When Indiana, making its initial appearance, became the first Big Ten Conference member to reach the College World Series in several decades by winning a Super Regional at Florida State, the Hoosiers prevented the Seminoles' Mike Martin from possibly becoming the latest former college basketball player to coach a school to a CWS championship. One of the all-time five winningest college baseball coaches, he boasts the highest winning percentage among NCAA Division I mentors, winning almost three-fourths of his games. Martin, who has guided the Seminoles to the CWS a total of 15 times (1980-86-87-89-91-92-94-95-96-98-99-00-08-10-12), played basketball for Wingate (NC) in the mid-1960s before the institution became a four-year school. One of his junior college hoop teammates was Morris "Mo" McHone, who went on to coach the San Antonio Spurs in 1983-84. Martin coached basketball for Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College in the early 1970s.

Martin, runner-up in 1986 and 1999, isn't the only revered coach frustrated by not capturing a national title. Richard "Itchy" Jones, who averaged 8.9 ppg for Southern Illinois's basketball squad in 1956-57, established a baseball dynasty in 21-year coaching career at his alma mater before accepting a similar position with the Illini in Champaign in 1991. Jones compiled a 1,240-752-6 record before retiring in 2005. In 1971, his second year at Southern Illinois, Jones guided the Salukis to within one game of the national title, finishing second at the College World Series. In 1974 and 1977, Jones brought Southern Illinois back to the CWS, placing third both times. Buoyed by 22 eventual major leaguers, he became the 18th coach in NCAA Division I history to win 1,000 games.

Stanford's Everett Dean, compiling a 3-0 basketball tournament record in 1942, is the only unbeaten coach in NCAA playoff history. He is also the only NCAA basketball championship coach to win a College World Series baseball game for the same school as a coach (1953). Following is an alphabetical list of previous ex-college hoopsters like Martin, Jones and Dean who went the extra step and reached the milestone of coaching a CWS titlist:

JOHN "JACK" BARRY, Holy Cross
Infielder, primarily a shortstop, hit .243 with the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox in 11 A.L. seasons from 1908 through 1919. Ranked fifth in the league in RBI in 1913 with 85 for the Athletics as a key component of Connie Mack's first dynasty. Participated in five World Series, four with the champion, in a six-year span from 1910 through 1915. Compiled a 90-62 managerial record with the Red Sox in 1917 before winning more than 80% of his games coaching his alma mater for 40 years (including capturing the 1952 College World Series). The 5-9 Barry was a basketball letterman for the Crusaders in 1908.

SAM BARRY, Wisconsin
Basketball Hall of Famer coached USC's 1948 baseball titlist. He is the Trojans' all-time winningest basketball coach.

RAY "PICK" FISHER, Middlebury (VT)
Righthander compiled a 100-94 record and 2.82 ERA with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds in 10 years from 1910 through 1920. Ranked among the A.L. top 10 in ERA and complete games in back-to-back seasons (1914 and 1915). Started one World Series game for the Reds against the Chicago White Sox in 1919. Won 14 Big Ten Conference championships as baseball coach at Michigan for 38 years until the late 1950s (including 1953 College World Series title). Became a spring training pitching instructor for the Detroit Tigers after being blacklisted for almost 40 years because of salary disputes with Cincinnati's owners. Fisher played "class" basketball (1910 graduate) before becoming his alma mater's first full-time salaried member of the Physical Education Department.

MARTIN KAROW, Ohio State
Coach of his alma mater's 1966 College World Series winner after the Buckeyes finished runner-up the previous year. He was a basketball letterman in 1925.

JERRY KINDALL, Minnesota
Infielder hit .213 in nine seasons (1956 through 1958 and 1960 through 1965) with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. Baseball coach at Arizona for more than 20 years, leading the Wildcats to three College World Series titles (1976, 1980 and 1986). He is the only player to hit for the cycle in the College World Series at Omaha (against Ole Miss on June 11, 1956). Kindall is the only individual to play for and coach CWS champions. The 6-2 1/2, 175-pounder played two seasons of varsity basketball for Minnesota under coach Ozzie Cowles, averaging 1.4 ppg as a sophomore in 1954-55 and 6.9 ppg as a junior in 1955-56. Excerpt from school guide: "Exceptionally quick reflexes and a good eye are his main attributes although he also has tremendous spring making him a good rebounder."

DON LUND, Michigan
Outfielder hit .240 in a seven-year career (1945, 1947 through 1949 and 1952 through 1954) with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers. His only season as a regular was 1953 when he was the Tigers' right fielder. Coached baseball at his alma mater, winning the national championship in 1962, before running the Tigers' farm system until 1970. First-round selection as a fullback/linebacker by the Chicago Bears in the 1945 NFL draft. Rejected $100 a game offer from the Bears and never played pro football. He was a 6-0, 200-pound starting guard as a junior for the Wolverines' basketball team and starting center as a senior. Averaged 4.4 ppg in 46 outings. In his history of Michigan basketball, Jeff Mortimer wrote of the school's World War II squads: "Lund, rejected for military service because of a trick knee, was the mainstay of these teams." Following his playing career, he served as baseball coach for his alma mater (won 1962 College World Series), farm system director for the Tigers and associate athletic director at his alma mater.

DICK SIEBERT, Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.)
Lefthanded first baseman hit .282 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Athletics in 11 years in 1932 and from 1936 through 1945. All-Star in 1943 finished among the top Seven in the A.L. in batting average in 1941 and 1944. Minnesota's baseball coach for 31 years (753-361-8 record from 1948 through 1978) captured three CWS titles in a nine-year span from 1956 through 1964. His son, Paul, pitched with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and New York Mets for five years from 1974 to 1978. Siebert played two years of college basketball in 1929 and 1930. The March 1929 issue of the Concordia Comet mentions that, "Lefty Siebert, despite having never touched a basketball before enrolling at Concordia, was almost as good a basketball player as he was a baseball player."

JOHN "HI" SIMMONS, Northeast Missouri State
Missouri's all-time winningest baseball coach (481-284 record in 34 years) captured the 1954 NCAA title in one of his six College World Series appearances. One of his winning pitchers at the CWS was Norm Stewart, who went on to become Mizzou's all-time winningest basketball coach. School's baseball stadium is named after Simmons. All-conference center was senior captain of 1927-28 basketball squad.

BOBBY WINKLES, Illinois Wesleyan
Coached Arizona State to College World Series titles in 1965, 1967 and 1969 before managing the California Angels in 1973 and through the first 74 games of 1974 (170-213 major league record). Reggie Jackson, Rick Monday and Sal Bando were among the more than 20 future major leaguers he coached at ASU. Winkles led Illinois Wesleyan in scoring as a senior in 1950-51 (12 ppg). The 5-9, 170-pound guard was a first-team selection in the College Conference of Illinois.

Chicago White Sox lefthanded reliever Matt Thornton averaged 5.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game for Grand Valley State (MI) from 1995-96 through 1997-98, shooting 54.7% from the floor his last two seasons before becoming a first-round draft choice by the Seattle Mariners. On the eve of this year's selections, following is an alphabetical list including Thornton among the major leaguers who were first-round choices in the amateur baseball draft after playing varsity college basketball:

*Did not sign that year.
**January draft.
***Secondary phase.
NOTE: 1B-OF Rick Leach (13th pick in 1979 by Detroit Tigers) was a JV player for Michigan and OF Ken Singleton (3rd selection in 1967 by New York Mets) was a freshman player for Hofstra.

Kentucky loyalists have seen both ends of the recruiting rating spectrum the last couple of years. Will UK's acclaimed freshman class in 2013-14 flourish or flop?

In 1965-66, the best team in the country might have been UCLA's freshman squad. The Bruins' frosh, led by 7-1 Lew Alcindor's 31 points and 21 rebounds, defeated the two-time NCAA champion UCLA varsity, 75-60. The yearlings compiled a 21-0 record, outscoring their opponents 113.2 points per game to 56.6. Starters for what is considered by some as the best freshman team in NCAA history included Alcindor (33.1 ppg and 21.5 rpg), forwards Lynn Shackelford (20.9 ppg and 9.3 rpg) and Kent Taylor (7.2 ppg) and guards Lucius Allen (22.4 ppg and 7.8 rpg) and Kenny Heitz (14.3 ppg).

Freshmen became eligible for varsity competition seven years later, but there are no guarantees despite a recruit's regal high school resume. In fact, UCLA had a couple of the most disappointing classes in memory in the previous 10 years. Michigan saw both ends of the spectrum with a couple of its freshman recruiting crops in the 1990s that were highly acclaimed. One lived up to expectations while the other went from feast to famine.

Despite failing to capture a Big Ten Conference championship, the "Fab Five" in the first half of the decade probably will stand the test of time and earn recognition among the best classes in college basketball history. On the other hand, guard Louis Bullock was all that was left at the conclusion of the Wolverines' promising 1995-96 freshman class that included Tractor Traylor (left early to become an NBA lottery pick) and Albert White (transferred to Missouri where he was the Tigers' leading scorer in 1998-99 with 16.3 ppg). Minus Traylor and White, Michigan posted an anemic 12-19 record in 1998-99 and finished in a tie for ninth place in the Big Ten (5-11).

In the aftermath of Michigan's recruiting hauls, Duke had an amazing series of regal freshman classes. The Blue Devils' 1997-98 freshman crop (William Avery, Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Chris Burgess) dominated the ACC and was well on its way toward challenging Indiana's superb group in the mid-1970s as the premier class of all time until Avery and Brand left school early for the NBA and Burgess transferred to Utah. The splendid original class was eventually regarded as superior to Michigan's "Fab Five" but with only two years intact won't boast the extended excellence to supplant Indiana's brilliant crew that included Quinn Buckner, Scott May and Bobby Wilkerson.

In 1999-2000, Duke's stunning freshmen included Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Jason Williams. In 2002-03, the Devils' frosh class included guards Sean Dockery and J.J. Redick plus centers Shavlik Randolph and Shelden Williams. All of these groups were Final Four-bound.

As a means of comparison, the Blue Devils' outstanding class comprised of Mark Alarie, Jay Bilas, Johnny Dawkins and David Henderson embarked with an 11-17 mark in 1982-83 before concluding their collegiate careers with an NCAA single-season standard for victories (37-3 in 1985-86).

Ranking recruiting classes regarding their long-term impact on college basketball is risky business. For instance, does Michigan's Fab Five deserve more acclaim than Butler's mid-major level class that also reached back-to-back NCAA championship games? Where does Kentucky's terrific title trio in 2011-12 deserve to be ranked insofar as it was around only one year? And what does the future hold for the elite recruiting classes assembled this season by Kentucky, Arizona and UCLA? Next year's UK crop is already being labeled as perhaps the greatest in collegiate history but it will do well to simply be better than four previous Wildcats classes (1978, 1983, 2013 and 2015). Last year's flop should give Big Blue Nation some reason to refrain from thinking they can promptly go from NIT first-round loss against Robert Morris to a Final Four.

It is a simplistic copout to accept the instant visibility of icon programs and automatically cite them among the most influential in college history. Classes from Alcorn State, Butler, East Tennessee State, San Francisco, Southern Mississippi and Wichita State are mentioned in this appraisal. In an era of "one 'n done" freshmen, extended impact becomes an even more vital factor in helping separate the premier recruiting classes from each other.

There is little doubt that Kentucky's 2012 title team frosh class would have quickly moved up the pecking order if they had chosen to return. It's unlikely the NCAA will tamper with a nation's fascination with freshmen by making them ineligible. Following is CollegeHoopedia.com's view, factoring in length of tenure (undergraduates declaring for the NBA draft), of the premier recruiting crops (excluding junior college signees) since the introduction of freshman eligibility in 1972-73:

1. Indiana (class of '76)
Recruiting Class: Tom Abernethy, Quinn Buckner, Jim Crews, Scott May, Bobby Wilkerson.
Achievements: Last NCAA champion to go undefeated compiled a 63-1 record in last two seasons this class was intact, climaxing a run of four Big Ten titles. Reached 1973 Final Four with freshmen Buckner and Crews as starting guards under coach Bob Knight (May was ineligible as a freshman for academic reasons). Posted an amazing 59-5 conference mark while capturing four consecutive Big Ten titles. Abernethy, Buckner, May and Wilkerson all played at least five seasons in the NBA while Crews went on to coach Evansville and Army for more than 20 seasons

2. Duke (class of '01)
Recruiting Class: William Avery, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, Chris Burgess (transfer/Utah).
Achievements: Won 31 of 32 ACC games in two seasons together before Avery and Brand left early for the NBA draft. NCAA playoff runner-up in 1999 under coach Mike Krzyzewski

3. Georgetown (class of '85)
Recruiting Class: Ralph Dalton, Patrick Ewing, Anthony Jones (transfer/UNLV), Bill Martin.
Achievements: Won NCAA title in 1984, runner-up in 1985 and reached Final Four in 1982. Went 30-7, 22-10, 34-3 and 35-3 under coach John Thompson. The Hoyas' worst Big East record in that span was 11-5 in 1982-83 although their only conference crown was in 1984. Ewing was the only one of the group to play more than three season in the NBA.

4. Florida (class of '08)
Recruiting Class: Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford, Joakim Noah.
Achievements: Brewer, Horford and Noah were top nine NBA draft choices as undergraduates after capturing back-to-back NCAA crowns in 2006 and 2007.

5. North Carolina (class of '06)
Recruiting Class: Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Sean May, David Noel, Bryon Sanders.
Achievements: Felton, McCants and May earned All-ACC honors in their final seasons as juniors when they captured the NCAA crown before becoming top 14 NBA draft choices.

6. Kansas (class of '03)
Recruiting Class: Nick Collison, Drew Gooden, Kirk Hinrich.
Achievements: Collison, Gooden and Hinrich each became an NBA lottery pick. After Gooden left early for the NBA draft, Collison and Hinrich were All-Americans in 2003 when the Jayhawks finished NCAA Tournament runner-up under coach Roy Williams. KU went unbeaten in the Big 12 Conference in 2002.

7. Duke (class of '03)
Recruiting Class: Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jason Williams.
Achievements: Might have been the school's best if any of them had exercised all of their eligibility similar to teammate Shane Battier. Reached NCAA playoff final in 1999 and 2001 under coach Mike Krzyzewski.

8. Michigan (class of '95)
Recruiting Class: Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber.
Achievements: NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1992 (25-9) and 1993 (31-5) as freshman and sophomore starters. Howard, Rose and Webber became NBA first-round draft choices as undergraduates and each played more than 12 years in the league. Principal drawback is that none of the "Fab Five" was a member of a Big Ten Conference title team under coach Steve Fisher.

9. North Carolina (class of '10)
Recruiting Class: Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson, Alec Stephenson (transfer/Southern California), Deon Thompson, Brandan Wright.
Achievements: Wright was a "one 'n done" recruit, but core of group cruised to 2009 NCAA crown by winning their playoff games by an average of 20.2 points.

10. Notre Dame (class of '81)
Recruiting Class: Tracy Jackson, Gilbert Salinas, Kelly Tripucka, Stan Wilcox, Orlando Woolridge.
Achievements: Final Four participant in 1978 and Midwest Regional runner-up in '79. Irish went 23-8, 24-6, 22-6 and 23-6 under coach Digger Phelps. Jackson, Tripucka and Woolridge were its top three scorers each of their last three seasons. Tripucka (26.5 ppg/15.3) and Woolridge (25.1/10.6) had long NBA careers where they flourished as scorers, posting a pro career-high scoring average significantly higher than their college career mark.

11. Louisville (class of '82)
Recruiting Class: Wiley Brown, Jerry Eaves, Scooter McCray, Derek Smith, Pancho Wright.
Achievements: Won NCAA title in 1980 with Brown, Eaves and Smith starting while McCray was sidelined with a knee injury. Reached the 1982 Final Four under coach Denny Crum. Went 24-8, 33-3, 21-9 and 23-10 with Metro Conference crowns the first three years.

12. Kentucky (class of '15)
Recruiting Class: Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Kyle Wiltjer (transfer/Gonzaga).
Achievements: Undefeated SEC worksheet before capturing an NCAA title in their lone season together. Outside marksman Wiltjer was the only one not to declare for the NBA draft after their 38-2 freshman campaign under coach John Calipari.

13. North Carolina (class of '97)
Recruiting Class: Guy McInnis, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Serge Zwikker.
Achievements: Zwikker was the only Tar Heels representative for each of their three 28-win campaigns in this four-year span under coach Dean Smith.

14. Kentucky (class of '83)
Recruiting Class: Sam Bowie, Derrick Hord, Charles Hunt, Dirk Minniefield.
Achievements: Oft-injured Bowie played five years, reaching Final Four in 1984. Original class had respective records of 29-6, 22-6, 22-8 and 23-8, but never advanced beyond second game of NCAA playoffs. Captured three SEC championships in that span under coach Joe B. Hall.

15. UCLA (class of '77)
Recruiting Class: Marques Johnson, Wilbert Olinde, Gavin Smith (transfer/Hawaii), Jim Spillane, Richard Washington.
Achievements: Won [John Wooden's](coaches/john-wooden) final NCAA title in 1975. Washington left for the NBA a year early. Bruins went 26-4, 28-3, 28-4 and 25-4 with four Pacific-8 Conference crowns. Reached Final Four in '76 under coach Gene Bartow.

16. Ohio State (class of '10)
Recruiting Class: Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, David Lighty, Greg Oden.
Achievements: Known as the "Thad Five" (when adding juco recruit Othello Hunter), the Buckeyes compiled a 35-4 as NCAA Tournament runner-up in 2007. Oden and Conley were top four NBA draft choices following freshman campaign.

17. North Carolina (class of '77)
Recruiting Class: Bruce Buckley, Walter Davis, John Kuester, Tom LaGarde.
Achievements: Lost 1977 NCAA playoff final (28-5 record) after posting similar marks (composite of 70-18) the previous three years. Captured ACC regular-season championships their last two seasons under coach Dean Smith.

18. North Carolina (class of '94)
Recruiting Class: Eric Montross, Derrick Phelps, Brian Reese, Clifford Rozier (transfer/Louisville), Pat Sullivan.
Achievements: Won NCAA title in 1993 after reaching 1991 Final Four as freshmen. Compiled records of 29-6, 23-10, 34-4 and 28-7 under coach Dean Smith. Only ACC regular-season championship was in 1993.

19. Illinois (class of '06)
Recruiting Class: James Augustine, Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Kyle Wilson (transfer/Wichita State).
Achievements: Bill Self's recruits became NCAA Tournament runner-up in 2005 under coach Bruce Weber.

20. Kentucky (class of '13)
Recruiting Class: Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, John Wall.
Achievements: Regional runner-up after winning SEC regular-season and league tournament titles in 2010 in their lone season together. All four recruits became NBA first-round draft choices.

21. Michigan State (class of '81)
Recruiting Class: Mike Brkovich, Magic Johnson, Rick Kaye, Jay Vincent.
Achievements: Recovered from embarrassing 18-point defeat to league cellar dweller Northwestern to win 1979 NCAA championship under coach Jud Heathcote with an average victory margin of 20.8 points. Went 25-5 and 26-6 and captured Big Ten titles in Johnson's two seasons before posting losing records (12-15 and 13-14) after he turned pro early.

22. Duke (class of '86)
Recruiting Class: Mark Alarie, Jay Bilas, Johnny Dawkins, David Henderson.
Achievements: Runner-up in 1986 NCAA playoffs with an NCAA-record 37-3 mark after going 24-10 and 23-8 the previous two years following an 11-17 worksheet as freshmen under coach Mike Krzyzewski. Senior season accounted for the group's lone ACC regular-season championship.

23. San Francisco (class of '79)
Recruiting Class: Winford Boynes, Bill Cartwright, Erik Gilberg, Raymond Hamilton (left after two seasons), James Hardy.
Achievements: Went 22-8, 29-2, 22-5 and 22-7 with WCAC championships the last three years. Boynes and Hardy were among the top 13 NBA draft picks after leaving school following their junior season when Dan Belluomini succeeded Bob Gaillard as coach. Cartwright was the third selection overall the next year.

24. Duke (class of '06)
Recruiting Class: Sean Dockery, Lee Melchionni, Shavlik Randolph, J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams.
Achievements: Three seasons with at least 28 victories as All-Americans Redick and Williams exercised all of their collegiate eligibility. Can't be ranked ahead of Michigan's Fab Five because they never reached a Final Four.

25. Kansas (class of '09)
Recruiting Class: Mario Chalmers, Micah Downs (transfer/Gonzaga), Brandon Rush, Julian Wright.
Achievements: Wright left school early for the NBA prior to KU's NCAA title in 2008. None of group was around for the 2008-09 campaign.

26. Syracuse (class of '06)
Recruiting Class: Carmelo Anthony, Billy Edelin, Gerry McNamara.
Achievements: Anthony, the 2003 Final Four MOP, led the champion Orange in scoring in five of its six playoff games. McNamara was Big East Conference Tournament MVP as a senior.

27. Connecticut (class of '07)
Recruiting Class: Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams.
Achievements: Won 2004 NCAA title before each of them left school early for the NBA the next two years.

28. Kansas (class of '05)
Recruiting Class: Keith Langford, Michael Lee, Aaron Miles, Wayne Simien.
Achievements: Splitting time between coaches Roy Williams and Bill Self, this quartet combined for nearly 5,100 points.

29. Marquette (class of '09)
Recruiting Class: Dominic James, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal.
Achievements: Recruited by Tom Crean and playing senior season under Buzz Williams, they combined for more than 5,400 points in compiling four 20-win seasons.

30. Arizona (class of '76)
Recruiting Class: Al Fleming, John Irving (transfer/Hofstra), Eric Money, Coniel Norman, Jim Rappis.
Achievements: Overshadowed by UCLA, UA's "Kiddie Korps" started off 16-10 before members of the original group went 19-7, 22-7 and 24-9 under coach Fred Snowden. Norman averaged 23.9 ppg and Money averaged 18.5 ppg before they turned pro after two seasons. Irving played one season with the Wildcats before transferring to Hofstra, where he led the nation in rebounding in 1975. Fleming became the school's all-time leading rebounder.

31. Purdue (class of '88)
Recruiting Class: Jeff Arnold, Troy Lewis, Todd Mitchell, Dave Stack, Everette Stephens.
Achievements: "The Three Amigos" (Lewis, Mitchell and Stephens) were instrumental in helping the Boilermakers compile a four-year record of 96-28 (.774), including a glittering 29-4 mark as seniors under coach Gene Keady. Lewis and Mitchell still rank among the school's all-time top 10 scorers. Group captured Big Ten Conference titles their last two seasons together. Stephens went on to have the most NBA experience with 38 games.

32. Wichita State (class of '83)
Recruiting Class: Antoine Carr, James Gibbs, Ozell Jones (transfer/Cal State Fullerton), Cliff Levingston.
Achievements: Posted marks of 17-12, 26-7, 23-6 and 25-3 under coach Gene Smithson. Group is somewhat overlooked because the school was on NCAA probation in 1982 and 1983. Levingston left after his junior year. Captured Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships in 1981 and 1983. Jones played in the NBA with Carr and Levingston.

33. North Carolina (class of '99)
Recruiting Class: Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Ademola Okulaja.
Achievements: Coach Dean Smith must have been frustrated in his last two seasons that teams with talents such as Carter and Jamison lost a total of 18 games in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

34. Arizona (class of '05)
Recruiting Class: Will Bynum (transfer/Georgia Tech), Isaiah Fox, Channing Frye, Dennis Latimore (transfer/Notre Dame), Salim Stoudamire.
Achievements: Might have ranked higher if they didn't go through the turmoil of coach Lute Olson's swan song.

35. Kentucky (class of '78)
Recruiting Class: Jack Givens, Dan Hall (transfer/Marshall), James Lee, Mike Phillips, Rick Robey.
Achievements: Freshmen on UK's national runner-up in 1975. Givens (Final Four MOP), Lee, Phillips and Robey represented four of the Wildcats' top five scorers for the Wildcats' 1978 NCAA titlist under coach Joe B. Hall. UK had to settle for participating in the 1976 NIT when Robey missed more than half of the season because of a knee injury.

36. Kansas State (class of '11)
Recruiting Class: Ron Anderson Jr. (transfer/South Florida), Michael Beasley, Fred Brown, Jacob Pullen, Dominique Sutton (transfer/North Carolina Central), Bill Walker.
Achievements: Notched a 21-12 record in their only season together as Beasley and Walker departed for the NBA after freshman campaign.

37. Maryland (class of '81)
Recruiting Class: Ernest Graham, Albert King, Greg Manning.
Achievements: Graham, King and Manning all finished their careers with more than 1,500 points. The Terrapins went 15-13, 19-11, 24-7 (won 1980 ACC regular-season title) and 21-10 under coach Lefty Driesell.

38. Pittsburgh (class of '91)
Recruiting Class: Bobby Martin, Jason Matthews, Sean Miller (RS in 1990), Darelle Porter, Brian Shorter (Prop 48).
Achievements: All five players became 1,000-point scorers in their careers. The Panthers went 24-7 with a Big East Conference title in 1987-88 when they were freshmen before struggling the next couple of seasons under coach Paul Evans.

39. UCLA (class of '83)
Recruiting Class: Darren Daye, Rod Foster, Michael Holton, Cliff Pruitt (transfer/UAB).
Achievements: NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1980 as freshmen under coach Larry Brown. Won Pacific-10 title in '83 under Brown's successor (Larry Farmer). Compiled records of 22-10, 20-7, 21-6 and 23-6.

40. Georgia (class of '83)
Recruiting Class: Terry Fair, Lamar Heard, Dominique Wilkins.
Achievements: The Bulldogs averaged 19 victories annually from 1979-80 through 1982-83 after winning more than 14 games only once the previous 29 seasons.

SPECIAL MENTION
(Underrated classes failing to generate the headlines they deserved.)

Alcorn State (class of '85)
Recruiting Class: Eddie Archer, Aaron Brandon, Tommy Collier, Michael Phelps.
Achievements: Archer, Brandon, Collier and Phelps all finished their careers with more than 1,200 points. The Braves won three SWAC championships in four years from 1982 through 1985 under coach Davey Whitney, winning NCAA playoff games in 1983 and 1984 when they were eliminated by Georgetown and Kansas by a total of six points.

Butler (class of '12)
Recruiting Class: Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Ronald Nored, Chase Stigall (redshirt).
Achievements: Hayward nearly hit a game-winning half-court shot in 2010 NCAA title contest. Mack and Nored appeared in back-to-back NCAA championship games. Stigall went on to become one of the Bulldogs' top three-point shooters.

East Tennessee State (class of '91)
Recruiting Class: Greg Dennis, Major Geer, Keith Jennings, Alvin West.
Achievements: All four players became 1,000-point scorers in their careers. East Tennessee State coasted to three consecutive Southern Conference Tournament titles from 1989 through 1991 under coaches Les Robinson and Alan LeForce.

Iowa (class of '89)
Recruiting Class: B.J. Armstrong, Ed Horton, Les Jepsen (freshman redshirt), Roy Marble.
Achievements: George Raveling's final recruiting class with the Hawkeyes (including J.C. signee Kevin Gamble) all played in the NBA after helping Tom Davis capture national coach of the year acclaim in 1986-87.

Ohio State (class of '81)
Recruiting Class: Marquis Miller, Kenny Page (transfer/New Mexico), Todd Penn, Carter Scott, Jim Smith, Herb Williams. Achievements: Eldon Miller, Fred Taylor's coaching successor, returned the Buckeyes to national postseason competition with three four-year starters (Scott, Smith and Williams). Page, after starting most of his freshman season with OSU, twice ranked among the nation's top 11 scorers with the Lobos.

Southern California (class of '89)
Recruiting Class: Jeff Connelly (transfer/Santa Clara), Hank Gathers (transfer/Loyola Marymount), Bo Kimble (transfer/Loyola Marymount), Tom Lewis (transfer/Pepperdine).
Achievements: The nucleus of USC's class, recruited by Stan Morrison, left to become stars in the West Coast Conference after a modest freshman season (11-17) when George Raveling arrived as coach.

Southern Mississippi (class of '88)
Recruiting Class: Casey Fisher, Derrick Hamilton, Randolph Keys, John White.
Achievements: Keys, Fisher, Hamilton and White all finished their careers with more than 1,300 points. The Golden Eagles, overshadowed in the Metro Conference by Louisville, won the 1987 NIT under coach M.K. Turk when each of the quartet scored in double digits.

Utah (class of '81)
Recruiting Class: Karl Bankowski, Tom Chambers, Scott Martin, Danny Vranes.
Achievements: Formidable frontcourt featuring Bankowski/Chambers/Vranes helped enable Martin to pace the Utes in assists three successive seasons under coach Jerry Pimm.

Wake Forest (class of '82)
Recruiting Class: Mike Helms, Jim Johnstone, Guy Morgan, Alvis Rogers (RS in 1982).
Achievements: All four players finished their careers with more than 1,100 points under coach Carl Tacy. Morgan, Rogers and Johnstone each grabbed more than 550 rebounds. The Demon Deacons posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history (22-7 in 1980-81 and 21-9 in 1981-82 when they finished both years in third place in the ACC).

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June calendar involving such versatile athletes:

JUNE
30 - In 1978, Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) became the second black MLB manager, succeeding Bob Lemon as skipper of the Chicago White Sox. . . . San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) and two teammates each sock a three-run homer in a 15-6 rout of the Oakland A's in 1997. . . . Commencing the game by fanning the side on nine pitches in the opening inning, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) hurled a no-hitter against the New York Mets in 1962. . . . In 1938, New York Giants OF Hank Lieber (played for Arizona in 1931) launched the final homer at Philadelphia's Baker Bowl before the Phillies moved to Shibe Park. . . . P Nels Potter (leading scorer during two years he attended Mount Morris, IL, in early 1930s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Boston Red Sox in 1941. . . . OF Kite Thomas (averaged 5.1 ppg for Kansas State in 1946-47) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Athletics to the Washington Senators in 1953.
29 - Boston Red Sox rookie P Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) contributed a run-scoring single and two-run, ninth-inning homer in a 4-2 decision over the Chicago White Sox in 1945. . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85), acquired by the New York Yankees from the Cleveland Indians in 2000, went on to become the first player to collect more than 50 RBI in a single season with two different clubs. . . . OF Charlie Keller (three-year letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) homered in the nightcap of a 1941 doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators by the New York Yankees, extending the Bronx Bombers' streak to a MLB-record 25 consecutive contests with a round-tripper. . . . Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma, MI, in 1958-59) set a MLB mark with his third grand slam in a week in 1968.
28 - LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cleveland Indians in 1968. . . . In 1951, New York Giants OF Monte Irvin (played basketball for Lincoln, PA, 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) swatted two homers off Brooklyn Dodgers P Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) in same game. . . . OF Don Lund (two-year starter for Michigan in mid-1940s) awarded on waivers from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the St. Louis Browns in 1948. . . . New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) pulled hidden-ball trick against the Cleveland Indians in 1969. . . . Cincinnati Reds P Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1912 and 1914) banged out four hits, including a homer and two doubles, in a 5-2 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1924 doubleheader. . . . Chicago Cubs SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury, MO, in 1942-43 and 1943-44) went for the cycle in a 15-3 romp over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1950.
27 - INF Jack Barry (letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1919. . . . 2B Marv Breeding (played for Samford in mid-1950s) traded by the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs in 1967. . . . Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City, CA, club winning 1967 state community college crown) registered his 2,000th career hit with a first-inning, two-run homer against the Baltimore Orioles in 1987. . . . San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 3-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves, raising his batting average in 1987 to .387 en route to finishing at .370. . . . P Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding from 1992-93 through 1995-96) traded by the Tampa Devil Rays to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a five-player swap in 2006. . . . 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) belted a 14th-inning, two-run homer to give the New York Yankees a 6-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in 1978. . . . Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State, MI, from 1995-96 through 1997-98) made his MLB debut in 2004, pitching four scoreless innings of relief with the Seattle Mariners against the San Diego Padres.
26 - OF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Houston Colt .45's in 1962. . . . St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) hurled his fifth consecutive shutout (3-0 against the Pittsburgh Pirates) in the opener of a 1968 doubleheader. . . . In 1966, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) matched his N.L. record of seven straight strikeouts in back-to-back nine-inning appearances en route to a 2-1 victory at Atlanta. . . . Detroit Tigers 1B-OF Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV squad in 1975-76), mired in a 3-for-35 nosedive, broke up a no-hit bid by Baltimore's Storm Davis with a ninth-inning homer in 1983. . . . P Paul Reuschel (Western Illinois' leading rebounder in 1966-67 with 15.2 per game) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cleveland Indians in 1978.
25 - Oakland A's rookie P Mark Acre (played in 1990 NCAA Tournament with New Mexico State) earned his third relief victory in 11 days in 1994. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) went for the cycle (including two homers) in a 17-10 triumph at Pittsburgh in 1949. . . . OF Bill Nicholson (competed for Washington College, MD, in mid-1930s) purchased from the Washington Senators by the Chicago Cubs for $35,000 in 1939. . . . New York Yankees OF-DH Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) stroked five singles against the Detroit Tigers in 1984. It was one of three five-hit games for Winfield this month, tying a mark set by Ty Cobb.
24 - INF-OF Leo Burke (averaged 9.2 ppg for Virginia Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs for P Barney Schultz in 1963. . . . 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) awarded on waivers from the Chicago White Sox to the Cincinnati Reds in 1958. . . . New York Yankees reliever Steve Hamilton (Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) struck out Cleveland Indians 1B Tony Horton with a couple of "Folly Floaters" in the nightcap of a 1970 doubleheader. . . . In 1958, New York Yankees INF Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship team) hit his first big league homer (at Chicago off Early Wynn of the White Sox). . . . Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma, MI, in 1958-59) hit grand slams in back-to-back innings (fifth and sixth) against the Cleveland Indians in 1968. . . . Cincinnati Reds P Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1911-12 and 1913-14) went into the eighth inning with a perfect game but wound up losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, in 1924. . . . In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) swiped home in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the first of 19 times in his career that he pilfered home. . . . New York Giants C Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State, MN, one season before serving in military) had a career game, hitting three homers plus a triple and scoring five runs in a 12-2 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1950. . . . In 1991, California Angels RF-DH Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 5-fot-5 against the Kansas City Royals and became the oldest player in MLB history to go for the cycle (39).
23 - SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Milwaukee Braves in 1960. . . . OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist), retired from the Cleveland Indians, joined P Don Newcombe in 1962 as the first former MLB players to compete for a Japanese team. Doby's season batting average overseas will be a modest .225. . . . 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) and C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) both homer when 12 consecutive Boston Red Sox players reach base in an 11-run, fourth-inning outburst at Detroit in 1952. Seven years later, Dropo was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles. . . . INF Howard Freigau (played for Ohio Wesleyan) purchased from the Brooklyn Robins by the Boston Braves in 1928. . . . New York Mets OF Jimmy Piersall celebrated by running around the bases backwards in 1963 after the free spirit hit the 100th homer of his MLB career and only one in the N.L. The round-tripper was yielded by the Philadelphia Phillies' Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55). . . . Chicago Cubs INF-OF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) hammered a game-winning, pinch-hit grand slam in the 10th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1933 doubleheader. . . . P Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage as a Portland freshman in 1975-76) traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987. . . . OF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by the Cincinnati Reds in 1955. Six years later, Mele became manager of the Minnesota Twins. . . . Jim Riggleman (two-year letterman for Frostburg State, MD, averaged 7.2 ppg in early 1970s) resigned as Washington Nationals manager in 2011 on the heels of them winning 11 of 12 games when the franchise failed to give him a contract extension. . . . P Garry Roggenburk (led Dayton in scoring all three seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 and grabbed a school-record 32 rebounds in his third varsity game en route to pacing the Flyers in rebounding his first two years) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by the Seattle Pilots in 1969.
22 - San Diego Padres P Mike Adams (played for Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1996-97) surrendered his only run (against the Tampa Bay Rays) in a span of 20 relief appearances from mid-May to early July in 2010. . . . OF Billy Cowan (co-captain of Utah's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1966. . . . Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) homered in both ends of a 1953 doubleheader against the Washington Senators. . . . SS Dick Groat (NCAA unanimous first-team All-American for Duke in 1951-52 when he was runner-up in the nation in scoring) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the San Francisco Giants in 1967. . . . In 2003, Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding from 1992-93 through 1995-96) became the first Toronto Blue Jays pitcher to hit a home run (against the Montreal Expos). . . . Setting a new record for a night game, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) fanned 16 Philadelphia Phillies in a 6-2 triumph in 1959. . . . P Dave Leonhard (averaged 4.8 ppg with Johns Hopkins, MD, in 1961-62), joining the Baltimore Orioles on a weekend leave from the National Guard, tossed a three-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1969 doubleheader. . . . In 1982, St. Louis Cardinals P John Stuper (two-time all-conference player for Butler County, KS, Community College) surrendered Pete Rose's 3,772nd career hit. The third-inning double moved Rose past Hank Aaron into second place on MLB's all-time list.
21 - P Walt Huntzinger (All-EIBL second-five selection in 1921-22 with Penn) awarded on waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1926. . . . Chicago White Sox P Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) notched his 250th career win in 1942. He will finish the season hurling complete games in all 20 starts, lead the A.L. with a 2.10 ERA, and then enter the U.S. Marine Corps at age 42. . . . As a pinch-hitter, New York Mets C John Stephenson (scored 1,361 points for William Carey, MS, in early 1960s) was the final out of P Jim Bunning's perfect game for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1964. . . . In 1973, San Diego Padres OF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) whacked his first of 465 MLB homers (off Ken Forsch of the Houston Astros).
20 - P Bob Chlupsa (led Manhattan in rebounding in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the San Diego Padres in 1972. . . . 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) clobbered two of Detroit's team-record eight homers in the Tigers' 18-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000. . . . Hall of Fame C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) collected four of the Philadelphia Athletics' 26 hits in an 18-11 decision over the Chicago White Sox in 1932. . . . Lone MLB triumph for Paul Edmundson (averaged 12.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg with Cal State Northridge from 1962-63 through 1964-65) came in his debut in 1969 when he hurled a two-hitter for the Chicago White Sox against the California Angels. . . . P Ed Halicki (NAIA All-American third-team choice in 1971-72 when he led Monmouth in scoring with 21 ppg after setting a school single-game rebounding record with 40 the previous season) awarded on waivers to the California Angels from the San Francisco Giants in 1980. . . . Lee Smith (averaged 3.4ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) preserved the California Angels' 3-2 verdict over the Kansas City Royals in 1995, setting a MLB mark with his 18th save in 18 opportunities (record subsequently broken).
19 - New York Giants OF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) climaxed a four-run, ninth-inning rally with a pinch-hit homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. . . . 3B Gene Freese (captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV) went 7-for-8, sparking the Cincinnati Reds to a 1961 doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.
18 - Cincinnati Reds OF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 points in a career) collected four hits and 1B Babe Young (Fordham letterman in 1935-36) contributed a pair of three-run homers to support teammate Ewell Blackwell's no-hitter against the Boston Braves in 1947. . . . 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) and OF Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49) whacked the only homers for the Boston Red Sox while tallying 17 runs in the seventh inning of a 23-3 rout of the Detroit Tigers in 1953. . . . In 1962, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) outdueled St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57). It marked the third time Koufax won a game, 1-0, on a Tommy Davis homer. . . . Spoiling the MLB debut of Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47), the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-0, in 1948. . . . Arizona Diamondbacks rookie 2B Junior Spivey (redshirted his only semester at Northwestern Oklahoma State on a basketball scholarship before transferring to a KS junior college) had five hits in a 14-5 thrashing of the Houston Astros in 2001. . . . In 1986, San Diego Padres P Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) slugged his first and only MLB homer. He appeared in another 128 games but never had another at-bat. . . . C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) tied a MLB record by scoring three runs in one inning when the Boston Red Sox tallied 17 in the seventh against the Detroit Tigers in 1953.
17 - New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) and C Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State, MN, one season before serving in military during WWII) each collected four hits in a 1951 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. . . . Boston Red Sox OF Dick Gernert (Temple basketball letterman in 1948-49) walloped two homers in a 17-1 romp over the Detroit Tigers in 1953. . . . Rookie Wynn Hawkins (Baldwin-Wallace's all-time leading scorer upon graduation in 1957) yielded Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams' 500th home run (fourth player in MLB history to reach that plateau) at Cleveland in 1960. . . . Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Ole Miss from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) went 6-for-6 in a 10-inning, 7-6 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971. . . . Milwaukee Brewers OF Joe Lahoud (letterman in mid-1960s for New Haven, CT) contributed a grand slam en route to six RBI in a 15-5 rout of the Chicago White Sox in 1973. . . . Starting P Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) scored the winning run in the 15th inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 3-2 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) left 13 runners stranded in a 1951 doubleheader against the Boston Braves. . . . C John Stephenson (scored 1,361 points for William Carey, MS, in early 1960s) shipped from the New York Mets to the Chicago Cubs in 1967 as the player to be designated, completing an earlier deal that month.
16 - C Ferrell Anderson (Kansas letterman in 1936-37 and 1937-38) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the St. Louis Browns in 1951. . . . Boston Red Sox rookie P Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) lost against the New York Yankees, 3-2, in 1945 after starting his career with eight victories (four of them shutouts). . . . Light-hitting INF Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota in 1955-56) connected for a game-winning two-run homer in the ninth inning to give the Cleveland Indians a 10-9 win over the New York Yankees in 1962.
15 - LF Morrie Arnovich (played for Wisconsin-Superior in early 1930s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cincinnati Reds in 1940. . . . OF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 points in a career) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago Cubs in 1949. . . . 1B Donn Clendenon (played for Morehouse, GA) traded by the Montreal Expos to the New York Mets in 1969. . . . In 1931, the St. Louis Cardinals, in a move making room for Pepper Martin, traded CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) to the Cincinnati Reds for OF Wally Roettger (Illinois letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) in a swap one day after Douthit stroked seven straight hits in a doubleheader sweep over the Philadelphia Phillies. . . . San Francisco Giants 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City, CA, club winning 1967 state junior college crown) socked three homers in a 7-1 triumph over the Houston Astros in 1983. . . . Detroit Tigers OF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) had his 19-game hitting streak snapped by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950. . . . C-OF Joe Ferguson (member of Pacific's 1967 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976. . . . INF Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College, MD) awarded on waivers to the St. Louis Cardinals from the Brooklyn Robins in 1931. . . . 1B Gary Holle (Siena's scoring and rebounding leader in 1974-75 and 1975-76) traded by the Texas Rangers to the Chicago White Sox in 1979. . . . In 1969, Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Ole Miss from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among the nation's top 45 scorers each year) established a N.L. record with his 54th consecutive errorless contest to start a season. . . . OF Joe Lahoud (letterman for New Haven, CT, in mid-1960s) purchased from the California Angels by the Texas Rangers in 1976. . . . Chicago White Sox P Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) notched his ninth straight victory in 1927. His two-run triple in the eighth inning broke a 4-4 deadlock against the Philadelphia Athletics. . . . Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster, MO, in 1968-69 and 1969-70) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977. He went on to hit .339 the remainder of the season for Philly. . . . INF Johnny O'Brien (two-time All-American with Seattle was first college player to crack 1,000-point plateau in a single season when he scored 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates with 3B Gene Freese (captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV) to the St. Louis Cardinals for SS Dick Schofield and cash in 1958. . . . P Joe Ostrowski (led Scranton in scoring with 15.1 ppg in 1942-43) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the New York Yankees in 1950. . . . P Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as a Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) traded by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos in 1969. . . . OF Richie Scheinblum (averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 1962-63 and 1963-64 with LIU-C.W. Post) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the California Angels for two players to be designated in 1973. . . . P Don Schwall (All-Big Seven Conference second-team selection as a sophomore in 1956-57 when he led Oklahoma in rebounding) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Atlanta Braves for P Billy O'Dell in 1966. . . . 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in his final season in 1947-48) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Brooklyn Dodgers in an eight-player swap in 1951. . . . 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Kansas City Athletics in 1958. . . . C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by the Milwaukee Braves in 1961.
14 - LF Babe Barna (West Virginia letterman in 1936 and 1937) traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Red Sox in 1943. . . . SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) traded with three additional players by the New York Giants in 1956 to the St. Louis Cardinals for future Hall of Fame 2B Red Schoendienst and three players. . . . 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) traded by the San Diego Padres to the Cleveland Indians in 1979. . . . Boston Bees 1B-OF Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams that won a school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) fouled out late in a game against the Chicago Cubs after hitting safely in 10 straight at-bats over three contests in 1940. . . . P Roy Parmelee (letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Boston Red Sox in 1939. . . . C Hugh Poland (Western Kentucky letterman from 1931-32 through 1933-34) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cincinnati Reds in 1947. . . . New York Giants P Hal Schumacher (played for St. Lawrence, NY, in early 1930s) hurled a five-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1936. . . . Cincinnati Reds closer Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for 31-5 Rio Grande, OH, team participating in 1985 NAIA Tournament), entering the game with an 0.97 ERA, yielded five runs on seven hits in the ninth and 10th innings as the Houston Astros rallied to win, 6-3, in 1998.
13 - 1B Dale Alexander (starting center for Milligan, TN, in mid-1920s) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox in 1932. . . . 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's three leading scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago White Sox in 1966. . . . P Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State, NC, backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) traded by the Texas Rangers to the Cleveland Indians in 1975. . . . 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City, CA, club winning 1967 state community college crown) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the San Francisco Giants in 1976. . . . In 1962, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) whacked his first MLB homer (off fellow Hall of Fame lefthander Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves). Koufax went on to collect one more career round-tripper. . . . New York Giants P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) hurled a no-hitter against Chicago in a 1-0 win in 1905. . . . OF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Washington Senators in 1949. . . . New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) pulled hidden-ball trick for the first of two times in a six-week span in 1970. . . . St. Louis Cardinals LF Rip Repulski (started a few games for St. Cloud State, MN) stroked two hits in each game of a 1954 doubleheader sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates, triggering a streak of 10 consecutive contests with two or more safeties. . . . Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) yielded three consecutive triples to INF Danny O'Connell of the Milwaukee Braves in 1956. . . . P Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as a sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player swap in 1966. . . . INF Gary Sutherland (Southern California's fifth-leading scorer in 1963-64 when he averaged 7.4 ppg) purchased from the Montreal Expos by the Houston Astros in 1972.
12 - Eighteen-year-old P Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) made his Brooklyn Dodgers debut, striking out the first three New York Giants batters he faced in 1944. . . . San Francisco Giants 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City, CA, club winning 1967 state community college crown) contributed a double and homer in the fourth inning when they scored all of their runs in an 8-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds in 1983. . . . P Johnny Gee (captain of Michigan's 16-4 team in 1936-37) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the New York Giants in 1944. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers 3B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) stole second, third and home against the Chicago Cubs in the eighth inning in 1928. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) hammered a grand slam en route to amassing eight RBI in a 20-7 triumph over the Cincinnati Reds in 1949. . . . C-OF Don Padgett (participated in multiple sports as a freshman for Lenoir-Rhyne, NC, in 1934) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Boston Braves in 1946. . . . In 1954, P Jim Wilson (letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) hurled a no-hitter for the Milwaukee Braves against Hall of Famer Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) and the Philadelphia Phillies. . . . OF-3B Chuck Workman (All-MIAA selection was leading scorer in inaugural NAIA Tournament won by Central Missouri State in 1937) traded by the Boston Braves to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946.
11 - Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (played for Guilford, NC, in mid-1920s) traded with his brother (P Wes Ferrell) from the Boston Red Sox to the Washington Senators in 1937. . . . INF Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota in 1955-56) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Minnesota Twins in a three-team swap including the Los Angeles Angels in 1964. . . . OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV basketball squad with Bloomsburg, PA, three years in mid-1930s) among three St. Louis Cardinals who hit back-to-back-to-back sixth-inning homers in the nightcaqp of a 1944 doubleheader. . . . In 1972, 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) homered for the Cleveland Indians and brother Jim Nettles homered for the Minnesota Twins in the same game. . . . INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) wound up with the Chicago Cubs in 1969 after being traded twice on the same day (by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos). . . . Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) clobbered a ninth-inning grand slam off Satchel Paige to defeat the St. Louis Browns, 11-9, in 1952. White completed his HR trot by rounding third base and crawling from half-way home and kissing the plate.
10 - P Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was nation's second-leading scorer as a senior in 1956-57) traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969. . . . Recently-acquired OF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) knocked in six fourth-inning runs (three-run HR and bases-loaded triple) for the Chicago White Sox in a 1952 game at Philadelphia. . . . P Jeff Robinson (two-time NAIA All-District 3 honoree in early 1980s for Azusa Pacific CA) awarded off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Texas Rangers in 1992. . . . Cleveland Indians P Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) hurls no-hitter against the Washington Senators in 1966. . . . 2B Junior Spivey (redshirted his only semester at Northwestern Oklahoma State on a basketball scholarship before transferring to a KS junior college) traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Washington Nationals in 2005. . . . INF Gary Sutherland (Southern California's fifth-leading scorer in 1963-64 when he averaged 7.4 ppg) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1976.
9 - Baltimore Orioles P Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' 15-1 freshman basketball squad in 1971-72) shut out the Detroit Tigers in 1984, beating them for the second time in a week. . . . In 2008, Florida Marlins P Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State in rebounding four straight seasons from 1992-93 through 1995-96) yielded the 600th home run of the career of Ken Griffey Jr. . . . OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg, PA, three years in mid-1930s) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Boston Braves in 1946. . . . Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) replaced as manager of the Minnesota Twins by Cal Ermer in 1967. . . . Montreal Expos P Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as a Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) hurled the first of his two one-hitters in a month in 1971 (against San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies).
8 - Cincinnati Reds CF Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) hit for the cycle in a 23-2 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940. . . . Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43), en route to becoming 1950 A.L. Rookie of the Year, contributed two homers, seven RBI and five runs scored in a 29-4 romp over the St. Louis Browns in the most lopsided result in the 20th Century. . . . New York Yankees 1B-OF Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams that won a school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) extended his hit streak to 20 games with a pair of singles against the Cleveland Indians in 1942. . . . P Cal Koonce (standout for Campbell in 1960 and 1961 when North Carolina-based school was a junior college) purchased from the New York Mets by the Boston Red Sox in 1970. . . . Bonus baby Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) activated from the injury list by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955. They made room for him by optioning P Tommy Lasorda, who eventually managed them for 21 years from 1976 to 1996. . . . P Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg in three seasons from 1977-78 through 1979-80) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the San Diego Padres in 1988.
7 - SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 team ending the Bears' streak of 12 straight losing records) selected first overall in 1974 amateur draft featuring 12 of first 13 choices going on to become major leaguers. . . . OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when he averaged 12.4 ppg) selected in first round (10th pick overall) by the New York Yankees in 1966 amateur draft. . . . New York Giants Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson (played basketball for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) combined with teammate Joe McGinnity to surrender 11 runs in the opening inning of a 19-0 drubbing by the Chicago Cubs in 1906. It is the worst setback in Giants' history. . . . P Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) traded by the New York Yankees to the Minnesota Twins in 1987. . . . Chicago Cubs P Claude Passeau (played for Millsaps, MS, in late 1920s and early 1930s) hurled a shutout against the Brooklyn Dodgers and supplied a two-run, game-ending homer in the ninth inning in 1946. . . . OF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) picked fourth overall by the San Diego Padres in 1973 amateur draft goes straight to the majors. . . . 1B Babe Young (Fordham letterman in 1935-36) traded by the New York Giants to the Cincinnati Reds in 1947.
6 - P Mike Barlow (Syracuse substitute from 1967-68 through 1969-70) traded by the Houston Astros to the California Angels in 1976. . . . P Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State, NC, backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Texas Rangers in 1973. . . . San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) stroked a ninth-inning single on a 3-0 delivery to end Tom Browning's bid for a perfect game with the Cincinnati Reds in 1988. . . . OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV basketball squad with Bloomsburg, PA, three years in mid-1930s) notched the only for the Philadelphia Phillies off Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds in a 1941 outing. . . . Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) registered his only victory in 1961 (3-2 at San Francisco). He finished with the worst-ever season record (1-10 in final year with Philadelphia Phillies) for a Hall of Fame pitcher.
5 - P Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as a freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 ppg as a sophomore in 1977-78 under East Tennessee State coach Sonny Smith) selected in first round (21st pick overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 1979 amateur draft. . . . INF-OF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Cincinnati Reds in 1932. . . . P Ben McDonald (started six games as a 6-6 freshman forward for Louisiana State in 1986-87) picked first overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1989 amateur draft. . . . Closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) fans four of the last five Pittsburgh Pirates batters to earn the save for the Chicago Cubs in a 3-1 victory in 1983.
4 - Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32), supported by an inside-the-park homer from player/manager Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) during a 10-run third inning, was the winning pitcher in an 18-9 decision over the Philadelphia Athletics. . . . 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) selected by the Detroit Tigers in first round (2nd pick overall) in 1990 amateur draft. . . . Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) hit for the cycle against the Boston Red Sox in 1952. . . . Pinch-hitter Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) hammered a two-out, bases-loaded triple in the ninth inning to spark the Cleveland Indians to an 11-10 verdict over the St. Louis Browns in 1925. . . . P Jim Konstanty (Syracuse player in late 1930s) signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1956 after he was released by the New York Yankees. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) became the fourth hurler to toss three no-hitters, blanking the N.L.-leading Philadelphia Phillies, 3-0, in 1964. . . . 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 10-player swap in 1953. . . . In 1986, New York Yankees OF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered twice in an 11-0 victory over the California Angels in support of P Joe Niekro (played for West Liberty WV in mid-1960s).
3 - Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year basketball letterman for Allegeny, PA) drove in P Ken Holtzman with the only run of the game in Holtzman's no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in 1971. . . . New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) scored five runs in a 13-8 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. . . . OF Cameron Drew (NECC first-team selection in 1984-85 when he led New Haven, CT, in scoring and rebounding) selected by Houston Astros in first round (12th pick overall) in 1985 amateur draft. . . . 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers in a nine-player swap in 1952. . . . Overweight P George Earnshaw (competed with Swarthmore, PA, squad in 1922) fined by Philadelphia Athletics owner/manager Connie Mack in 1933. . . . OF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox in a nine-player swap in 1952. . . . In 1983, George Bamberger stepped down as manager of the New York Mets and is succeeded by Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when he led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58). . . . In 1978, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) became the first MLB player to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in a single season. . . . P Dave Lemanczyk (participated in NCAA Division II Tournament in 1970 and 1971 with Hartwick, NY) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the California Angels in 1980. . . . P Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg in three seasons from 1977-78 through 1979-80) selected in first round (17th pick overall) by the California Angels in 1980 amateur draft.
2 - 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for reliever Don McMahon in 1967 and wound up playing in the World Series that year against the St. Louis Cardinals. . . . In 1951, 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) demoted by the Boston Red Sox to the minors to regain his form after he was A.L. Rookie of the Year the previous campaign. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as a freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as a sophomore in 1965-66) tied a MLB mark by committing three errors in the first inning of a 6-3 setback against the Montreal Expos in 1973. . . . Chicago White Sox P Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in the early 1920s) tossed a shutout (6-0 against the Boston Red Sox in opener of a 1940 doubleheader), notching his 225th career victory. . . . C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Cleveland Indians in 1963. . . . P Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State, MI, from 1995-96 through 1997-98) selected by Seattle Mariners in first round (22nd pick overall) in 1998 amateur draft.
1 - OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV basketball squad with Bloomsburg, PA, three years in mid-1930s) traded by Philadelphia Phillies to St. Louis Cardinals in 1943. . . . Philadelphia Phillies 1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) failed to notch a putout in a 12-3 defeat against the Chicago Cubs in 1984. . . . St. Louis Cardinals OF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) had his 24-game hitting streak end against the Milwaukee Braves in 1957. . . . P Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points with Benedictine, KS, from 1955-56 through 1957-58) amassed 16 strikeouts in shutting out the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0, for the Pittsburgh Pirates' 12th consecutive victory in 1965.

MLB achievements/highlights in May by former college basketball players

MLB achievements/highlights in April by former college basketball players

There are occasions when we freely recall the full spectrum of players ranging from knuckleheads to knuckle-down heads of corporations. A Memorial Day weekend generates sobering reminders of what is really important to our freedom. College basketball contributions include the following individuals:

Baylor has developed a reputation the past couple of seasons for having some "soft" players who played with the fervor of a man holding his female companion's purse at the mall much of a shopping excursion afternoon. But Baylor is believed to be the only non-service academy in America to have two former athletes go on to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Both men, Jack Lummus and John "Killer" Kane, earned the nation's highest military honor for heroics in World War II. Lummus played football, basketball and baseball for the Bears from 1938 through 1941. He was an All-Southwest Conference center fielder before signing with the NFL's New York Giants.

After one year of pro football, Lummus joined the U.S. Marines and was a platoon leader in the initial days of fighting on Iwo Jima. While leading a charge on enemy positions, Lummus stepped on a land mine and lost both legs. Despite heavy bleeding, he led his platoon to knock out several pockets of Japanese fire, a vital part of the U.S. victory. Alas, Lummus died of his wounds shortly after the battle.

Kane, who also played football and basketball, was one of the survivors on Baylor's ill-fated 1927 basketball squad that lost 10 of its 21-member traveling party in a bus-train wreck en route to Austin, Tex. As a result of the "Immortal Ten" tragedy, the remainder of the first of coach Ralph Wolf's 15 seasons was cancelled, and the first highway overpass in Texas was constructed.

Kane joined the Army Air Corps in 1932 and soon became a bomber commander of legendary proportions. It was said he was the best pilot and toughest commander in the Air Corps. It was often debated who feared him more - the Germans or his own men.

On August 1, 1943, Kane led what at the time was the deadliest air battle in history - a low-level, long-range bombing raid on Hitler's oil-refining complex in Rumania. The site produced a major portion of the Axis' fuel and was one of the most heavily-guarded locations in history.

The heroism exhibited by ex-hoopsters doesn't stop there. Al Brown, Creighton's leading scorer in 1925-26, survived the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines. Ex-players warranting salutes for making the supreme sacrifice include:

• All 11 regulars on Pittsburgh's 1941 Final Four team participated in World War II and one of them, guard Bob Artman, was killed in action.

• Kentucky players who competed multiple years for the Wildcats before they were killed during WWII included Mel Brewer (Army second lieutenant/died in France), Ken England (Army captain of ski troop/Italy), James Goforth (Marine first lieutenant/Marshall Islands) and Jim King (Army second lieutenant and co-pilot/Germany). Brewer, England and King were three of the top seven scorers for UK's first NCAA Tournament and Final Four team in 1942.

• Bob "Ace" Calkins, UCLA's top scorer in the late 1930s before Jackie Robinson arrived, was navigator on an airplane ("The Flying Fortress") gunned down during WWII. He later died in an Italian prison camp from wounds suffered in the crash.

• Edward Christl, a center and Army team captain for the Cadets' unbeaten squad in 1944, was a first lieutenant during WWII the next year when he was killed in action. Army's arena is named after him.

• Colorado A&M's Lewis "Dude" Dent, voted the best all-around athlete in the Mountain States Conference in 1943, was an Army lieutenant among forward observers giving firing coordinates on the radio when killed in action in France in August 1944.

• Montana State's Cyrus Gatton, a pilot with the 11th Areo Squadron, was killed in action in Europe the first week in November 1918, a week before the Armistice was signed ending World War I.

• Eddie Grant, who played basketball for Harvard at the turn of the 20th Century before becoming an infielder for 10 years in the majors, died from shelling on October 5, 1918, in the Argonne Forest, France, during WWI while in charge of his battalion after his commanding officer was killed.

• Thomas P. Hunter, a three-year letterman who was a sophomore member of Kansas' 1940 runner-up, was killed in action against the Japanese on Guam, July 21, 1944, while fighting with the Ninth Marines as a first lieutenant. Hunter was elected posthumously as captain of the Jayhawks' 1945-46 squad that compiled a 19-2 record.

• Nile Kinnick, Iowa's Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback-halfback in 1939, played basketball for the Hawkeyes during his sophomore year, averaging 6.1 ppg to finish as their second-leading scorer. After bypassing pro football to attend law school, he was killed in a plane crash in 1943 while serving in the Navy.

• Center Bill Menke, the third-leading scorer for Indiana's 1940 NCAA champion who supplied a team-high 10 points in the Hoosiers' national semifinal victory over Duquesne, later became a Navy pilot and served in World War II. In January 1945, he was declared missing in action (and presumed dead) when he didn't return from a flight in the Caribbean.

• Harry "Porky" O'Neill paced Gettysburg (Pa.) to two Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championships in the late 1930s and caught one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939. After surviving the worst of the horrific fighting at Iwo Jima, the Marine first lieutenant was killed instantly on March 6, 1945, by a sniper's bullet piercing his throat and severing his spinal cord as he prepared to bed down on a starlit night.

• Four-sport letterman Tommy Peters, who averaged 17.5 ppg to lead the Southern Conference in scoring in 1942-43, died during WWII after only one season with Davidson.

• San Diego State's Milton "Milky" Phelps, the NAIA Tournament's first bona fide standout when he sparked the Aztecs to the 1941 title after two runner-up finishes, gave his life for his country during WWII in the crash of a Navy torpedo bomber.

• Curtis Popham, Texas' co-captain in 1943, was killed during WWII.

• Robert Roach, a member of Omaha's squad before entering the military, was a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces in July 1945 when he died in the crash of his plane in Arizona, where he was an instructor.

• Carleton (MN) forward Wayne Sparks, a "Little All-American" in 1936-37, died in a bomber crash during WWII.

• Four-time All-MCAU forward Eugene "Peaches" Westover, class of '38 for Drury (MO), was killed January 1, 1945, at the Battle of the Bulge.

Numerous standout players had their college playing careers sidetracked by WWII. Following is a list of All-Americans who had their college days interrupted in the mid-1940s while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces:

Air Force - Charles Black (Kansas) and Jack Parkinson (Kentucky).

Army - Don Barksdale (UCLA), Lew Beck (Oregon State), A.L. Bennett (Oklahoma A&M), Gale Bishop (Washington State), Vince Boryla (Notre Dame/Denver), Harry Boykoff (St. John's), Bob Brannum (Kentucky), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), Alex Groza (Kentucky), Ralph Hamilton (Indiana), Walt Kirk (Illinois), Allie Paine (Oklahoma), Don Rehfeldt (Wisconsin), Jack Smiley (Illinois), Odie Spears (Western Kentucky) and Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma).

Marine Corps - Aud Brindley (Dartmouth), John Hargis (Texas), Mickey Marty (Loras), Andy Phillip (Illinois), Gene Rock (southern California) and Kenny Sailors (Wyoming).

Navy - Bobby Cook (Wisconsin), Howie Dallmar (Stanford/Penn), Dick Dickey (North Carolina State), Bob Faught (Notre Dame), Harold Gensichen (Western Michigan), Wyndol Gray (Bowling Green State), Hal Haskins (Hamline), Leo Klier (Notre Dame), Dick McGuire (St. John's) and John Oldham (Western Kentucky).

In an incredible achievement, Phillip and Tucker returned to first-team All-American status in 1946-47 after missing three seasons while serving in the military. Black and Sailors also returned to All-American acclaim after missing two seasons. Meanwhile, Whitey Skoog served in the U.S. Navy before becoming a three-time All-American with Minnesota in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Gus Broberg, an aviator with the Marines after being named an NCAA consensus first-team All-American for Dartmouth in 1940 and 1941, lost his right arm in a plane crash. He went on to study law and become a respected judge in Florida.

Fallen heroes also emerged post-WWII. Don Holleder, who averaged 9.3 ppg as a junior and 6.8 ppg as a senior for Army in the mid-1950s, was a major during the Vietnam War in October, 1967, when he was killed by a sniper's bullet in an ambush 40 miles from Saigon as he hurled himself into enemy fire attempting to rescue wounded comrades.

We honor and remember after they went from the playing field to battlefield!

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." - Desmond Tutu

At first glance, it seems somewhat ridiculous for a power conference school such as Indiana to offer a scholarship to an eighth-grader (Eron Gordon) last year. But that is before examining his family tree. His father, Eric Sr., averaged 14.1 points per game with Liberty from 1981-82 through 1983-84, leading the Flames in scoring as a senior with 18.1 ppg before the school moved up to the NCAA Division I level later in the decade. Oldest brother Eric Jr. led the Big Ten Conference in scoring as a freshman All-American in his lone season with IU in 2007-08 before moving on to the NBA. Older brother Evan was named to the Big South Conference All-Freshman team with Liberty in 2009-10 before becoming an all-league second-team selection as a sophomore prior to transferring to Arizona State and now moving on again to Eric Jr.'s old stomping grounds. If Evan and Eron live up to billing, the Gordons could become one of the most influential families in college basketball history.

In the meantime, hoopdom's "Focus on the Family" will concentrate on the Plumlees and Grants. If youngest brother Marshall Plumlee overcomes his foot problems and improves as much as Duke siblings Mason and Miles, they could combine with their father, former Tennessee Tech frontcourter Perky, to comprise one of most dynamic family units. Mason became the Blue Devils' go-to plumb line to keep them on the straight and narrow last season after forgoing leaving school early for the NBA. The following legacy list is likely to change next year because of Grant's Army as the former Oklahoma All-American Harvey Grant has a couple more sons in the ACC - Jerian (Notre Dame) and Jerami (Syracuse) - after eldest Jerai competed with Clemson.

Until we have a final reading on the Gordons, Grants and Plumlees, following are 10 of the top nuclear-power families. The "HoopDaddys" comprised of college players who had at least three sons also go on to compete in a significant way at a similar level include:

BARRY BARRY GOOD
1. Barry - Father Rick Barry, a first-team All-American as a senior when he led the nation in scoring, averaged 29.8 ppg and 16.5 rpg for Miami (FL) from 1962-63 through 1964-65. Son Scooter averaged 3.3 ppg for Kansas' 1988 NCAA titlist before leading the Jayhawks with 5.7 apg the next season. Son Jon, a junior college transfer, averaged 14.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 4.5 apg for Pacific and Georgia Tech in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Son Brent averaged 12.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.3 apg for Oregon State from 1991-92 through 1994-95. Son Drew, an All-ACC second-team selection as a senior, averaged 10.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 6.2 apg for Georgia Tech from 1992-93 through 1995-96, leading the ACC in assists each of his last three seasons. Son Canyon redshirted as a freshman with the College of Charleston in 2011-12. Jon, an All-ACC third-team selection as a junior in 1991-92, and Brent, an All-Pacific-10 Conference choice as a senior, were late bloomers who went on to have productive NBA careers. Rick, Jon and Brent were NBA first-round draft choices while Drew was a second-round pick. Bruce Hale, Rick's father-in-law and a Santa Clara alumnus, coached him at Miami (FL) after playing five years in the NBA.

WALTON MOUNTAIN GANG
2. Walton - Father Bill Walton, a three-time national player of the year, averaged 20.3 ppg and 15.7 rpg for UCLA from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Son Adam lettered with LSU before incurring a rest-of-season suspension in Dale Brown's final year as coach in 1996-97 and subsequently transferring to a small college in California. Son Nate was an All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton as a senior in 2000-01, becoming the fourth player in school history with two seasons of at least 100 assists. Son Luke, a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference choice, averaged 9.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 4.5 apg for Arizona from 1999-2000 through 2002-03. Son Chris finished among the top 15 in the Mountain West Conference in assists and rebounding as a junior in 2003-04 for San Diego State, finishing his four-year career with averages of 5.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg.

PRICE IS RIGHT CONTROL
3. Price - Father Dennis Price, an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection as a junior, averaged 10.9 ppg for Oklahoma from 1957-58 through 1959-60. Son Mark, a three-time All-ACC first-team selection and All-American, averaged 17.4 ppg and 4 apg for Georgia Tech from 1982-83 through 1985-86. Son Matt scored 23 points in 18 games as a freshman for Appalachian State in 1984-85. Son Brent, an All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection as a senior, averaged 18 ppg and 5.8 apg for Oklahoma in 1990-91 and 1991-92 after transferring from South Carolina, where he averaged 12.6 ppg and 3.5 apg in 1987-88 and 1988-89.

HIGH ON HAARLOW
4. Haarlow - Father Bill Haarlow Jr., a three-time All-Western Conference selection for the University of Chicago from 1933-34 through 1935-36, was the league's third-leading scorer as a sophomore (9.9 ppg), leading scorer as a junior (13) and second-leading scorer as a senior (12.6). He had three sons play for Princeton in the 1960s - A. William III averaged 10.8 ppg and 5 rpg in 1962-63, Bob averaged 8.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66 (second-leading scorer for the Tigers' 1965 Final Four team as a teammate of All-American Bill Bradley) and John averaged 12.6 ppg and 7.3 rpg from 1965-66 through 1967-68 (All-Ivy League second-team selection as a junior). With Bill Jr. cited on CollegeHoopedia.com's comprehensive list of all-time All-Americans, the Haarlows might have been the initial most impactful family on the sport.

PATERNO INFLUENCE
5. Paterno - Father Bill Paterno averaged 3.4 ppg with St. Francis (N.Y.) in 1948-49 and 1949-50 after scoring 18 points in nine games in 1947-48. Son Billy averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg for Notre Dame from 1973-74 through 1976-77 under coach Digger Phelps, finishing team runner-up in scoring to All-American Adrian Dantley as a sophomore with 13.3 ppg. Son Mike averaged 3.1 ppg for Monmouth in 1987-88. Son Joe averaged 14.6 ppg and 5.1 rpg with Fordham from 1985-86 through 1988-89, leading the Rams in scoring in three seasons and finishing his career as their all-time second-leading scorer. Son Steve averaged 10.8 ppg and 3.6 rpg with Marist from 1987-88 through 1990-91, leading the Red Foxes in scoring as a junior before finishing runner-up as a senior.

TOASTING THE RAIVIOS
6. Raivio - Father Rick Raivio, a three-time All-WCAC selection who led Portland in field-goal shooting all four seasons, finished as the Pilots' all-time leading rebounder (910/9.4 rpg) while averaging 17.2 ppg before becoming a fifth-round draft choice by the Los Angeles Lakers. Son Derek, the WCC co-player of the year as a senior (18 ppg and nation-leading 96.1 FT%), averaged 11.5 ppg and 2.8 apg while shooting 41.6% from beyond the arc from 2003-04 through 2006-07 with Gonzaga en route to becoming the #2 all-time free-throw shooter in DI history (92.7%). Son Nik, a J.C. recruit, was an All-WCC selection as a junior with Portland in 2008-09 when he averaged 16 ppg and 6.5 rpg before heading overseas to play professionally after finishing his Pilots' career with 14.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Son Matt was averaging 11.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg for Simon Fraser (Vancouver) in mid-season in 2011-12 after transferring from Santa Rosa (CA) JC.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
7. Pollard - Father Pearl Pollard (6-9), a second-team All-Skyline Conference choice as a senior, averaged 10.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg for Utah from 1956-57 through 1958-59 with three national postseason tournament teams, leading the Utes in scoring and rebounding as a senior. Son Carl, 7-2, played briefly for BYU as a freshman in 1983-84 before redshirting in 1984-85, going on a two-year Mormon mission and transferring with a brother to Southern California, where he didn't play prior to competing with Southern Utah in 1989-90 and averaging 1.5 ppg and 2.9 rpg. Son Alan, 6-9, averaged 5.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg while splitting four seasons between Brigham Young and USC from 1984-85 through 1988-89, leading BYU in rebounding as a freshman. Son Mark, 6-11, played briefly for San Diego State in 1990-91 before also leaving at the same time with a brother. Son Neal, 7-0, redshirted at San Diego State in 1988-89 before going on a Mormon mission to New England, playing three games with the Aztecs in 1991-92 and transferring to Utah State, where he didn't play. Son Scot, 6-11, averaged 9.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.7 bpg for four Kansas teams reaching NCAA playoff regional semifinals from 1993-94 through 1996-97 before becoming an NBA first-round draft choice.

CAN'T FOIL THE DOYLES
8. Doyle - Father Dan Doyle averaged 13.7 ppg and 12.2 rpg for Belmont Abbey (N.C.) in his four-year career. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons in 5th round of 1961 NBA draft (44th pick overall) after pacing Al McGuire-coached teams in scoring average his final three seasons and rebounding as a junior and senior. Son Danny averaged 7.4 ppg and 2.1 rpg with Iona from 1989-90 through 1993-94, leading the Gaels in assists and steals as a senior. Son Joe led then-DII Sacred Heart in scoring, assists and steals as a senior in 1996-97. Son Tim played sparingly for St. John's in 2002-03 before transferring to Northwestern, where he averaged 8.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.3 spg from 2004-05 through 2006-07, leading the Wildcats in assists his last two seasons and in steals as a senior.

HUGGY BEARS ALL
9. Huggins - Father Charlie Huggins was an All-WVIAC first-team selection for Alderson-Broaddus (W. Va.) in 1957-58 after transferring from West Virginia. Son Bob averaged 8.4 ppg and 2.8 rpg while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 79.4% from the free-throw line with West Virginia in the mid-1970s after transferring from Ohio University. Son Harry was a two-year letterman for Texas Lutheran in the late 1970s after transferring from Rice. Son Larry averaged 5.6 ppg, 2 rpg and 2.1 apg while shooting 46.3% from the floor and 79.3% from the free-throw line as a captain for Ohio State in the early 1980s.

WE AND PAPA McGEE
10. McGee - Father Anthony McGee led Long Beach State in scoring in 1975-76 with 14.8 ppg before contributing 4.5 ppg for the 49ers' NCAA playoff team the next season. Son Tony averaged 4 ppg for Eastern Washington in 1997-98 and 1998-99. Son Antoine averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.7 apg with Colorado from 2002-03 through 2005-06. Son Andre averaged 5.2 ppg and 1.8 apg while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc with Louisville from 2005-06 through 2008-09, leading the Cardinals in three-point field-goal shooting as a junior (39.4%).

HONORABLE MENTION: FIFE AND DRUM CORPS
Fife - Father Dan Fife, a 10th-round draft choice by the Milwaukee Bucks before pitching briefly for the Minnesota Twins, averaged 12.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg for Michigan from 1968-69 through 1970-71. Son Dugan averaged 4.6 ppg and 2 rpg for Michigan from 1992-93 through 1995-96. Son Jeremy led Grand Valley State (MI) in assists in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Son Dane averaged 5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.4 spg while shooting 38.2% from three-point range for Indiana from 1998-99 through 2001-02.

When former All-Americans Adam Morrison (Gonzaga), Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Damon Stoudamire (Arizona) joined the coaching staffs of their alma maters, the thought might have crossed your mind as to what other standout players over the years might have done in the real world after their basketball deflated. If so, CollegeHoopedia.com has conducted extensive research on the real world comings-and-goings of premier players when the ball stopped bouncing. When an All-American such as Hal Lear (Temple) is named to a local Hall of Fame, did you wonder "Whatever Happened to . . . . ?" You'll be surprised at the variety of vocations.

On the second anniversary of ridding Planet Earth of Osama bin Laden, it seems we should be celebrating an authentic hero from the college basketball ranks who was instrumental in tracking him down. But the selfless ex-athlete from a Midwest university hasn't "come out of the closet" for security reasons and might be underground with a fake identification.

In the aftermath of Navy SEAL team 6 dispatching OBL to hell (equivalent status even if satisfying 72 virgins is what transpired), the White House unveiled a photograph of President Barack Obama and his Cabinet inside the Situation Room, watching the daring commando raid unfold on May 1, 2011. But POTUS (Occidential, Calif., JV player) apparently wasn't the tallest ex-college hoopster in the room. Standing just outside the frame of that famous pic was an anonymous Central Intelligence Agency officer ("CIA John") who tracked OBL as a dogmatic deputy chief and reportedly was also influential as one of the principal proponents of drone deterrence. Two days after the world's most-wanted man was transformed into marine treat when dumped into the North Arabian Sea, "CIA John" accompanied then CIA Director Leon Panetta to Capitol Hill, where the Senate Intelligence Committee received a full briefing on the mission.

According to AP accounts at the time, the meticulous senior intelligence analyst was the first individual to put in writing that a legitimate CIA lead had been assembled on possibly locating OBL. He spearheaded the collection of clues for nearly 10 years, leading the agency to a fortified compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and its epic counterterrorism success. Our freedom-loving nation is eternally grateful that his manhunt accuracy as a deep-cover agent in pinpointing OBL's whereabouts stood in stark contrast to his free-throw marksmanship as a deep-bench player (barely over 30%) as a member of multiple NCAA playoff teams.

A riveting film "Zero Dark Thirty" was a box office hit. The inspiring movie focused on a young female CIA operative, allegedly also from flyover country, showing her tenacity, dedication and courage in primarily monitoring a vital courier for al-Qaeda's upper brass. According to Esquire, the shooter who killed OBL gave the magazine out of his gun as a souvenir to bloodhound "Maya." While the film doesn't do justice to the male super spy, the patriot is likely to defer anyway to the concept "there is no 'I' in team." Naturally, Langley issued a perfunctory "no comment" because concern exists about publishing his name and running biographical details that might make him a target for retribution.

Over the decades, there have been other notable "Secret Agent Men" in the CIA who were former college hoopsters. In fact, a Final Four player isn't required to hit a decisive basket or be selected Most Outstanding Player to be a hero. He doesn't even need to participate on the court. Bob Ames, a member of the Tom Gola-led La Salle teams in 1954 (national champion) and 1955 (runner-up to San Francisco), never got off the bench at the Final Four those two years although he was the only La Salle player to hit more than three-fourths of his free throws the season the Explorers won the NCAA title.

"Our coach, Ken Loeffler, only used seven guys, and Bob was the eighth man," said Frank Blatcher, a starter for the Explorers each season and their leading scorer with a total of 42 points at the Final Four on the championship team. "He had the talent. He just never got a chance to show it."

Ames, a pre-law major who scored a total of eight points in three NCAA playoff games in 1955, did have an opportunity to show his ability in another more vital endeavor, however. He joined the CIA and worked his way up the chain of command to become the Director of the CIA's Office of Analysis of the Near East and South Asia. "The Spy Who Loved Basketball" worked closely with both the Carter and Reagan administrations.

Regrettably, Ames was killed in Beirut in 1983. A truck loaded with TNT on a suicide mission rammed into the facility where Ames was staying while serving as a liaison trying to allay contacts among the Lebanese, Syrians and Israelis in hopes of calming the escalating discord.

"Here was a guy that turned out to have had a greater influence on our lives than just about any 1,000 other basketball players you can name," Blatcher said. "It just shows you that you don't have to be a star to accomplish something." Something like becoming a genuine American hero.

Elsewhere, the CIA's deputy director under George Bush in 1976 was Hank Knoche, the leading scorer in the Mountain States (Big Seven) Conference with 16.4 points per game for Colorado's 1946 NCAA Tournament team. Knoche, the father of former American University coach Chris Knoche, reputedly was the first player selected in the NBA's first college draft in 1947 after enrolling at Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) to play on a 16-4 team with two of his brothers. But he never appeared in the then-fledgling league, which doesn't have any official draft records prior to 1949. The franchise that selected him, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, folded shortly after the draft, and his rights reverted to the New York Knicks.

"I didn't know I was the first No. 1 pick until a writer from Atlanta called me for a story," Knoche said. "An NBA historian had informed him of my alleged status."

The elder Knoche, who went to live in the Denver area, chose not to play in an uncertain situation for little money. "I never received any contact from the Ironmen," he said. "The Knicks sent a contract offer in the mail, but it was for just $3,500 and that's if I made the team (many NBA standouts earn five times that amount every quarter).

"I chose to play industrial basketball, where I remember playing six times one year against seven-footer Bob Kurland (Oklahoma State three-time first-team All-American who never played in the NBA). That wasn't much fun going against Kurland because I was just a 6-4 center."

Knoche was recalled to the military during the Korean War, where he was assigned to intelligence work for the Navy and later embarked on a civilian career leading to a job with the CIA.

In the shadowy world of the CIA, no precise clues exist as to whether a basketball background for "CIA John" contributed to helping POTUS develop a comfort-zone bond with him like other ex-college hoopsters in his inner circle - Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (Harvard), Attorney General Eric Holder (Yale), former "body man" Reggie Love (Duke) and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen (Navy). But it isn't ridiculous to suggest there might not have been a second inauguration for President Obama if he didn't trust "CIA John."

A vital hurdle approving the raid came when the SEAL Squadron leader briefed Mullen on merits of the mission. According to Esquire, Vice Admiral William McRaven, head of Joint Special Ops Command, compared the raid and its fighters to the basketball movie Hoosiers in a final briefing with the participants.

A pithy precept occasionally surfaces in basketball trash talking that "some talk a good game and some play a good game." Depending upon your point of view, Time's Person of the Year in 2011 and/or 2012 should have been "CIA John." Surely, Time managing editor Rick Stengel, a backup for Pete Carril-coached Princeton in the mid-1970s, would have encouraged his colleagues to give "CIA John" special consideration after the White House acknowledged him and his colleagues as "unbelievably competent professionals."

Deserved or not, other ex-college hoopsters may get the bulk of the glory ranging from taking credit for OBL's demise to some searing social issue that actually pales in comparison. When, if ever, will our nation get the opportunity to pay homage to our latest genuine hoop hero? Heaven only knows that we need a real one these days. But at the moment, it will simply be "The Greatest Hoop Story Never Told."

Even using a mite foggy crystal ball, was there any doubt we would never know a lot of the precise details stemming from how on earth a mediocre college player had the out-of-this-world fiscal wherewithal to make a down payment of $30,000 and go in debt for $67,800 to purchase custom jewelry in New York in the middle of an eventual NCAA championship season? Lance Thomas, a senior forward who averaged 4.8 ppg for Duke in 2009-10, sure(ty) has left a lot of unanswered questions regarding an escapade that could be dubbed "Diamonds Are Forever" (at least finishing payments for them until settling lawsuit last fall).

Thomas continues to leave inquiring minds wanting a lot more much like he did on the court. Rather than striving for bling to look like a tall rapper, he should have been more concerned about the tall order of living up to his billing as a McDonald's All-American in 2006.

There is no doubt the Blue Devils have a history of dealing in bulk when it comes to McDonald's Unhappy Deals. While observers wonder why Duke is treated differently than Memphis (remember Derrick Rose) when it comes to stonewalling participants, following is a list including him among 10 McDonald's All-Americans who averaged fewer than 5 ppg in their Duke careers:

NOTE: Beard (Boston University), Boateng (Arizona State), Burgess (Utah), Palmer (Dartmouth) and Thompson (Northwestern) transferred to other schools to finish their college careers.

Eddie Jordan, a member of the New Jersey Nets among the four NBA franchises he played for during his seven-year NBA playing career, returned to his alma mater (Rutgers '77) as head coach. Jordan doesn't have a diploma but joins LSU's Johnny Jones and UNLV's Dave Rice as the only active coaches to have played for their alma mater in a Final Four.

Jordan also has the distinction of being an NBA head coach (three different franchises a total of nine years). He is the leader in scoring and assists average among the following alphabetical list of seven active Division I head coaches detailing the first season they coached their alma mater after playing in the NBA:

Active Coach	Alma Mater	1st Year	Summary of NBA Playing Career
Jerome Allen	Pennsylvania '95	2009-10	Averaged 2.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg and 1.7 apg with three NBA teams in two seasons in 1995-96 and 1996-97
Bryce Drew	Valparaiso '98	2011-12	Averaged 4.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg and 2.2 apg with three NBA teams in six seasons from 1998-99 through 2003-04
Fred Hoiberg	Iowa State '95	2010-11	Averaged 5.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 1.7 apg with the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls in eight seasons from 1995-96 through 2002-03
Clemon Johnson	Florida A&M '78	2011-12	Averaged 5.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1 apg and 0.9 bpg with four NBA teams in 10 seasons from 1978-79 through 1987-88
Eddie Jordan	Rutgers '77	2013-14	Averaged 8.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 3.8 apg with four NBA teams in seven seasons from 1977-78 through 1983-84
Kevin Ollie	Connecticut '95	2012-13	Averaged 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 2.3 apg with 12 NBA teams in 13 seasons from 1997-98 through 2009-10
Lorenzo Romar	Washington '80	2002-03	Averaged 5.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg and 3.5 apg with three NBA teams in five seasons from 1980-81 through 1984-85

Florida State offensive lineman Melenik Watson, a part-time starter as a basketball player in college before concentrating solely on football, was slated in most NFL mock drafts to be a first-round selection. But in a draft with an emphasis on OL, he slipped to the second round.

Watson, the 42nd choice overall by the Oakland Raiders, joined Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o and West Virginia QB Geno Smith as acclaimed players shunned in the opening round. The first ex-college hoopster picked in the draft was wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who played briefly in seven basketball games with Clemson in 2010-11.

Watson, a native of Manchester, England, was a redshirt freshman for Marist in 2009-10 before contributing 4.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg while shooting a team-high 47.6% from the floor with the Red Foxes in 2010-11. He transferred to Saddleback (Calif.) Community College, where the 6-6, 300-pounder started focusing on football.

Historically, the first 15 NFL drafts from 1936 through 1950 had a former college basketball regular selected among the top 10 picks. Four of the top six choices and five of the top 11 in the 1957 draft were ex-college hoopsters. In 1963, five of the top 22 picks, including four from schools that have always been or subsequently became members of the Big Ten Conference, were in the same category. Hopkins joined the following alphabetical list of NFL first-round draft choices who played varsity college basketball for a major university:

First-Round Choice	Pos.	College	Selected in Draft By	NFL Pick Overall
Neill Armstrong	OE-DB	Oklahoma A&M	Philadelphia Eagles	8th in 1947
Doug Atkins	DE	Tennessee	Cleveland Browns	11th in 1953
Terry Baker	QB-RB	Oregon State	Los Angeles Rams	1st in 1963
Sammy Baugh	QB	Texas Christian	Boston Redskins	6th in 1937
*Hub Bechtol	E	Texas Tech/Texas	Pittsburgh Steelers	5th in 1947
Johnny Bright	RB	Drake	Philadelphia Eagles	5th in 1952
Jim Brown	RB	Syracuse	Cleveland Browns	6th in 1957
Bob Carey	WR	Michigan State	Los Angeles Rams	13th in 1952
Fred Carr	LB	Texas Western	Green Bay Packers	5th in 1968
Lynn Chandnois	HB	Michigan State	Pittsburgh Steelers	8th in 1950
George Connor	OL-DT-LB	Notre Dame	New York Giants	5th in 1946
Olie Cordill	HB	Rice	Cleveland Browns	5th in 1940
Ernie Davis	HB	Syracuse	Washington Redskins	1st in 1962
Glenn Davis	HB	Army	Detroit Lions	2nd in 1947
Len Dawson	QB	Purdue	Pittsburgh Steelers	5th in 1957
Mike Ditka	TE	Pittsburgh	Chicago Bears	5th in 1961
Rickey Dudley	TE	Ohio State	Oakland Raiders	9th in 1996
Ray Evans	TB-DB	Kansas	Chicago Bears	9th in 1944
James Francis	LB	Baylor	Cincinnati Bengals	12th in 1990
Reuben Gant	TE	Oklahoma State	Buffalo Bills	18th in 1974
Tony Gonzalez	TE	California	Kansas City Chiefs	13th in 1996
Otto Graham	QB	Northwestern	Detroit Lions	4th in 1944
Bud Grant	E	Minnesota	Philadelphia Eagles	14th in 1950
Bob Griese	QB	Purdue	Miami Dolphins	4th in 1967
Kevin Hardy	DL	Notre Dame	New Orleans Saints	7th in 1968
Tom Harmon	HB-DB	Michigan	Chicago Bears	1st in 1941
Todd Heap	TE	Arizona State	Baltimore Ravens	31st in 2001
King Hill	QB	Rice	Chicago Cardinals	1st as bonus pick in 1958
Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch	OE	Michigan	Cleveland Rams	5th in 1945
DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson	Houston Texans	27th in 2013
Paul Hornung	RB	Notre Dame	Green Bay Packers	1st as bonus pick in 1957
Jack Jenkins	FB-LB	Vanderbilt	Washington Redskins	10th in 1943
Ed "Too Tall" Jones	DL	Tennessee State	Dallas Cowboys	1st in 1974
Matt Jones	E	Arkansas	Jacksonville Jaquars	21st in 2005
Shante Jones	DE	Arizona State	Dallas Cowboys	23rd in 1994
Billy Kilmer	QB	UCLA	San Francisco 49ers	11th in 1961
Ron Kramer	WR	Michigan	Green Bay Packers	4th in 1957
Johnny Lattner	HB	Notre Dame	Pittsburgh Steelers	7th in 1954
Bobby Layne	QB	Texas	Chicago Bears	3rd in 1948
Ronnie Lott	DB	Southern California	San Francisco 49ers	8th in 1981
Johnny Lujack	QB	Notre Dame	Chicago Bears	4th in 1946
Don Lund	FB-LB	Michigan	Chicago Bears	7th in 1945
Bob MacLeod	B	Dartmouth	Brooklyn Dodgers	5th in 1939
Jim McDonald	B	Ohio State	Philadelphia Eagles	2nd in 1938
Banks McFadden	HB	Clemson	Brooklyn Dodgers	3rd in 1940
Rich McGeorge	TE	Elon	Green Bay Packers	16th in 1970
Donovan McNabb	QB	Syracuse	Philadelphia Eagles	2nd in 1999
R.W. McQuarters	CB	Oklahoma State	San Francisco 49ers	28th in 1998
Leonard Mitchell	DE	Houston	Philadelphia Eagles	27th in 1981
Mack Mitchell	DE	Houston	Cleveland Browns	5th in 1975
Julius Peppers	DE	North Carolina	Carolina Panthers	2nd in 2002
Pat Richter	TE	Wisconsin	Washington Redskins	7th in 1962
Andre Rison	WR	Michigan State	Indianapolis Colts	22nd in 1989
Jack Robbins	QB	Arkansas	Chicago Cardinals	5th in 1938
Reggie Rogers	DL	Washington	Detroit Lions	7th in 1987
Art Schlichter	QB	Ohio State	Baltimore Colts	4th in 1982
Del Shofner	E	Baylor	Los Angeles Rams	11th in 1957
Norm Snead	QB	Wake Forest	Washington Redskins	2nd in 1961
Joe Stydahar	T	West Virginia	Chicago Bears	6th in 1936
Doak Walker	HB-DB	Southern Methodist	New York Bulldogs	3rd in 1949
Byron "Whizzer" White	B	Colorado	Pittsburgh Steelers	4th in 1938
Alfred Williams	DE	Colorado	Cincinnati Bengals	18th in 1991
Jack Wilson	HB	Baylor	Cleveland Browns	2nd in 1942
Kendall Wright	WR	Baylor	Tennessee Titans	20th in 2012

*Bechtol played in the AAFC, where he was a second-round pick (9th overall).

Mid-major schools supplied two NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans (Creighton's Doug McDermott and Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk) for the first time since 1972-73 (Oral Roberts' Richie Fuqua, Southwestern Louisiana's Dwight "Bo" Lamar and Long Beach State's Ed Ratleff.

McDermott, bound for a power conference next season (Big East), is only the second mid-major player since Indiana State's Larry Bird in 1977-78 and 1978-79 to become a two-time NCAA consensus first-team All-American. UNLV's Larry Johnson (1989-90 and 1990-91) had been the only player in that category in a 33-year span.

Following is a chronological list of mid-level NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans who played for a school never to be a member of a power conference (Creighton, Houston, Memphis, SMU and Temple moving up to fragmented Big East) since the ACC was introduced in 1953-54:

Year	NCAA Consensus First- and Second-Team All-Americans
1954	La Salle's Tom Gola (1st), Western Kentucky's Tom Marshall (2nd), Furman's Frank Selvy (1st) and Duquesne's Dick Ricketts (2nd)
1955	Furman's Darrell Floyd (2nd), La Salle's Tom Gola (1st), Duquesne's Sihugo Green (1st), Duquesne's Dick Ricketts (1st) and San Francisco's Bill Russell (1st)
1956	Furman's Darrell Floyd (2nd), Duquesne's Sihugo Green (1st), Holy Cross' Tom Heinsohn (1st), San Francisco's K.C. Jones (2nd), San Francisco's Bill Russell (1st) and Dayton's Bill Uhl (2nd)
1957	Seattle's Elgin Baylor (2nd) and Columbia's Chet Forte (1st)
1958	Seattle's Elgin Baylor (1st) and San Francisco's Mike Farmer (2nd)
1959	Marshall's Leo Byrd (2nd)
1960	St. Bonaventure's Tom Stith (1st)
1961	Gonzaga's Frank Burgess (2nd), St. Bonaventure's Tom Stith (1st) and Bradley's Chet Walker (1st)
1962	Holy Cross' Jack Foley (2nd) and Bradley's Chet Walker (1st)
1963	Colorado State's Bill Green (2nd), Loyola of Chicago's Jerry Harkness (1st), NYU's Barry Kramer (1st) and Bowling Green State's Nate Thurmond (2nd)
1964	Princeton's Bill Bradley (1st), Davidson's Fred Hetzel (2nd) and Wichita State's Dave Stallworth (1st)
1965	Princeton's Bill Bradley (1st), Utah State's Wayne Estes (2nd), Davidson's Fred Hetzel (1st) and Wichita State's Dave Stallworth (2nd)
1966	St. Joseph's Matt Guokas (2nd) and Davidson's Dick Snyder (2nd)
1967	New Mexico's Mel Daniels (2nd), Western Kentucky's Clem Haskins (1st) and Dayton's Don May (2nd)
1968	St. Bonaventure's Bob Lanier (2nd), Dayton's Don May (2nd) and Niagara's Calvin Murphy (2nd)
1969	Detroit's Spencer Haywood (1st), Davidson's Mike Maloy (2nd), Niagara's Calvin Murphy (1st) and Santa Clara's Bud Ogden (2nd)
1970	New Mexico State's Jimmy Collins (2nd), St. Bonaventure's Bob Lanier (1st) and Niagara's Calvin Murphy (1st)
1971	La Salle's Ken Durrett (2nd), Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (1st) and Western Kentucky's Jim McDaniels (1st)
1972	Oral Roberts' Richie Fuqua (2nd), Southwestern Louisiana's Dwight "Bo" Lamar (1st) and Long Beach State's Ed Ratleff (1st)
1973	Illinois State's Doug Collins (1st), Southwestern Louisiana's Dwight "Bo" Lamar (1st), Long Beach State's Ed Ratleff (1st) and American University's Kermit Washington (2nd)
1974	Canisius' Larry Fogle (2nd)
1975	none
1976	none
1977	San Francisco's Bill Cartwright (2nd)
1978	Indiana State's Larry Bird (1st) and Portland State's Freeman Williams (2nd)
1979	Indiana State's Larry Bird (1st), San Francisco's Bill Cartwright (2nd), Northeast Louisiana's Calvin Natt (2nd), Dayton's Jim Paxson (2nd) and Rhode Island's Sly Williams (2nd)
1980	La Salle's Michael Brooks (1st)
1981	Brigham Young's Danny Ainge (1st)
1982	San Francisco's Quintin Dailey (1st), UC Irvine's Kevin Magee (2nd) and Tulsa's Paul Pressey (2nd)
1983	UNLV's Sidney Green (2nd)
1984	San Diego State's Michael Cage (2nd), Brigham Young's Devin Durrant (2nd) and Cal State Fullerton's Leon Wood (2nd)
1985	Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel (1st)
1986	Miami of Ohio's Ron Harper (2nd) and Navy's David Robinson (2nd)
1987	UNLV's Armon Gilliam (2nd) and Navy's David Robinson (1st)
1988	Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (1st) and Brigham Young's Michael Smith (2nd)
1989	La Salle's Lionel Simmons (2nd)
1990	Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers (2nd), UNLV's Larry Johnson (1st), Loyola Marymount's Bo Kimble (2nd) and La Salle's Lionel Simmons (1st)
1991	UNLV's Stacey Augmon (2nd), East Tennessee State's Keith "Mister" Jennings (2nd) and UNLV's Larry Johnson (1st)
1992	none
1993	UNLV's J.R. Rider (2nd)
1994	none
1995	Massachusetts' Lou Roe (2nd)
1996	Massachusetts' Marcus Camby (1st)
1997	none
1998	none
1999	Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak (2nd)
2000	Fresno State's Courtney Alexander (2nd)
2001	none
2002	Gonzaga's Dan Dickau (1st) and Xavier's David West (2nd)
2003	Creighton's Kyle Korver (2nd) and Xavier's David West (1st)
2004	St. Joseph's Jameer Nelson (1st) and Gonzaga's Blake Stepp (2nd)
2005	none
2006	Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (1st)
2007	Nevada's Nick Fazekas (2nd)
2008	Davidson's Stephen Curry (2nd)
2009	Davidson's Stephen Curry (1st)
2010	none
2011	Morehead State's Kenneth Faried (2nd), Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (1st) and San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard (2nd)
2012	Murray State's Isaiah Canaan (2nd) and Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st)
2013	Creighton's Doug McDermott (1st) and Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk (1st)