Harry Experience: Combes Collected More A-As Than Any Coach in 1st 20 Years
Only seven individuals have coached at least 14 All-Americans with one major college. Four years ago, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski broke a tie with Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and moved atop this list. This season, Coach K became the first with as many as 29 when guard Luke Kennard was honored.
In one of the most overlooked achievements in NCAA history new Champaign bench boss Brad Underwood should know about, Harry Combes amassed 16 different All-Americans in his first 19 of 20 seasons as Illinois' mentor from 1947-48 through 1966-67. No other coach has accumulated more than 13 All-Americans in his first 20 campaigns with a single school - North Carolina's Dean Smith (13 in first 20 seasons), Indiana's Bob Knight (12), Krzyzewski (12), Rupp (12), Indiana's Branch McCracken (11), Arizona's Lute Olson (11), UCLA's John Wooden (10) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (eight). Recruiting the Chicago metropolitan area isn't a panacea for the struggling Illini, which should remember how 22 different major-college All-Americans in less than 30 years in an earlier era came from Illinois high schools located in towns featuring populations smaller than 20,000.
As a means of comparison, keep in mind inactive NCAA Division I national coaches of the year P.J. Carlesimo, Perry Clark, Tom Davis, Eddie Fogler, Jim Harrick, Marv Harshman, Clem Haskins, Maury John, Jim O'Brien, George Raveling, Charlie Spoonhour and Butch van Breda Kolff combined for 17 All-Americans in a cumulative 251 years coaching at the major-college level. Moreover, prominent active coaches Tommy Amaker, Mike Anderson, John Beilein, Randy Bennett, Brad Brownell, Mick Cronin, Ed DeChellis, Scott Drew, Fran Dunphy, Tim Floyd, Travis Ford, Frank Haith, Billy Kennedy, Jim Larranaga, Fran McCaffery, Bob McKillop, Dan Monson, Tubby Smith and Mark Turgeon have combined for fewer All-Americans than Combes. Indiana boasts two of the following seven coaches with the most different All-Americans at one university:
| Coach | All-Americans With Single Division I School | School Tenure With Most All-Americans |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Krzyzewski | 29 All-Americans in first 37 seasons with Duke | 1980-81 through 2016-17 |
| Adolph Rupp | 23 in 41 seasons with Kentucky | 1930-31 through 1971-72 except for 1952-53 |
| Dean Smith | 22 in 36 seasons with North Carolina | 1961-62 through 1996-97 |
| John Wooden | 18 in 27 seasons with UCLA | 1948-49 through 1974-75 |
| Bob Knight | 17 in 29 seasons with Indiana | 1971-72 through 1999-00 |
| Harry Combes | 16 in 20 seasons with Illinois | 1947-48 through 1966-67 |
| Branch McCracken | 14 in 24 seasons with Indiana | 1938-39 through 1942-43 and 1946-47 through 1964-65 |
NOTE: Respected retired mentors Gale Catlett, Mike Deane, Bill Henderson, Shelby Metcalf, Stan Morrison, Bob Polk, Charlie Spoonhour and Ralph Willard never had an All-American despite at least 18 seasons coaching at the major-college level.
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 10 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season gains traction, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State) and Sonny Siebert (Missouri) - former Big Seven Conference opponents as top three scorers for their respective teams in 1956-57 - supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 10
Baltimore Orioles 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58) went 3-for-3 on Opening Day against the New York Yankees in 1962.
Washington Senators 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58 when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding) hammered two homers against the New York Yankees in 1969.
In 1947, 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) became the first black player of the 20th Century to sign a MLB contract (with Brooklyn Dodgers).
OF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Giants in 1930.
In 1968 season opener, Cleveland Indians RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox.
Atlanta Braves LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) tossed a six-hit shutout against the Houston Astros in his first start of the 1970 campaign.
A pinch-hit grand slam by OF-1B Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) propelled the San Diego Padres to a 7-3 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984. It was Summers' final MLB homer.
RHP Billy Wynne (one of prime hoopers in mid-1960s for Pfeiffer NC) returned by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Mets in 1967 after he was selected during the winter in the Rule 5 draft.
You Would Cry Too If It Happened to You: Touted Tar Heels Trail of Tears
Only a "double idiot" wouldn't know the prognosis of a promising postseason always seems to exist for North Carolina, which has made more Final Four appearances than any school (20). But the Tar Heels' on-court regal resume could be even more impressive.
Over the years, Carolina has had more than its fair share of national contenders see their playoff hopes dashed by injuries to vital players. No school's NCAA championship aspirations have been short-circuited more by an assortment of major injuries than UNC's M.A.S.H. unit. Consider this lengthy list of Tar Heel tourney trauma (rankings are by AP unless otherwise noted):
1958 - Joe Quigg, the starting center for Carolina's unbeaten NCAA champion in 1957, was sidelined his entire senior season following a leg injury in the team's first big scrimmage. The 13th-ranked Tar Heels blew a seven-point halftime lead against Maryland in the ACC Tournament final.
1969 - Starting guard Dick Grubar, averaging 13 points per game, injured a knee in the ACC Tournament and was lost for the NCAA playoffs. A standout defensive player, the senior would have drawn the assignment of facing explosive Purdue guard Rick Mount, a 36-point scorer in a national semifinal victory over fourth-ranked Carolina.
1976 - Sophomore playmaker Phil Ford, a second-team consensus All-American, injured a knee in a pickup game after the ACC Tournament and was ineffective (two points, three assists, five turnovers) in the eighth-ranked Tar Heels' 79-64 NCAA Tournament first-round defeat against Alabama.
1977 - Senior center Tom LaGarde was averaging 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game when he injured a knee at midseason and was lost for the remainder of the year. Ford, a first-team consensus All-America and fifth-ranked Carolina's leading scorer, hyperextended his shooting elbow (right) in the East Regional semifinals and scored a total of just 20 points in the team's last three playoff games, including six points on 3-of-10 field-goal shooting in a national final defeat against Marquette.
1980 - Standout freshman forward James Worthy was averaging 12.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game when he sustained a broken ankle at midseason and was lost for the remainder of the year. The 15th-ranked Tar Heels lost their NCAA playoff opener in double overtime against Texas A&M.
1984 - Mercurial freshman guard Kenny Smith, still hampered after missing eight games because of a broken wrist, wasn't 100% when the top-ranked Heels were kayoed by Indiana, 72-68. Of course, the biggest problem for Carolina was national player of the year Michael Jordan being limited to 13 points, one rebound and one assist.
1985 - Junior guard Steve Hale was unable to play the remainder of the tournament after suffering a broken collarbone when thrown to the floor while driving to the basket in Carolina's NCAA playoff opener against Middle Tennessee State. The seventh-ranked Tar Heels were eliminated in the Southeast Regional final by champion-to-be Villanova (56-44).
2012 - Playmaker deluxe Kendall Marshall sustained a fractured right wrist in second-round victory against Creighton. #1 seed UNC, ranked fourth nationally, went on to lose against Kansas in Midwest Regional final.
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 9 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season gains steam, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Did you know that outfielder "Sweet" Lou Johnson, an ex-Kentucky State hooper, was traded three times the first nine days in April in deals involving Los Angeles-based teams?
In the minors, all-time basketball great Michael Jordan made his Organized Baseball debut on April 9, 1994, when the Chicago White Sox farmhand went hitless as an outfielder for the Birmingham Barons (Southern League). What in the world was the 31-year-old Jordan thinking en route to a .202 batting average and 114 strikeouts in 127 games?
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. George Altman (Tennessee State) joined Sweet Lou as former HBCU hoopers making MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 9 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 9
RF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State's basketball squad) stroked four hits against the New York Mets on Opening Day 1963 in his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.
1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's "Mr. Basketball") traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Cincinnati Reds in 1956.
Detroit Tigers DH Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1986 game against the Boston Red Sox.
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State hoops teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Detroit Tigers with $10,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for P Larry Sherry in 1964.
In his first start of the 1992 campaign, Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians.
Detroit Tigers 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in 1974.
Minnesota Twins DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) stroked three extra-base hits against the Kansas City Royals in 1993.
Lost Tradition: VMI Joined Big South After 78 Years in Southern Conference
Wichita State is bound for the American Athletic Conference following 72 seasons in the Missouri Valley. Only one school ever has joined an existing league after a longer stint in an intact coalition. Virginia Military aligned with Big South in 2002-03 after 78 campaigns in the Southern Conference before rejoining SC in 2014-15.
The breakup of the SWC in mid-1990s dismantled the longest tradition. Following are the NCAA Division I schools departing for a different alliance after more than 60 years in a league:
| School | Longstanding League Member (Seasons) | Next Conference (First Season) |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor | 82 years in SWC (1915-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Rice | 82 years in SWC (1915-96) | WAC (1997) |
| Texas | 82 years in SWC (1915-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Texas A&M | 82 years in SWC (1915-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Southern Methodist | 78 years in SWC (1919-96) | WAC (1997) |
| Virginia Military | 78 years in Southern (1926-2003) | Big South (2004) |
| Texas Christian | 73 years in SWC (1924-96) | WAC (1997) |
| Wichita State | 72 years in Missouri Valley (1946-2017) | AAC (2018) |
| Arkansas | 68 years in SWC (1924-91) | SEC (1992) |
| Iowa State | 68 years in Big Eight (1929-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Kansas | 68 years in Big Eight (1929-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Kansas State | 68 years in Big Eight (1929-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Missouri | 68 years in Big Eight (1929-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Nebraska | 68 years in Big Eight (1929-96) | Big 12 (1997) |
| Maryland | 61 years in ACC (1954-2014) | Big Ten (2015) |
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 8 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season gains steam, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two former small-college hoopers from Pennsylvania - Al Downing (Muhlenberg) and Pete Sivess (Dickinson) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 8
OF Babe Barna (two-year West Virginia basketball letterman in mid-1930s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Washington Senators in 1939.
In 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoop scholarship but left school before playing) yielded Hank Aaron's 715th homer bypassing Babe Ruth.
RHP Mark Freeman (averaged 3.6 ppg for LSU as senior in 1950-51) traded by the New York Yankees to the Kansas City Athletics in 1959. Returned to Yankees a month later.
Cincinnati Reds rookie LF Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with five RBI against the Chicago Cubs in 1983.
RHP Pete Sivess (Dickinson PA hooper in 1935-36) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with cash to the New York Yankees in 1939.
New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) whacked two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers, igniting his streak of seven consecutive multiple-hit contests in 1988.
Musical Chairs: One-Third of Nation's DI Teams in New Leagues This Century
"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 Wichita State abandoned the Missouri Valley for the American Athletic, will another prominent mid-major such Gonzaga from the far northwest attempt to remain relevant by joining the Jesuit-heavy Big East? 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 Wichita State took off from the MVC and was replaced by Valparaiso, which was succeeded in the Horizon League by IUPUI from the Summit League:
| 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) |
| 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 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 | Atlantic Sun (since 2008) | |
| 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) |
Honors Court: UK and UNC Tied for Most Hoops All-American Selections
Kentucky and North Carolina continue to rank 1-2 for most All-American honorees over the years. Duke isn't far behind UK (total of 72) and UNC (72) although none of the Blue Devils' All-Americans came from the state of North Carolina (20 different states plus District of Columbia).
Illinois, Notre Dame and Purdue never have won an NCAA championship despite all three schools supplying at least 20 different individuals as All-Americans. Following is a list of the top 10 universities boasting the most All-Americans since 1928-29 (AP, Converse, NABC, UPI and USBWA).
Rank School (Different Individuals) Rank School (Total # of All-Americans) 1. Kentucky (47) T1. Kentucky (72) 2. North Carolina (43) T1. North Carolina (72) 3. Indiana (41) 3. Duke (62) 4. Duke (39) 4. Indiana (56) 5. Kansas (36) 5. Kansas (54) T6. Illinois (31) 6. UCLA (48) T6. UCLA (32) 7. Ohio State (46) 8. Ohio State (29) 8. Notre Dame (44) 9. Notre Dame (26) 9. Illinois (36) 10. Purdue (21) 10. Purdue (31) T11. Michigan (20) T11. Syracuse (20)
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 7 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Former Hofstra top scorer and rebounder Brant Alyea set a MLB Opening Day RBI record on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 7
Minnesota Twins LF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous basketball season) amassed seven RBI, a major league record for opening day, against the Chicago White Sox in 1970. Alyea drove in 19 runs in P Jim Perry's first four starts that year.
In his MLB debut in 1970, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered three hits, including a RBI triple in the third inning for the game's first run, in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Cubs.
In his MLB debut in 2017, Cincinnati Reds LHP Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before RS transfer year at Cal State Northridge) hurled six shutout innings to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals.
RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman for Hampden-Sydney VA in mid-1950s) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1965.
RHP Dave Madison (letterman for LSU from 1939-40 through 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1952.
Boston Red Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s), after allowing no earned runs in 32 spring training innings, secured a 4-3 season-opening win at New York in 1970.
New York Yankees LF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered in each of his first three games in 1983.
What the Heel?: NCAA and Carolina Way Included Stalling From All Corners
Did North Carolina, before capturing the NCAA Tournament title this year, hire Hillary Clinton's vigorous lawyers experienced at redacting documents before negotiating and releasing NCAA allegations stemming from a shady African and Afro-American independent study course? Amid the three responses to Notices of Allegations and "Four Corners" stalling (administration/coaching staff/press/politicians), could we at least have some entertainment such as a spirited dunk contest among foot-dragging Chancellor, Sgt. Schultz-like coach Roy "I Know Nothing" Williams, backpedaling NCAA officials, look-the-other-way media represented by Dick Vitale and mum state politicians more enthused about prospect of increasing NCAA-record number of Final Four appearances? The dunk-a-thon should be conducted on a kids goal because that is the Sepp Blatter-like way principals involved in this ruse played footsie with onlookers.
If the Heelhole of a selling-your-scholastic-soul scheme was solely for GPA boosting while making diploma from the school worth the equivalent of a sheet of Charmin, Carolina's 2005 (10 of 15 members were AFAS majors with total of 35 "pretty doggone good" bogus classes over two semesters) and 2009 NCAA titles should be - but won't be - in jeopardy of being vacated. Shrouded in more secrecy than Area 51, candid commentary probably isn't on the horizon, either, via subpoena-related deposition details emerging from judges denying suing players promised a good education but major-manipulated into AFAS, Communications plus Exercise and Sport Science.
At any rate, for the sake of supplying a good chuckle to offset a portion of the angst, the public should have an opportunity to digest a sampling of the pithy prose from those unread Prime Time 10-page papers (assigned mostly A grades with few B+ marks since a player or two may have misspelled his name). Pilfering ex-POTUS lingo, pinhead purveyors simply seek to say: "You didn't write (or build) that!" UNC, admitting "regrettable actions" even before an academic accreditation sanction, probably deserved more consideration for the death penalty simply because disgraceful no-show classes came under the umbrella of a Center For Ethics. To date, there has been no delusional discrimination claim among UNC athletes or regular students failing to have access to Asian-American, Cuban-American, Irish-American, Latin-American or Mexican-American studies.
The university has paid millions of dollars in PR costs dealing with the scholastic scandal but that's an affordable expense insofar as there was significant savings over these many years when no faculty was necessary to actually provide instruction for bogus book-work. Rather than learning classy pass fakes on the court, the courted players passed by "learning" in fake classes. It's no excuse but, if the let's-not-dwell-on-the-negative media would get off its royal cushion, how many other schools across the nation have comparable compromising courses? This is not exactly virgin territory among power-league members after a former Minnesota tutor claimed she wrote or helped write more than 400 papers or pieces of coursework for in excess of 20 Gophers players in the mid-1990s. Amid notice of allegations to UNC, the NCAA should remember: "If you don't stand for something (such as higher scholastic standards), you'll fall for anything (excessive number of suspect student-athletes)."
How in Heel is having athletic department personnel steering players into sham classes for 18 years not, at its core curriculum, a textbook definition of "lack of institutional control?" On the other hand, it may be the "institution (athletic department)" was very much in control and knew damn well it was playing puppeteer as much as POTUS using the "N" word in a radio interview. What exactly were the names of these equally undignified 101 classes offered and graded by an African studies department office manager who wasn't a professor? Perhaps the AFAS coloring-book syllabus included: Duke is Really Spelled P-U-K-E; Urban Riots Honoring Michael Brown, Freddie Gray and Trayvon Martin; Hands Off! Don't Loot!; Black Lives Matter Except For Aborted Innocent Babies; Rap is Crap But Deserves National Anthem; Cultural Impact of Hair Braiding and Pants On the Ground; Dignity and Ethics in Setting O.J. Free or Watching O.J.'s Reality Show After Release From Prison; Profiling Welfare Kings and Queens; Where's Your Baby Daddy?; Race-Hustling Leaders Rev Al, Jesse Jackson and Van Jones; Impact of MadMax(ine) on Masked Natifa; Reasons Why Black Sheep Vote More Than 90% For Dimorats; Impact of Tattoo Misspellings; Unmasking #DirtyRice Defense of #OutHouse's Dirty Deeds, How Jailin' Rose Bombs Uncle Toms; Dancin' On Their Graves Like Father of the Year Ray Lewis; Ranking Marching Bands Heavy Breathing Around ESPN's Undefeated Rather Than Grantland, etc., etc., etc.
When will #KneelWithJemele ESPN, while shedding influence of "right radicals" Britt McHenry, Sage Steele, Mike Ditka and Curt Schilling, get to the bottom of the chicanery yielding answers via another orchestrated interview with Coy Roy serving as master of "really-bothered-by-whole-thing" ceremonies featuring backdrop of supportive ex-players? ESPN, in a stimulating move as vital as the Bunny Ranch endorsing #ShrillaryRotten, should have just gone ahead and issued Williams' support group some "Game Day" posters for their journalistic juvenile pep rally. Defining courage down via crass tabloidism, the network has gone so far let-it-be left it Jennerly defended decision to give ESPY Courage Award to Bruce or Caitlyn or whatever he or she is rather than infinitely more obvious choice of Army veteran Noah Galloway or the late women's hoopster Lauren Hill. At least ESPC, after first expressing laughable "piracy concerns," cancelled a 30 for 30 documentary fawning over sad-sack Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson prior to showing its "bloody" true colors editing out segment focusing on Schilling in a Boston Red Sox documentary. Shouldn't a network with 'ESP' as part of its acronym know in advance reasons for its declining brand?
Amid all of the press posturing and Carolina's scholastic shenanigans, even if you have to fabricate, don't let integrity icon Dean Smith's last two Final Four teams in the mid-1990s be involved in any way or else no coach on the planet can be trusted. It seems totally out of character, but time will tell if lie-beral "do-anything-for-them" overkill via "fairness" control-freak tendencies polluted UNC's program at the genesis of the academic scandal and will eventually stain his legacy. If so, we'll all be weeping like a Villanova pep-band piccolo player before the Wildcats had fans weeping for joy after winning NCAA title a year later.
How difficult would it have been for Williams, instead of pleading educational mission ignorance amid unraveling of Wayne's World (academic advisor Walden), to take a few minutes out of his busy schedule per semester to assess academic progress of each of his players? Didn't Roy acknowledge there was "class clustering" early in his Carolina head coaching tenure before focusing on restroom accessibility? If so, did Walden simply continue the charade or add a Kansas twist(er) or two to the charade? How efficient was former UNC point guard Melvin Scott in directing Roy's Boys to any classes they need to attend? It is the height of hypocrisy for Williams and other "father-figure" DI mentors to have contract bonus provisions stemming from APR/graduation rates. Will UNC's extension into the next decade demand he apologize to whistle-blower tutor Mary "Just Keep My Players Eligible" Willingham? Didn't Williams figuratively assault her (triggering death threats in aftermath of additional administration admonishments) by impugning Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary's character saying her illiteracy claims were untrue and totally unfair about a striking number of scholars boasting middle-school reading skills?
Said Willingham prior to settling a lawsuit with UNC for $335,000 (about $1,000 per basketball player enrollment in paper class minus attorneys' fees): "I went to a lot of basketball games in the Dean Dome, but Roy never came and sat with me while I tutored his guys." Hell, some of his guys seemed to spend more time in roomy auto linked to classy convicted felon Haydn "Fats" Thomas than in a regular classroom. Heaven help us if Williams' "sad-time" excuses regarding the academic debris are typical of the coaching community level of interest in authentic advancement toward a genuine diploma. Reminiscent of escaped convicts in New York deserving inclusion in a penitentiary honors program, two-time All-American Rashad McCants claims he made Dean's List at UNC one semester despite failing to attend any of the four classes in which he "earned" straight A's on his way out (at least not via manhole cover).
In this absence-of-standards era, Williams is virtually guaranteed a job with ESPN as an analyst if he fibbed to NCAA investigators similar to certifiable liar Bruce Pearl. Amid the pimpish compartmentalization, there are also "clever" guys such as Oregon stemming from its timing in waiting to expel three players implicated in an alleged sexual assault in order to avoid a reduction in its Academic Progress Rate score. Meanwhile, fellow Pac-12 Conference member California adopted a stricter admissions policy when it comes to academics. The standards may have helped spur Cuonzo Martin leave for Mizzou but will Cal set a nationwide trend for increased scholastic standards or will majority of universities duck the issue? Not if the condescending NCAA headquarters appears much more concerned about Indian nicknames and "tear down that stall" for transgenders.
Former Duke starter Jay Bilas, who succeeded Vitale as ESPN's Prime Time Performer in the GameDay color commentator role, has experiential ACC knowledge competing against colorful North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano's suspect squads (735 average SAT score - featuring Chris Washburn at 470 - and excessive number of positive drug tests during the 1980s). Bilas should confirm how many NCSU frontcourt starters he competed against coherently conveyed a complete sentence to him. A tutor reportedly claimed Washburn thought the country directly south of the U.S. was Canada or Spain and directly north was England. While pondering rigorous courses washout Washburn passed to remain academically eligible for more than a season, a cold-blooded question surfaces as to whether the academic anemia at UNC is worse than what occurred at N.C. State, which probably gains the negative nod if only because of Washburn teammate Charles Shackleford's following animal-expert quote: "Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious." The "A" in "bring your A-game" in an ACC ad apparently doesn't stand for academics.
If bookish Bilas genuinely knows self-evaluation "toughness," he will maneuver upstream and shift his passion from lambasting the NCAA about paying these gentlemen and scholars to a lawyerly focus on stopping the NCAA from preying on players who have no business representing universities because they aren't authentic student-athletes. Granted, such an academic-values modification will translate into an inferior product for him and his network to promote (and for luminaries such as Jim Boeheim, John Calipari, Bob Huggins, Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino plus Williams to coach for that matter). But does a mediocre Duke player such as Lance Thomas need more than $30,000 as down payment on jewelry? What about multiple Memphis players reporting they were robbed of more than $66,000 worth of vital items for Calipari-coached college students (mink coats, diamond earrings, stereo equipment, flat-screen TV)? Of all people, Bilas knows basketball players at a school such as Duke are treated differently than secondary sports such as lacrosse; let alone regular students.
Moreover, Syracuse's Boeheim, cleverly distinguishing "difference between breaking rules and cheating," wouldn't have an opportunity to be "impressed" about one-and-done Carmelo Anthony's 1.8 gpa before failing to mention if Anthony attended more classes than games his second semester. Did BMOC Melo mellow out in Orange-hot Child and Family Studies long before his verbal spat with Knicks executive Phil Jackson? Too many self-serving schools and their athletic departments are living an academic lie as much as the white NAACP chapter president and are ignorant as much as CNN anchor calling Dallas gunman "brave and courageous" for shooting at police headquarters.
When there are games and national crowns to win, how interested could Bilas' alma mater and Carolina's chief rival possibly be in education these days, anyway? Additional departing freshman sensations give Duke nine one-and-done "graduates" in a seven-year span. When Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timerwolves) and Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento Kings) became the seventh and eighth Kentucky product in a six-year span among the NBA's top eight draft picks, the gifted group may have pooled credit-hour resources for a single shared diploma (hopefully not useless AFAS). The pair of rookies and five of the other early Big Blue picks - including DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), Brandon Knight (Phoenix Suns), Julius Randle (Los Angeles Lakers) and John Wall (Washington Wizards) - on six different NBA teams combined for a paltry 173-319 record last season (.352), a mark even worse than Calipari's 72-112 worksheet (.391) in three seasons with the New Jersey Nets in the late 1990s. UK provided 21 selections in the previous six years, averaging three first-round picks annually while combining to earn in excess of $85 million this campaign. But if winning on the hardwood is more vital than the draft lottery, UK hasn't been more valuable. With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte Hornets) missing majority of previous season because of an injured right shoulder, none of those 21 UK Calipari-coached draft choices started for an NBA postseason participant in 2016.
Whether it's a single season or redshirt with five years, what quality of classes are taken in college by mercenary professional-caliber athletes if a mind-numbing 60% of NBA players file for bankruptcy five years after retirement? Openness in revealing UNC's academic allegations and the NCAA's mission-statement response to this subterfuge will determine once and for all how ethically bankrupt major-college athletics has become under the present leadership and corrosive press incompetently covering the corruption.
California Only State Posting More NCAA DI Hoops Titles Than North Carolina
North Carolina and Duke combined for four NCAA Tournament titles in the last nine years. The only time two different schools from the same state captured three consecutive NCAA titles was from 1960 through 1962 when Ohio State and Cincinnati reigned supreme. North Carolina was twice involved in back-to-back crowns with an in-state counterpart - 1982 and 1983 (N.C. State) plus 2009 and 2010 (Duke).
California is the only state with as many as four different universities win an NCAA Division I Tournament championship. The following eight different states have multiple schools capturing an NCAA DI Tournament crown:
California (15) - California (1959), San Francisco (1955 and 1956), Stanford (1942), UCLA (1964-65-67-68-69-70-71-72-73-75-95)
North Carolina (13) - Duke (1991-92-01-10-15), North Carolina (1957-82-93-05-09-17), North Carolina State (1974 and 1983)
Kentucky (11) - Kentucky (1948-49-51-58-78-96-98-12), Louisville (1980-86-13)
Michigan (3) - Michigan (1989), Michigan State (1979 and 2000)
Ohio (3) - Cincinnati (1961 and 1962), Ohio State (1960)
Pennsylvania (3) - La Salle (1954), Villanova (1985 and 2016)
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 6 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid the opening week of a new season, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two former small-college hoopers from Iowa - Davey Lopes (Iowa Wesleyan) and Jim Todd (Parsons) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 6
Oakland A's RHP Mark Acre (played in 1990 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament with New Mexico State) earned his second relief victory in three days against the New York Yankees in 1997.
Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) scored four runs against the Kansas City Royals in 1983.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) contributed two sixth-inning hits, including a grand slam, in a 10-inning, 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox in 2001. Eight years later, Clark clobbered back-to-back homers for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a season-opening, 9-8 win against the Colorado Rockies in 2009.
In 2006, LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding 1992-93 through 1995-96) hurled first complete-game shutout for the Tampa Devil Rays in a span of 349 contests (three-hit, 2-0 whitewash against Baltimore Orioles).
Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring to Washburn KS with his coach) collected three runs and three stolen bases against the San Diego Padres in 1974.
RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) purchased from the Atlanta Braves by the Houston Astros for $35,000 in 1975.
In his first start with the St. Louis Cardinals, RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1974.
RHP Darrell Sutherland (averaged 8.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Stanford from 1960-61 through 1962-63) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Mets as a first-year waiver selection in 1964.
RHP Jim Todd (Parsons IA hooper before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville PA in 1968-69) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be designated and cash in 1975.
After 159 MLB starts, RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) made his debut with the Seattle Mariners as a reliever (two hitless innings against Oakland Athletics in 2014).
Last Man Standing: Joel Berry Fourth Non-All-American MOP in Last Five Years
"I'm gonna make it to heaven, light up the sky like a flame. I'm gonna live forever. Baby, remember my name." - Theme from 1980s film and TV series Fame
North Carolina guard Joel Berry II became the 10th Most Outstanding Player in NCAA Tournament history who wasn't an All-American, joining Kansas' B.H. Born (1953), Villanova's Ed Pinckney (1985), Indiana's Keith Smart (1987), UNLV's Anderson Hunt (1990), North Carolina's Donald Williams (1993), Kentucky's Jeff Sheppard (1998), Louisville's Luke Hancock (2013), Duke's Tyus Jones (2015) and Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono (2016).
There are questions regarding how much impact, if any, Berry could have in the NBA. Perhaps that is why he should also think about what happens when the ball stops bouncing. What did the brightest Final Four stars do in the real world after Father Time took its toll on their playing ability? The following individuals weren't always defined solely as basketball standouts after earning acclaim as the Final Four MOP:
Year(s) - NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Position, Class, School
1939 - Jimmy Hull, F, Sr., Ohio State
Employed as a dentist.
1940 - Marv Huffman, G, Sr., Indiana
Played one season with Goodyear in the National Industrial League in 1940-41 (5.1 ppg) and four with the Akron Collegians. After he stopped playing basketball, he was a special assistant to the president of Goodyear. He died in 1984 of multiple sclerosis.
1941 - John Kotz, F, Soph., Wisconsin
Retired in 1980 after working his way up from shipping clerk to president and majority stockholder of Badger Sporting Goods Company.
1942 - Howie Dallmar, G, Soph., Stanford
Averaged 9.6 ppg with the Philadelphia Warriors in three NBA seasons from 1946-47 through 1948-49. Compiled a 105-51 record (.673) for Penn in six seasons from 1948-49 through 1953-54 before posting a 264-264 record (.500) for Stanford in 21 seasons from 1954-55 through 1974-75. His best season was a 22-5 mark in 1952-53.
1943 - Kenny Sailors, G, Jr., Wyoming
Averaged 12.6 ppg and 2.8 apg with seven different NBA teams in five seasons from 1946-47 through 1950-51. Lived in Gakona, Alaska, where he owned a guided big-game hunting business with his son. Had a winter home in Arizona.
1944 - Arnie Ferrin, F, Fr., Utah
Averaged 5.8 ppg with the Minneapolis Lakers in three NBA seasons from 1948-49 through 1950-51. General Manager of the ABA's Utah Stars, athletic director for his alma mater and chairman of the NCAA Tournament selection committee in 1988.
1945 and 1946 - Bob Kurland, C, Jr./Sr., Oklahoma A&M
Retired Phillips Petroleum executive had a retirement home in Florida.
1947 - George Kaftan, F-C, Soph., Holy Cross
Averaged 7.5 ppg with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets in five NBA seasons from 1948-49 through 1952-53. Graduated from Georgetown Dental School, coached C.W. Post for 17 seasons and maintained a dental practice.
1948 and 1949 - Alex Groza, C, Jr./Sr., Kentucky
Averaged 22.5 ppg with the Indianapolis Olympians in two NBA seasons in 1949-50 and 1950-51 before his pro career ended because of a college point-shaving scandal. Got a job at General Electric in Louisville before returning to his hometown (Martin's Ferry, Ohio) and running his mother's tavern. Compiled a 91-77 record (.542) as coach for Bellarmine College in seven seasons from 1959-60 through 1965-66. Executive with two ABA franchises (Kentucky Colonels and San Diego Conquistadors) before getting involved with professional volleyball. Joined Reynolds Metals in 1977 and traveled around the country as Pacific Coast manager of its chemical division.
1950 - Irwin Dambrot, F, Sr., CCNY
Became a dentist.
1951 - Bill Spivey, C, Sr., Kentucky
After 16 years in the bush leagues with assorted nondescript teams, he extended his nomadic existence with a series of jobs - salesman, insurance agent, real estate developer, government official (Kentucky's deputy insurance commissioner) and restaurant and bar owner - before relocating to Costa Rica.
1952 - Clyde Lovellette, C, Sr., Kansas
Averaged 17 ppg and 9.5 rpg with the Minneapolis Lakers, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks and Boston Celtics in 11 NBA seasons from 1953-54 through 1963-64. Assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers in 1967 when they started their ABA franchise. Served as a sheriff in his native Indiana and taught and coached at White's Institute, a school for troubled youngsters in Wabash, before moving to Munising, Mich.
1953 - B.H. Born, C, Jr., Kansas
Played AAU basketball until the late 1950s with the Peoria (Ill.) Caterpillars before going to work in the personnel office for Caterpillar Bulldozers. He spent his entire career working for Caterpillar until his retirement.
1954 - Tom Gola, C-F, Jr., La Salle
Averaged 11.3 ppg and 8 rpg with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors and New York Knicks in 11 NBA seasons from 1955-56 through 1965-66. He invested in driving ranges, apartment complexes, recycling companies and residential sites. Gola owned his own insurance company and a skating rink. He was a spokesman for Texaco, Vitalis and the Army Reserve. In 1966, Gola began a two-term career as a state legislator while coaching his alma mater before becoming Philadelphia's city controller. He later became a vice president of the Valley Forge Investment Corporation and served on the board of the Philadelphia Convention Center.
1955 - Bill Russell, C, Jr., San Francisco
Twelve-time All-Star averaged 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg and 4.3 apg with the Boston Celtics in 13 NBA seasons from 1956-57 through 1968-69. Five-time MVP was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). Compiled a 341-290 record (.540) with the Celtics (1966-67 through 1968-69), Seattle SuperSonics (1973-74 through 1976-77) and Sacramento Kings (1987-88) in eight seasons. Network analyst dabbled with acting but retreated to the quiet life on Mercer Island in Washington, and has a clothing line company called Center Court.
1956 - Hal Lear, G, Sr., Temple
Played in three games for the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors in 1956-57 before playing 10 seasons in the Eastern Basketball League, becoming MVP in 1956-57 and averaging 39.7 ppg for Easton in 1960-61. Also averaged 13.1 ppg for Los Angeles and Cleveland in the ABL in 1961-62.
1957 - Wilt Chamberlain, C, Soph., Kansas
Averaged 30.1 ppg, 22.9 rpg and 4.4 apg with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers in 14 NBA seasons from 1959-60 through 1972-73. Made a fortune in the restaurant business, designed homes, owned racehorses and played professional volleyball. Also wrote four books: Wilt; A View From Above; Chamberlain House: The Possible Dream, and Who's Running the Asylum: The Insane World of Sports Today.
1958 - Elgin Baylor, C, Jr., Seattle
Averaged 27.4 ppg, 13.5 rpg and 4.3 apg with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers in 14 seasons from 1958-59 through 1971-72. Coached the New Orleans Jazz for four seasons in the late 1970s (86-135 record). Executive with the Los Angeles Clippers.
1959 - Jerry West, F-G, Jr., West Virginia
Averaged 27 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 6.7 apg with the Los Angeles Lakers in 14 NBA seasons from 1960-61 through 1973-74. Long-time executive with the Lakers before accepting a similar position with the Memphis Grizzlies.
1960 and 1961 - Jerry Lucas, C, Soph./Jr., Ohio State
Seven-time All-Star averaged 17 ppg and 15.6 rpg with the Cincinnati Royals, San Francisco Warriors and New York Knicks in 11 NBA seasons from 1963-64 through 1973-74. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). Memory expert and motivational speaker lived in Templeton, Calif., while working on revolutionary educational programs. Taught his memory and learning technique to many Fortune 500 companies and countless churches. He authored more than 60 books on learning, including The Memory Book, which was on the New York Times' best-seller list for 50 weeks and reached the No. 2 position behind All the President's Men, the investigative story that uncovered the Watergate scandal.
1962 - Paul Hogue, C, Sr., Cincinnati
Averaged 6.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg with the New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets in two NBA seasons in 1962-63 and 1963-64. Worked with the Tennessee juvenile program before moving back to Cincinnati to work at a milling machine firm. He served as a physical therapist at a state mental hospital, a counselor at a neighborhood youth center and as a counselor in a local school system before becoming the division supervisor for the Postal Services' Employee Assistance Program.
1963 - Art Heyman, F, Sr., Duke
Averaged 10.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg with the New York Knicks, Cincinnati Royals and Philadelphia 76ers in three NBA seasons from 1963-64 through 1965-66 before averaging 15.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg with the New Jersey Americans, Pittsburgh/Minnesota Pipers and Miami Floridians in three ABA seasons from 1967-68 through 1969-70. Owned and operated several restaurants.
1964 - Walt Hazzard, G, Sr., UCLA
Averaged 12.6 ppg, 3 rpg and 4.9 apg with five different NBA teams in 10 seasons from 1964-65 through 1973-74. Later named Mahdi Abdul-Rahmad, he worked in the Los Angeles Lakers' front office and coached his alma mater and Chapman College before suffering a stroke and undergoing open-heart surgery in 1996.
1965 - Bill Bradley, F, Sr., Princeton
Rhodes Scholar averaged 12.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 3.4 apg with the New York Knicks in 10 NBA seasons from 1967-68 through 1976-77. Three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995 was a tax and trade expert with a strong voice on race issues and campaign finance reform. The presidential candidate against Al Gore in 2000 authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).
1966 - Jerry Chambers, F, Sr., Utah
Averaged 8.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Buffalo Braves, San Diego Conquistadors and San Antonio Spurs in six NBA/ABA seasons from 1966-67 to 1973-74. Worked for the L.A. city parks and recreation department for many years.
1967, 1968 and 1969 - Lew Alcindor, C, Soph./Jr./Sr., UCLA
Six-time league MVP averaged 24.6 ppg and 11.2 rpg in 20 NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969-70 through 1988-89. Nineteen-time All-Star later named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). In 1999, he worked with a high school team at White Mountain Apache Reservation in Whiteriver, Ariz. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000 and then worked in training camp with the Indiana Pacers before becoming head coach of the USBL's Oklahoma Storm for one season. Hired by the New York Knicks as a scout in March, 2004 before serving as a Lakers aide helping develop center Andrew Bynum. In January 2012, he was appointed a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State before becoming a TIME columnist.
1970 - Sidney Wicks, F, Jr., UCLA
Averaged 16.8 ppg and 8.7 rpg with the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics and San Diego Clippers in 10 NBA seasons from 1971-72 through 1980-81. Worked in property management. Served as an assistant coach at his alma mater under Walt Hazzard for four seasons in the mid-1980s. At the completion of his coaching stint with the Bruins, Wicks has been in private business.
1971 - Howard Porter, F, Sr., Villanova
Averaged 9.2 ppg and 4.1 rpg with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets in seven NBA seasons from 1971-72 through 1977-78. Senior probation officer for Ramsey County (Minn.) after getting clean from drugs with the help of a colleague working with him loading furniture for a construction firm in Orlando. Earlier, Porter failed at running a club in Florida and a convenience store. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
1972 and 1973 - Bill Walton, C, Soph./Jr., UCLA
Averaged 13.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 3.4 apg with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics in 10 NBA seasons from 1974-75 to 1986-87. Network commentator for both the NBA and NCAA after and while working in a similar capacity for the Clippers.
1974 - David Thompson, F, Jr., North Carolina State
Averaged 22.7 ppg and 4.1 rpg with the Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics in nine ABA/NBA seasons from 1975-76 through 1983-84. Motivational speaker with Unlimited Sports Management was also community relations director for the Charlotte Hornets.
1975 - Richard Washington, C-F, Soph., UCLA
Averaged 9.8 ppg and 6.3 rpg with the Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers in six NBA seasons from 1976-77 through 1981-82. Contractor in Portland.
1976 - Kent Benson, C, Jr., Indiana
Averaged 9.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg with four different NBA teams in 11 seasons from 1977-78 through 1987-88. Resided in Bloomington, where he worked with Diversified Benefit Services.
1977 - Butch Lee, G, Jr., Marquette
Averaged 8.1 ppg and 3.2 apg with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers in two NBA seasons in 1978-79 and 1979-80. Owned two restaurants, coached pro ball in Puerto Rico and had a sign business in San Juan.
1978 - Jack Givens, F, Sr., Kentucky
Averaged 6.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg with the Atlanta Hawks in two NBA seasons in 1978-79 and 1979-80. Announcer for the Orlando Magic did not have his contract renewed after he was found not guilty following an arrest during summer of 2004 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation of a 14-year-old girl.
1979 - Earvin "Magic" Johnson, G, Soph., Michigan State
Averaged 19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 11.2 apg with the Los Angeles Lakers in 13 NBA seasons from 1979-80 through 1990-91 and 1995-96. Business entrepreneur emphasized attempting to revitalize a number of minority neighborhoods. He owned the Magic Theatres, an L.A. restaurant chain (Fatburgers), a TGI Friday's and some Starbucks coffee shops. Johnson was a principal in a local black-owned bank and delved into the entertainment business as a concert promoter and owner of the Magic Johnson Record label. Part of ownership group that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in the spring of 2012.
1980 - Darrell Griffith, G, Sr., Louisville
Averaged 16.2 ppg and 3.3 rpg with the Utah Jazz in 11 NBA seasons from 1980-81 through 1990-91. Resides in Louisville where he has several real estate investments and business interests. Father-in-law of former NBA standout Derek Anderson established a foundation in his hometown.
1981 - Isiah Thomas, G, Soph., Indiana
Twelve-time All-Star averaged 19.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 9.3 apg with the Detroit Pistons in 13 NBA seasons from 1981-82 through 1993-94. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996) served as president of the New York Knicks from 2003-04 through 2007-08. Executive and part owner of the Toronto Raptors, owner of the CBA and coach of the Indiana Pacers (131-115 record in three seasons from 2000-01 through 2002-03). Served as coach for Florida International three seasons. Named president and part-owner of the Knicks' WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty, subsequent to the re-hiring of Thomas' former Pistons teammate, Bill Laimbeer, as the team's coach.
1982 - James Worthy, F, Jr., North Carolina
Averaged 17.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 3 apg with the Los Angeles Lakers in 12 NBA seasons from 1982-83 through 1993-94. Served as network TV analyst.
1983 - Hakeem Olajuwon, C, Soph., Houston
Twelve-time All-Star averaged 21.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg and 3.1 bpg with the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors in 18 seasons from 1984-85 through 2001-02. Six-time All-NBA first-team selection was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). NBA Most Valuable Player in 1993-94 was one of only eight players in league history to amass more than 20,000 points and 12,000 rebounds. Split time between his ranch near Houston (buying real estate in cash-only purchases) and Jordan, where he pursued Islamic studies.
1984 - Patrick Ewing, C, Jr., Georgetown
Eleven-time All-Star averaged 21 ppg, 9.8 rpg and 2.4 bpg with the New York Knicks, Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic in 17 seasons from 1985-86 through 2001-02. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996) became an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats.
1985 - Ed Pinckney, F, Sr., Villanova
Averaged 6.8 ppg and 5 rpg with seven different NBA teams in 12 seasons from 1985-86 through 1996-97. Miami Heat TV analyst while trying to cope with an overactive thyroid.
1986 - Pervis Ellison, C, Fr., Louisville
Averaged 9.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg with the Sacramento Kings, Washington Bullets and Boston Celtics in 10 NBA seasons from 1989-90 through 1997-98 and 1999-00. Lived in Atlanta. Coached basketball for various teams throughout Southern New Jersey, including his son, Malik, at Life Center Academy.
1987 - Keith Smart, G, Jr., Indiana
Played in two games with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89 before basketball took him to the Philippines, Venezuela and France. After playing and coaching in the CBA with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Fury, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as director of player development and assistant coach. Smart was named interim head coach of the Cavs midway through the 2002-03 campaign, replacing John Lucas. Also promoted from assistant to head coach with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings before becoming an aide for the Miami Heat.
1988 - Danny Manning, F, Sr., Kansas
Two-time All-Star averaged 14 ppg and 5.2 rpg with seven different franchises in 15 NBA seasons from 1988-89 through 2002-03. Assistant coach at his alma mater for nine seasons before accepting head coaching position with Tulsa and subsequently accepting a similar position at Wake Forest.
1989 - Glen Rice, F, Sr., Michigan
Averaged 18.3 ppg and 4.4 rpg with six different NBA franchises in 15 seasons from 1989-90 through 2003-04. Three-time All-Star was the Heat's all-time leading scorer.
1990 - Anderson Hunt, G, Soph., UNLV
Pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with marijuana found in his possession during a traffic stop in October 1993. Worked in real estate in Detroit.
1991 - Christian Laettner, C-F, Jr., Duke
All-Star in 1996-97 averaged 12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 2.6 apg with six different NBA franchises in 13 seasons from 1992-93 through 2004-05. He and Duke teammate Brian Davis faced huge financial and legal hurdles stemming from a loan their real estate company failed to repay nearly $700,000 to former Duke captain and current Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins. Court documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal indicated that Laettner and Davis were defendants in several civil lawsuits seeking repayment of about $30 million.
1992 - Bobby Hurley, G, Jr., Duke
Averaged 3.8 ppg and 3.3 apg with the Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies in five NBA seasons from 1993-94 through 1997-98. Owned race horses and did TV commentary on the ACC for Fox Sports. Assistant coach under his brother, Danny, with Wagner and Rhode Island prior to becoming head coach with Buffalo and Arizona State.
1993 - Donald Williams, G, Soph., North Carolina
Played professional basketball overseas in Germany and Greece and with the Harlem Globetrotters.
1994 - Corliss Williamson, F, Soph., Arkansas
Averaged 11.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg with the Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers in 12 NBA seasons from 1995-96 through 2006-07. Scored a career-high 40 points against the Pistons on 3-4-98. Coached for Arkansas Baptist College and Central Arkansas before returning to the NBA as an assistant coach with the Kings.
1995 - Ed O'Bannon, F, Sr., UCLA
Averaged 5 ppg and 2.5 rpg with the New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks in two NBA seasons in 1995-96 and 1996-97. After his brief NBA career, he played professionally in Europe (Italy, Spain, Greece and Poland) before becoming a Toyota salesman/marketing director in the Las Vegas area. Lead plaintiff in highly-publicized lawsuit against the NCAA, disputing the organization's use of the images of its former student-athletes for commercial purposes.
1996 - Tony Delk, G, Sr., Kentucky
Averaged 9.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 1.9 apg with eight different franchises in 10 NBA seasons from 1996-97 through 2005-06. Scored a career-high 53 points against the Kings on 1-2-01. Played overseas in Greece and Puerto Rico before serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater and New Mexico State.
1997 - Miles Simon, G, Jr., Arizona
Appeared in five games with the NBA's Orlando Magic in 1998-99. Played professionally in Israel in 2000 and Italy in 2001 before joining the Dakota Wizards of the CBA where he earned 2002 Newcomer of the Year and MVP honors. Also played in Venezuela and Turkey before joining his alma mater's staff as an assistant under Lute Olson in 2005. Served as a commentator for ESPN.
1998 - Jeff Sheppard, G, Sr., Kentucky
After playing the 1998-99 season with the Atlanta Hawks, he played professionally in Italy. Married former UK women's player Stacey Reed. They own an apparel company.
1999 - Richard Hamilton, F-G, Jr., Connecticut
Averaged 17.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 3.4 apg with the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in 14 seasons from 1999-00 to 2012-13.
2000 - Mateen Cleaves, G, Sr., Michigan State
Averaged 3.6 ppg and 1.9 apg with four different NBA franchises in six seasons from 2000-01 through 2005-06 before becoming a color commentator for Fox Sports Detroit and the CBS Sports Network prior to being investigated for a sexual assault charge.
2001 - Shane Battier, F, Sr., Duke
Averaged 8.6 ppg and 4.2 rpg with four different NBA franchises in 13 seasons from 2001-02 through 2013-14 before becoming an ESPN color commentator.
2002 - Juan Dixon, G, Sr., Maryland
Averaged 8.4 ppg with five different NBA franchises in seven seasons from 2002-03 through 2008-09 before playing overseas in Greece, Spain and Turkey and subsequently becoming an assistant coach for his alma mater.
2003 - Carmelo Anthony, F, Fr., Syracuse
Averaged 24.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 3.1 apg with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks in 14 seasons from 2003-04 through 2016-17.
2004 - Emeka Okafor, C, Jr., Connecticut
Averaged 12.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 1.7 bpg with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards in nine seasons from 2004-05 to 2012-13.
2005 - Sean May, C-F, Jr., North Carolina
Averaged 6.9 ppg and 4 rpg with the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings in four injury-plagued seasons from 2005-06 through 2009-10 before playing overseas. Joined his alma mater's staff under Roy Williams as assistant to the director of player development.
2006 - Joakim Noah, C, Soph., Florida
Averaged 9 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 2.9 apg with the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks in 10 seasons from 2007-08 through 2016-17.
2007 - Corey Brewer, F, Jr., Florida
Averaged 9.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers in 10 seasons from 2007-08 to 2016-17. He scored 51 points in a single game against the Houston Rockets.
2008 - Mario Chalmers, G, Jr., Kansas
Averaged 9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.5 spg with the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies in eight seasons from 2008-09 through 2015-16.
2009 - Wayne Ellington, G, Jr., North Carolina
Averaged 7.5 ppg and 2.1 rpg with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat in eight seasons from 2009-10 to 2016-17.
2010 - Kyle Singler, F, Jr., Duke
Second-round draft choice by the NBA's Detroit Pistons played overseas two seasons in Spain before averaging 6.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg from 2012-13 to 2016-17 with the Pistons and Oklahoma Thunder.
2011 - Kemba Walker, G, Jr., Connecticut
Averaged 18.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 5.4 apg with the Charlotte Bobcats from 2011-12 to 2016-17.
2012 - Anthony Davis, C, Fr., Kentucky
Averaged 22.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 2.5 bpg with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2012-13 to 2016-17, becoming an NBA All-Star in his second season and sparking the Pelicans to the playoffs in 2015.
2013 - Luke Hancock, G, Jr., Louisville
Averaged 12.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 2.2 apg for the Cardinals as a senior, helping defeat 2014 NCAA champion-to-be Connecticut a total of three times. Briefly played professionally in Greece before tearing a muscle in his calf and becoming a financial adviser in Louisville.
2014 - Shabazz Napier, G, Sr., Connecticut
Averaged 4 ppg and 1.8 apg with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers from 2014-15 to 2016-17.
2015 - Tyus Jones, G, Fr., Duke
Averaged 3.7 ppg and 2.7 apg with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
2016 - Ryan Arcidiacono, G, Sr., Villanova
Played for the San Antonio Spurs' Development League team in Austin in 2016-17.
One Shining Moment: Second-Division Teams Tout Defeating NCAA Titlist
Georgia Tech's "One Shining Moment" this campaign wasn't finishing runner-up in the NIT (National Insignificant Tournament). It was the Yellow Jackets' 12-point victory against eventual NCAA Tournament champion North Carolina en route to finishing in 11th place in ACC standings. They compiled an 8-10 league mark, duplicating Houston's AAC worksheet in 2013-14 when the Cougars upended Connecticut before the Huskies went on a roll to capture the NCAA crown. From a historical perspective, there have been league rivals with even worse league records upsetting national titlists-to-be.
All-time great Wilt Chamberlain's final season at Kansas in 1958 included one of the most amazing turnarounds in NCAA history. Nebraska, in the midst of 15 consecutive losing campaigns, was clobbered at Kansas by 56 points (102-46) before upsetting the Jayhawks (43-41) four games later in Omaha. In the Huskers' next outing, they defeated top-ranked Kansas State (55-48) after the Wildcats overwhelmed them by a total of 46 points in two previous match-ups. Nebraska never has won an NCAA Tournament game, making the Huskers treasure the moment even more when their second-division squad upended NCAA champion-to-be Kansas in the regular season in 1988.
Cincinnati, compiling only one winning record in Metro Conference competition (8-6 in 1985) in a 12-year span from 1978 through 1989, is the lone school registering a losing mark in a season it won a road game against a league rival later becoming NCAA kingpin. The 12-16 Bearcats, notching a 5-7 Metro worksheet, won at Louisville (84-82) midway through 1985-86 when guard Roger McClendon poured in 24 of his 35 points in the second half. The Cardinals recovered from their only home-court loss that year and the embarrassment of squandering a 13-point, second-half lead against Cincy to wind up capturing the NCAA title.
Michigan State dominated the 1979 NCAA tourney, handing all five playoff opponents, a quintet averaging 25.6 victories, their worst defeat of the year - Lamar (31-point margin), LSU (16), Notre Dame (12), Penn (34) and Indiana State (11). Consequently, most observers don't remember the glaring defect of the Magic Johnson-led Spartans earlier in the season when they succumbed to four Big Ten Conference second-division members (including three finishing at least four games below .500 in league play). One of MSU's setbacks was by 18 points against perennial cellar dweller Northwestern.
Florida '98 is the only school at least four games below .500 in league play to win on the road against a conference opponent (Kentucky) finishing season with an NCAA playoff crown. Following is a chronological list of the 11 schools at least four games under .500 in conference competition despite defeating league foe ending season as NCAA titlist:
| Second-Division Team | League | League Mark | Overall Mark | Upset Against Eventual NCAA Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State '39 | PCC | 6-10 | 13-11 | Beavers defeated Oregon, 50-31 |
| Oregon '59 | PCC | 3-13 | 9-16 | Ducks defeated California, 59-57 |
| Illinois '79 | Big Ten | 7-11 | 19-11 | Illini defeated Michigan State, 57-55 |
| Northwestern '79 | Big Ten | 2-16 | 6-21 | Wildcats defeated Michigan State, 83-65 |
| Wisconsin '79 | Big Ten | 6-12 | 12-15 | Badgers defeated Michigan State, 83-81 |
| Nebraska '88 | Big Eight | 4-10 | 13-18 | Huskers defeated Kansas, 70-68 |
| Florida '98 | SEC | 6-10 | 14-15 | Gators won at Kentucky, 86-78 |
| Rutgers '03 | Big East | 4-12 | 12-16 | Scarlet Knights defeated Syracuse, 68-65 |
| South Carolina '06 | SEC | 6-10 | 23-15 | Gamecocks defeated Florida, 68-62 |
| Louisiana State '07 | SEC | 5-11 | 17-15 | Tigers defeated Florida, 66-56 |
| North Carolina State '10 | ACC | 5-11 | 20-16 | Wolfpack defeated Duke, 88-74 |
You're Billy the Kidding Me: Donovan Never Anointed National Coach of Year
"It is better to be looked over than overlooked." - Mae West
No observer with functioning brain comprehends why it took so long for Gonzaga's Mark Few to be named national coach of the year. Similarly, it doesn't seem possible Billy Donovan switched gears for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder a couple of years ago without ever earning acclaim as national coach of the year by a major award. The former New England athlete (Providence) didn't deflate balls, but was shunned despite becoming Florida's all-time winningest mentor and directing the Gators to back-to-back NCAA Tournament titles (2006 and 2007).
Maryland named its court after Gary Williams, the school's all-time winningest coach who guided the Terrapins to the 2002 NCAA title during a span when he became the only mentor ever to defeat the nation's top-ranked team in four straight seasons (2000-01 through 2003-04). Surprisingly, Williams never was courted as national coach of the year by one of the major awards, joining Donovan and other NCAA championship coaches such as Denny Crum, Joe B. Hall, Don Haskins, Rollie Massimino and Jim Valvano "shorted" by this dubious distinction.
Does this blemish exist because of envious fellow coaches or is the Brady Punch-obsessed media in dire need of brain scans while focusing more on deflated Patriot balls than inflated Clinton Crime Family wallets and Obama lackey #DirtyRice's unmasking? A total of 15 individuals received acclaim as national COY despite never reaching an NCAA playoff regional final - Rod Barnes, Perry Clark, Jim Crews, Keno Davis, Matt Doherty, Cliff Ellis, Eddie Fogler, Frank Haith, Leonard Hamilton, Marv Harshman, Todd Lickliter, George Raveling, Al Skinner, Charlie Spoonhour and Dick Versace. Following is an alphabetical list of high-profile retired or non-DI coaches joining Donovan who never received one of the five major national coach of the year awards since 1955 despite their significant achievements:
Dave Bliss - Compiled a total of 14 20-win seasons with three different schools.
Dale Brown - Led LSU to 15 consecutive postseason tournaments (1979 through 1993) en route to becoming the second-winningest coach in SEC history at the time (behind Adolph Rupp) in both overall and SEC games.
Vic Bubas - Guided Duke to NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances three times in a four-year span from 1963 through 1966.
Pete Carril - Never incurred a losing record in 29 seasons with Princeton from 1968 through 1996.
Gale Catlett - Went his first 23 seasons without a losing record with Cincinnati and West Virginia; participated in nine consecutive national postseason tournaments in the 1980s.
Denny Crum - Won 15 regular-season conference championships in the Missouri Valley and Metro in his first 23 seasons with Louisville; only coach to twice win conference and NCAA tournaments in the same year (1980 and 1986).
Don DeVoe - Compiled a total of 12 20-win seasons with three different schools.
Don Donoher - One of first 10 coaches to take his first three teams to the NCAA playoffs guided his first seven Dayton clubs to national postseason competition; posted double digits in victories all 25 seasons.
Lefty Driesell - One of only three different coaches to guide four different schools to the NCAA playoffs; captured conference tournament titles in four different leagues; only coach to win more than 100 games for four different schools en route to total of 786 victories; had 14 final Top 20 rankings.
Hugh Durham - One of only three coaches in NCAA history to win at least 225 games for two Division I schools, directing both Florida State and Georgia to the Final Four.
Bill C. Foster - Only six losing records in 25 seasons at the Division I level with UNC Charlotte, Clemson, Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech.
Jack Gardner - Only coach to direct two different schools to the Final Four at least twice apiece.
Pete Gillen - Remarkable run with Xavier (winning five Midwestern Collegiate Conference Tournament titles in six-year span from 1986 through 1991) before posting 20-win seasons with Providence in the Big East and Virginia in the ACC.
Joe B. Hall - Averaged 23 victories annually in 13 seasons with Kentucky, reaching championship game in either NCAA Tournament or NIT three times in a four-year span from 1975 through 1978.
Don Haskins - Captured four Western Athletic Conference Tournament championships with Texas-El Paso in a seven-year span from 1984 through 1990 while winning more than 20 games each of those seasons; compiled a total of 17 20-win campaigns.
Lou Henson - Compiled only one losing record in his last 22 years with Illinois and New Mexico State; finished in first division of the Big Ten Conference nine straight seasons.
Terry Holland - Averaged 20 victories annually in 21 seasons with Davidson and Virginia.
Harry Litwack - Finished third with Temple in three consecutive national postseason tournaments (1956 and 1958 in NCAA and 1957 in NIT). Posted only one losing record in 21 seasons with the Owls through 1973.
Rollie Massimino - Averaged more than 20 victories annually in the 1980s; participated in 14 consecutive national postseason tournaments with Villanova and UNLV before coaching at small-school level in Florida.
Ray Mears - Finished lower than third place in SEC standings with Tennessee just once in his final 14 seasons from 1964 through 1977.
Shelby Metcalf - Averaged 18.6 victories annually with Texas A&M in an 18-year span from 1971-72 through 1988-89.
Eldon Miller - Won more than 20 games with three different DI schools (Western Michigan, Ohio State and Northern Iowa).
Joe Mullaney - Reached the 20-win plateau nine straight seasons from 1958-59 through 1966-67, directing Providence to the NIT semifinals four times in the first five years of that stretch; won more than two-thirds of his games with the Friars decided by fewer than five points.
C.M. Newton - Posted at least 22 victories with Alabama six times in the last seven seasons of the 1970s.
Dave Odom - Won 20 or more games 10 times in a 14-year span from 1992-93 through 2005-06 with Wake Forest and South Carolina.
Ted Owens - Finished first or second in Big Eight Conference standings each of his first seven seasons with Kansas from 1965 through 1971.
Tom Penders - Won at least 20 games with three different schools (Rhode Island, Texas and George Washington) a total of 10 times in a 13-year span from 1987 through 1999 before winning more than 20 games three times in six seasons with Houston.
Jack Ramsay - Worst record in 11 seasons with St. Joseph's was an 18-10 mark.
Wimp Sanderson - Won five SEC Tournament titles with Alabama, including three in a row from 1989 through 1991.
Fred Schaus - Won Southern Conference Tournament championships each of his six seasons with West Virginia from 1955 through 1960 before posting winning records in Big Ten competition all six years with Purdue.
Roy Skinner - Compiled only one losing record in 16 seasons with Vanderbilt.
Billy Tubbs - Directed Oklahoma to 12 consecutive 20-win seasons, a Big Eight Conference best; took the Sooners to national postseason play his last 13 years with them before moving on to TCU and Lamar.
Jim Valvano - Guided Iona to a school-record 29 victories in 1979-80 before winning at least 18 games each of his last nine seasons with North Carolina State from 1982 through 1990.
Gary Williams - All-time winningest coach for Maryland directed 13 teams to Top 20 finishes in final polls, including a couple of them with Boston College.
Ned Wulk - All-time winningest coach for Arizona State finished atop conference standings in six of his first seven seasons with the Sun Devils.
Twice Wasn't Enough: UNC 14th Champion Losing Two Times vs Same Foe
The first 38 NCAA titlists, from Oregon (29-5 record in 1938-39) through Indiana (the last unbeaten team with a 32-0 mark in 1975-76), averaged barely over two setbacks per season. No kingpin sustained more than six reversals until Marquette's Al McGuire-coached squad was 25-7 in 1976-77. However, McGuire's swan song was a sign of things to come as six of the 11 championship clubs from 1981 through 1991 finished with at least seven losses. Two of the six - Villanova '85 and Kansas '88 - entered the playoffs unranked in a wire-service final Top 20 since the AP and UPI both were conducting polls in 1951.
This campaign, Duke defeated eventual NCAA champion North Carolina twice by at least eight points. Feeling like a sixth-grader trying to collect $20G from ESPN after Bracket Boy tied for winning NCAA tourney contest a couple of years ago, following is a list of the 14 titlists losing at least twice in their title season against a total of 20 different opponents:
| Season | NCAA Champion | Record | Team(s) Defeating Titlist at Least Twice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-54 | La Salle | 26-4 | Niagara (24-6) defeated the Explorers twice by a total of 27 points before finishing in third place in the NIT. |
| 1980-81 | Indiana | 26-9 | Iowa (21-7) defeated the Hoosiers twice by a total of 16 points before losing its NCAA playoff opener in second round against Wichita State on the Shockers' home-court. |
| 1982-83 | North Carolina State | 26-10 | Maryland (20-10) defeated the Wolfpack twice by a total of 14 points before losing in second round against national runner-up Houston. Virginia (29-5) defeated the Wolfpack twice by a total of 19 points before losing against N.C. State by one point in West Regional final. |
| 1984-85 | Villanova | 25-10 | St. John's (31-4) defeated the Wildcats three times by a total of 22 points before losing against Georgetown in national semifinals. Georgetown (35-3) defeated the Wildcats twice by a total of nine points before losing against Villanova by two points in national final. |
| 1985-86 | Louisville | 32-7 | Kansas (35-4) defeated the Cardinals twice by a total of seven points before losing against Duke in national semifinals. |
| 1987-88 | Kansas | 27-11 | Kansas State (25-9) defeated the Jayhawks twice by a total of 26 points before losing against KU in Midwest Regional final. Oklahoma (35-4) defeated the Jayhawks twice by eight points in Big Eight Conference regular-season competition before losing against KU by four points in national final. |
| 1988-89 | Michigan | 30-7 | Illinois (31-5) defeated the Wolverines twice by a total of 28 points before losing against UM by two points in national semifinals. Indiana (27-8) defeated the Wolverines twice by one point before losing against eventual national runner-up Seton Hall in West Regional semifinals. |
| 1996-97 | Arizona | 25-9 | UCLA (24-8) defeated the Wildcats twice by a total of eight points before losing against Minnesota in Midwest Regional final. |
| 2002-03 | Syracuse | 30-5 | Connecticut (23-10) defeated the Orangemen twice by a total of 27 points before losing against Texas in South Regional semifinals. |
| 2005-06 | Florida | 33-6 | South Carolina (23-15) defeated the Gators twice by a total of 10 points before successfully defending its NIT championship. Tennessee (22-8) defeated the Gators twice by four points apiece before losing against Wichita State in second round of Washington (East) Regional. |
| 2010-11 | Connecticut | 32-9 | Notre Dame (27-7) defeated the Huskies twice by three points each time before losing against Florida State in second round of South Regional. Louisville (25-10) defeated the Huskies twice by a total of 14 points before losing against Morehead State in opening round of South Regional. |
| 2013-14 | Connecticut | 32-8 | SMU (27-10) defeated the Huskies twice by nine points each time before finishing NIT runner-up. Louisville (31-6) defeated the Huskies three times by a total of 55 points before bowing against eventual national runner-up Kentucky in Midwest Regional semifinals. |
| 2014-15 | Duke | 35-4 | Notre Dame (32-6) defeated the Blue Devils twice by a total of 14 points before losing against Kentucky in Midwest Regional final. |
| 2016-17 | North Carolina | 33-7 | Duke (28-9) defeated the Tar Heels twice by a total of 18 points before losing against Final Four-bound South Carolina in second round of East Regional. |
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 5 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season commences, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Former college hoopers Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi), Fred Kipp (Emporia State KS), Roger Mason (Saginaw Valley State MI), Ted Savage (Lincoln MO) and Ken Singleton (Hofstra) were involved in MLB transactions on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 5
INF Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi basketball letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles in 1973.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) smacked two homers among his four hits in a 15-12 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1997. Four years later, Clark contributed four hits against the Minnesota Twins in 2001.
LHP Fred Kipp (two-time all-conference selection for Emporia State KS in early 1950s) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees in 1960.
RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year letterman for Saginaw Valley State MI in late 1970s) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the San Francisco Giants in 1985.
OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970.
OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman squad in mid-1960s) traded with Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub in 1972.
Atlanta Braves reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered the victory in a season-opening 7-4 success at Cincinnati in 1971. Upshaw missed the previous campaign after almost losing the ring finger on his right hand when it got entangled in a net while dunking basketball.
RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) became the first hurler in New York Mets history to collect two hits in an inning (pair of singles in third against Philadelphia Phillies in 2011). Young contributed a third single in the fifth in his first start with the Mets.
States of Success: Texas Among 12 States With At Least 12 National Titles
Kentucky (31), buttressed by Louisville (NCAA DI) and Georgetown (NAIA) in 2013, moved ahead of California four years ago as the state with the most national titles from each level of four-year college men's basketball - NCAA Division I, NIT, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. But California moved into a tie with Kentucky three seasons ago when Vanguard (Calif.) captured the NAIA crown and moved back ahead of Kentucky two campaigns ago when Stanford won the NIT.
Illinois and Ohio are the only states to boast at least one champion from all five levels. Among the 13 states amassing a total of more than 10 national crowns, Missouri is the only one in that group without a Division I championship. Drury (Mo.) and Central Missouri won back-to-back DII titles earlier this decade but the state's two headline schools - Mizzou and Saint Louis - never have reached the NCAA Final Four.
Texas, collecting two crowns this season (NIT and NAIA), is among a dozen states with at least 12 national championships. The biggest surprise among states fond of hoops but never capturing a four-year school national title is Iowa. Following is how states stack up by national titles including the NIT and various levels of small-college basketball:
State DI NIT DII DIII NAIA Total California 15 8 5 0 4 32 Kentucky 11 3 10 0 7 31 North Carolina 13 2 3 0 1 19 Ohio 3 6 3 5 2 19 Oklahoma 2 2 1 0 11 16 Illinois 1 6 1 6 1 15 Missouri 0 1 4 2 8 15 New York 2 10 0 3 0 15 Wisconsin 2 1 0 12 0 15 Indiana 5 2 6 0 1 14 Pennsylvania 3 6 2 3 0 14 Texas 1 3 0 0 8 12 Kansas 3 1 1 0 6 11 Minnesota 0 3 2 2 3 10 Virginia 0 4 5 1 0 10 Michigan 3 3 0 2 0 8 Tennessee 0 2 1 1 4 8 Georgia 0 0 1 0 6 7 Massachusetts 1 1 1 4 0 7 Alabama 0 0 3 0 3 6 Connecticut 4 1 1 0 0 6 Maryland 1 1 2 0 1 5 Arizona 1 0 0 0 3 4 District of Columbia 1 1 1 1 0 4 Florida 2 0 2 0 0 4 South Carolina 0 2 0 0 2 4 Utah 1 3 0 0 0 4 West Virginia 0 2 0 0 2 4 Colorado 0 1 2 0 0 3 Louisiana 0 0 0 0 3 3 New Jersey 0 2 0 1 0 3 South Dakota 0 0 3 0 0 3 Arkansas 1 0 0 0 1 2 Rhode Island 0 2 0 0 0 2 Washington 0 0 2 0 0 2 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 1 1 Mississippi 0 1 0 0 0 1 Montana 0 0 0 0 1 1 Nebraska 0 1 0 0 0 1 Nevada 1 0 0 0 0 1 New Mexico 0 0 0 0 1 1 Oregon 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wyoming 1 0 0 0 0 1
NOTE: Eight states - Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont - never have had a four-year school win a men's national championship.
Boys Gone Wild: Monk May Have Highest Scoring Output vs NCAA Champion
Kentucky freshman guard Malik Monk may have manufactured the highest single-game scoring output in history against an NCAA champion-to-be when he erupted for 47 points against North Carolina in a non-conference contest at Las Vegas. Notre Dame senior guard Austin Carr poured in 46 against UCLA in 1970-71. Research is sketchy in the 1940s and 1950s in trying to discern if anyone contributed a higher total than Monk or Carr.
Since UCLA's first NCAA championship in 1964, Louisville guard Russ Smith has the lowest scoring average (11.5 ppg in 2011-12) for any player who posted the single-game high against an NCAA titlist. Some of the names probably will be surprising, but following is a look in reverse order at the last 54 individuals notching the season-high scoring total against the eventual NCAA kingpin:
Year Opposing High Scorer vs. NCAA Titlist Avg. Single-Game High 2017 Malik Monk, G, Fr., Kentucky 19.8 47 points vs. North Carolina at Las Vegas 2016 Ben Bentil, F, Soph., Providence 21.1 31 vs. Villanova 2016 L.J. Peak, G, Soph., Georgetown 12.3 31 vs. Villanova 2015 Michael Gbinije, F, Jr., Syracuse 12.7 27 vs. Duke 2014 Dustin Hogue, F, Jr., Iowa State 11.6 34 vs. Connecticut in NCAA playoffs 2013 Tyler Brown, G, Sr., Illinois State 18.1 25 at Louisville 2012 Russ Smith, G, Soph., Louisville 11.5 30 at Kentucky 2011 Dwight Hardy, G, Sr., St. John's 18.3 33 vs. Connecticut 2010 Trevon Hughes, G, Sr., Wisconsin 15.3 26 vs. Duke 2009 Kyle McAlarney, G, Sr., Notre Dame 15.0 39 vs. North Carolina at Maui 2008 Michael Beasley, F-C, Fr., Kansas State 26.2 39 at Kansas 2007 Al Thornton, F, Sr., Florida State 19.7 28 vs. Florida 2006 Chris Lofton, G, Soph., Tennessee 17.2 29 vs. Florida 2005 Will Bynum, G, Sr., Georgia Tech 12.5 35 vs. North Carolina in ACC Tournament 2004 Chris Thomas, G, Jr., Notre Dame 19.7 31 vs. Connecticut 2003 Chris Hill, G, Soph., Michigan State 13.7 34 vs. Syracuse 2002 Jason "Jay" Williams, G, Jr., Duke 21.3 34 vs. Maryland 2001 James "J.J." Miller, G, Sr., North Carolina A&T 16.0 34 at Duke 2000 A.J. Guyton, G, Sr., Indiana 19.7 34 vs. Michigan State 1999 Trajan Langdon, G, Sr., Duke 17.3 25 vs. Connecticut 1998 Brian Williams, G, Jr., Alabama 16.1 28 vs. Kentucky in SEC Tournament 1997 Isaac Fontaine, G, Sr., Washington State 21.9 32 vs. Arizona 1996 Marcus Camby, C, Jr., Massachusetts 20.5 32 vs. Kentucky at Great Eight 1995 Ray Allen, G, Soph., Connecticut 21.1 36 vs. UCLA in NCAA playoffs 1994 Gary Collier, F, Sr., Tulsa 22.9 35 vs. Arkansas in NCAA playoffs 1993 Chris Webber, F, Soph., Michigan 19.2 27 vs. North Carolina at Honolulu 1993 Randolph Childress, G, Soph., Wake Forest 19.7 27 vs. North Carolina 1993 James Forrest, F, Soph., Georgia Tech 19.5 27 vs. North Carolina in ACC Tournament 1993 Lester Lyons, G, Jr., East Carolina 15.4 27 vs. North Carolina in NCAA playoffs 1992 Malik Sealy, F, Sr., St. John's 22.6 37 vs. Duke at Greensboro 1991 Jeff Webster, F, Fr., Oklahoma 18.3 32 vs. Duke 1990 Greg "Bo" Kimble, F-G, Sr., Loyola Marymount 35.3 42 vs. UNLV in NCAA playoffs 1989 Roy Marble, F, Sr., Iowa 20.5 32 vs. Michigan 1988 Mitch Richmond, G-F, Sr., Kansas State 22.6 35 vs. Kansas 1987 Freddie Banks, G, Sr., UNLV 19.5 38 vs. Indiana in NCAA playoffs 1986 Ron Harper, F, Sr., Miami (oh) 24.4 36 vs. Louisville in Big Apple NIT at Cincinnati 1985 Len Bias, F, Jr., Maryland 18.9 30 vs. Villanova 1984 Chris Mullin, G-F, Jr., St. John's 22.9 29 vs. Georgetown in Big East Tournament 1983 Ralph Sampson, C, Sr., Virginia 19.1 33 vs. North Carolina State 1982 Ralph Sampson, C, Jr., Virginia 15.8 30 at North Carolina 1981 Mike McGee, F, Sr., Michigan 24.4 29 vs. Indiana 1980 Jeff Ruland, C, Jr., Iona 20.1 30 vs. Louisville 1979 Joe Barry Carroll, C, Jr., Purdue 22.8 27 vs. Michigan State 1979 Calvin Roberts, F-C, Jr., Cal State Fullerton 15.3 27 vs. Michigan State 1978 Freeman Williams, G, Sr., Portland State 35.9 39 at Kentucky 1977 Dave Corzine, C, Jr., DePaul 19.0 26 vs. Marquette 1976 Terry Furlow, F, Sr., Michigan State 29.4 40 vs. Indiana 1975 Kevin Grevey, F, Sr., Kentucky 23.5 34 vs. UCLA in NCAA final 1974 Billy Cook, G, Soph., Memphis State 16.2 33 vs. North Carolina State 1973 Billy Knight, F, Jr., Pittsburgh 23.7 37 vs. UCLA 1972 Fred Boyd, G, Sr., Oregon State 19.8 37 vs. UCLA 1971 Austin Carr, G, Sr., Notre Dame 38.0 46 vs. UCLA 1970 Pete Maravich, G, Sr., Louisiana State 44.5 38 vs. UCLA 1970 Rich Yunkus, C, Jr., Georgia Tech 30.1 38 vs. UCLA 1969 Vic Collucci, G, Soph., Providence 15.4 36 vs. UCLA 1968 Elvin Hayes, F-C, Sr., Houston 36.8 39 vs. UCLA 1967 Bill Hewitt, F, Jr., Southern California 19.5 39 vs. UCLA 1966 Jerry Chambers, F-C, Sr., Utah 28.8 38 vs. Texas Western in NCAA playoffs 1965 Ollie Johnson, C, Sr., San Francisco 21.6 37 vs. UCLA 1964 Tom Dose, C, Sr., Stanford 20.0 38 vs. UCLA
We Marred the Champions: UND Only School With > 8 Wins vs NCAA Titlists
Notre Dame has a significant lead in compiling the most all-time victories against teams in a season the opponent went on to capture the NCAA championship. The Fighting Irish, boasting 14 such triumphs despite never winning a Final Four contest, are joined by Kentucky (eight), Maryland (eight), Duke (seven), Indiana (seven), Louisville (seven), St. John's (seven), Virginia (seven) and Wake Forest (seven) as the only schools defeating more than six eventual NCAA playoff titlists. Louisville leveled Connecticut a total of five times in 2011 and 2014.
St. John's (Georgetown '84/Villanova '85/Louisville '86) and Illinois (Indiana '87/Kansas '88/Michigan/'89) are the only schools to upend three different NCAA champions-to-be in as many years. Wake Forest knocked off four different North Carolina titlists in a 28-year span (1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009). Saint Louis, which kayoed four different national kingpins in a 13-year span from 1949 through 1961 (champions combining to win 94.3% of their other games those seasons), never has reached an NCAA tourney regional final.
Michigan State, despite advancing to seven Final Fours under coach Tom Izzo, never has beaten an eventual NCAA champion. Other prominent universities with that dubious distinction include Arizona State, Baylor, Brigham Young, Butler, Colorado, Creighton, Dayton, Penn State, Saint Joseph's, San Francisco, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
Surprisingly, Northwestern has notched three triumphs against NCAA titlists despite never participating in the national tourney until 2017. Additional schools with more wins against NCAA kingpins during the regular season than playoff victories include Bowling Green (one tourney triumph), Nebraska (winless), Niagara (two tourney wins), Texas-Pan American (never appeared) and Wright State (winless). DII Alaska-Anchorage is among more than 25 non-power league members on the following alphabetical list of schools defeating NCAA DI champions-to-be:
NOTE: During World War II, NCAA champions Stanford lost to the Athens Club in 1942, Wyoming lost at Denver Legion in 1943, Utah lost to Ft. Warren, Salt Lake AB and Dow Chemical in 1944 and Oklahoma A&M lost to NATTS Skyjackets in 1945.
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 4 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season commences, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 4
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State basketball teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded in 1969 by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels.
OF-INF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) traded in 1969 by the California Angels to the Cleveland Indians.
Hot or Not?: UNC 5th NCAA Titlist in Last 6 Years Entering Tourney With Loss
Which cliche is most accurate? If a team is on a winning streak entering the NCAA Tournament, it has momentum on its side and is peaking at the right time. On the other hand, some observers contend a loss before the start of the playoffs is deemed a wake-up call. North Carolina's championship this season marked the fifth time in last six years the titlist entered the playoffs after a defeat in their conference tourney. All five of Duke's champions under coach Mike Krzyzewski entered the NCAA tourney with fewer than eight straight triumphs.
Since the last undefeated team in Division I (Indiana was 32-0 in 1975-76), there have been 41 national champions. Twenty-two of those teams entered the tourney with a victory; 19 entered with a defeat after UNC bowed against Duke in the ACC Tournament. The longest winning streak of a champion-to-be in that span was by UCLA, which won 13 in a row in 1995 before posting six more triumphs in the playoffs. Louisville accounted for two of the other double-digit victory streaks for champions-to-be entering the playoffs.
Of the 22 aforementioned squads entering on a winning note, the average winning streak was six in a row. Following in reverse order is how those 41 post-unbeaten IU titlists entered the NCAA playoffs (including conference tournaments):
Senior Moments: Only Three Seniors Among Titlist UNC's 10-Man Rotation
They were vital but only three of [North Carolina's](schools/north carolina) 10-man rotation was a senior, showing again why a senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since Villanova captured the NCAA crown in 1985 when the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams.
Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers, which is what ACC rival Duke had two years ago. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - featured seniors as their top two scorers. Following is a look at the vital seniors for the last 33 basically youthful championship teams (in reverse order):
2017 - North Carolina (three players in 10-man rotation were seniors/Kennedy Meeks was third-leading scorer, Isaiah Hicks was fourth and Nate Britt was eighth).
2016 - Villanova (two of eight-man rotation were seniors/Ryan Arcidiacono was third-leading scorer and Daniel Ochefu was fourth).
2015 - Duke (one of eight-man rotation was a senior/Quinn Cook was second-leading scorer).
2014 - Connecticut (four of top 10 scorers were seniors/Shabazz Napier was leading scorer, Niels Giffey was fourth, Lasan Kromah was fifth and Tyler Olander was 10th).
2013 - Louisville (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Peyton Siva was second-leading scorer).
2012 - Kentucky (one of top seven scorers was a senior/Darius Miller was fifth-leading scorer).
2011 - Connecticut (none of top six scorers was a senior).
2010 - Duke (three of nine-man rotation were seniors/Jon Scheyer was leading scorer, Brian Zoubek was fourth and Lance Thomas was sixth).
2009 - North Carolina (two of top eight in scoring average were seniors/Tyler Hansbrough was leading scorer and Danny Green was fourth).
2008 - Kansas (one of top six scorers was a senior/Darnell Jackson was fourth-leading scorer).
2007 - Florida (two of nine-man rotation were seniors/Lee Humphrey was fifth and Chris Richard was sixth).
2006 - Florida (none of top seven scorers was a senior).
2005 - North Carolina (one of top five scorers was a senior/Jawad Williams was third).
2004 - Connecticut (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Taliek Brown was sixth).
2003 - Syracuse (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Keith Duany was fourth).
2002 - Maryland (three of top eight regulars were seniors/Juan Dixon was top scorer, Lonny Baxter was second and Byron Mouton was fourth).
2001 - Duke (two of top nine scorers were seniors/Shane Battier was second and Nate James was fifth).
2000 - Michigan State (three of top 11 scorers were seniors/Morris Peterson was first, Mateen Cleaves was second and A.J. Granger was fifth).
1999 - Connecticut (one of top seven scorers was a senior/Ricky Moore was fifth).
1998 - Kentucky (two of top seven scorers were seniors/Jeff Sheppard was first and Allen Edwards was fifth).
1997 - Arizona (none of top seven scorers was a senior).
1996 - Kentucky (three of top 10 scorers were seniors/Tony Delk was first, Walter McCarty was third and Mark Pope was sixth).
1995 - UCLA (three of top seven scorers were seniors/Ed O'Bannon was first, Tyus Edney was second and George Zidek was fourth).
1994 - Arkansas (one of top 10 scorers was a senior/Roger Crawford was eighth).
1993 - North Carolina (one of top seven scorers was a senior/George Lynch was second).
1992 - Duke (two of top 10 scorers were seniors/Christian Laettner was first and Brian Davis was fifth).
1991 - Duke (one of top 10 scorers was a senior/Greg Koubek was seventh).
1990 - UNLV (two of top eight scorers were seniors/David Butler was third and Moses Scurry was sixth).
1989 - Michigan (two of top 11 scorers were seniors/Glen Rice was first and Mark Hughes was sixth).
1988 - Kansas (two of top 11 scorers were seniors/Danny Manning was first and Chris Piper was fourth).
1987 - Indiana (two of top eight scorers were seniors/Steve Alford was first and Daryl Thomas was second).
1986 - Louisville (three of top nine scorers were seniors/Billy Thompson was first, Milt Wagner was second and Jeff Hall was fifth).
1985 - Villanova (three of top eight scorers were seniors/Ed Pinckney was first, Dwayne McClain was second and Gary McLain was fourth).
Victory Map: Carolina 23rd NCAA Titlist to Win Playoff Game By One Point
There has been some smooth sailing, but it is usually a rugged road en route to becoming NCAA kingpin such as [North Carolina](schools/north carolina) after the Tar Heels won their last three playoff games by an average of three points. Carolina '09 was the 12th NCAA Tournament champion to win all of its playoff games by double-digit margins. The first nine champions in this category came before the NCAA field was expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
Most titlists have near-death experiences and are severely tested at least once on the serpentine tourney trail. In 1997, Arizona won each of its playoff contests by a single-digit margin.
A total of 50 champions won a minimum of one playoff game by fewer than five, including 23 titlists to win at least one contest by just one point. Wyoming '43 would have become the only champion to trail at halftime in every tournament game if the Cowboys didn't score the last three baskets of the first half in the national final to lead Georgetown at intermission (18-16). Four titlists trailed at intermission in both of their Final Four games - Kentucky '51, Louisville '86, Duke '92 and Kentucky '98.
UCLA '67, the first varsity season for Lew Alcindor (became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), set the record for largest average margin of victory for a champion when the Bruins started a dazzling streak of 10 consecutive Final Four appearances. They won their 12 NCAA playoff games with Alcindor manning the middle by an amazing average margin of 21.5 points.
Which of John Wooden's 10 national champion UCLA teams did the Wizard of Westwood perceive as his best?
"I've never come out and said it," Wooden said before passing away two years ago, "but it would be hard to pick a team over the 1968 team. I will say it would be the most difficult team to prepare for and play against offensively and defensively. It created so many problems. It had such great balance. We had the big center (Alcindor) who is the most valuable player of all time. Mike Warren was a three-year starter who may have been the most intelligent floor leader ever, going eight complete games once without a turnover. Lucius Allen was a very physical, talented individual who was extremely quick. Lynn Shackleford was a great shooter out of the corner who didn't allow defenses to sag on Jabbar. Mike Lynn didn't have power, but he had as fine a pair of hands around the boards as I have ever seen."
The roster for UCLA's 1968 national champion included six players with double-digit season scoring averages, but senior forward Edgar Lacey dropped off the team with an 11.9-point average following a dispute with Wooden after a ballyhooed mid-season defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome. Lacey, assigned to defend Cougars star Elvin Hayes early in the game, was annoyed with Wooden for singling him out following Hayes' 29-point first-half outburst. Lacey, the leading rebounder for the Bruins' 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 campaign because of a fractured left kneecap.
The three Lew-CLA teams rank among the seven NCAA champions with average margins of victory in a tournament of more than 19 points per game. It's no wonder a perceptive scribe wrote the acronym NCAA took on a new meaning during the plunderous Alcindor Era - "No Chance Against Alcindor."
"Bill Walton might have been a better all-around player (than Alcindor)," Wooden said. "If you were grading a player for every fundamental skill, Walton would rank the highest of any center who ever played. But Alcindor is the most valuable, owing to the pressure he put on the other team at both ends of the court."
UNC won all six of its playoff contests by double digits in 2009 but the only titlist to win all of its tournament games by more than 15 points was Ohio State '60. Center Jerry Lucas, a first-team All-American as a sophomore, averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds in four playoff contests for the Buckeyes. He collected 36 points and 25 rebounds to help them erase a six-point halftime deficit in their Mideast Regional opener against Western Kentucky.
Duke's five kingpins under Mike Krzyzewski have all come with average winning margin of at least 12.5 points per playoff game. Following is the breakdown of point differential and average margin of victory in NCAA playoffs for first 79 national champions:
*All-time tournament record (111-42 first-round victory over Tennessee Tech).
NOTE: Fifteen teams participated in a total of 21 overtime games en route to national titles - Utah (1944), North Carolina (two triple-overtime Final Four games in 1957), Cincinnati (1961), Loyola of Chicago (1963), Texas Western (two in 1966, including a double overtime), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1974), UCLA (two in 1975), Louisville (two in 1980), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1983), Michigan (1989), Duke (1992), North Carolina (1993), Arizona (two in 1997), Kentucky (1998), Kansas (2008) and Connecticut (2014).
Against All Odds: Virtually No Chance Ewing Wins More as Coach Than A-A
Patrick Ewing, who won more than 84% of his games with Georgetown the first half of the 1980s (121-23 record) assumes control of coaching position at his alma mater with an impressive player pedigree as four-time All-American. But the odds are overwhelmingly against Ewing compiling a higher winning percentage as a bench boss than he did as premium player. He would need to supplant UCLA's John Wooden (.808) atop the coaching list in this category. Coincidentally, Wooden assembled the same winning percentage as an A-A player with Purdue as Ewing did for the Hoyas.
The media already is trying to concoct a contrived "Back to the Future" Big East Conference rivalry when Ewing opposes St. John's Chris Mullin. They competed against each other as All-Americans from 1981-82 through 1984-85. Actually, there wasn't much of a rivalry as John Thompson Jr. defeated Lou Carnesecca in eight of 11 matchups during that four-season span. Ewing will do well, however, to assemble a lower differential than Mullin from winning percentage as a player compared to coaching acumen. Mullin's winning percentage in his first two seasons as a coach is 42.8% lower than as a player. Other All-Americans who posted even worst winning percentages as a DI coach than as a player include Sidney Moncrief (69.3% lower), Bo Ellis (67.1%), Corliss Williamson (52.2%), Tony Yates (50.9%), Donyell Marshall (48.9% after inaugural season with CCSU), Mark Macon (48.2%), Damon Stoudamire (46.7% after inaugural season with Pacific), Clyde Drexler (46.6%), Butch Beard (45.7%), Isiah Thomas (44.8%), Monte Towe (44.6%) and Henry Bibby (44.1%).
New Coppin State coach Juan Dixon is another All-American (from Maryland) facing an uphill battle as a bench boss. Indiana's Branch McCracken, who directed the Hoosiers to NCAA tourney titles in 1940 and 1953, is the only one of the first 56 All-Americans who became major-college mentors to compile a higher winning percentage as coach. Fewer than half of the following alphabetical list of All-American players posted winning career records as a DI mentor:
*Active coaches.
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