Nostalgia 80: 1-80 Ranking of Premier Players in NCAA Tournament History

March 10th, 2018 - 11:56

"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumphs of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

For those who eat, sleep and breathe the NCAA Tournament although it came after Teddy Roosevelt's presidency, the sensory overload of the playoffs is a banquet and every year is a feast. Nourishing your appetite for assessing postseason play, the following questions linger as the 80th event unfolds this year: Who were the most pristine postseason players in the nation's premier multiple-week sports spectacle? Who always seemed hot and who was not? Who was a stud instead of a dud?

It's a cop-out to simply accept the instant visibility of one-name icons such as Magic, Bird and Michael and cite them among the greatest players in tourney history. The prolific pro careers of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, a trio combining to win nine consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player awards from 1983-84 through 1991-92 (three apiece), somewhat distorts their impact in college postseason play. Notwithstanding the TV appeal of the Bird/Magic championship game match-up in 1979 and Jordan's game-winning basket as a freshman in the 1982 national final against Georgetown, a closer examination of the facts than what was exhibited in 75th-anniversary polls several years ago by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Sporting News shows that other collegians were more efficient more often in the NCAA Tournament. Consider the following tourney trauma for Johnson (ESPN 5/SN 7/SI 8), Bird (SI 5/ESPN 15/SN 24) and Jordan (SN 32/ESPN 57/SI 70) before accepting as gospel they were among the premier performers in NCAA playoff play:

  • Johnson shot a meager 27.8% from the floor (10 of 36) in three 1978 tourney games as a freshman for Michigan State before leading the Spartans to the NCAA title the next year. He had more turnovers (six) than assists (five) in the over-hyped 1979 final, a mediocre contest paling in comparison to the last eight finals of the 1980s when seven of them were decided by an average of two points. Johnson outscored and outrebounded teammate Greg Kelser in just one of eight playoff games they played together. Kelser simply contributed more than Magic to the Spartans' cause in NCAA competition.

  • Bird boosted Indiana State to the 1979 final in his lone NCAA tourney, but put the 'oops' in hoops by committing a Final Four-record 17 turnovers. He hit just 7 of 21 field-goal attempts and had three times as many turnovers (six) as assists (two) against Michigan State in the championship game, which was essentially the equivalent of a boring Super Bowl failing to live up to hype.

  • Jordan's NBA playoff scoring average with the Chicago Bulls more than doubled the NCAA Tournament scoring average he compiled for North Carolina. Jordan averaged 16.5 points per NCAA playoff game with the Tar Heels, scoring 20 or more in just two of 10 postseason games from 1982 through 1984. His Airness scored fewer than 18 points in two of the four playoff contests he led Carolina in scoring. Most people don't remember his inauspicious playoff debut when he collected six points, one rebound, no assists and no steals in 37 minutes of a 52-50 opening-round victory against James Madison in the East Regional. And Jordan's final NCAA Tournament appearance before he left school early for the NBA was nothing to write home about, either. The college player of the year was restricted to six points in the first 35 minutes of his collegiate swan song in the East Regional semifinals against Indiana, finishing with 13 points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 26 foul-plagued minutes when the top-ranked Tar Heels were eliminated (72-68).

Generally, sizzling scorers have learned it's not a day at the beach in postseason play. For instance, former NBA sensation Clyde Drexler averaged more than 17 points per game each of his last 13 NBA seasons, but he scored more than 17 points in just one of 11 NCAA Tournament games for the University of Houston from 1981 through 1983. Premier playmaker Steve Nash managed only one field goal in three of five playoff contests in the mid-1990s, shooting a paltry 29.2% from the floor. Two-time NBA slam-dunk champion Jason Richardson (5th pick overall in 2001) was grounded by the NCAA playoffs, going scoreless in three consecutive contests as a Michigan State freshman in 2000. All-Americans Thomas Robinson (Kansas) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina) each went scoreless in two NCAA playoff games. Eventual All-Americans Marcus Denmon (Missouri), Danny Ferry (Duke), Ben Gordon (Connecticut), Marcus Morris (Kansas) and Terrence Williams (Louisville) also went scoreless in a tourney game. Ferry scored fewer than 10 points in six straight tourney tilts before averaging 20 ppg in his last 11 playoff outings and Syracuse All-American Kris Joseph never scored more than 12 points in 11 NCAA playoff contests from 2009 through 2012.

Duke's Christian Laettner, the all-time playoff scoring leader with 407 points from 1989 through 1992, tallied fewer than 15 points in six of his first seven tournament games. Just four of the top 20 in career scoring in the NCAA playoffs accumulated more than 10 points in every tourney game they participated - UCLA's Lew Alcindor (1967-68-69), Princeton's Bill Bradley (1963-64-65), Arizona's Sean Elliott (1986-87-88-89) and Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (1958-59-60).

Is an Amber Alert necessary for Len Chappell, Adrian Dantley, Tom Gola, Alex Groza, David "Big Daddy" Lattin, Jim McDaniels, Jeff Mullins, Cazzie Russell, Dennis Scott, Rony Seikaly, etc., etc., etc.? How could anyone forget the footprint (size-22) Bob Lanier left on postseason play? The NCAA, exhibiting all the expertise of voters claiming they can't provide identification, unveiled a stunning error-prone list several years ago of foremost NCAA Tournament players over the first 75 years. Were relatives of guards Shelvin Mack and Keith Smart on the nominating panel for such amateurish choices? Do backcourters B.J. Armstrong, Terry Dehere, Allen Iverson, Wally Jones, Brevin Knight, Bo Lamar, Mark Macon, Lawrence Moten, Anthony Peeler and Mitch Richmond mean anything to the misinformed? The NCAA, apparently incapable of discerning what comprises a "moment" rather than numerous playoff-pressure games or putting too much stock in input from self-serving media, probably needs to go back to focusing on vital task of shedding Indian nicknames from as many schools as possible.

In former POTUS Obama's State of the Union addresses, the basketball buff probably should have cared more about mental inequality in hoopdom rather than income inequality in his "I-have-a-phone-and-pen" and willing-accomplices-in-the-media kingdom. An NCAA probe similar to IRS targeting needs to be conducted stemming from the most glaring omission among impact players failing to be acknowledged. Incredibly, the shunned included Bob Pettit, who averaged 30.5 points in six outings with LSU in 1953 and 1954. Pettit is perhaps the most consistent big scorer in NCAA playoff annals with a single-digit differential between his high game (36 points) and low contest (27).

The Chris Webber Award for playoff competition brain lock goes to SN for fanciful assertion citing Tom Thacker, a nice versatile player for Cincinnati teams participating in three consecutive NCAA championship contests, as #15 on its all-time list. Thacker committed a toxic total of 13 turnovers (with only four assists) in two Final Four games in 1963 after scoring only two points in 1962 national semifinals and shooting a paltry 8-of-28 from the floor at 1961 Final Four. UCLA by itself has had at least 15 more influential tourney players than Thacker, who was unranked by ESPN and SI. The only logical answer for this absurdity is a Cincinnati connection of some sort among the voting delegation or the fishy selection is a byproduct for why SN's print edition went belly up.

Michigan State All-American Draymond Green posted back-to-back triple doubles in 2011 and 2012 but still doesn't rank among the all-time best 80 players in tourney history as event unfolds for 80th time. If some of these historical facts aroused your curiosity, here is additional tournament insight that should fuel debates concerning who should be on college basketball's Mount Rushmore after excelling the most as NCAA playoff performers (minimum of six tourney games):

1. Lew Alcindor, C, UCLA
The only individual selected the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player three times averaged 25.7 points and 18.8 rebounds and shot 64.1% from the floor in six Final Four games from 1967 through 1969. Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is the only player to couple three unanimous first-team All-American seasons with three NCAA titles. Of the 10 different individuals to average more than 23 points per game for a national champion a total of 12 times, Alcindor achieved the feat all three of his seasons with the Bruins. He is also the only player to hit better than 70% of his field-goal attempts in two NCAA title games. UCLA '67, the first varsity season for Alcindor, 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 average margin of 21.5 points. The three Alcindor-led UCLA teams rank among the seven NCAA champions with average margins of victory in a tournament of more than 19 points per game. He led the Bruins in scoring in 10 of 12 playoff contests. It's no wonder a perceptive scribe wrote that the acronym NCAA took on a new meaning during the Alcindor Era - "No Chance Against Alcindor."
2. Bill Walton, C, UCLA
Averaged 28.8 points and 17.8 rebounds per game at the Final Four in 1972 and 1973. His championship game-record 44 points against Memphis State in 1973 when he hit 21-of-22 field-goal attempts will probably never be duplicated. On the other hand, he had one playoff game of fewer than 10 points each of the three seasons he was national player of the year.
3. Jerry West, G-F, West Virginia
He is the only player to score at least 25 points in eight consecutive tournament games (all of which he led in scoring). West is also the only player to rank among the top five in scoring average in both the NCAA Tournament (30.6 points per game) and NBA playoffs (29.1 ppg). He was denied a championship ring with West Virginia in his only Final Four appearance in 1959 when Cal center Darral Imhoff, a player who would become an Olympic and NBA teammate, tipped in a decisive basket in the closing seconds.
4. Elvin Hayes, F, Houston
He is the only player to lead a tournament in scoring by more than 60 points. Lew Alcindor and his UCLA teammates helped hold Hayes to 10 points in 1968 national semifinals, but the Big E finished with 167 points in five games with Houston that year in finishing with the highest-ever scoring average for a Final Four player (36.8 ppg). Alcindor was runner-up with 103 points in four contests. Hayes became the only player in tournament history to collect more than 40 points and 25 rebounds in the same game when he amassed 49 points and 27 rebounds in a 94-76 decision over Loyola of Chicago in first round of 1968 Midwest Regional. He holds the records for most rebounds in a playoff series (97 in five games as a senior in 1968) and career (222 in 13 games). Hayes had five games with at least 24 rebounds, including the first three playoff games in 1968, before being held to five in a 101-69 national semifinal loss against UCLA. He also holds the record for most playoff field goals in a career with 152.
5. Gail Goodrich, G, UCLA
Despite standing at least three inches shorter than both standout opponents, the 6-1 lefthander outscored consensus second-team All-American Jeff Mullins of Duke, 27-22, in 1964 final and unanimous first-team All-American Cazzie Russell of Michigan, 42-28, in 1965 final. Goodrich, the only guard to score more than 35 points in an NCAA final, averaged 35 points per game for UCLA in 1965 tourney. He was also the Bruins' leading scorer the previous year (21.5-point average as a junior) when he became the shortest undergraduate to average more than 20 points per game for an NCAA titlist. Goodrich and Walt Hazzard (18.6 ppg) represent the only backcourt duo to be the top two scorers on the season for an NCAA championship team. Of the eight times a school successfully defended its major college championship, Goodrich is the only guard to be the team's leading scorer in back-to-back years. The Bruins won 58 of 60 games in those two championship seasons although they didn't have a regular taller than 6-7.
6. Bill Bradley, F, Princeton
The former U.S. Senator (D-N.J.) and 2000 presidential candidate holds the record for most points in a single Final Four game (58 against Wichita State in 1965 national third-place game). He scored 39 points in the second half of the consolation game. The Rhodes Scholar was the only player to have a double-digit season scoring average (30.5 points per game) for Princeton's Final Four team. Bradley also holds the career playoff record for highest free-throw percentage (minimum of 50 attempts). He was 89 of 96 from the foul line (90.6%) from 1963 through 1965. In five of his nine playoff games, Bradley made at least 10 free throws while missing no more than one attempt from the charity stripe. He made 16 of 16 free throws against St. Joseph's in first round of 1963 East Regional and 13 of 13 foul shots against Providence in 1965 East Regional final to become the only player to twice convert more than 12 free throws without a miss in playoff games. He was the game-high scorer in eight of nine tourney contests.
7. Bill Russell, C, San Francisco
Grabbed an incredible 50 rebounds for USF at 1956 Final Four (23 against SMU in semifinals and 27 against Iowa in championship game). No other player has retrieved more than 41 missed shots in two Final Four games or more than 21 in the final. Averaged 23.2 points in winning all nine NCAA tourney contests.
8. Oscar Robertson, G-F, Cincinnati
Averaged at least 29 points and 10 rebounds per game each of his three years in the tourney with the Bearcats. The Big O isn't picked higher because California restricted him to a total of 37 points in two Final Four games (1959 and 1960). He hit just nine of 32 from the floor against the Bears. Robertson, the nation's leading scorer all three of his varsity seasons with averages of more than 32 points per game, is the only team-leading scorer to twice go more than 13 points below his season scoring average when his school lost in the national semifinals or final. He is the only Final Four participant to twice register a season scoring average in excess of 30 ppg (32.6 in 1958-59 and 33.7 in 1959-60).
9. Sean Elliott, F, Arizona
Of the more than 60 different players to score at least 2,500 points and/or rank among the top 25 in career scoring average, Elliott is the only one to have a winning NCAA playoff record in his career plus post higher scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting playoff averages than he compiled in the regular season. Elliott scored at least 17 points in all 10 of his NCAA playoff games with the Wildcats from 1986 through 1989.
10. Christian Laettner, F, Duke
Only player to start in four Final Fours became the tourney's all-time leading scorer (407 points) in helping the Blue Devils compile a 21-2 playoff mark in his career. Laettner's highest-scoring game was 31 against Kentucky in a 104-103 victory in 1992 East Regional final. Laettner capped a flawless offensive performance, hitting all 10 of his field-goal attempts and all 10 of his free throws against the Wildcats, by scoring Duke's last eight points in overtime, including a stunning 18-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer after catching a pass from the baseline on the opposite end of the court. He also hit what probably was an even more difficult off-balance, last-second shot to give Duke a 79-78 win against Connecticut in 1990 East Regional final. Tallied fewer than 15 points in six of his first seven playoff contests.
11. Bob Pettit, F-C, Louisiana State
Of the more than 40 different players to score more than 225 points in the NCAA playoffs and/or average over 25 points per tournament game (minimum of six games), he is the only one to score more than 22 points in every postseason contest (six games with LSU in 1953 and 1954). He was perhaps the most consistent big scorer in NCAA Tournament history with a single-digit differential between his high game (36 points) and his low game (27). Pettit wasn't named to the 1953 All-Tournament team despite leading the Tigers to the Final Four and averaging 30.5 points per game in four NCAA playoff contests. He averaged the same number of points in two tourney games the next year.
12. Bobby Hurley, G, Duke
The 6-0 guard was selected Most Outstanding Player at the 1992 Final Four. He was the shortest player to earn the award since 5-11 Hal Lear helped Temple to a national third-place finish in 1956. The only Final Four Most Outstanding Player shorter than Hurley from a championship team was 5-11 Kenny Sailors of Wyoming in 1943. Hurley shot a mediocre 41% from the floor in his college career, but he was the Blue Devils' linchpin with his playmaking and intangible contributions. He holds the career record for most playoff assists (145) and three-pointers (42) although his bid to become the first player to start four consecutive NCAA finals was thwarted when California upset Duke in the second round of 1993 Midwest Regional despite Hurley's career-high 32 points. After averaging just 5.4 points per game in his first eight NCAA Tournament contests, he averaged 22.8 in his last five playoff outings.
13. Steve Alford, G, Indiana
Averaged 21.3 points in 10 NCAA Tournament games in 1984, 1986 and 1987 (8-2 record). He led the Hoosiers in scoring in seven of the contests.
14. Larry Johnson, F, UNLV
Juco jewel averaged 20.2 points and 11.5 rebounds in 11 games in 1990 and 1991 (10-1 record).
15. Miles Simon, G, Arizona
Averaged 18.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 14 games from 1995 through 1998 (11-3 record). He was game-high scorer in his last three playoff contests.
16. Patrick Ewing, C, Georgetown
The Hoyas compiled a glittering 15-3 playoff record from 1982 through 1985 during his four-year reign of terror although he never scored as many as 25 points in a tournament game.
17. David "Big Daddy" Lattin, C, Texas Western
Averaged 19.4 ppg and 10.6 rpg in eight games in 1966 and 1967 (7-1 record). He averaged 21 points and 13 rebounds in first three games of 1966 playoffs, powering champion-to-be Miners to Final Four. Playoff scoring average was five points higher than his regular-season mark.
18. Clyde Lovellette, C, Kansas
The only individual to lead the nation in scoring average in the same season he played for a team reaching the NCAA Tournament championship game. Averaging 35.3 points per game in the 1952 tourney, he was the first player to score more than 30 points in a Final Four contest and the only player to crack the 30-point plateau in the national semifinals and final in the same season.
19. Dennis Scott, G-F, Georgia Tech
Averaged 25.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg in eight playoff games from 1988 through 1990 (5-3 record). He was game-high scorer in four of five contests in 1990 when the Yellow Jackets reached the Final Four.
20. David Thompson, F, North Carolina State
The last player to score the most points in a single game of a tournament and play for a championship team (40 against Providence in 1974 East Regional semifinals). He is the only undergraduate non-center to average more than 23 ppg for a national champion.
21. Austin Carr, G, Notre Dame
After scoring only six points in his first tournament game as a sophomore (re-injured against Miami of Ohio in 1969), Carr averaged 47.2 points in his last six playoff contests to finish with a tourney record 41.3-point mark. However, the Irish won only two of the seven games.
22. David Robinson, C, Navy
Averaged 28.6 points and 12.3 rebounds in seven games from 1985 through 1987 (4-3 record). He was game-high scorer in four playoff contests, including a school-record 50 points against Michigan in his final appearance.
23. Bob Kurland, C, Oklahoma A&M
Only player to score more than half of a championship team's points in a single NCAA Tournament (total of 72 accounted for 51.8% of the Aggies' output in three playoff games in 1946).
24. Jerry Lucas, C, Ohio State
Two-time NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player averaged 22.8 ppg and 12 rpg at the Final Four in 1960 and 1961. But he was limited to nine points in both of his tourney openers when earning national player of the year awards in 1961 and 1962.
25. Sean May, F-C, North Carolina
Final Four Most Outstanding Player for 2005 champion averaged 19.9 points and 9.9 rebounds in eight NCAA Tournament games in 2004 and 2005 (7-1 record).
26. Alex Groza, C, Kentucky
Two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player is only individual appearing at a minimum of two Final Fours (1948 and 1949) and be the game-high scorer in every Final Four contest he participated.
27. Len Chappell, F-C, Wake Forest
Averaged 27.6 ppg and 17.1 rpg in eight games in 1961 and 1962 (6-2 record). He was the Demon Deacons' leading scorer in all eight contests.
28. Bob Lanier, C, St. Bonaventure
Averaged 25.2 points and 14.2 rebounds in six games in 1968 and 1970 (4-2 record; missed 1970 Final Four after tearing a knee ligament in East Regional final).
29. Corliss Williamson, F, Arkansas
Two-time All-NCAA Tournament selection averaged 20.2 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 59.4% from the floor in 15 games from 1993 through 1995 (13-2 record).
30. Al Wood, F, North Carolina
Averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in eight games from 1978 through 1981 (4-4 record). He was the Tar Heels' leading scorer in six of those playoff contests.
31. Tim Duncan, C, Wake Forest
Averaged 17.6 points, 15 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots in 11 games from 1994 through 1997 (7-4 record).
32. Glen Rice, F, Michigan
Averaged 23.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 13 games from 1986 through 1989 (10-3 record). As a senior, he was the Wolverines' leading scorer in all six contests during their championship run when setting a single-tourney record with 184 points.
33. Danny Manning, F, Kansas
The only player to score more than 62% of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game (42 in the Jayhawks' 67-63 victory against Southwest Missouri State in second round of 1987 Southeast Regional). He was the game-high scorer in all six of their contests en route to the 1988 national title as a senior. Averaged 20.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in 16 playoff games (13-3 record).
34. Bob Houbregs, F-C, Washington
Averaged 27.4 ppg in seven games in 1951 and 1953 (5-2 record). He averaged nearly nine more points per contest in postseason play than during the regular season.
35. Tom Gola, F, La Salle
The only individual to earn NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and NIT Most Valuable Player awards in his career. He averaged 22 ppg in 10 NCAA playoff games in 1954 and 1955 (9-1 record).
36. Rumeal Robinson, G, Michigan
Averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 assists in 11 games from 1988 through 1990 (9-2 record).
37. Lawrence Moten, G, Syracuse
Averaged 23.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in seven games in 1992, 1994 and 1995 (4-3 record).
38. Ray Allen, G, Connecticut
Averaged 19.5 points and 7 rebounds in 10 playoff games from 1994 through 1996 (7-3 record).
39. Isiah Thomas, G, Indiana
Averaged 19.7 points and 7.9 assists in seven games in 1980 and 1981 (6-1 record).
40. Greg "Bo" Kimble, F-G, Loyola Marymount
Averaged 29.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals in seven games from 1988 through 1990 (4-3 record). Scored at least 37 points for LMU in three of his last four playoff outings.
41. Randy Foye, G, Villanova
Averaged 22.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in seven games in 2005 and 2006 (5-2 record). He scored at least 24 points in four contests en route to posting 7.5 ppg more in tourney competition than regular-season play.
42. B.J. Armstrong, G, Iowa
Averaged 19.8 points and 4.9 assists in nine games from 1987 through 1989 (6-3 record; did not play in 1986 playoffs). He averaged seven more points per contest in postseason than during the regular season.
43. Jim McDaniels, C, Western Kentucky
Averaged 29.3 points and 12.2 rebounds in six games in 1970 and 1971 (4-2 record). He was WKU's leading scorer in five of the six playoff contests.
44. Brevin Knight, G, Stanford
Averaged 20 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists in seven games from 1995 through 1997 (4-3 record).
45. Rony Seikaly, C, Syracuse
Averaged 18.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 2.8 bpg in 12 games from 1985 through 1988 (8-4 record). He averaged nearly seven more points per contest in postseason play than during the regular season.
46. Jeff Mullins, F, Duke
Averaged 25 ppg and 7.9 rpg in the playoffs for two Final Four teams in 1963 and 1964 (6-2 record). He scored more than 20 points in seven of eight tourney contests.
47. Mark Macon, G, Temple
Averaged 23.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in nine games in 1988, 1990 and 1991 (6-3 record.)
48. Mike Maloy, C, Davidson
Averaged 22.3 ppg and 12.4 rpg in seven games from 1968 through 1970 (4-3 record).
49. Adrian Dantley, F, Notre Dame
Averaged 25.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in eight games from 1974 through 1976 (4-4 record). Averaged 29.8 points in his last six playoff contests.
50. Dan Issel, C, Kentucky
Averaged 29.3 ppg and 11.3 rpg in splitting six contests from 1968 through 1970. He had at least 36 points in half of the tourney games.
51. Allen Iverson, G, Georgetown
Averaged 23.9 points and 4 rebounds in seven games in 1995 and 1996 (5-2 record). He was the Hoyas' leading scorer in all seven contests.
52. Ollie Johnson, C, San Francisco
Averaged 25.8 points and 16.2 rebounds in six games from 1963 through 1965 (3-3 record). Averaged six points per game higher in playoffs than regular season.
53. Paul Hogue, C, Cincinnati
Averaged 19 points and 16 rebounds in six Final Four games from 1960 through 1962. Posted higher averages (18.4 ppg and 13.3 rpg) in 12 NCAA Tournament contests (11-1 record) than his respective career marks.
54. Jameer Nelson, G, St. Joseph's
Averaged 22.4 points, 6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.3 steals in seven games in 2001, 2003 and 2004 (4-3 record). He scored at least 24 points in four of his last five playoff contests.
55. Richard Hamilton, G-F, Connecticut
Averaged 23.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 10 games in 1998 and 1999 (9-1 record). He led UConn in scoring in nine of the 10 contests.
56. Chuck Person, F, Auburn
Averaged 20.3 points and 9 rebounds in eight games from 1984 through 1986 (5-3 record). Scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven playoff contests.
57. Don Schlundt, C, Indiana
Averaged 27 points in six games in 1953 and 1954 (5-1 record). He was the Hoosiers' leading scorer in five of the playoff contests.
58. Cazzie Russell, G, Michigan
Averaged at least 24 ppg each of his three years in the tourney (5-3 record). Leading scorer for third-place team in 1964 NCAA playoffs and 1965 national runner-up.
59. Jamal Mashburn, F, Kentucky
Averaged 21.4 points and 8 rebounds in nine games in 1992 and 1993 (7-2 record). He was the Wildcats' leading scorer in five consecutive playoff contests.
60. Les Hunter, C, Loyola of Chicago
Averaged 18.9 points and 13.3 rebounds in eight games in 1963 and 1964 (7-1 record).
61. Henry Finkel, C, Dayton
Averaged 27.8 points and 13.8 rebounds in six games in 1965 and 1966 (3-3 record). He was game-high scorer in five of the six contests.
62. Johnny Green, F-C, Michigan State
Averaged 16.2 points and 19.7 rebounds in six games in 1957 and 1959 (3-3 record). He was the leading rebounder in all four contests as a sophomore in 1957 when the Spartans reached the Final Four.
63. Anthony Peeler, G, Missouri
Averaged 24.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in six games in 1989, 1990 and 1992 (3-3 record). His scoring average was almost eight points higher in the postseason than regular season.
64. Dwight "Bo" Lamar, G, Southwestern Louisiana
Averaged 29.2 points in six Division I Tournament games in 1972 and 1973 (3-3 record). Supplied game-high point total in all six contests, including 35 plus a tourney-high 11 assists in a 112-101 victory against Marshall as the Ragin' Cajuns scored the most points in tourney history for a school in its playoff debut.
65. Greg Kelser, F, Michigan State
Leading scorer and rebounder as a senior for 1979 NCAA titlist averaged 24 ppg and 11.3 rpg in eight playoff contests (7-1 record). His scoring average was almost seven points higher in the postseason than regular season. Celebrated teammate Magic Johnson outscored and outrebounded Kelser only once in their eight postseason outings together.
66. Barry Kramer, F, New York University
Averaged 25.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in six games in 1962 and 1963 (3-3 record).
67. Nick Collison, F, Kansas
Leading scorer and rebounder as senior for 2003 NCAA Tournament runner-up (30-8 record) and second-leading scorer and rebounder for 2002 Final Four team (33-4). Averaged 16.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in 16 games (12-4 record).
68. Juan Dixon, G, Maryland
After struggling as a redshirt freshman, Dixon averaged 21.2 points in his last 13 games from 2000 through 2002. The Terrapins won 10 of the last 11 of those playoff contests when he was the leading scorer for back-to-back Final Four teams.
69. Mitch Richmond, G-F, Kansas State
J.C. recruit averaged 23.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists in six games in 1987 and 1988 (4-2 record).
70. George Thompson, F, Marquette
Averaged 23.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in six games in 1968 and 1969 (4-2 record). He was the Warriors' leading scorer in five of the six playoff contests.
71. John Wallace, F, Syracuse
Averaged 20.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in 11 games from 1994 through 1996 (8-3 record). Leading scorer and rebounder for Syracuse's national runner-up as a senior was the top point producer for the Orangemen in his last eight playoff contests.
72. Jimmy Collins, G, New Mexico State
Averaged 19.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11 games from 1968 through 1970 (7-4 record). He at least shared the Aggies' team-high scoring output in all 11 contests.
73. Tony Price, F, Penn
Averaged 21.9 ppg and 9 rpg in eight games in 1978 and 1979 (5-3 record). He was the Quakers' leading scorer in all six contests when they finished fourth in the nation in 1979. Price's playoff scoring average was 6.5 points higher than his regular-season mark.
74. Wally Jones, G, Villanova
Two-time All-East Regional selection averaged 22.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg in six games in 1962 and 1964 (4-2 record). He scored a game-high 25 points as a sophomore in a regional final loss against Wake Forest and a game-high 34 points as a senior in a 74-62 victory over Bill Bradley-led Princeton in a third-place contest. It was the only time in Bradley's nine playoff games that he wasn't the leading scorer. Jones outscored All-American Len Chappell in the Wake Forest contest.
75. Mel Counts, C, Oregon State
Averaged 23.2 points and 14.1 rebounds in nine games from 1962 through 1964 (5-4 record), averaging 25 points and 15 rebounds in two West Regional finals.
76. Terry Dehere, G, Seton Hall
Averaged 23.2 points in nine games from 1991 through 1993 (6-3 record). He paced the Pirates in scoring in all nine outings.
77. Kenny Anderson, G, Georgia Tech
The only freshman to score more than 20 points in four playoff games averaged 27 ppg in his first four outings. Averaged 25.7 points and 5 assists in seven NCAA tourney games in 1990 and 1991 (5-2 record).
78. Acie Earl, C, Iowa
Averaged 19.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots in six games from 1991 through 1993 (3-3 record). Eight of his rejections came against NCAA champion-to-be Duke in 1992. He averaged more than four ppg in the playoffs than the regular season.
79. Kevin Pittsnogle, F, West Virginia
Averaged 17.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in seven games in 2005 and 2006 (5-2 record). In six of the contests, he scored more than his career average of 13.3 ppg.
80. Don May, F, Dayton
Averaged 20.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in eight games in 1966 and 1967 (5-3 record).

Nostalgia 80: 1-80 Ranking of Greatest Games in NCAA Tournament History

March 10th, 2018 - 11:23

"It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required." - Winston Churchill

How will Nevada's comeback from a 22-point, second-half deficit against Cincinnati eventually be perceived? The NCAA Tournament, marking its 80th championship spectacle, speaks to your sports soul, leaving you yearning for more. Perhaps the most amazing stretch in NCAA playoff history was an eight-year span from 1982 through 1989 when seven finals were decided by an average of two points. All of those close title contests, surely measuring up to Churchill's "best" quote, must be included in any celebratory ranking of the most stimulating games in tourney history.

Since some of the most entertaining games are somewhat overshadowed because they came in earlier rounds, it's difficult to decide what were the premier outings in playoff history. There is inspiration everywhere one turns - so many entertaining contests to choose from with so many divergent opinions on a seemingly endless list of stellar candidates.

Nothing provokes disagreements among ardent hoop fans more than healthy what's-the-best-in-history dialogue. In deference to the 80th playoff, following is a ranking of the top 80 games one remembers the most. You wouldn't wonder what all the fuss is about if you had the good fortune to witness firsthand or learn from ardent fans about much of the following drama:

1. 1992 East Regional Final (Duke 104, Kentucky 103 in OT)
Duke's Christian Laettner hit a decisive last-second shot near the head of the key against UK in overtime after receiving a long in-bounds pass from Grant Hill in the East Regional final. The game is acknowledged as one of the most suspenseful in NCAA history.
2. 1985 Championship Game (Villanova 66, Georgetown 64)
Villanova became the worst seed (#8 in the Southeast Regional) to win a national championship by shooting a championship game-record 78.6% from the floor against the nation's top-ranked team. The Hoyas, powered by national player of the year Patrick Ewing, had defeated the Wildcats twice by a total of nine points in Big East Conference competition.
3. 1983 Championship Game (North Carolina State 54, Houston 52)
Sophomore forward Lorenzo Charles scored only four points, but two of them came when he converted guard Dereck Whittenburg's off-line desperation shot from well beyond the top of the free-throw circle into a decisive dunk as North Carolina State upset heavily-favored Houston. The Cougars, featuring Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon, entered the final with a 26-game winning streak.
4. 1982 Championship Game (North Carolina 63, Georgetown 62)
North Carolina freshman guard Michael Jordan swished a 16-foot jumper from the left side with 16 seconds remaining to provide the title contest's final points before Georgetown guard Fred Brown's errant pass directly to Tar Heels forward James Worthy prevented the Hoyas from attempting a potential game-winning shot in the closing seconds. Also memorable was was a stream of intimidating goal-tending calls early in the contest against Hoyas freshman center Patrick Ewing.
5. 1987 Championship Game (Indiana 74, Syracuse 73)
Junior college recruit Keith Smart, a guard who was Indiana's fifth-leading scorer for the season, tallied 12 of the Hoosiers' last 15 points, including a 15-foot jumper from the left baseline with five seconds remaining.
6. 1957 Championship Game (North Carolina 54, Kansas 53 in 3OT)
Carolina center Joe Quigg sank two free throws with six seconds remaining in third overtime to tie score and provide decisive point against the Wilt Chamberlain-led Jayhawks. Although Lennie Rosenbluth was the unbeaten Tar Heels' leading scorer in 27 of their 32 contests, they won the NCAA final despite him fouling out with 1:45 remaining in regulation.
7. 2016 Championship Game (Villanova 77, North Carolina 74)
On the heels of a miraculous, double-clutch game-tying three-pointer by Carolina's Marcus Paige with fewer than five ticks remaining, Jenkins nailed a trey off a nifty pass and brush screen by Final Four MOP Ryan Arcidiacono. Unsung hero Phil Booth Jr. led the Wildcats in scoring in the final with 20 points while Jenkins, Nova's #2 scorer on the season (13.6 ppg) behind Josh Hart, chipped in with 14.
8. 1966 Championship Game (Texas Western 72, Kentucky 65)
Texas Western (28-1), featuring an all-black starting lineup with three players 6-1 or shorter in the NCAA final, stunned top-ranked and all-white Kentucky (27-2), putting the finishing touches on dismantling the prejudiced myth that black athletes couldn't play disciplined basketball. Junior college transfer Bobby Joe Hill, one of the tiny trio, converted steals into layups on consecutive trips down the floor by flustered UK guards to give the Miners a lead they never relinquished.
9. 1975 Mideast Regional Final (Kentucky 92, Indiana 90)
Indiana, undefeated entering the tourney (29-0), lost against Kentucky despite center Kent Benson's 33 points and tourney-high 23 rebounds. The Wildcats (26-5) prevailed despite 6-of-19 field-goal shooting by leading scorer Kevin Grevey. UK guards Jimmy Dan Conner and Mike Flynn combined to outscore IU counterparts Quinn Buckner and Bobby Wilkerson, 39-22.
10. 1991 National Semifinals (Duke 79, UNLV 77)
Duke's shocking win over defending champion UNLV (34-1) was the Rebels' lone defeat. Christian Laettner scored 28 points for the Blue Devils (32-7).
11. 1989 Championship Game (Michigan 80, Seton Hall 79 in OT)
Former street urchin Rumeal Robinson sank two pressure free throws against Seton Hall (31-7) with three seconds remaining in overtime to give the win to Michigan (30-7), which was guided by interim coach Steve Fisher.
12. 1957 National Semifinals (North Carolina 74, Michigan State 70 in 3OT)
The lead changed hands 31 times and the score was tied on 21 occasions. The Spartans' Jack Quiggle made a last-second, half-court shot at the end of regulation but it was disallowed. The end-of-game rule at the time was that the ball had to reach the apex of its arc before the buzzer. The officials ruled that the ball was still ascending. Teammate Johnny Green missed a free throw with 11 seconds remaining in the first overtime that would have sealed the verdict. Carolina's Pete Brennan grabbed Green's miss. Rather than tossing the ball out to a guard as Brennan normally would do, he dribbled down-court and hit a game-tying jumper just to the right of the foul line at the buzzer.
13. 1994 Championship Game (Arkansas 76, Duke 72)
The pressure was intense on Arkansas' Scotty Thurman with the shot clock winding down and score tied with 40 seconds remaining when he lofted a three-point attempt over Duke defender Antonio Lang that hit nothing but net.
14. 1974 National Semifinals (North Carolina State 80, UCLA 77 in 2OT)
The final in N.C. State's home state at Greensboro was anti-climatic after the Wolfpack avenged an 18-point loss against UCLA earlier in the season on a neutral court by ending the Bruins' 38-game playoff winning streak. N.C. State erased an 11-point deficit midway through the second half and a seven-point deficit in the second extra session behind David Thompson's 28 points and 10 rebounds to halt UCLA's string of seven consecutive NCAA championships.
15. 1990 East Regional Final (Duke 79, Connecticut 78 in OT)
Two days after UConn escaped Clemson on a controversial last-second shot, Duke turned the tables on the Huskies when Christian Laettner inbounded the ball with 2.6 seconds remaining, received a return pass and sank a leaning jumper from the left side at the buzzer.
16. 1981 Mideast Regional Second Round (St. Joseph's 49, DePaul 48)
St. Joseph's gained its only lead in the second half when inexcusably unguarded Hawks player John Smith sank a layup with three seconds left after DePaul's most accurate foul shooter, Skip Dillard, the guy they called "Money" because when he shot 'em, they were as good as in the bank, missed the front end of a one-and-one with 12 seconds remaining. The top-ranked Blue Demons did not score a point or take a shot in the final 6 1/2 minutes. A stunned Mark Aguirre, the national player of the year, didn't even throw the ball inbounds and finished the game with one rebound, one assist, no blocked shots, no steals and the only single-digit scoring output of his DePaul career (eight points).
17. 1981 Midwest Regional Second Round (Arkansas 74, Louisville 73)
Defending champion Louisville lost when Arkansas' U.S. Reed received an in-bounds pass with five seconds remaining, criss-cross dribbled up the sideline and heaved a mid-court shot from right side that went through the net at the buzzer.
18. 1993 Championship Game (North Carolina 77, Michigan 71)
George Lynch, North Carolina's top rebounder and second-leading scorer, made four big plays in the closing moments of title game. With Michigan leading, 67-66, he and Eric Montross blocked away a driving layup by Jimmy King. That led to a fast-break basket by Derrick Phelps and put the Tar Heels ahead to stay with just over three minutes remaining. After a missed UM shot, Lynch hit a turnaround jumper from the middle of the lane with 2:28 remaining to increase Carolina's lead to 70-67. On an inbounds play after UNC regained possession, Lynch lofted a perfect pass to Montross for a dunk. The Wolverines rallied to trim the deficit to 73-71 before Lynch and Phelps trapped Chris Webber along the right sideline with only 11 seconds remaining and Michigan's consensus first-team All-American called a fateful timeout his team did not have, a "whopper" of a mistake long before his Burger King commercial.
19. 1973 Championship Game (UCLA 87, Memphis State 61)
UCLA's Bill Walton, aided by Greg Lee's 14 assists, erupted for a title game-record 44 points. Walton, the only player to have as many as 20 field goals in an NCAA final, hit all but one of 22 shots from the floor.
20. 1958 East Regional First Round (Manhattan 89, West Virginia 84)
West Virginia, ranked No. 1 in the country at the end of the regular season, was upset at New York when Jack Powers, who went on to become executive director of the NIT, collected 29 points and 15 rebounds for Manhattan (16-10). Jerry West scored just 10 points in his first NCAA Tournament game for the Mountaineers, who finished the season with the best winning percentage in school history (26-2, .929).
21. 1983 Mideast Regional final (Louisville 80, Kentucky 68 in OT)
The first meeting between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville in more than 24 years was memorable as the Cardinals outscored the Wildcats in overtime, 18-6, to reach the Final Four.
22. 1963 Championship Game (Loyola of Chicago 60, Cincinnati 58 in OT)
Forward Vic Rouse leaped high to redirect center Les Hunter's shot from the free-throw line into the basket to climax the Ramblers' first year in the playoffs. Loyola, using its starting lineup the entire final, overcame 27.4% field-goal shooting by committing just three turnovers. The Ramblers trailed the defending NCAA champion by 15 points in the second half before knotting the score at 54-54 when Jerry Harkness hit a 12-foot jumper with four seconds remaining in regulation.
23. 1988 Championship Game (Kansas 83, Oklahoma 79)
The two Big Eight Conference members were deadlocked, 50-50, at intermission in the highest-scoring first half in title game history. The Jayhawks' Danny Manning poured in 31 points.
24. 1979 Championship Game (Michigan State 75, Indiana State 64)
Undefeated Indiana State lost against Michigan State when the Sycamores' Larry Bird, who hit 53.2% of his field-goal attempts on the season, made just one-third of his shots from the floor (7 of 21) as a sore thumb limited his shooting effectiveness. Magic Johnson scored a game-high 24 points for the Spartans. The ballyhooed matchup between icons Bird and Magic failed to live up to billing but aroused fans and generated the largest-ever TV share for an NCAA final.
25. 1989 East Regional First Round (Georgetown 50, Princeton 49)
No. 16 seed Princeton pushed No. 1 seed Georgetown to the limit in the East Regional before the patient and precise Tigers bowed when a last-second shot was blocked by All-American center Alonzo Mourning.
26. 1996 Southeast Regional First Round (Princeton 43, UCLA 41)
Princeton coach Pete Carril bowed out in style with a decisive perfectly executed back-door layup reminiscent of how many games were played several decades ago. It was UCLA's lowest-scoring output in 99 playoff outings, and the lowest score for a Bruins team in a regulation game in more than 55 years.
27. 1977 Championship Game (Marquette 67, North Carolina 59)
Tears of joy flowed for coach Al McGuire when Marquette won the championship in his farewell. McGuire, leaving the bench before the game was even over with tears running down his cheeks, pulled away from a hug by long-time assistant Hank Raymonds and made his way to the silence of the locker room. "I want to be alone," McGuire said. "I'm not afraid to cry. All I could think about at the end was - why me? After all the jocks and socks. All the odors in the locker room. All the fights in the gyms. Just the wildness of it all. And to have it end like this ..."
28. 1971 Mideast Regional Semifinals (Western Kentucky 107, Kentucky 83)
WKU, long regarded as poor country cousins by Kentucky, whipped the Wildcats in their first-ever meeting when All-American Jim McDaniels poured in 35 points for the Hilltoppers.
29. 1975 National Semifinals (UCLA 75, Louisville 74 in OT)
Three Louisville regulars shooting better than 50% from the floor for the season (swingman Junior Bridgeman, center Ricky Gallon and guard Phillip Bond) combined to hit 25% (6 of 24) in a loss against UCLA. Adding insult to injury for the Cardinals was reserve guard Terry Howard missing the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity in the closing seconds of overtime after he converted all 28 of his previous foul shots that season.
30. 1997 Championship Game (Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 in OT)
Arizona, the only team to win an NCAA crown after finishing as low as fifth place in its league, capitalized on a 34-9 edge in free throws made to upend favored Kentucky although Zona did not make a field goal in the extra session.
31. 1995 West Regional Second Round (UCLA 75, Missouri 74)
Playmaker Tyus Edney played the role of Wizard of Westwood II with a series of breathtaking drives and baskets in UCLA's first five playoff games, including a length-of-the-court game-winner against Mizzou.
32. 1990 East Regional Semifinals (Connecticut 71, Clemson 70)
It was difficult for Clemson fans to fathom how UConn's Tate George had sufficient time with one second on the clock to receive a full-court pass, come down, square up and get off a game-winning jumper from the right baseline.
33. 1990 West Regional Second Round (Loyola Marymount 149, Michigan 115)
The record for most three-point field goals in a playoff game was set by Loyola Marymount senior guard Jeff Fryer with 11. Fryer (41) and Bo Kimble (37) became the only set of teammates to score more than 35 points in the same tourney game when they combined for 78 vs. Michigan in the highest-scoring game in NCAA playoff history.
34. 1981 East Regional Semifinals (Brigham Young 51, Notre Dame 50)
BYU's Danny Ainge went coast-to-coast driving through the heart of No. 2 seed Notre Dame's defense for a layup at the buzzer to give the Cougars the victory.
35. 1983 West Regional First Round (N.C. State 69, Pepperdine 67 in 2OT)
NCAA champion-to-be North Carolina State (26-10) defeated Pepperdine (20-9) in two extra sessions after trailing by six points with 24 seconds remaining in regulation.
36. 1978 Championship Game (Kentucky 94, Duke 88)
Jack Givens sank 18 of 27 field-goal attempts against upstart Duke's zone defense and scored Kentucky's last 16 points of the first half en route to a 41-point performance.
37. 2001 National Semifinals (Duke 95, Maryland 84)
The Blue Devils (35-4) overcame a 22-point deficit against the Terrapins (25-11), the biggest comeback in Final Four history. Mike Dunleavy Jr. hit three consecutive three-pointers in a 45-second span of the second half after Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told his squad to quit calling plays and just go out and play the game.
38. 2003 West Regional Second Round (Arizona 96, Gonzaga 95 in 2OT)
Gonzaga's Tony Skinner and Blake Stepp tied for game-high scoring honors with 25 points but each of them missed an open shot in the last four seconds of the second overtime for the Zags (24-9) against No. 1 seed Arizona (28-4). Wildcats standout guard Jason Gardner contributed a pair of three-pointers after missing 17 consecutive shots from beyond the arc in his previous three outings.
39. 1970 Mideast Regional First Round (Notre Dame 112, Ohio University 82)
Guard Austin Carr became the only player to score more than 60 points in a single playoff game. Carr tallied 35 of Notre Dame's 54 first-half points en route to a school-record 61 against OU.
40. 1952 East Regional Final (St. John's 64, Kentucky 57)
St. John's (25-6), sparked by center Bob Zawoluk's 32 points, avenged a 41-point rout at UK (29-3) earlier in the season (81-40) by ending the 23-game winning streak of the nation's No. 1 team.
41. 1969 National Semifinals (UCLA 85, Drake 82)
Guard John Vallely, averaging a modest 10.2 points per game entering the Final Four, erupted for 29 points and the Bruins (29-1) needed all of them. They had a nine-point lead with 70 seconds remaining dwindle to one before defeating Drake (26-5) after the Bulldogs missed a go-ahead basket in the waning moments. UCLA star center Lew Alcindor grabbed 21 rebounds.
42. 1945 National Semifinals (New York University 70, Ohio State 65 in OT)
NYU (14-7), featuring just one senior on its roster, erased a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation against Ohio State (15-5).
43. 1968 Midwest Regional First Round (Houston 94, Loyola of Chicago 76)
UH's Elvin Hayes became the only player in tournament history to collect more than 40 points and 25 rebounds in the same game when he garnered 49 points and 27 rebounds. Hayes led the tournament in scoring and rebounding by wide margins for the fourth-place Cougars (31-2), but he wasn't named to the all-tournament team.
44. 1998 Midwest Regional First Round (Valparaiso 70, Mississippi 69)
Valpo's Jamie Sykes, an outfield prospect late for spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks, inbounded from the opposite baseline with 2.5 seconds remaining. He hurled a baseball pass that Bill Jenkins leaped to catch. Jenkins delivered a touch pass to guard Bryce Drew on the right wing, and the son of coach Homer Drew drilled a game-winning three-pointer for the Crusaders (23-10).
45. 1970 Mideast Regional Final (Jacksonville 106, Kentucky 100)
JU's Artis Gilmore collected 24 points and 20 rebounds to help eliminate the nation's top-ranked team. Teammate Rex Morgan contributed 28 points while outshining UK's backcourt.
46. 1951 East Regional First Round (Illinois 79, Columbia 71)
Columbia, undefeated entering the tourney (21-0), blew a seven-point, halftime lead and lost to eventual national third-place finisher Illinois (22-5). The Lions' John Azary was outscored by the Illini's Don Sunderlage (25-13) in a battle of All-American candidates.
47. 1965 National Third-Place Game (Princeton 118, Wichita 82)
Princeton's Bill Bradley set the mark for most points in a single Final Four game with a school-record 58. He scored 39 of them in the second half of the consolation contest.
48. 1971 Mideast Regional Semifinals (Ohio State 60, Marquette 59)
Marquette, undefeated entering the tourney (26-0), lost against Ohio State (20-6) after the Warriors' playmaker, unanimous first-team All-America Dean "The Dream" Meminger, fouled out with five minutes remaining. Teammate Allie McGuire, the coach's son, committed a costly turnover in the closing seconds before Buckeyes guard Allan Hornyak converted a pair of crucial free throws to end Marquette's 39-game winning streak.
49. 2005 Midwest Regional Final (Illinois 90, Arizona 89 in OT)
Illini (37-2) overcame a 14-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining in regulation and nine-point deficit in the last 1 1/2 minutes before defeating Arizona (30-7) in an extra session.
50. 1999 West Regional First Round (Weber State 76, North Carolina 74)
No. 3 seed North Carolina (24-10) lost its playoff opener for the first time in 19 years when the Tar Heels succumbed against No. 14 Weber State (25-8). Junior college transfer Harold Arceneaux contributed five three-pointers en route to 36 points for the Wildcats. His output matched the highest ever in the playoffs against Carolina.
51. 1965 Championship Game (UCLA 91, Michigan 80)
UCLA's Gail Goodrich became the only guard to score more than 35 points in an NCAA final, erupting for 42 points on 12 of 22 field-goal shooting and 18 of 20 free-throw shooting. His free throws made and attempted remain championship game records.
52. 1976 West Regional Semifinals (Arizona 114, UNLV 109 in OT)
Each team had four players score at least 18 points as UNLV (29-2), ranked third by AP and fourth by UPI entering the tourney, was eliminated by Arizona (24-9) when Jim Rappis had more assists (12) than the Rebels' entire team.
53. 1981 West Regional Second Round (Kansas State 50, Oregon State 48)
K-State (24-9) upset second-ranked Oregon State (26-2) on Rolando Blackman's 17-foot buzzer beater from the right baseline.
54. 1959 Mideast Regional Semifinals (Louisville 76, Kentucky 61)
Second-ranked Kentucky (24-3) hit less than one-third of its field-goal attempts in blowing a 15-point lead against intra-state rival Louisville (19-12).
55. 1976 Championship Game (Indiana 86, Michigan 68)
Trailing Michigan (25-7) by six points at intermission and playing without Bobby Wilkerson after the starting guard sustained a concussion early in the game, the Hoosiers shot 60% from the floor in the second half to come from behind and earn recognition as the nation's last undefeated team. Scott May, Kent Benson and Quinn Buckner collaborated for 36 of IU's first 38 second-half points.
56. 2005 West Regional Final (Louisville 93, West Virginia 85)
West Virginia set a regional final record with 18 three-pointers but still lost against Louisville.
57. 1977 West Regional Semifinals (Idaho State 76, UCLA 75)
The visiting Bruins, ranked fourth by UPI entering the tourney, finished with a 24-5 record when guards Roy Hamilton and Brad Holland combined to hit just 8 of 24 field-goal attempts. Idaho State (25-5), prevailing despite shooting a modest 40.6% from the floor, received 27 points and 12 rebounds from center Steve Hayes.
58. 1981 Midwest Regional Second Round (Kansas 88, Arizona State 71)
Third-ranked Arizona State (24-4), featuring four upperclassmen who combined for a total of more than 35 seasons in the NBA (guards Fat Lever and Byron Scott, center Alton Lister and forward Sam Williams), was clobbered by Kansas (24-8) when Tony Guy poured in 36 points for the Jayhawks. The Sun Devils fell behind by 16 points at intermission.
59. 1979 Midwest Regional Final (Indiana State 73, Arkansas 71)
Larry Bird-led Indiana State became the only school to reach the Final Four in its one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 20th Century when the Sycamores' Bob Heaton shifted the ball from his normal right hand to his left for a short shot that bounced twice on the rim before going down.
60. 1971 West Regional Final (UCLA 57, Long Beach State 55)
The closest result for UCLA (29-1) during the Bruins' 38-game playoff winning streak from 1967 through 1973 came when they had to erase an 11-point deficit despite 29% field-goal shooting to edge Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State (24-5).
61. 1977 National Semifinals (North Carolina 84, UNLV 83)
Mike O'Koren became the first freshman to score more than 30 points in a national semifinal or championship game when the UNC forward tallied 31. O'Koren and his teammates enjoyed a 28-5 edge over the Rebels in free-throw attempts.
62. 1978 Midwest Regional Semifinals (DePaul 90, Louisville 89)
DePaul center Dave Corzine tallied 46 points in double overtime game to become the only individual to score at least 45 in the NCAA playoffs and never be an NCAA first- or second-team consensus All-American or Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
63. 1959 Championship Game (California 71, West Virginia 70)
Two-time first-team All-American swingman Jerry West of West Virginia (29-5) was denied an NCAA championship ring when California (25-4) junior center Darrall Imhoff, West's teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers for four seasons in the mid-1960s, tipped in a basket with 17 seconds remaining.
64. 2006 East Regional Final (George Mason 86, Connecticut 84)
The #11 seed Patriots (27-8) advanced to the national semifinals with overtime win against UConn (30-4), which was their third victim featuring a coach who previously won an NCAA title.
65. 1979 East Regional Second Round (Penn 72, North Carolina 71)
No. 1 seed Carolina (23-6) lost its opener in the Tar Heels' home state (Raleigh, N.C.) when Penn's Tony Price poured in a game-high 25 points for the Quakers (25-7).
66. 1984 East Regional Semifinals (Indiana 72, North Carolina 68)
Many observers predicted Georgetown would meet the top-ranked Tar Heels in the national final, but they were upset by IU when national player of the year Michael Jordan was limited to 13 points, one rebound and one assist.
67. 1993 West Regional First Round (Santa Clara 64, Arizona 61)
In terms of point spreads, No. 2 seed Arizona's defeat against 20-point underdog Santa Clara (19-12), a No. 15 seed, was the biggest upset in NCAA playoff history. The Wildcats (24-4), ranked fifth by AP entering the tournament, lost although they scored 25 consecutive points in a 10-minute span bridging the first and second halves.
68. 2004 St. Louis Regional Second Round (UAB 76, Kentucky 75)
UAB (22-10), after outlasting Washington (102-100) in first round, used its frenetic pressure defense to frustrate No. 1 seed Kentucky (27-5).
69. 1956 East Regional Semifinals (Temple 65, Connecticut 59)
Guard Hal Lear manufactured 61.5% of Temple's offense by scoring 40 points. The most rebounds ever in a playoff game were grabbed by teammate Fred Cohen, who retrieved a school-record 34 missed shots.
70. 2005 Second Round (West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105 in 2OT)
Mike Gansey scored 19 of his 29 points after the end of regulation when West Virginia (24-11) outlasted #2 seed Wake Forest (27-6) in double overtime.
71. 1975 Championship Game (UCLA 92, Kentucky 85)
Coach John Wooden's farewell resulted in his 10th NCAA title for the Bruins.
72. 1981 Midwest Regional Semifinals (Wichita State 66, Kansas 65)
Mike Jones hit two long-range baskets in the last 50 seconds for Wichita State (26-7) in the first duel between the intrastate rivals in 36 years.
73. 1980 Midwest Regional Second Round (Missouri 87, Notre Dame 84 in OT)
Mizzou (25-6) backup swingman Mark Dressler, entering the NCAA playoffs with an eight-point scoring average, erupted for 32 points on 13 of 16 field-goal shooting against the 22-6 Irish (ranked No. 9 by AP).
74. 1989 Southeast Regional First Round (South Alabama 86, Alabama 84)
In an exciting intrastate battle, South Alabama (23-9) erased a 16-point halftime deficit. Jeff Hodge and Gabe Estaba combined for 55 points to lead USA against 'Bama (23-8).
75. 1980 Mideast Regional First Round (Virginia Tech 89, Western Kentucky 85 in OT)
Virginia Tech, sparked by Dale Solomon's 10-of-13 field-goal shooting, became the only school to erase a halftime deficit of at least 18 points to win a playoff game in the 20th Century. The Hokies, Metro Conference runner-up to eventual NCAA champion Louisville, trailed WKU at intermission, 48-30, in a duel between two 21-8 teams.
76. 2008 Midwest Regional Second Round (Davidson 74, Georgetown 70)
Stephen Curry, a son of former NBA standout Dell Curry, poured in 25 of his 30 points in the second half as Davidson (29-7) erased a double-digit deficit to upset the Hoyas (28-6).
77. 2016 West Regional Second Round (Texas A&M 92, Northern Iowa 88 in 2OT)
In perhaps the most remarkable comeback in tourney history, A&M rallied from 12 points down with 44 seconds remaining in regulation and 10 down with less than 30 seconds. UNI committed four turnovers in that 44-second span.
78. 1978 West Regional First Round (Cal State Fullerton 90, New Mexico 85)
Cal State Fullerton (23-9) had four players score from 18 to 23 points and made 62.1% of its field-goal attempts to erase a six-point, halftime deficit and upend fourth-ranked New Mexico. Future Lakers standout Michael Cooper had an off-game for the Lobos (24-4), sinking just six of 15 field-goal attempts.
79. 1986 Midwest Regional First Round (UALR 90, Notre Dame 83)
UALR, a 17 1/2-point underdog, shocked No. 3 seed Notre Dame by shooting 62.3% from the floor. Pete Meyers scored 29 points in 29 minutes for the Trojans.
80. 1984 East Regional First Round (Virginia Commonwealth 70, Northeastern 69)
Jim Calhoun-coached Northeastern hit 75% of its field-goal attempts (33 of 44), including 15-of-17 by freshman Reggie Lewis, but still bowed to VCU.

Celebrity Gossip: Timeless Trivia Tidbits Tracing Tantalizing Tourney Trail

March 9th, 2018 - 7:42

Fans fond of the NCAA playoffs argue the incredibly popular event is 100% perfection. Whatever your level of expertise, CollegeHoopedia.com guarantees you a 100% score is impossible for any brave soul willing to take our "Who Am I" quiz. With the tourney in its 80th year, you can occasionally stumble across familiar faces in non-basketball endeavors by browsing through old rosters and tourney box scores. Following is an old game show "What's My Line?" format testing your NCAA Tournament acumen or helping you "Stump a Chump." You'll need a PhD in "Hoopology" to secure a passing grade correctly discerning the following individuals who made a name for themselves elsewhere after appearing in the NCAA Division I Tournament:

  • I was a junior college recruit who missed a three-point attempt while playing briefly in a 111-92 defeat against Loyola Marymount in the first round of 1990 NCAA Tournament West Regional.
  • One of my New Mexico State teammates was 12-year NBA guard Randy Brown.
  • I was a reliever who posted a 9-6 record for the Oakland A's in four seasons from 1994 through 1997 before my contract was sold to a Japanese team.
  • I compiled a 5-1 record in the strike-shortened 1994 MLB campaign when I was considered heir apparent to assume Dennis Eckersley's closer role.

Who am I? MARK ACRE

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as pro quarterback Joe Kapp (California).
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Kansas State All-Americans Bob Boozer and Jack Parr.
  • I was a college teammate of Eddie Sutton before he coached four different schools in the NCAA Tournament.
  • I was the second-leading scorer for Oklahoma State's NCAA Tournament team that reached the 1958 Midwest Regional final under Hall of Fame coach Hank Iba.
  • I hit .254 in 1,165 games in 13 major league seasons from 1958 through 1970 with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals before playing one year in Japan.
  • My teammates with the Orioles included former college basketball players Dick Hall (attended Swarthmore), Robin Roberts (Michigan State) and Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State).
  • I participated in the 1967 World Series with the Red Sox before leaving them following the next season in the expansion draft.
  • I set major league records for highest fielding average (.994) and fewest errors (five) by a second baseman in a season in 1964 and for consecutive errorless games by a second baseman (89 in 1964 and 1965).

Who am I? JERRY ADAIR

  • I was an Arkansas hoop teammate of eventual San Francisco 49ers coach Red Hickey.
  • I was third-leading scorer with six points when the Hogs lost against Washington State in 1941 NCAA Tournament national semifinals.
  • In my NFL debut, I returned an interception 66 yards for the decisive score in the New York Giants' 14-7 win against the Washington Redskins in 1942. Two weeks later, I caught two touchdown passes in a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • I caught 28 passes for 494 yards and five TDs in four years with the Giants through 1945.

Who am I? NEAL ADAMS

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against La Salle All-American Tom Gola.
  • I was a teammate of Canisius All-America guard John McCarthy and U.S. Congressman-to-be Hank Nowak.
  • I was the third-leading scorer (9.2 points per game) as a senior for Canisius' first NCAA Tournament team in 1955.
  • I served in the U.S. Army for 31 years, retiring with the rank of Major General.
  • I was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services by Governor Mario Cuomo.
  • I was listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who of American Business Leaders.

Who am I? ROBERT ADAMS

  • I was a pre-law major who scored a total of eight points in three NCAA playoff games in 1955.
  • I was a member of Tom Gola-led La Salle teams in 1954 (national champion) and 1955 (runner-up to San Francisco).
  • I never got off the bench at the Final Four those two years although I was the only Explorer player to hit more than three-fourths of my free throws the season they won the NCAA title.
  • I joined the Central Intelligence Agency and worked my way up the chain of command to become the Director of the CIA's Office of Analysis of the Near East and South Asia, toiling closely with both the Carter and Reagan administrations.
  • I was killed in Beirut in 1983 when a truck loaded with TNT on a suicide mission rammed into the facility where I was staying while serving as a liaison trying to allay contacts among the Lebanese, Syrians and Israelis in hopes of calming the escalating discord.

Who am I? BOB AMES

  • I was a 6-5 forward who played in the NCAA playoffs against New Mexico State center Sam Lacey and guard Jimmy Collins.
  • I was Weber State's leading scorer with 14 points in the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament debut, a 68-57 defeat in the first round of the 1968 West Regional against Lou Henson-coached New Mexico State.
  • I was an All-Big Sky Conference second-team selection as a senior.
  • I was on the Board of Directors of ITT.
  • I was President and Chief Executive Officer of Black & Decker.

Who am I? NOLAN ARCHIBALD

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State) and CBS analyst Billy Packer (Wake Forest).
  • I twice played in the NCAA playoffs against Bob Knight (Ohio State).
  • I was a Kentucky teammate of All-American Cotton Nash.
  • I played for NCAA Tournament regional runner-up teams as a sophomore and junior before pacing UK in assists my final season with 4.3 per game.
  • I was mayor of Lexington, Ky., for 10 years before representing Kentucky's Sixth District in the U.S. House of Representatives after getting more than 60 percent of the vote in 1992.
  • I am a Democrat who ran for governor in 1994 and narrowly lost against Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning for a Senate seat in 1998.

Who am I? SCOTTY BAESLER

  • I was a three-year letterman and Ohio State's second-leading scorer as a starting senior forward for a team that finished runner-up to Oregon in the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939.
  • I scored a game-high 25 points for the Buckeyes in their tourney opener, a 64-52 victory over Wake Forest.
  • I was managing partner and CEO of major accounting firm Ernst and Ernst for 13 years, starting in 1964.
  • I was a member of the Accounting Hall of Fame who served on the board of directors of such distinguished enterprises as General Electric, Anheuser-Busch and Hershey Foods.

Who am I? DICK BAKER

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against John Tresvant (Seattle), Ollie Johnson (San Francisco), Joe Caldwell (Arizona State), Ron Bonham (Cincinnati), Tom Thacker (Cincinnati), George Wilson (Cincinnati) and Jeff Mullins (Duke).
  • I was an Oregon State teammate of All-American center Mel Counts.
  • I was an All-West Regional selection in the NCAA Tournament in 1962 and 1963.
  • I was the second-leading scorer for the Beavers' 1963 Final Four team.
  • My 99-yard run from scrimmage for a touchdown accounted for the only points in a 6-0 victory against Villanova in the 1962 Liberty Bowl.
  • I was a college quarterback who became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
  • I was the first Heisman Trophy winner west of the Mississippi River after rushing 115 times for 538 yards (4.7 per carry), completing 112 of 203 passes for a nation-leading 1,738 yards and 15 touchdowns.
  • I was first selection overall in 1963 NFL draft who played with the Los Angeles Rams (1963 through 1965) before going to the Canadian Football League with Edmonton (1967).
  • Two of my teammates with the Rams were former college basketball standout rebounders Charley Cowan (New Mexico Highlands) and Lamar Lundy (Purdue).

Who am I? TERRY BAKER

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Lou Carnesecca, Bob Knight, Bill Foster, Larry Brown and Lute Olson.
  • I was a Purdue teammate of All-American center Joe Barry Carroll for the Boilermakers' 1980 national third-place team.
  • My NFL teammates as a rookie included former college basketball player Al "Bubba" Baker (Colorado State) and All-Pro halfback Billy Sims.
  • I was a linebacker with the Detroit Lions for four seasons from 1982 through 1985 after being a 10th-round draft pick.

Who am I? ROOSEVELT BARNES

  • I declared for the 2005 NBA draft out of high school before withdrawing my name.
  • I played in the 2008 NCAA playoffs and grabbed five rebounds in 10 minutes against an eventual Final Four participant (LSU).
  • I played under Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie before he accepted a similar position with Kentucky.
  • I had a career-high of 133 yards and 2 TDs against Baylor as a sophomore when earning All-Big 12 Conference second-team honors.
  • I was an NFL second-round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 as an undergraduate (4th tight end selected).
  • I was fined $22,000 by the Cowboys in 2009 for an occasionally profane rap video mentioning several teammates and front-office personnel.
  • I also played for the New York Giants and Chicago Bears en route to 348 receptions for 3,586 yards and 23 touchdowns in my first eight years from 2008 through 2015 before trade to the New England Patriots. I played for Patriots in Super Bowl 51 before signing as free agent with the Green Bay Packers.

Who am I? MARTELLUS BENNETT

  • I played in NCAA Tournament games against coaches Denny Crum (Louisville), Tom Davis (Iowa), Rick Pitino (Kentucky) and Roy Williams (Kansas).
  • I was a Wake Forest teammate of future NBA MVP Tim Duncan.
  • I was a swingman who averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in my four-year career with the Demon Deacons before playing professionally for one year in England.
  • I co-starred in the romantic comedy "First Daughter" as the guy the college-aged daughter of the President of the United States falls for before discovering things aren't quite what they appear to be on the surface.
  • I was a regular on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes playing the role of Riley Finn, Buffy's one-time love interest.
  • I played the role of Matthew Donnelly in the USA Network show "Necessary Roughness."

Who am I? MARC BLUCAS

  • I was a Virginia teammate of future NBA players Bryant Stith and John Crotty.
  • I averaged 4.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in seven NCAA Tournament games from 1989 through 1991 while battling on the boards in the playoffs against LaPhonso Ellis (Notre Dame), Derrick Coleman (Syracuse) and Billy Owens (Syracuse).
  • I appeared in three bowl games - Florida Citrus (vs. Illinois), Sugar (vs. Tennessee) and Gator (vs. Oklahoma)--the same three years I competed in the NCAA playoffs.
  • I was named ACC offensive football player of the year as a senior when I threw 224 passes over the entire regular season without incurring a single interception.
  • I was a quarterback who became a second-round NFL draft selection of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1992 (40th pick overall ahead of fellow hooper Brad Johnson in ninth round) after passing for 2,696 yards and 25 touchdowns in my college career (including nine 200-yard passing games).
  • I was a backup to Joe Montana with the Chiefs.

Who am I? MATT BLUNDIN

  • I collected eight rebounds in a loss against Utah State and 10 points in a victory against Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State in the 1970 NCAA playoffs.
  • My Santa Clara teammates included center Dennis Awtrey, who went on to play 12 NBA seasons with six different franchises. * Representing the Mariners the only time Seattle hosted the Midsummer Classic, I knocked in a run with a single off Gaylord Perry in All-Star Game in 1979 when I finished 10th in batting average (career-high .316) and eighth in doubles (career-high 38) along with a career-high 100 RBI.
  • I was named team MVP the next year.
  • I was a lefthanded first baseman-outfielder who hit .282 with the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Mariners and Oakland A's in 12 seasons from 1974 through 1986 (missed 1983).

Who am I? BRUCE BOCHTE

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Dave Sisler (Princeton).
  • I participated in the 1952 NCAA Tournament as a freshman for a St. Louis team that was eliminated by champion-to-be Kansas when Jayhawks All-American Clyde Lovellette scored 44 points.
  • I was an All-American whose career scoring average of 19.2 points per game is best in SLU history (minimum of three seasons).
  • I was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selection who earned a gold medal while playing for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team in Melbourne, Australia.
  • I was named president of Vickers Petroleum Corporation in 1963 at the age of 29.
  • I became the ninth president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
  • In December 2002, I pleaded guilty in federal court in Wichita, Kan., to defrauding a bank of more than $17 million.

Who am I? DICK BOUSHKA

  • I hit .315 as the first baseman for Princeton's baseball team my sophomore year.
  • Among the coaches I played against in NCAA Tournament East Regionals were Jack Ramsay, Jack Kraft, Press Maravich and Joe Mullaney.
  • I was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American as a junior and senior and ranked among the nation's top five scorers all three of my varsity seasons.
  • I hold the NCAA playoff record for most points in a single Final Four game (58 against Wichita State in 1965 national third-place game) en route to becoming Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
  • I am a Rhodes Scholar who was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. basketball team in the 1964 Olympic Games.
  • I was a three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995.
  • I was a presidential candidate in 2000 who authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).

Who am I? BILL BRADLEY

  • I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and Canadian Football League Hall of Famer Hal Patterson.
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against future All-American Ken Sears.
  • I was Hardin-Simmons' second-leading scorer during the season (12.5 ppg as a junior) and the team's #2 scorer with nine points in a first-round loss against eventual West Regional finalist Santa Clara.
  • My promising basketball career ended because of a summer job accident when my leg was broken in two places while unloading some sheetrock.
  • I was the first participant to earn $1 million in sanctioned poker tournaments.
  • I am the author of several poker books, including Super/System and Poker Wisdom of a Champion.
  • I am the winner of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including the main event in back-to-back years in 1976 and 1977.

Who am I? DOYLE BRUNSON

  • I played in the same NCAA tourney as MLB reliever Steve Hamilton (Morehead State) and U.S. Congressman Hank Nowak (Canisius).
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against SMU All-American center Jim Krebs.
  • I was a St. Louis University teammate of future NBA center and executive Bob Ferry.
  • I was a 6-5, 190-pound forward who led SLU in rebounding with 14.9 per game as a sophomore (19th in nation in rebound percentage) and retrieved a team-high 18 missed shots in two 1957 NCAA playoff games.
  • I was listed in Who's Who in America.
  • I was president of Coppin State in Baltimore in 1997 when the Eagles upset No. 2 seed South Carolina in the East Regional.

Who am I? DR. CALVIN W. BURNETT

  • I participated in the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Tournaments.
  • I played briefly in a playoff game against an Oklahoma team featuring first-team All-American freshman Wayman Tisdale.
  • My college basketball teammates included Indiana All-Americans Ted Kitchel and Randy Wittman.
  • My stepfather, Tom Harp, was the head football coach for Indiana State in the mid-1970s.
  • I was an assistant football coach for Michigan under Bo Schembechler before becoming an assistant for three years with the Washington Redskins.
  • I played quarterback in college before becoming my alma mater's head football coach for five years from 1997 through 2001.
  • I was head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2007 when they posted a franchise-worst 1-15 record between stints as an assistant coach with the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.
  • I was LSU's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach several seasons this decade.

Who am I? CAM CAMERON

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league baseball executive Larry Lucchino (Princeton) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee).
  • I played in the NCAA Tournament against Pacific All-American center Keith Swagerty.
    One of my Texas Western teammates was All-American center David "Big Daddy" Lattin.
  • I collected 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds when the defending NCAA champion Miners were eliminated by Pacific, 72-63, in the 1967 West Regional semifinals before contributing eight points and five rebounds in a 69-67 victory over Wyoming in a third-place game.
  • I was an NFL first-round draft choice (fifth pick overall) who played 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers (1968 through 1977).
  • My fellow linebacker as an NFL rookie was Ray Nitschke.
  • I had eight career interceptions (including a touchdown in 1976) and participated in the 1972 NFL playoffs after being selected as the outstanding lineman in the 1971 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.

Who am I? FRED CARR

  • I played in the 1953 NCAA Tournament against LSU All-American Bob Pettit.
  • Among my Holy Cross teammates were All-American forward Togo Palazzi and U.S. Congressman-to-be Joe Early.
  • I authored a book called Fighting for Life.
  • I was Pennsylvania's 42nd governor who served from 1987 to 1995 after winning in my fourth attempt for the office.
  • I was a heart-and-liver transplant recipient and pro-life candidate in a Democratic presidential primary.
  • I am the father of a U.S. Senator with the same name.

Who am I? ROBERT P. CASEY

  • I grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds for TCU in 1968 when the Horned Frogs lost to Elvin Hayes-led Houston in the Midwest Regional final.
  • I was the first African-American to play in the Southwest Conference.
  • I was an All-SWC second-team selection as a junior when TCU won the league championship.
  • I became the first black-tenured professor at Harvard in 1976.
  • I was named chairman of the Harvard Business School MBA program in 1992.

Who am I? JAMES CASH

  • I am my school's all-time leading rebounder who played in the NCAA playoffs in 1981 against North Carolina standouts James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Al Wood.
  • I played in two West Regional games for Pittsburgh (game highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 70-69 overtime victory against Idaho and 16 points, six rebounds and game-high five steals in a 74-57 defeat against national runnerup-to-be North Carolina).
  • I was a two-time All-Eastern 8 first-team selection.
  • I was a third-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in the 1981 NBA draft five selections behind Frank Brickowski, who played 12 years in the league.
  • I was a defensive end who had 49 sacks in 11 seasons in pro football with the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts in the NFL and Pittsburgh and Memphis in the USFL.
  • My NFL teammates included Eric Dickerson, Steve Largent and Ozzie Newsome and former college basketball players Al "Bubba" Baker (Colorado State), Pete Metzelaars (Wabash) and Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State).
  • I was a 6-6 pass rushing specialist who played in two AFC championship games with the Browns.
  • I was defensive line coach for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe when they won the 1997 World Bowl.
  • My son with the same name was the leading scorer and rebouder for Southern California's East Regional runner-up in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

Who am I? SAM CLANCY

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against West Virginia's Gale Catlett.
  • I was a Connecticut teammate of future NBA center Toby Kimball.
  • I was a 5-9, 150-pound guard who scored as many points (17) as NCAA consensus second-team All-American Rod Thorn in the Huskies' 77-71 first-round setback against West Virginia in 1963.
  • I was an All-Yankee Conference second-team selection as a senior when three of my teammates were first-team picks.
  • I earned more than $1 million per year as Executive Vice President of ITT, a conglomerate with global sales in excess of $23 billion specializing in diversified products and services in three areas--financial and business, manufactured products and Sheraton Hotels.

Who am I? DALE COMEY

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Admiral John Dick (Oregon).
  • I was a three-year letterman from 1938-39 through 1940-41 on Texas teams that combined for a 51-21 record.
  • I saw action in both of the Longhorns' games in the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939 after they captured the Southwest Conference championship.
  • I was a world-famous surgeon based in Houston who performed in excess of 20,000 open-heart operations.

Who am I? DR. DENTON COOLEY

  • I played in the NCAA Tournament against Southern California's Jerry Pimm, who went on to coach my alma mater in the playoffs five times in a seven-year span from 1977 through 1983.
  • I scored 25 points in three NCAA playoff games in 1960 as a teammate of All-American Billy McGill.
  • I was Utah's co-captain as a senior under coach Jack Gardner.
  • I was Pacific Coast League MVP in 1963 with the Salt Lake City Bees.
  • I was an outfielder who was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the New York Mets for first baseman George Altman in 1965.
  • My only year as a regular was 1964 when I posted career highs of 16 doubles, 19 homers and 50 RBI as the Cubs center fielder and ranked among the National League top 10 in stolen bases with 12.
  • I hit .236 with the Cubs, Mets, Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and California Angels in eight seasons (1963 through 1965, 1967 and 1969 through 1972).

Who am I? BILLY COWAN

  • I collected 16 points and 10 assists in two NCAA playoff contests in 2001.
  • I led my team in assists that season when I directed North Carolina to a No. 1 national ranking and an 18-game winning streak.
  • I was Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the 2001 Peach Bowl.
  • I was a basketball/football teammate of Julius Peppers, the nation's top defensive lineman in 2001.
  • I was a four-year starter in football who set school career records for total offense, passing yards, rushing yards by a quarterback and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
  • I was activated for Super Bowl XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders as a defensive back before becoming a wide receiver for them the next year in 2003.
  • I succeeded all-time great Tim Brown as a starter in 2004.

Who am I? RONALD CURRY

  • I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual AFL/NFL players Scott Eaton, Harry Gunner and Lonnie Wright.
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-American Dick Snyder.
  • I scored 19 points under former Rhode Island All-American Ernie Calverley in a first-round loss against Lefty Driesell-coached Davidson.
  • In 1971, my wife and I took over leadership of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, a small struggling congregation of some 30 people gathered in a run-down building in the inner city. It went on to become a megachurch numbering more than 10,000 members from all walks of life.
  • I was nominated for a 2002 Dove Award for Musical of the Year (Light of the Year) and had three books on the best-selling list of the national religious clothbound non-fiction books (including Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire).

Who am I? JOE CYMBALA

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Pro Bowl split end Billy Wilson (San Jose State).
  • I played in the 1951 NCAA Tournament against Washington All-American Bob Houbregs when Texas A&M made its first playoff appearance.
  • I was a two-time first-five selection on the All-Southwest Conference team and held school season (362 points) and career (952 points) scoring records when I graduated in 1952.
  • I was named to the Helms Foundation All-American third team as a junior before becoming a member of two NBA championship teams - Philadelphia Warriors in 1956 and St. Louis Hawks in 1958.
  • I won AAU high jump titles in 1952 and 1953.
  • I was winner of the gold medal in the 1952 Olympic Games high jump with a leap of 6'-8 1/2".
  • I set the then-world high jump record of 6'-11 1/2" in 1953.

Who am I? WALTER "BUDDY" DAVIS

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as open-heart surgeon Denton Cooley (Texas).
  • I was a starting junior forward for the first NCAA Tournament champion in 1939 when I led Oregon in scoring in two of three playoff contests, including a game-high 15 points in the final against Ohio State.
  • I was an NCAA consensus first-team All-American the next season when I paced the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division (forerunner of the Pacific-10) in scoring with 183 points in 16 games.
  • I retired with the rank of Admiral after 32 years of service in the U.S. Navy.
  • I commanded the aircraft carrier Saratoga for two years and served as chief of staff for all carrier forces in the Western Pacific.

Who am I? JOHN DICK

  • I played in three consecutive NCAA playoff games against coaches that captured national titles in other seasons (Jim Calhoun, Dean Smith and Steve Fisher).
  • I was an Ohio State teammate of All-American Jim Jackson.
  • I collected three points and five rebounds in a 78-55 victory over Connecticut in the second round for the Buckeyes' 1992 Southeast Regional runner-up.
  • I averaged 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior in 1994-95 when I led OSU in rebounding and finished third in scoring.
  • I was Offensive MVP in the 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl.
  • I am a tight end who was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round (9th pick overall) of the 1996 NFL draft ahead of RB Eddie George, WR Marvin Harrison and LB Ray Lewis in opening round.
  • I caught 29 touchdown passes in five seasons with the Raiders before hooking on with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  • I was a member of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl XXXVII champion.

Who am I? RICKEY DUDLEY

  • I was a Holy Cross teammate of Pennsylvania governor-to-be Robert Casey.
  • I scored six points for the Crusaders in their 81-73 East Regional final loss to Bob Pettit-led LSU in the 1953 NCAA Tournament.
  • I was a portly, rumpled cigar smoker who served in the Massachusetts state House from 1963-75.
  • I am a Democrat who was a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts' Third Congressional District (1975-93).
  • I lost to Republican Peter Blute in the 1992 election after being tainted by 140 overdrafts in the wake of an ethics committee investigation of members who overdrew their House bank accounts.
  • By Massachusetts standards, I was a conservative who prided himself on my independence from any Democratic faction.
    I was against abortion and busing and skeptical about foreign aid but when it came to labor and domestic spending, I was a New Deal Democrat.

Who am I? JOE EARLY

  • I scored eight points against Seattle in the 1964 NCAA playoffs and a total of 19 points in two West Regional contests in 1966 (vs. Houston and Utah).
  • One of my Oregon State teammates in 1964 was All-American center Mel Counts. Two years later when I was the Beavers' third-leading scorer with 9.9 ppg, one of my teammates was eventual NFL defensive end Harry Gunner.
  • I shared OSU's Paul Valenti Award with Gunner in 1966, given annually to the player who displays the most desire and determination.
  • I was an eighth-round draft choice by the New York Giants in 1967 (one round ahead of DB Ken Houston by the Houston Oilers).
  • My NFL teammates all five years of my stint with the Giants included Tucker Frederickson, Pete Gogolak, Carl Lockhart and Fran Tarkenton.
  • I was a defensive back who intercepted 11 passes.

Who am I? SCOTT EATON

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Holy Cross All-American guard Bob Cousy.
  • I was a second-team pick on the Helms All-American team in 1947-48 when I scored a team-high 15 points in Michigan's first NCAA Tournament victory, a 66-49 decision over Columbia in the Eastern Regional third-place game.
  • I earned All-American honors as a senior quarterback for the Wolverines' 1948 national champion before becoming an All-Big Ten second-team selection in basketball.
  • I was head football coach at Nebraska (1956), California (1957 through 1959) and Illinois (1960 through 1966) and led Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths.
  • I became executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Who am I? PETE ELLIOTT

  • I played in the same NCAA tourney as NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga).
  • I played in all four of Virginia's playoff games for the 1995 Midwest Regional finalist that was eliminated by eventual national runner-up Arkansas.
  • I was a safety who intercepted future NFL teammate Danny Kanell twice in the Cavaliers' victory over Florida State during my senior season.
  • I made the New York Giants' roster as a rookie free agent and became a significant contributor as a part-time starter and in nickel-and-dime packages.
  • I had a team-leading and career-high five interceptions for the Giants in 1998.
  • I intercepted 20 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with the Giants and Cleveland Browns in six years from 1996 through 2001.

Who am I? PERCY ELLSWORTH

  • I was a four-year basketball letterman for Kansas who was the second-leading scorer for the Jayhawks in the 1942 NCAA Tournament as a teammate of All-American forward Charles Black.
  • I was a two-time All-Big Seven Conference first-team selection in basketball.
  • I am the only Kansas athlete to earn All-American honors in football and basketball.
  • I am a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and had my jersey No. 15 retired in 1997.
  • I led the nation's major-college players in passes attempted (200) and completed (101) and interceptions (10) in 1942 for a rare triple crown.
  • I paced Kansas to the Big Six championship and a trip to the 1948 Orange Bowl after returning from World War II.
  • One of my basketball and football teammates was fellow military veteran Otto Schnellbacher, who went on to become an All-Pro defensive back who led the NFL in interceptions in 1951.
  • I was a first-round NFL draft choice (9th pick overall in 1944 five selection behind Otto Graham) who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1948 before becoming a prominent Kansas City bank official.

Who am I? RAY EVANS

  • I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual NFL linebacker Fred Carr and punter Ron Widby.
  • I scored two points against eventual NCAA champion UCLA in the 1967 West Regional final.
  • I was a teammate of Pacific All-American Keith Swagerty.
  • I appeared in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974 and 1978).
  • I ranked among the National League's top eight in bases on balls in 1973 and 1977.
  • I paced the N.L. in sacrifice flies in 1973 with 10 and catchers in fielding average.
  • I hit .240 with 122 homers and 445 RBI for the Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and California Angels in 14 seasons from 1970 through 1983.

Who am I? JOE FERGUSON

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL quarterback Brad Johnson (Florida State) and major league outfielder Kenny Lofton (Arizona).
  • I hit two of four field-goal attempts for Baylor in a 75-60 defeat against Memphis State in the opening round of the 1988 Midwest Regional.
  • I was an All-American linebacker before becoming an NFL first-round draft choice (12th pick overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1990 five selections ahead of RB Emmitt Smith).
  • Alfred Williams, my fellow LB with the Bengals, also played college basketball (for Colorado). Our teammates included Boomer Esiason and Anthony Munoz.
  • I registered 33 sacks and returned three of my 11 interceptions for touchdowns with the Bengals in nine years from 1990 through 1998.

Who am I? JAMES FRANCIS

  • I collected eight points and four rebounds against Final Four-bound North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA playoffs.
  • I played against NCAA champion-to-be Duke in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, incurring four fouls in seven minutes.
  • I was a Missouri teammate of eventual NBA first-round draft choice Kareem Rush.
  • After beginning my college football career as a quarterback, I became a wide receiver who caught a then school-record 13 passes vs. Baylor in November 2001 en route to finishing my junior campaign one reception shy of the school single-season mark of 75.
  • I set new standards the next year as a senior with 16 catches against Bowling Green and 82 receptions overall for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns before competing in the East-West Shrine Game.
  • I am a two-time first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection who set virtually every Mizzou career receiving record, including receptions (200), receiving yards (2,704), touchdown passes (18) and consecutive games with a reception (34).
  • I caught two touchdown passes as a rookie with the Chicago Bears after being their fifth-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft.
  • I signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent in 2007 and promptly caught a career-high 55 passes before managing a career-high 6 TD receptions the next year.
  • I had 10 receptions for 135 yards with the Titans in a 13-10 playoff loss against the Baltimore Ravens following the 2008 season.

Who am I? JUSTIN GAGE

  • I was the leader in rebounding and field-goal percentage for the only Mid-American Conference member ever to win three games in a single NCAA Tournament.
  • I played against teams in the 2002 NCAA playoffs from elite conferences such as the Big 12 (Oklahoma State), SEC (Alabama), Big East (Pittsburgh) and Big Ten (Indiana).
  • I began my college career at Michigan State but never played there before transferring to junior college and subsequently to Kent State.
  • I caught two touchdown passes as a rookie free-agent tight end with the San Diego Chargers in 2003 before setting an NFL record for TD receptions by a tight end the next year with 13.
  • I was the only unanimous choice to the AP All-Pro team in 2005 when I caught 89 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs.
  • I am a seven-time All-Pro (consecutive seasons) who managed a career-high 1,157 receiving yards in 2009 before signing a lucrative five-year, $36 million deal ($20 million guaranteed).
  • I became the second TE in NFL history to notch 100 career TD receptions.

Who am I? ANTONIO GATES

  • I was a teammate of Washington State All-American center Paul Lindemann.
  • I was WSU's fifth-leading scorer as a senior in 1941 when I averaged 5.3 points per game as an all-conference second-team selection for the NCAA Tournament runner-up.
  • I was an All-West Coast first-team selection who earned football All-American first-team honors by the New York Sun as an end.
  • I played in the annual East-West Shrine Game before earning All-Pro second-team honors my first two years with the Los Angeles Dons.
  • Fellow end and former Great Northwest college basketball player Dick Wilkins (Oregon) joined the Dons the year after I left the team.

Who am I? DALE GENTRY

  • I played in two NCAA playoff games for Georgia under coach Jim Harrick.
  • As a freshman flanker, I became the first Bulldogs football player ever to have four consecutive 100-yard games in receiving.
  • I returned a kickoff for 91 yards and a touchdown against Clemson the first time I touched the ball as a sophomore.
  • I was the second-leading receiver the next season (43 catches for 758 yards and four TDs) with 2002 team that compiled the Bulldogs' first 13-win season, first SEC title in 20 years, a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State and a final national ranking of #3 (highest since 1980).
  • I caught two first-quarter TD passes against Purdue in a 34-27 overtime victory in the First Capital One Bowl following the 2003 campaign.
  • I received All-SEC first-team honors as a senior when I hauled in a career-high 49 receptions.
  • I was instrumental in helping Georgia post three straight seasons of 10 or more victories, three consecutive bowl victories and three national top six rankings in a row.
  • I was a fourth-round NFL draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005; one selection behind return specialist Darren Sproles.

Who am I? FRED GIBSON

  • I played in the East Regional against North Carolina standouts Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison.
  • I was a teammate of California All-Americans Sharef Abdur-Rahim and Ed Gray.
  • I averaged 18 points and shot 61 percent from the floor in the Bears' first two NCAA Tournament games in 1997, including a team-high 23 points in an East Regional second-round victory against Villanova.
  • I declared early for the NFL draft after becoming a first-team All-American.
    After catching 53 passes for 768 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 1996 for Cal's Aloha Bowl squad, I was selected in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • I became the Chiefs' all-time leader in pass receptions by a tight end midway through the 2000 season en route to becoming a 12-time All-Pro selection.
  • I set an NFL single-season record for most receptions by a tight end with 102 in 2004.
  • After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons, I became the NFL's all-time runner-up in receptions behind Jerry Rice.
  • I hold the NFL career tight end records for touchdowns and reception yardage.

Who am I? TONY GONZALEZ

  • I played against NFL coach-to-be Red Hickey in the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
  • I was scoreless in two West Regional defeats (against Arkansas in regional semifinal and Creighton in regional third-place game).
  • One of my teammates was eventual All-American Kenny Sailors.
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs for my beloved state of Wyoming.
  • I was host of American Sportsman and also broadcast the Super Bowl and NCAA Tournament.
  • I was a network broadcaster who worked two of the more memorable World Series on NBC (Miracle Mets' upset of Baltimore in 1969 and the seven-game Cincinnati-Boston series in 1975 that is credited with reviving baseball in the American sports consciousness).

Who am I? CURT GOWDY

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Congressman Scotty Baesler (Kentucky) and CBS analyst Billy Packer (Wake Forest).
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Arizona State's Joe Caldwell and UCLA's Walt Hazzard.
  • I averaged 24.3 points per game in three NCAA Tournament contests and was named to the All-West Regional team.
  • I was an all-league first-team selection the last three years of the Mountain States Conference.
  • I was held under 10 points only once in college career and scored 46 against New Mexico on March 3, 1962.
  • I remain Utah State's all-time leading rebounder and set a single-season record with 403 boards in 1959-60.
  • My brother, Pumpsie, was the first black player for the Boston Red Sox, the major leagues' last integrated team.
  • My NFL teammates included former college basketball players Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh), Pete Gent (Michigan State), Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State), Roger Staubach (Navy), Ron Widby (Tennessee) and Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State).
  • I intercepted 34 passes as a defensive back with the Dallas Cowboys in 13 years from 1962 through 1974.
  • I played in five Pro Bowl games and two Super Bowls (V and VI).

Who am I? CORNELL GREEN

  • I grabbed a total of five rebounds in two NCAA playoff games in 1966 against Elvin Hayes-led Houston and Jerry Chambers-led Utah.
  • One of my Oregon State teammates was eventual NFL defensive back Scott Eaton.
  • I was a junior college transfer who averaged 4.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg with the Beavers in 1965-66 and 1966-67.
  • I shared OSU's Paul Valenti Award with Eaton in 1966, given annually to the player who displays the most desire and determination.
  • I was an eighth-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968 three selections behind safety George Atkinson.
  • My NFL teammates with the Bengals included Bruce Coslet, Bob Trumpy and Sam Wyche.
  • I was a defensive end who recorded a safety as a rookie and returned an interception for 70 yards and a touchdown in 1969.
  • My teammates when I played for the Chicago Bears in 1970 included Dick Butkus, Bobby Douglass and Gale Sayers.

Who am I? HARRY GUNNER

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as U.S. Congressman Hank Nowak (Canisius).
  • I played in the NCAA Tournament against Marshall's Hal Greer and Pittsburgh All-American guard Don Hennon.
  • I grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds against Iowa All-Americans Carl Cain and Bill Logan when my team was eliminated by the national runnerup-to-be in the 1956 Midwest Regional semifinals.
  • I was a 6-7, 195-pound forward-center who averaged 18.5 points for Morehead State in four NCAA Tournament games in 1956 and 1957.
  • I was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a freshman in 1954-55.
  • I am the only athlete to play in a World Series and an NBA Finals (rookie in 1959 when the Lakers were swept by the Boston Celtics) after participating in the NCAA playoffs.
  • I was a lefthanded pitcher who compiled a 40-31 record, 3.05 ERA and 42 saves in 421 games during 12 seasons from 1961 through 1972 with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
  • I was traded by the Senators to the Yankees for pitcher Jim Coates in April, 1963.
  • My teammates with the Yankees included former college basketball players Gene Michael (Kent State) and Rollie Sheldon (Connecticut).
  • I was a reliever in the 1963 and 1964 World Series for the Yankees.

Who am I? STEVE HAMILTON

  • I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual major league second baseman Jerry Adair and NFL quarterback Joe Kapp.
  • I collected 7 points and 7 rebounds in Boston College's NCAA playoff debut, an 86-63 defeat against Maryland in the 1958 East Regional.
  • I was BC's senior captain in 1957-58, averaging 12.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg.
  • I was a Navy SEAL who created the New England Sports Network, which was one of the first successful cable channels.
  • I was Executive Director and Trustee of the Yawkey Foundation and Boston Red Sox CEO in January 2002 when spearheading the selling of the Red Sox to a consortium led by former Florida Marlins owner John Henry for $660 million, doubling the previous record price for a pro baseball franchise.

Who am I? JACK HARRINGTON

  • I missed a three-point attempt with Princeton in 2001 NCAA playoff South Regional opener against #2 seed North Carolina squad featuring eventual NFL regulars Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers.
  • Eight of my 11 career field goals for the Tigers were three-pointers.
  • I served as an infantry platoon leader in Iraq and was a leading candidate for head of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in the Trump Administration.
  • I am CEO of Concerned Veterans for America while serving as a FOX News Channel contributor, providing analysis and commentary across FNC's daytime and prime-time programming.

Who am I? PETE HEGSETH

  • I was the leading rebounder for Washington State's team that competed against Boston College in the 1994 East Regional.
  • I was the Cougars' leading rebounder each of my four seasons.
  • I am a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection who was WSU's second-leading scorer as a junior and senior.
  • I finished my college career as my alma mater's all-time second-leading rebounder (927) and third-leading scorer (1,496 points).
  • I was a second-round NBA draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 before playing for the Sixers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • I was selected six times in baseball's June draft.
  • I am a 6-9 lefthanded pitcher who posted a 3-0 record and 2.45 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. The next year, I became the first pitcher in Blue Jays' history to hit a home run.
  • My best season was 2005 when I went 11-8 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before being traded the next year to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Who am I? MARK HENDRICKSON

  • I had a team-high 14 points in outscoring Illinois guard Derek Harper in my first NCAA playoff game with Utah before the Utes were eliminated in the West Regional by champion-to-be North Carolina State.
  • My last college game was in the NCAA tourney against North Carolina coach Dean Smith and eventual first-team All-American Kenny Smith.
  • I led the Utes in assists with 5.1 per game as a sophomore before finishing my college basketball career in 1986 as the seventh-leading scorer in school history.
  • As a senior, I was an All-WAC second-team selection along with Wyoming sophomores Fennis Dembo and Eric Leckner.
  • One of my NFL teammates was former college basketball player Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State).
  • I was a defensive back who had two interceptions with the Dallas Cowboys during my six seasons with them from 1986 through 1991.
  • I recorded a safety in 1991 before the Cowboys were eliminated in the second round of the NFL playoffs by the Detroit Lions.

Who am I? MANNY HENDRIX

  • I played against long-time network broadcaster Curt Gowdy and former All-Pro wide receiver Dale Gentry in the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
  • I was a 6-2, 195-pound guard who earned basketball honors as a second-team All-Southwest Conference choice as a sophomore and junior and a first-team selection as a senior.
  • I was a member of Arkansas' 1941 team that won the SWC title with a 12-0 record, finished 20-3 overall and reached the Final Four in its NCAA Tournament debut.
  • I finished sixth in the NFL in pass receptions as a rookie.
  • I was a member of the Rams' 1945 NFL title team and finished my pro career with 75 receptions for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns.
  • I was coach of the San Francisco 49ers (27-27-1 record from 1959 through 1963) after playing end with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams for five years (1941 and 1945 through 1948).
  • Among the players I coached with the 49ers were former college basketball players Billy Kilmer (UCLA), R.C. Owens (College of Idaho) and Billy Wilson (San Jose State).

Who am I? HOWARD "RED" HICKEY

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league outfielder Dave Winfield (Minnesota).
  • I participated in three consecutive Final Fours for NCAA championship teams under legendary coach John Wooden.
  • My UCLA teammates included five All-Americans--Henry Bibby, Curtis Rowe, John Vallely, Bill Walton and Sidney Wicks.
  • I scored 10 points as a senior against Weber State in the 1972 West Regional semifinals before scoring six points against Denny Crum-coached Louisville in the national semifinals.
  • I am author of a book titled with one of Wooden's most famous quotes: "Be Quick--But Don't Hurry."
  • As president of CBS Productions, I was responsible for the development and production of such successful prime time programming as Touched by an Angel, Walker Texas Ranger, Rescue 911, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Dave's World.

Who am I? ANDY HILL

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Dennis DuVal (Syracuse) and Marvin Barnes (Providence).
  • I was a Furman teammate of All-American forward Clyde Mayes.
  • I scored a total of 14 points in five East Regional games from 1973 through 1975.
  • I was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1990, when I narrowly lost to Dan Coats.
  • I am a Democratic Congressman who was a member of the Indiana House from 1982 until succeeding retiring Lee Hamilton in the U.S. House of Representatives in a widely-watched open-seat contest in 1998.
  • After losing my House seat, I recaptured it in 2006 before losing it again in 2010.

Who am I? BARON HILL

  • I scored 12 points in the 1969 NCAA playoffs against coach Lou Henson and All-American-to-be New Mexico State guard Jimmy Collins.
  • One of my college teammates, Paul Ruffner, was Collins' teammate with the Chicago Bulls in 1970-71.
  • I was a second-team All-WAC guard as a junior and senior when I led Brigham Young in scoring each of those seasons.
  • I am a son of BYU Hall of Famer Orin Howard.
  • I played in the major leagues with Frank Robinson as a teammate and under him when he was a manager.
  • I played five years in the majors as a first baseman-outfielder with the California Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from 1972 through 1976.

Who am I? DOUG HOWARD

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Joe B. Hall, Al McGuire and Digger Phelps. Among the opposing players were All-Americans Kevin Grevey (Kentucky), Maurice Lucas (Marquette), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and John Shumate (Notre Dame).
  • I was a 6-4 forward who averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game in four NCAA Tournament contests in 1973 and 1974 as an Austin Peay teammate of celebrated James "Fly" Williams.
  • I was an All-Ohio Valley Conference basketball selection as a senior.
  • I became a wide receiver who caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach for their final TD in a 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X.

Who am I? PERCY HOWARD

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Jack Kraft, Jack Ramsay, Fred Taylor and John Wooden.
  • I was a 6-6, 245-pound forward for the 1962 Wake Forest squad featuring Len Chappell and Billy Packer that finished third in the NCAA Tournament.
  • I was the first athlete in ACC history to start in both football and basketball.
  • One of my pro football teammates was Hall of Fame-to-be quarterback Len Dawson, who briefly played basketball for Purdue.
  • I was an All-ACC defensive end who became a third-round pick of the NFL's Chicago Bears in 1962, but chose to play with the AFL's Dallas Texans after being their fifth-round selection.
  • In my only pro season, I intercepted a pass and returned it 23 yards to help set up the game-winning field goal in overtime of a 20-17 victory over Houston in the AFL championship game.

Who am I? BILL HULL

  • I played in the NCAA tourney against future major league outfielder and manager Sam Mele of NYU.
  • I was a forward-center for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up that compiled a 22-5 record.
  • I scored two points in a 53-49 victory over DePaul, a team from my Chicago hometown, and fellow freshman George Mikan in the Eastern Regional final (playoff semifinals) before going scoreless in a championship game loss to Wyoming.
  • I started out as a Democrat before becoming a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois and eventual chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
  • My towering stature as a lawmaker (6-3) made me the ideal GOP pointman to lead an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton, who earned his diploma from my alma mater 21 years after I did.

Who am I? HENRY HYDE

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL linebacker James Francis (Baylor) and major league outfielder Kenny Lofton (Arizona).
  • I was a Florida State teammate of All-American George McCloud.
  • I hit all three of my three-point field-goal attempts in a 102-98 opening-round loss to B.J. Armstrong-led Iowa in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
  • I am a quarterback who received a four-year, $15 million contract from the Minnesota Vikings in 1996 despite being their ninth-round draft choice in 1992.
  • I became a pro starter when Warren Moon was injured and directed Minnesota to the NFL playoffs.
  • An injury led me to losing my starting job to Randall Cunningham in 1998 before I was traded by the Vikings to the Washington Redskins, where I set a club single-game record with 471 yards passing at San Francisco on December 26, 1999.
  • I guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the NFL playoffs following the 2001 season after signing with them as a free agent.
  • I threw a career-high five touchdown passes against the Minnesota Vikings in 2002 before leading the Bucs to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
  • I returned to the Vikings in 2005 for two seasons.

Who am I? BRAD JOHNSON

  • I scored eight points in 10 minutes in a second-round victory against St. Joseph's in 2001. It was one of four times in six NCAA playoff games that I scored eight points.
  • I was a teammate of Stanford All-American Casey Jacobsen when we were eliminated by national champion-to-be Maryland in the 2001 West Regional final and eventual Final Four participant Kansas in the second round of the 2002 Midwest Regional.
  • I was an occasional starting forward who had career averages of 4.9 points and 3 rebounds per game with the Cardinal.
  • After redshirting in 2000 as a quarterback, I became co-freshman of the year in the Pacific-10 Conference in 2001 when I caught 38 passes for 565 yards and seven touchdowns, including a TD in the Seattle Bowl against Georgia Tech.
  • I am a 6-7, 240-pound wide receiver who declared for the NFL draft with two years of eligibility remaining after catching 41 passes for 467 yards and eight TDs in 2002.
  • I was a second-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders in 2003 six selections ahead of fellow TE Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys).

Who am I? TEYO JOHNSON

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league second baseman Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State).
  • I was a teammate of California All-American forward Larry Friend.
  • I participated as a backup forward in back-to-back West Regional finals in 1957 and 1958.
  • I finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1958 when I led Cal to a Rose Bowl berth.
  • I coached my alma mater and appeared as a bit actor in a dozen movies.
  • I became a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame after quarterbacking Calgary (1959 and 1960) and Vancouver (1961 through 1966).
  • I was an NFL Pro Bowl selection following the 1969 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
  • I am the only QB to start in the Rose Bowl, Super Bowl and Grey Cup.
  • I was the last QB to throw seven touchdown passes in a single NFL game.
  • My teammates with the Vikings included former college basketball players Dale Hackbart (Wisconsin), King Hill (Rice) and Art Powell (San Jose State).

Who am I? JOE KAPP

  • I was a Virginia teammate of future NBA players Bryant Stith and John Crotty.
  • I became the Cavaliers' career rushing record with 3,348 yards on 567 carries, including a total of 14 100-yard games.
  • I participated in three football bowls and scored a touchdown against Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl.
  • I was scoreless in two 1990 NCAA Tournament games against Notre Dame and Syracuse before becoming a starting running back as a rookie for the Miami Dolphins in 1993.
  • I was the Dolphins' leading pass receiver and second-leading rusher after being a third-round pick in the 1993 NFL draft four selections ahead of SS John Lynch.
  • I led the Dolphins in pass receptions with 66 for 618 yards in 1995 and was again the team's second-leading rusher before I was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
  • I played with the Oakland Raiders after previously being in the same backfield with quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young.
  • I missed Super Bowl XXXVII because of an injury.

Who am I? TERRY KIRBY

  • I was the leading scorer in the Mountain States (Big Seven) Conference with 16.4 points per game for Colorado's 1946 NCAA Tournament team.
  • I am reputedly the first player selected in the NBA's first college draft in 1947 after enrolling at Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) to play on a 16-4 team with two of my brothers.
  • I never appeared in the then-fledgling NBA, which doesn't have any official draft records prior to 1949. The franchise that selected me, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, folded shortly after the draft, and my rights reverted to the New York Knicks.
  • I chose not to play in an uncertain situation for little money after the Knicks mailed a contract offer to me in the mail for just $3,500.
  • My son, Chris, coached American University for seven seasons from 1990-91 through 1996-97.
  • I was recalled to the military during the Korean War, where I was assigned to intelligence work for the Navy and later embarked on a civilian career that led to a job with the Central Intelligence Agency.
  • I was the CIA's deputy director under George Bush in 1976.

Who am I? HANK KNOCHE

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against future college and NBA head coaches Mike Dunleavy (South Carolina), Larry Farmer (UCLA), Lon Kruger (Kansas State) and Brian Winters (South Carolina).
  • I was a Memphis State teammate of All-Americans Larry Finch and Larry Kenon.
  • I was a 5-10 guard who averaged 3.9 points per game for the Tigers' team that lost to UCLA's Walton Gang in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final.
  • I breed and train horses at Crown Center Farms, south of Columbia, Mo.
  • I presented Missouri with the largest single, private gift in the school's history - $10 million, which was earmarked as seed money for a new 17,000-seat, $50 million arena.
  • My wife, Nancy, is the daughter of the late Bud Walton and niece of the late Sam Walton, the brothers who founded Wal-Mart. My wife and I owned the NHL's St. Louis Blues and the Kiel Center arena in St. Louis.
  • I had two deals fall through while trying to purchase NBA franchises (Denver Nuggets and Vancouver Grizzlies) before courting the Charlotte Hornets.
  • I was named to the state of Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Who am I? BILL LAURIE

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL linebacker James Francis (Baylor) and NFL quarterback Brad Johnson (Florida State).
  • I was an Arizona teammate of All-Americans Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr.
  • I was a member of the Wildcats' team that compiled a 35-3 record and reached the 1988 Final Four.
  • I outscored Texas-El Paso guard Tim Hardaway, 12-2, in the 1987 West Regional.
  • I led the American League in stolen bases in 1992 with 66, a record for an American League rookie.
  • I was a Gold Glove outfielder who led the Cleveland Indians with a .325 batting mark (fourth in the A.L.) and paced the majors with 70 stolen bases in 1993.
  • I played in the major league All-Star Game in 1994 and 1995, when I led the A.L. in stolen bases with 60 and 54, respectively.
  • Considered the premier leadoff hitter of the 1990s, I am a six-time All-Star who hit a career-high .349 in 1994 with the Indians.
  • I stole six bases in the 1995 World Series against the Atlanta Braves before hitting .333 for them in 1997 after I was traded in a deal involving former basketball player David Justice (Thomas More).
  • I was traded to contending teams (the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, respectively) midway through the 2002 and 2003 campaigns.
  • I tied a major league record by scoring a run in 18 consecutive games with the Giants.
  • Longtime standout Bernie Williams became a designated hitter upon my acquisition by the New York Yankees as their center fielder in 2004.
  • I finished my 17-year MLB career with a .299 batting average and 622 stolen bases.

Who am I? KENNY LOFTON

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL running back Terry Kirby (Virginia).
  • I was a Loyola Marymount teammate of eventual All-Americans Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble in 1988-89 when the Lions (181) and U.S. International (150) competed in the highest-scoring game in NCAA history.
  • I scored at least 16 points as a sophomore in each of the last three NCAA playoff outings for Loyola Marymount's 1990 West Regional runner-up (against Michigan, Alabama and UNLV). I had 23 in as many minutes against Michigan (149-115 victory) in the highest-scoring game in NCAA playoff history.
  • I was a two-time All-WCC first-team selection and league-leading scorer.
  • I scored a career-high 48 points against Idaho State as a junior in 1990-91 when I finished among the top five nationally in scoring (28.5 ppg) and assists (9.1 apg). During that season, I tallied a team-high 34 points when the Lions set an NCAA single-game scoring record in a 186-140 victory over USIU.
  • I am an Oakland product who ranked eighth in the country in scoring as a senior with 26 points per game.
  • I played in the same major league outfields with Sammy Sosa and Bobby Bonds.
  • I hit .282 with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and San Francisco Giants from 1997 through 2000 after previously being in the farm systems of the Texas Rangers and New York Mets.
  • I went 15 for 34 from the plate (.441) with the Giants in 2000.

Who am I? TERRELL LOWERY

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as did Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee).
  • I was a backup guard to eventual Princeton athletic director Gary Walters.
  • I was a teammate of All-American Bill Bradley when the presidential candidate-to-be scored a Final Four-record 58 points against Wichita State in the 1965 national third-place game.
  • I scored 14 points in three NCAA Tournament games in 1967 against coaches Bucky Waters (West Virginia), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Lou Carnesecca (St. John's).
  • I was employed by the U.S. Congress along with Hillary Clinton as part of a litigation team during the Watergate hearings.
  • I survived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the 1980s and prostate cancer in the 1990s.
  • I was a key major-league baseball executive with the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox for more than 20 years.
  • I was a driving force behind the construction of Camden Yards before becoming a minority owner of the Padres.
  • I was instrumental in hiring Theo Epstein in November 2002 as the youngest general manager in baseball history.

Who am I? LARRY LUCCHINO

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as six-year NFL defensive back Manny Hendrix.
  • I played in the 1986 NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Rony Seikaly and Pearl Washington.
  • I scored seven points for Brown in a first-round loss against Jim Boeheim-coached Syracuse before leading the Bears in scoring the next season with 17.3 ppg.
  • I assumed office as Rhode Island's Attorney General in January, 2003. Six weeks later, I oversaw a criminal investigation for the state after a pyrotechnics display burned a nightclub to the ground, killing 99 people and injuring 186.
  • After endorsing Barack Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008, I competed for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2010 before bowing out.

Who am I? PATRICK LYNCH

  • I was a college teammate of Steve Ehlmann, a state legislator and circuit judge who contemplated running for Congress to fill Jim Tallent's seat when Tallent ran for Governor of Missouri in 2000.
  • I was a junior college transfer who played for two different head coaches at Furman (Frank Selvy and Joe Williams).
  • I was named MVP in the Southern Conference Tournament before collecting five points and two rebounds for the Paladins in their inaugural NCAA Tournament game, a 105-74 defeat against Digger Phelps-coached Fordham in the 1971 East Regional.
  • I was an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years from 1974 through 1984 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.
  • My major league teammates included Dick Allen, George Brett, Steve Carlton, Dave Kingman, Mike Schmidt, Darryl Strawberry and Bruce Sutter.
  • I was a valuable backup who hit three pinch homers for the Phillies in 1978 in my last year with three consecutive divisional champions.
  • I was involved in an eight-player trade including Ted Sizemore and Manny Trillo between the Phillies and Cubs during the winter before the 1979 season.
  • I was a regular with the Cubs, collecting 42 homers and 146 RBI.
  • I was a free-swinger who was suspended in 1984 for involvement with drugs.
  • I served a three-month sentence in the Fort Worth Correctional Institute with Royals teammate Willie Wilson.

Who am I? JERRY MARTIN

  • I participated in four NCAA playoff games, including one where I made all four of my field-goal attempts and dished out a team-high five assists in a first-round loss against Jack Hartman-coached Kansas State in 1981.
  • My San Francisco teammates included All-Americans Bill Cartwright and Quintin Dailey.
  • I averaged 8.5 points per game during my career with the Dons.
  • My NFL teammates during five seasons in the mid-1980s with three different teams included former college basketball players Sam Clancy, Ronnie Lott and Pete Metzelaars.
  • I had two interceptions and four sacks as LB-DB for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984.

Who am I? KEN McALISTER

  • I was a member of Maryland's 2002 NCAA titlist before becoming a part-time starter for the Terrapins' defending champion the next season.
  • I played in the same 2001 NCAA basketball tourney as NFL defensive end Julius Peppers (North Carolina).
  • I participated in two 2000 NCAA Tournament games, including one against UCLA.
  • My Maryland teammates included All-ACC first-team selections Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon and Terence Morris.
  • In 1999, I finished No. 2 among Division I-A freshman quarterbacks (behind Virginia Tech's Michael Vick) in passing efficiency and total offense.

Who am I? CALVIN McCALL

  • I played in the same NCAA tourney as eventual Indiana football coach Cam Cameron.
  • I was a defensive specialist who fouled out when I collected seven points and five rebounds in a 1982 West Regional first-round loss against Wyoming.
  • One of my Southern California teammates was Kentucky transfer Dwight Anderson. Another one of my USC teammates was Ken Johnson, who transferred after the season to Michigan State.
  • My NFL teammates with the Los Angeles Rams included Eric Dickerson, Dennis Harrah, Jackie Slater, Jack Youngblood and Jim Youngblood.
  • I was a tight end who caught 14 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns with the Rams and Detroit Lions in four years from 1983 to 1987.

Who am I? JAMES McDONALD

  • I scored two points in two 1996 NCAA Tournament games for the eventual national runner-up.
  • One of my Syracuse teammates was NBA first-round draft choice John Wallace.
  • I am a former Gator Bowl MVP who was a high school basketball teammate of eventual Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker for Mount Carmel (Ill.), an all-male Catholic institution on the southside of Chicago.
  • I participated in bowl games all four years in college - Gator, Liberty, Fiesta and Orange.
  • I am a quarterback who completed 58.4% of my college passes with 77 TDs, including one as a freshman for 96 yards to eventual NFL standout Marvin Harrison against West Virginia in 1995.
  • I finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting before becoming the second pick overall in the 1999 NFL draft.
  • I finished runner-up to Marshall Faulk in voting for MVP in the NFL in 2000.
  • A Super Bowl appearance climaxed my leading the Philadelphia Eagles to five consecutive NFL playoff appearances from 2000 through 2004 as a Pro Bowler each year in that span while completing 58 percent of my passes with twice as many touchdowns as interceptions.
  • I set an an NFL record with 24 consecutive completions over a two-game span in 2004 when I had five games with at least four touchdown passes and established the Eagles' single-game record with 464 passing yards against Green Bay.
  • I am the Eagles' all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
  • I finished my career with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.

Who am I? DONOVAN McNABB

  • I played against Congressman-to-be Henry Hyde (Georgetown) in the NCAA playoffs.
  • I was named to the first five on the All-Metropolitan New York team as a sophomore in 1942-43 when I was NYU's leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament (losses against Georgetown and Dartmouth).
  • I played for two different major league teams in a single season four times in a seven-year span, including two tours of duty as a teammate of Hall of Famer Ted Williams.
  • I was an outfielder who hit .267 in a 10-year playing career from 1947 through 1956 with six teams before becoming manager of the Minnesota Twins for seven years from 1961 through 1967.
  • I led the American League with 36 doubles for the Washington Senators in 1951 and drove in six runs in one inning in a 1952 game for the Chicago White Sox.
  • I managed the Twins in 1965 when they won the A.L. title.

Who am I? SAM MELE

  • I played in the same NCAA tourney as NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga) and NFL defensive back Percy Ellsworth (Virginia).
  • I played in the 1996 NCAA Tournament against Temple coach John Chaney after my team was upset by Manhattan in the playoffs the previous year.
  • I hold Oklahoma's record for consecutive successful free throws with 30.
  • I was a member of the 1994 College World Series champion before becoming a second-round draft choice of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 (32nd pick overall).
  • I was a forward who averaged 16.5 points per game en route to finishing my career No. 6 on the Sooners' all-time scoring list (1,946 points).
  • I was a two-time All-Big Eight first-team selection and conference player of the year as a junior when I averaged 23.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
  • I am a third baseman who replaced Cal Ripken Jr. in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Ripken's major league record of 2,632 consecutive games played.
  • I no longer was Ripken's teammate during his final season in 2001 because I was traded to the Montreal Expos.

Who am I? RYAN MINOR

  • I appeared in the NCAA playoffs against Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka, Bill Hanzlik and Bill Laimbeer.
  • I played briefly for Houston in the Cougars' 100-77 opening-round setback to the Fighting Irish in the 1978 Midwest Regional after leading the Cougars in QB sacks with eight.
  • I was a defensive end who became a first-round NFL draft choice (27th pick overall).
  • I played seven pro seasons (1981 through 1987) with the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
  • One of my teammates with the Eagles was former college basketball player Harold Carmichael (Southern).

Who am I? LEONARD MITCHELL

  • I appeared in the NCAA Tournament against Texas-El Paso's Tim Hardaway.
  • I averaged 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1988-89 for LSU coach Dale Brown.
  • I started in the same backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson in the West Regional of the 1989 NCAA playoffs.
  • I was the player to be designated in a trade when pitcher Jack McDowell went from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets.
  • I was an outfielder who hit .287 for the White Sox from 1995 through 1997 before my contract was sold to a team in Japan.

Who am I? LYLE MOUTON

  • I was a 6-0 All-American forward as a junior for Dartmouth.
  • I was the leading scorer for the 1942 NCAA Tournament runner-up (22-4 record) and averaged 12.6 points in seven NCAA Tournament games from 1941 through 1943.
  • I was a trustee and chairman of the Finance Committee of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  • I had a 29-year career as an executive (vice president in 1962, president/director in 1966, CEO in 1969 and chair/CEO from 1975-87) with the Phelps Dodge Corp., a Fortune 500 company and the nation's leading copper producer.

Who am I? GEORGE MUNROE

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Notre Dame (Kelly Tripucka, Orlando Woolridge, Bill Hanzlik and Bill Laimbeer) and Maryland (Albert King and Buck Williams).
  • I was a Tennessee teammate of All-Americans Reggie Johnson and Dale Ellis.
  • I collected a total of 19 points and 14 rebounds in just 36 minutes in four NCAA Tournament games in 1979 and 1980.
  • I am one of the most popular figures in recent wrestling history who quietly began my career in 1990 as a WCW undercard wrestler, including billing as Oz (dressed in green cape and claimed to be "great and powerful") and Vinnie Vegas (wise guy in a pink suit and sunglasses).
  • I am a former bouncer who went from a hanger-on to a 6-10, 350-pound hero in about seven months. My pin of Bob Backlund completed an unprecedented trifecta, giving me the WWF World tag team title, International title, and World title in the same calendar year.
  • I was known as "Diesel" when I won the World Wrestling Federation championship in a record-setting eight-second bout in 1994.

Who am I? KEVIN NASH

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Steve Hamilton (Morehead State).
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against North Carolina's undefeated 1957 team and All-Americans Tom Gola (La Salle), Ronnie Shavlik (N.C. State), Guy Rodgers (Temple) and Hot Rod Hundley (West Virginia).
  • I was a teammate of Canisius All-America guard John McCarthy.
  • I was the leading rebounder for the first three Canisius teams to participate in the NCAA Tournament.
  • I was the leading scorer and rebounder for one of the winningest teams in Canisius history (22-6 record in 1956-57).
  • I became a two-time NCAA Tournament All-East Regional selection (1956 and 1957) by averaging 19.4 points per game in nine NCAA playoff contests.
  • I was selected in the fourth round of the 1957 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks.
  • I am a Democrat who never received less than 75 percent of the general electorate vote while representing the Buffalo area for nine terms (1975-93) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Who am I? HANK NOWAK

  • I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and World Series of Poker legend Doyle Brunson.
  • I averaged 15.3 ppg in three NCAA playoff contests in 1953.
  • I was a third-team All-American selection on Converse and United Press All-American squads as a senior when I finished second in the nation in field-goal shooting (54%).
  • My twin brother was a basketball All-American who went on to play six seasons of major league baseball.
  • I was an infielder-outfielder who played five seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1958) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .236 in 231 games.

Who am I? EDDIE O'BRIEN

  • I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and World Series of Poker legend Doyle Brunson.
  • I was a a two-time NCAA consensus All-American who averaged 32 ppg in three NCAA playoff games in 1953 after scoring 51 points in a regular-season game against Gonzaga.
  • I became the first college player to crack the 1,000-point plateau in a single season by scoring 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52.
  • My twin brother was a basketball All-American who went on to play five seasons of major league baseball.
  • I was an infielder/pitcher who played 339 games in six seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1959) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves, hitting .250 and compiling a 1-3 pitching record.
  • I was traded by the Pirates with Gene Freese to the Cardinals for Dick Schofield and cash.
  • I was a second baseman for the Pirates on July 3, 1956, when I became the last N.L. position player to earn a victory on the mound until catcher Brent Mayne achieved the feat for the Colorado Rockies against the Atlanta Braves in August 2000.

Who am I? JOHNNY O'BRIEN

  • I was scoreless in one minute for Tennessee-Chattanooga against No. 2 seed Connecticut in the 1995 West Regional.
  • I played in the Senior Bowl after becoming UTC's all-time leading receiver (143 catches for 2,320 yards and 19 TDs).
  • I started more games at receiver (10) than any San Francisco 49ers rookie since Gene Washington in 1969.
  • I caught 162 passes for 2,553 yards and 26 touchdowns in my first three NFL seasons after being the 49ers' third-round draft choice in 1996.
  • I became the heir apparent to Hall of Fame-bound Jerry Rice as the 49ers' go-to wide receiver after catching 15 touchdown passes in 1998, including at least one in each of the last eight regular-season games.
  • My dramatic 25-yard touchdown catch from Steve Young with three seconds remaining lifted the 49ers to a 30-27 victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card game following the 1998 season.
  • I set an NFL single-game record with 20 receptions in 2000 against the Chicago Bears.
  • I led the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles in receiving in 2004.
  • I am a six-time Pro Bowl selection who finished my 15-year NFL career with 1,078 pass receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns and recently became a Hall of Fame selection.

Who am I? TERRELL OWENS

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Congressman Scotty Baesler (Kentucky) and Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State).
  • I was the second-leading scorer for Wake Forest's only Final Four squad (behind All-American Len Chappell).
  • I outscored Ohio State's Bob Knight 17-0 and UCLA All-American Walt Hazzard 22-15 at the 1962 Final Four.
  • After earning a spot on the All-East Regional team, I scored a total of 39 points in two Final Four games for the national third-place Demon Deacons to finish the season with a 14.1-point scoring average.
  • I hit just 1 of 10 field-goal attempts in a 97-74 victory over St. John's in the first round although Wake still became the only team to ever trail by as many as 10 points at halftime of a tournament game (46-36) and then win the contest by more than 20.
  • I was an All-ACC first-team selection as a junior in 1960-61 with Chappell and three other All-Americans--Art Heyman, York Larese and Doug Moe.
  • I was the color commentator at the Final Four for two broadcast networks.

Who am I? BILLY PACKER

  • I played in the NCAA Tournament against All-Americans Arnold Short (Oklahoma City), Bob Mattick (Oklahoma A&M), Bob Houbregs (Washington) and Don Schlundt (Indiana).
  • I was a football/basketball teammate of All-American defensive back Gil Reich.
  • I was a starting forward and second-leading rebounder for Kansas' 1953 national runner-up.
  • I was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament team in 1952 when I averaged 20 points per game for Garden City (Kan.) before enrolling with the Jayhawks.
  • I was an All-Big Seven Conference first-team basketball selection as a senior.
  • I scored 54 touchdowns in my 14-year CFL career and had 34 games with at least 100 yards in pass receptions.
  • I became a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame after averaging 20.6 yards per pass reception with 460 catches for 9,473 yards and 64 touchdowns.

Who am I? HAL PATTERSON

  • I was a member of a 2000 Final Four squad.
  • I made 13 of 15 shots from the floor in NCAA playoff competition en route to leading North Carolina in field-goal shooting in 2000-01 (64.3%).
  • I started both of my NCAA Tournament games in 2001, including my first double-double (10 rebounds and career-high 21 points against Penn State).
  • I was a basketball/football teammate of Ronald Curry, a four-year starting quarterback.
  • I was a first-team All-American as a defensive end who led the nation in sacks with 15 in 2000.
  • I won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and Chuck Bednarik Trophy as the nation's top defensive player in 2001 before becoming the second pick overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.
  • I was named NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2002 after registering 54 tackles and 12 sacks (including a pair of three-sack games) in 12 contests in 2002.
  • The next year, I played in Super Bowl XXXVIII for Charlotte.
  • I am an eight-time NFL Pro Bowl selection who signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears in 2010 and Green Bay Packers in 2014. Most recent Pro Bowl appearance was two years ago in my 14th NFL season before returning to Panthers.

Who am I? JULIUS PEPPERS

  • I collected six points and a team-high nine rebounds for Texas Tech in a 1961 Midwest Regional semifinal loss against eventual NCAA Tournament champion Cincinnati.
  • I averaged 12.1 ppg and 10.5 rpg as a junior as part of Tech's first SWC championship team in a major sport.
  • I averaged 8 ppg for the Red Raiders in five NCAA playoff contests in 1961 and 1962.
  • My NFL teammates included standouts such as Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Roger Staubach.
  • I was a placekicker who scored 466 points with the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys in eight years from 1967 through 1974.
  • I led the NFL with 25 field goals for the Bears in 1968 when I tied for third place in the league in scoring with 100 points.

Who am I? MAC PERCIVAL

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Rollie Sheldon.
  • I was a West Virginia teammate of All-American Jerry West.
  • I was a backup guard for the Mountaineers in 1960 when they lost to NYU, 82-81, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite my five of six field-goal shooting.
  • I was an infielder who hit .233 in 11 seasons (1964 and 1966 through 1975) with the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • My major league teammates included Ernie Banks, Don Drysdale, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Don Sutton and Billy Williams.
  • I was traded with Ron Fairly by the Dodgers to the Montreal Expos for Maury Wills and Manny Mota during the 1969 campaign.
  • I went three-for-three in pinch-hitting appearances for the Pirates in the 1974 N.L. Championship Series.

Who am I? PAUL POPOVICH

  • I played in the 1999 NCAA playoffs against St. John's All-American Ron Artest.
  • I was a backcourt teammate of Indiana basketball All-American A.J. Guyton.
  • I was 1998 Big Ten Conference freshman of the year in football before becoming the first league football player to accumulate 5,000 total yards the next season as a sophomore.
  • I was a 5-11 college quarterback who compiled 3,000 passing yards and 1,500 yards rushing through my first 19 games, which is faster than anyone in NCAA Division I-A history.
  • I became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000.
  • I became the only "40-40 Man" in major-college history (more than 40 passing touchdowns and more than 40 rushing/receiving touchdowns).
  • I was a regular wide receiver as a rookie for the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002 after being their second-round draft choice (ahead of fellow second-round WRs Antonio Bryant and Deion Branch). The next year, I caught 37 passes for 364 yards and returned two punts for touchdowns.
  • I signed a seven-year, $31 million contract with the Washington Redskins as an unrestricted free agent entering the 2006 campaign before being cast adrift by Mike Shanahan in 2010 and returning to the Steelers.
  • I made a two-point conversion on a run for the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV.

Who am I? ANTWAAN RANDLE EL

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Seattle All-American Elgin Baylor.
  • I was a California teammate of future pro quarterback Joe Kapp.
  • I averaged 15.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games in 1957 and 1958 under coach Pete Newell, leading the Bears in scoring in two of the four playoff contests.
  • I was a three-time all-conference second-team basketball selection.
  • I was an outfielder who hit .268 in four seasons from 1958 to 1964 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles.
  • I was purchased by the Orioles from the Dodgers during the winter of 1960.
  • My major league teammates included former college basketball players Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State), Dick Hall (Swarthmore), Gil Hodges (Oakland City), Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati), Robin Roberts (Michigan State) and Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State).

Who am I? EARL ROBINSON

  • I played in the same NCAA tourney as 1996 volleyball Olympian Mike Whitmarsh.
  • I was a Washington teammate of All-American forward Detlef Schrempf.
  • I was a 6-6, 260-pounder when I hit four of five field-goal attempts in the Huskies' 80-78 second-round victory over Duke in 1984 in Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski's first NCAA playoff game.
  • I was a first-team All-American defensive lineman who became a first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions in 1987 (seventh pick overall).
  • Placekicker Eddie Murray was my teammate on two NFL teams. Among my other NFL teammates were QB Jim Kelly, LB Chris Spielman, DE Bruce Smith, QB Vinny Testaverde and RB Thurman Thomas.
  • I also played with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a six-year NFL career.
  • My older brother, Don, an outstanding safety for UCLA, was a starting defensive back for the Cleveland Browns when he died tragically.

Who am I? REGGIE ROGERS

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Dayton team featuring eventual Flyers coach Don Donoher and James Paxson (eventual NBA first-round draft choice with two sons - Jim and John - who also became #1 picks).
  • I was a teammate of eventual MLB pitcher Dave Sisler on Princeton's first NCAA Tournament squad in 1952.
  • I was a Democrat who served as a member of U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977 and Maryland Senator from 1977 to 2007.
  • My son, John, held dad's old House seat.

Who am I? PAUL SARBANES

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league infielder Paul Popovich.
  • I was Connecticut's third-leading scorer with 13.5 points per game as a 6-4 sophomore forward for a 1960 NCAA Tournament team that was eliminated by Satch Sanders-led NYU, which advanced to the Final Four.
  • I had a front-row seat when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle went after Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
  • I compiled a 38-36 pitching record in five seasons (1961, 1962 and 1964 through 1966) with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Boston Red Sox.
  • I was 11-5 as a rookie with the A.L. champion Yankees after going 15-1 in Class D ball the previous year.
  • I appeared in two games for the Yanks in the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
  • I was traded by the Yanks with Johnny Blanchard to K.C. for Doc Edwards during the 1965 season.

Who am I? ROLLIE SHELDON

  • One of my teammates, George Stanich, was a bronze medalist in the high jump in the 1948 Olympics.
  • I scored 11 points in UCLA's first-ever NCAA Tournament game (73-59 setback against Bradley in 1950) before scoring a team-high 21 points in an 83-62 loss to Brigham Young in the Western Regional third-place contest.
  • I was an All-PCC South selection as a senior when I averaged 10.4 ppg and was team captain for coach John Wooden.
  • I opened the first Polly's Pie Restaurant in 1968 with my brother.
  • I am a restauranteur who is the largest holder of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Anaheim-based Polly's Pies franchises in the country, operating as many as 15 KFCs and 13 Polly's in Southern California.

Who am I? EDDIE SHELDRAKE

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against future All-American Dick Ricketts of Duquesne.
  • I was a starting forward, teammate of eventual Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes and All-Ivy League second-team selection with Princeton's first NCAA Tournament squad in 1952.
  • I was a major league pitcher who compiled a 38-44 record in seven seasons (1956 through 1962) with the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cincinnati Reds.
  • My batterymate when I broke in with the Red Sox was former college basketball player Sammy White (Washington).
  • I was traded with cash by the Senators to the Reds for pitcher Claude Osteen near the end of the 1961 campaign.
  • I am a son of a Hall of Fame first baseman and brother of a former Cincinnati Reds manager.
  • After graduating magna cum laude, I became an executive vice president, vice chairman of the board, and branch director of St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., the largest brokerage firm headquartered outside New York, with 5,300 investment brokers in over 500 branch locations throughout 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Who am I? DAVE SISLER

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as eventual major league outfielder Jerry Martin (Furman).
  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Ed Ratleff (Long Beach State) and Kresimir Cosic (Brigham Young).
  • I averaged 22 ppg for Pacific's freshman squad in 1967-68 before averaging 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg in my three-year varsity basketball career from 1968-69 through 1970-71.
  • I hit seven of eight field-goal attempts en route to scoring 21 points in two playoff games as a senior in 1971 after averaging a career-high 10.9 ppg as a junior.
  • My Pacific basketball teammates included eventual NCAA Division I head coaches Bob Thomason and Pat Douglass and All-American center John Gianelli.
  • My major league baseball teammates included Cesar Cedeno, Bill Madlock, J.R. Richard, Bruce Sutter, Bob Watson and Billy Williams.
  • I was involved in a trade between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants before the 1977 season that included Madlock and Bobby Murcer.
  • I was an infielder who hit .211 with the Cubs and Houston Astros in four years from 1974 through 1977.

Who am I? ROB SPERRING

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against standouts Marvin Barnes (Providence), Billy Knight (Pittsburgh), Maurice Lucas (Marquette) and UCLA's Walton Gang.
  • I had a game-high seven assists for North Carolina State in a victory over Providence in the 1974 East Regional.
  • I was the starting forward opposite national player of the year David Thompson for the Wolfpack's 1974 NCAA champion.
  • I had a part as a menacing pitcher in a comedy film (Rookie of the Year).
  • I was on major league pitching staffs with Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry and Jim Palmer.
  • I appeared in 485 games, all as a reliever, in 13 seasons (1975 and 1978 through 1989) with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
  • I compiled a 41-35 record with 3.95 ERA and 76 saves, recording 26 of the saves for the Orioles in 1980 the year after being the winning pitcher for them in Game Four of the 1979 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • I was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for pitcher Ed Whitson during the 1986 season.

Who am I? TIM STODDARD

  • I averaged 11.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg in two tournament games for Kansas in 1967 as teammate of Jo Jo White.
  • I led the Jayhawks in rebounding in both of their 1967 playoff contests against Elvin Hayes (Houston) and Wes Unseld (Louisville).
  • I averaged 6.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Ted Owens.
  • I was a third-round pick as defensive lineman in 1969 NFL draft (60th pick overall) three selections ahead of Miami Dolphins running back Mercury Morris.
  • I played for the New York Giants (1971), Green Bay Packers (1972) and Houston Oilers (1973), starting three games as defensive tackle with the Packers. In mid-November 1972, I had personal-foul, 15-yard penalties for whacking opponent on the helmet on back-to-back plays against the Oilers.
  • In my first NFL start with the Pack, I registered two sacks, got partial credit for a third and nearly got a fourth in 16-13 upset win against the Dallas Cowboys in 1972.

Who am I? VERNON VANOY

  • I scored a team-high 16 points and contributed game highs of 8 rebounds and 3 steals in a 2004 NCAA playoff opening-round setback against Texas.
  • I was an All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior under Princeton coach John Thompson III.
  • I didn't play baseball my freshman year in college.
  • I am the son of a 12-year major league outfielder who spent most of his career in the National League and was involved in a trade from the San Francisco Giants to the Montreal Expos for Al Oliver.
  • I am a lefthanded outfielder who hit .264 in 28 games for the San Diego Padres during a September call-up in 2008, hitting a triple in my first at-bat.
  • I was a regular for the Padres the previous five seasons (2010 through 2014), finishing among the top 10 in the National League in triples a couple of years.

Who am I? WILL VENABLE

  • I was a Drake teammate of Willie McCarter and Willie Wise.
  • I blocked one of UCLA star Lew Alcindor's shots in the Bulldogs' 85-82 defeat in the 1969 national semifinals.
  • I outscored Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and former Wichita State/Vanderbilt/South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler, 11-9, in the national third-place game when they were North Carolina teammates.
  • I won the decathlon title at the 1971 Pan American Games, 1971 National AAU meet and 1970 NCAA meet.

Who am I? RICK WANAMAKER

  • I played against Bob Knight-coached Indiana in the 1992 NCAA playoffs before averaging 8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.5 apg and 3.3 spg in four tournament games for the 1993 Southeast Regional runner-up.
  • I held my school's career record for steals when my eligibility expired in 1993-94.
  • I passed and rushed for 6,636 yards in my college football career.
  • I was named Orange Bowl MVP in back-to-back victories over Nebraska.
  • I led Florida State to 1993 national title by passing for 3,032 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushing for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
  • I was a Heisman Trophy winner and consensus All-American quarterback who captured the 1993 Sullivan Award as the nation's premier amateur athlete.

Who am I? CHARLIE WARD

  • I averaged 2.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg for Idaho under coach Tim Floyd in 1987-88 after playing two seasons for Texas-El Paso when Floyd was aide under Don Haskins.
  • I collected one foul and one turnover in one minute of playing time for UTEP in an 86-73 setback against Jim Valvano-coached North Carolina State in second round of 1985 West Regional.
  • I was a defensive end who registered 40 1/2 sacks and 386 tackles with the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos in 11 NFL seasons from 1989 through 1999 after entering league as sixth-round draft choice.
  • I had a team-high 8 1/2 sacks with the Jets in 1992 (including Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino for safety) and career-high 71 tackles with them the following campaign.
  • I earned Super Bowl XXXIII ring with the Broncos after securing sack in win against the Miami Dolphins in AFC playoffs following 1998 season.
  • In 2017, I was part of a lawsuit filed against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, seeking to overturn the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

Who am I? MARVIN WASHINGTON

  • I was Washington's second-leading scorer as a junior forward behind All-American center Jack Nichols in two 1948 NCAA Tournament games.
  • I was named to the first five on the All-Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division basketball team as a junior and senior. * My major league baseball teammates included Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, George Kell, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn and Ted Williams.
  • I was a catcher who hit .262 in 11 seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1951 through 1959), Milwaukee Braves (1961) and Philadelphia Phillies (1962).
  • I was a 1953 All-Star who hit over .280 three times with the Red Sox.
  • On June 18, 1953, I scored three runs in one inning when the Red Sox tallied 17 in the seventh against the Detroit Tigers.
  • A trade including Russ Nixon and Jim Marshall between the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians before the 1960 campaign was cancelled when I announced my retirement.

Who am I? SAMMY WHITE

  • I played in the same NCAA tourney as Washington's Reggie Rogers, an All-American defensive tackle and NFL first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions.
  • I scored a team-high 17 points for San Diego in a 65-56 loss to Pete Carril-coached Princeton in the preliminary round of the 1984 NCAA Tournament.
  • I set a school DI single-game scoring record with 37 points at Loyola Marymount in 1982-83.
  • I was an All-WCAC selection as a junior and senior.
  • I was a fifth-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1984 NBA draft.
  • I joined Miller Lite/AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tour in 1989, when I was rookie of the year.
  • I aligned with Mike Dodd in 1993 and we subsequently became one of the premier pairs on the volleyball tour before earning a silver medal in the 1996 Olympics when two-man beach volleyball made its debut.

Who am I? MIKE WHITMARSH

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and major league baseball executive Larry Lucchino (Princeton).
  • I was a teammate of Tennessee center Tom Boerwinkle.
  • I outscored All-American forward Don May, 20-9, in the NCAA playoffs to become an all-regional selection.
  • I was the game-high scorer in the Volunteers' NCAA Tournament debut although it wasn't enough to prevent a 53-52 setback against national runnerup-to-be Dayton in the 1967 Mideast Regional semifinals.
  • I was a two-time All-SEC first-team basketball selection and led the league in scoring the season before LSU's Pete Maravich arrived at the varsity level.
  • My NFL teammates included former college basketball players Fred Carr (Texas Western), Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh), Pete Gent (Michigan State), Cornell Green (Utah State) and Roger Staubach (Navy).
  • I averaged 42 yards per punt in six seasons (1968 through 1973) with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
  • I posted the longest punt in the NFL in 1968 (84 yards as a rookie).
  • I played in the Pro Bowl following the 1971 season and appeared in two Super Bowls with the Cowboys (V and VI).

Who am I? RON WIDBY

  • I played in the NCAA playoffs against Arkansas All-American center George Kok.
  • I am the only freshman to lead a single NCAA tourney in scoring average (22 ppg).
  • I scored a game-high 23 points for Oregon in a 79-76 loss to Arkansas in a 1945 West Regional semifinal before scoring a team-high 21 points in a 69-66 win over Utah in a third-place game.
  • The next season, I became the first Oregon player to crack the 1,000-point plateau and repeated as an All-PCC North Division first-team selection.
  • I was the leading pass receiver (27 catches for 520 yards and five touchdowns) on the 1948 Oregon team that featured quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, compiled a 9-2 mark and won the Pacific Coast Conference championship. The Ducks lost to SMU, 21-13, in the Cotton Bowl that season despite my four receptions for 57 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass from Van Brocklin.
  • I led the Dallas Texans of the All-America Football Conference with 32 catches in 1952.
    Fellow end and former Great Northwest college basketball player Dale Gentry (Washington State) left the AAFC's Los Angeles Dons the year before I joined the team.
  • Quarterbacks on my NFL teams included Don Heinrich and Frank Tripucka.

Who am I? DICK WILKINS

  • I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as 1952 Olympic gold-medal winning high jumper Buddy Davis (Texas A&M).
  • I played in the NCAA Tournament against Brigham Young All-Americans Mel Hutchins, Roland Minson and Joe Richey.
  • I collected two points and seven rebounds for San Jose State in a 68-61 opening-round loss to BYU in 1951.
  • I caught 10 touchdown passes my last three years for the football Spartans after spending 19 months in the Pacific with the Navy.
  • I was a split end who caught 407 passes for 5,902 yards in 10 seasons (1951 through 1960) with the San Francisco 49ers.
  • I was a Pro Bowl selection six consecutive seasons (1955 through 1960) and named to wire-service All-Pro teams in 1955 and 1957.
  • I led the NFL in receptions three consecutive years--1955 (60 catches), 1956 (60) and 1957 (52).
  • I caught passes from NFL standout quarterbacks Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie.
  • A fellow receiver with the 49ers was R.C. Owens, who led the nation's small colleges in rebounding in 1953-54 with the College of Idaho.
  • I was named player of the game in the 1955 Pro Bowl after catching 11 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Who am I? BILLY WILSON

  • I was a Minnesota teammate of All-American forward Jim Brewer under coach Bill Musselman.
  • I played the entire game, collecting eight points and eight rebounds against eventual national runner-up Florida State, in the Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1972.
  • I didn't play college football, but was chosen in the 17th round of the 1973 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. That same year I was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the fifth round of the NBA draft and the Utah Stars in the sixth round of the ABA draft.
  • My major league baseball teammates included former college basketball players Bill Almon (Brown), Kenny Lofton (Arizona), Graig Nettles (San Diego State) and Dennis Rasmussen (Creighton).
  • I was an outfielder who hit .283 with 465 home runs, 1,833 RBIs and 3,110 hits in 22 seasons (1973 through 1988 and 1990 through 1995) with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
  • I participated in the World Series with the Yankees (1981) and Blue Jays (1992).
  • I am a baseball Hall of Famer who appeared in 12 All-Star Games after never playing in the minors.

Who am I? DAVE WINFIELD

  • I played against Guy Lewis' Houston squad featuring Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney.
  • I was Colorado State's leading scorer for NCAA Tournament teams in 1965 and 1966.
  • I was a cornerback who had a total of five interceptions in two seasons (1966 and 1967) with the AFL's Denver Broncos although I never played a down of college football.
  • One of my teammates with the Broncos was receiver Lionel Taylor, who led New Mexico Highlands' basketball team in scoring average with 13.6 ppg in 1955-56 and 20.3 in 1956-57.
  • I became the first player in professional sports history to compete in football and basketball (Denver Rockets) simultaneously.

Who am I? LONNIE WRIGHT

Recipe For Success: 68 Hints Helping You Fill Out NCAA Tourney Bracket

March 8th, 2018 - 7:22

Participating in pools for major sporting events, whether for money or not, has become as American as apple pie. Everyone who has ever visited a water cooler or copy room knows that no office pool spawns emotional involvement more than the invigorating NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.

If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for a handicapping guide to answer vital questions, here is a sane approach for surviving March Madness. Sixty-eight is a magic number for the incisive tips because that is the number of teams in the original NCAA field. If you want to March on Atlanta when pool results are posted on the bulletin board, pay close attention to these time-honored 68 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. In deference to the number of entrants, they might not all be applicable this year but these handy-dandy points to ponder should help steer you away from potholes on the Road to the Final Four.

SEEDING CLEARLY
* Pick all No. 1 seeds to win their first-round games. This one's a gimme: Top-seeded teams have never lost an opening-round game since the field was expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
* Pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded one through four.
* Pick one No. 3 seed to lose in the first round.
* Pick at least one No. 2 seed to lose in the first two rounds.
* Don't pick a No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four, let alone win the national tournament, if the school wasn't in the NCAA playoffs the previous year.
* Don't automatically pick a perennial power to defeat an opponent with a double-digit seeding.
* Pick a team seeded No. 1 or No. 2 to win the national title.
* Don't pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four.
* Pick the better-seeded team to win any second-round game pitting two double-digit seeds against each other.
* Pick one team with a double-digit seed to reach a regional semifinal.
* Don't pick more than one regional to have its top four seeds reach the regional semifinals.
* If two members of the same conference earn No. 1 seeds, don't pick both teams to reach the Final Four. Only once has two #1 seeds from the same league advanced to the national semifinals (Georgetown and St. John's from the Big East in 1985).
* Don't pick all four No. 1 seeds to reach regional finals.

CONFERENCE CALL
* Pick at least one Big East team to lose in the opening round.
* Pick at least two teams from the Big Ten and/or SEC to incur opening-round defeats.
* Don't pick a team from the Big South to win a first-round game.
* Don't pick an at-large team with a losing conference record to get beyond the second round.
* Pick at least two ACC teams to reach a regional semifinal and at least one to reach the Final Four.
* If an ACC school wins both the league's regular-season and tournament titles, pick the team to reach the Final Four.
* Don't be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney. Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory. * Double your pleasure by picking two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four.
* Don't choose a different member from the same league as the previous year's champion (Duke in the ACC) to capture the crown. There has been just seven times in NCAA playoff history for two different schools from the same conference to win the title in back-to-back years - Big Ten (Indiana '40 and Wisconsin '41); ACC (North Carolina '82 and N.C. State '83); Big East (Georgetown '84 and Villanova '85), ACC (Duke '92 and North Carolina '93); ACC (Duke '01 and Maryland '02); Big East (Syracuse '03 and Connecticut '04) and ACC (North Carolina '09 and Duke '10). Three different members from the same alliance capturing the crown over a three-year span has never happened.
* Don't pick an undisputed Big Ten champion (Wisconsin this year) to reach the Final Four.
* The Big Ten occasionally is the nation's premier conference but don't get carried away with that credential when picking a national titlist. Only one Big Ten member (Michigan State in 2000) captured an NCAA crown in the previous 25 years.
* Two of your Final Four picks should be teams that didn't finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
* Burnout has a tendency to set in. Remember that the odds are against a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
* Don't pick a team to reach the Final Four if it lost in the first round of a postseason conference tournament.
* Don't be too concerned about a regular-season defeat against a conference rival with a losing league record.
* Don't get carried away with the Pac-12 Conference. A Pac-12 team regularly loses an opening-round game to an opponent seeded 12th or worse.
* Don't pick a conference tournament champion winning four games in four nights to reach a regional semifinal.
* Pick one league to have four members reach the regional semifinals. It happened a total of 13 times in a 15-year span from 1989 through 2003.
* Don't be overwhelmed by quantity because six or seven bids for a league is not a recipe for success. Less than half conferences in this category finished with cumulative playoff records better than two games above .500.
* Don't pick a MEAC or SWAC representative to reach the Sweet 16. It has never happened.

NUMBERS GAME
* Enjoy the "mid-major" Cinderella stories but know that the clock eventually strikes midnight. Gonzaga faces a challenge because no "mid-major" since San Francisco in 1956 won the NCAA title after entering the tourney ranked atop the national polls.
* If there are as many as four first-time entrants, pick one of the novices to win its opening-round game.
* Don't pick a team with 30 or more victories entering the tournament to win the national title.
* Don't develop an aversion for coaches with impoverished playoff records. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of 11.4 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975.
* Don't be obsessed with comparing regular-season scores. Two-thirds of the NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as they combined to lose more than 50 games by double-digit margins.
* Pick a team with at least 25 victories entering the tournament to win the championship. Villanova, entering the 1985 playoffs with 19 triumphs, was the only national champion in more than 35 years to enter the tourney with fewer than 20 wins until Arizona won it all in 1997 after also entering with 19 victories.
* Don't pick the nation's top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown. Also, Gonzaga has never reached the Final Four.
* The best place to start selecting the Final Four is in the previous year's round of 16. More than half of the teams reaching the national semifinals since 1988 advanced to a regional semifinal the previous season.
* Don't tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four. No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game.
* Make certain your Final Four picks include at least one 30-game winner and one team with a minimum of six defeats.
* After choosing your Final Four schools, don't automatically select the winningest remaining team to go ahead and capture the title.
* Don't pick a team to win the championship if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
* Don't pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are Caucasians.
* Don't pick a team with as many as 12 defeats entering the tourney to reach a regional semifinal.
* Don't pick a team entering the tournament undefeated to go ahead and win the title. Of the first 17 teams to enter the playoffs with unblemished records, just seven were on to capture the national championship. Excluding UCLA's dominance under coach John Wooden, the only other unbeaten NCAA champion since North Carolina in 1957 is Indiana in 1976.
* Don't overdose on senior leadership. A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Half of the NCAA champions since the early 1990s had only one senior among their top seven scorers.

PICKS AND PANS
* Pick any team defeating North Carolina or Duke in the bracket to already be in or on its way to the Final Four.
* Pick Duke to advance in the bracket if they oppose members of the Big East and Big Ten. Despite Indiana's success against the Blue Devils in the 2002 South Regional and Connecticut's victory over them in the 2004 Final Four, the Dynasty in Durham rarely loses a playoff game against Big East and Big Ten competition.
* Don't pick a member of the MAC or former member of the SWC to reach the Final Four. No Mid-American member has ever reached the national semifinals and the SWC Final Four teams all failed to come home with the national championship trophy.
* Don't pick a Conference USA member to reach a regional final.
* Pick Kansas to win a regional final if the Jayhawks advance that far. KU went to the Final Four six straight times the Jayhawks reached a regional championship game (1971-74-86-88-91-93) until they were upset by Syracuse in the 1996 West Regional. Kansas has continued regional final success much of 21st Century.
* Don't pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
* Make certain the coach of your championship team has at least five years of head coaching experience.
* Don't pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
* Pick at least one Final Four team with a coach who will be making his debut at the national semifinals. Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience.
* Don't pick the defending champion to repeat as national titlist.
* Don't pick the defending national runner-up to win the championship the next season. The only teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982) and Duke (1990 and 1991).
* Don't put any stock into justifying a preseason No. 1 ranking. The runner-up won each of the four times the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams met on the hallowed ground of the NCAA final.
* Pick one team not ranked among the national top 10 entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
* Pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
* Don't pick a school to reach the Final Four if you think a vital undergraduate defector from last season will become a pro star. Of the 10 individuals to score more than 20,000 points in the NBA or be named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining, none of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college - Auburn (Charles Barkley departed early), Houston (Hakeem Olajuwon), Indiana (Isiah Thomas), Kansas (Wilt Chamberlain), Louisiana Tech (Karl Malone), Michigan State (Magic Johnson), North Carolina (Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan), Notre Dame (Adrian Dantley) and Seattle (Elgin Baylor).
* Don't be infatuated by a Final Four newbie. Before UConn in 1999, the last team to win a championship in its initial national semifinal appearance was Texas Western (now Texas-El Paso) in 1966.
* Pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter but don't choose a squad in that category to win the title.
* Don't be infatuated with first-team All-Americans when deciding Final Four teams because a majority of NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans failed to reach the national semifinals since seeding was introduced.
* Your star search should focus more on pro prospects. Select Final Four teams that each have a minimum of one player who'll eventually become a No. 1 NBA draft choice with one of the squads reaching the championship game to have at least three players who'll become a No. 1 NBA draft pick.

TIME-TESTED TIEBREAKERS
* The vast majority of NCAA Tournament office pools have a tiebreaker category or two. One of them might be designating a player for most points in a single game of the tournament. If so, avoid selecting a player from the championship team because the highest output normally is achieved by a member of a non-titlist.
* Another possible tiebreaker is projecting the total number of points in the championship game. To get your bearings, you should know the average point total is more than 150 since the inception nationwide of both the shot clock and three-point field goal.

Jumping In Office Pool: Sweet 16 Tips For Raising NCAA Bracket Results

March 8th, 2018 - 7:18

Participating in office pools for major sports events, whether for money or not, has become as American in the national workplace as filling out your vacation schedule. Both forms can be perplexing because you frequently second guess yourself on where to go, when to go and exactly what to do. More often than not, you want to modify the submissions moments after turning them in. You feel as if you've flunked Office-Pool Economics 101.

No office pool heightens your frustration more than the NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. Just ask Pete Rose when he was relaxing at spring training. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.

If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for relevant handicapping tips, a sane approach to surviving March Madness has arrived. It is time to start chewing on historical nuggets to avoid making another April Fool appearance when results are posted on the bulletin board. Pay close attention to these sweet 16 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. As events unfold, you might want to rekindle old memories by assessing CollegeHoopedia.com's most magical playoff moments and All-Time All-NCAA Tournament teams.

1. SEEDING CAPACITY
DO pick a top three seeded team to win the national title.
In the first 35 years since the NCAA Tournament embraced seeding, 31 of the champions were seeded No. 1 (20 titlists), 2 (six) or 3 (five). The only championship game without at least one No. 1 or No. 2 seed was 1989, when a pair of No. 3 seeds clashed (Michigan and Seton Hall), until last year when #3 Connecticut opposed #8 Butler.

DON'T pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four.
No. 1 seeds always look tempting (especially after all four advanced to national semifinals in 2008). But the Final Four did not have more than two of them any year from 1979 through 1992.

2. DOUBLE TROUBLE
DO pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded two through four and one team seeded 12th to reach a regional semifinal.
Since the seeding process started in 1979, never have all of the top four seeds in each regional survived their opening round. A No. 12 seed advanced to the round of 16 five consecutive years from 1990 through 1994.

DON'T automatically pick a perennial power to defeat a team with a double-digit seed.
More than 100 different coaches have lost at least one tournament game to an opponent with a double-digit seed since the seeding process was introduced. Playoff newcomers shouldn't be shunned if they get any break at all in the seeding process. First-time entrants assert themselves when they receive a decent draw. Of the schools making their tournament debuts since the field expanded to at least 52 teams, almost one-fourth of them survived the first round.

3. SCORING SUMMARY
DO shun a potential championship team if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
The only freshmen to lead a national champion in scoring were Utah forward Arnie Ferrin in 1944 and Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Of the sophomores to lead national titlists in scoring average, the only guards were Indiana's Isiah Thomas (16 ppg in 1981) and Duke's Jason Williams (21.6 ppg in 2001).

DON'T tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four.
No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game. The only player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a school to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game was Clyde Lovellette, who carried Kansas to the 1952 title. The only other player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a team advancing to the Final Four was Oscar Robertson, who powered Cincinnati to the national semifinals in 1959 and 1960 before the Bearcats were defeated both years by California. The Bears restricted the Big O to a total of 37 points in the two Final Four games as he was just nine of 32 from the floor.

4. PICKS AND PANS
Unless vital criteria is met to suffice otherwise, DO go with better-seeded teams to win games in the four regionals.
The better-seeded teams win a little over 2/3 of the games in regional competition. However, Final Four games have virtually broken even in regard to the original seedings.

DON'T pick a team to capture the NCAA title if the club lost its conference tournament opener.
No team ever has won an NCAA championship after losing a conference postseason tournament opener.

5. DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS
DO remember the cliche "East is Least."
No Eastern school won the East Regional and the national title in the same season since the tournament went to four regionals until Syracuse achieved the feat in 2003. The first seven national champions from the East Regional since 1956 were all ACC members (North Carolina '57, N.C. State '74, North Carolina '82, Duke '92, North Carolina '93, Duke '01 and Maryland '02) before Carolina won the East Regional again in 2005.

DON'T accept the axiom that the "West is Worst."
What does the Left Coast have to do to shed a misguided image? The Pacific-12 Conference supplied two NCAA champions in a three-year span (UCLA '95 and Arizona '97) before Stanford and Utah reached the 1998 Final Four. Arizona was runner-up in 2001 before UCLA participated in three straight Final Fours from 2006 through 2008. Although the Pac-12 struggled this season, the multiple-bid Mountain West and/or West Coast could take up the slack.

6. MATHEMATICAL ODDS
DO pick two of the ten recognizable schools with the all-time best playoff records to reach the Final Four.
There is a strong possibility some familiar faces will arrive in New Orleans since at least two of the ten winningest schools by percentage (minimum of 50 playoff games) usually appear at the Final Four. The top ten schools are Duke (.744 entering the '17 tourney), UCLA (.725), North Carolina (.719), Florida (.714), Kentucky (.707), Kansas (.699), Michigan State (.683), Michigan (.672), Indiana (.667) and Ohio State (.667).

DON'T be too wary of first-rate coaches with dime-store playoff results.
High-profile coaches are occasionally grilled because of their dismal tournament resumes. But they're due to eventually turn things around and shouldn't be written off altogether. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of more than 11 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975. It doesn't seem possible, but additional elite coaches who didn't win their first NCAA playoff game until their 10th DI season or longer include Dana Altman, Rick Barnes, P.J. Carlesimo, Pete Carril, Bobby Cremins, Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Bill E. Foster, Hugh Greer, Leonard Hamilton, Marv Harshman, Terry Holland, Maury John, Mike Krzyzewski, Ralph Miller, Mike Montgomery, Joe Mullaney, Pete Newell, Tom Penders, George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson, Norm Sloan, Butch van Breda Kolff and Ned Wulk.

7. GO WITH MIGHTY MO?
DO remember the odds about a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
There is a theory that burnout has a tendency to set in. But more than half of the NCAA titlists since seeding started in 1979 also won their conference postseason tournament the same year.

DON'T be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney.
Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory.

8. LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1
DO look for a school other than the defending champion (Connecticut in 2014) to become national titlist.
Duke was fortunate to repeat in 1992 when they reached the Final Four on Christian Laettner's last-second basket in overtime in the East Regional final against Kentucky. Florida repeated in 2007 despite winning its last five contests by 10 or fewer points.

DON'T pick the top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown.
There is a clear and present danger for pole sitters. Only three of the 29 schools atop the national rankings entering the NCAA playoffs from 1983 through 2011 went on to capture the national championship and only six No. 1 squads in the last 25 seasons of that span reached the title game.

9. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
DO pick at least one Final Four team with a coach making his debut at the national semifinals.
Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience. There has been at least one fresh face among the bench bosses at the national semifinals all but one of the last 27 years. In 1993, coaches Steve Fisher (Michigan), Rick Pitino (Kentucky), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Roy Williams (Kansas) returned to familiar surroundings at the Final Four.

DON'T pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
Steve Fisher guided Michigan to the 1989 title after succeeding Bill Frieder just before the start of the playoffs. But the only individual to capture an NCAA crown in his first full campaign as head coach at a university was Ed Jucker (Cincinnati '61 after seven years at King's Point and Rensselaer). The average championship team head coach has been at the school almost 13 years and has almost 17 years of college head coaching experience overall. The only championship head coaches with less than five years of experience were Fisher and Fred Taylor (second season at Ohio State '60).

10. SENIORS AND SHEEPSKINS
DO realize that senior experience needs to be complemented by the vigor from undergraduates.
A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - had seniors as their top two scorers.

DON'T pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
A champion is almost never guided by a graduate of that university.

11. CHANGE OF ADDRESS
DO pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter.
Almost every Final Four features at least one starter who began his college career at another four-year Division I school.

DON'T pick schools that lost a vital undergraduate to reach the Final Four if you think the defectors will become pro stars.
Ten individuals scored more than 20,000 points in the NBA or were named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining - Charles Barkley (departed Auburn early), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), Isiah Thomas (Indiana), Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas), Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech), Magic Johnson (Michigan State), Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and Elgin Baylor (Seattle). None of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college.

12. CONFERENCE CALL
DO pick two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four, with at least one of them advancing to the championship game.
Double your pleasure: A pair of members from the same conference frequently advance to the Final Four.

DON'T be condescending and overlook quality mid-major conference teams.
It's not a question of if but where will David defeat Goliath. There have been more than 100 Big Boy losses against members of lower-profile conferences seeded five or more places worse than the major university which is currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues. A total of 74 different lower-profile schools and current members of 23 different mid-major conferences (all but Great West, Northeast and Summit) have won such games since seeding started in 1979.

13. REGULAR-SEASON REVIEW
DO pick two of your Final Four teams from schools failing to finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
The best is yet to come for a team or two that might have been somewhat of an underachiever during the regular season. Almost half of the entrants since the field expanded to 48 in 1980 did not win outright or share a regular-season league title.

DON'T put much emphasis on comparing regular-season scores.
A striking number of NCAA champions lost at least one conference game to a team with a losing league mark. Many NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as a majority of them lost a regular-season games by a double-digit margin.

14. AT-LARGE ANSWERS
DO avoid picking an at-large team with a losing conference record to go beyond the second round.
An at-large team with a sub-.500 league mark almost never wins more than one NCAA Tournament game.

DON'T pick an at-large team compiling a mediocre record to reach the regional semifinals.
Only a handful of at-large entrants winning fewer than 60 percent of their games manage to reach the second round.

15. RACIAL PROFILING
DO pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
More often than not, at least two teams coached by African Americans reach the regional semifinals (round of 16).

DON'T pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are white athletes.
Duke had the only two teams in recent memory to win the NCAA title with white players comprising its top two point producers that season. In 1991, the two two scorers were Christian Laettner and Billy McCaffrey, who subsequently transferred to Vanderbilt. In 2010, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were Duke's top two scorers. Laettner also led the Blue Devils in scoring when they captured the 1993 crown. The only other white players ranked among the top three scorers for NCAA championship teams since the field expanded to at least 40 teams included: Randy Wittman (third for Indiana '81), Steve Alford (led Indiana '87), Kevin Pritchard (third for Kansas '88), Eric Montross (led North Carolina '93), Jeff Sheppard/Scott Padgett (first and third for Kentucky '98), Gerry McNamara (third for Syracuse '03) and Tyler Hansbrough (led North Carolina '09).

16. LAW OF AVERAGES
DO pick one "sleeper" team not ranked among the top ten in either of the final wire-service polls entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
There likely will be a Rip Van Winkle finally waking up to advance to the national final after not being ranked among the top ten in an AP final poll.

DON'T pick the national runner-up from one year to win the championship the next season.
The only three teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982), Duke (1990 and 1991) and Kentucky (1997 and 1998).

Zipped Up: Akron No Longer Among Schools With Most 20-Win Years in Row

March 5th, 2018 - 20:26

The most ardent college hoops observer probably didn't realize Akron zipped along as one of only four NCAA Division I schools posting more than 20 victories each of the previous 12 seasons. After Memphis and Pittsburgh fell off the consecutive 20-win list three seasons ago and Ohio State bowed out two years ago, the Zips posted a losing mark this campaign, leaving Gonzaga and bluebloods Duke and Kansas as the three institutions notching more than 20 triumphs more than 20 seasons in a row (including best and worst campaigns during their streaks):

School Years Coach(es) Best Record (Season) Worst Record (Season)
Kansas 29 Roy Williams and Bill Self 34-2 (1996-97) 23-10 (1998-99)
Duke 22 Mike Krzyzewski 37-2 (1998-99) 22-11 (2006-07)
Gonzaga 21 Dan Monson and Mark Few 36-1 (2016-17) 23-11 (2006-07)

Winning Ways: KU Been Jayhawking Conference Crowns For Decades

March 4th, 2018 - 9:52

It shouldn't be any surprise Kansas and Penn are accustomed to capturing conference crowns as they join Kentucky as the only three schools with 40 or more regular-season league titles. The Jayhawks are all about winning championships, collecting 61 regular-season conference titles in its illustrious history. KU's streak of 14 straight Big 12 titles, catapulting the Jayhawks to a staggering average of almost 33 victories annually over the last 12 years, enables Kansas to be atop the following list of schools with more than 25 regular-season major-college league championships:

*WKU's total is 42 if include 14 titles won in the KIAC/SIAA in the 1930s and 1940s. All current members of the SEC (except for Arkansas) previously were in the SIAA and six ACC members comprised a portion of the former alliance.

They Had Game: Ex-St. Mary's Guard 1st Muslim Actor to Win Academy Award

March 3rd, 2018 - 8:39

Kobe Bryant, who didn't study film making in college because he went straight to the NBA from high school, won an Oscar this year for "best animated short" (Dear Basketball). Last year, former Saint Mary's guard Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar won an Academy Award for his best supporting actor role as a Miami drug dealer named Juan in Moonlight. Among his credits was role as Remy Danton in House of Cards.

Previously known as Hershal Gilmore, he averaged 3.6 ppg and 1.1 rpg from 1992-93 through 1995-96 under coach Ernie Kent including 7 ppg as a senior. Said Ali: "When I graduated, I no longer thought of myself as an athlete. Honestly, I kind of resented basketball by the end of my time there. I'd see guys on the team get chewed up spat out and I was personally threatened with being shipped off to the University of Denver. All in the name of wins and productivity."

Jimmy Kimmel, host of the Oscars, is infinitely more likely to be red-carpet bombing condescending toward Conservatives than Muslims. But legendary Oscar Robertson would definitely be accurate in a rambling, self-absorbed speech to describe their game as inferior to his era. In deference to Oscar Awards, following is an alphabetical list of movie actors/directors nominees who "had game" as well-rehearsed college basketball players before becoming famous entertainers:

DAVID ADKINS, Denver
Comedian known as Sinbad had a show by that name on the Fox Network and was a lead actor in the movie Houseguest. He vaulted to TV prominence as a co-star on the hit series A Different World and later briefly hosted Vibe, a late-night talk show.

Adkins averaged 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game for Denver in his varsity career from 1974-75 through 1977-78 when the Pioneers were classified as a major-college independent. He shot at least 50% from the floor all four seasons.

LLOYD VERNET "BEAU" BRIDGES, UCLA
Actor with the hit movie Fabulous Baker Boys among his credits. He is the son of Lloyd Bridges and brother of Jeff Bridges.

The 5-9 guard averaged 0.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for UCLA's 1960-61 freshman team that compiled a 20-2 record. He was a frosh teammate of Fred Slaughter, the starting center for the Bruins' first NCAA championship team in 1964.

JIM CAVIEZEL, Bellevue (Wash.) Community College
Former Gap model played Jesus in Mel Gibson-directed The Passion of the Christ (2004) and was in Bobby Jones Stroke of Genius the same year. Also played the part of Slovnik in GI Jane (1997) with Demi Moore, Private Wit in Thin Red Line (1998), Catch in Angel Eyes (2001) with Jennifer Lopez, and Ashley Judd's husband in High Crimes (2002) with Morgan Freeman. In the TV drama Person of Interest on CBS, he played the role of Reese, a former member of the elite Special Forces who is now drinking heavily and at the end of his rope in New York City.

Bellevue coach Ernie Woods called Caviezel the hardest worker he had in 30 years. Caviezel's younger brother, Tim, played for the University of Washington, averaging 3.6 ppg in 1990-91 as a freshman and 4.2 ppg in 1991-92 as a sophomore before transferring to Long Beach State. Tim, a 6-7 swingman, subsequently transferred again to Western Washington, where Jim's wife, Kerri, ranks among the career leaders in five statistical categories for the women's basketball squad.

"Basketball taught me to train for every possible situation but always stay in the moment," Caviezel said.

CHEVY CHASE, Haverford (Pa.)
After a one-year stint on Saturday Night Live, Chevy quit to move to Los Angeles. Following mixed success in a variety of films, he became one of the biggest box-office draws in the U.S. in the 1980s with hits such as Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation. One of his popular movie roles was as "Fletch" when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers in a dream sequence.

Chase was a JV basketball and soccer player as a freshman in 1962-63 before transferring to Bard (N.Y.).

MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, Kankakee (Ill.) Community College/Alcorn State
Former bodyguard appeared in four films with Bruce Willis: Armageddon (1998; cast as Bear), Breakfast of Champions (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and Sin City (2005; cast as Manute, a powerful mobster). Breakout role occurred when he earned an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination in The Green Mile. Voiced a dog Sam in Cats & Dogs (2001) and played Colonel Attar, a gorilla, in Planet of the Apes (2001). Starred alongside his friend, The Rock, in The Scorpion King (2002) and was the criminal mastermind behemoth Kingpin in Daredevil (2003).

The 6-5 Duncan was a teammate of eventual Chicago State coach Kevin Jones with Kankakee's 31-4 squad in 1980-81 before enrolling at Alcorn State under coach Davey Whitney. An excerpt in the Braves' 1983-84 media guide said: "He adds size, speed and excellent jumping ability to the roster. A very hard worker, he'll add tremendous depth to the bench." After dropping out of college because of family problems, he spent several years digging ditches for a gas company in his hometown of Chicago. "He was a tough, physical player," Whitney told CBSSports.com. "He was undersized and didn't weigh much back then, but he was very strong and powerful. He was just tough. He'd knock guys around."

LOUIS GOSSETT JR., New York University
The son of a porter and maid, he turned to acting in high school after a leg injury temporarily impeded his hopes for a basketball career. Following his Broadway debut at 17, he attended NYU on an athletic scholarship while continuing to perform on TV and the stage. He won an Emmy in 1977 for his role in the TV miniseries Roots-Part I before winning an Oscar in 1982 as supporting actor in the box-office hit An Officer and a Gentleman.

Gossett played for NYU's freshman squad in the late 1950s.

DENNY MILLER, UCLA
Miller became the first blond Tarzan in Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959), which lifted most of its footage from earlier Johnny Weissmuller movies. "Playing Tarzan is like being in a circus," says the 6-4 Miller on his web site. "Go ride that elephant, play with that chimp, swing on that vine. It's a terrific job for a guy who grew up to be a kid." Miller was a regular on Wagon Train in the early 1960s as Duke Shannon (his name was then Scott Miller) and played Juliet Prowse's husband in the TV series Meet Mona McClusky in 1965. For years, he was the "Gorton Fisherman," appearing in numerous commercials in his yellow rain gear.

Denny (7.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg in only eight games) and his brother Kent (7.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) Miller were on the same Bruins squad in 1958-59 (16-9 record under coach John Wooden) as teammates of decathlete Rafer Johnson and eventual Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum. Denny Miller spent three years in the U.S. Army between averaging 4 ppg in 1954-55 and 3.1 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 1957-58.

PAUL ROBESON, Rutgers
World renowned orator and baritone was a 6-3, 215-pound two-way end who finally was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. Valedictorian when he graduated in 1919, learned to speak 15 languages and forge a glorious international career as a singer and actor. Earned law degree from Columbia, financing way through school by playing pro football with the Akron Pros and Milwaukee Badgers (scored two touchdowns). Robeson, son of a runaway slave, was an outspoken antifascist and champion of racial equality and socialist causes who remained enough of a supporter of the Soviet Union to get him blacklisted on Broadway. Founder of the Progressive Party played roles in 11 films and established works such as The Emperor Jones and Show Boat and became the first black to play Othello with a white cast.

Robeson was a center for Rutgers' basketball team.

LEON ROBINSON, Loyola Marymount
Goes by the stage name "Leon." He was a lover-boy idol in Waiting to Exhale, and played a similar character in Tim Reid's acclaimed Once Upon a Time ... When We Were Colored. Robinson was the ruthless killer, Kinette, in Cliffhanger and was Derice, the sweet and charming captain of the Jamaican bobsled team, in the surprise comedy hit, Cool Runnings. Leon appeared as a football teammate of Tom Cruise in All the Right Moves, and was the leading man as New York high school hoop sensation Earl (The Goat) Manigault in Above the Rim. Leon starred opposite Robin Givens in the TV mini-series, The Women of Brewster Place and was cast as Jesus in Madonna's controversial 1989 music video Like a Prayer. Received critical acclaim for his portrayal of two legendary singers in made-for-TV movies: David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations and Little Richard in the self-titled 2000 NBC production based on the life of the rock-and-roll pioneer.

Robinson lettered for the Lions in 1978-79 when he averaged 2.9 ppg and 1.4 rpg. The Bronx native also attended Orange Coast Community College (Calif.).

TOM SELLECK, Southern California
Television and movie star won an Emmy in 1984 for his work in Magnum, P.I. He had a two-year stint (1974-75) on The Young and the Restless. His big-screen career got a major boost with the box-office hit Three Men and a Baby in 1987.

Selleck was a 6-4, 200-pound forward for Southern California. After serving as captain of the basketball team at Los Angeles Valley Community College, he scored four points in seven games for the Trojans in 1965-66 and was scoreless in three games in 1966-67. Excerpt from USC's school guide: "Agile and quick performer who adds depth on front line. Business administration major is good jumper with fine mobility. Rapidly improving shooter has impressed coaches with his hustle in practice. Needs to work on defense."

RON SHELTON, Westmont (Calif.)
Writer-director is synonymous with sports movies such as The Best of Times (high school football/1986), Bull Durham (minor league baseball/1988), White Men Can't Jump (street basketball/1992), Cobb (major league baseball/1994), Blue Chips (college basketball/1994), Tin Cup (golf/1996) and Play It to the Bone (boxing/1999). One of his non-sports films, Blaze, became a personal milestone for him as he went on to marry one of the stars, Toronto-born Lolita Davidovich. In Blue Chips, actor Nick Nolte was coach Pete Bell, who broke the rules in order to get the players he needed to remain competitive. "I played pickup into my 40s, right up until the time I made White Men Can't Jump," Shelton said. "I knew the game. I just loved that world."

Shelton scored 1,420 points in the mid-1960s, finishing the 20th Century among his alma mater's top 10 career scorers. He went on to play five seasons of Organized Baseball as a second baseman in the Baltimore Orioles' minor league system.

RON TAYLOR, Southern California
Best known for his roles as Lothar in The Rocketeer (1991) and Roc in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). He also played Al, the tall police detective whose face is never seen, in The Naked Gun (1988) and on the TV series Police Squad. Nicknamed "Tiny Ron," the seven-footer also appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the role of the Hupyrian alien Maihar'du.

Three-year USC letterman in the late 1960s was a second-round choice by Seattle in the 1969 NBA draft (18th pick overall). He played three seasons in the ABA before competing professionally in Austria in the 1970s before starting his film career.

MIKE WARREN, UCLA
Television star portrayed Officer Bobby Hill on hit series Hill Street Blues. Also appeared in the following movies: The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), Heaven is a Playground (1991), Buffalo Soldiers (1997) and After All (1999).

The 5-11, 160-pound guard for UCLA averaged 16.6 points per game in 1965-66 as a sophomore, 12.7 in 1966-67 as a junior and 12.1 in 1967-68 as a senior. He was an All-NCAA Tournament selection in 1967 and 1968 when the Bruins won national titles by combining for a 59-1 record. Warren was named to Converse and Helms All-American squads as a junior. In his senior season, he was named to the 10-man United States Basketball Writers Association All-America team and was a third five selection on the Associated Press and United Press International All-American squads. Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 14th round of the 1968 NBA draft.

Excerpt from school guide: "Named on the Academic All-American first team. One of UCLA's all-time great ballhandlers as well as being an outstanding driver and jump shooter."

DENZEL WASHINGTON, Fordham
Oscar award-winning actor Denzel Washington earned rave reviews for his performance as a high school football coach in Remembering the Titans. Most Hollywood buffs remember Washington's performances as a regular on the TV drama series St. Elsewhere while becoming a critically-acclaimed screen actor and major box-office draw in the 1990s with his performances in hit films Malcolm X, The Pelican Brief, and The Preacher's Wife. The hits continued with Man on Fire (2004).

But what the most ardent moviegoer doesn't know, let alone remember, is that Washington was a walk-on freshman basketball player for Fordham under coach P.J. Carlesimo. Washington probably was acting when he said "he had game" in describing his basketball ability in an interview about his movie role as the father of the nation's No. 1 player in director Spike Lee's 1998 release He Got Game.

Cliff Clavin Factoids: Timeless Trivia Tidbits on DI Conference Tournaments

March 2nd, 2018 - 22:17

The amazing six-overtime thriller between Connecticut and Syracuse in the 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals is relatively easy to remember. But one of the most titillating tourney tidbits among all leagues that gets overlooked because the Southwest Conference is defunct remains Texas Tech's Rick Bullock singlehandedly outscoring the "Triplets" from Arkansas (Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph and Sidney Moncrief) by seven points, 44-37, when he set the SWC's single-game tournament scoring record in the 1976 semifinals.

As league tourney action commences including the Ivy League's inaugural event, don't hesitate to capitalize on the links for the current Division I conferences cited below to refresh your memory about past champions and events. Following are many of the names and numbers of note only Cliff Clavin knows regarding previous conference tournament competition you can reflect upon as teams tune up for the main event by jockeying for position in the NCAA playoff bracket:

America East - The 1989 North Atlantic Tournament was dubbed the MIT (Measles Invitational Tourney) because all spectators were banned due to a measles outbreak. Delaware competed for 17 years in the East Coast Conference and never won an ECC Tournament championship. But the Blue Hens entered the AEC predecessor, the North Atlantic, in 1992 and won their first-ever title and went to the NCAA playoffs for the initial time. They successfully defended their crown the next year before closing out the decade with another set of back-to-back tourney titles.

American Athletic - In their lone season as members of the conference, Louisville (joined ACC) routed Rutgers (Big Ten), 92-31, in 2014.

Atlantic Coast - Maryland, ranking fourth in both polls, lost in overtime against eventual NCAA champion North Carolina State, 103-100, in the 1974 final in what some believe might have been the greatest college game ever played. Three players from each team earned All-American honors during their careers - North Carolina State's David Thompson, Tom Burleson and Monte Towe plus Maryland's John Lucas, Len Elmore and Tom McMillen. The Terrapins had four players score at least 20 points - Lucas, McMillen, Owen Brown and Mo Howard - in a 20-point victory over 22-6 North Carolina (105-85) in the semifinals. The Terps, of course, didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs that year because a 32-team bracket allowing teams other than the league champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from the same conference wasn't adopted until the next season.

Atlantic Sun - Belmont hit 12 of 19 first-half shots from beyond the arc in the 2007 final against top seed East Tennessee State.

Atlantic 10 - Temple reached the tourney semifinals 19 consecutive seasons in one stretch.

Big East - St. John's doesn't seem to have any advantage at Madison Square Garden. It lost five consecutive tourney games on its homecourt by an average margin of 11.4 points from 1987 through 1991.

Big Sky - Montana, capitalizing on a homecourt advantage, overcame a jinx by winning back-to-back tournament titles in 1991 and 1992. The Grizzlies had just two losing regular-season league records from 1976 through 1990, but they didn't win the tournament title in that span, losing the championship game five times from 1978 through 1984.

Big South - The No. 1 seed won this unpredictable tourney only five times in the first 17 years. Radford failed to reach the postseason tournament final for nine years until capturing the event in 1998.

Big Ten - Illinois won as many games in the 1999 tourney as the Illini did in regular-season conference competition that season (3-13). Northwestern, en route to its initial NCAA playoff appearance, scored 31 unanswered points in the first half of a 2017 quarterfinal game against Rutgers.

Big 12 - Kansas won the first three championship games from 1997 through 1999 by at least 14 points.

Big West - Pacific didn't compile a winning league record from 1979 through 1992, but the Tigers climaxed three consecutive appearances in the tournament semifinals by advancing to the '92 championship game.

Colonial - Navy, seeded No. 8 in 1991 in its last year in the tournament before joining the Patriot League, upset top seed James Madison in overtime, 85-82, in the opening round.

Conference USA - Three of four C-USA Tournament champions from 1997 through 2000 won four games in four days. Cincinnati captured six league tournament titles in seven years from 1992 through 1998 in the Great Midwest and C-USA.

Horizon League - The first two tournament winners (Oral Roberts '80 and Oklahoma City '81) of the league's forerunner, the Midwestern City, subsequently shed Division I status and de-emphasized to the NAIA level. ORU, which also won the crown in 1984, returned to Division I status in 1993-94. Butler lost its first 12 games in the tourney until breaking into the win column in 1992.

Metro Atlantic Athletic - Eight different schools won the tournament title in an eight-year span from 1992 through 1999.

Mid-American - Bowling Green never has won the MAC Tournament. John Whorton, tourney MVP in 1999 when guiding Kent State to its initial NCAA playoff appearance, won $1.3 million with his wife in late 2016 on a NBC game show, "The Wall," created and produced by Akron native LeBron James.

Mid-Eastern Athletic - North Carolina A&T won seven consecutive titles from 1982 through 1988. The Aggies defeated Howard in the championship game each of the first six years of their streak with the middle four of them decided by a total of only 17 points.

Missouri Valley - Indiana State won only two of its next 20 MVC tourney games after All-American Larry Bird led the Sycamores to the 1979 title.

Mountain West - Not once has Air Force reached the championship game of the WAC or Mountain West.

Northeast - The final pitted the top two seeds against each other 11 times in a 13-year span from 1983 through 1995.

Ohio Valley - Former member Western Kentucky reached the championship game in eight of the OVC's first 10 tourneys. Tennessee Tech won only one tournament game from 1975 through 1992.

Pacific-12 - Arizona won the last three tourney finals from 1988 through 1990 by a minimum of 16 points before the league discontinued the event until reviving it in 2002.

Patriot League - No seed worse than third reached the championship game in the first 20 years of event from 1991 through 2010.

SEC - Seven of the 13 tourney MVPs from 1979 through 1991 didn't play for the champion. One of them, LSU's John Williams, didn't even compete in the 1986 title game. Although Kentucky standout center Alex Groza saw limited action in the 1947 tournament because of a back injury, the Wildcats cruised to victories over Vanderbilt (98-29), Auburn (84-18), Georgia Tech (75-53) and Tulane (55-38). UK was also without Converse All-American guard Jack Parkinson (serving in the military), but the five-man all-tourney team was comprised of nothing but Wildcats - forwards Jack Tingle and Joe Holland, center Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones and guards Ken Rollins and Ralph Beard. UK (24) has won more than half of the SEC's tourneys.

Southern - Furman's Jerry Martin, an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets from 1974 through 1984, was named MVP in the 1971 tournament after the 6-1 guard led the Paladins to the title with 22-, 36- and 19-point performances to pace the tourney in scoring. Two years earlier, current Davidson coach Bob McKillop scored three points for East Carolina against the Lefty Driesell-coached Wildcats in the 1969 SC Tournament championship game.

Southland - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons outscored Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, 47-6, when Lyons established a still existing single-game scoring record in the 1983 tournament quarterfinals. Malone led the SLC in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and steals (1.9 spg) that season as a freshman before going on to score more than 30,000 points in the NBA. Two years earlier, McNeese State won a first-round game after going winless in regular-season conference competition.

SWAC - Regular-season champion Grambling State lost by 50 points to Southern (105-55) in the 1987 final. An interesting twist that year was the fact Bob Hopkins, Grambling's first-year coach, had coached Southern the previous three seasons.

Summit League - The first tournament final in 1984 featured two teams with losing league records in regular-season competition (Western Illinois and Cleveland State).

Sun Belt - South Alabama's stall didn't prevent the Jaguars from losing to New Orleans, 22-20, on Nate Mills' last-second jumper in the 1978 final. The next season, the Sun Belt became the first league to experiment with a 45-second shot clock. The four different schools that accounted for the participants in six consecutive finals from 1980 through 1985 went on to join other conferences - UAB, Old Dominion, South Florida and Virginia Commonwealth. Two-time champion Charlotte also abandoned ship.

West Coast - The top two seeds didn't meet in the championship game until 2000. The most tragic moment in the history of any conference tournament occurred in the semifinals of the 1990 event at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed on his home court during the Lions' game with Portland. He died later that evening and the tournament was suspended. The Lions earned the NCAA Tournament bid because of their regular-season crown and advanced to the West Regional final behind the heroics of Bo Kimble, who was Gathers' longtime friend from Philadelphia.

Western Athletic - The tourney's biggest upset occurred in 1990 when No. 9 seed Air Force defeated No. 1 seed Colorado State in the quarterfinals, 58-51. Hawaii's Carl English, averaging 3.9 points per game as a freshman during the regular season, had a season-high 25 in a 78-72 overtime victory against host Tulsa in the 2001 final.

Shooting Stars: League Tourney Individual Single-Game Scoring Standards

March 1st, 2018 - 21:26

Do you know the individual boasting highest-scoring game in history in a major-conference postseason tournament is a gamebreaker-turned-lawbreaker? You can find him in prison serving a life sentence without parole after facing felony charges stemming from automobile hijacking, kidnapping the driver by holding a gun to his head and robbing a convenience store following a 3 1/2-year stint in prison for a probation violation. Well, it's Marshall guard Skip Henderson, who erupted for 55 points in the 1988 Southern Conference quarterfinals against The Citadel. Marshall (also C-USA) and Texas Tech (Big 12 and SWC) are the only schools to have two players hold existing league tourney scoring marks in two different NCAA Division I alliances.

Three mid-major leagues - America East (twice after three-time MVP Jameel Warney's 18-of-22 field-goal shooting last year for Stony Brook), Big Sky and Summit - provide the only players setting existing NCAA DI conference tournament scoring marks in a tourney final. All-Americans Lennie Rosenbluth (North Carolina) and Cliff Hagan (Kentucky) accounted for the two of following DI league tourney scoring standards (ACC and SEC) standing since the 1950s:

Conference Round Record Holder School HG Opponent Date
America East Final Taylor Coppenrath Vermont 43 Maine 3-13-04
America East Final Jameel Warney Stony Brook 43 Vermont 3-12-16
American Athletic Semifinal Russ Smith Louisville 42 Houston 3-14-14
Atlantic Coast Quarterfinal Lennie Rosenbluth North Carolina 45 Clemson 3-7-57
Atlantic Sun Quarterfinal Reggie Gibbs Houston Baptist 43 Georgia Southern 3-7-89
Atlantic 10 Quarterfinal Tom Garrick Rhode Island 50 Rutgers 3-7-88
Big East Quarterfinal Donyell Marshall Connecticut 42 St. John's 3-11-94
Big Eight Quarterfinal Eric Piatkowski Nebraska 42 Oklahoma 3-11-94
Big Sky Final Anthony Johnson Montana 42 Weber State 3-11-10
Big Sky Quarterfinal Tyler Harvey Eastern Washington 42 Idaho 3-12-15
Big South Quarterfinal Chris Clemons Campbell 51 UNC Asheville 3-2-17
Big Ten First Michael Thompson Northwestern 35 Minnesota 3-10-11
Big 12 First Mike Singletary Texas Tech 43 Texas A&M 3-11-09
Big West First Josh Akognon Cal State Fullerton 37 UC Riverside 3-11-09
Colonial Semifinal Marcus Thornton William & Mary 37 Hofstra 3-8-15
C-USA Quarterfinal DeAndre Kane Marshall 40 Tulsa 3-8-12
Horizon League Semifinal Byron Larkin Xavier 45 Loyola of Chicago 2-28-86
Metro Atlantic Quarterfinal Kevin Houston Army 53 Fordham 2-28-87
Mid-American Semifinal Ron Harper Miami (Ohio) 45 Ball State 3-8-85
Mid-Eastern Athletic First Round Richard Toussaint Bethune-Cookman 49 Morgan State 3-11-03
Missouri Valley Quarterfinal Hersey Hawkins Bradley 41 Indiana State 3-5-88
Mountain West Semifinal Jimmer Fredette Brigham Young 52 New Mexico 3-11-11
Northeast Quarterfinal Rahsaan Johnson Monmouth 40 St. Francis (N.Y.) 3-3-00
Ohio Valley Quarterfinal Bubba Wells Austin Peay 43 Morehead State 2-25-97
Pac-12 Quarterfinal Klay Thompson Washington State 43 Washington 3-10-11
Patriot League Semifinal Rob Feaster Holy Cross 43 Navy 3-5-94
Patriot League Quarterfinal Mark Lueking Army 43 Bucknell 3-4-95
Southeastern Semifinal Cliff Hagan Kentucky 42 Tennessee 3-1-52
Southeastern Quarterfinal Melvin Turpin Kentucky 42 Georgia 3-8-84
Southern Quarterfinal James "Skip" Henderson Marshall 55 The Citadel 3-4-88
Southland Quarterfinal Kenneth Lyons North Texas 47 Louisiana Tech 3-10-83
Southwest Semifinal Rick Bullock Texas Tech 44 Arkansas 3-5-76
Southwestern Athletic TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
Summit League Final Bill Edwards Wright State 38 Illinois-Chicago 3-8-93
Sun Belt Quarterfinal Dee Brown Jacksonville 41 Old Dominion 3-3-90
West Coast Quarterfinal Tim Owens San Francisco 45 Loyola Marymount 3-2-91
Western Athletic Quarterfinal Mike Jones Texas Christian 44 Fresno State 3-6-97

NOTE: Scoring outbursts by Fredette (Mountain West), Garrick (Atlantic 10), Gibbs (Atlantic Sun), Harper (Mid-American), Henderson (Southern), Houston (Metro Atlantic Athletic), Johnson (Big Sky), Lyons (Southland) and Piatkowski (Big Eight) are also existing school single-game standards. Warney's output is highest for Stony Brook at DI level.

On This Date: March Calendar of Best Games in NCAA Basketball History

March 1st, 2018 - 6:48

Existing single-game rebounding records for San Francisco (Bill Russell) and Santa Clara (Ken Sears) were set on the same day in West Coast Conference competition in 1955. In another oddity, Yale's single-game scoring and rebounding marks against a major-college opponent were established in the same game against Harvard in 1956. Following is a day-by-day calendar citing memorable moments in March major-college basketball history:

MARCH
1 - Kentucky's Cliff Hagan (42 points vs. Georgia in 1952 semifinals) set SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . New Hampshire's Matt Alosa (39 vs. Hartford in opening round of 1996 North Atlantic Conference Tournament at Newark, DE), Saint Louis' Anthony Bonner (45 at Loyola of Chicago in overtime in 1990), Southern Illinois' Dick Garrett (46 vs. Centenary in 1968) and Southern Utah's Davor Marcelic (43 at Cal State Northridge in 1991) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Larry Jeffries (40 vs. Abilene Christian in 1969) had highest-scoring game for Trinity TX in season when school made its lone NCAA DI Tournament appearance. . . . In 1952, Penn State and Pittsburgh combined for only nine field-goal attempts (fewest in a game since 1938). . . . North Carolina State ended South Carolina's school-record 32-game winning streak (43-24 in 1934) and Southern Methodist's school-record 44-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Texas A&M (43-42 in 1958). . . . East Tennessee State's Tommy Woods (38 vs. Middle Tennessee State in 1965) and Holy Cross' Tom Heinsohn (42 vs. Boston College in 1956) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Chris Collier (23 vs. Centenary in 1990) set Georgia State's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
2 - Junior forward Ralph Jukkola became the only LSU teammate to outscore NCAA all-time leading scorer Pete Maravich in a regular-season game (22-17 in 74-71 loss at Tennessee in 1968) when Pistol was limited to fewer than 20 points for the lone time in college. Jukkola averaged 9.1 ppg in his three-year varsity career compared to Maravich's lofty mark of 44.2 ppg. . . . Campbell's Chris Clemons (51 points vs. UNC Asheville in 2017 Big South quarterfinals) and San Francisco's Tim Owens (45 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1991 WCC quarterfinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Colgate's Jonathan Stone (52 vs. Brooklyn in 1992), McNeese State's Michael Cutright (51 at Stephen F. Austin in double overtime in 1989), New Mexico's Marvin Johnson (50 vs. Colorado State in 1978) and Southern Methodist's Gene Phillips (51 at Texas in 1971) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Johnson's output is also a Western Athletic Conference record in league competition. . . . Oklahoma tied an NCAA single-game record by converting all 34 of its free-throw attempts (against Iowa State in 2013). . . . Penn State's school-record 45-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Penn (85-79 in 1955). . . . Jameel Warney (23 vs. UMBC in 2016 America East Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set Stony Brook's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
3 - Jacksonville's Dee Brown (41 points vs. Old Dominion in 1990 quarterfinals) set Sun Belt Conference Tournament single-game scoring record and Monmouth's Rahsaan Johnson (40 vs. St. Francis NY in 2000 quarterfinals) set Northeast Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Drake's Philip "Red" Murrell (51 vs. Houston in overtime in 1958), Lafayette's Bobby Mantz (47 vs. Wilkes College PA in 1958), Maine's Jim Stephenson (54 vs. Colby in 1969), Robert Morris' Gene Nabors (38 vs. St. Francis PA in 2000 Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Trenton, NJ), St. John's Bob Zawoluk (65 vs. St. Peter's in 1950), Santa Clara's Carlos "Bud" Ogden (55 at Pepperdine in 1967), Temple's Bill Mlkvy (73 at Wilkes College PA in 1951), Tulsa's Willie Biles (48 vs. Wichita State in 1973) and UNLV's Trevor Diggs (49 vs. Wyoming in 2001) set school single-game scoring records. Diggs' output is also a Mountain West Conference record in league competition. . . . Florida State's Al Thornton (45 vs. Miami in 2007) and Tennessee-Martin's Lester Hudson (42 vs. Tennessee Tech in 2009) set school single-game scoring records against a Division I opponent. . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 800 victories the fastest with a 90-86 win at Auburn in 1969 (974 games in 37th season). . . . Army's Todd Mattson (24 vs. Holy Cross in 1990), Delaware State's Kendall Gray (30 vs. Coppin State in 2015), Iowa's Chuck Darling (30 vs. Wisconsin in 1952) and Minnesota's Larry Mikan (28 vs. Michigan in 1970) set school single-game rebounding records.
4 - Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 points at Texas-San Antonio in 1989), Marshall's Skip Henderson (55 vs. The Citadel in 1988 Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Asheville, NC) and Montana State's Tom Storm (44 vs. Portland State in 1967) set school single-game scoring records against NCAA Division I opponents. Henderson's output is also a Southern Conference Tournament single-game record. . . . Army's Mark Lueking (43 vs. Bucknell in 1995 quarterfinals) tied Patriot League Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Villanova's school-record 72-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by St. Francis PA (70-64 in 1958). . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (35 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1955) and Santa Clara's Ken Sears (30 vs. Pacific in 1955) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Collis Jones (25 vs. Western Michigan in 1971) set Notre Dame's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent. . . . One of the most tragic moments in college basketball history occurred in semifinals of 1990 West Coast Conference Tournament at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed and died on his homecourt during the Lions' game with Portland.
5 - Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (41 points vs. Indiana State in 1988 Missouri Valley quarterfinals), Holy Cross' Rob Feaster (43 vs. Navy in 1994 Patriot League semifinals) and Texas Tech's Rick Bullock (44 vs. Arkansas in 1976 SWC semifinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Cal State Northridge's Mike O'Quinn (39 vs. Eastern Washington in overtime in 1998 Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals at Northern Arizona), Cornell's George Farley (47 at Princeton in 1960), Michigan's Cazzie Russell (48 vs. Northwestern in 1966), Minnesota's Eric Magdanz (42 at Michigan in 1962) and Wichita State's Antoine Carr (47 vs. Southern Illinois in 1983) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Carnegie Tech's Melvin Cratsley set Eastern Intercollegiate Conference single-game scoring record with 34 points vs. West Virginia in 1938. . . . Boston University's Kevin Thomas (34 vs. Boston College in 1958), Delaware State's Kendall Gray (30 vs. Coppin State in 2015), Pacific's Keith Swagerty (39 vs. UC Santa Barbara in 1965) and Saint Louis' Jerry Koch (38 vs. Bradley in 1954) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Baylor's Jerome Lambert (26 vs. Southern Methodist in 1994) and Wyoming's Leon Clark (24 vs. Arizona in 1966) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
6 - Texas Christian's Mike Jones (44 points vs. Fresno State in 1997 quarterfinals) set WAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Duquesne's Ron Guziak (50 vs. St. Francis PA at Altoona in 1968), Fairfield's George Groom (41 vs. Assumption MA in 1972), Minnesota's Ollie Shannon (42 vs. Wisconsin in 1971), Missouri's Joe Scott (46 vs. Nebraska in 1961) and Sam Houston State's Senecca Wall (45 vs. Texas-Arlington in double overtime in 2001 Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Ohio State set an NCAA single-game record by making 14 consecutive three-point field-goal attempts (against Wisconsin in 2011).
7 - North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth (45 points vs. Clemson in 1957 ACC quarterfinals) and Longwood's Michael Kessens (36 vs. VMI in 2013 Big South quarterfinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 vs. Georgia Southern in 1989 TAAC Tournament quarterfinals), Lehigh's Daren Queenan (49 vs. Bucknell in double overtime in 1987 ECC Tournament semifinals at Towson State), Notre Dame's Austin Carr (61 vs. Ohio University in first round of 1970 NCAA Tournament Mideast Regional) and Rhode Island's Tom Garrick (50 vs. Rutgers in 1988 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament quarterfinals at West Virginia) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Carr's output is also an NCAA playoff single-game record and outputs by Garrick and Gibbs are single-game records in respective league tourneys. . . . Oklahoma State center Arlen Clark established an NCAA standard for most successful free throws in a game without a miss when he converted all 24 of his foul shots against Colorado in 1959. . . . In 1928, Butler beat Notre Dame, 21-13, in inaugural game at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. at the time and retained that distinction until 1950.
8 - Marshall's DeAndre Kane (40 points vs. Tulsa in 2012 C-USA quarterfinals), William & Mary's Marcus Thornton (37 vs. Hofstra in double overtime in 2015 CAA semifinals) and Wright State's Bill Edwards (38 vs. Illinois-Chicago in 1993 Summit League final) set conference tournament single-game scoring records and Kentucky's Melvin Turpin (42 vs. Georgia in 1984 quarterfinals) tied SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Harvard's Brady Merchant (45 vs. Brown in 2003), Miami of Ohio's Ron Harper (45 vs. Ball State in 1985 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals) and Vanderbilt's Tom Hagan (44 at Mississippi State in 1969) set school single-game scoring records. Harper's output is also a MAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Brown's Gerry Alaimo (26 vs. Rhode Island in 1958) and Georgia's Bob Lienhard (29 vs. Louisiana State in 1969) set school single-game rebounding records against a Division I opponent.
9 - Greg Ballard (43 points at Oral Roberts in 1977 NIT first round) set Oregon's single-game scoring record. . . . Marcus Mann (28 vs. Jackson State in 1996) set Mississippi Valley State's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
10 - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons (47 points vs. Louisiana Tech in 1983 Southland quarterfinals), Northwestern's Michael Thompson (35 vs. Minnesota in 2011 Big Ten opening round) and Washington State's Klay Thompson (43 vs. Washington in 2011 Pac-12 quarterfinals) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. Lyons' output is also a school single-game scoring record. . . . Paul Williams (45 at Southern California in 1983) set Arizona State's single-game scoring record. . . . John Lee (41 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Lamar's school-record 80-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Louisiana Tech (68-65 in 1984 SLC Tournament). . . . Ed Robinson (32 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game rebounding record.
11 - Connecticut's Donyell Marshall (42 points vs. St. John's in 1994 Big East quarterfinals), Texas Tech's Mike Singletary (43 vs. Texas A&M in 2009 Big 12 opening round), Cal State Fullerton's Josh Akognon (37 vs. UC Riverside in 2009 Big West opening round) and Bethune-Cookman's Richard Toussaint (49 vs. Morgan State in 2003 MEAC first round) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. . . . Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (52 vs. New Mexico in 2011 Mountain West Tournament semifinals at Las Vegas), Montana's Anthony Johnson (42 at Weber State in 2010 Big Sky Tournament final) and Nebraska's Eric Piatkowski (42 vs. Oklahoma in 1994 Big Eight Tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City) set school single-game scoring records. Outputs for Fredette, Johnson and Piatkowski are also single-game scoring records in their respective conference tourneys. . . . Quinton Hooker (38 vs. Weber State in 2016 Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinals) set North Dakota scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Indiana (95) and Michigan (57) combined for an NCAA single-game record of 152 rebounds in 1961. Walt Bellamy (33) set IU's individual rebounding record in the contest.
12 - Bradley's Bob Carney set NCAA Tournament single-game record by converting 23 free-throw attempts (against Colorado in 1954 regional semifinals). . . . Stony Brook's Jameel Warney (43 points vs. Vermont in 2016 America East final) and Eastern Washington's Tyler Harvey (42 vs. Idaho in 2015 Big Sky quarterfinals at Montana) tied conference tournament scoring marks. Warney's output is also a school standard since moving up to NCAA Division I level. . . . DePaul's George Mikan (53 vs. Rhode Island State in 1945 NIT semifinals), Fairleigh Dickinson's Elijah Allen (43 vs. Connecticut in 1998 NCAA Tournament first round) and Navy's David Robinson (50 vs. Michigan in first round of 1987 NCAA Tournament East Regional) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Syracuse outlasted Connecticut, 127-117, in six overtimes in 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals in longest postseason game in NCAA history.
13 - Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath (43 points vs. Maine in 2004 final) set America East Conference Tournament single-game scoring record.
14 - Louisville's Russ Smith (42 points vs. Houston in 2014 semifinals) set American Athletic Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. Smith's output also set a school mark for most points against a major-college opponent.
15 - Andrew Goudelock (39 points vs. Dayton in 2011 NIT first round) set College of Charleston's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent.
16 - Kentucky's Kenny Walker (11-of-11 vs. Western Kentucky in 1986 second round) became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make all of more than 10 field-goal attempts in a single playoff game. . . . Temple's Fred Cohen (34 vs. Connecticut in 1956 NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals) set a school and NCAA Tournament single-game rebounding record. . . . Nate Thurmond (31 vs. Mississippi State in 1963 Mideast Regional third-place game) set Bowling Green's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
17 - Texas' Travis Mays (23-of-27 vs. Georgia in 1990 first round) tied NCAA Tournament single-game record for most free-throws made. . . . Maurice Stokes (43 points vs. Dayton in 1955 NIT semifinals) set Saint Francis (PA) single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . In 1939, Villanova defeated Brown, 42-30, in the first NCAA Tournament game ever played. . . . Al Inniss (37 vs. Lafayette in 1956 NIT first round) set St. Francis NY single-game rebounding record.
18 - Loyola Marymount's Jeff Fryer (11 three-pointers vs. Michigan in 1990 second round) became the only player in NCAA playoff history to make more than 10 three-point field-goals in a single playoff game.
19 - Louisiana State's Shaquille O'Neal (11 rejections vs. Brigham Young in 1992 first round) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most blocked shots.
20 - Duke's Mike Krzyzewski passed North Carolina's Dean Smith (65 victories) for the most coaching wins in NCAA Tournament history with a 63-55 second-round triumph against Mississippi State in 2005. . . . Michigan State's Adrien Payne (17-for-17 from free-throw line vs. Delaware in 2014 opener) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most successful foul shots without a miss. . . . UCLA's Gail Goodrich (18 vs. Michigan in 1965 championship game) set Final Four single-game record for most free throws made.
21 - UNC Wilmington's John Goldsberry became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make as many as eight three-pointers without a miss in single playoff game (against Maryland in 2003 first round).
22 - The only time in major-college history two undefeated major colleges met in a national postseason tournament was the 1939 NIT final between Loyola of Chicago and Long Island University (LIU won, 44-32). . . . University of Chicago ended Penn's school-record 31-game winning streak (28-24 in 1920) and LIU ended Seton Hall's school-record 41-game winning streak (49-26 in 1941 NIT semifinals).
23 - Hal Lear (48 points vs. Southern Methodist in 1956 NCAA Tournament third-place game) set Temple's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (27 vs. Iowa in 1956 championship game) set Final Four record for most rebounds.
24 - Askia Jones (62 points vs. Fresno State in 1994 NIT quarterfinals) set Kansas State's single-game scoring record. . . . Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox (39 vs. UCLA in 2017 South Regional semifinal) set NCAA Tournament scoring record by a freshman.
25 - Eventual 10-year N.L. OF Frankie Baumholtz scored a team-high 19 points for Ohio University in 1941 NIT final defeat against LIU.
26 - UCLA's Bill Walton (44 points vs. Memphis State in 1973) set NCAA Tournament championship game scoring record by sinking a Final Four standard 21-of-22 field-goal attempts (95.5%). . . . DePaul's Mark Aguirre (34 vs. Penn in 1979 national third-place game) set Final Four scoring record by a freshman.
28 - UNLV's Mark Wade (18 vs. Indiana in 1987 national semifinals) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most assists. Teammate Freddie Banks established Final Four mark for most three-point field goals with 10. . . . North Carolina's Al Wood (39 points vs. Virginia in 1981) set scoring record for NCAA Tournament national semifinal game.
30 - Princeton's Bill Bradley (58 points vs. Wichita State in 1965 NCAA Tournament national third-place game) and Siena's Doremus Bennerman (51 vs. Kansas State in 1994 NIT third-place game at Madison Square Garden) set school single-game scoring records. Bradley's output was the highest in any Final Four contest.
31 - Villanova made Final Four-record 18 three-pointers (2018 national semifinals vs. Kansas). . . . Kansas' Jeff Withey (7 rejections vs. Ohio State in 2012 national semifinals) set record for most blocked shots in a Final Four game since they became an official statistic.

Memorable Moments in February College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in January College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in December College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in November College Basketball History

Senior Celebrations: Pensive Parents Have Vital Things They Need to Know

February 28th, 2018 - 20:37

Naturally, parental pride displayed from coast to coast during Senior Night or Day the end of February and early March doesn't necessarily need to stem from athletics. Amid proper priorities, your child didn't have to be the best but he had to try his level best.

A parent knows life goes on after the anticipation of a senior salute. But how can a mom and dad express appreciation for all of the memories shared together?

Adding sports as a factor for authentic student-athletes makes the lessons-learned equation more complex. Culminating at bittersweet senior celebration, it takes a significant amount of resilience to endure withdrawal from all of the devotion and emotion, last-second decisive shots, motivational talks coping with occasional slump, chance to dance in postseason competition, title dream dashed in close contest, team awards banquet, etc., etc., etc.

Who would have thought the first time he picked up a ball that he would make such a difference and stand so tall? Reflecting on all they've experienced, the parent is fortunate to still have a pulse whether their offspring is a walk-on or team standout.

It's easy enough to substitute girl for boy in the following poem portraying a parent trying to come to terms with an impending spread-their-wings departure; whether it be from high school to college or from college to the "real world." These reflections might be therapeutic if you went through a similar range of emotions amid whatever success your own flesh and blood enjoyed along the way.

Lord, there's a little thing I need to know
Where in the world did my little boy go?
Perplexed from time to time but one thing I know today
I'm a proud parent beyond words; what more can I say
Kids go through stages but not with this sort of speed
It was only yesterday he was unable to read
Wasn't it just months ago he went from crawl to walk
Hard-headed as a mule; certainly knew how to balk
Took one day at a time raising him the very best we could
Now inspires those around him just like we believed he would
High achiever turning a corner in his life
He has got what it takes to cope with any strife
Can't carry a tune but set school shooting star records
Now, the game-of-life clock dwindles from minutes to seconds
So angels above please watch over him daily
Although some of his antics may drive you crazy
He represents everything that I value the most
For that very reason, I'm offering a toast
But if he feels sorry for himself and about to give up
Do not hesitate to give him a gentle kick in the rump
Remembering what I did wrong but at least a couple things right
Always said you could do it; just try with all your might
I just yearn to see all of his grandest plans come true
God, it's my turn to have a great commission for You
Be with him, bless him and give him nothing but success
Aid his climb up that mountain; settle for nothing less
Guide his steps in the dark and rain
Pick up the pieces and ease any pain
Time to share our best with the remainder of the world
It is much like having a family flag unfurled
How can a once infant son make grown man cry
Groping for right words trying to say goodbye
To me, he'll always be a pure and spotless lamb
Cradled in our arms or holding his little hand
If I was Elton John, I'd tell everyone this is "Your Poem"
Simply sing how wonderful life was with you in our home
My soul swells with pride at any mention of you
How long gone are you going to be; wish I knew
Sure don't believe it is at all out of line
To seek to rebound for you just one more time
Although you're going to be many miles away
I will see you in my heart each and every day
So go down that windy path; don't you dare look back
You've found faith; it will keep you on the right track
He's headed for real world and all it offers
But first, here are your final marching orders
Always do the very best you possibly can
Refuse to lose even when you don't understand
There's no telling the goals you will be able to reach
By giving proper respect to instructors who teach
Aspire each and every day you wake
Not to waste a single breath you take
Might as well let all of your ability show
Because those gifts turn to dust whenever you "go"
Don't bury your talents in the ground
Lend helping hand to those you're around
I'll never forget the times when you were all you could be
Rose to the occasion and sent playoff game to OT
Cherish all the moments - the hugs and tears
For all your passion play through these years
My little guy is bound far beyond a Final Four
Poised for more success; prosperity at his door
All things are possible; he has found out
How much I love him is what I'm thinking about
Wherever you go, you'll be best from beginning to end
To that most truthful statement, I say Amen and Amen
After Senior Night, I'll stroll into your off-limits room
Try to keep my composure when it seems like doom and gloom
You will always be on my mind
But nothing like gut-wrenching time
When I ask the Lord a big thing I need to know
Where in His big world will His maturing man go?

Generation Hex: Scrutiny on Miller After Altman and Few Reached Final Four

February 25th, 2018 - 10:26

After Gonzaga's Mark Few (in 18th tourney appearance) and Oregon's Dana Altman (13th) reached the Final Four for first time in their careers last season, the microscope focused on Notre Dame's Mike Brey as the best active power-league coach participating in more than 10 tourneys never to reach the national semifinals. Brey's chances of advancing to Final Four this year went up in smoke when potential national player of the year Bonzie Colson missed majority of campaign because of fractured left foot. Brey is in same AWOL category with all-time greats John Chaney, Lefty Driesell, Gene Keady and Norm Stewart - four retired luminaries failing to advance to the national semifinals in a total of 64 NCAA Tournaments. "It's so difficult not being able to make that final step," said Chaney, who lost five regional finals with Temple.

Driesell made 11 NCAA playoff appearances with Davidson and Maryland from 1966 through 1986. "I always wanted to get to the Final Four, but not as much as some people think," said Driesell, who lost four regional finals. "I'm not obsessed with it."

Only four schools - North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown and Syracuse - supplied more NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans from 1982 through 1992 than Stewart-coached Missouri (seven). It must have been particularly frustrating for Mizzou fans when the Tigers compiled a 4-8 NCAA tourney worksheet in that span.

But some mentors never will receive the accolades they deserve because of failing to reach the Promised Land, including maligned Dave Bliss, who resurfaced as coach of an NAIA school in Texas. There were 100,000 reasons Sean Miller was expected to join this dubious list in 2017-18 after dismal first-round loss against Buffalo despite bringing freshman phenom Deandre Ayton to Arizona in some form or fashion (cause or no cause). Miller may need a safe space on campus to curl up in a fetal position depending upon content of a FBI recording, but the following "Generation Hex" list includes prominent coaches without a Final Four berth on their resume despite more than 10 NCAA Tournament appearances:

Coach NCAA Tourneys Playoff Record (Pct.) Closest to Reaching Final Four
Gene Keady 18 19-18 (.514) regional runner-up with Purdue in 1994 and 2000
John Chaney 17 23-17 (.575) regional runner-up with Temple five times (1988-91-93-99-01)
Fran Dunphy 16 3-16 (.158) won three opening-round games with Penn and Temple (1994, 2011 and 2013)
Norm Stewart 16 12-16 (.429) regional runner-up with Missouri in 1976 and 1994
Mike Brey 14 13-14 (.481) regional runner-up with Notre Dame in 2015 and 2016
Lefty Driesell 13 16-14 (.533) regional runner-up four times with Davidson and Maryland (1968-69-73-75)
Dave Bliss 11 8-11 (.421) regional semifinals with Oklahoma in 1979
Pete Carril 11 4-11 (.267) won two games with Princeton in 1983
Gale Catlett 11 7-11 (.389) regional semifinals with West Virginia in 1998
Tom Davis 11 18-11 (.621) regional runner-up with Boston College in 1982 and Iowa in 1987
Mark Gottfried 11 10-11 (.476) regional final with Alabama in 2004
Tom Penders 11 12-11 (.522) regional final with Texas in 1990

Maintaining Order: Kansas Extends Streak of Consecutive Conference Crowns

February 25th, 2018 - 8:11

Kansas surpassed UCLA for most consecutive regular-season conference championships with 14. The Jayhawks had four ties in that span while all of the Bruins' titles were undisputed. Sterling Big 12 Conference track record of titles under coach Bill Self was assembled while surviving the loss of 17 undergraduates in the previous 11 NBA drafts - 2007 (Julian Wright), 2008 (Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush), 2010 (Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry), 2011 (Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris and Josh Selby), 2012 (Thomas Robinson), 2013 (Ben McLemore), 2014 (Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins), 2015 (Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre Jr.), 2016 (Cheick Diallo) and 2017 (Josh Jackson).

UCLA's streak of 13 straight undisputed league titles from 1967 through 1979, divided among three coaches, is considered one of the foremost achievements in NCAA history. Kansas' regular-season league losses in the last 14 seasons came against Baylor (two), Iowa State (five), Kansas State (five), Missouri (four), Oklahoma (four), Oklahoma State (eight), Texas (four), Texas A&M (one), Texas Christian (one), Texas Tech (four) and West Virginia (four).

Jerry Tarkanian was coach for two of the schools boasting the longest league streaks (Long Beach State and UNLV). Following is a summary of the eight schools securing at least eight straight regular-season league titles:

Kansas (14 in Big 12; 212-44 league record from 2004-05 through 2017-18)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coach Overall Mark
2004-05 12-4 Wayne Simien (20.3) Wayne Simien (11) Bill Self 23-7
2005-06 13-3 Brandon Rush (13.5) Brandon Rush (5.9) Bill Self 25-8
2006-07 14-2 Brandon Rush (13.8) Julian Wright (7.8) Bill Self 33-5
2007-08 13-3 Brandon Rush (13.3) Darnell Jackson (6.7) Bill Self 37-3
2008-09 14-2 Sherron Collins (18.9) Cole Aldrich (11.1) Bill Self 27-8
2009-10 15-1 Sherron Collins (15.5) Cole Aldrich (9.8) Bill Self 33-3
2010-11 14-2 Marcus Morris (17.2) Markieff Morris (8.3) Bill Self 35-3
2011-12 16-2 Thomas Robinson (17.7) Thomas Robinson (11.9) Bill Self 32-7
2012-13 14-4 Ben McLemore (15.9) Jeff Withey (8.5) Bill Self 31-6
2013-14 14-4 Andrew Wiggins (17.1) Joel Embiid (8.1) Bill Self 25-10
2014-15 13-5 Perry Ellis (13.8) Perry Ellis (6.9) Bill Self 27-9
2015-16 15-3 Perry Ellis (16.3) Perry Ellis (6.1) Bill Self 33-5
2016-17 16-2 Frank Mason III (20.9) Landen Lucas (8.0) Bill Self 31-5
2017-18 13-5 Devonte' Graham (17.6) Udoka Azubuike (7.1) Bill Self TBD

NOTE: Kansas tied Oklahoma in 2004-05, Texas in 2005-06 and 2007-08 and Kansas State in 2012-13.

UCLA (13 in Pacific-8/10; 171-15 league record from 1966-67 through 1978-79)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coaches Overall Mark
1966-67 14-0 Lew Alcindor (29 ppg) Lew Alcindor (15.5 rpg) John Wooden 30-0
1967-68 14-0 Lew Alcindor (26.2) Lew Alcindor (16.5) John Wooden 29-1
1968-69 13-1 Lew Alcindor (24) Lew Alcindor (14.6) John Wooden 29-1
1969-70 12-2 Sidney Wicks (18.6) Sidney Wicks (11.9) John Wooden 28-2
1970-71 14-0 Sidney Wicks (21.3) Sidney Wicks (12.8) John Wooden 29-1
1971-72 14-0 Bill Walton (21.1) Bill Walton (15.5) John Wooden 30-0
1972-73 14-0 Bill Walton (20.4) Bill Walton (16.9) John Wooden 30-0
1973-74 12-2 Bill Walton (19.3) Bill Walton (14.7) John Wooden 26-4
1974-75 12-2 David Meyers (18.3) David Meyers (7.9) John Wooden 28-3
1975-76 12-2 Richard Washington (20.1) Marques Johnson (9.4) Gene Bartow 27-5
1976-77 11-3 Marques Johnson (21.4) Marques Johnson (11.1) Gene Bartow 24-5
1977-78 14-0 David Greenwood (17.5) David Greenwood (11.4) Gary Cunningham 25-3
1978-79 15-3 David Greenwood (19.9) David Greenwood (10.3) Gary Cunningham 25-5

Gonzaga (11 in West Coast; 143-15 league record from 2000-01 through 2010-11)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coach Overall Mark
2000-01 13-1 Casey Calvary (19) Casey Calvary (6.7) Mark Few 26-7
2001-02 13-1 Dan Dickau (21) Cory Violette (8.3) Mark Few 29-4
2002-03 12-2 Blake Stepp (18) Cory Violette (8) Mark Few 24-9
2003-04 14-0 Ronny Turiaf (15.5) Cory Violette (8.2) Mark Few 28-3
2004-05 12-2 Adam Morrison (19) Ronny Turiaf (9.5) Mark Few 26-5
2005-06 14-0 Adam Morrison (28.1) J.P. Batista (9.4) Mark Few 29-4
2006-07 11-3 Derek Raivio (18) Josh Heytvelt (7.7) Mark Few 23-11
2007-08 13-1 Matt Bouldin (12.6) Josh Heytvelt (4.9) Mark Few 25-8
2008-09 14-0 Josh Heytvelt (14.9) Austin Daye (6.8) Mark Few 28-6
2009-10 12-2 Matt Bouldin (15.6) Elias Harris (7.1) Mark Few 27-7
2010-11 11-3 Steven Gray (13.9) Robert Sacre (6.3) Mark Few 25-10

NOTE: Gonzaga tied Pepperdine in 2001-02 and Saint Mary's in 2010-11.

Connecticut (10 in Yankee; 71-8 league record from 1950-51 through 1959-60)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coach Overall Mark
1950-51 6-1 Vin Yokabaskas (15.5) William Ebel (9) Hugh Greer 22-4
1951-52 6-1 Vin Yokabaskas (16.8) Burr Carlson (14.5) Hugh Greer 20-7
1952-53 5-1 Art Quimby (16.7) Art Quimby (20.5) Hugh Greer 17-4
1953-54 7-0 Art Quimby (16.3) Art Quimby (22.6) Hugh Greer 23-3
1954-55 7-0 Art Quimby (23.2) Art Quimby (24.4) Hugh Greer 20-5
1955-56 6-1 Gordon Ruddy (16.6) unavailable Hugh Greer 17-11
1956-57 8-0 Bob Osborne (15.6) Al Cooper (11.8) Hugh Greer 17-8
1957-58 10-0 Jack Rose (13) Al Cooper (11) Hugh Greer 17-10
1958-59 8-2 Jack Rose (16) Ed Martin (12.1) Hugh Greer 17-7
1959-60 8-2 John Pipczynski (15.2) Walt Griffin (11.5) Hugh Greer 17-9

UNLV (10 in PCAA/Big West; 165-13 league record from 1982-83 through 1991-92)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coach Overall Mark
1982-83 15-1 Sidney Green (22.1) Sidney Green (11.9) Jerry Tarkanian 28-3
1983-84 16-2 Richie Adams (12.7) Richie Adams (6.7) Jerry Tarkanian 29-6
1984-85 17-1 Richie Adams (15.8) Richie Adams (7.9) Jerry Tarkanian 28-4
1985-86 16-2 Anthony Jones (18) Armon Gilliam (8.5) Jerry Tarkanian 33-5
1986-87 18-0 Armon Gilliam (23.2) Armon Gilliam (9.3) Jerry Tarkanian 37-2
1987-88 15-3 Gerald Paddio (19.4) Jarvis Basnight (6.9) Jerry Tarkanian 28-6
1988-89 16-2 David Butler (15.4) Stacey Augmon (7.4) Jerry Tarkanian 29-8
1989-90 16-2 Larry Johnson (20.6) Larry Johnson (11.4) Jerry Tarkanian 35-5
1990-91 18-0 Larry Johnson (22.7) Larry Johnson (10.9) Jerry Tarkanian 34-1
1991-92 18-0 J.R. Rider (20.7) Elmore Spencer (8.1) Jerry Tarkanian 26-2

NOTE: UNLV tied New Mexico State in 1989-90.

Idaho State (eight in Rocky Mountain; 76-4 league record from 1952-53 through 1959-60)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coach Overall Mark
1952-53 10-0 Les Roh (16.6) unavailable Steve Belko 18-7
1953-54 9-1 Les Roh (17.1) unavailable Steve Belko 22-5
1954-55 9-1 Les Roh (21.7) unavailable Steve Belko 18-8
1955-56 9-1 Les Roh (20.8) unavailable Steve Belko 18-8
1956-57 12-0 Jim Rodgers (15) Jack Allain (12.5) John Grayson 25-4
1957-58 10-0 Lloyd Harris (14.7) LeRoy Bacher (9) John Grayson 22-6
1958-59 9-1 Jim Rodgers (17.4) Homer Watkins (11.6) John Grayson 21-7
1959-60 8-0 Myrl Goodwin (16.4) unavailable John Evans 21-5

Kentucky (eight in SEC; 82-3 league record from 1944-45 through 1951-52)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coach Overall Mark
1944-45 4-1 Jack Tingle (11.7) unavailable Adolph Rupp 22-4
1945-46 6-0 Jack Parkinson (11.3) unavailable Adolph Rupp 28-2
1946-47 11-0 Ralph Beard (10.9) unavailable Adolph Rupp 34-3
1947-48 9-0 Alex Groza (12.5) unavailable Adolph Rupp 36-3
1948-49 13-0 Alex Groza (20.5) unavailable Adolph Rupp 32-2
1949-50 11-2 Bill Spivey (19.3) unavailable Adolph Rupp 25-5
1950-51 14-0 Bill Spivey (19.2) Bill Spivey (17.2) Adolph Rupp 32-2
1951-52 14-0 Cliff Hagan (21.6) Cliff Hagan (16.5) Adolph Rupp 29-3

NOTES: Kentucky tied Tennessee in 1944-45 and Louisiana State in 1945-46. . . . UK did not field a team in 1952-53 before tying LSU in 1953-54 and winning outright in 1954-55.

Long Beach State (eight in PCAA; 75-13 league record from 1969-70 through 1976-77)

Season League Mark Scoring Leader Rebounding Leader Coaches Overall Mark
1969-70 10-0 George Trapp (16.3) Sam Robinson (7.8) Jerry Tarkanian 23-5
1970-71 10-0 Ed Ratleff (19.9) George Trapp (11) Jerry Tarkanian 24-5
1971-72 10-2 Ed Ratleff (21.4) Nate Stephens (10.3) Jerry Tarkanian 25-4
1972-73 10-2 Ed Ratleff (22.8) Leonard Gray (9.3) Jerry Tarkanian 26-3
1973-74 12-0 Clifton Pondexter (15.6) Clifton Pondexter (8.6) Lute Olson 24-2
1974-75 8-2 Rich Johnson (17.8) Bob Gross (8.5) Dwight Jones 19-7
1975-76 6-4 Anthony McGee (14.8) Clarence Ruffen (7.4) Dwight Jones 14-12
1976-77 9-3 Lloyd McMillian (15.8) Lloyd McMillian (7.9) Dwight Jones 21-8

NOTE: Long Beach State tied Cal State Fullerton in 1975-76 and San Diego State in 1976-77.

Musical Chairs: 1/3 of Nation's DI Teams in New Conferences This Century

February 23rd, 2018 - 11:18

"Man, that's messed up!" This concise summation certainly depicts higher education, which simply isn't what it used to be. Keeping remedial mathematics in mind, the Atlantic 10 Conference has more than that number of members; the Big Ten has more than 10 members and the Big 12 has fewer than 12 members. With respect to precise directions and logistics, the Atlantic Coast features Boston, Indiana (Notre Dame), Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, much of the Big East absorbs flyover country and the Southeast(ern) extends to the Midlands (Missouri and Texas A&M).

Amid all of the bizarre trans this and trans that, the most ardent fan probably can't come anywhere close to naming half of the schools transferring conferences the last several years. Heaven knows how future generations will explain the Big East split. After Hampton abandoned the MEAC for the Big South, the resulting HBCU vindictiveness made one think the school was coercing its students to exhibit a little diversity and vote for Republicans because they were more supportive than Democrats of the Civil Rights Act. As NFL Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi, who coached freshman basketball with Fordham, would famously say: "What the hell is going on out here?"

When Appalachian State (Sun Belt), Elon (CAA) and Davidson (Atlantic 10) departed in recent years, they became the 32nd, 33rd and 34th schools to leave the Southern Conference. Following is a school-by-school look at league affiliations over the years after Hampton took off from the MEAC for the Big South:

School Latest League Previous DI Conference(s)
Abilene Christian Southland (1969-73 and since 2014)
Air Force Mountain West (since 2000) WAC (1981-99)
Akron Mid-American (since 1993) Ohio Valley (1981-87)/Mid-Continent (1991 and 1992)
Alabama SEC (since 1933) Southern (1922-32)
Alabama A&M SWAC (since 2000)
Alabama State SWAC (since 1983)
Albany America East (since 2002)
American Patriot League (since 2002) ECC (1967-84)/CAA (1985-2001)
Appalachian State Sun Belt (since 2015) Southern (1972-2014)
Arizona Pac-12 (since 1979) Border (1932-61)/ WAC (1963-78)
Arizona State Pac-12 (since 1979) Border (1932-62)/WAC (1963-78)
Arkansas SEC (since 1992) SWC (1924-91)
Arkansas State Sun Belt (since 1992) Southland (1969-87)/American South (1988-91)
Army Patriot League (since 1991) MAAC (1982-90)
Auburn SEC (since 1933) Southern (1922-32)
Austin Peay Ohio Valley (since 1964)
Ball State Mid-American (since 1976)
Baylor Big 12 (since 1997) SWC (1915-96)
Belmont Ohio Valley (since 2013) Atlantic Sun (2002-12)
Binghamton America East (since 2002)
Boise State Big West (1997-2001 and since 2014) Big Sky (1971-96)/WAC (2002-11)/Mountain West (2012 and 2013)
Boston College ACC (since 2006) Big East (1980-2005)
Boston University Patriot League (since 2014) Yankee (1973-76)/America East (1980-2013)
Bowling Green Mid-American (since 1954)
Bradley Missouri Valley (1949-51 and since 1956)
Brigham Young West Coast (since 2012) Rocky Mountain (1925-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/WAC (1963-99)/Mountain West (2000-11)
Brown Ivy League (since 1954)
Bucknell Patriot League (since 1991) ECC (1959-80)
Buffalo Mid-American (since 1999) ECC (1992 and 1994)/Mid-Continent (1995-98)
Butler Big East (since 2014) Missouri Valley (1933 and 1934)/Mid-American (1947-50)/Horizon League (1980-2012)/Atlantic 10 (2013)
California Pac-12 (since 1916)
UC Davis Big West (since 2008)
UC Irvine Big West (since 1978)
Cal Poly Big West (since 1997) American West (1995 and 1996)
UC Riverside Big West (since 2002)
UC Santa Barbara Big West (1970-74 and since 1977) West Coast Athletic (1965-69)
Cal State Bakersfield WAC (since 2014)
Cal State Fullerton Big West (since 1975)
Cal State Northridge Big West (since 2002) American West (1995 and 1996)/Big Sky (1997-2001)
Campbell Big South (1986-94 and since 2012) Atlantic Sun (1995-2011)
Canisius MAAC (since 1990) ECAC North Atlantic (1980-89)
Central Arkansas Southland (since 2007)
Central Connecticut State Northeast (since 1998) ECC (1991-94)/Mid-Continent (1995-97)
Central Florida American Athletic (since 2014) Sun Belt (1992)/Atlantic Sun (1994-2005)/C-USA (2006-2013)
Central Michigan Mid-American (since 1973)
Charleston Southern Big South (since 1986)
Charlotte C-USA (1996-2005 and since 2014) Sun Belt (1977-91)/Metro (1992-95)/Atlantic 10 (2006-13)
Chattanooga Southern (since 1978)
Chicago State WAC (since 2014) Mid-Continent (1995-2006)/Great West (2010-13)
Cincinnati American Athletic (since 2014) Mid-American (1947-53)/Missouri Valley (1958-70)/Metro (1976-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)/Big East (2006-13)
The Citadel Southern (since 1937)
Clemson ACC (since 1954) Southern (1922-53)
Cleveland State Horizon League (since 1995) Mid-Continent (1983-94)
Coastal Carolina Sun Belt (since 2017) Big South (1986-2016)
Colgate Patriot League (since 1991) ECAC North Atlantic (1980-90)
College of Charleston CAA (since 2014) TAAC (1994-98)/Southern (1999-2013)
Colorado Pac-12 (since 2012) Rocky Mountain (1923-37)/Big Eight (1948-96)/Big 12 (1997-2011)
Colorado State Mountain West (since 2000) Rocky Mountain (1924-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/WAC (1970-99)
Columbia EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902)
Connecticut American Athletic (since 2014) New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76)/Big East (1980-2013)
Coppin State MEAC (since 1986)
Cornell EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902)
Creighton Big East (since 2014) Missouri Valley (1929-48 and 1977-2013)
Dartmouth EIBL/Ivy League (since 1912)
Davidson Atlantic 10 (since 2015) Southern (1937-88 and 1993-2014)/Big South (1991 and 1992)
Dayton Atlantic 10 (since 1996) Midwestern Collegiate (1989-93)/Great Midwest (1994 and 1995)
Delaware CAA (since 2002) ECC (1959-91)/America East (1992-2001)
Delaware State MEAC (since 1972)
Denver Summit League (since 2014) Rocky Mountain (1923-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/Sun Belt (2000-12)/WAC (2013)
DePaul Big East (since 2006) Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)
Detroit Horizon League (since 1981) Missouri Valley (1950-57)
Drake Missouri Valley (1908-51 and since 1957)
Drexel CAA (since 2002) ECC (1959-91)/America East (1992-2001)
Duke ACC (since 1954) Southern (1929-53)
Duquesne Atlantic 10 (since 1977 except for 1993) Midwestern Collegiate (1993)
East Carolina American Athletic (since 2015) Southern (1966-77)/ECAC South/CAA (1983-2001)/C-USA (2002-14)
Eastern Illinois Ohio Valley (since 1997) Mid-Continent (1983-96)
Eastern Kentucky Ohio Valley (since 1949)
Eastern Michigan Mid-American (since 1975)
Eastern Washington Big Sky (since 1988)
East Tennessee State Southern (1980-2005 and since 2015) Ohio Valley (1959-78)/Southern (1980-2005)/Atlantic Sun (2006-14)
Elon CAA (since 2015) Big South (1998-2003)/Southern (2004-2014)
Evansville Missouri Valley (since 1995) Ohio Valley (1949-52)/Midwestern Collegiate (1980-94)
Fairfield MAAC (since 1982)
Fairleigh Dickinson Northeast (since 1982) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69)
Florida SEC (since 1933)
Florida A&M MEAC (since 1980)
Florida Atlantic C-USA (since 2014) Atlantic Sun (1996-2004)/Sun Belt (2005-13)
Florida Gulf Coast Atlantic Sun (since 2008)
Florida International C-USA (since 2014) TAAC (1992-98)/Sun Belt (1999-2013)
Florida State ACC (since 1992) Metro (1977-91)
Fordham Atlantic 10 (since 1996) MAAC (1982-90)/Patriot League (1991-95)
Fresno State Mountain West (since 2013) WCAC (1956 and 1957)/Big West (1970-92)/WAC (1993-2012)
Furman Southern (since 1937)
Gardner-Webb Big South (since 2009) Atlantic Sun (2003-08)
George Mason Atlantic 10 (since 2014) CAA (1983-2013)
Georgetown Big East (since 1980)
George Washington Atlantic 10 (since 1977) Southern (1942, 1943 and 1946-70)
Georgia SEC (since 1933) Southern (1922-32)
Georgia Southern Sun Belt (since 2015) TAAC (1981-92)/Southern (1993-2014)
Georgia State Sun Belt (1977-81 and since 2014) Atlantic Sun (1985-2005)/CAA (2006-13)
Georgia Tech ACC (since 1980) Southern (1922-32)/SEC (1933-64)/Metro (1976-78)
Gonzaga West Coast (since 1980) Big Sky (1964-79)
Grambling State SWAC (since 1959)
Grand Canyon WAC (since 2014)
Green Bay Horizon League (since 1995) Mid-Continent (1983-94)
Hampton Big South (since 2019) MEAC (1996-2018)
Harvard EIBL/Ivy League (1902-09 and since 1934)
Hawaii Big West (since 2013) WAC (1980-2012)
High Point Big South (since 2000)
Hofstra CAA (since 2002) ECC (1966-94)/America East (1995-2001)
Holy Cross Patriot League (since 1991) ECAC North (1980-83)/MAAC (1984-90)
Houston American Athletic (since 2014) Missouri Valley (1951-60)/SWC (1976-96)/C-USA (1997-2013)
Houston Baptist Southland (since 2014) TAAC (1980-89)/Great West (2009-13)
Howard University MEAC (since 1972)
Idaho Big Sky (1964-96 and since 2015) Pacific Coast (1922-59)/Big Sky (1964-96)/Big West (1997-2005)/WAC (2006-14)
Idaho State Big Sky (since 1964) Rocky Mountain (1950-60)
Illinois Big Ten (since 1896)
Illinois-Chicago Horizon League (since 1995) Mid-Continent (1983-94)
Illinois State Missouri Valley (since 1981)
Incarnate Word Southland (since 2014)
Indiana Big Ten (since 1899)
Indiana State Missouri Valley (since 1977)
IPFW Summit League (since 2008)
IUPUI Horizon League (since 2018) Summit League (1999-2017)
Iona MAAC (since 1982) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69)
Iowa Big Ten (since 1899)
Iowa State Big 12 (since 1997) Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)
Jackson State SWAC (since 1959)
Jacksonville Atlantic Sun (since 1999) Sun Belt (1977-98)
Jacksonville State Ohio Valley (since 2004) TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1996-2003)
James Madison CAA (since 1983)
Kansas Big 12 (since 1997) Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)
Kansas State Big 12 (since 1997) Missouri Valley (1914-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)
Kennesaw State Atlantic Sun (since 2006)
Kent State Mid-American (since 1952)
Kentucky SEC (since 1933) Southern (1922-32)
Lafayette Patriot League (since 1991) ECC (1959-90)
Lamar Southland (1969-87 and since 1999) American South (1988-91)/Sun Belt (1992-98)
La Salle Atlantic 10 (since 1996) ECC (1959-83)/MAAC (1984-92)/Midwestern Collegiate (1993-95)
Lehigh Patriot League (since 1991) ECC (1959-90)
Liberty Big South (since 1992)
Lipscomb Atlantic Sun (since 2004)
Long Beach State Big West (since 1970)
Long Island Northeast (since 1982) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69)
Longwood Big South (since 2013)
Louisiana-Lafayette Sun Belt (since 1992) Southland (1972-82)/American South (1988-91)
Louisiana-Monroe Sun Belt (since 2007) TAAC (1980-82)/Southland (1983-2006)
Louisiana State SEC (since 1933) Southern (1923-32)
Louisiana Tech C-USA (since 2014) Southland (1972-87)/American South (1988-91)/Sun Belt (1992-2001)/WAC (2002-13)
Louisville ACC (since 2015) Missouri Valley (1965-75)/Metro (1976-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)/Big East (2006-13)/American Athletic (2014)
Loyola of Chicago Missouri Valley (since 2014) Horizon League (1980-2013)
Loyola (Md.) Patriot League (since 2014) Northeast (1982-89)/MAAC (1990-2013)
Loyola Marymount West Coast (since 1956)
Maine America East (since 1980) New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76)
Manhattan MAAC (since 1982) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69)
Marist MAAC (since 1998) Northeast (1982-97)
Marquette Big East (since 2006) Midwestern Collegiate (1990 & 1991)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)
Marshall C-USA (since 2006) Ohio Valley (1949-52)/Mid-American (1954-69 and 1998-2005)/Southern (1978-97)
Maryland Big Ten (since 2015) Southern (1924-53)/ACC (1954-2014)
Maryland-Baltimore County America East (since 2004) ECC (1991 and 1992)/Big South (1993-98)/Northeast (1999-2003)
Maryland-Eastern Shore MEAC (1972-79 and since 1983)
Massachusetts Atlantic 10 (since 1977) New England/Yankee (1947-76)
Massachusetts-Lowell America East (since 2014)
McNeese State Southland (since 1973)
Memphis American Athletic (since 2014) Missouri Valley (1968-73)/Metro (1976-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2013)
Mercer Southern (since 2015) Atlantic Sun (1980-2014)
Miami (Fla.) ACC (since 2005) Big East (1992-2004)
Miami (Ohio) Mid-American (since 1948)
Michigan Big Ten (since 1896)
Michigan State Big Ten (since 1949)
Middle Tennessee State C-USA (since 2014) Ohio Valley (1953-2000)/Sun Belt (2001-13)
Milwaukee Horizon League (since 1995) Mid-Continent (1993 and 1994)
Minnesota Big Ten (since 1896)
Mississippi SEC (since 1933) Southern (1923-32)
Mississippi State SEC (since 1933) Southern (1922-32)
Mississippi Valley State SWAC (since 1969)
Missouri SEC (since 2013) Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)/Big 12 (1997-2012)
Missouri-Kansas City WAC (since 2014) Summit League (1995-2013)
Missouri State Missouri Valley (since 1991) Mid-Continent (1983-90)
Monmouth MAAC (since 2014) Northeast (1986-2013)
Montana Big Sky (since 1964) Pacific Coast (1924-29)/Skyline (1952-62)
Montana State Big Sky (since 1964) Rocky Mountain (1925-57 except for 1948)/Skyline (1952-62)
Morehead State Ohio Valley (since 1949)
Morgan State MEAC (1972-80 and since 1985)
Mount St. Mary's Northeast (since 1990)
Murray State Ohio Valley (since 1949 except for 1962)
Navy Patriot League (since 1992) CAA (1983-91)
Nebraska Big Ten (since 2012) Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)/Big 12 (1997-2011)
Nebraska-Omaha Summit League (since 2013)
Nevada Mountain West (2013) WCAC (1970-79)/Big Sky (1980-92)/Big West (1993-2000)/WAC (2001-12)
New Hampshire America East (since 1980) New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76)
NJIT Atlantic Sun (since 2016) Great West (2009-13)
New Mexico Mountain West (since 2000) Border (1932-42 and 1945-51)/Skyline (1952-62)/WAC (1963-99)
New Mexico State WAC (since 2006) Border (1932-62)/Missouri Valley (1971-83)/Big West (1984-2000)/Sun Belt (2001-05)
New Orleans Southland (since 2014) Sun Belt (1977-80 and 1992-2011)/American South (1988-91)
Niagara MAAC (since 1990) ECAC North Atlantic (1980-89)
Nicholls State Southland (since 1992) Gulf Star (1985-87)
Norfolk State MEAC (since 1998)
North Alabama Atlantic Sun (since 2019)
North Carolina ACC (since 1954) Southern (1922-53)
UNC Asheville Big South (since 1986)
North Carolina A&T MEAC (since 1972)
North Carolina Central MEAC (1972-80 and since 2012)
UNC Greensboro Southern (since 1998) Big South (1993-97)
North Carolina State ACC (since 1954) Southern (1922-53)
UNC Wilmington CAA (since 1985)
North Dakota Big Sky (since 2013)
North Dakota State Summit League (since 2008)
Northern Arizona Big Sky (since 1971) Border (1932-53)
Northern Colorado Big Sky (since 2007)
Northern Illinois Mid-American (1976-86 and since 1998) Mid-Continent (1991-94)/Midwestern Collegiate (1995-97)
Northern Iowa Missouri Valley (since 1992) Mid-Continent (1983-91)
Northern Kentucky Horizon League (since 2016) Atlantic Sun (2013-15)
North Florida Atlantic Sun (since 2006)
North Texas C-USA (since 2014) Missouri Valley (1958-75)/Southland (1983-96)/Big West (1997-2000)/Sun Belt (2001-13)
Northwestern Big Ten (since 1896)
Northwestern State Southland (since 1988) TAAC (1981-84)/Gulf Star (1985-87)
Notre Dame ACC (since 2014) Big East (1996-2013)
Oakland Horizon League (since 2014) Summit League (1999-2013)
Ohio University Mid-American (since 1947)
Ohio State Big Ten (since 1912)
Oklahoma Big 12 (since 1997) Missouri Valley (1920-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)
Oklahoma State Big 12 (since 1997) SWC (1918 and 1922-25)/Missouri Valley (1926-57)/Big Eight (1959-96)
Old Dominion C-USA (since 2014) Sun Belt (1983-91)/CAA (1992-2013)
Oral Roberts Summit League (1998-2012 and since 2015) Midwestern Collegiate (1980-87)/Southland (2013 and 2014)
Oregon Pac-12 (1916-59 and since 1965)
Oregon State Pac-12 (1916-59 and since 1965)
Pacific WCAC/WCC (1953-71 and since 2014) Big West (1972-2013)
Penn EIBL/Ivy League (since 1904)
Penn State Big Ten (since 1993) Atlantic 10 (1977-79 and 1983-91)
Pepperdine West Coast (since 1956)
Pittsburgh ACC (since 2014) Eastern 8 (1977-82)/Big East (1983-2013)
Portland West Coast (since 1977)
Portland State Big Sky (since 1997)
Prairie View SWAC (since 1921 except for 1991)
Presbyterian Big South (since 2010)
Princeton EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902)
Providence Big East (since 1980)
Purdue Big Ten (since 1896)
Quinnipiac MAAC (since 2014) Northeast (1999-2013)
Radford Big South (since 1986)
Rhode Island Atlantic 10 (since 1981) New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76)/ECAC North (1980)
Rice C-USA (since 2006) SWC (1915-96)/WAC (1997-2005)
Richmond Atlantic 10 (since 2002) Southern (1937-76)/CAA (1983-2001)
Rider MAAC (since 1998) ECC (1967-92)/Northeast (1993-97)
Robert Morris Northeast (since 1982)
Rutgers Big Ten (since 2015) Middle Atlantic (1959-62)/Atlantic 10 (1977-95)/Big East (1996-2013)/American Athletic (2014)
Sacramento State Big Sky (since 1997) American West (1995 and 1996)
Sacred Heart Northeast (since 2000)
St. Bonaventure Atlantic 10 (since 1980)
St. Francis (N.Y.) Northeast (since 1982) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-68)
Saint Francis (Pa.) Northeast (since 1982)
St. John's Big East (since 1980)
Saint Joseph's Atlantic 10 (since 1983) ECC (1959-82)
Saint Louis Atlantic 10 (since 2006) Missouri Valley (1938-74)/Metro (1976-82)/Midwestern Collegiate (1983-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)
Saint Mary's West Coast (since 1953)
Saint Peter's MAAC (since 1982) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69)
Samford Southern (since 2008) Atlantic Sun (1980-2003)/Ohio Valley (2004-07)
Sam Houston State Southland (since 1988) Gulf Star (1985-87)
San Diego West Coast (since 1980)
San Diego State PCAA/Big West (1970-78 and since 2014) WAC (1979-99)/Mountain West (2000-13)
San Francisco West Coast (since 1953)
San Jose State Mountain West (since 2014) WCAC (1953-69)/Big West (1970-96)/WAC (1997-2013)
Santa Clara West Coast (since 1953)
Savannah State MEAC (since 2012)
Seattle WAC (since 2013) WCAC (1972-80)
Seton Hall Big East (since 1980) Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69)
Siena MAAC (since 1990) Northeast (1982-84)/ECAC North Atlantic (1985-89)
South Alabama Sun Belt (since 1977)
South Carolina SEC (since 1992) Southern (1923-53)/ACC (1954-71)/Metro (1984-91)
South Carolina State MEAC (since 1972)
USC Upstate Big South (since 2019) Atlantic Sun (2008-18)
South Dakota Big Sky (since 2013) Great West (2009-12)
South Dakota State Summit League (since 2008)
Southeastern Louisiana Southland (since 1998) Gulf Star (1985-87)/TAAC (1992-97)
Southeast Missouri State Ohio Valley (since 1992)
Southern (La.) SWAC (since 1935)
Southern California Pac-12 (since 1922)
Southern Illinois Missouri Valley (since 1975)
SIU-Edwardsville Ohio Valley (since 2012)
Southern Methodist American Athletic (since 2014) SWC (1919-96)/WAC (1997-2005)/C-USA (2006-13)
Southern Mississippi C-USA (since 1996) Metro (1983-95)
Southern Utah Big Sky (since 2013) American West (1995 and 1996)/Summit League (1998-2012)
South Florida American Athletic (since 2014) Sun Belt (1977-91)/Metro (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)/Big East (2006-13)
Stanford Pac-12 (since 1917)
Stephen F. Austin Southland (since 1988) Gulf Star (1985-87)
Stetson Atlantic Sun (since 1987)
Stony Brook America East (since 2002)
Syracuse ACC (since 2014) Big East (1980-2013)
Temple American Athletic (since 2014) ECC (1959-82)/Atlantic 10 (1983-2013)
Tennessee SEC (since 1933) Southern (1922-32)
Tennessee-Martin Ohio Valley (since 1993)
Tennessee State Ohio Valley (since 1988)
Tennessee Tech Ohio Valley (since 1949)
Texas Big 12 (since 1997) SWC (1915-96)
Texas A&M SEC (since 2013) SWC (1915-96)/Big 12 (1997-2012)
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Southland (since 2007)
Texas-Arlington Sun Belt (since 2014) Southland (1969-2012 except for 1987)/WAC (2013)
Texas Christian Big 12 (since 2013) SWC (1924-96)/WAC (1997-2001)/C-USA (2002-05)/Mountain West (2006-12)
Texas-El Paso C-USA (since 2006) Border (1936-62)/WAC (1970-2005)
Texas-Pan American WAC (since 2014) TAAC (1980)/American South (1988-91)/Sun Belt (1992-98)/Great West (2009-13)
Texas-San Antonio C-USA (since 2014) TAAC (1987-91)/Southland (1992-2012)/WAC (2013)
Texas Southern SWAC (since 1955)
Texas State Sun Belt (since 2014) Gulf Star (1985-87)/Southland (1988-2012)/WAC (2013)
Texas Tech Big 12 (since 1997) Border (1933-56)/SWC (1958-96)
Toledo Mid-American (since 1952)
Towson CAA (since 2002) Northeast (1982)/ECC (1983-92)/Big South (1993-95)/America East (1996-2001)
Troy Sun Belt (since 2006) ECC (1994)/Mid-Continent (1995-97)/Atlantic Sun (1998-2005)
Tulane American Athletic (since 2015) Southern (1923-32)/SEC (1933-66)/Metro (1976-85 and 1990-95)/C-USA (1996-2014)
Tulsa American Athletic (since 2015) Missouri Valley (1935-96)/WAC (1997-2005)/C-USA (2006-14)
UAB C-USA (since 1996) Sun Belt (1980-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)
UALR Sun Belt (since 1992) TAAC (1981-91)
UCLA Pac-12 (since 1928)
UNLV Mountain West (since 2000) WCAC (1970-75)/Big West (1983-96)/WAC (1997-99)
Utah Pac-12 (since 2012) Rocky Mountain (1925-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/WAC (1963-99)/Mountain West (2000-11)
Utah State Mountain West (since 2014) Rocky Mountain (1925-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/Big West (1979-2005)/WAC (2006-13)
Utah Valley WAC (since 2014) Great West (2009-13)
Valparaiso Missouri Valley (since 2018) Mid-Continent (1983-2007)/Horizon League (2008-17)
Vanderbilt SEC (since 1933) Southern (1923-32)
Vermont America East (since 1980) New England/Yankee (1947-76)
Villanova Big East (since 1981) Eastern Athletic Association (1977-80)
Virginia ACC (since 1954) Southern (1922-37)
Virginia Commonwealth Atlantic 10 (since 2013) Sun Belt (1980-91)/Metro (1992-95)/CAA (1996-2012)
Virginia Military Southern (1926-2003 and since 2015) Big South (2004-14)
Virginia Tech ACC (since 2005) Southern (1922-65)/Metro (1979-95)/Atlantic 10 (1996-2000)/Big East (2001-04)
Wagner Northeast (since 1982)
Wake Forest ACC (since 1954) Southern (1937-53)
Washington Pac-12 (since 1916)
Washington State Pac-12 (1917-59 and since 1964)
Weber State Big Sky (since 1964)
Western Carolina Southern (since 1978)
Western Illinois Summit League (since 1983)
Western Kentucky C-USA (since 2015) Ohio Valley (1949-82)/Sun Belt (1983-2014)
Western Michigan Mid-American (since 1948)
West Virginia Big 12 (since 2013) Southern (1951-68)/Atlantic 10 (1977-95)/Big East (1996-2012)
Wichita State American Athletic (since 2018) Missouri Valley (1946-2017)
William & Mary CAA (since 1983) Southern (1937-77)
Winthrop Big South (since 1986)
Wisconsin Big Ten (since 1896)
Wofford Southern (since 1998)
Wright State Horizon League (since 1995) Mid-Continent (1992-94)
Wyoming Mountain West (since 2000) Rocky Mountain (1923-37)/Mountain States (1938-62)/WAC (1963-99)
Xavier Big East (since 2014) Midwestern Collegiate (1980-95)/Atlantic 10 (1996-2013)
Yale EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902)
Youngstown State Horizon League (since 2002) Ohio Valley (1982-88)/Mid-Continent (1992-2001)

Pitino Place: Pompous Pilot Slick Rick Needs Removal of Title Tattoo

February 21st, 2018 - 8:38

There must be a divine reason 99-year-old evangelist Billy Graham was ushered into heaven the morning before Rick Pitino pontificated about the rapture of Louisville's 2013 NCAA title. The Good Lord simply didn't want "America's Pastor" to endure whining news accounts of Slick Rick's pity-party presser featuring 99 or so devilish excuses among pathetic pap. Months before unprecedented vacating of a national crown became reality, a rudimentary cut-and-paste NCAA Committee of Infractions summary normally could cure insomnia. But not Louisville's ethical flunking-out report card including unusually harsh descriptive phrases such as "disgraceful and repugnant. . . . threatened and seriously undermined integrity. . . . deep betrayal of trust." Upon closely reading the COI report from pages 24 through 29, it was abundantly clear UL's program has a dignity shelf life barely lasting 15 seconds while aspiring to convince everyone their show-them-a-good-time hookers were not very expensive. The Cardinals' sordid stance, coupled with implication in a broad bribery and corruption scheme outlined by federal investigators, left the white suit Pitino occasionally donned a drunk-on-power symbol for anything but purity.

There was little doubt an earlier self-imposed one-year postseason competition ban and future scholarship/recruiting reductions (a/k/a preemptive plea bargain) implied the Cardinals faced more significant sanctions down the road such as NCAA prohibiting appealing Pitino from wearing said white suit or being forced to have his commemorative title tattoo removed. Looking on the bright side, at least UL's overhauled upper brass didn't don Mexican garb for the "trick-or-treat" meeting with NCAA Infractions Committee and doesn't seem to buy stock into dimwitted deflection tactics blaming book publishing company owned by Indiana's largest-ever donor with law school named after him. However, it still seems probable Pitino will cowardly boycott or conduct a Cam Newton-like walkout, departing hand gesture or not, at any final victim-hood press briefing regarding Strippergate sanctions.

Amid full-figure female fallout from fact-filled tell-all tale (Breaking Cardinal Rules), pretentious Pitino said: “There's only one good thing about being 63 (now older) – you don't care what people think anymore.” The reprehensible regaling all sounded vaguely familiar. After all, it seems as if thin-skinned Pompous Pilot didn't care when he was in his 50s (restaurant affair with staffer's soon-to-be spouse), 40s (quit in mid-season after lured by $50 million to try to become reincarnation of Red Auerbach rather than next Adolph Rupp), 30s (BU Revue) and 20s (Hawaii infractions)?

Essentially, a tawdry timeline stems from philosophy of do as I say; not as I do. One of Pitino's books lecturing everyone else discusses how the past can haunt you. As an assistant at Hawaii, Pitino was implicated in eight of 64 violations leading to the Rainbows' two-year probation stint in the late 1970s. Nonetheless, the narcissist didn't care upon setting foot in Kentucky years ago as his one-day contract stump speech unfolded prior to incessant recycling. Was there any Pitino-linked symbolism when probation-bound Hawaii earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs while UL was banished?

“I think it's a positive because I know exactly what can go on the wrong way,” Pitino smugly self-assessed about suspect hoop activities in the Paradise of the Pacific shortly before he was hired by UK in the late 1980s. “There's no one in this business with more integrity (than me). It didn't happen in Hawaii as far as I'm concerned. I didn't make any mistakes, I don't care what anybody says. I'm not going to comment on it anymore because I don't have to.”

Need more I-don't-give-a-rip integrity from delusional denizen claiming "I've run a clean program all my life"? The alternate-reality program wallowed in self-absorption when Louisville failed to care about providing anything but a lame spin-tour remark stemming from an inquiry regarding an anecdote in the incisive book Raw Recruits written by dying-breed respected journalists Alexander Wolff and Armen Keteyian (more on media later). With apologies to “dictator” Dick Vitale's personal library, Season on the Brink (written by John Feinstein) and Raw Recruits rank 1-2 or vice versa as the all-time most compelling behind-the-scenes books on college basketball. After a big win for Pitino-coached Boston University at Rhode Island in the early 1980s, Raw Recruits alleged he rewarded the Terriers by having their bus stop at a jiggle joint on the way back to campus and hand out dollar bills to players so they might tuck them into G-strings.

Thirty years later, a ridiculous red-light district response from condescending UL about the book's sewer snippet was the famished BU brigade innocently meandered in to get food, presumably thinking neon lights and all were essentials for a lively restaurant, but promptly bailed with hands covering their eyes. How many times have you heard about a booby bar being confused with fast food unless it is difficult to differentiate between excessive makeup on a Dancin' Girl and same for Ronald McDonald? Of course, there's not much happy-deal difference between unwrapped buns “having a good day” at the Golden Arches and gold jewelry near strategic arches on naked bodies. Maybe the classy New England establishment was simply a topless diner for roadie academic tutors, unbeknownst to coach, keeping GPA (Great Party Atmosphere) of squad members up by cramming for anatomy class on trek home. Let it be duly noted Slick Rick doesn't know anything about Foxy Lady, Cheaters and Cadillac Lounge in Providence, either. But he does know how to distribute a tell-nothing book ("My Story") although promoting it could have been a mite more entertaining if his first one-on-one interview was after-hours at upscale bistro with Michelle Beadle to highlight her dismal-ratings departure from ESPN's Get Up. Journalistic jewel Jalen Rose could have been in adjoining room giving his typical incisive commentary comparable to blow-by-blow account from Pitino lackey Vinny Tatum.

Dwelling a little more on distinguishing between day-of-reckoning dignity and depravity, how low can you sink when self-proclaimed Elvis Presley (ex-UL All-American Terrence “Why Would I Pay Anybody for Anything” Williams) was a credibility reference for Hookergate scoring considering his checkered past? It may be the equivalent of Pitino vouching for former UK guard Richie "He Can Do No Wrong" Farmer when he ran afoul of the law. Unless, of course, you're a basketball bozo believing Slick Rick ran a completely squeaky-clean program at UK before abruptly changing stripes in same state and becoming vile cheater at the Ville where six-figure regal recruit Brian Bowen just "fell in our lap" prior to turning pro in Australia.

ESPN's multiple budget cuts have really taken a toll. Beyond Jay Bilas failing to have a backdrop of former players supporting Pitino reminiscent of Roy Williams interview at North Carolina, here is what genuinely "doesn't make any sense at all" for someone who is kind of a big deal. Pitino, boasting a master-puppeteer reputation, has a penchant for "can't-find-one-person" pap not knowing what the hell is going on around him even if it is a relatively minor thing such as six-year UL assistant coach Steve Masiello failing to complete requirements for a diploma during and after his ex-Knicks ball-boy playing for him at UK before immersed in an academic controversy as Manhattan's coach.

Understandably, the contrived Sgt. Schultz "I know nothing" routine regarding the "we have a different way we recruit" rot really has gotten old. One of Pitino's books also honed in on when it's best not to delegate. Pitino, saying he was “still trying to understand the motive,” treats his former player/assistant coach Andre McGee as if aspiring to explain a Shakespearean production ("Et tu, Brutus?"). Actually, it would be helpful to know when fall-guy target McGee was first exposed to this scurrilous stagecraft before dormitory operation director was thrown under the intellectually-and-morally bankrupt bus. The bluster bus was driven by "over-monitoring" Pitino, who said: "We have the most compliant coaches in the NCAA, no matter what you hear." We presume his assessment includes former graduate assistant Brandon Williams, who failed to cooperate in the NCAA's probe. If relevant at all, did we hear if this commendable credential predated McGee as a player and/or coach or kicked in after McGee departed for UMKC and subsequently working as a driver for car service Uber? Pitino proclaimed he delegated the monitoring of McGee's activities to his upper-level assistant coaches. However, the "compliant" aides interviewed by the NCAA were unaware of this duty. Wow! Contagious Sgt. Schultz virus goes viral when scandal stench surrounds scalawags similar to flies on excrement. To observers with functioning brain, it's inconceivable bench bosses Mike Balado (Arkansas State), Wyking Jones (California), Kevin Keatts (North Carolina State), David Padgett (Louisville), Richard Pitino (Minnesota) and Kareem Richardson (UMKC) - serving as Pitino aides at some juncture from 2011-12 through 2014-15 - all can be deaf, dumb and blind to what transpired.

Do Pitino's longstanding don't-care comments credibly pass a sincere threshold to where the nation should deluge him with speedy-recovery well wishes to help mend his broken heart? As most ardent hoop observers are aware, the BU rock-star sojourn wasn't the only time Mr. Self-Righteous mistook a restaurant for adult entertainment. Amplifying on the toxic topic via common sense, it is inconceivable to accept no-compulsion premise there was nothing abnormal maneuvering from normal sensual behavior to chance stop-on-a-dime meeting with extortion-bound stranger on an upscale restaurant table. Just wondering, but did the fine-diner owner leave keys thinking the hangers-on were going to sweep the floor and clean the dishes exercising 15 seconds of shame? Do normal humans with moral compass conduct their business, including spreading adultery wings, in this tawdry porn-star tryout fashion? Perhaps they were waiting on UL football coach Bobby Petrino and hoop sage Bo Ryan to compare notes about exploits on and off the court.

Seems as if there was lack of credibility everywhere one turned. In the wake of such boorish behavior, should we bother to contemplate what went on to relieve stress at higher-stakes citadels such as New York (Knicks) and college cage capital (Lexington, KY)? It almost makes a Client 9-curious individual want to enlist the services of a PI to rummage through little black book of whomever the Mueller-bound Manhattan Madam happened to be in late 1980s before conducting survey of coeds attending UK the first half of 1990s about any love lodge or perhaps big and blue van featuring tinted windows. First step learning about "good times" equipment might be giving amnesia antidote or truth serum to gatekeeper/chauffeur. Winston Bennett, an assistant under Pitino with UK and the Boston Celtics, may also be able to offer some insight based on the former All-SEC second-team selection admitting he "slept with 90 women a month" despite stature as the ultimate NBA scrub and firing in late November 2017 from his state government job after only 10 weeks amid reports of questionable emails he sent to female colleagues. UK All-Americans Ron Mercer and Antoine Walker also rejoined Pitino with the Celtics before subsequent involvement in shady off-the-court activity. Wouldn't you want to be a fly on the wall during UK recruiting visits for impressionable teenagers Bennett, Mercer and Walker to discern any transgressions remotely similar to the thrill in the Ville?

What transpired at UL is precisely why a control freak orchestrated construction of a basketball dormitory (named for his brother-in-law who tragically died in 9/11 attack) to monitor his roster and keep them from becoming salacious scholars. Instead, what repeatedly resulted was a classic example of lack of institutional control frequently manipulating minors. So what if Pitino wasn't the whore-dorm booking agent or could pass a lie-detector test on a well-crafted question skirting the predatory activity (criminal syndicate according to police. Didn't his pact with UL have provision about “diligently supervise compliance of assistant coaches and any other employees for which he is administratively responsible”?

“I'm totally saddened to the point of disbelief over the incidents,” Pitino said during one of his incredible sulks. “We've built a very strong culture here of discipline and doing the right things.” You've got to be kidding! If so, did a single well-disciplined student-athlete exhibit sufficient strength to do the right thing, go to him and describe detestable culture infecting Club Minardi? If not, why are his family-atmosphere players more loyal to a subordinate than head coach? Pleading with the hoop gods and school counter-suit belatedly labeling Pitino "active wrongdoer," please don't eventually put public through the traditional "plausible-deniability" focus on disgruntled former "employees" defense or fired unfairly ploy.

Whether or not it was a byproduct of culture or karma, the Pitino brand several years ago also faced a sex-lies-and-videotape scandal involving his son's recruits at Minnesota, which featured more suspended players than Big Ten Conference victories. Any video that year involving Gopher players, on or off hardwood, probably is filth and should be erased. Amid the disturbing credibility gap, it's probably time to shift gears and sarcastically add to the sad state of affairs with the following pointless plot lines for entertaining episodes on HBO's soon-to-be-announced Pitino Place show:

  • Jilted Karen, after escaping confinement by having sex with prison security guard boasting slick black hair, undergoes race-and-name change becoming Katina and trying to extort main character Slick Rick again before going on the cover of Vanity Fair and “earning” some sort of ESPY courage award for her copious copulation commentary.
  • In a what-might-have-been dream, Slick Rick learns in a confession booth about an innocent baby boy named Rowe Vee Wade if Catholic principles really meant more than abortion creating new definition for “health care” money. Rowe Vee Wade would have been a blue-chip playmaking prospect who played for half-brother and averaged more assists per game in college career than his look-alike estranged father (5.6 apg). Upon waking up from Rip Van Winkle slumber and media-hailed three-point shooting at summer Seniors Tournament in Florida, Slick Rick decides to become a sperm donor to try to clone Mr. Nifty Jr. (donor's college nickname).
  • Slick Rick groupie Vinny, moonlighting as an NCAA enforcement agent, taught boss to hold the tail during horse breeding and told tales about anything dealing with human breeding. But the aloof horse owner already was a thoroughbred Breeders' Cup Secretariat wannabee and only had eyes for what was under some of those gaudy race-track hats. Vinny, who was actually a double agent, eventually spilled his good-times guts to authorities when he was supposed to be conducting opposition research on rival Coach Pay-pal Cal including going through trash in Memphis trying to unearth any Slick Rick-like transgressions or rookie salary-cap violations he could possibly find to help prevent ninth defeat in last 10 confrontations.
  • Slick Rick blames Sick “You Better Put Some Ice On It” Willie for infecting him with some unnamed pants-dropping defect in front of stranger after shaking Bubba's cigar-stained hand before introducing President Stainmaker, still basking in the glow of an Arkansas title, at a campaign rally on the eve of the 1996 election. Finishing “expensive” speech on humility to Wall Street executives and meeting filing deadline for book on success, he had to take a rain check regarding cheerleader-recruiting/saxophone-lesson trip with Shrillary's Secret Weapon and equally frail contemptible Clintonista cronies to “Orgy Island.” Bubba's backup plan to reconnect with Slick was to become his boss as school Prez insofar as he has vast experience in such an overpaid category via $16.46 million over five years as honorary chancellor of Laureate University. And if disgraced Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel can be appointed President of his alma mater (Youngstown State), then Pitino is qualified for happy ending sitting at helm of UMass, where UK nemesis Coach Cal oversaw minuteman-by-minuteman sterling academic progress of his roster there in Amherst.
  • Intervention for Slick Rick unfolds to stop drinking bourbon named after him. Becoming delusional as much as Kanye is in debt, he claimed his new Kanye West/adidas shoes helped him win a dunking contest as college freshman decades ago against varsity standout Julius Erving in 1970-71 before Dr. J became a professional basketball highlight reel. Boasting super-human strength capable of reeling in mammoth marlin, Slick Rick claimed he won a home-run derby against Mike Flanagan in 1971-72 when the eventual 18-year MLB pitcher averaged 13.9 ppg for the same school's frosh squad. In a bizarre rant by Slick Rick after pain killer wore off from getting a title tattoo, the egomaniac thought he should receive Bill Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom if award is stripped from the widely-condemned comic. Meanwhile, Kanye ($53 million in debt) makes guest star appearance begging Taylor Swift for 53 cents for his "Famous" ideas so he can impress fashionable Kim by having more "rep" cred than 50 Cent with music endorsement by Slick Rick linked to any affiliated dorm dance.

All silly-season sarcasm aside, the bottom-line drivel is what do you expect from a program where the coach with an advanced diploma in hairsplitting can't control himself? Prior to his passing away, Louisville's most famous native, Muhammad Ali, issued his support while trying to recall which of his offspring went with which mother and delusional ex-AD Tom Jurich, apparently an abortion advocate, said Pitino “has a perfect track record.” We presume Jurich's perfection testimonial isn't hampered by Parkinson's and includes Pitino settling for more than $2,500 to get rid of evidence. Maybe some of these unprincipled folks would show a shred of humanity if a female member of their immediate family was affected more than mysteriously receiving brand manager's job from blockbuster benefactor.

Just like the majority of scandals, follow the money trail of a plot that may have had its genesis in a Barbershop sequel of sorts. Whatever the amount spent by McGee for physical activity by saving gas money moving flesh-peddling party venue closer to home, it's virtually impossible to believe the bank-bundled funds came entirely from his personal account. Pitino, responding as if he was kneed in the groin by some unknown assailant, had Olympian gall telling McGee “to step up” after skating around issue crying “Why?” way more than truly-aggrieved Nancy Kerrigan. Why was McGee's attorney campaign manager for Commonwealth Attorney?

Of course, the most disgusting “why” involved fathers/guardians tagging along for a recruiting ride to LarryFlyntVille when not busy helping prospects with their studies. In employing a perverted version of father-son bonding, why was there the incentive way horsing around driving it homeboy rather than “a dolt” just having fond memory of playing horse against his boy in the family driveway. What would the party-planner incentive be if the recruit actually helped UL reach a Final Four?

Pitino, who said bump-and-grind allegations made him “sick to my stomach,” can always cure chronic tummy tumult via some dessert delicacy at his favorite upscale restaurant. Actually, frequent health references simply raise suspicion about his mid-season walking-out-through-the-door “flight” to Cleveland Clinic in 2003-04 three years after the "wounded tiger" quit the Celtics because Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish weren't walking back through their door.

An inalienable right exists to be stupid like Apple protecting phone of Islamic terrorist, but we saw the outline of a clever problem-solving act just when problem-child guard Chris Jones was dismissed. You've got the comedy-relief brains of a doorknob if you believed Louisville's shedding of a little light via a door-opening salvo explaining life-without-Jones stemmed primarily from a 9 p.m. curfew violation. It's unclear whether Pitino, exhibiting a theatrical flop reminiscent of Jones' chin-rubbing charade in a match-up with cross-state rival Kentucky, includes himself in refuting any bad acting. Certainly wasn't a surprise Jones issued a virtual carbon-copy quote of Pitino by proclaiming "I'm not worried about anything that anybody has to say about me."

Jones, described by Pitino as “type of guy who always has his hands in the cookie jar,” dropped out of school to defend himself as rigorously as the ACC's leader in steals average defended opponents. Wouldn't you like an insider to drop some knowledge regarding the rigorous classes the scholar took and stack them up against North Carolina's no-show way or the intellectually-stimulating spring-semester coursework for the one-and-done crowd? Depending upon your perspective, didn't the culture Pitino portrayed “steal” a scholarship from perhaps an authentic student-athlete? Many viewers wanted assurance they couldn't catch a STD from TV and sought prompt shower after watching UL during Pitino's waning weeks.

The shameless local and national media covering UL also are to blame, but they had a laser-like fixation on touchy-feely timing of ban rather than incalculable more vital issues such as academic integrity and power-structure lack of accountability of coaching staffs for revenue-producing sports. There should be a one-year ban on reading or watching the presstitutes because of their failure to live up to news-gathering obligations by allowing an Escort Queen to “(hard)cover” the program better than they did. How in the name of Edmund R. Murrow did Walmart toothbrush thief Katina discern more about what was going on than Pitino, university officials and a seemingly enabling press stripped naked by her firsthand research?

MessMedia has become the equivalent of sanctuary-city mayors dancing on graves of victims of illegal aliens. In a journalistic version of Patty Hearst-like Stockholm Syndrome, far too many reporters place the desires of their "captors" above the basic needs of the readers they are presumed to serve. Reporters religiously toil to nurture insider sources by getting chummy with decision-makers and those in power; leaving them susceptible to not wanting to jeopardize those relevant relationships by reporting edgy items insiders do not want publicized. This dichotomy creates a dilemma for reporters; especially in college towns where the university is the only game in town. Do you inform readers what you know now when you may not be able to tell them something else pertinent later because you are subsequently denied access to sources? In choosing to remain mum, reporters actually cooperate with biased contacts in misleading their audience. In some instances, the press can generate outside perks ghostwriting and serving roles in pre- and post-game productions.

Pitino claimed he didn't read evicted Powell's expose but said “people will do anything for money.” Does the same assessment apply to Sextino regarding his series of what now seem like tainted hypocritical volumes (Success is a Choice, How to Add Value to Every Minute of Your Life, Lead to Succeed, Rebound Rules, etc.)? Taking the power of positive thinking to an extreme, he has had additional exposure to a couple of bullet points in his 10-step plan – thriving on pressure and learning from adversity.

Collateral damage caught in the middle of mess created by others, do you think chattel-graduate transfers Damion Lee (Drexel) and Trey Lewis (Cleveland State) were credibly “recruited” with emphasis on prospect of participating in NCAA playoffs? Lee said: "If we buy into the system and what coach Pitino preaches, then we can be successful." Standing O from UL fans notwithstanding, the betrayed duo "tabled" by Preacher Pitino's program should have sued the system - coaching staff and school - for fraud after enduring the pressure connected to this adversity. Mercenaries Lee and Lewis were wronged, but they triggered the wrongdoing and suffered the consequences by wrongly choosing to attend UL.

Meanwhile, self-described “soldier-in-this-army” Pitino asked before getting a Greek-tragedy boot: “If I resign, would people feel better about it?” Answer: Well, yes, if anyone credible amid the Get-Your-Fill-in-the-Ville debris remained boasting a moral compass rather than emphasizing morale-building comp-a__. At least admitting "my words aren't enough," author Pitino can take an adult education refresher course ruminating on his own following phrases in "The One-Day Contract":

  • "The egotistical coach, the arrogant athlete, they are stereotypes that too often ring true."
  • "The longer I live and the more I experience, the more I believe that humility is the quality essential to sustained success, and a lack of it is the major stumbling block for those who find success for a time, then lose it."
  • "There's no question when you coach at Kentucky, you fall into a trap of thinking you're much better than you really are, because of the adulation and attention. It is constant and seems to come in a never-ending supply. I did not know it in the midst of it, but that arrogance, that thinking of yourself as the best, is one of the biggest reasons successful people stumble and fail."
  • "The consequences of not learning humility can be tragic. If we don't always see these consequences in our own lives, we should be able to recognize them all around us. Not learning humility is, for one, an expensive lesson."
  • "Self-aggrandizement, alienation of friends, family, or teammates, a tragic tendency to overestimate one's talent that leads to overreaching, they all are traits of people who lack humility. This also is a story that is not new. The ancient Greeks had a word for this very situation: hubris."
  • "The same cycle (of self-destruction) can be seen in many fields. The list of those for whom humility not only might have saved a fortune, but their future, is long and star-studded."
  • "The decadent lifestyle, the entourages, the unrealistic expectation of stature and longevity - all this leads to poor choices and reckless decision making."
  • "With humility, you are better able to enjoy and understand success, and you are better able to examine and handle failure."
  • "Humble people always handle adversity so much better because they understand who they are. So many come to disappointing ends and wonder why it happened. Most often, it was a lack of humility, leading to arrogance, leading to the mistakes they made. They think they are more significant than they are and it makes them gamble with their lives and their professions. Then, when things go wrong, they lash out and blame others. Arrogant people spread around their failure with blame."
  • "Not only is humility the key to finding lasting success, but it is the key to lasting happiness. Go back through history, literature, spiritual books, and this cycle is repeated throughout generations and cultures: arrogance, fall, acceptance, humility, healing. We're no different from people who came before us. I can't state enough how important a lesson this is to learn, and the importance of learning it before life forces you to."

Former U of L All-American Butch Beard asked: "You basically had two decades where a lot of stuff was going on and people put their head in the sand and said it's OK because you were winning ballgames and making money?"

Despite a new Twitter account, any observer with a moral compass has lost faith in Pitino and whatever he stood for the past 35 years. The NCAA going out of its high-and-mighty way to embrace "disgraceful and repugnant" characterization should force some important self-reflection somewhere in red-faced Louisville. Just stay out of upscale restaurant when striving to relieve stress unless, of course, you're entitled to rake in 98% of a side deal (UL enriched by 10-year, $160 million sponsorship agreement with Adidas).

Small-Town Value: Numerous A-As Came From Smaller Hometowns Than Happ

February 17th, 2018 - 12:11

Ethan Happ, an All-American for Wisconsin last season, came from an obscure hometown (Milan, IL) with small population (5,100). But there are a striking number of major-college All-Americans who came from significantly smaller outposts. Flyover-country hamlets offering little more than a part-time post office and gas station supplied the following standouts from municipalities with populations fewer than 1,000:

All-American Pos. Major College A-A Year(s) Hometown Population
James Anderson G Oklahoma State 2010 Junction City, AR 705
Forrest "Whitey" Baccus G Southern Methodist 1935 Estelline, TX 190
Frankie Baumholtz F Ohio University 1941 Midvale, OH 655
R. Gale Bishop F-C Washington State 1943 Sumas, WA 710
Tom Burleson C North Carolina State 1973 and 1974 Newland, NC 720
Bob Burrow C Kentucky 1955 and 1956 Wells, TX 925
A.W. Davis F Tennessee 1965 Rutledge, TN 830
Evan Eschmeyer C Northwestern 1999 New Knoxville, OH 760
Pat Garrity F Notre Dame 1998 Monument, CO 690
Joe Gibbon F Mississippi 1957 Hickory, MS 670
Gary Gray G Oklahoma City 1967 Fort Cobb, OK 760
Jimmy Hagan C Tennessee Tech 1959 Glendale, KY 300
Charles Halbert C West Texas State 1942 House, NM 120
Bob Harris C Oklahoma A&M 1949 Linden, TN 750
Kirk Haston F-C Indiana 2001 Lobelville, TN 915
Don Hennon G Pittsburgh 1958 and 1959 Wampum, PA 665
Bailey Howell F-C Mississippi State 1958 and 1959 Middleton, TN 595
Dick Ives F Iowa 1945 Diagonal, IA 360
Paul Judson G Illinois 1956 Hebron, IL 785
Dean Kelley G Kansas 1953 McCune, KS 530
Henry "Bud" Koper F-G Oklahoma City 1964 Rocky, OK 240
Paul Lindemann C Washington State 1941 Cowiche, WA 425
Karl Malone F Louisiana Tech 1985 Summerfield, LA 370
E. "Branch" McCracken F Indiana 1930 Monrovia, IN 860
Ryan Minor F Oklahoma 1995 and 1996 Hammon, OK 865
Phillip "Red" Murrell F Drake 1958 Linneus, MO 420
Willie Murrell F Kansas State 1964 Taft, OK 490
Otto Porter Jr. F Georgetown 2013 Morley, MO 697
Bryant Reeves C Oklahoma State 1994 and 1995 Gans, OK 345
Jack Smiley G Illinois 1943 Waterman, IL 945
Ray Steiner G St. Louis 1952 Bland, MO 660
John Stroud F Mississippi 1980 Myrtle, MS 400
Terry Teagle G-F Baylor 1982 Broaddus, TX 190
Gary Thompson G Iowa State 1957 Roland, IA 710
Jack Tingle F Kentucky 1947 Bedford, KY 835
Gene Tormohlen C Tennessee 1959 Holland, IN 685
Carlyle "Blackie" Towery C Western Kentucky 1940 and 1941 Shady Grove, KY 100
Kenny Walker F Kentucky 1985 and 1986 Roberta, GA 860
Waldo Wegner C Iowa State 1935 Everly, IA 350
Murray Wier G-F Iowa 1948 Grandview, IA 475
Win Wilfong F Memphis State 1957 Puxico, MO 830

Lost in Shuffle: Spotlight on Legends Totally Obscures Their Predecessors

February 15th, 2018 - 15:49

Departing Andy Kennedy of Mississippi (245 victories with Rebels) fell way short, but more than 40 current NCAA Division I schools feature all-time winningest coaches boasting in excess of 400 triumphs. The length of tenure necessary to win so many games makes it almost impossible to remember their predecessors. Anyone who can name 1/4 of the mentors they succeeded goes straight to the Trivia Hall of Fame.

Billy Donovan's success with the Oklahoma City Thunder after departing Florida triggered a question as to what other individuals are completely overshadowed as successor to a coaching legend. Donovan combined with fellow record holders Phog Allen, Dale Brown, Gale Catlett, Denny Crum, Ed Diddle, Hec Edmundson, Jack Friel, Don Haskins, Lou Henson, Hank Iba, Frank Keaney, Bob Knight, Bob McKillop, Ray Meyer, Lute Olson, Alex Severance, Norm Stewart, Bob Thomason, John Thompson Jr., Gary Williams, John Wooden and Ned Wulk for more than 12,500 victories at their respective schools where they established new standards. Who would have thought such achievements were in store after their predecessors collaborated to go more than 300 games below .500 over a collective 100-plus seasons?

One of the predecessor names in particular should surprise you. Incredibly, the only one of Kansas' 10 head coaches with a career losing record is the inventor of the sport (Dr. James Naismith). Naismith is among the following coaches who were succeeded by individuals posting more than 400 wins to become the all-time winningest mentor at the same institution:

School All-Time Winningest Coach Predecessor (W-L Record During Tenure)
Arizona Lute Olson (590 victories) Ben Lindsey (4-25 in 1982-83)
Arizona State Ned Wulk (405) Bill Kajikawa (88-137 from 1948-49 through 1956-57)
Austin Peay Dave Loos (402) Howard Jackson (19-35 in 1983-84 and 1984-85
Butler Tony Hinkle (549) Harlan O. "Pat" Page (94-29 from 1920-21 through 1925-26)
California Clarence "Nibs" Price (449) Earl Wright (60-20 from 1920-21 through 1923-24)
Connecticut Jim Calhoun (626) Dom Perno (139-114 from 1977-78 through 1985-86)
Davidson Bob McKillop (495) Bobby Hussey (107-126 from 1981-82 through 1988-89)
Dayton Don Donoher (437) Tom Blackburn (352-141 from 1947-48 through 1963-64)
DePaul Ray Meyer (724) Bill Wendt (23-20 in 1940-41 and 1941-42)
Duke Mike Krzyzewski (998) Bill E. Foster (113-64 from 1974-75 through 1979-80)
Florida Billy Donovan (467) Lon Kruger (104-80 from 1990-91 through 1995-96)
Georgetown John Thompson Jr. (596) Jack Magee (69-80 from 1966-67 through 1971-72)
Houston Guy Lewis (592) Alden Pasche (135-116 from 1945-46 through 1955-56)
Illinois Lou Henson (421) Gene Bartow (8-18 in 1974-75)
Indiana Bob Knight (659) Lou Watson (62-60 from 1965-66 through 1968-69 and 1970-71)
Kansas Phog Allen (590) Dr. James Naismith (55-60 from 1899 through 1907)
Kentucky Adolph Rupp (875) John Mauer (40-14 from 1927-28 through 1929-30)
Louisiana State Dale Brown (448) Press Maravich (76-86 from 1966-67 through 1971-72)
Louisville Denny Crum (675) Howard Stacey (12-8 in 1970-71)
Maryland Gary Williams (461) Bob Wade (36-50 from 1986-87 through 1988-89)
Missouri Norm Stewart (634) Bob Vanatta (42-80 from 1962-63 through 1966-67)
Niagara Taps Gallagher (465) Bill McCarthy (44-35 from 1927-28 through 1930-31)
North Carolina Dean Smith (879) Frank McGuire (164-58 from 1952-53 through 1960-61)
Oklahoma State Hank Iba (655) Harold James (13-41 from 1931-32 through 1933-34)
Oregon State Slats Gill (599) Robert Hager (115-53 from 1922-23 through 1927-28)
Pacific Bob Thomason (414) Tom O'Neill (51-110 from 1982-83 through 1987-88)
Princeton Pete Carril (514) Butch van Breda Kolff (103-31 from 1962-63 through 1966-67)
Purdue Gene Keady (512) Lee Rose (50-18 in 1978-79 and 1979-80)
Rhode Island Frank Keaney (403) Fred Murray (9-8 in 1920-21)
St. John's Lou Carnesecca* (526) Frank Mulzoff (56-27 from 1970-71 through 1972-73)
Syracuse Jim Boeheim (1,004) Roy Danforth (148-71 from 1968-69 through 1975-76)
Temple John Chaney (516) Don Casey (151-94 from 1973-74 through 1981-82)
Texas A&M Shelby Metcalf (438) Bobby Rogers (92-52 from 1957-58 through 1962-63)
Texas-El Paso Don Haskins (719) Harold Davis (18-30 in 1959-60 and 1960-61)
UCLA John Wooden (620) Wilbur Johns (93-120 from 1939-40 through 1947-48)
UNLV Jerry Tarkanian (509) John Bayer (44-36 from 1970-71 through 1972-73)
Villanova Alex Severance (413) Doc Jacobs (62-56 from 1929-30 through 1935-36)
Washington Hec Edmundson (488) Stub Allison (7-8 in 1919-20)
Washington State Jack Friel (495) Karl Schlademan (18-27 in 1926-27 and 1927-28)
West Virginia Gale Catlett (439) Joedy Gardner (59-53 from 1974-75 through 1977-78)
Western Kentucky Ed Diddle (759) L.T. Smith (3-1 in 1922)

*Carnesecca succeeded Joe Lapchick when he served his first stint with St. John's from 1965-66 through 1969-70

Young Shall Lead Them: OU Freshman Still On Pace to Unprecedented Feat

February 13th, 2018 - 12:20

Questions are starting to surface as to whether Oklahoma freshman sensation Trae Young warrants national player of the year consideration if the Sooners continue to struggle in Big 12 Conference competition. But there is no question about Young being in virgin territory while leading the nation in both scoring and assists. There haven't even been that many yearlings pace the country in a single department. Following is a chronological list of freshmen leading the country in a major statistical category:

Season Freshman NCAA Leader School Category Statistic
1974-75 Bernard King Tennessee Field-Goal Shooting 62.2%
1975-76 Sidney Moncrief Arkansas Field-Goal Shooting 66.5%
1983-84 Steve Alford Indiana Free-Throw Shooting 91.3%
1985-86 Jim Barton Dartmouth Free-Throw Shooting 94.2%
1987-88 Kenny Miller Loyola of Chicago Rebounding Average 13.6 rpg
1988-89 Alonzo Mourning Georgetown Blocked Shots Average 5 bpg
1990-91 Shawn Bradley Brigham Young Blocked Shots Average 5.2 bpg
1992-93 Jason Kidd California Steals Average 3.8 spg
1994-95 Keith Closs Central Connecticut State Blocked Shots Average 5.4 bpg
1996-97 Joel Hoover Maryland-Eastern Shore Steals Average 3.2 spg
2001-02 Jason Conley Virginia Military Scoring Average 29.3 ppg
2001-02 T.J. Ford Texas Assists Average 8.3 apg
2003-04 Blake Ahearn Southwest Missouri State Free-Throw Shooting 97.5%
2003-04 Paul Millsap Louisiana Tech Rebounding Average 12.5 rpg
2006-07 Mike Freeman Hampton Field-Goal Percentage 67.8%
2007-08 Michael Beasley Kansas State Rebounding Average 12.4 rpg
2007-08 Devin Gibson Texas-San Antonio Steals Average 3.3 spg
2009-10 Hassan Whiteside Marshall Blocked Shots Average 5.4 bpg
2011-12 Anthony Davis Kentucky Blocked Shots Average 4.65 bpg
2012-13 Nerlens Noel Kentucky Blocked Shots Average 4.5 bpg
2013-14 Monte Morris Iowa State Assist-to-Turnover Ratio 4.79-to-1
2013-14 Julius Randle Kentucky Double-Doubles 24
2015-16 Fletcher Magee Wofford Free-Throw Percentage 92.5%
2016-17 Lonzo Ball UCLA Assists Average 7.61 apg

Twin Peaks: Martin Brothers Boost Nevada's Profile After Leaving NCSU

February 11th, 2018 - 12:48

For those observers who revel in recruiting rhetoric and reviews, the world stopped revolving several years ago when the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew) announced their intention to attend Kentucky. There were all sorts of Harrison Hysteria questions regarding how the guards would impact the Wildcats and their staunch supporters. After struggling somewhat during the regular season in 2013-14, they helped UK advance to the NCAA Tournament championship game. In the short term, Big Blue Nation expected them to guide the Cats' to the 2015 title tilt before Wisconsin left them 38-and-done in the national semifinals. They are unquestionably the best set of twins to participate in the Final Four. But combining to average a modest 20.3 points per game, the biggest long-term question is how will the Harrisons rank among the most touted twins in college basketball history; especially after platooning reduced their impact and Andrew couldn't control his tongue. But were they better than twins Caleb and Cody Martin, who propelled Nevada to a national ranking this season by combining for more than 33 ppg after transferring from North Carolina State? Caleb became Mountain West Conference player and newcomer of the year while Cody was named league defensive player of the year before making colossal contributions in Nevada setting an NCAA playoff-record comeback (erasing 22-point second-half deficit against Cincinnati).

Sharing headlines with other regal recruits, the Harrisons did not crack the following Top 10 of the most influential sets of twins at the same school: 1. Van Arsdale (Indiana); 2. O'Brien (Seattle); 3. Lopez (Stanford); 4. Morris (Kansas); 5. Collins (Stanford); 6. Graham (UCF/Oklahoma State); 7. Hughes (Wisconsin); 8. Holmes (VMI); 9. Hayes (Western Carolina/Georgia); 10. Williams (VMI); 11. Kerr (Colorado State); 12. Stanley (Texas A&M); 13. Nelson (Duquesne).

Meanwhile, the award-winning Martins appear bound to crack the all-time Top 10 sets of twins among the following chronological look of the nation's 40 most outstanding sets of twins who played together at least one season on the same team:

  • George and Francis Coakley were members of Clemson's 1939 Southern Conference Tournament championship team. It is the Tigers' only league tourney title.
  • Howie and Lenny Rader competed for LIU in 1941-42. Howie was a starter but served in the U.S. Army the next year. Each of them went on to play multiple seasons in the NBL.
  • Clifford and Beauford Minx combined for 10.9 ppg for Missouri's 1944 NCAA Tournament team.
  • Forwards John and Rupe Ricksen combined to average 9.7 ppg for California in 1950-51, 15.9 ppg in 1951-52 and 18.4 ppg in 1952-53. The Bears won at least 16 games each of their seasons together. They were co-captains as seniors when Cal captured the PCC South Division title and John earned first-team all-conference status.
  • Bantam-sized Johnny and Eddie O'Brien were the top two scorers for Seattle (26-3 record) when it reached the 1953 NCAA Tournament in the Chieftains' first season at the major-college level. They also were infielders for the Pittsburgh Pirates the same year. Johnny O'Brien, a 5-8 unanimous first-team All-American who played center on offense, is the only player to score more than 40 points in his first NCAA Tournament game (42 in an 88-77 victory against Idaho State). Eddie contributed 21 in the same playoff contest.
  • Bob (8.6 ppg in 63 games) and Bill (7.5 ppg in 40 games) Gaines played together for Furman from 1954-55 through 1956-57. Each of them averaged 10.3 ppg as a senior.
  • Don and Pat Stanley combined for 17.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg in 1959-60 and 24.8 ppg and 11.7 rpg in 1960-61 for Texas A&M. They earlier played at Kilgore when it won a national J.C. title.
  • Don and Doug Clemetson combined for 9.5 ppg with Stanford in 1960-61 and 11 ppg in 1961-62. The 16-6 Cardinal finished AAWU runner-up to UCLA, which wound up at the 1962 Final Four.
  • Tom and Dick Van Arsdale ranked sixth and seventh on Indiana's list of all-time leading scorers when they graduated in 1965. They were among the nation's top 60 point producers as juniors in 1963-64 and combined for 76 points in a 108-102 neutral court victory against Notre Dame. The Hoosiers went 19-5 their senior campaign. They each played 12 seasons in the NBA, where they both scored more than 14,200 points.
  • Lloyd and Floyd Kerr were swingmen who combined to average 25.3 ppg and 10.7 rpg for Colorado State from 1966-67 through 1968-69. Brothers Kerr each scored more than 10 points in all three NCAA playoff games when the Rams reached the Midwest Regional final their senior season (17-7 record) before becoming NBA third-round draft choices.
  • Barry and Garry Nelson combined for 21.7 ppg and 16.9 rpg for Duquesne teams compiling a 59-16 record from 1968-69 through 1970-71. Garry led the team in field-goal percentage all three seasons and in rebounding as a sophomore and junior.
  • In 1974, seniors Kim and Kerry Hughes carried Wisconsin to its only winning record in Big Ten Conference competition (8-6; 16-8 overall) in a 34-year span from 1963 through 1996. Kim was the Badgers' top rebounder as a sophomore. The 6-11 identical twins combined for 27 ppg and 22 rpg in their junior season and 26 ppg and 20.3 rpg in their final year. Kerry had 21 points and Kim contributed 20 in a home game versus Northwestern their senior year.
  • Billy and Bobby Martin excelled for UNC-Wilmington in 1976-77 and 1977-78 after transferring from junior college. Bobby and Billy still rank among the school's all-time leaders in assists.
  • Harvey and Horace Grant combined for 16.4 ppg and 11.1 rpg as sophomores for Clemson's 16-13 NIT team in 1984-85. Harvey transferred after the season to a junior college before enrolling at Oklahoma. Each of them had long NBA careers.
  • Wichita State's Dwayne and Dwight Praylow combined for 16.3 ppg in 1987-88 (20-10 record) and 20.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg in 1988-89 (19-11 record).
  • Victor and Vincent Lee played for Northeast Louisiana from 1986-87 through 1988-89. Their best season was 1988-89 when they were juniors (9.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg).
  • Terry and Perry Dozier combined for 9.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg with South Carolina from 1986-87 through 1988-89.
  • Damon and Ramon Williams combined for 28.9 ppg in their four-year VMI careers from 1986-87 through 1989-90. They were All-Southern Conference Tournament first-team selections as sophomores in 1988. Ramon was an all-league first-team pick as a junior and Damon achieved the feat as a senior. They rank among the school's all-time top scorers.
  • Carl and Charles Thomas were among the top 40 scorers in Eastern Michigan history when they finished their careers following the 1990-91 campaign. They combined to average 16.9 ppg and 7.2 rpg in college before making brief stints in the NBA.
  • Sean and Shawn Wightman played together with Western Michigan for three years (1990-91 through 1992-93) after transferring from Illinois State. They combined for 17.9 ppg as juniors. Sean was the nation's top three-point marksman as a junior and led the Mid-American Conference in free-throw shooting as a senior.
  • Joe and Jon Ross played together with Notre Dame from 1990-91 through 1993-94. They combined for more than eight rebounds per game their last two seasons.
  • Sammie and Simeon Haley combined for 12.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg with Missouri's NCAA Tournament team in 1994-95 (20-9 record) and 14.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg for an NIT team in 1995-96 (18-15 record) after transferring from junior college.
  • Jim and David Jackson combined for 7.7 ppg and 3.6 rpg with Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament team in 1995-96 (23-6 record) and 13.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 1996-97 (15-16).
  • Bill and Bob Jenkins combined for 14.9 ppg and 12.5 rpg with Valparaiso's NCAA playoff Sweet 16 team in 1997-98 (23-10 record).
  • Stanford's Jarron and Jason Collins combined for 19.3 ppg and 12.6 rpg in 1999-2000 before powering the Cardinal to a 31-3 record in 2000-01 with 27.3 ppg and 14.5 rpg.
  • Jarvis and Jonas Hayes combined for 25.1 ppg as freshmen with Western Carolina in 1999-2000. They transferred to Georgia after Jarvis led the Southern Conference in scoring with 17.1 ppg. With the Bulldogs, the twins teamed for 25.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg in 2001-02 and 25 ppg and 8.8 rpg in 2002-03.
  • Joey and Stevie Graham combined for 25.3 ppg and 9.5 rpg as sophomores with Central Florida in 2001-02 before transferring to Oklahoma State. They collaborated for 15.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 2003-04 and 24.2 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 2004-05 for two OSU NCAA playoff teams.
  • Errick and Derrick Craven combined for 17.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg with Southern California in 2002-03, 17.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 2003-04 and 10.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 2004-05.
  • Yale swingmen Caleb and Nick Holmes combined for 12.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.2 apg from 2004-05 through 2007-08.
  • Travis and Chavis Holmes combined for 18.7 ppg with VMI in 2005-06, 34.2 ppg in 2006-07 and 34 ppg in 2007-08. They colloborated for 57 points in a 156-95 victory against Virginia Intermont in 2006-07 when they each ranked among the nation's top five in steals (placed 1-2 in the Big South Conference). Finished 1-2 nationally in thefts their senior season.
  • Centers Brook and Robin Lopez combined for 20.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 4.1 bpg with Stanford as freshmen in 2006-07 and 29.4 ppg, 13.8 rpg and 4.4 bpg as sophomores in 2007-08 before they both left school early and became NBA first-round draft choices.
  • La Salle's Jerrell and Terrell Williams combined for 12.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg from 2007-08 to 2009-10.
  • Charles and Philip Tabet combined for 7.2 ppg and 3 rpg with South Alabama in 2008-09 before falling off to 2.8 ppg with 4.5 rpg in 2009-10.
  • Philadelphia natives Markieff and Marcus Morris combined for 12 ppg and 9.2 rpg with Kansas in 2008-09, 19.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg in 2009-10 and 30.8 ppg and 15.9 rpg as All-Big 12 Conference selections in 2010-11 before they both left school early and became NBA first-round draft choices. Marcus was KU's leading scorer (17.2) and Markieff its leading rebounder (8.3) for the Jayhawks' 2011 Big 12 champion.
  • David and Travis Wear combined for 6.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg as freshmen for North Carolina in 2009-10 before transferring to UCLA, where they collaborated for 18 ppg and 10.2 rpg in 2012-13 and 13.8 ppg and 7 rpg in 2013-14.
  • Charlie (freshman RS in 2009-10) and Colin Reddick combined for 7.7 ppg and 6.1 rpg with Furman in 2010-11, 14.8 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 2011-12 and 22.1 ppg and 11.5 rpg in 2012-13.
  • Aaron and Andrew Harrison combined for 24.6 ppg as freshmen in 2013-14 and 20.3 ppg as sophomores on a couple of Kentucky Final Four squads.
  • Marcus and Michael Weathers combined for 26.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg with Miami OH in 2016-17 before transferring to different schools.
  • Jacob and Kalob Ledoux combined for 19.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg for McNeese State in 2016-17 and 2017-18 before transferring.

NOTE: Triplets Kameron (Brown)/Kendall/Kyle Chones started college in 2003-04. Kendall and Kyle combined for 14.7 ppg and 8 rpg with Colgate in that initial season and from 2005-06 through 2007-08.

Best of Times: Purdue Boiled Hot But Fell Shy of Reaching 20 Wins in Row

February 10th, 2018 - 10:29

Purdue became only the third Big Ten Conference school to win its first 12 outings in league competition since Indiana's undefeated team in 1975-76, joining IU (13-0 in 1992-93) and Illinois (15-0 in 2004-05). But the Boilermakers, after having their 19-game winning streak snapped by visiting Ohio State, fell just short of joining the following alphabetical list of past and present power-conference members compiling all-time best winning streaks of at least 20 in a row:

School (Winning Streak) Coach(es) Date Started Date Ended Streak Ended By (Score)
Alabama (20) Johnny Dee 12-30-55 12-14-56 Duke (89-78) in Birmingham
Arizona (21) Sean Miller 11-8-13 2-1-14 at California (60-58)
Arkansas (35) Francis Schmidt 12-??-27 2-9-29 at Texas (36-25)
Auburn (30) Joel Eaves 1-22-58 2-21-59 at Kentucky (75-56)
Baylor (21) Enoch Mills/Ralph Glaze ?-??-1911 ?-??-1913 Fort Worth Y (46-23)
Boston College (20) Al Skinner 11-19-04 2-8-05 at Notre Dame (68-65)
Butler (25) Brad Stevens 12-31-09 4-5-10 Duke (61-59) in NCAA Tournament final
California (30) Nibs Price 3-??-25 ?-??-27 San Francisco (30-19)
Cincinnati (37) Ed Jucker 1-16-62 2-16-63 at Wichita State (65-64)
Connecticut (23) Jim Calhoun 12-24-95 2-19-96 at Georgetown (77-65)
Creighton (32) Thomas Mills/Charles Kearney 1916-17 2-12-1920 at Michigan State (18-15)
DePaul (26) Ray Meyer 3-26-79 2-27-80 at Notre Dame (76-74 in 2OT)
Duke (32) Mike Krzyzewski 12-2-98 3-29-99 Connecticut (77-74) in NCAA Tournament final
Florida (30) Billy Donovan 12-10-13 4-5-14 Connecticut (63-53) in NCAA Tournament
Georgetown (29) John Thompson Jr. 2-25-84 1-26-85 St. John's (66-65)
Illinois (29) Bruce Weber 11-19-04 3-5-05 at Ohio State (65-64)
Indiana (34) Bob Knight 3-15-74 3-22-75 Kentucky (92-90) in NCAA Tournament
Kansas (23) Phog Allen 3-6-35 3-26-36 Utah State (42-37) in Olympic playoffs
Kansas State (21) Tex Winter 12-19-58 3-14-59 Cincinnati (85-75) in NCAA Tournament
Kentucky (38) John Calipari 11-14-14 4-4-15 Wisconsin (71-64) at Final Four
Louisiana State (26) Dale Brown 11-30-80 3-1-81 at Kentucky (73-71)
Marquette (39) Al McGuire 2-9-70 3-18-71 Ohio State (60-59) in NCAA Tournament
Memphis (27) John Calipari 12-22-08 3-26-09 Missouri (102-91) in NCAA Tournament
Michigan State (23) Tom Izzo 3-2-00 1-7-01 at Indiana (59-58)
Minnesota (34) Louis Cooke 2-9-1901 1-23-1904 at West Side YMCA Chicago (36-26)
Missouri (22) John Miller/Doc Meanwell 3-1-1919 3-5-1920 at Kansas State (29-23)
North Carolina (37) Frank McGuire 12-1-56 12-21-57 West Virginia (75-64) at Kentucky
North Carolina State (36) Norm Sloan 12-18-73 1-3-75 Wake Forest (83-78) at Greensboro
Notre Dame (22) Bert Maris 12-23-1908 2-10-1909 at Buffalo Germans (34-22)
Notre Dame (22) George Keogan 1-23-33 1-20-34 at Pittsburgh (39-34)
Ohio State (32) Fred Taylor 3-5-60 3-25-61 Cincinnati (70-65) in NCAA Tournament
Oklahoma (27) Hugh McDermott 1926-27 1928-29 at Washington MO (29-24)
Oklahoma State (25) Hank Iba 12-12-39 3-13-40 Duquesne (34-30) in NIT
Oregon State (26) Ralph Miller 11-29-80 3-7-81 Arizona State (87-67)
Pittsburgh (22) Buzz Ridl 12-4-73 2-23-74 at Penn State (66-64)
Rutgers (31) Tom Young 12-1-75 3-27-76 Michigan (86-70) at Final Four
St. John's (24) Buck Freeman 1-29-30 2-7-31 at NYU (27-23)
Seton Hall (41) Honey Russell 3-3-39 3-22-41 Long Island (49-26) in NIT
South Carolina (32) Billy Laval/Rock Norman 1-17-33 3-1-34 at North Carolina State (43-24)
Stanford (26) Mike Montgomery 11-22-03 3-6-04 at Washington (75-62)
Syracuse (25) Jim Boeheim 11-8-13 2-19-14 Boston College (62-59 in OT)
Temple (25) Harry Litwack 12-14-57 3-21-58 Kentucky (61-60) at Final Four
Texas (44) Carl Taylor/Theo Bellmont/Roy Henderson 2-15-1913 1-29-1917 Rice (24-18)
Texas A&M (25) William Driver/Dana Bible 1919-20 opener 1-25-21 at Louisiana State (31-30)
Texas Tech (23) James Dickey 12-28-95 3-17-96 Georgetown (98-90) in NCAA Tournament
UCLA (88) John Wooden 1-30-71 1-19-74 at Notre Dame (71-70)
UNLV (45) Jerry Tarkanian 3-1-90 3-30-91 Duke at Final Four (79-77)
Utah (23) Rick Majerus 12-19-98 3-14-99 Miami OH (66-58) in NCAA Tournament
Villanova (20) Jay Wright 11-11-16 1-4-17 at Butler (66-58)
Virginia (28) Terry Holland 3-5-80 2-16-81 Notre Dame (57-56) at Chicago
Wake Forest (20) R.S. Hayes/James Baldwin 2-??-26 2-4-27 at Furman (42-27)
Washington (26) Hec Edmundson 2-14-38 1-31-39 at Oregon (57-49)
Washington State (20) Doc Bohler 2-26-1916 2-2-1917 at California (28-20)
West Virginia (23) Gale Catlett 12-9-81 2-27-82 at Rutgers (74-64)
Wisconsin (29) Doc Meanwell 12-9-1911 3-7-1913 at Chicago (23-10)

Misplaced Priorities: UK Has History of Failure Living Up to Preseason Hype

February 9th, 2018 - 11:50

Kentucky could be headed to finishing out of the AP's Top 20 three times in the last six years after the freshmen-laden Wildcats were ranked among the preseason Top 5. UK, a mere 30 points removed from losing 12 of its first 13 SEC assignments, clearly has been this campaign's biggest disappointment after ranking 5th in the preseason. There has been an average of one such tarnished squad failing to live up to enormous preseason hype each year thus far this century.

The previous 21 teams in this great-expectations category incurred at least double digits in defeats. Following is a chronological list of the first 25 teams included among preseason Top 5 selections since 1968-69 but finishing out of the AP's final Top 20 poll:

Preseason Top 5 Team Season Preseason AP Ranking Coach Record Top Players For Disappointing Squad
Notre Dame 1968-69 4th Johnny Dee 20-7 Austin Carr, Bob Arnzen, Bob Whitmore, Dwight Murphy, Collis Jones and Sid Catlett
Purdue 1969-70 3rd George King 18-6 Rick Mount, Larry Weatherford, George Faerber, Bob Ford, William Franklin and Tyrone Bedford
Southern California 1971-72 3rd Bob Boyd 16-10 Paul Westphal, Joe Mackey, Ron Riley, Dan Anderson and Mike Westra
Florida State 1972-73 2nd Hugh Durham 18-8 Reggie Royals, Lawrence McCray, Otis Cole, Benny Clyde and Otis Johnson
Indiana 1976-77 5th Bob Knight 14-13 Kent Benson, Mike Woodson, Wayne Radford and Derek Holcomb
Kansas 1978-79 5th Ted Owens 18-11 Darnell Valentine, Paul Mokeski, John Crawford, Wilmore Fowler and Tony Guy
DePaul 1984-85 3rd Joey Meyer 19-10 Tyrone Corbin, Kenny Patterson, Dallas Comegys, Marty Embry, Tony Jackson and Kevin Holmes
Indiana 1984-85 4th Bob Knight 19-14 Steve Alford, Uwe Blab, Stew Robinson, Dan Dakich, Delray Brooks and Daryl Thomas
Louisville 1986-87 2nd Denny Crum 18-14 Herbert Crook, Pervis Ellison, Tony Kimbro, Mark McSwain, Keith Williams, Kenny Payne and Felton Spencer
Michigan State 1990-91 4th Jud Heathcote 19-11 Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga, Mike Peplowski and Mark Montgomery
Clemson 1997-98 5th Rick Barnes 18-14 Greg Buckner, Terrell McIntyre, Harold Jamison and Tony Christie
Auburn 1999-00 4th Cliff Ellis 24-10 Chris Porter, Doc Robinson, Scott Pohlman, Daymeon Fishback, Mamadou N'diaye and Mack McGadney
UCLA 2001-02 5th Steve Lavin 21-12 Jason Kapono, Billy Knight, Matt Barnes, Dan Gadzuric and T.J. Cummings
Arizona 2003-04 4th Lute Olson 20-10 Hassan Adams, Salim Stoudamire, Channing Frye, Andre Iguodala and Mustafa Shakur
Michigan State 2003-04 3rd Tom Izzo 18-12 Paul Davis, Chris Hill, Kelvin Torbert, Maurice Ager and Alan Anderson
Missouri 2003-04 5th Quin Snyder 16-14 Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding, Linas Kleiza, Jimmy McKinney, Travon Bryant and Jason Conley
Georgia Tech 2004-05 3rd Paul Hewitt 20-12 Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder, Will Bynum, Luke Schenscher and Isma'll Muhammad
Michigan State 2005-06 4th Tom Izzo 22-12 Maurice Ager, Paul Davis, Shannon Brown and Drew Neitzel
Louisiana State 2006-07 5th John Brady 17-15 Glen Davis, Tasmin Mitchell, Terry Martin, Garrett Temple and Darnell Lazare
Texas 2009-10 3rd Rick Barnes 24-10 Damion James, Avery Bradley, Dexter Pittman, J'Covan Brown, Gary Johnson and Dogus Balbay
Kansas State 2010-11 3rd Frank Martin 23-11 Jacob Pullen, Rodney McGruder, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels
Michigan State 2010-11 2nd Tom Izzo 19-15 Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green, Durrell Summers, Delvon Roe and Keith Appling
Connecticut 2011-12 4th Jim Calhoun 20-14 Andre Drummond, Jeremy Lamb, Ryan Boatright, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith and Tony Olander
Kentucky 2012-13 3rd John Calipari 21-12 Willie Cauley-Stein, Archie Goodwin, Ryan Harrow, Julius Mays, Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress and Kyle Wiltjer
Kentucky 2013-14 1st John Calipari 29-11 Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress, Julius Randle and James Young

Worst of Times: St. John's Snaps 11-Game Losing Streak With Win vs. Duke

February 3rd, 2018 - 15:11

St. John's, incurring two double-digit losing streaks in Chris Mullin's first three seasons as coach, ended an 11-game nosdive this campaign with a victory over disappointing Duke. But St. John's recent tailspins represent significantly fewer consecutive setbacks than the all-time longest losing streak by a current power-conference member - 27 by Syracuse in early 1960s.

Jim O'Brien was the only individual to coach two current power-league members (Boston College and Ohio State) when they incurred their longest existing losing streak until BC dropped 20 in a row extending to the opener last season. Former Big East Conference rival Rutgers incurred 15 consecutive reversals to end the 2014-15 season before St. John's bowed in 16 straight decisions in 2015-16. Mizzou wasn't the only Tigers' program in SEC sidelined by tranquilizing-inducing losing streak. LSU dropped 15 consecutive contests when former coach Johnny Jones frequently looked as strategically befuddled as a chief recruiter losing a satchel full of cash on a recruiting trip. Iowa is struggling this season but the Hawkeyes remain among the elite basketball schools - including Creighton, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Purdue, UNLV, Utah and West Virginia - never reaching double figures in consecutive setbacks:

School (Longest Losing Streak) Coach(es) Date Started Date Ended Opponent Ending Streak Score
Arizona (16) Fred Enke 12-19-58 2-14-59 Hardin-Simmons 66-64
Arizona State (15) Herb Sendek 12-22-2006 2-18-2007 Southern California 68-58
Arkansas (10) Lanny Van Eman 1-9-71 2-20-71 at Texas 88-87 in OT
Auburn (13) V.J. Edney 12-13-46 2-8-47 Florida 36-30
Baylor (17) Harry Miller 1-2-99 11-20-99 Eastern Washington 68-61
Boston College (20) Jim Christian 1-2-2016 11-15-2016 UMES 73-57
Brigham Young (21) Roger Reid/Tony Ingle 12-13-96 11-14-97 at San Diego State 73-59
Butler (14) Joe Sexson 1-31-81 12-12-81 Valparaiso 85-76
California (10) Rene Herrerias 1-5-62 3-3-62 at Washington 68-65 in OT
Cincinnati (10) Mick Cronin 1-24-2007 2-28-2007 Seton Hall 70-67 in OT
Clemson (15) Banks McFadden 12-14-54 2-21-55 Georgia 105-94
Colorado (17) Tom Apke 1-8-86 11-28-86 Weber State 73-57
Connecticut (10) John Donahue 1918 1919 Boston College 46-27
Connecticut (10) Burr Carlson 11-30-68 1-8-69 Syracuse 103-84
Creighton (9) Dana Altman 1-23-95 2-23-95 at Wichita State 50-47
Creighton (9) Greg McDermott 12-21-2014 1-28-2015 St. John's 77-74
DePaul (18) Jerry Wainwright 12-31-2008 3-10-2009 Cincinnati 67-57 in Big East Tournament
Duke (8) James Baldwin 2-13-22 3-?-22 Durham YMCA 37-26
Florida (14) Don DeVoe 1-17-90 2-27-90 Louisiana State 76-63
Florida State (13) Don Loucks 1-10-48 2-21-48 Florida Southern 55-48
Georgetown (9) Jack Magee 12-13-71 1-27-72 William & Mary 85-79 in OT
Georgia (13) Harbin "Red" Lawson 12-28-51 2-6-52 Georgia Tech 72-64
Georgia Tech (26) John "Whack" Hyder 2-7-53 2-18-54 South Carolina 58-53
Gonzaga (10) Dan Fitzgerald 1-19-90 2-23-90 at San Francisco 76-75
Illinois (11) Harv Schmidt 1-12-74 2-23-74 Iowa 91-84
Indiana (11) Harry Good 1-8-44 2-19-44 at Minnesota 48-47
Indiana (11) Tom Crean 1-24-2010 3-6-2010 Northwestern 88-80 in OT
Iowa (8) Rollie Williams 2-15-30 12-23-30 at Creighton 28-22
Iowa (8) Dick Schultz 1-7-74 2-11-74 Purdue 112-111 in 3OT
Iowa State (14) Louis Menze 1-2-37 12-3-37 Simpson IA 41-37
Kansas (10) Phog Allen 1-21-48 3-12-48 Iowa State 61-54
Kansas State (15) E.C. Curtiss 2-28-22 2-17-23 at Nebraska 17-14
Kentucky (9) George Buchheit 1-25-23 2-23-23 Sewanee TN 30-14
Louisiana State (15) Johnny Jones 1-7-2017 3-1-2017 Tennessee 92-82
Louisville (19) Laurie Apitz 2-18-39 2-22-40 Berea TN 56-55
Marquette (15) Eddie Hickey 1-8-64 3-7-64 at Xavier 98-95
Maryland (22) Howard Shipley 3-1-40 2-22-41 Washington College MD 26-18
Memphis (20) Zach Curlin 1-7-38 1-26-39 Arkansas State 53-45
Miami FL (17) Leonard Hamilton 1-8-94 11-25-94 Northeastern Illinois 66-48
Michigan (11) Bill Frieder 12-12-81 1-28-82 Ohio State 62-60 in OT
Michigan State (11) Forddy Anderson 1-9-65 3-1-65 Purdue 110-92
Minnesota (17) Clem Haskins 1-10-87 11-30-87 Western Illinois 84-52
Mississippi (16) Robert "Cob" Jarvis 12-30-75 3-1-76 Vanderbilt 81-72
Mississippi State (14) Paul Gregory 1-7-55 2-26-55 at Louisiana State 84-80
Missouri (13) Kim Anderson 1-10-2015 2-24-2015 Florida 64-52
Missouri (13) Kim Anderson 12-10-2016 2-4-2017 Arkansas 83-78
Nebraska (13) Charles Black/William Browne 2-10-32 1-14-33 Kansas State 31-25
North Carolina (8) Tom Scott 12-20-50 1-11-51 Wake Forest 65-56
North Carolina State (9) Les Robinson 1-25-92 2-22-92 at North Carolina 99-94
North Carolina State (9) Sidney Lowe 2-9-2008 11-15-2008 at New Orleans 65-59
Northwestern (20) Maury Kent 3-3-23 12-22-24 Michigan State 26-17
Notre Dame (13) Johnny Dee 12-18-65 2-9-66 Butler 84-61
Ohio State (17) Jim O'Brien 12-28-97 2-25-98 at Wisconsin 61-56
Oklahoma (10) Bob Stevens 1-6-64 2-21-64 Missouri 86-84
Oklahoma State (13) James Pixlee 1-24-20 1-14-21 Oklahoma Baptist 34-19
Oklahoma State (13) John Maulbetsch/George Roddy 1-12-29 1-7-30 Oklahoma 28-22
Oklahoma State (13) George Roddy 1-10-30 1-5-31 Grinnell IA 23-16
Oregon (22) George Bohler 12-22-21 2-20-22 Nevada 33-29
Oregon State (25) Jay John/Kevin Mouton/Craig Robinson 12-22-2007 11-30-2008 at Fresno State 62-54
Penn State (17) Bruce Parkhill 1-21-84 12-5-84 Navy 66-63
Pittsburgh (10) Charles "Buzz" Ridl 12-7-68 1-28-69 West Virginia 90-87
Providence (12) Lawrence Drew 2-5-49 3-9-49 Clark MA 46-45
Purdue (8) Ray Eddy 1-12-52 2-11-52 Wisconsin 78-67
Purdue (8) Ray Eddy 1-5-63 2-4-63 Michigan State 103-81
Rutgers (16) Craig Littlepage 12-23-87 2-18-88 Penn State 65-61
St. John's (16) Chris Mullin 12-18-2015 2-17-2016 DePaul 80-65
Seton Hall (15) John Colrick/Honey Russell 2-5-36 1-22-37 St. Peter's 30-23
Seton Hall (15) P.J. Carlesimo 1-2-85 3-2-85 Connecticut 85-80
South Carolina (15) Absalon "Rock" Norman 1-12-31 1-8-32 Clemson 31-23
Southern California (16) Bob Boyd 1-8-76 12-1-76 Idaho 104-64
Stanford (11) John Bunn 1-15-32 12-23-32 at Utah 41-37
Syracuse (27) Marc Guley 2-22-61 3-3-62 at Boston College 73-72
Temple (11) Don Casey 12-10-75 1-26-76 Dickinson PA 89-55
Tennessee (14) W.H. Britton 2-21-27 12-28-28 South Carolina 29-20
Texas (15) Thurman "Slue" Hull 12-4-54 2-5-55 Arkansas 75-74
Texas A&M (17) Melvin Watkins/Billy Gillispie 1-10-2004 11-19-2004 North Carolina A&T 89-56
Texas Christian (24) Johnny Swaim/Tim Somerville 12-11-76 12-3-77 Wayland Baptist TX 67-53
Texas Tech (20) Gerald Myers 1-4-90 11-25-90 Nevada 81-69 at Anchorage
UCLA (14) Pierce "Caddy" Works 12-28-37 1938-39 opener L.A. City College 44-28
UNLV (9) Michael Drakulich 12-5-58 1-14-59 at Nellis AFB 52-47
Utah (9) Vadal Peterson 12-30-35 2-1-36 at Utah State 35-34
Vanderbilt (14) Josh Cody 2-15-35 1-9-36 Auburn 47-27
Villanova (10) John "Rube" Cashman 1927-28 season finale Alumni at Rosemont 33-18
Virginia (13) Billy McCann 1-9-60 2-27-60 Washington & Lee VA 86-59
Virginia Tech (18) Gerald "Red" Laird 12-29-54 2-21-55 The Citadel 88-53
Wake Forest (22) Murray Greason 1-26-43 1944-45 Catawba NC 41-38
Washington (13) Lorenzo Romar 1-21-2017 11-10-2017 Belmont 86-82
Washington State (18) Kelvin Sampson 12-30-89 11-28-90 BYU-Hawaii 112-81
West Virginia (9) Marshall Glenn 1-12-37 2-17-37 Penn State 36-31
West Virginia (9) Gale Catlett 12-28-2001 1-30-2002 Providence 89-81
West Virginia (9) Drew Catlett/John Beilein 2-2-2002 11-22-2002 Delaware State 59-46
Wichita State (14) Kenneth Gunning 1-10-50 12-5-50 Oklahoma Baptist 53-45
Wisconsin (14) John Powless 1-8-76 3-1-76 at Ohio State 91-79
Xavier (13) Dick Campbell 1-29-73 12-1-73 Aquinas MI 88-48

Bigger Not Always Better: Entertaining Small-College Notebook Details

February 2nd, 2018 - 16:27

The spotlight was on small-college hoopdom again when Greenville (Ill.) College, leading NCAA Division III in scoring third straight season, combined with victorious St. Louis-based Fontbonne (Mo.) in highest-scoring game in DIII history (164-154 in overtime). Prior to embracing frenetic brand of offense similar to Grinnell (Iowa), only the ultimate trivia buff knew anything remotely athletic about Greenville, which had a 1974 graduate by the name of Wilbur "Butch" Lockley participate in Survivor Season 6 Amazon. Lockley is remembered primarily because of the high school principal's Egyptian dance, refusal to gaze at a couple of naked female contestants and obsession with firewood prior to a huge fire.

In a caste-like era separating the haves from the have-nots, imperial universities are seeking mega-conferences and, perhaps in the near future, an even more restrictive upper division. But the elitist institutions aren't able to exclude humble small schools from making a big impact on college basketball. Jack Taylor of Grinnell (Iowa) lit up scoreboards several seasons ago, pouring in 71 points in his season opener against Finlandia (Mich.) before exploding for 109 points against Crossroads (Minn.). Even when Taylor was out of the lineup in mid-season, Grinnell generated national headlines after Pat Maher set an NCAA single-game mark with 37 assists in a 164-144 win over College of Faith. In the afterglow of focusing on small colleges via scoring outbursts from G-men at Greenville and Grinnell, following is a chronological notebook with items detailing what will always be appealing about the little guy:

Basketball was a new demonstration sport at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, which also was part of the World's Fair the same year. Hiram College (Ohio), Wheaton College (Ill.) and the University of Latter Day Saints (known today as Brigham Young) were the three college teams invited to compete in what was officially called the "Olympic Collegiate Basketball Championship." Hiram finished the round-robin tournament 2-0 and was declared the champion and awarded the first Olympic gold medal in basketball.

College of Charleston (S.C.) went winless 10 seasons from 1913-14 through 1923-24 (0-56 record; did not compete in 1918-19). . . . Paul Davis, after leaving Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma State), guided North Dakota State (18-0 in 1916) and North Dakota (16-0 in 1920) to undefeated seasons in a five-year span. He was also the football coach for these schools. . . . Indiana State's coach for five seasons from 1918-19 through 1922-23 after playing for the institution (known as Indiana State Normal School at the time) was Birch E. Bayh Sr. His son with the same name is a former U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1963 to 1981 and candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election. His grandson, Birch E. "Evan" Bayh III, is a former Indiana Governor and U.S. Senator (from 1999 to 2011). . . . Peru (Neb.) State Teachers won 55 consecutive games over a five-year span from 1921-26. . . . Earl Kinzie, a member of McPherson's 1928 Kansas Conference championship team that placed third in the national AAU Tournament in Kansas City, became a doctor and practiced family medicine in Texas for 50 years. He delivered more than 2,000 babies, including standout running back Earl Campbell.

Longtime radio and TV personality Art Linkletter was San Diego State's leading scorer in 1932-33 and 1933-34. . . . Stanford All-American Hank Luisetti is usually credited with introducing the jump shot but fans of Glenn Roberts from Emory & Henry (Va.) beg to differ. Roberts led the nation in scoring in 1933 and 1935 en route to tallying 2,013 career points. . . . Westminster (Pa.), playing in the first-ever collegiate basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on December 29, 1934, upset St. John's, 37-33. . . . Tarleton (Tex.), coached by W.J. Wisdom, posted 86 straight victories from 1934 to 1937 en route to winning 112 of 113 games in a seven-year span. . . . Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr., the son of a legend who had the longest coaching career in the history of football (71 years), guided the basketball squad at Susquehanna (Pa.) for 16 seasons from 1935-36 through 1950-51. . . . Carleton (Minn.) forward Wayne Sparks, a "Little All-American" in 1936-37, died in a bomber crash in World War II. . . . Drury's Eugene "Peaches" Westover (class of '38), a four-time All-MCAU forward, was killed January 1, 1945, during WWII at the Battle of the Bulge. . . . Western Kentucky was the only school to defeat Murray State in a 79-game span from January 3, 1936 through March 10, 1938. . . . The leading scorer for champion Central Missouri State in the first NAIA tourney in 1937 (when it was known as the National Intercollegiate Tournament) was eventual major leaguer Chuck Workman, an outfielder-third baseman who finished second in the National League in home runs in 1945 with 25 for the Boston Braves. . . . Louisville lost a school-record 19 consecutive contests in the midst of a six-year stretch from 1936-37 through 1941-42 when the Cardinals were 57 games below the .500 mark. Louisville was a long way from becoming a major-college power in 1944 when Peck Hickman was hired as coach for $200 per month. The Cardinals won a total of 29 games over the previous seven seasons. In that span, they lost at least three times to Alfred Holbrook (three defeats), Berea (four), Centre (seven), Georgetown College (nine), Hanover (nine), Oakland City (three) and Transylvania (six). . . . Ulyss "Useless" Brock, a 6-0, 135-pound forward, scored 83 points (22 field goals and 39 free throws) for Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in a 101-21 verdict over Bethel in February, 1940. . . . UC Santa Barbara reached the 1941 NAIA Tournament semifinals although All-CCAA first-team center Lowell Steward, the league's first black player, couldn't compete because Missouri was a Jim Crow state at the time. Steward would later fly 143 combat missions in Europe as a P-51 pilot for the famed Tuskegee Airmen. . . . George Barr, regarded as probably the finest player in Northland (Wis.) history when he competed in the early 1940s, entered the Army Air Corps as a senior during World War II, earning his diploma in absentia. Barr volunteered for the Jimmy Doolittle raids over Tokyo in 1942. His plane was forced down on mainland China after the raid and the crew imprisoned. Barr was a prisoner of the Japanese for 3 1/2 years with most of the time spent in solitary confinement. Teammate Duane Borst served as a First Lieutenant with the Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauder Group in France, flying 43 missions over Germany.

Football legend Eddie Robinson won more than 70 percent of his games as Grambling's basketball coach from 1942-56. . . . Bob Barker, longtime host of highly-rated daytime game show The Price is Right, played for Drury (Mo.) in the early 1940s before serving in the military during WWII. . . . York (Neb.) College, boasting an enrollment of 50, upset Akron, 52-49, in the first round of the 1943 NAIA Tournament before losing to North Texas, 51-49, in the second round. Brothers Jim and Wayne Kaeding scored 78 of York's 101 points in the two contests. . . . North Carolina College's Rocky Roberson scored 58 points in a game against Shaw (N.C.) during the 1942-43 season for what was believed to be a college record at the time. . . . Fulfilling a pre-tournament agreement in 1943, players from Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) marched to the local blood bank to donate blood to the armed forces following a 50-30 defeat against Cape Girardeau State (Mo.) in the NAIA Tournament's opening game. The two opponents had agreed the loser would donate blood. . . . More than 100 current NCAA Division I schools previously competed in the NAIA Tournament. Thirteen of the 17 different colleges to win NAIA titles from 1941 through 1963 are currently classified as NCAA Division I institutions. One of the 13 universities is Southeast Missouri State, which captured the 1943 crown after losing its first four games of the season. . . . Mississippi College defeated Mississippi State three times by double-digit margins in 1944-45. . . . Howie Schultz, a star for Hamline (Minn.) in the early 1940s, replaced Jackie Robinson at first base in Robinson's first regular-season game for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. . . . CIAA champion West Virginia State was the nation's only undefeated college team in 1947-48, finishing with a 23-0 record. The squad, coached by Mark Cardwell, included future NBA players Bob Wilson and Earl Lloyd. . . . UCLA legend John Wooden was in his final season as coach of Indiana State when the Sycamores lost to Louisville in the 1948 NAIA final. Curtis Walker, Indiana State's 12th man, was the first African-American player in the NAIA Tournament. The all-tourney first five included Beloit's Johnny Orr, who went on to become a longtime major-college coach. Two years later, Indiana State won the NAIA title. . . . Tennessee A&I, coached by Henry A. Kean, was the nation's only undefeated team in 1948-49 with a 24-0 record. The Tigers' leading scorers, Clarence Wilson and Joshua Grider, were both eventually longtime standouts with the Harlem Globetrotters. . . . Hamline (Minn.), the 1949 NAIA champion, had two players - center Vern Mikkelsen and forward Hal Haskins - on Converse's first three five-man All-American teams. In 1950, scribes named Haskins winner of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association's Gold Star Award as the outstanding visitng player in New York. In what might be the most impressive honor ever received by a small-college player, he virtually doubled the vote total of runner-up Chuck Cooper of Duquesne. North Carolina State's Sam Ranzino finished third, UCLA's George Stanich placed fourth and Holy Cross' Bob Cousy was fifth. The first five winners of the award were Penn's Howie Dallmar, DePaul's George Mikan, Kentucky's Ralph Beard, St. Louis' Ed Macauley and Denver's Vince Boryla. Haskins was among seven Hamline players who started their professional careers in an eight-year span from 1946 through 1953 under coach Joe Hutton Sr.

Morris Harvey's George King became the first college player to average 30 or more points per game in a seson when he led the nation's small-college players with a 31.2-point average in 1949-50. King went on to become a prominent major-college coach. . . . Sewanee (Tenn.) played 58 games in 10 weeks during the summer of 1951 while touring Africa and Europe with Goose Tatum, Marques Haynes and the Harlem Globetrotters. This reportedly was the first international trip for any college basketball team. . . . John Chaney scored 57 points for Bethune-Cookman FL in a 1952 game against Knoxville before becoming a Hall of Fame coach with Temple. . . . Florida A&M won the 1952 SIAC Tournament final against host Alabama State, 71-67, despite having just four players on the court the final 13-plus minutes (including two overtimes) because of players fouling out. . . . The first predominantly black college to take the floor in an integrated national collegiate tournament was Tennessee State (then Tennessee A&I) in 1953. Hall of Famer John McLendon coached Tennessee State to three consecutive national titles (1957-59). Oddly, the '53 Tennessee State team defeated McLendon-coached North Carolina College for the opportunity to go to Kansas City. . . . Seven years earlier, McLendon led North Carolina College to a 64-56 triple-overtime victory over Virginia Union in the final of the first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament. The CIAA Tournament blossomed into one of the premier postseason events in the country, including major-college tourneys. . . . Alderson-Broaddus College's Joe Miller (3,666) and Carl Hartman (3,373) became the only pair of 3,000-point scorers in college history to be teammates (1954 and 1955). . . . Southwest Missouri, winning the 1953 NAIA crown to become the first school to capture back-to-back titles with a 32-team format, played the last 3 1/2 minutes of its semifinal game with only four players on the court after encountering foul problems. The principal reason Southwest Missouri was shorthanded stemmed from two squad members being in spring training on their way to playing 12 seasons of major league baseball - infielder Jerry Lumpe and first baseman/outfielder Norm Siebern.

Ted Cassidy, Stetson's leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55, played the role of Lurch in The Addams Family comedy TV series. . . . Tom Hart of Middlebury (Vt.) became the greatest rebounder in collegiate history. He still holds the record for most rebounds per game in a single season (29.5 rpg as a junior in 1954-55) and in a career (27.6 rpg). His coach was former baseball major leaguer Tony Lupien. The 6-4 Hart had two 46-rebound games in 1955 and grabbed 45 in a contest the next year as a senior. In track meets, Hart routinely entered six events and often scored over half his team's points, specializing in the high jump and pole vault. . . . West Virginia Tech averaged more than 100 points per game four consecutive seasons from 1954-55 through 1957-58. . . . Bill Reigel, playing for his third college in six seasons, led the nation's small-college players with a 33.9-point average when he paced McNeese State to the 1956 NAIA Tournament title. Reigel had averaged 18 points per game for the Duquesne freshman team in 1950-51 and 16.3 points per game for the Duke varsity in 1952-53 before entering military service. He later coached McNeese for three seasons from 1971-72 through 1973-74. . . . One of McNeese's three defeats in its championship season was at Lamar, 61-60, after the Cowboys had clobbered the Cardinals (12-12) by a total of 84 points in two early-season contests. The governor of Louisiana threatened McNeese to pull out of tourney if HBCU were allowed to participate. The Cowboys ultimately went against the governor's wishes and defeated HBCU powerhouse Texas Southern in national final. . . . Long-time Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy directed the basketball squad from Coe (Iowa) in the 1956 NAIA Tournament. . . . Lee Pfund, the coach for 1957 NCAA Division II champion Wheaton (Ill.), compiled a 3-2 pitching record for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. The all-time winningest coach for Wheaton had three sons (John, Kerry and Randy) each score more than 1,150 points for the school. Randy went on to become coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers before becoming vice-president of the Miami Heat. NBA coach Donn Nelson, who gained a reputation as an authority on foreign basketball talent, collected 1,460 points and 538 rebounds for Wheaton in the mid-1980s. . . . Western Illinois missed an opportunity to become the nation's only undefeated college team in 1957-58 when it lost to Tennessee State, 85-73, in the NAIA Tournament championship game. Western had defeated Tennessee State, 79-76, earlier in the season. It was one of three consecutive NAIA titles won by Tennessee State, which boasted future pros Dick Barnett, John Barnhill and Ben Warley. . . . Davis & Elkins' Paul Wilcox, 6-6, is the only player to lead the NAIA in scoring (22.6 ppg) and rebounding (22.3 rpg) in the same season (1958-59). . . . In 1959, North Carolina A&T became the first predominantly black institution to participate in NCAA Division II national playoff competition. The Aggies finished third in the tourney. . . . Jack Madden, the dean of NBA referees for an extended period, graduated from Rider (N.J.) in 1959 as the school's career leader in scoring and rebounding.

Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau, a five-time Grammy winner, played for Ripon (Wis.) in the early 1960s. . . . The NAIA All-Stars upset NCAA champion Ohio State, 76-69, in a first-round game in the 1960 Olympic Trials. The NAIA zone defense limited Buckeye All-American Jerry Lucas to 14 points. . . . The first final NCAA College Division poll in 1960-61 included three coaches - Stan Albeck (Northern Michigan), Harry Gallatin (Southern Illinois) and Butch van Breda Kolff (Hofstra) - who went on to coach in the NBA for at least four seasons. In the next 10 campaigns, three other coaches - Bill Fitch (North Dakota), Bill Musselman (Ashland) and Scotty Robertson (Louisiana Tech) - guided College Division schools to a final Top 10 spot before moving up to the NBA for at least five years. Fitch and his successor, Jimmy Rodgers, coached multiple NBA teams. . . . The 1961-62 All-SWAC first-team selections included three frontcourters who later played at least 10 seasons in the pros - Prairie View's Zelmo Beaty, Southern's Bob Love and Grambling's Willis Reed. . . . Grambling finished in the top 10 of the first 76 weeks of College Division/Division II polls from January 5, 1961 through the end of the 1966-67 campaign. The Tigers, coached by Fred Hobdy, placed in the top five 40 consecutive weeks from March 2, 1961, through January 28, 1965. Grambling supplied seven top 20 NBA draft choices in a 20-year span from 1957 through 1976 before moving up to the NCAA Division I level - Bob McCoy (10th in 1957), Hershell West (16th in 1963), Reed (10th in 1964), Wilbert Frazier (12th in 1965), Jimmy Jones (13th in 1967), Fred Hilton (19th in 1971) and Larry Wright (14th in 1976).

Ronnie Maravich, a letterman for Georgia Southern in 1961-62, is a half-brother of Hall of Famer Pete Maravich (NCAA DI all-time leading scorer from LSU). . . . North Carolina A&T's Hugh Evans, a 12th-round draft choice by the St. Louis Hawks in 1963, went on to become a long-time NBA referee. Evans, a high school teammate in New York with Connie Hawkins and a college teammate of Al Attles, spent three years in the San Francisco Giants' minor league system. . . . Longtime Harlem Globetrotter Fred "Curly" Neal was an All-CIAA selection for Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) in 1962-63. . . . South Dakota State's decisive basket in a 44-42 decision over Wittenberg (Ohio) in the 1963 College Division Tournament final was a 40-foot baseball pass by Sid Bostic that went in after the buzzer sounded while the ball was in flight. . . . Winthrop "Wink" Davenport, who holds career average (19.6 ppg) and single-game (44 points as a junior vs. Bowdoin on February 2, 1963) scoring records for Wesleyan (Conn.), is the father of former women's tennis sensation Lindsay Davenport. He played for the U.S. volleyball team in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. . . . John Fred Gourrier, the lead vocalist for rock-and-roll group John Fred and the Playboy Band featuring hit single Judy in Disguise, was a 6-5 forward for Southeastern Louisiana in the mid-1960s. . . . Sam Alford, father of former Indiana All-American guard Steve Alford, led the NAIA in free-throw shooting in 1963-64. The elder Alford hit 91.2% of his foul shots for Franklin (Ind.) that season. . . . Midwestern (Tex.) defeated Austin College, 14-11, in overtime in 1964. Midwestern held a 4-1 halftime lead and the teams were tied at 8-8 at the end of regulation. Midwestern had won an earlier game that season with Austin by 40 points, 92-52. . . . Bob Jones, the all-time leading rebounder for Georgetown College (Ky.), is the father of former Virginia All-American guard and coach Jeff Jones. . . . Evansville was ranked No. 1 for 19 consecutive weeks from January 30, 1964, through the end of the 1964-65 season. . . . Jerry Sloan outscored Walt Frazier, 25-16, in Evansville's 85-82 victory over Southern Illinois in the 1965 NCAA College Division Tournament final. They went on to become NBA All-Defensive Team first-team selections the same year four times in seven seasons from 1968-69 through 1974-75. . . . Emmy Award-winning writer Bob Einstein, who created the Super Dave Osborne hapless stuntman character, averaged 5 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Chapman (Calif.) in 1963-64 and 1964-65. . . . Writer-director Ron Shelton, synonymous with numerous sports movies, scored 1,420 points for Westmont (Calif.) in the mid-1960s. . . . Ken Howard, street-savvy high school teacher in CBS classic drama The White Shadow, was third-leading all-time scorer for Amherst (Mass.) when his career ended in 1966. . . . Shippensburg's team in the mid-1960s had four different players eventually coach high school state championship teams in the mid-1980s during their careers following graduation. Art Taneyhill and Reggie Weiss coached basketball champions in Pennsylvania while Harry Chapman and Jim Deibler coached football titlists. . . . Wilberforce (Ohio) forward Lonnie Lynn Sr., a 1966 NBA draft choice of the St. Louis Hawks who played in the ABA in 1969-70, is the father of entertainer "Common" (previously Common Sense), a hip hop artist, actor and rap poet who was invited to the White House by the Obama Administration. . . . In 1966-67, Cleveland State's John McLendon became the first African-American to coach at an integrated college in the United States. He had previously been the first black coach at the professional level with the ABL's Cleveland Pipers. . . . In 1966-67, Kentucky Wesleyan had its first of 13 full seasons ranked in the top 10 of College Division/Division II polls (1967-68-69-82-84-87-90-98-99-00-01-02-03). . . . Rockhurst's Ed McKee, a 10th-round choice of the ABA's Indiana Pacers in its initial draft in 1967, went on to become P.R. director of the franchise after it merged with the NBA. McKee was also SID for Indiana State when Larry Bird gained national notoriety. . . . Ashland (Ohio) was coached by Bill Musselman in 1967-68 when the school allowed only 33.9 points per game, an NCAA record. . . . Scranton (Pa.), boasting a 20-5 record in 1968-69 under coach Nat Volpe, defeated five different major colleges that season - Lehigh, Rider, Lafayette, Colgate and Seton Hall. . . . Youngstown State's John McElroy became the shortest player (6-0) ever to score 70 or more points in a game involving NCAA colleges when he scored 72 against Wayne State (Mich.) on February 26, 1969. . . . Mickey Gibson, a transfer from Kentucky who was dismissed from the Wildcats' squad by coach Adolph Rupp because he got married, set the UNC-Asheville single-game scoring record with 44 points against Washington & Lee on February 8, 1969.

The first family of small-college basketball, if not all of hoopdom, could be the six brothers Jones from McGehee, Ark., all 6-8 or taller, who became the top six rebounders in Albany (Ga.) State history during the 1960s and 1970s. Oliver and Melvin were borderline pro prospects before Wil (nine), Caldwell (17), Major (six) and Charles (15) each played a minimum of six ABA/NBA seasons. Major Jones, 6-9, led NCAA Division II rebounders in 1974-75 with an average of 22.5 per game. He is the last Division I or Division II player to average at least 20 per game.

Doug Williams, a 32-year-old Air Force veteran, earned NAIA first-team All-American honors for St. Mary's (Tex.) in 1969-70 when he averaged 18.9 points per game. He scored 24 in a 76-66 upset of Houston. . . . Elmore Smith, a 7-0 center for 1970 NAIA champion Kentucky State, was called for goal tending 12 times in a 116-98 defeat against Eastern Michigan. . . . New Orleans won 38 consecutive home games in a small arena nicknamed the "Chamber of Horrors" after losing its opener against Louisiana College in the Privateers' varsity debut in 1969-70. LC, coached by Billy Allgood, also defeated Mississippi State that season. LC beat the following six eventual DI in-state schools at least five times apiece from 1964-65 through 1974-75: Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northeast Louisiana, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. The Wildcats also upended Tulane three times from 1962-63 through 1967-68 before becoming the first predominantly white school to play a home-and-home season series against a HBCU (Grambling in 1971-72). . . . Stephen F. Austin, the top-ranked team at the NCAA College Division level in 1969-70, had four players selected in the NBA draft after the season - Narvis Anderson, George E. Johnson, Surry Oliver and Erwin Polnick. . . . Curlee Conners, Southeastern Louisiana's leading scorer and rebounder in 1969-70 and 1970-71, is an uncle of Marcus Dupree from Philadelphia, Miss., and a central figure in the recruiting of the nation's premier prep running back by Oklahoma in the early 1980s. . . . In 1970, with an enrollment under 650 students, three Maryland State College players from a 29-2 team were selected in the NBA draft - Jake Ford (2nd round), Levi Fontaine (5th) and James "Bones" Morgan (7th). Four years later, the school (now known as Maryland-Eastern Shore) had three more players chosen from a 27-2 squad - Rubin Collins (2nd), Talvin Skinner (3rd) and William "Billy" Gordon (4th). . . . Tennessee State edged Oglethorpe (Ga.), 7-4, on February 16, 1971, in what is believed to be the lowest-scoring college game since the center jump was eliminated prior to the 1937-38 season. Tennessee State had overwhelmed Oglethorpe, 82-43, earlier in the season. . . . Louisiana Tech had two players selected fourth overall in an NBA draft - Jackie Moreland (Detroit Pistons in 1960) and Mike Green (Seattle SuperSonics in 1973). . . . Birmingham-Southern's Russell Thompson scored 25 points without making a field-goal attempt in a 55-46 victory over Florence State in the 1970-71 season. He converted 25 of 28 free throws. . . . Less than seven hours after returning to campus following a quarterfinal defeat against eventual 1971 NAIA champion Kentucky State, Grambling's Charlie Anderson died as a result of injuries suffered in a hit-and-run auto accident. Anderson, who averaged 18.3 ppg and 17.8 rpg, provided the game-winning basket in the Tigers' overtime win against Glassboro State (N.J.) in second round. . . . Kentucky State's Travis "Machine Gun" Grant set the single-game NAIA Tournament scoring record with 60 points against Minot State in 1972. Grant finished his four-year college career with 4,045 points and a 33.4-point average. . . . Roanoke guard Hal Johnston, whose athletic career was almost ended when he fractured his skull in a fall from a truck as a senior in high school, was a runaway choice for most outstanding player honors at the 1972 NCAA College Division Tournament. . . . Robert "Firechief" Smith came to USC-Spartanburg in 1972 as a 34-year-old center, powering USCS to its first two winning seasons. He averaged 9.9 rpg in 1973-74, when he was named MVP of the Palmetto Conference Tournament - the first title of any kind in the history of the program. . . . Guilford won the 1973 NAIA Tournament with a lineup that included included three future NBA players - Lloyd Free, M.L. Carr and Greg Jackson. Guilford's top reserve was Steve Hankins, a 6-6, 220-pound, 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran who had served 44 months in Vietnam and was one of the military pallbearers at President Kennedy's funeral. . . . Guilford (N.C.) and Tennessee State are the only two small colleges to have two alums score more than 20 points per game in an NBA season - Free and Bob Kaufmann attended Guilford, while Dick Barnett and Truck Robinson attended Tennessee State.

Guard Greg Procell averaged 11.5 ppg in two seasons for Northwestern State in 1972-73 and 1973-74. Procell, a native of Noble, La. (Ebarb H.S.), held the national high school scoring record (6,702 points) until 2002 when it was broken by Jeremy Monceaux at Parkway Christian Academy of Birmingham, Ala., after Monceaux played varsity as a seventh- and eighth-grader at Spencer, La. Procell's NSU-career high was 27 points as a junior in a 76-70 overtime loss at Northeast Louisiana. He originally signed with Southwestern Louisiana, but when the Rajun Cajuns' program was shut down for NCAA infractions Procell attended Panola (Tex.) Community College, where he averaged 33.7 ppg as a freshman and 28.5 ppg as a sophomore. Procell, who had a J.C. single-game high of 57 points, became a fishing guide on Toledo Bend and an assistant principal at Huntington High in Shreveport. . . . Leon Gobczynski, a 6-10 center, averaged 36.1 points per game for Millikin (Ill.) in the 1973-74 season despite being blanked by Augustana (Ill.) in an 88-61 defeat. Gobczynski, who had scored 43 points in an earlier game that year between the two teams, missed all nine of his field-goal attempts in 36 minutes of playing time. . . . Salem (W. Va.) College's Archie Talley set an NAIA record for most points in a season (1,347) in 1975-76 when he averaged 40.8 per game. . . . Philadelphia Textile defeated a different Big Five school in three consecutive seasons from 1975-76 through 1977-78 - Villanova twice, Temple and St. Joseph's. . . . Amherst's Jim Rehnquist, son of Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, finished fifth in NCAA Division III scoring in 1976-77 with an average of 27.8 points per game. . . . Dave Robbins, who is white, became coach at Virginia Union in 1978-79 in the predominantly black CIAA. Robbins went on to win more CIAA Tournaments than any coach in league history. VUU finished in the Top 10 of final national rankings nine consecutive seasons from 1987-88 through 1995-96 and 12 of 13 beginning in 1983-84. . . . Former Briar Cliff (Iowa) players comprised Panama's entire starting lineup in the 1987 Pan American Games. Four members of Briar Cliff's "Panamanian Pipeline" were selected in NBA drafts from 1978 through 1981 (Mario Butler, Rolando Frazer, Tito Malcolm and Ed Warren). In the late 1980s, the first five spots on the school's career scoring list were Panamanians.

Mark Curry, a comedian starring in ABC's hit black sitcom Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, played center with California State-Hayward for three seasons in the early 1980s. . . . When Tampa resurrected its men's program in 1983-84 after a 13-year hiatus, coach Richard Schmidt took his first-year squad, starting one junior transfer and four freshmen, and won the Sunshine State Conference postseason tournament and automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs en route to a 20-11 record. It was the first time in NCAA history that a first-year team in any division qualified for the national tourney. Schmidt is a professional aviculturist who breeds exotic birds and raises other prize-winning animals on his ranch. Entertainer Wayne Newton has purchased birds from him. . . . Ron Morse, averaging a modest 3.6 ppg, lifted Fort Hays State (Kan.) to an 82-80 overtime triumph against Wayland Baptist (Tex.) in 1985 NAIA tourney final with a 15-fgoot game-winning, buzzer-beater. The unlikely hero is the son of Fort Hays coach Bill Morse. . . . Southeastern Oklahoma's Dennis Rodman registered 46 points and 32 rebounds in a single NAIA Tournament game in 1986. His rebounding total is tied for the most in a single game in tourney history. . . . Former Phoenix Suns/Seattle SuperSonics coach Paul Westphal guided Grand Canyon (Ariz.) to the 1988 NAIA title. . . . Four of the eight NAIA finals from 1981 through 1988 required extra sessions. Nine of 11 championship games in one stretch were decided in overtime or by fewer than six points in regulation. . . . Chuck Randall, Western Washington's longtime coach, invented the Slam-Dunk basketball rim. . . . Gary Lydic, a guard for the junior varsity as a freshman at McPherson (Kan.) and student assistant coach as a senior, served as director of ministry services for Focus on the Family when the organization was headquartered in Pasadena, Calif. On the morning Hall of Famer Pete Maravich died of a heart attack stemming from a heart defect, Lydic was among the men playing with him in a pickup game before the 40-year-old legend was slated to be interviewed on a Christian radio program. . . . Michael Jordan wasn't the best former college basketball standout performing as an outfielder with Birmingham (AA Southern League) in the Chicago White Sox's farm system in 1994. The superior baseball player was teammate Scott Tedder, a 6-4 lefthander who graduated as Ohio Wesleyan's all-time leading scorer in 1988. Tedder, playing about 1/4 of the '94 season in the league with Orlando, hit .281 while Jordan managed a lowly .202 and amassed more than 2 1/2 times as many strikeouts (114). Tedder posted a .261 average over five years with the Barons. . . . The pep song for Chadron (Neb.) State should have been "Here's to Mrs. Robinson" during eight seasons from 1988-89 through 1995-96 when three brothers (Josh, Jason and Jeremy Robinson) played for the Eagles. Each of Gerry and Triss Robinson's sons was a four-year starter and they collaborated for 5,081 points and 2,138 rebounds in a total of 330 games. No one can determine for sure, but they might have combined for more points and rebounds than any other trio of brothers at any single college. Josh, the eldest brother, finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer (2,041 points). . . . Marquette's Al McGuire wasn't the only former Belmont Abbey (N.C.) coach to make a name for himself at the major-college level. All four Belmont Abbey coaches in the 1980s went on to coach Division I schools - Bobby Hussey (Davidson/Virginia Tech), Eddie Payne (East Carolina/Oregon State), Kevin Eastman (UNC Wilmington/Washington State) and Rick Scruggs (Gardner-Webb). . . . Todd Beamer, a backup guard for Wheaton (Ill.) in 1988-89, was the Oracle Corp account manager traveling from New Jersey to California on United Airlines Flight 93 for a business meeting on September 11, 2001, when helping lead a "let's roll" takeover by passengers from Islamic terrorists, forcing the plane down in Pennsylvania countryside about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Todd Rowe, a 1992 graduate who is the all-time leading scorer for Malone (Ohio), became the first player in a professional Chinese league to score 3,000 points before he moved on to a league in Japan. . . . Bob Hoffman was deprived of becoming the first coach in NAIA history to guide men's and women's champions when No. 1 seed Oklahoma Baptist bowed to Hawaii Pacific (88-83) in the 1993 championship game. Hoffman had directed Southern Nazarene (Okla.) to the 1989 NAIA women's title. . . . John Pierce of David Lipscomb (Tenn.) became college basketball's all-time leading scorer after totaling 33 points in his 1993-94 regular-season finale, a 119-102 triumph over Cumberland. Pierce's 4,110 total career points broke former roommate Phil Hutcheson's mark of 4,106 set in the 1990 NAIA Tournament. . . . NAIA powerhouse Life (Ga.) had a 99-game homecourt winning streak, the third longest in college history, snapped by Talladega (Ala.), 75-72, in January 1999. Talladega was an unlikely spoiler, having won just two of its first 16 games that season. Life went on to become the first unseeded team to win the NAIA Tournament by overcoming a 26-point deficit to frustrate Mobile, 63-60. . . . Central Arkansas ranks among the schools for most NAIA Tournament appearances but none of those were when 1992 U.S. basketball Olympian and Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen played for the Bears. . . . David Lipscomb's Don Meyer reached the 700-win plateau quicker than any coach in college history. He compiled 702 victories through 1998-99 in 24 seasons before leaving for Northern State (S.D.) when he disagreed with Lipscomb's decision to move up to NCAA Division I. His 1989-90 squad won a college basketball-record 41 games. Meyer, atop the NCAA win list among active coaches with 891 at the time in 2008, had his left leg amputated below the knee after an auto accident. Meyer either fell asleep or was distracted when his car crossed the center line and collided with a semi. Meyer, 63, was diagnosed with a slow-growing cancer in his liver and bowels that doctors said might not have been found had he not been injured. . . . Six different members of the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) from the state of Missouri - Central Missouri State, Missouri-Rolla, Missouri Southern, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri State and Southwest Baptist - finished with a final Top 10 ranking in a 12-year span from 1990-91 through 2001-02. . . . Prior to the inaugural season for Westminster (Pa.) in the NCAA in 1998-99, the Titans were acknowledged as the all-time winningest program in NAIA history with 1,299 victories. . . . Danny Miles, en route to reaching the 1,000-win plateau in 2013-14, earned triumph No. 400 in 4 1/2 hours because a broken rim at Simpson College in Redding, Calif., forced the game to be moved 20 miles to another facility. In college at Southern Oregon, Miles set the all-time pass completion percentage record for both NCAA and NAIA for a single season based on 225 attempts (1965, 190-247, .769) and career percentage based on 500 completions (1964-67, 577-871, .662).

Three different North Dakota State coaches the first three years of the 21st Century - Ray Giacoletti, Greg McDermott and Tim Miles - went on to guide other schools at the NCAA Division I level to national postseason competition. . . . Kenyan Charles Maina, who led Lynn (Fla.) in blocked shots two seasons in the late 1990s, starred in the nationally-acclaimed movie "The Air Up There." . . . Haitian Robert Joseph of Union (Tenn.) surpassed David Robinson's record by becoming the single-season blocked shots leader for all levels of college basketball with 242 rejections in 2001-02. . . . The College of Staten Island (N.Y.) started hosting an in-season tournament, called CSI Tournament of Heroes, to pay homage to three former CSI players (Terrance Aiken, Scott Davidson and Tom Hannafin) who perished during the terorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Aiken had just started a computer consulting job on the 97th floor of World Trade Center Tower I while Davidson and Hannafin were New York City firefighters. . . . Jaeson Maravich, a son of NCAA all-time leading scorer Pete Maravich, was an NAIA All-American for William Carey (Miss.) in 2002-03 and 2003-04. Jaeson previously had stints with Alabama and McNeese State sidetracked by a back ailment. . . . Hope International (Calif.) ended a 60-game losing streak with a 94-84 win over Redlands (Calif.) in 2003-04. . . . Jack Bennett, the coach of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's 2004 NCAA Division III champion, is a brother of Dick Bennett, who guided Wisconsin to the 2000 NCAA Division I Tournament Final Four. Just like Dick had a son (Tony) play for him at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Jack had a son (Nick) who supplied 83 three-pointers for the Pointers in 2003-04. . . . Grinnell (Iowa) set an NCAA single-season scoring record for all levels by averaging 126.2 points per game in 2003-04. The Pioneers (18-6) had more three-pointers (530) than either two-point baskets (472) or free throws (495). Boasting eight players with more than 25 treys, they scored fewer than 100 points only three times. Grinnell coach David Arseneault had his teams press from the start and they would surrender a layup for a chance to come back down and take a three-point shot. The Pioneers hit 530 of 1,582 attempts from beyond the arc (33.5%).

The Moir family has accounted for more than 1,500 college victories. Page Moir became the all-time winningest coach for a school, Roanoke (Va.), where his father, Charles, won the 1972 NCAA College Division crown before coaching at the Division I level with Virginia Tech and Tulane. Charles' brother, Sam, coached at Catawba (N.C.) for 31 seasons. . . . In 2006, Texas Wesleyan became the fourth unseeded team in eight years to capture the NAIA Division I title. Three years later, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) defeated Columbia (Mo.) in the first championship game between two unseeded teams since seeding was introduced in 1957. . . . In 2011, Georgetown College (Ky.) became the first school to appear in at least 30 NAIA tourneys while becoming the initial institution to make 20 consecutive trips. Georgetown's emotional run to the 1996 tourney final was in honor of its dying coach, Jim Reid, who battled cancer before dying less than a month after the campaign concluded. . . . Brian Rice, a 43-year-old Navy retiree, was a backup for Geneva (Pa.) in 2012-13.

Numerous small-college hoopers were so versatile they eventually excelled professionally in other major sports. Earning acclaim as MLB All-Stars were: George Altman (Tennessee State), Glenn Beckert (Allegheny PA), Frank Bolling (Spring Hill AL), Al Bumbry (Virginia State), Mickey Cochrane (Boston University), George Crowe (Indiana Central), Larry Doby (Virginia Union), Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC), Wayne Gross (Cal Poly Pomona), Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Chuck Hinton (Shaw NC), Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN), Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA), Duane Josephson (Northern Iowa), David Justice (Thomas More KY), Dave Lemanczyk (Hartwick NY), Danny Litwhiler (Bloomsburg PA), Davey Lopes (Iowa Wesleyan/Washburn KS), Jerry Lumpe (Southwest Missouri State), Bake McBride (Westminster MO), Graig Nettles (San Diego State), Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD), Joe Niekro (West Liberty WV), Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS), Gary Peters (Grove City PA), Rip Repulski (St. Cloud State MN), Preacher Roe (Harding AR), Richie Scheinblum (LIU-C.W. Post), Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY), Jeff Shaw (Rio Grande OH), Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State), Matt Thornton (Grand Valley State MI), Bob Veale (Benedictine KS), Wes Westrum (Bemidji State MN) and Bill White (Hiram OH). Ex-hoopers among NFL/AFL Pro Bowl selections included: Ken Anderson (Augustana IL), Ordell Braase (South Dakota), Marlin Briscoe (Nebraska-Omaha), Buck Buchanan (Grambling), Harold Carmichael (Southern LA), Ben Coates (Livingstone NC), Charley Cowan (New Mexico Highlands), Elbert Dubenion (Bluffton OH), London Fletcher (John Carroll OH), Len Ford (Morgan State), Jean Fugett (Amherst MA), Bill Groman (Heidelberg OH), Harlon Hill (Florence State AL), Vincent Jackson (Northern Colorado), Dave Jennings (St. Lawrence NY), Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State), Jacoby Jones (Lane TN), Gary Larsen (Concordia MN), Joe Lavender (San Diego State), Rolland Lawrence (Tabor KS), Cy McClairen (Bethune-Cookman FL), Bob McLeod (Abilene Christian TX), Zeke Moore (Lincoln MO), Elvin "Kink" Richards (Simpson IA), Art Shell (Maryland-Eastern Shore), Rod Smith (Missouri Southern State), Ed Sprinkle (Hardin-Simmons TX), Lionel Taylor (New Mexico Highlands), Otis Taylor (Prairie View A&M) and Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State GA).

Smaller colleges, many from the hinterlands, supplied a striking number of the biggest names in major-college coaching. From 1995 through 2000, five of the six NCAA Division I Tournament championship coaches graduated from obscure colleges with significantly smaller enrollments - Jim Calhoun (American International MA), Jim Harrick (Charleston WV), Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan), Lute Olson (Augsburg MN) and Tubby Smith (High Point NC). In fact, it is rare for a Final Four not to feature at least one coach from a humble background. John Calipari, a graduate of Clarion (Pa.) State, guided Kentucky to the 2012 national championship before Michigan's John Beilein (Wheeling Jesuit NY), Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon VA) and Butler's Brad Stevens (DePauw IN) directed teams to the Final Four this decade. Small-school hoopers who coached prominent universities to multiple bowl games include Dan Devine (Minnesota-Duluth), Tom Osborne (Hastings NE) and Bobby Petrino (Carroll MT). Title game coaches in the NFL and AFL after playing small-college hoops include Wally Lemm (Carroll WI) and Marv Levy (Coe IA). Status as a cash cow notwithstanding, it would appear no one should have been able to accuse the NCAA hierarchy of unabashed favoritism for the DI level. After all, former Executive Director Cedric Dempsey (Albion MI) and former enforcement chief David Berst (MacMurray IL) were small-school hoopers. Dempsey coached his alma mater after he was named MIAA MVP in 1953-54. Berst averaged 6.3 ppg and 4 rpg and held the school's baseball record for best ERA in a career before coaching both sports at his alma mater.

On This NFL Date: Former College Hoopers Ready For February Football

February 1st, 2018 - 10:56

Long before kneeling knuckleheads, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-honor shatterproof achievement - three members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in the same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball players who made a name for themselves in early-February football at the professional level:

FEBRUARY

2: Denver Broncos TE Julius Thomas (averaged 6.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 66.3% from floor with Portland State from 2006-07 through 2009-10) had four pass receptions in 24-13 setback against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLVIII following 2013 season.

3: New York Giants TE Kevin Boss (averaged 3 ppg and 2.7 rpg while shooting 51.9% from floor for Western Oregon in 2004-05 and 2005-06) caught a 45-yard pass from Eli Manning to fuel fourth-quarter touchdown drive in 17-14 win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII following 2007 season. . . . Baltimore Ravens WR Jacoby Jones (part-time starter averaged 3.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg for Lane TN in 2004-05 and 2005-06) caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco and opened the second half with 108-yard kickoff return for TD in 34-31 win against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII following 2012 season.

4: Tony Dungy (roommate of Flip Saunders averaged 2.6 ppg for Minnesota in 1973-74 under coach Bill Musselman) coached the Indianapolis Colts to a 29-17 win against the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI following 2006 season.

5: New England Patriots TE Martellus Bennett (averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.5 rpg as Texas A&M freshman in 2005-06 before playing next season under coach Billy Gillispie) caught five passes for 62 yards from Tom Brady in 34-28 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 following 2016 season.

6: Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (averaged 2.3 points in 18 games for Syracuse in 1995-96 and 1996-97) threw three touchdown passes in a 24-21 setback against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX following 2004 season. Eagles WR Terrell Owens (UTC hooper from 1993-94 through 1995-96 started five games) had nine pass receptions for 122 yards. . . . Atlanta Falcons WR Andre Rison (backup hoops guard for Michigan State in 1987-88) named NFL Pro Bowl MVP following the 1993 season.

Impact of former college hoopers on professional football in January
Impact of former college hoopers on professional football in December
Impact of former college hoopers on professional football in November
Impact of former college hoopers on professional football in October
Impact of former college hoopers on professional football in September

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