Coastal Carolina's Cliff Ellis became the 10th coach to direct at least four different schools to the NCAA Tournament shortly before UCLA's Steve Alford and Iowa's Fran McCaffery became the 11th and 12th. The lone coach in this category compiling a winning playoff record with each university is Eddie Sutton, who notched a 39-26 mark with Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State.

Last year, Lon Kruger became the only mentor guiding five different schools to the NCAA tourney during his career - Kansas State (4-4 NCAA playoff mark), Florida (4-2), Illinois (3-3), UNLV (3-4) and Oklahoma (0-1). A play-in game loss against Tennessee left McCaffery as the only coach notching losing NCAA tourney marks with four different schools. Following is an alphabetical list including Ellis, Alford and McCaffery among the 11 coaches directing four different institutions to the NCAA playoffs:

Participating in office pools for major sports events, whether for money or not, has become as American in the national workplace as filling out your vacation schedule. Both forms can be perplexing because you frequently second guess yourself on where to go, when to go and exactly what to do. More often than not, you want to modify the submissions moments after turning them in. You feel as if you've flunked Office-Pool Economics 101.

No office pool heightens your frustration more than the NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. Just ask Pete Rose when he was relaxing at spring training. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.

If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for relevant handicapping tips, a sane approach to surviving March Madness has arrived. It is time to start chewing on historical nuggets to avoid making another April Fool appearance when results are posted on the bulletin board. Pay close attention to these sweet 16 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. As events unfold, you might want to rekindle old memories by assessing CollegeHoopedia.com's most magical playoff moments and All-Time All-NCAA Tournament teams.

1. SEEDING CAPACITY
DO pick a top three seeded team to win the national title.
In the first 34 years since the NCAA Tournament embraced seeding, 30 of the champions were seeded No. 1 (19 titlists), 2 (six) or 3 (five). The only championship game without at least one No. 1 or No. 2 seed was 1989, when a pair of No. 3 seeds clashed (Michigan and Seton Hall), until last year when #3 Connecticut opposed #8 Butler.

DON'T pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four. No. 1 seeds always look tempting (especially after all four advanced to national semifinals in 2008). But the Final Four did not have more than two of them any year from 1979 through 1992 and the last three years.

2. DOUBLE TROUBLE
DO pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded two through four and one team seeded 12th to reach a regional semifinal.
Since the seeding process started in 1979, never have all of the top four seeds in each regional survived their opening round. A No. 12 seed advanced to the round of 16 five consecutive years from 1990 through 1994.

DON'T automatically pick a perennial power to defeat a team with a double-digit seed.
More than 100 different coaches have lost at least one tournament game to an opponent with a double-digit seed since the seeding process was introduced. Playoff newcomers shouldn't be shunned if they get any break at all in the seeding process. First-time entrants assert themselves when they receive a decent draw. Of the schools making their tournament debuts since the field expanded to at least 52 teams, almost one-fourth of them survived the first round.

3. SCORING SUMMARY
DO shun a potential championship team if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
The only freshmen to lead a national champion in scoring were Utah forward Arnie Ferrin in 1944 and Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Of the sophomores to lead national titlists in scoring average, the only guards were Indiana's Isiah Thomas (16 ppg in 1981) and Duke's Jason Williams (21.6 ppg in 2001).

DON'T tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four.
No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game. The only player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a school to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game was Clyde Lovellette, who carried Kansas to the 1952 title. The only other player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a team advancing to the Final Four was Oscar Robertson, who powered Cincinnati to the national semifinals in 1959 and 1960 before the Bearcats were defeated both years by California. The Bears restricted the Big O to a total of 37 points in the two Final Four games as he was just nine of 32 from the floor.

4. PICKS AND PANS
Unless vital criteria is met to suffice otherwise, DO go with better-seeded teams to win games in the four regionals.
The better-seeded teams win a little over 2/3 of the games in regional competition. However, Final Four games have virtually broken even in regard to the original seedings.

DON'T pick a team to capture the NCAA title if the club lost its conference tournament opener.
No team ever has won an NCAA championship after losing a conference postseason tournament opener.

5. DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS
DO remember the cliche "East is Least."
No Eastern school won the East Regional and the national title in the same season since the tournament went to four regionals until Syracuse achieved the feat in 2003. The first seven national champions from the East Regional since 1956 were all ACC members (North Carolina '57, N.C. State '74, North Carolina '82, Duke '92, North Carolina '93, Duke '01 and Maryland '02) before Carolina won the East Regional again in 2005.

DON'T accept the axiom that the "West is Worst."
What does the Left Coast have to do to shed a misguided image? The Pacific-12 Conference supplied two NCAA champions in a three-year span (UCLA '95 and Arizona '97) before Stanford and Utah reached the 1998 Final Four. Arizona was runner-up in 2001 before UCLA participated in three straight Final Fours from 2006 through 2008. Although the Pac-12 struggled this season, the multiple-bid Mountain West and/or West Coast could take up the slack.

6. MATHEMATICAL ODDS
DO pick two of the ten recognizable schools with the all-time best playoff records to reach the Final Four.
There is a strong possibility some familiar faces will arrive in New Orleans since at least two of the ten winningest schools by percentage (minimum of 50 playoff games) usually appear at the Final Four. The top ten schools are Duke (.750 entering the '14 tourney), UCLA (.725), North Carolina (.722), Florida (.714), Kentucky (.707), Kansas (.699), Michigan State (.683), Michigan (.672), Indiana (.667) and Ohio State (.667).

DON'T be too wary of first-rate coaches with dime-store playoff results.
High-profile coaches are occasionally grilled because of their dismal tournament resumes. But they're due to eventually turn things around and shouldn't be written off altogether. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of more than 11 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975. It doesn't seem possible, but additional elite coaches who didn't win their first NCAA playoff game until their 10th DI season or longer include Dana Altman, Rick Barnes, P.J. Carlesimo, Pete Carril, Bobby Cremins, Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Bill E. Foster, Hugh Greer, Leonard Hamilton, Marv Harshman, Terry Holland, Maury John, Mike Krzyzewski, Ralph Miller, Mike Montgomery, Joe Mullaney, Pete Newell, Tom Penders, George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson, Norm Sloan, Butch van Breda Kolff and Ned Wulk.

7. GO WITH MIGHTY MO?
DO remember the odds about a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
There is a theory that burnout has a tendency to set in. But more than half of the NCAA titlists since seeding started in 1979 also won their conference postseason tournament the same year.

DON'T be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney.
Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory.

8. LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1
DO look for a school other than the defending champion (Connecticut in 2011) to become national titlist.
Duke was fortunate to repeat in 1992 when they reached the Final Four on Christian Laettner's last-second basket in overtime in the East Regional final against Kentucky. Florida repeated in 2007 despite winning its last five contests by 10 or fewer points.

DON'T pick the top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown.
There is a clear and present danger for pole sitters. Only three of the 29 schools atop the national rankings entering the NCAA playoffs from 1983 through 2011 went on to capture the national championship and only six No. 1 squads in the last 25 seasons of that span reached the title game.

9. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
DO pick at least one Final Four team with a coach making his debut at the national semifinals.
Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience. There has been at least one fresh face among the bench bosses at the national semifinals all but one of the last 27 years. In 1993, coaches Steve Fisher (Michigan), Rick Pitino (Kentucky), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Roy Williams (Kansas) returned to familiar surroundings at the Final Four.

DON'T pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
Steve Fisher guided Michigan to the 1989 title after succeeding Bill Frieder just before the start of the playoffs. But the only individual to capture an NCAA crown in his first full campaign as head coach at a university was Ed Jucker (Cincinnati '61 after seven years at King's Point and Rensselaer). The average championship team head coach has been at the school almost 13 years and has almost 17 years of college head coaching experience overall. The only championship head coaches with less than five years of experience were Fisher and Fred Taylor (second season at Ohio State '60).

10. SENIORS AND SHEEPSKINS
DO realize that senior experience needs to be complemented by the vigor from undergraduates.
A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - had seniors as their top two scorers.

DON'T pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
A champion is almost never guided by a graduate of that university.

11. CHANGE OF ADDRESS
DO pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter.
Almost every Final Four features at least one starter who began his college career at another four-year Division I school.

DON'T pick schools that lost a vital undergraduate to reach the Final Four if you think the defectors will become pro stars.
Ten individuals scored more than 20,000 points in the NBA or were named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining - Charles Barkley (departed Auburn early), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), Isiah Thomas (Indiana), Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas), Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech), Magic Johnson (Michigan State), Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and Elgin Baylor (Seattle). None of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college.

12. CONFERENCE CALL
DO pick two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four, with at least one of them advancing to the championship game.
Double your pleasure: A pair of members from the same conference frequently advance to the Final Four.

DON'T be condescending and overlook quality mid-major conference teams.
It's not a question of if but where will David defeat Goliath. There have been more than 100 Big Boy losses against members of lower-profile conferences seeded five or more places worse than the major university which is currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues. A total of 74 different lower-profile schools and current members of 23 different mid-major conferences (all but Great West, Northeast and Summit) have won such games since seeding started in 1979.

13. REGULAR-SEASON REVIEW
DO pick two of your Final Four teams from schools failing to finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
The best is yet to come for a team or two that might have been somewhat of an underachiever during the regular season. Almost half of the entrants since the field expanded to 48 in 1980 did not win outright or share a regular-season league title.

DON'T put much emphasis on comparing regular-season scores.
A striking number of NCAA champions lost at least one conference game to a team with a losing league mark. Many NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as a majority of them lost a regular-season games by a double-digit margin.

14. AT-LARGE ANSWERS
DO avoid picking an at-large team with a losing conference record to go beyond the second round.
An at-large team with a sub-.500 league mark almost never wins more than one NCAA Tournament game.

DON'T pick an at-large team compiling a mediocre record to reach the regional semifinals.
Only a handful of at-large entrants winning fewer than 60 percent of their games manage to reach the second round.

15. RACIAL PROFILING
DO pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
More often than not, at least two teams coached by African Americans reach the regional semifinals (round of 16).

DON'T pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are white athletes.
Duke had the only two teams in recent memory to win the NCAA title with white players comprising its top two point producers that season. In 1991, the two two scorers were Christian Laettner and Billy McCaffrey, who subsequently transferred to Vanderbilt. In 2010, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were Duke's top two scorers. Laettner also led the Blue Devils in scoring when they captured the 1993 crown. The only other white players ranked among the top three scorers for NCAA championship teams since the field expanded to at least 40 teams included: Randy Wittman (third for Indiana '81), Steve Alford (led Indiana '87), Kevin Pritchard (third for Kansas '88), Eric Montross (led North Carolina '93), Jeff Sheppard/Scott Padgett (first and third for Kentucky '98), Gerry McNamara (third for Syracuse '03) and Tyler Hansbrough (led North Carolina '09).

16. LAW OF AVERAGES
DO pick one "sleeper" team not ranked among the top ten in either of the final wire-service polls entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
There likely will be a Rip Van Winkle finally waking up to advance to the national final after not being ranked among the top ten in an AP final poll.

DON'T pick the national runner-up from one year to win the championship the next season.
The only three teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982), Duke (1990 and 1991) and Kentucky (1997 and 1998).

Kentucky (29-11) came close deep in the heart of Texas but needed to win the NCAA Tournament to avoid posting the most defeats ever for an Associated Press preseason No. 1 selection. Only two of the first nine preseason #1 choices with at least eight reversals - Duke '89 and Arizona '01 - compiled a winning NCAA Tournament record that year.

The lowest winning percentage for a preseason top-ranked squad was registered by John Wooden-coached UCLA, which was 18-8 (.692) in 1965-66 when the Bruins finished second in the AAWU behind Oregon State. Following is a list of the 10 preseason #1 choices compiling a minimum of eight setbacks since 1961-62:

If your RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) isn't satisfactory, then it's time to R.I.P. (Rest in Peace). That certainly was the case for Harvard, the Rip Van Winkle of college basketball, until the Crimson woke up and secured its first NCAA playoff victory last year. It was only two years ago when Harvard secured its first NCAA berth since losing two games in 1946.

Harvard, which has supplied more U.S. presidents (seven) than NBA players (three), frequently is ranked #1 in U.S. News College Compass among the nation's best colleges. Amid all of the bubble bullspit, the Crimson became the first team earning a berth in the 2014 NCAA Tournament by capturing the Ivy League regular-season championship prior to winning an opening-round NCAA tourney game for the second year in a row.

Stanford and Wisconsin, a pair of relatively recent Final Four schools, tied with Brown for the longest dry spell in NCAA Tournament history for prior playoff participants before Harvard ended its long drought. Following are the 16 schools - with Iowa State, Saint Louis and Wisconsin joining Harvard in this year's event - participating in the tourney at least once before enduring playoff appearance droughts of at least 34 years (length of dry spells denoted in parentheses):

School	Years Failing to Appear	Years Without a Tourney Victory
Harvard	1947 through 2011 (65)	Won first game in 2013
Brown	1940 through 1985 (46)	Never won a playoff game
Stanford	1943 through 1988 (46)	1943 through 1994 (52)
Wisconsin	1948 through 1993 (46)	1948 through 1993 (46)
Air Force	1963 through 2003 (41)	Never won a playoff game
Lafayette	1958 through 1998 (41)	Never won a playoff game
Iowa State	1945 through 1984 (40)	1945 through 1985 (41)
Washington State	1942 through 1979 (38)	1942 through 1982 (41)
Baylor	1951 through 1987 (37)	1951 through 2009 (59)
Canisius	1958 through 1994 (37)	Hasn't won since 1957
Miami (FL)	1961 through 1997 (37)	Won first game in 1999
Drake	1972 through 2007 (36)	Hasn't won since 1971
Saint Louis	1958 through 1993 (36)	1953 through 1994 (42)
Butler	1963 through 1996 (34)	1963 through 2000 (38)
Manhattan	1959 through 1992 (34)	1959 through 1994 (36)
Montana State	1952 through 1985 (34)	Never won a playoff game

NOTES: Tulsa didn't win an NCAA playoff game from 1956 through 1993 (38 years). . . . Holy Cross (last victory in 1953) and Rice (1954) haven't won an NCAA Tournament game for extended periods. . . . Miami (Fla.) did not field a formal team from 1971-72 through 1984-85.

Regal regular-season records persuade pollsters, arm alumni with arrogance and impress Division I committee members dispensing seeds in the NCAA Tournament. But Wichita State learned anew they don't guarantee postseason success because the "Road to the Final Four" is filled with potholes.

Over the first 37 seasons since the last undefeated team (Indiana '76), 21 schools entered the NCAA playoffs undefeated or with one setback. None of the squads in this group went on to win the national title. Only nine of these teams - Indiana State '79, UNLV '87, Temple '88, UNLV '91, Massachusetts '96, Duke '99, St. Joseph's '04, Illinois '05 and Memphis '08 - reached a regional final. Of the 19 entrants in this category since seeding was introduced, only four weren't accorded a #1 seed - Alcorn State '80, La Salle '90, Texas Tech '96 and Princeton '98. Wichita State joins the following chronological list of 22 schools entering the NCAA tourney either unbeaten or with only one setback since IU went undefeated in 1975-76:

However remote the prospect, Kentucky fans can hold out hope for a prompt turnaround because it has been achieved before. In coach Al McGuire's 1977 swan song, Marquette succeeded in the postseason despite losing an NCAA-champion high five home games, including its last three, to register the school's worst record in 10 years. But even if UK goes on to capture the SEC Tournament title and NCAA playoff championship this year under coach John Calipari, a smug media flopped more than equally-overbearing Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State) with its preseason group-think fawning over the Wildcats. Where was a "smidgeon" of bold enterprising analysis amid the diaper-dandy drivel and blue 40-0 T-shirts implying the 'Cats could go unbeaten?

Reflecting back on their pap, an insufferable groupie-like media desperate to be deemed "cool" was as unglued in the preseason as much as a dejected Calipari when ejected in second half of a loss at lowly South Carolina in the mediocre SEC. Sans point guard Ryan Harrow to sacrifice as a scapegoat, coach Cal is groping for a mature excuse comparable to fully explaining how two of his previous outposts (Massachusetts and Memphis) had their NCAA playoff participation vacated under his stewardship. There is simply no good explanation for possibly becoming the first preseason top-ranked team to finish out of the final Top 20 and first school ranked among preseason Top 5 in back-to-back seasons to finish out of both final polls. If all of UK's freshmen choose to return to college and finally focus on honing their less-than-professional skills, what will Calipari's ethical explanation be to the sizable number of undergraduate players who need to be cast adrift to make room on roster for the next greatest-of-all-time recruiting class? Will coach Cal consult again with cigar-loving President Clinton to possibly learn more about providing initiative to teenagers, interns, whatever?

Incredibly, Lindy's Yearbook was criticized last fall by Bluegrass bloviators for selecting UK (#2) and Louisville (#7) so low. Similarly, Doug Gottlieb, the lone cbssports.com "insider" failing to anoint UK as preseason #1, triggered one of the many websites needing Big Blue Nation drool buckets to claim it "understood the skepticism with ranking a team of freshmen first in a preseason poll, but when nearly everyone else in your profession believe the Wildcats are America's best team, doesn't it seem a little crazy to put them way down at No. 7 (randomly drawing teams from a hat)?" Well, how about way down out of the Top 20 after an over-hyped frosh class failed to live up to billing, enabling the "droolers" to shift their skill and moonlight helping support log rides at amusement parks across the country? No, what's big-time crazy is that, just like their respective websites, the preseason UK narrative from the slobbering stenographers all read virtually the same.

Discerning an equivalency to Ronan Farrow on training wheels, let's revisit the following widespread predictable preseason pundit plaudits replete with amateurish and snobbish historical perspectives on what comprises the "best":

Associated Press - "To say a ninth national championship is this season's goal is an understatement considering Kentucky has social media and blogs suggesting an unbeaten season is possible."

Athlon Sports - "On paper, it is the best of Calipari's five straight national-best recruiting classes. In theory, it is the greatest haul of all-time. Frontcourt is as impressive a collection of talent as you'll see. If competition fuels a team that is among the most talented the sport has ever seen, who knows what might happen? Calipari isn't shying away from 40-0 talk."

C.J. Moore, Bleacher Report - "Calipari turned the most frustrating team he's ever coached (NIT first-round defeat at Robert Morris) into the most admired by signing what could go down as the greatest recruiting class of all-time. From the NIT to the top. From flawed to flaunted."

Chris Dortch, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook - "Top to bottom I'm not sure any team in history is as talented."

Jeff Borzello and Gary Parrish, cbssports.com - "Calipari brought in arguably the best recruiting class in the history of the sport. What Calipari is enrolling is literally the best collection of prospects anybody has ever enrolled. Ever. In history. That is not hyperbole. How could anybody not rank Kentucky No. 1? The question isn't whether UK is capable of winning it all as much as it's if UK has a chance at completing a season without losing at all."

Andy Katz, Jason King and Myron Medcalf, ESPN - "Kentucky's epic recruiting class make the Wildcats the preseason No. 1. A lot of folks have been asking if Calipari's latest batch of one-and-dones can win a national championship. My answer: How could they not? I don't understand any arguments against that (Kentucky as No. 1 team in America)."

Rob Dauster, NBC Sports (CollegeBasketballTalk) - "Kentucky is so ridiculously talented. Have we ever seen a recruiting class as strong as the one coach Cal landed this season? Have we ever seen a team amass quite the amount of talent Kentucky has amassed this year? NBA teams might as well get a six-month lease on an apartment in Lexington for the season. Kentucky is much closer to being the Kentucky of 2012 than the Kentucky of 2013."

Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News - "What the Wildcats really needed in order for their overwhelming influx of young talent - the No. 1 prospect in the 2013 class at four of the five positions - to help the team confidently challenge for an NCAA championship was physical maturity in the frontcourt along with at least a hint of veteran leadership. And they've got that now."

Luke Winn, Sports Illustrated - "The Wildcats will take aim at the Fab Five's legacy. Julius Randle, a LeBron-like freight train headed to the rim, could very well be national player of the year."

Eric Prisbell and Nicole Auerbach, USA Today - "Calipari's successful formula has been to rely heavily on freshmen, and this season should be no different. Getting ahead of ourselves? Perhaps. But some folks are going further, predicting an undefeated season or something close to that. Let's look at the "five" teams most likely to put an end to any talk of a perfect season."

Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports - "Unprecedented recruiting class might give Calipari his best chance yet to chase perfection."

We don't expect the national press to be perfect but if you don't believe there has been a dramatic dumbing down of America, then you've never seen man-on-the street segments on Jay Leno's Jaywalking, Jimmy Kimmel making fun of the news or Watters' World on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor. Unfit for much presidential "R-S-P-E-C-T" (even with Aretha singing in the background), the extent to which the ignorance stems from peer-pressure media shortcomings contaminating the scene is debatable. For those who believe the quality of play on the court is not as good as it was several decades ago, the same premise could also apply to press coverage. This is not exactly the golden age of sports media. Where is the next Dick "Hoops" Weiss or budding John Feinsteins and Alexander Wolffs of the digital/publishing world?

There are ample reasons why the majority of Americans fail to have confidence in a misguided mass media reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly. It only takes a few minutes assessing Twitter incest and the flock of fake followers to reveal much of the follow-the-pack pathetic press doing little more than kissing butts like a pack of puppies in a municipality without a dog catcher. A "climate change" hoopdom needs is a whole new set of "experts." Based on their across-the-board Kentucky preseason prognosis reminiscent of Pravda, the shameless sports scribes should be kicked in their cans because they don't care to budget a fair share of basketballs for the job and are as derelict in their duties as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Dem.-Nevada) failing again to offer a budget while calling American citizens liars for citing Obamacare deficiencies and domestic terrorists if they don't bow down and worship his colossal failures. If you like your (health-care) plan, then you can keep your plan (if counselors keep "doing the Lord's work" luring "knuckleheads" according to the First Lady)! If you like your (preseason hoops) previews, then you can keep your error-prone analysis (if "knucklehead" readers fail to do enough work to move off their butt and find more incisive impartial observations)!

We can't get any Keystone pipeline leadership, but our entitlement society can at least look forward to POTUS' postseason prognostication expertise via name-dropping ESPN manufacturing news. The "Audacity-of-Hype" Oval Office NCAA bracket selections will be as authoritative as the media's preseason kissing of the championship ring in coach Cal's back pocket. Outmaneuvered by "Peacemaker" Putin, shouldn't the West Wing be a mite more selective in how it spends its precious "FUNNYORDIE.COM" time? If so, the selfie-taking/Bush-league-blaming hoopster-in-chief wouldn't exhibit a Sgt. Schultz "I-know-nothing" routine while chronically pleading ignorance about less vital matters such as the Benghazi terrorist attack, IRS targeting of conservatives, Fast and Furious gun-running, health-care exchange ineptitude, NSA spying on allies, Justice Department snooping on national media, etc. But we can count on the know-it-all left-leaning fourth-rate estate to be there holding the powerful accountable, providing as many candid answers as I-R-Mess public servant Loser Lerner pleading the Fifth while grazing at the public trough on her six-figure retirement.

Existing single-game rebounding records for San Francisco (Bill Russell) and Santa Clara (Ken Sears) were set on the same day in West Coast Conference competition in 1955. In another oddity, Yale's single-game scoring and rebounding marks against a major-college opponent were established in the same game against Harvard in 1956. Following is a day-by-day calendar citing memorable moments in March college basketball history:

MARCH
1 - Kentucky's Cliff Hagan (42 points vs. Georgia in 1952 semifinals) set SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . New Hampshire's Matt Alosa (39 vs. Hartford in opening round of 1996 North Atlantic Conference Tournament at Newark, DE), Saint Louis' Anthony Bonner (45 at Loyola of Chicago in overtime in 1990), Southern Illinois' Dick Garrett (46 vs. Centenary in 1968) and Southern Utah's Davor Marcelic (43 at Cal State Northridge in 1991) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . In 1952, Penn State and Pittsburgh combined for only nine field-goal attempts (fewest in a game since 1938). . . . North Carolina State ended South Carolina's school-record 32-game winning streak (43-24 in 1934) and Southern Methodist's school-record 44-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Texas A&M (43-42 in 1958). . . . Tom Heinsohn (42 vs. Boston College in 1956) set Holy Cross' single-game rebounding record. . . . Chris Collier (23 vs. Centenary in 1990) set Georgia State's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
2 - San Francisco's Tim Owens (45 points vs. Loyola Marymount in 1991 quarterfinals) set WCC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Colgate's Jonathan Stone (52 vs. Brooklyn in 1992), Eastern Michigan's Gary Tyson (47 vs. Wheaton, IL, in 1974), McNeese State's Michael Cutright (51 at Stephen F. Austin in double overtime in 1989), New Mexico's Marvin Johnson (50 vs. Colorado State in 1978) and Southern Methodist's Gene Phillips (51 at Texas in 1971) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Johnson's output is also a Western Athletic Conference record in league competition. . . . Oklahoma tied an NCAA single-game record by converting all 34 of its free-throw attempts (against Iowa State in 2013). . . . Penn State's school-record 45-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Penn (85-79 in 1955).
3 - Jacksonville's Dee Brown (41 points vs. Old Dominion in 1990 quarterfinals) set Sun Belt Conference Tournament single-game scoring record and Monmouth's Rahsaan Johnson (40 vs. St. Francis, NY, in 2000 quarterfinals) set Northeast Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Drake's Philip "Red" Murrell (51 vs. Houston in overtime in 1958), Lafayette's Bobby Mantz (47 vs. Wilkes College, PA, in 1958), Maine's Jim Stephenson (54 vs. Colby in 1969), Robert Morris' Gene Nabors (38 vs. St. Francis, PA, in 2000 Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Trenton, NJ), St. John's Bob Zawoluk (65 vs. St. Peter's in 1950), Santa Clara's Carlos "Bud" Ogden (55 at Pepperdine in 1967), Temple's Bill Mlkvy (73 at Wilkes College, PA, in 1951), Tulsa's Willie Biles (48 vs. Wichita State in 1973) and UNLV's Trevor Diggs (49 vs. Wyoming in 2001) set school single-game scoring records. Diggs' output is also a Mountain West Conference record in league competition. . . . Florida State's Al Thornton (45 vs. Miami in 2007), Iona's Sean Green (43 vs. Siena in 1991) and Tennessee-Martin's Lester Hudson (42 vs. Tennessee Tech in 2009) set school single-game scoring records against a Division I opponent. . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 800 victories the fastest with a 90-86 win at Auburn in 1969 (974 games in 37th season). . . . Army's Todd Mattson (24 vs. Holy Cross in 1990), Iowa's Chuck Darling (30 vs. Wisconsin in 1952) and Minnesota's Larry Mikan (28 vs. Michigan in 1970) set school single-game rebounding records.
4 - Marshall's Skip Henderson (55 points vs. The Citadel in 1988 Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Asheville, NC) and Montana State's Tom Storm (44 vs. Portland State in 1967) set school single-game scoring records. Henderson's output is also a Southern Conference Tournament single-game record. . . . William & Mary's Quinn McDowell (35 vs. James Madison in 2011 quarterfinals) set CAA Tournament single-game scoring record and Army's Mark Lueking (43 vs. Bucknell in 1995 quarterfinals) tied Patriot League Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Villanova's school-record 72-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by St. Francis, PA (70-64 in 1958). . . . San Francisco's Bill Russell (35 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1955) and Santa Clara's Ken Sears (30 vs. Pacific in 1955) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Collis Jones (25 vs. Western Michigan in 1971) set Notre Dame's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent. . . . One of the most tragic moments in college basketball history occurred in semifinals of 1990 West Coast Conference Tournament at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed and died on his home court during the Lions' game with Portland.
5 - Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (41 points vs. Indiana State in 1988 Missouri Valley quarterfinals), Holy Cross' Rob Feaster (43 vs. Navy in 1994 Patriot League semifinals) and Texas Tech's Rick Bullock (44 vs. Arkansas in 1976 SWC semifinals) set conference tournament single-game scoring records. Radford's Kenny Thomas (35 vs. UNC Asheville in 2009 semifinals) tied Big South Conference Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Cal State Northridge's Mike O'Quinn (39 vs. Eastern Washington in overtime in 1998 Big Sky Tournament quarterfinals at Northern Arizona), Cornell's George Farley (47 at Princeton in 1960), Michigan's Cazzie Russell (48 vs. Northwestern in 1966), Minnesota's Eric Magdanz (42 at Michigan in 1962) and Wichita State's Antoine Carr (47 vs. Southern Illinois in 1983) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Carnegie Tech's Melvin Cratsley set Eastern Intercollegiate Conference single-game scoring record with 34 points vs. West Virginia in 1938. . . . Boston University's Kevin Thomas (34 vs. Boston College in 1958), Pacific's Keith Swagerty (39 vs. UC Santa Barbara in 1965) and Saint Louis' Jerry Koch (38 vs. Bradley in 1954) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Baylor's Jerome Lambert (26 vs. Southern Methodist in 1994) and Wyoming's Leon Clark (24 vs. Arizona in 1966) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
6 - Texas Christian's Mike Jones (44 points vs. Fresno State in 1997 quarterfinals) set WAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Duquesne's Ron Guziak (50 vs. St. Francis, PA, at Altoona in 1968), Fairfield's George Groom (41 vs. Assumption in 1972), Minnesota's Ollie Shannon (42 vs. Wisconsin in 1971), Missouri's Joe Scott (46 vs. Nebraska in 1961) and Sam Houston State's Senecca Wall (45 vs. Texas-Arlington in double overtime in 2001 Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals) set school Division I single-game scoring records.
7 - North Carolina's Len Rosenbluth (45 points vs. Clemson in 1957 quarterfinals) set ACC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Houston Baptist's Reggie Gibbs (43 vs. Georgia Southern in 1989 TAAC Tournament quarterfinals), Lehigh's Daren Queenan (49 vs. Bucknell in double overtime in 1987 ECC Tournament semifinals at Towson State), Notre Dame's Austin Carr (61 vs. Ohio University in first round of 1970 NCAA Tournament Mideast Regional) and Rhode Island's Tom Garrick (50 vs. Rutgers in 1988 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament quarterfinals at West Virginia) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Carr's output is also an NCAA playoff single-game record and outputs by Garrick and Gibbs are single-game records in respective league tourneys. . . . Oklahoma State center Arlen Clark established an NCAA standard for most successful free throws in a game without a miss when he converted all 24 of his foul shots against Colorado in 1959. . . . In 1928, Butler beat Notre Dame, 21-13, in inaugural game at Hinkle Fieldhouse, which was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. and retained that distinction until 1950.
8 - Wright State's Bill Edwards (38 points vs. Illinois-Chicago in 1993 final) set Summit League Tournament single-game scoring record and Kentucky's Melvin Turpin (42 vs. Georgia in 1984 quarterfinals) tied SEC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Harvard's Brady Merchant (45 vs. Brown in 2003), Miami of Ohio's Ron Harper (45 vs. Ball State in 1985 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals) and Vanderbilt's Tom Hagan (44 at Mississippi State in 1969) set school single-game scoring records. Harper's output is also a MAC Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . Brown's Gerry Alaimo (26 vs. Rhode Island in 1958) and Georgia's Bob Lienhard (29 vs. Louisiana State in 1969) set school single-game rebounding records against a Division I opponent.
9 - Greg Ballard (43 points at Oral Roberts in 1977 NIT first round) set Oregon's single-game scoring record. . . . Marcus Mann (28 vs. Jackson State in 1996) set Mississippi Valley State's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
10 - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons (47 points vs. Louisiana Tech in 1983 Southland quarterfinals), Northwestern's Michael Thompson (35 vs. Minnesota in 2011 Big Ten opening round) and Washington State's Klay Thompson (43 vs. Washington in 2011 Pac-12 quarterfinals) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. Lyons' output is also a school single-game scoring record. . . . Paul Williams (45 at Southern California in 1983) set Arizona State's single-game scoring record. . . . John Lee (41 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Lamar's school-record 80-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Louisiana Tech (68-65 in 1984 SLC Tournament). . . . Ed Robinson (32 vs. Harvard in 1956) set Yale's single-game rebounding record.
11 - Connecticut's Donyell Marshall (42 points vs. St. John's in 1994 Big East quarterfinals), Texas Tech's Mike Singletary (43 vs. Texas A&M in 2009 Big 12 opening round) and Cal State Fullerton's Josh Akognon (37 vs. UC Riverside in 2009 Big West opening round) set single-game scoring records in their respective conference tournaments. . . . Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (52 vs. New Mexico in 2011 Mountain West Tournament semifinals at Las Vegas), Montana's Anthony Johnson (42 at Weber State in 2010 Big Sky Tournament final) and Nebraska's Eric Piatkowski (42 vs. Oklahoma in 1994 Big Eight Tournament quarterfinals at Kansas City) set school single-game scoring records. Outputs for Fredette, Johnson and Piatkowski are also single-game scoring records in their respective conference tourneys. . . . Indiana (95) and Michigan (57) combined for an NCAA single-game record of 152 rebounds in 1961. . . . Walt Bellamy (33 vs. Michigan in 1961) set Indiana's single-game rebounding record.
12 - Bradley's Bob Carney (23 against Colorado in 1954 regional semifinals) set NCAA Tournament single-game record by converting 23 free-throw attempts. . . . Texas-El Paso's Stefon Jackson (38 points vs. Houston in 2009 quarterfinals) set Conference USA Tournament single-game scoring record. . . . DePaul's George Mikan (53 vs. Rhode Island State in 1945 NIT semifinals), Fairleigh Dickinson's Elijah Allen (43 vs. Connecticut in 1998 NCAA Tournament first round) and Navy's David Robinson (50 vs. Michigan in first round of 1987 NCAA Tournament East Regional) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Syracuse outlasted Connecticut, 127-117, in six overtimes in 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals in longest postseason game in NCAA history.
13 - Vermont's Taylor Coppenrath (43 points vs. Maine in 2004 final) set America East Conference Tournament single-game scoring record.
14 - Louisville's Russ Smith (42 points vs. Houston in 2014 semifinals) set American Athletic Conference Tournament single-game scoring record.
15 - Andrew Goudelock (39 points vs. Dayton in 2011 NIT first round) set College of Charleston's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent.
16 - Kentucky's Kenny Walker (11-of-11 vs. Western Kentucky in 1986 second round) became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make all of more than 10 field-goal attempts in a single playoff game. . . . Temple's Fred Cohen (34 vs. Connecticut in 1956 NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals) set a school and NCAA Tournament single-game rebounding record. . . . Nate Thurmond (31 vs. Mississippi State in 1963 Mideast Regional third-place game) set Bowling Green's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
17 - Texas' Travis Mays (23-of-27 vs. Georgia in 1990 first round) tied NCAA Tournament single-game record for most free-throws made. . . . Maurice Stokes (43 points vs. Dayton in 1955 NIT semifinals) set Saint Francis (PA) single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . In 1939, Villanova defeated Brown, 42-30, in the first NCAA Tournament game ever played. . . . Al Inniss (37 vs. Lafayette in 1956 NIT first round) set St. Francis (NY) single-game rebounding record.
18 - Loyola Marymount's Jeff Fryer (11 three-pointers vs. Michigan in 1990 second round) became only player in NCAA playoff history to make more than 10 three-point field-goals in a single playoff game.
19 - Louisiana State's Shaquille O'Neal (11 rejections vs. Brigham Young in 1992 first round) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most blocked shots.
20 - Michigan State's Adrien Payne (17-for-17 from free-throw line vs. Delaware in 2014 opener) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most successful foul shots without a miss.
21 - UNC Wilmington's John Goldsberry became only player in NCAA Tournament history to make as many as eight three-pointers without a miss in single playoff game (against Maryland in 2003 first round).
22 - The only time in major-college history two undefeated major colleges met in a national postseason tournament was the 1939 NIT final between Loyola of Chicago and Long Island University (LIU won, 44-32). . . . University of Chicago ended Penn's school-record 31-game winning streak (28-24 in 1920) and LIU ended Seton Hall's school-record 41-game winning streak (49-26 in 1941 NIT semifinals).
23 - Hal Lear (48 points vs. Southern Methodist in 1956 NCAA Tournament third-place game) set Temple's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent.
24 - Askia Jones (62 points vs. Fresno State in 1994 NIT quarterfinals) set Kansas State's single-game scoring record.
28 - UNLV's Mark Wade (18 vs. Indiana in 1987 national semifinals) set NCAA Tournament single-game record for most assists.
30 - Princeton's Bill Bradley (58 points vs. Wichita State in 1965 NCAA Tournament national third-place game) and Siena's Doremus Bennerman (51 vs. Kansas State in 1994 NIT third-place game at Madison Square Garden) set school single-game scoring records.

Memorable Moments in February College Basketball History

Memorable Moments in January College Basketball History

Memorable Moments in December College Basketball History

Memorable Moments in November College Basketball History

An old adage portends that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." You know the father-son deal whether they boasted big-man credentials enabling them to dominate in the post or were adept as a playmaker driving to the post! A challenging dynamic exists when playing for the same school where your dad was a standout. Whether or not it's a fair sampling (majority of dads are better), comparing the following father-son duos might provide a window depicting when the quality of play was superior.

The Marble Collection (Roy and Roy Devyn) is posting headlines at Iowa although the Hoskets from Ohio State (Wilmer Clemens and Bill) decades ago are the only father-son combination to become All-Big Ten Conference first-team selections. Next season, the next Big Ten family affair for the same school making the most impact probably will be at Purdue (son Kendall Stephens following in footsteps of father Everette).

Marques Johnson was the third-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder for UCLA's 1975 NCAA champion and son Kris was a backup freshman for the Bruins' 1995 titlist. They are the only father-son duo to capture NCAA crowns for the same institution, propelling them atop the list of father-son combos. At any rate, there is something in the family DNA for the following all-time father-son tandems making the most impact for same major university factoring in how long they attended school:

A weekly ritual began on January 18, 1949, when the Associated Press announced the results of the first weekly basketball poll. Cliff Clavin might be the only individual knowing St. Louis was ranked atop the initial poll. The Billikens, who have never been a member of a power league, placed third in the final rankings. They returned to the Top 10 recently for the first time in nearly 50 years (early in 1964-65 when Wichita State was briefly atop the national poll).

We've traversed from one mid-level school all the way to a couple more - (Gonzaga) last year and possibly Wichita State this season. After the Zags won the 2013 WCC Tournament, they became the ninth mid-major school entering the NCAA playoffs ranked #1 before being shocked by the Shockers in the second round of the tourney. This year, WSU could be bound to become No. 10 in this category if it remains unbeaten through the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

The term "mid-major" annoys some loyalists. But following is a chronological list assessing what happened to nationally top-ranked teams that haven't been members of one of the generally-accepted power conferences since AP national rankings were introduced in the late 1940s:

"Good habits formed at youth make all the difference." - Aristotle

Andrew Rowsey isn't a card-carrying member of the freshman watch list the national media regularly drools on. But Rowsey, adhering to Aristotle's admonition about forming good habits, is on a short list of yearlings who had an early explosion, tying UNC Asheville's DI single-game scoring record with 41 points at Radford.

The Big South Conference boasted a comparable high-scoring freshman in 2008-09 when Liberty's Seth Curry contributed 102 three-pointers to finish with an average of 20.2 ppg before he transferred to Duke. Rowsey, hitting more than 40% of his shots from beyond the arc, is on pace to challenge Curry's freshman total for treys. Many power league members are in dire need of outside marksmen. Could Rowsey, despite scoring only two points at Duke in non-league competition, be the next Curry moving up to a major university after proving himself at the mid-major level?

One of the single-game scoring marks for an NCAA Division I school set by a freshman goes back nearly 100 years and another came courtesy of a current coach in the ACC (Virginia's Tony Bennett). Following is a chronological list Virginia native Rowsey joined of the modest number of 10 different freshmen who established existing school single-game scoring records at the DI level (Austin Peay's Fly Williams tied his own mark):

"Some kids need those two years to prepare them to come to a four-year school. We should not look down on those kids." - Western Kentucky/Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, an All-American for WKU

It wasn't long ago when only a splinter group of maverick coaches were sufficiently bold to liberally dot their rosters with junior college players stereotyped as discipline problems, academic risks or simply unsuitable to go directly from high school to major college programs. "Jucoland" was labeled by misguided observers as little more than basketball rehabilitation where free-lance players enjoyed free rein to make Great Plains arenas their own personal H-O-R-S-E stables

But a glance at NBA rosters over the years and the backgrounds of many of the nation's prominent Division I coaches suggests there probably never should have been a stigma attached to the J.C. ranks. Observers seldom hear college or NBA commentators credit a J.C. beginning, but many premier NBA players competed for a two-year school at some point in their college careers - Tiny Archibald, Mookie Blaylock, Ron Boone, Ron Brewer, Fred Brown, Mack Calvin, Sam Cassell, Michael Cooper, Mel Daniels, Steve Francis, Artis Gilmore, Harvey Grant, Spencer Haywood, Lionel Hollins, Avery Johnson, Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson, Larry Johnson, Vinnie Johnson, Freddie Lewis, Jim Loscutoff, Shawn Marion, Bob McAdoo, Nate McMillan, Ricky Pierce, Mitch Richmond, Dennis Rodman, Latrell Sprewell, John Starks, Jamaal Tinsley, Nick Van Exel, Ben Wallace and Gerald Wilkins.

Denny Crum, Lute Olson, Nolan Richardson and Jerry Tarkanian are former juco coaches who eventually guided teams to NCAA Tournament titles. Forward Cleanthony Early (Wichita State/Missouri Valley) should become the latest junior college recruit (Sullivan County, NY) to join the following alphabetical list of more than 80 players who were MVP/Player of the Year in an NCAA Division I conference: