States of Success: Kentucky and California Each Boast > 20 National Titles
Kentucky (31), buttressed by Louisville (NCAA DI) and Georgetown (NAIA) in 2013, moved ahead of California three years ago as the state with the most national titles from each level of four-year college men's basketball - NCAA Division I, NIT, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. But California moved into a tie with Kentucky two seasons ago when Vanguard (Calif.) captured the NAIA crown and moved back ahead of Kentucky last campaign when Stanford won the NIT.
Illinois and Ohio are the only states to boast at least one champion from all five levels. Among the 12 states amassing a total of more than 10 national crowns, Missouri is the only one in that group without a Division I championship. Drury (Mo.) and Central Missouri won back-to-back DII titles earlier this decade but the state's two headline schools - Mizzou and Saint Louis - never have reached the NCAA Final Four.
The biggest surprise among states never to capture a national title is Iowa. Following is how states stack up by national titles including the NIT and various levels of small-college basketball:
State DI NIT DII DIII NAIA Total California 15 8 5 0 4 32 Kentucky 11 3 10 0 7 31 Ohio 3 6 3 5 2 19 North Carolina 12 2 3 0 1 18 Oklahoma 2 2 1 0 11 16 Illinois 1 6 1 6 1 15 New York 2 10 0 3 0 15 Wisconsin 2 1 0 12 0 15 Indiana 5 2 6 0 1 14 Missouri 0 1 3 2 8 14 Pennsylvania 3 6 2 3 0 14 Kansas 3 1 1 0 6 11 Minnesota 0 3 2 2 3 10 Texas 1 2 0 0 7 10 Virginia 0 4 5 1 0 10 Michigan 3 3 0 2 0 8 Tennessee 0 2 1 1 4 8 Georgia 0 0 1 0 6 7 Alabama 0 0 3 0 3 6 Connecticut 4 1 1 0 0 6 Massachusetts 1 1 1 3 0 6 Maryland 1 1 2 0 1 5 Arizona 1 0 0 0 3 4 District of Columbia 1 1 1 1 0 4 Florida 2 0 2 0 0 4 South Carolina 0 2 0 0 2 4 Utah 1 3 0 0 0 4 West Virginia 0 2 0 0 2 4 Colorado 0 1 2 0 0 3 Louisiana 0 0 0 0 3 3 New Jersey 0 2 0 1 0 3 South Dakota 0 0 3 0 0 3 Arkansas 1 0 0 0 1 2 Rhode Island 0 2 0 0 0 2 Washington 0 0 2 0 0 2 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 1 1 Mississippi 0 1 0 0 0 1 Montana 0 0 0 0 1 1 Nebraska 0 1 0 0 0 1 Nevada 1 0 0 0 0 1 New Mexico 0 0 0 0 1 1 Oregon 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wyoming 1 0 0 0 0 1
NOTE: Eight states - Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont - never have had a four-year school win a men's national championship.
Victory Map: Villanova Ranks 7th Among NCAA Kingpins in Winning Margin
There has been some smooth sailing, but it is usually a rugged road en route to becoming NCAA kingpin such as Villanova after the Wildcats won a pair of playoff games by fewer than six points and four by at least 19. Talk of the Kentucky squad four years ago hailed as one of the all-time greatest teams was somewhat silly insofar as intra-state rival Louisville, erasing 12-point deficits in both the semifinals and final three years ago, became the 42nd NCAA champion posting higher average victory margins than UK in the tournament.
North Carolina '09 became the 12th NCAA Tournament champion to win all of its playoff games by double-digit margins. The first nine champions in this category came before the NCAA field was expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
Most titlists have near-death experiences and are severely tested at least once on the serpentine tourney trail. In 1997, Arizona won each of its playoff contests by a single-digit margin.
A total of 49 champions won a minimum of one playoff game by fewer than five, including 22 titlists to win at least one contest by just one point. Wyoming '43 would have become the only champion to trail at halftime in every tournament game if the Cowboys didn't score the last three baskets of the first half in the national final to lead Georgetown at intermission (18-16). Four titlists trailed at intermission in both of their Final Four games - Kentucky '51, Louisville '86, Duke '92 and Kentucky '98.
UCLA '67, the first varsity season for Lew Alcindor (became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), set the record for largest average margin of victory for a champion when the Bruins started a dazzling streak of 10 consecutive Final Four appearances. They won their 12 NCAA playoff games with Alcindor manning the middle by an amazing average margin of 21.5 points.
Which of John Wooden's 10 national champion UCLA teams did the Wizard of Westwood perceive as his best?
"I've never come out and said it," Wooden said before passing away two years ago, "but it would be hard to pick a team over the 1968 team. I will say it would be the most difficult team to prepare for and play against offensively and defensively. It created so many problems. It had such great balance. We had the big center (Alcindor) who is the most valuable player of all time. Mike Warren was a three-year starter who may have been the most intelligent floor leader ever, going eight complete games once without a turnover. Lucius Allen was a very physical, talented individual who was extremely quick. Lynn Shackleford was a great shooter out of the corner who didn't allow defenses to sag on Jabbar. Mike Lynn didn't have power, but he had as fine a pair of hands around the boards as I have ever seen."
The roster for UCLA's 1968 national champion included six players with double-digit season scoring averages, but senior forward Edgar Lacey dropped off the team with an 11.9-point average following a dispute with Wooden after a ballyhooed mid-season defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome. Lacey, assigned to defend Cougars star Elvin Hayes early in the game, was annoyed with Wooden for singling him out following Hayes' 29-point first-half outburst. Lacey, the leading rebounder for the Bruins' 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 campaign because of a fractured left kneecap.
The three Lew-CLA teams rank among the seven NCAA champions with average margins of victory in a tournament of more than 19 points per game. It's no wonder a perceptive scribe wrote the acronym NCAA took on a new meaning during the plunderous Alcindor Era - "No Chance Against Alcindor."
"Bill Walton might have been a better all-around player (than Alcindor)," Wooden said. "If you were grading a player for every fundamental skill, Walton would rank the highest of any center who ever played. But Alcindor is the most valuable, owing to the pressure he put on the other team at both ends of the court."
North Carolina won all six of its playoff contests by double digits in 2009 but the only titlist to win all of its tournament games by more than 15 points was Ohio State '60. Center Jerry Lucas, a first-team All-American as a sophomore, averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds in four playoff contests for the Buckeyes. He collected 36 points and 25 rebounds to help them erase a six-point halftime deficit in their Mideast Regional opener against Western Kentucky.
Duke's five kingpins under Mike Krzyzewski have all came with average winning margin of at least 12.5 points per playoff game. Villanova ranks seventh in the following breakdown of point differential and average margin of victory in the NCAA playoffs for the first 78 national champions:
*All-time tournament record (111-42 first-round victory over Tennessee Tech).
NOTE: Fifteen teams participated in a total of 21 overtime games en route to national titles - Utah (1944), North Carolina (two triple overtime Final Four games in 1957), Cincinnati (1961), Loyola of Chicago (1963), Texas Western (two in 1966, including a double overtime), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1974), UCLA (two in 1975), Louisville (two in 1980), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1983), Michigan (1989), Duke (1992), North Carolina (1993), Arizona (two in 1997), Kentucky (1998), Kansas (2008) and Connecticut (2014).
Hot or Not?: Nova 4th NCAA Titlist in Last 5 Years Entering Tourney With Loss
Which cliche is most accurate? If a team is on a winning streak entering the NCAA Tournament, it has momentum on its side and is peaking at the right time. On the other hand, some observers contend a loss before the start of the playoffs is deemed a wake-up call. After squandering a 10-point lead in the last five minutes, Villanova's championship this season marked the fourth time in the last five years the titlist entered the playoffs after a defeat in their conference tourney. All five of Duke's champions under coach Mike Krzyzewski entered the NCAA tourney with fewer than eight straight triumphs.
Since the last undefeated team in Division I (Indiana was 32-0 in 1975-76), there have been 40 national champions. Twenty-two of those teams entered the tourney with a victory; 18 entered with a defeat after Nova bowed against Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament final. The longest winning streak of a champion-to-be in that span was by UCLA, which won 13 in a row in 1995 before posting six more triumphs in the playoffs. Louisville accounted for two of the other double-digit victory streaks for champions-to-be entering the playoffs.
Of the 22 aforementioned squads entering on a winning note, the average winning streak was six in a row. Following in reverse order is how those 40 post-unbeaten IU titlists entered the NCAA playoffs (including conference tournaments):
What Might Have Been? Virginia Latest to Defeat Both Teams in NCAA Final
Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda! Disappointment about not being there firsthand had to be particularly pronounced for Virginia, which defeated both teams in the NCAA Tournament championship contest earlier in the campaign. The Cavaliers also achieved this distinction in 1982-83. They are among the following teams in this what-might-have-been category:
| Season | School | Record | Victories Against Both Teams in NCAA Tourney Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | Virginia | 29-8 | Defeated Villanova and North Carolina by total of 16 points. |
| 2010-11 | Louisville | 25-10 | Connecticut and Butler by total of 16 points. |
| 2009-10 | Georgetown | 23-11 | Duke and Butler by total of 19 points. |
| 2008-09 | Maryland | 21-14 | North Carolina and Michigan State by total of 21 points. |
| 2003-04 | North Carolina | 19-11 | Connecticut and Georgia Tech by total of 18 points. |
| 2000-01 | Stanford | 31-3 | Duke and Arizona by total of 10 points. |
| 1999-00 | Kentucky | 24-10 | Michigan State and Florida by total of 17 points. |
| 1999-00 | Purdue | 24-10 | Michigan State and Florida by total of 14 points. |
| 1995-96 | Massachusetts | 35-2 | Kentucky and Syracuse by total of 28 points. |
| 1992-93 | Duke | 24-8 | North Carolina and Michigan by total of 25 points. |
| 1987-88 | Kansas State | 25-9 | Kansas and Oklahoma by total of 18 points. |
| 1984-85 | St. John's | 31-4 | Villanova (three times) and Georgetown by total of 23 points. |
| 1984-85 | Syracuse | 22-9 | Villanova and Georgetown by total of 15 points. |
| 1982-83 | Virginia | 29-5 | North Carolina State (twice) and Houston by total of 28 points. |
| 1962-63 | Wichita | 19-8 | Loyola of Chicago and Cincinnati each by one point. |
| 1952-53 | Kansas State | 17-4 | Indiana and Kansas by total of 8 points. |
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on April 4 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season commences, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 4
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded in 1969 by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels.
OF-INF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) traded in 1969 by the California Angels to the Cleveland Indians.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #23)
CollegeHoopedia.com hopes the rigors of our daily Q&A didn't give you an inferiority complex. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, this is the climax of 23 days featuring a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from (10 per day from Selection Sunday until a grand finale added value of 20 on the day of the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only automatic qualifier to enter the NCAA playoffs with an overall losing record despite compiling a winning conference mark. Hint: The school lost in the first round to the nation's top-ranked team, an opponent the school succumbed to four seasons earlier when eventual NBA guard Lindsey Hunter scored a then school-record 48 points.
2. Name the only one of the different teams to twice defeat an eventual NCAA champion in their title season to not appear in the NCAA Tournament that year. Hint: A former NBA coach guided the school to its only NCAA playoff victory against an opponent whose coach also later coached in the NBA.
3. Name the only team since seeding started to reach the Final Four without meeting a top eight seed. Hint: The team was eliminated in the national semifinals.
4. Name the only school to twice be denied an at-large bid in a 10-year span despite going undefeated in regular-season conference competition. Hint: The school reached a regional final the next time it went unbeaten in league play.
5. Name the only school in the 20th Century to compete for the national championship in both football and basketball in the same academic school year. Hint: The school lost both games.
6. Who is the only individual to win tournament games while coaching schools from the three conferences with the top winning percentages in NCAA Tournament competition reflecting actual membership (ACC, Big East and Big Ten)? Hint: He is the only coach to win playoff games with as many as three different schools when they were seeded ninth or worse.
7. Who is the only coach to win national championships in junior college, the NIT and the NCAA. Hint: He won the NIT in his first year as a major college head coach.
8. Who is the only leading scorer in an NCAA Tournament championship game to subsequently serve as an admiral in the U.S. Navy? Hint: He was an NCAA consensus first-team All-America the next season before eventually commanding the aircraft carrier Saratoga for two years.
9. Who is the only championship game starter in the 20th Century to be the son of a former NCAA consensus All-American? Hint: The father was a U.S. Olympic team member and the star player for the first black coach at a predominantly white Division I school.
10. Name the only teammate twosome to each score more than 25 points in an NCAA final. Hint: They combined for 53 points to lead their school to its first of multiple NCAA Tournament titles.
11. Name the only starting backcourt to combine for more than 50 points in a Final Four game. Hint: They combined to shoot 39 percent from the floor in the two Final Four games that year.
12. Who is the only individual to coach teams in the NAIA Tournament, NCAA Division III Tournament, NCAA Division II Tournament, National Invitation Tournament and NCAA Division I Tournament? Hint: He took two different schools to the five levels of national postseason competition in a 13-year span beginning with an appearance as an interim head coach.
13. Who is the only individual to be the team-high scorer for both winning and losing teams in NCAA championship games although his season scoring average was less than half of the team leader each year? Hint: He played in the shadow of an All-American whose total of points and rebounds (4,663) is the highest in NCAA history.
14. Who is the only coach to guide teams from the same school to the football Rose Bowl and basketball Final Four? Hint: The Rose Bowl and Final Four appearances were 17 years apart.
15. Name the only son of a member of one of the first classes of baseball Hall of Fame selections to start for a school in its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Hint: The son pitched for four major league teams before becoming a prominent executive. His father was a first baseman.
16. Name the only school to reach the Final Four and College World Series championship game in the same year. Hint: The school advanced to the Final Four again the next season.
17. Who is the only coach to win three first-round games with teams seeded 12th or worse? Hint: The former coach was 4-1 in tournament games decided by fewer than five points. He played basketball at Fordham when NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi was the Rams' freshman basketball coach.
18. Name the school that won all four of its first-round games despite being seeded eighth or worse each time. Hint: The four victories came in the first five tournaments after the NCAA introduced seeding.
19. Name the only school to appear in at least three NCAA Tournaments in the 20th Century and reach a regional final each time. Hint: The school's playoff appearances were in successive years.
20. Who is the only player to obtain NCAA and NBA championship rings without participating in postseason competition for either the college or pro title teams? Hint: The 7-0 center was in his first year with both of the championship squads.
Boys Gone Mild: Buddy Hield Isn't Only Big Scorer to Do Little at Final Four
A feeble nine-point output for National Player of the Year Buddy Hield in a drubbing by Villanova wasn't the first time Oklahoma had its leading scorer struggle in the national semifinals. In 2002, guard Hollis Price provided an anemic six points when the Sooners were eliminated by Indiana. But at least Price didn't end his college career on such a sour note as he still had another year of eligibility.
Many observers remember "Danny and the Miracles" in 1988 when national POY Danny Manning sparked Kansas to an NCAA crown. But they probably don't remember he managed only four points two years earlier as the Jayhawks' top scorer when they were upended by Duke. Similarly, North Carolina floor general Phil Ford became national POY in 1977-78 after he was limited to six points by Marquette in the 1977 NCAA playoff final.
An impact performer such as Hield or fellow national POY Chris Mullin (St. John's in 1985) shouldn't have their celebrated careers defined in any way by a F4 flame-out. Including six straight seasons in the mid-1980s, following is a list of team-leading scorers held to fewer than half of their scoring average when their teams were eliminated from title contention by losing at the Final Four since the NCAA playoff field was expanded beyond 16 teams in 1953:
| Year | Team-Leading Scorer | Average | F4 School | Sub-par Output in Final Four Defeat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Buddy Hield | 25.0 ppg | Oklahoma | 9 points vs. Villanova in semifinals |
| 2011 | Matt Howard | 16.4 ppg | Butler | 7 points vs. Connecticut in national final |
| 2005 | Francisco Garcia | 15.7 ppg | Louisville | 4 points vs. Illinois in semifinals |
| 2002 | Hollis Price | 16.5 ppg | Oklahoma | 6 points vs. Indiana in semifinals |
| 2001 | Jason Richardson | 14.7 ppg | Michigan State | 6 points vs. Arizona in semifinals |
| 1987 | Billy Donovan | 20.6 ppg | Providence | 8 points vs. Syracuse in semifinals |
| 1986 | Danny Manning | 16.7 ppg | Kansas | 4 points vs. Duke in semifinals |
| 1985 | Chris Mullin | 19.8 ppg | St. John's | 8 points vs. Georgetown in semifinals |
| 1984 | Melvin Turpin | 15.2 ppg | Kentucky | 5 points vs. Georgetown in semifinals |
| 1983 | Michael Young | 17.3 ppg | Houston | 6 points vs. North Carolina State in national final |
| 1982 | Rob Williams | 21.1 ppg | Houston | 2 points vs. North Carolina in semifinals |
| 1977 | Phil Ford | 18.7 ppg | North Carolina | 6 points vs. Marquette in national final |
| 1974 | Danny Knight | 12.4 ppg | Kansas | scoreless vs. Marquette in semifinals |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes | 36.8 ppg | Houston | 10 points vs. UCLA in semifinals |
| 1961 | Jack Egan | 21.9 ppg | St. Joseph's | 8 points vs. Ohio State in semifinals |
| 1960 | Tom "Satch" Sanders | 21.4 ppg | NYU | 8 points vs. Ohio State in semifinals |
| 1955 | Burdette Haldorson | 21.0 ppg | Colorado | 9 points vs. San Francisco in semifinals |
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on April 3 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! With a new season commencing today, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 3
1B Donn Clendenon (played basketball for Morehouse GA) ended his retirement and reported to the Montreal Expos in 1969.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in 1996.
1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.
RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers in 2004.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #22)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 22 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only player to lead an NCAA Tournament team in season scoring and rebounding before becoming the only NCAA playoff participant to subsequently appear in both the NBA Finals and World Series. Hint: He became his alma mater's athletic director.
2. Name the only championship team to have two guards be its top two scorers for the season. Hint: It's the only school to win an NCAA title the year after losing an NCAA Tournament opener by a double-digit margin.
3. Who is the only individual to play for an NCAA champion, NBA champion and ABA champion? Hint: The 6-2 swingman averaged almost three times as many rebounds per game for back-to-back NCAA titlists as he did points per game in his pro career.
4. Name the only school to lose an NCAA Tournament game in which it connected on at least three-fourths of its field-goal attempts. Hint: The school's leading scorer in that game was a freshman who went on to average at least 22 points per game in four tourneys, including first-round games against No. 3 and No. 4 seeds his last three years.
5. Who is the only player to hit a game-winning basket in an NCAA final one year and become a consensus All-American for another university the next season? Hint: He was a second-team All-American the same season a former teammate was first-team All-American one year after being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a freshman.
6. Name the only team to defeat three #1 seeds in a single tourney. Hint: The three #1 seeds were the three winningest schools in the history of major-college basketball. The champion is the only team needing at least four games to win the NCAA title to have all of its playoff games decided by single-digit margins. It is also the only titlist to finish as low as fifth place in its conference standings.
7. Name the only NCAA championship team to have four freshman starters. Hint: Two of the freshmen were among three starters who also excelled in a sport other than basketball.
8. Who is the only Final Four coach to previously lead the nation in a statistical category as a major-college player? Hint: He coached his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament six years later before guiding another school to the Final Four twice in a four-year span.
9. Name the only school to appear in the NCAA Tournament under two coaches who subsequently became NBA coach of the year. Hint: The school participated in the NCAA playoffs under these individuals in back-to-back seasons before they earned their NBA awards in a five-year span.
10. Who is the only player to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for an NIT semifinalist one year and an NCAA semifinalist the next season? Hint: After earning an NIT Most Valuable Player award, he helped his school become the first member of a first-year conference to reach the NCAA Final Four.
Result Reversal: NCAA Kingpins Recovering From Non-Conference Setback
When Villanova defeated North Carolina in the national final, the Wildcats joined 12 previous NCAA Tournament titlists rebounding from a non-league defeat to upend the same opponent in the playoffs. Nova had a 67-point turnaround in frustrating Oklahoma in the national semifinals, 95-51, notching the largest-ever margin in a Final Four contest (44 points). Every full decade of NCAA playoff competition had at least one of the following champions in this category (in reverse order):
| Year | Round | Champion Reversing Result | Earlier Margin of Defeat vs. Same Non-League Foe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | National Semifinals | Villanova 95, Oklahoma 51 | 23 points at Honolulu |
| 2012 | Regional Semifinals | Kentucky 102, Indiana 90 | one point at Indiana |
| 2004 | National Final | Connecticut 82, Georgia Tech 73 | 16 points at New York |
| 1996 | National Semifinals | Kentucky 81, Massachusetts 74 | 10 points at Springfield, MA |
| 1993 | National Final | North Carolina 77, Michigan 71 | one point at Honolulu |
| 1988 | National Semifinals | Kansas 66, Duke 59 | four points at home |
| 1981 | National Final | Indiana 63, North Carolina 50 | nine points at North Carolina |
| 1977 | First Round | Marquette 66, Cincinnati 51 | independent lost by one point at Cincy |
| 1974 | National Semifinals | North Carolina State 80, UCLA 77 (2OT) | 18 points at St. Louis |
| 1968 | National Semifinals | UCLA 101, Houston 69 | two points vs. independent at Astrodome |
| 1953 | Regional Final | Indiana 79, Notre Dame 66 | one point at independent Notre Dame |
| 1945 | Regional Final | Oklahoma A&M 68, Arkansas 41 | three points at Arkansas |
| 1941 | Regional Final | Wisconsin 36, Pittsburgh 30 | two points vs. independent at home |
Sweet Revenge: Titantic Turnarounds in Same Season Between Opponents
No one thought any set of non-conference opponents ever would come close to duplicating what occurred in 1952 when St. John's upset top-ranked Kentucky, 64-57, in an Eastern Regional final after the Redmen left UK red-faced earlier in the season by 41 points (81-40). St. John's subsequently bowed against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament final by 17 points. But St. John's 48-point turnaround paled in sweet-revenge comparison to Villanova's stunning 67-point turnaround after Nova overwhelmed Oklahoma, 95-51, in the national semifinals following a 23-point setback against OU in Hawaii earlier in the campaign.
Naturally, the most amazing reversals of fortune in a single season happen among annual rivals in conference competition. In 1997-98, Missouri rebounded from the Tigers' most-lopsided loss in school history (111-56 at Kansas State) to defeat the Wildcats in their Big 12 Conference return engagement (89-59 at Mizzou) for an incredible 85-point turnaround in margin. Following is a list citing about-faces of more than 65 points in the same season among league rivals:
| Pts. | Season | Opponents Splitting Verdicts | First Game Winner (Margin) | Second Game Winner (Margin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 1997-98 | by Missouri vs. Kansas State | Kansas State 111-56 (55) | Missouri 89-59 (30) |
| 71 | 2000-01 | by UTEP vs. Fresno State | Fresno State 108-56 (52) | UTEP 80-61 (19) |
| 68 | 1997-98 | by Alabama vs. Auburn | Auburn 94-40 (54) | Alabama 76-62 (14) |
| 67 | 1996-97 | by UCLA vs. Stanford | Stanford 109-61 (48) | UCLA 87-68 (19) |
| 66 | 1997-98 | by Michigan vs. Indiana | Indiana 80-62 (18) | Michigan 112-64 (48) |
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on April 2 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season is on the horizon, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only four percent of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 2
In 2001, San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC basketball second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) became the fifth player in N.L. history to spend 20-plus years playing his entire career with one franchise.
New York Mets manager Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948), two days shy of his 48th birthday, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972 after playing a round of golf in West Palm Beach with his coaches on Easter Sunday.
RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman for Hampden-Sydney VA in mid-1950s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Washington Senators in 1966.
LF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85), debuting with the Cleveland Indians, whacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh inning in a 9-7 decision over the Oakland A's in 1997.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #21)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 21 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only player to post the highest-scoring game in a single tournament the same year he also played major league baseball? Hint: He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. Who is the only Final Four player to become AAU national champion in the decathlon in the same year? Hint: The Final Four team's third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder finished third in the decathlon the previous year.
3. Who is the only Final Four player to finish among the top two high jumpers in four NCAA national track meets? Hint: The starting center for a national championship team is the first athlete to place in the NCAA high jump four consecutive years.
4. Name the only coach in NCAA history to reach an NCAA Division I Tournament regional final in back-to-back years with different schools. Hint: He also reached a regional final in his first season at his next coaching outpost.
5. Name the only top-ranked team entering the tournament to be eliminated by an opponent it defeated by more than 40 points during the regular season. Hint: The school that avenged the embarrassing defeat upended the nation's second-ranked team in its next playoff game.
6. Who is the only individual to play in the NCAA Tournament before setting several major league fielding records for a second baseman? Hint: He was the second-leading scorer for his school's playoff team and one of his teammates has been a prominent college basketball coach for more than 20 years.
7. Who is the only member of the College Football Hall of Fame to participate in back-to-back Final Fours? Hint: He is one of the few athletes to earn consensus football All-American honors at two positions.
8. Who is the only individual to lead a school in scoring in an NCAA Tournament before leading a major league in doubles as a player and manage a team in a World Series? Hint: The outfielder drove in six runs in one inning of an American League game.
9. Name the only university to win a minimum of two games in four different postseason national tournaments - NAIA, NCAA Division II, NIT and NCAA Division I. Hint: Of the schools to win at least one game in all four national tourneys, it is the only one with an overall losing record in postseason competition.
10. Name the only school to win back-to-back basketball championships the same academic school years it participated in New Year's Day football bowl games. Hint: One of the two basketball title teams is the only school to have as many as 26 different players appear in its games in a season it won an NCAA crown. The two titlists helped the school become the only university to reach the NCAA championship game in its first three playoff appearances.
Personal Items: Few Things You Should Know About 2016 Final Four Coaches
There is a tendency to overindulge at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Anyone digesting the following assortment of did-you-know facts on 2016 Final Four coaches should find that variety is the spice of this smorgasbord:
Jim Boeheim (Syracuse): Avid golfer, an assistant basketball coach under Roy Danforth, also served as varsity golf coach for the Orange from 1967 until the program disbanded in 1973. Three-year teammate of Syracuse All-American Dave Bing in the mid-1960s played in the CBA for the Scranton Miners. Boeheim made 13-of-19 field-goal attempts (68.4%) in two 1966 NCAA playoff games for East Regional runner-up. On five occasions (1977-84-96-01-03), he guided the Orange to the Top 20 in a final AP poll after they were not ranked that high in the preseason.
Lon Kruger (Oklahoma): Never has won an undisputed regular-season conference championship (tied for first in SEC with Florida in 1993-94 and in Big Ten with Illinois in 1997-98). He was selected in 12th round of 1970 MLB draft by the Houston Astros out of high school and in 21st round of 1974 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals after graduating from Kansas State, compiling a 1-6 pitching record in summer of '74 for St. Petersburg (Florida State League/Class A).
Roy Williams (North Carolina): Coached eventual Tar Heels All-American Brad Daugherty in fourth grade. Williams' son, Scott, was a backup guard with the Tar Heels.
Jay Wright (Villanova): Worked as an administrative assistant with the Philadelphia Stars football franchise, which captured the 1983 United States Football League championship.
Drawing upon all resources including degrees of success to motivate their teams, following are the educational backgrounds of the Final Four coaches:
| Final Four Coach | School | Bachelor's | Master's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | Social Science | Social Science |
| Lon Kruger | Oklahoma | Business | Physical Education |
| Roy Williams | North Carolina | Education | Education |
| Jay Wright | Villanova | Economics/Sociology |
Close likely will determine who gets to smoke the victory cigar. Boeheim boasts the best mark among active coaches in tight tilts decided by fewer than six points. Ask Arizona fans if close doesn't count after the Wildcats lost five regional finals from 2003 through 2015 by a total of 14 points. Following is how the 2016 Final Four mentors have fared at the major-college level in games decided by fewer than six points:
| Final Four Coach | School | DI Seasons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | 1977-2016 | 35-23 | 59-28 | 42-27 | 39-31 | 44-25 | 219-134 | .620 |
| Roy Williams | North Carolina | 1989-2016 | 19-14 | 21-17 | 24-16 | 22-22 | 23-17 | 109-86 | .559 |
| Lon Kruger | Oklahoma | 1983-2016 | 28-14 | 32-30 | 39-34 | 26-25 | 14-23 | 139-126 | .525 |
| Jay Wright | Villanova | 1995-2016 | 9-20 | 22-19 | 23-18 | 17-13 | 19-16 | 90-86 | .511 |
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #20)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 20 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only athlete to rank among the top five in scoring average in an NCAA Tournament and later start for an NFL champion? Hint: He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection who played in back-to-back Super Bowls. His brother was the first black player for the major leagues' last integrated team.
2. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA championship game in scoring while playing for his father? Hint: The son has the lowest game-high point total in NCAA final history.
3. Who comprise the only father/son combination to twice reach the Final Four together as coach and player? Hint: The son was a starter for a team that was undefeated entering the Final Four.
4. Who is the only active coach to have played in the NCAA Tournament and College World Series in the same year? Hint: He served as captain on the baseball and basketball teams as a college senior. After graduation, he played minor league baseball before becoming an outstanding fast-pitch softball player who was named to a couple of national All-Star teams.
5. Name the only school to have a single coach guide the same group of players to victories in the NAIA Tournament, NIT and NCAA Tournament. Hint: It's the only school in the last 60 years to enter the NIT with an undefeated record. One of the five regulars from the three national postseason tournament winners was one of the NBA's premier rebounders before becoming an assistant coach in the league and head coach of his alma mater.
6. Who is the only coach to guide teams to the championship game in both the Division I and Division II Tournaments? Hint: He is the only coach to have a career NCAA Division I Tournament record as many as eight games below the .500 mark, only title team coach to compile a non-winning career playoff mark and only coach to lose three consecutive regional final games.
7. Who is the only player to score more than 60% of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game and be on the losing end of the score? Hint: It was a first-round contest and the individual was national player of the year.
8. Who is the only player to score more than two-thirds of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game? Hint: He scored more than 50% of his squad's points over three playoff outings.
9. Name the only school to win a small college national postseason tournament before capturing at least one NCAA Division I title. Hint: The school opposed the same coach in the championship game of the small college tournament and the NCAA Final Four. The school also supplied the only team to win an NCAA crown after setting or tying an existing school record for most defeats the previous season.
10. Who is the only individual to participate in the Final Four before playing and coaching in the NFL at least five seasons apiece? Hint: He was a member of an NFL team that moved to another city the year after capturing the league title.
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on April 1 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season is on the horizon, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only four percent of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 1 calendar of events focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 1
OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA basketball titlist) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Cleveland Indians in 1958.
LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Angels in 1961.
OF-1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985.
INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Tom Dettore (averaged 14.1 ppg and 9 rpg for Juniata PA in 1965-66) and cash in 1974.
False Start: NIT Championship Won't Mean Much for GWU Next Season
Don't mean to hurt "wittle" feelings of Washington-area fans sympathetic to Emory students terrified by Trump chalk talk. But if history means anything, a National Invitation Tournament crown won't serve as a springboard to NCAA playoff success for George Washington. Defending NIT champions combined for a 12-17 NCAA Tournament record from 1986 through 2016 with the previous two kingpins not participating at all in national postseason competition.
The NIT titlists from 1985 through 2004 combined for a losing national postseason tournament record (15-17) the year after capturing an NIT championship - NCAA (8-13) and NIT (7-4) - with three of them not reaching national postseason play. Four more NIT champions in the last 10 years - South Carolina '06, Penn State '09, Minnesota '14 and Stanford '16 - also failed to appear in national postseason competition the next season. West Virginia '08, Ohio State '09 and Wichita State '12 combined for a 2-3 NCAA playoff mark the years after winning an NIT title.
Only three schools in the last 32 years reached an NCAA regional semifinal the year after capturing an NIT title - (Virginia '93, West Virginia '08) and Baylor '14. Virginia is the last ACC member to post a winning league mark the year after securing an NIT crown. Following is a breakdown of how the NIT champions fared the next season since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985:
Year NIT Champion Season Summary the Following Campaign 1985 UCLA 15-14 record in 1985-86; 9-9 in Pacific-10 (4th place); no postseason 1986 Ohio State 20-13 in 1986-87; 9-9 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1987 Southern Mississippi 19-11 in 1987-88; 5-7 in Metro (7th); lost in NIT 2nd round 1988 Connecticut 18-13 in 1988-89; 6-10 in Big East (T7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 1989 St. John's 24-10 in 1989-90; 10-6 in Big East (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1990 Vanderbilt 17-13 in 1990-91; 11-7 in SEC (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1991 Stanford 18-11 in 1991-92; 10-8 in Pacific-10 (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1992 Virginia 21-10 in 1992-93; 9-7 in ACC (5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinal 1993 Minnesota 21-12 in 1993-94; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1994 Villanova 25-8 in 1994-95; 14-4 in Big East (2nd); lost in NCAA 1st round 1995 Virginia Tech 23-6 in 1995-96; 13-3 in Atlantic 10 (T1st/W); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1996 Nebraska 19-14 in 1996-97; 7-9 in Big 12 (4th/N); lost in NIT 3rd round 1997 Michigan 25-9 in 1997-98; 11-5 in Big Ten (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1998 Minnesota 17-11 in 1998-99; 8-8 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1999 California 18-15 in 1999-00; 7-11 in Pacific-10 (7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 2000 Wake Forest 19-11 in 2000-01; 8-8 in ACC (T5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2001 Tulsa 27-7 in 2001-02; 15-3 in WAC (T1st); lost in NCAA 2nd round 2002 Memphis 23-7 in 2002-03; 13-3 in C-USA (1st/National); lost in NCAA 1st round 2003 St. John's 6-21 in 2003-04; 1-15 in Big East (14th); no postseason 2004 Michigan 13-18 in 2004-05; 4-12 in Big Ten (9th); no postseason 2005 South Carolina 23-15 in 2005-06; 6-10 in SEC (5th/East); won NIT championship 2006 South Carolina 14-16 in 2006-07; 4-12 in SEC (6th/Eastern); no postseason 2007 West Virginia 26-11 in 2007-08; 11-7 in Big East (T5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2008 Ohio State 22-11 in 2008-09; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2009 Penn State 11-20 in 2009-10; 3-15 in Big Ten (11th); no postseason 2010 Dayton 22-14 in 2010-11; 7-9 in Atlantic 10 (T8th); lost in NIT 1st round 2011 Wichita State 27-6 in 2011-12; 16-2 in Missouri Valley (1st); lost in NCAA 1st round 2012 Stanford 19-15 in 2012-13; 9-9 in Pac-12 (T6th); lost in NIT 2nd round 2013 Baylor 26-12 in 2013-14; 9-9 in Big 12 (T6th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2014 Minnesota 18-15; 6-12 in Big Ten (T10th); no postseason 2015 Stanford 15-15; 8-10 in Pac-12 (9th); no postseason 2016 George Washington To be determined in 2016-17
First-Year Flash: UTC's Matt McCall Compiles Most Wins For Rookie Coach
Chattanooga's Matt McCall (29-5) posted the most first-year victories for an NCAA Division I coaching newcomer this season. Following are rookie NCAA Division I head coaches with the best winning percentages going back to 1963-64 when Tates Locke became Bob Knight's predecessor at Army:
| Season | First-Year Head Coach | School | W-L | Pct. | Predecessor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-64 | Tates Locke | Army | 19-7 | .731 | George Hunter |
| 1964-65 | Gary Thompson | Wichita State | 21-9 | .700 | Ralph Miller |
| 1965-66 | Lou Carnesecca | St. John's | 18-8 | .692 | Joe Lapchick |
| 1965-66 | Bob Knight | Army | 18-8 | .692 | Tates Locke |
| 1966-67 | Tommy Bartlett | Florida | 21-4 | .840 | Norm Sloan |
| 1967-68 | John Dromo | Louisville | 21-7 | .750 | Peck Hickman |
| 1968-69 | Tom Gola | La Salle | 23-1 | .958 | Jim Harding |
| 1969-70 | Terry Holland | Davidson | 22-5 | .815 | Lefty Driesell |
| 1970-71 | Richard "Digger" Phelps | Fordham | 26-3 | .897 | Ed Conlin |
| 1971-72 | Chuck Daly | Penn | 25-3 | .893 | Dick Harter |
| 1972-73 | Norm Ellenberger | New Mexico | 21-6 | .778 | Bob King |
| 1973-74 | Lute Olson | Long Beach State | 24-2 | .923 | Jerry Tarkanian |
| 1974-75 | Tom Apke | Creighton | 20-7 | .741 | Eddie Sutton |
| 1974-75 | Wayne Yates | Memphis State | 20-7 | .741 | Gene Bartow |
| 1975-76 | Bill Blakeley | North Texas State | 22-4 | .846 | Gene Robbins |
| 1976-77 | Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | 26-4 | .867 | Roy Danforth |
| 1976-77 | Charlie Schmaus | Virginia Military | 26-4 | .867 | Bill Blair |
| 1977-78 | Gary Cunningham | UCLA | 25-3 | .893 | Gene Bartow |
| 1978-79 | Bill Hodges | Indiana State | 33-1 | .971 | Bob King |
| 1979-80 | Bob Dukiet | St. Peter's | 22-9 | .710 | Bob Kelly |
| 1979-80 | Dave "Lefty" Ervin | La Salle | 22-9 | .710 | Paul Westhead |
| 1980-81 | Pat Foster | Lamar | 25-5 | .833 | Billy Tubbs |
| 1981-82 | Jim Boyle | St. Joseph's | 25-5 | .833 | Jim Lynam |
| 1982-83 | Ed Tapscott | American University | 20-10 | .667 | Gary Williams |
| 1983-84 | Rick Huckabay | Marshall | 25-6 | .806 | Bob Zuffelato |
| 1984-85 | Newton Chelette | Southeastern Louisiana | 18-9 | .667 | Ken Fortenberry |
| 1985-86 | Pete Gillen | Xavier | 25-5 | .833 | Bob Staak |
| 1986-87 | Pete Herrmann | Navy | 26-6 | .813 | Paul Evans |
| 1987-88 | Rick Barnes | George Mason | 20-10 | .667 | Joe Harrington |
| 1988-89 | Kermit Davis | Idaho | 25-6 | .806 | Tim Floyd |
| 1989-90 | Jim Anderson | Oregon State | 22-7 | .759 | Ralph Miller |
| 1990-91 | Alan LeForce | East Tennessee State | 28-5 | .848 | Les Robinson |
| 1991-92 | Blaine Taylor | Montana | 27-4 | .871 | Stew Morrill |
| 1992-93 | Fran Fraschilla | Manhattan | 23-7 | .767 | Steve Lappas |
| 1993-94 | Kirk Speraw | Central Florida | 21-9 | .700 | Joe Dean Jr. |
| 1994-95 | George "Tic" Price | New Orleans | 20-11 | .645 | Tim Floyd |
| 1995-96 | Mike Heideman | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 25-4 | .862 | Dick Bennett |
| 1996-97 | Bill Carmody | Princeton | 24-4 | .857 | Pete Carril |
| 1997-98 | Bill Guthridge | North Carolina | 34-4 | .895 | Dean Smith |
| 1998-99 | Tevester Anderson | Murray State | 27-6 | .818 | Mark Gottfried |
| 1999-00 | Mark Few | Gonzaga | 26-9 | .743 | Dan Monson |
| 2000-01 | Thad Matta | Butler | 24-8 | .750 | Barry Collier |
| 2001-02 | Stan Heath | Kent State | 29-6 | .829 | Gary Waters |
| 2002-03 | Brad Brownell | UNC Wilmington | 24-7 | .774 | Jerry Wainwright |
| 2003-04 | Jamie Dixon | Pittsburgh | 31-5 | .861 | Ben Howland |
| 2004-05 | Mark Fox | Nevada | 25-7 | .781 | Trent Johnson |
| 2005-06 | Rob Jeter | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 22-9 | .710 | Bruce Pearl |
| 2006-07 | Anthony Grant | Virginia Commonwealth | 28-7 | .800 | Jeff Capel III |
| 2007-08 | Brad Stevens | Butler | 30-4 | .882 | Todd Lickliter |
| 2008-09 | Ken McDonald | Western Kentucky | 25-9 | .735 | Darrin Horn |
| 2009-10 | Shaka Smart | Virginia Commonwealth | 27-9 | .750 | Anthony Grant |
| 2010-11 | B.J. Hill | Northern Colorado | 21-11 | .656 | Tad Boyle |
| 2011-12 | Steve Prohm | Murray State | 31-2 | .939 | Billy Kennedy |
| 2012-13 | Kevin Ollie | Connecticut | 20-10 | .667 | Jim Calhoun |
| 2013-14 | Brad Underwood | Stephen F. Austin | 32-3 | .914 | Danny Kaspar |
| 2014-15 | David Richman | North Dakota State | 23-10 | .697 | Saul Phillips |
| 2015-16 | Matt McCall | Chattanooga | 29-5 | .853 | Will Wade |
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #19)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 19 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only Final Four team to have a trio all average more than 20 points per game in the same season. Hint: The school won its conference tournament that year although none of the threesome shot better than 50% from the floor over the three games.
2. Name the only duo to twice reach the Final Four and both players average more than 20 points per game each season. Hint: Their team lost each year at the Final Four by the same score. One of the pair is the only player to score more than 25 points in Final Four defeats in back-to-back years.
3. Who is the only one of UCLA's eight first-team All-Americans from 1964 through 1975 to fail to earn a spot on an All-NCAA Tournament team when the Bruins won 10 national titles? Hint: He averaged more than 15 points per game in two of his three varsity seasons and went on to coach the Bruins' crosstown rival to a regional final.
4. Who is the only NCAA baseball championship coach to direct a basketball team from the same school to the Final Four? Hint: He is the school's all-time winningest basketball coach.
5. Who is the only championship team senior to average seven points per game or less entering the national semifinals before seizing the moment and averaging double digits in scoring in his last two games with an increase of at least six points per game from his pre-Final Four scoring mark? Hint: He was the seventh-leading scorer for the season on a team with just two seniors among its top eight point producers.
6. Who is the only player to score more than half of a championship team's points in a single NCAA Tournament? Hint: He was the team's only player to compile a double-digit season scoring average and no teammate scored more than seven points in either of the two Final Four games.
7. Name the only school to lose three national championship games in a city where it enjoyed a distinct homecourt advantage. Hint: The school lost two of the three title games by one point before capturing the title there in a season it became the only NCAA champion to lose four consecutive conference contests.
8. Name the only team to fail to have at least one player score in double figures in the championship game. Hint: It was the school's only NCAA Tournament appearance until the university started appearing regularly in the tourney since 1975.
9. Name the only Division II school to have three of its former head coaches go on to direct major-college teams to the NCAA Division I Tournament championship game. Hint: None of the three coaches compiled a losing record in any of the total of 11 seasons they coached at the small school, which won the Division II Tournament in 1984 and captured the first two NAIA Tournament titles.
10. Who is the only one of the individuals named NBA Most Valuable Player, score more than 20,000 pro points or be selected to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in more than six NCAA Division I Tournament games and not compile a winning tourney record? Hint: He left college with eligibility remaining, but was involved in two NCAA playoff defeats when the tournament conducted regional third-place games.
Short and Sweet: Beard Heads to Bright Lights of Vegas After Brief UALR Stint
UNLV-bound Chris Beard is deemed an ascending star in the coaching profession after compiling a 30-5 record (.857) in his only season with UALR. Beard passed Stan Heath (29 with Kent State in 2001-02) for the highest victory total for a "won-a-done" mentor. But what media mavens fail to point out is there were a couple of coaches - Lute Olson and Digger Phelps - posted even better winning percentages in "short-and-sweet" one-year stints since the generally recognized start of the modern era of college basketball in the early 1950s.
Fordham improved by 14 games in Digger Phelps' only season with the Rams in 1970-71, a mark that stood for one-year wonders until Beard broke it this year with a 15-game improvement after the Trojans went 13-18 in 2014-15. UNC Wilmington's Buzz Peterson, the only coach to win a national postseason championship in his only season at a school (Tulsa), is among the following "one-and-done" coaches who won more than 60% of their games in one-year tenures in the last 50-plus years:
| Coach | School | Season | W-L | Pct. | Reason for One-Year Stint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lute Olson | Long Beach State | 1973-74 | 24-2 | .923 | Became coach at Iowa. |
| Digger Phelps | Fordham | 1970-71 | 26-3 | .897 | Became coach at Notre Dame. |
| Chris Beard | UALR | 2015-16 | 30-5 | .857 | Became coach at UNLV. |
| Carl Tacy | Marshall | 1971-72 | 23-4 | .852 | Became coach at Wake Forest. |
| Keno Davis | Drake | 2007-08 | 28-5 | .848 | Became coach at Providence. |
| Matt Painter | Southern Illinois | 2003-04 | 25-5 | .833 | Became coach at Purdue. |
| Stan Heath | Kent State | 2001-02 | 29-6 | .829 | Became coach at Arkansas. |
| Thad Matta | Butler | 2000-01 | 24-8 | .750 | Became coach at Xavier. |
| Bill Fitch | Bowling Green | 1967-68 | 18-7 | .720 | Became coach at Minnesota. |
| Jim Harding* | La Salle | 1967-68 | 20-8 | .714 | Forced out by administration. |
| Buzz Peterson | Tulsa | 2000-01 | 26-11 | .703 | Became coach at Tennessee. |
| Bob Vanatta | Army | 1953-54 | 15-7 | .682 | Became coach at Bradley. |
| Larry Shyatt | Wyoming | 1997-98 | 19-9 | .679 | Became coach at Clemson. |
| Rick Barnes | George Mason | 1987-88 | 20-10 | .667 | Became coach at Providence. |
| Ron Greene | Mississippi State | 1977-78 | 18-9 | .667 | Became coach at Murray State. |
| Art Tolis | New Orleans | 1987-88 | 21-11 | .656 | Forced out by administration. |
| Scott Drew | Valparaiso | 2002-03 | 20-11 | .645 | Became coach at Baylor. |
| Louis Orr | Siena | 2000-01 | 20-11 | .645 | Became coach at Seton Hall. |
| Bob Huggins | Kansas State | 2006-07 | 22-13 | .629 | Became coach at West Virginia. |
*Harding became coach for Minnesota (ABA) for portion of 1968-69 season.
Juco Jewels: Oklahoma Goes For F4 Gold With Couple of J.C. Reserves
Junior college products have made a significant difference for NCAA Tournament titlists. Keith Erickson (El Camino CA), Jack Hirsch (Los Angeles Valley CA), Larry Hollyfield (Compton CA), Terry Schofield (Santa Monica CA), John Vallely (Orange Coast CA) and Sidney Wicks (Santa Monica CA) were instrumental in helping UCLA win seven of its NCAA championships (1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973) and mighty mite Bobby Joe Hill (Burlington IA) was the spark-plug for Texas Western when the Miners captured the 1966 title. Wicks is the only individual to become a member of three NCAA champions after playing in junior college.
Taking a cue from Kansas' eight Final Four squads benefiting from J.C. recruits, Oklahoma boasts a couple of juco products on its roster (Akolda Manyang and Dinjiyl Walker). Supplying significantly more impact in previous national semi appearances, the Sooners also had multiple J.C. recruits on their Final Four rosters in 1988 and 2002. Harvey Grant, an All-American for OU in 1987-88, is among the following alphabetical list of key Final Four team members who previously played for junior colleges:
| J.C. Recruit | Pos. | Final Four Team(s) | Junior College(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Ackles | C | UNLV '91 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Tony Allen | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
| Malcolm Armstead | G | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Rex Bailey | G | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Jarvis Basnight | F | UNLV '87 | Mount San Antonio (Calif.) |
| Warren Baxter | G | San Francisco '55 & '56 | San Francisco City |
| Corey Beck | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
| Walter Berry | F | St. John's '85 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Daron "Mookie" Blaylock | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Corie Blount | C | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| Carl Boldt | F | San Francisco '56 | Glendale (Calif.) |
| Kenny Booker | F-G | UCLA '70 & '71 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
| Roy Boone | G | Wisconsin '00 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Ron Brewer | G | Arkansas '78 | Westark (Ark.) |
| Karl Brown | G | Georgia Tech '90 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Terry Brown | G | Kansas '91 | Erie (Pa.) & Northeastern Oklahoma A&M |
| Pembrook Burrows | F | Jacksonville '70 | Brevard (Fla.) |
| David Butler | C | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Chet Carr | F | Southern California '54 | Vallejo (Calif.) |
| Jerry Chambers | F-C | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
| Jason Cipolla | G | Syracuse '96 | Tallahassee (Fla.) |
| Charlie Criss | G | New Mexico State '70 | New Mexico J.C. |
| Howie Dallmar | G | Stanford '42 | Menlo (Calif.) |
| Bennett Davison | F | Arizona '97 | West Valley (Calif.) |
| Art Day | C | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
| Jason Detrick | G | Oklahoma '02 | Southwest Missouri State-West Plains |
| Alex Dillard | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | Southern Union (Ala.) |
| Don Draper | G | Drake '69 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Al Dunbar | G | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
| Jerry Dunn | F | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Cleanthony Early | F | Wichita State '13 | Sullivan County (N.Y.) |
| Ebi Ere | G | Oklahoma '02 | Barton County (Kan.) |
| Denny Fitzpatrick | G | California '59 | Orange Coast (Calif.) |
| Jerry Frizzell | F | Seattle '58 | Grays Harbor (Wash.) |
| Dean Garrett | C | Indiana '87 | City College of San Francisco |
| Alex Gilbert | C | Indiana State '79 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Armon Gilliam | F-C | UNLV '87 | Independence (Kan.) |
| Artis Gilmore | C | Jacksonville '70 | Gardner-Webb (N.C.) |
| Ricky Grace | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Harvey Grant | F | Oklahoma '88 | Independence (Kan.) |
| Jeff Graves | F-C | Kansas '03 | Iowa Western |
| Evric Gray | F | UNLV '91 | Riverside (Calif.) |
| Rickey Green | G | Michigan '76 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Carl Hall | F | Wichita State '13 | Middle Georgia & Northwest Florida State |
| Arnette Hallman | F | Purdue '80 | Joliet (Ill.) |
| Dick Hammer | G | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
| Darrin Hancock | F | Kansas '93 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Josh Harrellson | C | Kentucky '11 | Southwestern Illinois |
| Bobby Joe Hill | G | Texas Western '66 | Burlington (Iowa) |
| Larry Hollyfield | G-F | UCLA '72 & '73 | Compton (Calif.) |
| Lenzie Howell | F | Arkansas '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Othello Hunter | F | Ohio State '07 | Hillsborough (Fla.) |
| Roy Irvin | C | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
| Bobby Jackson | G | Minnesota '97 | Western Nebraska |
| Alonzo Jamison | F | Kansas '91 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| David Johanning | C | Kansas '91 | Hutchinson (Kan.) |
| Larry Johnson | F | UNLV '90 & '91 | Odessa (Tex.) |
| Dontae' Jones | F | Mississippi State '96 | Northeast Mississippi |
| Herb Jones | F | Cincinnati '92 | Butler County (Kan.) |
| John Keller | F-G | Kansas '52 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Larry Kenon | F | Memphis State '73 | Amarillo (Tex.) |
| Weldon Kern | F | Oklahoma A&M '45 & '46 | Cameron (Okla.) |
| Charlie Koon | G | Washington '53 | Olympic (Wash.) |
| Don Kruse | C | Houston '67 | Kilgore (Tex.) |
| Vern Lewis | G | Houston '67 & '68 | Tyler (Tex.) |
| Chadrack Lufile | F | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.), Vincennes (Ind.) & Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Akolda Manyang | C | Oklahoma '16 | Indian Hills (Iowa) |
| Archie Marshall | F | Kansas '86 | Seminole (Okla.) |
| Erik Martin | F | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| Bob McAdoo | C | North Carolina '72 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Bill McClintock | F | California '59 & '60 | Monterey Peninsula (Calif.) |
| Aaron McGhee | F-C | Oklahoma '02 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Johnny McNeil | C | Georgia Tech '90 | Chowan (N.C.) |
| Lincoln Minor | G | Kansas '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Wat Misaka | G | Utah '44 | Weber (Utah) |
| Casey Mitchell | G | West Virginia '10 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Larry Moffett | C | UNLV '77 | Compton (Calif.) |
| Rex Morgan | G | Jacksonville '70 | Lake Land (Ill.) |
| Roger Morningstar | F | Kansas '74 | Olney (Ill.) Central |
| Willie Murrell | F | Kansas State '64 | Eastern Oklahoma A&M |
| Swen Nater | C | UCLA '72 & '73 | Cypress (Calif.) |
| Carl Nicks | G | Indiana State '79 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
| Jim Nielsen | F | UCLA '67 & '68 | Pierce (Calif.) |
| Charles Okwandu | C | Connecticut '11 | Harcum (Pa.) |
| Ehimen Orukpe | C | Wichita State '13 | Three Rivers (Mo.) |
| V.C. "Buck" Overall | F | Texas '43 | Tyler (Tex.) |
| Andre Owens | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Gerald Paddio | F | UNLV '87 | Kilgore (Tex.) & Seminole (Okla.) |
| Hal Patterson | F | Kansas '53 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Mike Preaseau | F | San Francisco '56 & '57 | Menlo (Calif.) |
| Ryan Randle | F-C | Maryland '02 | Allegany (Md.) |
| George Reese | F | Ohio State '99 | Independence (Kan.) |
| George Reynolds | G | Houston '68 | Imperial Valley (Calif.) |
| Morris "Moe" Rivers | G | North Carolina State '74 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
| Dave Rose | G | Houston '83 | Dixie State (Utah) |
| Lynden Rose | G | Houston '82 | North Harris County (Tex.) |
| Terrell Ross | G | Texas '03 | Allegany (Md.) |
| Randy Rutherford | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Bacone (Okla.) |
| Greg Samuel | G | Florida State '72 | Broward (Fla.) |
| Terry Schofield | G | UCLA '69, '70 & '71 | Santa Monica (Calif.) |
| Moses Scurry | F | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Daryan Selvy | F | Oklahoma '02 | Carl Albert (Okla.) |
| Tony Skinn | G | George Mason '06 | Blinn (Tex.) |
| Keith Smart | G | Indiana '87 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Odie Smith | G | Kentucky '58 | Northeast Mississippi |
| Robert Smith | G | UNLV '77 | Arizona Western |
| Sam Smith | F | UNLV '77 | Seminole (Okla.) |
| Phil Spence | F | North Carolina State '74 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Elmore Spencer | C | UNLV '91 | Connors (Okla.) State |
| Leroy Staley | F | Indiana State '79 | Florida J.C. |
| Dwight Stewart | C | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
| Jozsef Szendrei | C | Oklahoma '02 | Northeastern (Colo.) |
| Rich Tate | G | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
| Ron Thomas | F | Louisville '72 | Henderson County (Tex.) |
| Tom Tolbert | F | Arizona '88 | Cerritos (Calif.) |
| Nick Van Exel | G | Cincinnati '92 | Trinity Valley (Tex.) |
| Eloy Vargas | C | Kentucky '11 & '12 | Miami-Dade (Fla.) |
| Toby Veal | F | Virginia Commonwealth '11 | Northwest Florida State |
| Mark Wade | G | UNLV '87 | El Camino (Calif.) |
| Dinjiyl Walker | G | Oklahoma '16 | Iowa Western |
| Russell Walters | F | Mississippi State '96 | Jones County (Miss.) |
| Lloyd Walton | G | Marquette '74 | Moberly (Mo.) |
| Quannas White | G | Oklahoma '02 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Jerome Whitehead | C | Marquette '77 | Riverside (Calif.) City |
| Nick Wiggins | G | Wichita State '13 | Vincennes (Ind.) & Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
| Andre Wiley | F | Oklahoma '88 | Compton (Calif.) |
| David Willard | C | UNLV '87 | Laredo (Tex.) |
| Willie Wise | F | Drake '69 | San Francisco City |
| Janavor Weatherspoon | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Odessa (Tex.) |
| Gary Zeller | G | Drake '69 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #18)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 18 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only major-college coach to finish his career with more than 500 victories and never participate in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: The coach spent his entire four-year school coaching career at one institution and had nine consecutive winning seasons at the Division I level from 1972-73 through 1980-81.
2. Who is the only player to average more than 26 points per game for an undefeated NCAA champion before averaging less than five points per game in his NBA career? Hint: He averaged the same number of points in the NCAA Tournament as he did for the entire season.
3. Who is the only coach to win three national third-place games? Hint: No coach accumulated as many different All-Americans as he did (16) in his first 20 campaigns at a single school.
4. Who is the only former major-college player to score more than 23,000 points in the NBA after never participating in the NCAA Tournament or NIT? Hint: His alma mater returned to small-college status after being at the Division I level for more than 50 years but never appearing in the NCAA playoffs or NIT.
5. Of the 10 different players to compile season scoring averages of more than 23 points per game for a national champion, who is the only individual in this group to tally fewer than 40 points in two games at the Final Four? Hint: His team won both Final Four games that year by a minimum of 20 points.
6. Who is the only individual to coach a team to the Final Four after becoming an NCAA consensus first-team All-American and NBA first-round draft choice? Hint: He joined Chet Walker and Bob Love as 20-points-per-game scorers for the Chicago Bulls in 1969-70 after becoming the first African-American to earn a league MVP while attending a Southern school.
7. Who is the only national player of the year to score less than 10 points when his school was eliminated in a Final Four contest the same season? Hint: He averaged more than 25 points per game in his four previous playoff contests that year.
8. Name the only Final Four team to have as many as six players still on its roster with double-digit season scoring averages. Hint: All six individuals played in the NBA as did another player on the squad who averaged eight points per game.
9. Who is the only All-Tournament selection to finish his college playing career at another major university? Hint: His brother was a wide receiver for a Super Bowl champion.
10. Who is the only leading scorer for a Final Four team to also play for the school's football squad in a New Year's Day bowl game and win a silver medal in the Olympics as a high jumper? Hint: The Olympics climaxed a superb academic school year for the versatile athlete who won the NCAA high jump crown and led his school's football and basketball teams in scoring. He also appeared in the first two NBA All-Star Games.
Melting Pot: Bahamian Buddy Among Premier Foreigners in Final Four History
College basketball has taken on an increasingly international flavor with an average of more than 400 foreign athletes competing for NCAA Division I men's teams over the last 13 seasons. A classic example is Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, a product of the Bahamas who emerged as the first backcourt foreigner in NCAA history to become a two-time All-American.
You've heard of a trade deficit. How about the trade surplus at the national semifinals? All but two Final Four since 1993 had an international flavor with at least one player from outside North America in the regular rotation of a team reaching the national semifinals.
"If communism hadn't fallen, I would have had to make the most difficult decision in my life," said center George Zidek, the starting center for UCLA's 1995 national champion who once was yelped at by dogs and arrested during a riot in Prague. "I would have had to leave to play basketball and never come back to my country or my family. I don't know if I could have done that."
An old adage claimed that fans couldn't tell the players without a roster. Now, it's at the point where fans can't pronounce the names on rosters without taking a couple of Berlitz language courses. Following is a chronological look at Final Four foreigners in the last 24 years coming from 25 different nations (in reverse order):
2016 - Oklahoma G Buddy Hield (Bahamas)
2015 - None
2014 - Connecticut C Amida Brimah (Ghana), F Kentan Facey (Jamaica) and G-F Niels Giffey (Germany) and Florida F Will Yeguete (Ivory Coast)
2013 - Louisville C Gorgui Dieng (Senegal), Syracuse C Baye Moussa Keita (Senegal) and Wichita State C Ehimen Orukpe (Nigeria)
2012 - Kentucky C Eloy Vargas (Dominican Republic) and Louisville C Gorgui Dieng (Senegal)
2011 - Connecticut G-F Niels Giffey (Germany) and C Charles Okwandu (Nigeria) and Kentucky C Eloy Vargas (Dominican Republic)
2010 - West Virginia F Deniz Kilicli (Turkey)
2009 - Connecticut C Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) and Michigan State C Idong Ibok (Nigeria)
2008 - UCLA F-C Alfred Aboya (Cameroon), F Nikola Dragovic (Serbia) and F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
2007 - UCLA F-C Alfred Aboya (Cameroon) and F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
2006 - Florida G Walter Hodge (Puerto Rico), F-C Al Horford (Dominican Republic) and G David Huertas (Puerto Rico), Louisiana State F Magnum Rolle (Bahamas) and UCLA F-C Alfred Aboya (Cameroon) and F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
2005 - Louisville F-G Francisco Garcia (Dominican Republic), F-C Otis George (Dominica) and Juan Palacios (Columbia)
2004 - Duke F Luol Deng (Sudan) and Georgia Tech C Luke Schenscher (Australia)
2003 - Texas G Sydmill Harris (The Netherlands)
2002 - Oklahoma C Jabahri Brown (Virgin Islands) and C Jozsef Szendrei (Hungary)
2001 - None
2000 - Wisconsin G Kirk Penney (New Zealand)
1999 - Connecticut C Souleymane Wane (Senegal) and Ohio State G Boban Savovic (Yugoslavia)
1998 - Utah F Hanno Mottola (Finland) and North Carolina C Makhtar Ndiaye (Nigeria)
1997 - North Carolina F Ademola Okulaja (Germany) and C Serge Zwikker (Netherlands)
1996 - Syracuse G Marius Janulis (Lithuania) and Massachusetts G Edgar Padilla (Puerto Rico) and G Carmelo Travieso (Puerto Rico)
1995 - UCLA C George Zidek (Czechoslovakia), Arkansas G Davor Rimac (Yugoslavia) and North Carolina C Serge Zwikker (Netherlands)
1994 - Arkansas G Davor Rimac (Yugoslavia) and Florida F Martti Kuisma (Finland)
1993 - North Carolina G Henrik Rodl (Germany)
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #17)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 17 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Which school had the only trio to each score at least 20 points in two Final Four games? Hint: All three players finished their college careers with more than 2,000 points and were on the roster the next year when the school lost its playoff opener. The school is the only national runner-up to score more than 85 points in an NCAA final.
2. Name the only school to have three players score more than 20 points in a Final Four game. Hint: The school lost the championship game that year by more than 20 points although the score was tied at halftime.
3. Who is the only player to score 40 or more points in a Final Four game and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: He was held under 10 points in his other Final Four game that year.
4. Who is the only coach to go more than 40 years from his first to his last appearance in the playoffs? Hint: He and his son, who succeeded him, both compiled a losing tourney record.
5. Who is the only player to compile an NBA playoff scoring average more than 15 points per game higher than his NCAA Tournament average? Hint: He scored just six points in his NCAA playoff debut against a school participating in the tourney for just the second time.
6. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA tournament in scoring with more than 120 points and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: He averaged 32.3 points per game in his three-year college career.
7. Who is the only player from 1957 through 1996 to lead a tournament in rebounding and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: His school was making just its second tourney appearance the year he led in rebounding.
8. Who is the only non-guard to be the undisputed leading scorer of an NCAA Tournament and not participate in the Final Four? Hint: He never played in the NBA.
9. Who is the first coach to make more than a dozen NCAA playoff appearances before reaching the Final Four? Hint: He was coach of the first team to win the national championship in its first Final Four appearance since Texas Western in 1966.
10. Who is the only player to take more than 40 field-goal attempts in a playoff game his team lost? Hint: The guard was the nation's leading scorer with more than 36 points per game for the only school to reach the national semifinals of a small-college tournament one year and participate in the NCAA Tournament the next season.
Change of Address: Transfers Gbinije and Spangler Among Top Final 4 Players
Although there is a disenchantment stigma attached to transfers, it shouldn't be considered a crime. The performance of transfers Michael Gbinije (Syracuse from Duke) and Ryan Spangler (Oklahoma from Gonzaga) could determine the eventual NCAA titlist. Including injured Kentucky star Derek Anderson in 1997, 29 of the last 33 Final Fours featured teams with at least one starter or key reserve who began his college career attending another four-year Division I school.
Vanderbilt guard Billy McCaffrey, a transfer from Duke, is the only All-Tournament selection to finish his college playing career attending another major university. There was no All-Tournament team in 1942 when Stanford guard Howie Dallmar was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player before completing his undergraduate work at Penn toward the end of World War II. McCaffrey earned a spot on the 1991 All-Tournament team by scoring 16 points to help Duke defeat Kansas (72-65) in the championship game.
"What I really wanted was consistency; not playing a key factor in some games, very minimal in others," McCaffrey said. "My role probably would have been the same if I had stayed. I felt I could do more. I needed to enjoy the game more. I think a player likes to know that he can be counted on for certain things every night. That's how I get pleasure from the games. Your college career is too short to spend somewhere you're not happy.
"I don't regret leaving. I cherish those memories. I was happy for them (when the Blue Devils repeated in 1992). I knew when I left that they had a good chance to win (again). I took that into consideration when I made my decision to leave. I'd already been a part of a national championship. Maybe that made it easier."
Following is a chronological look at how transfers have impacted the Final Four in the last 33 years (in reverse order):
2016 - Syracuse G Michael Gbinije (transfer from Duke) and Oklahoma F Ryan Spangler (Gonzaga)
2015 - Michigan State G Bryn Forbes (Cleveland State)
2014 - Wisconsin F Zach Bohannon (Air Force), Florida F Dorian Finney-Smith (Virginia Tech) and Connecticut G-F Lasan Kromah (George Washington)
2013 - Wichita State G Malcolm Armstead* (Oregon) and Louisville G-F Luke Hancock (George Mason)
2012 - Ohio State F Evan Ravenel (Boston College), Louisville G Chris Smith (Manhattan), Kentucky C Eloy Vargas* (Florida), Kansas F Justin Wesley (Lamar), Kansas C Jeff Withey (Arizona) and Kansas F Kevin Young (Loyola Marymount)
2011 - Kentucky C Eloy Vargas* (Florida), Virginia Commonwealth F Jamie Skeen (Wake Forest), Virginia Commonwealth F Toby Veal* (Colorado)
2010 - None
2009 - None
2008 - Kansas G Rodrick Stewart** (Southern California) and Memphis F Shawn Taggart (Iowa State)
2007 - Georgetown F Patrick Ewing Jr. (Indiana) and Ohio State G Ron Lewis (Bowling Green)
2006 - None
2005 - Illinois F-C Jack Ingram (Tulsa)
2004 - Oklahoma State G Daniel Bobik (Brigham Young), Georgia Tech G Will Bynum (Arizona), Oklahoma State G-F Joey Graham (Central Florida), Oklahoma State F Stephen Graham (Central Florida), Oklahoma State G John Lucas III (Baylor) and Oklahoma State F Jason Miller (North Texas)
2003 - Texas F Deginald Erskin (North Texas) and Marquette F-C Robert Jackson (Mississippi State)
2002 - Oklahoma C Jabahri Brown (Florida International) and F-C Aaron McGhee* (Cincinnati) and Maryland G-F Byron Mouton (Tulane)
2001 - Michigan State F Mike Chappell (Duke), Maryland G-F Byron Mouton (Tulane) and Arizona C Loren Woods (Wake Forest)
2000 - Michigan State F Mike Chappell (Duke)
1999 - Ohio State G Scoonie Penn (Boston College)
1998 - Kentucky F Heshimu Evans (Manhattan) and North Carolina C Makhtar Ndiaye (Michigan)
1997 - Kentucky G-F Derek Anderson (Ohio State)
1996 - Kentucky G-F Derek Anderson (Ohio State) and C Mark Pope (Washington)
1995 - Oklahoma State F Scott Pierce (Illinois)
1994 - None
1993 - Kentucky G Travis Ford (Missouri) and Kansas G Rex Walters (Northwestern)
1992 - Cincinnati G Anthony Buford (Akron) and F Erik Martin* (Texas Christian)
1991 - UNLV G Greg Anthony (Portland) and C Elmore Spencer* (Georgia)
1990 - UNLV G Greg Anthony (Portland)
1989 - Illinois F Kenny Battle (Northern Illinois)
1988 - Oklahoma F Harvey Grant (Clemson) and Arizona F Tom Tolbert* (UC Irvine)
1987 - Providence G Delray Brooks (Indiana) and UNLV G Mark Wade* (Oklahoma)
1986 - Kansas C Greg Dreiling (Wichita State)
1985 - St. John's G Mike Moses (Florida)
1984 - Virginia G Rick Carlisle (Maine)
*Played for a junior college between four-year schools.
**Injured.
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