"Well done is better than well said." - Benjamin Franklin

Some people talk a good game while others actually play a good game. With each of the 40 exclamation marks in this headline representing 100 points and rebounds, there is no doubt about which side of the fence the premium players in the 4,000 Club are on. Atop the well-done list in this distinguished group is recently-deceased Tom Gola, a terrific scorer/rebounder for La Salle ranking 11th among premier players in history by CollegeHoopedia.com. The Explorers supplied the top two and three of the first 13 major-college players amassing at least 4,000 career points and rebounds. Creighton's Doug McDermott, two inches taller than the 6-6 Gola, joined Gola in early March in the group of seven white players among the 14 individuals on the following list:

"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders." - Jewish Proverb

Brigham Young's Tyler Haws erupted for 48 points but they weren't enough to prevent a 114-110 triple-overtime setback at Portland. He fell four points shy of tying Jimmer Fredette's single-game school scoring mark (52 vs. New Mexico in 2011 Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinals). The result had to be disappointing for Haws, but there have been other prominent players requiring even "broader shoulders" in defeat. Haws, a son of Marty Haws (All-WAC first-team selection in 1989-90 when pacing BYU in scoring with 18.5 ppg), fell significantly short of joining the following list of NCAA Division I players scoring at least 60 points in a losing performance:

"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain

Anyone with a functioning brain knows high school player ratings are so much unadulterated bull-spit reminiscent of Sochi accommodations. All of the so-called recruiting analysts/experts and slobbering announcers with drool buckets giving credence to the charade are doing a disservice to the fans and impressionable teenagers. Why can't the player pimps simply wait until the athletes compete in an actual game on a college court before rendering judgment on their ability at the next level?

There should be a teen-protective law regarding player ratings forcing them to be written on toilet paper so they can be flushed down the toilet. Conducting a live press conference on a Signing Day Special announcing a teenager's college intentions is obscene. Keep-it-pithy Mark Twain would have been nauseated watching adults hold their collective breath to see if a pimple-faced kid dons cap of their alma mater.

What good are the prep player rankings anyway if the brainiacs can't pinpoint a prospect who will be an NCAA consensus first-team All-American three successive seasons? In 2010, Creighton's Doug McDermott wasn't listed among the consensus Top 100 recruits. It's not as if no one saw him in Ames, Iowa, because his H.S. teammate, Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), ranked as the nation's premier prepster.

But previously-shunned McDermott, who rarely dunks to shine the spotlight on himself and spends more time practicing his free throws than getting tattoos, emerged as a consistent standout. McDermott isn't infallible, scoring a meager five points against UAB last season and only seven versus George Washington this campaign. But even if he averaged five points per game, that would be a higher mark than the career averages posted by the following alphabetical list of frontcourters in the same class mistakenly rated higher than him coming out of high school: Evan Anderson (Wisconsin/0.6 points per game), Demarco Cox (Mississippi/3.1), Keith Davis (Texas A&M/1.1), Carson Desrosiers (Wake Forest & Providence/4.3), Josh Hairston (Duke/2.2), James Johnson (Virginia & San Diego State/1.4), Nate Lubick (Georgetown/4.9) and Melvin Tabb (Wake Forest & Kent State/3.3).

Seemingly incapable of calculating the difference between street ball and team ball, the recruiting gurus can't seem to assess backcourters any better. For instance, Michigan's Trey Burke, designated national POY last season over McDermott, wasn't listed among the Top 100 in 2011. Again, it wasn't as if he was an unknown commodity insofar as Burke was a prep teammate of eventual Ohio State All-American Jared Sullinger. It would take all week to read the list of players ranked ahead of Burke, McDermott and fellow consensus 2012-13 first-team All-Americans Victor Oladipo (Indiana), Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga) and Otto Porter Jr. (Georgetown) when they left high school.

Elsewhere, guard Jeremy Lamb averaged 14.1 ppg in two seasons with 2011 NCAA champion Connecticut before leaving school early and becoming an NBA lottery pick (12th overall). But Lamb's scoring average is more than twice as high as those compiled by the following alphabetical list of guards in the same 2010 class incorrectly rated ahead of him entering college: Rion Brown (Miami/7), Gary Franklin (California & Baylor/4.5), Crandall Head (Illinois & Southern Methodist/1.1), Jamail Jones (Marquette & Florida Gulf Coast/3.3), Jelan Kendrick (Memphis, Mississippi & UNLV/6.1 ppg), Mychal Parker (Maryland/3.4), Stacey Poole Jr. (Kentucky & Georgia Tech/1.9) and Jordan Sibert (Ohio State & Dayton/5.1).

Obesely-overrated Josh Smith was a consensus Top 20 player coming out of H.S. while McDermott was virtually ignored. Smith was declared academically ineligible at Georgetown after flopping with UCLA while McDermott, schooling opponents and media flunkeys, closed in on becoming only the eighth player in DI history cracking the 3,000-point plateau. What are the recruiting-wizard credentials of the chattering class who couldn't see any possible distinction between them? Never underestimate how gullible some observers can be if they don't let mistake-ridden recruit regaling go in one ear and out the other until authentic evidence exists.

"Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time." - Arnold H. Glasow

Overlooked amid Digger Phelps entering Notre Dame's Ring of Honor is examining how he wound up at South Bend in the first place. In retrospect, it might have stemmed from a one-game Irish job audition.

In 1970-71, Phelps was guiding Fordham to its winningest season in school history but what likely really impressed the Notre Dame administration was a 94-88 victory that season over the Irish. He was UND's bench boss the next campaign and went on to win seven games against nationally top-ranked opponents.

Non-conference schedules frequently are frustrating for fans of power league schools because of what seems like feasting on a steady diet of cupcake opponents. But you never know when a single game can become a career changer.

Similar to almost any job, timing is everything. Following is an alphabetical list of impressionable coaches such as Phelps who generated such favorable reviews after defeating a school in a non-conference game one season they were hired by that institution in the same role before the next campaign:

"It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required." - Winston Churchill

The NCAA Tournament speaks to your sports soul, leaving you yearning for more. This year marks the 76th NCAA championship spectacle. Perhaps the most amazing stretch in NCAA playoff history was an eight-year span from 1982 through 1989 when seven finals were decided by an average of two points. All of those close title contests, surely measuring up to Churchill's "best" quote, must be included in any celebratory ranking of the most stimulating games in tourney history.

Since some of the most entertaining games are somewhat overshadowed because they came in earlier rounds, it's difficult to decide what were the premier outings in playoff history. There is inspiration everywhere one turns - so many entertaining contests to choose from with so many divergent opinions on a seemingly endless list of stellar candidates.

Nothing provokes disagreements among ardent hoop fans more than healthy what's-the-best-in-history dialogue. In deference to the 76th playoff, here is a ranking of the top 76 games one remembers the most. You wouldn't wonder what all the fuss is about if you had the good fortune to witness firsthand or learn from ardent fans about much of the following drama:

1. 1992 East Regional Final (Duke 104, Kentucky 103 in OT)
Duke's Christian Laettner hit a decisive last-second shot near the head of the key against UK in overtime after receiving a long in-bounds pass from Grant Hill in the East Regional final. The game is acknowledged as one of the most suspenseful in NCAA history.
2. 1985 Championship Game (Villanova 66, Georgetown 64)
Villanova became the worst seed (#8 in the Southeast Regional) to win a national championship by shooting a championship game-record 78.6% from the floor against the nation's top-ranked team. The Hoyas, powered by national player of the year Patrick Ewing, had defeated the Wildcats twice by a total of nine points in Big East Conference competition.
3. 1983 Championship Game (North Carolina State 54, Houston 52)
Sophomore forward Lorenzo Charles scored only four points, but two of them came when he converted guard Dereck Whittenburg's off-line desperation shot from well beyond the top of the free-throw circle into a decisive dunk as North Carolina State upset heavily-favored Houston. The Cougars, featuring Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon, entered the final with a 26-game winning streak.
4. 1982 Championship Game (North Carolina 63, Georgetown 62)
North Carolina freshman guard Michael Jordan swished a 16-foot jumper from the left side with 16 seconds remaining to provide the title contest's final points before Georgetown guard Fred Brown's errant pass directly to Tar Heels forward James Worthy prevented the Hoyas from attempting a potential game-winning shot in the closing seconds. Also memorable was was a stream of intimidating goal-tending calls early in the contest against Hoyas freshman center Patrick Ewing.
5. 1987 Championship Game (Indiana 74, Syracuse 73)
Junior college recruit Keith Smart, a guard who was Indiana's fifth-leading scorer for the season, tallied 12 of the Hoosiers' last 15 points, including a 15-foot jumper from the left baseline with five seconds remaining.
6. 1957 Championship Game (North Carolina 54, Kansas 53 in 3OT)
Carolina center Joe Quigg sank two free throws with six seconds remaining in third overtime to tie score and provide decisive point against the Wilt Chamberlain-led Jayhawks. Although Lennie Rosenbluth was the unbeaten Tar Heels' leading scorer in 27 of their 32 contests, they won the NCAA final despite him fouling out with 1:45 remaining in regulation.
7. 1966 Championship Game (Texas Western 72, Kentucky 65)
Texas Western (28-1), featuring an all-black starting lineup with three players 6-1 or shorter in the NCAA final, stunned top-ranked and all-white Kentucky (27-2), putting the finishing touches on dismantling the prejudiced myth that black athletes couldn't play disciplined basketball. Junior college transfer Bobby Joe Hill, one of the tiny trio, converted steals into layups on consecutive trips down the floor by flustered UK guards to give the Miners a lead they never relinquished.
8. 1975 Mideast Regional Final (Kentucky 92, Indiana 90)
Indiana, undefeated entering the tourney (29-0), lost against Kentucky despite center Kent Benson's 33 points and tourney-high 23 rebounds. The Wildcats (26-5) prevailed despite 6-of-19 field-goal shooting by leading scorer Kevin Grevey. UK guards Jimmy Dan Conner and Mike Flynn combined to outscore IU counterparts Quinn Buckner and Bobby Wilkerson, 39-22.
9. 1991 National Semifinals (Duke 79, UNLV 77)
Duke's shocking win over defending champion UNLV (34-1) was the Rebels' lone defeat. Christian Laettner scored 28 points for the Blue Devils (32-7).
10. 1989 Championship Game (Michigan 80, Seton Hall 79 in OT)
Former street urchin Rumeal Robinson sank two pressure free throws against Seton Hall (31-7) with three seconds remaining in overtime to give the win to Michigan (30-7), which was guided by interim coach Steve Fisher.
11. 1957 National Semifinals (North Carolina 74, Michigan State 70 in 3OT)
The lead changed hands 31 times and the score was tied on 21 occasions. The Spartans' Jack Quiggle made a last-second, half-court shot at the end of regulation but it was disallowed. The end-of-game rule at the time was that the ball had to reach the apex of its arc before the buzzer. The officials ruled that the ball was still ascending. Teammate Johnny Green missed a free throw with 11 seconds remaining in the first overtime that would have sealed the verdict. Carolina's Pete Brennan grabbed Green's miss. Rather than tossing the ball out to a guard as Brennan normally would do, he dribbled down-court and hit a game-tying jumper just to the right of the foul line at the buzzer.
12. 1994 Championship Game (Arkansas 76, Duke 72)
The pressure was intense on Arkansas' Scotty Thurman with the shot clock winding down and score tied with 40 seconds remaining when he lofted a three-point attempt over Duke defender Antonio Lang that hit nothing but net.
13. 1974 National Semifinals (North Carolina State 80, UCLA 77 in 2OT)
The final in N.C. State's home state at Greensboro was anti-climatic after the Wolfpack avenged an 18-point loss against UCLA earlier in the season on a neutral court by ending the Bruins' 38-game playoff winning streak. N.C. State erased an 11-point deficit midway through the second half and a seven-point deficit in the second extra session behind David Thompson's 28 points and 10 rebounds to halt UCLA's string of seven consecutive NCAA championships.
14. 1990 East Regional Final (Duke 79, Connecticut 78 in OT)
Two days after UConn escaped Clemson on a controversial last-second shot, Duke turned the tables on the Huskies when Christian Laettner inbounded the ball with 2.6 seconds remaining, received a return pass and sank a leaning jumper from the left side at the buzzer.
15. 1981 Mideast Regional Second Round (St. Joseph's 49, DePaul 48)
St. Joseph's gained its only lead in the second half when an inexcusably unguarded Hawks player named John Smith sank a layup with three seconds left after DePaul's most accurate foul shooter, Skip Dillard, the guy they called "Money" because when he shot 'em, they were as good as in the bank, missed the front end of a one-and-one with 12 seconds remaining. The top-ranked Blue Demons did not score a point or take a shot in the final 6 1/2 minutes. A stunned Mark Aguirre, the national player of the year, didn't even throw the ball inbounds and finished the game with one rebound, one assist, no blocked shots, no steals and the only single-digit scoring output of his DePaul career (eight points).
16. 1981 Midwest Regional Second Round (Arkansas 74, Louisville 73)
Defending champion Louisville lost when Arkansas' U.S. Reed received an in-bounds pass with five seconds remaining, dribbled up the sideline and heaved a mid-court shot that went through the net at the buzzer.
17. 1993 Championship Game (North Carolina 77, Michigan 71)
George Lynch, North Carolina's top rebounder and second-leading scorer, made four big plays in the closing moments of title game. With Michigan leading, 67-66, he and Eric Montross blocked away a driving layup by Jimmy King. That led to a fast-break basket by Derrick Phelps and put the Tar Heels ahead to stay with just over three minutes remaining. After a missed UM shot, Lynch hit a turnaround jumper from the middle of the lane with 2:28 remaining to increase Carolina's lead to 70-67. On an inbounds play after UNC regained possession, Lynch lofted a perfect pass to Montross for a dunk. The Wolverines rallied to trim the deficit to 73-71 before Lynch and Phelps trapped Chris Webber along the right sideline with only 11 seconds remaining and Michigan's consensus first-team All-American called a fateful timeout his team did not have, a "whopper" of a mistake long before his Burger King commercial.
18. 1973 Championship Game (UCLA 87, Memphis State 61)
UCLA's Bill Walton, aided by Greg Lee's 14 assists, erupted for a title game-record 44 points. Walton, the only player to have as many as 20 field goals in an NCAA final, hit all but one of 22 shots from the floor.
19. 1958 East Regional First Round (Manhattan 89, West Virginia 84)
West Virginia, ranked No. 1 in the country at the end of the regular season, was upset at New York when Jack Powers, who went on to become executive director of the NIT, collected 29 points and 15 rebounds for Manhattan (16-10). Jerry West scored just 10 points in his first NCAA Tournament game for the Mountaineers, who finished the season with the best winning percentage in school history (26-2, .929).
20. 1983 Mideast Regional final (Louisville 80, Kentucky 68 in OT)
The first meeting between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville in more than 24 years was memorable as the Cardinals outscored the Wildcats in overtime, 18-6, to reach the Final Four.
21. 1963 Championship Game (Loyola of Chicago 60, Cincinnati 58 in OT)
Forward Vic Rouse leaped high to redirect center Les Hunter's shot from the free-throw line into the basket to climax the Ramblers' first year in the playoffs. Loyola, using its starting lineup the entire final, overcame 27.4% field-goal shooting by committing just three turnovers. The Ramblers trailed the defending NCAA champion by 15 points in the second half before knotting the score at 54-54 when Jerry Harkness hit a 12-foot jumper with four seconds remaining in regulation.
22. 1988 Championship Game (Kansas 83, Oklahoma 79)
The two Big Eight Conference members were deadlocked, 50-50, at intermission in the highest-scoring first half in title game history. The Jayhawks' Danny Manning poured in 31 points.
23. 1979 Championship Game (Michigan State 75, Indiana State 64)
Undefeated Indiana State lost against Michigan State when the Sycamores' Larry Bird, who hit 53.2% of his field-goal attempts on the season, made just one-third of his shots from the floor (7 of 21) as a sore thumb limited his shooting effectiveness. Magic Johnson scored a game-high 24 points for the Spartans. The ballyhooed matchup between icons Bird and Magic failed to live up to billing but aroused fans and generated the largest-ever TV share for an NCAA final.
24. 1989 East Regional First Round (Georgetown 50, Princeton 49)
No. 16 seed Princeton pushed No. 1 seed Georgetown to the limit in the East Regional before the patient and precise Tigers bowed when a last-second shot was blocked by All-American center Alonzo Mourning.
25. 1996 Southeast Regional First Round (Princeton 43, UCLA 41)
Princeton coach Pete Carril bowed out in style with a decisive perfectly executed back-door layup reminiscent of how many games were played several decades ago. It was UCLA's lowest-scoring output in 99 playoff outings, and the lowest score for a Bruins team in a regulation game in more than 55 years.
26. 1977 Championship Game (Marquette 67, North Carolina 59)
Tears of joy flowed for coach Al McGuire when Marquette won the championship in his farewell. McGuire, leaving the bench before the game was even over with tears running down his cheeks, pulled away from a hug by long-time assistant Hank Raymonds and made his way to the silence of the locker room. "I want to be alone," McGuire said. "I'm not afraid to cry. All I could think about at the end was - why me? After all the jocks and socks. All the odors in the locker room. All the fights in the gyms. Just the wildness of it all. And to have it end like this ..."
27. 1971 Mideast Regional Semifinals (Western Kentucky 107, Kentucky 83)
WKU, long regarded as poor country cousins by Kentucky, whipped the Wildcats in their first-ever meeting when All-American Jim McDaniels poured in 35 points for the Hilltoppers.
28. 1975 National Semifinals (UCLA 75, Louisville 74 in OT)
Three Louisville regulars shooting better than 50% from the floor for the season (swingman Junior Bridgeman, center Ricky Gallon and guard Phillip Bond) combined to hit 25% (6 of 24) in a loss against UCLA. Adding insult to injury for the Cardinals was reserve guard Terry Howard missing the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity in the closing seconds of overtime after he converted all 28 of his previous foul shots that season.
29. 1997 Championship Game (Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 in OT)
Arizona, the only team to win an NCAA crown after finishing as low as fifth place in its league, capitalized on a 34-9 edge in free throws made to upend favored Kentucky although the Wildcats did not make a field goal in the extra session.
30. 1995 West Regional Second Round (UCLA 75, Missouri 74)
Playmaker Tyus Edney played the role of Wizard of Westwood II with a series of breathtaking drives and baskets in UCLA's first five playoff games, including a length-of-the-court game-winner against Mizzou.
31. 1990 East Regional Semifinals (Connecticut 71, Clemson 70)
It was difficult for Clemson fans to fathom how UConn's Tate George had sufficient time with one second on the clock to receive a full-court pass, come down, square up and get off a game-winning jumper from the right baseline.
32. 1990 West Regional Second Round (Loyola Marymount 149, Michigan 115)
The record for most three-point field goals in a playoff game was set by Loyola Marymount senior guard Jeff Fryer with 11. Fryer (41) and Bo Kimble (37) became the only set of teammates to score more than 35 points in the same tourney game when they combined for 78 vs. Michigan in the highest-scoring game in NCAA playoff history.
33. 1981 East Regional Semifinals (Brigham Young 51, Notre Dame 50)
BYU's Danny Ainge went coast-to-coast driving through the heart of No. 2 seed Notre Dame's defense for a layup at the buzzer to give the Cougars the victory.
34. 1983 West Regional First Round (N.C. State 69, Pepperdine 67 in 2OT)
NCAA champion-to-be North Carolina State (26-10) defeated Pepperdine (20-9) in two extra sessions after trailing by six points with 24 seconds remaining in regulation.
35. 1978 Championship Game (Kentucky 94, Duke 88)
Jack Givens sank 18 of 27 field-goal attempts against upstart Duke's zone defense and scored Kentucky's last 16 points of the first half en route to a 41-point performance.
36. 2001 National Semifinals (Duke 95, Maryland 84)
The Blue Devils (35-4) overcame a 22-point deficit against the Terrapins (25-11), the biggest comeback in Final Four history. Mike Dunleavy Jr. hit three consecutive three-pointers in a 45-second span of the second half after Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told his squad to quit calling plays and just go out and play the game.
37. 2003 West Regional Second Round (Arizona 96, Gonzaga 95 in 2OT)
Gonzaga's Tony Skinner and Blake Stepp tied for game-high scoring honors with 25 points but each of them missed an open shot in the last four seconds of the second overtime for the Zags (24-9) against No. 1 seed Arizona (28-4). Wildcats standout guard Jason Gardner contributed a pair of three-pointers after missing 17 consecutive shots from beyond the arc in his previous three outings.
38. 1970 Mideast Regional First Round (Notre Dame 112, Ohio University 82)
Guard Austin Carr became the only player to score more than 60 points in a single playoff game. Carr tallied 35 of Notre Dame's 54 first-half points en route to a school-record 61 against OU.
39. 1952 East Regional Final (St. John's 64, Kentucky 57)
St. John's (25-6), sparked by center Bob Zawoluk's 32 points, avenged a 41-point rout at UK (29-3) earlier in the season (81-40) by ending the 23-game winning streak of the nation's No. 1 team.
40. 1969 National Semifinals (UCLA 85, Drake 82)
Guard John Vallely, averaging a modest 10.2 points per game entering the Final Four, erupted for 29 points and the Bruins (29-1) needed all of them. They had a nine-point lead with 70 seconds remaining dwindle to one before defeating Drake (26-5) after the Bulldogs missed a go-ahead basket in the waning moments. UCLA star center Lew Alcindor grabbed 21 rebounds.
41. 1945 National Semifinals (New York University 70, Ohio State 65 in OT)
NYU (14-7), featuring just one senior on its roster, erased a 10-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation against Ohio State (15-5).
42. 1968 Midwest Regional First Round (Houston 94, Loyola of Chicago 76)
UH's Elvin Hayes became the only player in tournament history to collect more than 40 points and 25 rebounds in the same game when he garnered 49 points and 27 rebounds. Hayes led the tournament in scoring and rebounding by wide margins for the fourth-place Cougars (31-2), but he wasn't named to the all-tournament team.
43. 1998 Midwest Regional First Round (Valparaiso 70, Mississippi 69)
Valpo's Jamie Sykes, an outfield prospect late for spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks, inbounded from the opposite baseline with 2.5 seconds remaining. He hurled a baseball pass that Bill Jenkins leaped to catch. Jenkins delivered a touch pass to guard Bryce Drew on the right wing, and the son of coach Homer Drew drilled a game-winning three-pointer for the Crusaders (23-10).
44. 1970 Mideast Regional Final (Jacksonville 106, Kentucky 100)
JU's Artis Gilmore collected 24 points and 20 rebounds to help eliminate the nation's top-ranked team. Teammate Rex Morgan contributed 28 points while outshining UK's backcourt.
45. 1951 East Regional First Round (Illinois 79, Columbia 71)
Columbia, undefeated entering the tourney (21-0), blew a seven-point, halftime lead and lost to eventual national third-place finisher Illinois (22-5). The Lions' John Azary was outscored by the Illini's Don Sunderlage (25-13) in a battle of All-American candidates.
46. 1965 National Third-Place Game (Princeton 118, Wichita 82)
Princeton's Bill Bradley set the mark for most points in a single Final Four game with a school-record 58. He scored 39 of them in the second half of the consolation contest.
47. 1971 Mideast Regional Semifinals (Ohio State 60, Marquette 59)
Marquette, undefeated entering the tourney (26-0), lost against Ohio State (20-6) after the Warriors' playmaker, unanimous first-team All-America Dean "The Dream" Meminger, fouled out with five minutes remaining. Teammate Allie McGuire, the coach's son, committed a costly turnover in the closing seconds before Buckeyes guard Allan Hornyak converted a pair of crucial free throws to end Marquette's 39-game winning streak.
48. 2005 Midwest Regional Final (Illinois 90, Arizona 89 in OT)
Illini (37-2) overcame a 14-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining in regulation and nine-point deficit in the last 1 1/2 minutes before defeating Arizona (30-7) in an extra session.
49. 1999 West Regional First Round (Weber State 76, North Carolina 74)
No. 3 seed North Carolina (24-10) lost its playoff opener for the first time in 19 years when the Tar Heels succumbed against No. 14 Weber State (25-8). Junior college transfer Harold Arceneaux contributed five three-pointers en route to 36 points for the Wildcats. His output matched the highest ever in the playoffs against Carolina.
50. 1965 Championship Game (UCLA 91, Michigan 80)
UCLA's Gail Goodrich became the only guard to score more than 35 points in an NCAA final, erupting for 42 points on 12 of 22 field-goal shooting and 18 of 20 free-throw shooting. His free throws made and attempted remain championship game records.
51. 1976 West Regional Semifinals (Arizona 114, UNLV 109 in OT)
Each team had four players score at least 18 points as UNLV (29-2), ranked third by AP and fourth by UPI entering the tourney, was eliminated by Arizona (24-9) when Jim Rappis had more assists (12) than the Rebels' entire team.
52. 1981 West Regional Second Round (Kansas State 50, Oregon State 48)
K-State (24-9) upset second-ranked Oregon State (26-2) on Rolando Blackman's 17-foot buzzer beater from the right baseline.
53. 1959 Mideast Regional Semifinals (Louisville 76, Kentucky 61)
Second-ranked Kentucky (24-3) hit less than one-third of its field-goal attempts in blowing a 15-point lead against intra-state rival Louisville (19-12).
54. 1976 Championship Game (Indiana 86, Michigan 68)
Trailing Michigan (25-7) by six points at intermission and playing without Bobby Wilkerson after the starting guard sustained a concussion early in the game, the Hoosiers shot 60% from the floor in the second half to come from behind and earn recognition as the nation's last undefeated team. Scott May, Kent Benson and Quinn Buckner collaborated for 36 of IU's first 38 second-half points.
55. 2005 West Regional Final (Louisville 93, West Virginia 85)
West Virginia set a regional final record with 18 three-pointers but still lost against Louisville.
56. 1977 West Regional Semifinals (Idaho State 76, UCLA 75)
The visiting Bruins, ranked fourth by UPI entering the tourney, finished with a 24-5 record when guards Roy Hamilton and Brad Holland combined to hit just 8 of 24 field-goal attempts. Idaho State (25-5), prevailing despite shooting a modest 40.6% from the floor, received 27 points and 12 rebounds from center Steve Hayes.
57. 1981 Midwest Regional Second Round (Kansas 88, Arizona State 71)
Third-ranked Arizona State (24-4), featuring four upperclassmen who combined for a total of more than 35 seasons in the NBA (guards Fat Lever and Byron Scott, center Alton Lister and forward Sam Williams), was clobbered by Kansas (24-8) when Tony Guy poured in 36 points for the Jayhawks. The Sun Devils fell behind by 16 points at intermission.
58. 1979 Midwest Regional Final (Indiana State 73, Arkansas 71)
Larry Bird-led Indiana State became the only school to reach the Final Four in its one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 20th Century when the Sycamores' Bob Heaton shifted the ball from his normal right hand to his left for a short shot that bounced twice on the rim before going down.
59. 1971 West Regional Final (UCLA 57, Long Beach State 55)
The closest result for UCLA (29-1) during the Bruins' 38-game playoff winning streak from 1967 through 1973 came when they had to erase an 11-point deficit despite 29% field-goal shooting to edge Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State (24-5).
60. 1977 National Semifinals (North Carolina 84, UNLV 83)
Mike O'Koren became the first freshman to score more than 30 points in a national semifinal or championship game when the UNC forward tallied 31. O'Koren and his teammates enjoyed a 28-5 edge over the Rebels in free-throw attempts.
61. 1978 Midwest Regional Semifinals (DePaul 90, Louisville 89)
DePaul center Dave Corzine tallied 46 points in double overtime game to become the only individual to score at least 45 in the NCAA playoffs and never be an NCAA first- or second-team consensus All-American or Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
62. 1959 Championship Game (California 71, West Virginia 70)
Two-time first-team All-American swingman Jerry West of West Virginia (29-5) was denied an NCAA championship ring when California (25-4) junior center Darrall Imhoff, West's teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers for four seasons in the mid-1960s, tipped in a basket with 17 seconds remaining.
63. 2006 East Regional Final (George Mason 86, Connecticut 84)
The #11 seed Patriots (27-8) advanced to the national semifinals with overtime win against UConn (30-4), which was their third victim featuring a coach who previously won an NCAA title.
64. 1979 East Regional Second Round (Penn 72, North Carolina 71)
No. 1 seed Carolina (23-6) lost its opener in the Tar Heels' home state (Raleigh, N.C.) when Penn's Tony Price poured in a game-high 25 points for the Quakers (25-7).
65. 1984 East Regional Semifinals (Indiana 72, North Carolina 68)
Many observers predicted Georgetown would meet the top-ranked Tar Heels in the national final, but they were upset by IU when national player of the year Michael Jordan was limited to 13 points, one rebound and one assist.
66. 1993 West Regional First Round (Santa Clara 64, Arizona 61)
In terms of point spreads, No. 2 seed Arizona's defeat against 20-point underdog Santa Clara (19-12), a No. 15 seed, was the biggest upset in NCAA playoff history. The Wildcats (24-4), ranked fifth by AP entering the tournament, lost although they scored 25 consecutive points in a 10-minute span bridging the first and second halves.
67. 2004 St. Louis Regional Second Round (UAB 76, Kentucky 75)
UAB (22-10), after outlasting Washington (102-100) in first round, used its frenetic pressure defense to frustrate No. 1 seed Kentucky (27-5).
68. 1956 East Regional Semifinals (Temple 65, Connecticut 59)
Guard Hal Lear manufactured 61.5% of Temple's offense by scoring 40 points. The most rebounds ever in a playoff game were grabbed by teammate Fred Cohen, who retrieved a school-record 34 missed shots.
69. 2005 Second Round (West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105)
Mike Gansey scored 19 of his 29 points after the end of regulation when West Virginia (24-11) outlasted #2 seed Wake Forest (27-6) in double overtime.
70. 1975 Championship Game (UCLA 92, Kentucky 85)
Coach John Wooden's farewell resulted in his 10th NCAA title for the Bruins.
71. 1981 Midwest Regional Semifinals (Wichita State 66, Kansas 65)
Mike Jones hit two long-range baskets in the last 50 seconds for Wichita State (26-7) in the first duel between the intrastate rivals in 36 years.
72. 1980 Midwest Regional Second Round (Missouri 87, Notre Dame 84 in OT)
Mizzou (25-6) backup swingman Mark Dressler, entering the NCAA playoffs with an eight-point scoring average, erupted for 32 points on 13 of 16 field-goal shooting against the 22-6 Irish (ranked No. 9 by AP).
73. 1989 Southeast Regional First Round (South Alabama 86, Alabama 84)
In an exciting intrastate battle, South Alabama (23-9) erased a 16-point halftime deficit. Jeff Hodge and Gabe Estaba combined for 55 points to lead USA against 'Bama (23-8).
74. 1980 Mideast Regional First Round (Virginia Tech 89, Western Kentucky 85 in OT)
Virginia Tech, sparked by Dale Solomon's 10-of-13 field-goal shooting, became the only school to erase a halftime deficit of at least 18 points to win a playoff game in the 20th Century. The Hokies, Metro Conference runner-up to eventual NCAA champion Louisville, trailed WKU at intermission, 48-30, in a duel between two 21-8 teams.
75. 2008 Midwest Regional Second Round (Davidson 74, Georgetown 70)
Stephen Curry, a son of former NBA standout Dell Curry, poured in 25 of his 30 points in the second half as Davidson (29-7) erased a double-digit deficit to upset the Hoyas (28-6).
76. 1978 West Regional First Round (Cal State Fullerton 90, New Mexico 85)
Cal State Fullerton (23-9) had four players score from 18 to 23 points and made 62.1% of its field-goal attempts to erase a six-point, halftime deficit and upend fourth-ranked New Mexico. Future Lakers standout Michael Cooper had an off-game for the Lobos (24-4), sinking just six of 15 field-goal attempts.

"Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors." - Jim Morrison

Nothing lasts forever. No university ever has discarded such a longstanding affiliation with a conference as Maryland did when the Terrapins chose to divorce the ACC for wealthier Big Ten in 2014-15. The Terps will jettison 61 years of history when they align with the Big Ten, which is the only alliance other than the Ivy League never to have a member leave to join another major conference.

Until formally making the switch, Maryland is mired in an exit-fee money mess. The Terrapins filed a $157 million counter-suit against the ACC (three times the amount the ACC sued for against the Terps), alleging the league was hypocritical in targeting at least two unidentified Big Ten schools to leave after learning about Maryland's intent to seek "greener" pastures. Whatever happens, shouldn't the ACC invest more resources in addressing academics amid North Carolina's shoddy scholastic standing emphasizing Afro-American Studies and similar such shenanigans? If a university with Carolina's stature has lost its higher education "way" suspending research of reading specialist/academic adviser allegedly facing death threats, then what the fraud is happening regarding unsupervised lower standards at other ACC institutions and across the nation? For instance, N.C. State hired Sidney Lowe as coach before he even earned his diploma more than 20 years after leaving the school and subsequently showing apparent evasion taking any modestly-taxing classes such as ethics or tax preparation while in college.

Fordham, fleeing the Metro Atlantic and Patriot League the first half of the 1990s, is the only institution to twice be in this charter-school departure category. Following is a list from longest to shortest tenures of the first schools to leave an intact league for another conference after being a founding member:

NOTES: Cincinnati (member of Mid-American from 1947-53), Georgia Tech (SEC from 1933-64), New Orleans (Sun Belt from 1977-80), Oral Roberts (Midwestern City from 1980-87), Penn State (ECBL/Eastern 8 from 1977-79), Rutgers (Middle Atlantic from 1959-62) and South Carolina (ACC from 1954-71) joined the independent ranks the next season. . . . Seven C-USA charter members joined other leagues following their 10th year in the league in 2004-05. . . . Campbell rejoined Big South in 2011-12.

"Stepping onto a brand new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation which is not nurturing." - Maya Angelou

Whether schools are simply filling out a roster with a backup or chasing a pot of gold at the end of a Larry Bird rainbow, they seem to be looking around every corner and under every rock for a transfer. Bird left a potential powerhouse at Indiana but never played for the Hoosiers before becoming national player of the year with Indiana State.

How many All-Americans actually played varsity basketball for two different four-year schools? The average is about one every two years. Duke and Kansas, two of the five schools with the most All-Americans in history, had their first transfer in that category last season - Duke guard Seth Curry (Liberty) and KU center Jeff Withey (Arizona). The Blue Devils have another titillating transfer talent this campaign with Rodney Hood (from Mississippi State).

Guard Marshall Henderson spearheaded Ole Miss' resurgence last season after attending Utah, Texas Tech and a junior college in Texas. But Hood and numerous additional transfers are outshining Henderson this year as sure-fire impact players in postseason play - George Washington's Isaiah Armwood (Villanova), Canisius' Billy Baron (Virginia/Rhode Island), Towson's Jerrelle Benimon (Georgetown), Missouri's Jabari Brown (Oregon), Oregon's Jason Calliste (Detroit), Brigham Young's Matt Carlino (UCLA), Missouri's Jordan Clarkson (Tulsa), George Washington's Maurice "Mo" Creek (Indiana), San Diego State's Josh Davis (North Carolina State/Tulane), Florida's Dorian Finney-Smith (Virginia Tech), Creighton's Grant Gibbs (Gonzaga), Georgia State's Ryan Harrow (North Carolina State/Kentucky), Baylor's Brady Heslip (Boston College), Detroit's Juwan Howard Jr. (Western Michigan), Iowa State's DeAndre Kane (Marshall), SMU's Markus Kennedy (Villanova), Arizona State's Jermaine Marshall (Penn State), Arizona's T.J. McConnell (Duquesne), SMU's Nic Moore (Illinois State), Oregon's Mike Moser (UCLA/UNLV), Nebraska's Terran Petteway (Texas Tech), Xavier's Isaiah Philmore (Towson), Nebraska's Walter Pitchford (Florida), Illinois' Rayvonte Rice (Drake), Missouri's Earnest Ross (Auburn), Notre Dame's Garrick Sherman (Michigan State), Oklahoma's Ryan Spangler (Gonzaga), West Virginia's Juwan Staten (Dayton), San Diego State's Xavier Thames (Washington State) and Oregon's Joseph Young (Houston).

Mississippi State lost a transfer All-American several seasons ago when Ben Hansbrough departed for Notre Dame but the Bulldogs had their own player in this category 10 years ago after Lawrence Roberts left Baylor. In an era when transfers have almost become an obsession for various reasons, there was a modest uptick in the ratio with seven All-Americans in this category in a six-year span from 2000 through 2005 before Louisville's Luke Hancock (George Mason) became Final Four Most Outstanding Player last year. Hood is a prime candidate to join the following alphabetical list of All-Americans who began their collegiate career at another four-year school:

*Attended junior college between four-year school stints.
NOTE: Burgess was an Air Force veteran.

"When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind." - Lord Kelvin (William Thomson)

The mathematical measurements aren't nearly as complex as the scientific equations noted British physicist Lord Kelvin embraced, but numerical streaks speak volumes in terms of the best of college basketball's "Numbers Game." Amid coping with polar-vortex frigid temperatures, warmhearted fans of Duke (122 weeks ranked in Top Ten) and Kansas (68 consecutive victories at home against nonconference opponents) have every reason to be proud despite their favorites seeing long streaks come to a halt early in the new year. In an effort to try to boost your knowledge to a satisfactory kind, following is a good, bad and ugly look at cold, hard text citing notable streaks that were intact during the 2013-14 campaign:

120: Consecutive victories for San Diego State when leading with five minutes remaining (entering West Regional Sweet 16).
109: Non-conference homecourt victories for Duke (through 2013).
81: Non-conference homecourt victories for Missouri (after Long Beach State).
75: Years for Northwestern failing to appear in NCAA Tournament since the inaugural playoff in 1939.
72: Years for Pittsburgh failing to return to Final Four since making its lone appearance there in 1941.
63: Homecourt victories in December for Duke (through 2013). . . . Seasons for Nebraska without a conference championship since Huskers shared Big Seven title with Kansas and Kansas State in 1950.
57: Homecourt victories without a loss for North Carolina against Clemson.
55: Seasons without an undefeated team in Mid-American Conference competition since Wayne Embry-led Miami Ohio in 1957-58.
51: Homecourt victories for Syracuse against non-conference opponents (through 2013).
48: Victories for Syracuse over in-state opponent Colgate.
46: Defeats for DePaul against ranked opponents (after losing against visiting Creighton on 1/7). . . . Years for Marshall failing to win a game in NCAA Tournament or NIT since finishing in fourth place in 1967 NIT. . . . Years for Virginia Tech failing to reach an NCAA Tournament regional final since lone appearance there in 1967.
43: Division I-leading winning seasons for Syracuse since compiling a 12-12 mark in 1969-70.
42: Years for Drake failing to win a game in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
40: Years for South Carolina failing to win an NCAA Tournament game since 1973.
39: Victories for Marquette against cross-town rival Milwaukee. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Southland Conference competition since Arkansas State in 1973-74.
38: Seasons for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim without a losing record during his entire career.
37: Years for Rutgers failing to supply an NCAA consensus All-American since Phil Sellers in 1976. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Big Ten Conference competition since Indiana became the nation's last unbeaten for an entire season in 1975-76.
36: Seasons without a Jewish All-American since Tennessee's Ernie Grunfeld in 1977. . . . Years for Duquesne failing to appear in NCAA Tournament.
35: Homecourt victories in December for Kansas State (through 2013). . . . Years for Notre Dame failing to return to Final Four since making its lone appearance there in 1978. . . . Years for Tennessee failing to win a SEC Tournament. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Pac-12 Conference competition since David Greenwood-led UCLA in 1977-78.
34: Seasons without an undefeated team in Big East Conference competition since formation of league. . . . Years for two-time national champion San Francisco failing to win an NCAA Tournament game since 1979. . . . Victories for Syracuse against in-state opponent Cornell.
33: Years for Purdue failing to return to Final Four since making its second appearance there in 1980. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in SWAC competition since Larry Smith-led Alcorn State in 1979-80.
32: Seasons without an undefeated team in Northeast Conference competition since formation of league.
31: Seasons for Oregon State winless in NCAA Tournament. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Summit League competition since formation of conference.
30: Seasons without an undefeated team in CAA competition since William & Mary in inaugural campaign. . . . Winning seasons for Kansas (all with at least 22 victories except 19-12 mark in 1988-89 in Roy Williams' first season as KU coach).
29: Seasons for Houston winless in NCAA Tournament since Hakeem Olajuwon-led Cougars finished national runner-up in 1984. . . . Defeats for Saint Francis (Pa.) in as many games against in-state opponent Pittsburgh.
28: Defeats for Dayton at Xavier in duel of underrated programs in state of Ohio.
27: NCAA Tournament appearances for Brigham Young without ever reaching Final Four. . . . Seasons for Michigan without an undisputed Big Ten Conference regular-season championship. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Missouri Valley Conference competition since Hersey Hawkins-led Bradley in 1985-86.
26: Winning seasons for Connecticut and Murray State. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Missouri without ever reaching Final Four. . . . Years for Texas Christian failing to win an NCAA Tournament game since 1987.
25: Victories for Duke against in-state opponent Davidson. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Kansas.
24: Years for five-time College Division champion Evansville failing to win a game in NCAA Division I Tournament or NIT. . . . Seasons for Kansas with at least 23 victories. . . . NCAA Tournament opening-game victories without a defeat for coach Roy Williams with Kansas and North Carolina. . . . Seasons for North Carolina State with double-digit defeats. . . . Seasons for Sacramento State without a winning record.
23: Defeats for Bradley west of the Mississippi River (after loss at Missouri State on 2/1). . . . Seasons for Florida winning its season opener. . . . Seasons for Kansas winning its conference opener. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition since Lionel Simmons-led La Salle in 1989-90. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Xavier without ever reaching Final Four.
21: Seasons without an undefeated team in America East Conference competition since Delaware in 1991-92.
20: Seasons for Oregon State compiling a losing record in Pac-10/12 Conference competition since going 9-9 in 1992-93. . . . Years for SMU failing to participate in NCAA Tournament.
19: Defeats for North Carolina State at Duke since 1995 when Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski was on medical leave.
18: Defeats for Iowa at Michigan State. . . . Losing seasons for New Hampshire.
16: Seasons without an undefeated team in Atlantic Sun Conference competition since College of Charleston in 1996-97. . . . Seasons for Gonzaga with at least 23 victories and Creighton with a minimum of 18 triumphs. . . . Twenty-win seasons for Syracuse under coach Jim Boeheim.
15: Victories in as many Maui Invitational games for Duke. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Gonzaga and Wisconsin. . . . Defeats for South Florida at Memphis.
14: Seasons without an undefeated team in ACC competition since Elton Brand-led Duke in 1998-99. . . . Seasons for Nebraska failing to post a winning conference record.
13: Seasons for Memphis with more than 20 victories. . . . Victories for Tennessee against SEC rival South Carolina.
12: Victories for California against Oregon (after 1/9 win at Oregon). . . . Seasons for Pittsburgh winning at least 20 games. . . . Top four finishes for Wisconsin in Big Ten Conference standings during coach Bo Ryan's tenure.
11: Victories for Wisconsin in Big Ten Conference openers.
10: Seasons for Howard University losing more than 20 games.
9: Big 12 Conference regular-season championships for Kansas. . . . Defeats for Louisiana State at Alabama and St. John's at Georgetown. . . . Defeats for Southern Methodist in conference tournament competition.
8: Seasons for Akron and Ohio State winning at least 22 games. . . . Seasons with at least 25 victories for Kansas. . . . Twenty-win seasons for San Diego State. . . . Seasons for Pepperdine failing to have an All-WCC selection.
7: Years for Akron reaching Mid-American Conference Tournament final. . . . Victories for North Carolina coach Roy Williams over Michigan State counterpart Tom Izzo in as many games between them. . . . Seasons for Rutgers failing to have an all-conference selection. . . . Years for #13 or #14 seed winning an NCAA Tournament opening-round game.
6: Years for Big Ten Conference Tournament champion failing to reach Final Four.
5: Seasons for six-time Final Four participant Arkansas failing to appear in NCAA Tournament. . . . Seasons for Temple defeating an opponent ranked in the Top 10.
4: Seasons with more than 30 victories for Kansas. . . . Seasons for Wisconsin having an All-Big Ten Conference selection who previously averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman.

Don't bet against Cincinnati capturing the first American Athletic Conference Tournament. As a charter member, the Bearcats won the inaugural postseason tourneys in the Metro, Great Midwest and C-USA. Following is a chronological list summarizing inaugural campaign for new leagues formed since the ACC was introduced 60 years ago:

NOTES: Big Ten, Ivy League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Pac-12, SEC, Southern and WCC are existing conferences formed before the ACC. . . . America East and Atlantic Sun conducted at least one postseason tourney before having its first formal regular-season competition. . . . MEAC, Southland and SWAC were Division II leagues before moving up to the DI level. . . . American South, American West, ECC, Great Midwest, Great West, Gulf Star and Metro are now defunct.

"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Extensive coaching turnover and league realigning left Duke's Mike Krzyzewski as one of a mere five coaches to be in the same alliance the last 20 years. Coach K moved atop the dean-of-coaches list after Syracuse and Jim Boeheim switched to the Atlantic Coast Conference after 34 years in the Big East. Mentors joining Boeheim in shedding their longest-tenured status in a league when their schools or themselves sought greener pastures included Joe Mihalich (Niagara to Hofstra), Oakland's Greg Kampe (Summit to Horizon) and Utah State's Stew Morrill (WAC to Mountain West).

Voluntary or not, additional pilots stepped down during or after last season and no longer hold the distinction of dean of coaches in a Division I conference - Tevester Anderson (gone from Jackson State in SWAC), Ronnie Arrow (South Alabama in Sun Belt), Eddie Biedenbach (UNC Asheville in Big South), Scott Sanderson (Lipscomb in Atlantic Sun), Bob Thomason (Pacific in Big West) and Reggie Witherspoon (Buffalo in Mid-American). As league play shifts into gear, following are the longest-tenured active coaches in their present Division I conference (including 2013-14 campaign):

Coach	School	Years	NCAA Division I Conference
Mike Krzyzewski	Duke	34	Atlantic Coast
Ron "Fang" Mitchell	Coppin State	28	Mid-Eastern Athletic
Billy Donovan	Florida	22	SEC
Dave Loos	Austin Peay	22	Ohio Valley
Bob McKillop	Davidson	21	Southern
Phil Martelli	Saint Joseph's	19	Atlantic 10
Mike McConathy	Northwestern State	19	Southland
Tom Izzo	Michigan State	18	Big Ten
Fran O'Hanlon	Lafayette	18	Patriot League
Howie Dickenman	Central Connecticut State	17	Northeast
Lorenzo Romar	Washington	16	Pac-12
Bob Williams	UC Santa Barbara	16	Big West
Rick Barnes	Texas	15	Big 12
James Jones	Yale	15	Ivy League
Mark Few	Gonzaga	14	West Coast
Steve Fisher	San Diego State	14	Mountain West
Will Brown	Albany	13	America East
James "Bruiser" Flint	Drexel	13	CAA
Jay Wright	Villanova	13	Big East
Keith Dambrot	Akron	12	Mid-American
Kermit Davis	Middle Tennessee	12	Sun Belt
Barry Hinson	Southern Illinois	10	Missouri Valley
Duggar Baucom	Virginia Military	9	Big South
Lewis Jackson	Alabama State	9	SWAC
Rob Jeter	Milwaukee	9	Horizon League
Barclay Radebaugh	Charleston Southern	9	Big South
Cliff Warren	Jacksonville	9	Atlantic Sun
John Dunne	Saint Peter's	8	Metro Atlantic Athletic
Brad Huse	Montana State	8	Big Sky
Randy Rahe	Weber State	8	Big Sky
Wayne Tinkle	Montana	8	Big Sky
Marvin Menzies	New Mexico State	7	Western Athletic
Scott Nagy	South Dakota State	7	Summit League
Saul Phillips	North Dakota State	7	Summit League
Ben Braun	Rice	6	C-USA

NOTE: Dambrot's first two seasons in MAC were with Central Michigan and Hinson's first nine seasons in MVC were with Missouri State.

"I have offended God and mankind because my work didn't reach the quality it should have." - Leonardo da Vinci

With Auld Lang Syne chords playing in the background, the final day of the calendar year offered another time to say goodbye by acknowledging the passing away in 2013 of a striking number of college basketball movers and shakers (including two All-Americans for former NCAA Division I school West Texas State). The deceased list of 2013 included All-Americans Zelmo Beaty (Prairie View A&M), Walt Bellamy (Indiana), Chick Halbert (West Texas A&M), Simmie Hill (West Texas State), George Kok (Arkansas), Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M), Jim Line (Kentucky), Cliff Meely (Colorado), Don Meineke (Dayton), Dean Meminger (Marquette), Joe C. Meriweather (Southern Illinois), Vern Mikkelsen (Hamline MN), Dick O'Neal (Texas Christian), Flynn Robinson (Wyoming), Ossie Schectman (LIU) and Bill Sharman (Southern California).

Two Vermont players among the top 16 selections in 1947 BAA Draft died this year (Larry Killick and Bob Jake). Ivy League brothers George Hauptfuhrer Jr. (Harvard after transferring from Louisville) and Bob Hauptfuhrer (Princeton) died nine days apart during first half of August. Giving more deference to celebratory Dick Clark than difficult-to-please Renaissance Man da Vinci, following is an alphabetical list of the 2013 deceased who didn't drop the ball on the court:

• Dr. James "Hayden" Abbott - Averaged 8 ppg and 4.6 rpg for Kansas State from 1955-56 through 1957-58 under coach Tex Winter. Abbott, the Wildcats' fifth-leading scorer and rebounder as a senior for their Final Four team, was 77.
• McDarion Abron - Alcorn State redshirt in 2012-13 died at the age of 20 of an apparent heart attack.
• Carroll Adams - After his college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Coast Guard, he averaged 2.7 ppg for UCLA in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach John Wooden. Adams, 81, also played with the Bruins' baseball squad and hit a pinch-hit grand slam against rival USC.
• Dick Adams - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Missouri from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 82.
• Don Adams - Averaged 15 ppg and 10.9 rpg for Northwestern from 1967-68 through 1969-70. Leader in rebounding with the Wildcats all three seasons was 66.
• Homer Adams - Three-year letterman was senior captain for Texas A&M in 1946-47 after his career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He was 90.
• Jack Alderson - Averaged 12.2 ppg for Texas Tech from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Runner-up in scoring for the Red Raiders as All-Border Conference second-team selection his junior season. He was 83.
• Bill Anderson - Scored 52 points for Cincinnati in 1947-48. He was 87.
• Harry Anderson - Jacksonville transfer averaged 13.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg for St. Peter's from 1970-71 through 1972-73. Runner-up in scoring for the Peacocks each of his last two seasons was 63.
• Larry Arrington - Member of Syracuse's national fourth-place team in 1975 was 59.
• Korvotney Barber - Averaged 10.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg from 2005-06 through 2008-09 for Auburn before drowning at Panama City Beach at the age of 26. Barber went out under double red-flag conditions, meaning the beach was closed and public prohibited from entering the water.
• Art Barnes Jr. - Averaged 12.9 ppg for SMU from 1952-53 through 1954-55 under coach Doc Hayes. Senior co-captain and All-SWC first-team selection was runner-up in scoring with the Mustangs' first-ever NCAA tourney team. He was 80.
• Larry Bass - Player for Furman in late 1950s was 75.
• Charley Beall - Starting guard for Arizona State in 1947-48 and 1948-49 was 86. QB was also a three-year football letterman in the late 1940s.
• Zelmo Beaty - All-American for Prairie View A&M as a senior in 1961-62 died of cancer at age of 73. He averaged more than 24 ppg and 20 rpg each of his final three seasons in college.
• Saunders "Foo" Belfield - Averaged 7.5 ppg for Tennessee State from 1977-78 through 1979-80. He was 56.
• Walt Bellamy - All-American center with Indiana as senior in 1960-61 died at age of 74. Two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding all three seasons (career averages of 20.6 ppg and 15.5 rpg).
• Lou Bender - Three-time All-EIBL first-team selection for Columbia from 1929-30 through 1931-32. He was 99.
• Ed Bento Jr. - Three-time All-WCAC selection averaged 18.6 ppg and 10.1 rpg for Loyola Marymount from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Leading scorer and rebounder with the Lions each of his last two seasons was 72.
• Adelino "Lenny" Bernardo - Played for Boston University in the late 1940s after serving in U.S. Army in 10th Armored Division under Gen. Patton during WWII. Bernardo was 90.
• Denny Bertelsman - Player for California in 1955-56 and 1956-57 under coach Pete Newell was 77.
• Jim Betchek - Averaged 4.7 ppg for Western Michigan from 1948-49 through 1950-51. He was 85.
• Wes Bialosuknia - All-time career average scoring leader in UConn history (23.6 ppg) and three-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection died at the age of 68.
• Ron Bielicki - Played for Boston College three seasons in the mid-1950s with his career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army. He was 80.
• Ross Black - Juco recruit averaged 8.4 ppg for New Mexico from 1951-52 through 1953-54. He was 82.
• William "Floppy" Blackmon Jr. - Starter for Texas Christian in 1941-42 and 1942-43 was 92. He also played football.
• Chuck Blankfort - Averaged 2.5 ppg for Brown from 1951-52 through 1953-54. He was 80.
• Keith Bloom - Regular for Wyoming's three consecutive NCAA playoff regional runner-up teams from 1947 through 1949 following a stint in the U.S. Naval Reserve was 86. Bloom averaged 5.6 ppg in 1948-49 and 1949-50 under coach Everett Shelton.
• Jim Boatwright - Averaged 15.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg for Utah State from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Leading scorer for the Aggies each of his last two seasons was 61.
• Lonnie Boeckman - Oklahoma State center in the mid-1970s, one of the tallest players (7-4) in Big Eight Conference annals, was 58 when he passed away because of complications following surgery.
• Tom Boerwinkle - Two-time All-SEC first-team selection averaged 11.4 ppg and 9.2 rpg for Tennessee from 1965-66 through 1967-68 under coach Ray Mears. Boerwinkle led the Volunteers in rebounding as a junior and senior. Fourth pick overall in 1968 NBA draft was 67.
• John "Skip" Bohn - Player for Dartmouth in 1955-56 under coach Doggie Julian was 77.
• Charles Bolden - Played for Marshall in 1950-51 under coach Cam Henderson. Bolden was 82.
• Dave Bollman - Hooper for Iowa in 1961-62 was 71. Golfer was IGA Player of the Year in 1964 before earning PGA tour card in the fall of 1968. He subsequently became a professional pool player, ranking third nationally in 1981.
• Bertram "B.H." Born - Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior in 1953 for Kansas' NCAA Tournament runner-up (51 points in two games) passed away at age of 88. He averaged 12.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg with the Jayhawks from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under coach Phog Allen. Two-time All-Big Seven Conference first-team selection made his home in Peoria, Ill., for nearly 60 years.
• John "Junior" Born - Averaged 9.1 ppg and 3 rpg for Tulsa from 1954-55 through 1956-57 under coach Clarence Iba. As a junior, Born was the Golden Hurricanes' leading scorer. Member of their first NCAA tourney team in 1955 was 78.
• Dr. Eugene "Wayne" Boulding - Juco recruit was a member of coach John Wooden's first UCLA squad in 1948-49. Boulding was 86.
• Melvin "Mike" Bowling - Averaged 2.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Southern California in 1968-69 under coach Bob Boyd before transferring to Arizona State, where he averaged 5.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.9 apg in 1970-71 and 1971-72 under coach Ned Wulk. Bowling was 64.
• Gene Brockmeyer - Averaged 5.6 ppg and 4.7 rpg for Oregon in 1963-64 and 1964-65. He was 68.
• Bobby Brown - Averaged 3.7 ppg and 1.3 rpg for Illinois from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under coach Harry Combes. Brown was 69.
• Jack Brown - Averaged 2.4 ppg for Baylor from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under coach Bill Henderson. Brown was 80.
• Walt Budko Jr. - Two-time All-EIBL first-team selection averaged 14.2 ppg for Columbia in four seasons in the mid-1940s. Sixth pick overall in 1948 BAA draft after the Lions' first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance was 87.
• George Burditt Jr. - All-EIBL second-team selection in 1941-42 as Harvard's top scorer was 90. Burditt's college career was interrupted by serving as a pilot in U.S. Air Force during WWII. He ran against Adlai Stevenson III for the U.S. Senate in 1974, but lost amid a nationwide wave of anti-Republican sentiment following president Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard M. Nixon.
• Bruce "Soup" Campbell - Averaged 14.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 1.9 apg for four Providence teams competing in national postseason competition from 1975 through 1978 under coach Dave Gavitt (NIT first two years before NCAA playoffs next two seasons). Campbell, the Friars' top rebounder in 1975-76 and 1976-77 and leading scorer as a senior, was 57.
• Jim Carson - Averaged 5.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Miami (Fla.) from 1951-52 through 1954-55. Captain who served as a helicopter pilot for U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War was 80.
• Rick Casares - All-SEC second-team selection in 1951-52 and 1952-53 when leading Florida in scoring average and rebounding both seasons. Second-round NFL draft choice was 82. He was a fullback with the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins for 12 years from 1955 through 1966.
• James Case Sr. - Football player competed for Lehigh's basketball squad briefly in 1947-48. He was 89.
• Bob Cassou - Averaged 4.7 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Fordham from 1967-68 through 1969-70. He was 65.
• Ron Caylor - Averaged 7.7 ppg for Colorado A&M (now Colorado State) from 1952-53 through 1954-55. He was 80. Caylor was a member of the school's first NCAA tourney team in 1954 before leading club in rebounding (9.7 rpg) and finishing runner-up in scoring (12.2 ppg) as a senior.
• Eddie Chavez - Averaged 1.1 ppg for Santa Clara in 1949-50 and 1950-51. He was 84. His son, Eddie Joe, was a prolific playmaker for the Broncos in the late 1970s.
• Keith Christensen - Played for Utah State in 1950-51. He was 83.
• Henry "Hank" Clason - Northwestern letterman from 1939-40 through 1941-42 was 93. Senior captain before serving in U.S. Marines during WWII.
• Jim Clawson - Averaged 1.3 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Montana in 1968-69 and 1969-70. He was 64.
• Bill Clay - Juco recruit averaged 5.6 ppg for Colorado in 1949-50 and 1950-51. He was 83.
• Alvin Clinkscales - Harlem Globetrotter after attending Bridgeport died at 81 stemming from kidney problems. He was the first black high school coach in the state of Connecticut.
• Carver Clinton - Averaged 16.4 ppg and 10.3 rpg for Penn State from 1963-64 through 1965-66. The Nittany Lions' leader in rebounding all three seasons was 69. He also paced team in scoring each of last two years, appearing in NCAA playoffs as a junior.
• Jim "The Moose" Clinton - As a Wisconsin sophomore in 1950-51 under coach Bud Foster, he set a still existing school single-season rebounding record with 15.6 rpg. Clinton was 82.
• Darrell "Shorty" Cochran - Played for Minnesota in 1950-51 before serving in U.S. military during the Korean Conflict. Outfielder with the Gophers' 1956 CWS champion was 82. He played briefly in the New York Giants' farm system in 1956.
• Lorenzo Coleman - Averaged 12.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 3.9 bpg while shooting 60.1% from the floor for Tennessee Tech from 1993-94 through 1996-97. He finished among the nation's top five in blocked shots and top nine in FG% as a sophomore and senior. Seven-footer was 38.
• Charlie Coles - Beset by a long history of heart issues, Miami of Ohio's all-time winningest coach at 71. He was the Mid-American Conference's career leader in league victories with 218 after also coaching Central Michigan.
• Steve Colwick - Averaged 1.8 ppg for Baylor in 1974-75. He was 59.
• Dr. Faurest Coogle - Averaged 4.4 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Florida State from 1960-61 to 1962-63. He was 73.
• Roy Coppinger - Three-time All-Border Conference selection for Arizona State from 1950-51 through 1952-53 was 81. He averaged more than 11 ppg all three seasons.
• Greg Cory - Montana State's assists leader with 3.3 apg in 1972-73 was 62.
• Thomas Cowdrick - Duke hoops letterman in 1941 was also an All-American soccer player. He was 96. Served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater during WWII.
• Charley Cox - Player for Texas in the late 1950s was 76.
• David Craft - Juco recruit played for New Mexico A&M in 1947-48. He was 87.
• Hal Craig - Player for Illinois in 1945-46 was 89.
• Howie Crittenden - First 2,000-point scorer in Murray State history and multiple-season All-Ohio Valley Conference selection died at 80. He averaged 19.4 ppg from 1952-53 through 1955-56.
• Jordan "June" Crump Jr. - Led New Orleans in assists with 4.2 per game in 1975-76 in UNO's inaugural season at the NCAA Division I level. The 5-7 Crump was 58. He averaged 4.9 ppg in 1975-76 and 1977-78 (redshirt in 1976-77).
• Harold Culley Jr. - Player for Clemson in 1949-50 was 83.
• Jerry "Jeremiah" Cunningham - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Hardin-Simmons TX from 1955-56 through 1957-58, appearing in the 1957 NCAA Tournament. He was 76.
• Mike Daly - Drake transfer averaged 1.7 ppg for Wisconsin from 1951-52 through 1953-54. The 5-7 Daly was 82.
• Richard Davie - Averaged 3.9 ppg for Toledo in 1971-72. He was 60.
• DaMon "Monti" Davis - Kent State transfer averaged 16.3 ppg and 13.7 rpg for Tennessee State from 1977-78 through 1979-80 before becoming 21st pick in NBA draft. Nation's rebounding leader in 1978-79 (16.2 rpg) was 54.
• Jerry Davis - Averaged 6.5 ppg for Iowa State from 1951-52 through 1953-54. He was 81.
• Harly Day - U.S. Navy veteran from WWII averaged 3.2 ppg for Oklahoma's 1947 NCAA Tournament runner-up. East Central State OK transfer was 89.
• Joe Dean Sr. - All-SEC selection in 1950-51 and 1951-52 with Louisiana State died at 83 from heart complications, finishing his three-year varsity career with 15.4 ppg under coach Harry Rabenhorst. SEC TV analyst coined the phrase "string music" to describe a shot swishing through a net.
• Warren Dean - Averaged 7.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg for Washington & Lee VA in 1951-52. He was 80.
• John DeBrosse - Averaged 12.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg for The Citadel from 1965-66 through 1967-68, leading team in scoring as a junior with 14.5 ppg. He was 67.
• Keston Deimling Jr. - Son of Illinois letterman in late 1920s averaged 4.9 ppg for Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 under coach Harold Bradley. Tennis player was 81.
• Ted Deppe - Member of Wisconsin's 1941 NCAA Tournament titlist was 91.
• Leslie "Chuck" DeVoe - Averaged 10 ppg for Princeton from 1949-50 through 1951-52. All-EIBL first-team selection as senior captain for an NCAA tourney team was 83. Co-founder of ABA's Indiana Pacers also was a prominent tennis player.
• Tom Dickinson - Averaged 2.9 ppg for Purdue from 1936-37 through 1938-39. He was 95.
• Eddie Diddle Jr. - Averaged 6.4 ppg for Western Kentucky from 1948-49 through 1950-51 while coached by his Hall of Fame father. Participant in NIT as sophomore and junior was 83. Diddle Jr. compiled a 56-80 record as Middle Tennessee State's coach in six seasons from 1956-57 through 1961-62.
• Roland "Rollie" Diehl - Averaged 1.6 ppg for Marquette in 1949-50 and 1950-51. He was 82.
• Conrad "Connie" Dierking - Averaged 12.7 ppg and 13.5 rpg for Cincinnati from 1955-56 through 1957-58 before becoming sixth pick overall in NBA draft. He was the Bearcats' leading scorer and rebounder as a junior before All-American Oscar Robertson arrived on the varsity scene the next season when they were All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selections. Dierking was 77.
• Doug Dietrich - Player for Toledo in 1950-51 was 82.
• Art Dollaghan Jr. - Played for Denver in 1947-48 before pitching in Boston Braves' farm system in early 1950s. WWII veteran was 86.
• John Doogan - Averaged 14.3 ppg and team-high 13.9 rpg for St. Joseph's in 1952-53 under coach Bill Ferguson. Doogan was 82.
• John Dowd - In 1960-61, senior captain was Yale's top rebounder (10.4 rpg) and runner-up in scoring (13.8 ppg) under coach Joe Vancisin. Dowd was 74.
• Benton Duncan - Scored 114 points for Auburn in 1947-48. He was 84.
• Ron Dykes - Runner-up to All-American Oscar Robertson in scoring with 21 ppg for Cincinnati's 1959 national third-place finisher in NCAA playoffs before suffering a career-ending broken leg. Dykes was 74.
• Mike Earey - Played for North Carolina in 1969-70 under coach Dean Smith.
• Jim Eddins - Averaged 4.9 ppg for Texas Tech from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 84.
• Ed "Bulbs" Ehlers - Averaged 9.8 ppg for Purdue in 1942-43 (All-Big Nine Conference second-team selection) and 1946-47 with his career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. Third selection overall in 1947 BAA draft was 90. Ehlers hit 48 homers as an INF in the New York Yankees' organization in three years from 1947 through 1949 before played two campaigns as a Chicago Cubs' farmhand. He was also picked as a B by the Chicago Bears in 1947 NFL draft.
• Ray Ellerbrook - Three-time All-Yankee Conference selection who averaged 16.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 3.9 apg for Massachusetts from 1967-68 through 1969-70 was 65. He led the Minutemen in scoring as a junior before Julius Erving arrived the next season for their NIT team.
• Pete Elliott - Michigan hoops captain in 1947 before becoming an All-Big Ten Conference selection the next two seasons was 86. He was also QB for the Wolverines' 1948 national football champion before coaching Nebraska (1946), California (1957 through 1959), Illinois (1960 through 1966) and Miami FL (1973 and 1974), guiding Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths.
• John "Jack" Eskridge - Kansas' second-leading scorer in 1947-48 under Phog Allen before becoming his assistant coach in the 1950s was 89.
• Bernie Esser Jr. - Played for San Francisco in the early 1950s. He was 82.
• Al Fabian - Averaged 3.7 ppg for Georgia in 1948-49. He was 85.
• Charles Fabian - Averaged 8.5 ppg for The Citadel in 1949-50. He was 84.
• Bob Fannin - Letterman with Texas in 1943-44 was 91.
• Ken "Gene" Faris - Led Indiana in scoring average in 1944-45 with 10.9 ppg before serving in U.S. armed services as 2nd Lieutenant in Germany. He was 87.
• P. Don Ficca - Played for Villanova in 1962-63 under coach Jack Kraft. Ficca was 70.
• Denny Fields - Averaged 22 ppg and 8 rpg for UNC Wilmington in 1976-77 and 1977-78, leading the Seahawks in scoring and rebounding both seasons, after transferring from Baptist (now Charleston Southern), where he averaged 18.8 ppg and 11.2 rpg in 1974-75. Fields was 57.
• Glenn Fields - Averaged 4.9 ppg for Rice from 1954-55 through 1956-57. He was 77.
• Tom Fitzpatrick - Player for Wisconsin in 1963-64 was 68.
• Rich Flemming - Part-time starting forward for Fairfield in 2006-07 (2 ppg and 1.6 rpg) and UMBC in 2008-09 (6.7 ppg and 4.5 rpg) was murdered in Philadelphia at the age of 24.
• Steve Flynn - Averaged 5.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for Oregon State from 1958-59 through 1960-61. He was 74.
• Rev. Bill Flynt - All-SWC selection in 1943-44 and third-leading scorer for Arkansas' 1945 Final Four team was 91.
• Dick Foley - After having his playing career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII, he was in regular rotation as a senior for Illinois' 1949 national third-place team coached by Harry Combes. Foley was 87.
• Calvin Fowler - Averaged 16.8 ppg and 7 rpg for St. Francis (Pa.) from 1959-60 through 1961-62, leading team in scoring his final two seasons. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, he became co-captain of the U.S. Olympic team in 1968. Fowler was 73 when he died.
• Jevon Freeman - Backup guard for Alabama State from 2007-08 through 2009-10 died at 25 in what Georgia authorities called a Craigslist sale of his iPhone gone wrong. The victim's mother said Freeman used Craigslist to earn money in addition to what he made owning a barbershop.
• Gerald "Jerry" Fridrich - Averaged 2.7 ppg for Vanderbilt from 1951-52 through 1954-55 under coach Bob Polk. Fridrich was 80.
• Richie Fuller - Averaged 8.1 ppg and 7 rpg for St. Peter's from 1970-71 through 1972-73. Runner-up in rebounding each of his last two seasons with the Peacocks was 61.
• Tom Fuller - Averaged 7.7 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Oklahoma A&M in 1952-53 and 1953-54 under coach Hank Iba. Fuller, 80, was an All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team selection as a senior when finishing runner-up in scoring and rebounding for an NCAA tourney team.
• George Furqueron - Averaged 1.5 ppg for Baylor in 1960-61 and 1961-62. He was 74.
• W. "Kent" Gaer - Averaged 4.2 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Drake from 1955-56 through 1957-58. He was 77.
• Tom Gallagher - Leading scorer averaging 13.8 ppg over both seasons for St. Francis (N.Y.) in 1947-48 and 1948-49. He was 88.
• Lee Garber - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Wake Forest from 1981-82 through 1984-85 under coach Carl Tacy. Garber, a member of Midwest Regional finalist as a junior, was 50.
• Jack "Dutch" Garfinkel - Winner of Haggerty Award presented to premier player in New York City metropolitan area was 95. Averaged 5.9 ppg for St. John's from 1938-39 through 1940-41 under coach Joe Lapchick (including couple of NIT teams).
• Des Gatti - Played for George Washington in 1958-59 and 1959-60 under coach Bill Reinhart. Gatti was 74.
• Tom Gibbons - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Seton Hall in 1948-49 and 1949-50. He was 86.
• Jim Giebel - Multi-year letterman for Georgetown in the early 1940s was 94.
• Jim Gleckner - Averaged 10 ppg for Lehigh from 1951-52 through 1954-55. Gleckner led team in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (12.2 rpg) as a senior. He was 79.
• Gerald "Jerry" Glick - Averaged 10 ppg for Drexel in 1971-72. He was 62.
• Ben Goldfaden - George Washington's leading scorer in 1934-35 was 99.
• Ken Goodwin Sr. - Leading scorer for Rhode Island State in 1947-48 (16.7 ppg) and 1948-49 (19.7 ppg/seventh in nation as All-Yankee Conference first-team selection). He was 85.
• Russ Gordon - Averaged 11.7 ppg and 12.3 rpg for Temple from 1959-60 through 1961-62 under coach Harry Litwack. Leader in rebounding each season for three NIT teams was 77.
• Al Graehler - Averaged 9 ppg for Mississippi from 1949-50 through 1951-52 under coach Country Graham. Graehler was 83.
• Devin Gray - Clemson's leading scorer in 1992-93 died at 41 of a heart attack in suburban Atlanta. All-ACC third-team selection led the league in field-goal shooting with 57.2% as a junior in 1993-94.
• Bob Greenwood - Compiled an 11-15 record as Washington State's coach in 1971-72. He was 87.
• Bob Gregory - Averaged 7.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg for Manhattan from 1969-70 through 1971-72. The Jaspers' runner-up in rebounding as a junior was 63.
• Vince Grimaldi - Averaged 12.6 ppg and 4.2 rpg for North Carolina from 1950-51 through 1952-53. All-Southern Conference third-team selection when leading the Tar Heels in scoring as senior co-captain was 81.
• Chuck Grover - Player for Drake in 1950-51 was 83.
• Ed Guiski - Averaged 3.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg for Boston University in 1957-58. He was 77.
• Charles "Chick" Halbert - West Texas A&M All-American in 1941-42 when scoring 277 points for NIT participant. He was 94.
• Darrin Hale - Averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg for Morehead State from 1985-86 through 1988-89. Scored a career-high 38 points as senior when All-Ohio Valley Conference second-team selection led the Eagles in scoring average with 14.2 ppg and shot league-best 86.7 from FT line. He was 47.
• Dan Hall - Frontcourt backup from Kentucky's historic recruiting class as a freshman for the Wildcats' 1975 NCAA Tournament runner-up died of an apparent suicide at age 58. Hall subsequently transferred to Marshall, where he averaged 10.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg in 1976-77 and 1977-78.
• Jay Hamblin, 86, played for Brigham Young in late 1940s. He also played halfback for the schools' football squad.
• John "Jay" Handlan - Averaged 21.3 ppg for Washington & Lee VA from 1948-49 through 1951-52. Scored a school-record 66 points against Furman when junior set the oldest existing NCAA DI mark of 71 field-goal attempts in a single game on February 24, 1951. One of the nation's top 11 scorers each of his last three seasons was 84.
• Joe Hannan - Averaged 9 ppg for Villanova's NCAA tourney team in 1948-49. He was 85. His college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII.
• Bill Harris - Averaged 2.9 ppg for Connecticut in 1974-75 and 1975-76. He was 58.
• Norman "Bucky" Harris - Played for Iowa in late 1940s. He was 87.
• William "June" Harris - All-MEAC selection in 1971-72 and 1972-73 for North Carolina A&T was 65.
• Ed "Buzzy" Harrison - Averaged 9.9 ppg, 5 rpg and 2.6 apg for Pittsburgh in 1969-70 before transferring to a small college in Oklahoma. He was 62.
• Marv Harshman - Naismith Hall of Famer and national coach of the year with Washington in his next-to-last season in 1983-84 died at 95. Harshman also coached Washington State for 13 campaigns from 1958-59 through 1970-71.
• Don Hartnett - Averaged a team-high 12 ppg for Canisius in 1950-51. He was 85.
• Bob Hauptfuhrer - Played for Princeton in 1950-51 under coach Cappy Cappon. Hauptfuhrer was 81.
• George Hauptfuhrer Jr. - Leading scorer and rebounder for Louisville in 1944-45 and 1945-46 under coach Peck Hickman before becoming two-time All-Ivy League second-team selection with Harvard. Third pick overall in 1948 BAA draft was 87.
• Larry Heffer - Played for Miami in 1961-62 under coach Bruce Hale. Heffer was 72.
• Phil Henderson - All-ACC second-team selection, the leading scorer and senior captain of Duke's 1990 NCAA Tournament runner-up, died of cardiac arrest at 44 in the Philippines. He was the Blue Devils' second-leading scorer as a junior and sixth-leading scorer as a sophomore for two more Final Four squads.
• Hal Henrickson - Hope College MI transfer played for Western Michigan in 1947-48 after serving in U.S. Army in Pacific Theater during WWII.
• Gene Herndon - Averaged 12.1 ppg and 10.8 rpg for Murray State from 1957-58 through 1960-61. Two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection when leading Racers in scoring and rebounding each of his last two seasons was 74.
• Gary Hill - Averaged 8.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Brigham Young from 1964-65 through 1966-67 under coach Stan Watts. Member of 1966 NIT titlist was 67.
• Simmie Hill - Pittsburgh product who played freshman basketball with Wichita State before sidetracked by academic problems died at 66. J.C. recruit became an All-American with West Texas State in 1968-69 after finishing seventh in the nation in scoring with 27.3 ppg the previous season.
• Russell Hillman - Averaged 4 ppg for Brigham Young from 1948-49 through 1950-51. Member of NIT titlist as a senior was 85.
• Bob Hoag - Played for Ohio State in 1950-51. He was 83.
• Milton Hobbs Jr. - North Carolina State letterman in 1946 was 90.
• Chuck Holiber - Teammate of Miami All-American Rick Barry in 1962-63 was 69.
• Howard Homeyer - Averaged 1.4 ppg for Texas A&M in 1953-54. He was 80.
• Marvin Horn - Played for Rutgers in 1945-46 after serving in U.S. Air Force during WWII. He was 90.
• Dr. Ray Howard - Leading scorer for Montana in 1954-55 with 17.2 ppg was 78. He also paced the Mountain States Athletic Conference in rebounding that season with 15.1 rpg.
• Tyrone "Moon" Howard - Averaged 10.1 ppg and 4 rpg for Eastern Kentucky from 1984-85 through 1987-88 (redshirt in 1985-86). Pittsburgh native was 47.
• Harold "Buddy" Hudson - One of Oklahoma's first two African-American players died of a heart attack at 75. Hudson, a transfer from Oklahoma Baptist, averaged 5.1 ppg and 3 rpg in 1958-59 and 1959-60.
• Don Hymer Sr. - Averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.5 rpg for Missouri in 1957-58. He was 76.
• Tom Jackson - Player for Washington State in 1957-58 under coach Jack Friel was 75.
• Dr. Robert "Bobby" Jake - Northwestern letterman in 1942 and 1943 before serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII was 90. He played for Vermont in 1947 before becoming 16th selection overall in BAA draft. Big Ten Conference singles and doubles champion in tennis in 1946.
• Louis Jensen Sr. - Player for Indiana in 1947-48 under coach Branch McCracken was 85.
• Gene Jewett - Player for Michigan State in the early 1960s was 72.
• Orrie Jirele - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 2.8 rpg for St. Bonaventure from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Member of nation's third-ranked team as a junior was 73.
• Art Johnson III - Juco recruit became a two-time All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection by averaging 16.4 ppg and 9.8 rpg for Iowa State in 1974-75 and 1975-76. The Cyclones' leader in total rebounds and runner-up in scoring both seasons was 60.
• Clark Johnson - All-Border Conference first-team selection for West Texas State in 1942-43 was 91.
• Roger Johnson - Averaged 1.3 ppg and 1.3 rpg for Oregon State in 1958-59 under coach Slats Gill. Three-year letterman in football was 73.
• Dwight Jones - Compiled a 70-40 coaching record as Lute Olson's successor with Long Beach State in four seasons from 1974-75 through 1977-78. Jones, who directed the 49ers to 1977 NCAA tourney, was 70.
• Gerald "Wimpy" Jones - All-Border Conference first-team selection for Arizona State as a senior in 1941-42. He was 93.
• Ted Jones - Averaged 8.9 ppg and 4.8 rpg for Texas Christian in 1973-74 and 1974-75.
• Walter Jones - Averaged 17 ppg and 10.3 rpg for LIU from 1969-70 through 1971-72, leading the Blackbirds in scoring and rebounding as sophomore and junior. Died at the age of 63 after a fire broke out in his Bronx apartment.
• Willie Jones - Juco recruit averaged 6.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 57% from the floor for Wyoming's NCAA tourney teams in 1986-87 and 1987-88. He was 48.
• Wilbert Jordan Jr. - Averaged 4 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Southern Mississippi from 1969-70 through 1971-72 as school was making transition to NCAA Division I level. First African-American to play varsity sport at one of Mississippi's historically-white major universities was 62.
• Tom Jorgensen - Compiled a 96-71 coaching record with Northern Illinois in seven seasons from 1966-67 through 1972-73 when school made transition up to NCAA DI level. He averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg for Michigan from 1953-54 through 1955-56. Second-leading scorer for the Wolverines all three seasons and senior captain was 78.
• Charles Robert "Moose" Kahle - Played for South Carolina in 1949-50. Two-year football letterman was 85.
• Milt Kane - Junior college recruit averaged 13.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg for Utah in 1956-57 and 1957-58. The Utes' leading scorer as junior with 16.6 ppg was 78. He served in U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
• Dr. Jim Karabatsos - Played for Creighton in late 1940s. Medic in U.S. Navy during WWII was 86.
• Lou Kasperik - Member of Duquesne's "Iron Dukes" in 1940 when starting five played almost every minute of every game in becoming the first school to compete in both the NIT and NCAA playoffs in the same season. He was 93.
• Dick Kazmaier - Averaged 3.4 ppg for Princeton as a sophomore and junior after pacing freshman team in scoring in 1948-49. Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Trophy winner in 1951 after tailback led the Tigers' football squad to their second straight 9-0 record was 82.
• Rudy Keeling - Maine and Northeastern coach died at 64. He guided Maine to its first 20-win season in 1993-94.
• Garry Kemple - Averaged 1.5 ppg for Virginia Military Institute from 1960-61 through 1962-63. He was 73.
• Ray "Red" Kenaga - Played for Michigan in 1952-53. He was 80.
• Larry Killick - Regular for Dartmouth's NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1944 was 90. Vermont's top scorer between stint in U.S. Marine Corps serving in Pacific Theater was selected 10th in 1947 BAA draft.
• Colonel Jack Kimbrough - Played for Florida in late 1940s. U.S. Air Force veteran was 84.
• Bob King - Butler letterman in 1945 died at 92. Army veteran was a long-time Purdue assistant coach.
• Bruce "Sky" King - Averaged 31 ppg and 7 rpg for Pan American in 1973-74 under coach Abe Lemons after transferring when Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's program disbanded. King scored 55 points in a single game against Baptist. Runner-up in NCAA scoring with PAU after finishing 30th in nation (23.5 ppg) for Corpus Christi the previous season was 60.
• Wendell "Mel" Kiser - Averaged 10.6 ppg for Akron from 1952-53 through 1955-56, leading the Zips in rebounding in 1953-54 with 10.8 rpg. He was 83.
• Gerald Klobusnik - Player for Miami of Ohio in 1954-55 was 81.
• Ron "Winnie" Knickerbocker - Player for SMU in the early 1960s under coach Doc Hayes was 72.
• Don Koch - Played for St. Louis in 1941-42 before serving as U.S. Marine Corps pilot in the South Pacific during WWII. He was 90.
• George Kok Sr. - Three-time All-SWC first-team selection averaged 17.5 ppg for Arkansas from 1944-45 through 1947-48. Leading scorer as freshman for the Razorbacks' 1945 Final Four team was 91. All-American as senior before becoming 2nd pick overall in BAA draft.
• Francis "Ted" Kondrad - Averaged 1.3 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Pittsburgh in 1958-59. He was 76.
• John "Jack" Kreusser - Averaged 1.1 ppg for Connecticut in 1975-76 and 1976-77. He was 58.
• Bob Kruer Sr., 91, played for Xavier in first half of 1940s before serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.
• Bob Kurland - Three-time NCAA consensus first-team All-American for Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) was 88 when he died at his home on Sanibel Island, Fla., Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1945 (37 points in final two games) and 1946 (52 points) while powering his school to back-to-back NCAA championships.
• Jim Langley - Averaged 2.6 ppg for California's NCAA titlist in 1959 coached by Pete Newell. Langley was 75.
• Howie Lassoff - Averaged 9 ppg and 7.2 rpg for American University from 1974-75 through 1977-78 under coach Jim Lynam. AU's leader in rebounding each of his last three seasons was 57.
• Albert "Cappy" Lavin - San Francisco player who averaged 7 ppg for the Dons in 1950-51 and father of former UCLA and St. John's coach Steve Lavin died at 82.
• Mack Layne - Abilene Christian transfer played for Houston in 1962-63 under coach Guy Lewis.
• James "Bob" Ledford - Colorado transfer led Northern Colorado in scoring in 1948-49 with 16.7 ppg. His career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 89.
• William "Dave" Leggett - Averaged 1.7 ppg for Ohio State from 1951-52 through 1953-54. QB/DB was Rose Bowl MVP for undefeated 1954 football team under coach Woody Hayes. Leggett was 79.
• Kenny Legins Sr. - Averaged 14.8 ppg and 9.5 rpg for George Washington from 1962-63 through 1964-65. The Colonials' leading scorer as a sophomore and top rebounder as senior was 70.
• Ralph Leng - Member of Duquesne's 1955 NIT titlist was 77.
• Lee Leonard - Averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.2 rpg for New Mexico State NCAA playoff teams in 1967-68 and 1968-69 under coach Lou Henson.
• Ben Lewis - Lettered for UCLA in 1945-46 after serving in U.S. Naval Air Corps during WWII. He was 86.
• Jim Line - Averaged 7.7 ppg for Kentucky from 1946-47 through 1949-50 under coach Adolph Rupp. Regular for back-to-back NCAA titlists in 1948 and 1949 before becoming an All-American as a senior. Line was 87.
• Darrell Lorance - Played for Kentucky in 1945-46 and Missouri in 1946-47. He was 85.
• Bill Lovelace - Averaged 6.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg for Tennessee from 1952-53 through 1954-55. He was 79.
• Joe Luchi - Averaged 8.4 ppg for Cincinnati from 1948-49 through 1950-51. All-MAC first-team selection as senior runner-up in scoring and rebounding for NIT team was 88. He served as a gunnery training sergeant at stateside UAAAF bases during WWII.
• Don Lund - Averaged 4.4 ppg for Michigan from 1942-43 through 1944-45. Outfielder hit .240 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers in seven-year MLB career from 1945 to 1954. Coach of 1962 College World Series champion for his alma mater was 90.
• Dave Lynch - Averaged 4.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Xavier from 1964-65 through 1966-67. He was 68.
• Doug Lynn Sr. - Played for Oklahoma in late 1940s and early 1950s under coach Bruce Drake. Lynn, a drill instructor in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, was 85.
• John Maczuzak - Averaged 3 ppg and 3.2 rpg for Pittsburgh from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Former NFL defensive tackle who became President and COO of National Steel Corporation was 72.
• Dr. James "Jay" Manning III - Averaged 5 ppg for George Washington from 1952-53 through 1954-55. Member of GWU's first NCAA tourney team in 1954 was 78.
• Craig Manwaring - Played for Wisconsin in late 1960s and early 1970s. Southern Illinois native was 64.
• Alfred "Ted" Marshall - Averaged 3.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Maryland from 1959-60 through 1961-62. He was 74.
• Archie Marshik - Three-year letterman for Oregon from 1939-40 through 1941-42 under coach Howard Hobson after the Ducks captured the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939 his freshman year. Marshik was 94.
• Alex Martin Jr. - Player for Michigan in late 1940s and early 1950s was 87.
• Billy Mason - Juco recruit averaged 5.6 ppg for Wake Forest in 1949-50 and 1950-51 under coach Murray Greason. He was 86.
• Bobby Masters - Averaged 6.4 ppg for Indiana from 1949-50 through 1951-52 under coach Branch McCracken. IU's second-leading rebounder as senior captain with 7.1 rpg was 82.
• Jim McCargo Jr. - Averaged 16.4 ppg and 11.7 rpg for Pacific from 1970-71 through 1972-73. All-WCAC second-team choice as a sophomore and two-time All-PCAA selection was 62. He led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding as a senior under coach Stan Morrison.
• Bobby Joe McCarley - Averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Mississippi in 1960-61 and 1961-62 under coach Country Graham. McCarley was 72.
• Boyd McCaslin - All-EIBL second-team selection for Dartmouth in 1945-46 transferred with coach Ozzie Cowles to Michigan, where they participated in the Wolverines' first NCAA tourney in 1948. McCaslin, who originally lettered with Hobart NY in 1944-45, was 87.
• Leason "Pete" McCloud - Two-time All-Mountain States Conference first-team selection was mainstay for Colorado from 1939-40 through 1941-42 under coach Forrest "Frosty" Cox. McCloud, who was 94, started for 1940 NIT champion and was leading scorer for 1942 NCAA Final Four club.
• James "Bob" McConnell - Averaged 2.3 ppg for Kansas State in 1963-64 and 1964-65 under coach Tex Winter. McConnell was 70.
• Andy McGowan - Three-year Manhattan letterman averaged 11.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg as senior captain in 1952-53. He was 81.
• Jim McGregor - Compiled a 4-22 coaching record with New Mexico State in 1965-66. He was 91.
• Jim McIntosh - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 5 rpg for Villanova from 1966-67 through 1968-69 under coach Jack Kraft, appearing in NCAA playoffs as a senior. He was 67.
• Richardson "Dick" McKenzie Jr. - All-SEC third-team selection as an Alabama senior in 1949-50 was 85.
• John "Red" McManus - First coach to guide Creighton to two NCAA playoff appearances (1962 and 1964 behind All-American Paul Silas) died at 88. He is credited with returning the Bluejays to "big-time" basketball after the school de-emphasized the sport in the 1950s.
• Walt McPherson - San Jose State's all-time winningest coach compiled a 251-197 record in 17 seasons in 1940-41, 1941-42 and from 1945-46 through 1959-60, directing the Spartans to the 1951 NCAA playoffs. Multiple-sport player for SJSU was 96.
• Paul Meany, 70, averaged 2.7 ppg and 2 rpg for Arizona State from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under coach Ned Wulk.
• Cliff Meely - All-American as a Colorado senior in 1970-71 died at 65 from complications linked to a blood infection. Juco transfer established the Buffaloes' record for highest scoring average in a single season (28 ppg). Three-time All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection led CU in scoring and rebounding all three campaigns (career averages of 24.3 ppg and 12.1 rpg).
• Don "Monk" Meineke - NCAA consensus second-team All-American with Dayton in 1951-52 died at 83. He paced the nation in field-goal percentage in 1950-51 and ranked among the top 13 scorers each of his last two season while powering the Flyers to runner-up finishes in the NIT.
• Dean "The Dream" Meminger - NCAA unanimous first-team All-American in 1970-71 was NIT Most Valuable Player for Marquette in 1970. He was found dead at 65 in a Hamilton Heights, N.Y., hotel of an apparent drug overdose.
• Marvin Meredith - Averaged 1.5 ppg for Marshall in 1950-51 under coach Cam Henderson. Meredith was 85.
• Joe C. Meriweather - All-American as a senior center for Southern Illinois in 1974-75 died in Columbus, Ga., at 59. Ranked among the nation's top 12 in field-goal percentage each of his final two seasons.
• Dean Metz - Played for Arizona in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach Fred Enke.
• Andrew "Les" Metzger - Juco recruit played for Colorado in late 1940s. He was 88.
• Vern Mikkelsen - All-American frontcourter with Hamline (Minn.) as a senior in 1948-49 died at age of 85.
• Harry Miller - Compiled a 139-131 coaching record in 10 NCAA Division I seasons with North Texas State (10-15 in 1970-71), Wichita State (97-90 in seven years from 1971-72 through 1977-78) and Stephen F. Austin (32-26 in two DI years in 1986-87 and 1987-88). Small-college coach for 24 years was 86.
• Jack Miller - Scored a total of 40 points for Texas A&M from 1947-48 through 1949-50. He was 84.
• Leland Mitchell - Two-time All-SEC first-team selection when leading Mississippi State in scoring and rebounding in 1961-62 and 1962-63 died at 72. As a senior, he and teammates famously sneaked out of the state with coach Babe McCarthy in the dead of night to play in the 1963 NCAA playoffs despite state law discouraged the all-white Bulldogs from competing on court against opponents with black players. Mitchell, a juco recruit, averaged 15.6 ppg and 9 rpg in three-year varsity career before becoming 15th pick overall in 1963 NBA draft.
• Gale Mortensen - Arizona State three-year starter in mid-1940s was 91.
• Lee Morton Sr. - Leading scorer for Cornell as All-EIBL (forerunner of Ivy League) first-team selection in 1952-53 and 1953-54 was 81. He was 25th pick overall in 1954 NBA draft after leading Big Red to its first NCAA playoff appearance.
• Dr. Phil Morton - Averaged 4 ppg for Toledo from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Senior captain was 82.
• Ford "Moon" Mullen - Last surviving member of Oregon's legendary "Tall Firs" coached by Howard Hobson (first NCAA tourney champion in 1939) was 96. Mullen was leadoff hitter as Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B much of 1944 MLB season.
• John "Pete" Murray - Averaged 3.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg as senior captain of Hardin-Simmons' 1957 NCAA playoff team. Participated in victories in football and basketball on the same day in 1956. He was 79.
• Geoffrey Myers - Played for Princeton from 1959-60 through 1961-62.
• Ferd Nadherny - Averaged 5.9 ppg for Yale's NCAA tourney team in 1949 under coach Howard Hobson after serving in U.S. Navy. Teammate of All-American Tony Lavelli was 86.
• Joe Bob Neely - Arizona State letterman in 1945-46 was 87. He was inducted into International Softball Congress fast-pitch Hall of Fame in 1977 after named to the ISC All-World Team in 1951 and 1955.
• Bill Nelson - Averaged 2.8 ppg for Wisconsin in 1959-60 before transferring to Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He was 72.
• Tom Nelson - Member of St. John's 1943 NIT titlist coached by Joe Lapchick was 89. Nelson served in U.S. Navy during WWII.
• Lewis Neyland - Averaged 7 ppg and 4.7 rpg for Tennessee from 1952-53 through 1955-56. Son of legendary Vols football coach Robert Neyland was 79.
• Bob Nichols - Winningest coach in Mid-American Conference history (overall games) died at 82. He was captain of 1952-53 Toledo team before compiling a 377-211 record as his alma mater's pilot for 22 seasons from 1965-66 through 1986-87.
• Melvin "Sam" Nissel - Averaged 8.3 ppg for Providence from 1948-49 through 1950-51. He was 84.
• Dyron Nix - Member of Tennessee's All-Century team who led the SEC in scoring as a junior in 1987-88 died at the age of 46 after three-time all-league selection was hospitalized for pneumonia.
• Mike Nofsinger - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Maryland from 1959-60 through 1961-62. He was 77.
• Rev. J. Daniel Nolan - Averaged 10 ppg and 10 rpg for Lehigh from 1955-56 through 1957-58, finishing among the school's top two in rebounding average all three seasons. Quarterback, a fourth-round selection by Washington Redskins in 1958 NFL draft (40th pick overall), was 76.
• Mike Noland - Indiana's fourth-leading scorer (8.7 ppg) and rebounder (5.4 rpg) in 1968-69 was 65. He went on to serve in U.S. military during the Vietnam War.
• Steve Norris - Averaged 13.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Butler from 1967-68 through 1969-70 under coach Tony Hinkle. Finishing among the Bulldogs' top two scorers each of his last two seasons, he was 64.
• Larry O'Connor - Canisius' leader in scoring and rebounding as a senior in 1952-53 was 80.
• James "Mike" O'Dell - Averaged 4.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg for Memphis State from 1965-66 through 1967-68. He was 68.
• Dick O'Neal - Texas Christian leader in career scoring average (23.9 ppg) died at 78. He was an All-American as a senior in 1956-57 after finishing among the nation's top 12 scorers the previous two seasons. His 49-point outburst against Rice stood as a school single-game standard for more than 40 years.
• Johnny Orr - All-time winningest coach for Michigan (209 victories from 1968-69 through 1979-80) and Iowa State (218 from 1980-81 through 1993-94) died at 86. Former UMass mentor was first Big Ten Conference coach to lead his team to four consecutive NCAA playoff berths. Named national coach of the year by NABC in 1976 when directing the Wolverines to NCAA Tournament title game against unbeaten Indiana.
• Charlie Pack - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 2 rpg for Baylor in 1956-57 and 1957-58 before also playing with the Bears in 1958-59 under coach Bill Henderson. Central Texas fishing legend who won about a dozen championships at the state and national levels was 76.
• Gene Palmer - Center for Alabama from 1946-47 through 1949-50 after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He averaged 4.4 ppg as a senior.
• Jim Palmer - Averaged 10.6 ppg and 11.5 rpg for Dayton's NIT teams in 1955-56 and 1956-57 under coach Tom Blackburn. Leading rebounder for the Flyers before becoming 12th pick overall in NBA draft was 80.
• John "Bud" Palmer - All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1942-43 and network TV broadcaster was 91.
• Ted Panoplos - Penn State's second-leading scorer with 11.9 ppg in 1950-51.
• Mike Pappas - Navy veteran who led Northern Colorado in scoring with 11 ppg in 1951-52 was 83.
• Clarence "Ace" Parker - Basketball letterman for Duke in 1935-36 was 101. Parker was a MLB and NFL player before coaching his alma mater to College World Series in 1953 and 1961.
• Ken Parker Sr. - Played for Illinois in 1942-43 before serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He was 92.
• Bobby Parks Sr. - Averaged 11.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg for Memphis State from 1980-81 through 1983-84. Two-time All-Metro Conference second-team selection was 51.
• Don Patrican - Averaged 5.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Miami FL from 1963-64 through 1965-66. Teammate of Hurricanes All-American Rick Barry was 69.
• Darryl "Cuda" Patterson - South Florida's runner-up in scoring and assists in 1984-85 under coach Lee Rose died at 49. He was a high school and college teammate of high-scoring Charlie Bradley.
• Bill Paul Sr. - Three-year starter for Arizona State from 1950-51 through 1952-53 was 82.
• Don Paulsen - Averaged 8.3 ppg for Iowa State from 1947-48 through 1949-50 after serving in the Infantry during WWII in the South Pacific, participating in the first invasion landing at Wakayama during the Japanese occupation. He was 89.
• Ron Pearson Sr. - Senior captain averaged 4.4 ppg for coach John Wooden's first UCLA team in 1948-49. Texas letterman in 1945-46 was 87.
• George Pendleton - All-Sun Belt Conference first-team selection as senior averaged 16.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Georgia State in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
• Don Petroff - Averaged 8.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg for Western Michigan in 1962-63 and 1963-64 after transferring from Michigan, where he averaged 10.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg in 1960-61. He was 71.
• Charlie Phillips - Averaged 5.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg for Xavier in 1958-59 and 1959-60. He was 75.
• Peller Phillips - Starting guard for Seattle in mid-1960s, dying at 71, was a J.C. recruit accused but later exonerated in an investigation of a point-shaving scandal.
• John Pipczynski - Averaged 12.9 ppg and 9 rpg for Connecticut from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under coach Hugh Greer. Three-time All-Yankee Conference selection was 74.
• John Pittman - Scored a total of 34 points for Texas Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54. He was 80.
• Edward "Dale" Powell - Averaged 5 ppg for Tennessee from 1947-48 through 1949-50 after serving in U.S. Army. He was 85. 1B with 1951 College World Series club hit .265 with 50 homers and 225 RBI in the Washington Senators' farm system in three years from 1952 through 1954.
• Bill Prevey - Averaged 17.8 ppg for Massachusetts from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Two-time All-Yankee Conference selection was 83.
• Curtis Price - West Virginia's assists leader as a senior, dying at 63, averaged 7.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.3 apg from 1969-70 through 1971-72.
• Paul Pry - Averaged 1.1 ppg and 1 rpg for Louisville from 1969-70 through 1971-72. Member of Final Four team as senior was 62.
• Bart Quinn - Senior member of Toledo's fourth-place team in 1942 NIT was 96. He scored 702 points in three seasons.
• Dr. James Rae Jr. - Averaged 8 ppg for Michigan from 1937-38 through 1939-40. All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection as senior captain was 95.
• Chuck Raksnis - Played for Duke in early 1960s under coach Vic Bubas. Raksnis was 77.
• Larry Ramey - Averaged 6.1 ppg for Butler's Tony Hinkle-coached NIT participant in 1959. Ramey was 74.
• Bill Rapchak - Leading scorer for Michigan State in 1948-49 with 10.6 ppg was 87. He served in U.S. Army during WWII.
• Bill Reid - Averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.7 rpg for New Mexico in 1959-60 and 1960-61. He was 74.
• Billy Renfroe - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Mississippi from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 83.
• Bob "Posey" Rhoads - Averaged 5.9 ppg and 2.7 rpg for Wake Forest from 1968-69 through 1970-71 under coach Jack McCloskey. Rhoads was 63.
• Allen "Alkie" Richards - Attended Penn State when having his career at Cincinnati interrupted on way to serving in the Pacific Theater with U.S. Marine Corps during WWII. Richards was runner-up in scoring for the Bearcats with 115 points in 1942-43. He was 89.
• Lonnie Richards - Compiled a 51-74 coaching record for Houston Baptist from 1970-71 through 1974-75 during period when the Huskies made their first transition to NCAA Division I level. He was 77.
• Russell Rippe - Wisconsin letterman from 1945-46 through 1947-48 was 90. Served as a U.S. Army Air Force Captain during WWII, piloting 28 combat missions over Germany and German-occupied countries.
• Flynn Robinson - All-American as senior averaged 26.3 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Wyoming from 1962-63 through 1964-65. Three-time All-WAC first-team selection who twice ranked sixth in the nation in scoring was 72.
• John Rockwell - All-EIBL second-team selection as a Harvard senior in 1949-50 when leading league in scoring was 84. He also paced the Crimson in scoring as a junior after finishing runner-up as a sophomore.
• Gerald Rogers - Juco recruit averaged 16.5 ppg for Texas Western in 1950-51 and 1951-52, leading the Miners in scoring both seasons while finishing among the nation's top four in FG%. All-Border Conference second-team selection as a junior was 83.
• Reggie Rogers - Washington All-American defensive lineman and first-round NFL draft choice in 1987 (7th pick overall) died at 49 due to a combination of cocaine and alcohol intoxication. Two-way athlete averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg for the Huskies from 1982-83 through 1984-85. He had a 22-point, 12-rebound performance against UCLA. The 6-6, 260-pounder made four of five field-goal attempts in UW's 88-78 1984 second-round victory over Duke in Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski's first NCAA playoff game.
• Tom Rohling - Averaged 8.1 ppg and 6.8 rpg for Xavier from 1966-67 through 1968-69. The Musketeers' second-leading rebounder as a junior and senior was 65.
• Burton Rollings Jr. - Letterman for SMU during last half of the 1940s was 86.
• Ed Rooney Jr. - Averaged 2.7 ppg for Boston College's NCAA tourney teams in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Bob Cousy. Rooney was 65.
• Cecile Rose - Leading scorer for Houston's Guy Lewis-coached Top 20 team in 1977-78 with 17.6 ppg died at 58. Bahamian's brother (Lynden) and nephew (L.J.) also played for the Cougars.
• J.E. Rowe - Compiled a 57-46 coaching record in four seasons from 1970-71 through 1973-74 when Georgia Southern made the transition to NCAA Division I level. He was 74.
• Roy Rubin - Averaged 6.5 ppg for Louisville's first NCAA tourney team in 1951 after transferring from Long Island University. He coached LIU when the Blackbirds returned to major-college level in late 1960s. He was 87.
• John Rusinko - Penn State letterman in 1945-46 and 1946-47 was 88.
• Alvin "Clare" Russie - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Iowa State from 1950-51 through 1952-53. He was 82.
• Tom Samulewicz - Averaged 3.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Villanova from 1958-59 through 1960-61. He was 74.
• Rich Sanders - Member of St. Louis' NIT team in 1958-59 coached by John Benington. Sanders was 73.
• Bill Sarver - Averaged 3.4 ppg for Detroit from 1962-63 through 1964-65. He was 70.
• Murray Satterfield - Leading scorer for Utah in 1945 NCAA tourney defeat against eventual champion Oklahoma A&M before competing as an All-Mountain States Conference second-team selection in 1949 NIT under coach Vadal Peterson. Boise State coach when school made transition to major-college level in early 1970s was 87.
• Oscar "Ossie" "Schectman - All-American guard in 1940-41 died at 94. Sophomore member of LIU's undefeated 1939 NIT titlist scored the first basket in NBA history.
• John Searles II - Averaged 8.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg for Arkansas in 1970-71. UAPB graduate was 61.
• Bill Sharman - NCAA consensus first-team All-American as a Southern California senior in 1949-50 died at 87. Ranked among the nation's top 20 in free-throw percentage three straight seasons. OF-3B hit .281 in Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system in five minor-league seasons from 1950 through 1953 and 1955.
• Dick Sherman - Averaged 14.6 ppg and 8.2 rpg for Wyoming from 1963-64 through 1965-66. All-WAC second-team selection as senior was 68. As a sophomore, he led the league in field-goal shooting (53.7%).
• Paul Shields - Averaged 8.5 ppg as Indiana's captain in 1943-44 before lettering with Nebraska in 1946-47 and 1947-48 after serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 87.
• Paul Shrum - Averaged 6.1 ppg for Utah from 1949-50 through 1951-52 under coach Vadal Peterson. Shrum, an All-Mountain States Conference first-team selection as a junior, was 83.
• John Simkins - Member of Utah's MSAC champion in 1958-59 was 74.
• Tim Sisneros - Averaged 13.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg for Middle Tennessee State from 1972-73 through 1975-76. Member of MTSU's first NCAA playoff team in 1975 was 59. All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as senior when leading the Blue Raiders in scoring and rebounding.
• Dave Slattery - Averaged 4.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg for Holy Cross from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Co-captain with All-American Jack Foley for the Crusaders' NIT team as a senior.
• Charley Snow III - Averaged 10.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 2.4 apg for Cincinnati in 1969-70 and 1970-71, leading the Missouri Valley Conference in free-throw shooting as a sophomore (86.7%). Runner-up in assists for the Bearcats' 1970 NIT team was 63. His father was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection with Murray State in 1949-50.
• Don Solinsky - Averaged 7 ppg for St. Bonaventure from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He led NIT third-place team in FT% as senior captain.
• Gene Steinke - Wichita transfer played for Denver in the late 1940s after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He was 90.
• Chuck Steveskey - Averaged 3.8 ppg for Syracuse from 1948-49 through 1950-51. He was 84.
• Arthur Stewart - Averaged 1.1 ppg for Texas from 1952-53 through 1954-55 before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. He was 80.
• Gerald Stockton - Forward for Oklahoma A&M's 1951 Final Four team under coach Hank Iba was 81.
• Walt Stoeppelwerth Jr. - Averaged 5.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Northwestern from 1952-53 through 1954-55. Big Ten Conference's top free-throw shooter in 1953-54 was 79.
• Arthur "Pappy" Stolkey - Detroit's leading scorer in 1941-42 with 6.3 ppg before his college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He was 93.
• Francis "Dick" Stone - Averaged 7.8 ppg for Kansas State from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under coach Tex Winter. Senior captain when scoring a total of 34 points in two NCAA tourney games was 78. Stone compiled a 2-2 pitching record as Kansas City Athletics' farmhand in 1956.
• George Strouse - Averaged 16.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg for Gettysburg from 1962-63 through 1964-65. One of the team's top two scorers each season was 70.
• Dennis Stuehm - Averaged 11.8 ppg for Colorado A&M from 1951-52 through 1953-54. Skyline Conference's leading scorer and rebounder when school competed in its first NCAA tourney in 1954. He was 81.
• Joe Sturgis Sr. - Three-time All-Ivy League selection averaged 17.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg for Penn from 1953-54 through 1955-56, finishing among the Quakers' top two scorers and rebounders each season. Senior co-captain was 78.
• Bob Sweeney - Averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.5 rpg for George Washington in three seasons in the mid-1950s. He was 78.
• Hans Tanzler Jr. - Averaged 12.2 ppg for Florida from 1946-47 through 1949-50, leading the Gators in scoring as a sophomore and becoming an All-SEC third-team selection as senior. Democratic mayor of Jacksonville in his hometown from 1967 through 1978 was 86.
• Shane Teagarden - Led Western Illinois in FT% in 1991-92 and 1992-93, supplying 67 three-pointers his final season. Northwest Missouri State transfer was 43.
• Morley Thompson - Stanford letterman in 1946-47 and 1947-48 was 86.
• Donald Timmerman - Center (6-10) averaged 1.9 ppg for Wisconsin's 1941 NCAA Tournament titlist coached by Bud Foster. Timmerman was 96.
• Charles Turnbough - Juco recruit averaged 7.9 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Texas in 1965-66 and 1966-67 (runner-up in total points for the Longhorns). He was 68.
• John "Jack" Turner - Averaged 16.9 ppg and 10.7 rpg for Louisville from 1958-59 through 1960-61, leading the school in scoring each season. Member of the Cardinals' first Final Four squad in 1959 and 18th pick overall in 1961 NBA draft was 73.
• Larry Tuttle - Averaged 10.1 ppg for New Mexico from 1949-50 through 1951-52. All-Border Conference second-team selection as a sophomore before leading the Lobos in scoring as a senior with 13.6 ppg. OF who hit .222 as Philadelphia Phillies' Class D farmhand in 1953 was 85.
• Chuck Vines - Player for Memphis State in 1963-64 was 70.
• Donald Volding - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Texas A&M in 1947-48. He was 84.
• Ralph Voorhees - Player for Rutgers in 1944-45 was 87.
• Monte Vre Non - Averaged 7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Weber State in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Dick Motta. Vre Non was 67.
• Jose Waitman - Averaged 6.3 ppg and 4.9 rpg for South Alabama from 1982-83 through 1985-86.
• Jack Wallace Sr. - Letterman in basketball and football for Texas in the mid-1940s was 88. He served in U.S. Navy during WWII.
• John Wallace - All-Big Nine Conference second-team selection and Indiana MVP in 1945-46 when averaging a team-high 14.4 ppg. He was 90.
• Bob Wallach - Occasional starter for Syracuse in the late 1940s was 87.
• George "Jay" Wardley - Illinois letterman from 1936-37 through 1938-39 was 96.
• Arthur Warren - Averaged 12.6 ppg and 11.2 rpg for Maine in 1961-62 and 1962-63. Died at 72.
• Charlie Warren - Oregon's leading scorer in 1960-61 and 1961-62 died of cancer at 73. After participating in NCAA playoffs as sophomore and junior, his 22.2 ppg as a senior forward still ranks third on the Ducks' all-time single-season list for highest scoring average. He was a stepson of former UO coach John Warren (five seasons in late 1940s and early 1950s).
• Stan Waxman - Played for LIU in the mid-1940s although his career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 90.
• John Werner - Averaged 8.1 ppg for Cornell from 1949-50 through 1951-52, earning All-EIBL (forerunner of Ivy League) first-team honors as a senior when leading team in scoring. He was 83.
• Captain Larry Wigley - Navy's leading rebounder as a senior (14.8 rpg) died at the age of 80. He averaged 6.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg from 1951-52 through 1954-55.
• Brian Williams - Averaged 12.5 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Cincinnati's three NCAA Tournament teams from 1974-75 through 1976-77 under coach Gale Catlett, finishing among the Bearcats' top three scorers each season. Williams died at the age of 59.
• Curtis Williams - J.C. recruit who led Virginia in field-goal accuracy as a junior averaged 6.1 ppg and 2.8 rpg in 1988-89 and 1989-90.
• Ray Williams - Two-time All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection for Minnesota in 1975-76 and 1976-77 (18.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg) after transferring from junior college died of colon cancer at 58. He was recovering from a turbulent life that left him homeless, living in a rusted Buick in Pompano Beach.
• Roy "Red" Williams - Multi-year letterman in the mid-1940s for Texas Tech was 90. His college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Navy during WWII.
• Vince Yockel - Clemson's leading scorer three straight seasons from 1955-56 through 1957-58 died at 77. He averaged 18.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg in his varsity career with the Tigers.
• Jean Michel Yotio - Died at 25 after experiencing chest pains in his native Ivory Coast. Center averaged 1.7 ppg and 1.4 rpg with UCF in 2007-08 and 2008-09 before medical problems related to blood clots ended his career.
• Dr. Dan Youngblade - Averaged 2.4 ppg for Iowa State from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 83.
• Richard Zeiger - Averaged 3.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg for Wisconsin in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach Bud Foster. Zeiger was 78.