College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #20)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 20 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 athlete to rank among the top five in scoring average in an NCAA Tournament and later start for an NFL champion? Hint: He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection who played in back-to-back Super Bowls. His brother was the first black player for the major leagues' last integrated team.
2. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA championship game in scoring while playing for his father? Hint: The son has the lowest game-high point total in NCAA final history.
3. Who comprise the only father/son combination to twice reach the Final Four together as coach and player? Hint: The son was a starter for a team that was undefeated entering the Final Four.
4. Who is the only active coach to have played in the NCAA Tournament and College World Series in the same year? Hint: He served as captain on the baseball and basketball teams as a college senior. After graduation, he played minor league baseball before becoming an outstanding fast-pitch softball player who was named to a couple of national All-Star teams.
5. Name the only school to have a single coach guide the same group of players to victories in the NAIA Tournament, NIT and NCAA Tournament. Hint: It's the only school in the last 60 years to enter the NIT with an undefeated record. One of the five regulars from the three national postseason tournament winners was one of the NBA's premier rebounders before becoming an assistant coach in the league and head coach of his alma mater.
6. Who is the only coach to guide teams to the championship game in both the Division I and Division II Tournaments? Hint: He is the only coach to have a career NCAA Division I Tournament record as many as eight games below the .500 mark, only title team coach to compile a non-winning career playoff mark and only coach to lose three consecutive regional final games.
7. Who is the only player to score more than 60% of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game and be on the losing end of the score? Hint: It was a first-round contest and the individual was national player of the year.
8. Who is the only player to score more than two-thirds of his team's points in an NCAA Tournament game? Hint: He scored more than 50% of his squad's points over three playoff outings.
9. Name the only school to win a small college national postseason tournament before capturing at least one NCAA Division I title. Hint: The school opposed the same coach in the championship game of the small college tournament and the NCAA Final Four. The school also supplied the only team to win an NCAA crown after setting or tying an existing school record for most defeats the previous season.
10. Who is the only individual to participate in the Final Four before playing and coaching in the NFL at least five seasons apiece? Hint: He was a member of an NFL team that moved to another city the year after capturing the league title.
Junior College Jewels: Wichita State Goes For Gold with Juco Products
Junior college products have made a significant difference for NCAA Tournament titlists. Keith Erickson (El Camino CA), Jack Hirsch (Los Angeles Valley CA), Larry Hollyfield (Compton CA), Terry Schofield (Santa Monica CA), John Vallely (Orange Coast CA) and Sidney Wicks (Santa Monica CA) were instrumental in helping UCLA win seven of its NCAA championships (1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973) and mighty mite Bobby Joe Hill (Burlington IA) was the spark-plug for Texas Western when the Miners captured the 1966 title. Wicks is the only individual to become a member of three NCAA champions after playing in junior college.
Taking a cue from Kansas' eight Final Four squads benefiting from J.C. recruits, Wichita State's top three scorers and six of the Shockers' 11 regulars are juco products. Harvey Grant, an All-American for Oklahoma in 1987-88 and the father of Syracuse forward Jerami Grant, is among the following alphabetical list of key Final Four team members who previously played for junior colleges:
| J.C. Recruit | Pos. | Final Four Team(s) | Junior College(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Ackles | C | UNLV '91 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Tony Allen | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
| Malcolm Armstead | G | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Rex Bailey | G | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Jarvis Basnight | F | UNLV '87 | Mount San Antonio (Calif.) |
| Warren Baxter | G | San Francisco '55 & '56 | San Francisco City |
| Corey Beck | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
| Walter Berry | F | St. John's '85 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Daron "Mookie" Blaylock | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Corie Blount | C | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| Carl Boldt | F | San Francisco '56 | Glendale (Calif.) |
| Kenny Booker | F-G | UCLA '70 & '71 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
| Roy Boone | G | Wisconsin '00 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Ron Brewer | G | Arkansas '78 | Westark (Ark.) |
| Karl Brown | G | Georgia Tech '90 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Terry Brown | G | Kansas '91 | Erie (Pa.) & Northeastern Oklahoma A&M |
| Pembrook Burrows | F | Jacksonville '70 | Brevard (Fla.) |
| David Butler | C | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Chet Carr | F | Southern California '54 | Vallejo (Calif.) |
| Jerry Chambers | F-C | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
| Jason Cipolla | G | Syracuse '96 | Tallahassee (Fla.) |
| Charlie Criss | G | New Mexico State '70 | New Mexico J.C. |
| Howie Dallmar | G | Stanford '42 | Menlo (Calif.) |
| Bennett Davison | F | Arizona '97 | West Valley (Calif.) |
| Art Day | C | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
| Jason Detrick | G | Oklahoma '02 | Southwest Missouri State-West Plains |
| Alex Dillard | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | Southern Union (Ala.) |
| Don Draper | G | Drake '69 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Al Dunbar | G | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
| Jerry Dunn | F | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Cleanthony Early | F | Wichita State '13 | Sullivan County (N.Y.) |
| Ebi Ere | G | Oklahoma '02 | Barton County (Kan.) |
| Denny Fitzpatrick | G | California '59 | Orange Coast (Calif.) |
| Jerry Frizzell | F | Seattle '58 | Grays Harbor (Wash.) |
| Dean Garrett | C | Indiana '87 | City College of San Francisco |
| Alex Gilbert | C | Indiana State '79 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Armon Gilliam | F-C | UNLV '87 | Independence (Kan.) |
| Artis Gilmore | C | Jacksonville '70 | Gardner-Webb (N.C.) |
| Ricky Grace | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Harvey Grant | F | Oklahoma '88 | Independence (Kan.) |
| Jeff Graves | F-C | Kansas '03 | Iowa Western |
| Evric Gray | F | UNLV '91 | Riverside (Calif.) |
| Rickey Green | G | Michigan '76 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Carl Hall | F | Wichita State '13 | Middle Georgia & Northwest Florida State |
| Arnette Hallman | F | Purdue '80 | Joliet (Ill.) |
| Dick Hammer | G | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
| Darrin Hancock | F | Kansas '93 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Josh Harrellson | C | Kentucky '11 | Southwestern Illinois |
| Bobby Joe Hill | G | Texas Western '66 | Burlington (Iowa) |
| Larry Hollyfield | G-F | UCLA '72 & '73 | Compton (Calif.) |
| Lenzie Howell | F | Arkansas '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Othello Hunter | F | Ohio State '07 | Hillsborough (Fla.) |
| Roy Irvin | C | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
| Bobby Jackson | G | Minnesota '97 | Western Nebraska |
| Alonzo Jamison | F | Kansas '91 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| David Johanning | C | Kansas '91 | Hutchinson (Kan.) |
| Larry Johnson | F | UNLV '90 & '91 | Odessa (Tex.) |
| Dontae' Jones | F | Mississippi State '96 | Northeast Mississippi |
| Herb Jones | F | Cincinnati '92 | Butler County (Kan.) |
| John Keller | F-G | Kansas '52 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Larry Kenon | F | Memphis State '73 | Amarillo (Tex.) |
| Weldon Kern | F | Oklahoma A&M '45 & '46 | Cameron (Okla.) |
| Charlie Koon | G | Washington '53 | Olympic (Wash.) |
| Don Kruse | C | Houston '67 | Kilgore (Tex.) |
| Vern Lewis | G | Houston '67 & '68 | Tyler (Tex.) |
| Chadrack Lufile | F | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.), Vincennes (Ind.) & Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Archie Marshall | F | Kansas '86 | Seminole (Okla.) |
| Erik Martin | F | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| Bob McAdoo | C | North Carolina '72 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Bill McClintock | F | California '59 & '60 | Monterey Peninsula (Calif.) |
| Aaron McGhee | F-C | Oklahoma '02 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Johnny McNeil | C | Georgia Tech '90 | Chowan (N.C.) |
| Lincoln Minor | G | Kansas '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Wat Misaka | G | Utah '44 | Weber (Utah) |
| Casey Mitchell | G | West Virginia '10 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Larry Moffett | C | UNLV '77 | Compton (Calif.) |
| Rex Morgan | G | Jacksonville '70 | Lake Land (Ill.) |
| Roger Morningstar | F | Kansas '74 | Olney (Ill.) Central |
| Willie Murrell | F | Kansas State '64 | Eastern Oklahoma A&M |
| Swen Nater | C | UCLA '72 & '73 | Cypress (Calif.) |
| Carl Nicks | G | Indiana State '79 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
| Jim Nielsen | F | UCLA '67 & '68 | Pierce (Calif.) |
| Charles Okwandu | C | Connecticut '11 | Harcum (Pa.) |
| Ehimen Orukpe | C | Wichita State '13 | Three Rivers (Mo.) |
| V.C. "Buck" Overall | F | Texas '43 | Tyler (Tex.) |
| Andre Owens | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Gerald Paddio | F | UNLV '87 | Kilgore (Tex.) & Seminole (Okla.) |
| Hal Patterson | F | Kansas '53 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Mike Preaseau | F | San Francisco '56 & '57 | Menlo (Calif.) |
| Ryan Randle | F-C | Maryland '02 | Allegany (Md.) |
| George Reese | F | Ohio State '99 | Independence (Kan.) |
| George Reynolds | G | Houston '68 | Imperial Valley (Calif.) |
| Morris "Moe" Rivers | G | North Carolina State '74 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
| Dave Rose | G | Houston '83 | Dixie State (Utah) |
| Lynden Rose | G | Houston '82 | North Harris County (Tex.) |
| Terrell Ross | G | Texas '03 | Allegany (Md.) |
| Randy Rutherford | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Bacone (Okla.) |
| Greg Samuel | G | Florida State '72 | Broward (Fla.) |
| Terry Schofield | G | UCLA '69, '70 & '71 | Santa Monica (Calif.) |
| Moses Scurry | F | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Daryan Selvy | F | Oklahoma '02 | Carl Albert (Okla.) |
| Tony Skinn | G | George Mason '06 | Blinn (Tex.) |
| Keith Smart | G | Indiana '87 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Odie Smith | G | Kentucky '58 | Northeast Mississippi |
| Robert Smith | G | UNLV '77 | Arizona Western |
| Sam Smith | F | UNLV '77 | Seminole (Okla.) |
| Phil Spence | F | North Carolina State '74 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Elmore Spencer | C | UNLV '91 | Connors (Okla.) State |
| Leroy Staley | F | Indiana State '79 | Florida J.C. |
| Dwight Stewart | C | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
| Jozsef Szendrei | C | Oklahoma '02 | Northeastern (Colo.) |
| Rich Tate | G | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
| Ron Thomas | F | Louisville '72 | Henderson County (Tex.) |
| Tom Tolbert | F | Arizona '88 | Cerritos (Calif.) |
| Nick Van Exel | G | Cincinnati '92 | Trinity Valley (Tex.) |
| Eloy Vargas | C | Kentucky '11 & '12 | Miami-Dade (Fla.) |
| Toby Veal | F | Virginia Commonwealth '11 | Northwest Florida State |
| Mark Wade | G | UNLV '87 | El Camino (Calif.) |
| Russell Walters | F | Mississippi State '96 | Jones County (Miss.) |
| Lloyd Walton | G | Marquette '74 | Moberly (Mo.) |
| Quannas White | G | Oklahoma '02 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Jerome Whitehead | C | Marquette '77 | Riverside (Calif.) City |
| Nick Wiggins | G | Wichita State '13 | Vincennes (Ind.) & Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
| Andre Wiley | F | Oklahoma '88 | Compton (Calif.) |
| David Willard | C | UNLV '87 | Laredo (Tex.) |
| Willie Wise | F | Drake '69 | San Francisco City |
| Janavor Weatherspoon | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Odessa (Tex.) |
| Gary Zeller | G | Drake '69 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
False Start: Baylor's NIT Championship Won't Mean Much Next Season
If history means anything, a National Invitation Tournament crown won't serve as a springboard to NCAA playoff success for Baylor. Defending NIT champions combined for a 10-16 NCAA Tournament record from 1986 through 2012-13.
The NIT titlists from 1985 through 2004 combined for a losing national postseason tournament record (15-17) the year after capturing an NIT championship - NCAA (8-13) and NIT (7-4) - with three of them not reaching national postseason play. Two more NIT champions in the last seven years - South Carolina '06 and Penn State '09 - also failed to appear in national postseason competition the next season. West Virginia '08, Ohio State '09 and Wichita State '12 combined for a 2-3 NCAA playoff mark the years after winning an NIT title.
Only two schools in the last 29 years reached an NCAA regional semifinal the year after capturing an NIT title (Virginia '93 and West Virginia '08). Wichita State, the 2011 NIT titlist, exited in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs in 2012. Following is a breakdown of how the NIT champions fared the next season since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985:
Year NIT Champion Performance the Following Season 1985 UCLA 15-14 record in 1985-86; 9-9 in Pacific-10 (4th place); no postseason 1986 Ohio State 20-13 in 1986-87; 9-9 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1987 Southern Mississippi 19-11 in 1987-88; 5-7 in Metro (7th); lost in NIT 2nd round 1988 Connecticut 18-13 in 1988-89; 6-10 in Big East (T7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 1989 St. John's 24-10 in 1989-90; 10-6 in Big East (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1990 Vanderbilt 17-13 in 1990-91; 11-7 in SEC (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1991 Stanford 18-11 in 1991-92; 10-8 in Pacific-10 (4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1992 Virginia 21-10 in 1992-93; 9-7 in ACC (5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinal 1993 Minnesota 21-12 in 1993-94; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1994 Villanova 25-8 in 1994-95; 14-4 in Big East (2nd); lost in NCAA 1st round 1995 Virginia Tech 23-6 in 1995-96; 13-3 in Atlantic 10 (T1st/W); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1996 Nebraska 19-14 in 1996-97; 7-9 in Big 12 (4th/N); lost in NIT 3rd round 1997 Michigan 25-9 in 1997-98; 11-5 in Big Ten (4th); lost in NCAA 2nd round 1998 Minnesota 17-11 in 1998-99; 8-8 in Big Ten (6th); lost in NCAA 1st round 1999 California 18-15 in 1999-00; 7-11 in Pacific-10 (7th); lost in NIT 3rd round 2000 Wake Forest 19-11 in 2000-01; 8-8 in ACC (T5th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2001 Tulsa 27-7 in 2001-02; 15-3 in WAC (T1st); lost in NCAA 2nd round 2002 Memphis 23-7 in 2002-03; 13-3 in C-USA (1st/National); lost in NCAA 1st round 2003 St. John's 6-21 in 2003-04; 1-15 in Big East (14th); no postseason 2004 Michigan 13-18 in 2004-05; 4-12 in Big Ten (9th); no postseason 2005 South Carolina 23-15 in 2005-06; 6-10 in SEC (5th/East); won NIT championship 2006 South Carolina 14-16 in 2006-07; 4-12 in SEC (6th/Eastern); no postseason 2007 West Virginia 26-11 in 2007-08; 11-7 in Big East (T5th); lost in NCAA regional semifinals 2008 Ohio State 22-11 in 2008-09; 10-8 in Big Ten (T4th); lost in NCAA 1st round 2009 Penn State 11-20 in 2009-10; 3-15 in Big Ten (11th); no postseason 2010 Dayton 22-14 in 2010-11; 7-9 in Atlantic 10 (T8th); lost in NIT 1st round 2011 Wichita State 27-6 in 2011-12; 16-2 in Missouri Valley (1st); lost in NCAA 1st round 2012 Stanford 19-15 in 2012-13; 9-9 in Pac-12 (T6th); lost in NIT 2nd round 2013 Baylor To be determined in 2013-14
Short and Sweet: Gopher-Bound Pitino Goes For Gusto After Brief FIU Stint
Minnesota-bound Richard Pitino is deemed an ascending star in the coaching community after ending Florida International's 12-year losing streak with an 18-14 record (.563) in his only season with the Golden Panthers (8 1/2-game improvement from previous campaign). But what media mavens fail to point out is that there were a striking number of coaches who posted significantly better marks in "short-and-sweet" one-year stints since the generally recognized start of the modern era of college basketball in the early 1950s.
Time will tell if Minnesota was swayed solely by the name game. Drake improved by 10 1/2 games in Keno Davis' lone season with the Bulldogs in 2007-08. But the son of marquee mentor Tom Davis lasted only three seasons at Providence.
Fordham improved by 14 games in Digger Phelps' only season with the Rams in 1970-71. UNC Wilmington's Buzz Peterson, the only coach to win a national postseason championship in his only season at a school (Tulsa), is among the following "one-and-done" coaches who won more than 60% of their games in one-year tenures in the last 50 years:
| Coach | School | Season | W-L | Pct. | Reason for One-Year Stint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lute Olson | Long Beach State | 1973-74 | 24-2 | .923 | Became coach at Iowa. |
| Digger Phelps | Fordham | 1970-71 | 26-3 | .897 | Became coach at Notre Dame. |
| Carl Tacy | Marshall | 1971-72 | 23-4 | .852 | Became coach at Wake Forest. |
| Keno Davis | Drake | 2007-08 | 28-5 | .848 | Became coach at Providence. |
| Matt Painter | Southern Illinois | 2003-04 | 25-5 | .833 | Became coach at Purdue. |
| Stan Heath | Kent State | 2001-02 | 29-6 | .829 | Became coach at Arkansas. |
| Thad Matta | Butler | 2000-01 | 24-8 | .750 | Became coach at Xavier. |
| Bill Fitch | Bowling Green | 1967-68 | 18-7 | .720 | Became coach at Minnesota. |
| Jim Harding* | La Salle | 1967-68 | 20-8 | .714 | Forced out by administration. |
| Buzz Peterson | Tulsa | 2000-01 | 26-11 | .703 | Became coach at Tennessee. |
| Bob Vanatta | Army | 1953-54 | 15-7 | .682 | Became coach at Bradley. |
| Larry Shyatt | Wyoming | 1997-98 | 19-9 | .679 | Became coach at Clemson. |
| Rick Barnes | George Mason | 1987-88 | 20-10 | .667 | Became coach at Providence. |
| Ron Greene | Mississippi State | 1977-78 | 18-9 | .667 | Became coach at Murray State. |
| Art Tolis | New Orleans | 1987-88 | 21-11 | .656 | Forced out by administration. |
| Scott Drew | Valparaiso | 2002-03 | 20-11 | .645 | Became coach at Baylor. |
| Louis Orr | Siena | 2000-01 | 20-11 | .645 | Became coach at Seton Hall. |
| Bob Huggins | Kansas State | 2006-07 | 22-13 | .629 | Became coach at West Virginia. |
*Harding became coach for Minnesota (ABA) for portion of 1968-69 season.
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #19)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 19 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 Final Four team to have a trio all average more than 20 points per game in the same season. Hint: The school won its conference tournament that year although none of the threesome shot better than 50% from the floor over the three games.
2. Name the only duo to twice reach the Final Four and both players average more than 20 points per game each season. Hint: Their team lost each year at the Final Four by the same score. One of the pair is the only player to score more than 25 points in Final Four defeats in back-to-back years.
3. Who is the only one of UCLA's eight first-team All-Americans from 1964 through 1975 to fail to earn a spot on an All-NCAA Tournament team when the Bruins won 10 national titles? Hint: He averaged more than 15 points per game in two of his three varsity seasons and went on to coach the Bruins' crosstown rival to a regional final.
4. Who is the only NCAA baseball championship coach to direct a basketball team from the same school to the Final Four? Hint: He is the school's all-time winningest basketball coach.
5. Who is the only championship team senior to average seven points per game or less entering the national semifinals before seizing the moment and averaging double digits in scoring in his last two games with an increase of at least six points per game from his pre-Final Four scoring mark? Hint: He was the seventh-leading scorer for the season on a team with just two seniors among its top eight point producers.
6. Who is the only player to score more than half of a championship team's points in a single NCAA Tournament? Hint: He was the team's only player to compile a double-digit season scoring average and no teammate scored more than seven points in either of the two Final Four games.
7. Name the only school to lose three national championship games in a city where it enjoyed a distinct homecourt advantage. Hint: The school lost two of the three title games by one point before capturing the title there in a season it became the only NCAA champion to lose four consecutive conference contests.
8. Name the only team to fail to have at least one player score in double figures in the championship game. Hint: It was the school's only NCAA Tournament appearance until the university started appearing regularly in the tourney since 1975.
9. Name the only Division II school to have three of its former head coaches go on to direct major-college teams to the NCAA Division I Tournament championship game. Hint: None of the three coaches compiled a losing record in any of the total of 11 seasons they coached at the small school, which won the Division II Tournament in 1984 and captured the first two NAIA Tournament titles.
10. Who is the only one of the individuals named NBA Most Valuable Player, score more than 20,000 pro points or be selected to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in more than six NCAA Division I Tournament games and not compile a winning tourney record? Hint: He left college with eligibility remaining, but was involved in two NCAA playoff defeats when the tournament conducted regional third-place games.
Family Affair: Does Father Really Know Best Any Longer in Pitino Clan?
Comparable to the vast majority of player recruits, it's blatantly absurd to proclaim a new head coach ready for the NCAA Division I level because of his last name; especially in a power conference. About this time last spring, there simply were no guarantees that Florida International would halt its streak of 12 losing seasons (none with more than 13 wins) because Richard Pitino, son of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, assumed control of the Golden Panthers' program with a six-year contract. But after guiding FIU to 18 victories, the younger Pitino's achievement plus his name made him attractive to Minnesota, which gave him a six-year contract.
The only things we could reasonably be assured about a year ago was that Richard would register a higher winning percentage than his predecessor (Isiah Thomas/.286) and the Pitino clan could move into the all-time top 10 of father-son coaching combinations for most victories. Daddy Pitino boasts 663 victories entering the '13 final, including two when he was an interim coach for Hawaii in 1975-76, en route to his seventh Final Four. If son Richard, a three-year assistant under his father, averages about 20 victories annually for 25 campaigns, they have a shot at moving together atop the father-son list. New Loyola (Md.) coach G.G. Smith also faces a long haul with his father (Tubby Smith) to move up the family coaching list.
But keep in mind that only two sons of former coaches with a minimum of 200 triumphs have posted more victories than their dads - Tim Floyd and Dan Monson. At the conclusion of the 2012-13 season, the Pitinos could rank 12th on the following list of all-time winningest father-son head coaching combos in NCAA history (more than 625 victories) if the Cardinals capture the championship:
1. Suttons (1,111-529 record through 2012-13, .677)
Father: Eddie Sutton (Creighton/Arkansas/Kentucky/Oklahoma State/San Francisco 1970-89, 1991-2006 and 2008, 802-323 in 37 years, .713)
Son: Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts 2000-13; 270-177 in first 14 years, .604)
Son: Sean Sutton (Oklahoma State 2007 & '08; 39-29 in two years, .574)
2. Meyers (1,023-565, .644)
Father: Ray Meyer (DePaul 1943-84; 724-354 record in 42 years, .672)
Son: Tom Meyer (Illinois-Chicago 1978-83; 77-86 in six years, .472)
Son: Joey Meyer (DePaul 1985-97; 222-125 in 12 years, .640)
3. Ibas (1,006-582, .634)
Father: Hank Iba (Northwest Missouri State/Colorado/Oklahoma State 1930-70; 767-338 in 41 years, .694)
Son: Moe Iba (Memphis State/Nebraska/Texas Christian 1967-70, 81-86, 88-94; 239-244 in 17 years, .495)
4. Knights (975-475 through 2012-13, .672)
Father: Bob Knight (Army/Indiana/Texas Tech 1966-2008; 899-374 in 42 years, .706)
Son: Pat Knight (Texas Tech/Lamar 2008-13; 76-101 in first six years, .429)
5. Bartows (939-571 through 2012-13, .622)
Father: Gene Bartow (Central Missouri State/Valparaiso/Memphis State/Illinois/UCLA/UAB 1962-77 and 1979-96; 647-353 in 34 years, .647)
Son: Murry Bartow (UAB/East Tennessee State 1997-2002 and 2004-13; 292-218 in first 16 years, .573)
6. Driesells (898-534 through 2012-13, .627)
Father: Lefty Driesell (Davidson/Maryland/James Madison/Georgia State 1961-86 and 1989-2003; 786-394 in 41 years, .666)
Son: Chuck Driesell (Marymount/The Citadel 1998-2003, 2011-13; 112-140 in first eight years, .444)
7. Drews (887-597 through 2012-13, .598)
Father: Homer Drew (Bethel, IN/Ind.-South Bend/Valparaiso 1977-2002 and 2004-11; 639-428 in 34 years, .599)
Son: Bryce Drew (Valparaiso 2012 and 2013; 48-20 in first two years, .706)
Son: Scott Drew (Valparaiso/Baylor 2003-13; 200-149 in first 11 years, .573)
8. Thompsons (882-392 through 2012-13, .692)
Father: John Thompson Jr. (Georgetown 1973-99; 596-239 in 27 years, .714)
Son: John Thompson III (Princeton/Georgetown 2001-13; 277-131 in first 13 years, .679)
Son: Ronny Thompson (Ball State 2007; 9-22 in one year, .290)
9. Diddles (815-382, .681)
Father: Ed Diddle Sr. (Western Kentucky 1923-64; 759-302 in 42 years, .715)
Son: Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee State 1957-62; 56-80 in six years, .412)
10. Moirs (779-454 through 2012-13, .632)
Father: Charlie Moir (Roanoke/Tulane/Virginia Tech 1968-87; 392-196 in 20 years, .667)
Son: Page Moir (Roanoke 1990-2013; 387-258 in first 24 years, .600)
11. van Breda Kolffs (686-427, .616)
Father: Butch van Breda Kolff (Lafayette/Hofstra/Princeton/New Orleans 1952-67, 78-79, 85-94; 482-272 in 28 years, .639)
Son: Jan van Breda Kolff (Cornell/Vanderbilt/Pepperdine/St. Bonaventure 1992-2003; 204-155 in 12 years, .568)
12. Davis (682-431 through 2012-13, .613)
Father: Tom Davis (Lafayette/Boston College/Stanford/Iowa/Drake 1972-99 and 2004-07, 597-356 in 32 years, .626)
Son: Keno Davis (Drake/Providence 2008-11 and Central Michigan 2013; 85-75 in first five years, .531)
13. Pitinos (681-253 to 2013 NCAA playoff championship game, .729)
Father: Rick Pitino (Hawaii/Boston University/Providence/Kentucky/Louisville 1976, 1979-83, 1986 & '87, 1990-97 and 2002-13, 663-239 in first 28 years, .735)
Son: Richard Pitino (Florida International 2013 before accepting similar position with Minnesota, 18-14 in first year, .563)
14. Harshmans (679-524, .564)
Father: Marv Harshman (Pacific Lutheran/Washington State/Washington 1946-85; 653-450 in 40 years, .592)
Son: Dave Harshman (Pacific Lutheran 2003-06; 26-74 in four years, .260)
15. Durhams (641-450, .588)
Father: Hugh Durham (Florida State/Georgia/Jacksonville 1967-95 and 1998-2005; 634-430 in 37 years, .596)
Son: Doug Durham (Georgia Southern 1995; 7-20 in one year, .259)
16. Bennetts (634-393 through 2012-13, .617)
Father: Dick Bennett (UW-Stevens Point/Wisconsin-Milwaukee/Wisconsin/Washington State 1977-2001 and 2004-06; 489-307 in 28 years, .614)
Son: Tony Bennett (Washington State/Virginia 2007-13; 145-86 in first seven years, .628)
17. Floyds (632-368 through 2012-13, .632)
Father: Lee Floyd (Southern Mississippi 1950-54 and 1963-71; 246-147 in 14 years, .626)
Son: Tim Floyd (Idaho/New Orleans/Iowa State/Southern California/Texas-El Paso 1987-98 and 2006-13; 386-221 in first 19 years, .636)
We also know that the Pitinos are the first father-son combination to each renege on contracts with at least five seasons remaining on them. Following is a list of active mentors who reportedly still had contractual obligations to schools of more than four seasons (longer than normal recruiting class) when they left for greener pastures at some point in their careers:
- Steve Alford (10 years remaining on contract) - left New Mexico/hired by UCLA
- Mike Anderson (5) - Missouri/Arkansas
- Rick Barnes (6) - Clemson/Texas
- John Beilein (6) - Richmond/West Virginia
- John Beilein (5) - West Virginia/Michigan
- Tony Bennett (6) - Washington State/Virginia
- Mike Brey (7) - Delaware/Notre Dame
- John Calipari (10) - Massachusetts/New Jersey Nets
- Patrick Chambers (5) - Boston University/Penn State
- Jim Christian (5) - Kent State/Texas Christian
- Ed Conroy (5) - The Citadel/Tulane
- Ed Cooley (5) - Fairfield/Providence
- Tom Crean (9) - Marquette/Indiana
- Larry Eustachy (6) - Utah State/Iowa State
- Tim Floyd (6) - New Orleans/Iowa State
- Tim Floyd (8) - Iowa State/Chicago Bulls
- Travis Ford (7) - Massachusetts/Oklahoma State
- Mark Fox (5) - Nevada/Georgia
- Anthony Grant (5) - Virginia Commonwealth/Alabama
- Brian Gregory (7) - Dayton/Georgia Tech
- Leonard Hamilton (7) - Miami (Fla.)/Washington Wizards
- Ben Howland (6) - Pittsburgh/UCLA
- Ron Hunter (5) - IUPUI/Georgia State
- Tim Jankovich (5) - Illinois State/SMU assistant
- Trent Johnson (5) - Nevada/Stanford
- Lon Kruger (5) - Florida/Illinois
- Jeff Lebo (8) - Chattanooga/Auburn
- Gregg Marshall (8) - Winthrop/Wichita State
- Thad Matta (9) - Xavier/Ohio State
- Fran McCaffery (7) - Siena/Iowa
- Jim McDermott (5) - Northern Iowa/Iowa State
- Jim McDermott (5) - Iowa State/Creighton
- Sean Miller (9) - Xavier/Arizona
- Dan Monson (10) - Gonzaga/Minnesota
- Porter Moser (5) - UALR/Illinois State
- Buzz Peterson (9) - Appalachian State/Tulsa
- Richard Pitino (5) - Florida International/Minnesota
- Rick Pitino (5) - Providence/New York Knicks
- Oliver Purnell (6) - Clemson/DePaul
- Bill Self (5) - Tulsa/Illinois
- Bill Self (5) - Illinois/Kansas
- Tubby Smith (6) - Georgia/Kentucky
- Mark Turgeon (9) - Wichita State/Texas A&M
- Gary Waters (5) - Kent State/Rutgers
- Roy Williams (5) - Kansas/North Carolina
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #18)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 18 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 major-college coach to finish his career with more than 500 victories and never participate in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: The coach spent his entire four-year school coaching career at one institution and had nine consecutive winning seasons at the Division I level from 1972-73 through 1980-81.
2. Who is the only player to average more than 26 points per game for an undefeated NCAA champion before averaging less than five points per game in his NBA career? Hint: He averaged the same number of points in the NCAA Tournament as he did for the entire season.
3. Who is the only coach to win three national third-place games? Hint: No coach accumulated as many different All-Americans as he did (16) in his first 20 campaigns at a single school.
4. Who is the only former major-college player to score more than 23,000 points in the NBA after never participating in the NCAA Tournament or NIT? Hint: His alma mater returned to small-college status after being at the Division I level for more than 50 years but never appearing in the NCAA playoffs or NIT.
5. Of the 10 different players to compile season scoring averages of more than 23 points per game for a national champion, who is the only individual in this group to tally fewer than 40 points in two games at the Final Four? Hint: His team won both Final Four games that year by a minimum of 20 points.
6. Who is the only individual to coach a team to the Final Four after becoming an NCAA consensus first-team All-American and NBA first-round draft choice? Hint: He joined Chet Walker and Bob Love as 20-points-per-game scorers for the Chicago Bulls in 1969-70 after becoming the first African-American to earn a league MVP while attending a Southern school.
7. Who is the only national player of the year to score less than 10 points when his school was eliminated in a Final Four contest the same season? Hint: He averaged more than 25 points per game in his four previous playoff contests that year.
8. Name the only Final Four team to have as many as six players still on its roster with double-digit season scoring averages. Hint: All six individuals played in the NBA as did another player on the squad who averaged eight points per game.
9. Who is the only All-Tournament selection to finish his college playing career at another major university? Hint: His brother was a wide receiver for a Super Bowl champion.
10. Who is the only leading scorer for a Final Four team to also play for the school's football squad in a New Year's Day bowl game and win a silver medal in the Olympics as a high jumper? Hint: The Olympics climaxed a superb academic school year for the versatile athlete who won the NCAA high jump crown and led his school's football and basketball teams in scoring. He also appeared in the first two NBA All-Star Games.
Exit Strategy: City of Angels Could Become Dunk City With 'Maxim' Effort
An average of four coaches per year leave NCAA playoff teams since seeding started in 1979. The first tournament mentor to depart this season was Andy Enfield, who abandoned Florida Gulf Coast for the thankless task trying to help Southern California return to the Final Four for the first time since 1954.
Increasing your salary tenfold is great, but a maximum number of things will need to go right for Enfield's coast-to-coast switch to turn the City of Angels into Dunk City II. In an era of shoddy shooting, the Trojan players will need to be more like their new bench boss, who set the all time NCAA career free-throw percentage record (92.5%; Johns Hopkins '91). At the very least, his wife - a former Maxim cover girl - will get more exposure.
In every year since 1968, directing a team to the NCAA Tournament has been a springboard to bigger and better things at a "poach-a-coach" school. Following are head coaches since the field expanded to at least 64 entrants in 1985 who had a change of heart and accepted a similar job at a different major college promptly after directing a team to the NCAA playoffs:
1985 (six) - J.D. Barnett (Virginia Commonwealth to Tulsa), Craig Littlepage (Penn to Rutgers), Nolan Richardson (Tulsa to Arkansas), Andy Russo (Louisiana Tech to Washington), Tom Schneider (Lehigh to Penn), Eddie Sutton (Arkansas to Kentucky)
1986 (four) - Jim Calhoun (Northeastern to Connecticut), Paul Evans (Navy to Pittsburgh), Clem Haskins (Western Kentucky to Minnesota), George Raveling (Iowa to Southern California)
1987 (two) - Jim Brandenburg (Wyoming to San Diego State), Benny Dees (New Orleans to Wyoming)
1988 (two) - Dave Bliss (Southern Methodist to New Mexico), Tom Penders (Rhode Island to Texas)
1989 (four) - Tommy Joe Eagles (Louisiana Tech to Auburn), Bill Frieder (Michigan to Arizona State), Rick Majerus (Ball State to Utah), Lynn Nance (Saint Mary's to Washington)
1990 (five) - Kermit Davis Jr. (Idaho to Texas A&M), Mike Jarvis (Boston University to George Washington), Lon Kruger (Kansas State to Florida), Mike Newell (UALR to Lamar), Les Robinson (East Tennessee State to North Carolina State)
1991 (four) - Tony Barone (Creighton to Texas A&M), Jim Molinari (Northern Illinois to Bradley), Stew Morrill (Montana to Colorado State), Steve Newton (Murray State to South Carolina)
1992 (one) - Charlie Spoonhour (Southwest Missouri State to Saint Louis)
1993 (one) - Eddie Fogler (Vanderbilt to South Carolina)
1994 (eight) - Tom Asbury (Pepperdine to Kansas State), Rick Barnes (Providence to Clemson), Jeff Capel Jr. (North Carolina A&T to Old Dominion), Kevin O'Neill (Marquette to Tennessee), Skip Prosser (Loyola, Md. to Xavier), Kelvin Sampson (Washington State to Oklahoma), Ralph Willard (Western Kentucky to Pittsburgh), Jim Wooldridge (Southwest Texas State to Louisiana Tech)
1995 (three) - Dick Bennett (Wisconsin-Green Bay to Wisconsin), Scott Edgar (Murray State to Duquesne), Tubby Smith (Tulsa to Georgia)
1996 (one) - Ben Braun (Eastern Michigan to California)
1997 (five) - Ernie Kent (Saint Mary's to Oregon), Mack McCarthy (UT-Chattanooga to Virginia Commonwealth), Jim O'Brien (Boston College to Ohio State), Steve Robinson (Tulsa to Florida State), Al Skinner (Rhode Island to Boston College), Tubby Smith (Georgia to Kentucky)
1998 (seven) - Rick Barnes (Clemson to Texas), Larry Eustachy (Utah State to Iowa State), Rob Evans (Mississippi to Arizona State), Mark Gottfried (Murray State to Alabama), Mike Jarvis (George Washington to St. John's), Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte to Texas A&M), Tim Welsh (Iona to Providence)
1999 (four) - Steve Alford (Southwest Missouri State to Iowa), Dave Bliss (New Mexico to Baylor), Jim Harrick (Rhode Island to Georgia), Dan Monson (Gonzaga to Minnesota)
2000 (four) - Barry Collier (Butler to Nebraska), Ray McCallum (Ball State to Houston), Buzz Peterson (Appalachian State to Tulsa), Bill Self (Tulsa to Illinois)
2001 (five) - Thad Matta (Butler to Xavier), Dave Odom (Wake Forest to South Carolina), Skip Prosser (Xavier to Wake Forest), Gary Waters (Kent State to Rutgers), Jay Wright (Hofstra to Villanova)
2002 (three) - Stan Heath (Kent State to Arkansas), Steve Merfeld (Hampton to Evansville), Jerry Wainwright (UNC Wilmington to Richmond)
2003 (eight) - Cy Alexander (South Carolina State to Tennessee State), Ed DeChellis (East Tennessee State to Penn State), Dennis Felton (Western Kentucky to Georgia), Ben Howland (Pittsburgh to UCLA), Oliver Purnell (Dayton to Clemson), Bill Self (Illinois to Kansas), Dereck Whittenburg (Wagner to Fordham), Roy Williams (Kansas to North Carolina)
2004 (eight) - Jessie Evans (Louisiana-Lafayette to San Francisco), Ray Giacoletti (Eastern Washington to Utah), Billy Gillispie (Texas-El Paso to Texas A&M), Trent Johnson (Nevada to Stanford), Thad Matta (Xavier to Ohio State), Matt Painter (Southern Illinois to Purdue), Joe Scott (Air Force to Princeton), John Thompson III (Princeton to Georgetown)
2005 (two) - Travis Ford (Eastern Kentucky to Massachusetts), Bruce Pearl (Wisconsin-Milwaukee to Tennessee)
2006 (eight) - Mike Anderson (UAB to Missouri), Brad Brownell (UNC Wilmington to Wright State), Mick Cronin (Murray State to Cincinnati), Mike Davis (Indiana to UAB), Fran Dunphy (Penn to Temple), Jim McDermott (Northern Iowa to Iowa State), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma to Indiana), Herb Sendek (North Carolina State to Arizona State)
2007 (four) - Ronnie Arrow (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to South Alabama), Todd Lickliter (Butler to Iowa), Billy Gillispie (Texas A&M to Kentucky), Gregg Marshall (Winthrop to Wichita State)
2008 (five) - Jim Christian (Kent State to Texas Christian), Tom Crean (Marquette to Indiana), Keno Davis (Drake to Providence), Darrin Horn (Western Kentucky to South Carolina), Trent Johnson (Stanford to Louisiana State)
2009 (three) - John Calipari (Memphis to Kentucky), Anthony Grant (Virginia Commonwealth to Alabama), Seth Miller (Xavier to Arizona)
2010 (five) - Tony Barbee (Texas-El Paso to Auburn), Steve Donahue (Cornell to Boston College), Bob Marlin (Sam Houston State to Louisiana-Lafayette), Fran McCaffery (Siena to Iowa), Oliver Purnell (Clemson to DePaul).
2011 (seven) - Mike Anderson (Missouri to Arkansas), Patrick Chambers (Boston University to Penn State), Ed DeChellis (Penn State to Navy), Sydney Johnson (Princeton to Fairfield), Lon Kruger (UNLV to Oklahoma), Jim Larranaga (George Mason to Miami, Fla.), Mark Turgeon (Texas A&M to Maryland)
2012 (six) - Larry Eustachy (Southern Mississippi to Colorado State), Jim Ferry (Long Island to Duquesne), John Groce (Ohio University to Illinois), Frank Martin (Kansas State to South Carolina), Tim Miles (Colorado State to Nebraska), Sean Woods (Mississippi Valley State to Morehead State)
2013 - Steve Alford (New Mexico to UCLA), Andy Enfield (Florida Gulf Coast to Southern California)
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #17)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 17 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. Which school had the only trio to each score at least 20 points in two Final Four games? Hint: All three players finished their college careers with more than 2,000 points and were on the roster the next year when the school lost its playoff opener. The school is the only national runner-up to score more than 85 points in an NCAA final.
2. Name the only school to have three players score more than 20 points in a Final Four game. Hint: The school lost the championship game that year by more than 20 points although the score was tied at halftime.
3. Who is the only player to score 40 or more points in a Final Four game and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: He was held under 10 points in his other Final Four game that year.
4. Who is the only coach to go more than 40 years from his first to his last appearance in the playoffs? Hint: He and his son, who succeeded him, both compiled a losing tourney record.
5. Who is the only player to compile an NBA playoff scoring average more than 15 points per game higher than his NCAA Tournament average? Hint: He scored just six points in his NCAA playoff debut against a school participating in the tourney for just the second time.
6. Who is the only player to lead an NCAA tournament in scoring with more than 120 points and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: He averaged 32.3 points per game in his three-year college career.
7. Who is the only player from 1957 through 1996 to lead a tournament in rebounding and not eventually play in the NBA? Hint: His school was making just its second tourney appearance the year he led in rebounding.
8. Who is the only non-guard to be the undisputed leading scorer of an NCAA Tournament and not participate in the Final Four? Hint: He never played in the NBA.
9. Who is the first coach to make more than a dozen NCAA playoff appearances before reaching the Final Four? Hint: He was coach of the first team to win the national championship in its first Final Four appearance since Texas Western in 1966.
10. Who is the only player to take more than 40 field-goal attempts in a playoff game his team lost? Hint: The guard was the nation's leading scorer with more than 36 points per game for the only school to reach the national semifinals of a small-college tournament one year and participate in the NCAA Tournament the next season.
On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Score Big in April MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April calendar involving such versatile athletes:
APRIL
30 - In 1937, Philadelphia Athletics INF Clarence "Ace" Parker (letterman for Duke in 1935-36) became the first A.L. player to hit a pinch-hit homer in his MLB debut (against Wes Ferrell of the Boston Red Sox). . . . INF 1B Jack Phillips (leading scorer for 14-1 Clarkson, NY, in 1942-43) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox in 1957. . . . SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury, MO, in 1942-43 and 1943-44) purchased from the Milwaukee Braves by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1955. . . . RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972), who was on base at least once in every game this month, tied a MLB record for RBI in April with 29 for the New York Yankees in 1988.
29 - In 1953, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (LSU's leading scorer in 1945-46) hit a homer into the center-field bleachers against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, a feat that had never been done before and would only be achieved twice more (by Hank Aaron and Lou Brock). . . . OF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) awarded on waivers to the Chicago Cubs from the Cincinnati Reds in 1933. . . . 2B Dutch Meyer (letterman for TCU in 1934-35 and 1935-36) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Cleveland Indians in 1945. . . . Cleveland tied a MLB record by winning its first 10 games of the 1966 campaign before the Indians lost, 4-1, to Chicago White Sox P Gary Peters (played basketball for Grove City, PA, in mid-1950s). . . . In 1975, OF Champ Summers (team-high scoring averages of 15.7 ppg for Nicholls State in 1964-65 and 22.5 ppg for SIUE in 1969-70) shipped by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago Cubs to complete a deal made earlier in the month.
28 - In 1966, OF Billy Cowan (co-captain of Utah's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Chicago Cubs for cash and 3B Bobby Cox, who went on to become one of MLB's all-time winningest managers with the Braves. . . . San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) collected five hits in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 1998, registering the ninth game of at least five hits in his career. . . . INF Tim Nordbrook (letterman in 1968-69 for Loyola, LA) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978. . . . P Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) defeated the Angels, 2-1, as the Cleveland Indians tied a MLB record by winning their first 10 contests of the 1966 season. . . . Baltimore Orioles OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) grounded into a double play against the Chicago White Sox to snap his streak of 10 consecutive safeties in 1981.
27 - Two NBA players - Gene Conley of the Boston Celtics and Dave DeBusschere of the New York Knicks - oppose each other as pitchers in 1963. Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led the North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as a Washington State sophomore) hurled 4-plus innings as starter for the Boston Red Sox while DeBusschere (three-time All-American for Detroit from 1959-60 through 1961-62) relieved for 2/3 of the fourth inning with the Chicago White Sox. . . . 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) hit a bases-loaded double in the top of the 19th inning to spark the Cleveland Indians to an 8-4 win over the Detroit Tigers in 1984. . . . C Hugh Poland (Western Kentucky letterman from 1931-32 through 1933-34) traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Braves in 1943.
26 - Cleveland Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out five hits, including a pair of doubles and pair of triples, in a 12-11, 14-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox in 1948. . . . OF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice from 1986-87 through 1989-90) shipped by the New York Mets to the Boston Red Sox as part of a conditional deal in 2000. . . . Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as a junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Yankees in 1974.
25 - Two weeks after helping the Boston Celtics capture the 1961 NBA title, P Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led the North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as a Washington State sophomore) earned his first A.L. victory (6-1 for the Boston Red Sox over the Washington Senators). . . . Cleveland Indians RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union team that won 1943 CIAA title) tied MLB record by striking out five times in a single game (at Detroit in 1948). . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85) went deep twice for the Cleveland Indians as they hit a team-record eight homers in an 11-4 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers in 1997. . . . Only 14 games into the 1982 season, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fired manager Bob Lemon and replaced him with Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58), the man Lemon succeeded the previous September. . . . 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) put the Minnesota Twins ahead with a three-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning but they wound up losing at Chicago, 6-5, in 1969. . . . P Joe Niekro (played for West Liberty WV in mid-1960s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the San Diego Padres in 1969.
24 - Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman basketball squad in 1953-54) tied a MLB record by striking out 18 batters in a nine-inning game at Chicago in 1962. . . . OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV team with Bloomsburg, PA, three years in mid-1930s) collected four of 22 hits by the Boston Braves in a 14-5 victory over the New York Giants in 1947. Johnny Mize socked three successive homers for the Giants. . . . John Pyecha (led Appalachian State in scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting in 1951-52 and 1954-55) lost his only pitching appearance with the Chicago Cubs in 1954.
23 - In a celebrated fracas, New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) confronts Jackie Robinson (Pacific Coast Conference leading scorer both seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) after the Brooklyn Dodgers' INF bowled over a Giants pitcher covering first base on a bunt in 1955. . . . The previous year, Robinson swiped second, third and home in the sixth inning before doubling in the winning run in the 13th in a 6-5 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . P Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer as a sophomore with 10.7 ppg in 1955-56) posted the expansion New York Mets' first-ever victory (9-1 at Pittsburgh in 1962) after they dropped their initial nine contests. . . . St. Louis Cardinals rookie CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 5-for-5 but the Milwaukee Braves won, 7-5, in 14 innings in 1954 when Hank Aaron hammered his first of 755 MLB homers. . . . OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln, MO, in scoring average in 1955-56) involved in four-player swap going from the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968.
22 - In 1953, New York Giants P Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) posted his 12th consecutive win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC team selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) contributed three hits, including an inside-the-park HR, in a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, snapping P Mike Torrez's 11-game winning streak dating back to previous season. . . . OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) shipped by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1995 to complete an earlier deal involving P Jack McDowell. . . . Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as a junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Houston Astros in 1973.
20 - Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49) smashed three homers in a doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators in 1953. . . . A single by Kansas City Royals OF Jerry Martin (Furman's second-leading scorer in 1969-70 and third-leading scorer in 1970-71) was the only hit Detroit Tigers P Milt Wilcox surrendered in an 8-0 shutout in 1980. . . . Chicago Cubs OF Bill Nicholson (played for Washington College, MD, in the mid-1930s) blasted two homers, including a grand slam, in a 7-4 win at St. Louis in 1947. . . . 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in his final season in 1947-48) collected an eighth-inning single for the Washington Senators' lone safety in a 7-0 loss against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954.
19 - 3B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first basketball All-American in 1931-32) awarded on waivers to the Chicago White Sox from the Cleveland Indians in 1937. . . . Five hits by OF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster, MO, in 1968-69 and 1969-70) were in vain as the St. Louis Cardinals incurred a 17-inning, 4-3 loss to the New York Mets. . . . P Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player swap in 1969.
18 - P Jim Konstanty (Syracuse player in late 1930s) was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with cash to the Boston Braves in 1946. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) threw the second of two immaculate innings in his career when he struck out the side on nine pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the third frame in 1964. . . . Atlanta Braves OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) had a homer among his five hits in a 14-0 romp over the Colorado Rockies in 1997. . . . Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as a freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as a sophomore in 1965-66) fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002. . . . Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) surrendered the first hit on artificial turf in 1966 when Los Angeles Dodgers SS Maury Wills singled to center at Houston's Astrodome. . . . Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) hit his first homer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 (against the New York Giants).
17 - Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was the nation's second-leading scorer as a senior in 1956-57), making his MLB debut in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds in 1960, threw two scoreless innings and emerged as the winner when the Bucs erupted for six runs in the ninth. . . . Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) became the second black to play for the Cincinnati Reds when he pinch-hit against the Milwaukee Braves in 1954. . . . Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) got his first hit with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. It was one of 19 bunt hits as a rookie.
16 - 1B Kerby Farrell (key player for a couple of strong Freed-Hardeman, TN, basketball squads in mid-1930s) purchased from the Boston Braves by the Chicago White Sox in 1945. . . . St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) and Philadelphia Phillies P Cal McLish both fail to finish the first inning when each starter allowed six runs of the Cards' 12-6 win at Philly in 1962. . . . P Roy Parmelee (letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Boston Red Sox in 1938.
15 - P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) made his St. Louis Cardinals debut at Los Angeles in 1959, hurling the final two innings in a 5-0 setback against the Dodgers. He became the first future Hall of Famer to yield a homer to first batter he faced in the majors (3B Jim Baxes went downtown in seventh inning). . . . INF Gene Handley (Bradley letterman in 1932-33 and 1933-34) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1940. . . . 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a MLB game. Before being replaced by Howie Schultz (played for Hamline, MN, in early 1940s), he went hitless in three at-bats against the Boston Braves a year before President Truman desegregated the military. . . . San Diego Padres P Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) tied a MLB record with 25 straight starts on the road without a defeat before bowing at Los Angeles to the Dodgers in 2007.
14 - Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) threw the ninth complete game without permitting a walk in his career as he blanked the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0, in 1964 in his only Opening Day start. . . . Atlanta Braves OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) contributed five hits and five runs scored in a 14-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds in 1997. . . . New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64), en route to tying a MLB record with 11 homers in the month of April, collected four round-trippers - two in each game - during a 1974 doubleheader split with his former team (the Cleveland Indians).
13 - San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) and two teammates establish a MLB record by each hitting a homer as the first three batters in the bottom of the first inning of their 1987 home opener against the San Francisco Giants. . . . 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard captain in 1938-39) awarded on waivers from the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1944. . . . St. Louis Cardinals CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) swats a homer against the Chicago Cubs in his first at-bat en route to becoming 1954 N.L. Rookie of the Year. . . . St. Louis Cardinals closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) set MLB record for most career saves in 1993 (mark subsequently broken). . . . P Jim Wilson (letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) purchased from the Milwaukee Braves by the Baltimore Orioles in 1955. . . . Angels OF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected 15 total bases and six RBI on three homers, a double and single in a 15-9 verdict over the Minnesota Twins in 1991.
12 - P Rich Beck (listed on Gonzaga's roster in 1961-62) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the New York Yankees in 1965. . . . P Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore's Middle Atlantic States Conference Southern Division champions) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the Baltimore Orioles in 1961. . . . After a pair of rainouts, 1B-OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) socked a decisive eighth-inning HR to give the New York Yankees a season-opening 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox in 1959. . . . Pittsburgh Pirates P Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine, KS) outdueled San Francisco Giants P Juan Marichal, 1-0, in 1965.
11 - P Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) released by the Cincinnati Reds and promptly signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1966. . . . P Dallas Green (Delaware's runner-up in scoring and rebounding in 1954-55) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the Washington Senators in 1965. Returned to the Phillies a month later. . . . In 1932, utilityman Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) is traded with P Benny Frey and cash by the Cincinnati Reds to the St. Louis Cardinals for holdout OF Chick Hafey, the previous year's N.L. batting champion. . . . 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) hit the first homer in New York Mets history (at St. Louis in 1962). . . . In 1961, Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) tied Grover Cleveland Alexander's N.L. record with a 12th straight Opening Day start for the Philadelphia Phillies. . . . San Diego Padres OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) posted his first five-RBI game (against the Atlanta Braves in 2010). . . . OF Bill Virdon (played for Drury, MO, in 1949) traded by the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal involving OF Enos Slaughter in 1954. Seven years later, Virdon socked a two-out, three-run homer to give the Pittsburgh Pirates an 8-7 victory at San Francisco.
10 - OF Wally Roettger (Illinois letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Giants in 1930.
9 - 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming the first high school player named the state's "Mr. Basketball") traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. . . . LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Detroit Tigers with $10,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for P Larry Sherry in 1964.
8 - OF Babe Barna (two-year West Virginia letterman in mid-1930s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Washington Senators in 1939. . . . P Mark Freeman (averaged 3.6 ppg for LSU as a senior in 1950-51) traded by the New York Yankees to the Kansas City Athletics in 1959. Returned to Yankees a month later. . . . P Pete Sivess (played for Dickinson, PA, in 1935-36) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with cash to the New York Yankees in 1939.
7 - Minnesota Twins OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after being runner-up in both categories the previous season) amassed seven RBI, a major league record for opening day, against the Chicago White Sox in 1970. Alyea drove in 19 runs in P Jim Perry's first four starts that year. . . . P Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman for Hampden-Sydney, VA, in mid-1950s) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1965. . . . P Dave Madison (letterman for LSU from 1939-40 through 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1952. . . . Boston Red Sox P Gary Peters (played basketball for Grove City, PA, in mid-1950s), after allowing no earned runs in 32 spring training innings, secured a 4-3 season-opening win at New York in 1970.
6 - Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) contributed two sixth-inning hits, including a grand slam, in a 10-inning, 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox in 2001. . . . In 2006, P Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding 1992-93 through 1995-96) hurls first complete-game shutout for the Tampa Devil Rays in a span of 349 contests (three-hit, 2-0 whitewash against the Baltimore Orioles). . . . P Joe Niekro (played for West Liberty WV in mid-1960s) purchased from the Atlanta Braves by the Houston Astros for $35,000 in 1975. . . . P Darrell Sutherland (averaged 8.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Stanford from 1960-61 through 1962-63) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Mets as a first-year waiver selection in 1964.
5 - INF Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles in 1973. . . . P Fred Kipp (two-time all-conference selection for Emporia State, KS, in early 1950s) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees in 1960. . . . OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln, MO, in scoring average in 1955-56) purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970. . . . OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman squad in mid-1960s) traded with Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub. . . . Atlanta Braves reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as a junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered the victory in a season-opening 7-4 success at Cincinnati in 1971. Upshaw missed the previous campaign after almost losing the ring finger on his right hand when it go entangled in a net while dunking a basketball.
4 - LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels for OF Chuck Hinton in 1969.
3 - 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram, OH, in early 1950s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969. . . . P Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers in 2004.
2 - In 2001, San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) became the fifth player in N.L. history to spend 20-plus years playing his entire career with one franchise. . . . New York Mets manager Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948), two days shy of his 48th birthday, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972 after playing a round of golf in West Palm Beach with his coaches on Easter Sunday. . . . P Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman for Hampden-Sydney, VA, in mid-1950s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Washington Senators in 1966. . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85), debuting with the Cleveland Indians, whacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh inning in a 9-7 decision over the Oakland A's in 1997.
1 - OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Cleveland Indians in 1958. . . . LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Angels in 1961. . . . OF-1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985. . . . INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1974.
Melting Pot: NCAA Championship Game Could Center on Battle of Senegal
College basketball has taken on an increasingly international flavor with an average of more than 400 foreign athletes competing for NCAA Division I men's teams over the last 11 seasons. Classic examples are vastly-improved centers from Senegal - Gorgui Dieng (Louisville) and Baye Moussa Keita (Syracuse) - who could have met in the NCAA championship game if the Orange had defeated Michigan in the national semifinals.
You've heard of a trade deficit. How about the trade surplus the national semifinals have enjoyed of late? All but one Final Four since 1993 had an international flavor with at least one player from outside North America in the regular rotation of a team reaching the national semifinals.
"If communism hadn't fallen, I would have had to make the most difficult decision in my life," said UCLA center George Zidek, the starting center for UCLA's 1995 national champion who once was yelped at by dogs and arrested during a riot in Prague. "I would have had to leave to play basketball and never come back to my country or my family. I don't know if I could have done that."
An old adage claimed that fans couldn't tell the players without a roster. Now, it's at the point where fans can't pronounce the names on rosters without taking a couple of Berlitz language courses. Following is a chronological look at Final Four foreigners in the last 21 years coming from 22 different nations (in reverse order):
2013 - Louisville C Gorgui Dieng (Senegal), Syracuse C Baye Moussa Keita (Senegal) and Wichita State C Ehimen Orukpe (Nigeria)
2012 - Kentucky C Eloy Vargas (Dominican Republic) and Louisville C Gorgui Dieng (Senegal)
2011 - Connecticut G-F Niels Giffey (Germany) and C Charles Okwandu (Nigeria) and Kentucky C Eloy Vargas (Dominican Republic)
2010 - West Virginia F Deniz Kilicli (Turkey)
2009 - Connecticut C Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) and Michigan State C Idong Ibok (Nigeria)
2008 - UCLA F-C Alfred Aboya (Cameroon), F Nikola Dragovic (Serbia) and F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
2007 - UCLA F-C Alfred Aboya (Cameroon) and F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
2006 - Florida G Walter Hodge (Puerto Rico), F-C Al Horford (Dominican Republic) and G David Huertas (Puerto Rico), Louisiana State F Magnum Rolle (Bahamas) and UCLA F-C Alfred Aboya (Cameroon) and F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)
2005 - Louisville F-G Francisco Garcia (Dominican Republic), F-C Otis George (Dominica) and Juan Palacios (Columbia)
2004 - Duke F Luol Deng (Sudan) and Georgia Tech C Luke Schenscher (Australia)
2003 - Texas G Sydmill Harris (The Netherlands)
2002 - Oklahoma C Jabahri Brown (Virgin Islands) and C Jozsef Szendrei (Hungary)
2001 - None
2000 - Wisconsin G Kirk Penney (New Zealand)
1999 - Connecticut C Souleymane Wane (Senegal) and Ohio State G Boban Savovic (Yugoslavia)
1998 - Utah F Hanno Mottola (Finland) and North Carolina C Makhtar Ndiaye (Nigeria)
1997 - North Carolina F Ademola Okulaja (Germany) and C Serge Zwikker (Netherlands)
1996 - Syracuse G Marius Janulis (Lithuania) and Massachusetts G Edgar Padilla (Puerto Rico) and G Carmelo Travieso (Puerto Rico)
1995 - UCLA C George Zidek (Czechoslovakia), Arkansas G Davor Rimac (Yugoslavia) and North Carolina C Serge Zwikker (Netherlands)
1994 - Arkansas G Davor Rimac (Yugoslavia) and Florida F Martti Kuisma (Finland)
1993 - North Carolina G Henrik Rodl (Germany)
Change of Address: Transfer Guard Could Determine NCAA Playoff Finalist
Although there is a disenchantment stigma attached to transfers, it shouldn't be considered a crime. The play of transfer guards Luke Hancock (Louisville from George Mason) and Malcolm Armstead (Wichita State from Oregon) could determine which of those teams advances to the NCAA final. Including injured Kentucky star Derek Anderson in 1997, 26 of the last 30 Final Fours featured teams with at least one starter or key reserve who began his college career at another four-year Division I school.
Vanderbilt guard Billy McCaffrey, a transfer from Duke, is the only All-Tournament selection to finish his college playing career attending another major university. There was no All-Tournament team in 1942 when Stanford guard Howie Dallmar was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player before completing his undergraduate work at Penn toward the end of World War II. McCaffrey earned a spot on the 1991 All-Tournament team by scoring 16 points to help Duke defeat Kansas (72-65) in the championship game.
"What I really wanted was consistency; not playing a key factor in some games, very minimal in others," McCaffrey said. "My role probably would have been the same if I had stayed. I felt I could do more. I needed to enjoy the game more. I think a player likes to know that he can be counted on for certain things every night. That's how I get pleasure from the games. Your college career is too short to spend somewhere you're not happy.
"I don't regret leaving. I cherish those memories. I was happy for them (when the Blue Devils repeated in 1992). I knew when I left that they had a good chance to win (again). I took that into consideration when I made my decision to leave. I'd already been a part of a national championship. Maybe that made it easier."
Following is a chronological look at how transfers have impacted the Final Four in the last 30 years (in reverse order):
2013 - Wichita State G Malcolm Armstead* (Oregon) and Louisville G-F Luke Hancock (George Mason).
2012 - Ohio State F Evan Ravenel (Boston College), Louisville G Chris Smith (Manhattan), Kentucky C Eloy Vargas* (Florida), Kansas F Justin Wesley (Lamar), Kansas C Jeff Withey (Arizona) and Kansas F Kevin Young (Loyola Marymount)
2011 - Kentucky C Eloy Vargas* (Florida), Virginia Commonwealth F Jamie Skeen (Wake Forest), Virginia Commonwealth F Toby Veal* (Colorado)
2010 - None
2009 - None
2008 - Kansas G Rodrick Stewart** (Southern California) and Memphis F Shawn Taggart (Iowa State)
2007 - Georgetown F Patrick Ewing Jr. (Indiana) and Ohio State G Ron Lewis (Bowling Green)
2006 - None
2005 - Illinois F-C Jack Ingram (Tulsa)
2004 - Oklahoma State G Daniel Bobik (Brigham Young), Georgia Tech G Will Bynum (Arizona), Oklahoma State G-F Joey Graham (Central Florida), Oklahoma State F Stephen Graham (Central Florida), Oklahoma State G John Lucas III (Baylor) and Oklahoma State F Jason Miller (North Texas)
2003 - Texas F Deginald Erskin (North Texas) and Marquette F-C Robert Jackson (Mississippi State)
2002 - Oklahoma C Jabahri Brown (Florida International) and F-C Aaron McGhee* (Cincinnati) and Maryland G-F Byron Mouton (Tulane)
2001 - Michigan State F Mike Chappell (Duke), Maryland G-F Byron Mouton (Tulane) and Arizona C Loren Woods (Wake Forest)
2000 - Michigan State F Mike Chappell (Duke)
1999 - Ohio State G Scoonie Penn (Boston College)
1998 - Kentucky F Heshimu Evans (Manhattan) and North Carolina C Makhtar Ndiaye (Michigan)
1997 - Kentucky G-F Derek Anderson (Ohio State)
1996 - Kentucky G-F Derek Anderson (Ohio State) and C Mark Pope (Washington)
1995 - Oklahoma State F Scott Pierce (Illinois)
1994 - None
1993 - Kentucky G Travis Ford (Missouri) and Kansas G Rex Walters (Northwestern)
1992 - Cincinnati G Anthony Buford (Akron) and F Erik Martin* (Texas Christian)
1991 - UNLV G Greg Anthony (Portland) and C Elmore Spencer* (Georgia)
1990 - UNLV G Greg Anthony (Portland)
1989 - Illinois F Kenny Battle (Northern Illinois)
1988 - Oklahoma F Harvey Grant (Clemson) and Arizona F Tom Tolbert* (UC Irvine)
1987 - Providence G Delray Brooks (Indiana) and UNLV G Mark Wade* (Oklahoma)
1986 - Kansas C Greg Dreiling (Wichita State)
1985 - St. John's G Mike Moses (Florida)
1984 - Virginia G Rick Carlisle (Maine)
*Played for a junior college between four-year schools.
**Injured.
Star Light: Syracuse Latest Final Four Squad Overcoming Early Obstacle
For the third straight season, a team reached the Final Four after losing multiple players who defected following the previous season to make themselves available for the NBA draft, where they were selected in the first round. Syracuse retooled its rotation after losing Dion Waiters and Fab Melo early to the NBA as first-round choices.
Among schools losing a prominent undergraduate early, Kentucky was the only school to capture a crown (1998 without Ron Mercer) until Duke achieved the feat (2010 without Gerald Henderson) and UK secured another title last year sans Brandon Knight. In a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, UK returned to the national semifinals in 2011 after losing five undergraduates who became NBA first-round draft choices.
The Final Four has had at least one team arrive after losing a prominent undergraduate to the NBA draft 10 times in the last 12 years. Following is a list of the 25 squads unfazed by the early loss of key player(s) who left college with eligibility still remaining:
Final Four Team Prominent Undergraduate Defection Previous Year Marquette '74 Larry McNeill (25th pick overall in 1973 NBA draft) Louisiana State '81 DeWayne Scales (36th pick in 1980 draft) Georgia '83 Dominique Wilkins (3rd pick in 1982 draft) Houston '83 Rob Williams (19th pick in 1982 draft) Houston '84 Clyde Drexler (14th pick in 1983 draft) Louisiana State '86 Jerry Reynolds (22nd pick in 1985 draft) Syracuse '87 Pearl Washington (13th pick in 1986 draft) Kentucky '97 Antoine Walker (6th pick in 1996 draft) North Carolina '97 Jeff McInnis (37th pick in 1996 draft) Kentucky '98 Ron Mercer (6th pick in 1997 draft) Indiana '02 Kirk Haston (16th pick in 2001 draft) Kansas '03 Drew Gooden (4th pick in 2002 draft) Georgia Tech '04 Chris Bosh (4th pick in 2003 draft) Louisiana State '06 Brandon Bass (33rd pick in 2005 draft) UCLA '07 Jordan Farmar (26th pick in 2006 draft) North Carolina '08 Brandan Wright (8th pick in 2007 draft) Kansas '08 Julian Wright (13th pick in 2007 draft) UCLA '08 Arron Afflalo (27th pick in 2007 draft) Duke '10 Gerald Henderson (12th pick in 2009 draft) Kentucky '11 John Wall (1st pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 DeMarcus Cousins (5th pick in 2010 draft) Butler '11 Gordon Hayward (9th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 Patrick Patterson (14th pick in 2010 draft) Virginia Commonwealth '11 Larry Sanders (15th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 Eric Bledsoe (18th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 Daniel Orton (29th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '12 Brandon Knight (8th pick in 2011 draft) Kansas '12 Markieff Morris (13th pick in 2011 draft) Kansas '12 Marcus Morris (14th pick in 2011 draft) Kansas '12 Josh Selby (49th pick in 2011 draft) Syracuse '13 Dion Waiters (4th pick in 2012 draft) Syracuse '13 Fab Melo (22nd pick in 2012 draft)
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #16)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 16 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 school to have four players score more than 14,000 points in the pros after never participating in national postseason competition (NCAA playoffs and NIT). Hint: One member of the foursome left college early after just one season of eligibility when he averaged 30 points per game and another is the highest scorer in NBA history to never participate in the NBA playoffs.
2. Name the only father-son combination to be on the rosters of two teams from the same school to win NCAA Tournament championships. Hint: Both of them were underclassmen when their teams captured NCAA titles.
3. Who is the only player to never appear in the NBA or ABA after averaging more than 20 points per game for a team reaching an NCAA Tournament final? Hint: A college teammate was a member of the NBA championship team that drafted him.
4. Who is the only undergraduate non-center to average more than 23 points per game for a national champion? Hint: He is the last player to score the most points in a single game of an NCAA Tournament and play for the championship team.
5. Who is the only player to appear at a minimum of two Final Fours and be the game-high scorer in every Final Four contest he played? Hint: His brother is an NFL Hall of Famer.
6. Who is the only coach to win an NBA championship after directing a college to the Final Four? Hint: His college squad was implicated in a game-fixing scandal.
7. Who is the only player to grab more than 41 rebounds at a single Final Four? Hint: He is the only player to retrieve more than 21 missed shots in a championship game and the only player to score more than 20 points and grab more than 20 rebounds in back-to-back NCAA finals.
8. Who is the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player to later coach a school other than his alma mater to the playoffs? Hint: He coached for more than 20 years in the same conference against UCLA legend John Wooden. He is also the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player to complete his college playing career attending another university.
9. Who is the only junior college player to later be selected Final Four Most Outstanding Player? Hint: He won the award when the Final Four was held in his home state and eventually became an NBA head coach.
10. Name the only school with a losing league record to defeat a conference rival by more than 20 points in a season the opponent wound up winning the national championship. Hint: The school with a losing league mark participated in the NCAA playoffs the next season for the first time since reaching the Final Four more than 20 years earlier when a consensus first-team All-American became the only player in school history to average more than 25 points in a season.
Twin Peaks: Louisville and Syracuse Leaving Big East Conference in Style
Louisville and Syracuse are future members of the ACC. But for now, they are the pride of the Big East Conference before the unraveling league turns into the Big Least or whatever its new name will be.
Two teams from the same conference reached the Final Four eight consecutive years from 1999 through 2006. Teams from the same league have met in the national championship game on three occasions - 1976 (champion Indiana and runner-up Michigan/from Big Ten), 1985 (Villanova and Georgetown/Big East) and 1988 (Kansas and Oklahoma/Big Eight).
At least one of the two members from the same league participated in the national championship game in 17 of the first 21 years two teams from the same alliance advanced to the Final Four.
| Year | Final Four Results of Two Teams From the Same Conference |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Indiana (1st in regular-season competition) defeated fellow Big Ten member Michigan (2nd) in the championship game. |
| 1980 | Purdue (3rd) defeated fellow Big Ten member Iowa (T4th) in the national third-place game. |
| 1981 | North Carolina (2nd) defeated fellow ACC member Virginia (1st) in the national semifinals before the Tar Heels bowed to Indiana in the final. |
| 1985 | Villanova (T3rd) defeated fellow Big East member Georgetown (2nd) in the national final after the Hoyas defeated St. John's (1st) in the national semifinals. |
| 1987 | Syracuse (T1st) was runner-up to Indiana after defeating fellow Big East member Providence (T4th) in the national semifinals. |
| 1988 | Kansas (3rd) defeated fellow Big Eight member Oklahoma (1st) in the championship game. |
| 1989 | Michigan (3rd) won the championship game against Seton Hall after the Wolverines defeated fellow Big Ten member Illinois (2nd) in the national semifinals. |
| 1990 | UNLV defeated two ACC members - Georgia Tech (T3rd) in the national semifinals and Duke (2nd) in the championship game. |
| 1991 | Kansas split two games with ACC members. The Jayhawks defeated North Carolina (2nd) in the national semifinals before losing to Duke (1st) in the championship game. |
| 1992 | Duke defeated two Big Ten members - Indiana (2nd) in the national semifinals and Michigan (T3rd) in the championship game. |
| 1994 | Arkansas (1st in West Division) won the championship game against Duke after the Blue Devils defeated the Hogs' fellow SEC member Florida (T1st in East) in the national semifinals. |
| 1996 | Kentucky (1st in East Division) won the championship game against Syracuse after the Orangemen defeated the Wildcats' fellow SEC member Mississippi State (1st in West Division) in the national semifinals. |
| 1999 | Michigan State (1st) and fellow Big Ten member Ohio State (2nd) lost to Duke and Connecticut, respectively, in the national semifinals. |
| 2000 | Michigan State (T1st) won the national championship after defeating fellow Big Ten member Wisconsin (6th) in the national semifinals. |
| 2001 | Duke (T1st) won the national championship after defeating fellow ACC member Maryland (3rd) in the national semifinals. |
| 2002 | Kansas (1st) and Big 12 rival Oklahoma (2nd) lost to Maryland and Indiana, respectively, in the national semifinals. |
| 2003 | Kansas (1st) finished national runner-up and Big 12 rival Texas (2nd) lost to eventual champion Syracuse in the national semifinals. |
| 2004 | Georgia Tech (T3rd) finished national runner-up and ACC rival Duke (1st) lost to eventual champion Connecticut in the national semifinals. |
| 2005 | Illinois (1st) finished national runner-up and Big Ten rival Michigan State (2nd) lost to eventual champion North Carolina in the national semifinals. |
| 2006 | Florida (2nd in Eastern Division) won the national championship and SEC rival LSU (1st in Western Division) lost to UCLA in the national semifinals. |
| 2009 | Big East rivals Connecticut (T2nd) and Villanova (4th) both lost in the national semifinals. |
| 2013 | Big East members Louisville (T1st) and Syracuse (T5th) advanced to the Final Four in Atlanta. |
Fresh Faces: John Beilein and Gregg Marshall Make Final Four Debuts
In 1987, Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Rick Pitino (Providence) each made their Final Four debut. Indiana won the championship that year but they both subsequently captured at least one NCAA title.
This year, John Beilein (Michigan) and Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) are Final Four newcomers. They better enjoy the experience while they can. Although their two counterparts have ascended to this plateau multiple times, it's difficult enough to get there and most mentors don't return.
Since the start of the NCAA Tournament in 1939, no coach ever took longer in his four-year college career to reach the DI Final Four than Beilein (31 seasons). The five other coaches to take more than 20 years were Jim Calhoun (27), Dick Bennett (24), Gary Williams (23), Jim Larranaga (22) and Norm Sloan (22).
There has been at least one fresh face among the bench bosses at the national semifinals all but twice in the last 29 years (1993 and 2012). Following is a look at the coaches who advanced to the Final Four for the first time since the field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985:
- 2013 - John Beilein (Michigan/31st season as head coach at the four-year college level) and Gregg Marshall (Wichita State/15th).
- 2012 - All returnees.
- 2011 - Shaka Smart (Virginia Commonwealth/2nd).
- 2010 - Brad Stevens* (Butler/3rd).
- 2009 - Jay Wright (Villanova/15th).
- 2008 - Bill Self* (Kansas/15th).
- 2007 - Thad Matta* (Ohio State/7th) and John Thompson III (Georgetown/7th).
- 2006 - John Brady (Louisiana State/15th), Ben Howland* (UCLA/12th), Jim Larranaga (George Mason/22nd).
- 2005 - Bruce Weber (Illinois/6th).
- 2004 - Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech/7th).
- 2003 - Rick Barnes (Texas/16th) and Tom Crean (Marquette/4th).
- 2002 - Mike Davis (Indiana/2nd) and Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma/20th).
- 2001 - Gary Williams* (Maryland/23rd).
- 2000 - Dick Bennett (Wisconsin/24th) and Billy Donovan* (Florida/6th).
- 1999 - Jim Calhoun* (Connecticut/27th), Tom Izzo* (Michigan State/4th) and Jim O'Brien (Ohio State/17th).
- 1998 - Bill Guthridge* (North Carolina/1st), Rick Majerus (Utah/14th) and Tubby Smith (Kentucky/7th).
- 1997 - Clem Haskins (Minnesota/17th).
- 1996 - John Calipari* (Massachusetts/8th) and Richard Williams (Mississippi State/10th).
- 1995 - Jim Harrick (UCLA/16th).
- 1994 - Lon Kruger (Florida/12th).
- 1993 - All returnees.
- 1992 - Bob Huggins* (Cincinnati/12th).
- 1991 - Roy Williams* (Kansas/3rd).
- 1990 - Bobby Cremins (Georgia Tech/15th) and Nolan Richardson* (Arkansas/10th).
- 1989 - P.J. Carlesimo (Seton Hall/14th) and Steve Fisher* (Michigan/1st).
- 1988 - Billy Tubbs (Oklahoma/14th).
- 1987 - Jim Boeheim* (Syracuse/11th) and Rick Pitino* (Providence/7th).
- 1986 - Mike Krzyzewski* (Duke/11th).
- 1985 - Lou Carnesecca (St. John's/17th), Dana Kirk (Memphis State/14th) and Rollie Massimino (Villanova/14th).
*Subsequently returned to the Final Four.
Shock and (Wichit)awe: Angry WSU Latest Mid-Major Reaching Final Four
No. 9 seed Wichita State became the fifth bottom-of-the-bracket team earning a spot at the Final Four, joining #9 Penn '79, #11 Louisiana State '86, #11 George Mason '06 and #11 Virginia Commonwealth '11. Among mid-major schools, UNLV was the only one advancing to the national semifinals in the first 11 years after the tourney field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. The Shockers are the eighth different school on the following chronological list of mid-majors reaching the Final Four since the field was expanded to at least 64 teams:
Year Mid-Major School Coach Conference Final Four Result 1987 UNLV Jerry Tarkanian PCAA Lost to eventual champion Indiana in semifinals 1990 UNLV Jerry Tarkanian Big West NCAA Champion after defeating Georgia Tech and Duke 1991 UNLV Jerry Tarkanian Big West Lost to eventual champion Duke in semifinals 1996 Massachusetts John Calipari Atlantic 10 Lost to eventual champion Kentucky in semifinals 1998 Utah Rick Majerus Western Athletic Lost to Kentucky in championship game 2006 George Mason Jim Larranaga Colonial Lost to eventual champion Florida in semifinals 2008 Memphis John Calipari Conference USA Lost to Kansas in championship game 2010 Butler Brad Stevens Horizon League Lost to Duke in championship game 2011 Butler Brad Stevens Horizon League Lost to Connecticut in championship game 2011 Virginia Commonwealth Shaka Smart Colonial Lost to eventual runner-up Butler in semifinals 2013 Wichita State Gregg Marshall Missouri Valley Final Four (to be determined)
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #15)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 15 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 individual to play for two NCAA champions, play for more than two NBA champions and coach two NBA champions. Hint: He was the first of four players to be a member of an NCAA championship team one year and an NBA titlist the next season as a rookie. He won the high jump in the West Coast Relays his senior year.
2. Who is the only individual to average fewer than four points per game as a freshman and then be selected Final Four Most Outstanding Player the next season as a sophomore. Hint: He had more three-point baskets in two Final Four games than he managed his entire freshman season.
3. Who is the only player named to an All-NCAA Tournament team not to score a total of more than 10 points in two Final Four games? Hint: He had the same point total in each Final Four game for a team whose star had the same last name.
4. Who is the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player to later coach his alma mater in the NCAA Tournament? Hint: The guard was named Most Outstanding Player although he was his team's fourth-leading scorer at the Final Four that year.
5. Name the only school to have two of the six eligible teams ranked among the top five in the AP and/or UPI final polls to not participate in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT in the days before teams other than the conference champion could be chosen to the NCAA playoffs as at-large entrants. Hint: The school lost three regional finals in one four-year span and hasn't reached the Final Four in the last 48 years.
6. Who is the only coach to lose more than five regional final games? Hint: His regional final defeats were by an average margin of 10 points and his biggest nemesis was the Big Ten Conference.
7. Who is the only individual to become NBA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player to participate in the NCAA Tournament but never win an NCAA playoff game? Hint: He shared the NBA Rookie of the Year award with another player who was on the losing end in his only NCAA Tournament appearance. Two years later, he was NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player the same season he was named league MVP.
8. Of the more than 40 different players to be named NBA Most Valuable Player, score more than 20,000 points in the pros or be selected to an All-NBA team at least five times after participating in the NCAA Tournament, who is the only one to average fewer than 10 points per game in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: He is believed to be the youngest Hall of Famer to appear in an NCAA championship game at the tender age of 16 and was later named to 12 consecutive All-NBA teams.
9. Who is the only guard to score more than 35 points in an NCAA final? Hint: He led his team in scoring in back-to-back Final Fours but wasn't named Final Four Most Outstanding Player either year. He is the only championship team player to have a two-game total of at least 70 points at the Final Four and is the shortest undergraduate to average more than 20 points per game for an NCAA titlist.
10. Who is the only player to have as many as 20 field goals in an NCAA championship game? Hint: He scored fewer than seven points in both his tourney debut and final playoff appearance.
We Shall Return: Only 3 Schools Away From Final Four Longer Than Wichita
Try, try again! Wichita State, which finished in fourth place in the 1965 NCAA Tournament, has the fourth-longest drought between Final Four appearances. Iowa State, which reached the Final Four in 1944, will move atop this list if coach Fred Hoiberg lives up to his new hefty contract. Of the schools reaching the national semifinals at least twice, following are the nine institutions to go more than 35 years before returning to the Promised Land:
| Final Four School | Famine Years | Coaches Between Final Fours | NCAA Tournament Appearances During Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 59 | Bud Foster (1941) to Dick Bennett (2000) | four: 1947-94-97-99 |
| Stanford | 56 | Everett Dean (1942) to Mike Montgomery (1998) | five: 1989-92-95-96-97 |
| Texas | 56 | Jack Gray (1947) to Rick Barnes (2003) | 17: 1960-63-72-74-79-89-90-91-92-94-95-96-97-99-00-01-02 |
| Wichita State | 48 | Gary Thompson (1965) to Gregg Marshall (2013) | seven: 1976-81-85-87-88-06-12 |
| Oklahoma State | 44 | Hank Iba (1951) to Eddie Sutton (1995) | nine: 1953-54-58-65-83-91-92-93-94 |
| Oklahoma | 41 | Bruce Drake (1947) to Billy Tubbs (1988) | six: 1979-83-84-85-86-87 |
| Georgetown | 39 | Elmer Ripley (1943) to John Thompson Jr. (1982) | five: 1975-76-79-80-81 |
| Illinois | 37 | Harry Combes (1952) to Lou Henson (1989) | eight: 1963-81-83-84-85-86-87-88 |
| DePaul | 36 | Ray Meyer (1943) to Ray Meyer (1979) | seven: 1953-56-59-60-65-76-78 |
Do As I Say and As I Did: Former All-American Steve Alford in Class of One
Steve Alford, an All-American for Indiana in 1986 and 1987, is the only active coach to have been an All-American player before coaching an All-American (New Mexico's Darington Hobson in 2010). Indiana native John Wooden is the only All-American player to coach All-Americans for two different universities (Indiana State and UCLA) with neither of them being his alma mater (Purdue). Alford, after being lured to UCLA to try to recapture Wooden's glory years, likely will join Wooden, Howie Dallmar (Penn and Stanford), Jim O'Brien (Boston College and Ohio State) plus John Oldham (Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky) as former All-Americans who coached comparable players for two different schools.
Indiana's Branch McCracken, the only one of 48 All-Americans who became major-college mentors to compile a higher winning percentage as a coach than as a player, coached 14 All-Americans with his alma mater. He is among the following alphabetical list of 15 major-college All-Americans who went on to coach major-college All-Americans:
| Coach | Alma Mater | A-A Year as Player | All-American(s) Coached |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Alford | Indiana | 1986 and 1987 | New Mexico's Darington Hobson (2010) |
| Henry Bibby | UCLA | 1972 | Southern California's Sam Clancy (2002) |
| Bob Cousy | Holy Cross | 1948 through 1950 | Boston College's John Austin (1965 and 1966) and Terry Driscoll (1969) |
| Howie Dallmar | Penn | 1945 | Penn's Ernie Beck (1951 and 1953) and Stanford's Paul Neumann (1959) and Rich Kelley (1975) |
| Larry Finch | Memphis State | 1973 | Memphis State's Anfernee Hardaway (1993) and Lorenzen Wright (1996) |
| Tom Gola | La Salle | 1952 through 1955 | La Salle's Larry Cannon (1969) |
| Jack Gray | Texas | 1934 and 1935 | Texas' John Hargis (1947) |
| Clem Haskins | Western Kentucky | 1966 and 1967 | Minnesota's Bobby Jackson (1997) and Quincy Lewis (1999) |
| Moose Krause | Notre Dame | 1932 through 1934 | Notre Dame's Leo Barnhorst (1949), Leo Klier (1944), Kevin O'Shea (1947 through 1950) |
| Branch McCracken | Indiana | 1930 | Indiana's Ernie Andres (1939), Walt Bellamy (1960), Archie Dees (1957 and 1958), Bill Garrett (1951), Ralph Hamilton (1947), Marv Huffman (1940), Slick Leonard (1953 and 1954), Bill Menke (1940), Jimmy Rayl (1962 and 1963), Don Schlundt (1953 through 1955), Dick Van Arsdale (1965), Tom Van Arsdale (1965), Lou Watson (1950) and Andy Zimmer (1942) |
| Jim O'Brien | Boston College | 1971 | Boston College's Bill Curley (1994) and Ohio State's Scoonie Penn (1999 and 2000) |
| John Oldham | Western Kentucky | 1949 | Tennessee Tech's Jimmy Hagan (1959) and Western Kentucky's Clem Haskins (1966 and 1967) and Jim McDaniels (1970 and 1971) |
| Harv Schmidt | Illinois | 1957 | Illinois' Dave Scholz (1969) |
| John Thompson Jr. | Providence | 1964 | Georgetown's Patrick Ewing (1982 through 1985), Sleepy Floyd (1981 and 1982), Allen Iverson (1996), Alonzo Mourning (1989 through 1992), Dikembe Mutombo (1991), Charles Smith (1989) and Reggie Williams (1987) |
| John Wooden | Purdue | 1932 | Indiana State's Duane Klueh (1948) and UCLA's Lew Alcindor (1967 through 1969), Lucius Allen (1968), Henry Bibby (1972), Keith Erickson (1965), Gail Goodrich (1964 and 1965), John Green (1962), Walt Hazzard (1963 and 1964), Dave Meyers (1975), Willie Naulls (1956), Curtis Rowe (1970 and 1971), George Stanich (1950), Walt Torrence (1959), John Vallely (1970), Bill Walton (1972 through 1974), Mike Warren (1967 and 1968), Richard Washington (1975), Sidney Wicks (1970 and 1971) and Keith Wilkes (1973 and 1974) |
College Exam: NCAA Tournament One-and-Only Trivia Time (Day #14)
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 14 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 school to compile a losing record in a season it won on the road against a conference rival that later captured the NCAA championship. Hint: The school is a former national titlist itself, but had just one winning league mark in 12 years from 1977-78 through 1988-89.
2. Name the only school to compile a conference record of more than 10 games below .500 in a season it defeated a league rival that became NCAA champion. Hint: The school, which finished in first or second place in league competition four consecutive seasons in the early 1930s, has 44 consecutive non-winning records in conference play.
3. Name the only school to trail by at least 10 points at halftime of a tournament game and end up winning the contest by more than 20. Hint: A prominent network broadcaster played for the team. The next year, the school became the only one in tourney history to win back-to-back overtime games by double-digit margins.
4. Who is the only coach to lose in back-to-back seasons to teams seeded 14th or worse? Hint: He captured an NCAA championship later that decade.
5. Name the only double-digit seeded team to reach the Final Four until Virginia Commonwealth achieved the feat last year. Hint: It's the worst-seeded school to defeat a #1 seed, a conference rival that defeated the team a total of three times that year during the regular season and postseason league tournament. The next year, the university became the only school to reach back-to-back regional finals as a double-digit seed.
6. Name the only school to win a regional final game it trailed by more than 15 points at halftime. Hint: The school lost its next game at the Final Four to a team that dropped a conference game against the regional final opponent by a double-figure margin. Three years later, it became the only school to score more than 100 points in a championship game and win a national final by more than 21 points.
7. Who is the only team-leading scorer to be held more than 25 points under his season average in a Final Four game? Hint: He scored 39 points against the same opponent earlier in the season to help end the third-longest winning streak in major-college history. He is the only player to lead the playoffs in scoring and rebounding in back-to-back seasons although he wasn't named to the All-Tournament team one of those years despite becoming the only player to lead a tourney in scoring by more than 60 points. In addition, he is the only player in tournament history to collect more than 40 points and 25 rebounds in the same game.
8. Name the only school to lead the nation in scoring offense and win the NCAA title in the same season. Hint: The top four scorers were undergraduates for the only titlist to win all of its NCAA Tournament games by more than 15 points.
9. Name the only school to play in as many as three overtime games in a single tournament. Hint: One of the three overtime affairs was a national third-place game.
10. Who is the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player to go scoreless in two NCAA Tournament games in a previous year? Hint: His NBA scoring average decreased each of his last nine seasons in the league after becoming Rookie of the Year.
Deal or No Deal? Loyalty is One-Way Street for Many DI Head Coaches
Should I stay or should I go? Steve Alford was experienced in dealing with that question when he virtually ignored a 10-year commitment to New Mexico after the bright lights of UCLA came wooing him. Alford previously had three years remaining on his contract with Southwest Missouri State when he left for Iowa and four years left upon departing the Hawkeyes to join the Lobos.
It's a good thing some universities play in mammoth arenas because the egos of their "Pompous Pilots" wouldn't fit any other place. Much of the excess in the canonization of coaches is perpetrated by coaches-turned-television commentators who shamelessly fawn over their former colleagues.
The analysts should be more concerned about encouraging coaches to spare fans the pious blather about the sanctity of a contract or agreement. Granted, it's survival of the fittest amid the offer-you-can't-refuse backdrop. But in a great many cases, schools have been little more than convenient steppingstones for "larger-than-life" coaches along their one-way street to success. It's understandable in many instances that mercenaries are leaving the minute they're appointed because coaches are in a distasteful "hired-to-be-fired" vocation, where a pink slip is only one losing season or poor recruiting year away.
Nevertheless, loyalty has become too much of a one-way street. Players considering their options occasionally are grilled by coaches and commentators for contemplating transfers or leaving early for the NBA. There are countless examples of schools holding a player's eligibility hostage out of sheer vindictiveness. How much more one-sided can it be when that lame double standard exists?
After all, the value systems for high-profile coaches are sufficiently open-minded to permit running out on contracts when more lucrative jobs come open. Contracts are understood to be for the protection of the coach, not the team, whose players are somehow indentured to the schools for as many as four years of eligibility unless of course a coach chooses not to renew their scholarships. Perhaps that's why many believe incoming recruits should be allowed out of their letter-of-intent to seek another destination if the coach they signed with departs before they even get to campus.
Maybe it shouldn't be that way, but that's most definitely the way it is as contracts don't appear to mean squat to a striking number of meandering mentors who abandon ship like so many rats at high tide. Lon Kruger departed three different schools with at least four years remaining on pacts before leaving UNLV with two seasons left.
Many "leveraged" coaches have been preoccupied of late with attempting to virtually extort raises and extensions on already hefty packages. But in recent years, administrations at Boston College, Kent State, Marist, Miami (Fla.), St. John's and Wyoming seemed to be guinea pigs of sorts by fighting back via adherence to buyout clauses in trying to regain control of the situation in this big business atmosphere.
In mid-July 2010, a New York State Supreme Court Justice made a possible precedent-setting ruling in favor of Marist, which contended that coach Matt Brady's contract required him to secure written consent before negotiating with another school and forbade him from offering "a scholarship to current Marist players or to persons that he or his staff recruited to play at Marist" if he ever took a comparable job.
Brady clearly negotiated with James Madison in 2008 without "written" consent and Marist compiled a list of 19 prospects Brady recruited on behalf of Marist that it believed he should have been unable to recruit to JMU per the details of his contract. Four players on that "off-limits" list - Trevon Flores, Devon Moore, Andrey Semenov and Julius Wells - ultimately signed with JMU.
The judge ruled in favor of Marist's claims that Brady had an enforceable contract when he discussed leaving Marist with JMU, that JMU knew of the contract's existence, that JMU intentionally induced Brady to violate his fiduciary obligations under the contract, and that Marist incurred damages as a result of the breach of those obligations. Marist also filed a separate civil suit against Brady. In mid-May 2011, Kent State sued Geno Ford for more than $1.2 million in damages stemming from his departure for Bradley.
Five of Tulsa's previous seven coaches - Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson, Bill Self and Buzz Peterson - left the school for more prestigious positions despite each of them having at least three years remaining on their contracts. Tulsa is one of three universities from which Self has bailed. He signed a five-year extension with Illinois in December, 2002, that included a bump in salary to $900,000 and payout of $500,000 if he stayed the life of the contract. There also was a buyout of $100,000 per year remaining on the pact.
Deal or no deal? The length of contracts doesn't seem to carry any weight as a factor in the equation. Although precise information on terms of contracts frequently is akin to Swiss bank account material, following is an alphabetical list detailing coaches who reportedly still had contractual obligations to schools of more than five seasons when they left for greener pastures at some point in their careers:
- Steve Alford (10 years remaining on contract) - left New Mexico/hired by UCLA
- Rick Barnes (6) - Clemson/Texas
- John Beilien (6) - Richmond/West Virginia
- Tony Bennett (6) - Washington State/Virginia
- Dave Bliss (6) - New Mexico/Baylor
- Mike Brey (7) - Delaware/Notre Dame
- John Calipari (10) - Massachusetts/New Jersey Nets
- Jeff Capel III (6) - Virginia Commonwealth/Oklahoma
- Tom Crean (9) - Marquette/Indiana
- Matt Doherty (6) - Florida Atlantic/Southern Methodist
- Larry Eustachy (6) - Utah State/Iowa State
- Dennis Felton (6) - Western Kentucky/Georgia
- Tim Floyd (6) - New Orleans/Iowa State
- Tim Floyd (8) - Iowa State/Chicago Bulls
- Travis Ford (7) - Massachusetts/Oklahoma State
- Billy Gillispie (8) - Texas A&M/Kentucky
- Brian Gregory (7) - Dayton/Georgia Tech
- Leonard Hamilton (7) - Miami (Fla.)/Washington Wizards
- Ben Howland (6) - Pittsburgh/UCLA
- Jeff Lebo (8) - Chattanooga/Auburn
- Gregg Marshall (8) - Winthrop/Wichita State
- Thad Matta (9) - Xavier/Ohio State
- Fran McCaffery (7) - Siena/Iowa
- Sean Miller (9) - Xavier/Arizona
- Dan Monson (10) - Gonzaga/Minnesota
- Lute Olson (7) - Iowa/Arizona
- Buzz Peterson (9) - Appalachian State/Tulsa
- Skip Prosser (6) - Xavier/Wake Forest
- Oliver Purnell (6) - Clemson/DePaul
- Mike Rice Jr. (7) - Robert Morris/Rutgers
- Steve Robinson (7) - Tulsa/Florida State
- Kelvin Sampson (6) - Washington State/Oklahoma
- Tubby Smith (6) - Georgia/Kentucky
- Mark Turgeon (9) - Wichita State/Texas A&M
Southern Living: Florida Among Name Schools Slow Arriving to NCAA Party
Ten power league members always classified as major colleges - with majority of them from the South - finished in the Top 20 of a final wire-service poll at least twice although they didn't make their initial NCAA appearance until after 1970. Among the late-bloomer group, Nebraska is winless in the NCAA playoffs while Florida is a two-time NCAA champion.
Major School 1st NCAA Tourney Alabama 1975 Auburn 1984 Clemson 1980 Florida 1987 Georgia 1983 Minnesota 1972 Nebraska 1986 Seton Hall 1988 South Carolina 1971 Virginia 1976
Nice to See You Again? Syracuse Avenges Earlier League Loss to Marquette
NCAA Tournament matchups between members from the same league are relatively rare. When Big East Conference rivals Marquette and Syracuse (departing for ACC) met in the East Regional final, it was the 22nd such confrontation but only the second in the last 11 years.
The Big Ten Conference accounted for seven of the first 18 NCAA Tournament games pitting league members against each other. Florida coach Billy Donovan played in one of the playoff intraconference matchups in 1987 when he scored 20 points for Providence in an 88-73 triumph over Georgetown in the Southeast Regional final.
| Year | Conference | Playoff Round | NCAA Tourney Result Between Members of Same League |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Big Ten | championship | Indiana 86 (May scored team-high 26 points), Michigan 68 (Green 18) |
| 1980 | Big Ten | regional semifinals | Purdue 76 (Edmonson/Morris 20), Indiana 69 (I. Thomas 30) |
| 1980 | Big Ten | national third-place | Purdue 75 (Carroll 35), Iowa 58 (Arnold 19) |
| 1981 | ACC | national semifinals | North Carolina 78 (Wood 39), Virginia 65 (Lamp 18) |
| 1983 | ACC | regional final | North Carolina State 63 (Whittenburg 24), Virginia 62 (Sampson 23) |
| 1985 | Big East | national semifinals | Georgetown 77 (Williams 20), St. John's 59 (Glass 13) |
| 1985 | Big East | championship | Villanova 66 (McClain 17), Georgetown 64 (Wingate 16) |
| 1986 | SEC | regional semifinals | Kentucky 68 (Walker 22), Alabama 63 (Coner 20) |
| 1986 | SEC | regional final | Louisiana State 59 (Williams 16), Kentucky 57 (Walker 20) |
| 1987 | Big East | regional final | Providence 88 (Donovan/D. Wright 20), Georgetown 73 (Williams 25) |
| 1987 | Big East | national semifinals | Syracuse 77 (Monroe 17), Providence 63 (Screen 18) |
| 1988 | Big Eight | regional final | Kansas 71 (Manning 20), Kansas State 58 (Scott 18) |
| 1988 | Big Eight | championship | Kansas 83 (Manning 31), Oklahoma 79 (Sieger 22) |
| 1989 | Big Ten | national semifinals | Michigan 83 (Rice 28), Illinois 81 (Battle 29) |
| 1992 | Big Ten | regional final | Michigan 75 (Webber 23), Ohio State 71 (Jackson 20) |
| 1992 | Great Midwest | regional final | Cincinnati 88 (Jones 23), Memphis State 57 (Hardaway 12) |
| 2000 | Big Ten | regional final | Wisconsin 64 (Bryant 18), Purdue 60 (Cardinal/Cunningham 13) |
| 2000 | Big Ten | national semifinals | Michigan State 53 (Peterson 20), Wisconsin 41 (Boone 18) |
| 2001 | ACC | national semifinals | Duke 95 (Battier 25), Maryland 84 (Dixon 19) |
| 2002 | Big 12 | regional final | Oklahoma 81 (Price 18), Missouri 75 (Paulding 22) |
| 2009 | Big East | regional final | Villanova 78 (Anderson 17), Pittsburgh 76 (Young 28) |
| 2013 | Big East | regional final | Syracuse 55 (Southerland 16), Marquette (Blue 14) |
Waiting List: NCAA Tourney Necessary to Force Rivalries Out of Hibernation
Florida's ballyhooed intrastate clash with Cinderella Florida Gulf Coast showed again why some major schools should be ashamed of themselves for ducking nearby quality opponents. It pales in comparison to other natural rivalries across the country such as Kansas/Wichita State. But why in the world did they have to resort to a national tournament assignment hundreds of miles from their fan base to oppose each other?
In a "Days of Whine and Hoses" era when many cash-strapped athletic departments are begging for revenue, they still schedule numerous poorly-attended home games against inferior opponents. It defies logic as to why tradition-rich schools forsake entertaining non-conference contests with natural rivals while scheduling more than their share of meaningless "rout-a-matics" at home.
The normal intensity of an NCAA Tournament assignment escalates even more in "bragging rights" games between neighboring opponents that rarely if ever tangle on the same floor unless forced to compete against each other by a postseason bracket. For instance, it is a sad state of affairs for Show-Me State fans to need to hope Missouri and Saint Louis advanced in the 2012 West Regional and 2013 Midwest Regional for them to finally meet on the hardwood again. The chances of that occurring were remote insofar as neither school ever has reached the Final Four.
A classic example of the scheduling neglect was an intense 2001 West Regional matchup between Maryland and Georgetown. Of course, the Washington, D.C., area isn't the only region with a scheduling complex. As emotional as it was, the Hoya Paranoia-Terrapin Trepidation confrontation didn't stack up among the following top 10 intrastate contests in NCAA playoff history:
1. 1961 NCAA Championship Game (Cincinnati 70, Ohio State 65 in OT)
Paul Hogue, a 6-9 center who hit just 51.8% of his free-throw attempts during the season, sank only two of 10 foul shots in his two previous contests before putting Cincinnati ahead to stay with a pair of pivotal free throws in overtime in a victory over previously undefeated Ohio State.
2. 1998 East Regional second round (North Carolina 93, UNCC 83 in OT)
UNC Charlotte forward DeMarco Johnson outplayed national player of the year Antawn Jamison of the Tar Heels, but Carolina got a total of 55 points from Shammond Williams and Vince Carter to withstand the 49ers' bid for an upset.
3. 1983 Mideast Regional final (Louisville 80, Kentucky 68 in OT)
The first meeting between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville in more than 24 years was memorable as the Cardinals outscored the Wildcats 18-6 in overtime to reach the Final Four.
4. 1981 Midwest Regional semifinals (Wichita State 66, Kansas 65)
Mike Jones hit two long-range baskets in the last 50 seconds for Wichita State in the first game between the intrastate rivals in 36 years.
5. 1989 Southeast Regional first round (South Alabama 86, Alabama 84)
In an exciting intrastate battle, South Alabama erased a 16-point halftime deficit. Jeff Hodge and Gabe Estaba combined for 55 points for USA.
6. 1971 West Regional final (UCLA 57, Long Beach State 55)
The closest result for UCLA during the Bruins' 38-game playoff winning streak from 1967 to 1973 came when they had to erase an 11-point deficit despite 29 percent field-goal shooting to edge Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State.
7. 1971 Mideast Regional semifinals (Western Kentucky 107, Kentucky 83)
This year's game wasn't anything like when WKU, long regarded as poor country cousins by Kentucky, whipped the Wildcats in their first-ever meeting when All-American Jim McDaniels poured in 35 points for the Hilltoppers.
8. 1959 Mideast Regional semifinals (Louisville 76, Kentucky 61)
Second-ranked Kentucky (24-3) hit less than one-third of its field-goal attempts in blowing a 15-point lead against intrastate rival Louisville (19-12). The Cardinals had lost to Georgetown (KY) earlier in the season.
9. 1964 Midwest Regional first round (Texas Western 68, Texas A&M 62)
Jim "Bad News" Barnes took out his do-it-yourself kit and accounted for 61.8% of Texas Western's offense by scoring 42 points.
10. 1962 NCAA Championship Game (Cincinnati 71, Ohio State 59)
Ohio State All-American center Jerry Lucas wrenched his left knee in the national semifinals against Wake Forest, limiting his effectiveness against Cincinnati counterpart Paul Hogue in the Bearcats' 71-59 triumph in the final.
Pages
