Color Coded: Evans Becomes 7th Coach to Go From HBCU to White School
Anthony Evans, shifting from Norfolk State to Florida International, became the seventh coach in NCAA Division I history to be hired directly from a historically black college or university by a predominantly white school. The SWAC and MEAC moved up to the major-college level in 1979-80 and 1980-81, respectively.
Evans joined Jeff Capel Jr. (North Carolina A&T to Old Dominion after 1993-94 campaign), Rob Chavez (Maryland-Eastern Shore to Portland after 1993-94), Steve Merfeld (Hampton to Evansville after 2001-02), James Green (Mississippi Valley State to Jacksonville State after 2007-08), John Cooper (Tennessee State to Miami of Ohio after 2011-12) and Sean Woods (Mississippi Valley State to Morehead State after 2011-12).
No power six conference member ever has gone to a HBCU to hire its head basketball coach. None of the limited progress in this category would have occurred if not for pioneer John McLendon, who was the first African-American mentor hired by a predominantly white university when he coached Cleveland State for three seasons in the late 1960s just prior to the institution moving up to DI. After winning three consecutive NAIA titles with Tennessee State in the late 1950s, McLendon had been the first African-American head coach in professional sports when he was hired in the early 1960s by the George Steinbrenner-owned Cleveland Pipers of the short- lived American Basketball League.
High and Lows: VT's Erick Green Breaks Mid-Major Scoring Domination
Seth Greenberg missed out on a couple of sizzling scorers for Virginia Tech when he failed to successfully recruit the sons of Gobblers great Dell Curry. Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Seth Curry (Liberty/Duke) went on to become the highest-scoring brother tandem in NCAA Division I history. But amid the fizzling program Greenberg left behind for ACC cellar dweller VT when he was fired as coach was guard Erick Green.
Green, who averaged only 2.6 ppg with the Hokies as a freshman in 2009-10, became the first player in 19 years from a power six conference to lead the nation in scoring. Glenn Robinson Jr. (30.3 ppg for Purdue in 1993-94) had been the only player from a power six league to pace the country in scoring in the previous 41 campaigns.
Lehigh's C.J. McCollum (25.7 ppg) was pacing the nation in point production in mid-season before missing the remainder of the campaign after breaking his left foot. The scoring leaders among power leagues since Robinson included (in reverse order):
Season Leader Among Power Leagues School Avg. NCAA Ranking 2011-12 Terrell Stoglin Maryland 21.6 sixth 2010-11 Marshon Brooks Providence 24.6 second 2009-10 Devan Downey South Carolina 22.5 fourth 2008-09 Jodie Meeks Kentucky 23.7 seventh 2007-08 Michael Beasley Kansas State 26.2 third 2006-07 Kevin Durant Texas 25.8 fourth 2005-06 J.J. Redick Duke 26.8 second 2004-05 Ike Diogu Arizona State 22.6 sixth 2003-04 Ike Diogu Arizona State 22.8 ninth 2002-03 Troy Bell Boston College 25.2 fifth 2001-02 Casey Jacobsen Stanford 21.9 14th 2000-01 Troy Murphy Notre Dame 21.8 13th 1999-00 Eddie House Arizona State 23 fifth 1998-99 Quincy Lewis Minnesota 23.1 sixth 1997-98 Cory Carr Texas Tech 23.3 sixth 1996-97 Ed Gray California 24.8 second 1995-96 Allen Iverson Georgetown 25 seventh 1994-95 Shawn Respert Michigan State 25.6 eighth
Green (25 ppg) finished with the lowest average for the national scoring leader since Yale's Tony Lavelli posted 22.4 points per game in 1948-49. Following is a look at the high and low games for players during the season when they led NCAA Division I in scoring average:
NOTE: Leaders are unofficial from 1935-36 through 1946-47.
Youth Movement: Big 12 First League With Freshman All-American From Two Schools
The Big 12 Conference became the first league to have two different schools supply a freshman All-American in the same season - Kansas' Ben McLemore and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.
Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony was the only freshman All-American in a nine-year span from 1997 through 2005 before there was an average of two freshman A-As the last seven years. McLemore and Smart are among the following chronological list of 35 individuals to earn All-American recognition as a freshman:
| Year | Freshman All-American | Pos. | College | First-Year All-American Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Arnie Ferrin | F | Utah | C1 |
| 1946 | Tony Lavelli | F | Yale | C3 |
| 1947 | Kevin O'Shea | G | Notre Dame | NABC3 |
| 1952 | Tom Gola | C-F | La Salle | C1 |
| 1975 | Phil Ford | G | North Carolina | C2 |
| 1975 | Bernard King | F | Tennessee | C2, UPI2, NABC3 |
| 1978 | Earvin "Magic" Johnson | G | Michigan State | NABC2, AP3, UPI3 |
| 1978 | Darnell Valentine | G | Kansas | C2 |
| 1979 | Mark Aguirre | F | DePaul | C2 |
| 1980 | Ralph Sampson | C | Virginia | C2 |
| 1982 | Patrick Ewing | C | Georgetown | C2 |
| 1982 | Keith Lee | C | Memphis State | C1, AP2 |
| 1983 | Wayman Tisdale | F-C | Oklahoma | AP1, C1, USBWA1, UPI2, NABC3 |
| 1988 | Mark Macon | G | Temple | AP2, NABC2 |
| 1989 | Chris Jackson | G | Louisiana State | AP1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2 |
| 1989 | Alonzo Mourning | C | Georgetown | AP3, UPI3 |
| 1990 | Kenny Anderson | G | Georgia Tech | NABC1, AP3 |
| 1994 | Joe Smith | C | Maryland | UPI3 |
| 1996 | Sharef Abdur-Rahim | F-C | California | AP3, NABC3 |
| 2003 | Carmelo Anthony | F | Syracuse | AP2, NABC2, USBWA2 |
| 2006 | Tyler Hansbrough | C | North Carolina | AP3 |
| 2007 | Kevin Durant | F | Texas | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
| 2007 | Greg Oden | C | Ohio State | AP1, NABC2, USBWA2 |
| 2008 | Michael Beasley | F | Kansas State | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
| 2008 | Eric Gordon | G | Indiana | NABC2, AP3 |
| 2008 | Kevin Love | C | UCLA | AP1, USBWA1, NABC2 |
| 2008 | Derrick Rose | G | Memphis | AP3, NABC3 |
| 2010 | DeMarcus Cousins | C | Kentucky | AP1, NABC2, USBWA2 |
| 2010 | John Wall | G | Kentucky | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
| 2011 | Jared Sullinger | F-C | Ohio State | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | C | Kentucky | AP1, NABC1, USBWA1 |
| 2012 | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | F | Kentucky | USBWA2, AP3, NABC3 |
| 2012 | Austin Rivers | G | Duke | NABC3 |
| 2013 | Ben McLemore | F | Kansas | AP2, NABC2, USBWA2 |
| 2013 | Marcus Smart | G | Oklahoma State | AP2, NABC2, USBWA2 |
All-American Recognition Key: AP - Associated Press; C - Converse; NABC - National Association of Basketball Coaches; UPI - United Press International; USBWA - United States Basketball Writers Association.
Senioritis: Canaan Latest Senior Failing to Return to All-American Status
Senioritis is a colloquial term referring to an illness described as decreased motivation displayed by students nearing the end of their careers. In basketball lingo, it's a dreaded disease that also afflicts All-Americans.
The malady lingers even in an era when the majority of premium players bid adieu the first time a pro scout watches one of their games. This season, the A-A shunning might have been because it was a mid-major involved rather than power conference player. Murray State's Isaiah Canaan failed to return to All-American status despite significant increases in both scoring and assists.
Actually, this ailment is rarely a player's fault and seems to mainly infect voters. In one of the greatest injustices in NCAA history, Seton Hall's Nick Werkman averaged 33.2 ppg and 13.8 rpg in 1963-64 but wasn't named an All-American for the second straight season.
Canaan joined Werkman among 18 players who didn't retain A-A status despite averaging more than 20 points per game as a senior. Following is an alphabetical list of major-college players named All-American as an undergraduate since the late 1940s (after the roster disruption of WWII) but not as a senior when they fell off the honors radar:
*Boin missed the 1957-58 season after dropping out of school and playing AAU ball
NOTES: UCLA's Lucius Allen (academic problems in 1968-69) and St. John's Mel Davis (knee injury in 1972-73) and Texas Western's Bobby Joe Hill (injury and grade problems in 1966-67) did not play full or at all in their senior seasons. . . . Canisius' Larry Fogle, an All-American as a sophomore in 1974 when he led the nation in scoring, entered the NBA draft as a hardship case the next year after failing to earn All-American status again. . . . Illinois' Frank Williams, an All-American as a sophomore in 2000-01, declared for the NBA draft as an undergraduate the next year after failing to to earn All-American status again. . . . Austin Peay's Fly Williams, an All-American as a freshman in 1973 when he led the nation in scoring, entered the ABA draft as an undergraduate the next year after failing to earn All-American status again.
Growing Pains: Ascending All-Americans Start Slow But Finish Fast
In a microwave atmosphere of instant expectations, Virginia Tech's Erick Green (2.6 ppg in 2009-10), Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk (3.8 in 2009-10), Duke's Mason Plumlee (3.7 in 2009-10), Louisville's Russ Smith (2.2 in 2010-11) and Kansas' Jeff Withey (1.3 in 2009-10) failed to generate national headlines in their freshman seasons before blossoming into All-Americans.
They are classic examples of why fans shouldn't put too much stock in freshman statistics. Withey, on the heels of Cole Aldrich and Thomas Robinson, became the third KU frontcourter in the last four years to become an All-American after shaky starts.
Green, Olynyk, Plumlee, Smith and Withey aren't the only All-Americans who endured growing pains. Green, Smith and Withey joined the following alphabetical list of players who averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman before eventually earning All-American acclaim:
| Eventual All-American | Pos. | School | Freshman Scoring Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Aldrich | C | Kansas | 2.8 ppg in 2007-08 |
| Lorenzo Charles | F | North Carolina State | 2.2 ppg in 1981-82 |
| Keith Edmonson | G | Purdue | 1.3 ppg in 1978-79 |
| Aaron Gray | C | Pittsburgh | 1.7 ppg in 2003-04 |
| Erick Green | G | Virginia Tech | 2.6 ppg in 2009-10 |
| Tom Gugliotta | F | North Carolina State | 2.7 ppg in 1988-89 |
| Roy Hamilton | G | UCLA | 1.2 ppg in 1975-76 |
| Jeff Jonas | G | Utah | 2.8 ppg in 1973-74 |
| Ted Kitchel | F | Indiana | 1.7 ppg in 1979-80 |
| Bob Kurland | C | Oklahoma A&M | 2.5 ppg in 1942-43 |
| Tom LaGarde | C | North Carolina | 2.2 ppg in 1973-74 |
| Kenyon Martin | C | Cincinnati | 2.8 ppg in 1996-97 |
| John Pilch | G | Wyoming | 2.4 ppg in 1946-47 |
| Thomas Robinson | F | Kansas | 2.5 ppg in 2009-10 |
| Steve Scheffler | C | Purdue | 1.5 ppg in 1986-87 |
| Russ Smith | G | Louisville | 2.2 ppg in 2010-11 |
| Earl Tatum | G-F | Marquette | 1.5 ppg in 1972-73 |
| Kurt Thomas | F-C | Texas Christian | 0.8 ppg in 1990-91 |
| Al Thornton | F | Florida State | 2.8 ppg in 2003-04 |
| B.J. Tyler* | G | DePaul | 2.9 ppg in 1989-90 |
| Jeff Withey | C | Kansas | 1.3 ppg in 2009-10 |
*Tyler became an All-American at Texas after transferring to his home state
NOTE: Oregon's Wally Borrevik (1.8 ppg in 1940-41), Wisconsin's Gene Englund (2.3 ppg in 1938-39), California's Darrall Imhoff (0.9 ppg in 1957-58), Kansas' Dean Kelley (0.8 in 1950-51), Purdue's Bob Kessler (2.3 ppg in 1933-34), Notre Dame's Leo Klier (2.7 in 1942-43), Oklahoma A&M's Gale McArthur (2.96 ppg in 1948-49), Notre Dame's Bob Rensberger (1.5 ppg in 1940-41) and Stanford's George Yardley (2.9 ppg in 1947-48) averaged fewer than three points per game as sophomores when freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity basketball before becoming All-Americans.
Power Outage: Even National POYs Don't Produce Plentiful Points
Do you need another example of how scoring is on the wane? Last season, Kentucky's Anthony Davis posted the lowest scoring average for a national player of the year since the major awards were introduced in 1955. This year, Michigan's Trey Burke became the 11th individual among the following national POYs who averaged less than 19 points per game the season they were honored:
Player of Year School PPG Season Anthony Davis Kentucky 14.2 2011-12 Patrick Ewing Georgetown 14.6 1984-85 T.J. Ford Texas 15.0 2002-03 Ralph Sampson Virginia 15.8 1981-82 Ralph Sampson Virginia 17.7 1980-81 Butch Lee Marquette 17.7 1977-78 Elton Brand Duke 17.7 1998-99 Nick Collison Kansas 18.5 2002-03 Walt Hazzard UCLA 18.6 1963-64 Trey Burke Michigan 18.6 2012-13 Kenyon Martin Cincinnati 18.9 1999-2000
Foreign Policy: Will Wiggins Become 3rd Consecutive Canadian All-American?
Canada's recent basketball bounty has gone from Syracuse's Kris Joseph (Quebec) to Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk (British Columbia) to freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins (Ontario). Will Wiggins become the third straight Canadian to earn All-American status and show that the nation is more than a hockey hotbed?
Foreigners have been much more than bit players in a modern day version of "Coming to America." Olynyk joined the following alphabetical list of hoop princes of sorts as the first 18 All-Americans, a third of them in the Big East Conference, who spent most of their formative years in a country outside mainland U.S.:
| Foreigner | Pos. | College | Native Country | Year(s) All-American | NBA Draft Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Bogut* | C | Utah | Australia | 2005 | 1st pick overall by Milwaukee |
| Kresimir Cosic | C | Brigham Young | Yugoslavia | 1972 and 1973 | 66th by L.A. Lakers |
| Tim Duncan* | C | Wake Forest | Virgin Islands | 1995 through 1997 | 1st by San Antonio |
| Patrick Ewing* | C | Georgetown | Jamaica | 1982 through 1985 | 1st by New York |
| Adonal Foyle | C | Colgate | West Indies | 1997 | 8th by Golden State |
| Al Horford | F-C | Florida | Dominican Republic | 2007 | 3rd by Atlanta |
| Kris Joseph | F | Syracuse | Quebec | 2012 | 51st by Boston |
| Dikembe Mutombo | C | Georgetown | Zaire | 1991 | 4th by Denver |
| Eduardo Najera | F | Oklahoma | Mexico | 2000 | 38th by Houston |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | C | Houston | Nigeria | 1983 and 1984 | 1st by Houston |
| Kelly Olynyk | C | Gonzaga | British Columbia | 2013 | TBD |
| Juan "Pepe" Sanchez | G | Temple | Argentina | 2000 | undrafted |
| Detlef Schrempf | F | Washington | Germany | 1985 | 8th by Dallas |
| Rony Seikaly | C | Syracuse | Greece | 1988 | 9th by Miami |
| Doron Sheffer | G | Connecticut | Israel | 1996 | 36th by L.A. Clippers |
| Hasheem Thabeet | C | Connecticut | Tanzania | 2009 | 2nd by Memphis |
| Mychal Thompson | F-C | Minnesota | Bahamas | 1977 and 1978 | 1st by Portland |
| Greivis Vasquez | G | Maryland | Venezuela | 2010 | 28th by Memphis |
*Named National Player of the Year.
State Budgeting: Vast Majority of All-Americans Not Homegrown Products
Only four of 16 All-Americans named by AP, NABC and USBWA this season were homegrown in-state products - California's Allen Crabbe (Los Angeles, CA), Virginia Tech's Erick Green (Winchester, VA), Miami's Shane Larkin (Orlando, FL) and Indiana's Cody Zeller (Washington, IN).
Missouri became the 10th state to supply at least 20 All-Americans beyond their borders - New York (87), Illinois (54), Pennsylvania (48), Indiana (42), California (40), New Jersey (39), Ohio (23), Georgia (22), Maryland (21) and Missouri (20). Following are the players who attended high school in a state other than where they earned All-American recognition while attending a four-year university:
Alabama (11) - Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins (2010), Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore (1970 and 1971), Kentucky State's Travis Grant (1972), Colorado State's Bill Green (1963), Memphis State's Larry Kenon (1973), Southern Illinois' Joe C. Meriweather (1975), Louisville's Allen Murphy (1975), Kansas' Bud Stallworth (1972), Texas Southern's Ben Swain (1958), Southwestern Louisiana's Andrew Toney (1980), Indiana's D.J. White
Alaska (2) - Duke's Trajan Langdon (1998 and 1999) and Carlos Boozer (2002)
Arizona (2) - Duke's Mark Alarie (1986), Brigham Young's Joe Richey (1953)
Arkansas (8) - Oklahoma State's James Anderson (2010), Texas Western's Jim Barnes (1964), Gonzaga's Frank Burgess (1961), San Diego State's Michael Cage (1984), Memphis State's Keith Lee (1982-83-84-85), Minnesota's Quincy Lewis (1999), Seattle's Eddie Miles (1963), Memphis State's Dexter Reed (1977)
California (40) - UNLV's Stacey Augmon (1991), Oregon's Greg Ballard (1977), Oregon State's Fred Boyd (1982), Arizona State's Joe Caldwell (1963), Oregon State's Lester Conner (1982), New Mexico's Michael Cooper (1978), Penn's Howie Dallmar (1945), Boston College's Jared Dudley (2007), Brigham Young's John Fairchild (1965), Kansas' Drew Gooden (2002), Utah State's Cornell Green (1962), Texas' Jordan Hamilton (2011), Arizona State's James Harden (2009), Brigham Young's Mel Hutchins (1951), Oregon State's Steve Johnson (1980 and 1981), Arizona's Steve Kerr (1988), Weber State's Damian Lillard (2012), Oregon's Stan Love (1971), Oregon State's John Mandic (1942), Utah's Billy McGill (1960-61-62), Utah's Andre Miller (1998 and 1999), Arizona's Chris Mills (1993), Duke's DeMarcus Nelson (2008), Notre Dame's Kevin O'Shea (1947-48-49-50), Oregon State's Gary Payton (1990), Kansas' Paul Pierce (1998), Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince (2001 and 2002), UNLV's J.R. Rider (1993), Creighton's Paul Silas (1962-63-64), Arizona's Miles Simon (1998), Boston College's Craig Smith (2005 and 2006), Brigham Young's Michael Smith (1988), Temple's Terence Stansbury (1984), Oregon's Vic Townsend (1941), Vanderbilt's Jan van Breda Kolff (1974), Utah's Keith Van Horn (1996 and 1997), Kansas' Jacque Vaughn (1995-96-97), Arizona's Derrick Williams (2011), Portland State's Freeman Williams (1977 and 1978), Kansas' Jeff Withey (2013)
Colorado (9) - Utah's Art Bunte (1955 and 1956), Purdue's Joe Barry Carroll (1979 and 1980), Iowa's Chuck Darling (1952), Nevada's Nick Fazekas (2006 and 2007), Wyoming's Bill Garnett (1982), Notre Dame's Pat Garrity (1998), Wyoming's Harry Jorgensen (1955), Kansas' Mark Randall (1990), North Carolina State's Ronnie Shavlik (1955 and 1956)
Connecticut (11) - Boston College's John Bagley (1982), Dartmouth's Gus Broberg (1940 and 1941), Massachusetts' Marcus Camby (1996), UCLA's Rod Foster (1981 and 1983), Duke's Mike Gminski (1978-79-80), Providence's Ryan Gomes (2004), Niagara's Calvin Murphy (1968-69-70), Seattle's Frank Oleynick (1975), Villanova's John Pinone (1983), Rhode Island's Sly Williams (1978 and 1979), Michigan's Henry Wilmore (1971 and 1972)
Delaware (1) - Temple's Terence Stansbury (1984)
District of Columbia (12) - Seattle's Elgin [Baylor](schools/baylor) (1957 and 1958), Syracuse's Dave Bing (1965 and 1966), Notre Dame's Austin Carr (1970 and 1971), Utah's Jerry Chambers (1966), Duke's [Johnny Dawkins](coaches/johnny-dawkins) (1985 and 1986), Syracuse's Sherman Douglas (1988 and 1989), San Francisco's Ollie Johnson (1965), North Carolina's Bob Lewis (1966 and 1967), Syracuse's Lawrence Moten (1995), Kansas' Thomas Robinson (2012), Duke's Jim Thompson (1934), Providence's John Thompson Jr. (1964)
Florida (14) - Houston's Otis Birdsong (1977), North Carolina's Vince Carter (1998), North Carolina State's Chris Corchiani (1991), Oklahoma State's Joey Graham (2005), Georgia Tech's Tom Hammonds (1989), Illinois' Derek Harper (1983), Wake Forest's Frank Johnson (1981), Vanderbilt's Will Perdue (1988), Villanova's Howard Porter (1969-70-71), Kansas State's Mitch Richmond (1988), Duke's Austin Rivers (2012), Louisville's Clifford Rozier (1994), Minnesota's Mychal Thompson (1977 and 1978), Kansas' Walt Wesley (1966)
Georgia (22) - California's Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996), Providence's Marshon Brooks (2011), Marquette's Jae Crowder (2012), North Carolina's Hook Dillon (1946 and 1947), Florida State's Toney Douglas (2009), Tennessee's Dale Ellis (1982 and 1983), Louisville's Pervis Ellison (1989), southern Illinois' Walt Frazier (1967), Oklahoma's Harvey Grant (1988), Clemson's Horace Grant (1987), Grambling's Charles Hardnett (1961 and 1962), Utah's Merv Jackson (1968), Tennessee's Reggie Johnson (1980), Mississippi State's Jeff Malone (1983), Kentucky's Jodie Meeks (2009), Auburn's Mike Mitchell (1978), Clemson's Tree Rollins (1977), Kentucky State's Elmore Smith (1971), Kentucky's Bill Spivey (1950 and 1951), Florida State's Al Thornton (2007), Kentucky's Kenny Walker (1985 and 1986), North Carolina's Al Wood (1980 and 1981)
Idaho (1) - Brigham Young's Roland Minson (1951)
Illinois (54) - Minnesota's Jim Brewer (1973), Seattle's Charley Brown (1958 and 1959), Indiana's Quinn Buckner (1974-75-76), Iowa's Carl Cain (1956), Penn's Corky Calhoun (1973), Detroit's Bob Calihan (1939), Kansas' Sherron Collins (2009 and 2010), Wisconsin's Bobby Cook (1947), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012), Indiana's Archie Dees (1957 and 1958), Detroit's Bill Ebben (1957), Marquette's Bo Ellis (1975-76-77), California's Larry Friend (1957), William & Mary's Chet Giermak (1950), Michigan's Rickey Green (1976 and 1977), Indiana's A.J. Guyton (2000), Notre Dame's Tom Hawkins (1958 and 1959), Michigan's Juwan Howard (1994), Kentucky's Dan Issel (1969 and 1970), Central Missouri's Earl Keth (1938), Minnesota's Tom Kondla (1967), Notre Dame's Moose Krause (1932-33-34), Iowa's Ronnie Lester (1979 and 1980), Oklahoma A&M's Bob Mattick (1954), Marquette's Jerel McNeal (2009), Colorado's Cliff Meely (1971), Dartmouth's George Munroe (1942), Iowa's Don Nelson (1961 and 1962), Wisconsin's Ab Nicholas (1952), Houston's Gary Phillips (1961), Kansas State's Jacob Pullen (2011), Murray State's Bennie Purcell (1952), Wisconsin's Don Rehfeldt (1950), Notre Dame's Eddie Riska (1941), Marquette's Doc Rivers (1982 and 1983), Wyoming's Flynn Robinson (1965), Kansas' Dave Robisch (1971), Memphis' Derrick Rose (2008), Michigan's Cazzie Russell (1964-65-66), Duke's Jon Scheyer (2010), Evansville's Jerry Sloan (1965), Purdue's Forrest Sprowl (1942), Notre Dame's Jack Stephens (1955), Indiana's Isiah Thomas (1981), Wisconsin's Alando Tucker (2007), Ohio State's Evan Turner (2010), Marquette's Dwyane Wade (2003), Arkansas' Darrell Walker (1983), Marquette's Lloyd Walton (1976), Marquette's Jerome Whitehead (1978), Cincinnati's George Wilson (1963), Kansas' Julian Wright (2007), Arizona's Michael Wright (2001), Georgia Tech's Rich Yunkus (1970 and 1971)
Indiana (42) - Michigan State's Chet Aubuchon (1940), Tennessee State's Dick Barnett (1958 and 1959), Cincinnati's Ron Bonham (1963 and 1964), Denver's Vince Boryla (1949), Louisville's Junior Bridgeman (1975), Wyoming's Joe Capua (1956), Memphis' Rodney Carney (2006), East Tennessee State's Tom Chilton (1961), Kentucky's Louie Dampier (1966 and 1967), North Carolina State's Dick Dickey (1948 and 1950), Kentucky's LeRoy Edwards (1935), Arizona's Jason Gardner (2002 and 2003), Western Michigan's Harold Gensichen (1943), Florida's Joe Hobbs (1958), Georgia Tech's Roger Kaiser (1960 and 1961), Wyoming's Milo Komenich (1943), Texas' Jim Krivacs (1979), Kansas' Clyde Lovellette (1950-51-52), Kentucky's Kyle Macy (1978-79-80), North Carolina's Sean May (2005), Drake's Willie McCarter (1969), Tennessee State's Porter Merriweather (1960), North Carolina State's Vic Molodet (1956), North Carolina's Eric Montross (1993 and 1994), Texas Christian's Lee Nailon (1998), Kentucky's Cotton Nash (1962-63-64), Ohio State's Greg Oden (2007), Kentucky's Jack Parkinson (1946), Duke's Mason Plumlee (2013), Louisville's Jim Price (1972), Northwestern's Ray Ragelis (1951), North Carolina State's Sam Ranzino (1950 and 1951), Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (1958-59-60), Michigan State's Scott Skiles (1986), Wake Forest's Jeff Teague (2009), Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas (2013), Tennessee's Gene Tormohlen (1959), North Carolina State's Monte Towe (1974), Michigan's John Townsend (1937 and 1938), Southern California's Ralph Vaughn (1940), UCLA's Mike Warren (1967 and 1968), North Carolina's's Tyler Zeller (2012)
Iowa (8) - North Carolina's Harrison Barnes (2012), Creighton's Ed Beisser (1943), Kansas' Nick Collison (2003), Kansas' Kirk Hinrich (2002 and 2003), Creighton's Kyle Korver (2003), Kansas' Raef LaFrentz (1997, Creighton's Doug McDermott (2012 and 2013) and 1998), Carleton's Wayne Sparks (1937)
Kansas (5) - Kentucky's Bob Brannum (1944), Vanderbilt's Matt Freije (2004), Army's Dale Hall (1945), Colorado's Jack Harvey (1940), Oklahoma's Gerry Tucker (1943 and 1947)
Kentucky (18) - Navy's Buzz Borries (1934), Florida State's Dave Cowens (1970), Cincinnati's Ralph Davis (1960), Tennessee Tech's Jimmy Hagan (1959), Alabama's Jerry Harper (1956), Tennessee's Allan Houston (1992 and 1993), Virginia's Jeff Lamp (1980 and 1981), Tennessee's Chris Lofton (2006-07-08), Louisiana State's Rudy Macklin (1980 and 1981), Duke's Jeff Mullins (1963 and 1964), Ohio State's Arnie Risen (1945), Tennessee's Danny Schultz (1964), Furman's Frank Selvy (1952-53-54), Army's Mike Silliman (1966), Xavier's Hank Stein (1958), Cincinnati's Tom Thacker (1963), Duquesne's Jim Tucker (1952), South Carolina's Grady Wallace (1957)
Louisiana (13) - Texas' D.J. Augustin (2008), Creighton's Benoit Benjamin (1985), Duke's Chris Duhon (2004), Houston's Louis Dunbar (1974), Iowa State's Marcus Fizer (2000), Vanderbilt's Shan Foster (2008), Houston's Elvin Hayes (1966-67-68), Villanova's Kerry Kittles (1995 and 1996), Georgetown's Greg Monroe (2010), Kentucky's Cotton Nash (1962-63-64), Oklahoma's Hollis Price (2003), Jacksonville's James Ray (1980), Kentucky's Rick Robey (1977 and 1978)
Maryland (21) - Boston College's John Austin (1965 and 1966), Kansas State's Michael Beasley (2008), Wyoming's Charles Bradley (1981), North Carolina State's Kenny Carr (1976 and 1977), San Francisco's Quintin Dailey (1982), Notre Dame's Adrian Dantley (1975 and 1976), Texas' Kevin Durant (2007), Duke's Danny Ferry (1988 and 1989), North Carolina's Joseph Forte (2001), Connecticut's Rudy Gay (2006), Kansas' Tony Guy (1982), Davidson's Fred Hetzel (1963-64-65), North Carolina's Ty Lawson (2009), North Carolina State's Rodney Monroe (1991), Indiana's Victor Oladipo (2013), Duke's Nolan Smith (2011), Virginia Tech's Dale Solomon (1982), Saint Joseph's Delonte West (2004), North Carolina State's Hawkeye Whitney (1980), Georgetown's Reggie Williams (1987), Pittsburgh's Sam Young (2009)
Massachusetts (11) - Rutgers' James Bailey (1978 and 1979), Villanova's Michael Bradley (2001), Georgetown's Patrick Ewing (1982-83-84-85), Rhode Island State's Chet Jaworski (1939), Yale's Tony Lavelli (1946-47-48-49), Oregon's Ron Lee (1974-75-76), Marshall's Russell Lee (1972), Rhode Island State's Stan Modzelewski (1942), Ohio State's Scoonie Penn (1999 and 2000), Michigan's Rumeal Robinson (1990), Providence's Jimmy Walker (1965-66-67)
Michigan (19) - Duke's Shane Battier (2000 and 2001), Dayton's Bill Chmielewski (1962), Syracuse's Derrick Coleman (1989 and 1990), New Mexico's Mel Daniels (1967), Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts (2008), Arizona's Bob Elliott (1977), Canisius' Larry Fogle (1974), Iowa State's Jeff Grayer (1988), Texas Western's Bobby Joe Hill (1966), Florida's Al Horford (2007), Arkansas' George Kok (1948), North Carolina's Tom LaGarde (1977), Alabama State's Kevin Loder (1981), Temple's Mark Macon (1988), Tennessee State's Carlos Rogers (1994), Purdue's Steve Scheffler (1990), Missouri's Doug Smith (1990 and 1991), Bradley's Chet Walker (1960-61-62), Iowa's Sam Williams (1968)
Minnesota (5) - Kansas' Cole Aldrich (2010), Boston College's Troy Bell (2001 and 2003), Dayton's John Horan (1955), Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor (2011), South Dakota State's Nate Wolters (2013)
Mississippi (5) - Missouri's Melvin Booker (1994), Murray State's Isaiah Canaan (2012), Louisiana State's Chris Jackson (1989 and 1990), UC Irvine's Kevin Magee (1981 and 1982), Alabama's Derrick McKey (1987)
Missouri (20) - UCLA's Lucius Allen (1968), Princeton's Bill Bradley (1963-64-65), Idaho State's Lawrence Butler (1979), Duke's Chris Carrawell (2000), Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough (2011), North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (2006-07-08-09), Tulsa's Steve Harris (1985), Southern Methodist's Jon Koncak (1985), Southern Methodist's Jim Krebs (1957), Oklahoma A&M's Bob Kurland (1944-45-46), Kansas' Ben McLemore (2013), Drake's Red Murrell (1958), Tulsa's Bob Patterson (1955), Georgetown's Otto Porter Jr. (2013), Kansas' Fred Pralle (1938), Texas-Pan American's Marshall Rogers (1976), Notre Dame's Dick Rosenthal (1954), Kansas' Brandon Rush (2008), Kansas' Jo Jo White (1967-68-69), Memphis State's Win Wilfong (1957)
Montana (3) - Iowa's Chuck Darling (1952), Utah State's Wayne Estes (1964 and 1965), Duke's Mike Lewis (1968)
Nebraska (5) - Kansas State's Bob Boozer (1958 and 1959), George Washington's Bob Faris (1939), Michigan's Mike McGee (1981), Wyoming's Les Witte (1932 and 1934), Iowa's Andre Woolridge (1997)
Nevada (3) - New Mexico's Darington Hobson (2010), Arizona State's Lionel Hollins (1975), Missouri's Willie Smith (1976)
New Jersey (39) - Miami's Rick Barry (1964 and 1965), Temple's Mike Bloom (1938), West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler (2010), DePaul's Clyde Bradshaw (1980), Illinois' Tal Brody (1965), Notre Dame's Gary Brokaw (1974), George Washington's Corky Devlin (1955), Providence's Vinnie Ernst (1963), Morehead State's Kenneth Faried (2011), Dayton's Henry Finkel (1966), Columbia's Chet Forte (1957), Villanova's Randy Foye (2006), South Carolina's Skip Harlicka (1968), Holy Cross' Tom Heinsohn (1955 and 1956), Duke's Bobby Hurley (1992 and 1993), North Carolina's Tommy Kearns (1957 and 1958), Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012), Pittsburgh's Brandin Knight (2002), Stanford's Brevin Knight (1997), Southern California's Mo Layton (1971), Villanova's Bill Melchionni (1966), Providence's Eric Murdock (1991), Notre Dame's Troy Murphy (2000 and 2001), Seattle's Eddie O'Brien (1953), Seattle's Johnny O'Brien (1952 and 1953), North Carolina's Mike O'Koren (1978-79-80), Holy Cross' Togo Palazzi (1953 and 1954), Notre Dame's David Rivers (1988), Massachusetts' Lou Roe (1994 and 1995), Iowa's Ben Selzer (1934), Notre Dame's John Shumate (1974), Duke's Jim Spanarkel (1978 and 1979), Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor (2012), Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka (1979-80-81), Duke's Bob Verga (1966 and 1967), Saint Joseph's Bryan Warrick (1981 and 1982), Xavier's David West (2002 and 2003), Long Island's Sherman White (1950), Duke's Jason Williams (2001 and 2002)
New Mexico (2) - Kansas' Bill Bridges (1961), West Texas State's Charles Halbert (1942)
New York (87) - UCLA's Lew Alcindor (1967-68-69), Georgia Tech's Kenny Anderson (1990 and 1991), Penn State's Jesse Arnelle (1955), Minnesota's Ron Behagen (1973), Kansas State's Rolando Blackman (1980 and 1981), Duke's Elton Brand (1999), North Carolina's Pete Brennan (1958), Dartmouth's Audie Brindley (1944), Utah's Ticky Burden (1975), North Carolina State's Lorenzo Charles (1984), Missouri's Derrick Chievous (1987), New Mexico State's Jimmy Collins (1970), Holy Cross' Bob Cousy (1948-49-50), North Carolina's Billy Cunningham (1964 and 1965), Wake Forest's Charlie Davis (1971), Maryland's Len Elmore (1974), Massachusetts' Julius Erving (1971), Georgia's Vern Fleming (1984), Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (2010), Louisville's Francisco Garcia (2005), Louisville's Don Goldstein (1959), Louisiana State's Al Green (1979), Duquesne's Sihugo Green (1954-55-56), UNLV's Sidney Green (1983), Tennessee's Ernie Grunfeld (1976 and 1977), North Carolina State's Tom Gugliotta (1992), Penn's Ron Haigler (1975), Loyola of Chicago's Jerry Harkness (1963), Notre Dame's Billy Hassett (1945), Hawaii's Tom Henderson (1974), Villanova's Larry Hennessy (1952 and 1953), Duke's Art Heyman (1961-62-63), North Carolina State's Julius Hodge (2004), Xavier's Tu Holloway (2011), Baylor's Vinnie Johnson (1979), West Virginia's Kevin Jones (2012), South Carolina's Kevin Joyce (1973), Holy Cross' George Kaftan (1947 and 1948), Guilford's Bob Kauffman (1968), Maryland's Albert King (1980 and 1981), Tennessee's Bernard King (1975-76-77), North Carolina's Mitch Kupchak (1975 and 1976), Duke's Christian Laettner (1991 and 1992), North Carolina's York Larese (1959-60-61), Marquette's Butch Lee (1977 and 1978), Davidson's Mike Maloy (1968-69-70), Georgia Tech's Stephon Marbury (1996), Kentucky's Jamal Mashburn (1993), Louisville's Rodney McCray (1983), Richmond's Bob McCurdy (1975), Marquette's Dean Meminger (1970 and 1971), North Carolina's Doug Moe (1961), Notre Dame's John Moir (1936-37-38), Florida's Joakim Noah (2007), Boston College's Jim O'Brien (1971), Kentucky's Bernie Opper (1939), Idaho's Ken Owens (1982), North Carolina's Sam Perkins (1982-83-84), Connecticut's A.J. Price (2008), Villanova's Allan Ray (2006), Arizona's Khalid Reeves (1994), South Carolina's Tom Riker (1972), Kentucky's Pat Riley (1966), South Carolina's John Roche (1969-70-71), North Carolina's Lennie Rosenbluth (1956 and 1957), Georgia Tech's John Salley (1986), North Carolina's Charlie Scott (1968-69-70), Rutgers' Phil Sellers (1975 and 1976), Iowa State's Don Smith (1968), North Carolina's Kenny Smith (1987), Louisville's Russ Smith (2013), Providence's Kevin Stacom (1974), DePaul's Rod Strickland (1988), Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak (1999), Marquette's Earl Tatum (1976), Princeton's Chris Thomforde (1967), Marquette's George Thompson (1969), Iowa State's Jamaal Tinsley (2001), Marquette's Bernard Toone (1979), Connecticut's Kemba Walker (2011), Providence's Lenny Wilkens (1960), Southern California's Gus Williams (1975), Austin Peay's Fly Williams (1973), Michigan's Henry Wilmore (1971 and 1972), Wyoming's Tony Windis (1959), Tennessee's Howard Wood (1981), Marquette's Sam Worthen (1980)
North Carolina (18) - Fresno State's Courtney Alexander (2000), Indiana's Walt Bellamy (1960), UCLA's Henry Bibby (1972), Kansas State's Mike Evans (1978), Furman's Darrell Floyd (1955 and 1956), Georgetown's Sleepy Floyd (1981 and 1982), Minnesota's Lou Hudson (1965 and 1966), Minnesota's Bobby Jackson (1997), Maryland's John Lucas (1974-75-76), Kansas' Danny Manning (1986-87-88), Louisiana State's Pete Maravich (1968-69-70), Lamar's Mike Olliver (1981), Texas' P.J. Tucker (2006), Kentucky's John Wall (2010), Xavier's David West (2002), Tennessee's Tony White (1987), Georgia's Dominique Wilkins (1981 and 1982), Maryland's Buck Williams (1981)
Ohio (23) - Michigan's Trey Burke (2013), Southern California's Sam Clancy (2002), Washington State's Don Collins (1980), Northwestern's Evan Eschmeyer (1999), Notre Dame's Bob Faught (1942), Michigan's Gary Grant (1987 and 1988), Michigan State's Johnny Green (1958 and 1959), Kentucky's Kevin Grevey (1974 and 1975), Kentucky's Alex Groza (1947-48-49), Michigan's Phil Hubbard (1977), Southwestern Louisiana's Bo Lamar (1972 and 1973), Pittsburgh's Jerome Lane (1987 and 1988), Kentucky's Jim Line (1950), Indiana's Scott May (1975 and 1976), Purdue's Todd Mitchell (1988), Notre Dame's John Paxson (1982 and 1983), Kentucky's Mike Pratt (1970), Long Beach State's Ed Ratleff (1972 and 1973), Arkansas' Alvin Robertson (1984), Davidson's Dick Snyder (1966), North Carolina State's Bobby Speight (1953), Oklahoma Baptist's Albert Tucker (1966 and 1967), Kansas State's Chuckie Williams (1976)
Oklahoma (7) - Texas Western's Jim Barnes (1964), San Francisco's Winford Boynes (1978), Arkansas' Lee Mayberry (1992), Kansas State's Willie Murrell (1964), Georgia Tech's Mark Price (1984-85-86), Syracuse's Etan Thomas (2000), Duke's Shelden Williams (2005 and 2006)
Oregon (7) - Brigham Young's Danny Ainge (1979-80-81), Duke's Mike Dunleavy (2002), UCLA's Kevin Love (2008), Gonzaga's Blake Stepp (2004), Arizona's Damon Stoudamire (1995), Arizona's Salim Stoudamire (2005), UCLA's Richard Washington (1975 and 1976)
Pennsylvania (48) - Duke's Gene Banks (1979 and 1981), Kentucky's Sam Bowie (1981 and 1984), Kansas' Wilt Chamberlain (1957 and 1958), Wake Forest's Len Chappell (1961 and 1962), DePaul's Dallas Comegys (1987), Seton Hall's Bob Davies (1941 and 1942), Cincinnati's Danny Fortson (1996 and 1997), Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers (1989 and 1990), UNLV's Armon Gilliam (1987), North Carolina's George Glamack (1940), Duke's Dick Groat (1951 and 1952), Connecticut's Richard Hamilton (1998 and 1999), UCLA's Walt Hazzard (1963 and 1964), Duke's Gerald Henderson (2009), Kansas' Wayne Hightower (1960 and 1961), West Texas State's Simmie Hill (1969), George Washington's Joe Holup (1956), Loyola Marymount's Bo Kimble (1990), Duke's Ed Koffenberger (1946 and 1947), Rutgers' Bob Lloyd (1967), Drake's Lewis Lloyd (1980 and 1981), Navy's Elliott Loughlin (1933), Marquette's Maurice Lucas (1974), Duke's Jack Marin (1966), Connecticut's Donyell Marshall (1994), Vanderbilt's Billy McCaffrey (1993), Michigan State's Julius McCoy (1956), Maryland's Tom McMillen (1972-73-74), North Carolina's Larry Miller (1967 and 1968), Winston-Salem State's Earl Monroe (1967), Kansas' Marcus Morris (2011), Syracuse's Billy Owens (1990 and 1991), Virginia's Barry Parkhill (1972 and 1973), North Carolina State's Lou Pucillo (1959), North Carolina State's John Richter (1959), West Virginia's Wil Robinson (1972), North Carolina's Lee Shaffer (1959 and 1960), West Virginia's Lloyd Sharrar (1958), Virginia's Sean Singletary (2007), Utah's Mike Sojourner (1974), Weber State's Willie Sojourner (1971), Cincinnati's Jack Twyman (1955), Michigan State's Horace Walker (1960), Virginia's Wally Walker (1976), North Carolina's Rasheed Wallace (1995), Syracuse's Hakim Warrick (2004 and 2005), North Carolina's Dennis Wuycik (1972)
South Carolina (4) - Connecticut's Ray Allen (1995 and 1996), North Carolina's Raymond Felton (2005), Louisiana State's Pete Maravich (1968-69-70), Wichita State's Xavier McDaniel (1985)
Tennessee (13) - Wake Forest's Skip Brown (1977), Arkansas' Todd Day (1991 and 1992), Kentucky's Tony Delk (1996), Oral Roberts' Richie Fuqua (1972 and 1973), Oklahoma A&M's Bob Harris (1949), Indiana's Kirk Haston (2001), Cincinnati's Paul Hogue (1961 and 1962), Mississippi State's Bailey Howell (1958 and 1959), Western Kentucky's Tom Marshall (1954), Kentucky's Ron Mercer (1997), Mississippi's Johnny Neumann (1971), Oral Roberts' Anthony Roberts (1977), Tulsa's Bingo Smith (1969)
Texas (19) - Oklahoma's Mookie Blaylock (1989), Kentucky's Bob Burrow (1955 and 1956), Wyoming's Fennis Dembo (1988), Arizona State's Ike Diogu (2005), Purdue's Keith Edmonson (1982), UNLV's Larry Johnson (1990 and 1991), Syracuse's Wesley Johnson (2010), Oklahoma State's John Lucas III (2004), Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin (2000), Oklahoma's Eduardo Najera (2000), Connecticut's Emeka Okafor (2003 and 2004), Louisiana State's Shaquille O'Neal (1991 and 1992), UNLV's Eddie Owens (1977), Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts (2004), Mississippi's Ansu Sesay (1998), Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart (2013), Wichita State's Dave Stallworth (1963-64-65), South Carolina's Freddie Tompkins (1934), Illinois' Deron Williams (2005)
Utah (3) - Montana State's Cat Thompson (1929 and 1930), Montana State's Frank Ward (1930), Iowa's Herb Wilkinson (1945)
Virginia (18) - Duke's [Tommy Amaker](coaches/tommy-amaker) (1987), Maryland's Bosey Berger (1932), Kentucky's Keith Bogans (2003), Wake Forest's Randolph Childress (1995), Duke's Grant Hill (1992 through 1994), Georgetown's Allen Iverson (1996), East Tennessee State's Mister Jennings (1991), North Carolina's Kendall Marshall (2012), Georgetown's Alonzo Mourning (1989-90-91-92), Kansas State's Jack Parr (1957 and 1958), Tulsa's Paul Pressey (1982), Duke's J.J. Redick (2004 through 2006), North Carolina's J.R. Reid (1988 and 1989), Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (2010), Navy's David Robinson (1986 and 1987), Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott (1990), Maryland's Joe Smith (1994 and 1995), Xavier's David West (2002 and 2003)
Washington (5) - Oregon's Aaron Brooks (2007), Arizona's Michael Dickerson (1998), Arizona's Jason Terry (1999), Louisville's Terrence Williams (2009), Oregon's Slim Wintermute (1938 and 1939)
West Virginia (2) - Virginia Tech's Chris Smith (1960), Virginia's Buzz Wilkinson (1955)
Wisconsin (8) - St. Louis' Dick Boushka (1955), Iowa's Fred Brown (1981), Connecticut's Caron Butler (2002), Louisville's Reece Gaines (2003), Iowa's John Johnson (1970), Utah's Jeff Jonas (1977), Minnesota's Chuck Mencel (1953 and 1955), Cincinnati's Nick Van Exel (1993)
Wyoming (1) - Utah's Vern Gardner (1948 and 1949)
NOTE: Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont are the only states not to supply an All-American for an out-of-state college.
Sports Pioneer: Jackie Robinson's Incredible Impact on College Basketball
Every sports fan acknowledges the cultural significance of Jackie Robinson. But as a movie ("42") debuts regarding Robinson beginning his major league baseball career, it is easy to forget there was a time when the now 75% black National Basketball Association was 100% white. It's also easy to forget how Robinson was instrumental in college basketball's "civil rights" movement.
Before Robinson arrived on the scene in the National League, however, there was Columbia's George Gregory, who became the first African-American to gain college All-American honors in 1930-31. In an era of low scoring, he was the team's second-leading scorer with a 9.2-point average. But he was proudest of his defense, and a statistic that is no longer kept: "goals against." In 10 games, Gregory held rival centers to only eight baskets. "That's less than one goal a game," he told the New York Times. "I think they should have kept that statistical category. Nowadays, one guy scores 40 points but his man scores 45. So what good is it?
"It's funny, but even though I was the only black playing for Columbia, and there was only one other black playing in the Ivy League - Baskerville of Harvard - I really didn't encounter too much trouble from opponents. Oh, I got into a couple of fights. And one time a guy called me 'Nigger,' and a white teammate said, 'Next time, you hit him high and I'll hit him low.' And we did, and my teammate, a Polish guy named Remy Tys, said to that other player, 'That's how we take care of nigger callers.'"
But Gregory said the worst racial incident he encountered was at his own school. "After our last game in my junior year, the team voted me captain for the next season. Well, there was a hell of a battle when this came out. Columbia didn't want a black captain, or a Jewish captain, either, I learned. The dean was against it, and the athletic director was against it, and even the coach was against it.
"The coach told me, `Get yourself together, Gregory, or I'll take your scholarship away.' They were worried that if we played a school in the South and met the other captain before the game, the guy would refuse to come out and it would embarrass the school. But the campus was split 50-50 on whether to have a black captain for its basketball team.
"The fight went on for three or four weeks. The school insisted that the team vote again. We did, and I won again. One of my teammates said, `You forced the school to enter the 20th Century.'"
Harrison "Honey" Fitch, Connecticut's first black player, was center stage during a racial incident delaying a game at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for several hours in late January 1934. Coast Guard officials entered a protest against Fitch, arguing that because half of the Academy's student body was from southern states, they had a tradition "that no Negro players be permitted to engage in contests at the Academy." Eventually, UConn's coach kept Fitch on the bench the entire contest and never explained why.
The first black to appear in the NBA didn't occur until a couple of decades after Gregory graduated and Fitch transferred to American International. UCLA's first basketball All-American Don Barksdale, one of the first seven African-Americans to play in the NBA, was the first black U.S. Olympic basketball player (1948) as well as the first black to play in an NBA All-Star Game (as a rookie in 1952).
Inspired by the black labor movement in the 1930s, Barksdale said, "I made up my mind that if I wanted to do something, I was going to try to do it all the way, no matter the obstacles."
As a 28-year-old rookie with the Baltimore Bullets, he was paid $20,850 (one of the NBA's top salaries) to play and host a postgame radio show, but that notoriety also put extra pressure on him. Forced to play excessive minutes during the preseason, he sustained ankle injuries that plagued him the remainder of his four-year NBA career (11 ppg and 8 rpg).
Why play so many minutes? "It's Baltimore, which is considered the South," said Barksdale, who wound up back in the Bay Area as a well-known jazz disc jockey. "So the South finally signed a black man, and he's going to play whether he could walk or crawl."
Chuck Cooper, who attended Duquesne on the GI Bill, was the first black player drafted by an NBA franchise. "I don't give a damn if he's striped or plaid or polka-dot," were the history-making words of Boston Celtics Owner Walter Brown when he selected Cooper, who averaged 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in six pro seasons. In Cooper's freshman campaign, Duquesne was awarded a forfeit after refusing to yield to Tennessee's refusal to compete against the Dukes if Cooper participated in a game just before Christmas.
In the 1955-56 season, the Hazleton (Pa.) Hawks of the Eastern League became the first professional league franchise to boast an all-black starting lineup - Jesse Arnelle, Tom Hemans, Fletcher Johnson, Floyd Lane and Sherman White. Arnelle (Penn State) and White (Long Island) were former major-college All-Americans.
As for the multi-talented Robinson, UCLA's initial all-conference basketball player in the 1940s was a forward who compiled the highest scoring average in the Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with the Bruins (12.3 points per league game in 1939-40 and 11.1 ppg in 1940-41) after transferring from Pasadena (Calif.) City College. Continuing his scoring exploits, the six-time National League All-Star who spurred #42 uniforms throughout MLB was the leading scorer for the Los Angeles Red Devils' barnstorming team in 1946-47.
Seven-time All-Star outfielder Larry Doby, the first black in the American League, was also a college basketball player who helped pave the way for minorities. He competed on the hardwood for Virginia Union during World War II after originally committing to LIU. The four-month lead Robinson had in integrating the majors casts a huge shadow over Doby, who was the first black to lead his league in homers (32 in 1952), first to hit a World Series homer and first to win a World Series title.
With less than 10% of current MLB rosters comprised of African-Americans, Robinson clearly had much more of a longstanding impact on basketball than baseball. All of the trailblazers didn't capitalize on a Methodist faith like Robinson. But in deference to "firsts" and the number 42, following is a ranking of the 42 best players to break the color barrier at the varsity level of a major university (*indicates junior college recruit):
| Rank | First Black Player | School | First Varsity Season | Summary of College Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elvin Hayes | Houston | 1965-66 | Three-time All-American averaged 31 ppg and 17.2 rpg in three seasons. The Hall of Famer led the Cougars in scoring and rebounding each year. |
| 2. | Hal Greer | Marshall | 1955-56 | The first African-American to play intercollegiate athletics in the state of West Virginia averaged 19.4 ppg and 10.8 rpg in three seasons. Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer led the Thundering Herd in rebounding as a junior (13.8 rpg) and senior (11.7 rpg) before becoming a 10-time NBA All-Star. |
| 3. | Charlie Scott | North Carolina | 1967-68 | Averaged 22.1 ppg and 7.1 rpg in three seasons. He was a consensus second-team All-American choice his last two years. |
| 4. | Clem Haskins | Western Kentucky | 1964-65 | Three-time OVC Player of the Year was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior. Averaged 22.1 ppg and 10.6 rpg in three varsity seasons. First-round NBA draft pick (3rd overall) in 1967. |
| 5. | K.C. Jones | San Francisco | 1951-52 | Shut-down defender Jones, a member of the 1955 NCAA champion and 1956 Olympic champion, averaged 8.8 ppg in five seasons (played only one game in 1953-54 before undergoing an appendectomy). |
| 6. | Walter Dukes | Seton Hall | 1950-51 | Averaged 19.9 ppg and 18.9 rpg in three seasons. Consensus first-team All-American as a senior when he averaged 26.1 ppg and 22.2 rpg to lead the Dukes to a 31-2 record and NIT title. Played two full seasons with the Harlem Globetrotters before signing with the New York Knicks, who picked him in the 1953 NBA draft. |
| 7. | Don Chaney | Houston | 1965-66 | Defensive whiz Chaney, an All-American as a senior, averaged 12.6 ppg in three seasons and was a member of Final Four teams in 1967 and 1968. |
| 8. | John Austin | Boston College | 1963-64 | Two-time All-American averaged 27 ppg in his Eagles' career. Ranked among the nation's leading scorers in 1964 (8th), 1965 (7th) and 1966 (22nd). Scored 40 points in one NIT contest in 1965. He was a fourth-round choice by the Boston Celtics in the 1966 NBA draft. |
| 9. | Mike Maloy | Davidson | 1967-68 | Three-time All-American averaged 19.3 ppg and 12.4 rpg in his career. Southern Conference Player of the Year as a junior and senior. He was the leading scorer (24.6 ppg) and rebounder (14.3 rpg) for the winningest team in school history (27-3 in 1968-69). Selected by the Pittsburgh Condors in the first five rounds of 1970 ABA draft. |
| 10. | Cleo Littleton | Wichita State | 1951-52 | Averaged 19 ppg and 7.7 rpg in four seasons, leading the Shockers in scoring each year. School's career scoring leader (2,164 points) is the only four-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference choice. He was selected by the Fort Wayne Pistons in the 1955 NBA draft. |
| 11. | Wendell Hudson | Alabama | 1970-71 | Averaged 19.2 ppg and 12 rpg in his career, finishing as Bama's fourth-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. The two-time All-SEC first-team selection was a Helms All-American choice as a senior in 1972-73 before being selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. |
| 12. | Bob Gibson | Creighton | 1954-55 | Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher was the school's first player to average at least 20 ppg in his career (20.2). Led the Bluejays in scoring (22 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg) as a junior. Gibson, who said he couldn't eat or stay with the rest of the Bluejays' team on his first trip to Tulsa, went on to play with the Harlem Globetrotters. |
| 13. | Bill Garrett | Indiana | 1948-49 | First impact African-American player in the Big Ten Conference averaged 12 ppg while leading the Hoosiers in scoring each of his three varsity seasons. Paced them in rebounding as a senior (8.5 rpg) when he was an all-league first-team selection. Selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of 1951 NBA draft. |
| 14. | Earl Robinson | California | 1955-56 | Three-time All-PCC second-team selection averaged at least 10 ppg each of three varsity seasons as a 6-1 guard under HOF coach Pete Newell. Robinson averaged 15.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games his last two years, leading the Bears in scoring in two of the playoff contests. |
| 15. | Tom Payne | Kentucky | 1970-71 | Led the Wildcats in rebounding (10.1 rpg) and was their second-leading scorer (16.9 ppg) in his only varsity season before turning pro. The All-SEC first-team selection had a 39-point, 19-rebound performance vs. Louisiana State. |
| 16. | Ron "Fritz" Williams | West Virginia | 1965-66 | The Southern Conference's player of the year as a senior led the Mountaineers in scoring and assists all three varsity seasons on his way to finishing with averages of 20.1 ppg and 6 apg. Williams, a two-time All-Southern Conference first-team selection, was a first-round pick in the 1968 NBA draft (9th overall). |
| 17. | James Cash | Texas Christian | 1966-67 | SWC's initial African-American player averaged 13.9 ppg and 11.6 rpg in three seasons. Two-time All-SWC second-team selection led the Horned Frogs in scoring (16.3 ppg) and rebounding (11.6 rpg) as a senior. Cash had six games with at least 20 rebounds. |
| 18. | John Savage | North Texas | 1961-62 | Detroit product averaged 19.2 ppg in leading the Eagles in scoring all three of his varsity seasons with them. Three-time All-MVC selection was a fifth-round choice by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1964 NBA draft. |
| 19. | Willie Allen | Miami (Fla.) | 1968-69 | Averaged 17.2 ppg and 12.2 rpg in three seasons. Led the Hurricanes in scoring (19.9 ppg) and rebounding (17.2 rpg) as a senior. Fourth-round choice of the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA draft played briefly for the ABA's The Floridans during the 1971-72 season. |
| 20. | Jerry Jenkins | Mississippi State | 1972-73 | All-SEC selection as a junior and senior when he was the Bulldogs' leading scorer each year averaged 19.3 ppg and 7 rpg in three seasons. |
| 21. | Stew Johnson | Murray State | 1963-64 | Averaged 16.8 ppg and 12.9 rpg in three seasons en route to finishing his career as the school's all-time fourth-leading scorer (1,275 points) and second-leading rebounder (981). He was a third-round choice of the New York Knicks in the 1966 NBA draft before becoming a three-time ABA All-Star. |
| 22. | Gene Knolle* | Texas Tech | 1969-70 | Two-time All-SWC first-team selection averaged 21.5 ppg and 8.4 rpg in two seasons before becoming a seventh-round choice by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1971 NBA draft. |
| 23. | Joe Bertrand | Notre Dame | 1951-52 | Averaged 14.6 ppg in three seasons, including 16.5 as a senior when the Irish finished the year ranked sixth in the final AP poll. He was a 10th-round choice in the 1954 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Hawks. |
| 24. | Hadie Redd | Arizona | 1953-54 | Led the Wildcats in scoring (13.2 ppg and 13.6) and rebounding (7 rpg and 9.4) in both of his varsity seasons. |
| 25. | Almer Lee* | Arkansas | 1969-70 | He was the Hogs' leading scorer in 1969-70 (17 ppg) and 1970-71 (19.2 ppg as All-SWC second-team selection). |
| 26. | John "Jackie" Moore | La Salle | 1951-52 | Averaged 10.3 ppg and 12.1 rpg in two seasons. Second-leading rebounder both years for the Explorers behind All-American Tom Gola. Played three seasons in the NBA as the first black player for the Philadelphia Warriors. |
| 27. | Greg Lowery* | Texas Tech | 1969-70 | Averaged 19.7 ppg in his three-year career. First-team All-SWC as a sophomore and senior and a second-team choice as a junior en route to finishing as school's career scoring leader (1,476 points). |
| 28. | Henry Harris | Auburn | 1969-70 | Averaged 11.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 2.5 apg in three-year varsity career. Standout defensive player was captain as a senior. He was an eighth-round choice by the Houston Rockets in the 1972 NBA draft. |
| 29. | Tommy Bowman | Baylor | 1967-68 | Led the Bears in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg) in his first varsity season. All-SWC first-team selection in 1967-68 and 1968-69. |
| 30. | Ronnie Hogue | Georgia | 1970-71 | Finished three-year varsity career as the second-leading scorer in school history (17.8 ppg). Hogue was an All-SEC second-team choice with 20.5 ppg as a junior, when he set the school single-game scoring record with 46 points against LSU. He was a seventh-round choice of the Capital Bullets in the 1973 NBA draft. |
| 31. | Coolidge Ball | Mississippi | 1971-72 | Two-time All-SEC second-team selection (sophomore and junior years) averaged 14.1 ppg and 9.9 rpg in three seasons. He led the Rebels in scoring (16.8 ppg) and was second in rebounding (10.3 rpg) as a sophomore. |
| 32. | Carl Head* | West Virginia | 1965-66 | Averaged 17.1 ppg and 7.9 rpg in two seasons. Paced the team in field-goal shooting as a junior (53.5%) and in scoring as a senior (20.5 ppg). |
| 33. | Perry Wallace | Vanderbilt | 1967-68 | Averaged 12.9 ppg and 11.5 rpg in three varsity seasons. He was the Commodores' leading rebounder as a junior (10.2 rpg) and leading scorer as a senior (13.4 ppg). Fifth-round choice by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970 NBA draft. |
| 34. | Don Eaddy | Michigan | 1951-52 | The Wolverines' top scorer in Big Ten competition as a sophomore (13.8 ppg) averaged 11.4 ppg in four seasons. Eaddy was an infielder who played briefly with the Chicago Cubs in 1959. |
| 35. | Garfield Smith | Eastern Kentucky | 1965-66 | Averaged 14.5 ppg and 13.2 rpg in three seasons. He was an All-Ohio Valley Conference choice as a senior when he finished second in the nation in rebounding (19.7 rpg). Third-round choice by the Boston Celtics in the 1968 NBA draft. |
| 36. | Tommy Woods | East Tennessee State | 1964-65 | Two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference choice averaged 15.3 ppg and 16.2 rpg in three seasons. He grabbed 38 rebounds in a game vs. Middle Tennessee en route to finishing third in the nation in rebounding as a sophomore (19.6 rpg). |
| 37. | Willie Brown | Middle Tennessee State | 1966-67 | All-Ohio Valley Conference choice as junior and senior averaged 20.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg in three seasons en route to finishing his career as the school's all-time scoring leader (1,524 points). He was a 10th-round choice by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA draft. |
| 38. | Julius Pegues | Pittsburgh | 1955-56 | Spent one year at a Detroit technical school before enrolling at Pitt. Averaged 13.6 ppg in three seasons, finishing as the school's second-leading scorer (17.6 ppg) as a senior behind All-American Don Hennon. Pegues, who scored a game-high 31 points in an 82-77 loss to Miami of Ohio as a senior in the 1958 NCAA Tournament, was a fifth-round choice by the St. Louis Hawks in the NBA draft. |
| 39. | Sebron "Ed" Tucker* | Stanford | 1950-51 | Averaged 15.8 ppg in two seasons, leading the team in scoring both years. Paced the league in scoring as a junior (16.5 ppg) before becoming an All-PCC South first-team pick as a senior. |
| 40. | Collis Temple | Louisiana State | 1971-72 | Averaged 10.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg in three seasons. Ranked second in the SEC in rebounding (11.1 rpg) and seventh in field-goal shooting (54.9%) as a senior. He was a sixth-round choice by the Phoenix Suns in the 1974 NBA draft. |
| 41. | Charlie White* | Oregon State | 1964-65 | Led the Beavers in rebounding (7 rpg) and was their second-leading scorer (9.6 ppg) as a junior. The next year as a first five pick on the All-Pacific-8 team, he was OSU's captain and second-leading scorer (11.7 ppg) and rebounder (6.6 rpg), pacing the team in field-goal shooting (49.4%) and free-throw shooting (81.4%). |
| 42. | Ruben Triplett* | Southern Methodist | 1971-72 | Averaged 14.9 ppg and 9 rpg in two seasons. Named All-SWC as a junior when he led the Mustangs in scoring (18.2 ppg) and rebounding (10.8 rpg). Scored a career-high 33 points at Oklahoma City. |
42 MOST OVERLOOKED PIONEERS
| First Black Player | School | First Varsity Season | Summary of College Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Abram | Missouri | 1956-57 | Averaged 11 ppg over four seasons. He led the Tigers in scoring (16.1 ppg), rebounding (8.9 rpg) and field-goal shooting (45%) in 1958-59. |
| Bunk Adams | Ohio University | 1958-59 | Averaged 16.4 ppg and 11.8 rpg in three seasons, including a team-high 12.8 rpg as a senior. He led the team in scoring as a sophomore (14.4 ppg) and junior (16.4) and was second as a senior (18.2) en route to finishing as OU's career leader in points (1,196). All-MAC first-team selection as a junior and senior after earning second-team status as a sophomore. Adams was OU's first NBA draft choice (16th round by Baltimore in 1965). |
| Don Barnette | Miami (Ohio) | 1953-54 | All-MAC first-team selection as a senior averaged 11.6 ppg and 5.2 rpg during three-year career. Played for the Harlem Globetrotters in the late 1950s and early 1960s. |
| Charlie Brown* | Texas-El Paso | 1956-57 | Air Force veteran, a three-time All-Border Conference choice, led the league in scoring as a sophomore (23.4 ppg). He averaged 17.5 ppg in three varsity seasons, leading the Miners in scoring each year. |
| Earl Brown | Lafayette | 1971-72 | Grabbed 21 rebounds in a game against Lehigh as a sophomore before averaging 11 ppg and 10.6 rpg as a junior and 13.7 ppg and 12.1 rpg as a senior. Ninth-round NBA draft choice by the New York Knicks in 1974. |
| Mario Brown* | Texas A&M | 1971-72 | Averaged 13 ppg and 4.3 apg in two seasons, leading the team in assists both years. |
| Harvey Carter | Bucknell | 1970-71 | Led the Bison in scoring and rebounding all three varsity seasons (14.1 ppg and 11.5 rpg as a sophomore, 14.8 ppg and 12.4 rpg as a junior and 14.2 ppg and 9.8 rpg as a senior). |
| Larry Chanay | Montana State | 1956-57 | Four-year Air Force veteran finished his four-year college career as the school's all-time leading scorer (2,034 points). He led the Bobcats in scoring all four seasons. Chanay was a 14th-round choice by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA draft. |
| John Codwell | Michigan | 1951-52 | The Wolverines' second-leading scorer as a junior (10.5 ppg) averaged 6.4 ppg in three seasons. |
| Vince Colbert* | East Carolina | 1966-67 | Averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg in two seasons. He led ECU in rebounding as a junior (7.1 rpg). |
| Robert Cox | Loyola Marymount | 1953-54 | Averaged 16.9 ppg and 11.1 rpg in two seasons while leading the Lions in both categories each year. |
| John Crawford | Iowa State | 1955-56 | Averaged 13.4 ppg and 9.7 rpg in three seasons. He led the Cyclones in rebounding all three years and paced them in scoring as a senior (14.1 ppg). |
| L.M. Ellis | Austin Peay State | 1963-64 | The first OVC black player averaged 9.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg as a junior and 6.7 ppg and 6.1 rpg as a senior after transferring from Drake to his hometown school. |
| Ed Fleming | Niagara | 1951-52 | Averaged 15 ppg and 8.7 rpg in four seasons to finish No. 1 on the school's all-time scoring list (1,682). All-time top rebounder (975) was selected by the Rochester Royals in 1955 NBA draft. |
| Larry Fry | Mississippi State | 1972-73 | Averaged 13.8 ppg and 8.1 rpg in three seasons. |
| Julian Hammond* | Tulsa | 1964-65 | Averaged 12.2 ppg and 7.6 rpg in two seasons. Led the Golden Hurricane in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg) as a senior when he was an All-MVC first-team selection and paced the nation in field-goal shooting (65.9%). He was a ninth-round choice by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1966 NBA draft. |
| Charlie Hoxie | Niagara | 1951-52 | Averaged 11.7 ppg and 8.4 rpg in four seasons to finish his career as the school's third-leading scorer (1,274). Second-leading rebounder (916) was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1955 NBA draft before playing with the Harlem Globetrotters. |
| Eddie Jackson | Oklahoma City | 1962-63 | Center averaged 12.3 ppg and 10 rpg in three-year OCU career after transferring from Oklahoma. He led the Chiefs in rebounding as a sophomore and junior. Selected in the sixth round by the San Francisco Warriors in the 1965 NBA draft. |
| Leroy Jackson | Santa Clara | 1960-61 | Averaged 10.1 ppg and 8.3 rpg in three seasons, leading the team in rebounding all three years. Named to second five on All-WCAC team as a senior when he averaged 11.9 ppg and 10.9 rpg. |
| Curt Jimerson* | Wyoming | 1960-61 | Forward averaged 14.6 ppg in two seasons, including a team-high 17.5 ppg as a senior when he was an All-Mountain States Conference first-team selection. |
| Junius Kellogg | Manhattan | 1950-51 | Averaged 12.1 ppg in three-year career, leading the Jaspers in scoring as a sophomore and junior. Former Army sergeant refused bribe and exposed a major point-shaving scandal. |
| Charlie Lipscomb | Virginia Tech | 1969-70 | Averaged 11.4 ppg and 9.4 rpg in three varsity seasons. He led the team in rebounding (10.4 rpg) and was its second-leading scorer (12.1 ppg) as a sophomore. |
| Jesse Marshall* | Centenary | 1968-69 | Led the Gents in scoring (16 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg) as a senior after being their second-leading scorer (15.9 ppg) and leading rebounder (10.2 rpg) as a junior. |
| Shellie McMillon | Bradley | 1955-56 | Member of 1957 NIT champion averaged 14.1 ppg and 9.3 rpg in three varsity seasons, including a team-high 16.4 ppg in 1957-58. McMillon, who scored 42 points vs. Detroit, was an All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team choice as a senior before becoming a sixth-round NBA draft choice by the Detroit Pistons. |
| Eugene Oliver* | South Alabama | 1972-73 | Averaged 17.9 ppg and 5.1 rpg in two seasons, leading the team in scoring both years and setting a school single-game record with 46 points vs. Southern Mississippi. |
| Charley Parnell | Delaware | 1966-67 | First-team All-East Coast Conference choice led the Blue Hens in scoring with 18.5 ppg. |
| Garland Pinkston | George Washington | 1967-68 | Second-leading scorer (12.5 ppg) and rebounder (7.3 rpg) in his only varsity season for GWU. |
| Art Polk | Middle Tennessee State | 1966-67 | MTSU's second-leading rebounder as a junior and senior averaged 12.3 ppg and 9.2 rpg in three seasons. |
| Charley Powell | Loyola (New Orleans) | 1966-67 | Averaged 21.5 ppg in three-year career, finishing 13th in the nation with 26 ppg as a junior. |
| Larry Robinson* | Tennessee | 1971-72 | Averaged 10.9 ppg and 8.8 rpg in two seasons. Led the Volunteers in rebounding and field-goal shooting both years. He was a 16th-round choice by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973 NBA draft. |
| Ron Satterthwaite | William & Mary | 1973-74 | Averaged 13.2 ppg in four seasons. He led the Tribe in scoring as a sophomore and junior, averaging 17 ppg during that span. Guard was an All-Southern Conference first-team selection as a sophomore and second-team choice as a junior. |
| Oscar Scott* | The Citadel | 1971-72 | Three-year Army veteran averaged 11.8 ppg and 7 rpg in two seasons. He led the Bulldogs in rebounding as a senior. |
| Dwight Smith | Western Kentucky | 1964-65 | Three-time all-conference guard averaged 14.6 ppg and 10.9 rpg in his college career. Led the Hilltoppers in rebounding as a sophomore (11.3 rpg) and as a senior (11.9 rpg). Smith was a third-round choice of the Los Angeles Lakers (23rd overall). |
| Sam Smith | Louisville | 1963-64 | Third-round choice of the Cincinnati Royals in the 1967 NBA draft averaged 9.2 ppg and team-high 11 rpg in his only varsity season with the Cardinals before transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan. |
| Sam Stith | St. Bonaventure | 1957-58 | Averaged 14.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg in three-year career. After All-American brother Tom arrived the next season, they combined to average 52 ppg in 1959-60, an NCAA single-season record for brothers on the same team. |
| Harold Sylvester | Tulane | 1968-69 | Averaged 12.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg in three varsity seasons. He led the Green Wave in rebounding as a sophomore and was its second-leading rebounder and scorer as a junior and senior. |
| John Thomas | Pacific | 1954-55 | Averaged 15.1 ppg and 11.3 rpg in three years while leading the team in scoring and rebounding each campaign. Finished his career as the school's all-time scoring leader (1,178 points). He set UOP single-season records for points (480) and rebounds (326) in 1955-56. |
| Liscio Thomas* | Furman | 1969-70 | Averaged 17 ppg and 9.9 rpg in two seasons. He led the Paladins in scoring as a junior (17.7 ppg) and was the second-leading scorer and rebounder for the 1971 Southern Conference champion. |
| Solly Walker | St. John's | 1951-52 | First African-American ever to play in game at Kentucky averaged 7.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg in three seasons. Member of 1952 NCAA runner-up and 1953 NIT runner-up. Led the team in scoring (14 ppg) and rebounding (12.2 rpg) as a senior. Selected by the New York Knicks in the 1954 NBA draft. |
| John Edgar Wideman | Penn | 1960-61 | Two-time All-Ivy League second-team swingman led the Quakers in scoring as a junior (13.2 ppg in 1961-62) and as a senior (13.8 ppg in 1962-63). The Pittsburgh native also paced them in rebounding as a junior (7.6 rpg). |
| Willie Williams* | Florida State | 1968-69 | Averaged 12.5 ppg and 10.3 rpg in two seasons and led the nation in field-goal shooting as a senior (63.6%). |
| Ed "Skip" Young | Florida State | 1968-69 | Averaged 11.7 ppg in three seasons, including 15 ppg as a sophomore, before becoming a seventh-round choice by the Boston Celtics in the 1971 NBA draft. |
Never Never Land: No Duke All-American Has Been North Carolina Product
Center Mason Plumlee, an Indiana native, is the 35th different individual to become an All-American for Duke (24 under coach Mike Krzyzewski). Incredibly, none of them can be counted as in-state recruits from any of North Carolina's 100 counties despite Plumlee and his brothers briefly attending a private school in the state. It doesn't seem possible, but North Carolina laid a Blue Devils' goose egg while states such as Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon have contributed to their list of All-Americans. Will Chicago product Jabari Parker become #36 in this category?
The official web site of the State of North Carolina says the state is "a better place." But it hasn't been for Duke in regard to securing premium players. Following is an alphabetical list detailing the hometowns of Duke's 35 All-Americans coming from 19 different states plus the District of Columbia:
All-American Pos. A-A Year(s) Hometown Mark Alarie F 1986 Phoenix, AZ Tommy Amaker G 1987 Fairfax, VA Gene Banks F 1979 and 1981 Philadelphia, PA Shane Battier F 2000 and 2001 Birmingham, MI Carlos Boozer C 2002 Juneau, AK Elton Brand C 1999 Peekskill, NY Chris Carrawell F 2000 St. Louis, MO Johnny Dawkins G 1985 and 1986 Washington, DC Chris Duhon G 2004 Slidell, LA Mike Dunleavy F 2002 Lake Oswego, OR Danny Ferry F-C 1988 and 1989 Hyattsville, MD Mike Gminski C 1978 through 1980 Monroe, CT Dick Groat G 1951 and 1952 Swissvale, PA Gerald Henderson G-F 2009 Merion, PA Art Heyman F 1961 through 1963 Oceanside, NY Grant Hill F-G 1992 through 1994 Reston, VA Bobby Hurley G 1992 and 1993 Jersey City, NJ Ed Koffenberger F-C 1946 and 1947 Wilmington, PA Christian Laettner C-F 1991 and 1992 Buffalo, NY Trajan Langdon G 1998 and 1999 Anchorage, AK Mike Lewis C 1968 Missoula, MT Jack Marin F 1966 Farrell, PA Jeff Mullins F 1963 and 1964 Lexington, KY DeMarcus Nelson G-F 2008 Elk Grove, CA Mason Plumlee C 2013 Warsaw, IN Jonathan "J.J." Redick G 2004 through 2006 Roanoke, VA Austin Rivers G 2012 Winter Park, FL Jon Scheyer G 2010 Northbrook, IL Kyle Singler F 2011 Medford, OR Nolan Smith G 2011 Upper Marlboro, MD Jim Spanarkel G 1978 and 1979 Jersey City, NJ Jim Thompson F 1934 Washington, DC Bob Verga G 1966 and 1967 Belmar, NJ Jason "Jay" Williams G 2001 and 2002 Plainfield, NJ Shelden Williams C 2005 and 2006 Forest Park, OK
Harry Experience: Combes Set Unprecedented A-A Standard With Illini
Only seven individuals have coached at least 14 All-Americans with one major college. Last year, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski broke a tie with Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and moved atop that list when "one 'n done" guard Austin Rivers, despite registering more turnovers than assists, became Coach K's 24th player to earn All-American acclaim. This season, Coach K became the first with as many as 25 when center Mason Plumlee was honored.
In one of the most overlooked achievements in NCAA history, Harry Combes amassed 16 different All-Americans in his first 19 of 20 seasons as Illinois' mentor from 1947-48 through 1966-67. No other coach has accumulated more than 13 All-Americans in his first 20 campaigns with a single school - North Carolina's Dean Smith (13 in first 20 seasons), Indiana's Bob Knight (12), Krzyzewski (12), Rupp (12), Indiana's Branch McCracken (11), Arizona's Lute Olson (11), UCLA's John Wooden (10) and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (eight).
As a means of comparison, keep in mind that inactive NCAA Division I national coaches of the year P.J. Carlesimo, Perry Clark, Tom Davis, Eddie Fogler, Jim Harrick, Marv Harshman, Clem Haskins, Maury John, Jim O'Brien, George Raveling, Charlie Spoonhour and Butch van Breda Kolff combined for 17 All-Americans in a cumulative 251 years coaching at the major-college level. Moreover, prominent active coaches Steve Alford, Dana Altman, Tommy Amaker, Mike Anderson, Jim Baron, John Beilein, Randy Bennett, Brad Brownell, Mick Cronin, Ed DeChellis, James Dickey, Scott Drew, Fran Dunphy, Bruiser Flint, Tim Floyd, Travis Ford, Mark Gottfried, Brian Gregory, Frank Haith, Stan Heath, Paul Hewitt, Mike Jarvis, Trent Johnson, Billy Kennedy, Lon Kruger, Jim Larranaga, Steve Lavin, Fran McCaffery, Bob McKillop, Dan Monson, Stew Morrill, Oliver Purnell, Tubby Smith, Brad Stevens, Scott Sutton, Mark Turgeon and Gary Waters have combined for fewer All-Americans than Combes. Indiana boasts two of the following seven coaches with the most different All-Americans at one university:
| Coach | All-Americans With Single Division I School | School Tenure With Most All-Americans |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Krzyzewski | 25 All-Americans in first 33 seasons at Duke | 1980-81 through 2012-13 |
| Adolph Rupp | 23 in 41 seasons at Kentucky | 1930-31 through 1971-72 except for 1952-53 |
| Dean Smith | 22 in 36 seasons at North Carolina | 1961-62 through 1996-97 |
| John Wooden | 18 in 27 seasons at UCLA | 1948-49 through 1974-75 |
| Bob Knight | 17 in 29 seasons at Indiana | 1971-72 through 1999-2000 |
| Harry Combes | 16 in 20 seasons at Illinois | 1947-48 through 1966-67 |
| Branch McCracken | 14 in 24 seasons at Indiana | 1938-39 through 1942-43 and 1946-47 through 1964-65 |
NOTE: Respected retired mentors Gale Catlett, Mike Deane, Bill Henderson, Shelby Metcalf, Stan Morrison, Bob Polk, Charlie Spoonhour and Ralph Willard never had an All-American despite at least 18 seasons coaching at the major-college level.
Lost That Title Feeling: Louisville Transfers Miss Out on Special Ring Fitting
Forwards Rakeem Buckles (Florida International redshirt transfer) and Jared Swopshire (Northwestern) missed out on some championship bling because they departed Louisville before the Cardinals won this year's NCAA title. They join the following alphabetical list of transfer players denied receiving an NCAA championship ring because they left a school that subsequently captured a national crown:
*Played for a junior college between four-year schools
NOTES: McCaffrey and Palmer played for an NCAA champion with Duke in 1991 and Huertas did with Florida in 2006. . . . King played only one season for Villanova in 2009-10. . . . E. Williams left Memphis after 2009-10 campaign when he declared early for the NBA draft.
UConn's Ollie 4th Power-League Coach Since Late '70s to Post Top 1st-Year Mark
In 2011-12, Steve Prohm of Murray State (31-2) posted the best first-year record for a newcomer coach since Bill Hodges directed Indiana State (33-1) to the 1979 Final Four. Since Hodges' debut, only three coaches from power six leagues compiled the nation's best first-year mark - Oregon State's Jim Anderson in 1989-90, North Carolina's Bill Guthridge in 1997-98 and Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon in 2003-04 - until Connecticut's Kevin Ollie joined the list this year with a 20-10 mark.
Hodges succeeded Bob King, who earlier in the decade gave Norm Ellenberger a quality team on a silver platter in 1972-73. Joining King in the category of twice being the predecessor for coaches who compiled the best first-year mark are Gene Bartow (Memphis State '75 and UCLA '78) and Tim Floyd (Idaho '89 and New Orleans '95).
First-year coaches Bashir Mason (19-12 with Wagner) and Kevin Baggett (19-15 with Rider) registered more victories than counterpart Richard Pitino (18-14 with Florida International) but likely weren't on Minnesota's list of possible successors to fired Tubby Smith. Pitino, boasting name value similar to privileged children of Clinton/Cuomo/Kennedy, got preferential treatment en route to filling the Gopheers' vacant job. Following are first-year NCAA Division I head coaches with the best winning percentages going back to 1963-64:
| Season | First-Year Head Coach | School | W-L | Pct. | Predecessor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-64 | Tates Locke | Army | 19-7 | .731 | George Hunter |
| 1964-65 | Gary Thompson | Wichita State | 21-9 | .700 | Ralph Miller |
| 1965-66 | Lou Carnesecca | St. John's | 18-8 | .692 | Joe Lapchick |
| 1965-66 | Bob Knight | Army | 18-8 | .692 | Tates Locke |
| 1966-67 | Tommy Bartlett | Florida | 21-4 | .840 | Norman Sloan |
| 1967-68 | John Dromo | Louisville | 21-7 | .750 | Peck Hickman |
| 1968-69 | Tom Gola | La Salle | 23-1 | .958 | Jim Harding |
| 1969-70 | Terry Holland | Davidson | 22-5 | .815 | Lefty Driesell |
| 1970-71 | Richard "Digger" Phelps | Fordham | 26-3 | .897 | Ed Conlin |
| 1971-72 | Chuck Daly | Penn | 25-3 | .893 | Dick Harter |
| 1972-73 | Norm Ellenberger | New Mexico | 21-6 | .778 | Bob King |
| 1973-74 | Lute Olson | Long Beach State | 24-2 | .923 | Jerry Tarkanian |
| 1974-75 | Tom Apke | Creighton | 20-7 | .741 | Eddie Sutton |
| 1974-75 | Wayne Yates | Memphis State | 20-7 | .741 | Gene Bartow |
| 1975-76 | Bill Blakeley | North Texas State | 22-4 | .846 | Gene Robbins |
| 1976-77 | Jim Boeheim | Syracuse | 26-4 | .867 | Roy Danforth |
| 1976-77 | Charlie Schmaus | Virginia Military | 26-4 | .867 | Bill Blair |
| 1977-78 | Gary Cunningham | UCLA | 25-3 | .893 | Gene Bartow |
| 1978-79 | Bill Hodges | Indiana State | 33-1 | .971 | Bob King |
| 1979-80 | Bob Dukiet | St. Peter's | 22-9 | .710 | Bob Kelly |
| 1979-80 | Dave "Lefty" Ervin | La Salle | 22-9 | .710 | Paul Westhead |
| 1980-81 | Pat Foster | Lamar | 25-5 | .833 | Billy Tubbs |
| 1981-82 | Jim Boyle | St. Joseph's | 25-5 | .833 | Jim Lynam |
| 1982-83 | Ed Tapscott | American University | 20-10 | .667 | Gary Williams |
| 1983-84 | Rick Huckabay | Marshall | 25-6 | .806 | Bob Zuffelato |
| 1984-85 | Newton Chelette | Southeastern Louisiana | 18-9 | .667 | Ken Fortenberry |
| 1985-86 | Pete Gillen | Xavier | 25-5 | .833 | Bob Staak |
| 1986-87 | Pete Herrmann | Navy | 26-6 | .813 | Paul Evans |
| 1987-88 | Rick Barnes | George Mason | 20-10 | .667 | Joe Harrington |
| 1988-89 | Kermit Davis | Idaho | 25-6 | .806 | Tim Floyd |
| 1989-90 | Jim Anderson | Oregon State | 22-7 | .759 | Ralph Miller |
| 1990-91 | Alan LeForce | East Tennessee State | 28-5 | .848 | Les Robinson |
| 1991-92 | Blaine Taylor | Montana | 27-4 | .871 | Stew Morrill |
| 1992-93 | Fran Fraschilla | Manhattan | 23-7 | .767 | Steve Lappas |
| 1993-94 | Kirk Speraw | Central Florida | 21-9 | .700 | Joe Dean Jr. |
| 1994-95 | George "Tic" Price | New Orleans | 20-11 | .645 | Tim Floyd |
| 1995-96 | Mike Heideman | Wisconsin-Green Bay | 25-4 | .862 | Dick Bennett |
| 1996-97 | Bill Carmody | Princeton | 24-4 | .857 | Pete Carril |
| 1997-98 | Bill Guthridge | North Carolina | 34-4 | .895 | Dean Smith |
| 1998-99 | Tevester Anderson | Murray State | 27-6 | .818 | Mark Gottfried |
| 1999-00 | Mark Few | Gonzaga | 26-9 | .743 | Dan Monson |
| 2000-01 | Thad Matta | Butler | 24-8 | .750 | Barry Collier |
| 2001-02 | Stan Heath | Kent State | 29-6 | .829 | Gary Waters |
| 2002-03 | Brad Brownell | UNC Wilmington | 24-7 | .774 | Jerry Wainwright |
| 2003-04 | Jamie Dixon | Pittsburgh | 31-5 | .861 | Ben Howland |
| 2004-05 | Mark Fox | Nevada | 25-7 | .781 | Trent Johnson |
| 2005-06 | Rob Jeter | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 22-9 | .710 | Bruce Pearl |
| 2006-07 | Anthony Grant | Virginia Commonwealth | 28-7 | .800 | Jeff Capel III |
| 2007-08 | Brad Stevens | Butler | 30-4 | .882 | Todd Lickliter |
| 2008-09 | Ken McDonald | Western Kentucky | 25-9 | .735 | Darrin Horn |
| 2009-10 | Shaka Smart | Virginia Commonwealth | 27-9 | .750 | Anthony Grant |
| 2010-11 | B.J. Hill | Northern Colorado | 21-11 | .656 | Tad Boyle |
| 2011-12 | Steve Prohm | Murray State | 31-2 | .939 | Billy Kennedy |
| 2012-13 | Kevin Ollie | Connecticut | 20-10 | .667 | Jim Calhoun |
Moment in Spotlight: Highest Single-Game Scorers Against NCAA Champions
National player of the year Trey Burke (Michigan) and junior college standout Cleanthony Early (Wichita State) each scored 24 points against Louisville at the Final Four. But Illinois State senior guard Tyler Brown secured the satisfaction of posting the highest single-game output this season against the NCAA champion-to-be Cardinals when the junior college transfer scored 25 points on the first day of December in a 69-66 defeat for the Redbirds.
Since UCLA's first NCAA championship in 1964, Louisville's Russ Smith has the lowest scoring average (11.5 ppg in 2011-12) for any player who posted the single-game high against an NCAA titlist. Some of the names probably will be surprising, but following is a look in reverse order at the last 50 individuals who posted the season-high scoring total against the NCAA kingpin:
| Year | Opposing High Scorer Vs. NCAA Titlist | Avg. | Single-Game High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tyler Brown, G, Sr., Illinois State | 18.1 | 25 points at Louisville |
| 2012 | Russ Smith, G, Soph., Louisville | 11.5 | 30 at Kentucky |
| 2011 | Dwight Hardy, G, Sr., St. John's | 18.3 | 33 vs. Connecticut |
| 2010 | Trevon Hughes, G, Sr., Wisconsin | 15.3 | 26 vs. Duke |
| 2009 | Kyle McAlarney, G, Sr., Notre Dame | 15.0 | 39 vs. North Carolina at Maui |
| 2008 | Michael Beasley, F-C, Fr., Kansas State | 26.2 | 39 at Kansas |
| 2007 | Al Thornton, F, Sr., Florida State | 19.7 | 28 vs. Florida |
| 2006 | Chris Lofton, G, Soph., Tennessee | 17.2 | 29 vs. Florida |
| 2005 | Will Bynum, G, Sr., Georgia Tech | 12.5 | 35 vs. North Carolina in ACC Tournament |
| 2004 | Chris Thomas, G, Jr., Notre Dame | 19.7 | 31 vs. Connecticut |
| 2003 | Chris Hill, G, Soph., Michigan State | 13.7 | 34 vs. Syracuse |
| 2002 | Jason "Jay" Williams, G, Jr., Duke | 21.3 | 34 vs. Maryland |
| 2001 | J.J. Miller, G, Sr., North Carolina A&T State | 16.0 | 34 at Duke |
| 2000 | A.J. Guyton, G, Sr., Indiana | 19.7 | 34 vs. Michigan State |
| 1999 | Trajan Langdon, G, Sr., Duke | 17.3 | 25 vs. Connecticut |
| 1998 | Brian Williams, G, Jr., Alabama | 16.1 | 28 vs. Kentucky in SEC Tournament |
| 1997 | Isaac Fontaine, G, Sr., Washington State | 21.9 | 32 vs. Arizona |
| 1996 | Marcus Camby, C, Jr., Massachusetts | 20.5 | 32 vs. Kentucky at Great Eight |
| 1995 | Ray Allen, G, Soph., Connecticut | 21.1 | 36 vs. UCLA in NCAA playoffs |
| 1994 | Gary Collier, F, Sr., Tulsa | 22.9 | 35 vs. Arkansas in NCAA playoffs |
| 1993 | Chris Webber, F, Soph., Michigan | 19.2 | 27 vs. North Carolina at Honolulu |
| 1993 | Randolph Childress, G, Soph., Wake Forest | 19.7 | 27 vs. North Carolina |
| 1993 | James Forrest, F, Soph., Georgia Tech | 19.5 | 27 vs. North Carolina in ACC Tournament |
| 1993 | Lester Lyons, G, Jr., East Carolina | 15.4 | 27 vs. North Carolina in NCAA playoffs |
| 1992 | Malik Sealy, F, Sr., St. John's | 22.6 | 37 vs. Duke at Greensboro |
| 1991 | Jeff Webster, F, Fr., Oklahoma | 18.3 | 32 vs. Duke |
| 1990 | Greg "Bo" Kimble, F-G, Sr., Loyola Marymount | 35.3 | 42 vs. UNLV in NCAA playoffs |
| 1989 | Roy Marble, F, Sr., Iowa | 20.5 | 32 vs. Michigan |
| 1988 | Mitch Richmond, G-F, Sr., Kansas State | 22.6 | 35 vs. Kansas |
| 1987 | Freddie Banks, G, Sr., UNLV | 19.5 | 38 vs. Indiana in NCAA playoffs |
| 1986 | Ron Harper, F, Sr., Miami (oh) | 24.4 | 36 vs. Louisville in Big Apple NIT at Cincinnati |
| 1985 | Len Bias, F, Jr., Maryland | 18.9 | 30 vs. Villanova |
| 1984 | Chris Mullin, G-F, Jr., St. John's | 22.9 | 29 vs. Georgetown in Big East Tournament |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson, C, Sr., Virginia | 19.1 | 33 vs. North Carolina State |
| 1982 | Ralph Sampson, C, Jr., Virginia | 15.8 | 30 at North Carolina |
| 1981 | Mike McGee, F, Sr., Michigan | 24.4 | 29 vs. Indiana |
| 1980 | Jeff Ruland, C, Jr., Iona | 20.1 | 30 vs. Louisville |
| 1979 | Joe Barry Carroll, C, Jr., Purdue | 22.8 | 27 vs. Michigan State |
| 1979 | Calvin Roberts, F-C, Jr., Cal State Fullerton | 15.3 | 27 vs. Michigan State |
| 1978 | Freeman Williams, G, Sr., Portland State | 35.9 | 39 at Kentucky |
| 1977 | Dave Corzine, C, Jr., DePaul | 19.0 | 26 vs. Marquette |
| 1976 | Terry Furlow, F, Sr., Michigan State | 29.4 | 40 vs. Indiana |
| 1975 | Kevin Grevey, F, Sr., Kentucky | 23.5 | 34 vs. UCLA in NCAA final |
| 1974 | Billy Cook, G, Soph., Memphis State | 16.2 | 33 vs. North Carolina State |
| 1973 | Billy Knight, F, Jr., Pittsburgh | 23.7 | 37 vs. UCLA |
| 1972 | Fred Boyd, G, Sr., Oregon State | 19.8 | 37 vs. UCLA |
| 1971 | Austin Carr, G, Sr., Notre Dame | 38.0 | 46 vs. UCLA |
| 1970 | Pete Maravich, G, Sr., Louisiana State | 44.5 | 38 vs. UCLA |
| 1970 | Rich Yunkus, C, Jr., Georgia Tech | 30.1 | 38 vs. UCLA |
| 1969 | Vic Collucci, G, Soph., Providence | 15.4 | 36 vs. UCLA |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes, F-C, Sr., Houston | 36.8 | 39 vs. UCLA |
| 1967 | Bill Hewitt, F, Jr., Southern California | 19.5 | 39 vs. UCLA |
| 1966 | Jerry Chambers, F-C, Sr., Utah | 28.8 | 38 vs. Texas Western in NCAA playoffs |
| 1965 | Ollie Johnson, C, Sr., San Francisco | 21.6 | 37 vs. UCLA |
| 1964 | Tom Dose, C, Sr., Stanford | 20.0 | 38 vs. UCLA |
Hot or Not: Difference of Opinion on Best Way to Enter NCAA Tournament
Which cliche is most accurate? If a team is on a winning streak entering the NCAA Tournament, it has momentum on its side and is peaking at the right time. On the other hand, some observers contend a loss before the start of the playoffs is deemed as a wake-up call.
Since the last undefeated team in Division I (Indiana was 32-0 in 1975-76), there have been 37 national champions. Twenty-two of those teams entered the tourney with a victory; 15 entered with a defeat. The longest winning streak of a champion-to-be in that span was by UCLA, which won 13 in a row in 1995 before posting six more triumphs in the playoffs. Louisville accounted for two of the other double-digit victory streaks for champions-to-be entering the playoffs.
Of the 22 aforementioned squads entering on a winning note, the average winning streak was six in a row. Following in reverse order is how those 37 post-unbeaten IU titlists entered the NCAA playoffs (including conference tournaments):
Card Game: Pitino and UL are Masters at Crashing High School Reunions
Louisville, after supplementing its already overstocked roster, helped position itself for a national championship by having forward Montrezl Harrell hook up with the Cardinals after de-committing from Virginia Tech following coach Seth Greenberg's dismissal by the Hokies. Harrell had played at Hargrave Military Academy (VA) under Kevin Keatts, who joined coach Rick Pitino's staff two years ago. Another Hargrave product already at The Ville was guard Luke Hancock, who went on to become Final Four Most Outstanding Player after transferring from George Mason.
Oddly, first-year Virginia Tech coach James Johnson is one of six active Division I mentors who got their start in college coaching tagging along with a prep phenom. Keatts could become the next head coach in this category; especially since Pitino already has numerous former assistants currently serving as a DI bench boss.
Will Harrell and/or Hancock become another Louisville All-American next season after being part of UL's high school reunion? The Cardinals' top two career scorers - Darrell Griffith (Wade Houston) and DeJuan Wheat (Scott Davenport) - rejoined their high school coaches who became assistants under Denny Crum.
Pitino is well acquainted with this tried-and-true recruiting technique. Simeon Mars joined Pitino's Kentucky staff in 1996 directly with Jamaal Magloire, who went on to become the Wildcats' all-time leader in blocked shots. Pitino's initial exposure to the ploy probably was at his alma mater where all-time great Julius "Dr. J" Erving joined his high school coach with the Minutemen in the early 1970s just before Pitino arrived on Massachusetts' campus.
Ethical questions are always raised anytime the coach of a prize prospect is hired. But package deals are a longstanding practice. In 1989, Michigan was the 10th different school in a 20-year span to reach the Final Four with the help of a "coattail" franchise (assistant coach Perry Watson/starting guard Jalen Rose). There also were a total of 10 first- and second-team consensus All-Americans in that stretch stemming from such quid pro quo activity.
Can Kentucky Duplicate Championship Run Ohio Achieved in Early 1960s?
Nearly everyone in the state of Kentucky had a chance to celebrate the past two years after back-to-back NCAA titles by Kentucky and Louisville. The only time two different schools from the same state captured three consecutive NCAA titles was from 1960 through 1962 when Ohio State and Cincinnati reigned supreme. North Carolina was twice involved in back-to-back crowns with an in-state counterpart - 1982 and 1983 (N.C. State) plus 2009 and 2010 (Duke).
California is the only state with as many as four different universities win an NCAA Division I Tournament championship. Eight different states have had more than one school capture the NCAA DI Tournament title.
California (15) - California (1959), San Francisco (1955 and 1956), Stanford (1942), UCLA (1964-65-67-68-69-70-71-72-73-75-95)
Kentucky (11) - Kentucky (1948-49-51-58-78-96-98-12), Louisville (1980-86-13)
North Carolina (11) - Duke (1991-92-01-10), North Carolina (1957-82-93-05-09), North Carolina State (1974 and 1983)
Michigan (3) - Michigan (1989), Michigan State (1979 and 2000)
Ohio (3) - Cincinnati (1961 and 1962), Ohio State (1960)
New York (2) - CCNY (1950), Syracuse (2003)
Victory Map: Only 17 NCAA Titlists Posted Higher Average Margin Than UL '13
There has been some smooth sailing, but it is usually a rugged road en route to becoming NCAA kingpin. Talk of last year's Kentucky squad being one of the all-time greatest teams is somewhat silly insofar as rival Louisville, erasing 12-point deficits in both the semifinals and final, became the 42nd NCAA champion posting higher average victory margins than UK in the tournament.
North Carolina '09 became the 12th NCAA Tournament champion to win all of its playoff games by double-digit margins. The first nine champions in this category came before the NCAA field was expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
Most titlists have near-death experiences and are severely tested at least once on the serpentine tourney trail. In 1997, Arizona won each of its playoff contests by a single-digit margin.
A total of 49 champions won a minimum of one playoff game by four points or less, including 22 titlists to win at least one contest by just one point. Wyoming '43 would have become the only champion to trail at halftime in every tournament game if the Cowboys didn't score the last three baskets of the first half in the national final to lead Georgetown at intermission (18-16). Four titlists trailed at intermission in both of their Final Four games - Kentucky '51, Louisville '86, Duke '92 and Kentucky '98.
UCLA '67, the first varsity season for Lew Alcindor (became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), set the record for largest average margin of victory for a champion when the Bruins started a dazzling streak of 10 consecutive Final Four appearances. They won their 12 NCAA playoff games with Alcindor manning the middle by an amazing average margin of 21.5 points.
Which of John Wooden's 10 national champion UCLA teams did the Wizard of Westwood perceive as his best?
"I've never come out and said it," Wooden said before passing away last year, "but it would be hard to pick a team over the 1968 team. I will say it would be the most difficult team to prepare for and play against offensively and defensively. It created so many problems. It had such great balance. We had the big center (Alcindor) who is the most valuable player of all time. Mike Warren was a three-year starter who may have been the most intelligent floor leader ever, going eight complete games once without a turnover. Lucius Allen was a very physical, talented individual who was extremely quick. Lynn Shackleford was a great shooter out of the corner who didn't allow defenses to sag on Jabbar. Mike Lynn didn't have power, but he had as fine a pair of hands around the boards as I have ever seen."
The roster for UCLA's 1968 national champion included six players with double-digit season scoring averages, but senior forward Edgar Lacey dropped off the team with an 11.9-point average following a dispute with Wooden after a ballyhooed mid-season defeat against Houston before 52,693 fans at the Astrodome. Lacey, assigned to defend Cougars star Elvin Hayes early in the game, was annoyed with Wooden for singling him out following Hayes' 29-point first-half outburst. Lacey, the leading rebounder for the Bruins' 1965 NCAA titlist when he was an All-Tournament team selection, missed the 1966-67 campaign because of a fractured left kneecap.
The three Lew-CLA teams rank among the seven NCAA champions with average margins of victory in a tournament of more than 19 points per game. It's no wonder a perceptive scribe wrote the acronym NCAA took on a new meaning during the plunderous Alcindor Era - "No Chance Against Alcindor."
"Bill Walton might have been a better all-around player (than Alcindor)," Wooden said. "If you were grading a player for every fundamental skill, Walton would rank the highest of any center who ever played. But Alcindor is the most valuable, owing to the pressure he put on the other team at both ends of the court."
North Carolina won all six of its playoff contests by double digits in 2009 but the only titlist to win all of its tournament games by more than 15 points was Ohio State '60. Center Jerry Lucas, a first-team All-American as a sophomore, averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds in four playoff contests for the Buckeyes. He collected 36 points and 25 rebounds to help them erase a six-point halftime deficit in their Mideast Regional opener against Western Kentucky.
Louisville's Rick Pitino was coach for Kentucky in 1996 when the Wildcats posted the fourth-highest winning margin for a titlist in NCAA tourney history. Following is a breakdown of the point differential and average margin of victory in the NCAA playoffs for the first 75 national champions:
*All-time tournament record (111-42 first-round victory over Tennessee Tech).
NOTE: Fifteen teams participated in a total of 20 overtime games en route to national titles - Utah (1944), North Carolina (two triple overtime Final Four games in 1957), Cincinnati (1961), Loyola of Chicago (1963), Texas Western (two in 1966, including a double overtime), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1974), UCLA (two in 1975), Louisville (two in 1980), North Carolina State (double overtime in 1983), Michigan (1989), Duke (1992), North Carolina (1993), Arizona (two in 1997), Kentucky (1998) and Kansas (2008).
Senior Moments: Only One of Champion UL's Top Eight Scorers is a Senior
A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers, which is what Louisville had this year. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - featured seniors as their top two scorers. Following is a look at the vital seniors for the last 29 basically youthful championship teams (in reverse order):
2013 - Louisville (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Peyton Siva was second-leading scorer).
2012 - Kentucky (one of top seven scorers was a senior/Darius Miller was fifth-leading scorer).
2011 - Connecticut (none of top six scorers was a senior).
2010 - Duke (three of nine-man rotation were seniors/Jon Scheyer was leading scorer, Brian Zoubek was fourth and Lance Thomas was sixth).
2009 - North Carolina (two of top eight in scoring average were seniors/Tyler Hansbrough was leading scorer and Danny Green was fourth).
2008 - Kansas (one of top six scorers was a senior/Darnell Jackson was fourth-leading scorer).
2007 - Florida (two of nine-man rotation were seniors/Lee Humphrey was fifth and Chris Richard was sixth).
2006 - Florida (none of top seven scorers was a senior).
2005 - North Carolina (one of top five scorers was a senior/Jawad Williams was third).
2004 - Connecticut (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Taliek Brown was sixth).
2003 - Syracuse (one of top eight scorers was a senior/Keith Duany was fourth).
2002 - Maryland (three of top eight regulars were seniors/Juan Dixon was top scorer, Lonny Baxter was second and Byron Mouton was fourth).
2001 - Duke (two of top nine scorers were seniors/Shane Battier was second and Nate James was fifth).
2000 - Michigan State (three of top 11 scorers were seniors/Morris Peterson was first, Mateen Cleaves was second and A.J. Granger was fifth).
1999 - Connecticut (one of top seven scorers was a senior/Ricky Moore was fifth).
1998 - Kentucky (two of top seven scorers were seniors/Jeff Sheppard was first and Allen Edwards was fifth).
1997 - Arizona (none of top seven scorers was a senior).
1996 - Kentucky (three of top 10 scorers were seniors/Tony Delk was first, Walter McCarty was third and Mark Pope was sixth).
1995 - UCLA (three of top seven scorers were seniors/Ed O'Bannon was first, Tyus Edney was second and George Zidek was fourth).
1994 - Arkansas (one of top 10 scorers was a senior/Roger Crawford was eighth).
1993 - North Carolina (one of top seven scorers was a senior/George Lynch was second).
1992 - Duke (two of top 10 scorers were seniors/Christian Laettner was first and Brian Davis was fifth).
1991 - Duke (one of top 10 scorers was a senior/Greg Koubek was seventh).
1990 - UNLV (two of top eight scorers were seniors/David Butler was third and Moses Scurry was sixth).
1989 - Michigan (two of top 11 scorers were seniors/Glen Rice was first and Mark Hughes was sixth).
1988 - Kansas (two of top 11 scorers were seniors/Danny Manning was first and Chris Piper was fourth).
1987 - Indiana (two of top eight scorers were seniors/Steve Alford was first and Daryl Thomas was second).
1986 - Louisville (three of top nine scorers were seniors/Billy Thompson was first, Milt Wagner was second and Jeff Hall was fifth).
1985 - Villanova (three of top eight scorers were seniors/Ed Pinckney was first, Dwayne McClain was second and Gary McLain was fourth).
States of Success: Kentucky Surpasses California For Most National Titles
Kentucky (31), buttressed by Louisville ([NCAA DI) and Georgetown (NAIA), moved ahead of California (30) as the state with the most national titles from each level of four-year college men's basketball - NCAA Division I, NIT, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Illinois and Ohio are the only states to boast at least one champion from all five levels. Among the 12 states amassing a total of more than 10 national crowns, Missouri is the only one in that group without a Division I championship. Drury (Mo.) won the DII title but the state's headline school - Mizzou - never has reached the Final Four.
The biggest surprise among states never to capture a national title is Iowa. Following is how states stack up by national titles including the NIT and various levels of small-college basketball:
State DI NIT DII DIII NAIA Total Kentucky 11 3 10 0 7 31 California 15 7 5 0 3 30 Ohio 3 6 3 5 2 19 North Carolina 11 2 3 0 1 17 Illinois 1 6 1 6 1 15 New York 2 10 0 3 0 15 Oklahoma 2 2 1 0 10 15 Indiana 5 2 6 0 1 14 Missouri 0 1 2 2 8 13 Pennsylvania 2 6 2 3 0 13 Wisconsin 2 1 0 10 0 13 Kansas 3 1 1 0 6 11 Texas 1 2 0 0 7 10 Virginia 0 4 5 1 0 10 Michigan 3 3 0 2 0 8 Minnesota 0 2 2 1 3 8 Tennessee 0 2 1 1 4 8 Alabama 0 0 3 0 3 6 Georgia 0 0 1 0 5 6 Massachusetts 1 1 1 3 0 6 Connecticut 3 1 1 0 0 5 Maryland 1 1 2 0 1 5 Arizona 1 0 0 0 3 4 South Carolina 0 2 0 0 2 4 Utah 1 3 0 0 0 4 West Virginia 0 2 0 0 2 4 Colorado 0 1 2 0 0 3 District of Columbia 1 0 1 1 0 3 Florida 2 0 1 0 0 3 Louisiana 0 0 0 0 3 3 New Jersey 0 2 0 1 0 3 Arkansas 1 0 0 0 1 2 Rhode Island 0 2 0 0 0 2 South Dakota 0 0 2 0 0 2 Washington 0 0 2 0 0 2 Hawaii 0 0 0 0 1 1 Mississippi 0 1 0 0 0 1 Montana 0 0 0 0 1 1 Nebraska 0 1 0 0 0 1 Nevada 1 0 0 0 0 1 New Mexico 0 0 0 0 1 1 Oregon 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wyoming 1 0 0 0 0 1
NOTE: Eight states - Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Vermont - never have had a four-year school win a men's national championship.
Improbable Heroes: Michigan Nearly Put Spike in Louisville's Championship
There have been times at the Final Four when a player not recognized as an All-American supplies a Herculean performance. One that stands out was in 1984 when Georgetown's Michael Jackson, a 6-1 guard averaging 1.4 rebounds per game entering the Final Four, retrieved 10 missed shots against Kentucky's formidable frontline to help the Hoyas overcome a seven-point halftime deficit in the national semifinals.
Michigan freshman guard Spike Albrecht, averaging an anemic 1.6 points per game entering this year's Final Four, almost became an overnight legend with 17 first-half points subbing for national player of the year Trey Burke. But Albrecht and the Wolverines came back to earth after intermission in the title tilt against Louisville.
From a historical perspective, nothing compares to the version of Washington coming "out-of-the-valley forge" when UCLA's Kenny Washington was instrumental in helping venerable coach John Wooden capture his first NCAA Tournament championship in 1964. Washington, the only player with a single-digit season scoring average (6.1) to tally more than 25 points in a championship game, scored 26 points in a 98-83 triumph over Duke in the final. Teammate Gail Goodrich contributed 27 points as he and Washington became the only duo to each score more than 25 in an NCAA final.
Although Washington became the only player to score 25 or more points in a final and not be named to the All-Tournament team, he wasn't rebuffed again the next year. Washington, averaging a modest 8.9 points per game entering the 1965 Final Four, scored a total of 27 points in victories over Wichita State and Michigan as the Bruins successfully defended their title en route to 10 crowns in 12 years under Wooden. Washington joined teammates Goodrich and Edgar Lacey on the 1965 All-Tournament team with co-national players of the year Bill Bradley (princeton) and Cazzie Russell (Michigan).
In 1969, UCLA was without two-time All-Tournament team selection Lucius Allen because of academic problems, but the Bruins got another significant increase in point production at the Final Four from an unlikely source. Guard John Vallely averaged 22 points in victories against Drake and Purdue after arriving at the national semifinals with a 10.2-point average. Only one senior is on the following list of five championship team rank-and-file players to average fewer than eight points per game entering the Final Four before seizing the moment and averaging double digits in scoring in their last two games with an increase of more than seven points per game from their pre-Final Four scoring mark:
| Unsung Hero | Class | Pos. | NCAA Champion | Season Avg. | Avg. Before Final 4 | Final 4 Avg. | Avg. Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Washington | Soph. | F-G | UCLA '64 | 6.1 | 5.2 | 19.5 | 14.3 |
| Norm Mager | Sr. | F | CCNY '50 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 11.5 | 8.5 |
| John Dick | Jr. | F | Oregon '39 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 14.5 | 8.2 |
| Gene Brown | Soph. | G | San Francisco '56 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 14.0 | 7.4 |
| Tommy Curtis | Jr. | G | UCLA '73 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 13.0 | 7.2 |
NOTE: Washington State junior guard Kirk Gebert, who scored 21 points in a 39-34 loss against Wisconsin in 1941 final to finish the year with a 6.6-point average, is the only player other than Washington with a single-digit season average to score more than 20 points in a title game.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #23)
CollegeHoopedia.com hopes the rigors of our daily Q&A didn't give you an inferiority complex. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, this is final of 23 days featuring a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from (10 per day from Selection Sunday until a grand finale added value of 20 on the day of the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only automatic qualifier to enter the NCAA playoffs with an overall losing record despite compiling a winning conference mark. Hint: The school lost in the first round to the nation's top-ranked team, an opponent the school succumbed to four seasons earlier when eventual NBA guard Lindsey Hunter scored a then school-record 48 points.
2. Name the only one of the different teams to twice defeat an eventual NCAA champion in their title season to not appear in the NCAA Tournament that year. Hint: A former NBA coach guided the school to its only NCAA playoff victory against an opponent whose coach also later coached in the NBA.
3. Name the only team since seeding started to reach the Final Four without meeting a top eight seed. Hint: The team was eliminated in the national semifinals.
4. Name the only school to twice be denied an at-large bid in a 10-year span despite going undefeated in regular-season conference competition. Hint: The school reached a regional final the next time it went unbeaten in league play.
5. Name the only school in the 20th Century to compete for the national championship in both football and basketball in the same academic school year. Hint: The school lost both games.
6. Who is the only individual to win tournament games while coaching schools from the three conferences with the top winning percentages in NCAA Tournament competition reflecting actual membership (ACC, Big East and Big Ten)? Hint: He is the only coach to win playoff games with as many as three different schools when they were seeded ninth or worse.
7. Who is the only coach to win national championships in junior college, the NIT and the NCAA. Hint: He won the NIT in his first year as a major college head coach.
8. Who is the only leading scorer in an NCAA Tournament championship game to subsequently serve as an admiral in the U.S. Navy? Hint: He was an NCAA consensus first-team All-America the next season before eventually commanding the aircraft carrier Saratoga for two years.
9. Who is the only championship game starter in the 20th Century to be the son of a former NCAA consensus All-American? Hint: The father was a U.S. Olympic team member and the star player for the first black coach at a predominantly white Division I school.
10. Name the only teammate twosome to each score more than 25 points in an NCAA final. Hint: They combined for 53 points to lead their school to its first of multiple NCAA Tournament titles.
11. Name the only starting backcourt to combine for more than 50 points in a Final Four game. Hint: They combined to shoot 39 percent from the floor in the two Final Four games that year.
12. Who is the only individual to coach teams in the NAIA Tournament, NCAA Division III Tournament, NCAA Division II Tournament, National Invitation Tournament and NCAA Division I Tournament? Hint: He took two different schools to the five levels of national postseason competition in a 13-year span beginning with an appearance as an interim head coach.
13. Who is the only individual to be the team-high scorer for both winning and losing teams in NCAA championship games although his season scoring average was less than half of the team leader each year? Hint: He played in the shadow of an All-American whose total of points and rebounds (4,663) is the highest in NCAA history.
14. Who is the only coach to guide teams from the same school to the football Rose Bowl and basketball Final Four? Hint: The Rose Bowl and Final Four appearances were 17 years apart.
15. Name the only son of a member of one of the first classes of baseball Hall of Fame selections to start for a school in its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Hint: The son pitched for four major league teams before becoming a prominent executive. His father was a first baseman.
16. Name the only school to reach the Final Four and College World Series championship game in the same year. Hint: The school advanced to the Final Four again the next season.
17. Who is the only coach to win three first-round games with teams seeded 12th or worse? Hint: The former coach was 4-1 in tournament games decided by fewer than five points. He played basketball at Fordham when NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi was the Rams' freshman basketball coach.
18. Name the school that won all four of its first-round games despite being seeded eighth or worse each time. Hint: The four victories came in the first five tournaments after the NCAA introduced seeding.
19. Name the only school to appear in at least three NCAA Tournaments in the 20th Century and reach a regional final each time. Hint: The school's playoff appearances were in successive years.
20. Who is the only player to obtain NCAA and NBA championship rings without participating in postseason competition for either the college or pro title teams? Hint: The 7-0 center was in his first year with both of the championship squads.
Last Man Standing: Luke Hancock Named Final Four Most Outstanding Player
"I'm gonna make it to heaven, Light up the sky like a flame. I'm gonna live forever. Baby, remember my name." - Theme from 1980s film and TV series Fame
Who was bound to become 2013 Final Four Most Outstanding Player? Would it be national player of the year Trey Burke (Michigan) or Russ Smith (Louisville) after he was snubbed as an All-American? No, it turned out to be George Mason transfer Luke Hancock.
At any rate, a post-playing days vocation is probably the last thing Burke, Hancock or Smith is thinking about. But what happens when the ball stops bouncing? What did the brightest stars do in the real world? The following individuals weren't always defined solely as basketball standouts who earned acclaim as the Most Outstanding Player at a Final Four:
Year(s) - Most Outstanding Player, School
1939 - Jimmy Hull, Ohio State
Employed as a dentist.
1940 - Marv Huffman, Indiana
Played one season with Goodyear in the National Industrial League in 1940-41 (5.1 ppg) and four with the Akron Collegians. After he stopped playing basketball, he was a special assistant to the president of Goodyear. He died in 1984 of multiple sclerosis.
1941 - John Kotz, Wisconsin
Retired in 1980 after working his way up from shipping clerk to president and majority stockholder of Badger Sporting Goods Company.
1942 - Howie Dallmar, Stanford
Averaged 9.6 ppg with the Philadelphia Warriors in three NBA seasons from 1946-47 through 1948-49. Compiled a 105-51 record (.673) for Penn in six seasons from 1948-49 through 1953-54 before posting a 264-264 record (.500) for Stanford in 21 seasons from 1954-55 through 1974-75. His best season was a 22-5 mark in 1952-53.
1943 - Ken Sailors, Wyoming
Averaged 12.6 ppg and 2.8 apg with seven different NBA teams in five seasons from 1946-47 through 1950-51. Lived in Gakona, Alaska, where he owned a guided big-game hunting business with his son. Had a winter home in Arizona.
1944 - Arnie Ferrin, Utah
Averaged 5.8 ppg with the Minneapolis Lakers in three NBA seasons from 1948-49 through 1950-51. General Manager of the ABA's Utah Stars, athletic director for his alma mater and chairman of the NCAA Tournament selection committee in 1988.
1945 and 1946 - Bob Kurland, Oklahoma A&M
Retired Phillips Petroleum executive had a retirement home in Florida.
1947 - George Kaftan, Holy Cross
Averaged 7.5 ppg with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets in five NBA seasons from 1948-49 through 1952-53. Graduated from Georgetown Dental School, coached C.W. Post for 17 seasons and maintained a dental practice.
1948 and 1949 - Alex Groza, Kentucky
Averaged 22.5 ppg with the Indianapolis Olympians in two NBA seasons in 1949-50 and 1950-51 before his pro career ended because of a college point-shaving scandal. Got a job at General Electric in Louisville before returning to his hometown (Martin's Ferry, Ohio) and running his mother's tavern. Compiled a 91-77 record (.542) as coach for Bellarmine College in seven seasons from 1959-60 through 1965-66. Executive with two ABA franchises (Kentucky Colonels and San Diego Conquistadors) before getting involved with professional volleyball. Joined Reynolds Metals in 1977 and traveled around the country as Pacific Coast manager of its chemical division.
1950 - Irwin Dambrot, CCNY
Became a dentist.
1951 - Bill Spivey, Kentucky
After 16 years in the bush leagues with assorted nondescript teams, he extended his nomadic existence with a series of jobs - salesman, insurance agent, real estate developer, government official (Kentucky's deputy insurance commissioner) and restaurant and bar owner - before relocating to Costa Rica.
1952 - Clyde Lovellette, Kansas
Averaged 17 ppg and 9.5 rpg with the Minneapolis Lakers, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks and Boston Celtics in 11 NBA seasons from 1953-54 through 1963-64. Assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers in 1967 when they started their ABA franchise. Served as a sheriff in his native Indiana and taught and coached at White's Institute, a school for troubled youngsters in Wabash, before moving to Munising, Mich.
1953 - B.H. Born, Kansas
Played AAU basketball until the late 1950s with the Peoria (Ill.) Caterpillars before going to work in the personnel office for Caterpillar Bulldozers. He spent his entire career working for Caterpillar until his retirement.
1954 - Tom Gola, La Salle
Averaged 11.3 ppg and 8 rpg with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors and New York Knicks in 11 NBA seasons from 1955-56 through 1965-66. He invested in driving ranges, apartment complexes, recycling companies and residential sites. Gola owned his own insurance company and a skating rink. He was a spokesman for Texaco, Vitalis and the Army Reserve. In 1966, Gola began a two-term career as a state legislator while coaching his alma mater before becoming Philadelphia's city controller. He later became a vice president of the Valley Forge Investment Corporation and served on the board of the Philadelphia Convention Center.
1955 - Bill Russell, San Francisco
Twelve-time All-Star averaged 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg and 4.3 apg with the Boston Celtics in 13 NBA seasons from 1956-57 through 1968-69. Five-time MVP was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). Compiled a 341-290 record (.540) with the Celtics (1966-67 through 1968-69), Seattle SuperSonics (1973-74 through 1976-77) and Sacramento Kings (1987-88) in eight seasons. Network analyst dabbled with acting but retreated to the quiet life on Mercer Island in Washington, and has a clothing line company called Center Court.
1956 - Hal Lear, Temple
Played in three games for the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors in 1956-57 before playing 10 seasons in the Eastern Basketball League, becoming MVP in 1956-57 and averaging 39.7 ppg for Easton in 1960-61. Also averaged 13.1 ppg for Los Angeles and Cleveland in the ABL in 1961-62.
1957 - Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas
Averaged 30.1 ppg, 22.9 rpg and 4.4 apg with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers in 14 NBA seasons from 1959-60 through 1972-73. Made a fortune in the restaurant business, designed homes, owned racehorses and played professional volleyball. Also wrote four books: Wilt; A View From Above; Chamberlain House: The Possible Dream, and Who's Running the Asylum: The Insane World of Sports Today.
1958 - Elgin Baylor, Seattle
Averaged 27.4 ppg, 13.5 rpg and 4.3 apg with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers in 14 seasons from 1958-59 through 1971-72. Coached the New Orleans Jazz for four seasons in the late 1970s (86-135 record). Executive with the Los Angeles Clippers.
1959 - Jerry West, West Virginia
Averaged 27 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 6.7 apg with the Los Angeles Lakers in 14 NBA seasons from 1960-61 through 1973-74. Long-time executive with the Lakers before accepting a similar position with the Memphis Grizzlies.
1960 and 1961 - Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
Seven-time All-Star averaged 17 ppg and 15.6 rpg with the Cincinnati Royals, San Francisco Warriors and New York Knicks in 11 NBA seasons from 1963-64 through 1973-74. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). Memory expert and motivational speaker lived in Templeton, Calif., while working on revolutionary educational programs. Taught his memory and learning technique to many Fortune 500 companies and countless churches. He authored more than 60 books on learning, including The Memory Book, which was on the New York Times' best-seller list for 50 weeks and reached the No. 2 position behind All the President's Men, the investigative story that uncovered the Watergate scandal.
1962 - Paul Hogue, Cincinnati
Averaged 6.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg with the New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets in two NBA seasons in 1962-63 and 1963-64. Worked with the Tennessee juvenile program before moving back to Cincinnati to work at a milling machine firm. He served as a physical therapist at a state mental hospital, a counselor at a neighborhood youth center and as a counselor in a local school system before becoming the division supervisor for the Postal Services' Employee Assistance Program.
1963 - Art Heyman, Duke
Averaged 10.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg with the New York Knicks, Cincinnati Royals and Philadelphia 76ers in three NBA seasons from 1963-64 through 1965-66 before averaging 15.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg with the New Jersey Americans, Pittsburgh/Minnesota Pipers and Miami Floridians in three ABA seasons from 1967-68 through 1969-70. Owned and operated several restaurants.
1964 - Walt Hazzard, UCLA
Averaged 12.6 ppg, 3 rpg and 4.9 apg with five different NBA teams in 10 seasons from 1964-65 through 1973-74. Worked in the Los Angeles Lakers' front office and coached his alma mater and Chapman College before suffering a stroke and undergoing open-heart surgery in 1996.
1965 - Bill Bradley, Princeton
Rhodes Scholar averaged 12.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 3.4 apg with the New York Knicks in 10 NBA seasons from 1967-68 through 1976-77. Three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995 was a tax and trade expert with a strong voice on race issues and campaign finance reform. The presidential candidate against Al Gore in 2000 authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).
1966 - Jerry Chambers, Utah
Averaged 8.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Buffalo Braves, San Diego Conquistadors and San Antonio Spurs in six NBA/ABA seasons from 1966-67 to 1973-74. Worked for the L.A. city parks and recreation department for many years.(323/732-0391 or 323/939-8874)
1967, 1968 and 1969 - Lew Alcindor, UCLA
Six-time league MVP averaged 24.6 ppg and 11.2 rpg in 20 NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969-70 through 1988-89. Nineteen-time All-Star is one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). In 1999, he worked with a high school team at White Mountain Apache Reservation in Whiteriver, Ariz. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000 and then worked in training camp with the Indiana Pacers before becoming head coach of the USBL's Oklahoma Storm for one season. Hired by the New York Knicks as a scout in March, 2004 before serving as a Lakers aide helping develop center Andrew Bynum. In January 2012, he was appointed a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State.
1970 - Sidney Wicks, UCLA
Averaged 16.8 ppg and 8.7 rpg with the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics and San Diego Clippers in 10 NBA seasons from 1971-72 through 1980-81. Worked in property management. Served as an assistant coach at his alma mater under Walt Hazzard for four seasons in the mid-1980s. At the completion of his coaching stint with the Bruins, Wicks has been in private business.
1971 - Howard Porter, Villanova
Averaged 9.2 ppg and 4.1 rpg with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets in seven NBA seasons from 1971-72 through 1977-78. Senior probation officer for Ramsey County (Minn.) after getting clean from drugs with the help of a colleague working with him loading furniture for a construction firm in Orlando. Earlier, Porter failed at running a club in Florida and a convenience store. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
1972 and 1973 - Bill Walton, UCLA
Averaged 13.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 3.4 apg with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics in 10 NBA seasons from 1974-75 to 1986-87. Network commentator for both the NBA and NCAA after and while working in a similar capacity for the Clippers.
1974 - David Thompson, North Carolina State
Averaged 22.7 ppg and 4.1 rpg with the Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics in nine ABA/NBA seasons from 1975-76 through 1983-84. Motivational speaker with Unlimited Sports Management was also community relations director for the Charlotte Hornets.
1975 - Richard Washington, UCLA
Averaged 9.8 ppg and 6.3 rpg with the Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers in six NBA seasons from 1976-77 through 1981-82. Contractor in Portland.
1976 - Kent Benson, Indiana
Averaged 9.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg with four different NBA teams in 11 seasons from 1977-78 through 1987-88. Resided in Bloomington, where he worked with Diversified Benefit Services.
1977 - Butch Lee, Marquette
Averaged 8.1 ppg and 3.2 apg with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers in two NBA seasons in 1978-79 and 1979-80. Owned two restaurants, coached pro ball in Puerto Rico and had a sign business in San Juan.
1978 - Jack Givens, Kentucky
Averaged 6.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg with the Atlanta Hawks in two NBA seasons in 1978-79 and 1979-80. Announcer for the Orlando Magic.
1979 - Magic Johnson, Michigan State
Averaged 19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 11.2 apg with the Los Angeles Lakers in 13 NBA seasons from 1979-80 through 1990-91 and 1995-96. Business entrepreneur emphasized attempting to revitalize a number of minority neighborhoods. He owned the Magic Theatres, an L.A. restaurant chain (Fatburgers), a TGI Friday's and some Starbucks coffee shops. Johnson was a principal in a local black-owned bank and delved into the entertainment business as a concert promoter and owner of the Magic Johnson Record label. Part of ownership group that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in the spring of 2012.
1980 - Darrell Griffith, Louisville
Averaged 16.2 ppg and 3.3 rpg with the Utah Jazz in 11 NBA seasons from 1980-81 through 1990-91. Resides in Louisville where he has several real estate investments and business interests. Father-in-law of NBA standout Derek Anderson established a foundation in his hometown.
1981 - Isiah Thomas, Indiana
Twelve-time All-Star averaged 19.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 9.3 apg with the Detroit Pistons in 13 NBA seasons from 1981-82 through 1993-94. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996) served as president of the New York Knicks from 2003-04 through 2007-08. Executive and part owner of the Toronto Raptors, owner of the CBA and coach of the Indiana Pacers (131-115 record in three seasons from 2000-01 through 2002-03). Served as coach for Florida International the last three seasons.
1982 - James Worthy, North Carolina
Averaged 17.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 3 apg with the Los Angeles Lakers in 12 NBA seasons from 1982-83 through 1993-94. Network TV analyst.
1983 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
Twelve-time All-Star averaged 21.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg and 3.1 bpg with the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors in 18 seasons from 1984-85 through 2001-02. Six-time All-NBA first-team selection was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996). NBA Most Valuable Player in 1993-94 is one of only eight players in league history to amass more than 20,000 points and 12,000 rebounds.
1984 - Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
Eleven-time All-Star averaged 21 ppg, 9.8 rpg and 2.4 bpg with the New York Knicks, Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic in 17 seasons from 1985-86 through 1991-02. One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996) became an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets.
1985 - Ed Pinckney, Villanova
Averaged 6.8 ppg and 5 rpg with seven different NBA teams in 12 seasons from 1985-86 through 1996-97. Miami Heat TV analyst while trying to cope with an overactive thyroid.
1986 - Pervis Ellison, Louisville
Averaged 9.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg with the Sacramento Kings, Washington Bullets and Boston Celtics in 10 NBA seasons from 1989-90 through 1997-98 and 1999-2000. Lives in Atlanta.
1987 - Keith Smart, Indiana
Played in two games with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89 before basketball took him to the Philippines, Venezuela and France. After playing and coaching in the CBA with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Fury, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as director of player development and assistant coach. Smart was named interim head coach of the Cavs midway through the 2002-03 campaign, replacing John Lucas. Also coach the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.
1988 - Danny Manning, Kansas
Two-time All-Star averaged 14 ppg and 5.2 rpg with seven different franchises in 15 NBA seasons from 1988-89 through 2002-03. Assistant coach at his alma mater for nine seasons before accepting head coaching position with Tulsa.
1989 - Glen Rice, Michigan
Averaged 18.3 ppg and 4.4 rpg with six different NBA franchises in 15 seasons from 1989-90 through 2003-04. Three-time All-Star is still the Heat's all-time leading scorer.
1990 - Anderson Hunt, UNLV
Pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in connection with marijuana found in his possession during a traffic stop in October 1993. Worked in real estate in Detroit.
1991 - Christian Laettner, Duke
All-Star in 1996-97 averaged 12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 2.6 apg with six different NBA franchises in 13 seasons from 1992-93 through 2004-05. He and Duke teammate Brian Davis faced huge financial and legal hurdles stemming from a loan their real estate company failed to repay nearly $700,000 to former Duke captain and current Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins. Court documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal indicated that Laettner and Davis were defendants in several civil lawsuits seeking repayment of about $30 million.
1992 - Bobby Hurley, Duke
Averaged 3.8 ppg and 3.3 apg with the Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies in five NBA seasons from 1993-94 through 1997-98. Owned race horses and did TV commentary on the ACC for Fox Sports. Assistant coach under his brother, Danny, with Wagner and Rhode Island.
1993 - Donald Williams, North Carolina
Played professional basketball overseas in Germany and Greece and with the Harlem Globetrotters.
1994 - Corliss Williamson, Arkansas
Averaged 11.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg with the Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers in 12 NBA seasons from 1995-96 through 2006-07. Scored a career-high 40 points against the Pistons on 3-4-98. Coached for Arkansas Baptist College and Central Arkansas.
1995 - Ed O'Bannon, UCLA
Averaged 5 ppg and 2.5 rpg with the New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks in two NBA seasons in 1995-96 and 1996-97. After his NBA career, he played in several other professional leagues and is currently playing in Poland.
1996 - Tony Delk, Kentucky
Averaged 9.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 1.9 apg with eight different franchises in 10 NBA seasons from 1996-97 through 2005-06. Scored a career-high 53 points against the Kings on 1-2-01.
1997 - Miles Simon, Arizona
Appeared in five games with the NBA's Orlando Magic in 1998-99. Played professionally in Israel in 2000 and Italy in 2001 before joining the Dakota Wizards of the CBA where he earned 2002 Newcomer of the Year and MVP honors. Also played in Venezuela and Turkey before joining his alma mater's staff as an assistant under Lute Olson in 2005. Served as a commentator for ESPN.
1998 - Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky
After playing the 1998-99 season with the Atlanta Hawks, he played professionally in Italy. Married former UK women's player Stacey Reed.
1999 - Richard Hamilton, Connecticut
Averaged 17.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 3.4 apg with the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in 14 seasons from 1999-2000 to 2012-13.
2000 - Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State
Averaged 3.6 ppg and 1.9 apg with four different NBA franchises in six seasons from 2000-01 through 2005-06.
2001 - Shane Battier, Duke
Averaged 9 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 1.8 apg with four different NBA franchises in 12 seasons from 2001-02 to 2012-13.
2002 - Juan Dixon, Maryland
Averaged 8.4 ppg with five different NBA franchises in seven seasons from 2002-03 through 2008-09 before playing overseas in Greece, Spain and Turkey.
2003 - Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
Averaged 25 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.1 apg with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks in 10 seasons from 2003-04 to 2012-13.
2004 - Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Averaged 12.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 1.7 bpg with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards in nine seasons from 2004-05 to 2012-13.
2005 - Sean May, North Carolina
Averaged 6.9 ppg and 4 rpg with the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings in four injury-plagued seasons from 2005-06 through 2009-10 before playing overseas.
2006 - Joakim Noah, Florida
Averaged 9.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 1.5 bpg with the Chicago Bulls in six seasons from 2007-08 to 2012-13.
2007 - Corey Brewer, Florida
Averaged 9.5 and 3.1 rpg with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets in six seasons from 2007-08 to 2012-13.
2008 - Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Averaged 8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.6 apg and 1.5 spg with the Miami Heat in five seasons from 2008-09 to 2012-13.
2009 - Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Averaged 6.8 ppg and 2 rpg with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers in four seasons from 2009-10 to 2012-13.
2010 - Kyle Singler, Duke
Second-round draft choice by the NBA's Detroit Pistons played overseas two seasons in Spain before averaging 8.8 ppg and 4 rpg as a rookie in 2012-13.
2011 - Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Averaged 15 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.1 apg and 1.5 spg with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
2012 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Averaging 13.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg and 1.8 bpg as a rookie with the New Orleans Hornets in 2012-13.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #22)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 22 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only player to lead an NCAA Tournament team in season scoring and rebounding before becoming the only NCAA playoff participant to subsequently appear in both the NBA Finals and World Series. Hint: He became his alma mater's athletic director.
2. Name the only championship team to have two guards be its top two scorers for the season. Hint: It's the only school to win an NCAA title the year after losing an NCAA Tournament opener by a double-digit margin.
3. Who is the only individual to play for an NCAA champion, NBA champion and ABA champion? Hint: The 6-2 swingman averaged almost three times as many rebounds per game for back-to-back NCAA titlists as he did points per game in his pro career.
4. Name the only school to lose an NCAA Tournament game in which it connected on at least three-fourths of its field-goal attempts. Hint: The school's leading scorer in that game was a freshman who went on to average at least 22 points per game in four tourneys, including first-round games against No. 3 and No. 4 seeds his last three years.
5. Who is the only player to hit a game-winning basket in an NCAA final one year and become a consensus All-American for another university the next season? Hint: He was a second-team All-American the same season a former teammate was first-team All-American one year after being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a freshman.
6. Name the only team to defeat three #1 seeds in a single tourney. Hint: The three #1 seeds were the three winningest schools in the history of major-college basketball. The champion is the only team needing at least four games to win the NCAA title to have all of its playoff games decided by single-digit margins. It is also the only titlist to finish as low as fifth place in its conference standings.
7. Name the only NCAA championship team to have four freshman starters. Hint: Two of the freshmen were among three starters who also excelled in a sport other than basketball.
8. Who is the only Final Four coach to previously lead the nation in a statistical category as a major-college player? Hint: He coached his alma mater to the NCAA Tournament six years later before guiding another school to the Final Four twice in a four-year span.
9. Name the only school to appear in the NCAA Tournament under two coaches who subsequently became NBA coach of the year. Hint: The school participated in the NCAA playoffs under these individuals in back-to-back seasons before they earned their NBA awards in a five-year span.
10. Who is the only player to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for an NIT semifinalist one year and an NCAA semifinalist the next season? Hint: After earning an NIT Most Valuable Player award, he helped his school become the first member of a first-year conference to reach the NCAA Final Four.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #21)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 21 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com (10 per day from Selection Sunday through the championship game) tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only player to post the highest-scoring game in a single tournament the same year he also played major league baseball? Hint: He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2. Who is the only Final Four player to become AAU national champion in the decathlon in the same year? Hint: The Final Four team's third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder finished third in the decathlon the previous year.
3. Who is the only Final Four player to finish among the top two high jumpers in four NCAA national track meets? Hint: The starting center for a national championship team is the first athlete to place in the NCAA high jump four consecutive years.
4. Name the only coach in NCAA history to reach an NCAA Division I Tournament regional final in back-to-back years with different schools. Hint: He also reached a regional final in his first season at his next coaching outpost.
5. Name the only top-ranked team entering the tournament to be eliminated by an opponent it defeated by more than 40 points during the regular season. Hint: The school that avenged the embarrassing defeat upended the nation's second-ranked team in its next playoff game.
6. Who is the only individual to play in the NCAA Tournament before setting several major league fielding records for a second baseman? Hint: He was the second-leading scorer for his school's playoff team and one of his teammates has been a prominent college basketball coach for more than 20 years.
7. Who is the only member of the College Football Hall of Fame to participate in back-to-back Final Fours? Hint: He is one of the few athletes to earn consensus football All-American honors at two positions.
8. Who is the only individual to lead a school in scoring in an NCAA Tournament before leading a major league in doubles as a player and manage a team in a World Series? Hint: The outfielder drove in six runs in one inning of an American League game.
9. Name the only university to win a minimum of two games in four different postseason national tournaments - NAIA, NCAA Division II, NIT and NCAA Division I. Hint: Of the schools to win at least one game in all four national tourneys, it is the only one with an overall losing record in postseason competition.
10. Name the only school to win back-to-back basketball championships the same academic school years it participated in New Year's Day football bowl games. Hint: One of the two basketball title teams is the only school to have as many as 26 different players appear in its games in a season it won an NCAA crown. The two titlists helped the school become the only university to reach the NCAA championship game in its first three playoff appearances.
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