Star Burn Out: Striking Number of Premier Schools Miss Playoffs Each Year
At least 10 of the 37 schools appearing in excess of 50 NCAA payoff games failed to participate in the tourney each year since the field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985, including 16 former Final Four schools this season.
Nearly half of the "star schools" stayed home in 2004, including Houston being in the midst of a 17-year drought from 1993 through 2009. Following is a chronological list of big-name universities who were tourney outcasts since 1985:
1985 (14) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1986 (12) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Kansas State, Marquette, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest
1987 (13) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
1988 (12) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1989 (15) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest
1990 (12) - Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1991 (14) - Cincinnati, Florida, Illinois, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, West Virginia
1992 (11) - Florida, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Purdue, UNLV, Utah, Villanova
1993 (15) - Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Texas, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
1994 (13) - Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia
1995 (11) - Duke, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, St. John's, UNLV, West Virginia
1996 (11) - Florida, Houston, Illinois, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, UNLV, West Virginia
1997 (16) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, UNLV, West Virginia
1998 (14) - Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Villanova, Wake Forest
1999 (12) - Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, UNLV, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2000 (12) - Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Villanova, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2001 (14) - Connecticut, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Purdue, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia
2002 (15) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
2003 (14) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, St. John's, Temple, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
2004 (18) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
2005 (15) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV
2006 (14) - Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest
2007 (15) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2008 (14) - Cincinnati, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Utah, Wake Forest
2009 (13) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, St. John's, UNLV
2010 (15) - Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UCLA, Utah
2011 (10) - Arkansas, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Utah, Wake Forest
2012 (13) - Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, UCLA, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
2013 (11) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Purdue, St. John's, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2014 (15) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Marquette, Maryland, Notre Dame, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2015 (12) - Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Wake Forest
2016 (16) - Arkansas, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, UCLA, UNLV, Wake Forest
Deal or No Deal?: Length of Contract Doesn't Mean Squat to Many Coaches
Should I stay or should I go? It's a good thing some universities play in mammoth arenas because the egos of their "Pompous Pilots" wouldn't fit any other place. Much of the excess in the canonization of coaches is perpetrated by coaches-turned-television commentators who shamelessly fawn over their former colleagues. The analysts should be more concerned about encouraging coaches to spare fans the pious blather about the sanctity of a contract or agreement. Granted, it's survival of the fittest amid the offer-you-can't-refuse backdrop. But in a great many cases, schools have been little more than convenient steppingstones for "larger-than-life" coaches along their one-way street to success. It's understandable in many instances that mercenaries are leaving the minute they're appointed because coaches are in a distasteful "hired-to-be-fired" vocation, where a pink slip is only one losing season or poor recruiting year away.
Nevertheless, loyalty has become too much of a one-way street with the latest examples including Jamie Dixon departing for his alma mater (Texas Christian) despite having seven seasons remaining on his contract with Pittsburgh, Bryce Drew abandoning his alma mater (Valparaiso) with seven campaigns left on his deal for Vanderbilt and Brad Underwood leaving Stephen F. Austin for Oklahoma State with six years left on his pact. Meanwhile, players considering their options occasionally are grilled by coaches and commentators for contemplating transfers or leaving early for the NBA. There are countless examples of schools holding a player's eligibility hostage out of sheer vindictiveness. How much more one-sided can it be when such a lame double standard exists?
After all, the value systems for high-profile coaches are sufficiently open-minded to permit running out on contracts when more lucrative jobs come open. Contracts are understood to be for the protection of the coach, not the team, whose players are somehow indentured to the schools for as many as four years of eligibility unless of course a coach chooses not to renew their scholarships. Perhaps that's why many believe incoming recruits should be allowed out of their letter-of-intent to seek another destination if the coach they signed with departs before they even get to campus.
Maybe it shouldn't be that way, but that's most definitely the way it is as contracts don't appear to mean squat to a striking number of meandering mentors who abandon ship like so many rats at high tide. Oklahoma's Lon Kruger departed three different schools with at least four years remaining on pacts before leaving UNLV with two seasons left.
Many "leveraged" coaches have been preoccupied of late with attempting to virtually extort raises and extensions on already hefty packages. But in recent years, administrations at Boston College, Kent State, Marist, Miami (Fla.), St. John's and Wyoming seemed to be guinea pigs of sorts by fighting back via adherence to buyout clauses in trying to regain control of the situation in this big business atmosphere.
In mid-July 2010, a New York State Supreme Court Justice made a possible precedent-setting ruling in favor of Marist, which contended that coach Matt Brady's contract required him to secure written consent before negotiating with another school and forbade him from offering "a scholarship to current Marist players or to persons that he or his staff recruited to play at Marist" if he ever took a comparable job.
Brady clearly negotiated with James Madison in 2008 without "written" consent and Marist compiled a list of 19 prospects Brady recruited on behalf of Marist that it believed he should have been unable to recruit to JMU per the details of his contract. Four players on that "off-limits" list - Trevon Flores, Devon Moore, Andrey Semenov and Julius Wells - ultimately signed with JMU.
The judge ruled in favor of Marist's claims that Brady had an enforceable contract when he discussed leaving Marist with JMU, that JMU knew of the contract's existence, that JMU intentionally induced Brady to violate his fiduciary obligations under the contract, and that Marist incurred damages as a result of the breach of those obligations. Marist also filed a separate civil suit against Brady, who was canned by JMU despite reaching the 20-win plateau in 2015-16. In mid-May 2011, Kent State sued Geno Ford for more than $1.2 million in damages stemming from his departure for Bradley, where Ford has already been cast adrift.
Six of Tulsa's previous eight coaches - Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson, Bill Self, Buzz Peterson and Danny Manning - left the school for more prestigious positions despite each of them having at least three years remaining on their contracts before Frank Haith downgraded by departing Missouri for Tulsa with three years remaining on his Mizzou pact. Half of the Golden Hurricane defectors went on to capture NCAA championships. Tulsa is one of three universities from which Self has bailed. He signed a five-year extension with Illinois in December, 2002, that included a bump in salary to $900,000 and payout of $500,000 if he stayed the life of the contract. There also was a buyout of $100,000 per year remaining on the pact.
Lengthy agreements with guarantees can restrict an institution's options. Oklahoma State probably would have pursued a new coach a year ago except the Cowboys were shackled by obligations stemming from the remaining four years of a 10-year extension signed by Travis Ford, who previously departed Massachusetts with seven seasons left on his contract to align with OSU.
Deal or no deal? The length of contracts doesn't seem to carry any weight as a factor in the equation. Smart said it was a "no-brainer" hooking up with the Horns and that statement is true if your brain cells or ethical standards don't put any stock into length of an existing pact. Following is an alphabetical list detailing coaches such as Dixon and Underwood reportedly still having contractual obligations to schools of more than five seasons when they left for greener pastures at some point in their careers:
- Steve Alford (10 years remaining on contract) - left New Mexico/hired by UCLA
- Rick Barnes (6) - Clemson/Texas
- John Beilein (6) - Richmond/West Virginia
- Tony Bennett (6) - Washington State/Virginia
- Dave Bliss (6) - New Mexico/Baylor
- Mike Brey (7) - Delaware/Notre Dame
- John Calipari (10) - Massachusetts/New Jersey Nets
- Jeff Capel III (6) - Virginia Commonwealth/Oklahoma
- Tom Crean (9) - Marquette/Indiana
- Jamie Dixon (7) - Pittsburgh/Texas Christian
- Matt Doherty (6) - Florida Atlantic/Southern Methodist
- Bryce Drew (7) - Valparaiso/Vanderbilt
- Larry Eustachy (6) - Utah State/Iowa State
- Dennis Felton (6) - Western Kentucky/Georgia
- Tim Floyd (6) - New Orleans/Iowa State
- Tim Floyd (8) - Iowa State/Chicago Bulls
- Travis Ford (7) - Massachusetts/Oklahoma State
- Billy Gillispie (8) - Texas A&M/Kentucky
- Brian Gregory (7) - Dayton/Georgia Tech
- Leonard Hamilton (7) - Miami (Fla.)/Washington Wizards
- Fred Hoiberg (8) - Iowa State/Chicago Bulls
- Ben Howland (6) - Pittsburgh/UCLA
- Jeff Lebo (8) - Chattanooga/Auburn
- Gregg Marshall (8) - Winthrop/Wichita State
- Thad Matta (9) - Xavier/Ohio State
- Fran McCaffery (7) - Siena/Iowa
- Sean Miller (9) - Xavier/Arizona
- Dan Monson (10) - Gonzaga/Minnesota
- Lute Olson (7) - Iowa/Arizona
- Buzz Peterson (9) - Appalachian State/Tulsa
- Skip Prosser (6) - Xavier/Wake Forest
- Oliver Purnell (6) - Clemson/DePaul
- Mike Rice Jr. (7) - Robert Morris/Rutgers
- Steve Robinson (7) - Tulsa/Florida State
- Kelvin Sampson (6) - Washington State/Oklahoma
- Shaka Smart (8) - Virginia Commonwealth/Texas
- Tubby Smith (6) - Georgia/Kentucky
- Mark Turgeon (9) - Wichita State/Texas A&M
- Brad Underwood (6) - Stephen F. Austin/Oklahoma State
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #9)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 9 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who was the only athlete to lead his championship team in scoring in two Final Four games and pitch in the major leagues the same year? Hint: He was a guard for three consecutive Final Four teams and was selected to the All-NCAA Tournament team as a senior.
2. Name the only school with more than 1,300 victories in the 20th Century never to reach the Final Four. Hint: The school participated in the NCAA playoffs just once (1992) in the last 40-plus years.
3. Name the only school to defeat a team three times in a season the opponent captured the NCAA title. Hint: The school also defeated the same conference foe three times the next season as defending national champion.
4. Name the only champion to win its two Final Four games by a total of more than 50 points. Hint: The titlist suffered its only loss that season against one of the Final Four victims.
5. Of the 35 Final Four Most Outstanding Players selected from 1946 through 1981 when there was a national third-place game, who was the only honoree to play for a fourth-place team? Hint: He never averaged as many as nine points per game in four NBA seasons.
6. Name the only school to lose in back-to-back years in the first round to different institutions going on to capture national titles those years. Hint: The school won a total of 47 games in the two seasons. The two defeats were in the middle of six consecutive playoff appearances for the school after it appeared in the playoffs just once from 1939 through 1982.
7. Name the only year four teams arrived at the national semifinals with a composite winning percentage of less than 75 percent. Hint: The two schools that met in the national third-place game are traditional football powers. The college losing both of its Final Four games that year is the only national semifinalist to finish a season with as many as 14 defeats.
8. Who is the only player to score more than 60 points in a single playoff game and to score more than 43 points at least twice? Hint: Of the players who scored more than 235 playoff points and/or averaged more than 25 points per tournament game (minimum of three games), he is the only individual from the select group to have a losing playoff record. He is the only one of the top 25 playoff scorers never to reach the Final Four.
9. Who is the only male player to score more than 44 points in a single Final Four game? Hint: He is the only player to twice convert more than 12 free throws without a miss in a playoff game.
10. Who is the only player to score more than 400 points in his playoff career? Hint: The only individual to start in four straight Final Fours hit two last-second shots to help his team win East Regional final overtime games and is the only player with at least 10 championship game free-throw attempts to convert all of them.
Unfinished Business: X Never Has Marked Its Spot at Elusive Final Four
Weep On It/Think On It/Sleep On It/Drink On It. That could be the motto for Xavier after the Musketeers remained a "Susan Lucci" school in Division I after another loss in the NCAA Tournament preventing them from reaching the Promised Land. Brigham Young, Missouri and Xavier are the only three schools participating in more than 25 NCAA Tournaments but never advancing to a Final Four. X exhibited traits where it showed potential of marking a spot at the national semifinals this year but the #2 seed in the East Regional was blindsided twice by Wisconsin three-point specialist Bronson "Mr. Big Shot" Koenig in the last 13 seconds.
Missouri has reached a regional final on four occasions but fell short in advancing to the Final Four. 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:
Select Circle: ACC Sets NCAA Tournament Record With Six Sweet 16 Teams
The Atlantic Coast Conference, reinvigorated with the additions of Notre Dame and Syracuse, provided more than three teams among the Sweet 16 for the first time in 20 years last season. This campaign, the ACC continued on an upward path by setting an NCAA Tournament record with six Sweet 16 participants. Newcomer Louisville might have been a seventh ACC squad but the banished Cardinals apparently were more interested in sex ed independent study raining dollar bills in their dormitory.
In 2009, the Big East became the first conference to boast five playoff teams reaching the regional semifinals in the same year until the ACC duplicated the feat last year. The ACC boasted four members advancing that far on eight occasions in a 12-year stretch from 1984 through 1995.
The ACC in 1985 was the only league in this category not to have at least one of the quartet reach the Final Four until the Big East was foiled in 2006. Following is a look at the 26 times when thoroughbred leagues supplied at least four Sweet 16 participants since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980:
| Year | Power League | Four or More Members Reaching Sweet 16 |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Big Ten | Indiana, z-Iowa, Ohio State, z-Purdue |
| 1984 | ACC | Maryland, North Carolina, z-Virginia, Wake Forest |
| 1985 | ACC | Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State |
| 1985 | Big East | Boston College, y-Georgetown, z-St. John's, x-Villanova |
| 1986 | ACC | y-Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State |
| 1986 | SEC | Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, z-Louisiana State |
| 1989 | ACC | z-Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia |
| 1989 | Big Ten | z-Illinois, Indiana, x-Michigan, Minnesota |
| 1990 | ACC | Clemson, y-Duke, z-Georgia Tech, North Carolina |
| 1992 | ACC | x-Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina |
| 1993 | ACC | Florida State, x-North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest |
| 1995 | ACC | Maryland, z-North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest |
| 1996 | SEC | Arkansas, Georgia, x-Kentucky, z-Mississippi State |
| 1997 | Pacific-10 | x-Arizona, California, Stanford, UCLA |
| 1998 | Pacific-10 | Arizona, z-Stanford, UCLA, Washington |
| 1999 | Big Ten | Iowa, z-Michigan State, z-Ohio State, Purdue |
| 2001 | Pacific-10 | y-Arizona, Southern California, Stanford, UCLA |
| 2002 | Big 12 | z-Kansas, Missouri, z-Oklahoma, Texas |
| 2003 | Big East | Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, x-Syracuse |
| 2006 | Big East | Connecticut, Georgetown, Villanova, West Virginia |
| 2009 | Big East | z-Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, z-Villanova |
| 2012 | Big East | Cincinnati, z-Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse |
| 2012 | Big Ten | Indiana, Michigan State, z-Ohio State, Wisconsin |
| 2013 | Big Ten | Indiana, y-Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State |
| 2015 | ACC | x-Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame |
| 2016 | ACC | Duke, Miami (Fla.), y-North Carolina, Notre Dame, z-Syracuse, Virginia |
x-Won NCAA championship
y-Finished national runner-up
z-Reached Final Four
Undergraduate Study: Odds Were Against UK & Duke Reaching Regional Final
Kentucky and Duke faced the same dilemma. UK, after multiple undergraduate members of its regular rotation departed a Final Four team four times in a five-year span to display their wares in the NBA, and defending champion Duke, after losing three undergrads who became NBA first-round selections.
Each Final Four since 1995 had at least one school promptly lose a minimum of one player early to the NBA, including all four participants in 2007 (Florida, Georgetown, Ohio State and UCLA). But what happened to those national semifinal schools with multiple players declaring early for the NBA?
The first 15 "star light" schools with multiple defectors failed to reach an NCAA regional final the next season until Kentucky reversed the trend with a national championship in 2012 after losing Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins in 2011. But UK, after freshmen Julius Randle and James Young were among the top 17 NBA draft choices in 2014, couldn't duplicate that feat last year. It would have been one of the greatest achievements in college basketball history if UK returned to the 2013 Final Four after losing five undergraduates from the 38-2 NCAA titlist although two of them (Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague) have had virtually no NBA impact. The perils of losing so much young talent was reflected in the Wildcats' failure to reach the NCAA playoffs and losing in the opening round of the NIT against Robert Morris.
The only team in this category other than UK to lose fewer than seven games was Duke (29-5 in 1999-00). After the first 13 squads thus far this century suffered an average of nine defeats in the wake of multiple pro defections, Kentucky won 38 in a row last season before bowing against Wisconsin in the national semifinals, which was a significant departure from the following chronological look at how Final Four schools fared the year after having multiple players renounce their college eligibility:
| Year | Final Four Team | Multiple Undergraduates Declaring For NBA Draft | Record | Postseason Outcome Next Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Arkansas (2) | Scotty Thurman (undrafted), Corliss Williamson (13th pick overall) | 20-13 | Lost regional semifinal |
| 1995 | North Carolina (2) | Jerry Stackhouse (3rd), Rasheed Wallace (4th) | 21-11 | Lost in second round |
| 1996 | Mississippi State (2) | Erick Dampier (10th), Dontae' Jones (21st) | 12-18 | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | North Carolina (2) | Vince Carter (5th), Antawn Jamison (4th) | 24-10 | Lost in first round |
| 1999 | Duke (3) | William Avery (14th), Elton Brand (1st), Corey Maggette (13th) | 29-5 | Lost regional semifinal |
| 2000 | Florida (2) | Donnell Harvey (22nd), Mike Miller (5th) | 24-7 | Lost in second round |
| 2001 | Arizona (3) | Gilbert Arenas (31st), Richard Jefferson (13th), Michael Wright (39th) | 24-10 | Lost regional semifinal |
| 2001 | Michigan State (2) | Zach Randolph (19th), Jason Richardson (5th) | 19-12 | Lost in first round |
| 2004 | Connecticut (2) | Ben Gordon (3rd), Emeka Okafor (2nd) | 23-8 | Lost in second round |
| 2005 | Illinois (2) | Dee Brown (undrafted), Deron Williams (3rd) | 26-7 | Lost in second round |
| 2005 | North Carolina (4) | Raymond Felton (5th), Sean May (13th), Rashad McCants (14th), Marvin Williams (2nd) | 23-8 | Lost in second round |
| 2007 | Florida (4) | Corey Brewer (7th), Taurean Green (52nd), Al Horford (3rd), Joakim Noah (9th) | 24-12 | Reached NIT semifinals |
| 2007 | Ohio State (3) | Mike Conley Jr. (4th), Daequan Cook (21st), Greg Oden (1st) | 24-13 | Won NIT |
| 2008 | Kansas (3) | Darrell Arthur (27th), Mario Chalmers (34th), Brandon Rush (13th) | 27-8 | Lost regional semifinal |
| 2008 | UCLA (3) | Kevin Love (5th), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (37th), Russell Westbrook (4th) | 26-9 | Lost in second round |
| 2011 | Kentucky (2) | Brandon Knight (8th), DeAndre Liggins (53rd) | 38-2 | Won national title |
| 2012 | Kentucky (5) | Anthony Davis (1st), Terrence Jones (18th), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2nd), Doron Lamb (42nd), Marquis Teague (29th) | 21-12 | Lost in NIT first round |
| 2013 | Michigan (2) | Trey Burke (9th), Tim Hardaway Jr. (24th) | 28-9 | Lost regional final |
| 2014 | Kentucky (2) | Julius Randle (7th), James Young (17th) | 38-1 | Lost in national semifinals |
| 2015 | Duke (3) | Tyus Jones (24th), Jahlil Okafor (3rd), Justise Winslow (10th) | 25-11 | Lost regional semifinal |
| 2015 | Kentucky (6) | Devin Booker (13th), Willie Cauley-Stein (6th), Andrew Harrison (44th), Dakari Johnson (48th), Trey Lyles (12th), Karl-Anthony Towns (1st) | 27-9 | Lost in second round |
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #8)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 8 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only school to reach the Final Four three consecutive years on two separate occasions in the 20th Century. Hint: In the first three-year stretch, it became the only school to lose three straight national semifinal games. In the second three-year stretch, the school was involved in the only times two teams from the same state met each other in the championship game.
2. What was the only year two undefeated teams reached the Final Four? Hint: One of the squads had a perfect ending after winning in the national semifinals and championship game by an average of 16 points, while the other club that was unbeaten lost in the national semifinals and third-place game by an average of 15 points.
3. Who is the shortest player to lead an NCAA champion in scoring average? Hint: He was part of a three-guard starting lineup, averaging under 5-10 in height, that played the entire championship game for the only current Division I school to capture an NCAA title despite never having an NCAA consensus first- or second-team All-America.
4. Who is the only U.S. Olympic basketball coach to win the NCAA and NIT titles with different schools? Hint: He never participated in a national postseason tournament with the third university he coached (Michigan State).
5. Who was the only coach to direct two different schools to the Final Four twice apiece in the 20th Century? Hint: He is the only coach to compile a record of more than four games under .500 in Final Four contests and the only coach to guide three teams to national fourth-place finishes.
6. Who is the only coach of a championship team other than Rick Pitino to subsequently coach another university and compile a winning NCAA playoff record at his last major-college job? Hint: He is the only coach to win a national title at a school where he stayed less than five seasons.
7. Of the coaches to reach the national semifinals at least twice, who is the only one to compile an undefeated Final Four record? Hint: He won both of his championship games against the same school. He is also the only NCAA consensus first-team All-American to later coach his alma mater to an NCAA title.
8. Name the only school to lead UCLA at halftime in the 22 Final Four games for the Bruins' 11 titlists. Hint: The school that led one of the 11 UCLA champions at intermission of a Final Four game was coached by a John Wooden protege.
9. Of the coaches hired by NBA teams after winning an NCAA championship, who is the only one to compile a non-losing NBA playoff record? Hint: He is one of four different men to coach an undefeated NCAA championship team.
10. Name the only school to defeat a team by as many as 27 points in a season the opponent wound up winning the national title. Hint: The school is also the only one to defeat an eventual national titlist twice in the same season by at least 12 points.
Mr. Big Shot: Jenkins Joined Long List of Memorable Tourney Buzzer Beaters
A game-winning bank shot from half-court by Northern Iowa's Paul Jesperson against Texas enabled him to join the striking list of storybook moments in NCAA playoff lore, making it time to shine light on many of those who previously made history. UNI also had a stimulating three-pointer when Maurice Newby connected from beyond the arc to defeat Missouri in 1990. But Jesperson's heroics had to give way in the "one-shining-moment" spotlight department to Villanova's Kris Jenkins when he canned a game-winning three-pointer against North Carolina in the championship game.
Typified by Jenkins and Bronson Koenig's three-pointer giving Wisconsin a second-round victory over #2 seed Xavier, more than one-fourth of the NCAA Tournament's games were determined in overtime or in regulation by fewer than four points since the field expanded to at least 32 teams in 1975. Four riveting national finals in an eight-year span from 1982 through 1989 furnished memories etched indelibly in our minds because clutch players appeared impervious to pressure by producing in last-second situations.
Videos help us remember the buzzer beaters far beyond the actual moment. Butler's Gordon Hayward almost joined this group but his heave from near half-court rimmed out in 2010 national final against Duke. Hayward learned close only counts in hand grenades, horseshoes and drive-in movies. Pushing for rebound basket (Iowa) and capitalizing on poor defense on in-bounds play for layup (PC) won't get you on the following alphabetical list of numerous individuals who supplied a memorable field goal as time expired in an NCAA tourney tilt:
| Player | School | Description of Decisive Last-Second Basket |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Ainge | Brigham Young | Coast-to-coast drive and scoop shot edged #2 seed Notre Dame, 51-50, in 1981 East Regional semifinals. |
| Rolando Blackman | Kansas State | Jumper from 17 feet from right baseline was the difference in 50-48 verdict against #1 seed Oregon State in second round of 1981 West Regional. |
| Nathaniel Burton | Georgetown | Driving layup was final margin in 63-61 nod over Arkansas in first round of 2001 West Regional. |
| Lorenzo Charles | North Carolina State | Sophomore forward, averaging a modest 8 ppg, converted guard Dereck Whittenburg's off-line desperation shot from well beyond the three-point arc into decisive dunk in 54-52 triumph against Houston in 1983 championship game. |
| Cameron Dollar | UCLA | Short jumper with less than two seconds remaining after length-of-the-court drive in overtime upended Iowa State, 74-73, in 1997 Midwest Regional semifinals. |
| Bryce Drew | Valparaiso | Signature three-pointer after three-quarter court pass to teammate gave #13 seed a 70-69 victory against Ole Miss in first round of 1998 Midwest Regional. |
| Tyus Edney | UCLA | Length-of-the-court drive and layup gave #1 seed a 75-74 triumph against Missouri in second round of 1995 West Regional. |
| James Forrest | Georgia Tech | Freshman forward, who didn't attempt a three-pointer all year, nailed a desperation shot from beyond the arc for a 79-78 win against Southern California in second round of 1992 Midwest Regional. |
| Rick Fox | North Carolina | Drive along right baseline for leaning bank shot in 79-77 upset of top-ranked Oklahoma in second round of 1990 Midwest Regional. |
| Kevin Gamble | Iowa | Straight-away three-pointer with one second remaining in overtime against Oklahoma provided 93-91 triumph in 1987 West Regional semifinals. |
| Tate George | Connecticut | Turnaround jumper from right baseline after length-of-the-court pass from eventual MLB first-round draft choice Scott Burrell clipped Clemson, 71-70, in 1990 East Regional semifinals. |
| Clarence Gilbert | Missouri | Jumper from 15 feet helped withstand furious Georgia rally, 70-68, in first round of 2001 East Regional. |
| Demetri Goodson | Gonzaga | Short running bank shot lifted Zags to 83-81 triumph against Western Kentucky in second round of 2009 South Regional. |
| Richard Hamilton | Connecticut | Off-balance fall-away in lane gave Huskies a 75-74 win against Washington in 1998 East Regional semifinals. |
| Jeff Hodge | South Alabama | Desperation three-pointer off broken play in waning moments gave USA an 86-84 victory against Alabama in opening round of 1989 Southeast Regional. |
| Shaheen Holloway | Seton Hall | Mercurial point guard drove length of the court through and around a double team to score on an underhanded layup high off the glass with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime to frustrate Oregon, 72-71, in first round of 2000 East Regional. |
| Jeff Hornacek | Iowa State | Fall-away 25-footer off an out-of-bounds play commencing with two seconds remaining in overtime gave the Cyclones their first NCAA playoff victory in 42 years - 81-79 against Miami (Ohio) in opening round of 1986 Midwest Regional. |
| De'Jon Jackson | San Diego | Fade-away 18-footer from right side with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime for 13 seed accounted for 70-69 decision over UConn in 2008 West Regional. |
| Kris Jenkins | Villanova | Responding to miracle off-balance three-pointer by North Carolina's Marcus Paige tying the score at 74-74 with fewer than five seconds remaining, Jenkins responding by drilling a game-winning trey from the right side. |
| Paul Jesperson | Northern Iowa | Half-court bank shot after several dribbles crossing from right sideline to middle of hardwood propelled #11 seed to a 75-72 nod over Texas in opening round of 2016 West Regional. |
| Bronson Koenig | Wisconsin | Swished three-pointer from right corner off sideline out-of-bounds play in 66-63 triumph against #2 seed Xavier in second round of 2016 East Regional. His decisive basket left him 16-of-31 from beyond the arc in the last five minutes of games during the season. |
| Christian Laettner (1) | Duke | After in-bounding ball with 2.6 seconds remaining in overtime, he received it back and converted a contorted leaner from left side for 79-78 win against UConn in 1990 East Regional final. |
| Christian Laettner (2) | Duke | In perhaps most memorable shot in NCAA playoff history, he received pass from opposite baseline from Grant Hill and sank turnaround jumper near top of the key for 104-103 overtime victory against Kentucky in 1992 East Regional final. |
| Gabe Lewullis | Princeton | Layup off a back-door cut in closing seconds proved decisive for #13 seed in 43-41 triumph against UCLA in first round of 1996 Southeast Regional. |
| Chris Lofton | Tennessee | Jumper from 19 feet for #2 seed in 63-61 win against upstart Winthrop in first round of 2006 Washington/East Regional. |
| Brook Lopez | Stanford | Dropped in right-baseline leaner with 1.3 seconds remaining to outlast Marquette in overtime, 82-81, in second round of 2008 South Regional. |
| Korie Lucious | Michigan State | Three-pointer from top of key in 85-83 decision over Maryland in second round of 2010 Midwest Regional. |
| Mike Miller | Florida | Driving layup in overtime gave eventual national runner-up a 69-68 nod over Butler in first round of 2000 East Regional. |
| Maurice Newby | Northern Iowa | Three-point basket with four seconds remaining in 74-71 triumph against #3 seed Missouri in first round of 1990 Southeast Regional. |
| Drew Nicholas | Maryland | Drove much of length of court before firing three-pointer from right side to nip UNC Wilmington, 75-73, in first round of 2003 South Regional. |
| Freddie Owens | Wisconsin | Three-pointer from left corner capped comeback from 13-point deficit in 61-60 success against Tulsa in second round of 2003 Midwest Regional. |
| Kenton Paulino | Texas | Three-pointer propelled #2 seed to 74-71 victory against West Virginia in Sweet 16 of 2006 Atlanta/South Regional. |
| Quincy Pondexter | Washington | Driving short bank shot from left side with 1.7 seconds remaining in 80-78 win against Marquette in opening round of 2010 East Regional. |
| Ken Pryor | Oklahoma | Backup's only basket in 1947 tourney, a long jumper in closing seconds, gave OU a 55-54 success against Texas in national semifinals. |
| U.S. Reed | Arkansas | In aftermath of clutch field goal by Louisville's Derek Smith, a criss-crossing drive to right side of mid-court resulted in heave giving Hogs a 74-73 win in second round of 1981 Midwest Regional. |
| Don Reid | Georgetown | Grabbed Allen Iverson's three-pointer falling short and flipped it back over his head for basket in 53-51 victory against Weber State in second round of 1995 Southeast Regional. |
| Scottie Reynolds | Villanova | Length-of-the-court drive and short jumper against #1 seed Pittsburgh for 78-76 triumph in 2009 East Regional final. |
| Ty Rogers | Western Kentucky | Desperation 30-foot three-pointer in overtime against Drake lifted WKU to 101-99 first-round victory in 2008 West Regional. |
| Vic Rouse | Loyola of Chicago | Junior forward jumped high to redirect center Les Hunter's shot from free-throw line into the basket to climax Ramblers' first year in playoffs with 60-58 overtime success against Cincinnati in 1963 championship game. |
| Keith Smart | Indiana | Junior college recruit, IU's fifth-leading scorer, tallied 12 of the Hoosiers' final 15 points, including 15-foot jumper from left baseline to give them a 74-73 victory against Syracuse in 1987 championship game. |
| Ishmael Smith | Wake Forest | Jumper from right side with less than two seconds remaining capped comeback from eight-point deficit in overtime in 81-80 win against Texas in opening round of 2010 East Regional. |
| John Smith | Saint Joseph's | Converted layup with three seconds remaining in 49-48 decision over top-ranked DePaul in second round of 1981 Mideast Regional. |
| Steve Smith | Michigan State | Three-pointer with one tick remaining beat Wisconsin-Green Bay, 61-58, in 1991 West Regional opener. |
| Dave Sorenson | Ohio State | Banked in shot with three seconds remaining to give OSU an 82-81 victory against Kentucky in 1968 Mideast Regional final at Lexington, Ky., where fifth-ranked UK failed to lose all season. |
| Terence Stansbury | Temple | Swished 25-footer for 65-63 win against St. John's in first round of 1984 East Regional. |
| Terrell Taylor | Creighton | His eighth three-pointer of game gave Bluejays an 83-82 double-overtime win against Florida in first round of 2002 Midwest Regional. |
| Danero Thomas | Murray State | Fall-away jumper from right side just inside three-point arc for #13 seed secured 66-65 verdict over Vanderbilt in 2010 West Regional. |
| Andre Turner | Memphis State | "Little General" contributed back-to-back game-winning shots in Midwest Regional (67-66 vs. UAB in overtime and 59-57 vs. Boston College) to carry Tigers to 1985 Final Four. |
| Jermaine Wallace | Northwestern State | Step-back three-pointer from left corner upset #3 seed Iowa, 64-63, in first round of 2006 Atlanta/South Regional. |
| John Wallace | Syracuse | Lean-in three-pointer with less than three seconds remaining in overtime for 83-81 win against Georgia in 1996 West Regional semifinals. |
| Jarrod West | West Virginia | Banked in three-pointer with less than one second remaining for 75-74 victory against #2 seed Cincinnati in second round of 1998 West Regional. |
| Herb Wilkinson | Utah | Freshman swingman connected from beyond head of the key with three seconds remaining to give Utes a 42-40 overtime win against Dartmouth in 1944 championship game. |
| Danny Young | Wake Forest | Drove to hoop for basket and 73-71 triumph in overtime against #1 seed DePaul in 1984 Midwest Regional semifinals, spoiling legendary coach Ray Meyer's swan song. |
Exit Strategy: Dixon, Pikiell & Underwood Leave Tourney Teams For New Jobs
An average of four coaches per year leave NCAA playoff teams since seeding started in 1979. The first tournament mentor to depart this season was Steve Pikiell, who abandoned Stony Brook for Rutgers to try to end a Scarlet-fever, Knight-mare start as member of the Big Ten Conference. It might be a move up financially for Pikiell, but it's debatable as to whether he'll ever direct the over-matched Scarlet Knights to respectability in the Big Ten. It didn't take long for this year to surpass the average of four such mentors in this category.
Only three of the 13 coaches in the previous four years in this category - Steve Alford (UCLA), Larry Eustachy (Colorado State) and John Groce (Illinois) - have gone on to win an NCAA playoff game at their latest outpost. In fact, Alford and Groce already are on shaky ground.
In every year since 1968, directing a team to the NCAA Tournament has been a springboard to what many believed was bigger-and-better things at a "poach-a-coach" school. Following are head coaches since the tourney field expanded to at least 64 entrants in 1985 who had a change of heart and accepted similar job at a different major college promptly after directing team to the NCAA playoffs:
1985 (six) - J.D. Barnett (Virginia Commonwealth to Tulsa), Craig Littlepage (Penn to Rutgers), Nolan Richardson Jr. (Tulsa to Arkansas), Andy Russo (Louisiana Tech to Washington), Tom Schneider (Lehigh to Penn), Eddie Sutton (Arkansas to Kentucky)
1986 (four) - Jim Calhoun (Northeastern to Connecticut), Paul Evans (Navy to Pittsburgh), Clem Haskins (Western Kentucky to Minnesota), George Raveling (Iowa to Southern California)
1987 (two) - Jim Brandenburg (Wyoming to San Diego State), Benny Dees (New Orleans to Wyoming)
1988 (two) - Dave Bliss (Southern Methodist to New Mexico), Tom Penders (Rhode Island to Texas)
1989 (four) - Tommy Joe Eagles (Louisiana Tech to Auburn), Bill Frieder (Michigan to Arizona State), Rick Majerus (Ball State to Utah), Lynn Nance (Saint Mary's to Washington)
1990 (five) - Kermit Davis Jr. (Idaho to Texas A&M), Mike Jarvis (Boston University to George Washington), Lon Kruger (Kansas State to Florida), Mike Newell (UALR to Lamar), Les Robinson (East Tennessee State to North Carolina State)
1991 (four) - Tony Barone (Creighton to Texas A&M), Jim Molinari (Northern Illinois to Bradley), Stew Morrill (Montana to Colorado State), Steve Newton (Murray State to South Carolina)
1992 (one) - Charlie Spoonhour (Southwest Missouri State to Saint Louis)
1993 (one) - Eddie Fogler (Vanderbilt to South Carolina)
1994 (eight) - Tom Asbury (Pepperdine to Kansas State), Rick Barnes (Providence to Clemson), Jeff Capel Jr. (North Carolina A&T to Old Dominion), Kevin O'Neill (Marquette to Tennessee), Skip Prosser (Loyola MD to Xavier), Kelvin Sampson (Washington State to Oklahoma), Ralph Willard (Western Kentucky to Pittsburgh), Jim Wooldridge (Southwest Texas State to Louisiana Tech)
1995 (three) - Dick Bennett (Wisconsin-Green Bay to Wisconsin), Scott Edgar (Murray State to Duquesne), Tubby Smith (Tulsa to Georgia)
1996 (one) - Ben Braun (Eastern Michigan to California)
1997 (five) - Ernie Kent (Saint Mary's to Oregon), Mack McCarthy (UT-Chattanooga to Virginia Commonwealth), Jim O'Brien (Boston College to Ohio State), Steve Robinson (Tulsa to Florida State), Al Skinner (Rhode Island to Boston College), Tubby Smith (Georgia to Kentucky)
1998 (seven) - Rick Barnes (Clemson to Texas), Larry Eustachy (Utah State to Iowa State), Rob Evans (Mississippi to Arizona State), Mark Gottfried (Murray State to Alabama), Mike Jarvis (George Washington to St. John's), Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte to Texas A&M), Tim Welsh (Iona to Providence)
1999 (four) - Steve Alford (Southwest Missouri State to Iowa), Dave Bliss (New Mexico to Baylor), Jim Harrick (Rhode Island to Georgia), Dan Monson (Gonzaga to Minnesota)
2000 (four) - Barry Collier (Butler to Nebraska), Ray McCallum (Ball State) to Houston), Buzz Peterson (Appalachian State to Tulsa), Bill Self (Tulsa to Illinois)
2001 (five) - Thad Matta (Butler to Xavier), Dave Odom (Wake Forest to South Carolina), Skip Prosser (Xavier to Wake Forest), Gary Waters (Kent State to Rutgers), Jay Wright (Hofstra to Villanova)
2002 (three) - Stan Heath (Kent State to Arkansas), Steve Merfeld (Hampton to Evansville), Jerry Wainwright (UNC Wilmington to Richmond)
2003 (eight) - Cy Alexander (South Carolina State to Tennessee State), Ed DeChellis (East Tennessee State to Penn State), Dennis Felton (Western Kentucky to Georgia), Ben Howland (Pittsburgh to UCLA), Oliver Purnell (Dayton to Clemson), Bill Self (Illinois to Kansas), Dereck Whittenburg (Wagner to Fordham), Roy Williams (Kansas to North Carolina)
2004 (eight) - Jessie Evans (Louisiana-Lafayette to San Francisco), Ray Giacoletti (Eastern Washington to Utah), Billy Gillispie (Texas-El Paso to Texas A&M, Trent Johnson (Nevada to Stanford), Thad Matta (Xavier to Ohio State), Matt Painter (Southern Illinois to Purdue), Joe Scott (Air Force to Princeton), John Thompson III (Princeton to Georgetown)
2005 (two) - Travis Ford (Eastern Kentucky to Massachusetts), Bruce Pearl (Wisconsin-Milwaukee to Tennessee)
2006 (eight) - Mike Anderson (UAB to Missouri), Brad Brownell (UNC Wilmington to Wright State), Mick Cronin (Murray State to Cincinnati), Mike Davis (Indiana to UAB), Fran Dunphy (Penn to Temple), Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa to Iowa State), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma to Indiana), Herb Sendek (North Carolina State to Arizona State)
2007 (four) - Ronnie Arrow (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to South Alabama), Todd Lickliter (Butler to Iowa), Billy Gillispie (Texas A&M to Kentucky), Gregg Marshall (Winthrop to Wichita State)
2008 (five) - Jim Christian (Kent State to Texas Christian), Tom Crean (Marquette to Indiana), Keno Davis (Drake to Providence), Darrin Horn (Western Kentucky to South Carolina), Trent Johnson (Stanford to Louisiana State)
2009 (three) - John Calipari (Memphis to Kentucky), Anthony Grant (Virginia Commonwealth to Alabama), Sean Miller (Xavier to Arizona)
2010 (five) - Tony Barbee (Texas-El Paso to Auburn), Steve Donahue (Cornell to Boston College), Bob Marlin (Sam Houston State to Louisiana-Lafayette), Fran McCaffery (Siena to Iowa), Oliver Purnell (Clemson to DePaul).
2011 (seven) - Mike Anderson (Missouri to Arkansas), Patrick Chambers (Boston University to Penn State), Ed DeChellis (Penn State to Navy), Sydney Johnson (Princeton to Fairfield), Lon Kruger (UNLV to Oklahoma), Jim Larranaga (George Mason to Miami FL), Mark Turgeon (Texas A&M to Maryland)
2012 (six) - Larry Eustachy (Southern Mississippi to Colorado State), Jim Ferry (Long Island to Duquesne), John Groce (Ohio University to Illinois), Frank Martin (Kansas State to South Carolina), Tim Miles (Colorado State to Nebraska), Sean Woods (Mississippi Valley State to Morehead State)
2013 (two) - Steve Alford (New Mexico to UCLA), Andy Enfield (Florida Gulf Coast to Southern California)
2014 (three) - Danny Manning (Tulsa to Wake Forest), Cuonzo Martin (Tennessee to California), Saul Phillips (North Dakota State to Ohio University)
2015 (two) - Bobby Hurley (Buffalo to Arizona State), Shaka Smart (Virginia Commonwealth to Texas)
2016 (seven) - Chris Beard (UALR to UNLV to Texas Tech), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh to Texas Christian), Scott Nagy (South Dakota State to Wright State), Steve Pikiell (Stony Brook to Rutgers), Tubby Smith (Texas Tech to Memphis), Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt to Pittsburgh), Brad Underwood (Stephen F. Austin to Oklahoma State)
Busted Brown: Freshman Phenom Joins Standouts Who Struggled in Playoffs
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Jaylen Brown flamed out in what will be his lone NCAA Tournament appearance if he declares early for the NBA draft. Brown had more turnovers (seven) than his total of points (four) and rebounds (two) for California when the Bears were humbled by Hawaii in a South Regional opening-round contest. Elsewhere, Seton Hall standout guard Isaiah Whitehead, who had three games of at least 20 points against NCAA champion-to-be Villanova, hit only 4-of-24 field-goal attempts (0-for-10 from three-point range) in an opening-round defeat against Gonzaga.
Generally, sizzling scorers such as Brown and Whitehead have learned it's not always a day at the beach in postseason play. For instance, former NBA sensation Clyde Drexler averaged more than 17 points per game each of his last 13 NBA seasons, but he scored more than 17 points in just one of 11 NCAA Tournament games for the University of Houston from 1981 through 1983. Premier playmaker Steve Nash managed only one field goal in three of five playoff contests in the mid-1990s, shooting a paltry 29.2% from the floor. Two-time NBA slam-dunk champion Jason Richardson (5th pick overall in 2001) was grounded by the NCAA playoffs, going scoreless in three consecutive contests as a Michigan State freshman in 2000.
All-Americans-to-be Thomas Robinson (Kansas) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina) each went scoreless in two NCAA playoff games. Eventual All-Americans Marcus Denmon (Missouri), Danny Ferry (Duke), Ben Gordon (Connecticut), Marcus Morris (Kansas) and Terrence Williams (Louisville) also went scoreless in a tourney game. Ferry scored fewer than 10 points in six straight tourney tilts before averaging 20 ppg in his last 11 playoff outings and Syracuse All-American Kris Joseph never scored more than 12 points in 11 NCAA playoff contests from 2009 through 2012.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #7)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 7 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only coach to grace the NCAA playoffs in five decades. Hint: He achieved the feat with four different universities.
2. Who is the only player to score a team-high point total in his prominent school's first NCAA Tournament victory the same year he earned All-American honors as a quarterback for a national football champion? Hint: He later became executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after coaching two different universities when they participated in the Rose Bowl.
3. Who is the only individual to be more than 10 games below .500 in his initial campaign as a major-college head coach and subsequently guide a team to a national championship? Hint: He won his last 10 NCAA Tournament games decided by fewer than five points. In his last two playoff appearances with the former titlist, it became the only school to receive at-large bids in back-to-back years with as many as 14 defeats entering the tourney.
4. Name the only school to be denied three NCAA Tournament berths because it was on probation. Hint: The three times the school didn't participate in the national playoffs because of NCAA probation were from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s.
5. Who was the only player to score more than 40 points in his first tournament game? Hint: The university left the Division I level for 28 years and was UCLA's first victim when the Bruins started a 38-game winning streak in the playoffs. He and his twin brother were infielders together with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
6. Name the only school to deploy just five players in an entire championship game. Hint: The school, participating in the playoffs for the first time that year, set a record for largest winning margin with a 69-point victory in its first-round game. The school is the only former NCAA champion never to compete against legendary coaches Bob Knight and Dean Smith.
7. Who is the only individual to go as many as 25 years between coaching teams in the NCAA Tournament? Hint: His first two playoff teams were eliminated in their tourney openers by eventual championship game participants.
8. Name the only school to have more than one two-time first-team All-American never reach the Final Four. Hint: One of the players is the only three-time first-team All-America to fail to appear in the NCAA playoffs. The school is the only top four seed to lose a first-round game by more than 20 points.
9. Who is the only player to have season scoring averages of fewer than 10 points per game in back-to-back years he was named to the All-NCAA Tournament team? Hint: His school reached the national championship game each season and had two different centers named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Also, he is part of the only set of brothers to play together in two NCAA title games. One of their teammates became a marquee coach.
10. Who is the only individual to play for an NCAA basketball champion and in a major league baseball World Series? Hint: He was primarily a relief pitcher for six different teams in 13 big league seasons from 1975 through 1989.
False Starts: Temple Among Four Schools Suffering Most 1st-Round Defeats
North Carolina A&T State appeared in the NCAA playoffs the most times (nine) without winning a tournament game until prevailing in a First Four outing three years ago. But N.C. A&T still has a long way to go to join the ranks of "quick-exit" schools such as West Virginia with as many as 14 opening-round defeats.
Connecticut, after absorbing nine opening-round losses in 17 years from 1951 through 1967, had the most opening-round setbacks for an extended period. But the Huskies didn't incur an opening-round reversal for 28 years until suffering two in a recent five-year span. Similarly, St. John's suffered eight opening-round losses in a 20-year stretch from 1973 through 1992.
Maryland was the first school to incur at least 10 NCAA Tournament defeats but never absorb an opening-round setback until the Terrapins lost to Santa Clara in 1996. Temple, losing in overtime against Iowa, incurred its fifth first-round reversal in the last nine seasons to rank fourth on the following list of schools most prone to sustaining an opening-round defeat:
School (Playoff Losses) NCAA Tournament Opening-Round Defeats Brigham Young (32) 19 (1950-57-65-69-72-79-80-87-90-92-95-01-03-04-07-08-09-14-15) Princeton (28) 16 (1952-55-60-63-69-76-77-81-89-90-91-92-97-01-04-11) Utah State (20) 16 (1939-63-71-75-79-80-83-88-98-00-03-05-06-09-10-11) Temple (32) 15 (1944-64-67-70-72-79-90-92-95-98-08-09-10-12-16) Missouri (26) 14 (1944-78-81-83-86-87-88-90-93-99-00-11-12-13) St. John's (31) 14 (1961-68-73-76-77-78-80-84-88-92-98-02-11-15) West Virginia (27) 14 (1955-56-57-58-62-65-67-83-86-87-92-09-12-16)
Regal Rookies: G-Men Ganot and Gard Win NCAA Tournament Debuts
It might not end up on their tombstones but Hawaii's Eran Ganot and Wisconsin's Greg Gard achieved something NCAA championship coaches Jim Calhoun, Billy Donovan, Tom Izzo, Rick Pitino, Bill Self, Tubby Smith and Roy Williams failed to do - win NCAA playoff debut in his first season as a college head coach. Following is an alphabetical list of active coaches who guided team to an NCAA Tournament triumph in their first season at the DI level:
Active Coach School Debut Year Win in First NCAA Playoff Game Rod Barnes Mississippi 1999 Villanova in Midwest Regional John Becker Vermont 2012 Lamar in Midwest Regional Tony Bennett Washington State 2007 Oral Roberts in East Regional Jim Boeheim Syracuse 1977 Tennessee in OT in Mideast Regional Jamie Dixon Pittsburgh 2004 Central Florida in East Regional Mark Few Gonzaga 2000 Louisville in West Regional Steve Fisher Michigan 1990 Illinois State in West Regional Mark Fox Nevada 2005 Texas in Midwest Regional Eran Ganot Hawaii 2016 California in South Regional Greg Gard Wisconsin 2016 Pittsburgh in East Regional Chris Mack Xavier 2010 Minnesota in West Regional Frank Martin Kansas State 2008 Southern California in Midwest Regional Thad Matta Butler 2001 Wake Forest in Midwest Regional Brad Underwood Stephen F. Austin 2014 Virginia Commonwealth in South Regional
NOTE: Barnes (Cal State Bakersfield), Bennett (Virginia), Fisher (San Diego State), Fox (Georgia), Martin (South Carolina) and Matta (Ohio State) coached different schools this season. Fisher was interim coach in 1989 when he directed Michigan to the NCAA title.
Shock Treatment: Bottom of Bracket Racket Continues Via UH, MTSU and SFA
In the first six years of the NCAA Tournament seeding process from 1979 through 1984 when the playoff field ranged from 40 to 53 teams, a total of 13 No. 1 and 2 seeds lost their openers. Notwithstanding the misleading media's spin, the NCAA tourney hasn't been saturated with authentic upsets since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. On the other hand, there has been only four years in that span failing to provide a first-round shocker from the bottom of the bracket (1994, 2000, 2004 and 2007).
Teams seeded 13th or worse defeated teams seeded among the top four in a regional a total of 54 times in the last 32 years after #15 seed Middle Tennessee State led all the way in stunning #2 Michigan State, #14 seed Stephen F. Austin surprised #3 West Virginia and #13 seed Hawaii upset #4 California. It was the first time in NCAA history a #13, #14 and #15 seed all won on the same day. At least the setbacks weren't as ugly as a couple of sorry SEC setbacks when Navy overwhelmed LSU by 23 points in 1985 and Siena smothered Vanderbilt by 21 in 2008.
Thirty-eight of the first 54 poignant surprises were decided by fewer than seven points or in overtime. Arizona's stunning defeat against Santa Clara in 1993 materialized despite the Wildcats reeling off 25 unanswered points in a stretch bridging the last five minutes of the first half and the first five minutes of the second half. Gary Waters is the only coach to win two opening-round games in this category while in charge of two different schools (Kent State in 2001 and Cleveland State in 2009).
A #16 seed never has defeated a #1. Michigan State is the only #2 seed to lose its playoff opener after spending a portion of the regular season atop the AP national poll. Following is a rundown of the first 54 first-round knockouts by the bottom of the bracket (#13, #14 and #15 seeds) since the NCAA field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985:
#15 seed (8 victories)
| Year | #15 Seed Winner | Coach | #2 Seed Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Richmond | Dick Tarrant | Syracuse | 73-69 |
| 1993 | Santa Clara | Dick Davey | Arizona | 64-61 |
| 1997 | Coppin State | Ron "Fang" Mitchell | South Carolina | 78-65 |
| 2001 | Hampton | Steve Merfeld | Iowa State | 58-57 |
| 2012 | Lehigh | Dr. Brett Reed | Duke | 75-70 |
| 2012 | Norfolk State | Anthony Evans | Missouri | 86-84 |
| 2013 | Florida Gulf Coast | Andy Enfield | Georgetown | 78-68 |
| 2016 | Middle Tennessee State | Kermit Davis Jr. | Michigan State | 90-81 |
#14 seed (20 victories)
#13 seed (26 victories)
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #6)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 6 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who was the only player to lead the nation in scoring average in the same season he played for a team reaching the NCAA Tournament championship game? Hint: He was the first player to score more than 30 points in a Final Four game and the only individual to crack the 30-point plateau in the national semifinals and final in the same season. He was also the only Big Eight Conference player to lead the nation in scoring.
2. Of the 60 or so different players to score at least 2,500 points and/or rank among the top 25 in career scoring average, who was the only one to have a winning NCAA playoff record in his career plus post higher scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting playoff averages than he compiled in the regular season? Hint: The player scored at least 17 points in all 10 of his NCAA playoff games.
3. Who was the only football Heisman Trophy winner to play in the basketball Final Four? Hint: He won the Most Outstanding Player Award in a Liberty Bowl after setting a school record for longest run from scrimmage.
4. What was the only Final Four match-up to have both coaches opposing his alma mater? Hint: It's happened twice. The protege was an assistant at his alma mater for 10 years.
5. Who is the only coach to oppose his alma mater more than twice at the Final Four? Hint: He is also the only coach in the 20th Century to twice win conference and NCAA tournaments in the same year.
6. Who is the only unbeaten coach in NCAA playoff history? Hint: He is the only NCAA basketball championship coach to also be baseball coach at the same school when it won a College World Series game.
7. Who was the only coach with more than 30 NCAA Tournament victories to earn those wins at more than one school until Lute Olson (Iowa and Arizona) joined him in 1998? Hint: Three schools for the first coach were slapped with an NCAA probation during his stints there.
8. Who is the only coach in back-to-back years to win at least one NCAA playoff game in his first season with two different schools? He coached Butler the previous campaign. Hint: He was an assistant under three coaches who directed two different schools to the NCAA Tournament (Charlie Coles, Tates Locke and Herb Sendek).
9. Name the only school to gain an at-large invitation despite losing all of its conference road games. Hint: Three years earlier, the school received an at-large bid despite losing four league road games by at least 25 points.
10. Of the individuals to both play and coach in the NCAA Tournament, who leads that group in both scoring and rebounding totals? Hint: He was the leading scorer in the biggest blowout in regional final history.
Barry's Playground: Are NBA Trade Analyst Duties Next for POTUS at ESPN?
By any measure, the failures at the highest levels aren't restricted to Belgian officials. At least pretentious POTUS, after skipping funerals of Supreme Court justice and former First Lady, squeezed in vital task sharing NCAA playoff probability at Club Obama (a/k/a White House) prior to heading to Cuba and Argentina to work on his musical appreciation and tango groove moves. It seems as if ESPN should stand for Extra Sensitive Pious Network when going politico at the West Wing conducting tournament bracket selections. Granted, President Obama, a JV baller while attending Occidental (Calif.), demonstrates a sincere interest in the sport and his brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, works as an ESPN analyst after flopping as coach at Oregon State.
However, the Worldwide Leader should have labeled the puff-piece segment "Audacity of Hype" (not remotely Audacity of Hoop) unless the network gave equal time to perhaps a past or present Republican Senator. After all, Scott Brown (Tufts) and Jim Thune (Biola) were varsity hoopsters and might offer more firsthand knowledge while being among the striking number of politicians and political appointees who played the game. What's next if former Pitt hooper Mike Ditka can't speak his mind at ESPN without facing an NFL demotion?
Will Obama, spending more time doing the wave at a Cuban baseball game than speaking about the Islamic brutality in Brussels, become an NBA trade analyst after exhibiting such expertise in swapping five terrorist leaders for an American deserter? More adept at limp-wrested "wave" than hurling a Sandy Koufax fastball, the lame lefty would have embarrassed men all across the U.S. again by feebly throwing a ceremonial first pitch resembling his mom-jeans performance at a MLB All-Star Game. Will ES-PC-N allow Ditka to make any appeasement commentary if detached Prez thoughtfully responds to latest European terrorism by dispatching Lurch (a/k/a John Kerry) overseas for another James Taylor sing-a-long? After all, Barry deemed four more years (prepping exit for fundraiser in Vegas) more vital to him that spending "13 seconds" planning exit for four eventual dead Americans in Benghazi. Sans any explanation of crisis strategy, we're left wondering what game(s) body-man/former Duke hooper Reggie Love participated in with POTUS.
After securing credentials to where carrying Sick Willie's bags aren't an option, Obama will be qualified for his first real job in private sector overseeing ESPN hoop research if he knows former Marist/Oakland player Sebastien Bellin was among the injured in Brussels and actor Ted Cassidy - the tall fella as authentic Lurch in The Addams Family comedy TV series - was Stetson's leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55. Upon promotion to position as Hoop Czar, he could "dreamily" and "fatherly" have ESPN colleagues recite opening line of Arabic call to prayer unless someone might be a Bible clinger. In the meantime, the vacation junkie First Family needs to hurry back to West Wing in one of two Air Force Ones on trip and conduct a couple more JV meetings with RevAl to help "Not So" Sharpton with his tax "bracket" before filing deadline in mid-April.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #5)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 5 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only player to score more than 30,000 points in his pro career after never appearing in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: He is the only former major-college player to become NBA Most Valuable Player after failing to participate in the NCAA Tournament. He was 0-2 in the NIT, where he lost his final college game by 41 points, before leaving college for the pros with one season of eligibility remaining.
2. Who is the only person to play for an NBA championship team before coaching an NCAA titlist? Hint: He was a backup to an NBA all-time great after being the leading scorer and rebounder for a team winning an NIT crown.
3. Who became an NCAA playoff coach after being the only player in history to participate with two different schools in the NCAA championship game? Hint: One of the teams he played for was undefeated. He coached two different schools in the tourney.
4. Who is the only coach to engineer a turnaround featuring an NCAA playoff appearance in his first full season at a new job although the school compiled a record of more than 20 games below .500 the previous year? Hint: It was his only year as coach at the school.
5. Name the only mid-major conference to have two different members reach a regional semifinal as at-large teams in the same year, beating opponents from the Big East, Big 12 and SEC in the process. Hint: Two other members of the same league achieved the feat in the previous seven years. Only two of its current members haven't won playoff games when seeded five or more places worse than a major university currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues since seeding started in 1979.
6. Name the only former NCAA Tournament champion not to win at least one playoff game since capturing the title. Hint: It's the first NCAA champion to have black players in its starting lineup and is the only school to win the NCAA playoffs and NIT in the same year. The school is also the only former major college to win a Division I Tournament championship.
7. Name the school with the most playoff games decided by one or two points (four) on its way to a championship. Hint: It was the first school to need six victories to claim the national crown and is the only school to have two different coaches capture a national championship after compiling a losing record in their first seasons as a major-college head coach.
8. Who is the only coach to win his first 12 tournament games decided in overtime or by fewer than six points in regulation? Hint: His first of three NCAA championship game teams had four players become NBA first-round draft choices.
9. Name the only state to have more than six different schools reach the Final Four. Hint: The state went 31 years between its two national championships.
10. Name the only person to coach two different universities in back-to-back years when each school made its initial playoff appearance. Hint: He reached the national championship game with one of the schools.
Degrees of Success: Educational Backgrounds of NCAA Tournament Mentors
NCAA Tournament coaches will need to draw upon all of their resources to motivate their clubs in postseason play. Following is an alphabetical list assessing the educational backgrounds of mentors in this year's NCAA playoffs:
| 2016 NCAA Tournament Head Coach | School | Bachelor's | Master's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Altman | Oregon | Business | Business Administration |
| Rod Barnes | Cal State Bakersfield | Business Management | |
| Chris Beard | UALR | Kinesiology | |
| John Beilein | Michigan | History | |
| Tony Bennett | Virginia | Humanities | |
| Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | Social Science | Social Science |
| Tad Boyle | Colorado | Business Administration | |
| Mike Brey | Notre Dame | Physical Education | |
| John Calipari | Kentucky | Marketing | |
| Bill Carmody | Holy Cross | History | |
| Tim Cluess | Iona | Accounting | |
| Ed Cooley | Providence | History | |
| Tom Crean | Indiana | Parks & Recreation | |
| Mick Cronin | Cincinnati | History | |
| Linc Darner | Green Bay | Management | |
| Kermit Davis | Middle Tennessee State | unavailable | |
| Mike Davis | Texas Southern | Telecommunications | |
| Jamie Dixon | Pittsburgh | Finance | Economics |
| Joe Dooley | Florida Gulf Coast | Speech Communications | |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | Liberal Arts | Liberal Studies |
| Fran Dunphy | Temple | Marketing | Counseling & Human Relations |
| Andy Enfield | Southern California | Economics | Business Administration |
| Mark Few | Gonzaga | Physical Education | Athletic Administration |
| Eran Ganot | Hawaii | Economics and Sociology/Anthropology | |
| Greg Gard | Wisconsin | Physical and Health Education | Counselor Education |
| Frank Haith | Tulsa | Physical Education | |
| Greg Herenda | Fairleigh Dickinson | Business Administration and Marketing | |
| Chris Holtmann | Butler | Psychology | Athletic Administration |
| Bob Huggins | West Virginia | Physical Education | Health Administration |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan State | Health and Physical Education | |
| Ben Jacobson | Northern Iowa | Physical Education | |
| James Jones | Yale | Communications | Educational Administration |
| Billy Kennedy | Texas A&M | Social Studies Education | |
| Lon Kruger | Oklahoma | Business | Physical Education |
| Larry Krystkowiak | Utah | Business Administration | |
| Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | Officer Training | |
| Jim Larranaga | Miami (Fla.) | Economics | |
| Dave Loos | Austin Peay | Education | Education |
| Chris Mack | Xavier | Communication Arts | |
| Gregg Marshall | Wichita State | Economics/Business | Sports Management |
| Phil Martelli | Saint Joseph's | Political Science | |
| Cuonzo Martin | California | Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional & Tourism Management | |
| Fran McCaffery | Iowa | Economics | Education |
| Matt McCall | Chattanooga | Exercise and Sports Science | Exercise and Sports Science |
| Nick McDevitt | UNC Asheville | History | |
| Ryan "Archie" Miller | Dayton | Parks, Recreation & Tourism | |
| Sean Miller | Arizona | Communications | |
| Scott Nagy | South Dakota State | Business Administration | |
| Nate Oats | Buffalo | Math Education | |
| Kevin Ollie | Connecticut | Communications | |
| Matt Painter | Purdue | Sociology | |
| Steve Prohm | Iowa State | Education | |
| Randy Rahe | Weber State | Elementary Education & Physical Education | |
| Bill Self | Kansas | Business | Athletic Administration |
| Shaka Smart | Texas | History | Social Science |
| Tubby Smith | Texas Tech | Health and Physical Education | |
| Kevin Stallings | Vanderbilt | Business Management/Marketing | |
| Rodney Terry | Fresno State | Business Administration | |
| Wayne Tinkle | Oregon State | Health and Human Performance | |
| Mark Turgeon | Maryland | Personnel Administration | |
| Brad Underwood | Stephen F. Austin | Radio & TV Communications | |
| Roy Williams | North Carolina | Education | Education |
| Jay Wright | Villanova | Economics/Sociology |
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #4)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 4 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only conference to have five different members win the national championship although it has only one title in the previous 24 years. Hint: One of the five members to capture a title didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs from 1948 through 1993. The league came within eight points of going 0-11 in the tournament in 1995 and 1996.
2. Name the only conference to have all of its current members win at least one NCAA Tournament game in the 1990s. Hint: It's the only league to have all of its current members participate in at least 10 NCAA playoff games.
3. Who is the only coach to have more than 15 of his teams appear in the playoffs but none reach the Final Four? Hint: He has the worst record in NCAA Tournament history for any coach with at least 25 decisions and was also 1-5 in the NIT. He has more victories as a pitcher in the College World Series for his alma mater than basketball Final Four appearances. He is the only coach with more than 700 victories never to advance to the national semifinals.
4. Who is the only retired major college coach with more than 700 victories to never reach the Final Four? Hint: He is the only coach to go at least 20 years between NCAA Tournament appearances with the same school.
5. Who is the only coach to leave an NCAA champion before the next season for another coaching job? Hint: He is the only coach to earn a trip to the Final Four in his first college season despite finishing the season with at least 10 defeats. He is also the only coach to reach the NCAA final after finishing fourth or lower in regular-season conference standings. Moreover, he is one of just two coaches, both were also NBA head coaches, to take two different schools to the NCAA playoff championship game.
6. Who is the only coach to direct teams to the NCAA Final Four and the NBA Finals and compile a winning NCAA playoff career record? Hint: His son coached at three Division I schools, taking two of them to the NCAA playoffs.
7. Name the only school to become NCAA champion despite losing five home games during the regular season. Hint: The school didn't participate in nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments and twice in a four-year span in the mid-1970s lost a first-round game after reaching the national final the previous season.
8. Name the only coach of an NCAA titlist to previously play major league baseball. Hint: The Hall of Famer's 18-year college head coaching career was all at one university.
9. Who is the only coach to compile NCAA playoff records at least three games above .500 at two different schools (minimum of five victories at each school) before Rick Pitino arrived at Louisville? Hint: The coach earned a doctorate.
10. Name the only school to have six different coaches take the university to the Final Four. Hint: Of the schools winning at least two national championships, it's the only one in the select group to go more than 25 years between titles.
NIT-Picking: Historical Guide Assessing National Invitation Tournament
Although it appears the case, the Final Four hasn't eternally been the final word in national postseason competition. The 68-team NCAA playoffs, which played second fiddle to the National Invitation Tournament in their formative years, seemed to haughtily look down upon the NIT as little more than an acronym contest for derisive entries such as National Insignificant Tournament, Not Influential Tournament, Nominally Important Tournament, No Interest Tournament, Nearly Ignominious Tournament, Naturally Impaired Tournament, Never Impressionable Tournament, etc.
The NIT champion can proclaim, "We're No. 69!" But in an earlier era, the NIT was superior to the NCAA at a time when airplanes didn't dominate the transportation industry, television was in its infancy and New York's Madison Square Garden was the place to be if a team wanted extensive national exposure. If ever there was a concept whose time had arrived, it was the NIT in 1938. If ever there was a location to conduct a national tourney at a time when the sports page was the principal place to digest sports news, it was in New York because of Gotham's 20 or so daily newspapers.
As competition for this year's NIT unfolds, here are top 40 hits for the event, citing nuggets you should know about the history of the nation's oldest national postseason tournament:
1. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White was Colorado's second-leading scorer with 10 points when the Buffaloes bowed to Temple in the inaugural NIT in 1938.
2. The 1939 NIT final featured two unbeaten teams when Long Island University defeated Loyola of Chicago, 44-32, marking the only matchup in major-college history when two undefeated major colleges met in a national postseason tournament. LIU finished with a 23-0 record and Loyola 21-1.
3. Frankie Baumholtz capped his Ohio University college basketball career by earning MVP honors in the 1941 NIT when he led the tourney in scoring with 53 points in three games for the second-place Bobcats, including a game-high 19 in the final. He went on to become a major-league outfielder who led the National League in pinch hits in 1955 and 1956.
4. Rudy Baric, MVP of the 1942 NIT for titlist West Virginia, guided his alma mater to a 14-7 record the next year in his only season as the Mountaineers' head coach.
5. Long before Michigan's "Fab Five" made headlines as a freshman-dominated team reaching the 1992 NCAA Tournament final, Toledo's similar squad finished runner-up to St. John's in the 1943 NIT. The Rockets were dubbed "Friddle's Freshmen" because first-year coach Berle Friddle had an all-freshman starting lineup. Toledo's roster included Emlen Tunnell, who went on to become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after playing in nine Pro Bowls as a defensive back.
6. Utah won the 1944 NCAA crown after the Utes were eliminated in the opening round of the NIT by eventual third-place finisher Kentucky (46-38).
7. In the early years of national postseason competition, the NCAA playoffs were scheduled after the NIT, which was clearly basketball's showcase event. For instance, NIT runner-up Rhode Island State upended Bowling Green in overtime in their NIT opener in 1946 after the Rams' Ernie Calverley swished a shot from beyond halfcourt at the end of regulation in perhaps the most exciting moment in NIT history.
8. Many observers think the 1948 NIT, starting the tourney's second decade, was the best from a strength standpoint. If there had been a national poll at the time, it is believed that five of the nation's top seven teams were in the NIT, which was won that year by Ed Macauley-led St. Louis University.
9. Western Kentucky (28-2, .933), the 1948 NIT third-place finisher, and Seton Hall (31-2, .939), the 1953 NIT champion, led the nation in winning percentage those seasons.
10. The 1949 opening-round pair of doubleheaders was a dark day and evening for Big Apple hoops as CCNY, Manhattan, NYU and St. John's dropped their openers by an average of 18.75 points.
11. Trivia buffs should know that the basketball publicist for 1949 champion San Francisco was Pete Rozelle, who went on to become commissioner of the National Football League.
12. In each of the first two years the Associated Press conducted national rankings (1949 and 1950), five of the top 10 teams participated in the NIT.
13. The four seeded teams in the 1949 NIT all were upset in the quarterfinals after receiving first-round byes - Kentucky, St. Louis, Western Kentucky and Utah.
14. The final year teams participated in both national tournaments was 1952, when Dayton, Duquesne, St. John's and St. Louis doubled up on postseason participation. St. John's was runner-up to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament that year after the Redmen lost their opener in the NIT against La Salle (51-45).
15. In 1954, the last four NIT survivors (Holy Cross, Duquesne, Niagara and Western Kentucky) combined to win 91% of their games entering the semifinals, while their NCAA Final Four counterparts (La Salle, Bradley, Penn State and Southern California) combined to win barely over 70% of their games. Niagara, the third-place finisher in the NIT, defeated 1954 NCAA champion La Salle twice during the regular season by a total of 27 points.
16. Dave Ricketts, a sophomore starter for Duquesne's 1955 NIT champion, went on to become a major-league catcher who played with the Cardinals in the 1967 and 1968 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
17. NIT champion-to-be Louisville was ranked 4th in the nation by AP in mid-February of 1956 when it lost by 40 points at Xavier (99-59). Two years later, Xavier lost 10 of its final 15 regular-season games after a 10-1 start and the NIT asked the Musketeers to give back its NIT bid. Xavier, however, said "no" and went on to win the 1958 NIT title despite being seeded last under first-year head coach Jim McCafferty.
18. Garry Roggenburk, the leading scorer for Dayton's 1962 NIT titlist, went on to become a lefthanded pitcher for five seasons later in the decade with three American League teams - the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Pilots.
19. The prestigious ACC, prior to its inaugural season in 1953-54, instituted a rule that no member could participate in the NIT. The ban remained in place until Duke was eliminated by Southern Illinois in the [1967] quarterfinals. The final NIT at the old Garden in 1967 belonged to SIU, a so-called "small" school sparked by a smooth swingman named Walt Frazier. He wasn't Clyde yet, but the future Knick was well on his way.
20. One of the most bizarre incidents in NIT history was halftime of a game in 1968 when Oklahoma City coach Abe Lemons, annoyed with his team after playing poorly in the first half against Duke, ordered the Chiefs back to the court during intermission to scrimmage rather than to the dressing room to rest and regroup. Announcer Howard Cosell rattled off several questions to Lemons: "Coach, are you crazy? Won't your boys be too tired to play the second half? Where did you learn this coaching tactic? Did you do this to amuse the crowd?" Lemons, as determined not to respond to the questions as Cosell was at getting an answer, fired back, "Listen mister, you may be big stuff in New York, but you ain't nothin' in Walters, Okla. (Lemons' humble hometown)."
21. The issue of "choice" came to a head in 1970 when Marquette, an independent school coached by fiesty Al McGuire, won the NIT after rejecting an NCAA at-large invitation because the Warriors were going to be placed in the NCAA Midwest Regional (Fort Worth, Tex.) instead of closer to home in the Mideast Regional (Dayton, Ohio). McGuire's snub led the NCAA to decree any school offered an NCAA bid must accept it or be prohibited from participating in postseason competition.
22. SEC rival Tennessee was the only school to hold Pete Maravich under 30 points until Georgetown and Marquette achieved the feat in the 1970 NIT. Maravich, the highest scorer in NCAA history, ended his career at the NIT sitting on the bench in civilian clothes because of ankle and hip injuries, watching his father's LSU team finish fourth by losing to Bob Knight-coached Army. Pistol Pete had, for him, endured a suspect tourney in the brightest postseason spotlight ever focused on his extraordinary abilities. He averaged 25.7 points per game in three NIT assignments (18.5 ppg lower than his career average).
23. Julius Erving's final college game with Massachusetts was a 90-49 loss to eventual NIT champion North Carolina in the first round in 1971. The Tar Heels captured the crown although their leading scorer, junior forward Dennis Wuycik (18.4 ppg), suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Minutemen.
24. The competitive NIT, boasting three double overtime games in 1971, was a stark contrast in than period to the NCAA Tournament otherwise known as the "UCLA Invitational." Seemingly invincible UCLA captured seven consecutive NCAA titles from 1967 through 1973 by winning 28 tournament games by an average of almost 18 points per contest. In 1973, the Bruins' four tournament victories were by an average of 16 points, including a 21-point triumph over Memphis State in the championship game. Meanwhile, NIT champion Virginia Tech won four exciting postseason games that year by a total of five points, including a game-winning basket at the buzzer in overtime in the final against Notre Dame. The next year, seven of the total of 12 NIT games in the first round and quarterfinals were decided by four points or less.
25. Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson never appeared in the NIT in his 34-year career with Long Beach State, Iowa and Arizona.
26. The last wire-service top 10 team to appear in the NIT was North Carolina, a first-round loser against Purdue in 1974.
27. Anthony Roberts' NIT single-game standard of 65 points accounted for 73 percent of Oral Roberts' output in a 90-89 loss to Oregon in the 1977 first round. Roberts' outburst is even more impressive because the Ducks ranked fifth in the nation in team defense (60.9 points per game).
28. NIT attendance slipped to an all-time low in 1976 although national power Kentucky won the title. In 1977, former executive director Pete Carlesimo, the father of former Seton Hall coach P.J. Carlesimo, saved the NIT by implementing a plan whereby early-round games were played at campus sites and locations across the country before the four semifinalists advanced to New York.
29. In a five-year span from 1980 through 1984 when the NCAA field ranged from 48 to 52 teams, Virginia (1980 NIT champion), DePaul (1983 runner-up) and Michigan (1984 champion) became NCAA regional No. 1 seeds the year after reaching an NIT final.
30. Tulsa was a No. 3 seed under coach [Nolan Richardson](schools/nolan-richardson0 in the 1982 NCAA Tournament after capturing the 1981 NIT by winning its last three games by a total of five points.
31. In 1985, the NIT started a preseason tournament, which evolved into the nation's premier in-season tourney and carried as much clout, if not more, than the postseason NIT. Coaches were fond of the preseason NIT because those games were exempt from counting against their regular-season limit of contests.
32. The NCAA postseason record of 14 three-point field goals was set by Kansas State guard Askia Jones in a 115-77 victory over Fresno State in the 1994 NIT quarterfinals. Jones, the son of former Villanova standout guard Wali Jones, poured in 28 of his Big Eight Conference-record 45 second-half points in the first 7:12 after intermission. His final total of 62 points, spurred by nine consecutive successful three-point shots bridging the first and second halves, was the second-highest scoring output in major-college postseason history.
33. The NIT's first nine champions lost a total of 25 games, but its 15 titlists from 1986 through 2000 combined to go 32 games below .500 in conference competition, including a 4-12 league mark compiled by 1988 Big East cellar dweller Connecticut and a 4-10 league record registered by 1996 Big Eight seventh-place team Nebraska.
34. The NIT's "final four" participants have combined to average more than 13 defeats per team since the NCAA field expanded to at least 64 entrants, including a grim 19-18 mark by 1985 NIT fourth-place finisher Louisville.
35. Former St. John's coach Joe Lapchick was the winningest coach in NIT history with a 21-10 record until Dave Odom tied him (21-3). St. John's has made more NIT appearances, won more NIT games and captured more NIT championships (six) than any school.
36. Four of the winningest schools percentagewise in NIT history are from the Big Ten Conference - Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State and Penn State.
37. The NIT titlists since 1985 combined for a losing national postseason tournament record the year after capturing an NIT championship.
38. Virginia's NIT title in 1992 enabled Jeff Jones to become the only person to win NIT crowns as a player (Virginia in 1980) and a coach.
39. In 2000, Notre Dame forward Troy Murphy became the first consensus first-team All-American to participate in the NIT since forward Larry Bird of Indiana State, a loser at Rutgers in the 1978 quarterfinals.
40. Arizona (0-3), Arizona State (5-11), Miami FL (6-10), Missouri (1-7) and Seton Hall (6-18) all have disturbing NIT marks at least three games below .500.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #3)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, following is Day 3 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only coach to lose as many as five games in the 20th Century to teams with double-digit seeds? Hint: Four of the defeats in this category were in consecutive years.
2. Name the only historically black college and university to win multiple NCAA Tournament games. Hint: It posted the first three HBCU victories in the early 1980s.
3. Who was the coach of the only University of Detroit team to win an NCAA playoff game until the Titans defeated St. John's in 1998? Hint: Detroit lost to an in-state rival in a regional semifinal four days after posting its first tournament victory. The coach of that squad is the only Seton Hall graduate to win an NCAA tourney game.
4. Name the only school with more than 30 NCAA Tournament appearances to compile a losing playoff record and never appear in the national championship game. Hint: It's the only school to finish more than 10 seasons ranked in an AP Top 10 since the wire service's first poll in 1949 to never win an NCAA Tournament title.
5. Name the only first-time entrant to be seeded better than fifth since the field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980. Hint: The school reached the Final Four in its playoff debut.
6. Name the only conference to have three representatives at a single Final Four by winning regional finals against three members from another league. Hint: No player scored more than 20 points in the three Final Four games that year.
7. Who is the only coach with six or more NCAA playoff appearances to reach a regional final every time? Hint: His school is the only one to win back-to-back NCAA championships in its first two appearances in the tournament. His son was coach of a school in the same conference when the institution participated in the tourney for the initial time.
8. Name the only school to win at least one playoff game in a year it entered the tournament with a losing record after suffering 14 consecutive defeats during one stretch of the regular season. Hint: The school participated in the national championship game the previous year and was once runner-up in the NCAA Tournament and NIT in the same season. The school has also won just one playoff game since 1955, the season it finished with its worst overall record in a 53-year span and became the only team ever to enter the playoffs with a record of more than 10 games under .500.
9. Name the only school to have as many as seven different coaches compile losing NCAA playoff records. Hint: The school is more games under .500 in tournament play than any institution, but pulled off a first-round upset of a defending champion behind a star player who subsequently entered the coaching profession and compiled a 6-3 NCAA Tournament record with another university in the same state from 1989-90 through 1991-92.
10. Name the only school to advance to a regional semifinal in three consecutive campaigns despite having a double-digit seed each year. Hint: The school defeated teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, C-USA, Pacific-10 and SEC during the NCAA playoffs in that span.
Humble Backgrounds: Small-School Grads Make Big News as Playoff Coaches
In a caste-like era separating the haves from the have-nots, imperial universities are seeking mega-conferences and, perhaps in the near future, a restrictive upper division. But the socially elite won't ever be able to exclude small schools from making a big impact on the NCAA playoffs.
Smaller colleges, many of them in the hinterlands, have supplied a striking number of the biggest names in coaching. From 1995 through 2000, five of the six NCAA Tournament championship coaches (Jim Calhoun, Jim Harrick, Tom Izzo, Lute Olson and Tubby Smith) graduated from obscure colleges with smaller enrollments. In fact, it is a rarity for a Final Four not to feature at least one coach who graduated from a non-Division I school.
John Calipari, a graduate of Clarion (Pa.) State, guided Kentucky to the 2012 national championship before Michigan's John Beilein (Wheeling Jesuit, NY) and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon VA) directed teams to the Final Four three years ago. Following is an alphabetical list of 2016 NCAA Tournament mentors who worked their way up the ladder after graduating from a small school:
2016 NCAA Playoff Coach School Small-College Alma Mater Dana Altman Oregon Eastern New Mexico '80 John Beilein Michigan Wheeling Jesuit (N.Y.) '75 John Calipari Kentucky Clarion (Pa.) State '82 Bill Carmody Holy Cross Union (N.Y.) '75 Ed Cooley Providence Stonehill (Mass.) '94 Andy Enfield Southern California Johns Hopkins (Md.) '91 Eran Ganot Hawaii Swarthmore (Pa.) '03 Greg Gard Wisconsin Wis.-Platteville '95 Frank Haith Tulsa Elon (N.C.) '88 Greg Herenda Fairleigh Dickinson Merrimack (Mass.) '83 Chris Holtmann Butler Taylor (Ind.) '94 Tom Izzo Michigan State Northern Michigan '77 Ben Jacobson Northern Iowa North Dakota '93 James Jones Yale Albany (N.Y.) '86 Edward Joyner Jr. Hampton Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) '95 Kevin Keatts UNC Wilmington Ferrum (Va.) '95 Gregg Marshall Wichita State Randolph-Macon (Va.) '85 Phil Martelli Saint Joseph's Widener (Pa.) '76 Scott Nagy South Dakota State Delta State (Miss.) '88 Nate Oats Buffalo Maranatha Baptist (Wis.) '97 Randy Rahe Weber State Buena Vista (Colo.) '82 Shaka Smart Texas Kenyon (Ohio) '99 Tubby Smith Texas Tech High Point (N.C.) '73 Rodney Terry Fresno State St. Edward's (Tex.) '90
NOTE: Albany, Elon, High Point and North Dakota are now classified as NCAA Division I universities.
Familiar Surroundings: Graduates Guiding Alma Mater in NCAA Tournament
When Thomas Wolfe penned, "you can never come home again," he didn't have some successful college basketball coaches in mind. Playoff participation must be extra gratifying for the following individuals coaching their alma mater in college basketball's grandest prize - a berth in the NCAA Tournament:
2016 Playoff Coach Alma Mater First Season Jim Boeheim Syracuse '66 1976-77 Mick Cronin Cincinnati '96 2006-07 Bob Huggins West Virginia '77 2007-08 Chris Mack Xavier '92 2009-10 Kevin Ollie Connecticut '95 2012-13 Matt Painter Purdue '93 2005-06 Roy Williams North Carolina '72 2003-04
Celebrity Gossip: Timeless and Taxing Trivia Tracing Torturous Tourney Trail
Fans fond of the NCAA playoffs argue that the incredibly popular event is 100% perfection. Whatever your level of expertise, CollegeHoopedia.com guarantees you a 100% score is impossible for any brave soul willing to take our "Who Am I" quiz. With the tourney entering its 78th year, you can occasionally stumble across familiar faces in non-basketball endeavors by browsing through old rosters and tourney box scores. Following is an old game show "What's My Line?" format testing your NCAA Tournament acumen or helping you "Stump a Chump." You'll need a PhD in "Hoopology" to secure a passing grade correctly discerning the following individuals who made a name for themselves elsewhere after appearing in the NCAA Division I Tournament:
- I was a junior college recruit who missed a three-point attempt while playing briefly in a 111-92 defeat against Loyola Marymount in the first round of 1990 NCAA Tournament West Regional.
- One of my New Mexico State teammates was 12-year NBA guard Randy Brown.
- I was a reliever who posted a 9-6 record for the Oakland A's in four seasons from 1994 through 1997 before my contract was sold to a Japanese team.
- I compiled a 5-1 record in the strike-shortened 1994 MLB campaign when I was considered heir apparent to assume Dennis Eckersley's closer role.
Who am I? MARK ACRE
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as pro quarterback Joe Kapp (California).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Kansas State All-Americans Bob Boozer and Jack Parr.
- I was a college teammate of Eddie Sutton before he coached four different schools in the NCAA Tournament.
- I was the second-leading scorer for Oklahoma State's NCAA Tournament team that reached the 1958 Midwest Regional final under Hall of Fame coach Hank Iba.
- I hit .254 in 1,165 games in 13 major league seasons from 1958 through 1970 with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals before playing one year in Japan.
- My teammates with the Orioles included former college basketball players Dick Hall (attended Swarthmore), Robin Roberts (Michigan State) and Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State).
- I participated in the 1967 World Series with the Red Sox before leaving them following the next season in the expansion draft.
- I set major league records for highest fielding average (.994) and fewest errors (five) by a second baseman in a season in 1964 and for consecutive errorless games by a second baseman (89 in 1964 and 1965).
Who am I? JERRY ADAIR
- I was an Arkansas hoop teammate of eventual San Francisco 49ers coach Red Hickey.
- I was third-leading scorer with six points when the Hogs lost against Washington State in 1941 NCAA Tournament national semifinals.
- In my NFL debut, I returned an interception 66 yards for the decisive score in the New York Giants' 14-7 win against the Washington Redskins in 1942. Two weeks later, I caught two touchdown passes in a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- I caught 28 passes for 494 yards and five TDs in four years with the Giants through 1945.
Who am I? NEAL ADAMS
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against La Salle All-American Tom Gola.
- I was a teammate of Canisius All-America guard John McCarthy and U.S. Congressman-to-be Hank Nowak.
- I was the third-leading scorer (9.2 points per game) as a senior for Canisius' first NCAA Tournament team in 1955.
- I served in the U.S. Army for 31 years, retiring with the rank of Major General.
- I was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services by Governor Mario Cuomo.
- I was listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who of American Business Leaders.
Who am I? ROBERT ADAMS
- I was a pre-law major who scored a total of eight points in three NCAA playoff games in 1955.
- I was a member of Tom Gola-led La Salle teams in 1954 (national champion) and 1955 (runner-up to San Francisco).
- I never got off the bench at the Final Four those two years although I was the only Explorer player to hit more than three-fourths of my free throws the season they won the NCAA title.
- I joined the Central Intelligence Agency and worked my way up the chain of command to become the Director of the CIA's Office of Analysis of the Near East and South Asia, toiling closely with both the Carter and Reagan administrations.
- I was killed in Beirut in 1983 when a truck loaded with TNT on a suicide mission rammed into the facility where I was staying while serving as a liaison trying to allay contacts among the Lebanese, Syrians and Israelis in hopes of calming the escalating discord.
Who am I? BOB AMES
- I was a 6-5 forward who played in the NCAA playoffs against New Mexico State center Sam Lacey and guard Jimmy Collins.
- I was Weber State's leading scorer with 14 points in the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament debut, a 68-57 defeat in the first round of the 1968 West Regional against Lou Henson-coached New Mexico State.
- I was an All-Big Sky Conference second-team selection as a senior.
- I was on the Board of Directors of ITT.
- I was President and Chief Executive Officer of Black & Decker.
Who am I? NOLAN ARCHIBALD
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State) and CBS analyst Billy Packer (Wake Forest).
- I twice played in the NCAA playoffs against Bob Knight (Ohio State).
- I was a Kentucky teammate of All-American Cotton Nash.
- I played for NCAA Tournament regional runner-up teams as a sophomore and junior before pacing UK in assists my final season with 4.3 per game.
- I was mayor of Lexington, Ky., for 10 years before representing Kentucky's Sixth District in the U.S. House of Representatives after getting more than 60 percent of the vote in 1992.
- I am a Democrat who ran for governor in 1994 and narrowly lost against Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning for a Senate seat in 1998.
Who am I? SCOTTY BAESLER
- I was a three-year letterman and Ohio State's second-leading scorer as a starting senior forward for a team that finished runner-up to Oregon in the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939.
- I scored a game-high 25 points for the Buckeyes in their tourney opener, a 64-52 victory over Wake Forest.
- I was managing partner and CEO of major accounting firm Ernst and Ernst for 13 years, starting in 1964.
- I was a member of the Accounting Hall of Fame who served on the board of directors of such distinguished enterprises as General Electric, Anheuser-Busch and Hershey Foods.
Who am I? DICK BAKER
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against John Tresvant (Seattle), Ollie Johnson (San Francisco), Joe Caldwell (Arizona State), Ron Bonham (Cincinnati), Tom Thacker (Cincinnati), George Wilson (Cincinnati) and Jeff Mullins (Duke).
- I was an Oregon State teammate of All-American center Mel Counts.
- I was an All-West Regional selection in the NCAA Tournament in 1962 and 1963.
- I was the second-leading scorer for the Beavers' 1963 Final Four team.
- My 99-yard run from scrimmage for a touchdown accounted for the only points in a 6-0 victory against Villanova in the 1962 Liberty Bowl.
- I was a college quarterback who became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
- I was the first Heisman Trophy winner west of the Mississippi River after rushing 115 times for 538 yards (4.7 per carry), completing 112 of 203 passes for a nation-leading 1,738 yards and 15 touchdowns.
- I was a first-round NFL draft choice who played with the Los Angeles Rams (1963 through 1965) before going to the Canadian Football League with Edmonton (1967).
- Two of my teammates with the Rams were former college basketball standout rebounders Charley Cowan (New Mexico Highlands) and Lamar Lundy (Purdue).
Who am I? TERRY BAKER
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Lou Carnesecca, Bob Knight, Bill Foster, Larry Brown and Lute Olson.
- I was a Purdue teammate of All-American center Joe Barry Carroll for the Boilermakers' 1980 national third-place team.
- My NFL teammates as a rookie included former college basketball player Al "Bubba" Baker (Colorado State) and All-Pro halfback Billy Sims.
- I was a linebacker with the Detroit Lions for four seasons from 1982 through 1985 after being a 10th-round draft pick.
Who am I? ROOSEVELT BARNES
- I declared for the 2005 NBA draft out of high school before withdrawing my name.
- I played in the 2008 NCAA playoffs and grabbed five rebounds in 10 minutes against an eventual Final Four participant (LSU).
- I played under Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie before he accepted a similar position with Kentucky.
- I had a career-high of 133 yards and 2 TDs against Baylor as a sophomore when earning All-Big 12 Conference second-team honors.
- I was an NFL second-round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 as an undergraduate (4th tight end selected).
- I was fined $22,000 by the Cowboys in 2009 for an occasionally profane rap video mentioning several teammates and front-office personnel.
- I also played for the New York Giants and Chicago Bears en route to 348 receptions for 3,586 yards and 23 touchdowns in my first eight years from 2008 through 2015 before trade to the New England Patriots.
Who am I? MARTELLUS BENNETT
- I played in NCAA Tournament games against coaches Denny Crum (Louisville), Tom Davis (Iowa), Rick Pitino (Kentucky) and Roy Williams (Kansas).
- I was a Wake Forest teammate of future NBA MVP Tim Duncan.
- I was a swingman who averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in my four-year career with the Demon Deacons before playing professionally for one year in England.
- I co-starred in the romantic comedy "First Daughter" as the guy the college-aged daughter of the President of the United States falls for before discovering things aren't quite what they appear to be on the surface.
- I was a regular on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes playing the role of Riley Finn, Buffy's one-time love interest.
- I play the role of Matthew Donnelly in the USA Network show Necessary Roughness.
Who am I? MARC BLUCAS
- I was a Virginia teammate of future NBA players Bryant Stith and John Crotty.
- I averaged 4.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in seven NCAA Tournament games from 1989 through 1991 while battling on the boards in the playoffs against LaPhonso Ellis (Notre Dame), Derrick Coleman (Syracuse) and Billy Owens (Syracuse).
- I appeared in three bowl games--Florida Citrus (vs. Illinois), Sugar (vs. Tennessee) and Gator (vs. Oklahoma)--the same three years I competed in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was named ACC offensive football player of the year as a senior when I threw 224 passes over the entire regular season without incurring a single interception.
- I was a quarterback who became a second-round NFL draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs after passing for 2,696 yards and 25 touchdowns in my college career (including nine 200-yard passing games).
- I was a backup to Joe Montana with the Chiefs.
Who am I? MATT BLUNDIN
- I collected eight rebounds in a loss against Utah State and 10 points in a victory against Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State in the 1970 NCAA playoffs.
- My Santa Clara teammates included center Dennis Awtrey, who went on to play 12 NBA seasons with six different franchises. * Representing the Mariners the only time Seattle hosted the Midsummer Classic, I knocked in a run with a single off Gaylord Perry in All-Star Game in 1979 when I finished 10th in batting average (career-high .316) and eighth in doubles (career-high 38) along with a career-high 100 RBI.
- I was named team MVP the next year.
- I was a lefthanded first baseman-outfielder who hit .282 with the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Mariners and Oakland A's in 12 seasons from 1974 through 1986 (missed 1983).
Who am I? BRUCE BOCHTE
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Dave Sisler (Princeton).
- I participated in the 1952 NCAA Tournament as a freshman for a St. Louis team that was eliminated by champion-to-be Kansas when Jayhawks All-American Clyde Lovellette scored 44 points.
- I was an All-American whose career scoring average of 19.2 points per game is best in SLU history (minimum of three seasons).
- I was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selection who earned a gold medal while playing for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team in Melbourne, Australia.
- I was named president of Vickers Petroleum Corporation in 1963 at the age of 29.
- I became the ninth president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- In December 2002, I pleaded guilty in federal court in Wichita, Kan., to defrauding a bank of more than $17 million.
Who am I? DICK BOUSHKA
- I hit .315 as the first baseman for Princeton's baseball team my sophomore year.
- Among the coaches I played against in NCAA Tournament East Regionals were Jack Ramsay, Jack Kraft, Press Maravich and Joe Mullaney.
- I was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American as a junior and senior and ranked among the nation's top five scorers all three of my varsity seasons.
- I hold the NCAA playoff record for most points in a single Final Four game (58 against Wichita State in 1965 national third-place game) en route to becoming Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
- I am a Rhodes Scholar who was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. basketball team in the 1964 Olympic Games.
- I was a three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995.
- I was a presidential candidate in 2000 who authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).
Who am I? BILL BRADLEY
- I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and Canadian Football League Hall of Famer Hal Patterson.
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against future All-American Ken Sears.
- I was Hardin-Simmons' second-leading scorer during the season (12.5 ppg as a junior) and the team's #2 scorer with nine points in a first-round loss against eventual West Regional finalist Santa Clara.
- My promising basketball career ended because of a summer job accident when my leg was broken in two places while unloading some sheetrock.
- I was the first participant to earn $1 million in sanctioned poker tournaments.
- I am the author of several poker books, including Super/System and Poker Wisdom of a Champion.
- I am the winner of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including the main event in back-to-back years in 1976 and 1977.
Who am I? DOYLE BRUNSON
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as MLB reliever Steve Hamilton (Morehead State) and U.S. Congressman Hank Nowak (Canisius).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against SMU All-American center Jim Krebs.
- I was a St. Louis University teammate of future NBA center and executive Bob Ferry.
- I was a 6-5, 190-pound forward who led SLU in rebounding with 14.9 per game as a sophomore (19th in nation in rebound percentage) and retrieved a team-high 18 missed shots in two 1957 NCAA playoff games.
- I was listed in Who's Who in America.
- I was president of Coppin State in Baltimore in 1997 when the Eagles upset No. 2 seed South Carolina in the East Regional.
Who am I? DR. CALVIN W. BURNETT
- I participated in the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Tournaments.
- I played briefly in a playoff game against an Oklahoma team featuring first-team All-American freshman Wayman Tisdale.
- My college basketball teammates included Indiana All-Americans Ted Kitchel and Randy Wittman.
- My stepfather, Tom Harp, was the head football coach for Indiana State in the mid-1970s.
- I was an assistant football coach for Michigan under Bo Schembechler before becoming an assistant for three years with the Washington Redskins.
- I played quarterback in college before becoming my alma mater's head football coach for five years from 1997 through 2001.
- I was head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2007 when they posted a franchise-worst 1-15 record between stints as an assistant coach with the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.
- I have been LSU's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach since 2013.
Who am I? CAM CAMERON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league baseball executive Larry Lucchino (Princeton) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee).
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Pacific All-American center Keith Swagerty.
One of my Texas Western teammates was All-American center David "Big Daddy" Lattin. - I collected 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds when the defending NCAA champion Miners were eliminated by Pacific, 72-63, in the 1967 West Regional semifinals before contributing eight points and five rebounds in a 69-67 victory over Wyoming in a third-place game.
- I was an NFL first-round draft choice (fifth pick overall) who played 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers (1968 through 1977).
- My fellow linebacker as an NFL rookie was Ray Nitschke.
- I had eight career interceptions (including a touchdown in 1976) and participated in the 1972 NFL playoffs after being selected as the outstanding lineman in the 1971 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.
Who am I? FRED CARR
- I played in the 1953 NCAA Tournament against LSU All-American Bob Pettit.
- Among my Holy Cross teammates were All-American forward Togo Palazzi and U.S. Congressman-to-be Joe Early.
- I authored a book called Fighting for Life.
- I was Pennsylvania's 42nd governor who served from 1987 to 1995 after winning in my fourth attempt for the office.
- I was a heart-and-liver transplant recipient and pro-life candidate in a Democratic presidential primary.
- I am the father of a U.S. Senator with the same name.
Who am I? ROBERT P. CASEY
- I grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds for TCU in 1968 when the Horned Frogs lost to Elvin Hayes-led Houston in the Midwest Regional final.
- I was the first African-American to play in the Southwest Conference.
- I was an All-SWC second-team selection as a junior when TCU won the league championship.
- I became the first black-tenured professor at Harvard in 1976.
- I was named chairman of the Harvard Business School MBA program in 1992.
Who am I? JAMES CASH
- I am my school's all-time leading rebounder who played in the NCAA playoffs in 1981 against North Carolina standouts James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Al Wood.
- I played in two West Regional games for Pittsburgh (game highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 70-69 overtime victory against Idaho and 16 points, six rebounds and game-high five steals in a 74-57 defeat against national runnerup-to-be North Carolina).
- I was a two-time All-Eastern 8 first-team selection.
- I was a third-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in the 1981 NBA draft.
- I was a defensive end who had 49 sacks in 11 seasons in pro football with the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts in the NFL and Pittsburgh and Memphis in the USFL.
- My NFL teammates included Eric Dickerson, Steve Largent and Ozzie Newsome and former college basketball players Al "Bubba" Baker (Colorado State), Pete Metzelaars (Wabash) and Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State).
- I was a 6-6 pass rushing specialist who played in two AFC championship games with the Browns.
- I was defensive line coach for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe when they won the 1997 World Bowl.
- My son with the same name was the leading scorer and rebouder for Southern California's East Regional runner-up in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
Who am I? SAM CLANCY
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against West Virginia's Gale Catlett.
- I was a Connecticut teammate of future NBA center Toby Kimball.
- I was a 5-9, 150-pound guard who scored as many points (17) as NCAA consensus second-team All-American Rod Thorn in the Huskies' 77-71 first-round setback against West Virginia in 1963.
- I was an All-Yankee Conference second-team selection as a senior when three of my teammates were first-team picks.
- I earned more than $1 million per year as Executive Vice President of ITT, a conglomerate with global sales in excess of $23 billion specializing in diversified products and services in three areas--financial and business, manufactured products and Sheraton Hotels.
Who am I? DALE COMEY
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Admiral John Dick (Oregon).
- I was a three-year letterman from 1938-39 through 1940-41 on Texas teams that combined for a 51-21 record.
- I saw action in both of the Longhorns' games in the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939 after they captured the Southwest Conference championship.
- I am a world famous surgeon based in Houston who has performed in excess of 20,000 open-heart operations.
Who am I? DR. DENTON COOLEY
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Southern California's Jerry Pimm, who went on to coach my alma mater in the playoffs five times in a seven-year span from 1977 through 1983.
- I scored 25 points in three NCAA playoff games in 1960 as a teammate of All-American Billy McGill.
- I was Utah's co-captain as a senior under coach Jack Gardner.
- I was Pacific Coast League MVP in 1963 with the Salt Lake City Bees.
- I was an outfielder who was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the New York Mets for first baseman George Altman in 1965.
- My only year as a regular was 1964 when I posted career highs of 16 doubles, 19 homers and 50 RBI as the Cubs center fielder and ranked among the National League top 10 in stolen bases with 12.
- I hit .236 with the Cubs, Mets, Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and California Angels in eight seasons (1963 through 1965, 1967 and 1969 through 1972).
Who am I? BILLY COWAN
- I collected 16 points and 10 assists in two NCAA playoff contests in 2001.
- I led my team in assists that season when I directed North Carolina to a No. 1 national ranking and an 18-game winning streak.
- I was Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the 2001 Peach Bowl.
- I was a basketball/football teammate of Julius Peppers, the nation's top defensive lineman in 2001.
- I was a four-year starter in football who set school career records for total offense, passing yards, rushing yards by a quarterback and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
- I was activated for Super Bowl XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders as a defensive back before becoming a wide receiver for them the next year in 2003.
- I succeeded all-time great Tim Brown as a starter in 2004.
Who am I? RONALD CURRY
- I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual AFL/NFL players Scott Eaton, Harry Gunner and Lonnie Wright.
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-American Dick Snyder.
- I scored 19 points under former Rhode Island All-American Ernie Calverley in a first-round loss against Lefty Driesell-coached Davidson.
- In 1971, my wife and I took over leadership of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, a small struggling congregation of some 30 people gathered in a run-down building in the inner city. It went on to become a megachurch numbering more than 10,000 members from all walks of life.
- I was nominated for a 2002 Dove Award for Musical of the Year (Light of the Year) and had three books on the best-selling list of the national religious clothbound non-fiction books (including Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire).
Who am I? JOE CYMBALA
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Pro Bowl split end Billy Wilson (San Jose State).
- I played in the 1951 NCAA Tournament against Washington All-American Bob Houbregs when Texas A&M made its first playoff appearance.
- I was a two-time first-five selection on the All-Southwest Conference team and held school season (362 points) and career (952 points) scoring records when I graduated in 1952.
- I was named to the Helms Foundation All-American third team as a junior before becoming a member of two NBA championship teams - Philadelphia Warriors in 1956 and St. Louis Hawks in 1958.
- I won AAU high jump titles in 1952 and 1953.
- I was winner of the gold medal in the 1952 Olympic Games high jump with a leap of 6'-8 1/2".
- I set the then-world high jump record of 6'-11 1/2" in 1953.
Who am I? WALTER "BUDDY" DAVIS
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as open-heart surgeon Denton Cooley (Texas).
- I was a starting junior forward for the first NCAA Tournament champion in 1939 when I led Oregon in scoring in two of three playoff contests, including a game-high 15 points in the final against Ohio State.
- I was an NCAA consensus first-team All-American the next season when I paced the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division (forerunner of the Pacific-10) in scoring with 183 points in 16 games.
- I retired with the rank of Admiral after 32 years of service in the U.S. Navy.
- I commanded the aircraft carrier Saratoga for two years and served as chief of staff for all carrier forces in the Western Pacific.
Who am I? JOHN DICK
- I played in three consecutive NCAA playoff games against coaches that captured national titles in other seasons (Jim Calhoun, Dean Smith and Steve Fisher).
- I was an Ohio State teammate of All-American Jim Jackson.
- I collected three points and five rebounds in a 78-55 victory over Connecticut in the second round for the Buckeyes' 1992 Southeast Regional runner-up.
- I averaged 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior in 1994-95 when I led OSU in rebounding and finished third in scoring.
- I was Offensive MVP in the 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl.
- I am a tight end who was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round (9th pick overall) of the 1996 NFL draft.
- I caught 29 touchdown passes in five seasons with the Raiders before hooking on with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- I was a member of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl XXXVII champion.
Who am I? RICKEY DUDLEY
- I was a Holy Cross teammate of Pennsylvania governor-to-be Robert Casey.
- I scored six points for the Crusaders in their 81-73 East Regional final loss to Bob Pettit-led LSU in the 1953 NCAA Tournament.
- I was a portly, rumpled cigar smoker who served in the Massachusetts state House from 1963-75.
- I am a Democrat who was a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts' Third Congressional District (1975-93).
- I lost to Republican Peter Blute in the 1992 election after being tainted by 140 overdrafts in the wake of an ethics committee investigation of members who overdrew their House bank accounts.
- By Massachusetts standards, I was a conservative who prided himself on my independence from any Democratic faction.
I was against abortion and busing and skeptical about foreign aid but when it came to labor and domestic spending, I was a New Deal Democrat.
Who am I? JOE EARLY
- I scored eight points against Seattle in the 1964 NCAA playoffs and a total of 19 points in two West Regional contests in 1966 (vs. Houston and Utah).
- One of my Oregon State teammates in 1964 was All-American center Mel Counts. Two years later when I was the Beavers' third-leading scorer with 9.9 ppg, one of my teammates was eventual NFL defensive end Harry Gunner.
- I shared OSU's Paul Valenti Award with Gunner in 1966, given annually to the player who displays the most desire and determination.
- I was an eighth-round draft choice by the New York Giants in 1967.
- My NFL teammates all five years of my stint with the Giants included Tucker Frederickson, Pete Gogolak, Carl Lockhart and Fran Tarkenton.
- I was a defensive back who intercepted 11 passes.
Who am I? SCOTT EATON
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Holy Cross All-American guard Bob Cousy.
- I was a second-team pick on the Helms All-American team in 1947-48 when I scored a team-high 15 points in Michigan's first NCAA Tournament victory, a 66-49 decision over Columbia in the Eastern Regional third-place game.
- I earned All-American honors as a senior quarterback for the Wolverines' 1948 national champion before becoming an All-Big Ten second-team selection in basketball.
- I was head football coach at Nebraska (1956), California (1957 through 1959) and Illinois (1960 through 1966) and led Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths.
- I became executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Who am I? PETE ELLIOTT
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga).
- I played in all four of Virginia's playoff games for the 1995 Midwest Regional finalist that was eliminated by eventual national runner-up Arkansas.
- I was a safety who intercepted future NFL teammate Danny Kanell twice in the Cavaliers' victory over Florida State during my senior season.
- I made the New York Giants' roster as a rookie free agent and became a significant contributor as a part-time starter and in nickel-and-dime packages.
- I had a team-leading and career-high five interceptions for the Giants in 1998.
- I intercepted 20 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with the Giants and Cleveland Browns in six years from 1996 through 2001.
Who am I? PERCY ELLSWORTH
- I was a four-year basketball letterman for Kansas who was the second-leading scorer for the Jayhawks in the 1942 NCAA Tournament as a teammate of All-American forward Charles Black.
- I was a two-time All-Big Seven Conference first-team selection in basketball.
- I am the only Kansas athlete to earn All-American honors in football and basketball.
- I am a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and had my jersey No. 15 retired in 1997.
- I led the nation's major-college players in passes attempted (200) and completed (101) and interceptions (10) in 1942 for a rare triple crown.
- I paced Kansas to the Big Six championship and a trip to the 1948 Orange Bowl after returning from World War II.
- One of my basketball and football teammates was fellow military veteran Otto Schnellbacher, who went on to become an All-Pro defensive back who led the NFL in interceptions in 1951.
- I was a first-round NFL draft choice (9th pick overall in 1944) who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1948 before becoming a prominent Kansas City bank official.
Who am I? RAY EVANS
- I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual NFL linebacker Fred Carr and punter Ron Widby.
- I scored two points against eventual NCAA champion UCLA in the 1967 West Regional final.
- I was a teammate of Pacific All-American Keith Swagerty.
- I appeared in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974 and 1978).
- I ranked among the National League's top eight in bases on balls in 1973 and 1977.
- I paced the N.L. in sacrifice flies in 1973 with 10 and catchers in fielding average.
- I hit .240 with 122 homers and 445 RBI for the Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and California Angels in 14 seasons from 1970 through 1983.
Who am I? JOE FERGUSON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL quarterback Brad Johnson (Florida State) and major league outfielder Kenny Lofton (Arizona).
- I hit two of four field-goal attempts for Baylor in a 75-60 defeat against Memphis State in the opening round of the 1988 Midwest Regional.
- I was an All-American linebacker before becoming an NFL first-round draft choice (12th pick overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Alfred Williams, my fellow LB with the Bengals, also played college basketball (for Colorado). Our teammates included Boomer Esiason and Anthony Munoz.
- I registered 33 sacks and returned three of my 11 interceptions for touchdowns with the Bengals in nine years from 1990 through 1998.
Who am I? JAMES FRANCIS
- I collected eight points and four rebounds against Final Four-bound North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA playoffs.
- I played against NCAA champion-to-be Duke in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, incurring four fouls in seven minutes.
- I was a Missouri teammate of eventual NBA first-round draft choice Kareem Rush.
- After beginning my college football career as a quarterback, I became a wide receiver who caught a then school-record 13 passes vs. Baylor in November 2001 en route to finishing my junior campaign one reception shy of the school single-season mark of 75.
- I set new standards the next year as a senior with 16 catches against Bowling Green and 82 receptions overall for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns before competing in the East-West Shrine Game.
- I am a two-time first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection who set virtually every Mizzou career receiving record, including receptions (200), receiving yards (2,704), touchdown passes (18) and consecutive games with a reception (34).
- I caught two touchdown passes as a rookie with the Chicago Bears after being their fifth-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft.
- I signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent in 2007 and promptly caught a career-high 55 passes before managing a career-high 6 TD receptions the next year.
- I had 10 receptions for 135 yards with the Titans in a 13-10 playoff loss against the Baltimore Ravens following the 2008 season.
Who am I? JUSTIN GAGE
- I was the leader in rebounding and field-goal percentage for the only Mid-American Conference member ever to win three games in a single NCAA Tournament.
- I played against teams in the 2002 NCAA playoffs from elite conferences such as the Big 12 (Oklahoma State), SEC (Alabama), Big East (Pittsburgh) and Big Ten (Indiana).
- I began my college career at Michigan State but never played there before transferring to junior college and subsequently to Kent State.
- I caught two touchdown passes as a rookie free-agent tight end with the San Diego Chargers in 2003 before setting an NFL record for TD receptions by a tight end the next year with 13.
- I was the only unanimous choice to the AP All-Pro team in 2005 when I caught 89 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs.
- I am a seven-time All-Pro (consecutive seasons) who managed a career-high 1,157 receiving yards in 2009 before signing a lucrative five-year, $36 million deal ($20 million guaranteed).
- I became the second TE in NFL history to notch 100 career TD receptions.
Who am I? ANTONIO GATES
- I was a teammate of Washington State All-American center Paul Lindemann.
- I was WSU's fifth-leading scorer as a senior in 1941 when I averaged 5.3 points per game as an all-conference second-team selection for the NCAA Tournament runner-up.
- I was an All-West Coast first-team selection who earned football All-American first-team honors by the New York Sun as an end.
- I played in the annual East-West Shrine Game before earning All-Pro second-team honors my first two years with the Los Angeles Dons.
- Fellow end and former Great Northwest college basketball player Dick Wilkins (Oregon) joined the Dons the year after I left the team.
Who am I? DALE GENTRY
- I played in two NCAA playoff games for Georgia under coach Jim Harrick.
- As a freshman flanker, I became the first Bulldogs football player ever to have four consecutive 100-yard games in receiving.
- I returned a kickoff for 91 yards and a touchdown against Clemson the first time I touched the ball as a sophomore.
- I was the second-leading receiver the next season (43 catches for 758 yards and four TDs) with 2002 team that compiled the Bulldogs' first 13-win season, first SEC title in 20 years, a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State and a final national ranking of #3 (highest since 1980).
- I caught two first-quarter TD passes against Purdue in a 34-27 overtime victory in the First Capital One Bowl following the 2003 campaign.
- I received All-SEC first-team honors as a senior when I hauled in a career-high 49 receptions.
- I was instrumental in helping Georgia post three straight seasons of 10 or more victories, three consecutive bowl victories and three national top six rankings in a row.
- I was a fourth-round NFL draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005.
Who am I? FRED GIBSON
- I played in the East Regional against North Carolina standouts Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison.
- I was a teammate of California All-Americans Sharef Abdur-Rahim and Ed Gray.
- I averaged 18 points and shot 61 percent from the floor in the Bears' first two NCAA Tournament games in 1997, including a team-high 23 points in an East Regional second-round victory against Villanova.
- I declared early for the NFL draft after becoming a first-team All-American.
After catching 53 passes for 768 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 1996 for Cal's Aloha Bowl squad, I was selected in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs. - I became the Chiefs' all-time leader in pass receptions by a tight end midway through the 2000 season en route to becoming a 12-time All-Pro selection.
- I set an NFL single-season record for most receptions by a tight end with 102 in 2004.
- After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons, I became the NFL's all-time runner-up in receptions behind Jerry Rice.
- I hold the NFL career tight end records for touchdowns and reception yardage.
Who am I? TONY GONZALEZ
- I played against NFL coach-to-be Red Hickey in the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
- I was scoreless in two West Regional defeats (against Arkansas in regional semifinal and Creighton in regional third-place game).
- One of my teammates was eventual All-American Kenny Sailors.
- I played in the NCAA playoffs for my beloved state of Wyoming.
- I was host of American Sportsman and also broadcast the Super Bowl and NCAA Tournament.
- I was a network broadcaster who worked two of the more memorable World Series on NBC (Miracle Mets' upset of Baltimore in 1969 and the seven-game Cincinnati-Boston series in 1975 that is credited with reviving baseball in the American sports consciousness).
Who am I? CURT GOWDY
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Congressman Scotty Baesler (Kentucky) and CBS analyst Billy Packer (Wake Forest).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Arizona State's Joe Caldwell and UCLA's Walt Hazzard.
- I averaged 24.3 points per game in three NCAA Tournament contests and was named to the All-West Regional team.
- I was an all-league first-team selection the last three years of the Mountain States Conference.
- I was held under 10 points only once in college career and scored 46 against New Mexico on March 3, 1962.
- I remain Utah State's all-time leading rebounder and set a single-season record with 403 boards in 1959-60.
- My brother, Pumpsie, was the first black player for the Boston Red Sox, the major leagues' last integrated team.
- My NFL teammates included former college basketball players Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh), Pete Gent (Michigan State), Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State), Roger Staubach (Navy), Ron Widby (Tennessee) and Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State).
- I intercepted 34 passes as a defensive back with the Dallas Cowboys in 13 years from 1962 through 1974.
- I played in five Pro Bowl games and two Super Bowls (V and VI).
Who am I? CORNELL GREEN
- I grabbed a total of five rebounds in two NCAA playoff games in 1966 against Elvin Hayes-led Houston and Jerry Chambers-led Utah.
- One of my Oregon State teammates was eventual NFL defensive back Scott Eaton.
- I was a junior college transfer who averaged 4.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg with the Beavers in 1965-66 and 1966-67.
- I shared OSU's Paul Valenti Award with Eaton in 1966, given annually to the player who displays the most desire and determination.
- I was an eighth-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968.
- My NFL teammates with the Bengals included Bruce Coslet, Bob Trumpy and Sam Wyche.
- I was a defensive end who recorded a safety as a rookie and returned an interception for 70 yards and a touchdown in 1969.
- My teammates when I played for the Chicago Bears in 1970 included Dick Butkus, Bobby Douglass and Gale Sayers.
Who am I? HARRY GUNNER
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as U.S. Congressman Hank Nowak (Canisius).
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Marshall's Hal Greer and Pittsburgh All-American guard Don Hennon.
- I grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds against Iowa All-Americans Carl Cain and Bill Logan when my team was eliminated by the national runnerup-to-be in the 1956 Midwest Regional semifinals.
- I was a 6-7, 195-pound forward-center who averaged 18.5 points for Morehead State in four NCAA Tournament games in 1956 and 1957.
- I was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a freshman in 1954-55.
- I am the only athlete to play in a World Series and an NBA Finals (rookie in 1959 when the Lakers were swept by the Boston Celtics) after participating in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was a lefthanded pitcher who compiled a 40-31 record, 3.05 ERA and 42 saves in 421 games during 12 seasons from 1961 through 1972 with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
- I was traded by the Senators to the Yankees for pitcher Jim Coates in April, 1963.
- My teammates with the Yankees included former college basketball players Gene Michael (Kent State) and Rollie Sheldon (Connecticut).
- I was a reliever in the 1963 and 1964 World Series for the Yankees.
Who am I? STEVE HAMILTON
- I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual major league second baseman Jerry Adair and NFL quarterback Joe Kapp.
- I collected 7 points and 7 rebounds in Boston College's NCAA playoff debut, an 86-63 defeat against Maryland in the 1958 East Regional.
- I was BC's senior captain in 1957-58, averaging 12.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg.
- I was a Navy SEAL who created the New England Sports Network, which was one of the first successful cable channels.
- I was Executive Director and Trustee of the Yawkey Foundation and Boston Red Sox CEO in January 2002 when spearheading the selling of the Red Sox to a consortium led by former Florida Marlins owner John Henry for $660 million, doubling the previous record price for a pro baseball franchise.
Who am I? JACK HARRINGTON
- I was the leading rebounder for Washington State's team that competed against Boston College in the 1994 East Regional.
- I was the Cougars' leading rebounder each of my four seasons.
- I am a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection who was WSU's second-leading scorer as a junior and senior.
- I finished my college career as my alma mater's all-time second-leading rebounder (927) and third-leading scorer (1,496 points).
- I was a second-round NBA draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 before playing for the Sixers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
- I was selected six times in baseball's June draft.
- I am a 6-9 lefthanded pitcher who posted a 3-0 record and 2.45 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. The next year, I became the first pitcher in Blue Jays' history to hit a home run.
- My best season was 2005 when I went 11-8 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before being traded the next year to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Who am I? MARK HENDRICKSON
- I had a team-high 14 points in outscoring Illinois guard Derek Harper in my first NCAA playoff game with Utah before the Utes were eliminated in the West Regional by champion-to-be North Carolina State.
- My last college game was in the NCAA tourney against North Carolina coach Dean Smith and eventual first-team All-American Kenny Smith.
- I led the Utes in assists with 5.1 per game as a sophomore before finishing my college basketball career in 1986 as the seventh-leading scorer in school history.
- As a senior, I was an All-WAC second-team selection along with Wyoming sophomores Fennis Dembo and Eric Leckner.
- One of my NFL teammates was former college basketball player Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State).
- I was a defensive back who had two interceptions with the Dallas Cowboys during my six seasons with them from 1986 through 1991.
- I recorded a safety in 1991 before the Cowboys were eliminated in the second round of the NFL playoffs by the Detroit Lions.
Who am I? MANNY HENDRIX
- I played against long-time network broadcaster Curt Gowdy and former All-Pro wide receiver Dale Gentry in the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
- I was a 6-2, 195-pound guard who earned basketball honors as a second-team All-Southwest Conference choice as a sophomore and junior and a first-team selection as a senior.
- I was a member of Arkansas' 1941 team that won the SWC title with a 12-0 record, finished 20-3 overall and reached the Final Four in its NCAA Tournament debut.
- I finished sixth in the NFL in pass receptions as a rookie.
- I was a member of the Rams' 1945 NFL title team and finished my pro career with 75 receptions for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns.
- I was coach of the San Francisco 49ers (27-27-1 record from 1959 through 1963) after playing end with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams for five years (1941 and 1945 through 1948).
- Among the players I coached with the 49ers were former college basketball players Billy Kilmer (UCLA), R.C. Owens (College of Idaho) and Billy Wilson (San Jose State).
Who am I? HOWARD "RED" HICKEY
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league outfielder Dave Winfield (Minnesota).
- I participated in three consecutive Final Fours for NCAA championship teams under legendary coach John Wooden.
- My UCLA teammates included five All-Americans--Henry Bibby, Curtis Rowe, John Vallely, Bill Walton and Sidney Wicks.
- I scored 10 points as a senior against Weber State in the 1972 West Regional semifinals before scoring six points against Denny Crum-coached Louisville in the national semifinals.
- I am author of a book titled with one of Wooden's most famous quotes: "Be Quick--But Don't Hurry."
- As president of CBS Productions, I was responsible for the development and production of such successful prime time programming as Touched by an Angel, Walker Texas Ranger, Rescue 911, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Dave's World.
Who am I? ANDY HILL
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Dennis DuVal (Syracuse) and Marvin Barnes (Providence).
- I was a Furman teammate of All-American forward Clyde Mayes.
- I scored a total of 14 points in five East Regional games from 1973 through 1975.
- I was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1990, when I narrowly lost to Dan Coats.
- I am a Democratic Congressman who was a member of the Indiana House from 1982 until succeeding retiring Lee Hamilton in the U.S. House of Representatives in a widely-watched open-seat contest in 1998.
- After losing my House seat, I recaptured it in 2006 before losing it again in 2010.
Who am I? BARON HILL
- I scored 12 points in the 1969 NCAA playoffs against coach Lou Henson and All-American-to-be New Mexico State guard Jimmy Collins.
- One of my college teammates, Paul Ruffner, was Collins' teammate with the Chicago Bulls in 1970-71.
- I was a second-team All-WAC guard as a junior and senior when I led Brigham Young in scoring each of those seasons.
- I am a son of BYU Hall of Famer Orin Howard.
- I played in the major leagues with Frank Robinson as a teammate and under him when he was a manager.
- I played five years in the majors as a first baseman-outfielder with the California Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from 1972 through 1976.
Who am I? DOUG HOWARD
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Joe B. Hall, Al McGuire and Digger Phelps. Among the opposing players were All-Americans Kevin Grevey (Kentucky), Maurice Lucas (Marquette), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and John Shumate (Notre Dame).
- I was a 6-4 forward who averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game in four NCAA Tournament contests in 1973 and 1974 as an Austin Peay teammate of celebrated James "Fly" Williams.
- I was an All-Ohio Valley Conference basketball selection as a senior.
- I became a wide receiver who caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach for their final TD in a 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X.
Who am I? PERCY HOWARD
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Jack Kraft, Jack Ramsay, Fred Taylor and John Wooden.
- I was a 6-6, 245-pound forward for the 1962 Wake Forest squad featuring Len Chappell and Billy Packer that finished third in the NCAA Tournament.
- I was the first athlete in ACC history to start in both football and basketball.
- One of my pro football teammates was Hall of Fame-to-be quarterback Len Dawson, who briefly played basketball for Purdue.
- I was an All-ACC defensive end who became a third-round pick of the NFL's Chicago Bears in 1962, but chose to play with the AFL's Dallas Texans after being their fifth-round selection.
- In my only pro season, I intercepted a pass and returned it 23 yards to help set up the game-winning field goal in overtime of a 20-17 victory over Houston in the AFL championship game.
Who am I? BILL HULL
- I played in the NCAA tourney against future major league outfielder and manager Sam Mele of NYU.
- I was a forward-center for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up that compiled a 22-5 record.
- I scored two points in a 53-49 victory over DePaul, a team from my Chicago hometown, and fellow freshman George Mikan in the Eastern Regional final (playoff semifinals) before going scoreless in a championship game loss to Wyoming.
- I started out as a Democrat before becoming a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois and eventual chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
- My towering stature as a lawmaker (6-3) made me the ideal GOP pointman to lead an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton, who earned his diploma from my alma mater 21 years after I did.
Who am I? HENRY HYDE
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL linebacker James Francis (Baylor) and major league outfielder Kenny Lofton (Arizona).
- I was a Florida State teammate of All-American George McCloud.
- I hit all three of my three-point field-goal attempts in a 102-98 opening-round loss to B.J. Armstrong-led Iowa in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
- I am a quarterback who received a four-year, $15 million contract from the Minnesota Vikings in 1996 despite being their ninth-round draft choice in 1992.
- I became a pro starter when Warren Moon was injured and directed Minnesota to the NFL playoffs.
- An injury led me to losing my starting job to Randall Cunningham in 1998 before I was traded by the Vikings to the Washington Redskins, where I set a club single-game record with 471 yards passing at San Francisco on December 26, 1999.
- I guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the NFL playoffs following the 2001 season after signing with them as a free agent.
- I threw a career-high five touchdown passes against the Minnesota Vikings in 2002 before leading the Bucs to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
- I returned to the Vikings in 2005 for two seasons.
Who am I? BRAD JOHNSON
- I scored eight points in 10 minutes in a second-round victory against St. Joseph's in 2001. It was one of four times in six NCAA playoff games that I scored eight points.
- I was a teammate of Stanford All-American Casey Jacobsen when we were eliminated by national champion-to-be Maryland in the 2001 West Regional final and eventual Final Four participant Kansas in the second round of the 2002 Midwest Regional.
- I was an occasional starting forward who had career averages of 4.9 points and 3 rebounds per game with the Cardinal.
- After redshirting in 2000 as a quarterback, I became co-freshman of the year in the Pacific-10 Conference in 2001 when I caught 38 passes for 565 yards and seven touchdowns, including a TD in the Seattle Bowl against Georgia Tech.
- I am a 6-7, 240-pound wide receiver who declared for the NFL draft with two years of eligibility remaining after catching 41 passes for 467 yards and eight TDs in 2002.
- I was a second-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders in 2003.
Who am I? TEYO JOHNSON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league second baseman Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State).
- I was a teammate of California All-American forward Larry Friend.
- I participated as a backup forward in back-to-back West Regional finals in 1957 and 1958.
- I finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1958 when I led Cal to a Rose Bowl berth.
- I coached my alma mater and appeared as a bit actor in a dozen movies.
- I became a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame after quarterbacking Calgary (1959 and 1960) and Vancouver (1961 through 1966).
- I was an NFL Pro Bowl selection following the 1969 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
- I am the only QB to start in the Rose Bowl, Super Bowl and Grey Cup.
- I was the last QB to throw seven touchdown passes in a single NFL game.
- My teammates with the Vikings included former college basketball players Dale Hackbart (Wisconsin), King Hill (Rice) and Art Powell (San Jose State).
Who am I? JOE KAPP
- I was a Virginia teammate of future NBA players Bryant Stith and John Crotty.
- I became the Cavaliers' career rushing record with 3,348 yards on 567 carries, including a total of 14 100-yard games.
- I participated in three football bowls and scored a touchdown against Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl.
- I was scoreless in two 1990 NCAA Tournament games against Notre Dame and Syracuse before becoming a starting running back as a rookie for the Miami Dolphins in 1993.
- I was the Dolphins' leading pass receiver and second-leading rusher after being a third-round pick in the 1993 NFL draft.
- I led the Dolphins in pass receptions with 66 for 618 yards in 1995 and was again the team's second-leading rusher before I was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
- I played with the Oakland Raiders after previously being in the same backfield with quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young.
- I missed Super Bowl XXXVII because of an injury.
Who am I? TERRY KIRBY
- I was the leading scorer in the Mountain States (Big Seven) Conference with 16.4 points per game for Colorado's 1946 NCAA Tournament team.
- I am reputedly the first player selected in the NBA's first college draft in 1947 after enrolling at Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) to play on a 16-4 team with two of my brothers.
- I never appeared in the then-fledgling NBA, which doesn't have any official draft records prior to 1949. The franchise that selected me, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, folded shortly after the draft, and my rights reverted to the New York Knicks.
- I chose not to play in an uncertain situation for little money after the Knicks mailed a contract offer to me in the mail for just $3,500.
- My son, Chris, coached American University for seven seasons from 1990-91 through 1996-97.
- I was recalled to the military during the Korean War, where I was assigned to intelligence work for the Navy and later embarked on a civilian career that led to a job with the Central Intelligence Agency.
- I was the CIA's deputy director under George Bush in 1976.
Who am I? HANK KNOCHE
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against future college and NBA head coaches Mike Dunleavy (South Carolina), Larry Farmer (UCLA), Lon Kruger (Kansas State) and Brian Winters (South Carolina).
- I was a Memphis State teammate of All-Americans Larry Finch and Larry Kenon.
- I was a 5-10 guard who averaged 3.9 points per game for the Tigers' team that lost to UCLA's Walton Gang in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final.
- I breed and train horses at Crown Center Farms, south of Columbia, Mo.
- I presented Missouri with the largest single, private gift in the school's history - $10 million, which was earmarked as seed money for a new 17,000-seat, $50 million arena.
- My wife, Nancy, is the daughter of the late Bud Walton and niece of the late Sam Walton, the brothers who founded Wal-Mart. My wife and I owned the NHL's St. Louis Blues and the Kiel Center arena in St. Louis.
- I had two deals fall through while trying to purchase NBA franchises (Denver Nuggets and Vancouver Grizzlies) before courting the Charlotte Hornets.
- I was named to the state of Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Who am I? BILL LAURIE
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL linebacker James Francis (Baylor) and NFL quarterback Brad Johnson (Florida State).
- I was an Arizona teammate of All-Americans Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr.
- I was a member of the Wildcats' team that compiled a 35-3 record and reached the 1988 Final Four.
- I outscored Texas-El Paso guard Tim Hardaway, 12-2, in the 1987 West Regional.
- I led the American League in stolen bases in 1992 with 66, a record for an American League rookie.
- I was a Gold Glove outfielder who led the Cleveland Indians with a .325 batting mark (fourth in the A.L.) and paced the majors with 70 stolen bases in 1993.
- I played in the major league All-Star Game in 1994 and 1995, when I led the A.L. in stolen bases with 60 and 54, respectively.
- Considered the premier leadoff hitter of the 1990s, I am a six-time All-Star who hit a career-high .349 in 1994 with the Indians.
- I stole six bases in the 1995 World Series against the Atlanta Braves before hitting .333 for them in 1997 after I was traded in a deal involving former basketball player David Justice (Thomas More).
- I was traded to contending teams (the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, respectively) midway through the 2002 and 2003 campaigns.
- I tied a major league record by scoring a run in 18 consecutive games with the Giants.
- Longtime standout Bernie Williams became a designated hitter upon my acquisition by the New York Yankees as their center fielder in 2004.
- I finished my 17-year MLB career with a .299 batting average and 622 stolen bases.
Who am I? KENNY LOFTON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL running back Terry Kirby (Virginia).
- I was a Loyola Marymount teammate of eventual All-Americans Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble in 1988-89 when the Lions (181) and U.S. International (150) competed in the highest-scoring game in NCAA history.
- I scored at least 16 points as a sophomore in each of the last three NCAA playoff outings for Loyola Marymount's 1990 West Regional runner-up (against Michigan, Alabama and UNLV). I had 23 in as many minutes against Michigan (149-115 victory) in the highest-scoring game in NCAA playoff history.
- I was a two-time All-WCC first-team selection and league-leading scorer.
- I scored a career-high 48 points against Idaho State as a junior in 1990-91 when I finished among the top five nationally in scoring (28.5 ppg) and assists (9.1 apg). During that season, I tallied a team-high 34 points when the Lions set an NCAA single-game scoring record in a 186-140 victory over USIU.
- I am an Oakland product who ranked eighth in the country in scoring as a senior with 26 points per game.
- I played in the same major league outfields with Sammy Sosa and Bobby Bonds.
- I hit .282 with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and San Francisco Giants from 1997 through 2000 after previously being in the farm systems of the Texas Rangers and New York Mets.
- I went 15 for 34 from the plate (.441) with the Giants in 2000.
Who am I? TERRELL LOWERY
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as did Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee).
- I was a backup guard to eventual Princeton athletic director Gary Walters.
- I was a teammate of All-American Bill Bradley when the presidential candidate-to-be scored a Final Four-record 58 points against Wichita State in the 1965 national third-place game.
- I scored 14 points in three NCAA Tournament games in 1967 against coaches Bucky Waters (West Virginia), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Lou Carnesecca (St. John's).
- I was employed by the U.S. Congress along with Hillary Clinton as part of a litigation team during the Watergate hearings.
- I survived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the 1980s and prostate cancer in the 1990s.
- I was a key major-league baseball executive with the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox for more than 20 years.
- I was a driving force behind the construction of Camden Yards before becoming a minority owner of the Padres.
- I was instrumental in hiring Theo Epstein in November 2002 as the youngest general manager in baseball history.
Who am I? LARRY LUCCHINO
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as six-year NFL defensive back Manny Hendrix.
- I played in the 1986 NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Rony Seikaly and Pearl Washington.
- I scored seven points for Brown in a first-round loss against Jim Boeheim-coached Syracuse before leading the Bears in scoring the next season with 17.3 ppg.
- I assumed office as Rhode Island's Attorney General in January, 2003. Six weeks later, I oversaw a criminal investigation for the state after a pyrotechnics display burned a nightclub to the ground, killing 99 people and injuring 186.
- After endorsing Barack Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008, I competed for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2010 before bowing out.
Who am I? PATRICK LYNCH
- I was a college teammate of Steve Ehlmann, a state legislator and circuit judge who contemplated running for Congress to fill Jim Tallent's seat when Tallent ran for Governor of Missouri in 2000.
- I was a junior college transfer who played for two different head coaches at Furman (Frank Selvy and Joe Williams).
- I was named MVP in the Southern Conference Tournament before collecting five points and two rebounds for the Paladins in their inaugural NCAA Tournament game, a 105-74 defeat against Digger Phelps-coached Fordham in the 1971 East Regional.
- I was an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years from 1974 through 1984 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.
- My major league teammates included Dick Allen, George Brett, Steve Carlton, Dave Kingman, Mike Schmidt, Darryl Strawberry and Bruce Sutter.
- I was a valuable backup who hit three pinch homers for the Phillies in 1978 in my last year with three consecutive divisional champions.
- I was involved in an eight-player trade including Ted Sizemore and Manny Trillo between the Phillies and Cubs during the winter before the 1979 season.
- I was a regular with the Cubs, collecting 42 homers and 146 RBI.
- I was a free-swinger who was suspended in 1984 for involvement with drugs.
- I served a three-month sentence in the Fort Worth Correctional Institute with Royals teammate Willie Wilson.
Who am I? JERRY MARTIN
- I participated in four NCAA playoff games, including one where I made all four of my field-goal attempts and dished out a team-high five assists in a first-round loss against Jack Hartman-coached Kansas State in 1981.
- My San Francisco teammates included All-Americans Bill Cartwright and Quintin Dailey.
- I averaged 8.5 points per game during my career with the Dons.
- My NFL teammates during five seasons in the mid-1980s with three different teams included former college basketball players Sam Clancy, Ronnie Lott and Pete Metzelaars.
- I had two interceptions and four sacks as LB-DB for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984.
Who am I? KEN McALISTER
- I was a member of Maryland's 2002 NCAA titlist before becoming a part-time starter for the Terrapins' defending champion the next season.
- I played in the same 2001 NCAA basketball tourney as NFL defensive end Julius Peppers (North Carolina).
- I participated in two 2000 NCAA Tournament games, including one against UCLA.
- My Maryland teammates included All-ACC first-team selections Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon and Terence Morris.
- In 1999, I finished No. 2 among Division I-A freshman quarterbacks (behind Virginia Tech's Michael Vick) in passing efficiency and total offense.
Who am I? CALVIN McCALL
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as eventual Indiana football coach Cam Cameron.
- I was a defensive specialist who fouled out when I collected seven points and five rebounds in a 1982 West Regional first-round loss against Wyoming.
- One of my Southern California teammates was Kentucky transfer Dwight Anderson. Another one of my USC teammates was Ken Johnson, who transferred after the season to Michigan State.
- My NFL teammates with the Los Angeles Rams included Eric Dickerson, Dennis Harrah, Jackie Slater, Jack Youngblood and Jim Youngblood.
- I was a tight end who caught 14 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns with the Rams and Detroit Lions in four years from 1983 to 1987.
Who am I? JAMES McDONALD
- I scored two points in two 1996 NCAA Tournament games for the eventual national runner-up.
- One of my Syracuse teammates was NBA first-round draft choice John Wallace.
- I am a former Gator Bowl MVP who was a high school basketball teammate of eventual Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker for Mount Carmel (Ill.), an all-male Catholic institution on the southside of Chicago.
- I participated in bowl games all four years in college - Gator, Liberty, Fiesta and Orange.
- I am a quarterback who completed 58.4% of my college passes with 77 TDs, including one as a freshman for 96 yards to eventual NFL standout Marvin Harrison against West Virginia in 1995.
- I finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting before becoming the second pick overall in the 1999 NFL draft.
- I finished runner-up to Marshall Faulk in voting for MVP in the NFL in 2000.
- A Super Bowl appearance climaxed my leading the Philadelphia Eagles to five consecutive NFL playoff appearances from 2000 through 2004 as a Pro Bowler each year in that span while completing 58 percent of my passes with twice as many touchdowns as interceptions.
- I set an an NFL record with 24 consecutive completions over a two-game span in 2004 when I had five games with at least four touchdown passes and established the Eagles' single-game record with 464 passing yards against Green Bay.
- I am the Eagles' all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
- I finished my career with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.
Who am I? DONOVAN McNABB
- I played against Congressman-to-be Henry Hyde (Georgetown) in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was named to the first five on the All-Metropolitan New York team as a sophomore in 1942-43 when I was NYU's leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament (losses against Georgetown and Dartmouth).
- I played for two different major league teams in a single season four times in a seven-year span, including two tours of duty as a teammate of Hall of Famer Ted Williams.
- I was an outfielder who hit .267 in a 10-year playing career from 1947 through 1956 with six teams before becoming manager of the Minnesota Twins for seven years from 1961 through 1967.
- I led the American League with 36 doubles for the Washington Senators in 1951 and drove in six runs in one inning in a 1952 game for the Chicago White Sox.
- I managed the Twins in 1965 when they won the A.L. title.
Who am I? SAM MELE
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga) and NFL defensive back Percy Ellsworth (Virginia).
- I played in the 1996 NCAA Tournament against Temple coach John Chaney after my team was upset by Manhattan in the playoffs the previous year.
- I hold Oklahoma's record for consecutive successful free throws with 30.
- I was a member of the 1994 College World Series champion before becoming a second-round draft choice of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 (32nd pick overall).
- I was a forward who averaged 16.5 points per game en route to finishing my career No. 6 on the Sooners' all-time scoring list (1,946 points).
- I was a two-time All-Big Eight first-team selection and conference player of the year as a junior when I averaged 23.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
- I am a third baseman who replaced Cal Ripken Jr. in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Ripken's major league record of 2,632 consecutive games played.
- I no longer was Ripken's teammate during his final season in 2001 because I was traded to the Montreal Expos.
Who am I? RYAN MINOR
- I appeared in the NCAA playoffs against Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka, Bill Hanzlik and Bill Laimbeer.
- I played briefly for Houston in the Cougars' 100-77 opening-round setback to the Fighting Irish in the 1978 Midwest Regional after leading the Cougars in QB sacks with eight.
- I was a defensive end who became a first-round NFL draft choice.
- I played seven pro seasons (1981 through 1987) with the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
- One of my teammates with the Eagles was former college basketball player Harold Carmichael (Southern).
Who am I? LEONARD MITCHELL
- I appeared in the NCAA Tournament against Texas-El Paso's Tim Hardaway.
- I averaged 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1988-89 for LSU coach Dale Brown.
- I started in the same backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson in the West Regional of the 1989 NCAA playoffs.
- I was the player to be designated in a trade when pitcher Jack McDowell went from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets.
- I was an outfielder who hit .287 for the White Sox from 1995 through 1997 before my contract was sold to a team in Japan.
Who am I? LYLE MOUTON
- I was a 6-0 All-American forward as a junior for Dartmouth.
- I was the leading scorer for the 1942 NCAA Tournament runner-up (22-4 record) and averaged 12.6 points in seven NCAA Tournament games from 1941 through 1943.
- I was a trustee and chairman of the Finance Committee of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- I had a 29-year career as an executive (vice president in 1962, president/director in 1966, CEO in 1969 and chair/CEO from 1975-87) with the Phelps Dodge Corp., a Fortune 500 company and the nation's leading copper producer.
Who am I? GEORGE MUNROE
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Notre Dame (Kelly Tripucka, Orlando Woolridge, Bill Hanzlik and Bill Laimbeer) and Maryland (Albert King and Buck Williams).
- I was a Tennessee teammate of All-Americans Reggie Johnson and Dale Ellis.
- I collected a total of 19 points and 14 rebounds in just 36 minutes in four NCAA Tournament games in 1979 and 1980.
- I am one of the most popular figures in recent wrestling history who quietly began my career in 1990 as a WCW undercard wrestler, including billing as Oz (dressed in green cape and claimed to be "great and powerful") and Vinnie Vegas (wise guy in a pink suit and sunglasses).
- I am a former bouncer who went from a hanger-on to a 6-10, 350-pound hero in about seven months. My pin of Bob Backlund completed an unprecedented trifecta, giving me the WWF World tag team title, International title, and World title in the same calendar year.
- I was known as "Diesel" when I won the World Wrestling Federation championship in a record-setting eight-second bout in 1994.
Who am I? KEVIN NASH
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Steve Hamilton (Morehead State).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against North Carolina's undefeated 1957 team and All-Americans Tom Gola (La Salle), Ronnie Shavlik (N.C. State), Guy Rodgers (Temple) and Hot Rod Hundley (West Virginia).
- I was a teammate of Canisius All-America guard John McCarthy.
- I was the leading rebounder for the first three Canisius teams to participate in the NCAA Tournament.
- I was the leading scorer and rebounder for one of the winningest teams in Canisius history (22-6 record in 1956-57).
- I became a two-time NCAA Tournament All-East Regional selection (1956 and 1957) by averaging 19.4 points per game in nine NCAA playoff contests.
- I was selected in the fourth round of the 1957 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks.
- I am a Democrat who never received less than 75 percent of the general electorate vote while representing the Buffalo area for nine terms (1975-93) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Who am I? HANK NOWAK
- I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and World Series of Poker legend Doyle Brunson.
- I averaged 15.3 ppg in three NCAA playoff contests in 1953.
- I was a third-team All-American selection on Converse and United Press All-American squads as a senior when I finished second in the nation in field-goal shooting (54%).
- My twin brother was a basketball All-American who went on to play six seasons of major league baseball.
- I was an infielder-outfielder who played five seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1958) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .236 in 231 games.
Who am I? EDDIE O'BRIEN
- I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and World Series of Poker legend Doyle Brunson.
- I was a a two-time NCAA consensus All-American who averaged 32 ppg in three NCAA playoff games in 1953 after scoring 51 points in a regular-season game against Gonzaga.
- I became the first college player to crack the 1,000-point plateau in a single season by scoring 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52.
- My twin brother was a basketball All-American who went on to play five seasons of major league baseball.
- I was an infielder/pitcher who played 339 games in six seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1959) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves, hitting .250 and compiling a 1-3 pitching record.
- I was traded by the Pirates with Gene Freese to the Cardinals for Dick Schofield and cash.
- I was a second baseman for the Pirates on July 3, 1956, when I became the last N.L. position player to earn a victory on the mound until catcher Brent Mayne achieved the feat for the Colorado Rockies against the Atlanta Braves in August 2000.
Who am I? JOHNNY O'BRIEN
- I was scoreless in one minute for Tennessee-Chattanooga against No. 2 seed Connecticut in the 1995 West Regional.
- I played in the Senior Bowl after becoming UTC's all-time leading receiver (143 catches for 2,320 yards and 19 TDs).
- I started more games at receiver (10) than any San Francisco 49ers rookie since Gene Washington in 1969.
- I caught 162 passes for 2,553 yards and 26 touchdowns in my first three NFL seasons after being the 49ers' third-round draft choice in 1996.
- I became the heir apparent to Hall of Fame-bound Jerry Rice as the 49ers' go-to wide receiver after catching 15 touchdown passes in 1998, including at least one in each of the last eight regular-season games.
- My dramatic 25-yard touchdown catch from Steve Young with three seconds remaining lifted the 49ers to a 30-27 victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card game following the 1998 season.
- I set an NFL single-game record with 20 receptions in 2000 against the Chicago Bears.
- I led the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles in receiving in 2004.
- I am a six-time Pro Bowl selection who finished my 15-year NFL career with 1,078 pass receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns.
Who am I? TERRELL OWENS
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Congressman Scotty Baesler (Kentucky) and Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State).
- I was the second-leading scorer for Wake Forest's only Final Four squad (behind All-American Len Chappell).
- I outscored Ohio State's Bob Knight 17-0 and UCLA All-American Walt Hazzard 22-15 at the 1962 Final Four.
- After earning a spot on the All-East Regional team, I scored a total of 39 points in two Final Four games for the national third-place Demon Deacons to finish the season with a 14.1-point scoring average.
- I hit just 1 of 10 field-goal attempts in a 97-74 victory over St. John's in the first round although Wake still became the only team to ever trail by as many as 10 points at halftime of a tournament game (46-36) and then win the contest by more than 20.
- I was an All-ACC first-team selection as a junior in 1960-61 with Chappell and three other All-Americans--Art Heyman, York Larese and Doug Moe.
- I was the color commentator at the Final Four for two broadcast networks.
Who am I? BILLY PACKER
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against All-Americans Arnold Short (Oklahoma City), Bob Mattick (Oklahoma A&M), Bob Houbregs (Washington) and Don Schlundt (Indiana).
- I was a football/basketball teammate of All-American defensive back Gil Reich.
- I was a starting forward and second-leading rebounder for Kansas' 1953 national runner-up.
- I was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament team in 1952 when I averaged 20 points per game for Garden City (Kan.) before enrolling with the Jayhawks.
- I was an All-Big Seven Conference first-team basketball selection as a senior.
- I scored 54 touchdowns in my 14-year CFL career and had 34 games with at least 100 yards in pass receptions.
- I became a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame after averaging 20.6 yards per pass reception with 460 catches for 9,473 yards and 64 touchdowns.
Who am I? HAL PATTERSON
- I was a member of a 2000 Final Four squad.
- I made 13 of 15 shots from the floor in NCAA playoff competition en route to leading North Carolina in field-goal shooting in 2000-01 (64.3%).
- I started both of my NCAA Tournament games in 2001, including my first double-double (10 rebounds and career-high 21 points against Penn State).
- I was a basketball/football teammate of Ronald Curry, a four-year starting quarterback.
- I was a first-team All-American as a defensive end who led the nation in sacks with 15 in 2000.
- I won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and Chuck Bednarik Trophy as the nation's top defensive player in 2001 before becoming the second pick overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.
- I was named NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2002 after registering 54 tackles and 12 sacks (including a pair of three-sack games) in 12 contests in 2002.
- The next year, I played in Super Bowl XXXVIII for Charlotte.
- I am an eight-time NFL Pro Bowl selection who signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears in 2010 and Green Bay Packers in 2014. Most recent Pro Bowl appearance was this year in my 14th NFL season.
Who am I? JULIUS PEPPERS
- I collected six points and a team-high nine rebounds for Texas Tech in a 1961 Midwest Regional semifinal loss against eventual NCAA Tournament champion Cincinnati.
- I averaged 12.1 ppg and 10.5 rpg as a junior as part of Tech's first SWC championship team in a major sport.
- I averaged 8 ppg for the Red Raiders in five NCAA playoff contests in 1961 and 1962.
- My NFL teammates included standouts such as Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Roger Staubach.
- I was a placekicker who scored 466 points with the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys in eight years from 1967 through 1974.
- I led the NFL with 25 field goals for the Bears in 1968 when I tied for third place in the league in scoring with 100 points.
Who am I? MAC PERCIVAL
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Rollie Sheldon.
- I was a West Virginia teammate of All-American Jerry West.
- I was a backup guard for the Mountaineers in 1960 when they lost to NYU, 82-81, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite my five of six field-goal shooting.
- I was an infielder who hit .233 in 11 seasons (1964 and 1966 through 1975) with the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
- My major league teammates included Ernie Banks, Don Drysdale, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Don Sutton and Billy Williams.
- I was traded with Ron Fairly by the Dodgers to the Montreal Expos for Maury Wills and Manny Mota during the 1969 campaign.
- I went three-for-three in pinch-hitting appearances for the Pirates in the 1974 N.L. Championship Series.
Who am I? PAUL POPOVICH
- I played in the 1999 NCAA playoffs against St. John's All-American Ron Artest.
- I was a backcourt teammate of Indiana basketball All-American A.J. Guyton.
- I was 1998 Big Ten Conference freshman of the year in football before becoming the first league football player to accumulate 5,000 total yards the next season as a sophomore.
- I was a 5-11 college quarterback who compiled 3,000 passing yards and 1,500 yards rushing through my first 19 games, which is faster than anyone in NCAA Division I-A history.
- I became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000.
- I became the only "40-40 Man" in major-college history (more than 40 passing touchdowns and more than 40 rushing/receiving touchdowns).
- I was a regular wide receiver as a rookie for the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002 after being their second-round draft choice. The next year, I caught 37 passes for 364 yards and returned two punts for touchdowns.
- I signed a seven-year, $31 million contract with the Washington Redskins as an unrestricted free agent entering the 2006 campaign before being cast adrift by Mike Shanahan in 2010 and returning to the Steelers.
- I made a two-point conversion on a run for the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV.
Who am I? ANTWAAN RANDLE EL
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Seattle All-American Elgin Baylor.
- I was a California teammate of future pro quarterback Joe Kapp.
- I averaged 15.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games in 1957 and 1958 under coach Pete Newell, leading the Bears in scoring in two of the four playoff contests.
- I was a three-time all-conference second-team basketball selection.
- I was an outfielder who hit .268 in four seasons from 1958 to 1964 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles.
- I was purchased by the Orioles from the Dodgers during the winter of 1960.
- My major league teammates included former college basketball players Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State), Dick Hall (Swarthmore), Gil Hodges (Oakland City), Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati), Robin Roberts (Michigan State) and Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State).
Who am I? EARL ROBINSON
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as 1996 volleyball Olympian Mike Whitmarsh.
- I was a Washington teammate of All-American forward Detlef Schrempf.
- I was a 6-6, 260-pounder when I hit four of five field-goal attempts in the Huskies' 80-78 second-round victory over Duke in 1984 in Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski's first NCAA playoff game.
- I was a first-team All-American defensive lineman who became a first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions in 1987 (seventh pick overall).
- Placekicker Eddie Murray was my teammate on two NFL teams. Among my other NFL teammates were QB Jim Kelly, LB Chris Spielman, DE Bruce Smith, QB Vinny Testaverde and RB Thurman Thomas.
- I also played with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a six-year NFL career.
- My older brother, Don, an outstanding safety for UCLA, was a starting defensive back for the Cleveland Browns when he died tragically.
Who am I? REGGIE ROGERS
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league infielder Paul Popovich.
- I was Connecticut's third-leading scorer with 13.5 points per game as a 6-4 sophomore forward for a 1960 NCAA Tournament team that was eliminated by Satch Sanders-led NYU, which advanced to the Final Four.
- I had a front-row seat when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle went after Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
- I compiled a 38-36 pitching record in five seasons (1961, 1962 and 1964 through 1966) with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Boston Red Sox.
- I was 11-5 as a rookie with the A.L. champion Yankees after going 15-1 in Class D ball the previous year.
- I appeared in two games for the Yanks in the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
- I was traded by the Yanks with Johnny Blanchard to K.C. for Doc Edwards during the 1965 season.
Who am I? ROLLIE SHELDON
- One of my teammates, George Stanich, was a bronze medalist in the high jump in the 1948 Olympics.
- I scored 11 points in UCLA's first-ever NCAA Tournament game (73-59 setback against Bradley in 1950) before scoring a team-high 21 points in an 83-62 loss to Brigham Young in the Western Regional third-place contest.
- I was an All-PCC South selection as a senior when I averaged 10.4 ppg and was team captain for coach John Wooden.
- I opened the first Polly's Pie Restaurant in 1968 with my brother.
- I am a restauranteur who is the largest holder of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Anaheim-based Polly's Pies franchises in the country, operating as many as 15 KFCs and 13 Polly's in Southern California.
Who am I? EDDIE SHELDRAKE
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against future All-American Dick Ricketts of Duquesne.
- I was a starting forward and All-Ivy League second-team selection with Princeton's first NCAA Tournament squad in 1952.
- I was a major league pitcher who compiled a 38-44 record in seven seasons (1956 through 1962) with the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cincinnati Reds.
- My batterymate when I broke in with the Red Sox was former college basketball player Sammy White (Washington).
- I was traded with cash by the Senators to the Reds for pitcher Claude Osteen near the end of the 1961 campaign.
- I am a son of a Hall of Fame first baseman and brother of a former Cincinnati Reds manager.
- After graduating magna cum laude, I became an executive vice president, vice chairman of the board, and branch director of St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., the largest brokerage firm headquartered outside New York, with 5,300 investment brokers in over 500 branch locations throughout 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Who am I? DAVE SISLER
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as eventual major league outfielder Jerry Martin (Furman).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Ed Ratleff (Long Beach State) and Kresimir Cosic (Brigham Young).
- I averaged 22 ppg for Pacific's freshman squad in 1967-68 before averaging 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg in my three-year varsity basketball career from 1968-69 through 1970-71.
- I hit seven of eight field-goal attempts en route to scoring 21 points in two playoff games as a senior in 1971 after averaging a career-high 10.9 ppg as a junior.
- My Pacific basketball teammates included eventual NCAA Division I head coaches Bob Thomason and Pat Douglass and All-American center John Gianelli.
- My major league baseball teammates included Cesar Cedeno, Bill Madlock, J.R. Richard, Bruce Sutter, Bob Watson and Billy Williams.
- I was involved in a trade between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants before the 1977 season that included Madlock and Bobby Murcer.
- I was an infielder who hit .211 with the Cubs and Houston Astros in four years from 1974 through 1977.
Who am I? ROB SPERRING
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against standouts Marvin Barnes (Providence), Billy Knight (Pittsburgh), Maurice Lucas (Marquette) and UCLA's Walton Gang.
- I had a game-high seven assists for North Carolina State in a victory over Providence in the 1974 East Regional.
- I was the starting forward opposite national player of the year David Thompson for the Wolfpack's 1974 NCAA champion.
- I had a part as a menacing pitcher in a comedy film (Rookie of the Year).
- I was on major league pitching staffs with Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry and Jim Palmer.
- I appeared in 485 games, all as a reliever, in 13 seasons (1975 and 1978 through 1989) with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
- I compiled a 41-35 record with 3.95 ERA and 76 saves, recording 26 of the saves for the Orioles in 1980 the year after being the winning pitcher for them in Game Four of the 1979 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- I was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for pitcher Ed Whitson during the 1986 season.
Who am I? TIM STODDARD
- I scored a team-high 16 points and contributed game highs of 8 rebounds and 3 steals in a 2004 NCAA playoff opening-round setback against Texas.
- I was an All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior under Princeton coach John Thompson III.
- I didn't play baseball my freshman year in college.
- I am the son of a 12-year major league outfielder who spent most of his career in the National League and was involved in a trade from the San Francisco Giants to the Montreal Expos for Al Oliver.
- I am a lefthanded outfielder who hit .264 in 28 games for the San Diego Padres during a September call-up in 2008, hitting a triple in my first at-bat.
- I was a regular for the Padres the previous five seasons (2010 through 2014), finishing among the top 10 in the National League in triples a couple of years.
Who am I? WILL VENABLE
- I was a Drake teammate of Willie McCarter and Willie Wise.
- I blocked one of UCLA star Lew Alcindor's shots in the Bulldogs' 85-82 defeat in the 1969 national semifinals.
- I outscored Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and former Wichita State/Vanderbilt/South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler, 11-9, in the national third-place game when they were North Carolina teammates.
- I won the decathlon title at the 1971 Pan American Games, 1971 National AAU meet and 1970 NCAA meet.
Who am I? RICK WANAMAKER
- I played against Bob Knight-coached Indiana in the 1992 NCAA playoffs before averaging 8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.5 apg and 3.3 spg in four tournament games for the 1993 Southeast Regional runner-up.
- I held my school's career record for steals when my eligibility expired in 1993-94.
- I passed and rushed for 6,636 yards in my college football career.
- I was named Orange Bowl MVP in back-to-back victories over Nebraska.
- I led Florida State to 1993 national title by passing for 3,032 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushing for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
- I was a Heisman Trophy winner and consensus All-American quarterback who captured the 1993 Sullivan Award as the nation's premier amateur athlete.
Who am I? CHARLIE WARD
- I was Washington's second-leading scorer as a junior forward behind All-American center Jack Nichols in two 1948 NCAA Tournament games.
- I was named to the first five on the All-Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division basketball team as a junior and senior. * My major league baseball teammates included Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, George Kell, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn and Ted Williams.
- I was a catcher who hit .262 in 11 seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1951 through 1959), Milwaukee Braves (1961) and Philadelphia Phillies (1962).
- I was a 1953 All-Star who hit over .280 three times with the Red Sox.
- On June 18, 1953, I scored three runs in one inning when the Red Sox tallied 17 in the seventh against the Detroit Tigers.
- A trade including Russ Nixon and Jim Marshall between the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians before the 1960 campaign was cancelled when I announced my retirement.
Who am I? SAMMY WHITE
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as Washington's Reggie Rogers, an All-American defensive tackle and NFL first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions.
- I scored a team-high 17 points for San Diego in a 65-56 loss to Pete Carril-coached Princeton in the preliminary round of the 1984 NCAA Tournament.
- I set a school DI single-game scoring record with 37 points at Loyola Marymount in 1982-83.
- I was an All-WCAC selection as a junior and senior.
- I was a fifth-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1984 NBA draft.
- I joined Miller Lite/AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tour in 1989, when I was rookie of the year.
- I aligned with Mike Dodd in 1993 and we subsequently became one of the premier pairs on the volleyball tour before earning a silver medal in the 1996 Olympics when two-man beach volleyball made its debut.
Who am I? MIKE WHITMARSH
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and major league baseball executive Larry Lucchino (Princeton).
- I was a teammate of Tennessee center Tom Boerwinkle.
- I outscored All-American forward Don May, 20-9, in the NCAA playoffs to become an all-regional selection.
- I was the game-high scorer in the Volunteers' NCAA Tournament debut although it wasn't enough to prevent a 53-52 setback against national runnerup-to-be Dayton in the 1967 Mideast Regional semifinals.
- I was a two-time All-SEC first-team basketball selection and led the league in scoring the season before LSU's Pete Maravich arrived at the varsity level.
- My NFL teammates included former college basketball players Fred Carr (Texas Western), Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh), Pete Gent (Michigan State), Cornell Green (Utah State) and Roger Staubach (Navy).
- I averaged 42 yards per punt in six seasons (1968 through 1973) with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
- I posted the longest punt in the NFL in 1968 (84 yards as a rookie).
- I played in the Pro Bowl following the 1971 season and appeared in two Super Bowls with the Cowboys (V and VI).
Who am I? RON WIDBY
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Arkansas All-American center George Kok.
- I am the only freshman to lead a single NCAA tourney in scoring average (22 ppg).
- I scored a game-high 23 points for Oregon in a 79-76 loss to Arkansas in a 1945 West Regional semifinal before scoring a team-high 21 points in a 69-66 win over Utah in a third-place game.
- The next season, I became the first Oregon player to crack the 1,000-point plateau and repeated as an All-PCC North Division first-team selection.
- I was the leading pass receiver (27 catches for 520 yards and five touchdowns) on the 1948 Oregon team that featured quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, compiled a 9-2 mark and won the Pacific Coast Conference championship. The Ducks lost to SMU, 21-13, in the Cotton Bowl that season despite my four receptions for 57 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass from Van Brocklin.
- I led the Dallas Texans of the All-America Football Conference with 32 catches in 1952.
Fellow end and former Great Northwest college basketball player Dale Gentry (Washington State) left the AAFC's Los Angeles Dons the year before I joined the team. - Quarterbacks on my NFL teams included Don Heinrich and Frank Tripucka.
Who am I? DICK WILKINS
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as 1952 Olympic gold-medal winning high jumper Buddy Davis (Texas A&M).
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Brigham Young All-Americans Mel Hutchins, Roland Minson and Joe Richey.
- I collected two points and seven rebounds for San Jose State in a 68-61 opening-round loss to BYU in 1951.
- I caught 10 touchdown passes my last three years for the football Spartans after spending 19 months in the Pacific with the Navy.
- I was a split end who caught 407 passes for 5,902 yards in 10 seasons (1951 through 1960) with the San Francisco 49ers.
- I was a Pro Bowl selection six consecutive seasons (1955 through 1960) and named to wire-service All-Pro teams in 1955 and 1957.
- I led the NFL in receptions three consecutive years--1955 (60 catches), 1956 (60) and 1957 (52).
- I caught passes from NFL standout quarterbacks Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie.
- A fellow receiver with the 49ers was R.C. Owens, who led the nation's small colleges in rebounding in 1953-54 with the College of Idaho.
- I was named player of the game in the 1955 Pro Bowl after catching 11 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Who am I? BILLY WILSON
- I was a Minnesota teammate of All-American forward Jim Brewer under coach Bill Musselman.
- I played the entire game, collecting eight points and eight rebounds against eventual national runner-up Florida State, in the Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1972.
- I didn't play college football, but was chosen in the 17th round of the 1973 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. That same year I was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the fifth round of the NBA draft and the Utah Stars in the sixth round of the ABA draft.
- My major league baseball teammates included former college basketball players Bill Almon (Brown), Kenny Lofton (Arizona), Graig Nettles (San Diego State) and Dennis Rasmussen (Creighton).
- I was an outfielder who hit .283 with 465 home runs, 1,833 RBIs and 3,110 hits in 22 seasons (1973 through 1988 and 1990 through 1995) with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
- I participated in the World Series with the Yankees (1981) and Blue Jays (1992).
- I am a baseball Hall of Famer who appeared in 12 All-Star Games after never playing in the minors.
Who am I? DAVE WINFIELD
- I played against Guy Lewis' Houston squad that featured Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney.
- I was Colorado State's leading scorer for NCAA Tournament teams in 1965 and 1966.
- I was a cornerback who had a total of five interceptions in two seasons (1966 and 1967) with the AFL's Denver Broncos although I never played a down of college football.
- One of my teammates with the Broncos was receiver Lionel Taylor, who led New Mexico Highlands' basketball team in scoring average with 13.6 ppg in 1955-56 and 20.3 in 1956-57.
- I became the first player in professional sports history to compete in football and basketball (Denver Rockets) simultaneously.
Who am I? LONNIE WRIGHT
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-&-Only Trivia Challenge (Day #2)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 2 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only individual selected the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player three times? Hint: His real first name was Ferdinand and he is the only player to couple three unanimous first team All-American seasons with three NCAA championships. He is also the only player to hit better than 70% of his field-goal attempts in two NCAA title games.
2. Who is the only coach to twice guide three different schools to the NCAA playoffs in the same decade? Hint: He achieved the feat in a span of six straight seasons and is the only coach to have two different sons play for him in the tourney with two different schools.
3. Who is the only one of the 40 Final Four Most Outstanding Players from 1972 through 2011 not to play for the championship team? Hint: He never led his college team in scoring average in any of his three seasons at the school.
4. Who is the only coach to guide a school to the Final Four as many as five times and never capture the national championship? Hint: He lost each time at the Final Four to the eventual titlist and served as captain for the school's first team in 1946.
5. Name the only current Pacific-12 Conference member never to reach the Final Four. Hint: The school has made more tournament appearances than seven Pac-12 members, but lost three West Regional finals by a total of 40 points before joining the conference. It absorbed the largest margin of defeat for the 14 No. 1 or 2 seeds losing their playoff opener since seeding started in 1979.
6. Name the only conference to have five teams all lose their opening-round game in a single tourney. Hint: The league has had four different schools lose first-round games by more than 20 points against squads with double-digit seeds since seeding started in 1979.
7. Who is the only coach to win a tournament game for four different schools? Hint: He was the only coach in the 20th Century to direct four different universities to the NCAA playoffs.
8. Who is the only individual to win NCAA titles in his first two seasons as head coach at a school? Hint: He achieved the feat the first year after the eligibility expired for the school's most illustrious player, a three-time UPI Player of the Year who led the nation in scoring each season.
9. Who is the only active coach to take two different schools to the NCAA playoffs in his maiden voyage with them after they posted a losing mark the previous campaign? Hint: He posted the nation's best winning percentage by a first-year major college head coach in 1987-88 when he went 20-10 (.667) in his lone season with yet another school.
10. Name the only school to reach the Final Four in its one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 20th Century. Hint: The coach of the Final Four team is the only individual to win more than 30 games in earning a trip to the national semifinals in his first season.
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