Long Waiting List: NCAA Tourney Helps Natural Rivalries Out of Hibernation
Two seasons ago, we learned anew why Kansas seeks to avoid Wichita State year upon year after the Shockers clobbered KU in the Midwest Regional. Ditto Notre Dame and its frequent shunning this century of Butler, which took the Irish into overtime in the same regional. The results showed again why some major schools should be ashamed of themselves for ducking nearby quality opponents. Why in the world did they have to resort to a national tournament assignment hundreds of miles from their fan base to oppose each other?
In a "Days of Whine and Hoses" era when many cash-strapped athletic departments are begging for revenue, they still schedule numerous poorly-attended home games against inferior opponents. It defies logic as to why tradition-rich schools forsake entertaining non-conference contests with natural rivals while scheduling more than their share of meaningless "rout-a-matics" at home. Fans shouldn't have to wait for an entertaining contest such as Morehead State upsetting Louisville, 62-61, in the opening round of the 2011 playoffs or Florida Gulf Coast taking Florida State to the mat this campaign.
The normal intensity of an NCAA Tournament tilt escalates even more in "bragging rights" games between neighboring opponents that rarely if ever tangle on the same floor unless forced to compete against each other by a postseason bracket. Essentially, it is a sad state of affairs for fans in Kansas to need to hope KU and Wichita State oppose each other every 20 to 25 years in the NCAA tourney for them to meet on the hardwood.
A classic example of the scheduling neglect was an intense 2001 West Regional matchup between Maryland and Georgetown. Of course, the Washington, D.C., area isn't the only region with a scheduling complex. As emotional as it was, the Hoya Paranoia-Terrapin Trepidation confrontation didn't stack up among the following top dozen intrastate contests in NCAA playoff history including a couple of Kentucky/Louisville duels before they started meeting on a regular basis:
1. 1961 NCAA Championship Game (Cincinnati 70, Ohio State 65 in OT)
Paul Hogue, a 6-9 center who hit just 51.8% of his free-throw attempts during the season, sank only two of 10 foul shots in his two previous contests before putting Cincinnati ahead to stay with a pair of pivotal free throws in overtime in a victory over previously undefeated Ohio State.
2. 1998 East Regional second round (North Carolina 93, UNCC 83 in OT)
UNC Charlotte forward DeMarco Johnson outplayed national player of the year Antawn Jamison of the Tar Heels, but Carolina got a total of 55 points from Shammond Williams and Vince Carter to withstand the 49ers' bid for an upset.
3. 1983 Mideast Regional final (Louisville 80, Kentucky 68 in OT)
The first meeting between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville in more than 24 years was memorable as the Cardinals outscored the Wildcats 18-6 in overtime to reach the Final Four. The next year in the same region's semifinals, UK erased a half-time deficit to upend the Cards, 72-67.
4. 1981 Midwest Regional semifinals (Wichita State 66, Kansas 65)
Mike Jones hit two long-range baskets in the last 50 seconds for Wichita State in the first game between the intrastate rivals in 36 years.
5. 1989 Southeast Regional first round (South Alabama 86, Alabama 84)
In an exciting intrastate battle, South Alabama erased a 16-point halftime deficit. Jeff Hodge and Gabe Estaba combined for 55 points for USA.
6. 1971 West Regional final (UCLA 57, Long Beach State 55)
The closest result for UCLA during the Bruins' 38-game playoff winning streak from 1967 to 1973 came when they had to erase an 11-point deficit despite 29 percent field-goal shooting to edge Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State.
7. 1971 Mideast Regional semifinals (Western Kentucky 107, Kentucky 83)
This year's game wasn't anything like when WKU, long regarded as poor country cousins by Kentucky, whipped the Wildcats in their first-ever meeting when All-American Jim McDaniels poured in 35 points for the Hilltoppers.
8. 1959 Mideast Regional semifinals (Louisville 76, Kentucky 61)
Second-ranked Kentucky (24-3) hit less than one-third of its field-goal attempts in blowing a 15-point lead against intrastate rival Louisville (19-12). The Cardinals had lost to Georgetown (KY) earlier in the season.
9. 1964 Midwest Regional first round (Texas Western 68, Texas A&M 62)
Jim "Bad News" Barnes took out his do-it-yourself kit and accounted for 61.8% of Texas Western's offense by scoring 42 points.
10. 1962 NCAA Championship Game (Cincinnati 71, Ohio State 59)
Ohio State All-American center Jerry Lucas wrenched his left knee in the national semifinals against Wake Forest, limiting his effectiveness against Cincinnati counterpart Paul Hogue in the Bearcats' 71-59 triumph in the final.
11. 1963 Mideast Regional final (Loyola of Chicago 79, Illinois 64)
Sparked by All-American Jerry Harkness' 33 points, Loyola's only meeting against the Illini in a 24-year span from 1955-56 through 1978-79 represented the Ramblers' lone win in their irregular series until 1984-85.
T12. 1974 East Regional first round (Furman 75, South Carolina 67)
Furman's Clyde Mayes collected 21 points and 16 rebounds to upend the Gamecocks' star-studded roster featuring Mike Dunleavy Sr., Alex English and Brian Winters.
T12. 1964 Midwest Regional final (Kansas State 94, Wichita 86)
All-American Dave Stallworth's 37 points and 16 rebounds weren't enough to prevent Wichita's loss against K-State.
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge (Day #6)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 6 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who was the only player to lead the nation in scoring average in the same season he played for a team reaching the NCAA Tournament championship game? Hint: He was the first player to score more than 30 points in a Final Four game and the only individual to crack the 30-point plateau in national semifinals and final in same season. He was also the only Big Eight Conference player to lead nation in scoring.
2. Of the 60 or so different players to score at least 2,500 points and/or rank among the top 25 in career scoring average, who was the only one to have a winning NCAA playoff record in his career plus post higher scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting playoff averages than he compiled in regular season? Hint: The player scored at least 17 points in all 10 of his NCAA playoff games.
3. Who was the only football Heisman Trophy winner to play in the basketball Final Four? Hint: He won the Most Outstanding Player Award in a Liberty Bowl after setting a school record for longest run from scrimmage.
4. What was the only Final Four match-up to have both coaches opposing his alma mater? Hint: It's happened twice. The protege was an assistant at his alma mater for 10 years.
5. Who is the only coach to oppose his alma mater more than twice at the Final Four? Hint: He is also the only coach in the 20th Century to twice win conference and NCAA tournaments in same year.
6. Who is the only unbeaten coach in NCAA playoff history? Hint: He is the only NCAA basketball championship coach to also be baseball coach at the same school when it won a College World Series game.
7. Who was the only coach with more than 30 NCAA Tournament victories to earn those wins at more than one school until Lute Olson (Iowa and Arizona) joined him in 1998? Hint: Three schools for the first coach were slapped with an NCAA probation during his stints there.
8. Who is the only coach in back-to-back years to win at least one NCAA playoff game in his first season with two different schools? He coached Butler the previous campaign. Hint: He was an assistant under three coaches who directed two different schools to the NCAA Tournament (Charlie Coles, Tates Locke and Herb Sendek).
9. Name the only school to gain an at-large invitation despite losing all of its conference road games. Hint: Three years earlier, the school received an at-large bid despite losing four league road games by at least 25 points.
10. Of the individuals to both play and coach in the NCAA Tournament, who leads that group in both scoring and rebounding totals? Hint: He was the leading scorer in biggest blowout in regional final history.
Star Burn Out: Numerous Name Programs Missing in Action From Playoffs
At least 10 of the 37 schools appearing in excess of 50 NCAA payoff games failed to participate in the tourney each year since the field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985, including 15 former Final Four schools this season.
Nearly half of the "star schools" stayed home in 2004, including Houston being in the midst of a 17-year drought from 1993 through 2009. Following is a chronological list of big-name universities who were tourney outcasts since 1985:
1985 (14) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1986 (12) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Kansas State, Marquette, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest
1987 (13) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
1988 (12) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1989 (15) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest
1990 (12) - Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1991 (14) - Cincinnati, Florida, Illinois, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, West Virginia
1992 (11) - Florida, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Purdue, UNLV, Utah, Villanova
1993 (15) - Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Texas, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
1994 (13) - Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia
1995 (11) - Duke, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, St. John's, UNLV, West Virginia
1996 (11) - Florida, Houston, Illinois, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, UNLV, West Virginia
1997 (16) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, UNLV, West Virginia
1998 (14) - Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Villanova, Wake Forest
1999 (12) - Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, UNLV, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2000 (12) - Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Villanova, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2001 (14) - Connecticut, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Purdue, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia
2002 (15) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
2003 (14) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, St. John's, Temple, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
2004 (18) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
2005 (15) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV
2006 (14) - Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest
2007 (15) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2008 (14) - Cincinnati, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Utah, Wake Forest
2009 (13) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, St. John's, UNLV
2010 (15) - Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UCLA, Utah
2011 (10) - Arkansas, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Utah, Wake Forest
2012 (13) - Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, UCLA, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
2013 (11) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Purdue, St. John's, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2014 (15) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Marquette, Maryland, Notre Dame, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2015 (12) - Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Wake Forest
2016 (16) - Arkansas, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, UCLA, UNLV, Wake Forest
2017 (15) - Connecticut, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Memphis, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah
David vs. Goliath: MTSU Upsets Big Ten Member Second Straight Season
If upper-crust elite schools smugly look down their noses, they might find their opponents boast the upper hand by looking down the barrel of a gun. Just ask Big Ten Conference members Michigan State and Minnesota as they lost NCAA tourney openers by significant margins against Middle Tennessee State the last two years. In 2013, two mid-major at-large entrants reached a regional final (La Salle and Wichita State) after also failing to capture a regular-season league title. Generous doses of humility frequently occur. Three years ago, #3 seeds Duke and Syracuse were embarrassed by Mercer and Dayton, respectively. They are among 19 former national champions losing multiple times in the tourney against members of lower-profile conferences seeded five or more places worse than the major university currently a member of one of the consensus power-six leagues. Kansas has a high of seven setbacks as a total of 12 former NCAA titlists have lost three or more such contests. Last year, Baylor joined KU and four other power-league members (Florida, Georgetown, Indiana and Vanderbilt) in losing playoff games in back-to-back seasons thus far in the 21st Century against mid-major foes with double-digit seeds.
Who did they play (mid-majors in NCAA playoff competition) and who did they beat (power-league members seeded five or more slots better)? Well, a total of 82 different lower-profile schools and current members of 24 different mid-major conferences (all but Northeast) have won 150 such games since seeding was introduced in 1979. But heaven forbid if Wichita State (averaging nearly 30 victories annually over the last eight campaigns) be embraced without question as an at-large or securing better seeding rather than bowing down at the power-league altar worshiping mediocrity. The mid-major school with the most "David vs. Goliath" playoff victories cited in the following list was Richmond with six until Gonzaga tied the Spiders after two such triumphs in 2016:
ACC (30 defeats against mid-major opponents seeded five or more places worse) - Boston College (lost against #12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2005); Clemson (#13 Southwest Missouri State in 1987 and #11 Western Michigan in 1998); Duke (#11 Virginia Commonwealth in 2007, #15 Lehigh in 2012 and #14 Mercer in 2014); Florida State (#13 Middle Tennessee State in 1989); Georgia Tech (#13 Richmond in 1988 and #13 Southern in 1993); Louisville (#12 Ball State in 1990, #12 Butler in 2003 and #13 Morehead State in 2011); North Carolina (#9 Penn in 1979, #14 Weber State in 1999 and #11 George Mason in 2006); North Carolina State (#14 Murray State in 1988); Notre Dame (#14 UALR in 1986, #11 Winthrop in 2007 and #11 Old Dominion in 2010); Pittsburgh (#10 Kent State in 2002, #13 Bradley in 2006 and #8 Butler in 2011); Syracuse (#7 Navy in 1986, #11 Rhode Island in 1988, #15 Richmond in 1991, #13 Vermont in 2005 and #11 Dayton in 2014); Virginia (#12 Wyoming in 1987 and #12 Gonzaga in 2001); Wake Forest (#13 Cleveland State in 2009)
BIG EAST/including AAC members UC and UConn from previous league configuration (18) - Cincinnati (lost to #12 Harvard in 2014); Connecticut (#11 George Mason in 2006 and #13 San Diego in 2008); Creighton (#11 Rhode Island in 2017); DePaul (#12 New Mexico State in 1992); Georgetown (#10 Davidson in 2008, #14 Ohio University in 2010, #11 Virginia Commonwealth in 2011 and #15 Florida Gulf Coast in 2013); Marquette (#12 Tulsa in 2002); Providence (#12 Pacific in 2004 and #11 Dayton in 2015); St. John's (#10 Gonzaga in 2000 and #11 Gonzaga in 2011); Seton Hall (#7 Western Kentucky in 1993 and #11 Gonzaga in 2016); Villanova (#14 Old Dominion in 1995 and #10 Saint Mary's in 2010)
BIG TEN (28) - Illinois (lost to #14 Austin Peay State in 1987, #12 Dayton in 1990, #14 Chattanooga in 1997 and #12 Western Kentucky in 2009); Indiana (#14 Cleveland State in 1986, #13 Richmond in 1988, #11 Pepperdine in 2000 and #13 Kent State in 2001); Iowa (#14 Northwestern State in 2006); Maryland (#12 College of Charleston in 1997); Michigan (#11 Loyola Marymount in 1990 and #13 Ohio University in 2012); Michigan State (#14 Weber State in 1995, #11 George Mason in 2006 and #15 Middle Tennessee State in 2016); Minnesota (#12 Middle Tennessee State in 2017); Nebraska (#14 Xavier in 1991 and #11 Penn in 1994); Ohio State (#12 Utah State in 2001, #9 Wichita State in 2013 and #11 Dayton in 2014); Purdue (#11 Virginia Commonwealth in 2011 and #12 UALR in 2016); Wisconsin (#12 Southwest Missouri State in 1999, #11 Georgia State in 2001, #7 UNLV in 2007, #10 Davidson in 2008 and #12 Cornell in 2010)
BIG 12 (24) - Baylor (lost to #14 Georgia State in 2015 and #12 Yale in 2016); Iowa State (#15 Hampton in 2001 and #14 UAB in 2015); Kansas (#9 Texas-El Paso in 1992, #8 Rhode Island in 1998, #14 Bucknell in 2005, #13 Bradley in 2006, #9 Northern Iowa in 2010, #11 Virginia Commonwealth in 2011 and #7 Wichita State in 2015); Kansas State (#11 Tulane in 1993 and #13 La Salle in 2013); Oklahoma (#13 Southwestern Louisiana in 1992, #13 Manhattan in 1995, #13 Indiana State in 2001, #11 Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2006 and #12 North Dakota State in 2014); Oklahoma State (#12 Princeton in 1983, #10 Temple in 1991 and #12 Tulsa in 1994); Texas (#11 Northern Iowa in 2016); Texas Tech (#11 Southern Illinois in 2002); West Virginia (#14 Stephen F. Austin in 2016)
PACIFIC-12 (20) - Arizona (lost to #14 East Tennessee State in 1992, #15 Santa Clara in 1993, #12 Miami of Ohio in 1995 and #11 Wichita State in 2016); California (#12 Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1994 and #13 Hawaii in 2016); Oregon State (#10 Lamar in 1980, #11 Evansville in 1989 and #12 Ball State in 1990); Southern California (#13 UNC Wilmington in 2002); Stanford (#14 Siena in 1989 and #10 Gonzaga in 1999); UCLA (#12 Wyoming in 1987, #13 Penn State in 1991, #12 Tulsa in 1994, #13 Princeton in 1996 and #12 Detroit in 1999); Utah (#10 Miami of Ohio in 1999 and #11 Gonzaga in 2016); Washington State (#12 Penn in 1980)
SEC (30) - Alabama (lost to #11 Lamar in 1983, #11 South Alabama in 1989, #10 Kent State in 2002 and #12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2005); Auburn (#12 Richmond in 1984); Florida (#12 Creighton in 2002, #12 Manhattan in 2003 and #8 Butler in 2011); Georgia (#14 Chattanooga in 1997 and #11 Southern Illinois in 2002); Kentucky (#7 UAB in 1981, #11 Middle Tennessee State in 1982 and #9 UAB in 2004); Louisiana State (#13 Navy in 1985 and #11 UAB in 2005); Mississippi (#13 Valparaiso in 1998); Mississippi State (#12 Eastern Michigan in 1991, #12 Butler in 2003 and #7 Xavier in 2004); Missouri (#13 Xavier in 1987, #11 Rhode Island in 1988, #14 Northern Iowa in 1990 and #15 Norfolk State in 2012); South Carolina (#15 Coppin State in 1997 and #14 Richmond in 1998); Tennessee (#12 Southwest Missouri State in 1999 and #7 Wichita State in 2006); Vanderbilt (#13 Siena in 2008, #13 Murray State in 2010 and #12 Richmond in 2011)
NOTES: Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were members of the Big Eight until 1997. Mizzou left the Big 12 for SEC in 2013. . . . Notre Dame was an independent in 1986. . . . Florida State, Louisville and Tulane were members of the Metro Conference in 1989, 1990 and 1993, respectively. . . . Butler was a member of the Horizon League in 2003 and 2011. . . . Dayton was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate in 1990. . . . DePaul was a member of the Great Midwest in 1992. . . . Texas-El Paso and Utah were members of the WAC in 1992 and 1999, respectively. . . . Marquette and Louisville were members of Conference USA in 2002 and 2004, respectively. . . . Tulsa was a member of Missouri Valley in 1994 and 2002. . . . Xavier was a member of Midwestern Collegiate in 1987 and 1991 and Atlantic 10 in 2004. . . . Boston College was a member of the Big East in 2005. . . . Defeats for Maryland (ACC), Louisville (Big East), Pittsburgh (Big East) and Syracuse (Big East) came when they were members of another power league.
False Starts: BYU Only School With More First-Round Losses Than Princeton
North Carolina A&T State appeared in the NCAA playoffs the most times (nine) without winning a tournament game until prevailing in a First Four outing three years ago. But N.C. A&T still has a long way to go to join the ranks of "quick-exit" schools such as West Virginia with as many as 14 opening-round defeats.
Connecticut, after absorbing nine opening-round losses in 17 years from 1951 through 1967, had the most opening-round setbacks for an extended period. But the Huskies didn't incur an opening-round reversal for 28 years until suffering two in a recent five-year span. Similarly, St. John's suffered eight opening-round losses in a 20-year stretch from 1973 through 1992.
Maryland was the first school to incur at least 10 NCAA Tournament defeats but never absorb an opening-round setback until the Terrapins lost to Santa Clara in 1996. Princeton, losing tight tilt against Notre Dame, incurred its 17th first-round reversal to rank behind only BYU on the following list of schools most prone to sustaining an opening-round defeat:
School (Playoff Losses) NCAA Tournament Opening-Round Defeats Brigham Young (32) 19 (1950-57-65-69-72-79-80-87-90-92-95-01-03-04-07-08-09-14-15) Princeton (29) 17 (1952-55-60-63-69-76-77-81-89-90-91-92-97-01-04-11-17) Utah State (20) 16 (1939-63-71-75-79-80-83-88-98-00-03-05-06-09-10-11) Temple (32) 15 (1944-64-67-70-72-79-90-92-95-98-08-09-10-12-16) Missouri (26) 14 (1944-78-81-83-86-87-88-90-93-99-00-11-12-13) St. John's (31) 14 (1961-68-73-76-77-78-80-84-88-92-98-02-11-15) West Virginia (27) 14 (1955-56-57-58-62-65-67-83-86-87-92-09-12-16)
Creative Recruiting: Porter's Sons Tag Along With Daddy Dearest to Mizzou
From Pastner to Porter to try to curtail turmoil for Tigers seeking some authentic growl. It hasn't worked at Memphis, but will it be more successful with Mizzou? Former Memphis coach Josh Pastner had difficulty defeating ranked opponents but expected more positive results upon linking with the Lawson sons. There was every indication a new colossal clan would be added to the "First Families of Hoops" at Memphis before Pastner departed under pressure for Georgia Tech. Keelon Lawson, who averaged 14.6 ppg and 10.9 rpg for Memphis-based LeMoyne-Owen in 1991-92 and 1992-93, steered two prominent sons - K.J. and Dedric (H.S. class of '15) - to the Tigers with a third - Chandler ('19) - projected on the way after the Tigers hired him as an assistant coach. If the stars had been aligned, a fourth Lawson son (Johnathan) and celebrated cousin D.J. Jeffries could comprise another package deal among the class of '21.
However, K.J. and Dedric announced they wanted to transfer to Kansas following a mediocre 2016-17 campaign. Keelon coached his two oldest sons for a Memphis high school before all of the siblings were slated to attend a prep school in Jacksonville, Fla. Pastner successor Tubby Smith inherited a dicey dilemma on how to handle the Lawsons while assembling his first staff and roster at Memphis. How he dealt with fragile egos (including restoring one of his sons to assistant status) influenced a normally strong local recruiting pipeline and should eventually determine whether he becomes the first coach to guide six different universities to the NCAA playoffs. In the meantime, Smith appears to be the wrong man for the job after the Lawson household gave him half-a-peace sign.
Ethical questions are raised when hiring the coach of a prize high school prospect but the Lawson "My Four Sons" represent nothing new when it comes to high school reunions. Package deals have been a relatively common practice over the years. Josh Hart, who led Villanova to 2016 NCAA title before becoming a unanimous first-team All-American the next season, aligned with the Wildcats during a period when his AAU coach (Doug Martin) departed after a short stint as Nova assistant coach because of resume fabrication. In 1989, Michigan was the 10th different school in a 20-year span to reach the Final Four with the help of a "coattail" franchise (assistant coach Perry Watson/starting guard Jalen Rose). There also were 10 first- and second-team consensus All-Americans in that stretch stemming from such high school reunions.
There have also been some other unique recruiting cases over the years. For instance, consensus first-team All-American Danny Manning was recruited by Kansas' Larry Brown, who brought in Manning's father as an assistant in the mid-1980s although Ed Manning had been working as a truck driver. Similarly, standout guard Dajuan Wagner went from New Jersey to Memphis, where his father, former NBA guard Milt Wagner, was working under Tigers coach John Calipari. Elsewhere, Daniel Hackett played for USC under Tim Floyd when his former Syracuse All-American father Rudy Hackett was hired as strength and conditioning manager.
Michael Porter Sr., taking care of his entire family including both genders, became a brother-in-law-of-head-coach assistant for women's team at Missouri with two daughters before accepting position as aide at Washington, where he was slated to be joined in the next couple of years by two sons (Michael Jr. and Jontay). The elder Porter, eschewing moving over to men's staff at Mizzou under Kim Anderson, reversed course and aligned with the male Tigers after Cuonzo Martin departed Cal to become bench boss in Columbia. Porter, who averaged 8.8 ppg and 3.4 rpg for New Orleans in 1985-86 and 1987-88, will receive a whopping $1.125 million over a three-year contract for someone with one year experience as a DI men's assistant coach. No word on how much of that pact is value-added for delivering his sons?
Australian Ben Simmons, the nation's premier prep prospect two years ago, joined his godfather (former LSU assistant David Patrick) with the Tigers. Prior to AAU posses, high school reunions were routine recruiting ploys. There are usually more than a dozen active Division I head coaches who got their start as a college assistant by tagging along directly or being reunited with one of their prize high school prospects. Following is an alphabetical list of NCAA Division I schools featuring star players whose high school coach was reunited with that standout as a college assistant:
AKRON: Lannis Timmons joined Dan Hipsher's staff directly with Darryl Peterson in 2001. Peterson was the Zips' second-leading scorer (13.1 ppg) and rebounder (5 rpg) as a freshman and third-leading scorer (13.8 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (4.4 rpg) as a sophomore. . . . Former Central Michigan coach Keith Dambrot joined Hipsher's staff one year before high-scoring junior college recruit Derrick Tarver arrived in 2002 and two years before Dru Joyce III and Romeo Travis. Tarver led the Mid-American Conference in scoring in 2003-04. Travis and Joyce paced the Zips in scoring and assists, respectively, in 2005-06. Dambrot, who succeeded Hipsher as Akron's head coach in March 2004, coached Tarver, Joyce, Travis and acclaimed NBA prospect LeBron James locally at St. Vincent-St. Mary.
ARIZONA STATE: Scott Pera joined Herb Sendek's staff directly with point guard Derek Glasser in 2006 and one year before James Harden in 2007. Glasser paced ASU in assists each of his first two seasons while averaging more than six points per game. Harden led the Sun Devils in scoring (17.8 ppg) and steals (2.1 spg) as a freshman in 2007-08.
BAYLOR: Harry Miller joined Darrel Johnson's staff directly with his son, Roddrick, and teammate Brian Skinner in 1994. Miller became interim head coach shortly before the start of the season and then was given a five-year contract two months later. Roddrick Miller averaged 10.2 ppg in his career and was the Bears' third-leading scorer as a senior with 11.9 ppg. Skinner finished his career as their all-time leading rebounder and No. 3 scorer before becoming a first-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Clippers. . . . Brian O'Neill joined Dave Bliss' staff at New Mexico one year before center R.T. Guinn enrolled in 1999. They both subsequently moved with Bliss to Baylor where Guinn was the Bears' third-leading rebounder (4.3 rpg) as a sophomore in 2001-02 and second-leading rebounder 5.6 rpg) as a junior in 2002-03. . . . Jerome Tang joined Scott Drew's staff one year before forward Richard Hurd enrolled in 2004. Hurd averaged 4 ppg and 2 rpg as a freshman in 2004-05 before playing sparingly tghe next three seasons.
BETHUNE-COOKMAN: Owen Harris, Kevin Bradshaw's high school assistant coach, joined Cy McClairen's staff with Bradshaw in 1984. Bradshaw was the Wildcats' second-leading scorer with a 19-point average as a sophomore. He subsequently enrolled at U.S. International after a hitch in the Navy and led the nation in scoring in 1990-91 with 37.6 points per game.
BOSTON COLLEGE: Kevin Mackey joined Tom Davis' staff directly with Joe Beaulieu in 1977, which was one year before former high school teammate Dwan Chandler enrolled. Beaulieu, a transfer from Harvard, led the Eagles in rebounding in 1979 and 1980 and has the third-highest career field-goal shooting (57.1 percent) in school history. Chandler, a two-year starter, was runner-up to John Bagley in assists in 1980-81 and held the school record for most games played when his eligibility expired. Mackey went on to coach Cleveland State for seven seasons from 1983-84 through 1989-90, guiding the Vikings to the 1986 East Regional semifinals.
CAL STATE FULLERTON: Phil Mathews joined George McQuarn's staff directly with Tony Neal in 1981. Neal, the Titans' all-time leader in rebounding and steals, was their No. 3 career scorer in Division I when his eligibility expired. He was a sixth-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985. Mathews eventually became coach at San Francisco.
CAL STATE LOS ANGELES: Caldwell Black, Raymond Lewis' high school assistant coach, joined Bob Miller's staff with him in 1971. After finishing runner-up in the nation in scoring as a sophomore with 32.9 ppg, Lewis became a first-round draft choice of the Philadelphia 76ers in the initial NBA draft where players could claim hardship status.
CANISIUS: Phil Seymore joined Marty Marbach's staff with Damone James, who averaged 10.3 points per game as a sophomore and was a key member for the Golden Griffins' NIT teams his last two years in 1994 and 1995.
CENTENARY: Ron Kestenbaum joined Riley Wallace's staff directly with Kevin Starke in 1976, which was the same year former high school teammate George Lett transferred from Hawaii. Lett, the Gents' No. 2 all-time leading rebounder (behind Robert Parish) and No. 3 scorer (behind Parish and former NBA player Tom Kerwin) when his eligibility expired, was a fifth-round draft choice of the Warriors in 1979. Starke led the Gents in assists as a freshman before transferring back home to St. Francis (N.Y.). Kestenbaum coached Arkansas-Little Rock for five seasons from 1979-80 through 1983-84, including a 23-6 record in 1982-83.
CINCINNATI: Mick Cronin, Damon Flint's high school assistant coach, joined Bob Huggins' staff two seasons after Flint started playing for the Bearcats in 1994-95. Flint was co-captain as a senior in 1996-97 after averaging 12.8 points and 3.5 assists per game as a junior. Cronin went on to become Murray State's head coach before accepting a similar position with the Bearcats in 2006.
COLORADO STATE: Ronald Coleman joined Tim Miles' staff only months before Chicago product Jermaine Morgan signed in the fall of 2011. Miles and Coleman subsequently departed at the end of the season for Nebraska.
DAYTON: Larry Miller joined Jim O'Brien's staff one year before Chip Jones and Derrick Dukes enrolled in 1990. Jones, a junior college transfer, was Midwestern Collegiate Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1991 (20.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg) but he didn't play as a senior because of academic problems. Dukes, the Flyers' principal playmaker during his career, was their second-leading scorer as a junior in 1992-93 (12.8 ppg). Dukes had 13 assists in a game against Southern.
DELAWARE: Larry Davis joined Steve Steinwedel's staff one year before Elsworth Bowers enrolled in 1986. Bowers was the Blue Hens' leading scorer and rebounder in his senior season. Davis went on to become Furman's coach for nine seasons from 1997-98 through 2005-06.
DePAUL: Billy Garrett Jr. was named Big East Conference Rookie of the Year in 2013-14, which was four seasons after his father became an assistant under Jerry Wainwright and remain on staff after Oliver Purnell assumed control. . . . Shane Heirman joined Dave Leitao's staff in 2017 one season after Brandon Cyrus started every game as a freshman for the Blue Demons and one year before prize prospect Tyger Campbell was slated to join the team. Al Eichelberger tagged along same time as Cyrus. In Leitao's previous stint with DePaul, he coached Garrett Sr. protege LeVar Seals.
DETROIT: Charlie Coles joined Don Sicko's staff directly with Kevin McAdoo in 1982, which was one year before former high school teammate Brian Humes enrolled. McAdoo is the Titans' all-time assists leader. Humes was the Titans' 11th all-time leading scorer when his eligibility expired in 1987. Coles went on to become coach at Central Michigan and Miami (Ohio). . . . Jim Boyce joined Dick Vitale's staff with Terry Tyler, who averaged 15 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for the Titans from 1974-75 through 1977-78 before playing 11 seasons in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks. Boyce eventually coached Eastern Michigan for seven seasons from 1979-80 through 1985-86.
DUKE: Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, Danny Ferry's high school assistant coach, joined Mike Krzyzewski's staff two years after Ferry enrolled in 1985. Ferry, a first-team consensus All-American in 1988-89 after being a second-teamer the previous year, was the Blue Devils' No. 4 all-time leading scorer and No. 5 rebounder when he graduated. Ferry, the second pick overall in the 1989 NBA draft, played 13 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs after spending one year in Italy.
DUQUESNE: Barry Brodzinski joined Mike Satalin's staff one year before Clayton Adams enrolled in 1987, which was one year before former high school teammate Mark Stevenson transferred from Notre Dame. Adams passed Norm Nixon to become the Dukes' all-time assists leader. Stevenson set an Atlantic 10 Conference record for scoring average in 1989-90 (27.2 ppg). . . . Mike Rice Sr. joined John Cinicola's staff directly with Baron "B.B." Flenory in 1976. Flenory was the Dukes' No. 5 all-time leading scorer and No. 2 in assists when his eligibility expired in 1980. Rice was promoted to head coach in 1978 and directed the Dukes for four seasons before coaching Youngstown State for five years.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: Junior college recruit Marshod Fairweather rejoined coach Shakey Rodriguez in 1997, averaging 10.7 points per game in two seasons.
ILLINOIS: Wayne McClain joined Bill Self's staff three years after All-American guard Frank Williams enrolled in 1999. Williams averaged 14.3 ppg and 4.3 apg in three seasons with the Illini before entering the 2002 NBA draft as an undergraduate and becoming a first-round draft choice. McClain's son, Sergio, and J.C. recruit Marcus Griffin, a former high school teammate, were regulars for the Illini under Lon Kruger and Self in the seasons immediately before Wayne arrived.
ILLINOIS STATE: Ron Ferguson joined Will Robinson's staff three years after Mike Bonczyk enrolled in 1972. Bonczyk was the Redbirds' all-time leader in assists when his eligibililty expired in 1976.
INDIANA: Ron Felling joined Bob Knight's staff after Illinois "Mr. Basketball" Marty Simmons enrolled in 1983. Simmons transferred to Evansville following the 1984-85 campaign and was the Purple Aces' leading scorer two seasons before eventually becoming their head coach in 2007-08. Knight paid $25,000 to Felling, fired in December 1999, after signing an agreement in which he admitted to shoving him in anger into a television. Felling claims Knight assaulted him after eavesdropping on a private conversation with a former colleague in which he discussed Knight's propensity to "rant and rage." IU settled with Felling for $35,000.
INDIANA STATE: James Martin joined Tates Locke's staff directly with Darrin Hancock in 1993 when the forward transferred from Kansas. But Hancock, who played for Martin in Griffin, Ga., before attending junior college, dropped out of school to play professionally in Europe.
IOWA: Rick Moss joined Tom Davis' staff directly with Ray Thompson in 1988. Thompson scored more points than any freshman in Hawkeyes' history except for Roy Marble and was their leading scorer the next season when he was suspended. Thompson subsequently enrolled at Oral Roberts, where he averaged 24.6 ppg and 9.6 rpg.
JAMES MADISON: Ernie Nestor joined Lou Campanelli's staff three years after Sherman Dillard enrolled in 1973. Dillard, the Dukes' No. 2 all-time leading scorer with 2,065 points, was a sixth-round draft choice of the Indiana Pacers in 1978. Nestor eventually coached George Mason for five seasons from 1988-89 through 1992-93 before becoming head coach at Elon.
KANSAS: Duncan Reid joined Ted Owens' staff directly with Norm Cook in 1973. Cook, who declared early for the NBA draft after leading the Jayhawks in scoring in his junior season, still ranks among the top rebounders in school history. Cook, a first-round draft choice of the Celtics in 1976, also played briefly with the Nuggets. . . . Lafayette Norwood joined Owens' staff directly with Darnell Valentine in 1977. Valentine, the Jayhawks' all-time No. 4 scorer and third-leading assists man, was a first-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1981. He played nine seasons in the NBA with four different teams. . . . Ronnie Chalmers joined Bill Self's staff directly with his son, Mario, in 2005. Mario, a 6-1 guard, was a three-time Alaska 4A Player of the Year. He left college early for the NBA after being named Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Final Four, finishing his Jayhawks career with 12.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.8 apg and 2.6 spg.
KANSAS STATE: Mark Reiner joined Jack Hartman's staff directly with Curtis Redding and Tyrone Ladson in 1976. Redding was the Wildcats' No. 2 scorer (behind eventual pro guard Mike Evans) in 1976-77 and 1977-78 before transferring to St. John's. Redding was an eighth-round draft choice of the Denver Nuggets in 1981. Ladson received one letter at K-State before transferring to Texas A&M. Reiner later coached Brooklyn College for 10 seasons from 1980-81 through 1989-90. . . . Dana Altman joined Lon Kruger's staff directly with J.C. standout Mitch Richmond in 1986. Richmond became an All-American as a senior. Altman went on to become Creighton's all-time winningest coach before guiding Oregon to its first Final Four in 78 years in 2017.
KENT STATE: Rob Murphy joined Jim Christian's staff in 2002 after previously serving as a Detroit high school assistant for Antonio Gates, the Golden Flashes' leading scorer and rebounder in 2002-03 after previously attending Michigan State, Eastern Michigan and a junior college. Murphy went on to become head coach for EMU.
KENTUCKY: Bob Chambers joined Joe B. Hall's staff one year after Derrick Hord enrolled in 1979. Hord, the Wildcats' leading scorer as a junior, was a third-round draft choice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1983. . . . Simeon Mars joined Rick Pitino's staff as an administrative assistant directly with center Jamaal Magloire in 1996. Magloire, UK's all-time leader in blocked shots, paced the team in scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting in 1999-00. Mars remained on Tubby Smith's staff after Pitino departed.
LONG BEACH STATE: Bobby Braswell joined Joe Harrington's staff directly with Lucious Harris in 1989, which was one year after Tyrone Mitchell transferred from Arizona. Harris became the Big West Conference's all-time leading scorer. Mitchell led Long Beach State in assists in 1989-90 and 1990-91. Braswell coached Cal State Northridge, his alma mater, for 17 seasons from 1996-97 through 2012-13.
LOUISIANA-MONROE: Mike Vining joined Lenny Fant's staff three years after Calvin Natt and Jamie Mayo enrolled in 1975, which was one year before high school teammates Kenny Natt and Eugene Robinson arrived on campus at what was then called Northeast Louisiana. Calvin Natt, a second-team consensus All-American as a senior, is the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. He was a first-round draft choice of the Nets in 1979 and played 10 seasons in the NBA with four different teams. Mayo is one of the school's all-time leaders in assists. Kenny Natt, who led NLU in scoring in his senior season, was a second-round draft choice of the Pacers in 1980 and played briefly in three seasons with three different NBA teams. Robinson is the school's all-time leader in field-goal percentage and led the team in rebounding his senior season. Vining went on to become the school's all-time winningest head coach, compiling a 401-303 record (.570) in 24 seasons from 1981-82 through 2004-05.
LOUISIANA STATE: Ron Abernathy joined Dale Brown's staff directly with Rudy Macklin in 1976. Macklin, a second-team consensus All-American in 1981, is the Tigers' all-time leading rebounder and second in career scoring (behind NCAA all-time leader Pete Maravich). Macklin, a third-round draft choice of the Atlanta Hawks in 1981, also played briefly for the New York Knicks in his three-year NBA career. Abernathy became coach at Tennessee State for two seasons in the early 1990s. . . . Rick Huckabay joined Brown's staff directly with Howard Carter in 1979. Carter, the Tigers' No. 3 all-time scorer, was a first-round draft choice of the Denver Nuggets in 1983. He also played briefly with the Dallas Mavericks in his two-year NBA career. Huckabay went on to become Marshall's coach for six seasons, directing the Thundering Herd to the NCAA Tournament three times in the mid-1980s. . . . Gary Duhe joined Brown's staff two years after Derrick Taylor enrolled in 1981. Taylor, who ranks among the Tigers' top 10 in career scoring and assists, was a fourth-round draft choice of the Indiana Pacers in 1986. . . . Mike Mallett joined LSU's athletic department as an aide directly with Nikita Wilson in 1983. Wilson, who ranks 10th in career scoring for the Tigers, was a second-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1987. . . . Jim Childers joined Brown's staff directly with Stanley Roberts in 1989. Roberts was the Tigers' No. 2 scorer and rebounder (behind Shaquille O'Neal) in his only season with them before turning pro. Roberts was a longtime backup center in the NBA after spending one year in Spain.
LOUISIANA TECH: Johnny Simmons joined Keith Richard's staff directly with Antonio "Tiger" Meeking in 1999. Meeking was the Bulldogs' leading rebounder and No. 3 scorer en route to becoming Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year. He was an All-WAC first-team selection as a senior in 2002-03 when he averaged 17.9 ppg and 7.3 rpg, finishing his career with 13.5 ppg and 7.1 rpg while shooting 52.1% from the floor.
LOUISVILLE: Wade Houston joined Denny Crum's staff directly with Darrell Griffith and Bobby Turner in 1976. Griffith, a first-team consensus All-American as a senior, is the Cardinals' all-time leading scorer. Griffith played 10 seasons with the Utah Jazz after being its first-round draft choice in 1980. Turner was a two-year starter before succumbing to scholastic shortcomings. Houston eventually coached Tennessee for five seasons from 1989-90 through 1993-94 where his son, Allan, became the Volunteers' all-time leading scorer. . . . Scott Davenport joined Crum's staff in guard DeJuan Wheat's senior season (All-American in 1996-97). Wheat, a second-round draft choice of the Los Angeles Lakers, finished runner-up to Griffith in career scoring at UL with 2,183 points (16.1 ppg). . . . Kevin Keatts joined Rick Pitino's staff shortly before guard Luke Hancock transferred from George Mason and redshirted during the 2011-12 campaign before becoming Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2013. Hancock had played for Keatts at Hargrave Military Academy (Va.). The next season, forward Montrezl Harrell aligned with the Cardinals after the Hargrave product de-committed from Virginia Tech following coach Seth Greenberg's firing. Keatts went on to become head coach for UNC Wilmington and North Carolina State.
MASSACHUSETTS: Ray Wilson joined Jack Leaman's staff one year after Julius Erving enrolled in 1968. Erving, the Minutemen's all-time leading scorer when he left college as an undergraduate in 1971, became MVP in both the ABA and NBA. Nine-time first-team All-Pro played 11 seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers after five years in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and New York Nets. Wilson succeeded Leaman as UMass' head coach for two seasons in the early 1980s.
MEMPHIS: Lamont Peterson, Tyreke Evans' personal trainer was hired by John Calipari as an administrative assistant prior to Evans' lone season in 2008-09, spurring the NCAA to prohibit schools from hiring "associates" of recruits for non-coaching positions. . . . Keelon Lawson joined Josh Pastner's staff one year before sons Dedric and K.J. for 2015-16 campaign and remained another year after Tubby Smith succeeded Pastner. Dedric averaged 17.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 1.9 bpg in two campaigns while K.J. averaged 11.5 ppg and 7 rpg before they announced their intentions to transfer.
MICHIGAN: Bill Frieder joined Johnny Orr's staff one year after Wayman Britt enrolled in 1972. Britt, the Wolverines' all-time leader in assists when his eligibility expired, was the Los Angeles Lakers' fourth-round draft choice in 1976. Frieder succeeded Orr in 1980 and coached Michigan for nine seasons before accepting a similar position at Arizona State. . . . Perry Watson joined Steve Fisher's staff in 1991 directly with Jalen Rose, the leading scorer for the Wolverines' Fab Five Final Four team in 1992. Rose left for the NBA as an undergraduate while Watson coached the University of Detroit for 15 seasons from 1993-94 through 2007-08.
MINNESOTA: Jessie Evans joined Jim Dutcher's staff two years before swingman Trent Tucker enrolled in 1978. Tucker averaged 12.6 points per game in his career with the Golden Gophers before becoming a first-round draft choice of the New York Knicks in 1982 (sixth pick overall). Evans went on to coach Southwestern Louisiana, which is now known as Louisiana-Lafayette, and San Francisco.
MISSISSIPPI: Wayne Brent joined Rod Barnes' staff two years before his Provine Posse - academic redshirt Aaron Harper, freshman Justin Reed and J.C. transfer David Sanders - accounted for three of the Rebels' top six scorers in powering them to their first Sweet 16 appearance in school history and all-time winningest season (27-8 in 2000-01 as Barnes was named national coach of year). Reed became an All-SEC selection the next three seasons and Brent went on to become coach for Jackson State.
MISSOURI: Rich Grawer joined Norm Stewart's staff two years after Mark Dressler enrolled in 1978, which was one year before former high school teammate Steve Stipanovich arrived on campus. Dressler was the "super sub" for three Big Eight Conference championship teams. Stipanovich, a second-team consensus All-American as a senior, ranks No. 2 among the Tigers' all-time leading rebounders and is No. 4 in scoring. Stipanovich, the second pick overall in the 1983 draft, played five seasons with the Indiana Pacers before his pro career was curtailed by a knee ailment. Grawer went on to coach Saint Louis for 10 seasons from 1982-83 through 1991-92. . . . Rob Fulford joined Kim Anderson's staff in 2014 directly with wing Montaque "Teki" Gill-Caesar, who averaged 9.1 ppg and 3 rpg as a freshman before transferring to San Diego State.
NEBRASKA: Arden Reid joined Danny Nee's staff in 1987 directly with his son, Beau, a forward who was the Huskers' top scorer as a sophomore before suffering a severe knee injury prior to the next season. . . . Cleo Hill Jr., the son of a former St. Louis Hawks guard, joined Nee's staff one year before forward Kenny Booker and junior college center George Mazyck, who started his college career with Missouri. Hill was an assistant at Mt. Zion Academy in Durham, N.C.
NEW MEXICO: Ron Garcia, Kenny Thomas' high school assistant coach in Albuquerque, joined Dave Bliss' staff one year after Thomas enrolled in 1995. Thomas, a third-team All-American as a junior, is the Lobos' all-time leading rebounder and No. 2 scorer. He was a first-round NBA draft choice of the Houston Rockets. . . . Brian O'Neill joined Bliss' staff one year before center R.T. Guinn enrolled in 1999. Guinn was the Lobos' third-leading rebounder (4.8 rpg) as a freshman. O'Neill and Guinn subsequently moved with Bliss to Baylor. . . . Indiana-based prep coach Alan Huss joined Craig Neal's staff two years after Sudanese center Obij Aget enrolled directly with Sam Logwood in 2014 after the wing was granted a release from his grant-in-aid by Auburn following a coaching change. Aget averaged 5.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 1.1 bpg in his four-year career.
NEW ORLEANS: Joey Stiebing joined Tim Floyd's staff directly with Melvin Simon in 1990, which was one year after high school teammate Darren Laiche enrolled and two years before high school teammates Gerald Williams and Dedric Willoughby arrived on campus. Simon, hailed as the top freshman prospect in the country who didn't attend a school in a high-profile conference that year, finished his career as the Privateers' No. 2 rebounder and No. 4 scorer. Laiche was a spot starter as a swingman. Williams was a starter after playing for Tyler (Tex.) Junior College. Willoughby became a star for Iowa State after transferring there with Floyd before playing for Floyd with the Chicago Bulls. Stiebing was promoted to head coach at UNO and guided the Privateers for four seasons from 1997-98 through 2000-01.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE: Mark Phelps joined Herb Sendek's staff directly with Damon Thornton in 1996, which was one year before former high school teammate Kenny Inge arrived on campus. Thornton and Inge were the top two rebounders for the Wolfpack for two seasons. Phelps went on to coach Drake for five seasons from 2008-09 through 2012-13.
NORTH TEXAS: Jimmy Gales joined Bill Blakeley's staff one year after Kenneth Williams enrolled in 1974. Williams, the Eagles' all-time leading rebounder, led the nation in rebounding as a senior (14.7 rpg in 1977-78). Gales eventually coached North Texas for seven seasons from 1986-87 through 1992-93.
OKLAHOMA: Mike Mims joined Billy Tubbs' staff one year before Wayman Tisdale enrolled in 1983. Tisdale, a first-team consensus All-American three straight seasons from 1982-83 through 1984-85, is the Sooners' all-time leader in scoring (2,661 points), rebounding (1,048) and field-goal shooting (57.8%) despite leaving school a year early. Tisdale, the second pick overall in 1985 draft, played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
OKLAHOMA STATE: Steve Henson joined Leonard Hamilton's staff directly with Royce Jeffries in 1986. In his senior season, Jeffries was the Cowboys' No. 2 scorer and rebounder (behind Byron Houston).
OLD DOMINION: James Johnson, who went on to become Virginia Tech's coach, joined the staff of Jeff Capel Jr. directly with guard Michael Williams in 1997 from Hargrave Military Institute. Williams averaged 7 points per game in his four-year career and was the Monarchs' runner-up in assists as a sophomore.
PROVIDENCE: Nick Macarchuk joined Dave Gavitt's staff three years after Ernie DiGregorio enrolled in 1969. DiGregorio, a first-team consensus All-American as a senior, is the Friars' all-time assists leader (7.7 per game) and among Top 10 in scoring (1,760 points). DiGregorio, the third pick overall in 1973 draft, played five seasons in the NBA with three different teams. Macarchuk went on to coach Canisius for 10 seasons and Fordham for 12 seasons before accepting a similar position at Stony Brook. . . . Jimmy Adams joined Gavitt's staff two years after Marvin Barnes enrolled in 1970. Barnes, a first-team consensus All-American as a senior when he led the nation in rebounding, is the Friars' all-time leading rebounder (1,592) and is fourth in scoring (1,839 points). Barnes, the second pick overall in the 1974 NBA draft, played four seasons in the NBA with four different teams after spending two years with the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis.
RHODE ISLAND: Jerry DeGregorio, who coached Lamar Odom at St. Thomas Aquinas H.S. in New Britain, Conn., was on Jim Harrick's staff. Odom left the Rams after only one season to become the fourth pick overall in the 1999 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. DeGregorio was promoted to head coach after Harrick departed for Georgia.
RICHMOND: Gary DeCesare joined Jerry Wainwright's staff directly with point guard Daon Merritt in 2003. Merritt was a part-time starter as a freshman for the Spiders despite missing all of his high school senior season because of a broken foot. He averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.3 apg as a sophomore with the Spiders in 2004-05 before transferring to South Alabama.
ROBERT MORRIS: Jim Elias joined Matt Furjanic's staff two years after Chipper Harris enrolled in 1980. Harris is the Colonials' No. 2 all-time leading scorer (1,942 points) and ranks among the top five in career assists.
ST. JOHN'S: Darren Savino, a local assistant high school coach, joined Fran Fraschilla's staff in 1996 one year before celebrated center James Felton enrolled. Embattled Felton was booted off the squad for repeated violations before his freshman semester was over. . . . Dermon Player, an assistant high school coach in the Bronx, joined Mike Jarvis' staff in 1998 directly with Anthony Glover and two years after Chudney Gray enrolled. Player also coached in the Riverside Church program, where many New York standouts play, including Red Storm playmaker Erick Barkley, who became an NBA first-round draft choice in 2000 after his sophomore season. In 1999-00, Gray averaged 8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.3 spg as a senior while Glover contributed 10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 1.5 spg as a sophomore. Glover was the school's leading rebounder and second-leading rebounder as a junior and senior.
SAINT LOUIS: Dick Versace joined Bob Polk's staff directly with Leartha Scott in 1973. Scott was the Billikens' No. 2 scorer as a freshman with 12.4 ppg before encountering academic problems and transferring to Wisconsin-Parkside. Scott was a fourth-round pick of the Golden State Warriors in the 1977 NBA draft. Versace eventually coached Bradley for eight seasons from 1978-79 through 1985-86 before heading to the NBA and coaching the Indiana Pacers a couple of years. . . . Mitch Haskins joined Ron Coleman's staff directly with Ricky Frazier in 1977. Frazier, the Billikens' leading scorer as a freshman before transferring to Missouri, was a second-round draft choice of the Chicago Bulls in 1982. . . . Lee Winfield, Darryl Anderson's high school assistant coach, joined Rich Grawer's staff two years after Anderson enrolled in 1980 when Ron Ekker was coach. Anderson averaged 7.2 ppg in his four seasons. Winfield went on become an assistant with Missouri when his versatile son, Julian, led the Tigers in a variety of categories (rebounding and field-goal percentage in 1994-95 and assists in 1995-96). . . . Larry Hughes, the Bills' standout who was C-USA Freshman of the Year in 1997-98 (20.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 spg) for coach Charlie Spoonhour, rejoined SLU assistant Derek Thomas, who had coached Hughes early in his career at a local high school. Prep teammate Justin Tatum joined SLU's roster the next season after sitting out a year because of academic deficiencies. Tatum, the father of Duke freshman phenom Jayson Tatum (2016-17), finished his SLU career with 8.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Thomas subsequently accepted similar assistant positions at Minnesota and UNLV before becoming head coach at Western Illinois for five seasons from 2003-04 through 2007-08.
SAN DIEGO STATE: Jim Tomey joined Steve Fisher's staff one year before Chris Walton enrolled for his freshman campaign in 2000-01. Chris, one of four sons of former national player of the year Bill Walton (UCLA) to play Division I basketball, averaged 5.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg in his four-year career with the Aztecs.
SAN FRANCISCO: Don Risley joined Bob Gaillard's staff directly with Bill Cartwright in 1975. Cartwright, a second-team consensus All-American as a sophomore and senior, is the Dons' all-time leading scorer (2,116 points) and is third in rebounding (1,137). Cartwright, the third overall pick in the 1979 draft, played 15 seasons with the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics.
SETON HALL: Dwayne "Tiny" Morton joined Kevin Willard's staff directly with gifted guard Isaiah Whitehead in 2014. Whitehead had three 20-point outings against NCAA champion-to-be Villanova in 2015-16. Morton's son, Trevonn, was a redshirt freshman with the Pirates in 2014-15.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA: Errol Gauff joined Jay Ladner's staff same year when Zay Jackson transferred from Murray State in 2014. Jackson led the Lions in scoring in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Rudy Washington joined Bob Boyd's staff one year before Leonel Marquetti and Maurice Williams enrolled in 1978. Marquetti, who transferred to Hampton (Va.) Institute after two seasons with the Trojans, was a ninth-round draft choice as an undergraduate by the Spurs in 1981. Williams, whose last-second basket beat UCLA in Pauley Pavilion in 1981, was a two-year All-Pacific-10 first-team forward. Washington went on to coach Drake for six seasons from 1990-91 through 1995-96 before becoming executive director of the Black Coaches Association.
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI: Former New Mexico/San Francisco player Billy Reid joined Larry Eustachy's staff directly with guard Sai'Quon Stone from Laurinburg Prep in 2006. Stone was the No. 2 scoring freshman in Conference USA in 2006-07 with 10.2 ppg before leading the Eagles in rebounding as a sophomore with 5.8 rpg.
SOUTH FLORIDA: Terrelle Woody, an aide/personal trainer at the private Maryland prep school home schooler Augustus Gilchrist played for as a senior, joined Stan Heath's staff directly with Gilchrist in 2008 when the 6-10 center transferred from Maryland. Gilchrist averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg in 2008-09 and 13.4 ppg and 5.9 rpg in 2009-10.
TENNESSEE: Ray Grant joined Jerry Green's staff directly with Vincent Yarbrough in 1998. Yarbrough's brother, backup guard Del Baker, aligned with the Volunteers the previous year. Yarbrough, a three-time All-SEC selection, finished his career with 13.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg.
TEXAS A&M: John Reese joined Billy Kennedy's staff in 2011 one year before his son, J-Mychal, arrived and averaged 6.2 ppg as a freshman. Father left the Aggies' program midway through the 2013-14 campaign after his sophomore son was booted from the squad reportedly for multiple violations of team rules involving drug use.
TEXAS CHRISTIAN: Richard Bacon joined Billy Tubbs' staff directly with Damion Walker in 1995. Walker was the nation's second-leading freshman scorer in 1995-96 (20.5 ppg along with 8.8 rpg) as an All-SWC second-team selection before transferring to New Mexico a couple of years later.
TOWSON: Kenny Johnson joined Pat Skerry's staff directly with Deon Jones in 2011 although Jones had transferred from Johnson's high school in Virginia to one in Delaware his final two prep seasons. Jones started every game as a freshman, averaging 7 ppg and 4.5 rpg, before Johnson departed for a similar position at Indiana.
TULANE: Brock Kantrow joined Perry Clark's staff one year before Nick Sinville enrolled in 2000 as a transfer from Minnesota. With the Green Wave, Sinville averaged 9.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg as a junior in 2001-02 and 8.4 ppg and 4.7 rpg as a senior in 2002-03.
UAB: Joe Evans joined Gene Bartow's staff three years after Eddie Collins enrolled in 1984, which was two years before former high school teammate Larry Rembert arrived on campus. Collins, a two-year starter, was selected to the All-Sun Belt Conference Tournament team in his junior season. Rembert, a three-year starter, led the Blazers in rebounding in his sophomore and senior seasons. . . . Jim Armstrong helped monitor UAB's strength and fitness program for Bartow when Alan Ogg enrolled. Ogg, who set school and Sun Belt single-season and career blocked shot records and led the Blazers in rebounding in 1989-90, was on the Miami Heat's roster a couple of seasons. . . . Robert Scott joined Murry Bartow's staff one year before LeAndrew Bass and Myron Ransom enrolled in 1997. Scott subsequently moved on to a similar position at his alma mater (Alabama). Bass and Ransom combined for 20.3 ppg and 9.4 rpg as juniors in 1999-00.
UNLV: George McQuarn joined Jerry Tarkanian's staff three years after Lewis Brown enrolled in 1973. Brown, who ranks second in school history in rebounding (behind Sidney Green), was a fourth-round draft choice of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977. Brown played briefly with the Washington Bullets in the 1980-81 campaign. McQuarn eventually coached Cal State Fullerton for eight seasons from 1980-81 through 1987-88. . . . Todd Simon, who previously served as a video coordinator for two years under former UNLV coach Lon Kruger, joined Dave Rice's staff in 2013 directly with Christian Wood, who led the Rebels in rebounding and was runner-up in scoring and blocked shots in 2014-15. Anthony Bennett, the top overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, attended the same prep school when Simon was an assistant. Simon served as interim coach for UNLV half of the 2015-16 campaign before becoming bench boss for Southern Utah.
UTAH: Kerry Rupp joined Rick Majerus' staff one year after center-forward Lance Allred enrolled in 1999. Allred started six games in 2001-02 for the Utes. Rupp, who compiled a 24-9 record as the Utes' interim coach in 2003-04 when Majerus was sidelined for health reasons, eventually coached Louisiana Tech for four seasons from 2007-08 through 2010-11.
UTAH STATE: Jim Harrick joined Dutch Belnap's staff one year before Mike Santos and high school teammate Oscar Williams enrolled in 1974. Santos, the Aggies' fourth-leading all-time scorer when his eligibility expired, was a third-round draft choice of the Buffalo Braves in 1978. Williams still holds school assists records for a game, season and career. Harrick went on to direct four different schools to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances (Pepperdine, UCLA, Rhode Island and Georgia).
VILLANOVA: Jimmy Salmon joined Steve Lappas' staff directly with star forward Tim Thomas, who averaged 16.9 ppg and 6 rpg in 1996-97 as a freshman before turning pro early and becoming the seventh pick overall in the NBA draft.
VIRGINIA: Richard Schmidt joined Terry Holland's staff directly with Jeff Lamp and Lee Raker in 1977. Lamp, a consensus second-team All-American as a senior, is the Cavaliers' all-time No. 2 scorer (behind Bryant Stith). Lamp, a first-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1981, played six years in the NBA with four different teams. Raker, the seventh-leading scorer in school history when his eligibility expired, was a fourth-round draft pick of San Diego. Schmidt was head coach with Tampa for 25 seasons after the school resurrected its basketball program in 1983-84.
VIRGINIA TECH: Bob Schneider joined Charlie Moir's staff directly with his son, Jeff Schneider, in 1978. Jeff was the 11th-leading scorer in the Hokies' history when his eligibility expired. Jeff Schneider went on to coach Cal Poly for six seasons from 1995-96 to 2000-01.
WESTERN CAROLINA: Terry Rogers joined Phil Hopkins' staff directly with his son, Casey Rogers, and prep teammate Cory Largent in 1998. They both started in their initial seasons. Casey was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year after leading all league freshmen in scoring and finishing second in the entire conference in assists. Casey averaged 10.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 5.7 apg while Largent contributed 12 ppg and 4.3 rpg in their four-year careers with the Catamounts.
WYOMING: Alumnus Tom Asbury joined Don DeVoe's staff one year after Joe Fazekas in 1976-77. After lettering one year with the Cowboys, Fazekas transferred to Idaho State, where he led the Bengals in scoring, rebounding, both shooting categories and blocked shots in 1979-80. He is the father of eventual Nevada All-American Nick Fazekas. Asbury went on to coach Pepperdine and Kansas State.
Like Father, Like Son: Homer's Two Sons Coaching in NCAAs Third Year in Row
Most media mavens will focus on Louisville's Rick Pitino (53-18 playoff coaching record) joined in NCAA Tournament by his son (Richard with Minnesota) - the first father-son duo in the same tourney although Little Richard didn't last long when promptly eliminated from playoffs by Middle Tennessee State. Elsewhere, former Valparaiso coach Homer Drew boasts two sons directing teams in the NCAA Tournament for third successive season - Bryce (Vanderbilt) and Scott (Baylor) - and Nevada's Eric Musselman is duplicating what his father achieved (Bill compiled a 1-2 record with Minnesota and South Alabama in 1972 and 1997). John Thompson Jr. and John III are the only one of the first 14 father-son combinations to each win more than six NCAA playoff games:
Gene Bartow (Memphis State, UCLA and UAB; 14-12 record in 1973-76-77-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-90-94)/Murry Bartow (UAB and East Tennessee State; 0-4 in 1999 and 2004-09-10)
Dick Bennett (Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wisconsin; 5-6 in 1991-94-95-97-99-00)/Tony Bennett (Washington State and Virginia; 9-6 in 2007-08-12-14-15-16 entering 2017)
Jeff Capel Jr. (North Carolina A&T and Old Dominion; 1-3 in 1994-95-97)/Jeff Capel III (Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma; 4-3 in 2004-08-09)
Tom Davis (Boston College and Iowa; 18-11 in 1981-82-87-88-89-91-92-93-96-97-99)/Keno Davis (Drake; 0-1 in 2008)
Homer Drew (Valparaiso; 2-7 in 1996-97-98-99-00-02-04)/Scott Drew (Baylor; 8-6 in 2008-10-12-14-15-16 entering 2017)/Bryce Drew (Valparaiso and Vanderbilt; 0-3 in 2013-15-16 entering 2017)
Clarence Iba (Tulsa; 1-1 in 1955)/Gene Iba (Houston Baptist and Baylor; 0-2 in 1984 and 1988)
Hank Iba (Oklahoma State; 15-7 in 1945-46-49-51-53-54-58-65)/Moe Iba (Nebraska; 0-1 in 1986)
Bob Knight (Indiana and Texas Tech; 45-25 in 1973-75-76-78-80-81-82-83-84-86-87-88-89-90-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99 and 2000-02-04-05-07)/Pat Knight (Lamar; 0-1 in 2012)
Ray Meyer (DePaul; 14-16 in 1943-53-56-59-60-65-76-78-79-80-81-82-84)/Joey Meyer (DePaul; 6-7 in 1985-86-87-88-89-91-92)
Don Monson (Idaho; 1-2 in 1981 and 1982)/Dan Monson (Gonzaga, Minnesota and Long Beach State; 3-3 in 1999, 2005 and 2012)
Eddie Sutton (Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State; 39-26 in 1974-77-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-91-92-93-94-95-98-99 and 2000-01-02-03-04-05)/Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts; 0-3 in 2006-07-08)
John Thompson Jr. (Georgetown; 34-19 in 1975-76-79-80-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-89-90-91-92-94-95-96-97)/John Thompson III (Princeton and Georgetown; 9-10 in 2001-04-06-07-08-10-11-12-13-15)
Butch van Breda Kolff (Princeton; 7-5 in 1963-64-65-67)/Jan van Breda Kolff (Vanderbilt and Pepperdine; 1-2 in 1997 and 2000)
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge (Day #5)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 5 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only player to score more than 30,000 points in his pro career after never appearing in NCAA playoffs? Hint: He is the only former major-college player to become NBA Most Valuable Player after failing to participate in NCAA Tournament. He was 0-2 in the NIT, where he lost his final college game by 41 points, before leaving college for the pros with one season of eligibility remaining.
2. Who is the only person to play for an NBA championship team before coaching an NCAA titlist? Hint: He was a backup to an NBA all-time great after being the leading scorer and rebounder for a team winning an NIT crown.
3. Who became an NCAA playoff coach after being the only player in history to participate with two different schools in the NCAA championship game? Hint: One of the teams he played for was undefeated. He coached two different schools in the tourney.
4. Who is the only coach to engineer a turnaround featuring an NCAA playoff appearance in his first full season at a new job although the school compiled a record of more than 20 games below .500 the previous year? Hint: It was his only year as coach at the school.
5. Name the only mid-major conference to have two different members reach a regional semifinal as at-large teams in the same year, beating opponents from the Big East, Big 12 and SEC in the process. Hint: Two other members of the same league achieved the feat in the previous seven years. Only two of its current members haven't won playoff games when seeded five or more places worse than a major university currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues since seeding started in 1979.
6. Name the only former NCAA Tournament champion not to win at least one playoff game since capturing the title. Hint: It's the first NCAA champion to have black players in its starting lineup and is the only school to win the NCAA playoffs and NIT in the same year. The school is also the only former major college to win a Division I Tournament championship.
7. Name the school with the most playoff games decided by one or two points (four) on its way to a championship. Hint: It was the first school to need six victories to claim the national crown and is the only school to have two different coaches capture a national championship after compiling a losing record in their first seasons as a major-college head coach.
8. Who is the only coach to win his first 12 tournament games decided in overtime or by fewer than six points in regulation? Hint: His first of three NCAA championship game teams had four players become NBA first-round draft choices.
9. Name the only state to have more than six different schools reach the Final Four. Hint: The state went 31 years between its two national championships.
10. Name the only person to coach two different universities in back-to-back years when each school made its initial playoff appearance. Hint: He reached the national championship game with one of the schools.
Winning Ways: Kansas Been Collecting Conference Crowns For Decades
It shouldn't be any surprise Kansas is accustomed to capturing conference crowns. The Jayhawks are all about winning championships, collecting 60 regular-season conference titles in its illustrious history. KU's streak of 13 straight Big 12 titles, catapulting the Jayhawks to a staggering average of almost 33 victories annually over the last 11 years, enables Kansas to be atop the following list of schools with more than 25 regular-season major-college league championships:
- Kansas - 60 (13 of the 21 Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles from 1908 through 1928, 30 in Big Eight and 17 in Big 12)
- Kentucky - 53 in SEC
- Pennsylvania - 39 in EIBL/Ivy League
- North Carolina - 38 (7 in Southern and 31 in ACC)
- Princeton - 37 in EIBL/Ivy League
- UCLA - 35 in Pacific-12
- Connecticut - 29 (19 in Yankee and 10 in Big East)
- Western Kentucky* - 28 (19 in Ohio Valley and 9 in Sun Belt)
- Arkansas - 26 (22 in SWC and 4 in SEC)
- Texas - 26 (22 in SWC and 4 in Big 12)
*WKU's total is 42 if include 14 titles won in the KIAC/SIAA in the 1930s and 1940s. All current members of the SEC (except for Arkansas) previously were in the SIAA and six ACC members comprised a portion of the former alliance.
No Fortune For Below .500: Did 4 Teams With Losing Big 12 Mark Deserve Bid?
Vanderbilt's obscene total of 15 defeats notwithstanding, when will the Division I Committee and "impartial" media promoting leagues with which they have cozy business dealings realize a losing conference record probably should deny any team receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament? In 29 of the last 35 years, the selection committee awarded at least one at-large berth to a squad with a sub-.500 mark in a top-caliber league. There was a high of three such clubs in 1991 when the committee pretty much simply wasted everyone's time.
The Big 12 Conference was the beneficiary for the fourth time in the last four years when Kansas State (8-10 in league competition) secured an at-large bid this season. In 2014 and 2015, Oklahoma State became the first school ever to receive an at-large berth in back-to-back campaigns after compiling a losing league record. Each of the previous 10 at-large teams in this category failed to reach the Sweet 16. Since numbers never lie, the cold and hard facts are that Virginia '84 is the only team with a sub-.500 conference mark to reach the Final Four. Three years later, Louisiana State became the last at-large team with a losing league mark to reach a regional final.
Maryland (#5 in 1986 and #4 in 2004) earned the two best seeds for an at-large squad with a losing conference record. North Carolina State '05 is the only school in this sub.-500 category in the previous 14 years to advance to the Sweet 16. In the same span, a total of 13 mid-major regular-season champions earning at-large bids reached the Sweet 16 or beyond. This striking number of at-large mid-level success stories doesn't even include recent Final Four clubs such as Virginia Commonwealth '11 (fourth-place finisher in Atlantic 10) and Wichita State '13 (second in Missouri Valley). How much more evidence does the committee require to give the Colorado States, Louisiana Techs, Old Dominions, Saint Mary's and Murray States of the world closer look rather than issuing handouts to underachieving members of power alliances?
Iowa State '92 is the only school receiving an at-large bid despite losing all of its conference road games. The Cyclones, dropping their seven Big Eight road contests by an average margin of 14.4 points, compiled the worst league mark (5-9) among at-large teams until Florida State '98 (6-10 in ACC with three losses by more than 20 points).
A breakdown of conference recipients of basically unwarranted at-large bids include the ACC (15), Big Ten (seven), Big Eight/Big 12 (seven), Big East (five), SEC (four) and Pacific-12 (one). After registering a 10-5 NCAA playoff mark from 1983 through 1987, teams in this suspect group went 20-34 since 1988 (ACC 9-13, Big East 1-4, Big Eight/Big 12 3-7, Big Ten 7-7, Pac-12 0-1, SEC 0-2). This year, Kansas State joined the following list of underachieving power-league losers given preferential treatment over more worthy mid-major conference members:
Year | At-Large Team | Conference | League | Overall | NCAA Playoff Performance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Alabama | SEC | 8-10 | 20-12 | #6 seed lost in first round |
1984 | Virginia | ACC | 6-8 | 21-12 | #7 seed lost in national semifinals |
1985 | Boston College | Big East | 7-9 | 20-11 | #11 seed lost in regional semifinals |
1986 | Maryland | ACC | 6-8 | 19-14 | #5 seed lost in second round |
1987 | Louisiana State | SEC | 8-10 | 24-15 | #10 seed lost in regional final |
1988 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 6-8 | 20-12 | #12 seed lost in first round |
1988 | Maryland | ACC | 6-8 | 18-13 | #7 seed lost in second round |
1989 | Providence | Big East | 7-9 | 18-11 | #12 seed lost in first round |
1990 | Indiana | Big Ten | 8-10 | 18-11 | #8 seed lost in first round |
1990 | Virginia | ACC | 6-8 | 20-12 | #7 seed lost in second round |
1991 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 6-8 | 17-13 | #8 seed lost in second round |
1991 | Villanova | Big East | 7-9 | 17-15 | #9 seed lost in second round |
1991 | Virginia | ACC | 6-8 | 21-12 | #7 seed lost in first round |
1992 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 5-9 | 21-13 | #10 seed lost in second round |
1992 | Wake Forest | ACC | 7-9 | 17-12 | #9 seed lost in first round |
1994 | Seton Hall | Big East | 8-10 | 17-13 | #10 seed lost in first round |
1994 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 8-10 | 18-11 | #9 seed lost in second round |
1995 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 6-8 | 23-11 | #7 seed lost in second round |
1996 | Clemson | ACC | 7-9 | 18-11 | #9 seed lost in first round |
1997 | Virginia | ACC | 7-9 | 18-13 | #9 seed lost in first round |
1998 | Clemson | ACC | 7-9 | 18-13 | #6 seed lost in first round |
1998 | Florida State | ACC | 6-10 | 17-13 | #12 seed lost in second round |
1999 | Purdue | Big Ten | 7-9 | 21-13 | #10 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2001 | Penn State | Big Ten | 7-9 | 21-12 | #7 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2003 | Alabama | SEC | 7-9 | 17-12 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2004 | Maryland | ACC | 7-9 | 20-12 | #4 seed lost in second round |
2005 | Iowa | Big Ten | 7-9 | 21-12 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2005 | North Carolina State | ACC | 7-9 | 21-14 | #10 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2007 | Arkansas | SEC | 7-9 | 21-13 | #12 seed lost in first round |
2008 | Arizona | Pacific-10 | 8-10 | 19-14 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2009 | Maryland | ACC | 7-9 | 20-13 | #10 seed lost in second round |
2010 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 7-9 | 22-12 | #10 seed lost in second round |
2012 | Connecticut | Big East | 8-10 | 20-13 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2013 | Illinois | Big Ten | 8-10 | 22-12 | #7 seed lost in second round |
2013 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 8-10 | 20-12 | #11 seed lost in second round |
2014 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 8-10 | 21-12 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2015 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 8-10 | 18-14 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2015 | Texas | Big 12 | 8-10 | 20-14 | #11 seed lost in first round |
2017 | Kansas State | Big 12 | 8-10 | 21-14 | #11 seed lost in first round after play-in win |
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge (Day #4)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 4 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only conference to have five different members win the national championship although it has only one title in the previous 24 years. Hint: One of the five members to capture a title didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs from 1948 through 1993. The league came within eight points of going 0-11 in the tournament in 1995 and 1996.
2. Name the only conference to have all of its current members win at least one NCAA Tournament game in the 1990s. Hint: It's the only league to have all of its current members participate in at least 10 NCAA playoff games.
3. Who is the only coach to have more than 15 of his teams appear in the playoffs but none reach the Final Four? Hint: He has the worst record in NCAA Tournament history for any coach with at least 25 decisions and was also 1-5 in the NIT. He has more victories as a pitcher in the College World Series for his alma mater than basketball Final Four appearances. He is the only coach with more than 700 victories never to advance to the national semifinals.
4. Who is the only retired major college coach with more than 700 victories never to reach Final Four? Hint: He is the only coach to go at least 20 years between NCAA Tournament appearances with same school.
5. Who is the only coach to leave an NCAA champion before the next season for another coaching job? Hint: He is the only coach to earn a trip to the Final Four in his first college season despite finishing the season with at least 10 defeats. He is also the only coach to reach the NCAA final after finishing fourth or lower in regular-season conference standings. Moreover, he is one of just two coaches, both were also NBA head coaches, to take two different schools to the NCAA playoff championship game.
6. Who is the only coach to direct teams to the NCAA Final Four and the NBA Finals and compile a winning NCAA playoff career record? Hint: His son coached at three Division I schools, taking two of them to the NCAA playoffs.
7. Name the only school to become NCAA champion despite losing five home games during the regular season. Hint: The school didn't participate in nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments and twice in a four-year span in the mid-1970s lost a first-round game after reaching the national final the previous season.
8. Name the only coach of an NCAA titlist to previously play major league baseball. Hint: The Hall of Famer's 18-year college head coaching career was all at one university.
9. Who is the only coach to compile NCAA playoff records at least three games above .500 at two different schools (minimum of five victories at each school) before Rick Pitino arrived at Louisville? Hint: The coach earned a doctorate.
10. Name the only school to have six different coaches take the university to the Final Four. Hint: Of the schools winning at least two national championships, it's the only one in the select group to go more than 25 years between titles.
Mental Gymnastics: Did CMU's Marcus Keene Average 30 PPG or Not?
Need an example showing how scoring is down in college basketball beyond the freak set of circumstances in 2008-09 when eventual NBA MVP Stephen Curry went scoreless against Loyola (Md.)? Unsure if it is a byproduct of doomed civilization stemming from eco-fascist climate change, but no NCAA Division I player has averaged 30 points per game thus far in the 21st Century (since LIU's Charles Jones in 1996-97 with 30.1 ppg). But that depends upon your rounding-off interpretation of Central Michigan guard Marcus Keene's national-leading mark this season of 29.96875 (959 points divided by 32 games) after he posted his highest and lowest outputs against Miami (Ohio). Keene, who transferred from Youngstown State (11.9 ppg in 2013-14 and 2014-15), joined the following list of transfers who became the nation's leading scorer:
NCAA's Top Scorer | School | Season(s) Led Nation in Scoring | Original University |
---|---|---|---|
Frank Burgess | Gonzaga | 32.4 ppg in 1960-61 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
Larry Fogle | Canisius | 33.4 ppg in 1973-74 | Southwestern Louisiana |
Bob McCurdy | Richmond | 32.9 ppg in 1974-75 | Virginia |
Marshall Rogers | Pan American | 36.8 ppg in 1975-76 | Kansas |
Greg "Bo" Kimble | Loyola Marymount | 35.3 ppg in 1989-90 | Southern California |
Kevin Bradshaw | U.S. International | 37.6 ppg in 1990-91 | Bethune-Cookman |
Greg Guy | Texas-Pan American | 29.3 ppg in 1992-93 | Fresno State |
Charles Jones | Long Island | 30.1 ppg in 1996-97 and 29 ppg in 1997-98 | Rutgers |
Courtney Alexander | Fresno State | 24.8 ppg in 1999-00 | Virginia |
Ruben Douglas | New Mexico | 28 ppg in 2002-03 | Arizona |
Two years ago, Eastern Washington's Tyler Harvey (23.1 ppg) finished with the lowest average for the national scoring leader since Yale's Tony Lavelli posted 22.4 ppg in 1948-49. As a means of comparison to an era when scorers flourished, an average of 36 players annually posted higher scoring marks than Harvey in a six-season span from 1967-68 through 1972-73, including a high of 44 in 1969-70 when LSU's Pete Maravich nearly doubled Harvey with 44.5 ppg despite the absence of the three-point field goal.
Glenn Robinson Jr. (30.3 ppg for Purdue in 1993-94) was the only player from a power six league to pace the country in scoring in a 41-year span from 1971-72 through 2011-12 (South Carolina was independent in 1980-81 and TCU was SWC member in 1994-95). Following is a look at the high and low games for players during the season when they led DI in scoring average:
NOTE: Leaders are unofficial from 1935-36 through 1946-47.
Sky is Falling: Shorthanded Ducks Still Can Prosper in NCAA Tournament
The season-ending injury incurred by Final Four-bound Oregon center Chris Boucher offered a classic example depicting lame-stream media and so-called experts getting all bent out of shape while possessing little more than a rudimentary NCAA playoff perspective. They should brush up on their amateurish hoops history and go beyond "feeling" to "knowing" what in the world they are discussing. How about a little texture describing numerous teams boasting the resourcefulness to cope without a key player and go on to capture a national championship? Consider the following titlists not fond of Chicken Little:
Stanford '42 overcame the title game absence of flu-ridden Jim Pollard, who scored 43.4% of Stanford's points in its first two tourney contests.
Kentucky '51 (sans Walt Hirsch) and San Francisco '56 (K.C. Jones) won NCAA titles although key players were ineligible for the tournament.
Forward Edgar Lacey, the leading rebounder for UCLA's 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 championship campaign because of a fractured left kneecap. Lacey dropped off the Bruins' titlist the next year in mid-season following a dispute with all-time great coach John Wooden after a highly-publicized defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome when UH All-American Elvin Hayes erupted for 29 first-half points.
All-American guard Lucius Allen missed the 1968-69 campaign because of academic problems but it didn't stop UCLA from winning its third of seven straight NCAA titles.
Louisville '80 excelled with a freshman center Rodney McCray, who replaced his brother, Scooter, in the middle after Scooter suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Kansas, riding the coattails of national player of the year Danny Manning, withstood the loss of regulars Marvin Branch (academic problems) and Archie Marshall (knee injury) to capture the 1988 NCAA title.
In 1990, UNLV was without frontcourter George Ackles (medical redshirt because of a wrist injury) when the Rebels' 103-73 rout of Duke enabled them to become the only team to score more than 100 points in a championship game and establish a record for widest margin of victory in a final.
Donte DiVincenzo, sixth man as redshirt freshman for top-ranked Villanova's defending NCAA titlist in 2016-17, missed majority of previous championship campaign because of a broken right foot.
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge (Day #3)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, following is Day 3 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only coach to lose as many as five games in the 20th Century to teams with double-digit seeds? Hint: Four of the defeats in this category were in consecutive years.
2. Name the only historically black college and university to win multiple NCAA Tournament games. Hint: It posted the first three HBCU victories in the early 1980s.
3. Who was the coach of the only University of Detroit team to win an NCAA playoff game until the Titans defeated St. John's in 1998? Hint: Detroit lost to an in-state rival in a regional semifinal four days after posting its first tournament victory. The coach of that squad is the only Seton Hall graduate to win an NCAA tourney game.
4. Name the only school with more than 30 NCAA Tournament appearances to compile a losing playoff record and never appear in the national championship game. Hint: It's the only school to finish more than 10 seasons ranked in an AP Top 10 since the wire service's first poll in 1949 to never win an NCAA Tournament title.
5. Name the only first-time entrant to be seeded better than fifth since the field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980. Hint: The school reached the Final Four in its playoff debut.
6. Name the only conference to have three representatives at a single Final Four by winning regional finals against three members from another league. Hint: No player scored more than 20 points in the three Final Four games that year.
7. Who is the only coach with six or more NCAA playoff appearances to reach a regional final every time? Hint: His school is the only one to win back-to-back NCAA championships in its first two appearances in the tournament. His son was coach of a school in the same conference when the institution participated in the tourney for the initial time.
8. Name the only school to win at least one playoff game in a year it entered the tournament with a losing record after suffering 14 consecutive defeats during one stretch of the regular season. Hint: The school participated in the national championship game the previous year and was once runner-up in the NCAA Tournament and NIT in the same season. The school has also won just one playoff game since 1955, the season it finished with its worst overall record in a 53-year span and became only team ever to enter playoffs with a record of more than 10 games under .500.
9. Name the only school to have as many as seven different coaches compile losing NCAA playoff records. Hint: The school is more games under .500 in tournament play than any institution, but pulled off a first-round upset of a defending champion behind a star player who subsequently entered the coaching profession and compiled a 6-3 NCAA Tournament record with another university in the same state from 1989-90 through 1991-92.
10. Name the only school to advance to a regional semifinal in three consecutive campaigns despite having a double-digit seed each year. Hint: The school defeated teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, C-USA, Pacific-10 and SEC during the NCAA playoffs in that span.
Degrees of Success: Educational Backgrounds of NCAA Tournament Coaches
NCAA Tournament coaches will need to draw upon all of their resources to motivate their clubs in postseason play. Following is an alphabetical list assessing the educational backgrounds of mentors in this year's NCAA playoffs:
2017 NCAA Tourney Head Coach | School | Bachelor's | Master's |
---|---|---|---|
Steve Alford | UCLA | Business | |
Dana Altman | Oregon | Business | Business Administration |
Mike Anderson | Arkansas | Education | |
John Becker | Vermont | History | Information Systems |
John Beilein | Michigan | History | |
Randy Bennett | Saint Mary's | Biology | |
Tony Bennett | Virginia | Humanities | |
John Brannen | Northern Kentucky | Business Management | |
Mike Brey | Notre Dame | Physical Education | |
John Calipari | Kentucky | Marketing | |
Jamion Christian | Mount St. Mary's | Rhetoric & Communications | |
Tim Cluess | Iona | Accounting | |
Chris Collins | Northwestern | Sociology | |
Ed Cooley | Providence | History | |
Mick Cronin | Cincinnati | History | |
Phil Cunningham | Troy | Business Administration | Physical Education |
Kermit Davis | Middle Tennessee State | unavailable | |
Mike Davis | Texas Southern | Telecommunications | |
Nathan Davis | Bucknell | History & Sociology | |
Joe Dooley | Florida Gulf Coast | Speech Communications | |
Bryce Drew | Vanderbilt | Sports Management | |
Scott Drew | Baylor | Liberal Arts | Liberal Studies |
Andy Enfield | Southern California | Economics | Business Administration |
Mark Few | Gonzaga | Physical Education | Athletic Administration |
Steve Forbes | East Tennessee State | Secondary Education | |
Greg Gard | Wisconsin | Physical and Health Education | Counselor Education |
Leonard Hamilton | Florida State | Physical Education | Physical & Health Education |
Ray Harper | Jacksonville State | unavailable | unavailable |
Mitch Henderson | Princeton | Economics | |
Chris Holtmann | Butler | Psychology | Athletic Administration |
Bob Huggins | West Virginia | Physical Education | Health Administration |
Dan Hurley | Rhode Island | Business | |
Tom Izzo | Michigan State | Health and Physical Education | |
Tim Jankovich | Southern Methodist | Business Finance | Radio/Television |
Brian Jones | North Dakota | Communications & Broadcasting | Athletic Administration |
Kevin Keatts | UNC Wilmington | unavailable | |
Pat Kelsey | Winthrop | Business Administration & Marketing | |
Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | Officer Training | |
Jim Larranaga | Miami (Fla.) | Economics | |
Jim Les | UC Davis | Finance | |
Chris Mack | Xavier | Communication Arts | |
Danny Manning | Wake Forest | Communications | |
Gregg Marshall | Wichita State | Economics/Business | Sports Management |
Greg McDermott | Creighton | History | Sports Management |
Ryan "Archie" Miller | Dayton | Parks, Recreation & Tourism | |
Sean Miller | Arizona | Communications | |
LeVelle Moton | North Carolina Central | Recreation Administration | |
Eric Musselman | Nevada | unavailable | |
Matt Painter | Purdue | Sociology | |
Richard Pitino | Minnesota | History | |
Rick Pitino | Louisville | Political Science | |
Steve Prohm | Iowa State | Education | |
Bill Self | Kansas | Business | Athletic Administration |
Rob Senderoff | Kent State | Business Administration | Sports Studies |
Mark Slessinger | New Orleans | Physical Education | |
Mark Turgeon | Maryland | Personnel Administration | |
Brad Underwood | Oklahoma State | Radio & TV Communications | |
Bruce Weber | Kansas State | Education | Physical Education |
Paul Weir | New Mexico State | unavailable | Health & Human Performance/Sports Psychology/Business Administration |
Michael White | Florida | Business | |
Buzz Williams | Virginia Tech | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
Roy Williams | North Carolina | Education | Education |
Jay Wright | Villanova | Economics/Sociology |
NIT-Picking: Handy-Dandy Guide Evaluating National Invitation Tournament
Although it appears the case, the Final Four hasn't eternally been the final word in national postseason competition. The 68-team NCAA playoffs, which played second fiddle to the National Invitation Tournament in their formative years, seemed to haughtily look down upon the NIT as little more than an acronym contest for derisive entries such as National Insignificant Tournament, Not Influential Tournament, Nominally Important Tournament, No Interest Tournament, Nearly Ignominious Tournament, Naturally Impaired Tournament, Never Impressionable Tournament, etc.
The NIT champion can proclaim, "We're No. 69!" But in an earlier era, the NIT was superior to the NCAA at a time when airplanes didn't dominate the transportation industry, television was in its infancy and New York's Madison Square Garden was the place to be if a team wanted extensive national exposure. If ever there was a concept whose time had arrived, it was the NIT in 1938. If ever there was a location to conduct a national tourney at a time when the sports page was the principal place to digest sports news, it was in New York because of Gotham's 20 or so daily newspapers.
As competition for this year's NIT unfolds amid testing a new set of rules in the event, here are top 40 hits for the event, citing nuggets you should know about the history of the nation's oldest national postseason tournament:
1. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White was Colorado's second-leading scorer with 10 points when the Buffaloes bowed to Temple in the inaugural NIT in 1938.
2. The 1939 NIT final featured two unbeaten teams when Long Island University defeated Loyola of Chicago, 44-32, marking the only matchup in major-college history when two undefeated major colleges met in a national postseason tournament. LIU finished with a 23-0 record and Loyola 21-1.
3. Frankie Baumholtz capped his Ohio University college basketball career by earning MVP honors in the 1941 NIT when he led the tourney in scoring with 53 points in three games for the second-place Bobcats, including a game-high 19 in the final. He went on to become a major-league outfielder who led the National League in pinch hits in 1955 and 1956.
4. Rudy Baric, MVP of the 1942 NIT for titlist West Virginia, guided his alma mater to a 14-7 record the next year in his only season as the Mountaineers' head coach.
5. Long before Michigan's "Fab Five" made headlines as a freshman-dominated team reaching the 1992 NCAA Tournament final, Toledo's similar squad finished runner-up to St. John's in the 1943 NIT. The Rockets were dubbed "Friddle's Freshmen" because first-year coach Berle Friddle had an all-freshman starting lineup. Toledo's roster included Emlen Tunnell, who went on to become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after playing in nine Pro Bowls as a defensive back.
6. Utah won the 1944 NCAA crown after the Utes were eliminated in the opening round of the NIT by eventual third-place finisher Kentucky (46-38).
7. In the early years of national postseason competition, the NCAA playoffs were scheduled after the NIT, which was clearly basketball's showcase event. For instance, NIT runner-up Rhode Island State upended Bowling Green in overtime in their NIT opener in 1946 after the Rams' Ernie Calverley swished a shot from beyond halfcourt at the end of regulation in perhaps the most exciting moment in NIT history.
8. Many observers think the 1948 NIT, starting the tourney's second decade, was the best from a strength standpoint. If there had been a national poll at the time, it is believed that five of the nation's top seven teams were in the NIT, which was won that year by Ed Macauley-led St. Louis University.
9. Western Kentucky (28-2, .933), the 1948 NIT third-place finisher, and Seton Hall (31-2, .939), the 1953 NIT champion, led the nation in winning percentage those seasons.
10. The 1949 opening-round pair of doubleheaders was a dark day and evening for Big Apple hoops as CCNY, Manhattan, NYU and St. John's dropped their openers by an average of 18.75 points.
11. Trivia buffs should know that the basketball publicist for 1949 champion San Francisco was Pete Rozelle, who went on to become commissioner of the National Football League.
12. In each of the first two years the Associated Press conducted national rankings (1949 and 1950), five of the top 10 teams participated in the NIT.
13. The four seeded teams in the 1949 NIT all were upset in the quarterfinals after receiving first-round byes - Kentucky, St. Louis, Western Kentucky and Utah.
14. The final year teams participated in both national tournaments was 1952, when Dayton, Duquesne, St. John's and St. Louis doubled up on postseason participation. St. John's was runner-up to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament that year after the Redmen lost their opener in the NIT against La Salle (51-45).
15. In 1954, the last four NIT survivors (Holy Cross, Duquesne, Niagara and Western Kentucky) combined to win 91% of their games entering the semifinals, while their NCAA Final Four counterparts (La Salle, Bradley, Penn State and Southern California) combined to win barely over 70% of their games. Niagara, the third-place finisher in the NIT, defeated 1954 NCAA champion La Salle twice during the regular season by a total of 27 points.
16. Dave Ricketts, a sophomore starter for Duquesne's 1955 NIT champion, went on to become a major-league catcher who played with the Cardinals in the 1967 and 1968 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
17. NIT champion-to-be Louisville was ranked 4th in the nation by AP in mid-February of 1956 when it lost by 40 points at Xavier (99-59). Two years later, Xavier lost 10 of its final 15 regular-season games after a 10-1 start and the NIT asked the Musketeers to give back its NIT bid. Xavier, however, said "no" and went on to win the 1958 NIT title despite being seeded last under first-year head coach Jim McCafferty.
18. Garry Roggenburk, the leading scorer for Dayton's 1962 NIT titlist, went on to become a lefthanded pitcher for five seasons later in the decade with three American League teams - the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Pilots.
19. The prestigious ACC, prior to its inaugural season in 1953-54, instituted a rule that no member could participate in the NIT. The ban remained in place until Duke was eliminated by Southern Illinois in the [1967] quarterfinals. The final NIT at the old Garden in 1967 belonged to SIU, a so-called "small" school sparked by a smooth swingman named Walt Frazier. He wasn't Clyde yet, but the future Knick was well on his way.
20. One of the most bizarre incidents in NIT history was halftime of a game in 1968 when Oklahoma City coach Abe Lemons, annoyed with his team after playing poorly in the first half against Duke, ordered the Chiefs back to the court during intermission to scrimmage rather than to the dressing room to rest and regroup. Announcer Howard Cosell rattled off several questions to Lemons: "Coach, are you crazy? Won't your boys be too tired to play the second half? Where did you learn this coaching tactic? Did you do this to amuse the crowd?" Lemons, as determined not to respond to the questions as Cosell was at getting an answer, fired back, "Listen mister, you may be big stuff in New York, but you ain't nothin' in Walters, Okla. (Lemons' humble hometown)."
21. The issue of "choice" came to a head in 1970 when Marquette, an independent school coached by fiesty Al McGuire, won the NIT after rejecting an NCAA at-large invitation because the Warriors were going to be placed in the NCAA Midwest Regional (Fort Worth, Tex.) instead of closer to home in the Mideast Regional (Dayton, Ohio). McGuire's snub led the NCAA to decree any school offered an NCAA bid must accept it or be prohibited from participating in postseason competition.
22. SEC rival Tennessee was the only school to hold Pete Maravich under 30 points until Georgetown and Marquette achieved the feat in the 1970 NIT. Maravich, the highest scorer in NCAA history, ended his career at the NIT sitting on the bench in civilian clothes because of ankle and hip injuries, watching his father's LSU team finish fourth by losing to Bob Knight-coached Army. Pistol Pete had, for him, endured a suspect tourney in the brightest postseason spotlight ever focused on his extraordinary abilities. He averaged 25.7 points per game in three NIT assignments (18.5 ppg lower than his career average).
23. Julius Erving's final college game with Massachusetts was a 90-49 loss to eventual NIT champion North Carolina in the first round in 1971. The Tar Heels captured the crown although their leading scorer, junior forward Dennis Wuycik (18.4 ppg), suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Minutemen.
24. The competitive NIT, boasting three double overtime games in 1971, was a stark contrast in than period to the NCAA Tournament otherwise known as the "UCLA Invitational." Seemingly invincible UCLA captured seven consecutive NCAA titles from 1967 through 1973 by winning 28 tournament games by an average of almost 18 points per contest. In 1973, the Bruins' four tournament victories were by an average of 16 points, including a 21-point triumph over Memphis State in the championship game. Meanwhile, NIT champion Virginia Tech won four exciting postseason games that year by a total of five points, including a game-winning basket at the buzzer in overtime in the final against Notre Dame. The next year, seven of the total of 12 NIT games in the first round and quarterfinals were decided by four points or less.
25. Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson never appeared in the NIT in his 34-year career with Long Beach State, Iowa and Arizona.
26. The last wire-service top 10 team to appear in the NIT was North Carolina, a first-round loser against Purdue in 1974.
27. Anthony Roberts' NIT single-game standard of 65 points accounted for 73 percent of Oral Roberts' output in a 90-89 loss to Oregon in the 1977 first round. Roberts' outburst is even more impressive because the Ducks ranked fifth in the nation in team defense (60.9 points per game).
28. NIT attendance slipped to an all-time low in 1976 although national power Kentucky won the title. In 1977, former executive director Pete Carlesimo, the father of former Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo, saved the NIT by implementing a plan whereby early-round games were played at campus sites and locations across the country before the four semifinalists advanced to New York.
29. In a five-year span from 1980 through 1984 when the NCAA field ranged from 48 to 52 teams, Virginia (1980 NIT champion), DePaul (1983 runner-up) and Michigan (1984 champion) became NCAA regional No. 1 seeds the year after reaching an NIT final.
30. Tulsa was a No. 3 seed under coach [Nolan Richardson](schools/nolan-richardson0 in the 1982 NCAA Tournament after capturing the 1981 NIT by winning its last three games by a total of five points.
31. In 1985, the NIT started a preseason tournament, which evolved into the nation's premier in-season tourney and carried as much clout, if not more, than the postseason NIT. Coaches were fond of the preseason NIT because those games were exempt from counting against their regular-season limit of contests.
32. The NCAA postseason record of 14 three-point field goals was set by Kansas State guard Askia Jones in a 115-77 victory over Fresno State in the 1994 NIT quarterfinals. Jones, the son of former Villanova standout guard Wali Jones, poured in 28 of his Big Eight Conference-record 45 second-half points in the first 7:12 after intermission. His final total of 62 points, spurred by nine consecutive successful three-point shots bridging the first and second halves, was the second-highest scoring output in major-college postseason history.
33. The NIT's first nine champions lost a total of 25 games, but its 15 titlists from 1986 through 2000 combined to go 32 games below .500 in conference competition, including a 4-12 league mark compiled by 1988 Big East cellar dweller Connecticut and a 4-10 league record registered by 1996 Big Eight seventh-place team Nebraska.
34. The NIT's "final four" participants have combined to average more than 13 defeats per team since the NCAA field expanded to at least 64 entrants, including a grim 19-18 mark by 1985 NIT fourth-place finisher Louisville.
35. Former St. John's coach Joe Lapchick was the winningest coach in NIT history with a 21-10 record until Dave Odom tied him (21-3). St. John's has made more NIT appearances, won more NIT games and captured more NIT championships (six) than any school.
36. Four of the winningest schools percentagewise in NIT history are from the Big Ten Conference - Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State and Penn State.
37. The NIT titlists since 1985 combined for a losing national postseason tournament record the year after capturing an NIT championship.
38. Virginia's NIT title in 1992 enabled Jeff Jones to become the only person to win NIT crowns as a player (Virginia in 1980) and a coach.
39. In 2000, Notre Dame forward Troy Murphy became the first consensus first-team All-American to participate in the NIT since forward Larry Bird of Indiana State, a loser at Rutgers in the 1978 quarterfinals.
40. Arizona (0-3), Arizona State (5-11), Miami FL (6-10), Missouri (1-7) and Seton Hall (6-18) all have disturbing NIT marks at least three games below .500.
Illini Need to Fight Urge to Focus on Windy City and Lean on Small Towns
Departing John Groce inherited a gross situation five years ago after two fellow mid-major coaches rejected overtures from Illinois. If not, he probably wouldn't have watched both Kansas and Villanova feature a regular-rotation player from Illinois in the 2016 South Regional final. The Illini are one of the 10 schools with the most Top 20 appearances but are closing in on duplicating the disarray of the 1970s when they failed to finish in the Top 20 of a final wire-service poll or appear in the NCAA playoffs the entire decade.
There is no question Gross' program struggled after almost half of its roster was apprehended the previous campaign. Illini Nation couldn't be all it could while fending off Duke (lost Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor to Chicago native Mike Krzyzewski) and Kansas (Cliff "Hat Trick" Alexander) for elite in-state recruits. Illini fans are disheartened because close only counts in hand grenades and bombs, horseshoes plus drive-in movies; not recruiting. Former Illini coach Bill Self previously lured Chicago-area All-Americans Sherron Collins and Julian Wright to KU. Additional Windy City regal recruits shunning the Illini since they reached the NCAA title game in 2005 include Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Quinn Cook (Duke), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Eric Gordon (Indiana), Derrick Rose (Memphis) and Tyler Ulis (Kentucky).
After compiling a losing Big Ten Conference record over the last 10 years, it boils down to in-state recruiting for Groce's successor (Brad Underwood). Among the Illinois natives who earned All-American status during the '70s with other universities were DePaul's Mark Aguirre (from Chicago), Minnesota's Jim Brewer (Maywood), Indiana's Quinn Buckner (Dolton), Penn's Corky Calhoun (Waukegan), Illinois State's Doug Collins (Benton), DePaul's Dave Corzine (Arlington Heights), Marquette's Bo Ellis (Chicago), Michigan's Rickey Green (Chicago), Kentucky's Dan Issel (Batavia), Iowa's Ronnie Lester (Chicago), Colorado's Cliff Meely (Chicago), Bradley's Roger Phegley (East Peoria), Kansas' Dave Robisch (Springfield), Marquette's Lloyd Walton (Chicago) and Jerome Whitehead (Waukegan) plus Georgia Tech's Rich Yunkus (Benton). Four of these standouts were All-Americans in the same season - Buckner, Ellis, Green and Walton in 1975-76.
New York is only state boasting more products than Illinois to become All-Americans outside their state borders. Kansas, earning #1 seeds in NCAA tourney the past two seasons, has been a thorn in the Illini's side for an extended period. Alexander, Collins, Wright, Robisch and current frontcourter Jamari Traylor were preceded at KU by the following '70s recruits from Illinois:
- Roger Brown (Chicago) - Leading rebounder for KU's 1971 Final Four squad.
- Seven of top eight scorers for Jayhawks' 1974 Final Four team - Norm Cook (Lincoln/All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection), Dale Greenlee (Rockford), Tom Kivisto (Aurora/all-league first-team selection), Roger Morningstar (Dundee/two-time all-league second-team selection), Tommie Smith (Kewanee), Rick Suttle (East St. Louis/three-time all-league selection) and Dave Taynor (Bethalto).
- Donnie Von Moore (Chicago) - End-of-the-bench forward for 1974 Final Four squad averaged 8.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.6 bpg the next three seasons.
- Herb Nobles (East St. Louis) - Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer in 1976-77.
Comparable to several decades ago, focusing its recruiting efforts on Chicago won't be a panacea for the Illini. If freedom of speech means anything to PC police, too many players UI summoned from there to Champaign seem as if they'd be more comfortable disrupting a Donald Trump rally or helping the municipality's Godfather enforce sanctuary considerations for illegal aliens. The "audacity-of-hype" truth is that the Windy City might be delusional and won't always supply a Messiah providing the "hope and change" you're seeking. Thus, the Underwood coaching staff needs to take every back road in the state to generate roster value preventing Wisconsin's Ethan Happ (Milan; population: 5,110) and Valparaiso's Alec Peters (Washington; population: 15,815) from becoming All-Americans for other Midwest universities. After all, Issel and Yunkus were among 22 different major-college A-As in less than 30 years coming from Illinois high schools in towns with populations smaller than 20,000. Bigger isn't always better or worth your time and energy. In other words, the leader-depleted Illini can't permit quality playmakers such as Wichita State's Fred VanVleet (Rockford) and West Virginia's Jevon Carter (Maywood) to abandon the state and become standouts for Top 20 teams hundreds of miles away from their Land of Lincoln hometowns. How good would Illinois have been the past several seasons if Carter, Happ, Peters and VanVleet had been in its regular rotation coupled with Wisconsin's 2014-15 unanimous national POY Frank Kaminsky (Lisle; population: 21,180).
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge (Day #2)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 2 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only individual selected the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player three times? Hint: His real first name was Ferdinand and he is the only player to couple three unanimous first team All-American seasons with three NCAA championships. He is also the only player to hit better than 70% of his field-goal attempts in two NCAA title games.
2. Who is the only coach to twice guide three different schools to the NCAA playoffs in the same decade? Hint: He achieved the feat in a span of six straight seasons and is the only coach to have two different sons play for him in the tourney with two different schools.
3. Who is the only one of the 40 Final Four Most Outstanding Players from 1972 through 2011 not to play for the championship team? Hint: He never led his college team in scoring average in any of his three seasons at the school.
4. Who is the only coach to guide a school to the Final Four as many as five times and never capture the national championship? Hint: He lost each time at the Final Four to the eventual titlist and served as captain for the school's first team in 1946.
5. Name the only current Pacific-12 Conference member never to reach the Final Four. Hint: The school has made more tournament appearances than seven Pac-12 members, but lost three West Regional finals by a total of 40 points before joining the conference. It absorbed the largest margin of defeat for the 14 No. 1 or 2 seeds losing their playoff opener since seeding started in 1979.
6. Name the only conference to have five teams all lose their opening-round game in a single tourney. Hint: The league has had four different schools lose first-round games by more than 20 points against squads with double-digit seeds since seeding started in 1979.
7. Who is the only coach to win a tournament game for four different schools? Hint: He was the only coach in 20th Century to direct four different universities to NCAA playoffs.
8. Who is the only individual to win NCAA titles in his first two seasons as head coach at a school? Hint: He achieved the feat the first year after the eligibility expired for the school's most illustrious player, a three-time UPI Player of the Year who led the nation in scoring each season.
9. Who is the only active coach to take two different schools to the NCAA playoffs in his maiden voyage with them after they posted a losing mark the previous campaign? Hint: He posted the nation's best winning percentage by a first-year major college head coach in 1987-88 when he went 20-10 (.667) in his lone season with yet another school.
10. Name the only school to reach the Final Four in its one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 20th Century. Hint: The coach of the Final Four team is the only individual to win more than 30 games in earning a trip to the national semifinals in his first season.
Humble Backgrounds: Small-College Grads Make Major News as DI Coaches
In a caste-like era separating the haves from the have-nots, imperial universities are seeking mega-conferences and, perhaps in the near future, a restrictive upper division. But the socially elite won't ever be able to exclude small schools from making a big impact on the NCAA playoffs.
Smaller colleges, many of them in the hinterlands, have supplied a striking number of the biggest names in coaching. From 1995 through 2000, five of the six NCAA Tournament championship coaches (Jim Calhoun, Jim Harrick, Tom Izzo, Lute Olson and Tubby Smith) graduated from obscure colleges with smaller enrollments. In fact, it is a rarity for a Final Four not to feature at least one coach who graduated from a non-Division I school.
John Calipari, a graduate of Clarion (Pa.) State, guided Kentucky to the 2012 national championship before Michigan's John Beilein (Wheeling Jesuit, NY) and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon VA) directed teams to the Final Four four years ago. Following is an alphabetical list of 2017 NCAA Tournament mentors who worked their way up the ladder after graduating from a small school:
2017 NCAA Playoff Coach School Small-College Alma Mater Dana Altman Oregon Eastern New Mexico '80 John Becker Vermont Catholic (D.C.) '90 John Beilein Michigan Wheeling Jesuit (N.Y.) '75 Randy Bennett Saint Mary's UC San Diego '85 John Calipari Kentucky Clarion (Pa.) State '82 Ed Cooley Providence Stonehill (Mass.) '94 Phil Cunningham Troy Campbellsville (Ky.) '90 Nathan Davis Bucknell Randolph-Macon (Va.) '97 Andy Enfield Southern California Johns Hopkins (Md.) '91 Steve Forbes East Tennessee State Southern Arkansas '88 Greg Gard Wisconsin Wis.-Platteville '95 Leonard Hamilton Florida State Tennessee-Martin '71 Ray Harper Jacksonville State Kentucky Wesleyan '85 Chris Holtmann Butler Taylor (Ind.) '94 Tom Izzo Michigan State Northern Michigan '77 Kevin Keatts UNC Wilmington Ferrum (Va.) '95 Gregg Marshall Wichita State Randolph-Macon (Va.) '85 LeVelle Moton North Carolina Central North Carolina Central '96 T.J. Otzelberger South Dakota State Wis.-Whitewater '01 Rod Senderoff Kent State Albany (N.Y.) ' 95 Mark Slessinger New Orleans Aurora (Ill.) '95 Paul Weir New Mexico State York (Toronto, Canada) Brent "Buzz" Williams Virginia Tech Oklahoma City '94
NOTE: Albany, North Carolina Central and Tennessee-Martin subsequently were classified as NCAA Division I universities.
Familiar Surroundings: Graduates Guiding Alma Mater in 2017 NCAA Tourney
When Thomas Wolfe penned, "you can never come home again," he didn't have some successful college basketball coaches in mind. Playoff participation must be extra gratifying for the following individuals coaching their alma mater in college basketball's grandest prize - a berth in the NCAA Tournament:
2017 Playoff Coach Alma Mater First Season as Head Coach Jamion Christian Mount St. Mary's '04 2012-13 Mick Cronin Cincinnati '96 2006-07 Mitch Henderson Princeton '98 2011-12 Bob Huggins West Virginia '77 2007-08 Chris Mack Xavier '92 2009-10 LeVelle Moton North Carolina Central '96 2009-10 Matt Painter Purdue '93 2005-06 Roy Williams North Carolina '72 2003-04
College Exam: One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge (Day #1)
Is that your final answer? Do you have the wit, guile and endurance to be a "Survivor" answering 10 daily questions about "The Amazing Race" otherwise known as the NCAA Tournament?
Standardized testing is controversial, but it's time to put your NCAA playoff knowledge on the line and attempt a free shot at CollegeHoopedia.com's challenging tourney-time questions. Your "scoring ability" on these one-of-a-kind trivia quizzes will reflect retention of critical knowledge, jogging your memory, exhibiting your lack of attention to detail or revealing once and for all you didn't major in "Hoopology" or take an advanced course in Basketball History.
As you're aware, many participants in the NCAA playoffs believe it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Similarly, more and more all-around sports fans probably would pick the Final Four over the World Series and Super Bowl if they were forced to choose one of the prestigious events they could attend.
In accordance with that "one-and-only" theme, following are a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions by CollegeHoopedia.com from Selection Sunday through the NCAA championship game dealing with the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct PhD degree-like research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only NCAA champion to have three players eventually score more than 15,000 points apiece in the NBA. Hint: Each of the trio was named an All-American at least two seasons and helped the school compete in 27 consecutive NCAA playoffs.
2. Name the only NBA team to have two teammates go on to coach teams in the Final Four. Hint: They were among the top three scorers for their team the first three seasons in NBA history. Their team posted the best regular-season record in the league's inaugural campaign and participated in the 1949 NBA Finals.
3. Name the only state currently with at least 10 Division I schools never to send a team to the Final Four. Hint: Just one school from the state won any NCAA playoff games from 1974 through 1996.
4. Who is the only individual to play and coach in both the NCAA and NBA playoffs? Hint: He played for a 28-5 Oregon State playoff team and on the frontline of an NBA champion with Dolph Schayes and Red Kerr. The leading scorer for his NBA playoff team was Gene Shue and the leading scorer for his NCAA tourney team was Bob Nash.
5. Who is the only coach to direct teams to Final Fours in four different decades in the 20th Century? Hint: He is the only coach to lose more than seven Final Four games and his first three NCAA Tournament championship games. His Final Four defeats were by an average of 15 points.
6. Name the only school to lose against UCLA as many as four times during the Bruins' 38-game winning streak in the NCAA playoffs from 1964 to 1974. Hint: The subject school is one of six other than UCLA to successfully defend a national championship.
7. Name the only All-American to go winless in more than five NCAA Tournament games. Hint: He played for a school winning the NCAA championship earlier in the decade he appeared in the playoffs.
8. Name the only school to reach the Final Four despite compiling a losing record in conference competition and being eliminated in the first round of its league tournament. Hint: The school's leading scorer that year had the lowest team-leading scoring average of any Final Four team since Kansas '74 had five players average from 11.3 to 12.4 points per game. Moreover, it's the only school to have as many as four at-large bids to the tournament despite compiling losing records in league play.
9. Name the only school to be top-ranked entering back-to-back tournaments but lose both opening playoff games. Hint: Two of the team's starters played more than 10 years in the NBA and one of them was on a third team for the school that lost its opening playoff game as a No. 1 seed. One of the two starters was a consensus national player of the year.
10. Name the only top-ranked team to decline a berth in the NCAA playoffs since the AP started conducting polls in 1949. Hint: The school was unbeaten the year it rejected a bid, defeated the national champion-to-be by 13 points and had only two games closer than a 12-point decision.
Day 1 answers.
Southern Living: Seven ACC/SEC Members Among Late Arrivals to NCAA Party
Ten power league members always classified as major colleges - with majority of them from the South - finished in the Top 20 of a final wire-service poll at least twice although they didn't make their initial NCAA appearance until after 1970. Florida, Minnesota, South Carolina and Virginia are among the late arrivals to the NCAA party. Among the late-bloomer group, Nebraska is winless in the NCAA playoffs while Florida is a two-time NCAA champion.
Major School (Power League) 1st NCAA Tourney Star Player(s) in Playoff Debut Alabama (SEC) 1975 (0-1) Leon Douglas and T.R. Dunn Auburn (SEC) 1984 (0-1) Charles Barkley and Chuck Person Clemson (ACC) 1980 (3-1) Larry Nance Florida (SEC) 1987 (2-1) Vernon Maxwell and Dwayne Schintzius Georgia (SEC) 1983 (3-1) James Banks, Terry Fair and Vern Fleming Minnesota (Big Ten) 1972 (1-1) Jim Brewer, Clyde Turner and Dave Winfield Nebraska (Big Eight) 1986 (0-1) Brian Carr and Bernard Day Seton Hall (Big East) 1988 (1-1) Mark Bryant and John Morton South Carolina (ACC) 1971 (0-2) Kevin Joyce, Tom Owens, Tom Riker and John Roche Virginia (ACC) 1976 (0-1) Wally Walker **NOTE: Nebraska (Big Ten) and South Carolina (SEC) currently are members of other power conferences.
Quantum Leap: NKU Making Playoff Newcomer Waves Like FGCU and SDSU
Tourney returnees Florida Gulf Coast, a Sweet 16 participant in its playoff debut in 2013, and South Dakota State, making its fourth tourney appearance in last six years, will generate national headlines stemming from their relative newcomer status to the NCAA playoffs. But there has been a striking number of smaller schools over the decades make even more impressive transitions to big-time basketball than FGCU (moved up to DI in 2007-08) and SDSU (2005-06).
An overwhelming majority of dreamy schools moving up in classification from the small-college ranks to the major-college level are little more than fodder for prominent universities seeking non-conference cupcakes to devour. Amid the moving-on-up carnage, Northern Kentucky became the fifth institution making a quantum leap by earning the right to participate in the NCAA Tournament in their inaugural eligible season at Division I level - Seattle (29-4 record in 1952-53), Morehead State (19-10 in 1955-56), Long Beach State (24-5 in 1969-70) and Southwestern Louisiana (25-4 in 1971-72). Incredibly, the first four of these schools won their DI tourney debut and returned to the NCAA playoffs the next season, too.
Long Beach and USL each compiled a 25-4 mark in the 1971-72 campaign. USL's 90-83 victory over visiting LBSU early that season might have been one of the best inter-sectional matchups few people ever heard about or remember. Long Beach swingman Ed Ratleff and USL guard Bo Lamar became the only set of former high school teammates (Columbus, Ohio) named NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans in the same season. They achieved the feat again the next year.
USL (now known as Louisiana-Lafayette), powered by Lamar and two other future pros (Roy Ebron and Fred Saunders), became the only one of this rare quartet to qualify for the national semifinals in its final season sporting small-school status. The Ragin' Cajuns were upended by national champion-to-be Evansville in the 1971 College Division Tournament. Evansville, sparked by guard Don Buse, was the host school for the Division II tourney from 1957 through 1976. Lamar collected 35 points and 11 assists while Ebron amassed 33 points and 20 rebounds in USL's 112-101 victory against Marshall in the first round of 1972 Midwest Regional when the Cajuns scored the most points in tourney history for a school in its first DI playoff game.
USL, which also won its 1973 NCAA DI tourney opener, was prohibited from fielding a team for two seasons (1973-74 and 1974-75) as part of sanctions stemming from an NCAA probation. UNLV failed to appear in the NCAA playoffs in the Rebels' first five years at the DI level. Following is a summary of where LBSU and USL rank amid the quickest successful transitions by DI neophytes (appeared in DI tourney at least once in first five campaigns):
Rank | School | 1st DI Season | Summary of Prompt DI Tournament Success |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Seattle | 1952-53 | Appeared in NCAA Division I Tournament first four seasons through 1955-56 before finishing national runner-up in 1958. |
2. | Long Beach State | 1969-70 | Participated in tourney each of first four seasons at DI level. |
3. | Jacksonville | 1966-67 | National runner-up in 1970 en route to three tourney appearances in four-year span after missing event first three seasons. |
4. | UAB | 1978-79 | Seven consecutive tourney appearances from 1981 through 1987 after missing first two seasons. |
5. | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1971-72 | Won tourney games each of first two seasons at DI level before facing two seasons of exile as a penalized program. |
6. | Morehead State | 1955-56 | Competed first two major-college years in national tourney and three of first six seasons. |
7. | UNC Charlotte | 1972-73 | Reached Final Four in 1977 after missing tourney first four seasons. |
8. | Alcorn State | 1977-78 | Appeared in DI tourney four times in five years first half of 1980s after missing first two seasons at that level. |
9. | Old Dominion | 1976-77 | Four tourney appearances in seven-year span from 1980 through 1986 after missing first three seasons. |
10. | Missouri State | 1982-83 | Four consecutive tourney appearances from 1987 through 1990 after missing first four seasons. |
11. | College of Charleston | 1989-90 | Appeared in tourney four times in six-year span from 1994 through 1999 after missing first four seasons. |
12. | James Madison | 1976-77 | Three straight tourney appearances from 1981 through 1983 after missing first four seasons. |
13. | Marist | 1981-82 | Back-to-back playoff appearances in 1986 and 1987 after missing first four seasons. |
Great Expectations: Coach K Failed to Collect First NCAA Win Until 10th Year
Unrealistic expectations spread like a virus across the country when a young pup such as Brad Stevens becomes a big dawg by winning 11 NCAA Tournament games in his first four seasons coaching mid-major Butler before departing for the NBA's Boston Celtics at the conclusion of the 2012-13 campaign. But many school administrations and boosters, unaware that UCLA legend John Wooden notched only one tourney triumph in his first 13 years with the Bruins, need to exercise a little patience in this era of instant gratification.
As the misguided media seeks another overnight success, they need to take a cue from ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, who is deemed an expert after winning a grand total of one NCAA playoff game in 22 years as a DI head coach. Also, Dana Altman of upper bracket seed Oregon for second successive season failed to notch his first NCAA tourney triumph until his 10th season as a DI mentor. While ESPN canonizes coaches to secure exclusive interviews and extensive foundation donations, it should be pointed out power-league luminaries John Beilein (Michigan), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Mike Brey (Notre Dame), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Lon Kruger (Oklahoma), Mike Krzyzsewski, (Duke), Rick Pitino (Louisville), Bill Self (Kansas) and Jay Wright (Villanova) combined to lose in the NCAA playoffs this century against mid-majors Bucknell, Bradley, George Mason, Lehigh, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, Morehead State, Nevada, North Dakota State, Ohio University, Old Dominion, Saint Mary's, Vermont, VCU, Wichita State and Winthrop.
Still, starter-kit supporters for some schools should take a chill pill if their coach remains winless in NCAA Tournament competition by losing an opener. Krzyzewski was frustrated by the tourney long before losing against Mercer. Impatient supporters should take a long look at how long it took for the following alphabetical list of high-profile coaches, including all-time leader Krzyzewski, to secure their first NCAA playoff victory.
NOTE: The victories for retired Greer, McCarthy and Newton were the only one they posted in NCAA playoff participation.
From Here to Futility: Three Schools With > 25 Wins Denied At-Large Bids
The "Road to the Final Four" is a highway lined with daydreamers and potholes. But it defies logic why a total of three mid-major schools with more than 25 victories were consigned to NIT participation. Akron and Monmouth were shunned second successive season as a total of 26 teams in the last 11 campaigns were denied an at-large bid despite posting in excess of 25 victories.
Rather than automatically focusing on underachieving middle-of-the-pack power-alliance affiliates, shouldn't teams capturing undisputed regular-season crowns in a Division I conference warrant more extensive consideration as at-large entrants to the NCAA playoffs? Season-long excellence needs to count more than always paying homage to mediocre members of a power league. Actually, we got a pretty clear picture this season showing the power conferences really weren't all that powerful. Doubt many committee members know the following at-large entrants lost in previous tourneys to the following mid-majors: Florida (bowed to Colorado State and Creighton), Louisville (Creighton and Oral Roberts), Maryland (College of Charleston), Southern California (Illinois State), Virginia Tech (Southern Illinois), Wake Forest (Cleveland State) and Wisconsin (Davidson).
Davidson had two of 11 teams from mid-major conferences - Lafayette '78, American '81, Temple '82, William & Mary '83, Coppin State '94, Davidson '96, Austin Peay '04, Davidson '05, Norfolk State '13, Murray State '15 and North Carolina Central '15 - going undefeated in league round-robin regular-season competition but not participating in the NCAA playoffs after losing by a single-digit margin in their conference tournament since at-large bids were issued to schools other than conference champions in 1975.
Illinois State, rejected despite a sterling 27-6 worksheet, is a classic example depicting why many mid-level schools have an inferiority complex. Utah State was shunned in 2003-04 despite winning nearly 90% of its games (25-3 record).
Prior to joining the Big East Conference, Creighton's splendid season eight years ago was downplayed. Know-it-all national media types and committee members may haughtily belittle mid-major achievements because they're from the other side of the tracks, but following is an alarmingly long track record listing chronologically eligible teams winning more than 25 games yet failing to earn invitations to the NCAA playoffs since the field expanded to at least 64 in 1985:
NOTE: Cleveland State (defeated Indiana and Wake Forest), College of Charleston (Maryland), Colorado State (Colorado, Florida and Missouri), Creighton (Alabama, Florida, Louisville and Texas), Davidson (Georgetown, St. John's and Wisconsin), Illinois State (Alabama, Southern California and Tennessee), Louisiana Tech (Ohio State and Pittsburgh), ORU (Louisville and Syracuse), Saint Mary's (Villanova) and SIU (Arizona, Georgia, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech) collectively won NCAA playoff games in other years against 22 different power conference members.