 1998 WS against the Yankees. |
| Frank Howard | Two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection averaged 17.4 ppg and 13.9 rpg from 1955-56 through 1957-58, leading Ohio State in both scoring and rebounding as junior (20.1 ppg/15.3 rpg) and senior (16.9 ppg/13.6 rpg). The 6-5, 220-pounder grabbed still existing school-record 32 rebounds in game against BYU. It was one of 10 times he retrieved 20 or more missed shots. Howard, who was 54th in country in scoring as junior, finished his college career as Buckeyes' third-leading career scorer and leading rebounder. Howard was first-team All-American selection by USBWA/Look Magazine, Converse and NEA as junior when ranking 8th in nation in rebounding. He was third-round choice of Philadelphia Warriors in 1958 NBA draft. | OF/1B for 16 seasons from 1958 through 1973 with the Dodgers, Senators/Rangers and Tigers. In 1,902 major league games, he hit .273 with 382 homers and 1,119 RBI. N.L. Rookie of Year in 1960. Capped off string of four straight years finishing among A.L. top five in RBI with a league-high 126 in 1970. Howard led A.L. in homers with 44 in both 1968 and 1970 and was runner-up in 1969 with 48. Eight of his round-trippers came in a five-game stretch in 1968 to set MLB record. Four-time All-Star homered in Game 4 of 1963 World Series to help Dodgers sweep the Yankees. |
| Ron Jackson | Second-team All-Mid-American Conference choice from 1951-52 through 1953-54. The 6-7 center led Western Michigan in scoring and rebounding as junior (15.5 ppg/12.3 rpg) and senior (19.7 ppg/10.9 rpg). | Bonus baby 1B hit .245 in seven seasons from 1954 through 1960 with the White Sox and Red Sox. Never lived up to promising rookie campaign when hitting .280 in 40 games. |
| Davey Johnson | Averaged 1.7 ppg in only varsity season (1961-62) with Texas A&M before signing pro baseball contract. One of his fellow sophomore opponents that year was Rice center Kendall Rhine Sr., an All-SWC second-team selection who had 6-7 son with same name selected by Houston Astros in first round of 1992 MLB June amateur draft (37th pick overall). | A.L. Manager of Year in 1997 with the Orioles directed the Mets to victory over Baltimore in 1986 World Series. His managerial record in 14 seasons with the Reds, Mets, Orioles and Dodgers was 1,148-888 (.564) before leaving the Nationals' front office in middle of 2011 campaign to become their manager. Johnson finished first or second 11 times in his first 15 seasons as big league skipper. Four-time All-Star hit .261 as INF in 13-year career (1965 through 1975, 1977 and 1978) with the Orioles, Braves, Phillies and Cubs. Earned three straight A.L. Gold Gloves as 2B with Orioles from 1969 through 1971. Slugged 43 (N.L. runner-up) of his 136 career homers for the Braves in 1973 after appearing in four World Series with Orioles (1966-69-70-71). Owns distinction of being only player to have hit behind both Hank Aaron and Japan's all-time home-run king (Sadaharu Oh). |
| Don Kessinger | Selected to 10-man All-SEC team each season from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers. In scoring for all games, ranked third in league as sophomore (21.4 ppg), second as junior (21.8 ppg) and second as senior (23.5 ppg). Scored 49 points for Mississippi on 22-of-28 field-goal shooting against Tulane on 2-2-63, and exploded for 48 at Tennessee 10 nights later. | SS hit .252 in 16 seasons from 1964 through 1979 with the Cubs, Cardinals and White Sox. Managed the White Sox in 1979 before becoming coach at his alma mater. Led N.L. shortstops in putouts three times, assists four times and double plays four times. The 6-1, 170-pound switch-hitter played in six All-Star Games in seven-year span from 1968 through 1974. His best season was 1969 when scoring 109 runs (fourth in N.L.), had 181 hits (seventh), stroked 38 doubles (runner-up) and earned one of his two Gold Gloves. |
| Jerry Kindall | The 6-2 1/2, 175-pounder played two seasons for Minnesota under coach Ozzie Cowles, averaging 1.4 ppg as sophomore in 1954-55 and 6.9 ppg as junior in 1955-56. | INF hit .213 in nine seasons (1956 through 1958 and 1960 through 1965) with the Cubs, Indians and Twins. Baseball coach at Arizona for more than 20 years, leading the Wildcats to three College World Series titles (1976-80-86). He was only player to hit for cycle in CWS at Omaha (against Ole Miss on 6-1-56). Kindall is only individual to play for and coach CWS champions. |
| Art Kusnyer | The 6-2 Kusnyer led Kent State in field-goal percentage (44.5%) in 1965-66 when he was Golden Flashes' third-leading scorer and rebounder (10.5 ppg and 4 rpg). | Backup C hit .176 with the White Sox, Angels, Brewers and Royals in six A.L. seasons (1970 through 1973, 1976 and 1978). Involved in nine-player deal between Angels and Brewers on 10-22-73. |
| Vance Law | The 6-2, 185-pounder averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77. Played for BYU with his brother (Veryl). | INF hit .256 with the Pirates, White Sox, Expos, Cubs and A's in 11 years from 1980 through 1991. He posted career-high .293 batting average (eighth in N.L.) with Cubs in 1988 when named an All-Star. Appeared in at least 130 games in six of seven seasons from 1983 through 1989, including 25-inning marathon on May 8-9, 1984, against the Brewers. Participated in league championship series with White Sox in 1983 and Cubs in 1989. Son of RHP Vern Law also pitched in seven big-league games. |
| Don Lock | The 6-2 Lock was starting guard for Wichita as junior in 1956-57 (7 ppg) and senior in 1957-58 (10.1 ppg), leading the Shockers in FG% both seasons under coach Ralph Miller. | OF hit .238 with 122 homers for the Senators, Phillies and Red Sox in eight seasons from 1962 through 1969. Ranked among A.L. top 10 in homers in 1963 (27) and 1964 (28). Homered in his debut but was plagued by strikeouts, averaging more than 105 whiffs annually in five-year span from 1963 through 1967. Traded by the Yankees to Senators for Dale Long on 7-11-62 and by Senators to Phillies for P Darold Knowles plus cash on 11-30-66. |
| Kenny Lofton | Averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.6 apg for Arizona from 1985-86 through 1988-89 under coach Lute Olson. Set school records for steals in season (67 as senior) and career (200). Leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record. | Lefthander hit .299 and stole 622 bases in 17 seasons from 1991 through 2007 with the Astros, Indians, Braves, White Sox, Giants, Pirates, Cubs, Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers and Rangers. Four-time Gold Glove CF led Indians with .325 batting mark (fourth in A.L.) and paced majors with 70 stolen bases in 1993. After traded to Cleveland, he hit .285 for the Indians in 1992 and led A.L. in SBs with 66, a record for A.L. rookie. Six-time All-Star led A.L. in SBs five consecutive years from 1992 through 1996, hitting career-high .349 in 1994. Paced A.L. with 13 triples in 1995 before stealing six bases in World Series against the Braves. Returned to WS in 2002 with the Giants. Tied major-league record by scoring at least one run in 18 consecutive contests. |
| Don Lund | Starting guard as junior for Michigan and starting center as senior. Averaged 4.4 ppg in 46 outings. In his history of UM basketball, Jeff Mortimer wrote of school's World War II squads: "Lund, rejected for military service because of a trick knee, was the mainstay of these teams." Following his playing career, he served as baseball coach for his alma mater (won 1962 College World Series), farm system director for the Tigers and associate athletic director at his alma mater. | OF hit .240 in seven-year career (1945, 1947 through 1949 and 1952 through 1954) with the Dodgers, Browns and Tigers. His only season as regular was 1953 when serving as Tigers' RF. Coached baseball at his alma mater, winning the national championship in 1962, before running the Tigers' farm system until 1970. First-round selection as a fullback/linebacker by the Chicago Bears in 1945 NFL draft. |
| Tony Lupien | The 5-10, 185-pound guard was captain of 1938-39 Harvard squad. The previous season, he was school's second-leading scorer in conference competition with 5.4 ppg. | Lefthanded 1B hit .268 in six seasons (1940, 1942 through 1945 and 1948) with the Red Sox, Phillies and White Sox. Ranked sixth in triples with nine in A.L. and N.L. in back-to-back seasons (1943 and 1944). Former baseball coach at Dartmouth (313-305-3 record in 21 years from 1957 through 1977) was co-author of book "The Imperfect Diamond: The Story of Baseball's Reserve Clause and the Men Who Fought to Change It." |
| Jim Lyttle | Point guard led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 (75.9%) when averaging 12.4 ppg. | Backup OF, a first-round pick in 1966 amateur draft, hit .248 with the Yankees, White Sox, Expos and Dodgers in eight years from 1969 through 1976. The lefthanded swinger's best season was 1970 when hitting .310 with the Yanks. |
| Jerry Martin | Juco transfer was Furman's second-leading scorer as junior in 1969-70 (16 ppg) under coach Frank Selvy and third-leading scorer as senior in 1970-71 (12.7 ppg) under coach Joe Williams. The 6-1, 195-pound guard was named MVP in 1971 Southern Conference Tournament after leading Paladins to title with 22-, 36- and 19-point performances to pace tourney in scoring. He collected five points and two rebounds as starter for them in their inaugural NCAA Tournament game, a 105-74 defeat against Digger Phelps-coached Fordham in 1971 East Regional. | OF hit .251 in 11 years from 1974 through 1984 with the Phillies, Cubs, Giants, Royals and Mets. Valuable backup hit three pinch homers for Phillies in 1978 in his last year with three consecutive divisional champions. The next two seasons as regular with Cubs, Martin collected 42 homers and 146 RBI. His 34 doubles in 1979 ranked ninth in N.L. His father, Barney Martin, pitched in one game for the Reds in 1953. The free-swinger, suspended in 1984 for involvement with drugs, served three-month sentence in Fort Worth Correctional Institute with Royals teammate Willie Wilson. |
| Len Matuszek | Two-year letterman was starter for Toledo's 1975-76 squad compiling 18-7 record. The 6-2, 190-pounder averaged 5.4 ppg in three-year career under coach Bob Nichols. | Lefthanded swinger hit .234 in seven seasons from 1981 through 1987 with the Phillies, Blue Jays and Dodgers. Appeared in 1985 NLCS with the Dodgers. Backup OF assumed first-base duties from Pete Rose in 1984 after all-time hits leader left Phillies. |
| Sam Mele | Guard played two seasons with NYU before entering U.S. military. Named to first five on All-Metropolitan New York team as sophomore in 1942-43 when he was the Violets' leading scorer in NCAA Tournament (losses against Georgetown and Dartmouth). | OF for 10 years from 1947 through 1956 and manager of the Twins for seven years from 1961 through 1967. Hit .267 in 1,046 games with the Red Sox, Senators, White Sox, Orioles, Reds and Indians. Played for two different teams in single season four times in seven-year span from 1949 through 1955. Led A.L. with 36 doubles for the Senators in 1951 and drove in six runs in one inning in 1952 game for the White Sox. Compiled 524-436 managerial record from 1961 through 1967 with the Twins, winning 1965 A.L. title with 102-60 mark. |
| Gene Michael | The 6-2, 180-pounder led Kent State in scoring with 14 ppg in 1957-58. He also chipped in with 4.9 rpg. | Former Yankees general manager was switch-hitting SS who hit .229 in 10 seasons from 1966 through 1975 with the Pirates, Dodgers, Yanks and Tigers. Nicknamed "Stick," he was master of hidden-ball trick, pulling it off five times in MLB career. Michael compiled 206-200 record in four-year managerial career with the Yankees (1981 and 1982) and Cubs (1986 and 1987). |
| Wally Moon | The 5-11 Moon averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50. | Two-time All-Star OF-1B hit .289 with the Cardinals and Dodgers in 12 N.L. seasons from 1954 through 1965. Lefthanded swinger homered in first at-bat en route to earning N.L. Rookie of Year acclaim over Hank Aaron in 1954 when Moon led league in plate appearances (716) and ranked among top six in hits (193), triples (9), runs (106) and stolen bases (18). Paced N.L. in triples in 1959 with 11. Gold Glove LF in 1960 between appearing in two World Series with Dodgers (1959 and 1965). Finished fourth in 1959 MVP voting ahead of Willie Mays (6th), Frank Robinson (9th) and Ken Boyer (10th). |
| Lyle Mouton | The 6-3 Mouton averaged 8.2 ppg and 3.2 rpg as sophomore in 1988-89 before dropping off LSU coach Dale Brown's team to concentrate on baseball. Started in the Tigers' backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson when they lost to Texas-El Paso in West Regional of NCAA playoffs. | OF hit .280 for the White Sox, Orioles, Brewers and Marlins in seven seasons from 1995 through 2001. Also played in Japan. Named to 1990 College World Series All-Tournament Team. |
| Johnny O'Brien | The 5-9, 160-pound guard scored 2,733 points for Seattle from 1950-51 through 1952-53, averaging 20.7 ppg as sophomore, 28.4 as junior and 28.6 as senior (third among major-college players). Scored 51 points against Gonzaga on 2-15-53. NCAA consensus All-American second-team choice as junior and consensus first-team selection as senior. Averaged 32 ppg in three NCAA playoff contests in 1953. Became first college player to crack 1,000-point plateau in single season when scoring 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52. | Bonus baby INF/P played six seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1959) with the Pirates, Cardinals and Braves. Hit .250 and compiled 1-3 pitching record in 339 games. As 2B for the Pirates on 4-3-56, he became last N.L. position player to earn victory on the mound until catcher Brent Mayne achieved the feat for the Rockies against Atlanta in August 2000. Traded by the Pirates with Gene Freese to Cardinals for Dick Schofield and cash. Twin brother of former major leaguer Eddie O'Brien, a teammate with Seattle. |
| Paul Popovich | Averaged 3.3 ppg in reserve role in one season of varsity basketball with West Virginia (1959-60) before signing pro baseball contract. Led freshman team in scoring with 18.8 ppg. Teammate of All-American Jerry West on squad compiling 26-5 record and playing in NCAA Tournament under coach Fred Schaus. Popovich sank 5-of-6 field-goal attempts in second-round 82-81 loss against NYU. | INF hit .233 in 11 N.L. seasons (1964 and 1966 through 1975) with the Cubs, Dodgers and Pirates. Traded by the Dodgers with Ron Fairly to the Expos for Maury Wills and Manny Mota on 6-11-69, before immediately being traded to the Cubs. Switch-hitter went 3-for-3 in pinch-hitting appearances for the Pirates in 1974 NLCS. |
| Curtis Pride | Averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg with William & Mary from [1986-87](seasons/1986-870 through 1989-90. The 6-0, 185-pound guard led Tribe in season steals three times and assists twice. Dished out 10 assists vs. ECU on 2-24-88. Named to Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie team as freshman and to league All-Defensive team as sophomore and junior. | Born with 95% hearing disability, he was one of few deaf athletes to ever play in MLB. OF made debut with Expos in 1993 and hit .444 in 10 games. His best season was in 1996 when collecting 17 doubles and 10 homers while hitting .300 for the Tigers. Lefthanded swinger hit .250 in 11 seasons to 2006 with six franchises (Expos, Tigers, Red Sox, Braves, Yankees and Angels). Appeared in 2004 A.L. Divisional Series with Angels. |
| Dave Ricketts | The 6-2, 190-pound guard was three-year starter who led Duquesne in scoring with 17.9 ppg as senior in 1956-57, finishing fourth in nation in free-throw percentage (86.2%). Sophomore member of team compiling 22-4 record and finishing sixth in final AP poll after winning NIT. He converted school-record 42 consecutive free-throw attempts. | C hit .249 in six seasons (1962, 1965 and 1967 through 1970) with the Cardinals and Pirates. Switch-hitter played with the Cardinals in 1967 and 1968 World Series. Long-time coach, instructor and minor league manager in the Cards' organization. |
| Mel Roach | The 6-1, 190-pounder earned basketball letter by averaging 9.3 ppg in 1952-53 in Virginia's final season prior to joining the ACC before receiving substantial MLB bonus from Milwaukee Braves. | Bonus baby utilityman hit .238 in eight years (1953, 1954 and 1957 through 1962) with the Braves, Cubs and Phillies. The longtime backup to Red Schoendienst hit .309 in 44 games in 1958 and .300 in 48 games in 1960 for the Braves, who traded him to Cubs for Frank Thomas on 5-9-61. |
| Jackie Robinson | Football, basketball and track standout at Pasadena City College in 1937-38 and 1938-39. Named to All-Southern California Junior College Conference Western Division all-star basketball team both years, a span during which UCLA was winless in league competition. First athlete in Bruins history to letter in football, basketball, baseball and track. The 5-11 forward compiled highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA (12.3 ppg in league play in 1939-40 as all-league second-team selection and 11.1 in 1940-41). In his final athletic outing for Bruins, he accounted for more than half of their output with 20 points in 52-37 loss to USC. | Hall of Fame INF hit .311 with 137 homers as regular on six N.L. pennant winners with the Dodgers in 10 seasons from 1947 through 1956. After becoming Rookie of Year in 1947, Robinson was named MVP in 1949 when leading N.L. with .342 batting average and 37 stolen bases. Also finished runner-up in batting average in 1950, third in 1951 and fourth in 1952. Ranked among N.L. top nine in runs scored seven times and top seven in SBs on nine occasions. The six-time All-Star homered in 1952 All-Star Game. He had two homers and seven doubles in World Series competition. |
| Gary Sutherland | The 6-0, 175-pound guard was USC's fifth-leading scorer in 1963-64 when averaging 7.4 ppg as shortest man on coach Forrest Twogood's roster. | Utilityman hit .243 in 13 seasons from 1966 through 1978 with seven teams (Phillies, Expos, Astros, Tigers, Brewers, Padres and Cardinals). Selected by Montreal in expansion draft, brother of four-year MLB pitcher Darrell Sutherland, a Stanford hooper, had more than 500 at-bats in one season with the Expos (1969) and two with the Tigers (1974 and 1975). Ranked fourth in A.L. in singles in 1974 with 131. |
| Wayne Terwilliger | The 5-11, 165-pounder was two-year letterman for Western Michigan's team, averaging 5.6 ppg in his final season in 1947-48. | 2B hit .240 in nine seasons (1949 through 1951, 1953 through 1956, 1959 and 1960) with the Cubs, Dodgers, Senators, Giants and Athletics. He collected eight consecutive hits for the Cubs as rookie. Minor league manager for 15 seasons in farm systems of the Yankees, Senators and Rangers (1961-68, 1973 and 1975-80). Served as major league coach with the Senators, Rangers and Twins (1969-71, 1972 and 1981-94). |
| Will Venable | All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05. Scored team-high 16 points and contributed game highs of 8 rebounds and 3 steals in 2004 NCAA tourney setback against Texas. | Lefthanded OF hit .249 with the Padres, Rangers and Dodgers in nine seasons from 2008 through 2016. Venable, who didn't play baseball his freshman year in college, finished among N.L. top 10 in triples (8th with 7) and stolen bases (9th with 29) in 2010. He had career-high 22 homers in 2013. Son of 12-year MLB OF Max Venable was the Padres' seventh-round choice in 2005 amateur draft. |
| Sammy White | Averaged 10.1 ppg as 6-3, 195-pound forward with Washington from 1946-47 through 1948-49. Named to first five on All-Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division team as junior and senior. | C hit .262 in 11 seasons with the Red Sox (1951 through 1959), Braves (1961) and Phillies (1962). All-Star in 1953 hit over .280 three times with Boston. Ranked among A.L. top 10 in doubles three straight years (1953 through 1955). Scored three runs in one inning (7th) on 6-18-53 when Red Sox tallied 17 against the Tigers. |
| Dave Winfield | Played two seasons as 6-6, 220-pound forward with Minnesota, averaging 6.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg as junior in 1971-72 and 10.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg as senior in 1972-73. He played entire game, collecting 8 points and 8 rebounds against eventual Final Four participant Florida State, in Gophers' initial NCAA Tournament appearance in 1972 under coach Bill Musselman. Selected by Atlanta Hawks in fifth round of 1973 NBA draft and Utah Stars in sixth round of 1973 ABA draft. Didn't play college football, but was chosen in 17th round of 1973 NFL draft by Minnesota Vikings. | Hall of Fame OF, a first-round pick in 1973 amateur draft (fourth choice overall), hit .283 with 465 homers, 1,833 RBI and 3,110 hits in 22 seasons (1973 through 1988 and 1990 through 1995) with the Padres, Yankees, Angels, Blue Jays, Twins and Indians. Led N.L. in total bases in 1979 with 333 before ranking among A.L. top four in batting average in 1984 (.340) and 1988 (.322). Seven-time Gold Glover appeared in 12 All-Star Games after never playing in minors. Participated in World Series with the Yankees (1981) and Blue Jays (1992). |
| Randy Winn | The 6-2 backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash averaged 1.4 ppg in 17 games for Santa Clara in 1993-94. | A.L. All-Star OF in 2002 was one of most consistent switch-hitters in MLB, hitting .284 and stealing 215 bases in 13 seasons from 1998 through 2010. When retiring, Winn was active player with most games (1,717) without appearing in postseason after playing for the Yankees and Cardinals in 2010. Ranked among A.L. top three in triples in 1998 and 2002 and top eight in stolen bases three straight years from 2002 through 2004. In 2005 with the Mariners and Giants, he fell one SB shy of becoming first switch-hitter ever with at least 45 doubles, 20 homers and 20 steals in single season. His 51-hit effort in September 2005 marked most safeties by Giants player in any single month in 30 years. Selected by Tampa Bay in 3rd round of expansion draft before making his big league debut. |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Supplying MLB Headlines on April 9
Extra! Extra! As a new season takes shape, you can read news 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.
Did you know that outfielder "Sweet" Lou Johnson, an ex-Kentucky State hooper, was traded three times the first nine days in April in deals involving Los Angeles-based teams? In the minors, all-time basketball great Michael Jordan made his Organized Baseball debut on April 9, 1994, when the Chicago White Sox farmhand went hitless as right fielder for the Birmingham Barons (Southern League). What in the "heel" was the then 31-year-old Jordan thinking, or not thinking, en route to a .202 batting average and 114 strikeouts in 127 games? Unless Jordan won a bet with Robert "The Natural" Redford to acquire "Wonderboy" bat, the only way MJ could have reached the majors was via an Eddie Gaedel-like stunt.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. George Altman (Tennessee State) joined Sweet Lou as another former HBCU hooper making MLB news on this date. Former juco hoopers Darrell Evans (Pasadena City CA) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central) each hit two homers in MLB games on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 9 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 9
RF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State's basketball squad) stroked four hits against the New York Mets on Opening Day 1963 in his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.
1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's "Mr. Basketball") traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Cincinnati Reds in 1956.
Detroit Tigers DH Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1986 game against the Boston Red Sox.
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State hoops teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Detroit Tigers with $10,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for P Larry Sherry in 1964.
RHP Vern Kennedy (Central Missouri State hooper in mid-1920s) returned by Philadelphia Athletics to Oklahoma City after purchased from Texas League franchise the previous fall.
In his first start of the 1992 campaign, Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians.
Seattle Mariners RF Leon Roberts (grabbed one rebound in four basketball games for Michigan in 1970-71 under coach Johnny Orr) ripped a grand slam in 8-6 setback against the Minnesota Twins in 1978 season opener.
RHP Mike Smithson (teammate of Tennessee All-American Ernie Grunfeld averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg under coach Ray Mears in 1974-75 and 1975-76) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers in 1982.
Detroit Tigers 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with Southern California in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in 1974.
Philadelphia Phillies 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) collected two homers and five RBI in a 2003 game against the Atlanta Braves.
Minnesota Twins DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) stroked three extra-base hits against the Kansas City Royals in 1993.
Lost That Winning Feeling: 3 UConn Transfers Denied 2 Championship Rings
Whether voluntary or encouraged to leave, three quality Connecticut players transferred the last couple of campaigns, costing them a chance to earn multiple championship bling. The dearly departed included Akok Akok (Georgetown and West Virginia), Rahsool Diggins (Massachusetts) and Jalen Gaffney (Florida Atlantic). Gaffney was a tick of the clock away from opposing the Huskies in the 2023 NCAA championship game.
Numerous other players have also been denied because they transferred before NCAA playoff title run. Additional player transfers forsaking a couple of rings were Ryan Appleby (Florida), Deward Compton (Kentucky) and Sandy Pomerantz (Cincinnati). A striking number of original recruits for Duke, Indiana and Kentucky are on the following alphabetical list of transfers denied receiving an NCAA championship ring because the players left a school subsequently capturing a national crown:
Transfer Player Alma Mater Original College (Title Year Missed) Mohamed Abukar San Diego State '07 Florida (2006) Brendan Adams George Washington '23 Connecticut (2023) Akok Akok Georgetown '23/West Virginia '24 Connecticut (2023 and 2024) Bob Albertson Ball State '82 Louisville (1980) Ryan Appleby Washington '08 Florida (2006 and 2007) Tommy Baker Eastern Kentucky '81 Indiana (1981) Craig Bardo The Citadel '87 Indiana (1987) Larry Bird Indiana State '79 Indiana (1976) Mario Boggan Oklahoma State '07 Florida (2006) Adam Boone Minnesota '06 North Carolina (2005) Bob Brannum Michigan State '48 Kentucky (1948) Delray Brooks Providence '88 Indiana (1987) Javonte Brown Texas A&M '23 Connecticut (2023) Mislav Brzoja Evansville '16 Villanova (2016) Rakeem Buckles Florida International '14 Louisville (2013) Chris Burgess Utah '02 Duke (2001) Marquis Burns New Mexico State '96 UCLA (1995) *Billy Butts Ball State '90 Michigan (1989) Altonio Campbell Idaho '89 Kansas (1988) Deward Compton Louisville '48 Kentucky (1947 and 1948) Olek Czyz Nevada '12 Duke (2010) Doug Davis Miami (Ohio) '02 Michigan State (2000) Silvio De Sousa Chattanooga '22 Kansas (2022) Rahsool Diggins Massachusetts '24 Connecticut (2023 and 2024) Darnell Dodson Southern Mississippi '13 Kentucky (2012) Micah Downs Gonzaga '09 Kansas (2008) David Dunn Georgia '87 Georgetown (1984) Dylan Ennis Oregon '17 Villanova (2016) Tristan Enaruna Iowa State '23 Kansas (2022) Tracy Foster UAB '87 Indiana (1987) Bob Fowler Iowa State '80 Kentucky (1978) Sam Funches North Texas '00 Connecticut (1999) Jalen Gaffney Florida Atlantic '24 Connecticut (2023 and 2024) Alex Galindo Florida International '09 Kansas (2008) Michael Gbinije Syracuse '16 Duke (2015) C.J. Giles Oregon State '08 Kansas (2008) Mike Giomi North Carolina State '87 Indiana (1987) Tyon Grant-Foster DePaul '23 Kansas (2022) Danny Hall Marshall '78 Kentucky (1978) Andre Harris Austin Peay State '88 Indiana (1987) Kenny Harris Virginia Commonwealth '94 North Carolina (1993) Yarin Hasson Southern Indiana '24 Connecticut (2024) Mark Haymore Massachusetts '79 Indiana (1976) Scott Hazelton Rhode Island '05 Connecticut (2004) Derek Holcomb Illinois '81 Indiana (1981) David Huertas Mississippi '10 Florida (2007) Rodney Hull Chicago State '89 Kansas (1988) *Karl James South Alabama '91 UNLV (1990) Anthony Jones UNLV '86 Georgetown (1984) Latrell Jossell Stephen F. Austin '24 Kansas (2022) Arlan "Bud" King Hanover (Ind.) '53 Kentucky (1951) Taylor King Villanova '12 Duke (2010) Ray Knight Providence '85 Georgetown (1984) Jack Kramer UAB '91 Michigan (1989) Michael Leblanc Vanderbilt '99 Connecticut (1999) Darrell Lorrance Missouri '47 Kentucky (1947) Monte Mathis Toledo '89 Kansas (1988) Billy McCaffrey Vanderbilt '94 Duke (1992) Malcolm McMullen Xavier '49 Kentucky (1948) Mike Miday Bowling Green State '81 Indiana (1981) Danny Miller Notre Dame '03 Maryland (2002) Alex Murphy Florida '16 Duke (2015) Gethro Muscadin New Mexico '24 Kansas (2022) Semi Ojeleye Southern Methodist '18 Duke (2015) Dylan Painter Delaware '22 Villanova (2018) Crawford Palmer Dartmouth '93 Duke (1992) Jim Pelton San Diego '88 Kansas (1988) Sanford "Sandy" Pomerantz Washington MO '63 Cincinnati (1961 and 1962) Stacey Poole Georgia Tech '14 Kentucky (2012) Jarred Reuter George Mason '19 Virginia (2019) Rodrick Rhodes Southern California '97 Kentucky (1996) Jason Richey San Diego State '98 Arizona (1997) Clifford Rozier Louisville '95 North Carolina (1993) Jarvis Kelly Sanni Rice '98 Arizona (1997) Dean Shaffer Florida State '85 North Carolina (1982) Marty Simmons Evansville '88 Indiana (1987) Oliver Simmons Florida State '00 Kentucky (1998) Will Smethers Bowling Green State '51 Kentucky (1949) Roscoe Smith UNLV '15 Connecticut (2014) Richie Springs Quinnipiac '24 Connecticut (2024) Alex Stephenson Southern California '11 North Carolina (2009) Rasheed Sulaimon Maryland '16 Duke (2015) Barry Sumpter Austin Peay State '87 Louisville (1986) Andre Sweet Seton Hall '05 Duke (2001) Jared Swopshire Northwestern '13 Louisville (2013) Bryce Thompson Oklahoma State '24 Kansas (2022) James Thues Detroit '05 Syracuse (2003) Jeff Tropf Central Michigan '79 Michigan State (1979) Jason Webber Central Michigan '00 Michigan State (2000) Milt Wiley St. Louis '79 Michigan State (1979) DeShaun Williams Iona '04 Syracuse (2003) Elliot Williams Memphis '12 Duke (2010)
*Played for a junior college between four-year schools
NOTES: McCaffrey and Palmer played for an NCAA champion with Duke in 1991 and Huertas did with Florida in 2006. . . . King played only one season for Villanova in 2009-10. . . . E. Williams left Memphis after 2009-10 campaign when he declared early for the NBA draft. Likewise for Smith at UNLV following 2013-14 season.
Senior Moments: Average of 2 Seniors Among Top Scorers For last 38 Titlists
Usually, a senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. Two senior transfers were among Connecticut's top five scorers this season. 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 six years ago. UConn this year became only the fourth NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - joining UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - featuring seniors as their top two scorers. Following is a look at the vital seniors for the past 37 basically youthful championship teams (in reverse order):
2024 - Connecticut (two of top five scorers were seniors/Tristen Newton was first and Cam Spencer was second)
2023 - Connecticut (one of top six scorers and three of nine-man rotations were seniors/Tristen Newton was third, Joey Calcaterra was seventh and Nahiem Alleyne was eighth)
2022 - Kansas (four of top seven scorers were seniors/Ochai Agbaji was leading scorer, David McCormack was third, Remy Martin was fifth and Mitch Lightfoot was seventh)
2021 - Baylor (two of top nine scorers were seniors/MaCio Teague was second-leading scorer and Mark Vital was seventh)
2019 - Virginia (none of top seven scorers was a senior)
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).
Land of Plenty: 7 of Last 9 NCAA Titlists Boast at Least 4 Different Top Scorers
Spreading the wealth has become a trait of recent NCAA kingpins. Kentucky's well-balanced attack, featuring six players averaging from 9.9 to 14.2 points per game in 2011-12, enabled the Wildcats to become the first NCAA Tournament champion to have five different players lead the team in scoring during the playoffs en route to capturing the crown. A quintessential quintet also emerged for titlists Duke (2015) and Villanova (2016).
The following chronological list includes this year's Connecticut contingent among seven of last nine NCAA Tournament champions featuring at least four different players leading the team in scoring during the playoffs en route to earning title:
| Titlist With > 3 Team-High Scorers | 4 or 5 Different Players Leading Club in Scoring During NCAA Playoffs |
|---|---|
| UCLA '70 | Henry Bibby, Curtis Rowe, John Vallely, Sidney Wicks |
| UCLA '75 | Dave Meyers, Marques Johnson, Pete Trgovich, Richard Washington |
| Kentucky '78 | Truman Claytor, Jack Givens, Kyle Macy, Mike Phillips |
| North Carolina '82 | Matt Doherty, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, James Worthy |
| Louisville '86 | Herbert Crook, Pervis Ellison, Billy Thompson, Milt Wagner |
| Indiana '87 | Steve Alford, Ricky Calloway, Dean Garrett, Keith Smart |
| UCLA '95 | Toby Bailey, Tyus Edney, J.R. Henderson, Ed O'Bannon |
| Florida '07 | Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford, Lee Humphrey |
| Kansas '08 | Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Sasha Kaun, Brandon Rush |
| Kentucky '12 | Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Marquis Teague |
| Duke '15 | Quinn Cook, Matt Jones, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow |
| Villanova '16 | Ryan Arcidiacono, Phil Booth Jr., Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, Daniel Ochefu |
| Villanova '18 | Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Eric Paschall |
| Virginia '19 | Mamadi Diakite, Kyle Guy, De'Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome |
| Baylor '21 | Jared Butler, Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer, MaCio Teague |
| Kansas '22 | Ochai Agbaji, Remy Martin, David McCormack, Jalen Wilson |
| Connecticut '24 | Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer |
We Marred the Champion: Creighton & Seton Hall Beat UConn Last Two Years
Creighton and Seton Hall were the only schools to defeat Connecticut each of the last two seasons as the Huskies rolled to back-to-back NCAA crowns. 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 Duke (nine), Kentucky (nine), St. John's (nine), Maryland (eight), 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.
Michigan State, despite advancing to eight Final Fours under coach Tom Izzo, never has beaten a school during the season the opponent eventually captured an NCAA championship. Four of Kansas' setbacks two seasons ago were virgin territory for Baylor, Dayton, Texas Christian and Texas Tech as they notched their first-ever victory over an NCAA titlist. Prominent universities with that dubious distinction include Arizona State, Brigham Young, Colorado, Penn State, Saint Joseph's, San Francisco, Texas A&M, Texas-El Paso 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.
Victory Map: UConn Fell 3 Points Shy of Becoming Most Dominant Champion
Connecticut fell one made three-pointer short of earning distinction as the most dominant champion in NCAA Tournament history. There has been some smooth sailing such as UConn's back-to-back kingpins becoming two of the 10 NCAA champions to win their playoff games by a margin of at least 20 points. However, it usually is a rugged road en route to becoming NCAA champion such as Virginia in 2019 when the Cavaliers won their last four playoff games by an average of 4.5 points. 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. Last year, Kansas became the 52nd champion to win a minimum of one playoff game by fewer than five, including 24 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 championship 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."
UConn won all 12 of its playoff contests by double digits each of the last two years 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 all came 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 85 national champions:
*All-time tournament record (111-42 first-round victory over Tennessee Tech).
NOTE: Sixteen teams participated in a total of 23 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), Connecticut (2014) and Virginia (two in 2019).
Hot or Not? UConn Prevails Either Way in Capturing NCAA Tournament Crowns
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. Last year, Connecticut became the seventh champion in past nine tourneys to enter playoffs on a losing note. This season, UConn repeated entering the tourney with the most triumphs of the last 10 kingpins (seven).
All 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 47 national champions. Twenty-five of those squads entered the tourney on a winning streak and 22 entered with a defeat. 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 25 aforementioned squads entering on a winning note, the average winning streak was six in a row. Following in reverse order is how those 47 post-unbeaten IU titlists entered the NCAA playoffs (including conference tournaments):
States of Success: Georgetown Keeps KY Tied With CA For Most Hoop Titles
Kentucky (32), buttressed by Georgetown College's two NAIA championships in the previous 11 years while Big Blue Nation (Kentucky) and Big Red Country (Louisville) each went without a crown, is tied with California as the state with the most national titles from each level of four-year college men's basketball - NCAA Division I, NIT, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Indiana, on the heels of DIII success this year by Trine, joined Illinois and Ohio as the only states to boast at least one champion from all five levels. Among the 14 states amassing a total of more than 10 national crowns, Missouri is the only one in that group without a Division I championship after Virginia's success in 2019. Drury (Mo.), Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri State won DII titles in the last decade but the state's two headline schools - Mizzou and Saint Louis - never have reached the NCAA DI Final Four.
The biggest surprise among states fond of hoops but never capturing a four-year school national title was Iowa until Graceland won NAIA crown six years ago. After UConn went six-for-six in NCAA DI title game appearances, following is how states stack up by national four-year school titles including the NIT and various levels of small-college basketball:
State DI NIT DII DIII NAIA Total California 15 8 5 0 4 32 Kentucky 11 3 10 0 8 32 Ohio 3 7 3 5 3 21 North Carolina 13 2 3 0 1 19 Missouri 0 1 7 2 8 18 Oklahoma 2 2 1 0 11 16 Pennsylvania 4 7 2 3 0 16 Wisconsin 2 1 0 13 0 16 Illinois 1 6 1 6 1 15 Indiana 5 2 6 1 1 15 New York 2 10 0 3 0 15 Texas 2 5 0 0 8 15 Virginia 1 4 5 3 0 13 Kansas 4 1 1 0 6 12 Minnesota 0 3 3 2 3 11 Tennessee 0 3 1 1 5 10 Michigan 3 3 1 2 0 9 Connecticut 6 1 1 0 0 8 Georgia 0 0 1 0 6 7 Massachusetts 1 1 1 4 0 7 Alabama 0 0 3 0 3 6 Florida 2 0 3 0 0 5 Maryland 1 1 2 0 1 5 Arizona 1 0 0 0 3 4 District of Columbia 1 1 1 1 0 4 Louisiana 0 0 0 0 4 4 New Jersey 0 3 0 1 0 4 South Carolina 0 2 0 0 2 4 Utah 1 3 0 0 0 4 West Virginia 0 2 0 0 2 4 Colorado 0 1 2 0 0 3 South Dakota 0 0 3 0 0 3 Arkansas 1 0 0 0 1 2 Nebraska 0 1 0 1 0 2 Rhode Island 0 2 0 0 0 2 Washington 0 0 2 0 0 2 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 1 1 Idaho 0 0 0 0 1 1 Iowa 0 0 0 0 1 1 Mississippi 0 1 0 0 0 1 Montana 0 0 0 0 1 1 Nevada 1 0 0 0 0 1 New Mexico 0 0 0 0 1 1 Oregon 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wyoming 1 0 0 0 0 1
NOTE: Six states - Alaska, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont - never have had a four-year school win a men's national championship.
Hammerin' Home College Hoopdom Facts Regarding Hank Aaron's MLB Career
On the 50th anniversary of historic day commemorating sports icon Hank Aaron, it should be pointed out he was surrounded by hoopers his entire 23-year MLB career. The majority of Milwaukee Braves' starting infield was comprised of former college basketball players on April 23, 1954, when Aaron contributed his first big-league RBI and homer (against St. Louis Cardinals). Aaron was outhomered in his rookie campaign by 1B teammate Joe Adcock, 23-13, eight years after Adcock set SEC Tournament record with 15 field goals for Louisiana State's basketball squad in 1946. Did you also know that ex-Texas A&M hooper Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg in 1948-49 and 1949-50) earned National League Rookie of the Year acclaim over Aaron when the Cards CF led league in plate appearances (716) and ranked among top six in hits (193), triples (9), runs (106) and stolen bases (18)? Twenty years later in Atlanta, Aaron's 715th round-tripper surpassing Babe Ruth on April 8, 1974, was hit off Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander Al Downing, who attended Muhlenberg (Pa.) on a basketball scholarship but left school before ever playing to turn to Organized Ball and his ultimate date with sports history while also donning uniform #44.
Opposing catcher adjacent to Aaron for historic homer was Downing's batterymate Joe Ferguson, who played for Pacific against eventual NCAA basketball champion UCLA in 1967 West Regional final. LA's manager was Walter Alston, a basketball letterman with Miami of Ohio from 1932-33 through 1934-35. The winning hurler in historic baseball game was Atlanta's Ron Reed, who led Notre Dame in rebounding as a junior (17.7 rpg in 1963-64) and scoring as a senior (21 ppg in 1964-65). Reed played more seasons (nine) with Aaron than any ex-college cager. Former hoopers Darrell Evans (Pasadena City College under coach Jerry Tarkanian) and Davey Johnson (Texas A&M) combined for 40 homers with the Braves in Aaron's final campaign with them in 1974. Johnson, who tied Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby's record for most single-season round-trippers by a second baseman the previous year, became a regular with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966 by succeeding slick-fielding Jerry Adair, a top three scorer for Oklahoma State in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under legendary coach Hank Iba.
Aaron led the entire majors in homers in a single season only once (44 in 1957) before pacing N.L. three more times (1963, 1966 and 1967). Former college hooper contemporaries swatting more circuit clouts than Aaron in a season when he registered at least 20 round-trippers included Adcock (38 in 1956 and 35 in 1961), Bob Cerv (attended Nebraska/38 in 1958 with Kansas City Athletics), Evans (41 in 1973 and 25 in 1974), Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN & Oakland City IN/32 in 1956 with Brooklyn Dodgers), Frank Howard (Ohio State/44 in 1968, 48 in 1969 and 44 in 1970 with Washington Senators), Johnson (43 in 1973), Don Lock (Wichita/28 in 1964 with Senators), Graig Nettles (San Diego State/22 in 1974 with New York Yankees) and Leon "Daddy Wags" Wagner (Tuskegee AL/31 in 1964 with Cleveland Indians). Johnson, Evans and Aaron comprised the first trio of teammates to each hammer at least 40 homers in a single season.
Aaron's 755th and final homer came against the California Angels on 7/20/76 (hit none in his final 23 games covering 2 1/2 months). In Aaron's next-to-last MLB game, his final extra-base hit was a sixth-inning double vs. Baltimore Orioles on 9/29/76 before scoring eventual winning run on a single by Eastern League MVP/Triple Crown winner/September call-up Dan Thomas in the Milwaukee Brewers' 6-3 victory. The tally was Aaron's final of 2,174 runs scored. His successor as the Brewers' principal DH early in 1977 was Thomas before career for "The Sundown Kid" unraveled under Bud Selig's stewardship prior to becoming MLB commissioner. Believe it or not, Thomas died in Aaron's hometown of Mobile, Ala., under distressing circumstances. If you need to win a sports trivia bar bet, please be aware that Thomas' high-school basketball coach at Dupo, Ill., in the St. Louis Metro East area was Cal Neeman Sr. (catcher with Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators for seven years from 1957 through 1963 after leading Illinois Wesleyan hoops in scoring in 1947-48 and 1948-49).
Adding to hoop connection, the college baseball coach for Thomas, 6th pick overall in 1972 MLB June amateur draft following Southern Illinois' runner-up finish in 1971 College World Series, was Richard "Itchy" Jones, an ex-Salukis hooper averaging 8.9 ppg in 1956-57. Moreover, Thomas was runner-up to Sixto Lezcano in batting average in 1973 with the Shreveport Captains' AA Texas League club managed by Gene Freese, the captain of West Liberty State WV hoop squad participating in 1952 NAIA Tournament. On 5-1-75, Lezcano scored record-setting run on Aaron's third-inning single when Aaron passed Ruth in career RBI (2,210).
It's a small sports world, after all. In 1950, Neeman was a minor-league teammate of New York Yankees farmhand Mickey Mantle for Joplin (Class C Western Association). Mantle earned his second of three A.L. MVP awards in 1957. In Neeman's MLB debut with the Cubs on opening day 1957 against the Braves, he got his first big-league safety off Cy Young Award winner Warren Spahn (single to right-center; Aaron was RF). One week later on 4/23/57, Aaron was a firsthand witness early in his lone MVP campaign to Neeman's first MLB homer (decisive 10th-inning blast off World Series MVP Lew Burdette of the Braves). Coincidentally, Aaron (fractured left ankle sliding into third base) and Neeman (fractured little finger of right hand) both had their regal rookie seasons stall the first week in September because of injuries. For the record, Thomas' first big-league homer came at Yankee Stadium off Catfish Hunter. Eventual Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount went 2-for-18 with Milwaukee in the four games Thomas hit a round-tripper in September of 1976. Yount, the Brewers' top June amateur draft pick (3rd overall) the year after Thomas, wound up with 3,140 other safeties. Thomas' third HR came off Yankees lefthander Ken Holtzman. Unbelievably, Thomas' high school baseball coach was Bill Schlueter, Holtzman's batterymate while attending Illinois and son of MLB catcher Norm Schlueter, who played in A.L. same decade (1930s) as none other than Yankees legend "The Babe." Recently-deceased Holtzman was the last MLB hurler to throw a no-hitter without a strikeout.
Aaron went deep against Downing (three times), Holtzman (four) and 308 other hurlers over the course of his celebrated career. Victims of Aaron's blasts included All-Americans Joe Gibbon, Johnny O'Brien and Dick Ricketts among the following alphabetical list of former college hoopers: Steve Arlin (Ohio State/yielded two HRs), Curt Barclay (Oregon/one), Joe Black (Morgan State/one), Ray Burris (Southwestern Oklahoma State/one), Danny Coombs (Seton Hall/one), Roger Craig (North Carolina State freshman team/10), Gibbon (Mississippi/two), Bob Gibson (Creighton/eight), Dave Giusti (Syracuse/two), Dallas Green (Delaware/one), Don Gross (Michigan State freshman/two), Paul Hartzell (Lehigh/one), Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech/one), Bill Henry (Houston/two), Jay Hook (Northwestern/eight), Ken Hunt (Brigham Young/one), Don Kaiser (East Central OK/one), Cal Koonce (Campbell/two), Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati freshman/seven), Lindy McDaniel (Oklahoma freshman/four), Joe Niekro (West Liberty State WV/two), O'Brien (Seattle/one), Steve Renko (Kansas/two), Ricketts (Duquesne/one), Robin Roberts (Michigan State/nine), George Stone (Louisiana Tech/two), Jim Todd (Parsons IA & Millersville PA/one), Bob Veale (Benedictine KS/three) and Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA/six).
Getting back to Neeman, he coached Thomas in Southern Illinois high school hoops in 1968-69 against Gary Simpson (Pistol Pete's backcourt successor with Louisiana State in 1970-71), Rick Suttle (Kansas' 1974 Final Four team) and Dave Taynor (Kansas captain). Eerily, Thomas and Simpson both passed away in 1980 at the age of 29. Thirteen winters apart, Neeman and Thomas played baseball in Venezuela within a year of each of them concluding their MLB careers. Curiously, the aforementioned Johnson was Thomas' first-year skipper in 1979 with the Miami Amigos franchise in short-lived AAA Inter-American League. Earlier that decade, Johnson gained distinction as the only player to hit behind both Aaron and Japan's all-time home-run king (Sadaharu Oh). Adcock, Evans, Johnson and Reed are among the following list of Aaron's baseball teammates with the Braves and Brewers who previously played college basketball (14 from current power-conference members):
| Aaron's Ex-Hooper Teammates | Pos. | MLB Team | College Hoops School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Adcock | 1B | Braves 54-58 | Louisiana State |
| Rick Austin | LHP | Brewers 75-76 | Washington State |
| Frank Bolling | 2B | Braves 61-65 | Spring Hill AL |
| Jim Colborn | RHP | Brewers 75-76 | Edinburgh (Scotland) |
| Gene Conley | RHP | Braves 54-58 | Washington State |
| Billy Cowan | OF | Braves 65 | Utah |
| George Crowe | 1B | Braves 55 | Indiana Central |
| Al Dark | UT | Braves 60 | Louisiana State/USL |
| John DeMerit | OF | Braves 57-61 | Wisconsin |
| Jack Dittmer | 2B | Braves 54-56 | Iowa |
| Darrell Evans | 3B | Braves 69-74 | Pasadena City College CA |
| Davey Johnson | 1B | Braves 73-74 | Texas A&M |
| Art Kusnyer | C | Brewers 76 | Kent State |
| Johnny Logan | SS | Braves 54-61 | Binghamton |
| Gary Neibauer | RHP | Braves 69-73 | Nebraska |
| Joe Niekro | RHP | Braves 73-74 | West Liberty State WV |
| Johnny O'Brien | 2B | Braves 59 | Seattle |
| Ron Reed | RHP | Braves 66-74 | Notre Dame |
| Mel Roach | UT | Braves 54 & 57-61 | Virginia |
| Don Schwall | RHP | Braves 66-67 | Oklahoma |
| Roy Smalley Jr. | INF | Braves 54 | Drury MO |
| George Stone | LHP | Braves 67-72 | Louisiana Tech |
| Gary Sutherland | INF | Brewers 76 | Southern California |
| Cecil Upshaw | RHP | Braves 66-73 | Centenary |
| Sammy White | C | Braves 61 | Washington |
| Jim Wilson | RHP | Braves 54 | San Diego State |
NOTE: A couple of Aaron's MLB managers - Birdie Tebbetts (1961 and 1962/Providence) and Harvey Kuenn (1975/Wisconsin) - also were former college hoopers. Tebbetts, while skipper of the Cincinnati Reds, gushed about the lanky Neeman's power: "That big catcher can hit a ball a mile (but 725 fewer than Aaron)." Neeman's baseball impact continued as a grandson, Kevin Graham, belted a three-run homer in his first start with Ole Miss and was named Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball in 2019. Graham, an INF/OF, led the NCAA Regional host Rebels in homers during 2021 regular season and finished campaign with NCAA-high 60 consecutive contests reaching base. The Rebs were ranked in the national Top 10 much of the first half of season two years ago despite Graham missing about a month after sustaining a fractured wrist early in year fewer than two weeks following seven-RBI performance in rain-shortened game against Arkansas State. Graham was hitting a team-high .345 (.371 in SEC competition) when Ole Miss commenced NCAA Tournament participation two campaigns ago en route to CWS championship.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Supplying MLB Headlines on April 8
Extra! Extra! As a new season secures steam and coach John Calipari eclipses news about NCAA tourney final by switching from Kentucky to Arkansas, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two former small-college hoopers from Pennsylvania - Al Downing (Muhlenberg) and Pete Sivess (Dickinson) - made MLB news on this date. Downing allowed one of the most historic home runs in history. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 8
OF Babe Barna (two-year West Virginia basketball letterman in mid-1930s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Washington Senators in 1939.
In 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoop scholarship but left school before playing) yielded Hank Aaron's 715th homer bypassing Babe Ruth as MLB all-time leader (subsequently broken by Barry Bonds).
RHP Mark Freeman (averaged 3.6 ppg for Louisiana State as senior in 1950-51) traded by the New York Yankees to the Kansas City Athletics in 1959. Returned to Yankees a month later.
CF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Tampa as freshman in 1961-62) provided four hits as leadoff batter for the expansion Kansas City Royals in their inaugural game in 1969.
Cincinnati Reds rookie LF Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with five RBI against the Chicago Cubs in 1983.
RHP Pete Sivess (Dickinson PA hooper in 1935-36) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with cash to the New York Yankees in 1939.
New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) whacked two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers, igniting his streak of seven consecutive multiple-hit contests in 1988.
College Exam: Day #23 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
CollegeHoopedia.com hopes the rigors of this daily Q&A during the playoffs didn't give you an inferiority complex. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, this bonanza is the climax of 23 days featuring a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions (10 per day from Selection Sunday until a grand finale added value of 20 on the day of traditional 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.
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Looks Are Deceiving: Edey Classic Example of H.S. Recruit Ranking Con Job
The herd-mentality "experts" on lame-stream TV are routinely mistaken on coronavirus issues large and small - from effectiveness of donning masks, reusable bags, virus modeling and hydroxychloroquine treatments. Their frequent stunning litany of deity Dr. Fraudci failure is reminiscent of ranking high school basketball recruits and their eventual impact. Vaping loyalists for big-name schools count on remaining or returning to elite status via recruiting services. Typically, the herd-mentality national media falls in lockstep predicting most of them will be back to at least near the top of the national polls. But welfare writers (accepting guesswork handouts from well-meaning but ineffectual middle men) better hope the recruiting gurus ranking high school hotshots emerge from a sorry slump typified by seven of 10 NCAA consensus All-Americans this year nowhere to be found on consensus Top 100 recruiting lists when they left high school. Do you now think pudgy Indiana State frontcourter Robbie "Goggles" Avila should have been placed much higher on the totem pole? How about coveted mid-major transfers Jalen Blackmon (Stetson), Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic), Tucker DeVries (Drake/barely cracked Top 100), BJ Freeman (Milwaukee), Gibson Jimerson (Saint Louis), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Cade Tyson (Belmont)?
Back-to-back unanimous national player of the year Zach Edey (Purdue) wasn't listed among premier recruits in 2020. Another textbook example four seasons ago was consensus national player of the year Obi Toppin (Dayton) not ranking among the nation's Top 100 recruits coming out of high school. Three years ago, unanimous national player of the year Luka Garza (Iowa) barely cracked the Top 100. Ditto Final Four Most Outstanding Player that year Jared Butler (Baylor).
Assessing standouts two years ago, NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Johnny Davis (Wisconsin) and Keegan Murray (Iowa) weren't Top 100 recruits coming out of high school along with JD Notae (Arkansas). Elsewhere, Jaden Ivey (Purdue) and Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona) barely cracked the H.S. Top 100 in 2019.
Six years ago, Kansas guard Devonte' Graham was nowhere to be found among the nation's Top 100 high school recruits in 2014. Five years ago, national POY teammate Frank Mason wasn't among the consensus Top 75 coming out of high school in 2013. But at least Mason was somewhere between 75 and 100 similar to Michigan State's Denzel Valentine, who shared national POY awards eight seasons ago with Oklahoma's Buddy Hield (outside Top 100 in 2012). Well, if roof-top dancing bartender AOC is correct about climate change and defending colleague's outrageous "some people did something," we only need to tolerate college hoopdom's crowning jewel for junk science about 10 more years.
What good are prep player rankings and ESPN's periodic commitment announcements if the brainiac analysts can't come close to pinpointing a prospect who will emerge among the elite collegiate players in a couple of years? Eleven seasons ago provided ample evidence of rating ineptitude when four of the five NCAA unanimous All-American first-team selections, including national player of the year Trey Burke (Michigan), weren't ranked among the consensus Top 100 H.S. recruits assembled by RSCI the years they left high school. First-teamer Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga) and Final Four MOP Luke Hancock (Louisville) weren't among the top 100 in 2009. First-teamers Doug McDermott (Creighton) and Victor Oladipo (Indiana) plus honorable mention All-American Russ Smith (leading scorer for NCAA champion Louisville) weren't among the top 100 in 2010.
The player pimps, "hustling" more than ambulance-chasing attorney Ben Crump to profit off multitude of miscreants, certainly lack credibility. Burke, McDermott, Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin) and Hield pooled their previously overlooked assets to assemble a string of four straight national POY honorees. Burke wasn't included among the consensus top 100 in 2011 although every scout in this burgeoning charade saw him play on the same high school squad with eventual Ohio State All-American Jared Sullinger. Ditto McDermott with regal recruit Harrison Barnes (North Carolina).
Media hacks as confused as Bruce Jenner, inauguration boycotters, disgraced California Rep. Katie Hill, know-nothing leftist lunatics banning plastic straws and #MadMaxine expounding on college loans, apparently incapable of calculating the difference between AAU-pickup street ball and genuine team ball, should be deep-sixed when you compared Hield and Valentine against the following list of mediocre players ranked among the consensus Top 40 recruits in 2012: Chaquille Cleare (averaged 3.5 ppg for Maryland and Texas), DaJuan Coleman (4.8 ppg/Syracuse), Grant Jerrett (5.2 ppg/Arizona) and Omar Calhoun (6 ppg/Connecticut).
As a cautionary measure when considering prize prospects lists, pore over this information again the next time some lazy broadcaster needing a drool bucket begins slobbering over a pimple-faced teenager without ever seeing him play firsthand and only using recruiting services as a resource. The dopey devotees intoxicated by recruiting services should simply be ignored for accepting as gospel player rankings dwelling on wingspans, weight reps, Soul Train dance moves and carnival-like dunk contests. How about focusing solely on whether they'll continue to improve against comparable athletes, boast the proper attitude to learn to fit in with teammates in a me-myself-and-I generation and make a major bottom-line impact on the game rather than strut-your-stuff swagger? When pass is considered a dirty four-letter word, the chronic over-hyping doesn't appear as if it will end anytime soon.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and three-point shooting sensation Stephen Curry (Davidson) is perhaps the premier collegian thus far this century. If you've got a life, you don't have time to go over all of the no-names ranked better than Curry when he graduated from high school in 2006. You'd have an easier task competing in the national spelling bee, trying to size up all of the issues involving coach Frank Haith's checking account when he was at Miami (Fla.), helping Bruce Pearl remember decor inside of his old TN residence, discerning how much Roy Williams "earned" in academic progress bonuses at North Carolina or believing Rick Pitino's Sgt. "I-Know-Nothing" Schultz routine at Louisville regarding recruiting regaling.
Rating recruits - the ultimate sports distortion foisted upon dupes - is akin to believing government grifters telling the gullible masses taxpayer-financed Muslim extremist terrorism is workplace violence or fueled by a largely-unseen movie (such as #ShrillaryRotten lying about video in front of caskets at Andrews AFB duplicating her honesty when describing dodging Bosnian bullets). Pilfering a propaganda-like phrase spun during the institutionalizing of political correctness to the detriment of the safety of the American people, the player ratings are authentic "man-made disasters." They need to make a dramatic turnaround comparable to the Obama White House's post-marathon bombing appeasing administration lauding Cambridge/Boston area police after previous exploitation portraying them as "acting stupidly" when it suited their agenda. Amid the insulting misinformation overload, it might be time to visit Rev. Wrong's church and see if he is recruiting susceptible supporters by telling his captive audience "America's Chechens have come home to roost." Truth-escape artists supporting chronic criminals rather than law enforcement and opponents of Tsarnaev receiving a death-penalty sentence can simply deny you ever heard or read such impudence.
The same play-dumb mindset comparable to the Benghazi stonewalling, VA executive comparing veteran care waits to long lines at Disney theme park, IRS conservative-group targeting and general incompetence, #ShrillaryRotten's State Department IT chief unable to provide his emails or being willing to talk to investigators plus fondness for determining transgender dumping grounds applies to entitlement-era "ridiculists" stemming from recruiting service player ratings. Resembling Jason Collins' long-time fiancée, you look like a full-fledged fool by putting a significant amount of stock in these breathless rush-to-judgment projections spawning a slew of blue-chippers turned prima donnas. But don't muzzle 'em with a jock jihad or sound as lucid as the buffoonish Bomb Mom. Just give the sane a barf bag when clueless adults hold their collective breath to see if coddled scholar dons their alma mater's cap on TV announcing a college choice. Why can't we simply wait until impressionable teenagers such as Dayton dynamo Toppin, Murray State marvel Ja Morant plus KU kinetic knockouts Mason and Graham compete in an actual game on both ends of a college court against comparable athletes before rendering assessments on their ability at the next level?
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Supplying MLB Headlines on April 7
Extra! Extra! As a new season concludes its second weekend, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former Hofstra top scorer and rebounder Brant Alyea set a MLB Opening Day RBI record on this date. Ex-juco hoopers Bobby Munoz (Polk FL), Jim Perry (Campbell NC), Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central) also made MLB news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 7
Minnesota Twins LF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous basketball season) amassed seven RBI, a major league record for opening day, against the Chicago White Sox in 1970. Alyea drove in 19 runs in P Jim Perry's first four starts that year.
In his MLB debut in 1970, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered three hits, including a RBI triple in the third inning for the game's first run, in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Cubs.
In his MLB debut in 2017, Cincinnati Reds LHP Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before RS transfer year at Cal State Northridge) hurled six shutout innings to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals.
RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman for Hampden-Sydney VA in mid-1950s) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1965.
INF Ralph LaPointe (Vermont hoops letterman during WWII) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with $30,000 to St. Louis Cardinals for 1B Dick Sisler in 1948.
RHP Dave Madison (hoops letterman for Louisiana State from 1939-40 through 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1952.
Philadelphia Phillies RHP Bobby Munoz (scored 35 points for Polk Community College FL in game against Palm Beach in mid-November 1986) hurled three innings of scoreless relief against the Colorado Rockies in 1994 appearance for his lone MLB save.
Minnesota Twins RHP Jim Perry (averaged more than 20 ppg in late 1950s for former juco Campbell) opened 1970 campaign by shutting out the Chicago White Sox en route to A.L.-leading 24 victories.
Detroit Tigers 3B Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) contributed four hits in a 1993 game against the Oakland Athletics.
Chicago White Sox DH Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) smacked decisive three-run homer in bottom of the eighth inning of 4-2 win in 2009 season opener.
New York Yankees LF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered in each of his first three games in 1983.
College Exam: Day #22 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper and face-masks for next Dr. Fraudci-induced pandemic, seeking translator to try to understand Plagiarist Biledumb/Cacklin' Kamala administration or cowering in corner in fetal position from Lurch Kerry climate-change claptrap, it's your opportunity to start taking online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.
We need something to occupy our minds from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. 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 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.
Answers (Day 22)
Day 21 Questions and Answers
Day 20 Questions and Answers
Day 19 Questions and Answers
Day 18 Questions and Answers
Day 17 Questions and Answers
Day 16 Questions and Answers
Day 15 Questions and Answers
Day 14 Questions and Answers
Day 13 Questions and Answers
Day 12 Questions and Answers
Day 11 Questions and Answers
Day 10 Questions and Answers
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Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
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Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
State Delegates: TX Among Seven States Leading Out-of-State A-A Recruits
If you are qualified and gotten more interested these days in the vanguard of state-by-state All-American blackboard information than bored by which state petty politicians are lying in, then campaign with the following strategic delegate knowledge: Only four of 18 All-Americans named by AP, NABC and USBWA this season are homegrown in-state products.
Texas, boasting four homegrown All-Americans each of the last two seasons, is one of seven states accounting for more than 30 different A-As beyond their borders. The leaders are: New York (96), Illinois (66), Pennsylvania (51), Indiana (44), California (43), New Jersey (41), Texas (31), Georgia (27), Maryland (27), Ohio (24), Missouri (21), North Carolina (21), Virginia (21) and Michigan (20). Last season, Rhode Island cracked the all-time A-A supply chain for out-of-state recruits for the first time with Marquette's Tyler Kolek, who repeated this year. Following is an alphabetical list of states supplying players who were from or attended high school (some before attending prep school) in a state other than where they earned All-American recognition while attending a four-year university:
Alabama (11) - Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins (2010), Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (1970 and 1971), Kentucky State's Travis Grant (1972), Colorado State's Bill Green (1963), Memphis State's Larry Kenon (1973), Southern Illinois' Joe C. Meriweather (1975), Louisville's Allen Murphy (1975), Kansas' Bud Stallworth (1972), Texas Southern's Ben Swain (1958), Southwestern Louisiana's Andrew Toney (1980) and Indiana's D.J. White (2008)
Alaska (2) - Duke's Trajan Langdon (1998 and 1999) and Carlos Boozer (2002)
Arizona (6) - Duke's Mark Alarie (1986), Duke's Marvin Bagley III (2018), Gonzaga's Brandon Clarke (2019), Dayton's DaRon Holmes II (2024), Marquette's Markus Howard (2019 and 2020) and Brigham Young's Joe Richey (1953)
Arkansas (9) - Oklahoma State's James Anderson (2010), Texas Western's Jim Barnes (1964), Gonzaga's Frank Burgess (1961), San Diego State's Michael Cage (1984), Memphis State's Keith Lee (1982-83-84-85), Minnesota's Quincy Lewis (1999), Seattle's Eddie Miles (1963), Kentucky's Malik Monk (2017) and Memphis State's Dexter Reed (1977)
California (43) - Baylor's James Akinjo (2022), UNLV's Stacey Augmon (1991), Oregon's Greg Ballard (1977), Oregon State's Fred Boyd (1982), Arizona State's Joe Caldwell (1963), Oregon State's Lester Conner (1982), New Mexico's Michael Cooper (1978), Penn's Howie Dallmar (1945), Boston College's Jared Dudley (2007), Brigham Young's John Fairchild (1965), Kansas' Drew Gooden (2002), Utah State's Cornell Green (1962), Texas' Jordan Hamilton (2011), Arizona State's James Harden (2009), Brigham Young's Mel Hutchins (1951), Arizona's Stanley Johnson (2015), Oregon State's Steve Johnson (1980 and 1981), Arizona's Steve Kerr (1988), Weber State's Damian Lillard (2012), Oregon's Stan Love (1971), Oregon State's John Mandic (1942), Utah's Billy McGill (1960 through 1962), Utah's Andre Miller (1998 and 1999), Arizona's Chris Mills (1993), Duke's DeMarcus Nelson (2008), Notre Dame's Kevin O'Shea (1947 through 1950), Oregon State's Gary Payton (1990), Kansas' Paul Pierce (1998), Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince (2001 and 2002), UNLV's J.R. Rider (1993), Creighton's Paul Silas (1962 through 1964), Arizona's Miles Simon (1998), Boston College's Craig Smith (2005 and 2006), Brigham Young's Michael Smith (1988), Temple's Terence Stansbury (1984), Oregon's Vic Townsend (1941), Vanderbilt's Jan van Breda Kolff (1974), Utah's Keith Van Horn (1996 and 1997), Kansas' Jacque Vaughn (1995 through 1997), Arizona's Derrick Williams (2011), Portland State's Freeman Williams (1977 and 1978), Kansas' Jeff Withey (2013) and Utah's Delon Wright (2015)
Colorado (10) - Utah's Art Bunte (1955 and 1956), Purdue's Joe Barry Carroll (1979 and 1980), Iowa's Chuck Darling (1952), Nevada's Nick Fazekas (2006 and 2007), Wyoming's Bill Garnett (1982), Notre Dame's Pat Garrity (1998), Wyoming's Harry Jorgensen (1955), Tennessee's Dalton Knecht (2024), Kansas' Mark Randall (1990) and North Carolina State's Ronnie Shavlik (1955 and 1956)
Connecticut (12) - Boston College's John Bagley (1982), Dartmouth's Gus Broberg (1940 and 1941), Massachusetts' Marcus Camby (1996), Providence's Kris Dunn (2016), UCLA's Rod Foster (1981 and 1983), Duke's Mike Gminski (1978 through 1980), Providence's Ryan Gomes (2004), Niagara's Calvin Murphy (1968 through 1970), Seattle's Frank Oleynick (1975), Villanova's John Pinone (1983), Rhode Island's Sly Williams (1978 and 1979) and Michigan's Henry Wilmore (1971 and 1972)
Delaware (1) - Temple's Terence Stansbury (1984)
District of Columbia (13) - Seattle's Elgin Baylor (1957 and 1958), Syracuse's Dave Bing (1965 and 1966), Notre Dame's Austin Carr (1970 and 1971), Utah's Jerry Chambers (1966), Duke's Johnny Dawkins (1985 and 1986), Syracuse's Sherman Douglas (1988 and 1989), Iowa's Luka Garza (2020 and 2021), San Francisco's Ollie Johnson (1965), North Carolina's Bob Lewis (1966 and 1967), Syracuse's Lawrence Moten (1995), Kansas' Thomas Robinson (2012), Duke's Jim Thompson (1934) and Providence's John Thompson Jr. (1964)
Florida (19) - Duke's Grayson Allen, North Carolina's Joel Berry (2018), Houston's Otis Birdsong (1977), Auburn's Johni Broome (2024), Duke's Vernon Carey Jr. (2020), North Carolina's Vince Carter (1998), North Carolina State's Chris Corchiani (1991), Oklahoma State's Joey Graham (2005), Georgia Tech's Tom Hammonds (1989), Illinois' Derek Harper (1983), Wake Forest's Frank Johnson (1981), Vanderbilt's Will Perdue (1988), Villanova's Howard Porter (1969 through 1971), Kansas State's Mitch Richmond (1988), Duke's Austin Rivers (2012), Louisville's Clifford Rozier (1994), Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell (2015), Minnesota's Mychal Thompson (1977 and 1978) and Kansas' Walt Wesley (1966)
Georgia (27) - California's Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996), Virginia's Malcolm Brogdon (2015 and 2016), Providence's Marshon Brooks (2011), Marquette's Jae Crowder (2012), North Carolina's Hook Dillon (1946 and 1947), Florida State's Toney Douglas (2009), Tennessee's Dale Ellis (1982 and 1983), Louisville's Pervis Ellison (1989), Southern Illinois' Walt Frazier (1967), Oklahoma's Harvey Grant (1988), Clemson's Horace Grant (1987), Grambling's Charles Hardnett (1961 and 1962), Utah's Merv Jackson (1968), Tennessee's Reggie Johnson (1980), Auburn's Walker Kessler (2022), Mississippi State's Jeff Malone (1983), Kentucky's Jodie Meeks (2009), Baylor's Davion Mitchell (2021), Auburn's Mike Mitchell (1978), Arkansas' JD Notae (2022), Clemson's Tree Rollins (1977), Kentucky State's Elmore Smith (1971), Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. (2022), Kentucky's Bill Spivey (1950 and 1951), Florida State's Al Thornton (2007), Kentucky's Kenny Walker (1985 and 1986) and North Carolina's Al Wood (1980 and 1981)
Idaho (1) - Brigham Young's Roland Minson (1951)
Illinois (66) - Ohio State's Keita Bates-Diop (2018), Minnesota's Jim Brewer (1973), Seattle's Charley Brown (1958 and 1959), Villanova's Jalen Brunson (2018), Indiana's Quinn Buckner (1974 through 1976), Iowa's Carl Cain (1956), Penn's Corky Calhoun (1973), Detroit's Bob Calihan (1939), West Virginia's Jevon Carter (2018), Kansas' Sherron Collins (2009 and 2010), Wisconsin's Bobby Cook (1947), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012), Indiana's Archie Dees (1957 and 1958), Detroit's Bill Ebben (1957), Marquette's Bo Ellis (1975 through 1977), California's Larry Friend (1957), William & Mary's Chet Giermak (1950), Michigan's Rickey Green (1976 and 1977), Indiana's A.J. Guyton (2000), Wisconsin's Ethan Happ (2017 and 2019), Notre Dame's Tom Hawkins (1958 and 1959), Michigan's Juwan Howard (1994), Kentucky's Dan Issel (1969 and 1970), Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky (2015), Central Missouri's Earl Keth (1938), Minnesota's Tom Kondla (1967), Notre Dame's Moose Krause (1932 through 1934), Iowa's Ronnie Lester (1979 and 1980), Ohio State's E.J. Liddell (2022), Oklahoma A&M's Bob Mattick (1954), Marquette's Jerel McNeal (2009), Colorado's Cliff Meely (1971), Dartmouth's George Munroe (1942), Iowa's Don Nelson (1961 and 1962), Wisconsin's Ab Nicholas (1952), Duke's Jahlil Okafor (2015), Duke's Jabari Parker (2014), Valparaiso's Alec Peters (2017), Houston's Gary Phillips (1961), Kansas State's Jacob Pullen (2011), Murray State's Bennie Purcell (1952), Kentucky's Antonio Reeves (2024), Wisconsin's Don Rehfeldt (1950), Notre Dame's Eddie Riska (1941), Marquette's Doc Rivers (1982 and 1983), Wyoming's Flynn Robinson (1965), Kansas' Dave Robisch (1971), Memphis' Derrick Rose (2008), Michigan's Cazzie Russell (1964 through 1966), Duke's Jon Scheyer (2010), Evansville's Jerry Sloan (1965), Purdue's Forrest Sprowl (1942), Notre Dame's Jack Stephens (1955), Indiana's Isiah Thomas (1981), Wisconsin's Alando Tucker (2007), Ohio State's Evan Turner (2010), Kentucky's Tyler Ulis (2016), Wichita State's Fred VanVleet (2014), Marquette's Dwyane Wade (2003), Arkansas' Darrell Walker (1983), Marquette's Lloyd Walton (1976), Marquette's Jerome Whitehead (1978), Cincinnati's George Wilson (1963), Kansas' Julian Wright (2007), Arizona's Michael Wright (2001) and Georgia Tech's Rich Yunkus (1970 and 1971)
Indiana (44) - Michigan State's Chet Aubuchon (1940), Tennessee State's Dick Barnett (1958 and 1959), Xavier's Trevon Bluiett (2018), Cincinnati's Ron Bonham (1963 and 1964), Denver's Vince Boryla (1949), Louisville's Junior Bridgeman (1975), Wyoming's Joe Capua (1956), Memphis' Rodney Carney (2006), East Tennessee State's Tom Chilton (1961), Kentucky's Louie Dampier (1966 and 1967), North Carolina State's Dick Dickey (1948 and 1950), Kentucky's LeRoy Edwards (1935), Arizona's Jason Gardner (2002 and 2003), Western Michigan's Harold Gensichen (1943), Virginia's Kyle Guy (2018 and 2019), Florida's Joe Hobbs (1958), Georgia Tech's Roger Kaiser (1960 and 1961), Wyoming's Milo Komenich (1943), Texas' Jim Krivacs (1979), Kansas' Clyde Lovellette (1950 through 1952), Kentucky's Kyle Macy (1978 through 1980), North Carolina's Sean May (2005), Drake's Willie McCarter (1969), Tennessee State's Porter Merriweather (1960), North Carolina State's Vic Molodet (1956), North Carolina's Eric Montross (1993 and 1994), Texas Christian's Lee Nailon (1998), Kentucky's Cotton Nash (1962 through 1964), Ohio State's Greg Oden (2007), Kentucky's Jack Parkinson (1946), Duke's Mason Plumlee (2013), Louisville's Jim Price (1972), Northwestern's Ray Ragelis (1951), North Carolina State's Sam Ranzino (1950 and 1951), Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (1958 through 1960), Michigan State's Scott Skiles (1986), Wake Forest's Jeff Teague (2009), Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas (2013), Tennessee's Gene Tormohlen (1959), North Carolina State's Monte Towe (1974), Michigan's John Townsend (1937 and 1938), Southern California's Ralph Vaughn (1940), UCLA's Mike Warren (1967 and 1968) and North Carolina's's Tyler Zeller (2012)
Iowa (8) - North Carolina's Harrison Barnes (2012), Creighton's Ed Beisser (1943), Kansas' Nick Collison (2003), Kansas' Kirk Hinrich (2002 and 2003), Creighton's Kyle Korver (2003), Kansas' Raef LaFrentz (1997, Creighton's Doug McDermott (2012 through 2014) and 1998) and Carleton's Wayne Sparks (1937)
Kansas (7) - Kentucky's Bob Brannum (1944), Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein (2015), Vanderbilt's Matt Freije (2004), Army's Dale Hall (1945), Colorado's Jack Harvey (1940), Villanova's Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (2021) and Oklahoma's Gerry Tucker (1943 and 1947)
Kentucky (19) - Navy's Buzz Borries (1934), Florida State's Dave Cowens (1970), Cincinnati's Ralph Davis (1960), Tennessee Tech's Jimmy Hagan (1959), Alabama's Jerry Harper (1956), Tennessee's Allan Houston (1992 and 1993), Virginia's Jeff Lamp (1980 and 1981), Tennessee's Chris Lofton (2006 through 2008), Louisiana State's Rudy Macklin (1980 and 1981), Duke's Jeff Mullins (1963 and 1964), Ohio State's Arnie Risen (1945), Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell (2015), Tennessee's Danny Schultz (1964), Furman's Frank Selvy (1952 through 1954), Army's Mike Silliman (1966), Xavier's Hank Stein (1958), Cincinnati's Tom Thacker (1963), Duquesne's Jim Tucker (1952) and South Carolina's Grady Wallace (1957)
Louisiana (14) - Texas' D.J. Augustin (2008), Creighton's Benoit Benjamin (1985), Baylor's Jared Butler (2020 and 2021), Duke's Chris Duhon (2004), Houston's Louis Dunbar (1974), Iowa State's Marcus Fizer (2000), Vanderbilt's Shan Foster (2008), Houston's Elvin Hayes (1966 through 1968), Villanova's Kerry Kittles (1995 and 1996), Georgetown's Greg Monroe (2010), Kentucky's Cotton Nash (1962 through 1964), Oklahoma's Hollis Price (2003), Jacksonville's James Ray (1980) and Kentucky's Rick Robey (1977 and 1978)
Maryland (27) - Virginia's Justin Anderson (2015), Boston College's John Austin (1965 and 1966), Kansas State's Michael Beasley (2008), Wyoming's Charles Bradley (1981), North Carolina State's Kenny Carr (1976 and 1977), San Francisco's Quintin Dailey (1982), Notre Dame's Adrian Dantley (1975 and 1976), Michigan's Hunter Dickinson (2021) before duplicating feat with Kansas (2024), Texas' Kevin Durant (2007), Syracuse's C.J. Fair (2014), Duke's Danny Ferry (1988 and 1989), North Carolina's Joseph Forte (2001), Washington's Markelle Fultz (2017), Connecticut's Rudy Gay (2006), Notre Dame's Jerian Grant (2015), Kansas' Tony Guy (1982), Villanova's Josh Hart (2016 and 2017), Davidson's Fred Hetzel (1963 through 1965), North Carolina's Ty Lawson (2009), North Carolina State's Rodney Monroe (1991), Indiana's Victor Oladipo (2013), Duke's Nolan Smith (2011), Virginia Tech's Dale Solomon (1982), Saint Joseph's Delonte West (2004), North Carolina State's Hawkeye Whitney (1980), Georgetown's Reggie Williams (1987) and Pittsburgh's Sam Young (2009)
Massachusetts (14) - Rutgers' James Bailey (1978 and 1979), Villanova's Michael Bradley (2001), Notre Dame's Bonzie Colson (2017), Georgetown's Patrick Ewing (1982 through 1985), Rhode Island State's Chet Jaworski (1939), Yale's Tony Lavelli (1946 through 1949), Oregon's Ron Lee (1974 through 1976), Marshall's Russell Lee (1972), Rhode Island State's Stan Modzelewski (1942), Connecticut's Shabazz Napier (2014), Iowa State's Georges Niang (2015 and 2016), Ohio State's Scoonie Penn (1999 and 2000), Michigan's Rumeal Robinson (1990) and Providence's Jimmy Walker (1965 through 1967)
Michigan (20) - Duke's Shane Battier (2000 and 2001), Dayton's Bill Chmielewski (1962), Syracuse's Derrick Coleman (1989 and 1990), New Mexico's Mel Daniels (1967), Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts (2008), Arizona's Bob Elliott (1977), Canisius' Larry Fogle (1974), Iowa State's Jeff Grayer (1988), Texas Western's Bobby Joe Hill (1966), Florida's Al Horford (2007), Kansas' Josh Jackson (2017), Arkansas' George Kok (1948), North Carolina's Tom LaGarde (1977), Alabama State's Kevin Loder (1981), Temple's Mark Macon (1988), Tennessee State's Carlos Rogers (1994), Purdue's Steve Scheffler (1990), Missouri's Doug Smith (1990 and 1991), Bradley's Chet Walker (1960 through 1962) and Iowa's Sam Williams (1968)
Minnesota (8) - Kansas' Cole Aldrich (2010), Boston College's Troy Bell (2001 and 2003), Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren (2022), Dayton's John Horan (1955), Duke's Tre Jones (2020), Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs (2021), Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor (2011) and South Dakota State's Nate Wolters (2013)
Mississippi (5) - Missouri's Melvin Booker (1994), Murray State's Isaiah Canaan (2012), Louisiana State's Chris Jackson (1989 and 1990), UC Irvine's Kevin Magee (1981 and 1982) and Alabama's Derrick McKey (1987)
Missouri (21) - UCLA's Lucius Allen (1968), Princeton's Bill Bradley (1963 through 1965), Idaho State's Lawrence Butler (1979), Duke's Chris Carrawell (2000), Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough (2011), North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (2006 through 2009), Tulsa's Steve Harris (1985), Southern Methodist's Jon Koncak (1985), Southern Methodist's Jim Krebs (1957), Oklahoma A&M's Bob Kurland (1944 through 1946), Arizona's Caleb Love (2024), Kansas' Ben McLemore (2013), Drake's Red Murrell (1958), Tulsa's Bob Patterson (1955), Georgetown's Otto Porter Jr. (2013), Kansas' Fred Pralle (1938), Texas-Pan American's Marshall Rogers (1976), Notre Dame's Dick Rosenthal (1954), Kansas' Brandon Rush (2008), Kansas' Jo Jo White (1967 through 1969) and Memphis State's Win Wilfong (1957)
Montana (3) - Iowa's Chuck Darling (1952), Utah State's Wayne Estes (1964 and 1965) and Duke's Mike Lewis (1968)
Nebraska (6) - Kansas State's Bob Boozer (1958 and 1959), South Dakota State's Mike Daum (2019), George Washington's Bob Faris (1939), Michigan's Mike McGee (1981), Wyoming's Les Witte (1932 and 1934) and Iowa's Andre Woolridge (1997)
Nevada (3) - New Mexico's Darington Hobson (2010), Arizona State's Lionel Hollins (1975) and Missouri's Willie Smith (1976)
New Jersey (41) - Miami's Rick Barry (1964 and 1965), Temple's Mike Bloom (1938), West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler (2010), DePaul's Clyde Bradshaw (1980), Illinois' Tal Brody (1965), Notre Dame's Gary Brokaw (1974), George Washington's Corky Devlin (1955), Providence's Vinnie Ernst (1963), Morehead State's Kenneth Faried (2011), Dayton's Henry Finkel (1966), Columbia's Chet Forte (1957), Villanova's Randy Foye (2006), South Carolina's Skip Harlicka (1968), Holy Cross' Tom Heinsohn (1955 and 1956), Duke's Bobby Hurley (1992 and 1993), North Carolina's Tommy Kearns (1957 and 1958), Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012), Pittsburgh's Brandin Knight (2002), Stanford's Brevin Knight (1997), Southern California's Mo Layton (1971), Villanova's Bill Melchionni (1966), Providence's Eric Murdock (1991), Notre Dame's Troy Murphy (2000 and 2001), Seattle's Eddie O'Brien (1953), Seattle's Johnny O'Brien (1952 and 1953), North Carolina's Mike O'Koren (1978 through 1980), Holy Cross' Togo Palazzi (1953 and 1954), Notre Dame's David Rivers (1988), Massachusetts' Lou Roe (1994 and 1995), Iowa's Ben Selzer (1934), Notre Dame's John Shumate (1974), Duke's Jim Spanarkel (1978 and 1979), Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor (2012), Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns (2015), Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka (1979 through 1981), Duke's Bob Verga (1966 and 1967), Saint Joseph's Bryan Warrick (1981 and 1982), Xavier's David West (2002 and 2003), Long Island's Sherman White (1950), Duke's Jason Williams (2001 and 2002) and Miami's Isaiah Wong (2023)
New Mexico (2) - Kansas' Bill Bridges (1961) and West Texas State's Charles Halbert (1942)
New York (96) - UCLA's Lew Alcindor (1967 through 1969), Georgia Tech's Kenny Anderson (1990 and 1991), Penn State's Jesse Arnelle (1955), Minnesota's Ron Behagen (1973), Kansas State's Rolando Blackman (1980 and 1981), Duke's Elton Brand (1999), North Carolina's Pete Brennan (1958), Dartmouth's Audie Brindley (1944), Utah's Ticky Burden (1975), North Carolina State's Lorenzo Charles (1984), Missouri's Derrick Chievous (1987), Illinois' Kofi Cockburn (2021 and 2022), New Mexico State's Jimmy Collins (1970), Holy Cross' Bob Cousy (1948 through 1950), North Carolina's Billy Cunningham (1964 and 1965), Wake Forest's Charlie Davis (1971), North Carolina's R.J. Davis (2024), Wichita State's Cleanthony Early (2014), Maryland's Len Elmore (1974), Massachusetts' Julius Erving (1971), Duke's Kyle "Flip" Filipowski (2024), Georgia's Vern Fleming (1984), Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (2010), Louisville's Francisco Garcia (2005), Louisville's Don Goldstein (1959), Louisiana State's Al Green (1979), Duquesne's Sihugo Green (1954 through 1956), UNLV's Sidney Green (1983), Tennessee's Ernie Grunfeld (1976 and 1977), North Carolina State's Tom Gugliotta (1992), Penn's Ron Haigler (1975), Loyola of Chicago's Jerry Harkness (1963), Notre Dame's Billy Hassett (1945), Hawaii's Tom Henderson (1974), Villanova's Larry Hennessy (1952 and 1953), Duke's Art Heyman (1961 through 1963), North Carolina State's Julius Hodge (2004), Xavier's Tu Holloway (2011), Baylor's Vinnie Johnson (1979), West Virginia's Kevin Jones (2012), South Carolina's Kevin Joyce (1973), Holy Cross' George Kaftan (1947 and 1948), Guilford's Bob Kauffman (1968), Cincinnati's Sean Kilpatrick (2014), Maryland's Albert King (1980 and 1981), Tennessee's Bernard King (1975 through 1977), North Carolina's Mitch Kupchak (1975 and 1976), Duke's Christian Laettner (1991 and 1992), North Carolina's York Larese (1959 through 1961), Marquette's Butch Lee (1977 and 1978), Davidson's Mike Maloy (1968 through 1970), Georgia Tech's Stephon Marbury (1996), Kentucky's Jamal Mashburn (1993), Louisville's Rodney McCray (1983), Richmond's Bob McCurdy (1975), Marquette's Dean Meminger (1970 and 1971), North Carolina's Doug Moe (1961), Notre Dame's John Moir (1936-37-38), Florida's Joakim Noah (2007), Kansas State's Markquis Nowell (2023), Louisville's Jordan Nwora (2020), Boston College's Jim O'Brien (1971), Kentucky's Bernie Opper (1939), Idaho's Ken Owens (1982), North Carolina's Sam Perkins (1982 through 1984), Penn State's Jalen Pickett (2023), Connecticut's A.J. Price (2008), Villanova's Allan Ray (2006), Arizona's Khalid Reeves (1994), South Carolina's Tom Riker (1972), Kentucky's Pat Riley (1966), South Carolina's John Roche (1969 through 1971), North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth (1956 and 1957), Georgia Tech's John Salley (1986), North Carolina's Charlie Scott (1968 through 1970), Rutgers' Phil Sellers (1975 and 1976), Iowa State's Don Smith (1968), North Carolina's Kenny Smith (1987), Louisville's Russ Smith (2013 and 2014), Providence's Kevin Stacom (1974), DePaul's Rod Strickland (1988), Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak (1999), Marquette's Earl Tatum (1976), Princeton's Chris Thomforde (1967), Marquette's George Thompson (1969), Iowa State's Jamaal Tinsley (2001), Marquette's Bernard Toone (1979), Dayton's Obi Toppin (2020), Connecticut's Kemba Walker (2011), Providence's Lenny Wilkens (1960), Southern California's Gus Williams (1975), Austin Peay's Fly Williams (1973), Michigan's Henry Wilmore (1971 and 1972), Wyoming's Tony Windis (1959), Tennessee's Howard Wood (1981) and Marquette's Sam Worthen (1980)
North Carolina (21) - Fresno State's Courtney Alexander (2000), Indiana's Walt Bellamy (1960), UCLA's Henry Bibby (1972), Kansas' Devon Dotson (2020), Kansas State's Mike Evans (1978), Furman's Darrell Floyd (1955 and 1956), Georgetown's Sleepy Floyd (1981 and 1982), Kansas' Devonte' Graham (2018), Minnesota's Lou Hudson (1965 and 1966), Minnesota's Bobby Jackson (1997), Maryland's John Lucas (1974 through 1976), Kansas' Danny Manning (1986 through 1988), Louisiana State's Pete Maravich (1968 through 1970), Lamar's Mike Olliver (1981), Texas' P.J. Tucker (2006), Kentucky's John Wall (2010), Xavier's David West (2002), Tennessee's Tony White (1987), Georgia's Dominique Wilkins (1981 and 1982), Maryland's Buck Williams (1981) and Tennessee's Grant Williams (2019)
Ohio (24) - Michigan's Trey Burke (2013), Southern California's Sam Clancy (2002), Washington State's Don Collins (1980), Northwestern's Evan Eschmeyer (1999), Notre Dame's Bob Faught (1942), Michigan's Gary Grant (1987 and 1988), Michigan State's Johnny Green (1958 and 1959), Kentucky's Kevin Grevey (1974 and 1975), Kentucky's Alex Groza (1947 through 1949), Michigan's Phil Hubbard (1977), Duke's Luke Kennard (2017), Southwestern Louisiana's Bo Lamar (1972 and 1973), Pittsburgh's Jerome Lane (1987 and 1988), Kentucky's Jim Line (1950), Indiana's Scott May (1975 and 1976), Purdue's Todd Mitchell (1988), Notre Dame's John Paxson (1982 and 1983), Kentucky's Mike Pratt (1970), Long Beach State's Ed Ratleff (1972 and 1973), Arkansas' Alvin Robertson (1984), Davidson's Dick Snyder (1966), North Carolina State's Bobby Speight (1953), Oklahoma Baptist's Albert Tucker (1966 and 1967) and Kansas State's Chuckie Williams (1976)
Oklahoma (7) - Texas Western's Jim Barnes (1964), San Francisco's Winford Boynes (1978), Arkansas' Lee Mayberry (1992), Kansas State's Willie Murrell (1964), Georgia Tech's Mark Price (1984 through 1986), Syracuse's Etan Thomas (2000) and Duke's Shelden Williams (2005 and 2006)
Oregon (9) - Brigham Young's Danny Ainge (1979 through 1981), Duke's Mike Dunleavy (2002), UCLA's Kevin Love (2008), Gonzaga's Blake Stepp (2004), Arizona's Damon Stoudamire (1995), Arizona's Salim Stoudamire (2005), UCLA's Richard Washington (1975 and 1976), Gonzaga's Nigel Williams-Goss (2017) and Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer (2015)
Pennsylvania (51) - Duke's Gene Banks (1979 and 1981), Kentucky's Sam Bowie (1981 and 1984), Kansas' Wilt Chamberlain (1957 and 1958), Wake Forest's Len Chappell (1961 and 1962), Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas (2015), DePaul's Dallas Comegys (1987), Seton Hall's Bob Davies (1941 and 1942), Cincinnati's Danny Fortson (1996 and 1997), Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers (1989 and 1990), UNLV's Armon Gilliam (1987), North Carolina's George Glamack (1940), Duke's Dick Groat (1951 and 1952), Connecticut's Richard Hamilton (1998 and 1999), UCLA's Walt Hazzard (1963 and 1964), Duke's Gerald Henderson (2009), Kansas' Wayne Hightower (1960 and 1961), West Texas State's Simmie Hill (1969), George Washington's Joe Holup (1956), Virginia's De'Andre Hunter (2019), Loyola Marymount's Bo Kimble (1990), Duke's Ed Koffenberger (1946 and 1947), Rutgers' Bob Lloyd (1967), Drake's Lewis Lloyd (1980 and 1981), Navy's Elliott Loughlin (1933), Marquette's Maurice Lucas (1974), Duke's Jack Marin (1966), Connecticut's Donyell Marshall (1994), Vanderbilt's Billy McCaffrey (1993), Michigan State's Julius McCoy (1956), Maryland's Tom McMillen (1972 through 1974), North Carolina's Larry Miller (1967 and 1968), Winston-Salem State's Earl Monroe (1967), Kansas' Marcus Morris (2011), Syracuse's Billy Owens (1990 and 1991), Virginia's Barry Parkhill (1972 and 1973), North Carolina State's Lou Pucillo (1959), North Carolina State's John Richter (1959), West Virginia's Wil Robinson (1972), North Carolina's Lee Shaffer (1959 and 1960), West Virginia's Lloyd Sharrar (1958), Virginia's Sean Singletary (2007), Utah's Mike Sojourner (1974), Weber State's Willie Sojourner (1971), Cincinnati's Jack Twyman (1955), Michigan State's Horace Walker (1960), Virginia's Wally Walker (1976), North Carolina's Rasheed Wallace (1995), Syracuse's Hakim Warrick (2004 and 2005), Miami's Isaiah Wong (2023) and North Carolina's Dennis Wuycik (1972)
Rhode Island (1) - Marquette's Tyler Kolek (2023 and 2024)
South Carolina (7) - Connecticut's Ray Allen (1995 and 1996), North Carolina's Raymond Felton (2005), North Carolina's Brice Johnson (2016), Louisiana State's Pete Maravich (1968 through 1970), Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel (1985), Murray State's Ja Morant (2019) and Duke's Zion Williamson (2019)
Tennessee (15) - Wake Forest's Skip Brown (1977), Arkansas' Todd Day (1991 and 1992), Kentucky's Tony Delk (1996), Oral Roberts' Richie Fuqua (1972 and 1973), Oklahoma A&M's Bob Harris (1949), Indiana's Kirk Haston (2001), Cincinnati's Paul Hogue (1961 and 1962), Mississippi State's Bailey Howell (1958 and 1959), Kansas' Dedric Lawson (2019), Western Kentucky's Tom Marshall (1954), Kentucky's Ron Mercer (1997), Alabama's Brandon Miller (2023), Mississippi's Johnny Neumann (1971), Oral Roberts' Anthony Roberts (1977) and Tulsa's Bingo Smith (1969)
Texas (31) - Oral Roberts' Max Abmas (2023), Oklahoma's Mookie Blaylock (1989), Kentucky's Bob Burrow (1955 and 1956), Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham (2021), Detroit's Antoine Davis (2023), Wyoming's Fennis Dembo (1988), Arizona State's Ike Diogu (2005), Purdue's Keith Edmonson (1982), Purdue's Carsen Edwards (2018 and 2019), North Carolina's Justin Jackson (2017), UNLV's Larry Johnson (1990 and 1991), Syracuse's Wesley Johnson (2010), San Diego State's Jaedon LeDee (2024), Oklahoma State's John Lucas III (2004), Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin (2000), Kansas' Kevin McCullar Jr. (2024), Oklahoma's Eduardo Najera (2000), Connecticut's Tristen Newton (2024), Connecticut's Emeka Okafor (2003 and 2004), Louisiana State's Shaquille O'Neal (1991 and 1992), UNLV's Eddie Owens (1977), Kentucky's Julius Randle (2014), Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts (2004), Mississippi's Ansu Sesay (1998), Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart (2013 and 2014), Wichita State's Dave Stallworth (1963 through 1965), Gonzaga's Drew Timme (2021 through 2023), South Carolina's Freddie Tompkins (1934), Kentucky's P.J. Washington (2019), Illinois' Deron Williams (2005) and Kansas' Jalen Wilson (2023)
Utah (3) - Montana State's Cat Thompson (1929 and 1930), Montana State's Frank Ward (1930) and Iowa's Herb Wilkinson (1945)
Virginia (21) - Duke's Tommy Amaker (1987), North Carolina's Armando Bacot (2023 and 2024), Maryland's Bosey Berger (1932), Kentucky's Keith Bogans (2003), Wake Forest's Randolph Childress (1995), Duke's Grant Hill (1992 through 1994), Georgetown's Allen Iverson (1996), East Tennessee State's Mister Jennings (1991), Kansas State's Keyontae Johnson (2023), North Carolina's Kendall Marshall (2012), Kansas' Frank Mason III (2017), Georgetown's Alonzo Mourning (1989 through 1992), Kansas State's Jack Parr (1957 and 1958), Tulsa's Paul Pressey (1982), Duke's J.J. Redick (2004 through 2006), North Carolina's J.R. Reid (1988 and 1989), Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (2010), Navy's David Robinson (1986 and 1987), Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott (1990), Maryland's Joe Smith (1994 and 1995) and Xavier's David West (2002 and 2003)
Washington (7) - Duke's Paolo Banchero (2022), Oregon's Aaron Brooks (2007), Arizona's Michael Dickerson (1998), San Diego State's Malachi Flynn (2020), Arizona's Jason Terry (1999), Louisville's Terrence Williams (2009) and Oregon's Slim Wintermute (1938 and 1939)
West Virginia (2) - Virginia Tech's Chris Smith (1960) and Virginia's Buzz Wilkinson (1955)
Wisconsin (8) - St. Louis' Dick Boushka (1955), Iowa's Fred Brown (1981), Connecticut's Caron Butler (2002), Louisville's Reece Gaines (2003), Iowa's John Johnson (1970), Utah's Jeff Jonas (1977), Minnesota's Chuck Mencel (1953 and 1955) and Cincinnati's Nick Van Exel (1993)
Wyoming (1) - Utah's Vern Gardner (1948 and 1949)
NOTE: Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Vermont are the only states failing to supply an All-American for an out-of-state college.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Supplying MLB Headlines on April 6
Extra! Extra! As a new season picks up steam, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two former small-college hoopers from Iowa - Davey Lopes (Iowa Wesleyan) and Jim Todd (Parsons) before transferring to schools in other states - made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-hoopers Mark Acre (New Mexico State), Tony Clark (Arizona/San Diego State), Mark Hendrickson (Washington State) and Darrell Sutherland (Stanford) from Far West universities. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 6
Oakland A's RHP Mark Acre (played in 1990 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with New Mexico State) earned his second relief victory in three days against the New York Yankees in 1997.
Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) scored four runs in 1983 game against the Kansas City Royals.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92 after transferring from Arizona) contributed two sixth-inning hits, including a grand slam, in a 10-inning, 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox in 2001. Eight years later, Clark clobbered back-to-back homers for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a season-opening, 9-8 win against the Colorado Rockies in 2009.
In 2006, LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding 1992-93 through 1995-96) hurled first complete-game shutout for the Tampa Devil Rays in a span of 349 contests (three-hit, 2-0 whitewash against Baltimore Orioles).
Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring to Washburn KS with his coach and becoming All-CIC choice with 1968 NAIA Tournament team) scored three runs and stole three bases against the San Diego Padres in a 1974 game.
RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) purchased from the Atlanta Braves by the Houston Astros for $35,000 in 1975.
In his first start with the St. Louis Cardinals, RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1974.
RHP Darrell Sutherland (averaged 8.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Stanford from 1960-61 through 1962-63) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Mets as a first-year waiver selection in 1964.
RHP Ralph Terry (juco hooper averaged 22 ppg for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in mid-1950s) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Kansas City Athletics in 1966.
RHP Jim Todd (Parsons IA hooper before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville PA in 1968-69) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be designated and cash in 1975.
After 159 MLB starts, RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) made his debut with the Seattle Mariners as a reliever (two hitless innings against Oakland Athletics in 2014).
College Exam: Day #21 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper and face-masks for next ballot-harvesting pandemic, seeking translator to try to understand Plagiarist Biledumb/Cacklin' Kamala administration or cowering in corner in fetal position from Lurch Kerry's climate-change claptrap, it's your opportunity to start taking online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.
We need something to occupy our minds during quarantine from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. 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 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 pacing 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.
Answers (Day 21)
Day 20 Questions and Answers
Day 19 Questions and Answers
Day 18 Questions and Answers
Day 17 Questions and Answers
Day 16 Questions and Answers
Day 15 Questions and Answers
Day 14 Questions and Answers
Day 13 Questions and Answers
Day 12 Questions and Answers
Day 11 Questions and Answers
Day 10 Questions and Answers
Day 9 Questions and Answers
Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
Day 6 Questions and Answers
Day 5 Questions and Answers
Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
Moment of Final Four Silence: Acknowledging Alums Who Went Before Them
"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." - Thomas Campbell's poem Hallowed Ground
Memo to Final Four players: It's not just about this year's team. Never forget those who supported your program along the way and never forget who helped program out while everyone else was making excuses about not doing what you achieved.
Feel proud to take them with you on trip to Phoenix area and make them part of your experience. They fully knew the sweat-and-tears sacrifice you expended. They had the same sense of pride when putting on uniform of your common alma mater. They are your extended teammates who would have donned old letterman jackets/sweaters/caps or newer school merchandise this weekend if they were still alive. They set the table for you and will be there in spirit. Take a second to acknowledge them with a silent thank you because they also left it all on the court trying to earn this moment. They didn't quite make the heart-pounding journey with you. But if you believe in the hereafter, they'll still be rooting for you.
In the aftermath of Purdue's Earl Brown and Jim Rowinski plus Connecticut's Seymour "Sy" Menchel passing away earlier this year, following is a RIP sampling of basketball brotherhood (deceased players and coaches) from F4 schools perishing in the previous 10 years (including Purdue All-Americans Terry Dischinger, Carl McNulty and Caleb Swanigan plus UConn A-A Tony Hanson):
ALABAMA
2023 - Tom Crosby (died at age 87/averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg from 1954-55 through 1956-57), Harry Hammonds (81/10.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66; led Crimson Tide in rebounding each of his last two seasons) and Eddie Lumpkin (73/played in 1968-69 and 1969-70 under coach C.M. Newton).
2022 - Melvin Bowling (88/member of roster in 1952-53), Kelly Shy (66/averaged 1.3 ppg from 1974-75 through 1977-78 under Newton) and Tommy Suitts (74/juco recruit averaged 8.3 ppg and 1.7 rpg in 1967-68 and 1968-69; compiled 89-157 coaching record with Rice and Chicago State in nine DI seasons from 1981-82 through 1989-90).
2021 - Jim Lewis (90/played in 1955-56 and 1956-57 after serving in U.S. Air Force) and Joe McDaniel (75/2 ppg and 1.8 rpg from 1965-66 through 1967-68).
2020 - O. "Reese" Carr (78/4 ppg and 2.8 rpg from 1961-62 through 1964-65; redshirt in 1963-64), Bill Currier (88/played in 1951-52), Doug Gamble (70/9 ppg and 5.6 rpg in 1969-70 under Newton), Paul Riddle (90/3.3 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52) and Ray "Buddy" Sink Jr. (83, averaged 5.9 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Alabama as a sophomore in 1958-59).
2019 - Carl Crumpler (92/forward scored 91 points in 1947-48; on his 45th combat mission in U.S. Air Force on July 5, 1968, he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and spent the next 1,714 days in captivity as POW in the Hanoi Hilton), Jim Fulmer Sr. (14.7 ppg and 9.4 rpg from 1955-56 through 1957-58; sophomore member of Crimson Tide squad going undefeated in SEC competition before becoming two-time all-league third-team selection when leading Bama in rebounding each of his last two seasons), Dick Gunder (84/7.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under coach Johnny Dee), Ken "Silk" Johnson (60/12.2 ppg and 4.3 rpg from 1977-78 through 1980-81 under coaches Newton and Wimp Sanderson, finishing among Crimson Tide's top three scorers all four seasons), Bob Schneider (89/10.1 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52; All-SEC third-team selection as junior when finishing runner-up with Crimson Tide in scoring) and Nick Vrotsos (93/played in late 1940s and early 1950s, averaging 4.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 2.7 apg as senior in 1950-51).
2018 - George Linn (84/15.5 ppg and 9.8 rpg from 1952-53 through 1955-56; two-time All-SEC selection was runner-up to All-American teammate Jerry Harper in scoring and rebounding each of their last two seasons), Sammy Moore (87/6.6 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52; runner-up in rebounding for Crimson Tide as junior and senior) and C.M. Newton (88/compiled 340-238 record as SEC coach with Alabama in 12 seasons from 1968-69 through 1979-80) and Vanderbilt in eight seasons from 1981-82 through 1988-89).
2017 - Walt Evans Jr. (86/played in 1950-51), Greg McElveen (60/2.4 ppg from 1975-76 through 1978-79 under Newton) and Jerry Vogel (80/3.8 ppg from 1956-57 through 1958-59).
2016 - William Earl "Bill" Sexton (84/6.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg from 1951-52 through 1953-54).
2015 - Charles "Bambi" Howland (72/4.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 1963-64 and 1964-65).
2014 - Jack Brown (87/hooper in late 1940s was also QB on football squad), Charles "Billy" Crews (81/4.4 ppg from 1951-52 through 1954-55) and Rebel Roy Steiner Sr. (87/three-year letterman in late 1940s; two-year NFL defensive back with Green Bay Packers).
CONNECTICUT
2023 - Dan Heffernan (94/played in late 1940s under coach Hugh Greer), Richard Kiernan (88/averaged 1.8 ppg in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under Greer), Edward Martin III (84/7.4 ppg and 9.6 rpg for three NCAA tourney teams from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under Greer; led team in rebounding as junior), Jack Rose (85/14.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg for three NCAA tourney teams from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under Greer; led team in scoring as sophomore and junior) and Fred Shabel (90/compiled 72-29 coaching record in four seasons from 1963-64 through 1966-67, participating in three NCAA tourneys).
2022 - Hank Bartnicki (98/All-Yankee Conference first-team selection as sophomore in 1948-49 after serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII; 6.9 ppg in 1948-49 and 1949-50 under Greer), Jack Beardsworth Sr. (95/2 ppg in 1948-49 under Greer after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII), Ron Bushwell (88/St. John's transfer averaged 10.8 ppg from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under Greer; All-Yankee Conference first-team selection as senior when finishing runner-up in team scoring appeared in two different NCAA playoffs), Jet Dargati (90/played in 1952-53 under Greer before serving in U.S. Army during Korean Conflict and subsequently becoming Hall of Famer at Willimantic State CT with career scoring average of 24.5 ppg), Ernest MacFadgen (95/5.8 ppg with school's first NCAA tourney team in 1950-51 under Greer), Worthy Patterson Jr. (91/11.5 ppg from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under Greer; two-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection participated in NCAA playoffs as senior), John Risley III (84/2.2 ppg from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under Greer; pitcher for Huskies' 1959 CWS participant before compiling 9-6 record and 3.98 ERA with two shutouts in Cleveland Indians' farm system at Class C level in 1960) and George Wigton (93/coached UConn in 1963 NCAA playoffs after Greer died in mid-season from massive heart attack).
2021 - Bob Dube (87/1.8 ppg for three clubs competing in national postseason competition from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under Greer), Deke Garner (89/4.3 ppg and 2.2 rpg from 1950-51 through 1952-53 under Greer), Pete Lind (95/led team in scoring in 1948-49 before becoming All-Yankee Conference first-team selection the next season; averaged 9.1 ppg those two years under coach Greer) and Dee Rowe (91/compiled 120-88 coaching record in eight seasons from 1969-70 through 1976-77; Huskies appeared in 1976 NCAA playoffs and he was first New England major-college coach to field starting lineup comprised of five African-Americans - late in 1973-74 campaign at Rutgers).
2020 - Wayne Davis (81/7.4 ppg and 7.8 rpg for three NCAA tourney teams from 1956-57 through 1958-59 under Greer; went on to become one of FBI's earliest African-American executives), Art Galaise Jr. (93/played in late 1940s after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII), Joe Haberl (87/2 ppg and 3 rpg in 1952-53 under Greer; Haberl transferred to Central Connecticut State after serving in U.S. Army during Korean Conflict and was first baseman-pitcher in New York Giants' farm system in 1956 and 1957), Phil Jones (88/4.4 ppg from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under Greer), Dave King (80/All-Yankee Conference second-team selection in 1960-61 when finishing team runner-up in scoring with 13.1 ppg) and rebounding with 7.9 rpg under Greer), Lou Orlando Jr. (88/4.1 ppg and 2.4 rpg from 1950-51 through 1952-53 under Greer; All-Yankee Conference second-team selection as senior), Fran "Red" Quinn Jr. (85/7 ppg from 1954-55 through 1956-57 under Greer; All-Yankee Conference second-team selection as senior scored at least 14 points in single NCAA tourney outing each of his last two seasons), Clifford Robinson (53/15.3 ppg and 6.1 rpg from 1985-86 through 1988-89; two-time All-Big East Conference selection), Stanley Robinson (32/9.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg from 2006-07 through 2009-10 under coach Jim Calhoun; third-leading rebounder for 2009 Final Four team before pacing Huskies in caroms as senior), Howard Silverstein (91/3.3 ppg in 1949-50 and 1950-51 under Greer), Ed Slomcenski (77/10.5 ppg and 9.4 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64; led Huskies in rebounding as sophomore before becoming All-Yankee Conference first-team selection for NCAA playoff squad the next season), George Sotille (92/member of roster in 1949-50 under Greer after serving in U.S. Army), George Uhl (85/7.8 ppg and 3.7 rpg in 1959-60 and 1960-61 under Greer after serving in U.S. Air Force; scored seven points when UConn was eliminated by Final Four-bound NYU in 1960 NCAA playoffs), Ted Vartelas (89/3 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 1952-53 under Greer) and Alfred Wehrle (86/1.4 ppg with national postseason competition teams in 1954 and 1955 under Greer).
2019 - Jim "Hooker" McMahon (84/played in 1954-55 under Greer) and Alfonso "Al" Vaughn Jr. (69/10.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg from 1970-71 through 1972-73).
2018 - Dr. Lee Barbach (66/2.3 ppg and 1.1 rpg in 1970-71 and 1971-72), Jim Blozie (91/1.6 ppg in 1947-48 and 1948-49 under Greer after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII in Amphibious Corps in South Pacific), Burr Carlson (90/Central Connecticut State transfer averaged 12.6 ppg and Yankee Conference-leading 14.5 rpg as all-league first-team selection in 1951-52 under Greer; first UConn player selected in an NBA draft coached school to 16-32 record in two seasons in 1967-68 and 1968-69), Tony Hanson (63/17.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg from 1973-74 through 1976-77; two-time All-Yankee Conference selection before becoming All-American as senior when ranking 10th in nation in scoring with 26 ppg) and Eugene King (85/5.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg from 1951-52 through 1957-58 under Greer; missed three full seasons while serving in U.S. Force).
2017 - Thomas "Toby" Kimball (74/three-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection averaged 18.4 ppg and 17.9 rpg from 1962-63 through 1964-65; led nation in rebounding as senior with 21 rpg including game against New Hampshire when he retrieved 34 missed shots), Mel Kleckner (85/4.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg from 1950-51 through 1952-53 under Greer; played for Huskies' first NCAA tourney team as sophomore) and Stan Sorota (95/8.1 ppg from 1946-47 through 1949-50 after serving in U.S. Army during WWII; senior captain was two-time All-Yankee Conference selection).
2016 - Aldrage "Al" Cooper Jr. (79/11.9 ppg and 10.6 rpg with three NCAA tourney teams from 1956-57 through 1958-59 under Greer; All-Yankee Conference first-team selection as sophomore and junior when leading Huskies in rebounding both seasons; also paced league in caroms as junior) and Chad Wise (32/Arkansas native averaged 1.1 ppg in 2001-02 and 2002-03 under Calhoun).
2015 - Dr. Pete Demir (84/1.4 ppg for 1950-51 NCAA playoff team under coach Greer before transferring to Penn, where Demir averaged 2.7 ppg in 1953-54 under coach Howie Dallmar), Ed Freedman (85/1.7 ppg in 1948-49 under coach Greer) and Ed Liptak (86/3.7 ppg in 1949-50 and 1950-51).
2014 - Nicholas Verbillo (94/played in early 1940s) and Vin Yokabaskas (84/three-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection averaged 16.3 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52).
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
2023 - Paul Hudson (77/averaged 2.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 1965-66 and 1966-67 under coaches Press Maravich and Norm Sloan) and Moe Rivers (70/juco recruit averaged 12.5 ppg and 3 rpg in 1973-74 and 1974-75 under Sloan; fourth-leading scorer with 1974 NCAA Tournament champion).
2022 - Gary Hale (78/2.3 ppg from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under coaches Everett Case and Maravich; participated in NCAA playoffs as junior), John Key (82/10.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg as senior in 1962-63 under Case), Ken Montgomery (64/spent freshman season with NCSU in 1977-78 under Sloan before transferring to Texas, where he averaged 8.3 ppg and 2.1 rpg from 1979-80 through 1981-82 under coach Abe Lemons), Nick Trifunovich (76/7.3 ppg in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under Sloan) and Larry Worsley (79/8.4 ppg and 4.4 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66; named 1965 ACC Tournament MVP after scoring 30 points in championship contest).
2021 - Dick Braucher (74/10.1 ppg and 5 rpg from 1966-67 through 1968-69 in Sloan's first three seasons as Wolfpack coach).
2020 - Dwight Johnson (67/1.5 ppg with 1974 NCAA Tournament titlist coached by Sloan), Dan Knapp (86/5.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 1951-52 and 1952-53 under Case) and Craig Watts (61/4.7 ppg and 4.2 rpg from 1977-78 through 1980-81 under coaches Sloan and Jim Valvano; connected on all six of his field-goal attempts in 1980 NCAA playoff defeat against Iowa.
2019 - Anthony Grundy (40/13.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.9 apg from 1998-99 through 2001-02 under coach Herb Sendek; All-ACC first-team selection as senior was Wolfpack's leading scorer each of his last three seasons) and Kelsey Weems (51/4.1 ppg and 1.8 apg from 1985-86 through 1988-89 under Valvano).
2018 - Phil DiNardo (84/7.4 ppg and 8 rpg with school's first three ACC teams from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under Case; second-leading rebounder as senior for NCAA playoff participant with 11.2 rpg).
2017 - Bill Lake (62/freshman backup center for 1974 NCAA champion coached by Sloan before transferring to Miami (Ohio), where Lake averaged 3.5 ppg and 1.8 rpg in 1976-77 and 1977-78), Charles Shackleford (50/13.7 ppg and 7.8 rpg from 1985-86 through 1987-88 before leaving college early for NBA draft; All-ACC first-team selection as junior) and Jim Simbeck (78/3.1 ppg in 1959-60 under coach Case before transferring to Adams State CO).
2016 - Ken Clark (82/4.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg from 1956-57 through 1959-60 under Case; redshirt in 1958-59), Joe Harand (89/regular for school's first Final Four team in 1950 under Case; 4.9 ppg as senior for national third-place team after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII) and Richard Nickel (93/starter in 1941-42 before career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII).
2015 - Dan Englehardt (81/7 ppg and 2.1 rpg from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under Case), Edwin Morris (92/letterman in 1945-46 after serving in U.S. Army during WWII) and Ken Rohloff (76/12.4 ppg and 3 rpg from 1960-61 through 1962-63, finishing among Wolfpack's top three in scoring average each season under Case; two-time All-ACC second-team selection was co-captain as senior).
2014 - Billy "Butch" Moffitt (69/5.7 ppg and 2.4 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under coaches Case and Maravich; participated in NCAA tourney as junior).
PURDUE
2023 - Dr. Terry Dischinger (82/averaged 28.3 ppg and 13.7 rpg from 1959-60 through 1961-62 while pacing Boilermakers in scoring and rebounding all three years; three-time All-American and All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection ranked among nation's top seven scorers each season; only two-time NCAA consensus first-team A-A since WWII never to compete in NCAA playoffs or NIT), Calvin Grosscup Jr. (89/4.8 ppg and 2.6 rpg in 1953-54 before transferring to Tulane, where he averaged 19.2 ppg and 10.5 rpg in 1955-56 and 1956-57 under coach Clifford Wells; All-SEC second-team selection as senior when leading Green Wave in scoring and rebounding), Charlie Kehrt (85/4.5 ppg and 1.5 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59), James Rogers (72/2.8 ppg and 2.8 rpg from 1969-70 through 1971-72 under coach George King) and Randy Saal (78/played in 1966-67 under King).
2022 - Erich Barnes (86/played briefly in 1955-56; six-time Pro Bowl defensive back intercepted 45 passes with Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in 14 seasons from 1958 through 1971, appearing in six NFL championship games), Bill Butterfield (94/3.4 ppg from 1946-47 through 1949-50), Len Dawson (87/two basketball games in 1956-57; Pro Football Hall of Fame/seven-time All-Pro quarterback completed 2,136 passes for 28,731 yards and 239 touchdowns in 19 seasons from 1957 through 1975 with Cleveland Browns, Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs), Norm McCool (94/3.9 ppg in 1945-46), Lee Rose (85/compiled 228-105 coaching record in 11 major-college seasons with UNC Charlotte, Purdue and South Florida; guided UNCC '77 and Purdue '80 to Final Four next season after directing respective schools to NIT final), Caleb Swanigan (25/14.4 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 2.4 apg in 2015-16 and 2016-17 under coach Matt Painter; NCAA consensus first-team All-American and Big Ten Conference Player of Year before becoming 26th pick overall in NBA draft as an undergraduate) and Jack Swantz (99/2.1 ppg in 1941-42 and 1942-43 under coach Piggy Lambert.
2021 - Larry Emrick (81/Purdue transfer played for Miami Ohio in 1962-63), Dr. Thomas Huber (85/played in mid-1950s) and Richard Mitchell (82/5.2 ppg and 2 rpg from 1958-59 through 1960-61).
2020 - Myrwin "Red" Anderson (98/8.7 ppg from 1942-43 through 1946-47; junior captain's career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Naval Aviator Corps during WWII), Bill Berberian (96/6.1 ppg from 1946-47 through 1948-49 after having career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII; team captain and MVP as junior), Darrel "Pete" Brewster (89/5.9 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52; two-time Pro Bowl receiver caught 210 passes for 3,758 yards and 21 touchdowns with Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in nine seasons from 1952 through 1960, starting for the Browns in five NFL championship contests including back-to-back titlists), Paul Eubanks (88/played in 1950-51), Cornelius McNary (48/2.3 ppg and 1.7 rpg from 1990-91 through 1993-94 under coach Gene Keady; played for three NCAA Tournament teams), Carl McNulty (89/14.7 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52; two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection earned All-American acclaim as senior), Bob Motsinger (82/1.9 ppg from 1957-58 through 1959-60) and Jim Stone (89/1.5 ppg from 1950-51 through 1952-53).
2019 - Alex "Al" Bajusz (83/member of roster in 1956-57), Chuck Bavis (71/4.5 ppg and 3.7 rpg in 1967-68 and 1968-69 under coach King; seven-foot center's career with Boilermakers ended when losing part of his foot in automobile crash), Don Beck (86/10.9 ppg and 10.3 rpg from 1952-53 through 1954-55; team MVP as senior was captain each of his last two seasons when pacing Boilermakers in rebounding), Phil Dawkins Sr. (78/6.9 ppg and 2.3 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) and Bob Kehrt (79/4.2 ppg in 1959-60).
2018 - Keith Berkey (72/6.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg as sophomore in 1965-66 under King before drafted into U.S. Army during Vietnam War), Don Bol (88/2.6 ppg in 1949-50 and 1950-51), Maurice Lorenz (84/5.9 ppg from 1953-54 through 1955-56) and Tom Pollom (87/played in 1950-51).
2017 - Theodore Dunn Sr. (84/8.5 ppg from 1952-53 through 1954-55), Jim Ertel (92/1.3 ppg in 1946-47 and 1947-48; college career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII), Bob Fehrman (80/8.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59; Boilermakers' runner-up in rebounding as senior captain), Marvin Rea (49/played in 1987-88 and 1988-89 under Keady) and Dave Rodenkirk (backup center in 1952-53 and 1953-54).
2016 - Charles "Steve" O'Neill (72/2.6 ppg and 3.1 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66), Eugene Parker (60/13 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 3.9 apg from 1974-75 through 1977-78 under coach Fred Schaus; All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection as sophomore), Fred "Ted" Server (83/4.2 ppg in 1951-52 and 1952-53) and Danny Thornburg (82/two-year starter averaged 9.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg from 1953-54 through 1955-56; team runner-up in scoring and rebounding as senior).
2015 - Wilson "Jake" Eison Jr. (78/14.7 ppg and 10.6 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59, leading Boilermakers in rebounding each of last two seasons; team MVP as junior before becoming All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection as senior was 28th pick overall in NBA draft), Leo Helmuth (79/walk-on in late 1950s), Dr. Robert "Joe" Jameson (72/2.2 ppg and 2.1 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66), Dwight "Bud" Marsee (86/played in 1947-48 before incurring spinal injury in automobile accident en route to NCAA golf championship at Stanford) and Ralph Weiger (90/played in 1945-46; football letterman as an end in 1946 went on to become Chairman/CEO/President of five different organizations including Midas International Corporation and Jiffy Lube).
2014 - Glenn Bahler (86/5.4 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51; senior captain) and John Dermody (7.3 ppg from 1950-51 through 1952-53).
Atop Pedestal: Purdue's Zach Edey Earns 2nd National Player of Year Award
Purdue center Zach Edey earned his second national player of the year awardd. 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 usually coming one after another right around the Final Four when the playoff games dominate the sports page.
United Press International, which was a sixth venue for major awards through 1996, got all of this back slapping started in 1955. Four years later, the United States Basketball Writers Association, having chosen All-American teams in each of the two previous seasons, added a Player of the Year award to its postseason honors. In recent years, the USBWA award was sponsored by Mercedes and then RCA.
The third oldest of the awards comes from the most dominant wire service, the Associated Press. Perhaps because of its vast network of media outlets, the AP award gets more print and broadcast attention than the other honors. The AP award started in 1961 before affiliating in 1972 with the Commonwealth Athletic Club of Lexington, Ky., which was looking for a way to honor Hall of Fame Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp. The result of their merger is the Rupp Trophy.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club initially was associated with UPI before starting its own Naismith Award in 1969. Six years later, the National Association of Basketball Coaches initiated its award, which was sponsored from the outset by the Eastman Kodak Company. In 1977, the Los Angeles Athletic Club began honoring Hall of Fame UCLA coach John Wooden with the Wooden Award sponsored by Wendy's.
Duke has nine different national player of the year winners, including seven of them in a 21-year span from 1986 through 2006. UCLA is runner-up with six individuals earning POY acclaim. Incredibly, perennial power Kentucky never had a representative win one of the six principal national player of the year awards until freshman center Anthony Davis achieved the feat in 2012.
In 2015, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky became the fourth Big Ten Conference player to capture national POY honors in a six-year span. The Big East, Pac-10 and SEC combined to go 15 straight seasons from 1996-97 through 2010-11 without a national POY. Following is a look at the seven conferences with at least three different individuals capturing one of the six principal national player of the year awards since UPI's initial winner in 1955:
ACC (17) - Shane Battier (Duke), Elton Brand (Duke), Johnny Dawkins (Duke), Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), Danny Ferry (Duke), Phil Ford (North Carolina), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Art Heyman (Duke), Antawn Jamison (North Carolina), Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Christian Laettner (Duke), J.J. Redick (Duke), Ralph Sampson (Virginia), Joe Smith (Maryland), David Thompson (North Carolina State), Jason Williams (Duke), Zion Williamson (Duke).
Big Ten (16) - Gary Bradds (Ohio State), Trey Burke (Michigan State), Dee Brown (Illinois), Calbert Cheaney (Indiana), Zach Edey (Purdue), Luka Garza (Iowa), 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 (4) - Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Pete Maravich (Louisiana State), Shaquille O'Neal (Louisiana State), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky).
Final Deplore: National Semifinals Fail to Be As Pure and Clean As Sister Jean
Beyond permanent residents of Pollyannaville, the Final Four isn't nearly as clean as the emphasis on Loyola of Chicago's high-flying nun Sister Jean several years ago. Celebrated coaches, occasionally recruiting anyone with a pulse if they exhibit hoop skills, expect us to believe all of their 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 myopic Meghan Markle's "your truth" and new version of KKK (Known Kneeling Knuckleheads) barked about #TheDonald's presidency. Any "stable genius" or "beautiful" con artist such as hideous Hunter Biledumb knows nothing could be further from the truth amid the institutional self-interest. What was the average SAT score differential between majority of suspect individuals acknowledged in list below such as Michigan State's "communal train" majors and the everyday student attending same institutions? Alabama, the overall top seed in 2023 despite controversy, would be facing a tourney tidal wave of off-the-court questions this year from #MessMedia regarding lingering murder case if arrested player's teammate Brandon Miller didn't leave early for the NBA.
For decades, this scholastic sham has been stacking up as a farce devaluing many diplomas and denigrating the mission of a free higher-education racket such as Georgetown's celebrated center Patrick Ewing receiving gratis gratification from Atlanta's Gold Club racketeering owners. It shouldn't have come as any surprise a couple of years ago when six former F4 players were among 19 individuals (combining to earn around $363 million in their on-court NBA salaries) charged with defrauding the NBA's health and welfare benefit plan out of approximately $5 million (defendants received about $2.5 million). The scholars were caught because of grammatical errors and other obvious red flags on their phony paperwork. Just exactly what classes did they take at their institutions of lowering learning; especially during spring semester when attending national semifinals? Yes, the NCAA Tournament is gold-plated, but has blemishes including a striking number of the following former Final Four players 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. Jabbar's son, Adam, was sentenced to six months in jail for stabbing a 60-year-old neighbor several times with hunting knife (nearly bleeding to death) during argument over trash cans.
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. Jailed in 1977 for violating terms of probation. Barnes contended 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 the fall of 1972, he was charged with assault after hitting PC teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron following a scrimmage ("Tire Iron" subsequently ordered by federal court to pay $10,000 in damages). 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 (1999 through 2001) showed up drunk to the court hearing regarding his previous arrest, an October 2011 DUI. All-American point guard as senior in 2000-01 was also arrested for DUI in February of same year. His estranged wife, a former Miss Michigan USA, was arrested in spring of 2011 for allegedly stabbing Bell with a box cutter
Mike Bibby, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Police investigated sexual-abuse harassment accusations in late February 2019 but filed no charges against second-leading scorer as freshman of 1997 NCAA titlist while coaching his high school alma mater (winning five titles in six years this decade). Bibby exited his position following the allegations.
Daron "Mookie" Blaylock, Oklahoma (Billy Tubbs) - Leader in assists and steals for 1988 NCAA Tournament runner-up was busted in 1997 when drug sniffing dogs uncovered marijuana on him in a Vancouver, Canada airport. Second-team All-American was arrested around 4 a.m. in early March 1989 and charged with public drunkenness following a report of an argument at a convenience store. He was charged with vehicular homicide arising from a head-on crash killing a mother of five in suburban Atlanta in late May 2013. Blaylock, accused of driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain his lane in the crash, was also wanted on charges of failure to appear in court, DUI and drug possession. Bond was set at $250,000 stemming from a criminal record including six DUIs in a six-year span from late 2007 to late 2013 (one when blood alcohol content was 4 1/2 times legal limit) before he pleaded guilty (term reduced to seven years - suspended after three - and eight years' probation according to a plea deal). Prior to the crash, a doctor had ordered Blaylock (treated for seizures) not to drive, prosecutors said. A former Hawks ball-boy told SI that Blaylock was stoned a large part of the time he played for Atlanta after spending many game days at a strip club.
Tom Burleson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for 1974 NCAA titlist was greeted by Duke's pep band with chorus of "Pinball Wizard" after two-time All-American center admitted to taking $117 in change from three pinball machines in dormitory lobby.
Marcus Camby, Massachusetts (John Calipari) - National POY in 1996 as leading scorer and rebounder with Final Four team was arrested for possession of marijuana in mid-June 1997. Also arrested by Pearland, Tex., police in mid-September 2011 in black Porsche and charged with marijuana possession. Admitted accepting thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry, rental cars and prostitutes from agents while in college.
Howard Carter, Louisiana State (Dale Brown) - Charged in the spring of 1995 with buying and using drugs after French police arrested him and seized a dose of heroin. He was arrested with five suspected drug dealers in the stairwell of a building shortly before his team was slated to play. Carter, a two-time All-American who averaged 15.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for LSU from 1979-80 through 1982-83 and appeared in the 1981 Final Four, took out French citizenship and played for the country's national team.
Lorenzo Charles, North Carolina State (Jim Valvano) - All-American as junior in 1983-84 stole two pizzas from delivery boy while in summer session in 1982. Brooklyn native was handed a 10-year suspended sentence for larceny, made to perform 300 hours of community service, do some custodial work for police department and undergo psychiatric counseling. Charles went from doghouse at start of 1982-83 campaign to penthouse in NCAA Tournament title game with decisive dunk vs. heavily-favored Houston.
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Two-time Big Ten Conference MVP and 2000 Final Four MOP arrested in mid-March 2010 on suspicion of drunken driving but ended up leading to careless driving. Acquitted of sexual assault charges in late summer 2019 after accused of false imprisonment by intoxicated woman who said she was driven in his Cadillac SUV to a Knights Inn and attacked four years earlier following a Flint-area charity golf outing and trip to local bar for drinks. A surveillance video showed Cleaves, clad only in socks, pulling the near-naked woman back to a motel room twice. He faced misdemeanor charges of stealing beer while in college but that case eventually was dropped.
Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - The Big East Conference's 1990 MVP was stopped in Farmington Hills, Mich., at 3:30 a.m. in late July 2002 for speeding (120 mph in a 70 mph zone) and taken into custody after refusing a breathalyzer test. Arrested in late October 1999 in Charlotte for driving while under the influence after the vehicle he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. A couple of months earlier, he was accused of urinating in front of patrons at a downtown Detroit Chinese restaurant and charged with disorderly conduct. Leading rebounder for 1987 national runner-up also faced a civil lawsuit in Michigan in which he was accused of trespassing and battery at a Detroit woman's home in 1997. In summer of 1995, he was arrested and charged with refusing to move his truck and swearing at a police officer in Detroit. Despite earning an estimated $87 million in his NBA career, he owed creditors $4.7 million after a series of poor real estate investments in Detroit. In college, Coleman was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to make restitution for damage after pleading guilty to charges of harassment and disorderly conduct at a campus dance.
Sherron Collins, Kansas (Bill Self) - In June 2008, months after KU won the NCAA title, a judge ruled in favor of a woman he allegedly sexually assaulted in an elevator the previous year, granting damages in excess of $75,000 in a civil suit. A 35-year-old woman said she was unable to continue working at the Jayhawker Towers because of an incident where Collins was accused of exposing himself and rubbing against her despite being told repeatedly to stop. Collins, a two-time All-American in subsequent seasons, denied the assault but was a no-show at the hearing. The accuser later dropped the lawsuit for mental and physical problems when Collins agreed to drop his counterclaim of defamation.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Louisiana State (John Brady) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2006 Final Four team as SEC Player of the Year was arrested at a Hampton Inn in Baltimore suburb in early February 2018 with a quarter of a pound of marijuana and $92,000 in cash. Arrested a couple of months later for felony assault with intent to cause great bodily injury. When confronted by a man he apparently almost struck with his vehicle outside a West Hollywood nightclub, Davis allegedly picked up the victim and slammed him on the concrete (facial fractures, broken tooth and broken ribs). In the spring of 2024, he was sentenced to 40 months in prison plus three years' supervised release and ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution after found guilty of health care fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to make false statements.
Sherman Douglas, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - Leader in scoring and assists as sophomore for 1987 national runner-up was charged with eluding a U.S. Park Service police officer in early 2004 after hitting him in knee with his car. Douglas, an All-American the next two seasons while finishing among the nation's top six in scoring feeds both years, said he fled because he thought he was being carjacked. He was also subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury to be questioned about a Virginia prison break in summer of 1990.
Raymond Felton, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2004-05 as leader in assists and steals for NCAA titlist was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted knowingly having a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a pistol without a license in his Manhattan apartment. The attorney for his estranged wife turned a semiautomatic firearm into police in late February 2014 after alleging Felton used gun to "intimidate" her during domestic disputes.
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Leading scorer for 1982 NCAA Tournament runner-up was arrested in early January 1996 in a Houston suburb on charge of misdemeanor assault after a fight with his wife.
Phil Ford, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Four-time All-American from 1974-75 through 1977-78 was arrested in fall of 1999 and charged with drunken driving for the second time in 25 months. Leader in scoring and assists for 1977 national runner-up pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and entered a treatment center for the second time.
Joseph Forte, North Carolina (Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty) - Maryland state police arrested leading scorer for 2000 Final Four team in early May, 2003, after finding marijuana and a handgun in his car on a trip back from New York, where he met his idol, rapper Jay-Z. Two-time All-ACC guard (1999-00 and 2000-01) also faced an assault charge when he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game. Questions linger about his mother being hired by the sports agency he subsequently affiliated with upon leaving school early.
Jason Gardner, Arizona (Lute Olsen) - Leader in assists and runner-up in steals for 2001 national runner-up was dismissed after five seasons as IUPUI head coach in late August 2019 after being apprehended intoxicated at 4:30 a.m. asleep behind the wheel of his Nissan.
Jack "Goose" Givens, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall) - Final Four MVP in 1978 found not guilty following arrest during summer of 2004 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation of 14-year-old girl after giving her a private basketball lesson at her home while parents were away. Givens acknowledged "bad judgment" via instant-message conversations with the girl, some involving sexual topics, and apologized for "whatever she assumed I did" during a taped phone call with her. A police affidavit said the girl's grandmother was at the home, called the girl's mother twice at her work to report what she thought was inappropriate behavior in the swimming pool and later called the girl out of her bedroom out of concern for her well-being. After first 14 years of the franchise, Givens' contract as a color analyst for the Orlando Magic was not renewed.
Ben Gordon, Connecticut (Jim Calhoun) - Scoring leader for 2004 NCAA titlist was arrested during 2002-03 season for allegedly slapping a female student. Fiancee Sascha Smith was involved in an early-morning brawl at a Charlotte nightclub in mid-December 2012 that landed Tyrus Thomas' wife in jail. Four run-ins with the law in six-month span in 2017 (arrested in early June after allegedly pulling multiple fire alarms at his L.A. apartment complex, hospitalized for a psych evaluation in his hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., in October after cops responded to a confrontation he had with a woman at his sports rehab center-owned business, arrested in mid-November in New York City for driving with forged license plate and arrested in late November for felony robbery of apartment manager over his security deposit). In spring of 2023, Gordon was arrested for alleged juice shop knife threat.
Luther Head, Illinois (Bill Self and Bruce Weber) - Leading scorer for 2005 national runner-up was suspended four games with a couple of teammates for being among individuals in a fall 2003 burglary entering an apartment and pilfering as much as $3,000 worth of goods. He also sat out Big Ten Conference opener in 2003-04 following arrest on charges of driving on a suspended license.
Juwan Howard, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - Starter for back-to-back NCAA runners-up (1992 and 1993) was sued on two separate occasions by women claiming he gave them herpes, an infection lasting a lifetime. He was arrested at 3:45 a.m. in mid-November 1996 on a DWI charge after his 1995 Mercedes was spotted speeding. A paternity suit was filed in spring of 1996 by a Detroit-area woman claiming Howard was father of her toddler (contending she became pregnant at Pontchartrain Hotel in Detroit in spring of 1991 before Chicago native enrolled at UM). She initially rejected an anemic offer of $175/week in child support.
Mark Jackson, St. John's (Lou Carnesecca) - In the summer of 2012, a salacious story unfolded as a stripper and co-conspirator were busted for a purported $200,000 extortion plot against Jackson, who moonlighted as a minister at a LA suburb-based non-denominational church, for sending compromising nude photographs during a 2006 affair. The NCAA assists average leader in 1985-86 after participating in Final Four the previous season "shimmied off" being called "a Bible-pounding phony" by ESPN colleague Bob Ryan although the network suspended the venerable ex-Boston Globe columnist, not "Action" Jackson, for a couple of weeks.
Marques Johnson, UCLA (John Wooden and Gene Bartow) - Three-time Final Four participant in mid-1970s was arrested in late July 1988 on suspicion of beating his wife during an argument. Nine months after Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in fall of 1984, they filed suit in federal court to nullify the transaction because the Milwaukee Bucks had not told them about him undergoing treatment at a drug rehabilitation center.
Christian Laettner, Duke (Mike Krzyzewski) - NCAA national player of the year in 1991-92 was suspended for five NBA games in 2003-04 after violating the league's drug policy. Four-time Final Four participant (MOP in 1991) was sued multiple times for failure to repay loans, including $671,309 owed to former teammate Johnny Dawkins. In 2010, Laettner's attorney said his client had $10 million in assets and $40 million in debt. His $3.65 million mansion outside Jacksonville, Fla., was foreclosed on in 2015. In the fall of 2016, a federal judge dismissed an involuntary bankruptcy case against him (five creditors claimed they were among those owed $14.05 million) after he reached a repayment deal his lawyer said should bring a decade of financial woes to a close. He earned $61 million as an NBA player.
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2008-09 when reaching Final Four for second season in a row was arrested in an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in mid-August 2013. In mid-July 2015, he was arrested for DUI for the fourth time in an eight-year span and subsequently served two DUI-related suspensions during the first half of the 2015-16 NBA campaign. After ending up banned from the Chinese Basketball Association, he was arrested in Spain in early 2022 following two altercations.
Ron Mercer, Kentucky (Rick Pitino) - Leading scorer as All-American for 1997 NCAA Tournament runner-up faced misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a scuffle in a Nashville strip club in April 2007. Police said Mercer punched a bouncer in the face. He was sued along with Chauncey Billups for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court (Walker sued for failing to stop alleged incident after socializing at Boston comedy club before also settling). In August 2013, a jury sided with Mercer in a lawsuit brought by an ex-girlfriend over the ownership of a $45,000 Range Rover.
Joakim Noah, Florida (Billy Donovan) - Final Four MOP in 2006 before becoming an A-A the next season was arrested for possession of marijuana in late May 2008 (also cited hours later for driving with suspended license and not wearing seat belt). Suspended 20 games late in 2016-17 NBA season for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Annoyed about playing time, he got into an altercation with coach Jeff Hornacek during a practice that ultimately triggered his exile from the New York Knicks.
Greg Oden, Ohio State (Thad Matta) - All-American center as freshman in 2006-07 was formally charged with battery for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face around 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 2014, at his mother's home in Lawrence, Ind. In a plea agreement, the leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker for 2007 NCAA Tournament runner-up was found guilty of felony battery with moderate bodily injury.
Howard Porter, Villanova (Jack Kraft) - Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1971 served six months in jail for probation violation on a previous drug conviction. "I was a junkie like any other junkie," Porter told the Tampa Tribune. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
Jason Richardson, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Leading scorer for 2001 Final Four team was found guilty of domestic violence in early summer of 2003 stemming from a dispute with an ex-girlfriend at her home in Saginaw, Mich., resulting in a three-game suspension by the NBA and a one-year probation sentence. Fresh off a DUI arrest, he was pulled over in late 2008 for going 90 mph in a 35-mph zone with his three-year-old son in the back of vehicle (although not in car seat).
Rumeal Robinson, Michigan (Bill Frieder and Steve Fisher) - Best remembered for converting the game-winning free throws in the 1989 NCAA title game against Seton Hall, he was sentenced in early 2011 to 6 1/2 years in jail for financial fraud. The charges against Robinson were bank bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. The two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection borrowed more than $700,000 from a bank in Iowa in 2004, claiming it was for a business. He used the money for personal purposes instead (buying a condominium, cars, furniture and investing in an energy company). He's a bankrupted "strip club addict," according to his adoptive brother. Sparked outrage in his Cambridge, Mass., hometown when he reportedly caused his adoptive mother to be forcibly removed from her home after being tricked into signing a deed that sold a house to Robinson's business associate while receiving no money.
Thomas Robinson, Kansas (Bill Self) - Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2011-12 for NCAA tourney runner-up was cited with misdemeanor battery in spring of 2011 following an incident at a nightclub. The city prosecutor dismissed charge involving spitting on a bouncer, who did not want the prosecution to go forward. Robinson completed 20 hours of community service and agreed to write a letter of apology to the victim.
Derrick Rose, Memphis (John Calipari) - Assists leader and second-leading scorer for 2008 tourney runner-up was cleared with a couple of friends of all charges stemming from a civil rape lawsuit in a Los Angeles court. Rose and his co-defendants maintained the sex was consensual. His fraudulent SAT score resulted in the Tigers' vacating their runner-up finish.
Jalen Rose, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - The Wolverines' leader in assists for back-to-back Final Four teams in 1992 and 1993 was arrested around 2 a.m. in March 2011 on suspicion of drunken driving. Accused of operating a vehicle (Cadillac Escalade) while impaired (said he drank six martinis), he declined to take a Breathalyzer. Rose, who put the unbecoming "Uncle Tom" tag on Duke, was pulled from the air briefly by ESPN for failing to disclose his DUI arrest shortly after the release of a controversial documentary about his time with the Fab Five. Given a speeding ticket only hours after being ordered to serve 93 days in jail (all but 20 of them suspended; served 16 days).
Curtis Rowe, UCLA (John Wooden) - Two-time All-American while playing for three straight NCAA champions from 1969 through 1971 was charged in mid-October 1989 with possession of cocaine after Detroit police said they saw him and a companion throw packets of drugs on the ground. Arrested in late February 2008 in a drug raid in a building on Detroit's west side as officers found him with a baggie containing a substance believed to be heroin on his person.
Clifford Rozier, North Carolina (Dean Smith)/Louisville (Denny Crum) - After years of personal and legal trouble (five arrests and bankruptcy), the 1994 first-team All-American was incarcerated in his hometown of Bradenton, Fla., in May 2001, after being charged with grand theft auto. Rozier, jailed after an accusation of stealing a Manatee County sheriff deputy's personal car, was on the run for about a month before police apprehended him in Orlando. His ex-wife had him committed various times to a psychiatric care facility under Florida's Baker Act. Drug panhandler after participating in 1991 Final Four for UNC had three vehicles repossessed and his liabilities included child support to three women. After spending time in jail cells and psychiatric wards, Rozier lived in a halfway house following a 2006 arrest on an assault charge. Arrested in summer of 1998 on charges of assaulting his mother but the case was dropped. According to a 2010 Sarasota Herald-Tribune story, Rozier was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Brandon Rush, Kansas (Bill Self) - Leading scorer for 2008 NCAA titlist was suspended five games for violating NBA drug policy in late August 2010. Arrested while in college for not appearing in court to settle multiple traffic incidents. Faced family court date in spring of 2008 related to a child-support case.
Ralph Sampson, Virginia (Terry Holland) - Three-time national player of the year from 1981 through 1983 was accused of lying to federal authorities about his finances in a child-support case. Sampson pleaded guilty in 2005 in Richmond to failing to pay about $300,000 in court-ordered child support for two children who live in northern Virginia and have different mothers. Sentencing was postponed after leading rebounder and second-leading rebounder for 1981 Final Four team was indicted on perjury and false claim charges before mail fraud and false-statement allegations were added. In a plea agreement, he was slated to serve two months in jail for mail fraud.
Damon Stoudamire, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Co-Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1994-95 after appearing in Final Four the previous campaign was busted three times on marijuana-related charges in 2002 and 2003. "You live and you learn," Stoudamire said. "Guys are human and guys make mistakes."
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas (Bill Self) - In the spring of 2015, the assists leader for 2012 NCAA Tournament runner-up allegedly cashed a fake money order for $1,000 cash at a food store in his hometown of Hoboken, N.J. Sustained a dislocated thumb in fall of 2009 in an altercation involving several football and basketball players outside of the student union building. Late in 2010-11 campaign, KU suspended Taylor and a women's hooper for reportedly getting frisky playing unauthorized one-on-one inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Isiah Thomas, Indiana (Bob Knight) - A Detroit TV reporter filed an assault and battery complaint against 1981 Final Four MOP during his NBA playing days with the Detroit Pistons, claiming Thomas choked him and threw him against a car. A jury decided in the fall of 2007 that Thomas sexually harassed a former Knicks team executive, subjecting the former Northwestern basketball player to unwanted advances and a barrage of vulgarity (Madison Square Garden eventually settled for $11.5 million). The CBA almost disbanded after Thomas purchased the minor league before selling his interest in 2000. Multiple CBA executives said Thomas was "rude. . . . very poor business person. . . . doesn't listen to people. . . . makes poor decisions."
David Thompson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - National player of the year in 1973-74 and 1974-75 had well-publicized involvement with cocaine. Final Four MOP in 1974 was accused of assaulting his wife while free-basing cocaine (received 180-day sentence in minimum security prison in 1987), filed for bankruptcy and suffered a severe knee injury in a dispute at Studio 54 in New York.
Bernard Toone, Marquette (Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds) - All-American in 1978-79 was charged with attempted grand larceny, criminal possession of burglar's tools and criminal mischief in April 1988 in White Plains, N.Y., after allegedly attempting to steal a car stereo system from a new Porsche. Member of 1977 NCAA titlist had been arrested twice in less than a year in 1985 - charged with third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car radio and pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after he was arrested at a fast-food restaurant in a rental car that had been reported stolen.
Kenny Walker, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton) - Two-time NCAA consensus All-American after helping UK reach 1984 Final Four received seven-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to menacing his wife. He had been arrested in early January 1996 and charged with assault for allegedly choking his spouse.
John Wallace, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - A little over a year after becoming an All-American in 1995-96, his girlfriend withdrew a harassment charge alleging he punched her in the face and choked her during a quarrel over their son. Arrested in Brooklyn for driving with a suspended license in late February 2016. Leading scorer and rebounder for 1996 tourney runner-up also charged in summer of 1996 for failing to follow officers' instructions after issuance of a ticket.
Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1995 Final Four team apologized in court and agreed to perform 50 hours of community service plus seek counseling following accusation of choking the mother of his child while visiting her and the infant over Easter weekend in 1996. Arrested with Portland "Jail Blazers" teammate in late November 2002 in a speeding car in which officers smelled pot.
Chris Webber, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - Leading rebounder for back-to-back NCAA Tournament runner-up teams in 1992 and 1993 was charged with marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer in 1998. He was pulled over and resisted the officer. The vehicle was impounded and traces of marijuana were found inside. Also that year, he was arrested by customs officials for possession of marijuana as he returned from a promotional trip to Puerto Rico. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit in September, 2002, on four felony counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to federal investigators (regarding money laundering tied to a shady UM booster, a bookmaker who was convicted of tax evasion and robbery before dying of a heart attack before he testified against Webber, who subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intent for lying about his role in the scandal). Suspended in mid-February, 2004, for five games by the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program. Sued over the closing of his Sacramento restaurant after signing a 20-year lease in 2005.
Bob "Zeke" Zawoluk, St. John's (Frank McGuire) - All-American in 1950-51 and 1951-52 after scoring school-record 65 points against St. Peter's in 1949-50 had turbulent life including vast emotional instability, an arson rap, crack addiction, grand larceny conviction and prison. After getting fired by one of a series of auto dealers for which he worked, leading scorer and rebounder for 1952 NCAA Tournament runner-up got even in an alcohol-fueled rage in Queens and Nassau County in 1986, dousing two luxury cars with gasoline, torching them, then ramming into 17 other cars, before being apprehended after a high-speed chase. Following another transgression, he was paroled on Christmas Eve, 1993, after serving nearly two years at Clinton Correctional Facility on robbery and grand larceny charges. A subsequent positive drug test violated his parole and sent him to Rikers Island in the mid-1990s.
DISHONORABLE MENTION
Dispensing with politically-correct niceties, many extra-baggage players simply have difficulty comprehending the difference between right and wrong. Heaven only knows how many other Final Four performers have run afoul of the law except for schools protecting them like their Praetorian Guard. Wichita State reached a $495,000 settlement with a former university vice president who sued WSU for retaliation. The ex-VP said he was demoted and his employment subsequently terminated after trying to investigate two student athletes, including one member of the 2013 Final Four squad. By no means comprehensive (example: Joe Hillman of 1987 titlist Indiana reportedly was one of seven agents in an underground bookmaking operation), following is an alphabetical list of non-All-Americans - including striking number from Michigan State - who didn't generate a prison bus break but might be of sufficient number for some concerned citizen to organize a "Mothers Against Final Four" group:
| Player | School | Summary of Off-the-Court Shenanigans |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Allen | Oklahoma State | Leader in scoring and steals plus runner-up in rebounding and assists for 2004 Final Four club was charged in late November 2021 with domestic assault, domestic vandalism and interference with emergency calls in connection with an incident at his wife's apartment. Previously, the Big 12 Conference MVP was found not guilty after indicted on three counts of aggravated battery escalating into an August 2005 shooting in his native Chicago. Juco recruit was arrested in late summer 2002 for obstruction and resisting a police officer after 25 cops were summoned at 2:30 a.m. to break up riot of about 300 people linked to rival groups from OSU and Langston University at a Whataburger restaurant. Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in NBA scam (sentenced to community service and supervision). |
| Darrell Allums | UCLA | Center for the Bruins' NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1980 was sentenced to nine years in state prison for armed robbery. According to a probation report, Allums became dependent on cocaine and turned to robbing Target stores and Domino's Pizza deliverymen to get cash. |
| Benny Anders | Houston | Flamboyant dunker with Phi Slama Jama had his college career end in the summer of 1985 when he was sentenced to three years' probation for possession of a gun on campus after a pick-up game dispute. Boasting a personalized license plate called "Outlaw" on his new Camaro, he arrived at the 1984 Final Four donning a pink tux. |
| Alan Anderson | Michigan State | Runner-up in scoring and rebounding for 2005 Final Four team received a 24-month sentence for submitting $121,000 in false claims for himself and recruiting others to join a scheme to defraud the NBA in an additional $710,000 in fraudulent healthcare benefits claims. |
| Greg Anthony | UNLV | Assists and steals leader for 1990 national champion and 1991 Final Four squad was arrested in a prostitution-solicitation sting in early 2015. Charges dropped if he did 32 hours of community service and stayed out of trouble for four months. |
| Gilbert Arenas | Arizona | Leading scorer for 2001 tourney runner-up was suspended for most of 2009-10 NBA season stemming from a felony gun possession in locker room and subsequent actions appearing to make light of the episode. Arrested in May 2006 in Miami after allegedly ignoring a police officer's command to return to his car (charges later dropped). Pleaded no contest to misdemeanor weapon charges resulting from an incident in San Mateo County (Calif.) in 2003 after becoming an All-Pacific-10 Conference selection as a sophomore. Arrested in California in late June 2013 for possession of illegal fireworks in the back of his pickup truck. In the spring of 2014, Arenas took a cinder block and smashed a Mercedes his longtime flame had been driving, claiming the incident was revenge for her allegedly breaking numerous windows in his house and ruining his Netflix account by throwing his computer into the pool. In late January 2016, Arenas bragged on social media how he committed credit-card fraud at strip clubs. In late 2023 on a podcast Arenas hosts, he implied that black players should assault white players "one at a time" because "Euros takin' the league from our people." |
| Vincent Askew | Memphis State | Freshman starter for the Tigers' 1985 Final Four team was arrested in mid-August 2008, accused of unlawfully having sex with a minor (16-year-old girl) in a Miami hotel room. He pleaded guilty to a charge of child abuse with no great bodily harm and was placed on probation for three years. Briefly coached Elliston Baptist Academy in Memphis before leaving the job under a cloud. Attended summer school at Kansas under coach Larry Brown before returning to Memphis. KU was placed on probation stemming from wrongdoing in connection with improper inducements to Askew. |
| Lonny Baxter | Maryland | Leading rebounder for the Terrapins' 2002 NCAA champion was sentenced to two months in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, including carrying a handgun without a license a few blocks from the White House, in mid-August, 2006. Uniformed Secret Service agents responded after shots were fired from a white SUV. Two summers earlier, Baxter was arrested at his Washington condominium after a shotgun went off and bullet shattered a neighbor's window across the street. In July, 2007, he pleaded guilty to illegally shipping guns through Federal Express and was sentenced to 60 days in prison. |
| Corey Beck | Arkansas | Arrested at 2:00 a.m. midway through 1992-93 season for allegedly driving while intoxicated before pacing the NCAA champion Hogs in assists and steals the next campaign. In early November 2004, he was jailed for the third time in two years for failure to pay child support and violating his probation. According to court documents, Beck flunked multiple drug tests for cocaine, admitted to marijuana use and lied to his probation officer about where he lived. In the fall of 2007, he was shot in the hand and face defending himself during an attempted auto theft in Memphis. Arrested in summer of 2008 for contempt of court stemming from failure to pay child support for four daughters. In summer of 2010, he was booked into jail at almost 3:00 a.m. following an arrest for driving while intoxicated. Arrested in late January 2013 for failure to pay fines and costs in connection with his conviction for driving while intoxicated and other traffic offenses in 2011. In early 2013, Beck was arrested for failure to pay fines and costs. |
| Chane Behanan | Louisville | Member of 2013 All-NCAA Tournament team dismissed from U of L squad midway through the next season for a violation of university policy. Suspended that preseason for a similar disciplinary infraction. In an interview with Bleacher Report's Jason King, Behanan said he "began smoking weed regularly (at Louisville), often after a long practice or a tough, physical game - and almost always when he was alone." After the Cardinals captured the NCAA title, Behanan told King "there were parties every night. People were inviting us places all the time and trying to give us stuff. It was a good feeling. I got caught up in it. Everywhere you went, there was something to get into. It was so easy." Cited for marijuana possession in early April 2014 in Louisville. "Guys like Chane, they think they're living a pro life," said John Lucas, ....... "But it's really a $200 life. You have friends who send you a couple of dollars from time to time, you get free shoes from AAU teams. You have just enough money to make you think you have money, but you really don't have any." In early August 2018, he was arrested and accused of being a backseat passenger in a car with "marijuana residue" and was sitting next to a stolen AK-47-style rifle (marijuana charge dropped after completing education program; possession of stolen firearm charge also dropped after another person in auto took responsibility for weapon). Two months later, Behanan was indicted by a grand jury after allegedly failing to pay child support. In early 2020, he was accused of placing fraudulent charges on a stolen credit card. |
| Winston Bennett | Kentucky | In UK's regular rotation for 1984 Final Four, he was terminated as a Boston Celtics assistant coach after violating the team's contractual agreement for practicing at Brandeis by having a sexual relationship with a female student enrolled there. All-SEC second-team selection as a junior in 1985-86 was fired as coach at Kentucky State in 2003 after striking a player in the face. Despite being the ultimate backup pro player, Bennett said he "slept with 90 women a month." After only 10 weeks on the job, he was fired in fall of 2017 from his state government position after sending inappropriate emails (including subordinates). |
| Corie Blount | Cincinnati | Center for 1992 Final Four team served a one-year prison sentence for possession of marijuana. He was charged with felony drug possession in early December 2008 after Butler County (Ohio) authorities saw him pick up a package from California they knew contained marijuana and then found more weed at his home. Deputies confiscated a total of 29 pounds of marijuana, several vehicles, three guns and $34,400 in cash. Blount, who avoided trafficking charges as part of his plea agreement, also was ordered to pay $10,000 in fines, serve 250 hours of community service and lose his driver's license for three years. |
| Delray Brooks | Providence | Head coach in mid-May 2000 when he pleaded no contest to stealing $25,000 from Texas-Pan American and was sentenced to 10 years probation. He had been dismissed the previous August for depositing a check from a tournament hosted by Southwest Missouri State into his personal account, then frittering away the money. After transferring from IU, Brooks was the second-leading scorer for PC's 1987 Final Four squad. In 2006, he was arrested for a probation violation stemming from his first run-in with the law (failure to pay restitution in the case). |
| Derek Brower | Syracuse | Member of the Orangemen's 1987 NCAA Tournament runner-up pleaded guilty in a Cincinnati courtroom to interstate travel for drug dealing. Served six months of a five-year sentence in federal prison. |
| Lewis Brown | UNLV | Beset by an arrest history including charges for drugs, the third-leading rebounder and sixth-leading scorer for the Rebels' 1977 national third-place team spent more than 10 years homeless on the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., before passing away in mid-September 2011 at the age of 56. According to the New York Times, family members said he was using cocaine at UNLV. "Drugs were his downfall," said his sister. |
| Anthony Buford | Cincinnati | Second-leading scorer for the Bearcats' 1992 Final Four team and his girlfriend were sentenced in February 2012 to 41 months in federal prison for mortgage fraud conspiracy and ordered to pay nearly $2.8 million in restitution to lending institutions they defrauded. |
| Marcus Bullard | Mississippi State | Starting point guard for 1996 Final Four team was sentenced to three years in prison for violating his probation on drug charges. He was accused of pistol-whipping another student on MSU's campus in 1996, violating terms of his probation by possessing a weapon and failing to report to his probation officer. He had pleaded guilty in 1994 and was put on probation after being charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute the previous year. His older brother served time in the same penitentiary for manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in 1998 to crack cocaine possession and received three years of probation. While on probation, he was accused of hitting a rival fraternity member in the head with a gun. The incident led to revocation of his probation, and he served a short prison term. He went to prison again after pleading guilty to cocaine and ecstasy charges in 2004. Bullard was sent to prison in summer of 2013 on a parole violation following a drive-by shooting in late 2012. In 2016, he was in trouble with the law multiple times. |
| Norm Cook | Kansas | After several run-ins with the law, he was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia in 1996 and was incarcerated or confined to his home in Lincoln, Ill., for 30 years until slipping into a diabetic coma and dying in late 2008 at the age of 53. He was KU's second-leading rebounder as a freshman for 1974 national fourth-place team. |
| Deshawn Corprew | Texas Tech | Juco recruit in regular rotation left program following suspension from 2019 NCAA tourney finalist after allegations of Title IX allegations. |
| Ed Cota | North Carolina | Assists leader and teammate Terrence Newby, the only seniors on UNC's 1999-00 Final Four squad, were arrested on misdemeanor charges stemming from an early-morning, Halloween-related altercation. Despite claiming they were trying to break up a fight, the duo subsequently agreed to a last-minute deal (community service and sharing cost of medical bills generated by melee). |
| Branden Dawson | Michigan State | Top rebounder for the Spartans' 2015 Final Four club had charges dropped regarding a felony domestic violence arrest in spring of 2016. In the fall of 2023, the 2014 Big Ten Conference Tournament MVP was suspended for two years from the Dominican Republic Basketball League after sucker punching an opponent. |
| Teddy Dupay | Florida | Guard for the Gators' 2000 NCAA Tournament runner-up was bound over for trial on charges of rape, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping of a woman in mid-June 2008 at a Utah ski resort. The woman, who had been in a relationship with him for two years, said the telemarketer hit and kicked her 150 times before the rape. More than a year later, he accepted reduced charges, went to jail for 30 days and was placed on a lengthy probation. Previously, evidence surfaced that Dupay, dismissed from UF's team before his senior season, asked another student to place bets for him on the Gators' program. The first UF recruit by Billy Donovan after setting the state's high school career scoring mark (3,744 points) was never charged criminally with gambling violations but state attorney Bill Cervone said there is "no doubt in my mind" Dupay bet on college sports. Dupay subsequently launched a website endorsing the legalization of marijuana. |
| Devin Ebanks | West Virginia | Suspended at start of 2009-10 Final Four season, New York City product was also suspended for two games at beginning of 2013-14 NBA campaign (pleaded no contest to DUI charge) and for five contests in spring of 2014 for violation of NBA D-League drug policy. |
| Billy Edelin | Syracuse | Suspended for the 2001-02 season following a female student's claim of sexual harassment (no charges filed but he was booted him school prior to reinstatement). Career was riddled with off-court issues leading to multiple suspensions as he spent portions of four seasons with the Orange but never played an entire campaign (including 2003 NCAA titlist). Starter suddenly disappeared from squad midway through 2003-04. |
| Khalid El-Amin | Connecticut | Minnesota product, an All-NCAA Tournament selection for 1999 national champion, was detained in spring of 2019 for failure to pay nearly $126,000 in delinquent child support (judge ordered him to pay $780 per month). |
| Rakym Felder | South Carolina | Brooklyn native arrested in mid-October 2016 at 1:30 a.m. outside a bar after knocking one victim unconscious and fighting police upon confronted by a taser. Regular for USC's 2017 Final Four team was arrested around 2:45 a.m. in mid-July 2017 and charged with third-degree assault and battery stemming from a brawl reportedly precipitated by him spitting on a woman (charges subsequently dismissed). Dropped from Gamecocks' squad in April 2018 after failing to meet guidelines he faced upon him allowed to re-enroll in spring semester. |
| Bryn Forbes | Michigan State | Fourth-leading scorer for the Spartans' 2015 Final Four team following transfer from Cleveland State was arrested at 5 a.m. on family violence charge in mid-February 2023 after verbal argument with female companion turned physical. |
| Manuel Forrest | Louisville | Prize prospect hampered by a knee ailment (averaged 8.4 ppg and 4.1 rpg from 1981-82 through 1984-85 during which Cardinals made back-to-back Final Four appearances) was arrested in September 2013 after police, stopping vehicle for weaving from lane to lane, discovered marijuana and crack cocaine. |
| Reggie Garrett | Arkansas | Regular rotation member of the Razorbacks' 1995 national runner-up was arrested 11 times in Rankin County (Miss.) from 1996 to fall of 2003, including DUI and assault. |
| Glen Gondrezick | UNLV | The third-leading scorer for the Rebels' 1977 Final Four team attempted suicide in Boulder, Colo., in the summer of 1986 following an incident where he was charged with third-degree assault on his wife. Immersed in marital problems, he shot himself with a .22-caliber rifle. The bullet punctured his lung and passed through his body. He went on to become a UNLV radio/TV color commentator for 17 years before passing away in late April 2009 due to complications from a heart transplant he received the previous September. |
| Michael Graham | Georgetown | Freshman enforcer and member of 1984 All-NCAA Tournament Team for the Hoyas' national champion was dropped from roster of CBA's Tulsa Fast Breakers in 1989 after testing positive for cocaine. |
| Steve Gray | Duke | Member of the Blue Devils' 1978 NCAA Tournament runner-up pleaded guilty in fall of 2014 to insider trading and was sentenced to 46 months in prison along with a $7,500 fine and forfeiture of his illegitimate profits ($326,159). Gray, as CEO of a Houston firm, had access to press releases and confidential information used to prepare releases for his clients prior to their issuance to the investing public. |
| Draymond Green | Michigan State | Leading rebounder for 2010 Final Four team after serving as freshman backup on NCAA finalist the previous year became one of the most ruthless players in the NBA (flagrant fouls galore, eye gouging, trying to lick and pull down shorts of opposing players, frequent kicking/stomping). He also inadvertently sent pecker pic on Snapchat, triggering $100,000 offer to be in porn production. Arrested for assault and battery at 2:30 a.m. in summer of 2016. Green was suspended for 12 games in 2023-24 season following an altercation with a Phoenix Suns player. |
| Keith Harris | Kansas | Member of the Jayhawks' 1988 NCAA playoff champion was charged in February 1989 with assault after choking and biting a female student in her apartment. In the spring of 1993, Harris was jailed on a warrant containing felony counts of selling marijuana and cocaine to an undercover informant and not affixing a state drug-tax stamp to illegal narcotics. |
| Dametri Hill | Florida | The Gators' second-leading rebounder for 1994 Final Four squad was arrested in fall of 2011 for failing to pay child support. He was also charged with violating probation for two previous charges of marijuana possession. Hill was suspended from the Gators' 1994-95 season opener for disciplinary reasons. |
| Baskerville Holmes | Memphis State | A starting forward who averaged 9.6 ppg and 5.9 rpg for the Tigers' 1985 Final Four team, he was arrested twice for domestic violence. Later, Holmes, an out-of-work truck driver, and his girlfriend were found shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide in Memphis on March 18, 1997, when he was 32. |
| Ron Huery | Arkansas | Received a five-year prison sentence in mid-2008 for violating his probation and attempting to break into his ex-girlfriend's home. Arrested in mid-July 2005 on charges of rape, first-degree false imprisonment and third-degree domestic battery, plus a misdemeanor charge of obstructing governmental operations stemming from an incident involving an ex-girlfriend. In 1994, All-SWC first-team selection in 1987-88 was put on probation for eight years after a cocaine conviction in his hometown of Memphis, where he was also charged with drunken driving and driving on a revoked license. In 2002, Huery, who scored 1,550 points for the Razorbacks, sold his ring from the 1990 Final Four to help pay off fines and interest on 1991 traffic charges. |
| Anderson Hunt | UNLV | The second-leading scorer for the Rebels' 1990 NCAA champion pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with marijuana found in his possession during a traffic stop in October, 1993. In September, 2002, Final Four Most Outstanding Player was sentenced to probation and fined more than $1,300 for attempted embezzlement after acknowledging he kept a Las Vegas rental car beyond its due date. In May 1991, the local newspaper published photos of him with teammates David Butler and Moses Scurry in a hot tub drinking beer with known sports fixer Richard Perry. Hunt never married and is the father of five. |
| Sam Jacobson | Minnesota | Second-leading scorer for 1997 Final Four squad pleaded guilty to residential mortgage fraud over $35,000 stemming from the "short sale" (worth less than what was owed forcing lender to eat loss) to his then-girlfriend and subsequent wife of his house in August 2011. |
| Courtney James | Minnesota | After helping the Gophers reach the Final Four earlier in the year, he was sentenced in mid-November 1997 to two years of probation and suspended for the entire 1997-98 campaign for a misdemeanor domestic-assault conviction for intending to cause fear by hitting his former girlfriend in the face with an address book. |
| Dontae' Jones | Mississippi State | The most serious charges were dismissed but he faced up to 14 years in prison if convicted on all charges stemming from a shooting where seven people were wounded in late April, 1999, outside a Nashville, Tenn., nightclub after an argument between a Memphis rap group and an entertainment promoter. Jones, the NJCAA player of the year in 1994-95 before helping lead the Bulldogs to the 1996 Final Four, was accused of simple assault with bodily injury, reckless endangerment and felony vandalism. Midway through the 1996-97 NBA season, he was suspended two games by the New York Knicks for repeated team violations even while on the injured list. |
| Terrence Jones | Kentucky | Only UK player other than All-American Anthony Davis to average more than 12 ppg and 7 rpg for 2012 NCAA titlist was arrested in late July 2013 for stomping on a homeless man's leg in Portland. Charges were dropped in civil compromise after agreement to pay $10,000 to a charity organization benefitting the homeless. |
| Chad Kinch | UNC Charlotte | Third-leading scorer for 1977 Final Four team as a freshman died at his parents' home in Cartaret, N.J., from complications of drug habit eventually leading to him contracting AIDS. He passed away on April 3, 1994, the day between the Final Four semifinals and final in Charlotte. The host school happened to be UNCC. |
| Jimmy King | Michigan | "Fab Five" member was arrested in Pontiac, Mich., in August 2011 on accusations he failed to pay $17,000 in child support and ignored repeated warnings to get back on schedule. Authorities had been working for three years to get King to get up to date with the payments. |
| Tom Kivisto | Kansas | Oilman in Tulsa, founder of the fifth-largest privately held company in the U.S. in 2007, promised to donate $12 million to renovate his alma mater's football stadium. He was fired as president and CEO in 2008 from SemGroup LP, the energy company based primarily on the delivery of crude oil he founded eight years previously. The firm filed for bankruptcy earlier that year because of $2.4 billion in debt stemming from bad gambles in the oil futures market. Former FBI director Louis J. Freeh was appointed by a bankruptcy court to sort out petition documents claiming Kivisto owed the company $290 million in trading losses through his personal trading company. Kivisto, a starting playmaker and All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection for the Jayhawks' 1974 national fourth-place team, agreed to pay $225,000 in fines and give up $1.2 million in stock to settle a SEC civil lawsuit alleging he misled investors while the energy company was collapsing financially. Kivisto, whose business-career roots began at Koch Industries before striking out on his own, does not admit wrongdoing. |
| Todd Leary | Indiana | Handed a two-year home detention sentence after pleading guilty in mid-July 2010 to charges stemming from an ex-business partner's multi-million-dollar mortgage fraud scheme. Prosecutors say Leary, who was an analyst for IU's radio broadcasts when he was arrested, worked for a title insurance broker who pleaded guilty in a $2.7 million fraud case. Leary, who averaged 3.8 ppg for the Hoosiers' 1992 Final Four squad, also faced charges connected to the theft of high-end appliances from foreclosed homes and served one year in prison. Leary said he and his fellow IU seniors each raked in $56,000 cash for a 19-game, 21-day barnstorming tour filling gyms across the state. |
| Sidney Lowe Sr. | North Carolina State | Playmaker for 1983 NCAA championship team pleaded guilty after being arrested in mid-February 2013 and charged with failing to file his state income tax returns the last three years he coached his alma mater (2009 through 2011). Lowe, earning about $900,000 annually, was one of the state's highest-paid employees. In the summer of 2008, his son was sentenced to 15 months at a prison farm after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana and the drug Ecstasy, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and six counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and second-degree kidnapping stemming from a home invasion. |
| Korie Lucious | Michigan State | Suspended a game for missing class during 2009-10 NCAA championship season before being charged with drunk driving in late summer 2010. Dismissed for violation of MSU team policy (smoking weed) midway through 2010-11 campaign before transferring to Iowa State. |
| Elmer Martin Jr. | Arkansas | Memphis product was backup forward for the Razorbacks' 1994 NCAA titlist and starter at the end of the next season before receiving a 15-year prison term in late July 2008 after pleading guilty to drug charges. A county deputy prosecutor said that delivery of a controlled substance charges involved cocaine, and that intent to deliver charges involved cocaine and Ecstasy. During two weeks earlier in the year, detectives made two controlled cocaine purchases from Martin. |
| Walter McCarty | Kentucky | Second-leading rebounder and third-leading scorer for 1996 champion was fired as Evansville's coach midway through 2019-20 season amidst a Title IX investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. McCarty, who previously participated in a training program about unacceptable behavior, reportedly attempted to improperly influence witnesses. A warrant was issued for his arrest in the fall of 2020 following defaulting on a $75,000 line of credit. A second bank indicated he defaulted on a $45,000 loan the previous month after signing a promissory note in 2018. |
| Mitch McGary | Michigan | Leading rebounder for NCAA Tournament runner-up as freshman in 2012-13 left UM before his junior year after testing positive for marijuana, avoiding a one-year ban by the NCAA. Failed a drug test before start of 2016-17 NBA season. He was slated to sit out first five games of year before suspension turned into 15 contests upon failing to live up to procedural guidelines. Missed the end of 2015-16 D-League campaign for undisclosed "personal reasons." |
| Gary McLain | Villanova | Assists leader for 1985 NCAA titlist confessed in a 1987 first-person SI article that he used cocaine throughout his college career including before national semifinal victory against Memphis State. "I lost my way," he said of mistakes leaving him briefly homeless and needing stint in a PA treatment center dealing with addiction. McLain wrote that he snorted coke with teammates although none ever acknowledged using drugs. |
| Makhtar N'Diaye | North Carolina | Tar Heels captain was found guilty of simple assault and communicating a threat during an argument. He was sentenced to 12 months unsupervised probation, a $200 fine and mandatory anger management classes. Several months earlier, he attracted national attention at 1998 Final Four, where he fouled out after only 14 minutes against Utah and eventually retracted accusation that a Utes player directed a racial slur at him. |
| Major Parker | Florida | Staff assistant under Billy Donovan after averaging 4.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg from 1997-98 through 2000-01 (including 2000 Final Four club) was arrested for selling half a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover officer in December 2004. Pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Completed a six-month sentence under house arrest and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of probation and more than 200 hours of community service. |
| Frank Peters | Oregon State | Third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer for fourth-place team in 1963 NCAA playoffs served 2 1/2 years in prison of a 10-year sentence following a 1989 conviction for statutory rape and drug offenses (busted for possession of 800 marijuana plants worth a reported $1 million). Affiliated for more than 20 years with a bar/dancehall in Southeast Portland, where he served everything from reindeer to rodent while presiding over events such as strip karaoke and lesbian dance party. He played a supporting role in a Netflix film The Battered Bastards of Baseball, which is purportedly about a minor-league baseball franchise that thrived in the 1970s during a time when it was the nation's only professional club not owned by a MLB team. While managing the Mavericks, Peters was also the maestro of several of Portland's most notorious nightspots, including Satan's Disco. |
| Brandon Powell | Florida | Freshman member of school's second straight NCAA titlist was arrested in mid-June 2007 with UF's kick return specialist as part of a reverse sting drug operation. Disciplined internally during season after videotape showed Memphis product sucker punched a Vanderbilt fan when Commodore fans stormed the court following an upset of the top-ranked Gators. Transferred to Marshall, where he was dismissed from Thundering Herd squad early in 2008-09 campaign. |
| Zach Price | Louisville | Backup frontcourter who appeared in tourney opener for 2013 NCAA titlist was dismissed from Missouri's team following an arrest in early April 2014 in the wee hours of the morning on suspicion of assaulting his Adonis-looking Tigers roommate (Earnest Ross) and a female friend. Unbelievably, Price was arrested and booked again later the same day for allegedly ramming his vehicle into a car containing the same two people. Ross filed a restraining order petition against Price the day before the twin incidents, alleging he stalked them in his vehicle and tried to drive their auto off the road. Price received two years of probation along with 80 hours of community service upon pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanor careless driving and two counts of misdemeanor disturbing the peace. Was assistant coach Tim Fuller, who joined Mizzou's staff from Louisville, totally in the dark about Price's volatility before Price was charged with first-degree tampering? |
| Zach Randolph | Michigan State | Starting center for 2001 Final Four team was implicated in the spring of 2010 after Indianapolis police found a cooler filled with marijuana in a Cadillac Escalade registered to him plus gun ammunition stowed inside a hidden compartment. Cops raided storage space rented by Randolph, where weed and "(four) cars with secret compartments" were found. Randolph's previous problems when he was a member of the Portland "Jail" Blazers included underage drinking, sucker-punching a teammate in practice, reportedly being spotted at a strip club while on bereavement leave and getting sued by an exotic dancer for sexual assault although police never filed criminal charges. Randolph, who chose "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper)" as his pregame warm-up song in Portland, was questioned but not charged in an August 2004 nightclub dance-floor shooting in Indiana leaving three people wounded. His brother, Roger, was sentenced to three years in prison in a plea deal. Zach was convicted of battery in 1997, and spent time in a juvenile detention center in 1999 for receiving stolen guns. He also had a DUI in Los Angeles in 2009 and police claimed Randolph invited a drug dealer to his party gone awry at his Oregon home in August 2011. Following a chartered cruise, the expectation was that the invitee would sell marijuana to the guests but his asking price apparently was too high and he was beat with pool cues by multiple individuals. In the fall of 2017, he had a felony marijuana-distribution charge in Sacramento reduced to a misdemeanor (resisting arrest). In summer of 2018, his brother was shot and killed outside a bar in their hometown around 5 a.m. |
| Reggie Redding | Villanova | Runner-up in assists for 2009 Final Four team was arrested in late summer that year for possession of marijuana. He was stripped of team captaincy and suspended 10 games at start of senior season. |
| Andre Riddick | Kentucky | In early August 2018, the Wildcats' leader in blocked shots for 1993 Final Four team faced charges of alcohol intoxication in a public place, fourth-degree assault, disorderly conduct in the second degree and resisting arrest. After leaving a bar, Riddick allegedly picked up his girlfriend and pushed or tossed her down stairs before punching her in the chest. |
| Cody Riley | UCLA | Principal big man for the Bruins' First Four to Final Four run in 2021 was arrested with two freshman teammates for shoplifting in early November 2017 during a team trip to China after they pilfered designer and throwaway sunglasses in addition to cheap beaded bracelets from three stores. "I don't wave the Bible around, but somebody knows the truth about all of us," Coach Mick Cronin said. " I don't think any of us walk the earth without making a mistake; theirs just happened to be really bad timing and really public." |
| Chianti Roberts | Oklahoma State | Sixth man for 1995 Final Four squad was arrested in mid-June 2003 about 2:45 a.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. |
| Delco Rowley | Michigan State | Member of 2005 Final Four squad was arrested in late October 2007 as a YMCA behavior specialist on charges of sending nude pictures of himself to a 15-year-old girl. |
| Randy Rutherford | Oklahoma State | Still in spring of 1995 after reaching Final Four as the Cowboys' second-leading scorer and rebounder, he was accused of threatening to blow up a city block after becoming upset his electricity had been disconnected. |
| Casey Sanders | Duke | Starting center for 2001 national champion was arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend in spring of 2002, grabbing her arm and pushing her into a wall during a breakfast dispute. Arrested in Tampa in early 2012 and charged with DUI. |
| Melvin Scott | North Carolina | Point guard who averaged 6.8 ppg from 2001-02 through 2004-05 had rape charges dropped after an arrest in fall of 2014 involving a female acquaintance who according to police was "mentally incapacitated and physically helpless." Previously, Scott was arrested in spring of 2002 and charged with assaulting a female student at 1:30 a.m. at a local night club. Member of 2005 NCAA champion was apprehended again in 2010 for assault on a law enforcement officer after being approached for being drunk and disorderly. Before he was a teen, Scott reportedly was arrested for burglary and carrying drugs and expelled from multiple Baltimore-area schools. |
| Moses Scurry | UNLV | A key backup player on the Runnin' Rebels' 1990 NCAA champion was sentenced to two years in prison in December 1994 for his role in a carjacking that left the driver shot in the thigh in the parking lot of a Las Vegas lounge. In May 1991, the local newspaper published photos of him with teammates David Butler and Anderson Hunt drinking beer in a hot tub with known sports fixer Richard Perry. |
| Lazarus Sims | Syracuse | Big East Conference leader in assists for NCAA tourney runner-up in 1996 resigned as Syracuse parks commissioner in spring of 2018 before pleading guilty to stealing $5,400 from city taxpayers (pocketed cash payments from park rentals and city fees). |
| Ervin Small | Illinois | Member of 1989 Final Four team faced a 51-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in June, 1999, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. His term was reduced after high school and college teammate of Nick Anderson and Deon Thomas assisted authorities in prosecuting other drug traffickers. Small, who worked as a correctional officer, reportedly had prior convictions for battery and theft. |
| "Sudden" Sam Smith | UNLV | J.C. recruit, the Rebels' second-leading scorer for 1977 Final Four team, was arrested and charged with two counts of selling crack cocaine in mid-February 1997. |
| Elmore Spencer | UNLV | Backup center on 1991 Final Four team was hospitalized for 36 days in 1987 for symptoms of manic depression. Married to a woman 10 years his senior while in college, he was picked up in late summer 1987 for pre-dawn reckless driving. During 1988-89 at Georgia before transferring, he got into a fight with a student in dormitory and drew probation for an incident in which he bullied the same student out of his groceries. |
| Dave Taynor | Kansas | Hoopszone.net claims captain of 1974 Final Four team pleaded guilty to money laundering in February 1996 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined following indictment in summer of 1994 for his part in the operation of a fraudulent insurance program. |
| Sean Tunstall | Kansas | Reserve guard for the Jayhawks' 1991 NCAA Tournament runner-up was shot and killed at age 28 in the parking lot of a recreation center in his native St. Louis on October 16, 1997, in a drug deal gone bad. He had received a prison sentence in 1993 after pleading guilty to one count of selling cocaine. "He was one of the few kids I never thought I completely reached," coach Roy Williams said. |
| Wayne Turner | Kentucky | Starting playmaker for 1998 NCAA titlist was arrested in summer of 2003 in hometown Boston after police found a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with 12 rounds in his rental car (pleaded innocent to charges of illegal possession of firearm and weapon with high-capacity magazine). His brother, Tiny, was arrested for armed robbery and spent time in and out of prison for a decade. Their parents were absent from their lives, leaving the two boys to mostly fend for themselves in a toxic environment. |
| Robbie Valentine | Louisville | Backup senior forward for 1986 titlist and 1983 Final Four participant as freshman was charged in February 2023 with strangulation of his girlfriend at their home (reportedly because she sought to move out). |
| Lagerald Vick | Kansas | Although never charged with criminal conduct, a KU probe resulted in recommendation of two years probation after determining Memphis product likely committed domestic violence in late 2015. At the time, coach Bill Self selflessly said Vick was sidelined two games due to "illness." There was no description for ailment the season after reaching 2018 Final Four when Vick took a leave of absence midway through the 2018-19 campaign to return to his hometown "to help out with family issues." |
| Jay Vincent | Michigan State | Third-leading scorer and rebounder for 1979 NCAA champion was indicted in mid-August 2010 for an internet employment scam bilking more than 10,000 job-seekers out of nearly $2 million. He faced charges of mail fraud and an income tax violation. According to the U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit, he and an associate concocted a scheme to defraud people seeking work through their Foreclosure Bank Inspection Company. The company claimed to test, certify and employ people to inspect bank foreclosed homes, and advertised that the company had contracts and received large checks from major banks to do the work. In reality, the copies of contracts and checks used in the ads were altered or counterfeit. The company also did not hire contractors to perform inspections. What it did do was charge $149 to provide liability insurance for each job applicant and $89 for background checks. False insurance policies were prepared in the company's offices and no background checks were made. Tests, completed and returned by applicants, were stored in boxes without reviews. Vincent was ordered to pay the government $110,000. In the income tax charge, Vincent was accused of reporting a business income of $62,438 on his 2008 tax return. Authorities said the actual amount he earned was $330,269. Sent to jail in late July 2011 five weeks before he was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison in the federal case after he was accused of writing, or causing others to write, bad checks in a different scheme. |
| Mark Wade | UNLV | All-PCAA first-team selection, who dished out an NCAA playoff record 18 assists in 1987 national semifinals, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $15,000 during 2006-07 in his former job as an assistant coach with UC Riverside. He was accused of depositing into his personal bank account the proceeds from two university checks and one electronic fund transfer. Some of the money was supposed to cover team expenses during road games over the Christmas break. |
| Antoine Walker | Kentucky | Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for 1996 NCAA Tournament champion was arrested in mid-July 2009 at a Harrah's cabaret bar on Lake Tahoe's south shore on criminal charges stemming from $822,500 in gambling debts in Las Vegas. Walker pleaded guilty to one count of passing a bad check. If his massive gambling debt wasn't enough, he had to deal with the city of Chicago calling him a slumlord. Walker's hometown levied fines totaling nearly $1 million against his two real estate investment companies and residents of those properties were filing lawsuits for a number of problems existing in the buildings. In early January 2009, Walker was arrested for DUI in Miami Beach. His combined career salary of approximately $110 million was depleted when he resorted to playing in the D-League with the Idaho Stampede before retiring in early April 2012. Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in spring of 2010, a distant memory were his extravagant "wiggle" days with the Boston Celtics when his condominium complex was a virtual luxury car lot - two Bentleys, a Cadillac Escalade, a bright red Hummer, two Mercedes and a Range Rover. |
| Travis Walton | Michigan State | Big Ten Conference defensive player of the year in 2008-09 was allowed to continue duties as student-assistant coach after criminally charged for punching a female student at a bar in January 2010. The victim said she was knocked unconscious by the blow and that bouncers removed Walton from the bar. Walton pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and his assault and battery charges were dropped. He pleaded guilty to a civil infraction for littering. Accused of sexually assaulting a different female with two other MSU players in a separate incident three months later after the Spartans reached the 2010 Final Four. In the spring of 2018, school officials provided more information ab out how the university dealt with the sordid situation, telling ESPN's Outside the Lines that administrators would "handle it differently" if such an allegation were made today. |
| Ed Warner | CCNY | Second-leading scorer for team winning NIT and NCAA tourney titles in 1950 had his career shattered by a six-month sentence stemming from point-shaving scandal engulfing the sport. In the 1960s, Warner was imprisoned after pleading guilty to attempting to sell heroin. "I had a problem," he said. "I was trying to play Superfly." |
| Kenyan Weaks | Florida | Swingman averaging 10 ppg for the Gators' 2000 NCAA Tournament runner-up and eventual Chowan College/Florida Southern/Marshall assistant coach was charged in spring of 2017 with series of disturbing felonies as a North Carolina high school coach (felony breaking and entering to terrorize or injure, misdemeanor stalking and simple assault). In summer of 1998, he was placed on conduct probation following a dormitory altercation with a woman after previously being suspended for the first three regular-season games for violating unspecified team rules. |
| Rob Williams | Houston | Leading scorer for 1982 Final Four team died of congestive heart failure at the age of 52 in March 2014 after suffering a stroke 15 years earlier leaving him blind in his left eye and partially paralyzed on his left side. Williams denied rumors he was too high to play against North Carolina in the national semifinals (0-for-8 field-goal shooting). But Williams admitted he used drugs. "Cocaine came later but I started out smoking weed (in junior high)," Williams said. "I was always a curious type of fellow, so I wanted to see what cocaine was about. So I tried it. And to tell you the truth, I liked it." |
| Othell Wilson | Virginia | All-ACC first-team selection as a sophomore in 1981-82 and leading scorer for 1984 Final Four squad was indicted by a grand jury in November 1999 on charges of kidnapping and raping his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend. He had just been appointed coach at St. Mary's College (Md.). |
| Rick Wilson | Louisville | In August, 1993, the All-Metro Conference first-team selection in 1977-78 was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violations of the terms of his probation. Wilson, who had joined the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department in 1986, was convicted in July 1990 of cocaine trafficking and possession, but was put on probation for five years after serving a month in a work-release center. In 1991, member of 1975 national third-place club was allowed to remain on probation and undergo addiction treatment despite five urine tests finding evidence of cocaine use. |
| Jeff Withey | Kansas | L.A. District Attorney's Office chose not to move forward with case after 2014 Playboy Playmate of the Year accused her ex-fiancee of domestic violence, stemming from a physical altercation between them in 2016. The blonde bombshell reportedly broke things off with Withey the previous fall after learning leader in rebounding and blocked shots for 2012 NCAA runner-up may have cheated with another woman while couple was engaged. |
| Orlando Woolridge | Notre Dame | Irish's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer in 1980-81 when he finished third in the nation in field-goal shooting (65%) was arrested for theft of aluminum lines (valued at $2,000 and sold for scrap) used to transfer water to natural gas drilling sites in DeSoto Parish (LA) only three months before his death at the age of 52 in late May 2012 because of a chronic heart condition. Member of 1978 Final Four squad as freshman in UND's regular rotation entered an NBA drug treatment program for cocaine use in the middle of the 1987-88 season while playing for the New Jersey Nets. |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Supplying MLB Headlines on April 5
Extra! Extra! As a new season gains steam, you can avoid #MessMedia misfits trailing "The Donald" like a rabid dog by reading news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Former small-college hoopers Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi), Fred Kipp (Emporia State KS), Roger Mason (Saginaw Valley State MI), Ted Savage (Lincoln MO), Ken Singleton (Hofstra) and Leon Wagner (Tuskegee AL) were involved in MLB transactions on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 5
INF Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi basketball letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles in 1973.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) smacked two homers among his four hits in a 15-12 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1997. Four years later, Clark contributed four hits against the Minnesota Twins in 2001.
LHP Fred Kipp (two-time all-conference selection for Emporia State KS in early 1950s) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees in 1960.
RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year letterman for Saginaw Valley State MI in late 1970s) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the San Francisco Giants in 1985.
California Angels 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) supplied four hits in an 8-2 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1974 season opener.
OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970.
OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman squad in mid-1960s) traded with Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub in 1972.
Atlanta Braves reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered the victory in a season-opening 7-4 success at Cincinnati in 1971. Upshaw missed the previous campaign after almost losing the ring finger on his right hand when it got entangled in a net while dunking basketball.
OF Leon Wagner (Tuskegee AL hooper in 1952-53) returned by the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox in 1969 following purchase transaction involving him in early December 1968.
RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) became the first hurler in New York Mets history to collect two hits in an inning (pair of singles in third against Philadelphia Phillies in 2011). Young contributed a third single in the fifth in his first start with the Mets.
College Exam: Day #20 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper to wipe butts of George Soros-supported butt boys, seeking translator to try to understand Plagiarist Biledumb/Cacklin' Kamala administration (whether women's basketball brackets or anything else0 or donning face-masks while cowering in fetal position from climate change claptrap, it's your opportunity to take online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.
We need something to occupy our minds during quarantine from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. 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 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.
Answers (Day 20)
Day 19 Questions and Answers
Day 18 Questions and Answers
Day 17 Questions and Answers
Day 16 Questions and Answers
Day 15 Questions and Answers
Day 14 Questions and Answers
Day 13 Questions and Answers
Day 12 Questions and Answers
Day 11 Questions and Answers
Day 10 Questions and Answers
Day 9 Questions and Answers
Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
Day 6 Questions and Answers
Day 5 Questions and Answers
Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
False Start: NIT Championship Won't Mean Much to Seton Hall Next Season
Don't mean to hurt "wittle" feelings of safe-space snowflakes sympathetic to roof-top dancing bartender #AOC (Always Outlandish Commentary), Jussie Smollett supporters believing fictional tale about #MAGA caps/bleach/noose/nutritional white face, Mayor Pete pundits accepting "All Lives Matters" whether you're the husband or wife and Emory students terrified by Trump chalk talk. But if history means anything, a National Invitation Tournament crown won't serve as a springboard to NCAA playoff success for Seton Hall. Defending NIT champions combined for a 15-20 NCAA Tournament record from 1986 through 2022.
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 13 years - South Carolina '06, Penn State '09, Minnesota '14 and Stanford '16 - also failed to appear in NCAA playoffs or NIT the next season when there was competition. 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. NIT titles didn't ignite Penn State at all as the Nittany Lions went a total of 18 games below .500 in Big Ten Conference competition the two ensuing seasons after capturing crowns in 2009 and 2018.
Two years ago, Xavier became only the fourth school in the last 40 campaigns to reach an NCAA regional semifinal the season after capturing an NIT title - joining 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 in 2014-15; 6-12 in Big Ten (T10th); no postseason 2015 Stanford 15-15 in 2015-16; 8-10 in Pac-12 (9th); no postseason 2016 George Washington 20-15 2016-17; 10-8 in Atlantic 10 (6th); lost in CBI 2nd round 2017 Texas Christian 21-12 in 2017-18; 9-9 in Big 12 (5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2018 Penn State 14-18 in 2018-19; 7-13 in Big Ten (T10th); no postseason 2019 Texas 19-12 in 2019-20; 9-9 in Big 12 (T3rd); national postseason play cancelled because of pandemic 2021 Memphis 22-11 in 2021-22; 13-5 in American Athletic (3rd); lost in NCAA 2nd round 2022 Xavier 27-10 in 2022-23; 15-5 in Big East (2nd); lost in NCAA Sweet 16 2023 North Texas 19-15 in 2023-24; 10-8 in American Athletic (7th); lost in NIT 2nd round 2024 Seton Hall TBD
Close Encounters: Bama's Nate Oats Won 11 of Last 12 Decided By < 6 Points
Close could determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. Ask Arizona fans if close doesn't count after the Wildcats lost five regional finals from 2003 through 2015 by a total of 14 points. At times, defending champion Connecticut appears capable of coasting to another title. But if the Huskies are in a tight tilt, please be aware coach Dan Hurley, despite posting 10 victories in games decided by fewer than six points as rookie head coach in 2010-11 with Wagner, has compiled one of the worst marks in the country in "close contests" for bench bosses with 10 or more seasons of DI experience. Meanwhile, Alabama's Nate Oats has won 11 of 12 outings the past two seasons decided by fewer than six points. Following is how Hurley, Oats and the other two 2024 Final Four mentors have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points:
| Final Four Coach | Current School | DI Seasons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Hurley | Connecticut | 2011-24 | 6-10 | 8-9 | 15-23 | 9-23 | 18-9 | 56-75 | .427 |
| Kevin Keatts | North Carolina State | 2015-24 | 8-6 | 7-5 | 11-7 | 13-10 | 11-11 | 50-39 | .562 |
| Nate Oats | Alabama | 2016-24 | 3-5 | 6-8 | 13-7 | 8-6 | 13-3 | 43-29 | .597 |
| Matt Painter | Purdue | 2004-24 | 18-8 | 16-9 | 20-27 | 21-17 | 24-14 | 99-74 | .572 |
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