Jumping in Office Pool: Sweet 16 Tips for Winning NCAA Tournament Bracket
Participating in office pools for major sports events, whether for money or not, has become as American in the national workplace as filling out your vacation schedule. Both forms can be perplexing because you frequently second guess yourself on where to go, when to go and exactly what to do. More often than not, you want to modify the submissions moments after turning them in. You feel as if you've flunked Office-Pool Economics 101.
No office pool heightens your frustration more than the NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. Just ask Pete Rose when he was relaxing at spring training. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.
If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for relevant handicapping tips, a sane approach to surviving March Madness has arrived. It is time to start chewing on historical nuggets to avoid making another April Fool appearance when results are posted on the bulletin board. Pay close attention to these sweet 16 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. As events unfold, you might want to rekindle old memories by assessing CollegeHoopedia.com's most magical playoff moments and All-Time All-NCAA Tournament teams.
1. SEEDING CAPACITY
DO pick a top three seeded team to win the national title.
In the first 34 years since the NCAA Tournament embraced seeding, 30 of the champions were seeded No. 1 (19 titlists), 2 (six) or 3 (five). The only championship game without at least one No. 1 or No. 2 seed was 1989, when a pair of No. 3 seeds clashed (Michigan and Seton Hall), until last year when #3 Connecticut opposed #8 Butler.
DON'T pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four.
No. 1 seeds always look tempting (especially after all four advanced to national semifinals in 2008). But the Final Four did not have more than two of them any year from 1979 through 1992.
2. DOUBLE TROUBLE
DO pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded two through four and one team seeded 12th to reach a regional semifinal.
Since the seeding process started in 1979, never have all of the top four seeds in each regional survived their opening round. A No. 12 seed advanced to the round of 16 five consecutive years from 1990 through 1994.
DON'T automatically pick a perennial power to defeat a team with a double-digit seed.
More than 100 different coaches have lost at least one tournament game to an opponent with a double-digit seed since the seeding process was introduced. Playoff newcomers shouldn't be shunned if they get any break at all in the seeding process. First-time entrants assert themselves when they receive a decent draw. Of the schools making their tournament debuts since the field expanded to at least 52 teams, almost one-fourth of them survived the first round.
3. SCORING SUMMARY
DO shun a potential championship team if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
The only freshmen to lead a national champion in scoring were Utah forward Arnie Ferrin in 1944 and Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Of the sophomores to lead national titlists in scoring average, the only guards were Indiana's Isiah Thomas (16 ppg in 1981) and Duke's Jason Williams (21.6 ppg in 2001).
DON'T tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four.
No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game. The only player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a school to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game was Clyde Lovellette, who carried Kansas to the 1952 title. The only other player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a team advancing to the Final Four was Oscar Robertson, who powered Cincinnati to the national semifinals in 1959 and 1960 before the Bearcats were defeated both years by California. The Bears restricted the Big O to a total of 37 points in the two Final Four games as he was just nine of 32 from the floor.
4. PICKS AND PANS
Unless vital criteria is met to suffice otherwise, DO go with better-seeded teams to win games in the four regionals.
The better-seeded teams win a little over 2/3 of the games in regional competition. However, Final Four games have virtually broken even in regard to the original seedings.
DON'T pick a team to capture the NCAA title if the club lost its conference tournament opener.
No team ever has won an NCAA championship after losing a conference postseason tournament opener.
5. DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS
DO remember the cliche "East is Least."
No Eastern school won the East Regional and the national title in the same season since the tournament went to four regionals until Syracuse achieved the feat in 2003. The first seven national champions from the East Regional since 1956 were all ACC members (North Carolina '57, N.C. State '74, North Carolina '82, Duke '92, North Carolina '93, Duke '01 and Maryland '02) before Carolina won the East Regional again in 2005.
DON'T accept the axiom that the "West is Worst."
What does the Left Coast have to do to shed a misguided image? The Pacific-12 Conference supplied two NCAA champions in a three-year span (UCLA '95 and Arizona '97) before Stanford and Utah reached the 1998 Final Four. Arizona was runner-up in 2001 before UCLA participated in three straight Final Fours from 2006 through 2008. Although the Pac-12 struggled this season, the multiple-bid Mountain West and/or West Coast could take up the slack.
6. MATHEMATICAL ODDS
DO pick two of the ten recognizable schools with the all-time best playoff records to reach the Final Four.
There is a strong possibility some familiar faces will arrive in New Orleans since at least two of the ten winningest schools by percentage (minimum of 50 playoff games) usually appear at the Final Four. The top ten schools are Duke (.744 entering the '15 tourney), UCLA (.725), North Carolina (.719), Florida (.714), Kentucky (.707), Kansas (.699), Michigan State (.683), Michigan (.672), Indiana (.667) and Ohio State (.667).
DON'T be too wary of first-rate coaches with dime-store playoff results.
High-profile coaches are occasionally grilled because of their dismal tournament resumes. But they're due to eventually turn things around and shouldn't be written off altogether. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of more than 11 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975. It doesn't seem possible, but additional elite coaches who didn't win their first NCAA playoff game until their 10th DI season or longer include Dana Altman, Rick Barnes, P.J. Carlesimo, Pete Carril, Bobby Cremins, Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Bill E. Foster, Hugh Greer, Leonard Hamilton, Marv Harshman, Terry Holland, Maury John, Mike Krzyzewski, Ralph Miller, Mike Montgomery, Joe Mullaney, Pete Newell, Tom Penders, George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson, Norm Sloan, Butch van Breda Kolff and Ned Wulk.
7. GO WITH MIGHTY MO?
DO remember the odds about a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
There is a theory that burnout has a tendency to set in. But more than half of the NCAA titlists since seeding started in 1979 also won their conference postseason tournament the same year.
DON'T be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney.
Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory.
8. LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1
DO look for a school other than the defending champion (Connecticut in 2014) to become national titlist.
Duke was fortunate to repeat in 1992 when they reached the Final Four on Christian Laettner's last-second basket in overtime in the East Regional final against Kentucky. Florida repeated in 2007 despite winning its last five contests by 10 or fewer points.
DON'T pick the top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown.
There is a clear and present danger for pole sitters. Only three of the 29 schools atop the national rankings entering the NCAA playoffs from 1983 through 2011 went on to capture the national championship and only six No. 1 squads in the last 25 seasons of that span reached the title game.
9. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
DO pick at least one Final Four team with a coach making his debut at the national semifinals.
Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience. There has been at least one fresh face among the bench bosses at the national semifinals all but one of the last 27 years. In 1993, coaches Steve Fisher (Michigan), Rick Pitino (Kentucky), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Roy Williams (Kansas) returned to familiar surroundings at the Final Four.
DON'T pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
Steve Fisher guided Michigan to the 1989 title after succeeding Bill Frieder just before the start of the playoffs. But the only individual to capture an NCAA crown in his first full campaign as head coach at a university was Ed Jucker (Cincinnati '61 after seven years at King's Point and Rensselaer). The average championship team head coach has been at the school almost 13 years and has almost 17 years of college head coaching experience overall. The only championship head coaches with less than five years of experience were Fisher and Fred Taylor (second season at Ohio State '60).
10. SENIORS AND SHEEPSKINS
DO realize that senior experience needs to be complemented by the vigor from undergraduates.
A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - had seniors as their top two scorers.
DON'T pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
A champion is almost never guided by a graduate of that university.
11. CHANGE OF ADDRESS
DO pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter.
Almost every Final Four features at least one starter who began his college career at another four-year Division I school.
DON'T pick schools that lost a vital undergraduate to reach the Final Four if you think the defectors will become pro stars.
Ten individuals scored more than 20,000 points in the NBA or were named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining - Charles Barkley (departed Auburn early), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), Isiah Thomas (Indiana), Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas), Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech), Magic Johnson (Michigan State), Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and Elgin Baylor (Seattle). None of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college.
12. CONFERENCE CALL
DO pick two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four, with at least one of them advancing to the championship game.
Double your pleasure: A pair of members from the same conference frequently advance to the Final Four.
DON'T be condescending and overlook quality mid-major conference teams.
It's not a question of if but where will David defeat Goliath. There have been more than 100 Big Boy losses against members of lower-profile conferences seeded five or more places worse than the major university which is currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues. A total of 74 different lower-profile schools and current members of 23 different mid-major conferences (all but Great West, Northeast and Summit) have won such games since seeding started in 1979.
13. REGULAR-SEASON REVIEW
DO pick two of your Final Four teams from schools failing to finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
The best is yet to come for a team or two that might have been somewhat of an underachiever during the regular season. Almost half of the entrants since the field expanded to 48 in 1980 did not win outright or share a regular-season league title.
DON'T put much emphasis on comparing regular-season scores.
A striking number of NCAA champions lost at least one conference game to a team with a losing league mark. Many NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as a majority of them lost a regular-season games by a double-digit margin.
14. AT-LARGE ANSWERS
DO avoid picking an at-large team with a losing conference record to go beyond the second round.
An at-large team with a sub-.500 league mark almost never wins more than one NCAA Tournament game.
DON'T pick an at-large team compiling a mediocre record to reach the regional semifinals.
Only a handful of at-large entrants winning fewer than 60 percent of their games manage to reach the second round.
15. RACIAL PROFILING
DO pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
More often than not, at least two teams coached by African Americans reach the regional semifinals (round of 16).
DON'T pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are white athletes.
Duke had the only two teams in recent memory to win the NCAA title with white players comprising its top two point producers that season. In 1991, the two two scorers were Christian Laettner and Billy McCaffrey, who subsequently transferred to Vanderbilt. In 2010, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were Duke's top two scorers. Laettner also led the Blue Devils in scoring when they captured the 1993 crown. The only other white players ranked among the top three scorers for NCAA championship teams since the field expanded to at least 40 teams included: Randy Wittman (third for Indiana '81), Steve Alford (led Indiana '87), Kevin Pritchard (third for Kansas '88), Eric Montross (led North Carolina '93), Jeff Sheppard/Scott Padgett (first and third for Kentucky '98), Gerry McNamara (third for Syracuse '03) and Tyler Hansbrough (led North Carolina '09).
16. LAW OF AVERAGES
DO pick one "sleeper" team not ranked among the top ten in either of the final wire-service polls entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
There likely will be a Rip Van Winkle finally waking up to advance to the national final after not being ranked among the top ten in an AP final poll.
DON'T pick the national runner-up from one year to win the championship the next season.
The only three teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982), Duke (1990 and 1991) and Kentucky (1997 and 1998).
David vs. Goliath: Frequency of Power-League Members Losing to Mid-Majors
Incredibly, much of the follow-the-pack national media promptly tried to assemble cases why Monmouth (MAAC), Saint Mary's (West Coast), Valparaiso (Horizon League) and Wichita State (Missouri Valley) should be denied at-large berths after they failed to capture their conference tournament titles. How many times does the predictably pathetic press need to look foolish by mid-major playoff participants? Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, indirectly dissing successor Mike Hopkins, sought at-large slack from the Division I Committee. Didn't the NCAA already give a break of a lifetime to the Orangemen by not vacating their 2003 national title?
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 California, Michigan State and West Virginia as they lost 2016 tourney openers by an average of 11 points. 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. Two 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, ranked #1 at the end of the regular season after the Jayhawks were dismantled by Wichita State in the NCAA playoffs last year, has a high of seven setbacks as a total of 12 former NCAA titlists have lost three or more such contests. This 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 148 such games since seeding was introduced in 1979. But heaven forbid if Wichita State (200 victories last seven campaigns) be embraced without question as an at-large this year rather than bowing down at the power-league altar worshiping mediocrity losing to Augustana ND (Iowa in exhibition game), Long Beach State (Seton Hall), Northeastern (Miami FL), Richmond (California) and Western Illinois (Wisconsin). 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 (17) - Cincinnati (lost to #12 Harvard in 2014); Connecticut (#11 George Mason in 2006 and #13 San Diego in 2008); 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 (27) - 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); 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.
Worst of Times: BC, RU and SJU Endure All-Time Longest Losing Streaks
The most prominent universities occasionally endure periods of futility. Missouri, fielding perhaps its worst series of squads since Norm Stewart's coaching predecessor in the mid-1960s, ended a school-record 13-game losing streak last season. But the Tigers' tailspin en route to their most defeats in school history was less than half of the all-time longest losing streak by a current power-conference member - 27 by Syracuse in the early 1960s until the Orange prevailed at Boston College.
This year, Boston College (19 after losing ACC Tournament opener), Rutgers (17 after ending 32-game losing streak in Big Ten competition) and St. John's (16 in Chris Mullin's coaching debut) came closer to Cuse by becoming current power-league members incurring their longest losing streaks. BC and St. John's had been on a list with 11 other power-league members - Creighton, Duke, Georgetown, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Purdue, Utah, Washington and West Virginia - never reaching double figures in consecutive setbacks. Following is an alphabetical list of longest all-time losing streaks for elite basketball schools:
| School (Longest Losing Streak) | Coach | Date Started | Date Ended | Opponent Ending Streak | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona (16) | Fred Enke | 12-19-58 | 2-14-59 | Hardin-Simmons | 66-64 |
| Arizona State (15) | Herb Sendek | 12-22-2006 | 2-18-2007 | Southern California | 68-58 |
| Arkansas (10) | Lanny Van Eman | 1-9-71 | 2-20-71 | at Texas | 88-87 in OT |
| Auburn (13) | V.J. Edney | 12-13-46 | 2-8-47 | Florida | 36-30 |
| Baylor (17) | Harry Miller | 1-2-99 | 11-20-99 | Eastern Washington | 68-61 |
| Boston College (19) | Jim Christian | 12-30-2015 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Brigham Young (21) | Roger Reid/Tony Ingle | 12-13-96 | 11-14-97 | at San Diego State | 73-59 |
| Butler (14) | Joe Sexson | 1-31-81 | 12-12-81 | Valparaiso | 85-76 |
| California (10) | Rene Herrerias | 1-5-62 | 3-3-62 | at Washington | 68-65 in OT |
| Cincinnati (10) | Mick Cronin | 1-24-2007 | 2-28-2007 | Seton Hall | 70-67 in OT |
| Clemson (15) | Banks McFadden | 12-14-54 | 2-21-55 | Georgia | 105-94 |
| Colorado (17) | Tom Apke | 1-8-86 | 11-28-86 | Weber State | 73-57 |
| Connecticut (10) | John Donahue | 1918 | 1919 | Boston College | 46-27 |
| Connecticut (10) | Burr Carlson | 11-30-68 | 1-8-69 | Syracuse | 103-84 |
| Creighton (9) | Dana Altman | 1-23-95 | 2-23-95 | at Wichita State | 50-47 |
| Creighton (9) | Greg McDermott | 12-21-2014 | 1-28-2015 | St. John's | 77-74 |
| DePaul (18) | Jerry Wainwright | 12-31-2008 | 3-10-2009 | Cincinnati | 67-57 in Big East Tournament |
| Duke (8) | James Baldwin | 2-13-22 | 3-?-22 | Durham YMCA | 37-26 |
| Florida (14) | Don DeVoe | 1-17-90 | 2-27-90 | Louisiana State | 76-63 |
| Florida State (13) | Don Loucks | 1-10-48 | 2-21-48 | Florida Southern | 55-48 |
| Georgetown (9) | Jack Magee | 12-13-71 | 1-27-72 | William & Mary | 85-79 in OT |
| Georgia (13) | Harbin "Red" Lawson | 12-28-51 | 2-6-52 | Georgia Tech | 72-64 |
| Georgia Tech (26) | John "Whack" Hyder | 2-7-53 | 2-18-54 | South Carolina | 58-53 |
| Gonzaga (10) | Dan Fitzgerald | 1-19-90 | 2-23-90 | at San Francisco | 76-75 |
| Illinois (11) | Harv Schmidt | 1-12-74 | 2-23-74 | Iowa | 91-84 |
| Indiana (11) | Harry Good | 1-8-44 | 2-19-44 | at Minnesota | 48-47 |
| Indiana (11) | Tom Crean | 1-24-2010 | 3-6-2010 | Northwestern | 88-80 in OT |
| Iowa (8) | Rollie Williams | 2-15-30 | 12-23-30 | at Creighton | 28-22 |
| Iowa (8) | Dick Schultz | 1-7-74 | 2-11-74 | Purdue | 112-111 in 3OT |
| Iowa State (14) | Louis Menze | 1-2-37 | 12-3-37 | Simpson IA | 41-37 |
| Kansas (10) | Phog Allen | 1-21-48 | 3-12-48 | Iowa State | 61-54 |
| Kansas State (15) | E.C. Curtiss | 2-28-22 | 2-17-23 | at Nebraska | 17-14 |
| Kentucky (9) | George Buchheit | 1-25-23 | 2-23-23 | Sewanee TN | 30-14 |
| Louisiana State (14) | Frank Truitt | 12-23-65 | 2-12-66 | Mississippi | 92-68 |
| Louisiana State (14) | Press Maravich | 1-12-67 | 12-2-68 | Tampa FL | 97-81 |
| Louisville (19) | Laurie Apitz | 2-18-39 | 2-22-40 | Berea TN | 56-55 |
| Marquette (15) | Eddie Hickey | 1-8-64 | 3-7-64 | at Xavier | 98-95 |
| Maryland (22) | Howard Shipley | 3-1-40 | 2-22-41 | Washington College MD | 26-18 |
| Memphis (20) | Zach Curlin | 1-7-38 | 1-26-39 | Arkansas State | 53-45 |
| Miami FL (17) | Leonard Hamilton | 1-8-94 | 11-25-94 | Northeastern Illinois | 66-48 |
| Michigan (11) | Bill Frieder | 12-12-81 | 1-28-82 | Ohio State | 62-60 in OT |
| Michigan State (11) | Forddy Anderson | 1-9-65 | 3-1-65 | Purdue | 110-92 |
| Minnesota (17) | Clem Haskins | 1-10-87 | 11-30-87 | Western Illinois | 84-52 |
| Mississippi (16) | Robert "Cob" Jarvis | 12-30-75 | 3-1-76 | Vanderbilt | 81-72 |
| Mississippi State (14) | Paul Gregory | 1-7-55 | 2-26-55 | at Louisiana State | 84-80 |
| Missouri (13) | Kim Anderson | 1-10-2015 | 2-24-2015 | Florida | 64-52 |
| Nebraska (13) | Charles Black/William Browne | 2-10-32 | 1-14-33 | Kansas State | 31-25 |
| North Carolina (8) | Tom Scott | 12-20-50 | 1-11-51 | Wake Forest | 65-56 |
| North Carolina State (9) | Les Robinson | 1-25-92 | 2-22-92 | at North Carolina | 99-94 |
| North Carolina State (9) | Sidney Lowe | 2-9-2008 | 11-15-2008 | at New Orleans | 65-59 |
| Northwestern (20) | Maury Kent | 3-3-23 | 12-22-24 | Michigan State | 26-17 |
| Notre Dame (13) | Johnny Dee | 12-18-65 | 2-9-66 | Butler | 84-61 |
| Ohio State (17) | Jim O'Brien | 12-28-97 | 2-25-98 | at Wisconsin | 61-56 |
| Oklahoma (10) | Bob Stevens | 1-6-64 | 2-21-64 | Missouri | 86-84 |
| Oklahoma State (13) | James Pixlee | 1-24-20 | 1-14-21 | Oklahoma Baptist | 34-19 |
| Oklahoma State (13) | John Maulbetsch/George Roddy | 1-12-29 | 1-7-30 | Oklahoma | 28-22 |
| Oklahoma State (13) | George Roddy | 1-10-30 | 1-5-31 | Grinnell IA | 23-16 |
| Oregon (22) | George Bohler | 12-22-21 | 2-20-22 | Nevada | 33-29 |
| Oregon State (25) | Jay John/Kevin Mouton/Craig Robinson | 12-22-2007 | 11-30-2008 | at Fresno State | 62-54 |
| Penn State (17) | Bruce Parkhill | 1-21-84 | 12-5-84 | Navy | 66-63 |
| Pittsburgh (10) | Charles "Buzz" Ridl | 12-7-68 | 1-28-69 | West Virginia | 90-87 |
| Providence (12) | Lawrence Drew | 2-5-49 | 3-9-49 | Clark MA | 46-45 |
| Purdue (8) | Ray Eddy | 1-12-52 | 2-11-52 | Wisconsin | 78-67 |
| Purdue (8) | Ray Eddy | 1-5-63 | 2-4-63 | Michigan State | 103-81 |
| Rutgers (17) | Eddie Jordan | 12-30-2015 | 3-5-2016 | Minnesota | 75-52 |
| St. John's (16) | Chris Mullin | 12-18-15 | 2-17-2016 | DePaul | 80-65 |
| Seton Hall (15) | John Colrick/Honey Russell | 2-5-36 | 1-22-37 | St. Peter's | 30-23 |
| Seton Hall (15) | P.J. Carlesimo | 1-2-85 | 3-2-85 | Connecticut | 85-80 |
| South Carolina (15) | Absalon "Rock" Norman | 1-12-31 | 1-8-32 | Clemson | 31-23 |
| Southern California (16) | Bob Boyd | 1-8-76 | 12-1-76 | Idaho | 104-64 |
| Stanford (11) | John Bunn | 1-15-32 | 12-23-32 | at Utah | 41-37 |
| Syracuse (27) | Marc Guley | 2-22-61 | 3-3-62 | at Boston College | 73-72 |
| Temple (11) | Don Casey | 12-10-75 | 1-26-76 | Dickinson PA | 89-55 |
| Tennessee (14) | W.H. Britton | 2-21-27 | 12-28-28 | South Carolina | 29-20 |
| Texas (15) | Thurman "Slue" Hull | 12-4-54 | 2-5-55 | Arkansas | 75-74 |
| Texas A&M (17) | Melvin Watkins/Billy Gillispie | 1-10-2004 | 11-19-2004 | North Carolina A&T | 89-56 |
| Texas Christian (24) | Johnny Swaim/Tim Somerville | 12-11-76 | 12-3-77 | Wayland Baptist TX | 67-53 |
| Texas Tech (20) | Gerald Myers | 1-4-90 | 11-25-90 | Nevada | 81-69 at Anchorage |
| UCLA (14) | Pierce "Caddy" Works | 12-28-37 | 1938-39 opener | L.A. City College | 44-28 |
| UNLV (9) | Michael Drakulich | 12-5-58 | 1-14-59 | at Nellis AFB | 52-47 |
| Utah (9) | Vadal Peterson | 12-30-35 | 2-1-36 | at Utah State | 35-34 |
| Vanderbilt (14) | Josh Cody | 2-15-35 | 1-9-36 | Auburn | 47-27 |
| Villanova (10) | John "Rube" Cashman | 1927-28 | season finale | Alumni at Rosemont | 33-18 |
| Virginia (13) | Billy McCann | 1-9-60 | 2-27-60 | Washington & Lee VA | 86-59 |
| Virginia Tech (18) | Gerald "Red" Laird | 12-29-54 | ?-??-55 | The Citadel | 88-53 |
| Wake Forest (22) | Murray Greason | 1-26-43 | 1944-45 | Catawba NC | 41-38 |
| Washington (9) | Clarence "Hec" Edmundson | 1-31-41 | 2-25-41 | at Idaho | 45-44 |
| Washington (9) | William "Tippy" Dye | 12-4-53 | 1-9-54 | at Washington State | 54-44 |
| Washington (9) | Bob Bender | 2-27-93 | 12-23-94 | at Idaho State | 61-60 |
| Washington (9) | Bob Bender | 1-2-94 | 2-5-94 | Arizona | 74-69 |
| Washington State (18) | Kelvin Sampson | 12-30-89 | 11-28-90 | BYU-Hawaii | 112-81 |
| West Virginia (9) | Marshall Glenn | 1-12-37 | 2-17-37 | Penn State | 36-31 |
| West Virginia (9) | Gale Catlett | 12-28-2001 | 1-30-2002 | Providence | 89-81 |
| West Virginia (9) | Drew Catlett/John Beilein | 2-2-2002 | 11-22-2002 | Delaware State | 59-46 |
| Wichita State (14) | Kenneth Gunning | 1-10-50 | 12-5-50 | Oklahoma Baptist | 53-45 |
| Wisconsin (14) | John Powless | 1-8-76 | 3-1-76 | at Ohio State | 91-79 |
| Xavier (13) | Dick Campbell | 1-29-73 | 12-1-73 | Aquinas MI | 88-48 |
Famine Relief: Yale Bulldogs End 53-Year Exile From NCAA Tournament
If your RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) isn't satisfactory, then it's time to R.I.P. (Rest in Peace). That certainly has been the case for Ivy League members other than Penn and Princeton when it comes to NCAA Tournament participation. Harvard was the Rip Van Winkle of college basketball, shackled by a 65-year exile, until the Crimson woke up in 2012 and secured its first NCAA playoff berth since losing two games in 1946. This season, Yale finally ended a 53-year NCAA tourney dry spell (out since 1962) although the Bulldogs' euphoria could be short-lived as they need to explain why captain Jack Montague withdrew from school a month before the conclusion of the regular season. The MIA Ivy connection also includes Brown, which is tied for third with a 46-year playoff absence after the Bears competed in the first-ever NCAA tourney game in 1939 (against Villanova).
Stanford and Wisconsin, a pair of relatively recent Final Four schools, are tied with Brown for the longest dry spells in NCAA Tournament history. Following are the 18 schools - including Baylor, Butler, Iowa State, Miami FL and Wisconsin - to participate in the tourney at least once before enduring playoff appearance droughts of at least 34 years (length of dry spells denoted in parentheses):
School Years Failing to Appear Years Without a Tourney Victory Harvard 1947 through 2011 (65) Won first game in 2013 Yale 1963 through 2015 (53) Won first game in 2016 Brown 1940 through 1985 (46) Never won a playoff game Stanford 1943 through 1988 (46) 1943 through 1994 (52) Wisconsin 1948 through 1993 (46) 1948 through 1993 (46) Air Force 1963 through 2003 (41) Never won a playoff game Lafayette 1958 through 1998 (41) Never won a playoff game Iowa State 1945 through 1984 (40) 1945 through 1985 (41) Washington State 1942 through 1979 (38) 1942 through 1982 (41) Baylor 1951 through 1987 (37) 1951 through 2009 (59) Canisius 1958 through 1994 (37) Hasn't won since 1957 Miami (FL) 1961 through 1997 (37) Won first game in 1999 Drake 1972 through 2007 (36) Hasn't won since 1971 Saint Louis 1958 through 1993 (36) 1953 through 1994 (42) Butler 1963 through 1996 (34) 1963 through 2000 (38) Manhattan 1959 through 1992 (34) 1959 through 1994 (36) Montana State 1952 through 1985 (34) Never won a playoff game NOTES: Tulsa didn't win an NCAA playoff game from 1956 through 1993 (38 years). . . . Holy Cross (last victory in 1953) and Rice (1954) haven't won an NCAA Tournament game for extended periods. . . . Miami (Fla.) did not field a formal team from 1971-72 through 1984-85.
MIA: Simmons Could Be Third First-Team A-A in Last 40 Years Out of NCAAs
It doesn't take a genius to deduce All-American players are all-important to teams. Since the national tourney expanded to at least 32 teams in 1975, only two consensus first-team All-Americans never appeared in the NCAA playoffs - Houston guard Otis Birdsong (1977) and Minnesota center Mychal Thompson (1978). Acclaimed LSU freshman Ben Simmons appears bound to join Birdsong and Thompson as the third missing first-team A-A despite much of the media treating him as if he is superior to Tigers titan Pete Maravich. Simmons, apparently forcing LSU's coaching staff to moonlight as truant officers, should have attended North Carolina, which knows how to "educate" players without them wasting their time attending class.
Actually, if the SEC wasn't so mediocre, the Bayou Bengals likely would have finished the campaign with an overall losing record although their non-league schedule was full of cupcakes. Suggest the CIA use film of LSU's embarrassing exit in the SEC Tournament if it needs more "enhanced interrogation" techniques. No preseason prognosticator saw this possibility looming but Simmons may end up with the dubious distinction of joining LaRue Martin (Loyola of Chicago '72), Doug Collins (Illinois State '73) and Thompson as the only #1 overall draft picks failing to appear in the NCAA tourney.
Terry Dischinger, another celebrated Big Ten Conference player, averaged 28.3 points per game in his three-year varsity career with Purdue in the early 1960s. But he is the only two-time consensus first-team All-American since World War II never to compete in the NCAA Tournament or NIT. Dischinger also endured a star-scorned nine-year NBA career without playing on a squad winning a playoff series. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year as a member of the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962-63 despite playing in only 57 games while skipping many of the road contests to continue his education. Unlike Simmons, Dischinger's dedication to the classroom paid off as he became an orthodontist.
In the ACC, Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham averaged 24.8 points per game in his three-year varsity career with North Carolina in the mid-1960s, but he also never appeared in the NCAA tourney or NIT. How good were the players in that era if Cunningham never was a consensus first-team All-American? In the SEC long before Simmons' pencil-thin team success, Auburn's Charles Barkley was an All-American but the "Round Mound of Rebound" lost his only NCAA playoff game in 1984. Following is a look at Dischinger, Maravich and two other multiple-year NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans since the mid-1950s never to participate in the NCAA Tournament:
| Two- or Three-Time NCAA Consensus First-Team A-A | School | Years 1st-Team A-A | NIT Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Dischinger | Purdue | 1961 and 1962 | DNP |
| Sihugo Green | Duquesne | 1955 and 1956 | 6-2 |
| Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 1968 through 1970 | 2-2 |
| Chet Walker | Bradley | 1961 and 1962 | 3-1 |
Gargantuan Gall: Why Was Gottlieb Among Candidates For OSU Coaching Job?
Never underestimate the occasional astonishing absence of perspective among TV pundits. Amid the boob tube personality-driven showmanship, PT Barnum continues to chortle, "I was right all along!" about "there's a sucker born every minute."
CBS commentator Doug Gottlieb, ranked among the Top 20 analysts by CollegeHoopedia.com, never has coached a game of college basketball - even as an assistant. Yet the legend in his own mind proclaimed four years ago he was fit to serve at Kansas State as Frank Martin's successor. The Wildcats weren't suckered, ignoring such ego chicanery and hired former SIU and Illinois mentor Bruce Weber. Although this possibility probably should only be offered on April Fool's Day, could Gottlieb be considered as a candidate at another Big 12 Conference member after his alma mater's head coaching position became available?
Who does Gottlieb think he is? The collegiate version of Pat Riley? Saying he is "self aware" (a/k/a "full of himself"), Gottlieb must have thought the coaching acumen of his father and brother would rub off on him. Before becoming head coach at Jacksonville and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Gottlieb's father (Bob) was an assistant at K-State in the early 1970s at a time when the program was in the midst of capturing 11 Big Eight Conference championships in an 18-year span. In a battle of Wildcats, mighty Kentucky was the only school at that point boasting more final Top 20 rankings than KSU.
Gottlieb, a Notre Dame credit-card castoff before transferring to Oklahoma State and leading the nation in assists in 1998-99 and finishing runner-up the next season, thought he could assist a Big 12 Conference member as bench boss basically because of the visibility of his mug being on TV. Well, criminals have their head shots at the post office. Would that help them recruit suspect student-athletes? How about throwing his hat in the ring and learning the trade first at Oklahoma Baptist before working your way up the ladder?
The sports TV culture frequently fosters hero worshiped such as creepy ESPN original Keith Olbermann who think the world revolves around them and they develop a sordid sense of "out-of-bounds" entitlement. Gottlieb was no different than Larry "Grandmama" Johnson, who was upset and probably lost "her" wig and outfit when he didn't inherit the UNLV coaching job. Ditto Johnson teammate Stacey Augmon.
"When you are among the high-flying adored, your view of the world becomes blurred," wrote psychologist Stanley Teitelbaum of the flouting-of-the-law behavior in the book Sports Heroes, Fallen Idols: How Star Athletes Pursue Self-Destructive Paths and Jeopardize Their Careers.
"Off the field, some act as if they are above the rules of society; hubris and an attitude of entitlement become central to the psyche of many athletes. They may deny that they are vulnerable to reprisals and feel omnipotent and grandiose as well as entitled."
Eventually, OSU favored a real coach over a wannabee (Brad Underwood was 59-1 in Southland Conference competition the past three years for Stephen F. Austin). But if Gottlieb's resume boasting significant holes eventually enables him to go straight to a DI head coaching assignment, he'll need to also break ground by hiring an assistant devoted exclusively to free-throw shooting. After all, he is a lifetime member on the All-Gang That Can't Shoot Straight Team (abysmal 45.3% mark from the "foul" line with OSU).
Moreover, if Gottlieb is qualified to go straight to accepting the reins in a power conference where he previously competed, it seems his TV colleagues past and present should be treated in a similar fashion. Andy Katz should be next in line for the Fresno State position in his old stomping grounds; Alabama grad Rece Davis should be able to anchor any SEC opening; Doris Burke should become the first full-time female coach of a men's program at her alma mater (Providence) or some other Big East member; Skip Baseless should be coaching national POY Buddy Hield at Oklahoma; Screamin' A. Stiff should be guiding any school he wants to in MEAC; Mike Greenberg should be directing Northwestern to the Wildcats' first NCAA playoff appearance; Stephen Bardo should have been hired by Illinois (not John Groce); Adrian Branch should be Maryland's coach (not Mark Turgeon); Miles Simon should be at Arizona's helm (not Sean Miller); Sean Farnham should have been groomed as Ben Howland's replacement at UCLA (not passed on to Steve Alford); LaPhonso Ellis should be designated as Mike Brey's successor-in-waiting at Notre Dame, and Pat Summitt protege Kara Lawson should be the odds-on favorite to return to Tennessee and right the Volunteers' ship.
Politically, CBS' Seth Davis should be Shrillary Rotten's running mate; especially if his "barking" father, Clinton keg leg-humper Lanny Davis, would send another "no-class(ified)" syrupy email to private server of the Deleter of the Free World. After all, the creepy conflicts of interest go both ways. After the Clintons had "the talk," TV execs deemed their one-percenter daughter full of sufficient journalistic credentials to "earn" a $600,000-a-year position from NBC. Thus, we deride the unhinged mess media because that is precisely what the trumped know-it-alls deserve these days.
Shooting Stars: League Tournament Individual Single-Game Scoring Records
Do you know who boasts the highest-scoring game in history in a major-conference postseason tournament? Well, it's Marshall guard Skip Henderson, who erupted for 55 points in the 1988 Southern Conference quarterfinals against The Citadel. Marshall (also C-USA) and Texas Tech (Big 12 and SWC) are the only schools to have two players hold existing league tourney scoring marks in two different NCAA Division I alliances.
Three mid-major leagues - America East (twice after three-time MVP Jameel Warney's 18-of-22 field-goal shooting this year), Big Sky and Summit - provide the only players setting existing NCAA DI conference tournament scoring marks in a tourney final. All-Americans Lennie Rosenbluth (North Carolina) and Cliff Hagan (Kentucky) accounted for the two of following DI league tourney scoring standards (ACC and SEC) standing since the 1950s:
| Conference | Round | Record Holder | School | HG | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| America East | Final | Taylor Coppenrath | Vermont | 43 | Maine | 3-13-04 |
| America East | Final | Jameel Warney | Stony Brook | 43 | Vermont | 3-12-16 |
| American Athletic | Semifinal | Russ Smith | Louisville | 42 | Houston | 3-14-14 |
| Atlantic Coast | Quarterfinal | Lennie Rosenbluth | North Carolina | 45 | Clemson | 3-7-57 |
| Atlantic Sun | Quarterfinal | Reggie Gibbs | Houston Baptist | 43 | Georgia Southern | 3-7-89 |
| Atlantic 10 | Quarterfinal | Tom Garrick | Rhode Island | 50 | Rutgers | 3-7-88 |
| Big East | Quarterfinal | Donyell Marshall | Connecticut | 42 | St. John's | 3-11-94 |
| Big Eight | Quarterfinal | Eric Piatkowski | Nebraska | 42 | Oklahoma | 3-11-94 |
| Big Sky | Final | Anthony Johnson | Montana | 42 | Weber State | 3-11-10 |
| Big Sky | Quarterfinal | Tyler Harvey | Eastern Washington | 42 | Idaho | 3-12-15 |
| Big South | Quarterfinal | Michael Kessens | Liberty | 36 | Virginia Military | 3-7-13 |
| Big Ten | First | Michael Thompson | Northwestern | 35 | Minnesota | 3-10-11 |
| Big 12 | First | Mike Singletary | Texas Tech | 43 | Texas A&M | 3-11-09 |
| Big West | First | Josh Akognon | Cal State Fullerton | 37 | UC Riverside | 3-11-09 |
| Colonial | Semifinal | Marcus Thornton | William & Mary | 37 | Hofstra | 3-8-15 |
| C-USA | Quarterfinal | DeAndre Kane | Marshall | 40 | Tulsa | 3-8-12 |
| Horizon League | Semifinal | Byron Larkin | Xavier | 45 | Loyola of Chicago | 2-28-86 |
| Metro Atlantic | Quarterfinal | Kevin Houston | Army | 53 | Fordham | 2-28-87 |
| Mid-American | Semifinal | Ron Harper | Miami (Ohio) | 45 | Ball State | 3-8-85 |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic | First Round | Richard Toussaint | Bethune-Cookman | 49 | Morgan State | 3-11-03 |
| Missouri Valley | Quarterfinal | Hersey Hawkins | Bradley | 41 | Indiana State | 3-5-88 |
| Mountain West | Semifinal | Jimmer Fredette | Brigham Young | 52 | New Mexico | 3-11-11 |
| Northeast | Quarterfinal | Rahsaan Johnson | Monmouth | 40 | St. Francis (N.Y.) | 3-3-00 |
| Ohio Valley | Quarterfinal | Bubba Wells | Austin Peay | 43 | Morehead State | 2-25-97 |
| Pac-12 | Quarterfinal | Klay Thompson | Washington State | 43 | Washington | 3-10-11 |
| Patriot League | Semifinal | Rob Feaster | Holy Cross | 43 | Navy | 3-5-94 |
| Patriot League | Quarterfinal | Mark Lueking | Army | 43 | Bucknell | 3-4-95 |
| Southeastern | Semifinal | Cliff Hagan | Kentucky | 42 | Tennessee | 3-1-52 |
| Southeastern | Quarterfinal | Melvin Turpin | Kentucky | 42 | Georgia | 3-8-84 |
| Southern | Quarterfinal | James "Skip" Henderson | Marshall | 55 | The Citadel | 3-4-88 |
| Southland | Quarterfinal | Kenneth Lyons | North Texas | 47 | Louisiana Tech | 3-10-83 |
| Southwest | Semifinal | Rick Bullock | Texas Tech | 44 | Arkansas | 3-5-76 |
| Southwestern Athletic | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Summit League | Final | Bill Edwards | Wright State | 38 | Illinois-Chicago | 3-8-93 |
| Sun Belt | Quarterfinal | Dee Brown | Jacksonville | 41 | Old Dominion | 3-3-90 |
| West Coast | Quarterfinal | Tim Owens | San Francisco | 45 | Loyola Marymount | 3-2-91 |
| Western Athletic | Quarterfinal | Mike Jones | Texas Christian | 44 | Fresno State | 3-6-97 |
NOTE: Scoring outbursts by Fredette (Mountain West), Garrick (Atlantic 10), Gibbs (Atlantic Sun), Harper (Mid-American), Henderson (Southern), Houston (Metro Atlantic Athletic), Johnson (Big Sky), Lyons (Southland) and Piatkowski (Big Eight) are also existing school single-game standards. Warney's output is highest for Stony Brook at DI level.
Cliff Clavin Factoids: Timeless Trivia Tidbits on NCAA DI Conference Tourneys
The amazing six-overtime thriller between Connecticut and Syracuse in the 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals is relatively easy to remember. But one of the most titillating tourney tidbits among all leagues that gets overlooked because the Southwest Conference is defunct remains Texas Tech's Rick Bullock singlehandedly outscoring the "Triplets" from Arkansas (Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph and Sidney Moncrief) by seven points, 44-37, when he set the SWC's single-game tournament scoring record in the 1976 semifinals.
As league tourney action commences, don't hesitate to capitalize on the links for the current Division I conferences cited below to refresh your memory about past champions and events. Following are many of the names and numbers of note only Cliff Clavin knows about regarding previous conference tournament competition you can reflect upon as teams tune up for the main event by jockeying for position in the NCAA playoff bracket:
America East - The 1989 North Atlantic Tournament was dubbed the MIT (Measles Invitational Tourney) because all spectators were banned due to a measles outbreak. Delaware competed for 17 years in the East Coast Conference and never won an ECC Tournament championship. But the Blue Hens entered the AEC predecessor, the North Atlantic, in 1992 and won their first-ever title and went to the NCAA playoffs for the initial time. They successfully defended their crown the next year before closing out the decade with another set of back-to-back tourney titles.
American Athletic - In their lone season as members of the conference, Louisville (joined ACC) routed Rutgers (Big Ten), 92-31, in 2014.
Atlantic Coast - Maryland, ranking fourth in both polls, lost in overtime against eventual NCAA champion North Carolina State, 103-100, in the 1974 final in what some believe might have been the greatest college game ever played. Three players from each team earned All-American honors during their careers - North Carolina State's David Thompson, Tom Burleson and Monte Towe plus Maryland's John Lucas, Len Elmore and Tom McMillen. The Terrapins had four players score at least 20 points - Lucas, McMillen, Owen Brown and Mo Howard - in a 20-point victory over 22-6 North Carolina (105-85) in the semifinals. The Terps, of course, didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs that year because a 32-team bracket allowing teams other than the league champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from the same conference wasn't adopted until the next season.
Atlantic Sun - Belmont hit 12 of 19 first-half shots from beyond the arc in the 2007 final against top seed East Tennessee State.
Atlantic 10 - Temple reached the tourney semifinals 19 consecutive seasons in one stretch.
Big East - St. John's doesn't seem to have any advantage at Madison Square Garden. It lost five consecutive tourney games on its homecourt by an average margin of 11.4 points from 1987 through 1991.
Big Sky - Montana, capitalizing on a homecourt advantage, overcame a jinx by winning back-to-back tournament titles in 1991 and 1992. The Grizzlies had just two losing regular-season league records from 1976 through 1990, but they didn't win the tournament title in that span, losing the championship game five times from 1978 through 1984.
Big South - The No. 1 seed won this unpredictable tourney only five times in the first 17 years. Radford failed to reach the postseason tournament final for nine years until capturing the event in 1998.
Big Ten - Illinois won as many games in the 1999 tourney as the Illini did in regular-season conference competition that season (3-13).
Big 12 - Kansas won the first three championship games from 1997 through 1999 by at least 14 points.
Big West - Pacific didn't compile a winning league record from 1979 through 1992, but the Tigers climaxed three consecutive appearances in the tournament semifinals by advancing to the '92 championship game.
Colonial - Navy, seeded No. 8 in 1991 in its last year in the tournament before joining the Patriot League, upset top seed James Madison in overtime, 85-82, in the opening round.
Conference USA - Three of four C-USA Tournament champions from 1997 through 2000 won four games in four days. Cincinnati captured six league tournament titles in seven years from 1992 through 1998 in the Great Midwest and C-USA.
Horizon League - The first two tournament winners (Oral Roberts '80 and Oklahoma City '81) of the league's forerunner, the Midwestern City, subsequently shed Division I status and de-emphasized to the NAIA level. ORU, which also won the crown in 1984, returned to Division I status in 1993-94. Butler lost its first 12 games in the tourney until breaking into the win column in 1992.
Metro Atlantic Athletic - Eight different schools won the tournament title in an eight-year span from 1992 through 1999.
Mid-American - Bowling Green never has won the MAC Tournament.
Mid-Eastern Athletic - North Carolina A&T won seven consecutive titles from 1982 through 1988. The Aggies defeated Howard in the championship game each of the first six years of their streak with the middle four of them decided by a total of only 17 points.
Missouri Valley - Indiana State won only two of its next 20 MVC tourney games after All-American Larry Bird led the Sycamores to the 1979 title.
Mountain West - Not once has Air Force reached the championship game of the WAC or Mountain West.
Northeast - The final pitted the top two seeds against each other 11 times in a 13-year span from 1983 through 1995.
Ohio Valley - Former member Western Kentucky reached the championship game in eight of the OVC's first 10 tourneys. Tennessee Tech won only one tournament game from 1975 through 1992.
Pacific-12 - Arizona won the last three tourney finals from 1988 through 1990 by a minimum of 16 points before the league discontinued the event until reviving it in 2002.
Patriot League - No seed worse than third reached the championship game in the first 20 years of event from 1991 through 2010.
SEC - Seven of the 13 tourney MVPs from 1979 through 1991 didn't play for the champion. One of them, LSU's John Williams, didn't even compete in the 1986 title game. Although Kentucky standout center Alex Groza saw limited action in the 1947 tournament because of a back injury, the Wildcats cruised to victories over Vanderbilt (98-29), Auburn (84-18), Georgia Tech (75-53) and Tulane (55-38). UK was also without Converse All-American guard Jack Parkinson (serving in the military), but the five-man all-tourney team was comprised of nothing but Wildcats - forwards Jack Tingle and Joe Holland, center Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones and guards Ken Rollins and Ralph Beard. UK (24) has won more than half of the SEC's tourneys.
Southern - Furman's Jerry Martin, an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets from 1974 through 1984, was named MVP in the 1971 tournament after the 6-1 guard led the Paladins to the title with 22-, 36- and 19-point performances to pace the tourney in scoring. Two years earlier, current Davidson coach Bob McKillop scored three points for East Carolina against the Lefty Driesell-coached Wildcats in the 1969 SC Tournament championship game.
Southland - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons outscored Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, 47-6, when Lyons established a still existing single-game scoring record in the 1983 tournament quarterfinals. Malone led the SLC in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and steals (1.9 spg) that season as a freshman before going on to score more than 30,000 points in the NBA. Two years earlier, McNeese State won a first-round game after going winless in regular-season conference competition.
SWAC - Regular-season champion Grambling State lost by 50 points to Southern (105-55) in the 1987 final. An interesting twist that year was the fact Bob Hopkins, Grambling's first-year coach, had coached Southern the previous three seasons.
Summit League - The first tournament final in 1984 featured two teams with losing league records in regular-season competition (Western Illinois and Cleveland State).
Sun Belt - South Alabama's stall didn't prevent the Jaguars from losing to New Orleans, 22-20, on Nate Mills' last-second jumper in the 1978 final. The next season, the Sun Belt became the first league to experiment with a 45-second shot clock. The four different schools that accounted for the participants in six consecutive finals from 1980 through 1985 went on to join other conferences - UAB, Old Dominion, South Florida and Virginia Commonwealth. Two-time champion Charlotte also abandoned ship.
West Coast - The top two seeds didn't meet in the championship game until 2000. The most tragic moment in the history of any conference tournament occurred in the semifinals of the 1990 event at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed on his home court during the Lions' game with Portland. He died later that evening and the tournament was suspended. The Lions earned the NCAA Tournament bid because of their regular-season crown and advanced to the West Regional final behind the heroics of Bo Kimble, who was Gathers' longtime friend from Philadelphia.
Western Athletic - The tourney's biggest upset occurred in 1990 when No. 9 seed Air Force defeated No. 1 seed Colorado State in the quarterfinals, 58-51. Hawaii's Carl English, averaging 3.9 points per game as a freshman during the regular season, had a season-high 25 in a 78-72 overtime victory against host Tulsa in the 2001 final.
On This Date: March Calendar of Notable Games in College Hoops History
Existing single-game rebounding records for San Francisco (Bill Russell) and Santa Clara (Ken Sears) were set on the same day in West Coast Conference competition in 1955. In another oddity, Yale's single-game scoring and rebounding marks against a major-college opponent were established in the same game against Harvard in 1956. Following is a day-by-day calendar citing memorable moments in March major-college basketball history:
MARCH
1 - Kentucky's Cliff Hagan (42 points vs. Georgia in 1952 semifinals) set SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . New Hampshire's Matt Alosa (39 vs. Hartford in opening round of 1996 North Atlantic Conference Tournament at Newark, DE), Saint Louis' Anthony Bonner (45 at Loyola of Chicago in overtime in 1990), Southern Illinois' Dick Garrett (46 vs. Centenary in 1968) and Southern Utah's Davor Marcelic (43 at Cal State Northridge in 1991) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Larry Jeffries (40 vs. Abilene Christian in 1969) had highest-scoring game for Trinity TX in season when school made its lone NCAA DI Tournament appearance. . . . In 1952, Penn State and Pittsburgh combined for only nine field-goal attempts (fewest in a game since 1938). . . . North Carolina State ended South Carolina's school-record 32-game winning streak (43-24 in 1934) and Southern Methodist's school-record 44-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Texas A&M (43-42 in 1958). . . . Tom Heinsohn (42 vs. Boston College in 1956) set Holy Cross' single-game rebounding record. . . . Chris Collier (23 vs. Centenary in 1990) set Georgia State's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
2 - Junior forward Ralph Jukkola became the only LSU teammate to outscore NCAA all-time leading scorer Pete Maravich in a regular-season game (22-17 in 74-71 loss at Tennessee in 1968) when Pistol was limited to fewer than 20 points for the lone time in college. Jukkola averaged 9.1 ppg in his three-year varsity career compared to Maravich's lofty mark of 44.2 ppg. . . . San Francisco's Tim Owens (45 points vs. Loyola Marymount in 1991 quarterfinals) set WCC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Colgate's Jonathan Stone (52 vs. Brooklyn in 1992), Eastern Michigan's Gary Tyson (47 vs. Wheaton IL in 1974), McNeese State's Michael Cutright (51 at Stephen F. Austin in double overtime in 1989), New Mexico's Marvin Johnson (50 vs. Colorado State in 1978) and Southern Methodist's Gene Phillips (51 at Texas in 1971) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Johnson's output is also a Western Athletic Conference record in league competition. . . . Oklahoma tied an NCAA single-game record by converting all 34 of its free-throw attempts (against Iowa State in 2013). . . . Penn State's school-record 45-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Penn (85-79 in 1955). . . . Jameel Warney (23 vs. UMBC in 2016 America East Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set Stony Brook's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
3 - Jacksonville's Dee Brown (41 points vs. Old Dominion in 1990 quarterfinals) set Sun Belt Conference Tournament single-game scoring record and Monmouth's Rahsaan Johnson (40 vs. St. Francis NY in 2000 quarterfinals) set Northeast Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Drake's Philip "Red" Murrell (51 vs. Houston in overtime in 1958), Lafayette's Bobby Mantz (47 vs. Wilkes College PA in 1958), Maine's Jim Stephenson (54 vs. Colby in 1969), Robert Morris' Gene Nabors (38 vs. St. Francis PA in 2000 Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Trenton, NJ), St. John's Bob Zawoluk (65 vs. St. Peter's in 1950), Santa Clara's Carlos "Bud" Ogden (55 at Pepperdine in 1967), Temple's Bill Mlkvy (73 at Wilkes College PA in 1951), Tulsa's Willie Biles (48 vs. Wichita State in 1973) and UNLV's Trevor Diggs (49 vs. Wyoming in 2001) set school single-game scoring records. Diggs' output is also a Mountain West Conference record in league competition. . . . Florida State's Al Thornton (45 vs. Miami in 2007) and Tennessee-Martin's Lester Hudson (42 vs. Tennessee Tech in 2009) set school single-game scoring records against a Division I opponent. . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 800 victories the fastest with a 90-86 win at Auburn in 1969 (974 games in 37th season). . . . Army's Todd Mattson (24 vs. Holy Cross in 1990), Delaware State's Kendall Gray (30 vs. Coppin State in 2015), Iowa's Chuck Darling (30 vs. Wisconsin in 1952) and Minnesota's Larry Mikan (28 vs. Michigan in 1970) set school single-game rebounding records.
4 - Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 points at Texas-San Antonio in 1989), Marshall's Skip Henderson (55 vs. The Citadel in 1988 Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Asheville, NC) and Montana State's Tom Storm (44 vs. Portland State in 1967) set school single-game scoring records against NCAA Division I opponents. Henderson's output is also a Southern Conference Tournament single-game record. . . . Army's Mark Lueking (43 vs. Bucknell in 1995 quarterfinals) tied Patriot League Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Villanova's school-record 72-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by St. Francis PA (70-64 in 1958). . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (35 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1955) and Santa Clara's Ken Sears (30 vs. Pacific in 1955) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Collis Jones (25 vs. Western Michigan in 1971) set Notre Dame's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent. . . . One of the most tragic moments in college basketball history occurred in semifinals of 1990 West Coast Conference Tournament at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed and died on his homecourt during the Lions' game with Portland.
5 - Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (41 points vs. Indiana State in 1988 Missouri Valley quarterfinals), Holy Cross' Rob Feaster (43 vs. Navy in 1994 Patriot League semifinals), Maryland-Eastern Shore's Tee Trotter (40 vs. Bethune-Cookman in 2002 Mid-Eastern Athletic quarterfinals) and Texas Tech's Rick Bullock (44 vs. Arkansas in 1976 SWC semifinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Cal State Northridge's Mike O'Quinn (39 vs. Eastern Washington in overtime in 1998 Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals at Northern Arizona), Cornell's George Farley (47 at Princeton in 1960), Michigan's Cazzie Russell (48 vs. Northwestern in 1966), Minnesota's Eric Magdanz (42 at Michigan in 1962) and Wichita State's Antoine Carr (47 vs. Southern Illinois in 1983) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Carnegie Tech's Melvin Cratsley set Eastern Intercollegiate Conference single-game scoring record with 34 points vs. West Virginia in 1938. . . . Boston University's Kevin Thomas (34 vs. Boston College in 1958), Delaware State's Kendall Gray (30 vs. Coppin State in 2015), Pacific's Keith Swagerty (39 vs. UC Santa Barbara in 1965) and Saint Louis' Jerry Koch (38 vs. Bradley in 1954) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Baylor's Jerome Lambert (26 vs. Southern Methodist in 1994) and Wyoming's Leon Clark (24 vs. Arizona in 1966) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
6 - Texas Christian's Mike Jones (44 points vs. Fresno State in 1997 quarterfinals) set WAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Duquesne's Ron Guziak (50 vs. St. Francis PA at Altoona in 1968), Fairfield's George Groom (41 vs. Assumption MA in 1972), Minnesota's Ollie Shannon (42 vs. Wisconsin in 1971), Missouri's Joe Scott (46 vs. Nebraska in 1961) and Sam Houston State's Senecca Wall (45 vs. Texas-Arlington in double overtime in 2001 Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Ohio State set an NCAA single-game record by making 14 consecutive three-point field-goal attempts (against Wisconsin in 2011).
7 - North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth (45 points vs. Clemson in 1957 ACC quarterfinals) and Longwood's Michael Kessens (36 vs. VMI in 2013 Big South quarterfinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. . . . Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 vs. Georgia Southern in 1989 TAAC Tournament quarterfinals), Lehigh's Daren Queenan (49 vs. Bucknell in double overtime in 1987 ECC Tournament semifinals at Towson State), Notre Dame's Austin Carr (61 vs. Ohio University in first round of 1970 NCAA Tournament Mideast Regional) and Rhode Island's Tom Garrick (50 vs. Rutgers in 1988 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament quarterfinals at West Virginia) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Carr's output is also an NCAA playoff single-game record and outputs by Garrick and Gibbs are single-game records in respective league tourneys. . . . Oklahoma State center Arlen Clark established an NCAA standard for most successful free throws in a game without a miss when he converted all 24 of his foul shots against Colorado in 1959. . . . In 1928, Butler beat Notre Dame, 21-13, in inaugural game at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. at the time and retained that distinction until 1950.
8 - Marshall's DeAndre Kane (40 points vs. Tulsa in 2012 C-USA quarterfinals), William & Mary's Marcus Thornton (37 vs. Hofstra in double overtime in 2015 CAA semifinals) and Wright State's Bill Edwards (38 vs. Illinois-Chicago in 1993 Summit League final) set conference tournament single-game scoring records and Kentucky's Melvin Turpin (42 vs. Georgia in 1984 quarterfinals) tied SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Harvard's Brady Merchant (45 vs. Brown in 2003), Miami of Ohio's Ron Harper (45 vs. Ball State in 1985 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals) and Vanderbilt's Tom Hagan (44 at Mississippi State in 1969) set school single-game scoring records. Harper's output is also a MAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Brown's Gerry Alaimo (26 vs. Rhode Island in 1958) and Georgia's Bob Lienhard (29 vs. Louisiana State in 1969) set school single-game rebounding records against a Division I opponent.
9 - Greg Ballard (43 points at Oral Roberts in 1977 NIT first round) set Oregon's single-game scoring record. . . . Marcus Mann (28 vs. Jackson State in 1996) set Mississippi Valley State's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
10 - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons (47 points vs. Louisiana Tech in 1983 Southland quarterfinals), Northwestern's Michael Thompson (35 vs. Minnesota in 2011 Big Ten opening round) and Washington State's Klay Thompson (43 vs. Washington in 2011 Pac-12 quarterfinals) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. Lyons' output is also a school single-game scoring record. . . . Paul Williams (45 at Southern California in 1983) set Arizona State's single-game scoring record. . . . John Lee (41 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Lamar's school-record 80-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Louisiana Tech (68-65 in 1984 SLC Tournament). . . . Ed Robinson (32 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game rebounding record.
11 - Connecticut's Donyell Marshall (42 points vs. St. John's in 1994 Big East quarterfinals), Texas Tech's Mike Singletary (43 vs. Texas A&M in 2009 Big 12 opening round) and Cal State Fullerton's Josh Akognon (37 vs. UC Riverside in 2009 Big West opening round) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. . . . Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (52 vs. New Mexico in 2011 Mountain West Tournament semifinals at Las Vegas), Montana's Anthony Johnson (42 at Weber State in 2010 Big Sky Tournament final) and Nebraska's Eric Piatkowski (42 vs. Oklahoma in 1994 Big Eight Tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City) set school single-game scoring records. Outputs for Fredette, Johnson and Piatkowski are also single-game scoring records in their respective conference tourneys. . . . Indiana (95) and Michigan (57) combined for an NCAA single-game record of 152 rebounds in 1961. Walt Bellamy (33) set IU's individual rebounding record in the contest.
12 - Bradley's Bob Carney (23 against Colorado in 1954 regional semifinals) set NCAA Tournament single-game record by converting 23 free-throw attempts. . . . Stony Brook's Jameel Warney (43 points vs. Vermont in 2016 America East final) and Eastern Washington's Tyler Harvey (42 vs. Idaho in 2015 Big Sky quarterfinals at Montana) tied conference tournament scoring marks. Warney's output is also a school standard since moving up to NCAA Division I level. . . . DePaul's George Mikan (53 vs. Rhode Island State in 1945 NIT semifinals), Fairleigh Dickinson's Elijah Allen (43 vs. Connecticut in 1998 NCAA Tournament first round) and Navy's David Robinson (50 vs. Michigan in first round of 1987 NCAA Tournament East Regional) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Syracuse outlasted Connecticut, 127-117, in six overtimes in 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals in longest postseason game in NCAA history.
13 - Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath (43 points vs. Maine in 2004 final) set America East Conference Tournament single-game scoring record.
14 - Louisville's Russ Smith (42 points vs. Houston in 2014 semifinals) set American Athletic Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. Smith's output also set a school mark for most points against a major-college opponent.
15 - Andrew Goudelock (39 points vs. Dayton in 2011 NIT first round) set College of Charleston's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent.
16 - Kentucky's Kenny Walker (11-of-11 vs. Western Kentucky in 1986 second round) became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make all of more than 10 field-goal attempts in a single playoff game. . . . Temple's Fred Cohen (34 vs. Connecticut in 1956 NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals) set a school and NCAA Tournament single-game rebounding record. . . . Nate Thurmond (31 vs. Mississippi State in 1963 Mideast Regional third-place game) set Bowling Green's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
17 - Texas' Travis Mays (23-of-27 vs. Georgia in 1990 first round) tied NCAA Tournament single-game record for most free-throws made. . . . Maurice Stokes (43 points vs. Dayton in 1955 NIT semifinals) set Saint Francis (PA) single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . In 1939, Villanova defeated Brown, 42-30, in the first NCAA Tournament game ever played. . . . Al Inniss (37 vs. Lafayette in 1956 NIT first round) set St. Francis NY single-game rebounding record.
18 - Loyola Marymount's Jeff Fryer (11 three-pointers vs. Michigan in 1990 second round) became the only player in NCAA playoff history to make more than 10 three-point field-goals in a single playoff game.
19 - Louisiana State's Shaquille O'Neal (11 rejections vs. Brigham Young in 1992 first round) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most blocked shots.
20 - Duke's Mike Krzyzewski passed North Carolina's Dean Smith (65 victories) for the most coaching wins in NCAA Tournament history with a 63-55 second-round triumph against Mississippi State in 2005. . . . Michigan State's Adrien Payne (17-for-17 from free-throw line vs. Delaware in 2014 opener) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most successful foul shots without a miss. . . . UCLA's Gail Goodrich (18 vs. Michigan in 1965 championship game) set Final Four single-game record for most free throws made.
21 - UNC Wilmington's John Goldsberry became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make as many as eight three-pointers without a miss in single playoff game (against Maryland in 2003 first round).
22 - The only time in major-college history two undefeated major colleges met in a national postseason tournament was the 1939 NIT final between Loyola of Chicago and Long Island University (LIU won, 44-32). . . . University of Chicago ended Penn's school-record 31-game winning streak (28-24 in 1920) and LIU ended Seton Hall's school-record 41-game winning streak (49-26 in 1941 NIT semifinals).
23 - Hal Lear (48 points vs. Southern Methodist in 1956 NCAA Tournament third-place game) set Temple's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (27 vs. Iowa in 1956 championship game) set Final Four record for most rebounds.
24 - Askia Jones (62 points vs. Fresno State in 1994 NIT quarterfinals) set Kansas State's single-game scoring record.
25 - Eventual 10-year N.L. OF Frankie Baumholtz scored a team-high 19 points for Ohio University in 1941 NIT final defeat against LIU.
26 - UCLA's Bill Walton (44 points vs. Memphis State in 1973) set NCAA Tournament championship game scoring record by sinking a Final Four standard 21-of-22 field-goal attempts (95.5%). . . . DePaul's Mark Aguirre (34 vs. Penn in 1979 national third-place game) set Final Four scoring record by a freshman.
28 - UNLV's Mark Wade (18 vs. Indiana in 1987 national semifinals) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most assists. Teammate Freddie Banks established Final Four mark for most three-point field goals with 10. . . . North Carolina's Al Wood (39 points vs. Virginia in 1981) set scoring record for NCAA Tournament national semifinal game.
30 - Princeton's Bill Bradley (58 points vs. Wichita State in 1965 NCAA Tournament national third-place game) and Siena's Doremus Bennerman (51 vs. Kansas State in 1994 NIT third-place game at Madison Square Garden) set school single-game scoring records. Bradley's output was the highest in any Final Four contest.
31 - Kansas' Jeff Withey (7 rejections vs. Ohio State in 2012 national semifinals) set record for most blocked shots in a Final Four game since they became an official statistic.
Memorable Moments in February College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in January College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in December College Basketball History
Memorable Moments in November College Basketball History
They Had Game: Not Oscar Quality on Court But At Least Competed There
In this instance, legendary Oscar Robertson would definitely be accurate in a rambling, self-absorbed speech to describe their game as inferior to his era. But in deference to Oscar Awards, following are movie actors/directors who "had game" as well-rehearsed college basketball players before becoming famous entertainers:
LLOYD VERNET "BEAU" BRIDGES, UCLA
Actor with the hit movie Fabulous Baker Boys among his credits. He is the son of Lloyd Bridges and brother of Jeff Bridges.
The 5-9 guard averaged 0.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for UCLA's 1960-61 freshman team that compiled a 20-2 record. He was a frosh teammate of Fred Slaughter, the starting center for the Bruins' first NCAA championship team in 1964.
JIM CAVIEZEL, Bellevue (Wash.) Community College
Former Gap model played Jesus in Mel Gibson-directed The Passion of the Christ (2004) and was in Bobby Jones Stroke of Genius the same year. Also played the part of Slovnik in GI Jane (1997) with Demi Moore, Private Wit in Thin Red Line (1998), Catch in Angel Eyes (2001) with Jennifer Lopez, and Ashley Judd's husband in High Crimes (2002) with Morgan Freeman. In the TV drama Person of Interest on CBS, he played the role of Reese, a former member of the elite Special Forces who is now drinking heavily and at the end of his rope in New York City.
Bellevue coach Ernie Woods called Caviezel the hardest worker he had in 30 years. Caviezel's younger brother, Tim, played for the University of Washington, averaging 3.6 ppg in 1990-91 as a freshman and 4.2 ppg in 1991-92 as a sophomore before transferring to Long Beach State. Tim, a 6-7 swingman, subsequently transferred again to Western Washington, where Jim's wife, Kerri, ranks among the career leaders in five statistical categories for the women's basketball squad.
"Basketball taught me to train for every possible situation but always stay in the moment," Caviezel said.
CHEVY CHASE, Haverford (Pa.)
After a one-year stint on Saturday Night Live, Chevy quit to move to Los Angeles. Following mixed success in a variety of films, he became one of the biggest box-office draws in the U.S. in the 1980s with hits such as Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation. One of his popular movie roles was as "Fletch" when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers in a dream sequence.
Chase was a JV basketball and soccer player as a freshman in 1962-63 before transferring to Bard (N.Y.).
MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, Kankakee (Ill.) Community College/Alcorn State
Former bodyguard appeared in four films with Bruce Willis: Armageddon (1998; cast as Bear), Breakfast of Champions (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and Sin City (2005; cast as Manute, a powerful mobster). Breakout role occurred when he earned an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination in The Green Mile. Voiced a dog Sam in Cats & Dogs (2001) and played Colonel Attar, a gorilla, in Planet of the Apes (2001). Starred alongside his friend, The Rock, in The Scorpion King (2002) and was the criminal mastermind behemoth Kingpin in Daredevil (2003).
The 6-5 Duncan was a teammate of eventual Chicago State coach Kevin Jones with Kankakee's 31-4 squad in 1980-81 before enrolling at Alcorn State under coach Davey Whitney. An excerpt in the Braves' 1983-84 media guide said: "He adds size, speed and excellent jumping ability to the roster. A very hard worker, he'll add tremendous depth to the bench." After dropping out of college because of family problems, he spent several years digging ditches for a gas company in his hometown of Chicago. "He was a tough, physical player," Whitney told CBSSports.com. "He was undersized and didn't weigh much back then, but he was very strong and powerful. He was just tough. He'd knock guys around."
LOUIS GOSSETT JR., New York University
The son of a porter and maid, he turned to acting in high school after a leg injury temporarily impeded his hopes for a basketball career. Following his Broadway debut at 17, he attended NYU on an athletic scholarship while continuing to perform on TV and the stage. He won an Emmy in 1977 for his role in the TV miniseries Roots-Part I before winning an Oscar in 1982 as supporting actor in the box-office hit An Officer and a Gentleman.
Gossett played for NYU's freshman squad in the late 1950s.
DENNY MILLER, UCLA
Miller became the first blond Tarzan in Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959), which lifted most of its footage from earlier Johnny Weissmuller movies. "Playing Tarzan is like being in a circus," says the 6-4 Miller on his web site. "Go ride that elephant, play with that chimp, swing on that vine. It's a terrific job for a guy who grew up to be a kid." Miller was a regular on Wagon Train in the early 1960s as Duke Shannon (his name was then Scott Miller) and played Juliet Prowse's husband in the TV series Meet Mona McClusky in 1965. For years, he was the "Gorton Fisherman," appearing in numerous commercials in his yellow rain gear.
Denny (7.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg in only eight games) and his brother Kent (7.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) Miller were on the same Bruins squad in 1958-59 (16-9 record under coach John Wooden) as teammates of decathlete Rafer Johnson and eventual Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum. Denny Miller spent three years in the U.S. Army between averaging 4 ppg in 1954-55 and 3.1 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 1957-58.
PAUL ROBESON, Rutgers
World renowned orator and baritone was a 6-3, 215-pound two-way end who finally was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. Valedictorian when he graduated in 1919, learned to speak 15 languages and forge a glorious international career as a singer and actor. Earned law degree from Columbia, financing way through school by playing pro football with the Akron Pros and Milwaukee Badgers (scored two touchdowns). Robeson, son of a runaway slave, was an outspoken antifascist and champion of racial equality and socialist causes who remained enough of a supporter of the Soviet Union to get him blacklisted on Broadway. Founder of the Progressive Party played roles in 11 films and established works such as The Emperor Jones and Show Boat and became the first black to play Othello with a white cast.
Robeson was a center for Rutgers' basketball team.
LEON ROBINSON, Loyola Marymount
Goes by the stage name "Leon." He was a lover-boy idol in Waiting to Exhale, and played a similar character in Tim Reid's acclaimed Once Upon a Time ... When We Were Colored. Robinson was the ruthless killer, Kinette, in Cliffhanger and was Derice, the sweet and charming captain of the Jamaican bobsled team, in the surprise comedy hit, Cool Runnings. Leon appeared as a football teammate of Tom Cruise in All the Right Moves, and was the leading man as New York high school hoop sensation Earl (The Goat) Manigault in Above the Rim. Leon starred opposite Robin Givens in the TV mini-series, The Women of Brewster Place and was cast as Jesus in Madonna's controversial 1989 music video Like a Prayer. Received critical acclaim for his portrayal of two legendary singers in made-for-TV movies: David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations and Little Richard in the self-titled 2000 NBC production based on the life of the rock-and-roll pioneer.
Robinson lettered for the Lions in 1978-79 when he averaged 2.9 ppg and 1.4 rpg. The Bronx native also attended Orange Coast Community College (Calif.).
TOM SELLECK, Southern California
Television and movie star won an Emmy in 1984 for his work in Magnum, P.I. He had a two-year stint (1974-75) on The Young and the Restless. His big-screen career got a major boost with the box-office hit Three Men and a Baby in 1987.
Selleck was a 6-4, 200-pound forward for Southern California. After serving as captain of the basketball team at Los Angeles Valley Community College, he scored four points in seven games for the Trojans in 1965-66 and was scoreless in three games in 1966-67. Excerpt from USC's school guide: "Agile and quick performer who adds depth on front line. Business administration major is good jumper with fine mobility. Rapidly improving shooter has impressed coaches with his hustle in practice. Needs to work on defense."
RON SHELTON, Westmont (Calif.)
Writer-director is synonymous with sports movies such as The Best of Times (high school football/1986), Bull Durham (minor league baseball/1988), White Men Can't Jump (street basketball/1992), Cobb (major league baseball/1994), Blue Chips (college basketball/1994), Tin Cup (golf/1996) and Play It to the Bone (boxing/1999). One of his non-sports films, Blaze, became a personal milestone for him as he went on to marry one of the stars, Toronto-born Lolita Davidovich. In Blue Chips, actor Nick Nolte was coach Pete Bell, who broke the rules in order to get the players he needed to remain competitive. "I played pickup into my 40s, right up until the time I made White Men Can't Jump," Shelton said. "I knew the game. I just loved that world."
Shelton scored 1,420 points in the mid-1960s, finishing the 20th Century among his alma mater's top 10 career scorers. He went on to play five seasons of Organized Baseball as a second baseman in the Baltimore Orioles' minor league system.
RON TAYLOR, Southern California
Best known for his roles as Lothar in The Rocketeer (1991) and Roc in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). He also played Al, the tall police detective whose face is never seen, in The Naked Gun (1988) and on the TV series Police Squad. Nicknamed "Tiny Ron," the seven-footer also appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the role of the Hupyrian alien Maihar'du.
Three-year USC letterman in the late 1960s was a second-round choice by Seattle in the 1969 NBA draft (18th pick overall). He played three seasons in the ABA before competing professionally in Austria in the 1970s before starting his film career.
MIKE WARREN, UCLA
Television star portrayed Officer Bobby Hill on hit series Hill Street Blues. Also appeared in the following movies: The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), Heaven is a Playground (1991), Buffalo Soldiers (1997) and After All (1999).
The 5-11, 160-pound guard for UCLA averaged 16.6 points per game in 1965-66 as a sophomore, 12.7 in 1966-67 as a junior and 12.1 in 1967-68 as a senior. He was an All-NCAA Tournament selection in 1967 and 1968 when the Bruins won national titles by combining for a 59-1 record. Warren was named to Converse and Helms All-American squads as a junior. In his senior season, he was named to the 10-man United States Basketball Writers Association All-America team and was a third five selection on the Associated Press and United Press International All-American squads. Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 14th round of the 1968 NBA draft.
Excerpt from school guide: "Named on the Academic All-American first team. One of UCLA's all-time great ballhandlers as well as being an outstanding driver and jump shooter."
DENZEL WASHINGTON, Fordham
Oscar award-winning actor Denzel Washington earned rave reviews for his performance as a high school football coach in Remembering the Titans. Most Hollywood buffs remember Washington's performances as a regular on the TV drama series St. Elsewhere while becoming a critically-acclaimed screen actor and major box-office draw in the 1990s with his performances in hit films Malcolm X, The Pelican Brief, and The Preacher's Wife. The hits continued with Man on Fire (2004).
But what the most ardent moviegoer doesn't know, let alone remember, is that Washington was a walk-on freshman basketball player for Fordham under coach P.J. Carlesimo. Washington probably was acting when he said "he had game" in describing his basketball ability in an interview about his movie role as the father of the nation's No. 1 player in director Spike Lee's 1998 release He Got Game.
Senior Celebrations: Pensive Parents Have Few Things They'd Like to Know
Naturally, parental pride displayed from coast to coast during Senior Night or Day the end of February and early March doesn't necessarily need to stem from athletics. Amid proper priorities, your child didn't have to be the best but he had to try his level best.
A parent knows life goes on after the anticipation of a senior salute. But how can a mom and dad express appreciation for all of the memories shared together?
Adding sports as a factor makes the lessons-learned equation more complex. Culminating at bittersweet senior celebration, it takes a significant amount of resilience to endure withdrawal from all of the devotion and emotion, last-second decisive shots, motivational talks coping with occasional slump, chance to dance in postseason competition, title dream dashed in close contest, team awards banquet, etc., etc., etc.
Who would have thought the first time he picked up a ball that he would make such a difference and stand so tall? Reflecting on all they've experienced, the parent is fortunate to still have a pulse whether their offspring is a walk-on or team standout.
It's easy enough to substitute girl for boy in the following poem portraying a parent trying to come to terms with an impending spread-their-wings departure; whether it be from high school to college or from college to the "real world." These reflections might be therapeutic if you went through a similar range of emotions amid whatever success your own flesh and blood enjoyed along the way.
Lord, there's a little thing I need to know
Where in the world did my little boy go?
Perplexed from time to time but one thing I know today
I'm a proud parent beyond words; what more can I say
Kids go through stages but not with this sort of speed
It was only yesterday he was unable to read
Wasn't it just months ago he went from crawl to walk
Hard-headed as a mule; certainly knew how to balk
Took one day at a time raising him the very best we could
Now inspires those around him just like we believed he would
High achiever turning a corner in his life
He has got what it takes to cope with any strife
Can't carry a tune but set school shooting star records
Now, the game-of-life clock dwindles from minutes to seconds
So angels above please watch over him daily
Although some of his antics may drive you crazy
He represents everything that I value the most
For that very reason, I'm offering a toast
But if he feels sorry for himself and about to give up
Do not hesitate to give him a gentle kick in the rump
Remembering what I did wrong but at least a couple things right
Always said you could do it; just try with all your might
I just yearn to see all of his grandest plans come true
God, it's my turn to have a great commission for You
Be with him, bless him and give him nothing but success
Aid his climb up that mountain; settle for nothing less
Guide his steps in the dark and rain
Pick up the pieces and ease any pain
Time to share our best with the remainder of the world
It is much like having a family flag unfurled
How can a once infant son make grown man cry
Groping for right words trying to say goodbye
To me, he'll always be a pure and spotless lamb
Cradled in our arms or holding his little hand
If I was Elton John, I'd tell everyone this is "Your Poem"
Simply sing how wonderful life was with you in our home
My soul swells with pride at any mention of you
How long gone are you going to be; wish I knew
Sure don't believe it is at all out of line
To seek to rebound for you just one more time
Although you're going to be many miles away
I will see you in my heart each and every day
So go down that windy path; don't you dare look back
You've found faith; it will keep you on the right track
He's headed for real world and all it offers
But first, here are your final marching orders
Always do the very best you possibly can
Refuse to lose even when you don't understand
There's no telling the goals you will be able to reach
By giving proper respect to instructors who teach
Aspire each and every day you wake
Not to waste a single breath you take
Might as well let all of your ability show
Because those gifts turn to dust whenever you "go"
Don't bury your talents in the ground
Lend helping hand to those you're around
I'll never forget the times when you were all you could be
Rose to the occasion and sent playoff game to OT
Cherish all the moments - the hugs and tears
For all your passion play through these years
My little guy is bound far beyond a Final Four
Poised for more success; prosperity at his door
All things are possible; he has found out
How much I love him is what I'm thinking about
Wherever you go, you'll be best from beginning to end
To that most truthful statement, I say Amen and Amen
After Senior Night, I'll stroll into your off-limits room
Try to keep my composure when it seems like doom and gloom
You will always be on my mind
But nothing like gut-wrenching time
When I ask the Lord a big thing I need to know
Where in His big world will His maturing man go?
Dirty Laundry: UL and SMU Were All Dressed Up But Have No Place To Go
Will Trump University earn a "huge" at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament since a couple of quality teams are on the sideline? What might have been for Louisville and SMU if they didn't double dribble their way into the NCAA's detention hall and become ineligible to participate in postseason play? There is little doubt the tourney trespassers would have been consensus choices to reach the Sweet 16 and boasted potential to advance to the Final Four. But this isn't the first time multiple competent clubs were stymied in the same year. Two Top 20 quality teams were also denied a chance to appear in the tourney in 1959 (North Carolina State and Seattle), 1974 (Centenary and Long Beach State), 1977 (Clemson and Minnesota) and 1982 (UCLA and Wichita State).
NCAA Tournament history probably would be substantially different if assorted celebrated squads in the last 60 years weren't ineligible to participate because of penalties stemming from investigations by NCAA enforcement. Among the repeat offenders denied opportunities at least twice to generate postseason headlines were Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina State and Wichita State. North Carolina could join this two-timer penalized list when the NCAA finally finishes its review of academic anemia.
NCAA "cops" appear to have been on strike the previous 20 years until the depth of deceit involving Louisville and SMU left officials no choice. Numerous touted teams were banished decades ago from competing in the NCAA playoffs while serving a sentence for wrongdoing. Is there tangible evidence regarding many of the "renegades" boasting the ability to rewrite history if they had avoided a rap sheet? If so, prominent players such as Rick Barry, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish probably wouldn't have a blemish on their resumes from failing to participate in the NCAA tourney due to sanctions. Dirty laundry prohibited the following outstanding squads with fewer than 10 defeats from receiving invitations to the NCAA's preeminent party:
| School | Year | Record | Coach | Vital Player(s) | Season Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 1953 | DNP | Adolph Rupp | Cliff Hagan and Frank Ramsey | After one-year schedule boycott, the Wildcats' undefeated squad in 1954 declined bid to NCAA playoffs because their three fifth-year (postgraduate) stars - Hagan, Ramsey and Lou Tsioropoulos - were ineligible. |
| North Carolina State | 1955 | 28-4 | Everett Case | Vic Molodet and Ronnie Shavlik | ACC regular-season and tournament champion Wolfpack defeated eventual national runner-up La Salle. |
| North Carolina State | 1959 | 22-4 | Everett Case | Lou Pucillo and John Richter | ACC regular-season co-champion and tournament kingpin Wolfpack defeated Final Four teams Cincinnati and Louisville. |
| Seattle | 1959 | 23-6 | Vince Cazzetta | Charley Brown | Despite losing All-American Elgin Baylor to NBA, this independent twice defeated NCAA playoff first-round winner Idaho State. |
| North Carolina | 1961 | 19-4 | Frank McGuire | York Larese and Doug Moe | ACC regular-season champion Tar Heels defeated NCAA representative Wake Forest twice by total of 24 points. |
| Utah | 1962 | 23-3 | Jack Gardner | Billy McGill | The Utes won by nine points at UCLA, a Final Four team after winning Athletic Association of Western Universities title. |
| Miami (Fla.) | 1965 | 22-4 | Bruce Hale | Rick Barry | The Hurricanes defeated NCAA playoff first-round winners Houston and Oklahoma City by total of 35 points. |
| La Salle | 1969 | 23-1 | Tom Gola | Larry Cannon and Ken Durrett | The Explorers defeated NCAA tourney entrants Duquesne, St. Joseph's and Villanova by total of 38 points. |
| Florida State | 1970 | 23-3 | Hugh Durham | Dave Cowens and Skip Young | The Seminoles split two games with national runner-up Jacksonville, losing on road to Artis Gilmore-led JU by only four points. |
| North Carolina State | 1973 | 27-0 | Norm Sloan | Tom Burleson and David Thompson | ACC regular-season and tourney champion Wolfpack defeated NCAA delegate Maryland a total of three times. |
| Centenary | 1974 | 21-4 | Larry Little | Robert Parish | The independent Gents won at Texas (SWC champion). |
| Long Beach State | 1974 | 24-2 | Lute Olson | Rick Aberegg, Leonard Gray, Cliff Pondexter and Roscoe Pondexter | The 49ers' two defeats were by two points at Colorado and Marquette (eventual national runner-up). |
| Clemson | 1977 | 22-6 | Bill C. Foster | Tree Rollins and Stan Rome | ACC regular-season runner-up Tigers defeated league champion and national tourney runner-up North Carolina by 20 points. |
| Minnesota | 1977 | 24-3 | Bill Musselman | Kevin McHale, Mychal Thompson and Ray Williams | Big Ten runner-up Golden Gophers (finished behind top-ranked Michigan) defeated national kingpin Marquette on Warriors' homecourt. McHale, Thompson and Williams enabled Gophers to become only college ever to have three teammates later average more than 20 ppg in any NBA season. |
| San Francisco | 1980 | 22-7 | Dan Belluomini | Quintin Dailey | WCC co-champion Dons compiled 4-1 record against three different NCAA playoff entrants. |
| UCLA | 1982 | 21-6 | Larry Farmer | Kenny Fields, Rod Foster and Mike Sanders | Pac-10 runner-up Bruins (finished behind #4-ranked Oregon State) defeated Midwest Regional No. 1 seed DePaul by 12 points for Blue Demons' lone regular-season setback. |
| Wichita State | 1982 | 23-6 | Gene Smithson | Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston | MVC runner-up Shockers (finished behind eventual NIT champion Bradley) defeated Mideast Regional runner-up UAB by 15 points. |
| Wichita State | 1983 | 25-3 | Gene Smithson | Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston | MVC titlist Shockers won at UAB (Sun Belt Conference Tournament champion). |
| Memphis State | 1987 | 26-8 | Larry Finch | Vincent Askew and Sylvester Gray | Metro Conference runner-up Tigers (finished behind defending NCAA kingpin Louisville) lost by only three points against UNLV, a national semifinalist ending season with glittering 37-2 mark. |
| Kentucky | 1991 | 22-6 | Rick Pitino | Reggie Hanson and Jamal Mashburn | SEC regular-season champion Wildcats defeated Big Eight co-champion Kansas, the national runner-up, by 16 points. NBA standout Shawn Kemp would have also been on their roster as junior if he hadn't dropped out of school two years earlier. |
| UNLV | 1992 | 26-2 | Jerry Tarkanian | J.R. Rider | The Rebels, winner of total of 20 NCAA playoff games in previous six years, were on sideline after capturing their 10th Big West Conference crown in as many seasons and leveling SEC at-large entrant LSU by 21 points. |
Curry Favor: Sir Charles and Big O Join Mistake-Ridden Mid-Major Deniers
Golden State guard Stephen Curry, anointed NBA Most Valuable Player the past two seasons while shattering the league's record for most three-pointers, neither is too small nor too fragile. What is too small and fragile are the brains of any genius who overlooked the Davidson All-American for significantly inferior performers as a high school recruit, those who subsequently bypassed him in a similar fashion in the NBA draft and blabbermouth such as Charles Barkley claiming Curry is "just a shooter."
Legendary Oscar Robertson came close to joining the condemnation chorus by saying "coaches today don't know anything about defenses." The Big O scored more valid points than Sir Charles on the state of the game but their "mid-major" mistake was including Curry in any critique. By any measure, Curry can compete in any era against anybody after becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Knuckleheads offended by Curry's dynamo daughter at a post-game press conference podium should save their angst for those individuals on a basketball payroll despite shunning Curry - occasionally including media or front-office colleagues.
In retrospect, it defies belief ESPN "expert" Seth Greenberg boasted the gall to patronize Virginia Tech All-American Dell Curry's son by offering a spot on the Hokies' roster as a walk-on before the Minnesota Timberwolves picked long-forgotten Jonny Flynn one slot ahead of the incomparable Curry in 2009. In other words, Greenberg and the Timberwolves are the only individual and pro team capable of stopping Curry. Of course, Loyola (Md.) is the only college capable of containing Curry, holding the nation's top point producer scoreless in 2008-09.
In a previous non-sexist straightforward generation when fifty-something Hannah Storm also dressed like a teenager, Stockton-to-Malone could have been a hallmark of the Washington Bullets/Wizards rather than the Utah Jazz if there were more astute judgments made in 1984 and 1985 between mid-major and SEC/ACC players. Smug egghead prosecutors seeking face time appealing to low-information voters by indicting hard-working policemen probably would have more stature probing low-intelligence individuals previously laying an egg bypassing workmanlike Curry. Following is an alphabetical list of mid-major standouts selected behind players from current power conference members before they became league MVP such as Curry, Finals MVP, appeared in five or more All-Star Games or all-time Top 10 in assists, blocked shots, rebounds or steals:
NOTE: Drafts in 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963 and 1964 included territorial picks.
Unfinished Business: Xavier Shows Potential of Reaching Final Four First Time
Weep On It/Think On It/Sleep On It/Drink On It. That could have been the motto for Xavier after the Musketeers remained a "Susan Lucci" school in Division I last season after losing in the NCAA Tournament. Brigham Young, Missouri and Xavier are the only three schools participating in at least 25 NCAA Tournaments but never advancing to a Final Four. But X is exhibiting traits where it could mark a spot at the national semifinals in 2016.
Missouri has reached a regional final on four occasions but fell short in advancing to the Promised Land. Boston College is another bridesmaid multiple times, losing three regional finals (1967, 1982 and 1994) in 18 tourney appearances (22-19 record) since the field expanded beyond eight teams in 1950.
Alabama (20-20) is the only school with a non-losing NCAA playoff record among the following list of five frustrated institutions in a quagmire because they've made a minimum of 20 appearances without reaching the Final Four:
Nova Joined Blue-Ribbon Programs Ranked Number 1 Atop AP National Poll
Different shades of blue comprise uniform colors of the five blue-blood programs spending the most weeks ranked #1 in major-college history - UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas. Villanova, another school donning blue, was ranked atop the AP national poll most of February this season until the Wildcats were declawed at Xavier. Number 1 stint was the first time Nova ever was perched on such a regular-season pedestal although the Wildcats won the 1985 NCAA Tournament title.
Maryland seemed to be the most likely heir apparent to succeed Villanova as #1 until the Terrapins dropped a couple of contests against second-division Big Ten Conference opponents. Thus the Terps, NCAA titlist in 2002, remained on the list of seven schools capturing an NCAA crown at some point in their history but never earning a regular-season top ranking, joining Oregon (1939 champion), Wyoming (1943), Utah (1944), CCNY (1950), California (1959) and Texas-El Paso (1966).
Breakout Season: Grayson Allen Continued NCAA Championship Game Surge
There was little doubt Duke's Grayson Allen, despite a Louisville scholar punching him while down on the floor, would be up and running as an All-American competing in the NCAA playoffs this campaign while compiling the largest one-season scoring average increase in ACC history. Allen, who averaged 21.6 points per game, posted a modest 4.4 mark a year ago as a freshman. Allen didn't "trip up" and wound up ranking sixth on the following list of first-time All-Americans posting increases of at least 14 ppg from the previous season:
| First-Time All-American | School | A-A Season Avg. | Previous Year Avg. | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Rayl | Indiana | 29.8 ppg in 1961-62 | 4.0 ppg in 1960-61 | 25.8 ppg |
| Gary Bradds | Ohio State | 28.0 ppg in 1962-63 | 4.7 ppg in 1961-62 | 23.3 ppg |
| Larry Fogle | Canisius | 33.4 ppg in 1973-74 | 14.8 ppg in 1972-73 | 18.6 ppg |
| Greg "Bo" Kimble | Loyola Marymount | 35.3 ppg in 1989-90 | 16.8 ppg in 1988-89 | 18.5 ppg |
| Jimmy Hagan | Tennessee Tech | 28.8 ppg in 1958-59 | 11.0 ppg in 1957-58 | 17.8 ppg |
| Grayson Allen | Duke | 21.6 ppg in 2015-16 | 4.4 ppg in 2014-15 | 17.2 pgg |
| Howard "Butch" Komives | Bowling Green | 36.7 ppg in 1963-64 | 20.2 ppg in 1962-63 | 16.5 ppg |
| Austin Carr | Notre Dame | 38.1 ppg in 1969-70 | 22.1 ppg in 1968-69 | 16.0 ppg |
| Bob McCurdy | Richmond | 32.9 ppg in 1974-75 | 17.6 ppg in 1973-74 | 15.3 ppg |
| Neal Walk | Florida | 26.5 ppg in 1967-68 | 11.5 ppg in 1966-67 | 15 ppg |
| Jodie Meeks | Kentucky | 23.7 ppg in 2008-09 | 8.8 ppg in 2007-08 | 14.9 ppg |
| Mark Workman | West Virginia | 26.1 ppg in 1950-51 | 11.3 ppg in 1949-50 | 14.8 ppg |
| Tom Kondla | Minnesota | 24.9 ppg in 1966-67 | 10.9 ppg in 1965-66 | 14.0 ppg |
Allen was averaging a modest 3.9 ppg entering last year's Final Four prior to becoming an overnight sensation by erasing a nine-point, second-half deficit virtually by himself to spark a rally against Wisconsin in the NCAA championship game. From a historical perspective, only one unsung player in history had more of a Final Four impact than Allen, who finished with 16 points in the final after contributing nine in the national semifinals against Michigan State. Nothing compares to the version of Washington coming "out-of-the-valley forge" when UCLA's Kenny Washington was instrumental in helping venerable coach John Wooden capture his first NCAA Tournament championship in 1964. Washington, the only player with a single-digit season scoring average (6.1) to tally more than 25 points in a championship game, scored 26 points in a 98-83 triumph over Duke in the final. Teammate Gail Goodrich contributed 27 points as he and Washington became the only duo to each score more than 25 in an NCAA final.
Although Washington became the only player to score 25 or more points in a final and not be named to the All-Tournament team, he wasn't rebuffed again the next year. Washington, averaging a modest 8.9 points per game entering the 1965 Final Four, scored a total of 27 points in victories over Wichita State and Michigan as the Bruins successfully defended their title en route to 10 crowns in 12 years under Wooden. Washington joined teammates Goodrich and Edgar Lacey on the 1965 All-Tournament team with co-national players of the year Bill Bradley (Princeton) and Cazzie Russell (Michigan).
In 1969, UCLA was without two-time All-Tournament team selection Lucius Allen because of academic problems, but the Bruins got another significant increase in point production at the Final Four from an unlikely source. Guard John Vallely averaged 22 points in victories against Drake and Purdue after arriving at the national semifinals with a 10.2-point average. Allen is the only freshman on the following list of six championship team rank-and-file players to average fewer than eight points per game entering the Final Four before seizing the moment and averaging double digits in scoring in their last two games with an increase of more than 7 ppg from their pre-Final Four scoring mark:
| Unsung Hero | Class | Pos. | NCAA Champion | Season Avg. | Avg. Before Final 4 | Final 4 Avg. | Avg. Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Washington | Soph. | F-G | UCLA '64 | 6.1 | 5.2 | 19.5 | 14.3 |
| Grayson Allen | Fr. | G | Duke '15 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 12.5 | 8.6 |
| Norm Mager | Sr. | F | CCNY '50 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 11.5 | 8.5 |
| John Dick | Jr. | F | Oregon '39 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 14.5 | 8.2 |
| Gene Brown | Soph. | G | San Francisco '56 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 14.0 | 7.4 |
| Tommy Curtis | Jr. | G | UCLA '73 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 13.0 | 7.2 |
NOTE: Washington State junior guard Kirk Gebert, who scored 21 points in a 39-34 loss against Wisconsin in 1941 final to finish the year with a 6.6-point average, is the only player other than Washington with a single-digit season average to score more than 20 points in a title game.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale has good reason comparing Allen to former Ohio State standout John Havlicek. But Allen will need to keep on improving at a comparable dramatic pace upon reaching the professional level to join the following "Magnificent 7" list of All-Americans (including Havlicek) who posted career scoring averages more than five points per game higher over more than 10 NBA seasons than they did in multiple college campaigns:
| Player | School | College Average | NBA Average | Scoring Increase | NBA Career Scoring Average Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordan | North Carolina | 17.7 ppg | 30.1 ppg | 12.4 ppg | 15 seasons with low mark of 20 in final NBA campaign in 2002-03 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston | 13.3 ppg | 21.8 ppg | 8.5 ppg | 18 years with first 13 seasons compiling more than 20 from 1984-85 through 1996-97 |
| Charles Barkley | Auburn | 14.1 ppg | 22.1 ppg | 8 ppg | 16 years with 11 consecutive seasons compiling more than 20 from 1985-86 through 1995-96 |
| John Havlicek | Ohio State | 14.6 ppg | 20.8 ppg | 6.2 ppg | 16 years with eight consecutive seasons compiling more than 20 from 1966-67 through 1973-74 |
| Clyde Drexler | Houston | 14.4 ppg | 20.4 ppg | 6 ppg | 15 years with his last 13 seasons compiling at least 18 from 1985-86 through 1997-98 |
| Patrick Ewing | Georgetown | 15.3 ppg | 21 ppg | 5.7 ppg | 17 years with his first 13 seasons compiling at least 20 from 1985-86 through 1997-98 |
| Marques Johnson | UCLA | 14.4 ppg | 20.1 ppg | 5.7 ppg | 11 years with first of six boasting more than 20 a career-high 25.6 in 1978-79 |
Foreign Aid: International Players Continue to Make Valparaiso Vibrant
2 Trump 20:16 - "Build higher the wall; fingerprint them all." - chapter and verse Trumpism from fake Gospel of Donald about protecting Southern border of U.S.
Punching back at papal pap, perhaps the purge to purify should include tearing down the Vatican wall. But whether in Italy or any foreign country, the art of the deal in basketball is that it can trumpet borders don't exist and legal immigrants have made a significant impact on the sport. No American university has benefited more from fingerprint of foreigners over the years than Valparaiso, which is getting significant support again this season with half of the Crusaders' regular rotation coming from outside North America.
Foreigners have been instrumental in keeping Valpo among the nation's Cinderella stories since the mid-1990s when coach Bryce Drew arrived on campus as the key player under his father (Homer). Previously, many onlookers thought it wasn't an intelligent decision for the Midwest's version of an Ivy League institution to move up to the NCAA Division I level when the Crusaders compiled losing records each of their first 16 years in DI.
Valpo's spanning-the-globe foreign invasion has included: Lubos Barton (Czech Republic), Ali Berdiel (Puerto Rico), Ryan Broekhoff (Australia), Antonio Falu (Puerto Rico), Vashil Fernandez (Jamaica), Benjamin Fumey (Germany), Joaquim Gomes (Angola), Raitis Grafs (Latvia), Moussa Gueye (Senegal), Samuel Haanpaa (Finland), Shane Hammink (Netherlands), Shawn Huff (Finland), Mohamed Kone (France), Calum MacLeod (New Zealand), Moussa Mbaye (Senegal), Roberto Nieves (Puerto Rico), Stalin Ortiz (Colombia), Marko Punda (Croatia), Michael Rogers (Jamaica), David Skara (Croatia), Oumar Sylla (Mali), Kevin Van Wijk (Netherlands), Antanas Vilcinskas (Lithuania), Zoran Viskovic (Croatia), Hrvoje Vucic (Croatia), Ivan Vujic (Croatia) and Cameron Witt (Australia).
Barton, Berdiel, Broekhoff, Gomes, Grafs, Ortiz, Van Wijk and Viskovic were all-conference selections in the Mid-Continent Conference or Horizon League. You can work on your geography by assessing the comprehensive list assembled by CollegeHoopedia.com of foreign players impacting college basketball.
Zipping Along: Akron Among Five Programs Posting > 20 Wins Last 11 Years
The most ardent college hoops observer probably didn't realize Akron zips along as one of only five Division I schools likely posting more than 20 victories each of the past 11 seasons. After Memphis and Pittsburgh fell off the consecutive 20-win list last season, the Zips are joined by the following more recognizable institutions with a look at their best and worst seasons during these streaks:
| School | Years | Coach(es) | Best Record (Season) | Worst Record (Season) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 27 | Roy Williams and Bill Self | 34-2 (1996-97) | 23-10 (1998-99) |
| Duke | 20 | Mike Krzyzewski | 37-2 (1998-99) | 22-11 (2006-07) |
| Gonzaga | 19 | Dan Monson and Mark Few | 35-3 (2014-15) | 23-11 (2006-07) |
| Akron | 11 | Keith Dambrot | 26-7 (2006-07) | 21-14 (2014-15) |
| Ohio State | 11* | Thad Matta | 34-3 (2010-11) | 24-13 (2007-08) |
*If Buckeyes win at least two games in March at end of 2015-16 campaign.
By George: Indiana Pacers Sensation Familiar With Press Overlooking Him
Paul George should be accustomed to voters shunning him after seeing Russell Westbrook repeat as NBA All-Star Game MVP despite George falling one basket shy of breaking legendary Wilt Chamberlain's All-Star scoring record of 42 points set in 1962.
Mr. Versatility for Fresno State in 2009-10 was overlooked by inept All-American voters before promptly blossoming into an All-Star with the Indiana Pacers. George, flourishing despite incurring a gruesome broken leg a couple of years ago, is the latest textbook example of the chronic problem exhibited by low-information A-A voters and their shoddy treatment of mid-major standouts. Is the mess media spending too much time reading a contrived-narrative slanted story in "Rolling to Get Stoned"?
Jeff Foxworthy, breaking the gruesome mental-midget fever, should host a show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Rate Press Pundit? Questioning the qualifications of misguided media members quickly comes to mind when assessing their longstanding track record failing to acknowledge stellar mid-level players as All-Americans. The majority of the mess media look as if they are swallowing their own vomit trying to accept and describe Donald Trump's political prowess. Despite superb collegiate careers, including player of the year acclaim in a mid-major conference, a striking number of individuals didn't generate sufficient national recognition to be chosen as an All-American. For instance, Louisiana Tech's Paul Millsap led the nation in rebounding three straight seasons from 2003-04 through 2005-06 but wasn't accorded All-American status.
Incredibly, the overlooked features two prominent floor generals who went on to lead the NBA in assists a total of 14 times - John Stockton (nine) and two-time MVP Steve Nash (five) - plus Tim Hardaway, who averaged 8.2 apg during his 13-year pro career; Joe Dumars, a six-time NBA All-Star guard and 1989 NBA Finals MVP, and Derek Fisher, who received five championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers in the first decade of the 21st Century. Among shunned frontcourters, two-time conference MVPs Chris Gatling, Brian Grant, Popeye Jones and Rik Smits each played at least 11 seasons in the NBA.
Whether they are coaches who need to come out of the film-watching closet or members of the lame-stream media, many incompetent voters should be deep-sixed for overdosing on the premier leagues while condescendingly looking upon mid-level players such as Georgia State's R.J. Hunter last season. Hunter, a two-time MVP in the Sun Belt Conference, and NBA Most Improved Player C.J. McCollum (Lehigh) could eventually be among the following alphabetical list of Division I conference MVPs left behind in regard to securing All-American status before they enjoyed NBA/ABA careers of at least six seasons:
Presidential Candidates' Way Included Several Former College Hoopers
Much is written about college basketball in the daily newspaper sports pages, weekly/monthly specialty magazines and on the internet. But you might be surprised the extent to which the written word beyond The Audacity of Hoop, much of it outside the world of sports, emanates from former college basketball players who became politicians.
For instance, politician extraordinaire Dean Rusk, Davidson's most noted alumnus pre-Stephen Curry who wrote his memoirs in the book As I Saw It, was a star center in the late 1920s and early 1930s with former Davidson President Dr. D. Grier Martin (1957 until 1968).
"Basketball at Davidson reminds me of the old French proverb, 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose,'" said Rusk, who served as Secretary of State under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War era. "The game itself has been revolutionized since I played it. We once beat North Carolina 17-12; it was not a slowdown game. We both were trying like everything. What has remained the same has been the sheer fun of it, the stimulation of competition, the experience of losing as well as winning and the recognition that basketball is a sport in which a small college can take on the big fellows."
Former Princeton All-American Bill Bradley, a three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995, took on the "big fellows" as a presidential candidate in 2000 and wrote a book called We Can All Do Better. Bradley, a tax and trade expert with a strong voice on race issues and campaign finance reform, authored two basketball volumes (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).
"The lessons learned from it (basketball) stay with you," Rhodes Scholar Bradley wrote of the sport he still loves. "I was determined that no one would outwork me."
The information is as difficult to pry loose as transcripts of Shrillary's overpaid speeches before Wall Street benefactors. You might not know it, but there is a striking number of luminaries who displayed determination in the political arena and wrote books after "working the crowd" in a college basketball arena. Essentially, the following lineup represents a rebuttal to the chronic complainers who cite politicians generally and writers specifically as individuals who don't know anything about sports generally and college hoops specifically. In deference to Presidents' Day and the prospect of former college hooper Scott Brown becoming Donald Trump's running mate, following is an alphabetical list of additional politicians-turned-authors who played the game:
SCOTT BROWN, Tufts (Mass.)
Stunning upset victory in special election in January 2010, becoming the first Republican elected to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since 1979. Brown, filling the Senate seat that opened when Ted Kennedy died the previous August, drove his GMC Canyon pickup with over 200,000 miles on it everywhere during a savvy campaign. Authored a book Against All Odds released in 2011.
At Tufts (class of '81), he was known as "Downtown" Scotty Brown because of his long-range marksmanship. Averaging 9 ppg as a freshman in 1977-78, he earned an ECAC Rookie of the Week award that season. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.9 ppg and scored 35 points in a victory against Bowdoin. As a junior, he made 54.3% of his shots and had back-to-back games of 26 and 25 points against Curry and Trinity, respectively, en route to averaging 10.8 ppg. Senior co-captain capped his career with a 10.3-point scoring average, including a 35-point outburst against Brandeis. "He was not born with great basketball attributes," said his coach (John White) in a feature about Brown during his senior season. "He has gone beyond his limitations, which is very admirable." Converted more than half of his career field-goal attempts (422 of 853). Brown's 6-0 daughter, Ayla, was a starting guard most of her career with Boston College from 2006-07 through 2009-10, posting career highs of 18 points against Clemson and 14 rebounds against Wake Forest. Ayla has also released three albums after being a semifinalist in the fifth season of "American Idol," impressing the judges with her rendition of Christina Aguilera's "Reflection."
ROBERT CASEY, Holy Cross
Pennsylvania's 42nd governor served two terms from 1987 to 1995 after winning in his fourth attempt for the office. Casey, a coal miner's son, ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 1996. Pro-life candidate suffered from a rare hereditary disease that caused him to become a heart-liver transplant recipient. He died in late May, 2000, at the age of 68.
He was a 6-2 freshman in 1949-50 when Holy Cross senior Bob Cousy was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American. The 6-2 Casey averaged 1.3 ppg in 1950-51 and 1952-53. Excerpt from Casey's 1996 autobiography Fighting for Life: "I remember best the moments I was on the court with Cousy. He was an icon in the making - a genius with a basketball. Our freshman team provided cannon fodder for Cousy and the rest of the varsity team in practice. What I remember most about Cousy was that he was always the first guy on the court at night, refining his moves a hundred times before practice even started."
WILLIAM COHEN, Bowdoin (Maine)
Moderate Republican was Secretary of Defense in President Clinton's administration after serving as a Senator from Maine. He moonlighted as an author and had a stint in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. Cohen's first bask in the national spotlight came when he voted, as a House member, to impeach President Nixon. In 1992, he pushed to reauthorize the "independent counsel" law and became a founder of the Republican Majority Coalition. "In team sports, there's a game plan," Cohen said in Ira Berkow's Court Vision. "When you're talking military it's still a game plan, but it's a war plan.
It's either how to prevent a war from taking place or what happens if you have to go to war and how you structure your forces, what happens if, what are the contingency plans, what is the escalation. All of that is not identical to a game plan, but it's training and practice." Cohen wrote The New Art of the Leader among several books, including mysteries, poetry and (with George Mitchell) an analysis of the Iran-contra affair. His second wife is author Janet Langhart, who was known as "First Lady of the Pentagon" during Cohen's tenure as Secretary.
The New England Basketball All-Star Hall of Fame inductee led Bowdoin in scoring all three varsity seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 (career-high 16 ppg as a junior). "A two-handed set shot was obsolete in college when I was playing, but I shot it," Cohen said. "I was able to shoot it from very far and get it off very fast. Dolph Schayes was kind of a role model for me."
ROBERT J. DOLE, Kansas
Represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1997. Senate majority leader from 1985 to 1987 and again starting in 1995 when he began his third quest for the Republican presidential nomination. He was the Republican nominee for Vice President as Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ben Cramer described Dole as a good player who "could handle the ball, shooting that newfangled one-hand push shot, and big and tough under the boards." Member of Kansas freshman basketball team in 1942-43 for one semester before enlisting in the Army during World War II, where his right shoulder was destroyed in a mortar barrage in the Italian mountains. He spent 39 months in and out of hospitals, returning to his hometown of Russell, Kan., to recuperate from the wound that also cost him a kidney. A book about his recovery, A Soldier's Story, was published in 2005.
JOHN H. GLENN JR., Muskingum (Ohio)
U.S. Senator (Democrat from Ohio) for 24 years and former astronaut. In 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Nearly 40 years later, he became the oldest human to enter space when he joined the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Among the seven candidates who lost to Walter Mondale for the 1984 Democratic Party nomination.
In Glenn's memoir, he wrote: "I went out for the freshman basketball squad and made that, but I noticed that while I had not gotten any faster or grown any taller, the other players had." He also played freshman football in college before World War II interrupted his career. "Each individual has to prepare himself to do his very best, whether it's in an individual or team sport," Glenn said. "In team sports, you have to have great teamwork to reach any goal, which is exactly what we have to do in life after athletics and college."
AL GORE, Harvard
Democratic Presidential nominee against George W. Bush in 2000 waged a long-shot campaign for president in 1988, when he was 39. Vice President in Bill Clinton's administration was a Senator from Tennessee after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1985. Shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize after his film An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary on global warming, won an Academy Award. Gore's book with the same title was published concurrently with the theatrical release. For the "Unabomber" crowd that believes dinosaurs became extinct because they burped and farted too much, he subsequently wrote similar environmental-related books called The Assault on Reason, Our Choice and Earth in the Balance.
Gore averaged 2.8 points per game for Harvard's 12-4 freshman team in 1965-66. In the biography Inventing Al Gore, he was described as "rarely playing but working on his game incessantly." His competitive drive led him to challenge roommates "out of the blue" to push-ups, a vestige of the boyhood regimen imposed by his Senator father. He "wanted to challenge you or himself, intellectually or physically. He was always, `I bet I can beat you at the last thing you did.'"
LEE H. HAMILTON, DePauw (Ind.)
Vice Chairman of 9/11 Commission and co-chair of Iraq Study Group in 2006 was a leading Democratic voice on foreign policy and a steadying force in the House of Representatives for 34 years from 1965 through 1998. He chaired three committees - Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Joint Economic - and was the ranking minority member of the House International Relations Committee. Representing Indiana's Ninth District, he retained not only his crew cut but also his moderate, common-sense approach and a Methodist work ethic that got him to his office nearly every day before 6 a.m. Wrote a book called How Congress Works and Why You Should Care.
Ranked fourth on DePauw's career scoring list when he graduated in 1952. The 6-4 Hamilton led the team in scoring as a junior (11.4 ppg) and was the second-leading scorer as a sophomore (9.8 ppg) and senior (10.9 ppg).
HENRY "HANK" HYDE, Georgetown/Duke
Starting out as a Democrat, he became a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois and eventual chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. His towering stature as a lawmaker made him the ideal GOP point-man to lead an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton. Wrote books called Moral Universe and Forfeiting Our Property Rights.
He was a forward-center for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up that compiled a 22-5 record. The 6-3 Hyde scored two points in a 53-49 victory over a Chicago hometown team, DePaul, and fellow freshman George Mikan in the Eastern Regional final (playoff semifinals) before going scoreless in a championship game loss against Wyoming. "I can only say about the way I guarded him (Mikan scored one point in the second half) that I will burn in purgatory," Hyde deadpanned. "The rules were considerably bent." The next season as a Naval trainee at Duke, he earned a letter but was scoreless in the Blue Devils' 44-27 Southern Conference championship game victory over North Carolina. Hyde served as an ensign in the Asiatic and Pacific Theaters during World War II before re-enrolling at Georgetown, where he graduated in 1947. Twenty-one years later, Clinton earned his diploma from the same university. Sketch of Hyde in Georgetown guide: "Possesses a pivot shot, difficult to stop, and a shot made while cutting from the bucket to give his scoring threats a double edge."
TOM McMILLEN, Maryland
Co-chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness under Bill Clinton. Elected in 1987 as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland. From 1991 to 2003, he served on the Knight Foundation's Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics investigating abuses within college sports. He is co-author of Out of Bounds, a book on sports and ethics in America.
The 6-11 center averaged 20.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in three seasons for Maryland from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Member of 1972 U.S. Olympic team is the only player in Terrapins history to have a career scoring average above 20 ppg. Averaged 8.1 points and four rebounds in 11 NBA seasons (1975-76 through 1985-86) with four different franchises.
GEORGE MITCHELL, Bowdoin (Maine)
Devout Democrat assumed position as Majority Leader in 1989 after arriving in the Senate from Maine in 1980. The son of a janitor received more than 80% of the vote in 1988. He served as independent chairman of talks that culminated in the signing of the Northern Ireland peace accord in April, 1998 and was tapped by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to spearhead an investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by players. Mitchell served as Disney Chairman of the Board from March 2004 until January 2007. He has written several books - Not For America Alone, World on Fire and Making Peace.
Wiry point guard was a senior in 1953-54 when he scored eight points in eight games.
SAM NUNN, Georgia Tech
Democratic Senator from Georgia retired in 1996 after four six-year terms. Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who served in the Coast Guard, helped defeat President Clinton's intention to allow open gays and lesbians in the military. He authored books on working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
His sketch is included in the 1957-58 Georgia Tech guide as a non-scholarship sophomore. However, Nunn is not included in the 1957-58 school scoring statistics, which include all players who scored, and is not listed on the 1958-59 roster. His son, Brian, played for Emory University in Atlanta.
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, Occidental (Calif.)
U.S. Senator from Illinois outlasted Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election before defeating Republican John McCain to become the nation's first African-American commander-in-chief. Authored a book entitled Audacity of Hope.
The 6-1 1/2 lefthander played on Occidental's junior varsity squad in 1979-80 before transferring to Columbia and subsequently attending Harvard Law School. In Dreams From My Father, Obama described basketball as a comfort to a boy whose father was mostly absent, and who was one of only a few black youths at his school in Hawaii. "At least on the basketball court I could find a community of sorts," he wrote. Pickup basketball was his escape from the sport of politics. Brother-in-law Craig Robinson, a two-time Ivy League MVP with Princeton, was Oregon State's coach when Obama was elected.
ALAN K. SIMPSON, Wyoming
U.S. Senator from Wyoming (1978-96) was a staunch conservative and loyal lieutenant to Republican leader Bob Dole. Simpson's father, Milward, served in the same capacity (1962-67). The younger Simpson, who garnered 78% of the vote in 1984, served as chairman of Veterans' Affairs and Social Security and Family Policy. He charmed the Washington establishment with his earthy wit and folksy wisdom, becoming somewhat of a media darling because of his pithy quotes. Simpson authored a book Right in the Old Gazoo - a lifetime of scraping with the Press.
Forward-center earned a letter in 1952-53 after scoring seven points in six games for a team that went on to participate in the NCAA Tournament. He also played football for the Cowboys.
MORRIS "MO" UDALL, Arizona
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1961 to 1991) and candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Brother of former Secretary of the Interior Stew Udall served as Chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs. Stemming from his wit, columnist James J. Kilpatrick labeled him "too funny to be president," which wound up being the title of his autobiography.
He was the Wildcats' captain and second-leading scorer with an average of 10 points per game for the 1946-47 Border Conference titlist finishing with a 21-3 record. The next year, he was the leading scorer (13.3 average) on an Arizona squad that successfully defended its league crown. The 6-5, 200-pound forward-center was named to the first five on the 1947-48 Border Conference all-star team and finished second in the league in scoring. He played with Denver in the National Basketball League in 1948-49.
Never Never Land: Ingram Could Become Duke's First In-State All-American
If Duke finishes this campaign out of the final national rankings, it is difficult to believe the Blue Devils will have two All-American selections - Grayson Allen (product of Jacksonville, FL) and Brandon Ingram (Kinston, NC). But if they flourish down the stretch, freshman Ingram has an opportunity to achieve a distinction generated by no other A-A in the school's illustrious history. Ingram can't have, however, another 10-turnover outing comparable to his lackluster performance at Louisville.
Last season, Chicago product Jahlil Okafor became the 37th different individual to become an All-American for Duke (first 26 under coach Mike Krzyzewski). Incredibly, none of them spent their formative years in any of North Carolina's 100 counties and can be counted as in-state recruits. It doesn't seem possible, but North Carolina laid a Blue Devils' goose egg while states such as Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon contributed to their list of All-Americans.
By contrast, the North Carolina Tar Heels had in-state talent account for multiple-year All-Americans such as Phil Ford, Antawn Jamison, Michael Jordan, Rashad McCants and James Worthy. The official web site of the State of North Carolina says the state is "a better place." But it hasn't been for Duke in regard to securing premium players prior to Ingram. Following is an alphabetical list detailing the hometowns of Duke's 37 All-Americans coming from 19 different states plus the District of Columbia:
Duke All-American Pos. A-A Season(s) Hometown Mark Alarie F 1986 Phoenix, AZ Tommy Amaker G 1987 Fairfax, VA Gene Banks F 1979 and 1981 Philadelphia, PA Shane Battier F 2000 and 2001 Birmingham, MI Carlos Boozer C 2002 Juneau, AK Elton Brand C 1999 Peekskill, NY Chris Carrawell F 2000 St. Louis, MO Johnny Dawkins G 1985 and 1986 Washington, DC Chris Duhon G 2004 Slidell, LA Mike Dunleavy F 2002 Lake Oswego, OR Danny Ferry F-C 1988 and 1989 Hyattsville, MD Mike Gminski C 1978 through 1980 Monroe, CT Dick Groat G 1951 and 1952 Swissvale, PA Gerald Henderson G-F 2009 Merion, PA Art Heyman F 1961 through 1963 Oceanside, NY Grant Hill F-G 1992 through 1994 Reston, VA Bobby Hurley G 1992 and 1993 Jersey City, NJ Ed Koffenberger F-C 1946 and 1947 Wilmington, PA Christian Laettner C-F 1991 and 1992 Buffalo, NY Trajan Langdon G 1998 and 1999 Anchorage, AK Mike Lewis C 1968 Missoula, MT Jack Marin F 1966 Farrell, PA Jeff Mullins F 1963 and 1964 Lexington, KY DeMarcus Nelson G-F 2008 Elk Grove, CA Jahlil Okafor C 2015 Chicago, IL Jabari Parker F 2014 Chicago, IL Mason Plumlee C 2013 Warsaw, IN Jonathan "J.J." Redick G 2004 through 2006 Roanoke, VA Austin Rivers G 2012 Winter Park, FL Jon Scheyer G 2010 Northbrook, IL Kyle Singler F 2011 Medford, OR Nolan Smith G 2011 Upper Marlboro, MD Jim Spanarkel G 1978 and 1979 Jersey City, NJ Jim Thompson F 1934 Washington, DC Bob Verga G 1966 and 1967 Belmar, NJ Jason "Jay" Williams G 2001 and 2002 Plainfield, NJ Shelden Williams C 2005 and 2006 Forest Park, OK
Four Coaches With > 200 Wins and 6 NCAA Tourneys at 2 Different Schools
Fran Dunphy has had only one Top 20 team in 27 seasons of coaching (Temple in 2009-10), but he is in exclusive company. Dunphy, who was bench boss for Penn 17 years prior to joining the Owls, is one of only four Division I mentors compiling more than 200 victories and at least seven NCAA Tournament appearances with two different universities.
"I've just been coaching a long time," said a modest Dunphy, who could join Roy Williams as the only coaches with 300 triumphs for two DI schools if he maintains the same success rate five more campaigns with the Owls. Following is an alphabetical list of Dunphy, Williams and the two other coaches in this select circle (Rick Pitino made six straight NCAA playoff appearances with Kentucky in the mid-1990s):
| Coach | Subject Seasons | Two Different Schools With More Than 200 Victories (Minimum of Seven NCAA Playoff Appearances) |
|---|---|---|
| Fran Dunphy | 27 (1989-90 through 2015-16) | Penn (1993-94-95-99 and 2000-02-03-05-06)/Temple (2008-09-10-11-12-13-16) |
| Lou Henson | 38 (1966-67 through 1995-96, 1997-98 through 1999-00 and 2000-01 through 2004-05) | New Mexico State (1967-68-69-70-71-75-99)/Illinois (1981-83-84-85-86-87-88-89-90-93-94-95) |
| Eddie Sutton | 27 (1974-75 through 1984-85 and 1990-91 through 2005-06) | Arkansas (1977-78-79-80-81-82-83-84-85)/Oklahoma State (1991-92-93-94-95-98-99 and 2000-01-02-03-04-05) |
| Roy Williams | 28 (1988-89 through 2015-16) | Kansas (1990-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99 and 2000-01-02-03)/North Carolina (2004-05-06-07-08-09-11-12-13-14-15-16) |
NOTE: Henson (Hardin-Simmons), Pitino (Hawaii, Boston University and Providence) and Sutton (Creighton, Kentucky and San Francisco) also coached other colleges.
Taking Selvy: Anniversary of When Furman Star Set NCAA DI Scoring Mark
What is the individual major-college record most likely never to be matched, let alone exceeded in our lifetime? Today is the anniversary of the most illustrious achievement (Frank Selvy scoring 100 points for Furman against Newberry SC on February 13, 1954). Kevin Bradshaw (72 for USIU against Loyola Marymount in 1990-91) is the only NCAA Division I player to tally more than 65 points in a DI game in the last 38 seasons.
Selvy reached the 100-point plateau en route to becoming the first three-year player surpassing 2,000 points, finishing with 2,538. Selvy (41.7 ppg) and Darrell Floyd (24.3) combined for 66 points per game during the 1953-54 campaign and are the highest-scoring duo in major-college history. Selvy, a senior, scored 50 or more in seven games on his way to becoming the first player to score 1,000 points in a single season (1,209) and average 30 or more for a career (32.5 ppg). Floyd succeeded his teammate as the nation's leading scorer with 35.9 ppg in 1954-55. Selvy and Floyd collaborated for a total of nine single-game scoring records by opponents against major colleges standing since the mid-1950s.
Making Selvy's 100-point outburst even more amazing was the fact his mother, watching her son play for the initial time, was among several hundred fans from his hometown of Corbin, Ky., who made the trip to Greenville, S.C., to watch the game. An early indication something special was in the offing came less than three minutes into the game when Newberry's Bobby Bailey, who helped hold Selvy to a season-low 25 points two weeks earlier, fouled out.
Selvy's last three field goals in a 41-of-66 shooting performance from the floor came in the game's closing 30 seconds, and the crowning moment was his final basket. "It (the 100-point game) was something that was just meant to be," Selvy said. "My last basket was from past half-court just before the final buzzer."
How did Selvy get away from the University of Kentucky? He played every minute of every game during his senior season. Following is the box score for Selvy's 100-point outing:
| FURMAN (149) | FG | FT-A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.D. Bennett | 0 | 1-1 | 1 |
| Darrell Floyd | 12 | 1-1 | 25 |
| Fred Fraley | 3 | 0-2 | 6 |
| Bob Poole | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Bob Thomas | 5 | 1-1 | 11 |
| Al Kyber | 0 | 0-2 | 0 |
| Charles Ruth | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Brock Gordon | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Frank Selvy | 41-66 | 18-22 | 100 |
| Kenny Deardorff | 1 | 1-1 | 3 |
| Sylvester Wright | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Harry Jones | 0 | 1-1 | 1 |
| Joe Gilreath | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 63 | 23-31 | 149 |
| NEWBERRY (95) | FG | FT-A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boland | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Warner | 2 | 0-4 | 4 |
| Leitner | 6 | 4-7 | 16 |
| Bailey | 0 | 1-2 | 1 |
| Blanko | 14 | 7-10 | 35 |
| Cone | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Roth | 0 | 3-4 | 3 |
| McKlven | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Davis | 13 | 6-7 | 32 |
| TOTALS | 37 | 21-34 | 95 |
Halftime: Furman 77-44.
Long on Short List of DI Players Compiling > 2,300 Points/1,400 Rebounds
Louisiana-Lafayette's Shawn Long, the nation's second-leading rebounder overshadowed in the Bayou State by LSU freshman sensation Ben Simmons, is on the precipice of a career feat previously achieved by only a handful of the premier players in major-college history. In mid-season, Long joined the 2,100-point/1,300-rebound club, an exclusive 19-member group failing to include four-year standouts such as Joe Barry Carroll (Purdue), Pervis Ellison (Louisville), Danny Ferry (Duke), Hank Gathers (Loyola Marymount), Mike Gminski (Duke), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Christian Laettner (Duke), Danny Manning (Kansas), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Calvin Natt (Northeast Louisiana), Sam Perkins (North Carolina) and Keith Van Horn (Utah).
Mid-major competition doesn't appear to have anything to do with Long's exploits. The Mississippi State transfer (never played for Bulldogs) showed power-league opponents don't slow him down at all, assembling impressive double-doubles this season in three non-league road games at Miami (21 points - 13 rebounds), Alabama (25-14) and UCLA (26-16). After scoring a career-high 35 points in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, he ended up joining the following alphabetical list of first five DI collegians (La Salle's Lionel Simmons was only other one since 1967-68) with career totals of more than 2,300 points and 1,400 rebounds:
| DI Player | School | Seasons | Games | Points | Rebounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin Baylor | College of Idaho/Seattle | 1954-55, 1956-57 and 1957-58 | 80 | 2,500 | 1,559 |
| Tom Gola | La Salle | 1951-52 through 1954-55 | 118 | 2,462 | 2,201 |
| Elvin Hayes | Houston | 1965-66 through 1967-68 | 93 | 2,884 | 1,602 |
| Dickie Hemric | Wake Forest | 1951-52 through 1954-55 | 104 | 2,587 | 1,802 |
| Lionel Simmons | La Salle | 1986-87 through 1989-90 | 131 | 3,217 | 1,429 |
NOTE: Baylor collected 814 points and 492 rebounds in 26 games his freshman season for College of Idaho (now known as Albertson College). He and Hayes were three-year players.
Be Patient: Marshall Joins All-Time Winningest Coaches Erasing Slow Start
"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world." - Helen Keller
Did you know coaching legend John Wooden won a grand total of one NCAA playoff game in his first 13 seasons with UCLA before capturing 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975? Although Helen Keller and Stevie Wonder weren't athletes, they could see exercising some patience clearly paid dividends for the Bruins.
Gregg Marshall (Winthrop and Wichita State) joined Lou Henson (New Mexico State and Illinois) as the only individuals to become the all-time winningest coach for two different schools. Marshall and Henson didn't exactly set the world on fire in their first couple of campaigns with Wichita and the Illini, respectively. A significant number of pensive pilots are on the precipice of hearing rumblings about them receiving walking papers from struggling schools. Prior to dishing out a pink slip, the institutions need to reflect a moment on the following alphabetical list of individuals such as Marshall and Henson who didn't get off to roaring starts with major colleges but withstood the test of time and became their all-time winningest coach:
| All-Time Winningest Coach | School | Summary of Shaky Start at College |
|---|---|---|
| Dana Altman | Creighton | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (1997-98). |
| Randy Bennett | Saint Mary's | Total of 11 games below .500 through first two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03). |
| Bill Bibb | Mercer | Total of 16 games below .500 in first three seasons (1974-75 through 1976-77). |
| George Blaney | Holy Cross | Total of 18 games below .500 in first two seasons (1972-73 and 1973-74). |
| Buster Brannon | Texas Christian | Total of 14 games below .500 in first two seasons (1948-49 and 1949-50). |
| Tom Brennan | Vermont | Total of 54 games below .500 overall and 36 below in ECAC North Atlantic Conference competition in first three seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89). |
| Dale Brown | Louisiana State | Overall losing record through first five seasons (1972-73 through 1976-77). |
| Jim Calhoun | Connecticut | Total of 24 games below .500 in Big East competition in first three seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89). |
| Bobby Cremins | Georgia Tech | Total of 16 games below .500 in ACC competition in first three seasons (1981-82 through 1983-84). |
| Billy Donovan | Florida | Failed to post winning season record until third year (1998-99). |
| Pat Douglass | UC Irvine | Total of 23 games below .500 in first two seasons (1997-98 and 1998-99). |
| Homer Drew | Valparaiso | Total of 67 games below .500 in first five seasons (1988-89 through 1992-93). |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | Total of 40 games below .500 in Big 12 Conference competition in first four seasons (2003-04 through 2006-07). |
| Fran Dunphy | Penn | Failed to post winning season record until third year (1991-92). |
| Cliff Ellis | Clemson | Total of 12 games below .500 in ACC competition through first two seasons (1984-85 and 1985-86). |
| Murray Greason | Wake Forest | Total of 11 games below .500 in first three seasons (1933-34 through 1935-36). |
| Doc Hayes | Southern Methodist | Four losing records in first six seasons (1947-48 through 1952-53. |
| Lou Henson | Illinois | Overall losing record through first three seasons (1975-76 through 1977-78). |
| Terry Holland | Virginia | Breakeven record overall and 16 games below .500 in ACC competition through first three seasons (1974-75 through 1976-77). |
| George Ireland | Loyola Chicago | Overall losing record through first six seasons (1951-52 through 1956-57). |
| Doggie Julian | Dartmouth | Total of 30 games below .500 through first three seasons (1950-51 through 1952-53). |
| Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | Overall losing record through first three seasons (1980-81 through 1982-83). |
| Guy Lewis | Houston | Total of 14 games below .500 overall and in MVC competition through first four seasons (1956-57 through 1959-60). |
| Gregg Marshall | Wichita State | Total of nine games below .500 overall and 12 below .500 in MVC competition in first two seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09). |
| Eddie McCarter | Texas-Arlington | Six losing records in first seven seasons (1992-93 through 1998-99). |
| Al McGuire | Marquette | Total of eight games below .500 in first two seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). |
| Frank McGuire | South Carolina | Total of 13 games below .500 in first two seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). |
| Bob McKillop | Davidson | Failed to post winning season record until fifth year (1993-94). |
| Eldon Miller | Northern Iowa | Total of 10 games below .500 through first two seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88). |
| Dan Monson | Long Beach State | Total of 18 games below .500 overall and losing record in Big West Conference competition in first three seasons (2007-08 through 2009-10). |
| Danny Nee | Nebraska | Total of 20 games below .500 in Big Eight Conference competition in first four seasons (1986-87 through 1989-90). |
| Fran O'Hanlon | Lafayette | Total of 19 games below .500 in first two seasons (1995-96 and 1996-97). |
| Johnny Orr | Iowa State | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (1983-84). |
| Steve Pikiell | Stony Brook | Total of 47 games below .500 in first three seasons (2005-06 through 2007-08). |
| Nolan Richardson | Arkansas | Total of eight games below .500 in SWC competition in first two seasons (1985-86 and 1986-87). |
| Jack Rohan | Columbia | Failed to post winning season record until fifth year (1965-66). |
| Al Skinner | Boston College | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (2000-01). |
| Dean Smith | North Carolina | Only one winning season record (1962-63) in first three years. |
| Jim Snyder | Ohio University | Total of eight games below .500 in first five seasons (1949-50 through 1953-54). |
| Kevin Stallings | Vanderbilt | Total of 24 games below .500 in SEC competition through first seven seasons (1999-00 through 2005-06). |
| Rick Stansbury | Mississippi State | Total of eight games below .500 in SEC competition through first three seasons (1998-99 through 2000-01). |
| Norm Stewart | Missouri | Losing record in Big Eight Conference competition in first three seasons (1967-68 through 1969-70). |
| Scott Sutton | Oral Roberts | Total of 10 games below .500 in first three seasons (1999-2000 through 2001-02). |
| Blaine Taylor | Old Dominion | Total of six games below .500 in first two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03). |
| Bob Thomason | Pacific | Total of 16 games below .500 in first four seasons (1988-89 through 1991-92). |
| John Thompson Jr. | Georgetown | Total of three games below .500 in first two seasons (1972-73 and 1973-74). |
| M.K. Turk | Southern Mississippi | Total of five games below .500 in first three seasons (1976-77 through 1978-79). |
| Riley Wallace | Hawaii | Total of 10 games below .500 in WAC competition in first six seasons (1987-88 through 1992-93). |
| Gary Williams | Maryland | Total of 24 games below .500 in ACC competition in first four seasons (1989-90 through 1992-93). |
| Jim Williams | Colorado State | Total of 12 games below .500 in first five seasons (1954-55 through 1958-59). |
| Charlie Woollum | Bucknell | Total of eight games below .500 in first three seasons (1975-76 through 1977-78). |
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