Historically, the first 15 NFL drafts from 1936 through 1950 had a former college basketball regular selected among the top 10 picks. Four of the top six choices and five of the top 11 in the 1957 draft were ex-college hoopers. To our knowledge, none of them featured the excess baggage of Jameis "Crab Legs" Winston, the #1 selection several years ago who was also a versatile athlete but in baseball.

Back in 1963 when men were men before all of the ESPC-contrived Sam Who I Am draft-day crying/kissing and diversity sensitivity training (#BringBackOurMen), five of the top 22 picks, including four from schools that have always been or subsequently became members of the Big Ten Conference, were in the same category. In the average NFL draft, nearly half of the athletes selected also competed in basketball in high school. Greg Senat, Wagner's runner-up in field-goal shooting (49.5%) and third-leading rebounder (4.3 rpg) as a sophomore in 2014-15, was a sixth-round choice of the Baltimore Ravens as an offensive tackle in this year's draft. Following is an alphabetical list of NFL first-round draft choices who played varsity college basketball for a current NCAA Division I university:

*Bechtol played in the AAFC, where he was a second-round pick (9th overall).

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles each went 4-for-4 in a MLB game on this date.

Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 22 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 22

• Cincinnati Reds OF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) provided four hits in a 9-4 triumph against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1929.

• Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70 hit safely in first 14 games of 1979 campaign until his streak was snapped by the Minnesota Twins.

• Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) clubbed two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1958 game.

• Milwaukee Braves 2B Jack Dittmer (Iowa hooper in 1949-50) jacked a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1953.

• New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished four hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1923 outing.

• San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the San Francisco Giants in a 1991 game.

• In 1953, New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) posted his 12th consecutive win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) contributed three hits, including an inside-the-park homer, in a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, snapping P Mike Torrez's 11-game winning streak dating back to previous season.

• Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season) scored four runs in a 16-12 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980.

• OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) shipped by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1995 to complete an earlier deal involving P Jack McDowell.

• New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Texas Rangers in a 1979 contest.

• Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Houston Astros in 1973.

• Brooklyn Dodgers rookie 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) went 2-for-5 against the New York Giants in each of his first three MLB games in 1948.

• Kansas City Royals C John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) went 4-for-4 with three RBI in 7-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Former hoops All-Americans Ernie Andres (Indiana) and Billy Werber (Duke) made news as infielders for the Boston Red Sox 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 21 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 21

• Lone MLB RBI for 3B Ernie Andres (NCAA consensus first-team basketball All-American with Indiana in 1939) helped the Boston Red Sox outlast the Philadelphia Athletics, 12-11, in the opener of a 1946 doubleheader.

• St. Louis Browns rookie RF Beau Bell (two-year hoops letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) contributed four hits and four RBI against the Chicago White Sox in a 1935 game.

• Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) supplied four hits against the Boston Red Sox in a 1982 contest.

• Pittsburgh Pirates INF Gene Freese (West Liberty WV hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) pinch-hitting for Willie Stargell, delivered a decisive three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning for an 8-5 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1964.

• LHP Steve Hamilton (All-OVC selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Washington Senators to the New York Yankees for P Jim Coates in 1963.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer with 8.5 ppg as sophomore in 1944-45) won his 1949 season debut (5-2 against Detroit Tigers) before dropping next 14 decisions through August.

• California Angels C Art Kusnyer (led Kent State in field-goal percentage in 1965-66 as team's third-leading scorer and rebounder) contributed a career-high three hits against the Texas Rangers in a 1972 outing.

• Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's hoops leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) collected three hits and three stolen bases against the Minnesota Twins in 1994.

• St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1957 doubleheader.

• Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1976 game.

• Boston Red Sox SS Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) registered multiple extra-base hits in his third consecutive contest in 1934.

• St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) supplied multiple hits in five of his first seven games in 1962.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) opened the 1957 campaign with a 10-inning shutout against the Kansas City Athletics.

• New York Yankees DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) smacked two homers against the Texas Rangers in a 1990 game.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Former hoops All-Americans Danny Ainge (BYU) and Bosey Berger (Maryland) 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 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 19

• Toronto Blue Jays LF Danny Ainge (three-time Brigham Young basketball All-American and national player of year as senior in 1980-81) went 3-for-3 in an 8-1 setback against the Cleveland Indians in 1980.

• Only MLB decision for RHP Steve Barber (J.C. starter under coach Jerry Tarkanian before attending La Verne CA) was a 9-8 victory for the Minnesota Twins against the Kansas City Royals in 1971.

• 3B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first hoops All-American in 1931-32) awarded on waivers from the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox in 1937.

• Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) provided four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1966 game.

• In 2017 in his third MLB start, Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's under coach Steve Lavin in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before RS transfer year at Cal State Northridge) tied a Cincinnati Reds record for a rookie LHP by fanning 12 Baltimore Orioles batters.

• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Walt Huntzinger (All-Ivy League forward with Penn in 1921-22) toiled 14 innings but lost, 5-4, against the Chicago Cubs in 1926. He was waived to the Cubbies two months later.

• New York Giants 1B Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) collected six RBI against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1951 doubleheader.

• St. Louis Cardinals 1B George Kernek (Oklahoma hoops letterman in 1959-60 and 1960-61) contributed three hits for the second time in four games in 1966.

• Five hits by CF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) were in vain as the St. Louis Cardinals incurred a 17-inning, 4-3 loss against the New York Mets in 1976.

• In a 1961 contest, Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) supplied two homers and five RBI against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).

• In 1942, Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) didn't yield a hit until there was one out in the eighth inning when CF Harry Craft (Mississippi College hooper first half of 1930s) singled for the Cincinnati Reds.

• Brooklyn Dodgers LF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1954.

• RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player swap in 1969.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Arizona, Cincinnati, Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Syracuse and UCLA - NCAA playoff kingpins at some point in their respective histories - had former hoopers make 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 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 18

• Philadelphia Phillies INF Gene Freese (West Liberty WV basketball captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) smacked a pinch grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1959 game.

• San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1993 contest.

• Texas Rangers 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) collected four hits and five RBI against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1976 doubleheader.

• RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s) traded by the Cincinnati Reds with cash to the Boston Braves in 1946.

• Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) threw the second of two immaculate innings in his career when he struck out the side on nine pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in third frame in 1964.

• Atlanta Braves CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) provided a homer among his five hits in a 14-0 romp over the Colorado Rockies in 1997. Five years later with the Chicago White Sox, Lofton delivered multiple safeties seven times in a span of eight games while raising his batting average from .250 to .426 in 2002.

• Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.

• San Francisco Giants CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the Atlanta Braves in 1981.

• Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) won his first start of season against the New York Mets before dropping last 10 decisions of the 1972 campaign.

• Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) surrendered the first hit on artificial turf in 1966 when Los Angeles Dodgers SS Maury Wills singled to center at Houston's Astrodome.

• 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped his first homer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 (against New York Giants). The blast was Robinson's lone round-tripper in his first 30 MLB games.

• New York Yankees RHP Roy Sherid (Albright PA hoops center in 1926-27 and 1927-28) toiled 15 innings but lost, 5-4, against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

• RHP Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered his fourth victory hurling at least three innings of relief in the Atlanta Braves' first 11 games of the 1971 season.

• Philadelphia Athletics 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) provided four safeties in season opener en route to seven multiple-hit games in his first 11 outings of the 1938 campaign.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles supplied significant MLB hitting performances as lefthanded batters 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 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 16

• Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL basketball team in 1950-51), en route to hitting .632 through first five games of the 1958 campaign, banged out four hits in a 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox.

• Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) collected three extra-base hits and five RBI in a 9-4 triumph against the Cleveland Indians in 1958.

• 1B Kerby Farrell (key hooper for couple of strong Freed-Hardeman TN squads in mid-1930s) purchased from the Boston Braves by the Chicago White Sox in 1945.

• Houston Astros C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) furnished three extra-base hits against the Atlanta Braves in a 1977 game.

• Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (hoops letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished four hits against the Washington Senators in a 1926 contest.

• Debut with San Francisco Giants for RHP Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) was a success, hurling a three-hit, 6-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1982.

• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) and Philadelphia Phillies P Cal McLish both fail to finish the first inning when each starter allowed six runs in the Cards' 12-6 win at Philly in 1962.

• Chicago White Sox C Frank Grube (Lafayette starting hoops guard as senior in 1926-27) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in a 1932 game.

• San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1987 contest en route to N.L.-high 218 hits.

• Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) delivered three extra-base hits against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 1993 contest.

• Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 5-for-5 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1955 game.

• Final blast of 390 MLB career homers by 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) was a pinch-hit, game-tying round-tripper for the Montreal Expos against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1988.

• RHP Roy Parmelee (hoops letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Boston Red Sox in 1938.

• In a 1931 contest, Cincinnati Reds RF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) went 5-for-5 against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." - Jackie Robinson

The entirety of SportsNation accepts the cultural significance of Jackie Robinson Day, an annual event commemorating and honoring the groundbreaking day he made his debut 71 years ago with the Brooklyn Dodgers as MLB's first African-American player.

But what many observers might not know about Robinson is the impact he also had in basketball. UCLA's initial all-conference hooper in the 1940s was a forward who compiled the highest scoring average in the Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with the Bruins (12.3 points per league game in 1939-40 and 11.1 ppg in 1940-41) after transferring from Pasadena (Calif.) City College. Continuing his scoring exploits, the six-time National League All-Star was the leading scorer for the Los Angeles Red Devils' barnstorming team in 1946-47.

In deference to Robinson's uniform number, following is an alphabetical list of 42 more of the best African-American basketball players for four-year colleges who subsequently played at the MLB level:

Freshman phenom or flop. Two seasons ago, LSU's Ben Simmons was the first NCAA consensus All-American in 38 years (since Minnesota's Mychal Thompson and Portland State's Freeman Williams in 1978) to leave college after failing to appear in either of the two principal national postseason tournaments during their career. After previously occurring frequently, Army's Kevin Houston (1987) had been the last All-American of any type to miss the NCAA tourney and NIT. Houston, Thompson and Williams comprise three of 23 four-year players among all A-As in this dubious category. Thompson is among a total of 50 such players from Big Ten Conference members.

Simmons, assembling 12 triple-doubles in his first full NBA regular season, plus fellow All-Americans Kay Felder (Oakland) and Markelle Fultz (Washington freshman this campaign) might have made bigger names for themselves in college if they had participated in national postseason competition prior to declaring early for the NBA draft. Fultz, a teammate of Simmons with the Philadelphia 76ers, became the 126th standout from a member of an existing power league (26 of them consensus) on the following alphabetical list of All-Americans, including Kevin Love's father (Stan Love/Oregon A-A in 1971), who never competed in the NCAA playoffs or NIT since the national-tourney events were introduced in the late 1930s:

No Postseason All-American	Position	School	Year(s) All-American
Alvan Adams	C	Oklahoma	1974 and 1975
Jim Ashmore	G	Mississippi State	1957
Chet Aubuchon	G	Michigan State	1940
*Don Barksdale	C	UCLA	1947
Leo Barnhorst	F-C-G	Notre Dame	1949
John Barr	G	Penn State	1941
*Walt Bellamy	C	Indiana	1961
Gale Bishop	F-C	Washington State	1943
Bruno Boin	F-C	Washington	1957
George BonSalle	C	Illinois	1957
Wally Borrevik	C	Oregon State	1944
*Vince Boryla	F-C	Notre Dame/Denver	1949
Fred Boyd	G	Oregon State	1972
*Frank Burgess	G	Gonzaga	1961
Jim Burns	G	Northwestern	1967
Lawrence Butler	G	Idaho State	1979
*Leo Byrd	F	Marshall	1959
Bob Calihan	C	Detroit	1939
Dan Callandrillo	G	Seton Hall	1982
Joe Capua	G	Wyoming	1956
Tom Chilton	F	East Tennessee State	1961
*Doug Collins	G	Illinois State	1973
Russ Critchfield	G	California	1967
Billy Cunningham	F	North Carolina	1964 and 1965
*Chuck Darling	C	Iowa	1952
A.W. Davis	F	Tennessee	1965
Charlie Davis	G	Wake Forest	1971
***Terry Dischinger	C-F	Purdue	1960 through 1962
Bill Ebben	F	Detroit	1957
Paul Ebert	C	Ohio State	1952 through 1954
Frank Ehmann	F	Northwestern	1955
Bob Faris	F	George Washington	1939
Bob Faught	C	Notre Dame	1942
Kay Felder	G	Oakland	2016
Ken Flower	G	Southern California	1953
**Darrell Floyd	G-F	Furman	1955 and 1956
*Chet Forte	G	Columbia	1957
Don Freeman	F	Illinois	1966
**Robin Freeman	G	Ohio State	1955 and 1956
Markelle Fultz	G	Washington	2017
Terry Furlow	F	Michigan State	1976
*Dave Gambee	F	Oregon State	1958
*Dick Garmaker	F	Minnesota	1954 and 1955
Bill Garrett	C	Indiana	1951
Ed Gayda	F	Washington State	1950
Harold Gensichen	F	Western Michigan	1943
Ralph "Toddy" Giannini	G	Santa Clara	1940
Joe Gibbon	F	Mississippi	1957
Chester "Chet" Giermak	C	William & Mary	1950
**Otto Graham	F	Northwestern	1943 and 1944
**Dick Groat	G	Duke	1951 and 1952
**Dale Hall	F	Army	1944 and 1945
*Ralph Hamilton	F	Indiana	1947
Bill Hanson	F-C	Washington	1962
Vince Hanson	C	Washington State	1945
Bill Hapac	F	Illinois	1940
Jules "Skip" Harlicka	G	South Carolina	1968
Jerry Harper	C-F	Alabama	1956
*Spencer Haywood	F-C	Detroit	1969
**Fred Hetzel	F-C	Davidson	1963 through 1965
Joe Hobbs	G	Florida	1958
Paul Hoffman	F-C	Purdue	1947
Kevin Houston	G	Army	1987
Frank Howard	C-F	Ohio State	1957
**Bailey Howell	F-C	Mississippi State	1958 and 1959
Lou Hudson	G-F	Minnesota	1965 and 1966
*Dick Ives	F	Iowa	1944 and 1945
*Chester "Chet" Jaworski	G	Rhode Island State	1939
Ron Johnson	C	Minnesota	1959 and 1960
Vinnie Johnson	G	Baylor	1979
Paul Judson	G	Illinois	1956
Rich Kelley	C	Stanford	1975
*Walt Kirk	G	Illinois	1945
**Leo Klier	F	Notre Dame	1944 and 1946
Ed Koffenberger	C-F	Duke	1946 and 1947
Tom Kondla	C	Minnesota	1967
Ron Kramer	C	Michigan	1957
Dennis "Mo" Layton	G	Southern California	1971
Kevin Loder	F	Alabama State	1981
Stan Love	C	Oregon	1971
Jeff Malone	G	Mississippi State	1983
John Mandic	C	Oregon State	1942
Julius McCoy	F	Michigan State	1956
Banks McFadden	C	Clemson	1939
George McGinnis	F	Indiana	1971
*Jim McIntyre	C	Minnesota	1948 and 1949
Mark McNamara	C	California	1982
Carl McNulty	C	Purdue	1952
Chuck Mencel	G	Minnesota	1953 and 1955
Mike Mitchell	F	Auburn	1978
*Bill Mlkvy	F	Temple	1951
**Glen Max Morris	C-F	Northwestern	1945 and 1946
Jack Murdock	G	Wake Forest	1957
Phillip "Red" Murrell	F	Drake	1958
Don Nelson	F-C	Iowa	1961 and 1962
*Johnny Neumann	F-G	Mississippi	1971
Paul Neumann	G	Stanford	1959
Albert "Ab" Nicholas	G	Wisconsin	1952
Don Ohl	G	Illinois	1958
Frank Oleynick	G	Seattle	1975
Dick O'Neal	C	Texas Christian	1957
Bernie Opper	G	Kentucky	1939
**Kevin O'Shea	G	Notre Dame	1947 through 1950
Robert Parish	C	Centenary	1974 through 1976
Roger Phegley	G-F	Bradley	1978
Ricky Pierce	F-G	Rice	1982
Lou Pucillo	G	North Carolina State	1959
Dave Quabius	G	Marquette	1939
Ray Ragelis	F-C	Northwestern	1951
Jimmy Rayl	G	Indiana	1962 and 1963
Bob Rensberger	G	Notre Dame	1943
John Richter	C	North Carolina State	1959
Bill Ridley	G	Illinois	1956
Eddie Riska	F	Notre Dame	1941
Flynn Robinson	G	Wyoming	1965
Mike Robinson	G	Michigan State	1974
Wil Robinson	G	West Virginia	1972
Gene Rock	F-G	Southern California	1943
Marshall Rogers	G	Pan American	1976
Joe Ruklick	C	Northwestern	1959
**Dave Schellhase	F	Purdue	1965 and 1966
Harv Schmidt	F	Illinois	1957
Dave Scholz	F	Illinois	1969
Danny Schultz	G	Tennessee	1964
**Frank Selvy	F	Furman	1952 through 1954
*George Senesky	F-G	St. Joseph's	1943
*Bill Sharman	G	Southern California	1950
Gene Shue	F	Maryland	1953 and 1954
*Ben Simmons	F-G	Louisiana State	2016
Gary Simmons	G	Idaho	1958
Ralph Simpson	F-G	Michigan State	1970
Meyer "Whitey" Skoog	F-G	Minnesota	1949 through 1951
Doug Smart	C-F	Washington	1957 through 1959
Chris Smith	C	Virginia Tech	1960
Don Smith	C	Iowa State	1968
Glen Smith	F	Utah	1952
Forrest "Frosty" Sprowl	F	Purdue	1942
Bill Stauffer	F-C	Missouri	1952
Terry Teagle	G-F	Baylor	1982
Gary Thompson	G	Iowa State	1957
**Mychal Thompson	F-C	Minnesota	1977 and 1978
Rudy Tomjanovich	F	Michigan	1969 and 1970
Gene Tormohlen	C	Tennessee	1959
Walt Torrence	G-F	UCLA	1959
John Townsend	F	Michigan	1938
Vic "Slick" Townsend	G-F	Oregon	1941
Dick Van Arsdale	F	Indiana	1965
Tom Van Arsdale	F	Indiana	1965
Ernie Vandeweghe	F	Colgate	1949
*Grady Wallace	F	South Carolina	1957
Lou Watson	F-G	Indiana	1950
Nick Werkman	F	Seton Hall	1963
Paul Westphal	G	Southern California	1971 and 1972
*Murray Wier	G-F	Iowa	1948
Richard "Buzz" Wilkinson	G	Virginia	1955
*Freeman Williams	G	Portland State	1977 and 1978
Max Williams	G	Southern Methodist	1960
Sam Williams	F	Iowa	1968
*Mark Workman	C	West Virginia	1951 and 1952
George Yardley	F	Stanford	1950
Rich Yunkus	C	Georgia Tech	1970 and 1971

*Number of times named an NCAA consensus All-American.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Former college hoopers Denny Doyle, Sandy Koufax, Rick Leach, Kenny Lofton, Graig Nettles, Paul Splittorff and Ed Wells made MLB news as lefthanded hitters or pitchers 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 14 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 14

• 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State's basketball squad in 1962-63) stroked a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971.

• Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops team in 1953-54) threw the ninth complete game without permitting a walk in his career by blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0, in 1964 in his only Opening Day start.

• A two-run pinch single by Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV squad in 1975-76) provided the margin of victory in the Texas Rangers' 4-2 verdict over the Detroit Tigers in 1989.

• Atlanta Braves CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) contributed five hits and five runs scored in a 14-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds in 1997.

• New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64), en route to tying a MLB record with 11 homers in the month of April, collected four round-trippers - two in each game - during a 1974 doubleheader split opposing his former team (Cleveland Indians).

• Kansas City Royals LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1973.

• LHP Ed Wells (multi-sport athlete graduated in 1924 from Bethany WV) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1933.

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two small-college hoopers from Pennsylvania - Dick Hall (Swarthmore) and Lynn Jones (Thiel) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 12 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 12

• RHP Rich Beck (listed on Gonzaga's basketball roster in 1961-62) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the New York Yankees in 1965.

• In his initial MLB appearance in 1961, San Francisco Giants INF Ernie Bowman (East Tennessee State hoops letterman in 1954-55 and 1955-56) scored the game-winning tally as a pinch-runner in a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore PA Middle Atlantic States Conference Southern Division champions) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the Baltimore Orioles in 1961.

• In 1961, San Francisco Giants C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) stroked his first MLB hit, a homer off Pittsburgh Pirates P Vern Law.

• A pinch-hit homer by OF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) accounted for the Detroit Tigers' only runs in a 6-2 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981.

• Cleveland Indians rookie CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) swiped four bases against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1992 doubleheader.

• Detroit Tigers RHP Jeff Robinson (two-time NAIA All-District 3 hoops honoree in early 1980s left Azusa Pacific CA as school's No. 9 all-time scorer) won his MLB debut, allowing only one run in seven innings in a 7-1 victory against the Chicago White Sox in 1987.

• After a pair of rainouts, 1B-OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back hoops NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) socked a decisive eighth-inning HR to give the New York Yankees a season-opening 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox in 1959.

• Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) commenced a streak of 12 relief appearances in a row without allowing an earned run in 1978.

• Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) outdueled San Francisco Giants P Juan Marichal, 1-0, in 1965.

• San Diego Padres RF 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 four runs against the Atlanta Braves in 2010.

Vaping loyalists for big-name schools count on remaining or returning to elite status via recruiting services. Typically, the follow-the-pack 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. Textbook example this season was Kansas guard Devonte' Graham, who was nowhere to be found among the nation's Top 100 high school recruits in 2014. The previous year, 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 two seasons ago with Oklahoma's Buddy Hield (outside Top 100 in 2012).

What good are prep player rankings and ESPN's mid-season McDonald's All-American selection show if the brainiac analysts can't come close to pinpointing a prospect who will become among the elite collegiate players in a couple of years? Six 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 certainly are out of 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 and inauguration boycotters, 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 James Wiseman (Kentucky vs. local Memphis), 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 Tulsa coach Frank Haith's checking account when he was at Miami (Fla.), helping Bruce Pearl remember decor of inside of his 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 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 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, Shrillary'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 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?

A principal reason Jerry Tarkanian became a Hall of Famer was the fact he is the only coach in NCAA Division I history to win more than 90% of his assignments for a school in a single conference including both regular season and postseason league tourney (229-19 mark in PCAA/Big West with UNLV in a 10-year span from 1982-83 through 1991-92).

Among active coaches, Gonzaga's Mark Few likely is en route to extending his stunning string of consecutive NCAA playoff appearances in as many seasons to 21 next campaign with the Zags after reaching the 90% win-plateau in 2017-18. His domination of the West Coast Conference not only is in regular-season competition (264-30) but also in league tournament action (42-4). Few isn't expected to fall much, if any, from list of league rulers in the near future. Ditto winning percentage overall through 19 campaigns as Few (.819) ranks third at this juncture in his career behind legendary Clair Bee (.850) and Adolph Rupp (.824) and ahead of Tarkanian (.813).

John Calipari was the only coach to win 80% of his league assignments in two conferences with different schools until slipping to 79% this season in the SEC. If Few remains at his present success level, Calipari could go unbeaten nine consecutive campaigns in SEC regular season and league tourney competition with Kentucky freshman phenoms and still trail Few percentage-wise in conference domination.

Brad Stevens won 80.8% of Butler's Horizon League games in five seasons but fell just short of meeting the minimum of 100 decisions in a single conference on the following list before subsequently moving on to the Atlantic 10 and NBA's Boston Celtics. Stevens has had a significantly superior pro career than Tarkanian, who compiled a 9-11 record in a brief stint with the San Antonio Spurs at the start of the 1992-93 campaign. Few ranks runner-up, just ahead of North Carolina State's Everett Case, among the following coaches who have won more than 75% of their games in a single conference including participation in league tourney play:

NOTES: Huggins (West Virginia), Marshall (Wichita State) and Williams (North Carolina) are active coaches currently employed by other schools. . . . UCLA's John Wooden won 81% of his games in the PCC/AAWU/Pacific-8 from 1948-49 through 1974-75 but none of those contests included conference tournament competition.