Billy Boy: Baron All Canisius Needed to Take Program Off Life Support
"If I think he (backup guard son) can help us, he'll play. If not, not even his mother could persuade me to use him." - Legendary Kentucky Coach Adolph Rupp
Guard Billy Baron, for the second time in his college playing career, followed his father (Jim) to a different school. Billy averaged 13 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.6 apg in a partial season with Rhode Island two years after transferring from Virginia. He originally chose to remain with URI after his father was fired and then hired by Canisius before changing his mind and deciding to transfer again.
Upon Billy excelling in the MAAC, Jim Baron became the first father to coach two sons who were all-league players in different conferences. Jimmy Baron was an All-Atlantic 10 first-team selection as a URI senior in 2008-09 (17.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 89.2 FT%, 45.4 3FG%). Billy will be shackled by mid-major status, but should be an All-American candidate this season following a streak of at least 25 points in six successive contests.
After the latest set of Barons helped the Golden Griffins post their first winning record in 12 years, they joined a select group of father-son/coach-player combinations who together played significant roles for two universities. Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard played under his father (Ralph) with Western Kentucky and Pittsburgh and Steve Alford's eldest son left New Mexico with him for UCLA but they aren't among the following three most prominent father-son/coach-player tandems for two different schools:
Allens (64-48 record with Southern Methodist and Nevada-Reno from 1978-79 through 1982-83)
Son Billy led the SWC in assists as a freshman (9 apg) and as a sophomore (9.1 apg). In his sophomore season, SMU tied its highest win total (16) in a 15-year span from 1967-68 through 1981-82. The guard also paced the Mustangs in free-throw percentage both years before transferring with his father (Sonny) to Nevada-Reno. Billy averaged 13.1 ppg and 8.2 apg in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with UNR. He set a Wolf Pack single-season record with 8.6 apg as a junior when he was an All-Big Sky Conference second-team choice before moving up to first-team status the next year.Smithsons (67-23 with Illinois State and Wichita State from 1977-78 through 1980-81)
Son Randy, who did not play in 1976-77 because of a broken foot, averaged 6.7 ppg for ISU's 1978 NIT team before his father (Gene) moved on to Wichita State. Randy, a transfer from Cowley County Community College (Kan.), averaged 10.9 ppg for WSU's NIT team in 1980 and 13 ppg for NCAA Tournament team in 1981. The Shockers won the 1981 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title.Suttons (90-40 with Kentucky and Oklahoma State from 1987-88 through 1991-92)
Son Sean averaged 5.9 ppg and a team-high 4.7 apg as a sophomore starter under his father (Eddie) for Kentucky in 1988-89. Sean averaged 11 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 4.4 apg in 1990-91 and 1991-92 for two NCAA Tournament teams after transferring from UK. He led the Cowboys in assists and three-point shooting both seasons. They shared the Big Eight Conference regular-season title in 1991.
Charter Schools: Maryland's Money Mess Switching From ACC to Big Ten
"Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors." - Jim Morrison
Nothing lasts forever. No university ever has discarded such a longstanding affiliation with a conference as Maryland did when the Terrapins chose to divorce the ACC for wealthier Big Ten in 2014-15. The Terps will jettison 61 years of history when they align with the Big Ten, which is the only alliance other than the Ivy League never to have a member leave to join another major conference.
Until formally making the switch, Maryland is mired in an exit-fee money mess. The Terrapins filed a $157 million counter-suit against the ACC (three times the amount the ACC sued for against the Terps), alleging the league was hypocritical in targeting at least two unidentified Big Ten schools to leave after learning about Maryland's intent to seek "greener" pastures. Whatever happens, shouldn't the ACC invest more resources in addressing academics amid North Carolina's shoddy scholastic standing emphasizing Afro-American Studies and similar such shenanigans? If a university with Carolina's stature has lost its higher education "way" suspending research of reading specialist/academic adviser allegedly facing death threats, then what the fraud is happening regarding unsupervised lower standards at other ACC institutions and across the nation? For instance, N.C. State hired Sidney Lowe as coach before he even earned his diploma more than 20 years after leaving the school and subsequently showing apparent evasion taking any modestly-taxing classes such as ethics or tax preparation while in college.
Fordham, fleeing the Metro Atlantic and Patriot League the first half of the 1990s, is the only institution to twice be in this charter-school departure category. Following is a list from longest to shortest tenures of the first schools to leave an intact league for another conference after being a founding member:
NOTES: Cincinnati (member of Mid-American from 1947-53), Georgia Tech (SEC from 1933-64), New Orleans (Sun Belt from 1977-80), Oral Roberts (Midwestern City from 1980-87), Penn State (ECBL/Eastern 8 from 1977-79), Rutgers (Middle Atlantic from 1959-62) and South Carolina (ACC from 1954-71) joined the independent ranks the next season. . . . Seven C-USA charter members joined other leagues following their 10th year in the league in 2004-05. . . . Campbell rejoined Big South in 2011-12.
Grant's Army: Marching Up Legacy List Regarding First Families of Hoops
"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." - Desmond Tutu
At first glance to God-fearing fans, it appears as if Grant's Army was retreating after Jerian Grant exited Notre Dame because of academic shortcomings. But Jerian's departure has been somewhat offset in the giving Grant household by the emergence of brother Jerami as Syracuse's leading rebounder. Combined with older brother Jerai, the leading rebounder for Clemson's 2011 NCAA playoff team, and father Harvey, an All-American for Oklahoma's 1988 NCAA Tournament runner-up, the "College Grants" rank among the top five hoop families in NCAA annals regarding a legacy list; especially if Jerian follows through on his promise to return to the Irish next season and youngest son Jaelin is comparable to his brothers when he leaves high school in a couple of years.
Elsewhere, it seems somewhat ridiculous for a power conference school such as Indiana to offer a scholarship to an eighth-grader (Eron Gordon) a couple of years ago. But that is before examining his family tree. His father, Eric Sr., averaged 14.1 points per game with Liberty from 1981-82 through 1983-84, leading the Flames in scoring as a senior with 18.1 ppg before the school moved up to the NCAA Division I level later in the decade. Oldest brother Eric Jr. led the Big Ten Conference in scoring as a freshman All-American in his lone season with IU in 2007-08 before moving on to the NBA. Older brother Evan was named to the Big South Conference All-Freshman team with Liberty in 2009-10 before becoming an all-league second-team selection as a sophomore prior to transferring to Arizona State and moving on again to Eric Jr.'s old stomping grounds with the Hoosiers. If Eron lives up to billing, the Gordons could become one of the most influential families in college basketball history.
Hoopdom's "Focus on the Family" will also concentrate on the Plumlees if youngest brother Marshall Plumlee overcomes his foot problems and improves as much as Duke siblings Mason and Miles. They could combine with their father, former Tennessee Tech frontcourter Perky, to comprise one of the all-time premier family units. Mason became the Blue Devils' go-to plumb line to keep them on the straight and narrow last season after forgoing leaving school early for the NBA.
Until we have a final reading on the Gordons and Plumlees, following are a dynamic dozen nuclear-power families. The "HoopDaddys" comprised of college players who had at least three sons also go on to compete in a significant way at a similar level include:
BARRY BARRY GOOD
1. Barry - Father Rick Barry, a first-team All-American as a senior when he led the nation in scoring, averaged 29.8 ppg and 16.5 rpg for Miami (FL) from 1962-63 through 1964-65. Son Scooter averaged 3.3 ppg for Kansas' 1988 NCAA titlist before leading the Jayhawks with 5.7 apg the next season. Son Jon, a junior college transfer, averaged 14.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 4.5 apg for Pacific and Georgia Tech in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Son Brent averaged 12.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3.3 apg for Oregon State from 1991-92 through 1994-95. Son Drew, an All-ACC second-team selection as a senior, averaged 10.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 6.2 apg for Georgia Tech from 1992-93 through 1995-96, leading the ACC in assists each of his last three seasons. Son Canyon, a redshirt freshman for the College of Charleston, was averaging 9.4 ppg and 2.7 rpg in the Cougars' debut season in the CAA before being sidelined with a finger injury. Jon, an All-ACC third-team selection as a junior in 1991-92, and Brent, an All-Pacific-10 Conference choice as a senior, were late bloomers who went on to have productive NBA careers. Rick, Jon and Brent were NBA first-round draft choices while Drew was a second-round pick. Bruce Hale, Rick's father-in-law and a Santa Clara alumnus, coached him at Miami (FL) after playing five years in the NBA.
WALTON MOUNTAIN GANG
2. Walton - Father Bill Walton, a three-time national player of the year, averaged 20.3 ppg and 15.7 rpg for UCLA from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Son Adam lettered with LSU before incurring a rest-of-season suspension in Dale Brown's final year as coach in 1996-97 and subsequently transferring to a small college in California. Son Nate was an All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton as a senior in 2000-01, becoming the fourth player in school history with two seasons of at least 100 assists. Son Luke, a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference choice, averaged 9.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 4.5 apg for Arizona from 1999-2000 through 2002-03. Son Chris finished among the top 15 in the Mountain West Conference in assists and rebounding as a junior in 2003-04 for San Diego State, finishing his four-year career with averages of 5.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg.
PRICE IS RIGHT CONTROL
3. Price - Father Dennis Price, an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection as a junior, averaged 10.9 ppg for Oklahoma from 1957-58 through 1959-60. Son Mark, a three-time All-ACC first-team selection and All-American, averaged 17.4 ppg and 4 apg for Georgia Tech from 1982-83 through 1985-86. Son Matt scored 23 points in 18 games as a freshman for Appalachian State in 1984-85. Son Brent, an All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection as a senior, averaged 18 ppg and 5.8 apg for Oklahoma in 1990-91 and 1991-92 after transferring from South Carolina, where he averaged 12.6 ppg and 3.5 apg in 1987-88 and 1988-89.
GRANT'S ARMY MARCHES ON
4. Grant - Father Harvey Grant was an All-American in 1988 as the leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for Oklahoma's NCAA Tournament runner-up. Eldest son Jerai was the leading rebounder for Clemson's 2011 NCAA playoff squad. Jerian was Notre Dame's leader in scoring average each of the past two campaigns. Emerging standout Jerami is the leading rebounder for Syracuse's inaugural ACC club.
HIGH ON HAARLOW
5. Haarlow - Father Bill Haarlow Jr., a three-time All-Western Conference selection for the University of Chicago from 1933-34 through 1935-36, was the league's third-leading scorer as a sophomore (9.9 ppg), leading scorer as a junior (13) and second-leading scorer as a senior (12.6). He had three sons play for Princeton in the 1960s - A. William III averaged 10.8 ppg and 5 rpg in 1962-63, Bob averaged 8.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66 (second-leading scorer for the Tigers' 1965 Final Four team as a teammate of All-American Bill Bradley) and John averaged 12.6 ppg and 7.3 rpg from 1965-66 through 1967-68 (All-Ivy League second-team selection as a junior). With Bill Jr. cited on CollegeHoopedia.com's comprehensive list of all-time All-Americans, the Haarlows might have been the initial most impactful family on the sport.
PATERNO INFLUENCE
6. Paterno - Father Bill Paterno averaged 3.4 ppg with St. Francis (N.Y.) in 1948-49 and 1949-50 after scoring 18 points in nine games in 1947-48. Son Billy averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg for Notre Dame from 1973-74 through 1976-77 under coach Digger Phelps, finishing team runner-up in scoring to All-American Adrian Dantley as a sophomore with 13.3 ppg. Son Mike averaged 3.1 ppg for Monmouth in 1987-88. Son Joe averaged 14.6 ppg and 5.1 rpg with Fordham from 1985-86 through 1988-89, leading the Rams in scoring in three seasons and finishing his career as their all-time second-leading scorer. Son Steve averaged 10.8 ppg and 3.6 rpg with Marist from 1987-88 through 1990-91, leading the Red Foxes in scoring as a junior before finishing runner-up as a senior.
TOASTING THE RAIVIOS
7. Raivio - Father Rick Raivio, a three-time All-WCAC selection who led Portland in field-goal shooting all four seasons, finished as the Pilots' all-time leading rebounder (910/9.4 rpg) while averaging 17.2 ppg before becoming a fifth-round draft choice by the Los Angeles Lakers. Son Derek, the WCC co-player of the year as a Gonzaga senior (18 ppg and nation-leading 96.1 FT%), averaged 11.5 ppg and 2.8 apg while shooting 41.6% from beyond the arc from 2003-04 through 2006-07 with Gonzaga en route to becoming the #2 all-time free-throw shooter in DI history (92.7%). Son Nik, a J.C. recruit, was an All-WCC selection as a junior with Portland in 2008-09 when he averaged 16 ppg and 6.5 rpg before heading overseas to play professionally after finishing his Pilots' career with 14.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Son Matt averaged 9.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 2.8 apg for Simon Fraser (Vancouver) in 2011-12 and 2012-13 after transferring from Santa Rosa (CA) JC.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
8. Pollard - Father Pearl Pollard (6-9), a second-team All-Skyline Conference choice as a senior, averaged 10.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg for Utah from 1956-57 through 1958-59 with three national postseason tournament teams, leading the Utes in scoring and rebounding as a senior. Son Carl, 7-2, played briefly for BYU as a freshman in 1983-84 before redshirting in 1984-85, going on a two-year Mormon mission and transferring with a brother to Southern California, where he didn't play prior to competing with Southern Utah in 1989-90 and averaging 1.5 ppg and 2.9 rpg. Son Alan, 6-9, averaged 5.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg while splitting four seasons between Brigham Young and USC from 1984-85 through 1988-89, leading BYU in rebounding as a freshman. Son Mark, 6-11, played briefly for San Diego State in 1990-91 before also leaving at the same time with a brother. Son Neal, 7-0, redshirted at San Diego State in 1988-89 before going on a Mormon mission to New England, playing three games with the Aztecs in 1991-92 and transferring to Utah State, where he didn't play. Son Scot, 6-11, averaged 9.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.7 bpg for four Kansas teams reaching NCAA playoff regional semifinals from 1993-94 through 1996-97 before becoming an NBA first-round draft choice.
CAN'T FOIL THE DOYLES
9. Doyle - Father Dan Doyle averaged 13.7 ppg and 12.2 rpg for Belmont Abbey (N.C.) in his four-year career. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons in 5th round of 1961 NBA draft (44th pick overall) after pacing Al McGuire-coached teams in scoring average his final three seasons and rebounding as a junior and senior. Son Danny averaged 7.4 ppg and 2.1 rpg with Iona from 1989-90 through 1993-94, leading the Gaels in assists and steals as a senior. Son Joe led then-DII Sacred Heart in scoring, assists and steals as a senior in 1996-97. Son Tim played sparingly for St. John's in 2002-03 before transferring to Northwestern, where he averaged 8.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.3 spg from 2004-05 through 2006-07, leading the Wildcats in assists his last two seasons and in steals as a senior.
HUGGY BEARS ALL
10. Huggins - Father Charlie Huggins was an All-WVIAC first-team selection for Alderson-Broaddus (W. Va.) in 1957-58 after transferring from West Virginia. Son Bob averaged 8.4 ppg and 2.8 rpg while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 79.4% from the free-throw line with West Virginia in the mid-1970s after transferring from Ohio University. Son Harry was a two-year letterman for Texas Lutheran in the late 1970s after transferring from Rice. Son Larry averaged 5.6 ppg, 2 rpg and 2.1 apg while shooting 46.3% from the floor and 79.3% from the free-throw line as a captain for Ohio State in the early 1980s.
WE AND PAPA McGEE
11. McGee - Father Anthony McGee led Long Beach State in scoring in 1975-76 with 14.8 ppg before contributing 4.5 ppg for the 49ers' NCAA playoff team the next season. Son Tony averaged 4 ppg for Eastern Washington in 1997-98 and 1998-99. Son Antoine averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.7 apg with Colorado from 2002-03 through 2005-06. Son Andre averaged 5.2 ppg and 1.8 apg while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc with Louisville from 2005-06 through 2008-09, leading the Cardinals in three-point field-goal shooting as a junior (39.4%).
FIFE AND DRUM CORPS
12. Fife - Father Dan Fife, a 10th-round draft choice by the Milwaukee Bucks before pitching briefly for the Minnesota Twins, averaged 12.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg for Michigan from 1968-69 through 1970-71. Son Dugan, overlooked during the Fab Five era, averaged 4.6 ppg and 2 rpg for Michigan from 1992-93 through 1995-96. Son Jeremy led Grand Valley State (MI) in assists in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Son Dane averaged 5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.4 spg while shooting 38.2% from three-point range for Indiana from 1998-99 through 2001-02 before becoming a DI head coach with IUPU-Fort Wayne.
HONORABLE MENTION
Christensen - Father Harold, a member of Brigham Young's 1951 NIT championship team, averaged 7.8 ppg and 4.4 rpg. He was chosen by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1953 NBA draft before having three sons play for the Cougars - Craig averaged 5.1 ppg in half a season in 1981-82, Kurt averaged 4.5 ppg in 1992-93 and 1993-94, and Todd averaged 5.8 ppg in 1995-96, 1998-99 and 1999-00.
Talent Transfer: Will Hood Be Latest All-American After Switching Schools?
"Stepping onto a brand new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation which is not nurturing." - Maya Angelou
Whether schools are simply filling out a roster with a backup or chasing a pot of gold at the end of a Larry Bird rainbow, they seem to be looking around every corner and under every rock for a transfer. Bird left a potential powerhouse at Indiana but never played for the Hoosiers before becoming national player of the year with Indiana State.
How many All-Americans actually played varsity basketball for two different four-year schools? The average is about one every two years. Duke and Kansas, two of the five schools with the most All-Americans in history, had their first transfer in that category last season - Duke guard Seth Curry (Liberty) and KU center Jeff Withey (Arizona). The Blue Devils have another titillating transfer talent this campaign with Rodney Hood (from Mississippi State).
Guard Marshall Henderson spearheaded Ole Miss' resurgence last season after attending Utah, Texas Tech and a junior college in Texas. But Hood and numerous additional transfers are outshining Henderson this year as sure-fire impact players in postseason play - George Washington's Isaiah Armwood (Villanova), Canisius' Billy Baron (Virginia/Rhode Island), Towson's Jerrelle Benimon (Georgetown), Missouri's Jabari Brown (Oregon), Oregon's Jason Calliste (Detroit), Brigham Young's Matt Carlino (UCLA), Missouri's Jordan Clarkson (Tulsa), George Washington's Maurice "Mo" Creek (Indiana), San Diego State's Josh Davis (North Carolina State/Tulane), Florida's Dorian Finney-Smith (Virginia Tech), Creighton's Grant Gibbs (Gonzaga), Georgia State's Ryan Harrow (North Carolina State/Kentucky), Baylor's Brady Heslip (Boston College), Detroit's Juwan Howard Jr. (Western Michigan), Iowa State's DeAndre Kane (Marshall), SMU's Markus Kennedy (Villanova), Arizona State's Jermaine Marshall (Penn State), Arizona's T.J. McConnell (Duquesne), SMU's Nic Moore (Illinois State), Oregon's Mike Moser (UCLA/UNLV), Nebraska's Terran Petteway (Texas Tech), Xavier's Isaiah Philmore (Towson), Nebraska's Walter Pitchford (Florida), Illinois' Rayvonte Rice (Drake), Missouri's Earnest Ross (Auburn), Notre Dame's Garrick Sherman (Michigan State), Oklahoma's Ryan Spangler (Gonzaga), West Virginia's Juwan Staten (Dayton), San Diego State's Xavier Thames (Washington State) and Oregon's Joseph Young (Houston).
Mississippi State lost a transfer All-American several seasons ago when Ben Hansbrough departed for Notre Dame but the Bulldogs had their own player in this category 10 years ago after Lawrence Roberts left Baylor. In an era when transfers have almost become an obsession for various reasons, there was a modest uptick in the ratio with seven All-Americans in this category in a six-year span from 2000 through 2005 before Louisville's Luke Hancock (George Mason) became Final Four Most Outstanding Player last year. Hood is a prime candidate to join the following alphabetical list of All-Americans who began their collegiate career at another four-year school:
*Attended junior college between four-year school stints.
NOTE: Burgess was an Air Force veteran.
Be Patient: Numerous All-Time Winningest Coaches Overcame Shaky Starts
"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world." - Helen Keller
Did you know coaching legend John Wooden won a grand total of one NCAA playoff game in his first 13 seasons with UCLA before capturing 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975? Although Helen Keller wasn't an athlete, she could even see that exercising some patience clearly paid dividends for the Bruins.
On the heels of Pat Knight's dismissal at Lamar, a significant number of other pensive pilots are on the precipice of hearing rumblings about them receiving walking papers from struggling schools. Prior to dishing out a pink slip, the institutions need to reflect a moment on the following alphabetical list of individuals such as Kevin Stallings (moved atop Vanderbilt's career list earlier this season) and Scott Drew (Baylor) who didn't get off to roaring starts with major colleges but withstood the test of time and became their all-time winningest coach:
| All-Time Winningest Coach | School | Summary of Shaky Start at College |
|---|---|---|
| Dana Altman | Creighton | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (1997-98). |
| Randy Bennett | Saint Mary's | Total of 11 games below .500 through first two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03). |
| Bill Bibb | Mercer | Total of 16 games below .500 in first three seasons (1974-75 through 1976-77). |
| George Blaney | Holy Cross | Total of 18 games below .500 in first two seasons (1972-73 and 1973-74). |
| Buster Brannon | Texas Christian | Total of 14 games below .500 in first two seasons (1948-49 and 1949-50). |
| Tom Brennan | Vermont | Total of 54 games below .500 overall and 36 below in ECAC North Atlantic Conference competition in first three seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89). |
| Dale Brown | Louisiana State | Overall losing record through first five seasons (1972-73 through 1976-77). |
| Jim Calhoun | Connecticut | Total of 24 games below .500 in Big East competition in first three seasons (1986-87 through 1988-89). |
| Bobby Cremins | Georgia Tech | Total of 16 games below .500 in ACC competition in first three seasons (1981-82 through 1983-84). |
| Billy Donovan | Florida | Failed to post winning season record until third year (1998-99). |
| Pat Douglass | UC Irvine | Total of 23 games below .500 in first two seasons (1997-98 and 1998-99). |
| Homer Drew | Valparaiso | Total of 67 games below .500 in first five seasons (1988-89 through 1992-93). |
| Scott Drew | Baylor | Total of 40 games below .500 in Big 12 Conference competition in first four seasons (2003-04 through 2006-07). |
| Fran Dunphy | Penn | Failed to post winning season record until third year (1991-92). |
| Cliff Ellis | Clemson | Total of 12 games below .500 in ACC competition through first two seasons (1984-85 and 1985-86). |
| Murray Greason | Wake Forest | Total of 11 games below .500 in first three seasons (1933-34 through 1935-36). |
| Doc Hayes | Southern Methodist | Four losing records in first six seasons (1947-48 through 1952-53. |
| Lou Henson | Illinois | Overall losing record through first three seasons (1975-76 through 1977-78). |
| Terry Holland | Virginia | Breakeven record overall and 16 games below .500 in ACC competition through first three seasons (1974-75 through 1976-77). |
| George Ireland | Loyola Chicago | Overall losing record through first six seasons (1951-52 through 1956-57). |
| Doggie Julian | Dartmouth | Total of 30 games below .500 through first three seasons (1950-51 through 1952-53). |
| Mike Krzyzewski | Duke | Overall losing record through first three seasons (1980-81 through 1982-83). |
| Guy Lewis | Houston | Total of 14 games below .500 overall and in MVC competition through first four seasons (1956-57 through 1959-60). |
| Eddie McCarter | Texas-Arlington | Six losing records in first seven seasons (1992-93 through 1998-99). |
| Al McGuire | Marquette | Total of eight games below .500 in first two seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). |
| Frank McGuire | South Carolina | Total of 13 games below .500 in first two seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). |
| Bob McKillop | Davidson | Failed to post winning season record until fifth year (1993-94). |
| Eldon Miller | Northern Iowa | Total of 10 games below .500 through first two seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88). |
| Ralph Miller | Wichita | Total of three games below .500 in first two seasons (1951-52 and 1952-53). |
| Danny Nee | Nebraska | Total of 20 games below .500 in Big Eight Conference competition in first four seasons (1986-87 through 1989-90). |
| Fran O'Hanlon | Lafayette | Total of 19 games below .500 in first two seasons (1995-96 and 1996-97). |
| Johnny Orr | Iowa State | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (1983-84). |
| Nolan Richardson | Arkansas | Total of eight games below .500 in SWC competition in first two seasons (1985-86 and 1986-87). |
| Jack Rohan | Columbia | Failed to post winning season record until fifth year (1965-66). |
| Al Skinner | Boston College | Failed to post winning season record until fourth year (2000-01). |
| Dean Smith | North Carolina | Only one winning season record (1962-63) in first three years. |
| Jim Snyder | Ohio University | Total of eight games below .500 in first five seasons (1949-50 through 1953-54). |
| Kevin Stallings | Vanderbilt | Total of 24 games below .500 in SEC competition through first seven seasons (1999-00 through 2005-06). |
| Rick Stansbury | Mississippi State | Total of eight games below .500 in SEC competition through first three seasons (1998-99 through 2000-01). |
| Norm Stewart | Missouri | Losing record in Big Eight Conference competition in first three seasons (1967-68 through 1969-70). |
| Scott Sutton | Oral Roberts | Total of 10 games below .500 in first three seasons (1999-2000 through 2001-02). |
| Blaine Taylor | Old Dominion | Total of six games below .500 in first two seasons (2001-02 and 2002-03). |
| Bob Thomason | Pacific | Total of 16 games below .500 in first four seasons (1988-89 through 1991-92). |
| John Thompson Jr. | Georgetown | Total of three games below .500 in first two seasons (1972-73 and 1973-74). |
| M.K. Turk | Southern Mississippi | Total of five games below .500 in first three seasons (1976-77 through 1978-79). |
| Riley Wallace | Hawaii | Total of 10 games below .500 in WAC competition in first six seasons (1987-88 through 1992-93). |
| Gary Williams | Maryland | Total of 24 games below .500 in ACC competition in first four seasons (1989-90 through 1992-93). |
| Jim Williams | Colorado State | Total of 12 games below .500 in first five seasons (1954-55 through 1958-59). |
| Charlie Woollum | Bucknell | Total of eight games below .500 in first three seasons (1975-76 through 1977-78). |
Cold Hard Facts: Numbers Fans Need to Know Exemplified by Streaks
"When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind." - Lord Kelvin (William Thomson)
The mathematical measurements aren't nearly as complex as the scientific equations noted British physicist Lord Kelvin embraced, but numerical streaks speak volumes in terms of the best of college basketball's "Numbers Game." Amid coping with polar-vortex frigid temperatures, warmhearted fans of Duke (122 weeks ranked in Top Ten) and Kansas (68 consecutive victories at home against nonconference opponents) have every reason to be proud despite their favorites seeing long streaks come to a halt early in the new year. In an effort to try to boost your knowledge to a satisfactory kind, following is a good, bad and ugly look at cold, hard text citing notable streaks that were intact during the 2013-14 campaign:
120: Consecutive victories for San Diego State when leading with five minutes remaining (entering West Regional Sweet 16).
109: Non-conference homecourt victories for Duke (through 2013).
81: Non-conference homecourt victories for Missouri (after Long Beach State).
75: Years for Northwestern failing to appear in NCAA Tournament since the inaugural playoff in 1939.
72: Years for Pittsburgh failing to return to Final Four since making its lone appearance there in 1941.
63: Homecourt victories in December for Duke (through 2013). . . . Seasons for Nebraska without a conference championship since Huskers shared Big Seven title with Kansas and Kansas State in 1950.
57: Homecourt victories without a loss for North Carolina against Clemson.
55: Seasons without an undefeated team in Mid-American Conference competition since Wayne Embry-led Miami Ohio in 1957-58.
51: Homecourt victories for Syracuse against non-conference opponents (through 2013).
48: Victories for Syracuse over in-state opponent Colgate.
46: Defeats for DePaul against ranked opponents (after losing against visiting Creighton on 1/7). . . . Years for Marshall failing to win a game in NCAA Tournament or NIT since finishing in fourth place in 1967 NIT. . . . Years for Virginia Tech failing to reach an NCAA Tournament regional final since lone appearance there in 1967.
43: Division I-leading winning seasons for Syracuse since compiling a 12-12 mark in 1969-70.
42: Years for Drake failing to win a game in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
40: Years for South Carolina failing to win an NCAA Tournament game since 1973.
39: Victories for Marquette against cross-town rival Milwaukee. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Southland Conference competition since Arkansas State in 1973-74.
38: Seasons for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim without a losing record during his entire career.
37: Years for Rutgers failing to supply an NCAA consensus All-American since Phil
Sellers in 1976. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Big Ten Conference competition since Indiana became the nation's last unbeaten for an entire season in 1975-76.
36: Seasons without a Jewish All-American since Tennessee's Ernie Grunfeld in 1977. . . . Years for Duquesne failing to appear in NCAA Tournament.
35: Homecourt victories in December for Kansas State (through 2013). . . . Years for Notre Dame failing to return to Final Four since making its lone appearance there in 1978. . . . Years for Tennessee failing to win a SEC Tournament. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Pac-12 Conference competition since David Greenwood-led UCLA in 1977-78.
34: Seasons without an undefeated team in Big East Conference competition since formation of league. . . . Years for two-time national champion San Francisco failing to win an NCAA Tournament game since 1979. . . . Victories for Syracuse against in-state opponent Cornell.
33: Years for Purdue failing to return to Final Four since making its second appearance there in 1980. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in SWAC competition since Larry Smith-led Alcorn State in 1979-80.
32: Seasons without an undefeated team in Northeast Conference competition since formation of league.
31: Seasons for Oregon State winless in NCAA Tournament. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Summit League competition since formation of conference.
30: Seasons without an undefeated team in CAA competition since William & Mary in inaugural campaign. . . . Winning seasons for Kansas (all with at least 22 victories except 19-12 mark in 1988-89 in Roy Williams' first season as KU coach).
29: Seasons for Houston winless in NCAA Tournament since Hakeem Olajuwon-led Cougars finished national runner-up in 1984. . . . Defeats for Saint Francis (Pa.) in as many games against in-state opponent Pittsburgh.
28: Defeats for Dayton at Xavier in duel of underrated programs in state of Ohio.
27: NCAA Tournament appearances for Brigham Young without ever reaching Final Four. . . . Seasons for Michigan without an undisputed Big Ten Conference regular-season championship. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Missouri Valley Conference competition since Hersey Hawkins-led Bradley in 1985-86.
26: Winning seasons for Connecticut and Murray State. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Missouri without ever reaching Final Four. . . . Years for Texas Christian failing to win an NCAA Tournament game since 1987.
25: Victories for Duke against in-state opponent Davidson. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Kansas.
24: Years for five-time College Division champion Evansville failing to win a game in NCAA Division I Tournament or NIT. . . . Seasons for Kansas with at least 23 victories. . . . NCAA Tournament opening-game victories without a defeat for coach Roy Williams with Kansas and North Carolina. . . . Seasons for North Carolina State with double-digit defeats. . . . Seasons for Sacramento State without a winning record.
23: Defeats for Bradley west of the Mississippi River (after loss at Missouri State on 2/1). . . . Seasons for Florida winning its season opener. . . . Seasons for Kansas winning its conference opener. . . . Seasons without an undefeated team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition since Lionel Simmons-led La Salle in 1989-90. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Xavier without ever reaching Final Four.
21: Seasons without an undefeated team in America East Conference competition since Delaware in 1991-92.
20: Seasons for Oregon State compiling a losing record in Pac-10/12 Conference competition since going 9-9 in 1992-93. . . . Years for SMU failing to participate in NCAA Tournament.
19: Defeats for North Carolina State at Duke since 1995 when Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski was on medical leave.
18: Defeats for Iowa at Michigan State. . . . Losing seasons for New Hampshire.
16: Seasons without an undefeated team in Atlantic Sun Conference competition since College of Charleston in 1996-97. . . . Seasons for Gonzaga with at least 23 victories and Creighton with a minimum of 18 triumphs. . . . Twenty-win seasons for Syracuse under coach Jim Boeheim.
15: Victories in as many Maui Invitational games for Duke. . . . NCAA Tournament appearances for Gonzaga and Wisconsin. . . . Defeats for South Florida at Memphis.
14: Seasons without an undefeated team in ACC competition since Elton Brand-led Duke in 1998-99. . . . Seasons for Nebraska failing to post a winning conference record.
13: Seasons for Memphis with more than 20 victories. . . . Victories for Tennessee against SEC rival South Carolina.
12: Victories for California against Oregon (after 1/9 win at Oregon). . . . Seasons for Pittsburgh winning at least 20 games. . . . Top four finishes for Wisconsin in Big Ten Conference standings during coach Bo Ryan's tenure.
11: Victories for Wisconsin in Big Ten Conference openers.
10: Seasons for Howard University losing more than 20 games.
9: Big 12 Conference regular-season championships for Kansas. . . . Defeats for Louisiana State at Alabama and St. John's at Georgetown. . . . Defeats for Southern Methodist in conference tournament competition.
8: Seasons for Akron and Ohio State winning at least 22 games. . . . Seasons with at least 25 victories for Kansas. . . . Twenty-win seasons for San Diego State. . . . Seasons for Pepperdine failing to have an All-WCC selection.
7: Years for Akron reaching Mid-American Conference Tournament final. . . . Victories for North Carolina coach Roy Williams over Michigan State counterpart Tom Izzo in as many games between them. . . . Seasons for Rutgers failing to have an all-conference selection. . . . Years for #13 or #14 seed winning an NCAA Tournament opening-round game.
6: Years for Big Ten Conference Tournament champion failing to reach Final Four.
5: Seasons for six-time Final Four participant Arkansas failing to appear in NCAA Tournament. . . . Seasons for Temple defeating an opponent ranked in the Top 10.
4: Seasons with more than 30 victories for Kansas. . . . Seasons for Wisconsin having an All-Big Ten Conference selection who previously averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman.
Growing Pains: Who Will Be Premier Freshman in This Year's Overrated Class?
"Maturity is when your world opens up and you realize that you are not the center of it." - M.J. Croan
It's virtually impossible for prize prospects to live up to the hype generated by so-called experts who boast inferior historical perspectives and serve as little more than player pimps. Amid the rushes to judgment, some of the regal recruits become studs while others turn into duds. And some are somewhere in between such as the majority of this season's latest "one of the greatest classes ever" according to the predictable pedestrian press. Any fair-minded observer would have to admit that the pick of this year's litter need to up the ante significantly before inclusion among the freshmen with most impact in NCAA history.
After being coddled for so long in the AAU hip-hop atmosphere, you never know about a player's ticker coping with adversity and capacity to keep improving until setting foot on a college court and starting to consistently compete against comparable athletes. No matter his background, there is a learning curve and a mature individual along the lines that Croan describes continues to improve; especially on the defensive end of the court while also embracing a dirty, four-letter word (p-a-s-s).
Perhaps the best approach is the way new UCLA coach Steve Alford is grooming Zach LaVine, who hasn't started a game to date despite clearly being superior to the Wear twins but seems to be honing his all-round skills more than the following flawed frosh who had the vast majority of misguided media members foaming at the mouth:
Jabari Parker, Duke - Went 2-for-10 from the floor in his first ACC road game and viewed the final 3 1/2 minutes of a close contest from the bench after being "posterized" on a white canvas from dunk by Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton. In Parker's first ACC assignment at home, he was only 4-of-12 from the floor against mediocre Georgia Tech. "Mentally fatigued" midway through a college campaign replete with mediocre non-conference opponents won't cut it at the NBA level. Hitting an anemic 30% of his first 40 field-goal attempts in ACC competition, Parker needs to assure fans he is the Blue Devils' MVP (rather than Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood) and premier player in his family (father Sonny was SWC MVP with Texas A&M in 1974-75) before setting sights on becoming next national player of the year.
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas - Not as good as his father (former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins averaged 23.2 ppg with Florida State), he is hitting less than one-third of his three-pointers and has compiled more turnovers than assists. Weak with the ball in traffic when soulful-strut driving against comparable athletes. Many teenagers toiling at a fast-food joint ply their boring trade with more zest than Wiggins, who occasionally plays so tentatively self-serving (AAU open-gym style-points emphasis) it looks as if he is trying to avoid an injury that would cost him dearly as a probable high NBA draft choice. Hitting 2-of-9 from the floor in his Big 12 Conference opener at Oklahoma before managing a meager three points against Oklahoma State's athleticism, he might not be the most promising freshman on his own squad (Joel Embiid from Cameroon boasts off-the-chart potential) or top yearling from Canada (Syracuse's Tyler Ennis).
Julius Randle, Kentucky - Limited team-oriented assets helping his comrades perform at a higher level since he has yet to contribute a three-pointer and had anemic totals of two assists and two steals in seven contests covering his last four games heading into SEC play and first three league assignments.
Aaron Gordon, Arizona - Huge upside although he has compiled nearly as many turnovers as his total of assists and steals. First order of business is getting his free-throw marksmanship above 50%. By any measure, Nick Johnson is the most influential player for the nation's top-ranked team in mid-season.
Rather than promoting me-myself-and-I ideals stemming from the "one-and-done" crowd likely attending more games than classes this semester, fans should ignore much of the lame-stream media by paying more deference to steadfast individuals who have invested four years of emotion and devotion at a single school such as seniors Keith Appling (Michigan State), Cameron Bairstow (New Mexico), James Bell (Villanova), Ben Brust (Wisconsin), Bryce Cotton (Providence), Aaron Craft (Ohio State), Dwayne Evans (Saint Louis), C.J. Fair (Syracuse), Joe Harris (Virginia), Justin Jackson (Cincinnati), Cory Jefferson (Baylor), Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati), Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Shabazz Napier (Connecticut), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Casey Prather (Florida), Russ Smith (Louisville), Chaz Williams (Massachusetts) and Kendall Williams (New Mexico).
American Way: Cincinnati Has Track Record Winning New League's Tourney
Don't bet against Cincinnati capturing the first American Athletic Conference Tournament. As a charter member, the Bearcats won the inaugural postseason tourneys in the Metro, Great Midwest and C-USA. Following is a chronological list summarizing inaugural campaign for new leagues formed since the ACC was introduced 60 years ago:
NOTES: Big Ten, Ivy League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Pac-12, SEC, Southern and WCC are existing conferences formed before the ACC. . . . America East and Atlantic Sun conducted at least one postseason tourney before having its first formal regular-season competition. . . . MEAC, Southland and SWAC were Division II leagues before moving up to the DI level. . . . American South, American West, ECC, Great Midwest, Great West, Gulf Star and Metro are now defunct.
Battle of Tight Ends: Former College Hoopsters Impact 2013 NFL Playoffs
If you need any more vivid examples to prove who are the best team-sport athletes in the world, just check out the list of premier tight ends in the NFL. A striking number of the elite players at that rigorous position are former college basketball players, including three who will play prominent roles in the second weekend of the NFL postseason. What kind of "picks" do you think imposing Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh) and John Mackey (Syracuse) set back in the day before the Big East Conference was formed? Wouldn't you love to see LeBron James maneuver down the field like Charles Atlas the same way he does when driving down the lane?
Old-school Ditka didn't commit a blunder by not pursuing a professional basketball career but he said one of his biggest mistakes was not running for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois in 2004. The former Chicago Bears All-Pro TE and Super Bowl-winning coach would have opposed Barack Obama, who went on to win the race and, in 2008, became the first African-American elected President.
"Biggest mistake I've ever made," Ditka said of failing to run against Obama. "Not that I would have won, but I probably would have and he wouldn't be in the White House." Speaking of "fumbles," perhaps Ditka can help ESPN colleague Ray Lewis deal with his "biggest mistake" by finding the cream-colored suit Lewis "misplaced" in Atlanta during a Super Bowl "celebration."
Although ex-California hoopster Tony Gonzalez failed to reach the postseason with the Atlanta Falcons in his quest to finally win a playoff game, succeeding in the 2013 NFL playoffs still was a "Battle of the Titans" at the TE position. Former hoopsters Antonio Gates (Kent State) and Jimmy Graham (Miami, Fla.) led the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints, respectively, in pass receptions. Coming on strong at the same position is fellow ex-college hoopster Julius Thomas, a relatively obscure player for the Denver Broncos until exploding on the scene this season as their runner-up in touchdowns with 12 and contributing a team-high eight pass receptions in an AFC title-game victory against the New England Patriots.
Thomas, an All-Big Sky Conference hoopster with Portland State, flashed potential as the next game-changing tight end when he caught more touchdown passes in the opening quarter of the NFL season-opening game than he had receptions in his first two understudy seasons. A 74-yard TD strike to Thomas at San Diego in mid-season illustrated that QB Peyton Manning intends to capitalize on Thomas' athleticism the same way he did ex-hoopster Marcus Pollard (Bradley) with the Indianapolis Colts. Pollard, a J.C. transfer who was the Braves' leading rebounder in 1992-93, caught at least three touchdown passes each of Manning's first seven NFL seasons from 1998 through 2004.
Ditka has a quality successor as an ex-hoopster tight end with the Bears in Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M). It may be premature if Thomas or Bennett is a flash in the pan, but they already cracked the Top 20 among the following list of Top 25 NFL tight ends who were former college basketball players:
| Rank | Former College Hoopster | Alma Mater | Summary of NFL Tight End Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tony Gonzalez | California | First tight end in NFL history with 100 touchdowns completed his 17-year career in 2013 with 1,325 receptions for 15,127 yards and 111 TDs. He was 13-time Pro Bowl selection. |
| 2. | Antonio Gates | Kent State | Set an NFL single-season record with 13 TD receptions in 2004 en route to becoming San Diego Chargers' all-time leader for TD catches (87) and receptions (719) entering 2013 playoffs. |
| 3. | Mike Ditka | Pittsburgh | Five-time Pro Bowl selection caught 427 passes for 5,812 yards and 43 TDs in 12 seasons. |
| 4. | John Mackey | Syracuse | Hall of Famer caught 331 passes for 5,236 yards and 38 TDs in 10 seasons. |
| 5. | Jimmy Graham | Miami (Fla.) | Led New Orleans Saints in pass receptions in 2012 and 2013. Twice has had streaks of at least four games with more than 100 yards in pass receptions. After only four years, he ranked second all-time among New Orleans Saints' tight ends in receiving. |
| 6. | Todd Heap | Arizona State | Caught 467 passes for 5,492 yards and 41 TDs with the Baltimore Ravens from 2001 through 2010, leading them in receptions in 2002 with 68. |
| 7. | Ben Coates | Livingstone (N.C.) | Established NFL single-season record for most receptions by a TE with 96 in 1994. |
| 8. | Marcus Pollard | Bradley | Finished his 13-year career with 349 receptions for 4,280 yards and 40 TDs (long of 86 yards in 2001 midway through stint as starter for the Indianapolis Colts). |
| 9. | Pete Metzelaars | Wabash (Ind.) | Played in more games at TE than any player in NFL history when he retired. Led the Buffalo Bills with 68 receptions in 1993. |
| 10. | Joe Senser | West Chester State (Pa.) | Caught 165 passes for 1,822 yards and 16 TDs in four-year career with the Minnesota Vikings in early 1980s. |
| 11. | Andrew Glover | Grambling State | Caught at least one TD pass each of his 10 pro seasons from 1991 through 2000, finishing with 208 receptions for 2,478 yards and 24 TDs. |
| 12. | Rich McGeorge | Elon (N.C.) | Caught 175 passes for 2,370 yards and 13 TDs with the Green Bay Packers in nine years from 1970 through 1978. |
| 13. | Rickey Dudley | Ohio State | Scored 29 TDs in five seasons with the Oakland Raiders before hooking on with two other teams. |
| 14. | Julius Thomas | Portland State | Began 2014 campaign with a bang by catching three first-half TD passes in season opener from Peyton Manning for the Denver Broncos after he was team runner-up with 12 TD receptions the previous year. |
| 15. | Derrick Ramsey | Kentucky | Caught 188 passes for 2,364 yards and 21 TDs with three different teams from 1978 to 1987. |
| 16. | Reuben Gant | Oklahoma State | Caught 127 passes for 1,850 yards and 15 TDs with the Buffalo Bills in seven seasons from 1974 through 1980. |
| 17. | Bob Windsor | Kentucky | Caught 185 passes for 2,307 yards and 14 TDs with the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots in nine years from 1967 through 1975. |
| 18. | Keith McKeller | Jacksonville State (Ala.) | Caught 124 passes for 1,464 yards and 11 TDs with the Buffalo Bills in seven years from 1987 through 1993. |
| 19. | Jordan Cameron | BYU/Southern California | Blossomed in third year with Cleveland Browns in 2013, catching 80 passes for 917 yards and seven TDs (three in game at Minnesota). He had three contests with at least nine receptions. |
| 20. | Martellus Bennett | Texas A&M | Caught 205 passes for 2,231 yards and 14 TDs with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Chicago Bears in first six years from 2008 through 2013. |
| 21. | Greg Latta | Morgan State (Md.) | Caught 90 passes for 1,081 yards and seven TDs with the Chicago Bears in five years from 1975 through 1979. |
| 22. | Pat Richter | Wisconsin | Caught 99 passes for 1,315 yards and 14 TDs in nine seasons for the Washington Redskins after being their first-round pick in 1962. |
| 23. | Jeff King | Virginia Tech | Registered 93 receptions for 802 yards and seven TDs with the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals in first seven years from 2006 through 2012. |
| 24. | Ulysses Norris | Georgia | Best season of seven-year career was in 1983 when he had seven TDs with the Detroit Lions. |
| T25. | Dee Mackey | East Texas State | Caught 94 passes for 1,352 yards and eight TDs in six NFL/AFL seasons from 1960 through 1965. |
| T25. | Al Dixon | Iowa State | Caught 84 passes for 1,248 yards and eight TDs with four different teams from 1977 through 1984. |
Deans of Coaches: Only Five Leagues Boast Longest Tenures Over 20 Years
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Extensive coaching turnover and league realigning left Duke's Mike Krzyzewski as one of a mere five coaches to be in the same alliance the last 20 years. Coach K moved atop the dean-of-coaches list after Syracuse and Jim Boeheim switched to the Atlantic Coast Conference after 34 years in the Big East. Mentors joining Boeheim in shedding their longest-tenured status in a league when their schools or themselves sought greener pastures included Joe Mihalich (Niagara to Hofstra), Oakland's Greg Kampe (Summit to Horizon) and Utah State's Stew Morrill (WAC to Mountain West).
Voluntary or not, additional pilots stepped down during or after last season and no longer hold the distinction of dean of coaches in a Division I conference - Tevester Anderson (gone from Jackson State in SWAC), Ronnie Arrow (South Alabama in Sun Belt), Eddie Biedenbach (UNC Asheville in Big South), Scott Sanderson (Lipscomb in Atlantic Sun), Bob Thomason (Pacific in Big West) and Reggie Witherspoon (Buffalo in Mid-American). As league play shifts into gear, following are the longest-tenured active coaches in their present Division I conference (including 2013-14 campaign):
NOTE: Dambrot's first two seasons in MAC were with Central Michigan and Hinson's first nine seasons in MVC were with Missouri State.
On This Date: Memorable January Games in College Basketball History
Louisiana State's Pete Maravich, the NCAA's career scoring leader, still holds the all-time single-game scoring mark by an individual opponent against eight universities (Alabama, Auburn, Duquesne, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tulane and Vanderbilt). Do you know who holds the mark for highest output against the Tigers? It was achieved this month by Ole Miss' Johnny Neumann, who fired in a school-record 63 points at LSU the season after Maravich's eligibility expired.
This month also features UCLA's single-game rebounding record and the mark wasn't established by Lew Alcindor or Bill Walton. Speaking of rebounding, existing single-game standards against a Division I opponent for Lamar and Oral Roberts were set in the same contest in 1972 and USC's single-game mark against a DI foe came from two different players on the same day 22 years apart. Following is a day-by-day calendar citing memorable moments in January college basketball history:
JANUARY
1 - Hank Luisetti (50 points vs. Duquesne at Cleveland in 1938) set Stanford's single-game scoring record. . . . Seton Hall's school-record 46-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by William & Mary (57-55 in 1954). . . . Penn opposed Yale in 1927 in debut game at the legendary Palestra in Philadelphia. . . . Bailey Howell (34 vs. Louisiana State in 1957) set Mississippi State's single-game rebounding record.
2 - Georgia State's Chris Collier (49 points vs. Butler in 1991), Quinnipiac's Rob Monroe (41 vs. Longwood in double overtime in 2005) and Wofford's Ian Chadwick (40 at Georgia Southern in 2001) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Mississippi State's school-record 35-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Auburn (64-48 in 1960). . . . Steve Hamilton (38 vs. Florida State in 1957) set Morehead State's single-game rebounding record.
3 - Jamal Barney (41 points at Canisius in 2009) set Division I single-game scoring record for Loyola (Md.). . . . Wake Forest snapped North Carolina State's school-record 36-game winning streak (83-78 in 1975). . . . Brigham Young's school-record 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Wake Forest (94-87 in 2009). . . . DePaul's Ken Warzynski (28 vs. Harvard in 1970), Long Beach State's Michael Zeno (22 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1983) and Wisconsin's Paul Morrow (30 vs. Purdue in 1953) set school single-game rebounding records against a major-college opponent.
4 - Ball State's Chris Williams (48 points at Akron in overtime in 2003), Jacksonville State's Trenton Marshall (37 at Southeast Missouri State in 2010), Lamar's Mike James (52 vs. Louisiana College in 2011), Loyola Marymount's Bo Kimble (54 at St. Joseph's in 1990) and Texas-El Paso's Jim Barnes (51 vs. Western New Mexico in 1964) set school single-game scoring records. . . . In 2003, Butler's Darnell Archey established an NCAA Division I standard by converting his 74th of 85 consecutive free throws. . . . Illinois' school-record 31-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Iowa (60-59 in 1986). . . . Delaware's Jack Waddington (31 vs. Rutgers in 1956), Middle Tennessee State's Mike Milholland (32 vs. Austin Peay State in 1965), Nebraska's Bill Johnson (26 vs. Iowa State in 1954), Nevada's Pete Padgett (30 vs. Loyola Marymount in 1973) and Valparaiso's Chris Ensminger (24 vs. Northeastern Illinois in 1996) set school single-game rebounding records.
5 - Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey (45 points at Northern Arizona in 2006), Michigan State's Terry Furlow (50 vs. Iowa in 1976), Stephen F. Austin State's Scott Dimak (40 at Texas Southern in 1989) and West Virginia's Hot Rod Hundley (54 vs. Furman in 1957) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Derrick Dial (45 vs. Marshall in 1998) set Eastern Michigan's single-game scoring record against a DI opponent. . . . In 1991, Loyola Marymount's 186-point output is the highest in NCAA history by a team in a single game and Kevin Bradshaw's 72-point outburst for U.S. International is the most ever for a player against a major-college opponent. . . . Fairfield's Darren Phillip (25 vs. Marist in 2000), Texas-San Antonio's Lennell Moore (25 vs. Centenary in 1987) and Tulane's Mel Payton (31 vs. Mississippi State in 1951) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
6 - Drexel's John Rankin (44 points vs. Rider in 1988), Pepperdine's William "Bird" Averitt (57 vs. Nevada-Reno in 1973) and Xavier's Steve Thomas (50 vs. Detroit in 1964) set school single-game scoring records. Averitt's output is also a West Coast Conference record in league competition. . . . Ernie Losch (41 vs. Utah State in 1973) set Tulane's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Bob Mortell (24 vs. Virginia Military in 1960) set Virginia's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
7 - UC Riverside's Rickey Porter (40 points at Pacific in 2006), Campbell's Clarence Grier (39 vs. Virginia Wesleyan in 1987), Michigan's Rudy Tomjanovich (48 vs. Indiana in overtime in 1969) and Southwest Texas State's Lynwood Wade (42 vs. Sam Houston State in double overtime in 1993) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Odell Johnson (40 vs. Pepperdine in 1956) set Saint Mary's single-game scoring record against a major-college opponent. . . . North Carolina hit an NCAA-record 94.1% of its second-half field-goal attempts (16 of 17 vs. Virginia in 1978). . . . Niagara's Gary Bossert set an NCAA single-game record by hitting 11 consecutive three-point field-goal attempts against Siena in 1987. . . . Long Beach State ended UNLV's Big West Conference-record 40-game winning streak (101-94 in 1993), Pacific's school-record 45-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Long Beach State (91-85 in 1973), Tennessee's school-record 37-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Gonzaga (89-79 in overtime) and UNLV's school-record 72-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by New Mexico (102-98 in 1978). . . . Alex "Boo" Ellis (31 vs. Kent State in 1957) set Niagara's single-game rebounding record.
8 - Eddie House (61 points at California in double overtime in 2000) set Arizona State's and tied the Pac-12 Conference single-game scoring record. . . . Michael Hicks (47 points at Cal Poly in overtime in 2001) set Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's single-game scoring record. . . . Georgia Tech snapped Kentucky's NCAA-record 129-game homecourt winning streak and SEC-record 51-game winning streak in 1955. . . . Nelson Richardson (26 vs. Manhattan in 1977) set Siena's single-game rebounding record.
9 - Cincinnati sophomore Oscar Robertson (56 points) personally outscored Seton Hall in a 118-54 rout of the Pirates at Madison Square Garden in 1958. . . . Alabama's Jerry Harper (28 vs. Mississippi State in 1956), Texas-Arlington's Albert Culton (24 vs. Northeastern in 1981), Villanova's Howard Porter (30 vs. St. Peter's in 1971) and Virginia Tech's Chris Smith (36 vs. Washington & Lee in 1959) set school single-game rebounding records against a major-college opponent.
10 - Connecticut's Bill Corley (51 points vs. New Hampshire in 1968), John Conforti of St. Francis, N.Y. (45 vs. Wagner in 1970), Washington's Bob Houbregs (49 vs. Idaho in 1953) and Winthrop's Melvin Branham (45 at Charleston Southern in 1994) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Navy's David Robinson (45 at James Madison in 1987) set CAA scoring record in league competition. . . . Saint Joseph's and Xavier combined to have an NCAA-record eight players foul out in 1976. . . . Western Kentucky's school-record 67-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Xavier (82-80 in overtime in 1955). . . . Ed Diddle made his Western Kentucky head coaching debut in 1923 with a 103-7 decision over the Adairville Independents en route to a school-record 759 victories. . . . Kentucky's Adolph Rupp became the coach to compile 500 victories the fastest with a 92-59 win over DePaul in 1955 (584 games in 23rd season). . . . Louisiana-Lafayette's Roy Ebron (28 vs. Northwestern State in 1972) and Vanderbilt's Clyde Lee (28 vs. Mississippi in 1966) set school single-game rebounding records.
11 - Don Scaife (43 points at Samford in 1975) set Arkansas State's Division I single-game scoring record. . . . Texas Tech's school-record 35-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Colorado (80-78 in 1997). . . . Alcorn State's Larry Smith (21 vs. Mississippi Valley State in 1979), UC Santa Barbara's Eric McArthur (28 vs. New Mexico State in 1990) and Dartmouth's Rudy LaRusso (32 vs. Columbia in 1958) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
12 - Bucknell's Al Leslie (45 points vs. American in 1980) set the East Coast Conference single-game scoring record. . . . Mike Olliver (50 at Portland State in 1980) set Lamar's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Iowa State's school-record 39-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Oklahoma State (69-66 in 2002) and Michigan State's school-record 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Wisconsin (64-63 in 2002). . . . Monmouth's Karl Towns (23 vs. Morgan State in 1985) and Robert Morris' Mike Morton (20 vs. Baltimore in 1980) set school single-game rebounding records.
13 - Bowling Green's Jim Darrow (52 points vs. Toledo in overtime in 1960), Cal Poly's Shanta Cotright (43 vs. George Mason in 1996), Charleston Southern's Dwyane Jackson (43 at Virginia Military in 2007), Kentucky's Jodie Meeks (54 at Tennessee in 2009), Sacramento State's Loren Leath (41 at Northern Colorado in 2009), Southeastern Louisiana's Sam Bowie (39 at Central Florida in 1996), Southeast Missouri State's Daimon Gonner (37 at Tennessee State in double overtime in 2005) and UAB's Andy Kennedy (41 vs. Saint Louis in 1991) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Marquette's school-record 81-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Notre Dame (71-69 in 1973). . . . Doug Hess (27 vs. Marshall in 1971) set Toledo's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
14 - Syracuse's Bill Smith (47 points vs. Lafayette in 1971) and Virginia Commonwealth's Chris Cheeks (42 vs. Old Dominion in overtime in 1989) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Arizona's Damon Stoudamire (45 at Stanford in 1995) and Louisville's Butch Beard (41 at Bradley in 1967) set school single-game scoring records against a DI opponent.
15 - Coppin State's school-record 42-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by North Carolina A&T (76-70 in 1997), Murray State's school-record 47-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Southeast Missouri State (84-78 in 2000) and Virginia's school-record 34-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by North Carolina (101-95 in 1983). . . . Bob Reiter (27 vs. Kansas State in 1955) set Missouri's single-game rebounding record.
16 - Columbia's school-record 34-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Penn (66-64 in 1952).
17 - New Mexico State's John Williamson (48 points at California in 1972) and UNC Wilmington's Brian Rowsom (39 at East Carolina in 1987) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Virginia Military's school-record 35-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Appalachian State (73-58 in 1979). . . . Steve Stiepler (22 vs. Charleston Southern in 1977) set James Madison's single-game rebounding record.
18 - Stan Mayhew (45 points vs. Utah State in 1977) set Weber State's single-game scoring record. . . . A weekly ritual began when the Associated Press announced results of its first weekly basketball poll in 1949 (SLU was initial #1). . . . Indiana State's Jim Cruse (25 vs. Drake in 1997) and North Texas' Ken Williams (29 vs. Lamar in 1978) set school single-game rebounding records.
19 - UC Davis' Corey Hawkins (40 points at Hawaii in 2013), Charleston Southern's Ben Hinson (43 vs. Edward Waters, Fla., in 1985) and New Hampshire's Brad Cirino (39 at Maine in four overtimes in 1996) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Jim Ashmore (45 vs. Mississippi in 1957) set Mississippi State's single-game scoring record against a DI opponent. . . . Notre Dame came from behind in the closing minutes to end visiting UCLA's NCAA-record 88-game winning streak in 1974. . . . George Mason's Andre Smith set an NCAA single-game record by sinking all 10 of his shots from beyond the three-point arc against James Madison in 2008. . . . Ron deVries (24 vs. Pacific in 1974) set Illinois State's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
20 - Austin Peay's James "Fly" Williams (51 points vs. Tennessee Tech in 1973), Fordham's Ken Charles (46 vs. St. Peter's in 1973), Memphis State's Larry Finch (48 vs. St. Joseph's, Ind., in 1973) and Oklahoma City's Gary Gray (55 at West Texas State in 1967) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Houston ended UCLA's 47-game winning streak (71-69 in Astrodome in 1968), Minnesota's school-record 40-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Nebraska (22-21 in 1905) and West Virginia's school-record 39-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by St. Bonaventure (64-63 in 1983). . . . Visiting Texas-El Paso snapped Memphis' NCAA-record 52-game winning streak in regular-season conference competition (C-USA/72-67 in 2010). . . . Cliff Robinson (28 vs. Portland State in 1978) and David Bluthenthal (28 vs. Arizona State in 2000) set and tied Southern California's single-game rebounding record against a DI opponent.
21 - Howard's Ron Williamson (52 points vs. North Carolina A&T in 2003) and Saint Joseph's Jack Egan (47 at Gettysburg, Pa., in 1961) set school single-game scoring records. . . . Kansas' school-record 69-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Texas (74-63 in 2011) and DePaul's school-record 36-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Dayton (67-63 in 1985). . . . Terry Rutherford (21 vs. Marshall in 1978) set Western Carolina's single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
22 - Lee Campbell (20 vs. Cleveland State in 1990) tied his own Missouri State single-game rebounding record against a Division I opponent.
23 - Eastern Illinois' Jay Taylor (47 points vs. Chicago State in 1989), East Tennessee State's Mike Milholland (44 vs. Austin Peay in 1965), Nicholls State's Anatoly Bose (46 at Northwestern State in double overtime in 2010), South Florida's Dominique Jones (46 at Providence in overtime in 2010) and Tennessee State's Anthony Mason (44 at Eastern Kentucky in 1988) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Jacksonville's James Ray (45 vs. South Florida in 1980) set Sun Belt Conference single-game scoring record in league competition. . . . Northeastern's Steve Carney (23 vs. Hartford in 1988) and Ohio University's Howard Joliff (28 vs. Kent State in 1960) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
24 - Appalachian State's Stan Davis (56 points at Carson-Newman, Tenn., in 1974), Chattanooga's Oliver Morton (50 vs. Pikeville, Ky., in 2001), IUPUI's Odell Bradley (41 vs. Oral Roberts in triple overtime in 2004), Loyola of New Orleans' Ty Marioneaux (53 vs. Virginia Commonwealth in 1970), Oakland's Travis Bader (47 vs. IUPUI in 2013) and Texas-Arlington's Steven Barber (43 at Texas-San Antonio in 2002) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . San Diego State's Ben Wardrop set an NCAA record for shortest playing time before being disqualified by fouling out in only 1:11 at Colorado State in 2004. . . . Notre Dame's school-record 45-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Connecticut (69-61 in 2009).
25 - Connell "C.J." Wilkerson (41 points at North Carolina A&T in 2011) set North Carolina Central's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . Southern's Avery Johnson tied an NCAA single-game record with 22 assists against Texas Southern in 1988. . . . Brigham Young's school-record 44-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Utah (79-75 in 2003). . . . East Carolina's Erroyl Bing (24 vs. South Florida in 2003), Kansas State's David Hall (27 vs. Oklahoma in 1971), Lamar's Steve Wade (27 vs. Oral Roberts in 1972), Oral Roberts' Eddie Woods (30 vs. Lamar in 1972) and Seton Hall's Nick Werkman (32 vs. Boston College in 1963) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
26 - Gonzaga's Frank Burgess (52 points vs. UC Davis in 1961) and Youngstown State's Tilman Bevely (55 vs. Tennessee Tech in 1987) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Bevely's output also tied Ohio Valley Conference record in league competition. . . . Arizona and Northern Arizona combined for an NCAA-record 130 free-throw attempts in 1953. . . . Herb Neff (36 vs. Georgia Tech in 1952) set Tennessee's single-game rebounding record.
27 - Georgia Southern's Johnny Mills (44 points vs. Samford in 1973), Indiana's Jimmy Rayl (56 vs. Minnesota in 1962), James Madison's Steve Stiepler (51 vs. Robert Morris in 1979) and West Texas State's Simmie Hill (42 at Texas Western in 1968) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Visiting New Mexico State overcame a 28-0 deficit to defeat Bradley in 1977. . . . Perennial cellar dweller Northwestern upset Magic Johnson and NCAA champion-to-be Michigan State by 18 points in 1979. . . . Centenary's Robert Parish (33 vs. Southern Mississippi in 1973) and Florida's Neal Walk (31 vs. Alabama in 1968) set school single-game rebounding records.
28 - Syracuse's Sherman Douglas tied an NCAA single-game record with 22 assists against Providence in 1989. . . . Jim Loscutoff of Oregon (32 vs. Brigham Young in 1955), Maurice Stokes of Saint Francis, PA (39 vs. John Carroll, OH, in 1955) and Willie Naulls of UCLA (28 vs. Arizona State in 1956) set school single-game rebounding records. . . . Barney Cable (28 vs. Marquette in 1956) set Bradley's single-game rebounding record against a major-college opponent.
29 - Arkansas State's Jeff Clifton (43 points vs. Arkansas-Little Rock in 1994), Jacksonville's Ernie Fleming (59 vs. St. Peter's in 1972), Seton Hall's Nick Werkman (52 vs. Scranton in 1964), Utah Valley's Ryan Toolson (63 at Chicago State in quadruple overtime in 2009), Vermont's Eddie Benton (54 vs. Drexel in 1994) and Wagner's Terrance Bailey (49 vs. Brooklyn in triple overtime in 1986) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Benton's output is also an America East Conference record in league competition. . . . Columbia's Jack Molinas (31 vs. Brown in 1953), North Carolina State's Ronnie Shavlik (35 vs. Villanova in 1955) and Penn State's Jesse Arnelle (27 vs. Temple in 1955) set school single-game rebounding records.
30 - Maryland-Eastern Shore's Tee Trotter (42 points at Howard in overtime in 2003), Mississippi's Johnny Neumann (63 at Louisiana State in 1971), New Orleans' Ledell Eackles (45 at Florida International in 1988), Seattle's Elgin Baylor (60 vs. Portland in 1958), Tennessee Tech's Kevin Murphy (50 vs. SIU-Edwardsville in 2012) and Western Kentucky's Clem Haskins (55 vs. Middle Tennessee State in 1965) set school Division I single-game scoring records. Haskins' output is also an Ohio Valley Conference record in league competition. . . . Rick Barry (51 vs. Oklahoma City in 1965) set Miami's single-game scoring record against a major-college opponent. . . . William & Mary ended West Virginia's Southern Conference-record 44-game winning streak in 1960. . . . UC Irvine's Kevin Magee (25 vs. Long Beach State in 1982), Miami's Rick Barry (29 vs. Oklahoma City in 1965) and Oklahoma State's Andy Hopson (27 vs. Missouri in 1973) set school single-game rebounding records.
31 - LSU's Pete Maravich, despite having 13 regular-season games remaining in 1970, passed Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson with 4:43 left against Mississippi to become the NCAA's career scoring leader. . . . Gerhard "Jerry" Varn (51 points vs. Piedmont in 1953) set The Citadel's single-game scoring record. . . . Holy Cross' Jim McCaffrey (46 vs. Iona in 1985) set MAAC scoring record in league competition. . . . Loyola Marymount outgunned U.S. International (181-150 in 1989) in the highest-scoring game in major-college history. . . . Manhattan's Bruce Seals established an NCAA single-game record with 27 three-point field-goal attempts (making nine vs. Canisius in 2000). . . . Canisius' Darren Fenn (22 vs. Manhattan in 2000), George Mason's Kenny Sanders (22 vs. American in 1989), Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers (29 vs. U.S. International in 1989), Princeton's Carl Belz (29 vs. Rutgers in 1959) and St. Bonaventure's Bob Lanier (23 vs. Niagara in 1970) set school single-game rebounding records against a DI opponent.
In Memoriam: RIP Look at 2013 Deceased Who Impacted College Basketball
"I have offended God and mankind because my work didn't reach the quality it should have." - Leonardo da Vinci
With Auld Lang Syne chords playing in the background, the final day of the calendar year offered another time to say goodbye by acknowledging the passing away in 2013 of a striking number of college basketball movers and shakers (including two All-Americans for former NCAA Division I school West Texas State). The deceased list of 2013 included All-Americans Zelmo Beaty (Prairie View A&M), Walt Bellamy (Indiana), Chick Halbert (West Texas A&M), Simmie Hill (West Texas State), George Kok (Arkansas), Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M), Jim Line (Kentucky), Cliff Meely (Colorado), Don Meineke (Dayton), Dean Meminger (Marquette), Joe C. Meriweather (Southern Illinois), Vern Mikkelsen (Hamline MN), Dick O'Neal (Texas Christian), Flynn Robinson (Wyoming), Ossie Schectman (LIU) and Bill Sharman (Southern California).
Two Vermont players among the top 16 selections in 1947 BAA Draft died this year (Larry Killick and Bob Jake). Ivy League brothers George Hauptfuhrer Jr. (Harvard after transferring from Louisville) and Bob Hauptfuhrer (Princeton) died nine days apart during first half of August. Giving more deference to celebratory Dick Clark than difficult-to-please Renaissance Man da Vinci, following is an alphabetical list of the 2013 deceased who didn't drop the ball on the court:
- Dr. James "Hayden" Abbott - Averaged 8 ppg and 4.6 rpg for Kansas State from 1955-56 through 1957-58 under coach Tex Winter. Abbott, the Wildcats' fifth-leading scorer and rebounder as a senior for their Final Four team, was 77.
- McDarion Abron - Alcorn State redshirt in 2012-13 died at the age of 20 of an apparent heart attack.
- Carroll Adams - After his college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Coast Guard, he averaged 2.7 ppg for UCLA in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach John Wooden. Adams, 81, also played with the Bruins' baseball squad and hit a pinch-hit grand slam against rival USC.
- Dick Adams - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Missouri from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 82.
- Don Adams - Averaged 15 ppg and 10.9 rpg for Northwestern from 1967-68 through 1969-70. Leader in rebounding with the Wildcats all three seasons was 66.
- Homer Adams - Three-year letterman was senior captain for Texas A&M in 1946-47 after his career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He was 90.
- Jack Alderson - Averaged 12.2 ppg for Texas Tech from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Runner-up in scoring for the Red Raiders as All-Border Conference second-team selection his junior season. He was 83.
- Stuart Allen Jr. - Played for Oklahoma State in 1942-43 under coach Hank Iba before transferring to Texas Christian, where he played in 1943-44. Allen, who served in U.S. Navy during WWII, was 89.
- Arthur Anderson - Player for Washington in 1944-45 under coach Hec Edmundson was 90.
- Bill Anderson - Scored 52 points for Cincinnati in 1947-48. He was 87.
- Harry Anderson - Jacksonville transfer averaged 13.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg for St. Peter's from 1970-71 through 1972-73. Runner-up in scoring for the Peacocks each of his last two seasons was 63.
- Wayne Anderson - Compiled an 87-116 coaching record with his alma mater (Idaho) in eight seasons from 1966-67 through 1973-74. He was 82.
- Larry Arrington - Member of Syracuse's national fourth-place team in 1975 was 59.
- Korvotney Barber - Averaged 10.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg from 2005-06 through 2008-09 for Auburn before drowning at Panama City Beach at the age of 26. Barber went out under double red-flag conditions, meaning the beach was closed and public prohibited from entering the water.
- Art Barnes Jr. - Averaged 12.9 ppg for SMU from 1952-53 through 1954-55 under coach Doc Hayes. Senior co-captain and All-SWC first-team selection was runner-up in scoring with the Mustangs' first-ever NCAA tourney team (14.8 ppg/seventh in SWC). He was 80.
- Larry Bass - Player for Furman in late 1950s was 75.
- Jim Bauer - Played for Washington State in 1953-54 under coach Jack Friel before transferring to Eastern Washington.
- Charley Beall - Starting guard for Arizona State in 1947-48 and 1948-49 was 86. QB was also a three-year football letterman in the late 1940s.
- Zelmo Beaty - All-American for Prairie View A&M as a senior in 1961-62 died of cancer at age of 73. He averaged more than 24 ppg and 20 rpg each of his final three seasons in college.
- Saunders "Foo" Belfield - Averaged 7.5 ppg for Tennessee State from 1977-78 through 1979-80. He was 56.
- Walt Bellamy - All-American center with Indiana as senior in 1960-61 died at age of 74. Two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection led the Hoosiers in scoring and rebounding all three seasons (career averages of 20.6 ppg and 15.5 rpg).
- Lou Bender - Three-time All-EIBL first-team selection for Columbia from 1929-30 through 1931-32. He was 99.
- Ed Bento Jr. - Three-time All-WCAC selection averaged 18.6 ppg and 10.1 rpg for Loyola Marymount from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Leading scorer and rebounder with the Lions each of his last two seasons was 72.
- Adelino "Lenny" Bernardo - Played for Boston University in the late 1940s after serving in U.S. Army in 10th Armored Division under Gen. Patton during WWII. Bernardo was 90.
- Denny Bertelsman - Player for California in 1955-56 and 1956-57 under coach Pete Newell was 77.
- Jim Betchek - Averaged 4.7 ppg for Western Michigan from 1948-49 through 1950-51. He was 85.
- Wes Bialosuknia - All-time career average scoring leader in UConn history (23.6 ppg) and three-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection died at the age of 68.
- Ron Bielicki - Played for Boston College three seasons in the mid-1950s with his career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army. He was 80.
- Ross Black - Juco recruit averaged 8.4 ppg for New Mexico from 1951-52 through 1953-54. He was 82.
- William "Floppy" Blackmon Jr. - Starter for Texas Christian in 1941-42 and 1942-43 was 92. He also played football.
- Sam "Hoyte" Blackwell Jr. - Georgia Tech letterman from 1939-40 through 1941-42 before serving in U.S. Navy Air Corps during WWII. He was 92.
- Chuck Blankfort - Averaged 2.5 ppg for Brown from 1951-52 through 1953-54. He was 80.
- Keith Bloom - Regular for Wyoming's three consecutive NCAA playoff regional runner-up teams from 1947 through 1949 following a stint in the U.S. Naval Reserve was 86. Bloom averaged 5.6 ppg in 1948-49 and 1949-50 under coach Everett Shelton.
- Jim Boatwright - Averaged 15.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg for Utah State from 1971-72 through 1973-74. Leading scorer for the Aggies each of his last two seasons was 61.
- Lonnie Boeckman - Oklahoma State center in the mid-1970s, one of the tallest players (7-4) in Big Eight Conference annals, was 58 when he passed away because of complications following surgery.
- Tom Boerwinkle - Two-time All-SEC first-team selection averaged 11.4 ppg and 9.2 rpg for Tennessee from 1965-66 through 1967-68 under coach Ray Mears. Boerwinkle led the Volunteers in rebounding as a junior and senior. Fourth pick overall in 1968 NBA draft was 67.
- John "Skip" Bohn - Player for Dartmouth in 1955-56 under coach Doggie Julian was 77.
- Charles Bolden - Played for Marshall in 1950-51 under coach Cam Henderson. Bolden was 82.
- Dave Bollman - Hooper for Iowa in 1961-62 was 71. Golfer was IGA Player of the Year in 1964 before earning PGA tour card in the fall of 1968. He subsequently became a professional pool player, ranking third nationally in 1981.
- Harold Bomar Jr. - Kentucky transfer played for Louisville in 1944-45 after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He was 86.
- Bertram "B.H." Born - Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior in 1953 for Kansas' NCAA Tournament runner-up (51 points in two games) passed away at age of 88. He averaged 12.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg with the Jayhawks from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under coach Phog Allen. Two-time All-Big Seven Conference first-team selection made his home in Peoria, Ill., for nearly 60 years.
- John "Junior" Born - Averaged 9.1 ppg and 3 rpg for Tulsa from 1954-55 through 1956-57 under coach Clarence Iba. As a junior, Born was the Golden Hurricanes' leading scorer. Member of their first NCAA tourney team in 1955 was 78.
- Dr. Eugene "Wayne" Boulding - Juco recruit was a member of coach John Wooden's first UCLA squad in 1948-49. Boulding was 86.
- Melvin "Mike" Bowling - Averaged 2.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Southern California in 1968-69 under coach Bob Boyd before transferring to Arizona State, where he averaged 5.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.9 apg in 1970-71 and 1971-72 under coach Ned Wulk. Bowling was 64.
- Leo Braun - Player for Butler in 1961-62 under coach Tony Hinkle was 73.
- Tom Brennan - Player for Villanova in early 1950s under coach Alex Severance was 84. Brennan was runner-up in scoring and rebounding for 1951 NCAA tourney team before leading the Wildcats in rebounding in 1951-52 with 14.7 rpg.
- Gene Brockmeyer - Averaged 5.6 ppg and 4.7 rpg for Oregon in 1963-64 and 1964-65. He was 68.
- Bobby Brown - Averaged 3.7 ppg and 1.3 rpg for Illinois from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under coach Harry Combes. Brown was 69.
- Jack Brown - Averaged 2.4 ppg for Baylor from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under coach Bill Henderson. Brown was 80.
- Walt Budko Jr. - Two-time All-EIBL first-team selection averaged 14.2 ppg for Columbia in four seasons in the mid-1940s. Sixth pick overall in 1948 BAA draft after the Lions' first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance was 87.
- George Burditt Jr. - All-EIBL second-team selection in 1941-42 as Harvard's top scorer was 90. Burditt's college career was interrupted by serving as a pilot in U.S. Air Force during WWII. He ran against Adlai Stevenson III for the U.S. Senate in 1974, but lost amid a nationwide wave of anti-Republican sentiment following president Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard M. Nixon.
- Bruce "Soup" Campbell - Averaged 14.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 1.9 apg for four Providence teams competing in national postseason competition from 1975 through 1978 under coach Dave Gavitt (NIT first two years before NCAA playoffs next two seasons). Campbell, the Friars' top rebounder in 1975-76 and 1976-77 and leading scorer as a senior, was 57.
- Mike Carosielli - Averaged 10.2 ppg and 7.8 rpg for Saint Mary's in 1956-57, 1962-63 and 1963-64. He was 76.
- Jim Carson - Averaged 5.3 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Miami (Fla.) from 1951-52 through 1954-55. Captain who served as a helicopter pilot for U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War was 80.
- Rick Casares - All-SEC second-team selection in 1951-52 and 1952-53 when leading Florida in scoring average and rebounding both seasons. Second-round NFL draft choice was 82. He was a fullback with the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins for 12 years from 1955 through 1966.
- James Case Sr. - Football player competed for Lehigh's basketball squad briefly in 1947-48. He was 89.
- Bob Cassou - Averaged 4.7 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Fordham from 1967-68 through 1969-70. He was 65.
- Ron Caylor - Averaged 7.7 ppg for Colorado A&M (now Colorado State) from 1952-53 through 1954-55. He was 80. Caylor was a member of the school's first NCAA tourney team in 1954 before leading club in rebounding (9.7 rpg) and finishing runner-up in scoring (12.2 ppg) as a senior.
- Eddie Chavez - Averaged 1.1 ppg for Santa Clara in 1949-50 and 1950-51. He was 84. His son, Eddie Joe, was a prolific playmaker for the Broncos in the late 1970s.
- Keith Christensen - Played for Utah State in 1950-51. He was 83.
- Henry "Hank" Clason - Northwestern letterman from 1939-40 through 1941-42 was 93. Senior captain before serving in U.S. Marines during WWII.
- Jim Clawson - Averaged 1.3 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Montana in 1968-69 and 1969-70. He was 64.
- Bill Clay - Juco recruit averaged 5.6 ppg for Colorado in 1949-50 and 1950-51. He was 83.
- Alvin Clinkscales - Harlem Globetrotter after attending Bridgeport died at 81 stemming from kidney problems. He was the first black high school coach in the state of Connecticut.
- Carver Clinton - Averaged 16.4 ppg and 10.3 rpg for Penn State from 1963-64 through 1965-66. The Nittany Lions' leader in rebounding all three seasons was 69. He also paced team in scoring each of last two years, appearing in NCAA playoffs as a junior.
- Jim "The Moose" Clinton - As a Wisconsin sophomore in 1950-51 under coach Bud Foster, he set a still existing school single-season rebounding record with 15.6 rpg. Clinton was 82.
- Darrell "Shorty" Cochran - Played for Minnesota in 1950-51 before serving in U.S. military during the Korean Conflict. Outfielder with the Gophers' 1956 CWS champion was 82. He played briefly in the New York Giants' farm system in 1956.
- Lorenzo Coleman - Averaged 12.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 3.9 bpg while shooting 60.1% from the floor for Tennessee Tech from 1993-94 through 1996-97. He finished among the nation's top five in blocked shots and top nine in FG% as a sophomore and senior. Seven-footer was 38.
- Charlie Coles - Beset by a long history of heart issues, Miami of Ohio's all-time winningest coach at 71. He was the Mid-American Conference's career leader in league victories with 218 after also coaching Central Michigan.
- Steve Colwick - Averaged 1.8 ppg for Baylor in 1974-75. He was 59.
- Steve Connor - Averaged 17.8 ppg for Boise State from 1974-75 through 1977-78, finishing runner-up in scoring with the Broncos his first two seasons before leading them in category last two campaigns. Three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection when finishing among top five in league in assists per game each of those years. He was 57.
- Dr. Faurest Coogle - Averaged 4.4 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Florida State from 1960-61 to 1962-63. He was 73.
- Roy Coppinger - Three-time All-Border Conference selection for Arizona State from 1950-51 through 1952-53 was 81. He averaged more than 11 ppg all three seasons.
- Greg Cory - Montana State's assists leader with 3.3 apg in 1972-73 was 62.
- Thomas Cowdrick - Duke hoops letterman in 1941 was also an All-American soccer player. He was 96. Served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater during WWII.
- Charley Cox - Player for Texas in the late 1950s was 76.
- David Craft - Juco recruit played for New Mexico A&M in 1947-48. He was 87.
- Hal Craig - Player for Illinois in 1945-46 was 89.
- Howie Crittenden - First 2,000-point scorer in Murray State history and multiple-season All-Ohio Valley Conference selection died at 80. He averaged 19.4 ppg from 1952-53 through 1955-56.
- Jordan "June" Crump Jr. - Led New Orleans in assists with 4.2 per game in 1975-76 in UNO's inaugural season at the NCAA Division I level. The 5-7 Crump was 58. He averaged 4.9 ppg in 1975-76 and 1977-78 (redshirt in 1976-77).
- Harold Culley Jr. - Player for Clemson in 1949-50 was 83.
- Jerry "Jeremiah" Cunningham - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Hardin-Simmons TX from 1955-56 through 1957-58, appearing in the 1957 NCAA Tournament. He was 76.
- Mike Daly - Drake transfer averaged 1.7 ppg for Wisconsin from 1951-52 through 1953-54. The 5-7 Daly was 82.
- Richard Davie - Averaged 3.9 ppg for Toledo in 1971-72. He was 60.
- DaMon "Monti" Davis - Kent State transfer averaged 16.3 ppg and 13.7 rpg for Tennessee State from 1977-78 through 1979-80 before becoming 21st pick in NBA draft. Nation's rebounding leader in 1978-79 (16.2 rpg) was 54.
- Jerry Davis - Averaged 6.5 ppg for Iowa State from 1951-52 through 1953-54. He was 81.
- Harly Day - U.S. Navy veteran from WWII averaged 3.2 ppg for Oklahoma's 1947 NCAA Tournament runner-up. East Central State OK transfer was 89.
- Joe Dean Sr. - All-SEC selection in 1950-51 and 1951-52 with Louisiana State died at 83 from heart complications, finishing his three-year varsity career with 15.4 ppg under coach Harry Rabenhorst. SEC TV analyst coined the phrase "string music" to describe a shot swishing through a net.
- Warren Dean - Averaged 7.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg for Washington & Lee VA in 1951-52. He was 80.
- John DeBrosse - Averaged 12.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg for The Citadel from 1965-66 through 1967-68, leading team in scoring as a junior with 14.5 ppg. He was 67.
- Keston Deimling Jr. - Son of Illinois letterman in late 1920s averaged 4.9 ppg for Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 under coach Harold Bradley. Tennis player was 81.
- Al Del Zoppo - Played for Notre Dame from 1938-39 through 1940-41 under coach George Keogan before serving in U.S. Navy during WWII.
- Jim Denny - Juco recruit played for Georgia in 1951-52 before transferring to Georgia Southern. He was 80.
- Ted Deppe - Member of Wisconsin's 1941 NCAA Tournament titlist was 91.
- Leslie "Chuck" DeVoe - Averaged 10 ppg for Princeton from 1949-50 through 1951-52. All-EIBL first-team selection as senior captain for an NCAA tourney team was 83. Co-founder of ABA's Indiana Pacers also was a prominent tennis player.
- Tom Dickinson - Averaged 2.9 ppg for Purdue from 1936-37 through 1938-39. He was 95.
- Eddie Diddle Jr. - Averaged 6.4 ppg for Western Kentucky from 1948-49 through 1950-51 while coached by his Hall of Fame father. Participant in NIT as sophomore and junior was 83. Diddle Jr. compiled a 56-80 record as Middle Tennessee State's coach in six seasons from 1956-57 through 1961-62.
- Roland "Rollie" Diehl - Averaged 1.6 ppg for Marquette in 1949-50 and 1950-51. He was 82.
- Conrad "Connie" Dierking - Averaged 12.7 ppg and 13.5 rpg for Cincinnati from 1955-56 through 1957-58 before becoming sixth pick overall in NBA draft. He was the Bearcats' leading scorer and rebounder as a junior before All-American Oscar Robertson arrived on the varsity scene the next season when they were All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selections. Dierking was 77.
- Doug Dietrich - Player for Toledo in 1950-51 was 82.
- Art Dollaghan Jr. - Played for Denver in 1947-48 before pitching in Boston Braves' farm system in early 1950s. WWII veteran was 86.
- John Doogan - Averaged 14.3 ppg and team-high 13.9 rpg for St. Joseph's in 1952-53 under coach Bill Ferguson. Doogan was 82.
- Don Dorton - Scored a game-high 24 points for defending national champion Utah in 1946 NCAA playoff game against Oregon. Vadal Peterson pupil was 86.
- John Dowd - In 1960-61, senior captain was Yale's top rebounder (10.4 rpg) and runner-up in scoring (13.8 ppg) under coach Joe Vancisin. Dowd was 74.
- Benton Duncan - Scored 114 points for Auburn in 1947-48. He was 84.
- Ron Dykes - Runner-up to All-American Oscar Robertson in scoring with 21 ppg for Cincinnati's 1959 national third-place finisher in NCAA playoffs before suffering a career-ending broken leg. Dykes was 74.
- Mike Earey - Played for North Carolina in 1969-70 under coach Dean Smith.
- Jim Eddins - Averaged 4.9 ppg for Texas Tech from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 84.
- Ed "Bulbs" Ehlers - Averaged 9.8 ppg for Purdue in 1942-43 (All-Big Nine Conference second-team selection) and 1946-47 with his career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. Third selection overall in 1947 BAA draft was 90. Ehlers hit 48 homers as an INF in the New York Yankees' organization in three years from 1947 through 1949 before played two campaigns as a Chicago Cubs' farmhand. He was also picked as a B by the Chicago Bears in 31st round of 1947 NFL draft.
- Ray Ellerbrook - Three-time All-Yankee Conference selection who averaged 16.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 3.9 apg for Massachusetts from 1967-68 through 1969-70 was 65. He led the Minutemen in scoring as a junior before Julius Erving arrived the next season for their NIT team.
- Pete Elliott - Michigan hoops captain in 1947 before becoming an All-Big Ten Conference selection the next two seasons was 86. He was also QB for the Wolverines' 1948 national football champion before coaching Nebraska (1946), California (1957 through 1959), Illinois (1960 through 1966) and Miami FL (1973 and 1974), guiding Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths.
- John "Jack" Eskridge - Kansas' second-leading scorer in 1947-48 under Phog Allen before becoming his assistant coach in the 1950s was 89.
- Bernie Esser Jr. - Played for San Francisco in the early 1950s. He was 82.
- Al Fabian - Four-year letterman averaged 3.7 ppg for Georgia as a senior in 1948-49. He was 85.
- Charles Fabian - Averaged 8.5 ppg for The Citadel in 1949-50. He was 84.
- Bob Fannin - Letterman with Texas in 1943-44 was 91.
- Ken "Gene" Faris - Led Indiana in scoring average in 1944-45 with 10.9 ppg before serving in U.S. armed services as 2nd Lieutenant in Germany. He was 87.
- P. "Don" Ficca - Played for Villanova in 1962-63 under coach Jack Kraft. Ficca was 70.
- Denny Fields - Averaged 22 ppg and 8 rpg for UNC Wilmington in 1976-77 and 1977-78, leading the Seahawks in scoring and rebounding both seasons, after transferring from Baptist (now Charleston Southern), where he averaged 18.8 ppg and 11.2 rpg in 1974-75. Fields was 57.
- Glenn Fields - Averaged 4.9 ppg for Rice from 1954-55 through 1956-57. He was 77.
- John "Jack" Finn - Player for Michigan State in 1949-50 was 84.
- Tom Fitzpatrick - Player for Wisconsin in 1963-64 was 68.
- Rich Flemming - Part-time starting forward for Fairfield in 2006-07 (2 ppg and 1.6 rpg) and UMBC in 2008-09 (6.7 ppg and 4.5 rpg) was murdered in Philadelphia at the age of 24.
- Steve Flynn - Averaged 5.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for Oregon State from 1958-59 through 1960-61. He was 74.
- Rev. Bill Flynt - All-SWC selection in 1943-44 and third-leading scorer for Arkansas' 1945 Final Four team was 91.
- Dick Foley - After having his playing career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII, he was in regular rotation as a senior for Illinois' 1949 national third-place team coached by Harry Combes. Foley was 87.
- Bob Forrest - Villanova starter in 1943-44 before serving in U.S. Navy during WWII was 90.
- Calvin Fowler - Averaged 16.8 ppg and 7 rpg for St. Francis (Pa.) from 1959-60 through 1961-62, leading team in scoring his final two seasons. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, he became co-captain of the U.S. Olympic team in 1968. Fowler was 73 when he died.
- Jevon Freeman - Backup guard for Alabama State from 2007-08 through 2009-10 died at 25 in what Georgia authorities called a Craigslist sale of his iPhone gone wrong. The victim's mother said Freeman used Craigslist to earn money in addition to what he made owning a barbershop.
- Allan Freund - Compiled a 27-52 coaching record with Eastern Michigan in three seasons from 1973-74 through 1975-76. He was 79.
- Gerald "Jerry" Fridrich - Averaged 2.7 ppg for Vanderbilt from 1951-52 through 1954-55 under coach Bob Polk. Fridrich was 80.
- Richie Fuller - Averaged 8.1 ppg and 7 rpg for St. Peter's from 1970-71 through 1972-73. Runner-up in rebounding each of his last two seasons with the Peacocks was 61.
- Tom Fuller - Averaged 7.7 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Oklahoma A&M in 1952-53 and 1953-54 under coach Hank Iba. Fuller, 80, was an All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team selection as a senior when finishing runner-up in scoring and rebounding for an NCAA tourney team.
- George Furqueron - Averaged 1.5 ppg for Baylor in 1960-61 and 1961-62. He was 74.
- W. "Kent" Gaer - Averaged 4.2 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Drake from 1955-56 through 1957-58. He was 77.
- Tom Gallagher - Leading scorer averaging 13.8 ppg over both seasons for St. Francis (N.Y.) in 1947-48 and 1948-49. He was 88.
- Lee Garber - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Wake Forest from 1981-82 through 1984-85 under coach Carl Tacy. Garber, a member of Midwest Regional finalist as a junior, was 50.
- Jack "Dutch" Garfinkel - Winner of Haggerty Award presented to premier player in New York City metropolitan area was 95. Averaged 5.9 ppg for St. John's from 1938-39 through 1940-41 under coach Joe Lapchick (including couple of NIT teams).
- Des Gatti - Played for George Washington in 1958-59 and 1959-60 under coach Bill Reinhart. Gatti was 74.
- Tom Gibbons - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Seton Hall in 1948-49 and 1949-50 after serving in U.S. military. He was 86.
- Jim Giebel - Multi-year letterman for Georgetown in the early 1940s was 94.
- Jim Gleckner - Averaged 10 ppg for Lehigh from 1951-52 through 1954-55. Gleckner led team in scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (12.2 rpg) as a senior. He was 79.
- Gerald "Jerry" Glick - Averaged 10 ppg for Drexel in 1971-72. He was 62.
- Ben Goldfaden - George Washington's leading scorer in 1934-35 was 99.
- Ken Goodwin Sr. - Leading scorer for Rhode Island State in 1947-48 (16.7 ppg) and 1948-49 (19.7 ppg/seventh in nation as All-Yankee Conference first-team selection). He was 85.
- Russ Gordon - Averaged 11.7 ppg and 12.3 rpg for Temple from 1959-60 through 1961-62 under coach Harry Litwack. Leader in rebounding each season for three NIT teams was 77.
- Joe Gorman - Player for Villanova in 1945-46 under coach Alex Severance was 85.
- Al Graehler - Averaged 9 ppg for Mississippi from 1949-50 through 1951-52 under coach Country Graham. Graehler was 83.
- Devin Gray - Clemson's leading scorer in 1992-93 died at 41 of a heart attack in suburban Atlanta. All-ACC third-team selection led the league in field-goal shooting with 57.2% as a junior in 1993-94.
- Bob Greenwood - Compiled an 11-15 record as Washington State's coach in 1971-72. He was 87.
- Bob Gregory - Averaged 7.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg for Manhattan from 1969-70 through 1971-72. The Jaspers' runner-up in rebounding as a junior was 63.
- Vince Grimaldi - Averaged 12.6 ppg and 4.2 rpg for North Carolina from 1950-51 through 1952-53. All-Southern Conference third-team selection when leading the Tar Heels in scoring as senior co-captain was 81.
- Chuck Grover - Player for Drake in 1950-51 was 83.
- Ed Guiski - Averaged 3.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg for Boston University in 1957-58. He was 77.
- Charles "Chick" Halbert - West Texas A&M All-American in 1941-42 when scoring 277 points for NIT participant. He was 94.
- Darrin Hale - Averaged 10.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg for Morehead State from 1985-86 through 1988-89. Scored a career-high 38 points as senior when All-Ohio Valley Conference second-team selection led the Eagles in scoring average with 14.2 ppg and shot league-best 86.7 from FT line. He was 47.
- Bill Haley Jr. - Player for Villanova in 1955-56 and 1956-57 under coach Alex Severance was 78.
- Dan Hall - Frontcourt backup from Kentucky's historic recruiting class as a freshman for the Wildcats' 1975 NCAA Tournament runner-up died of an apparent suicide at age 58. Hall subsequently transferred to Marshall, where he averaged 10.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg in 1976-77 and 1977-78.
- Jay Hamblin, 86, played for Brigham Young in late 1940s. He also played halfback for the schools' football squad.
- John "Jay" Handlan - Averaged 21.3 ppg for Washington & Lee VA from 1948-49 through 1951-52. Scored a school-record 66 points against Furman when junior set the oldest existing NCAA DI mark of 71 field-goal attempts in a single game on February 24, 1951. One of the nation's top 11 scorers each of his last three seasons was 84.
- Joe Hannan - Averaged 9 ppg for Villanova's NCAA tourney team in 1948-49 under coach Alex Severance. Hannan was 85. His college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII.
- Bill Harris - Averaged 2.9 ppg for Connecticut in 1974-75 and 1975-76. He was 58.
- Norman "Bucky" Harris - Played for Iowa in late 1940s. He was 87.
- William "June" Harris - All-MEAC selection in 1971-72 and 1972-73 for North Carolina A&T was 65.
- Ed "Buzzy" Harrison - Averaged 9.9 ppg, 5 rpg and 2.6 apg for Pittsburgh in 1969-70 before transferring to a small college in Oklahoma. He was 62.
- Marv Harshman - Naismith Hall of Famer and national coach of the year with Washington in his next-to-last season in 1983-84 died at 95. Harshman also coached Washington State for 13 campaigns from 1958-59 through 1970-71.
- Don Hartnett - Averaged a team-high 12 ppg for Canisius in 1950-51. He was 85.
- Bob Hauptfuhrer - Played for Princeton in 1950-51 under coach Cappy Cappon. Hauptfuhrer was 81.
- George Hauptfuhrer Jr. - Leading scorer and rebounder for Louisville in 1944-45 and 1945-46 under coach Peck Hickman before becoming two-time All-Ivy League second-team selection with Harvard. Third pick overall in 1948 BAA draft was 87.
- Larry Heffer - Played for Miami in 1961-62 under coach Bruce Hale. Heffer, also a pitcher with the Hurricanes' baseball squad, was 72.
- Phil Henderson - All-ACC second-team selection, the leading scorer and senior captain of Duke's 1990 NCAA Tournament runner-up, died of cardiac arrest at 44 in the Philippines. He was the Blue Devils' second-leading scorer as a junior and sixth-leading scorer as a sophomore for two more Final Four squads.
- Hal Henrickson - Hope College MI transfer played for Western Michigan in 1947-48 after serving in U.S. Army in Pacific Theater during WWII.
- Gene Herndon - Averaged 12.1 ppg and 10.8 rpg for Murray State from 1957-58 through 1960-61. Two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection when leading Racers in scoring and rebounding each of his last two seasons was 74.
- Gary Hill - Averaged 8.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Brigham Young from 1964-65 through 1966-67 under coach Stan Watts. Member of 1966 NIT titlist was 67.
- Simmie Hill - Pittsburgh product who played freshman basketball with Wichita State before sidetracked by academic problems died at 66. J.C. recruit became an All-American with West Texas State in 1968-69 after finishing seventh in the nation in scoring with 27.3 ppg the previous season.
- Russ Hillman - Averaged 4 ppg for Brigham Young from 1948-49 through 1950-51. Member of NIT titlist as a senior was 85.
- Bob Hoag - Played for Ohio State in 1950-51. He was 83.
- Milton Hobbs Jr. - North Carolina State letterman in 1946 was 90.
- Chuck Holiber - Teammate of Miami All-American Rick Barry in 1962-63 was 69.
- Howard Homeyer - Averaged 1.4 ppg for Texas A&M in 1953-54. He was 80.
- Marvin Horn - Played for Rutgers in 1945-46 after serving in U.S. Air Force during WWII. He was 90.
- Dr. Ray Howard - Leading scorer for Montana in 1954-55 with 17.2 ppg was 78. He also paced the Mountain States Athletic Conference in rebounding that season with 15.1 rpg.
- Tyrone "Moon" Howard - Averaged 10.1 ppg and 4 rpg for Eastern Kentucky from 1984-85 through 1987-88 (redshirt in 1985-86). Pittsburgh native was 47.
- Bob Howell - Juco recruit who averaged 6.9 ppg for Virginia Tech in 1954-55 was 80.
- Harold "Buddy" Hudson - One of Oklahoma's first two African-American players died of a heart attack at 75. Hudson, a transfer from Oklahoma Baptist, averaged 5.1 ppg and 3 rpg in 1958-59 and 1959-60.
- Don Hymer Sr. - Averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.5 rpg for Missouri in 1957-58. He was 76.
- John Imgrund Jr., 81, played for Villanova in 1951-52 under coach Alex Severance before transferring to Stetson. As an OF-P, Imgrund hit .297 and compiled 0-4 pitching record in 1954 in the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system (Class D).
- Tom Jackson - Player for Washington State in 1957-58 under coach Jack Friel was 75.
- Dr. Robert "Bobby" Jake - Northwestern letterman in 1942 and 1943 before serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII was 90. He played for Vermont in 1947 before becoming 16th selection overall in BAA draft. Big Ten Conference singles and doubles champion in tennis in 1946.
- Philip Jakeway Jr. - Player for Villanova in 1943-44 under coach Alex Severance before serving in U.S. Navy during WWII.
- Louis Jensen Sr. - Player for Indiana in 1947-48 under coach Branch McCracken was 85. Jensen transferred to Louisville, where he averaged 2.2 ppg in 1949-50 under coach Peck Hickman.
- Gene Jewett - Player for Michigan State in the early 1960s was 72.
- Orrie Jirele - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 2.8 rpg for St. Bonaventure from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Member of nation's third-ranked team as a junior was 73.
- Art Johnson III - Juco recruit became a two-time All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection by averaging 16.4 ppg and 9.8 rpg for Iowa State in 1974-75 and 1975-76. The Cyclones' leader in total rebounds and runner-up in scoring both seasons was 60.
- Clark Johnson - All-Border Conference first-team selection for West Texas State in 1942-43 was 91.
- Roger Johnson - Averaged 1.3 ppg and 1.3 rpg for Oregon State in 1958-59 under coach Slats Gill. Three-year letterman in football was 73.
- William Johnson - Player for West Virginia in 1943-44 was 87. He also competed in football with the Mountaineers.
- Dwight Jones - Compiled a 70-40 coaching record as Lute Olson's successor with Long Beach State in four seasons from 1974-75 through 1977-78. Jones, who directed the 49ers to 1977 NCAA tourney, was 70.
- Gerald "Wimpy" Jones - All-Border Conference first-team selection for Arizona State as a senior in 1941-42. He was 93.
- Ted Jones - Averaged 8.9 ppg and 4.8 rpg for Texas Christian in 1973-74 and 1974-75.
- Walter Jones - Averaged 17 ppg and 10.3 rpg for LIU from 1969-70 through 1971-72, leading the Blackbirds in scoring and rebounding as sophomore and junior. Died at the age of 63 after a fire broke out in his Bronx apartment.
- Willie Jones - Juco recruit averaged 6.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 57% from the floor for Wyoming's NCAA tourney teams in 1986-87 and 1987-88. He was 48.
- Wilbert Jordan Jr. - Averaged 4 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Southern Mississippi from 1969-70 through 1971-72 as school was making transition to NCAA Division I level. First African-American to play varsity sport at one of Mississippi's historically-white major universities was 62.
- Tom Jorgensen - Compiled a 96-71 coaching record with Northern Illinois in seven seasons from 1966-67 through 1972-73 when school made transition up to NCAA DI level. He averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg for Michigan from 1953-54 through 1955-56. Second-leading scorer for the Wolverines all three seasons and senior captain was 78.
- Charles Robert "Moose" Kahle - Played for South Carolina in 1949-50. Two-year football letterman was 85.
- Milt Kane - Junior college recruit averaged 13.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg for Utah in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Jack Gardner. The Utes' leading scorer as junior with 16.6 ppg was 78. Kane served in U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
- Dr. Jim Karabatsos - Played for Creighton in late 1940s. Medic in U.S. Navy during WWII was 86.
- Lou Kasperik - Member of Duquesne's "Iron Dukes" in 1940 when starting five played almost every minute of every game in becoming the first school to compete in both the NIT and NCAA playoffs in the same season. He was 93.
- Dick Kazmaier - Averaged 3.4 ppg for Princeton as a sophomore and junior after pacing freshman team in scoring in 1948-49. Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Trophy winner in 1951 after tailback led the Tigers' football squad to their second straight 9-0 record was 82.
- Rudy Keeling - Maine and Northeastern coach died at 64. He guided Maine to its first 20-win season in 1993-94.
- Walter Kell - Averaged 4.5 ppg for Michigan in 1944-45 and 1945-46. He was 91.
- Garry Kemple - Averaged 1.5 ppg for Virginia Military Institute from 1960-61 through 1962-63. He was 73.
- Ray "Red" Kenaga - Played for Michigan in 1952-53. He was 80.
- Larry Killick - Regular for Dartmouth's NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1944 was 90. Vermont's top scorer between stint in U.S. Marine Corps serving in Pacific Theater was selected 10th in 1947 BAA draft.
- Colonel Jack Kimbrough - Played for Florida in late 1940s. U.S. Air Force veteran was 84.
- Bob King - Butler letterman in 1945 died at 92. Army veteran was a long-time Purdue assistant coach.
- Bruce "Sky" King - Averaged 31 ppg and 7 rpg for Pan American in 1973-74 under coach Abe Lemons after transferring when Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's program disbanded. King scored 55 points in a single game against Baptist. Runner-up in NCAA scoring with PAU after finishing 30th in nation (23.5 ppg) for Corpus Christi the previous season was 60.
- Wendell "Mel" Kiser - Averaged 10.6 ppg for Akron from 1952-53 through 1955-56, leading the Zips in rebounding in 1953-54 with 10.8 rpg. He was 83.
- Gerald Klobusnik - Player for Miami of Ohio in 1954-55 was 81.
- Harold "Doc" Knapke - Played for Dayton in 1942-43 before serving in U.S. Army in European Theatre during WWII. He was 91.
- Ron "Winnie" Knickerbocker - Player for SMU in the early 1960s under coach Doc Hayes was 72.
- Don Koch - Played for St. Louis in 1941-42 before serving as U.S. Marine Corps pilot in the South Pacific during WWII. He was 90.
- George Kok Sr. - Three-time All-SWC first-team selection averaged 17.5 ppg for Arkansas from 1944-45 through 1947-48. Leading scorer as freshman for the Razorbacks' 1945 Final Four team was 91. All-American as senior before becoming 2nd pick overall in BAA draft.
- Francis "Ted" Kondrad - Averaged 1.3 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Pittsburgh in 1958-59. He was 76.
- John "Jack" Kreusser - Averaged 1.1 ppg for Connecticut in 1975-76 and 1976-77. He was 58.
- Bob Kruer Sr., 91, played for Xavier in first half of 1940s before serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.
- Bob Kurland - Three-time NCAA consensus first-team All-American for Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) was 88 when he died at his home on Sanibel Island, Fla., Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1945 (37 points in final two games) and 1946 (52 points) while powering his school to back-to-back NCAA championships.
- Jim Langley - Averaged 2.6 ppg for California's NCAA titlist in 1959 coached by Pete Newell. Langley was 75.
- Howie Lassoff - Averaged 9 ppg and 7.2 rpg for American University from 1974-75 through 1977-78 under coach Jim Lynam. AU's leader in rebounding each of his last three seasons was 57.
- Albert "Cappy" Lavin - San Francisco player who averaged 7 ppg for the Dons in 1950-51 and father of former UCLA and St. John's coach Steve Lavin died at 82.
- Mack Layne - Abilene Christian transfer played for Houston in 1962-63 under coach Guy Lewis.
- James "Bob" Ledford - Colorado transfer led Northern Colorado in scoring in 1948-49 with 16.7 ppg. His career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 89.
- William "Dave" Leggett - Averaged 1.7 ppg for Ohio State from 1951-52 through 1953-54. QB/DB was Rose Bowl MVP for undefeated 1954 football team under coach Woody Hayes. Leggett was 79.
- Kenny Legins Sr. - Averaged 14.8 ppg and 9.5 rpg for George Washington from 1962-63 through 1964-65. The Colonials' leading scorer as a sophomore and top rebounder as senior was 70.
- Ralph Leng - Member of Duquesne's 1955 NIT titlist was 77.
- Lee Leonard - Averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.2 rpg for New Mexico State NCAA playoff teams in 1967-68 and 1968-69 under coach Lou Henson.
- Ben Lewis - Lettered for UCLA in 1945-46 after serving in U.S. Naval Air Corps during WWII. He was 86.
- Freddie Linari - Member of Stanford's 1942 NCAA Tournament titlist coached by Everett Dean. Linari was 92.
- Bob Lindh - Player for Washington in early 1940s under coach Hec Edmundson was 94. Lindh was team captain in 1941-42.
- Don Lindquist - Captain for Michigan's team in 1944-45 was 87. He served in U.S. Navy during WWII.
- Jim Line - Averaged 7.7 ppg for Kentucky from 1946-47 through 1949-50 under coach Adolph Rupp. Regular for back-to-back NCAA titlists in 1948 and 1949 before becoming an All-American as a senior. Line was 87.
- Darrell Lorance - Played for Kentucky in 1945-46 and Missouri in 1946-47. He was 85.
- Bill Lovelace - Averaged 6.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg for Tennessee from 1952-53 through 1954-55. He was 79.
- Joe Luchi - Averaged 8.4 ppg for Cincinnati from 1948-49 through 1950-51. All-MAC first-team selection as senior runner-up in scoring and rebounding for NIT team was 88. He served as a gunnery training sergeant at stateside UAAAF bases during WWII.
- John Ludka - Averaged 3 ppg for Syracuse from 1944-45 through 1946-47. He was 87.
- Don Lund - Averaged 4.4 ppg for Michigan from 1942-43 through 1944-45. Outfielder hit .240 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers in seven-year MLB career from 1945 to 1954. Coach of 1962 College World Series champion for his alma mater was 90.
- Dave Lynch - Averaged 4.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Xavier from 1964-65 through 1966-67. He was 68.
- Doug Lynn Sr. - Played for Oklahoma in late 1940s and early 1950s under coach Bruce Drake. Lynn, a drill instructor in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, was 85.
- John Maczuzak - Averaged 3 ppg and 3.2 rpg for Pittsburgh from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Former NFL defensive tackle who became President and COO of National Steel Corporation was 72.
- Dr. James "Jay" Manning III - Averaged 5 ppg for George Washington from 1952-53 through 1954-55. Member of GWU's first NCAA tourney team in 1954 was 78.
- Craig Manwaring - Played for Wisconsin in late 1960s and early 1970s. Southern Illinois native was 64.
- Alfred "Ted" Marshall - Averaged 3.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg for Maryland from 1959-60 through 1961-62. He was 74.
- Archie Marshik - Three-year letterman for Oregon from 1939-40 through 1941-42 under coach Howard Hobson after the Ducks captured the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939 his freshman year. Marshik was 94.
- Alex Martin Jr. - Player for Michigan in late 1940s and early 1950s was 87. He served in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.
- Billy Mason - Juco recruit averaged 5.6 ppg for Wake Forest in 1949-50 and 1950-51 under coach Murray Greason. He was 86.
- Bobby Masters - Averaged 6.4 ppg for Indiana from 1949-50 through 1951-52 under coach Branch McCracken. IU's second-leading rebounder as senior captain with 7.1 rpg was 82.
- Jim McCargo Jr. - Averaged 16.4 ppg and 11.7 rpg for Pacific from 1970-71 through 1972-73. All-WCAC second-team choice as a sophomore and two-time All-PCAA selection was 62. He led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding as a senior under coach Stan Morrison.
- Bobby Joe McCarley - Averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Mississippi in 1960-61 and 1961-62 under coach Country Graham. McCarley was 72.
- Boyd McCaslin - All-EIBL second-team selection for Dartmouth in 1945-46 transferred with coach Ozzie Cowles to Michigan, where they participated in the Wolverines' first NCAA tourney in 1948. McCaslin, who originally lettered with Hobart NY in 1944-45, was 87.
- Leason "Pete" McCloud - Two-time All-Mountain States Conference first-team selection was mainstay for Colorado from 1939-40 through 1941-42 under coach Forrest "Frosty" Cox. McCloud, who was 94, started for 1940 NIT champion and was leading scorer for 1942 NCAA Final Four club.
- James "Bob" McConnell - Averaged 2.3 ppg for Kansas State in 1963-64 and 1964-65 under coach Tex Winter. McConnell was 70.
- Don "Stretch" McGann - Averaged 3 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Notre Dame from 1957-58 through 1959-60. He was 74.
- Andy McGowan - Three-year Manhattan letterman averaged 11.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg as senior captain in 1952-53. He was 81.
- Jim McGregor - Compiled a 4-22 coaching record with New Mexico State in 1965-66. Lou Henson's predecessor was 91.
- Jim McIntosh - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 5 rpg for Villanova from 1966-67 through 1968-69 under coach Jack Kraft, appearing in NCAA playoffs as a senior. He was 67.
- Richardson "Dick" McKenzie Jr. - All-SEC third-team selection as an Alabama senior in 1949-50 was 85.
- John "Red" McManus - First coach to guide Creighton to two NCAA playoff appearances (1962 and 1964 behind All-American Paul Silas) died at 88. He is credited with returning the Bluejays to "big-time" basketball after the school de-emphasized the sport in the 1950s.
- Chuck McNerney - Averaged 1.3 ppg for Saint Mary's in 1954-55. He was 77.
- Walt McPherson - San Jose State's all-time winningest coach compiled a 251-197 record in 17 seasons in 1940-41, 1941-42 and from 1945-46 through 1959-60, directing the Spartans to the 1951 NCAA playoffs. Multiple-sport player for SJSU was 96.
- Paul Meany, 70, averaged 2.7 ppg and 2 rpg for Arizona State from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under coach Ned Wulk.
- Cliff Meely - All-American as a Colorado senior in 1970-71 died at 65 from complications linked to a blood infection. Juco transfer established the Buffaloes' record for highest scoring average in a single season (28 ppg). Three-time All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection led CU in scoring and rebounding all three campaigns (career averages of 24.3 ppg and 12.1 rpg).
- Don "Monk" Meineke - NCAA consensus second-team All-American with Dayton in 1951-52 died at 83. He paced the nation in field-goal percentage in 1950-51 and ranked among the top 13 scorers each of his last two season while powering the Flyers to runner-up finishes in the NIT.
- Dean "The Dream" Meminger - NCAA unanimous first-team All-American in 1970-71 was NIT Most Valuable Player for Marquette in 1970. He was found dead at 65 in a Hamilton Heights, N.Y., hotel of an apparent drug overdose.
- Marvin Meredith - Averaged 1.5 ppg for Marshall in 1950-51 under coach Cam Henderson. Meredith was 85.
- Joe C. Meriweather - All-American as a senior center for Southern Illinois in 1974-75 died in Columbus, Ga., at 59. Ranked among the nation's top 12 in field-goal percentage each of his final two seasons.
- Dean Metz - Played for Arizona in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach Fred Enke.
- Andrew "Les" Metzger - Juco recruit played for Colorado in late 1940s. He was 88.
- Vern Mikkelsen - All-American frontcourter with Hamline (Minn.) as a senior in 1948-49 died at age of 85.
- Harry Miller - Compiled a 139-131 coaching record in 10 NCAA Division I seasons with North Texas State (10-15 in 1970-71), Wichita State (97-90 in seven years from 1971-72 through 1977-78) and Stephen F. Austin (32-26 in two DI years in 1986-87 and 1987-88). Small-college coach for 24 years was 86.
- Jack Miller - Scored a total of 40 points for Texas A&M from 1947-48 through 1949-50. He was 84.
- Leland Mitchell - Two-time All-SEC first-team selection when leading Mississippi State in scoring and rebounding in 1961-62 and 1962-63 died at 72. As a senior, he and teammates famously sneaked out of the state with coach Babe McCarthy in the dead of night to play in the 1963 NCAA playoffs despite state law discouraged the all-white Bulldogs from competing on court against opponents with black players. Mitchell, a juco recruit, averaged 15.6 ppg and 9 rpg in three-year varsity career before becoming 15th pick overall in 1963 NBA draft.
- Jack Morley - Played for Southern California in 1944-45 after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He was 87.
- Gale Mortensen - Arizona State three-year starter in mid-1940s was 91.
- Lee Morton Sr. - Leading scorer for Cornell as All-EIBL (forerunner of Ivy League) first-team selection in 1952-53 and 1953-54 was 81. He was 25th pick overall in 1954 NBA draft after leading Big Red to its first NCAA playoff appearance.
- Dr. Phil Morton - Averaged 4 ppg for Toledo from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Senior captain was 82.
- Ford "Moon" Mullen - Last surviving member of Oregon's legendary "Tall Firs" coached by Howard Hobson (first NCAA tourney champion in 1939) was 96. Mullen was leadoff hitter as Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B much of 1944 MLB season.
- John "Pete" Murray - Averaged 3.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg as senior captain of Hardin-Simmons' 1957 NCAA playoff team. Participated in victories in football and basketball on the same day in 1956. He was 79.
- Geoffrey Myers - Played for Princeton from 1959-60 through 1961-62.
- Ferd Nadherny - Averaged 5.9 ppg for Yale's NCAA tourney team in 1949 under coach Howard Hobson after serving in U.S. Navy. Teammate of All-American Tony Lavelli was 86.
- Joe Bob Neely - Arizona State letterman in 1945-46 was 87. He was inducted into International Softball Congress fast-pitch Hall of Fame in 1977 after named to the ISC All-World Team in 1951 and 1955.
- Bill Nelson - Averaged 2.8 ppg for Wisconsin in 1959-60 before transferring to Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He was 72.
- Tom Nelson - Member of St. John's 1943 NIT titlist coached by Joe Lapchick was 89. Nelson served in U.S. Navy during WWII.
- Lewis Neyland - Averaged 7 ppg and 4.7 rpg for Tennessee from 1952-53 through 1955-56. Son of legendary Vols football coach Robert Neyland was 79.
- Bob Nichols - Winningest coach in Mid-American Conference history (overall games) died at 82. He was captain of 1952-53 Toledo team before compiling a 377-211 record as his alma mater's pilot for 22 seasons from 1965-66 through 1986-87.
- Melvin "Sam" Nissel - Averaged 8.3 ppg for Providence from 1948-49 through 1950-51. He was 84.
- Dyron Nix - Member of Tennessee's All-Century team who led the SEC in scoring as a junior in 1987-88 died at the age of 46 after three-time all-league selection was hospitalized for pneumonia.
- Mike Nofsinger - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Maryland from 1959-60 through 1961-62. He was 77.
- Rev. J. Daniel Nolan - Averaged 10 ppg and 10 rpg for Lehigh from 1955-56 through 1957-58, finishing among the school's top two in rebounding average all three seasons. Quarterback, a fourth-round selection by Washington Redskins in 1958 NFL draft (40th pick overall), was 76.
- Mike Noland - Indiana's fourth-leading scorer (8.7 ppg) and rebounder (5.4 rpg) in 1968-69 was 65. He went on to serve in U.S. military during the Vietnam War.
- Steve Norris - Averaged 13.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Butler from 1967-68 through 1969-70 under coach Tony Hinkle. Finishing among the Bulldogs' top two scorers each of his last two seasons, he was 64.
- Larry O'Connor - Canisius' leader in scoring and rebounding as a senior in 1952-53 was 80.
- James "Mike" O'Dell - Averaged 4.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg for Memphis State from 1965-66 through 1967-68. He was 68.
- Dick O'Neal - Texas Christian leader in career scoring average (23.9 ppg) died at 78. He was an All-American as a senior in 1956-57 after finishing among the nation's top 12 scorers the previous two seasons. His 49-point outburst against Rice stood as a school single-game standard for more than 40 years.
- Johnny Orr - All-time winningest coach for Michigan (209 victories from 1968-69 through 1979-80) and Iowa State (218 from 1980-81 through 1993-94) died at 86. Former UMass mentor was first Big Ten Conference coach to lead his team to four consecutive NCAA playoff berths. Named national coach of the year by NABC in 1976 when directing the Wolverines to NCAA Tournament title game against unbeaten Indiana.
- Charlie Pack - Averaged 5.5 ppg and 2 rpg for Baylor in 1956-57 and 1957-58 before also playing with the Bears in 1958-59 under coach Bill Henderson. Central Texas fishing legend who won about a dozen championships at the state and national levels was 76.
- Gene Palmer - Center for Alabama from 1946-47 through 1949-50 after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He averaged 4.4 ppg as a senior.
- Jim Palmer - Averaged 10.6 ppg and 11.5 rpg for Dayton's NIT teams in 1955-56 and 1956-57 under coach Tom Blackburn. Leading rebounder for the Flyers before becoming 12th pick overall in NBA draft was 80.
- John "Bud" Palmer - All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1942-43 and network TV broadcaster was 91.
- Ted Panoplos - Penn State's second-leading scorer with 11.9 ppg in 1950-51.
- Mike Pappas - Navy veteran who led Northern Colorado in scoring with 11 ppg in 1951-52 was 83.
- Clarence "Ace" Parker - Basketball letterman for Duke in 1935-36 was 101. Parker was a MLB and NFL player before coaching his alma mater to College World Series in 1953 and 1961.
- Ken Parker Sr. - Played for Illinois in 1942-43 before serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He was 92.
- Bobby Parks Sr. - Averaged 11.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg for Memphis State from 1980-81 through 1983-84. Two-time All-Metro Conference second-team selection was 51.
- Don Patrican - Averaged 5.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Miami FL from 1963-64 through 1965-66. Teammate of Hurricanes All-American Rick Barry was 69.
- Darryl "Cuda" Patterson - South Florida's runner-up in scoring and assists in 1984-85 under coach Lee Rose died at 49. He was a high school and college teammate of high-scoring Charlie Bradley.
- Bill Paul Sr. - Three-year starter for Arizona State from 1950-51 through 1952-53 was 82.
- Don Paulsen - Averaged 8.3 ppg for Iowa State from 1947-48 through 1949-50 after serving in the Infantry during WWII in the South Pacific, participating in the first invasion landing at Wakayama during the Japanese occupation. He was 89.
- Ron Pearson Sr. - Senior captain averaged 4.4 ppg for coach John Wooden's first UCLA team in 1948-49. Texas letterman in 1945-46 was 87.
- George Pendleton - All-Sun Belt Conference first-team selection as senior averaged 16.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Georgia State in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
- Don Petroff - Averaged 8.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg for Western Michigan in 1962-63 and 1963-64 after transferring from Michigan, where he averaged 10.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg in 1960-61. He was 71.
- Charlie Phillips - Averaged 5.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg for Xavier in 1958-59 and 1959-60. He was 75.
- Peller Phillips - Starting guard for Seattle in mid-1960s, dying at 71, was a J.C. recruit accused but later exonerated in an investigation of a point-shaving scandal.
- John Pipczynski - Averaged 12.9 ppg and 9 rpg for Connecticut from 1957-58 through 1959-60 under coach Hugh Greer. Three-time All-Yankee Conference selection was 74.
- John Pittman - Scored a total of 34 points for Texas Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54. He was 80.
- Edward "Dale" Powell - Averaged 5 ppg for Tennessee from 1947-48 through 1949-50 after serving in U.S. Army. He was 85. 1B with 1951 College World Series club hit .265 with 50 homers and 225 RBI in the Washington Senators' farm system in three years from 1952 through 1954.
- Bill Prevey - Averaged 17.8 ppg for Massachusetts from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Two-time All-Yankee Conference selection was 83.
- Curtis Price - West Virginia's assists leader as a senior, dying at 63, averaged 7.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.3 apg from 1969-70 through 1971-72.
- Paul Pry - Averaged 1.1 ppg and 1 rpg for Louisville from 1969-70 through 1971-72. Member of Final Four team as senior was 62.
- Bart Quinn - Senior member of Toledo's fourth-place team in 1942 NIT was 96. He scored 702 points in three seasons.
- Dr. James Rae Jr. - Averaged 8 ppg for Michigan from 1937-38 through 1939-40. All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection as senior captain was 95.
- Chuck Raksnis - Played for Duke in early 1960s under coach Vic Bubas. Raksnis was 77.
- Larry Ramey - Averaged 6.1 ppg for Butler's Tony Hinkle-coached NIT participant in 1959. Ramey was 74.
- Phil Randall - Player for Georgia Tech from 1960-61 through 1962-63 was 72.
- Bill Rapchak - Averaged 8.7 ppg for Michigan State in 1944-45 and from 1947-48 through 1949-50. His four-year college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. The Spartans' top scorer in 1948-49 with 10.6 ppg after finishing runner-up in category as a freshman was 87.
- Bill Reid - Averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.7 rpg for New Mexico in 1959-60 and 1960-61. He was 74.
- Billy Renfroe - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Mississippi from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 83.
- Jim Reynolds Jr. - Seton Hall's captain in 1938-39 was 95.
- Bob "Posey" Rhoads - Averaged 5.9 ppg and 2.7 rpg for Wake Forest from 1968-69 through 1970-71 under coach Jack McCloskey. Rhoads was 63.
- Allen "Alkie" Richards - Attended Penn State when having his career at Cincinnati interrupted on way to serving in the Pacific Theater with U.S. Marine Corps during WWII. Richards was runner-up in scoring for the Bearcats with 115 points in 1942-43. He was 89.
- Lonnie Richards - Compiled a 51-74 coaching record for Houston Baptist from 1970-71 through 1974-75 during period when the Huskies made their first transition to NCAA Division I level. He was 77.
- Russell Rippe - Wisconsin letterman from 1945-46 through 1947-48 was 90. Served as a U.S. Army Air Force Captain during WWII, piloting 28 combat missions over Germany and German-occupied countries.
- Flynn Robinson - All-American as senior averaged 26.3 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Wyoming from 1962-63 through 1964-65. Three-time All-WAC first-team selection who twice ranked sixth in the nation in scoring was 72.
- John Rockwell - All-EIBL second-team selection as a Harvard senior in 1949-50 when leading league in scoring was 84. He also paced the Crimson in scoring as a junior after finishing runner-up as a sophomore.
- Gerald Rogers - Juco recruit averaged 16.5 ppg for Texas Western in 1950-51 and 1951-52, leading the Miners in scoring both seasons while finishing among the nation's top four in FG%. All-Border Conference second-team selection as a junior was 83.
- Reggie Rogers - Washington All-American defensive lineman and first-round NFL draft choice in 1987 (7th pick overall) died at 49 due to a combination of cocaine and alcohol intoxication. Two-way athlete averaged 5.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg for the Huskies from 1982-83 through 1984-85. He had a 22-point, 12-rebound performance against UCLA. The 6-6, 260-pounder made four of five field-goal attempts in UW's 88-78 1984 second-round victory over Duke in Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski's first NCAA playoff game.
- Tom Rohling - Averaged 8.1 ppg and 6.8 rpg for Xavier from 1966-67 through 1968-69. The Musketeers' second-leading rebounder as a junior and senior was 65.
- Burton Rollings Jr. - Letterman for SMU during last half of the 1940s was 86. He averaged 10 ppg in 1947-48 in Doc Hayes' first season as coach of the Mustangs.
- Ed Rooney Jr. - Averaged 2.7 ppg for Boston College's NCAA tourney teams in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Bob Cousy. Rooney was 65.
- Cecile Rose - Leading scorer for Houston's Guy Lewis-coached Top 20 team in 1977-78 with 17.6 ppg died at 58. Bahamian's brother (Lynden) and nephew (L.J.) also played for the Cougars.
- J.E. Rowe - Compiled a 57-46 coaching record in four seasons from 1970-71 through 1973-74 when Georgia Southern made the transition to NCAA Division I level. He was 74.
- Roy Rubin - Averaged 6.5 ppg for Louisville's first NCAA tourney team in 1951 under coach Peck Hickman after transferring from Long Island University. Rubin coached LIU when the Blackbirds returned to major-college level in late 1960s. He was 87.
- Johnny Rusinko - Penn State letterman in 1945-46 and 1946-47 (runner-up in team scoring with 181 points) was 88.
- Alvin "Clare" Russie - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Iowa State from 1950-51 through 1952-53. He was 82.
- Tom Samulewicz - Averaged 3.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Villanova from 1958-59 through 1960-61 in Alex Severance's last three seasons as coach of the Wildcats. Samulewicz was 74.
- Rich Sanders - Member of St. Louis' NIT team in 1958-59 coached by John Benington. Sanders was 73.
- Bill Sarver - Averaged 3.4 ppg for Detroit from 1962-63 through 1964-65. He was 70.
- Murray Satterfield - Leading scorer for Utah in 1945 NCAA tourney defeat against eventual champion Oklahoma A&M before competing as an All-Mountain States Conference second-team selection in 1949 NIT under coach Vadal Peterson. Boise State coach when school made transition to major-college level in early 1970s was 87.
- Oscar "Ossie" "Schectman - All-American guard in 1940-41 died at 94. Sophomore member of LIU's undefeated 1939 NIT titlist scored the first basket in NBA history.
- John Searles II - Averaged 8.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg for Arkansas in 1970-71. UAPB graduate was 61.
- Roscoe Shackelford - Averaged 1.7 ppg for Louisville from 1954-55 through 1956-57 under coach Peck Hickman. Shackelford was 80.
- Bill Sharman - NCAA consensus first-team All-American as a Southern California senior in 1949-50 died at 87. Ranked among the nation's top 20 in free-throw percentage three straight seasons. OF-3B hit .281 in Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system in five minor-league seasons from 1950 through 1953 and 1955.
- Dick Sherman - Averaged 14.6 ppg and 8.2 rpg for Wyoming from 1963-64 through 1965-66. All-WAC second-team selection as senior was 68. As a sophomore, he led the league in field-goal shooting (53.7%).
- Paul Shields - Averaged 8.5 ppg as Indiana's captain in 1943-44 before lettering with Nebraska in 1946-47 and 1947-48 after serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 87.
- Paul Shrum - Averaged 6.1 ppg for Utah from 1949-50 through 1951-52 under coach Vadal Peterson. Shrum, an All-Mountain States Conference first-team selection as a junior, was 83.
- John Simkins - Member of Utah's MSAC champion in 1958-59 was 74.
- Tim Sisneros - Averaged 13.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg for Middle Tennessee State from 1972-73 through 1975-76. Member of MTSU's first NCAA playoff team in 1975 was 59. All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as senior when leading the Blue Raiders in scoring and rebounding.
- Dave Slattery - Averaged 4.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg for Holy Cross from 1959-60 through 1961-62. Co-captain with All-American Jack Foley for the Crusaders' NIT team as a senior.
- Charley Snow III - Averaged 10.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 2.4 apg for Cincinnati in 1969-70 and 1970-71, leading the Missouri Valley Conference in free-throw shooting as a sophomore (86.7%). Runner-up in assists for the Bearcats' 1970 NIT team was 63. His father was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection with Murray State in 1949-50.
- Don Solinsky - Averaged 7 ppg for St. Bonaventure from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He led NIT third-place team in FT% as senior captain.
- Gene Steinke - Wichita transfer played for Denver in the late 1940s after serving in U.S. Navy during WWII. He was 90.
- Chuck Steveskey - Averaged 3.8 ppg for Syracuse from 1948-49 through 1950-51. He was 84.
- Arthur Stewart - Averaged 1.1 ppg for Texas from 1952-53 through 1954-55 before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. He was 80.
- Gerald Stockton - Forward for Oklahoma A&M's 1951 Final Four team under coach Hank Iba was 81.
- Walt Stoeppelwerth Jr. - Averaged 5.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Northwestern from 1952-53 through 1954-55. Big Ten Conference's top free-throw shooter in 1953-54 was 79.
- Arthur "Pappy" Stolkey - Detroit's leading scorer in 1941-42 with 6.3 ppg before his college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He was 93.
- Francis "Dick" Stone - Averaged 7.8 ppg for Kansas State from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under coach Tex Winter. Senior captain when scoring a total of 34 points in two NCAA tourney games was 78. Stone compiled a 2-2 pitching record as Kansas City Athletics' farmhand in 1956.
- George Strouse - Averaged 16.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg for Gettysburg from 1962-63 through 1964-65. One of the team's top two scorers each season was 70.
- Dennis Stuehm - Averaged 11.8 ppg for Colorado A&M from 1951-52 through 1953-54. Skyline Conference's leading scorer and rebounder when school competed in its first NCAA tourney in 1954. He was 81.
- Joe Sturgis Sr. - Three-time All-Ivy League selection averaged 17.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg for Penn from 1953-54 through 1955-56, finishing among the Quakers' top two scorers and rebounders each season. Senior co-captain was 78.
- Dr. Robert Swartzel Sr., 90, played for Dayton in 1941-42 and 1942-43.
- Bob Sweeney - Averaged 1.4 ppg and 1.5 rpg for George Washington in three seasons in the mid-1950s. He was 78.
- Hans Tanzler Jr. - Averaged 12.2 ppg for Florida from 1946-47 through 1949-50, leading the Gators in scoring as a sophomore and becoming an All-SEC third-team selection as senior. Democratic mayor of Jacksonville in his hometown from 1967 through 1978 was 86.
- Shane Teagarden - Led Western Illinois in FT% in 1991-92 and 1992-93, supplying 67 three-pointers his final season. Northwest Missouri State transfer was 43.
- Fred Thomann - Averaged 9.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Michigan State from 1961-62 through 1963-64 under coach Forddy Anderson. Thomann, named MVP by his teammates as a senior when finishing runner-up with the Spartans in scoring and rebounding, was 71.
- Morley Thompson - One of PCC's top 10 scorers each season with Stanford in 1946-47 and 1947-48 under coach Everett Dean. Thompson was 86.
- Donald Timmerman - Center (6-10) averaged 1.9 ppg for Wisconsin's 1941 NCAA Tournament titlist coached by Bud Foster. Timmerman was 96.
- Dave Tordone - Averaged 1.6 ppg and 1.2 rpg for Temple in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Harry Litwack. Tordone was 65.
- John Tracy Jr. - Averaged 2.1 ppg for Notre Dame in 1965-66 and 1966-67 under coach Johnny Dee. Tracy was 67.
- M.K. Turk - Southern Mississippi's all-time winningest coach who compiled a 300-267 record in 20 seasons from 1976-77 through 1995-96 was 71. He guided the Golden Eagles to 1987 NIT title before appearing in back-to-back NCAA tourneys (1990 and 1991).
- Charles Turnbough - Juco recruit averaged 7.9 ppg and 3.9 rpg for Texas in 1965-66 and 1966-67 (runner-up in total points for the Longhorns). He was 68.
- John "Jack" Turner - Averaged 16.9 ppg and 10.7 rpg for Louisville from 1958-59 through 1960-61, leading the school in scoring each season. Member of the Cardinals' first Final Four squad in 1959 and 18th pick overall in 1961 NBA draft was 73.
- Larry Tuttle - Averaged 10.1 ppg for New Mexico from 1949-50 through 1951-52. All-Border Conference second-team selection as a sophomore before leading the Lobos in scoring as a senior with 13.6 ppg. OF who hit .222 as Philadelphia Phillies' Class D farmhand in 1953 was 85.
- Chuck Vines - Player for Memphis State in 1963-64 was 70.
- Donald Volding - Averaged 2.2 ppg for Texas A&M in 1947-48. He was 84.
- Ralph Voorhees - Player for Rutgers in 1944-45 was 87.
- Monte Vre Non - Averaged 7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Weber State in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Dick Motta. Vre Non was 67.
- Jose Waitman - Averaged 6.3 ppg and 4.9 rpg for South Alabama from 1982-83 through 1985-86.
- Jack Wallace Sr. - Letterman in basketball and football for Texas in the mid-1940s was 88. He served in U.S. Navy during WWII.
- John Wallace - All-Big Nine Conference second-team selection and Indiana MVP in 1945-46 when averaging a team-high 14.4 ppg. He was 90.
- Bob Wallach - Occasional starter for Syracuse in the late 1940s was 87.
- George "Jay" Wardley - Illinois letterman from 1936-37 through 1938-39 was 96.
- Arthur Warren - Averaged 12.6 ppg and 11.2 rpg for Maine in 1961-62 and 1962-63. Died at 72.
- Charlie Warren - Oregon's leading scorer in 1960-61 and 1961-62 died of cancer at 73. After participating in NCAA playoffs as sophomore and junior, his 22.2 ppg as a senior forward still ranks third on the Ducks' all-time single-season list for highest scoring average. He was a stepson of former UO coach John Warren (five seasons in late 1940s and early 1950s).
- Stan Waxman - Played for LIU in the mid-1940s although his career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 90.
- John Werner - Averaged 8.1 ppg for Cornell from 1949-50 through 1951-52, earning All-EIBL (forerunner of Ivy League) first-team honors as a senior when leading team in scoring. He was 83.
- Richley West - Averaged 7.5 ppg for Dayton in 1948-49 after serving in U.S. Army during WWII. He was 89.
- Captain Larry Wigley - Navy's leading rebounder as a senior (14.8 rpg) died at the age of 80. He averaged 6.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg from 1951-52 through 1954-55.
- Mel Wilkes - Averaged 5 ppg and 2.7 rpg for Brigham Young in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Stan Watts. Participant in 1957 NCAA playoffs was 77.
- Brian Williams - Averaged 12.5 ppg and 5.4 rpg for Cincinnati's three NCAA Tournament teams from 1974-75 through 1976-77 under coach Gale Catlett, finishing among the Bearcats' top three scorers each season. Williams died at the age of 59.
- Curtis Williams - J.C. recruit who led Virginia in field-goal accuracy as a junior averaged 6.1 ppg and 2.8 rpg in 1988-89 and 1989-90.
- Ray Williams - Two-time All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection for Minnesota in 1975-76 and 1976-77 (18.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg) after transferring from junior college died of colon cancer at 58. He was recovering from a turbulent life that left him homeless, living in a rusted Buick in Pompano Beach.
- Roy "Red" Williams - Multi-year letterman in the mid-1940s for Texas Tech was 90. His college career was interrupted by serving in U.S. Navy during WWII.
- Vince Yockel - Clemson's leading scorer three straight seasons from 1955-56 through 1957-58 died at 77. He averaged 18.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg in his varsity career with the Tigers.
- Jean Michel Yotio - Died at 25 after experiencing chest pains in his native Ivory Coast. Center averaged 1.7 ppg and 1.4 rpg with UCF in 2007-08 and 2008-09 before medical problems related to blood clots ended his career.
- Dr. Dan Youngblade - Averaged 2.4 ppg for Iowa State from 1949-50 through 1951-52. He was 83.
- Richard Zeiger - Averaged 3.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg for Wisconsin in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach Bud Foster. Zeiger was 78.
Bowling For Hollers: Two-Sport Athletes Cheered on Gridiron and Hardwood
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." - George Bernard Shaw
South Carolina football wide receiver/basketball guard Bruce Ellington, after throwing a touchdown pass to the Gamecocks' quarterback on a reverse and catching a go-ahead TD pass in the second half of the Capital One Bowl against Wisconsin, should finish among the all-time Top 10 "Men For All Seasons." In an era of specialization, preliminary research reveals Ellington is the first major-college basketball regular to compete the same academic school year in three consecutive football bowl games. Living up to George Bernard Shaw's credo, he joined Terry Baker (Oregon State), Rick Casares (Florida), Ronald Curry (North Carolina), Charles Davis (Purdue), Pete "Bump" Elliott (Michigan), Fred Gibson (Georgia), Teyo Johnson (Stanford), Matt Jones (Arkansas), Terry Kirby (Virginia), Dave Logan (Colorado) and Tony "Zippy" Morocco (Georgia) as athletes who scored a touchdown in a bowl game before switching uniforms shortly thereafter and making significant contributions to the school's basketball squad. Ellington, after pacing USC in pass receptions, cut short both his college football and basketball career by declaring early for the NFL draft (started two of three early-season hoop contests).
In the ultimate one-and-only achievement, Baker is the lone football Heisman Trophy winner to play in the basketball Final Four (1963). Kirby, a running back, and Matt Blundin, a quarterback, were teammates who competed in back-to-back years for Virginia football squads in bowl games (Florida Citrus following 1989 season and Sugar following 1990) before becoming members of Cavaliers hoop teams participating in the NCAA playoffs. Retiring all-time great tight end Tony Gonzalez (California) is among the following alphabetical list of versatile athletes since World War II who played in at least one football bowl game the same school year they were a hoop regular (bowl year denotes when regular season was played):
| Football-Basketball Player | College | FB Pos. | Bowl Game(s) | Two-Way Athlete Summary in Same Academic School Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Atkins | Tennessee | DE | 1950 Cotton | Eventual NFL first-round pick helped defeat Texas 20-14 before averaging 9.9 ppg for Volunteers' basketball squad. |
| Terry Baker | Oregon State | QB | 1962 Liberty | MVP's 99-yard run from scrimmage accounted for only points in 6-0 victory against Villanova before becoming runner-up in scoring (13.4 ppg) with Beavers' NCAA Tournament fourth-place finisher. |
| Connor Barwin | Cincinnati | TE | 2006 International | One solo tackle in 27-24 triumph against Western Michigan before averaging 1.2 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Bearcats' basketball team. |
| Matt Blundin | Virginia | QB | 1989 Florida Citrus/1990 Sugar | Backup in two defeats (31-21 vs. Illinois and 23-22 vs. Tennessee) while averaging 3.3 ppg and 4.6 rpg with two NCAA playoff teams for Cavaliers. |
| Larry Brown | Georgia | TE | 1997 Outback | Defeated Wisconsin 33-6 before averaging 6.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg for Bulldogs' NIT third-place team. |
| Rick Casares | Florida | FB-PK | 1952 Gator | Rushed 21 times for 86 yards, scoring first TD in Gators' bowl history, and kicked both extra points in 14-13 nod over Tulsa before All-SEC second-team selection paced hoop squad in scoring (15.5 ppg) and rebounding (11.5 rpg). |
| Ronald Curry | North Carolina | QB | 1998 Las Vegas | Curry's 48-yard TD scamper put Tar Heels in front to stay in 20-13 win over San Diego State before averaging 2.8 ppg and 1.7 apg for hoop squad upset in first round of NCAA playoiffs by Weber State. |
| Charles Davis | Purdue | TE | 2004 Sun | His 6-yard TD reception from Kyle Orton put Boilermakers ahead with just over one minute remaining but Arizona State marched 80 yards in four plays to win 27-23 before Davis averaged 2.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg in coach Gene Keady's swan song. |
| Matt Davison | Nebraska | SE | 1999 Fiesta | Leading Husker receiver in three bowl games, including 31-21 nod over Tennessee, before starting two Big 12 Conference basketball contests. |
| Rickey Dudley | Ohio State | TE | 1994 Florida Citrus | Caught two passes for 26 yards in 24-17 setback against Alabama before averaging team-high 7.5 rpg. |
| Bruce Ellington | South Carolina | WR | 2011 Capital One/2012 Outback/2013 Capital One | Season-long 45-yard kickoff return in 30-13 win over Nebraska and caught game-winning TD pass with only seconds remaining in 33-28 victory against Michigan before averaging 10.5 ppg while finishing Gamecocks' leader in either assists or steals. |
| Pete "Bump" Elliott | Michigan | B | 1947 Rose Bowl | Rushed seven times for 53 yards and caught 1-yard TD pass in 49-0 romp over Southern California before averaging 6 ppg for Wolverine hoopsters. |
| Percy Ellsworth | Virginia | S | 1994 Independence | Integral part of defense leading nation in interceptions helped Cavaliers end four-game bowl losing streak with 20-10 verdict over TCU before appearing in all four contests with Midwest Regional runner-up in NCAA tourney. |
| James Francis | Baylor | LB | 1986 Bluebonnet | Eventual NFL first-round pick helped Bears beat Colorado 21-9 before averaging 2.2 ppg and 2.2 rpg while shooting 52.2% from floor. |
| Fred Gibson | Georgia | WR | 2001 Music City | Opened scoring with 15-yard TD reception but Boston College rallied to prevail 20-16 before Gibson averaged 4.9 ppg with Bulldogs' NCAA playoff team. |
| Tony Gonzalez | California | TE | 1996 Aloha | Established Cal bowl record with nine receptions in 42-38 reversal against Navy before averaging 6.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg with Bears' squad losing against North Carolina in East Regional semifinals. |
| Gregg Guenther | Southern California | TE | 2003 Rose | Part-time starter for national champion managed one reception for 19 yards from QB Matt Leinart in 28-14 win against Michigan before averaging 5.6 ppg and 4.7 rpg with Trojans' hoop squad. |
| Joe Howard | Notre Dame | WR | 1983 Liberty | Caught one pass for 43 yards in 19-18 decision over Doug Flutie-led Boston College before averaging 5.5 ppg and 3.3 apg as part-time starter with Irish NIT runner-up. |
| Teyo Johnson | Stanford | WR | 2001 Seattle | A 4-yard fourth-quarter TD reception closed gap prior to bowing against Georgia Tech 24-14 before averaging 5.8 ppg and 4 rpg with Cardinal NCAA playoff squad. |
| Matt Jones | Arkansas | QB | 2003 Independence | Scored go-ahead TD, rushed 7 times for 74 yards and completed 6 of 14 passes in 27-14 verdict over Missouri before averaging 5 ppg and 4.5 rpg as Hogs hoop freshman. |
| Jeff King | Virginia Tech | TE | 2004 Sugar | Caught three passes for 12 yards in 16-13 setback against Auburn before collecting 18 points and 23 rebounds in 16 games as hoop freshman with Hokies. |
| Terry Kirby | Virginia | RB | 1989 Florida Citrus/1990 Sugar | Rushed for 139 yards in 29 carries with one TD in losses against Illinois (31-21) and Tennessee (23-22) before averaging 2.8 ppg in two seasons with Cavaliers' hoops squad. |
| Dave Logan | Colorado | WR | 1975 Bluebonnet | His 4-yard TD reception gave Buffaloes 14-0 lead prior to them succumbing against Texas 38-21 before becoming basketball team's runner-up in scoring (12.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). |
| Leonard Mitchell | Houston | DE | 1978 Cotton | UH squandered 34-12 lead when Joe Montana-led Notre Dame scored 23 unanswered points in fourth quarter to win by one before Mitchell averaged 5.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg for Cougars' hoop squad. |
| Tony "Zippy" Morocco | Georgia | HB | 1950 Presidential Cup | Scored two second-half touchdowns (30-yard run from scrimmage and 65-yard punt return) as Co-MVP in 40-20 setback against Texas A&M before averaging 9.7 ppg with Bulldogs' basketball team. |
| Nate Robinson | Washington | CB | 2002 Sun | His QB sack helped Huskies get off to strong start before bowing against Purdue 34-24 prior to freshman pacing hoopsters in scoring (13 ppg). |
| Reggie Rogers | Washington | DL | 1984 Orange | Eventual NFL first-round draft choice helped upend Oklahoma 28-17 before averaging 5.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg with Huskies' hoop squad. |
| Bill Saul | Penn State | LB | 1959 Liberty | Defeated Alabama 7-0 before averaging 6.1 ppg and 4 rpg with Nittany Lions' hoopsters. |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins | Washington | TE | 2011 Alamo | Caught five passes for 59 yards in highest-scoring regulation bowl game in history (67-56 loss to RGIII-led Baylor) before collecting seven points and nine rebounds in four NIT contests for Huskies' semifinalist. |
| Dick Soergel | Oklahoma State | QB | 1958 Bluegrass | Completed 6 of 12 passes for 77 yards and 2-point conversion in 15-6 win against Florida State before averaging 8.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg for Pokes' basketball squad plus posting 8-1 pitching record and winning national championship baseball game. |
| Wilson Thomas | Nebraska | WR | 2001 Rose | Huskers leading receiver caught three passes for 36 yards in 37-14 loss against Miami (Fla.) before averaging 4.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg. |
| Willie Townsend | Notre Dame | WR | 1972 Orange | Irish's top pass catcher and teammates lost to Johnny Rodgers-led Nebraska 40-6 before averaging 2.1 ppg for Digger Phelps-coached hoop squad. |
| Charlie Ward | Florida State | QB | 1992 Orange/1993 Orange | Completed 39-of-73 passes for 473 yards in back-to-back victories over Nebraska (27-14 and 18-16) while pacing FSU in assists and steals average his final two hoop campaigns. |
| Ron Widby | Tennessee | P | 1965 Bluebonnet/1966 Gator | Nation's top punter for coach Doug Dickey's second of first two Vols football teams that both went to bowl games (wins over Tulsa 27-6 and Syracuse 18-12) while also being an All-SEC basketball selection (including 50-point outburst in final home game). |
Holiday Wish List: Christmas Gifts For College Basketball Aficionados
Holiday festivities can go awry between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Just ask top-ranked Virginia, which lost at tiny Chaminade in 1982, and NCAA champion-to-be Michigan, which bowed to Alaska-Anchorage on a neutral court in 1988.
Amid the celebrations as Al Bore devotees finally shut up briefly about global warming when their vehicles don't start or they're stranded because of winter storms, a Christmas holiday week absolutely can not go by without the time-honored tradition of making a list and checking it twice. The wish list, a stocking stuffer focusing on the naughty and nice, doesn't change much from the previous month at Thanksgiving but does have a little different perspective. Some of them may fall in the Christmas Miracle category, but following is a healthy serving of food-for-thought wishes presented to hoop observers:
Wish peace and comfort to family and friends of striking number of All-Americans and all-time winningest coaches for major colleges who passed away this year - Zelmo Beaty, Walt Bellamy, Charlie Coles, Simmie Hill, Bob Kurland, Cliff Meely, Don Meineke, Dean Meminger, Joe C. Meriweather, Vern Mikkelsen, Bob Nichols, Dick O'Neal, Johnny Orr, Ossie Schectman and Bill Sharman. Ditto for loved ones of deceased all-league selections Wes Bialosuknia, B.H. Born, Howie Crittenden, Joe Dean Sr., Devin Gray, Phil Henderson, Leland Mitchell, Dyron Nix and Ray Williams.
Wish that a striking number of mid-major players earn deserved All-American acclaim this season.
Wish Wisconsin's Bo Ryan and/or Florida's Billy Donovan would capture their first national coach of the year award.
Wish ex-college hoopsters continued success as prominent NFL tight ends.
Wish fans understand how good the Atlantic 10 Conference remains after numerous defections.
Wish special seasons for standout seniors because they didn't abandon college hoops early and give the sport at least some modicum of veteran leadership.
Wish the best for the Ivy League and Patriot League, which seem like the last bastions replete with textbook student-athletes. Five Ivy League institutions - Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale - can still hold their heads high despite each of them posting all-time losing records. The Ivy League deserves extra kudos for not conducting the money-grubbing gimmick otherwise known as a postseason conference tournament.
Wish proper acclaim for pristine playmakers who show again and again that "pass" is not a dirty four-letter word amid the obsession with individualistic one-on-one moves by self-absorbed one-and-done scholars.
Wish Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who has assembled a "mid-major" powerhouse, reaches his first Final Four.
Wish many highlights for entertaining little big men (players 5-10 or shorter) who inspire us with their self-confidence and mental toughness in the Land of the Giants.
Wish junior college players and foreigners could overcome perceptions in some misguided quarters that they are the rogues of recruiting.
Wish patience for the numerous promising first-year coaches assuming control of programs this season. They need to remember the fortitude exhibited by many of the biggest names in coaching who rebounded from embarrassing defeats in their first season as a head coach. An active luminary who lost multiple games to non-Division I colleges in his initial campaign before ascending to stardom as the all-time winningest coach is Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (lost to SUNY-Buffalo, Scranton and King's College in 1975-76 while coaching Army).
Wish Division I schools will soon find their bearings amid the chaotic restructuring of conferences forsaking tradition although the quest for mega-leagues could be delusional because they're vying for television revenue that might not exist as network sports divisions operate at ample deficits.
Wish more accuracy for recruiting services incapable of discerning that Creighton's Doug McDermott should have been a Top 100 recruit coming out of high school in 2010. Ditto to announcers who infect the sport by spreading this virus without ever seeing any of the players enough to properly evaluate them.
Wish marquee coaches wouldn't serve up assistants as sacrificial lambs resembling Grinch when the heat of an investigation of their program intensifies.
Wish prominent programs would reduce, if not eliminate, academic exceptions. Of course, the quality of play will diminish by emphasizing textbook student-athletes but it's not as if half of the non-league games on TV aren't mismatches, anyway.
Wish wisdom for anyone who incessantly castigates the majority of undergraduates declaring early for the NBA draft. Before accepting the party line that many of the players are making monumental mistakes by forgoing their remaining college eligibility, remember that more than half of the NBA's All-Pro selections in the last quarter century or so left college early or never attended a university.
Wish a heart for any school not promptly granting a recruit seeking to enroll elsewhere a release from its letter-of-intent when he wants to attend another institution for legitimate reasons.
Wish jaws wired shut for "Me Generation" showmen who've failed to comprehend that their respective teams don't benefit on the court from a trash-talking Harlem Globetrotter routine.
Wish self-absorbed players will finally see the light and spend less time getting tattoos and practicing macho dunks and more on team beneficial free throws. It all hinges on dedication. There is a reason they're supposed to be "free" throws instead of Shaq-like "foul" shots.
Wish high-profile coaches would show more allegiance rather than taking off for greener pastures despite having multiple years remaining on their contract.
Wish network analysts would refrain from serving as apologists for the coaching community. When their familiar spiels echo throughout hoopdom, they become nothing more than the big mouths that bore.
Wish marquee schools will vow to stop forsaking entertaining non-conference games with natural rivals while scheduling a half-dozen or more meaningless "rout-a-matics" at home. Aren't two or three gimmes enough?
Wish a generous dose of ethics to defrauding coaches who manipulate junior colleges and high schools into giving phony grades. Ditto coaches who steer prize high school prospects to third parties toying with standardized test results.
Wish authenticity for those "fatherly-advice" coaches who don't mandate that any player with pro potential take multiple financial literacy courses. Did they notice in recent years that products from Alabama, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Kentucky and Syracuse filed for bankruptcy after combining for more than half a billion dollars in salaries over their NBA careers? What kind of classes are taken in college anyway if a staggering 60% of NBA players file for bankruptcy five years after retirement? There's personal responsibility, but shouldn't the universities they attended feel some sort of culpability? And don't you wish most agents would become extinct if such a high percentage of pros end up with holes in their pockets?
Wish overzealous fans will stop flogging freshmen for not living up to their high school press clippings right away. The impatient onlookers need to get a grip on themselves.
Wish many of the excessive number of small schools thinking they can compete at the Division I level would return to DII or DIII. There are far too many examples of dreamy-eyed small schools that believe competing with the big boys will get them national recognition, make big bucks from the NCAA Tournament and put the institutions on the map. They don't know how unrealistic that goal is until most of the hyphenated and directional schools barnstorm the country during their non-conference schedules in college basketball versions of Bataan Death Marches.
Wish lapdog-lazy media would exhibit more energy exhibiting enterprising analysis. Why do almost all of the principal college basketball websites "progressively" look and read virtually the same? It's a byproduct of predictably pathetic press needing a jolt of adversarial reporting.
Wish ESPN would cease giving forums to "experts" who either lie to NCAA investigators as a coach, drop their pants for locker-room motivation, get fired for intoxication, can't quite figure out that Dell Curry's sons could also be All-Americans or practice reprehensible race-baiting with the intellectually-bankrupt "Uncle Tom" bomb.
Boys Gone Wild: Individual Single-Game Scoring Highs By An Opponent
When Texas Southern's Aaric Murray tallied 48 points at Temple, the eruption by the La Salle/West Virginia transfer triggered research regarding which individual opponent has the highest single-game scoring outburst against each major university. Such uprisings have been difficult to come by thus far in the 21st Century. Many schools don't keep track of a standard that might reflect a mite negatively upon them but following is what CollegeHoopedia.com unearthed on the topic:
| School | Single-Game Record Holder | Opponent | Points | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | Adrian Dantley | Notre Dame | 49 | 2-10-75 |
| Alabama | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 69 | 1-7-70 |
| Appalachian State | Bob McCurdy | Richmond | 53 | 2-26-75 |
| Arizona | Bob Beckel | Air Force | 50 | 2-29-59 |
| Arizona State | Casey Jacobsen | Stanford | 49 | 1-31-82 |
| Arkansas | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati | 56 | 3-15-58 |
| Auburn | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 55 | 1-3-68 |
| Austin Peay | Tom Chilton | East Tennessee State | 52 | 2-5-61 |
| Austin Peay | Marvin Barnes | Providence | 52 | 12-15-73 |
| Ball State | Doug Collins | Illinois State | 55 | 1-15-72 |
| Baylor | Johnny Neumann | Mississippi | 60 | 12-29-70 |
| Bradley | Archie Tullos | Detroit | 49 | 2-22-88 |
| Brigham Young | Billy McGill | Utah | 60 | 2-24-62 |
| Brown | Jim Barton | Dartmouth | 48 | 2-7-87 |
| Bucknell | Daren Queenan | Lehigh | 49 | 3-7-87 |
| Butler | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | 50 | 2-23-70 |
| California | Eddie House | Arizona State | 61 | 1-8-00 |
| UC Irvine | Hersey Hawkins | Bradley | 51 | 12-19-87 |
| Canisius | Calvin Murphy | Niagara | 48 | 1-13-68 |
| Chicago State | Ryan Toolson | Utah Valley | 63 | 1-29-09 |
| Cincinnati | Frank Selvy | Furman | 50 | 12-31-53 |
| The Citadel | Darrell Floyd | Furman | 62 | 1-14-56 |
| Clemson | Darrell Floyd | Furman | 56 | 2-24-55 |
| Cleveland State | Ed McFarland | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 52 | 2-15-61 |
| Colgate | Jack Foley | Holy Cross | 55 | 3-5-60 |
| Colorado | Wilt Chamberlain | Kansas | 45 | 12-29-56 |
| Colorado State | Marvin Johnson | New Mexico | 50 | 3-2-78 |
| Connecticut | Jack Foley | Holy Cross | 56 | 2-17-62 |
| Creighton* | Clarence "Bevo" Francis | Rio Grande (Ohio) | 49 | 1-23-54 |
| Davidson | Frank Selvy | Furman | 50 | 2-26-54 |
| Dayton | Scott Haffner | Evansville | 65 | 2-18-89 |
| Delaware | Phil D'Arrigo | Haverford (Pa.) | 52 | 2-18-56 |
| Detroit | Hersey Hawkins | Bradley | 63 | 2-22-88 |
| Drake | Steve Bracey | Tulsa | 47 | 1-8-72 |
| Drexel | Eddie Benton | Vermont | 54 | 1-29-94 |
| Duke | Ernie Beck | Pennsylvania | 47 | 12-30-52 |
| Duquesne | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 53 | 12-30-68 |
| East Carolina | Ray Simpson | Furman | 45 | 2-5-72 |
| East Carolina | Randy Culpepper | Texas-El Paso | 45 | 2-13-10 |
| Fairfield | Elvin Hayes | Houston | 48 | 1-29-68 |
| Florida | Chris Jackson | Louisiana State | 53 | 12-10-88 |
| Florida International | Kevin Bradshaw | U.S. International | 59 | 1-14-91 |
| Fordham | Kevin Houston | Army | 53 | 2-28-87 |
| Fresno State | Askia Jones | Kansas State | 62 | 3-24-94 |
| Furman | Jay Handlan | Washington & Lee (Va.) | 66 | 2-17-51 |
| George Mason | Bobby Aguirre | Macalester (Minn.) | 53 | 11-29-94 |
| George Washington | Allan Bristow | Virginia Tech | 52 | 2-21-73 |
| Georgetown | John Austin | Boston College | 49 | 2-21-64 |
| Georgia | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 58 | 3-8-69 |
| Georgia Southern | James "Fly" Williams | Austin Peay | 51 | 12-30-72 |
| Georgia Tech | Frank Selvy | Furman | 51 | 2-11-54 |
| Gonzaga | Orlando Lightfoot | Idaho | 50 | 12-21-93 |
| Harvard | Bill Bradley | Princeton | 51 | 2-15-65 |
| Hawaii | Marshall Rogers | Pan American | 47 | 2-27-76 |
| Idaho | Bob Houbregs | Washington | 49 | 1-10-53 |
| Idaho State | Terrell Lowery | Loyola Marymount | 48 | 12-1-90 |
| Illinois | Von McDade | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 50 | 12-3-90 |
| Illinois State | Richie Fuqua | Oral Roberts | 49 | 2-14-73 |
| Iowa | Rick Mount | Purdue | 61 | 2-28-70 |
| Iowa State | John Douglas | Kansas | 46 | 2-16-77 |
| Iowa State | Wayman Tisdale | Oklahoma | 46 | 2-5-83 |
| Jacksonville | Rick Barry | Miami (Fla.) | 52 | 1963-64 |
| James Madison | David Robinson | Navy | 45 | 1-10-87 |
| Kansas | Lindsey Hunter | Jackson State | 48 | 12-27-92 |
| Kansas State | Doremus Bennerman | Siena | 51 | 3-30-94 |
| Kent State* | Dave Jamerson | Ohio University | 52 | 2-24-90 |
| Kentucky | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 64 | 2-21-70 |
| Lamar | Dwight "Bo" Lamar | Southwestern Louisiana | 51 | 2-17-72 |
| La Salle | Calvin Murphy | Niagara | 52 | 12-16-67 |
| Long Beach State | Raymond Lewis | Cal State Los Angeles | 53 | 2-23-73 |
| Long Island | Izett Buchanan | Marist | 51 | 2-12-94 |
| Louisiana-Lafayette | Jimmy Leach | Northwestern State | 54 | 2-27-59 |
| Louisiana-Monroe | Dwight "Bo" Lamar | Southwestern Louisiana | 62 | 2-25-71 |
| Louisiana State | Johnny Neumann | Mississippi | 63 | 1-30-71 |
| Louisiana Tech | Dwight "Bo" Lamar | Southwestern Louisiana | 51 | 2-14-72 |
| Louisville | Joel Curbelo | American (Puerto Rico) | 47 | 11-24-95 |
| Loyola of Chicago | Donald Smith | Dayton | 52 | 2-3-73 |
| Loyola of Chicago | Kareem Townes | La Salle | 52 | 2-4-95 |
| Loyola Marymount | Kevin Bradshaw | U.S. International | 72 | 1-5-91 |
| Manhattan | Tom Schwester | St. Peter's | 53 | 2-28-70 |
| Marquette | Elvin Hayes | Houston | 45 | 12-29-67 |
| Massachusetts | Frank McLaughlin | New Hampshire | 44 | 1-14-56 |
| Memphis | Bill Walton | UCLA | 44 | 3-26-73 |
| Mercer | Frank Selvy | Furman | 63 | 2-11-53 |
| Miami (Fla.) | Danny Ferry | Duke | 58 | 12-10-88 |
| Michigan | Dave Schellhase | Purdue | 57 | 2-19-66 |
| Michigan State | Jimmy Rayl | Indiana | 56 | 2-23-63 |
| Middle Tennessee State | Clem Haskins | Western Kentucky | 55 | 1-30-65 |
| Milwaukee | Bob Portman | Creighton | 51 | 12-16-67 |
| Minnesota | Jimmy Rayl | Indiana | 56 | 1-27-62 |
| Mississippi | Chris Jackson | Louisiana State | 55 | 3-4-89 |
| Mississippi State | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 58 | 12-22-67 |
| Missouri | Isaac "Bud" Stallworth | Kansas | 50 | 2-26-72 |
| Missouri State | Harold Robertson | Lincoln (Mo.) | 45 | 1-31-76 |
| Montana | Billy McGill | Utah | 53 | 2-10-62 |
| Morehead State | Darrell Floyd | Furman | 67 | 1-22-55 |
| Navy | Rob Feaster | Holy Cross | 46 | 2-19-94 |
| Nebraska | Wilt Chamberlain | Kansas | 46 | 2-8-58 |
| Nebraska | Joe Scott | Missouri | 46 | 3-6-61 |
| Nebraska | George Stone | Marshall | 46 | 3-13-67 |
| Nevada | William "Bird" Averitt | Pepperdine | 57 | 1-6-73 |
| New Orleans | Doug Collins | Illinois State | 57 | 1-3-73 |
| Nicholls State | Glynn Saulters | Northeast Louisiana | 51 | 2-1-68 |
| North Carolina | Rich Yunkus | Georgia Tech | 47 | 2-14-70 |
| North Carolina A&T | Anthony Roberts | Oral Roberts | 66 | 2-19-77 |
| North Carolina State | John Mengelt | Auburn | 45 | 12-5-70 |
| North Texas | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati | 62 | 2-6-60 |
| Northern Arizona | Willie Humes | Idaho State | 51 | 1-15-71 |
| Northern Illinois | Robert "Bubbles" Hawkins | Illinois State | 58 | 2-20-74 |
| Northwestern | Wilt Chamberlain | Kansas | 52 | 12-3-56 |
| Notre Dame | Marshon Brooks | Providence | 52 | 2-23-11 |
| Ohio University | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | 61 | 3-7-70 |
| Ohio State | Don Schlundt | Indiana | 47 | 1-18-54 |
| Ohio State | Don Schlundt | Indiana | 47 | 3-5-55 |
| Oklahoma State | Dwight "Bo" Lamar | Southwestern Louisiana | 46 | 12-19-70 |
| Oklahoma State | Donnie Boyce | Colorado | 46 | 3-5-94 |
| Old Dominion | Charles McKinney | Norfolk State | 54 | 2-23-70 |
| Oral Roberts | Michael Watson | Missouri-Kansas City | 54 | 2-22-03 |
| Oregon | Anthony Roberts | Oral Roberts | 65 | 3-9-77 |
| Oregon State | Greg "Bo" Kimble | Loyola Marymount | 53 | 12-9-89 |
| Pacific | Raymond Lewis | Cal State Los Angeles | 43 | 3-2-73 |
| Penn State | Eric Riggins | Rutgers | 51 | 2-21-87 |
| Pepperdine | Carlos "Bud" Ogden | Santa Clara | 55 | 3-3-67 |
| Pittsburgh | Eric Murdock | Providence | 48 | 1-23-91 |
| Portland | Elgin Baylor | Seattle | 60 | 1-30-58 |
| Portland State | Mike Olliver | Lamar | 50 | 1-12-80 |
| Providence | Tom Stith | St. Bonaventure | 46 | 2-9-60 |
| Purdue | Bob Lanier | St. Bonaventure | 50 | 12-30-69 |
| Rhode Island | George Mikan | DePaul | 53 | 3-21-45 |
| Rice | Kurt Thomas | Texas Christian | 43 | 1-22-95 |
| Rice | Shane Lungwitz | Dallas | 43 | 12-30-03 |
| Robert Morris | Steve Stielper | James Madison | 51 | 1-27-79 |
| Rutgers | Tom Garrick | Rhode Island | 50 | 3-7-88 |
| Saint Francis (Pa.) | Ron Guziak | Duquesne | 50 | 3-6-68 |
| St. John's | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 53 | 12-29-69 |
| Saint Joseph's | Greg "Bo" Kimble | Loyola Marymount | 54 | 1-4-90 |
| Saint Louis | Bob Kurland | Oklahoma A&M | 58 | 2-22-46 |
| Saint Mary's | Jim McCloskey | Loyola Marymount | 49 | 1-4-80 |
| Saint Peter's | Bob Zawoluk | St. John's | 65 | 3-3-50 |
| Sam Houston State | Don Boldenbuck | Houston | 50 | 2-17-55 |
| San Jose State | Lee Nailon | Texas Christian | 44 | 2-7-98 |
| Santa Clara | Nick Galis | Seton Hall | 48 | 12-22-78 |
| Seton Hall | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati | 56 | 1-9-58 |
| South Carolina | Frank Selvy | Furman | 48 | 1-8-54 |
| Southern California | Gary Payton | Oregon State | 58 | 2-22-90 |
| Southern Illinois | Rick Whitlow | Illinois State | 51 | 1-4-75 |
| Southern Methodist | Hal Lear | Temple | 48 | 3-23-56 |
| Southern Mississippi | Johnny Neumann | Mississippi | 57 | 12-15-70 |
| Syracuse | Calvin Murphy | Niagara | 68 | 12-7-68 |
| Temple | Aaric Murray | Texas Southern | 48 | 12-18-13 |
| Tennessee | Jodie Meeks | Kentucky | 54 | 1-13-09 |
| Tennessee Tech | Tilman Bevely | Youngstown State | 55 | 1-26-87 |
| Texas | Gene Phillips | Southern Methodist | 51 | 3-2-71 |
| Texas | Chris Jackson | Louisiana State | 51 | 1-2-90 |
| Texas A&M | Martin Terry | Arkansas | 46 | 1-22-72 |
| Texas Christian | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | 52 | 3-13-71 |
| Texas-San Antonio | Wayman Tisdale | Oklahoma | 61 | 12-28-83 |
| Towson | Derell Thompson | Maryland-Baltimore County | 43 | 2-15-92 |
| Tulane | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 66 | 2-10-69 |
| Tulsa | Bruce King | Pan American | 49 | 12-28-74 |
| UAB | Wesley Person | Auburn | 44 | 12-16-93 |
| UCLA | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | 46 | 1-23-71 |
| UNLV | Freeman Williams | Portland State | 50 | 2-18-78 |
| Utah State | John Coughran | California | 47 | 1-31-72 |
| Valparaiso | Elvin Hayes | Houston | 62 | 2-24-68 |
| Vanderbilt | Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 61 | 12-11-69 |
| Virginia | Len Chappell | Wake Forest | 50 | 2-12-62 |
| Virginia Tech | Elvin Hayes | Houston | 51 | 3-2-68 |
| Washington | John Block | Southern California | 45 | 2-11-66 |
| Washington State | Lew Alcindor | UCLA | 61 | 2-25-67 |
| Weber State | Dave Wagnon | Idaho State | 47 | 2-25-66 |
| Western Kentucky | Ken Durrett | La Salle | 45 | 1-16-71 |
| Western Michigan | Howard Komives | Bowling Green State | 49 | 1-11-64 |
| West Virginia | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | 55 | 2-21-70 |
| Wichita State | Bill Bradley | Princeton | 58 | 3-30-65 |
| Wisconsin | Terry Dischinger | Purdue | 50 | 1-27-62 |
| Wofford | Frank Selvy | Furman | 58 | 2-23-54 |
| Wright State | Tommie Johnson | Central Michigan | 53 | 12-22-87 |
| Wyoming | Bennie Lennox | Texas A&M | 53 | 12-28-63 |
| Yale | Rick Barry | Miami (Fla.) | 45 | 12-28-64 |
*Unofficial.
Man of the Year: Doug McDermott is Creighton's Shining Star in 2013
Creighton All-American forward Doug McDermott isn't Nelson Mandela or Pope Francis, but he is Man of the Year in college basketball according to CollegeHoopedia.com. Now we know what German native Dirk Nowitzki would have done if he played for a U.S. university. Although ESPN the Magazine is supposed to be the beacon of sports journalism, it didn't give McDermott or Creighton much recognition in its college hoops preview issue. But following are "high-five" reasons inspiring McDermott's man-of-year selection and why the proclamation isn't the biggest lie in 2013:
Barring McDermott missing any contests the remainder of the regular season and continuing to average 25 points per game, he will finish fifth all-time in NCAA scoring if the Bluejays have at least four assignments in postseason play (league postseason tournament and national postseason tourney). McDermott is expected in early March to become the 14th player in NCAA history to total at least 4,000 career points and rebounds. His consistent brilliance is reflected in that he will become only the sixth major-college player in NCAA history to crack the 800-point plateau in three consecutive DI seasons, joining luminaries Oscar Robertson (1958-59-60/Cincinnati), Pete Maravich (1968-69-70/Louisiana State), Freeman Williams (1976-77-78/Portland State), Larry Bird (1977-78-79/Indiana State) and Wayman Tisdale (1983-84-85/Oklahoma).
There is every indication that the nation's latest "Great White Hope" will become only the second three-time NCAA consensus first-team All-American since the mid-1980s. Last season, he was among the first group of Caucasian players in 34 years to account for at least half of the NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans.
After failing to be ranked among the nation's top 100 recruits coming out of high school in 2010 (including many selfie-taking prima donnas), the nation's most famous "walk-on" could become the third MVP in two different NCAA Division I leagues (first with undisputed awards).
Delaying an NBA career, team-oriented McDermott returned for senior year to help his alma mater make the transition from a mid-major conference (Missouri Valley) to a power alliance (Big East) as seamless as him making more than 40 free throws in a row. He could join LSU legend Maravich as only the second player to capture three conference MVP awards while a member of his father's roster. Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson deserves some sort of ESPY or humanitarian award for allowing McDermott to get out of his letter-of-intent with the Panthers and join his dad (Greg) with the Bluejays after leaving Iowa State.
If Creighton finishes in the first division of the Big East, McDermott and his father might be cited as the premier son-father/player-coach tandem in NCAA history. The younger McDermott could enter virgin territory insofar as none of the previous 28 schools joining an existing power alliance (since Arizona and Arizona State left the WAC for Pac-8/10 in late 1970s) had an individual named conference player of the year in their debut season.
Other than McDermott, how many current collegians would be worthy of NCAA consensus All-American selection 30 years ago, 20 years ago or 10 years ago? Again, many in the lame-stream media don't have the Bluejays ranked as high as they should. But whether or not the McDermott tandem is acknowledged as the "First Family of Hoops," Doug has long ago silenced "Daddy's Boy" hecklers. Averaging 24.9 ppg in his first seven league contests in a new alliance, he would repeat as Man of the Year in 2014 if Creighton captures a Big East title.
Heisman Hoopsters: Two-Way Trophy Winner Previously Was Commonplace
At least three Heisman Trophy winners in three straight decades - 1940s, 1950s and 1960s - are among the football players who also competed in college basketball. But Florida State's Charlie Ward (1993) is the only such multi-sport athlete in the last 50 years to achieve the feat.
Three recipients in a 10-year span from 1947 through 1956 were from Notre Dame. Following is an alphabetical list of Heisman Trophy winners who played varsity basketball at some point in their college careers:
| Heisman Winner | Year | School | FB Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Baker | 1962 | Oregon State | QB |
| Ernie Davis | 1961 | Syracuse | HB |
| Glenn Davis | 1946 | Army | FB |
| Tom Harmon | 1940 | Michigan | HB |
| Paul Hornung | 1956 | Notre Dame | QB |
| Dick Kazmaier | 1951 | Princeton | HB |
| Larry Kelley | 1936 | Yale | E |
| Nile Kinnick | 1939 | Iowa | HB |
| Johnny Lattner | 1953 | Notre Dame | HB |
| Johnny Lujack | 1947 | Notre Dame | QB |
| Roger Staubach | 1963 | Navy | QB |
| Doak Walker | 1948 | Southern Methodist | HB |
| Charlie Ward | 1993 | Florida State | QB |
Put Big Boy Pants On: Time For Power Conference Members to Raise Sights
"Bullying builds character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment." - Zack W. Van
When big bullies are struck, they usually take their ball and go home. Why do so few power conference members play at in-state mid-major schools or even oppose them on a neutral court during the regular season? Why can't more big-name universities resemble Villanova with its longstanding tradition of competing in the Philly Big 5 honing the Wildcats' competitive edge for conference competition?
These type of in-state games, wherever they're played, are more revealing than most of the incessant mismatches in pre-conference competition. For instance, we've already got a pretty clear picture that the ACC is down this season after Boston College (lost to Massachusetts), Miami, FL (UCF), North Carolina State (North Carolina Central), Notre Dame (Indiana State) and Virginia (VCU) bowed at home against in-state mid-majors. Elsewhere, power league members bound for the second division after falling short at home against in-state mid-majors include Northwestern (Illinois State), Penn State (Bucknell), Rutgers (Fairleigh Dickinson and Princeton), Seton Hall (Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Peter's), South Carolina (USC Upstate) plus Texas A&M (North Texas). What would the margin of defeat have been if the big boys had the intestinal fortitude to meet these mid-level opponents on the road?
Non-league schedules would be significantly more entertaining if skittish power league members weren't so condescending. Instead of opposing natural rival Davids on the road to brace for conference play, they tuck tail and run after checking out the following results thus far this century. The scores are a sobering reminder for Goliaths venturing away from Philistine the reasons why haughty "big boys" frequently stay home and pick on out-of-state patsies to pad their records:
2013-14
UC Santa Barbara 72, California 65
George Washington 77, Maryland 75
Gonzaga 90, Washington State 74
Harvard 73, Boston College 58
Illinois State 69, DePaul 64
Long Beach State 72, Southern California 71
Southern Methodist 55, Texas A&M 52 (at Corpus Christi)
Southern Methodist 69, Texas Christian 61
Virginia Commonwealth 82, Virginia Tech 52
2012-13
Brown 69, Providence 68
Butler 88, Indiana 86 (OT)
Coastal Carolina 69, Clemson 46
Florida Gulf Coast 63, Miami (Fla.) 51
Green Bay 49, Marquette 47
La Salle 82, Penn State 57
La Salle 77, Villanova 74 (OT)
Middle Tennessee 56, Vanderbilt 52
Old Dominion 63, Virginia 61
2011-12
Cal Poly 42, Southern California 36
Colorado State 65, Colorado 64
Creighton 76, Nebraska 66
Drake 74, Iowa Stae 65
Holy Cross 86, Boston College 64
Northern Iowa 80, Iowa 60
Saint Joseph's 65, Penn State 47
Saint Joseph's 74, Villanova 58
Southern Mississippi 86, Mississippi 82
Temple 78, Villanova 67
Xavier 76, Cincinnati 53
2010-11
Central Florida 57, Florida 54
Central Florida 84, Miami (Fla.) 78
Central Florida 65, South Florida 59
Florida Atlantic 50, South Florida 42
Fordham 84, St. John's 81
Furman 91, South Carolina 75
Kennesaw State 80, Georgia Tech 63
Marshall 75, West Virginia 71
UNC Wilmington 81, Wake Forest 69
North Texas 92, Texas Tech 83 (OT)
Northern Iowa 60, Iowa State 54
Princeton 78, Rutgers 73 (OT)
2009-10
Colorado State 77, Colorado 62
Creighton 67, Nebraska 61
Green Bay 88, Wisconsin 84 (OT)
Long Beach State 79, UCLA 68
Northern Iowa 67, Iowa 50
Portland State 88, Oregon 81
Rhode Island 86, Providence 82
Temple 45, Penn State 42
Temple 75, Villanova 65
Tulsa 86, Oklahoma State 65
Wofford 68, South Carolina 61
Xavier 83, Cincinnati 79 (2OT)
2008-09
College of Charleston 82, South Carolina 80 (OT)
Davidson 72, North Carolina State 67
Drake 60, Iowa 43
Lamar 85, Texas Tech 79
Southern Mississippi 78, Mississippi 59
Texas-El Paso 96, Texas Tech 78
Western Kentucky 68, Louisville 54
2007-08
Charlotte 63, Wake Forest 59
Creighton 74, Nebraska 62
Drake 79, Iowa State 44
East Carolina 75, North Carolina State 69
Old Dominion 72, Virginia Tech 69
Rhode Island 77, Providence 60
Richmond 52, Virginia Tech 49
Saint Joseph's 79, Penn State 67
Sam Houston State 56, Texas Tech 54
Tulane 68, Louisiana State 63
Xavier 64, Cincinnati 59
2006-07
Bradley 78, DePaul 58
Butler 60, Indiana 55
Butler 71, Notre Dame 69
Drake 75, Iowa 59
Gonzaga 97, Washington 77
Indiana State 89, Purdue 70
Northern Iowa 70, Iowa State 57
Ohio University 79, Cincinnati 66
2005-06
UC Davis 64, Stanford 58
Colorado State 83, Colorado 82
Creighton 70, Nebraska 44
Evansville 75, Purdue 69
George Washington 78, Maryland 70
Gonzaga 67, Washington State 53
Indiana State 72, Indiana 67
Marshall 58, West Virginia 52
Northern Iowa 67, Iowa 63 (OT)
Old Dominion 58, Virginia Tech 55
Portland 80, Oregon 72
Rhode Island 77, Providence 69
Xavier 73, Cincinnati 71 (OT)
2004-05
Bradley 63, DePaul 53
George Washington 101, Maryland 92
Gonzaga 99, Washington 87
Marshall 59, West Virginia 55
Northern Iowa 99, Iowa State 82
Santa Clara 86, Stanford 76
Temple 53, Villanova 52
Virginia Military 72, Virginia Tech 68
2003-04
Creighton 61, Nebraska 54
Gonzaga 95, Washington State 58
Illinois-Chicago 90, Northwestern 71
Northern Iowa 77, Iowa 66
North Texas 73, Baylor 69
Rhode Island 89, Providence 79
Temple 67, Penn State 56
Xavier 71, Cincinnati 69
2002-03
Dayton 75, Cincinnati 69
Florida Atlantic 74, Miami (Fla.) 73
Gonzaga 95, Washington 89 (OT)
Holy Cross 71, Boston College 70
Penn 62, Penn State 37
Penn 72, Villanova 58
Saint Joseph's 92, Villanova 75
William & Mary 60, Virginia Tech 52
2001-02
Butler 66, Indiana 64
Creighton 76, Nebraska 70
Drake 72, Iowa State 58
Fresno State 65, Southern California 58
Georgia State 83, Georgia 78
Gonzaga 67, Washington State 44
Marshall 81, West Virginia 79 (OT)
Northern Iowa 78, Iowa 76
Old Dominion 55, Virginia Tech 46
Penn 75, Villanova 74
Pepperdine 78, Southern California 77
Portland 79, Oregon 78
Rice 75, Baylor 60
Temple 75, Penn State 63
Temple 63, Villanova 57
Texas-Pan American 72, Baylor 66
2000-01
UC Irvine 56, California 52
Duquesne 71, Pittsburgh 70
Fordham 68, St. John's 67
Gonzaga 86, Washington 74
Indiana State 59, Indiana 58
Oakland 97, Michigan 90
Wichita State 76, Kansas State 66
1999-2000
Colorado State 79, Colorado 57
Creighton 89, Nebraska 72
Drake 48, Iowa State 44
George Washington 74, Maryland 69
Gonzaga 76, Washington 66
Gonzaga 73, Washington State 63
Long Beach State 76, Southern California 66
North Texas 91, Texas A&M 88
Saint Louis 75, Missouri 72
Temple 69, Villanova 66
Xavier 66, Cincinnati 64
One is Loneliest Number: Top-Ranked Zona Refuses to Lose at Michigan
Arizona erased a double-digit deficit to prevail at Michigan in the Wildcats' first real test as the nation's #1 squad. If Zona had bowed to the Wolverines, this season would have marked the second time three different top-ranked teams succumbed prior to Christmas. Following is a naughty list citing the only campaign (2003-04) when three different top dogs (including Florida twice) got coal in their stockings:
| Date | Losing #1 Team | Score | Squad Defeating #1 (Coach) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-26-03 | Connecticut | 77-61 at New York | Georgia Tech (Paul Hewitt) |
| 12-6-03 | Kansas | 64-58 at Anaheim | Stanford (Mike Montgomery) |
| 12-10-03 | Florida | 69-68 in OT | Maryland (Gary Williams) |
| 12-13-03 | Florida | 73-65 | Louisville (Rick Pitino) |
Meanwhile, Kentucky became the third preseason #1 team since 1961-62 to lose three games prior to Christmas. Will UK, exhibiting as much political savvy as Hollyweird's Ashley Judd, finish the season with eight setbacks? The Wildcats joined UCLA (eight defeats in 1965-66) and Arizona (eight defeats in 2000-01) on the following list:
| Season | Preseason #1 | Final Record | Coach | Three Pre-Christmas Defeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-66 | UCLA | 18-8 | John Wooden | at Duke (82-66), Duke at Charlotte (94-75) and Cincinnati (82-76) |
| 2000-01 | Arizona | 28-8 | Lute Olson | Purdue at Indianapolis (72-69), at Connecticut (71-69) and Illinois at Chicago (81-73) |
| 2013-14 | Kentucky | TBD | John Calipari | Michigan State at Chicago (78-74), Baylor at Arlington, TX (67-62) and at North Carolina (82-77) |
NOTE: Arizona also lost to Mississippi State (75-74) the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Carolina Way: Tar Heels Come Down Hard on Nation's Top-Ranked Teams
North Carolina's double-digit victory at Michigan State enabled the Tar Heels to move atop the list of schools with the most triumphs against the nation's top-ranked team. Arch-rival Duke is the victim the majority of the time UNC turned the trick. Following is a chronological list of the way Carolina knocked #1 off its pedestal a total of 12 times:
| Season | Date | Nation's #1 Team | Score | Carolina Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-59 | 1-14-59 | North Carolina State | 72-68 | Frank McGuire |
| 1979-80 | 1-12-80 | Duke | 82-67 | Dean Smith |
| 1988-89 | 1-18-89 | Duke | 91-71 | Dean Smith |
| 1989-90 | 3-17-90 | Oklahoma at Texas in second round of NCAA playoffs | 79-77 | Dean Smith |
| 1991-92 | 2-5-92 | Duke | 75-73 | Dean Smith |
| 1993-94 | 2-3-94 | Duke | 89-78 | Dean Smith |
| 1997-98 | 2-5-98 | Duke | 97-73 | Bill Guthridge |
| 1997-98 | 3-8-98 | Duke at Greensboro in ACC Tournament final | 83-68 | Bill Guthridge |
| 2003-04 | 1-17-04 | Connecticut | 86-83 | Roy Williams |
| 2004-05 | 4-4-05 | Illinois at St. Louis in NCAA Tournament championship game | 75-70 | Roy Williams |
| 2005-06 | 3-4-06 | Duke | 83-76 | Roy Williams |
| 2013-14 | 12-4-13 | Michigan State | 79-65 | Roy Williams |
Classic Rivalries: KU/Mizzou, IU/UK and Memphis/Tennessee Need to Return
"Holy shadows of the dead, I am not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and brother people to fight one another. I do not feel happy for this victory of mine. On the contrary, I would be glad, brothers, if I had all of you standing here next to me, since we are united by the same language, the same blood and the same visions." - Alexander the Great
After 105 years steeped in history amid off-the-chart contempt, the rivalry between Kansas and Missouri expired for the foreseeable future when Mizzou departed the Big 12 Conference for the SEC. KU has a commanding edge in nearly every category (winning percentage, victories away from home and close games decided by single digits), but the Tigers have been enough of a tormentor to make the series as energetic and entertaining as you can find anywhere. Their border war stacked right up there with the more nationally-acclaimed "Clash of the Titans" between Duke and North Carolina.
Making about as much sense as Dennis Rodman becoming the de facto U.S. ambassador to North Korea, it was shortsighted of KU and Mizzou to let their rivalry end. They simply join top six conference members DePaul/Illinois, Maryland/Georgetown and Cincinnati/Ohio State as potentially great natural non-league match-ups that their fans can't enjoy.
If bruised egos heal in the near future, perhaps sounder minds will prevail with Mizzou annually opposing KU in Kansas City much like it does in St. Louis against Illinois. But Mizzou can't complain if the Jayhawks continue to act like a jilted lover because the self-centered Tigers fail to oppose competent in-state foes such as Missouri State and Saint Louis.
By almost any measure including Alexander the Great's input, KU has a superior program to Mizzou. But Jayhawks coach Bill Self should rein in his rhetoric as the divorce dialogue intensified or at least take a crash course in college basketball history. When comparing the significance of the Kentucky/Louisville rivalry to the termination of KU's home-and-home conference conflicts with the Tigers, Self said: "Well, they've always played every year (out of league). That's all they know."
Well, Self needs to "always know" that UK and Louisville went 61 years from 1923 through 1983 without a regular-season matchup before they came to their senses and saw the light. Speaking of light, KU and Mizzou simply have to shed one lightweight apiece to keep a good thing going for the sport in general and for their fans specifically like the entertaining Philly Big 5. KU shouldn't also deny hoop fans a Top 20 matchup with Wichita State.
By toning down picking on patsies, there is plenty of room on their respective non-league schedules to keep playing each other. Ditto for Indiana and Kentucky plus Memphis and Tennessee resuming their rivalries, which would definitely be among the top 10 such confronations in the country. If the century-old KU/Mizzou spectacle returns, it could immediately surpass Kentucky/Louisville and go atop the following list of the nation's top 20 non-conference rivalries if only because of longevity:
- Kentucky/Louisville
- Illinois/Missouri
- Cincinnati/Xavier
- Indiana/Notre Dame
- Brigham Young/Utah
- Iowa/Iowa State
- St. Joseph's/Villanova
- Georgia/Georgia Tech
- Florida/Florida State
- Clemson/South Carolina
- Marquette/Wisconsin
- New Mexico/New Mexico State
- Utah/Utah State
- Temple/Villanova
- La Salle/Villanova
- Florida/Miami (FL)
- Iowa/Northern Iowa
- Colorado/Colorado State
- Drake/Iowa
T20. Penn/Villanova
T20. Providence/Rhode Island
T20. Creighton/Nebraska
All "V" All the Time: What Should "V" Stand For During ESPN's Annual Rerun?
According to Wikipedia, V was an American science fiction TV series running two seasons on ABC, chronicling the arrival on Earth of a technologically advanced alien species ostensibly coming in peace, but actually boasting sinister motives. According to CollegeHoopedia.com, ABC also has an annual V rerun on vaunted ESPN. The intent isn't vile but, if one values the whole truth, there is vast soapboxing fiction involved amid the "V" all day every day as the vindicated big man on ESPN's Jesus-free campus.
Veering off-course with velocity promoting gabby "V" - not baby "J" - as the reason for the season, the Nationwide Leader's culture violates the time-honored vow of telling the entire story in a veracious way. It's vexing that ESPN's parade of glorification pitchmen, including staffers and it-takes-a-village coaches, incessantly laud former commentator Jim Valvano by chapter and verse. A "Jimmy V Week" culminates with an early-season classic to enhance cancer research fundraising for a foundation named after an individual who joins John Calipari (UMass/Memphis) and Jerry Tarkanian (Long Beach State/UNLV) as the only repeat-offender coaches shackled with having multiple schools under their watch forced to vacate NCAA playoff participation. Too bad 100% of the donated plaudits don't go straight through a truth detector such as the New York Times, which detailed how ESPN received more than $250 million in state tax breaks and credits thus far this century.
Anyone with a visible pulse supports the vision of finding a cure for the vulnerable afflicted by cancer, but a classic lack-of-proper-perspective stemming from the cult-of-personality dynamic is ESPN's vivid hero worship of the vibrant Valvano. He wasn't a bloodthirsty vampire villain but there are a variety of vigorous reasons for not carrying ESPN's water supporting his canonization in the wake of vanquishing Houston to vault to the 1983 NCAA playoff title. After Valvano ran afoul of NCAA investigators at Iona, a private attorney retained by North Carolina State volunteered he was convinced that the institution could successfully sue him for failing to ensure the academic progress of his NCSU players.
At the very least, virile Valvano should have verified that standout guard Sidney Lowe took a remedial tax preparation course to help him steer clear of vice squad by vandalizing the state; especially if Lowe, twice voted All-ACC and a first-teamer with teammate Thurl Bailey in 1983, was going to become one of his head coaching successors with the Wolfpack. Additional suspect characters aligning with Valvano at NCSU included suspect characters Kenny Drummond, Russell Pierre, Charles Shackleford, Craig Tyson and Chris Washburn. Awash in intellect, Shackleford, who admitted accepting $65,000 cash from outside influences during his final two years enrolled in college, is perhaps best known for the following quote: "Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious."
At the same time of year King Herod-like ESPN vetoed a "venal" hospital ad celebrating Jesus before relenting, it seemingly will "never give up" a vintage and valiant voyage portraying V as the most virtuous coach in history. The sanitized version is in the network's veins akin to trying to duplicate anchorman Ron Burgundy's humor in promotional ads. Voicing opposition to this mythical narrative leaves a cynic open to vilification as being venomous. Still, the network's doctored depiction of V is as honest as POTUS and his vultures telling citizens with a period about retaining their current physician (ESPN did air ObamaCare ad passing its rigid standards); authentic as the sign language interpreter at a Nelson Mandela memorial; genuinely patriotic as lip-syncing Beyonce, or as valid as fake girlfriend of former Notre Dame All-American linebacker Manti Te'o.
Irish idealist Dick Vitale spearheads promoting the V Foundation, which has raised an impressive $100 million-plus, and his visceral reaction probably is that any dissent makes Valvano the victim of a vicious vendetta. Anything but vapid, there is no doubt vivacious Vitale means well and has his heart in the proper place serving as Valvano's valet. But as verbose Vitale is wont to do, he has a tendency to vehemently go overboard with his voluminous embellishment. Preying on emotions, a majority of the media smugly fall in line seemingly signing off on one of those phantom NCSU readmission agreements after flunking out where they make a commitment "pledging to work hard (at maintaining image) and keep a positive mental attitude."
In an affront to valuable numbers that never lie, there are times when ESPN sycophants operate in a vacuum shamelessly enhancing Valvano's credentials as a "survive-and-advance" tactician, perpetuating a falsehood he was a late-game strategical genius. You can't take a vacation from the veracity of cold hard facts that Valvano ranked in the lower third of DI coaches among those with at least 150 close contests (decided by fewer than six points). Capitalizing on six opponents combining to shoot an anemic 56.8% from the free-throw line, the law of averages was with NCSU in 1983 when it became the only school to have as many as four NCAA playoff games decided by one or two points en route to a title. The Wolfpack trailed in the final minute of seven of its last nine triumphs.
There is no reason to be vague and treat big boys with velvet gloves. ESPN could virtually avoid any vanishing credibility in this instance by incorporating deceased Rick Majerus in the foundation equation. After all, the 24-year veteran college head coach was also a vocal ESPN analyst. Unless it detracts from the storyline, call it the V & M Foundation and add heart disease to the venture's research grants. Didn't Majerus exhibit as much, if not more, valor?
A tearjerker ESPY speech notwithstanding, it's a cancer of priorities and ESPN simply sullies its reputation with insufferable verbal voodoo vouching that Valvano was something he wasn't beyond a good coach who never had a season with fewer than four defeats in conference competition. Amid narcissism and extensive self-promotion, an "inspirational" story reeks of overkill because vermin among a complicit sports media are predictably unprincipled and offer the maximum tear-inducement reminiscent of some fairytale sans conveying the entire picture. Forget the vulgar academic progress of Valvano's players at N.C. State (735 average SAT score and excessive number of positive drug tests during the 1980s). No Extra Sensitive Pious Network should be an outside-the-lines enabler seemingly unaccountable while selling only a partial story. They have an obligation to visit the whole story; not vacillate and be on verge of failing their constituency in regard to vainly providing a viable role model.
As for venerable Majerus, there won't be a vicarious movie or "30 for 30" special made about his self-effacing humor, eating habits and fact none of his NCAA playoff teams with three different schools ever had to vacate NCAA play. In a stark scholastic contrast, his 1998 Utah squad provided the vanguard of Final Four achievements - only team ever to feature three Academic All-Americans among its versatile regulars. For the record, Majerus ranked among the top third of coaches in games decided by fewer than six points. But he simply doesn't fit into a contrived storyline. It would be a surprise if Utah players under Majerus took an "Understanding Music" class during Christmas vacation to help stay eligible like NCSU scholars did under Valvano.
ESPN's abundant coverage seemed to revel in cancer frontman Lance Armstrong's arrogant stumblin' and bumblin' "one big lie" rather than taking his bike-ride fall in a valley as time for self-reflection. The view from this vantage point is that defend-the-brand revisionist history is a misguided echo chamber. Amid the distortion, a final verdict persists about a greater-good higher calling. As many folks as possible should make a vintage donation to the V Foundation. Just envision V as Victory (over cancer) or as Vitale (for his long-term heavy lifting in the project).
It won't be long before name-dropping ESPN, via Out House correspondent Andy Katz apparently getting as much face time with trustworthy POTUS as HHS Secretary Kathleen "Get-In-Line" Sebelius, goes viral giving a prominent "Audacity-of-Hype" venue for Oval Office NCAA bracket selections. But the West Wing(ing) verve must take so much dignified time for the selfie-taking hoopster-in-chief that a Sgt. Schultz "I-know-nothing" routine emerges while chronically pleading ignorance about various less vital matters such as the Benghazi terrorist attack, IRS targeting of conservatives, Fast and Furious gun-running, healthcare exchange ineptitude, NSA spying on allies, Justice Department snooping on national media, etc., and then failing to attend a church service at Christmas. Meanwhile, a void in thought-police treatment makes more faith-influenced individuals nearly vomit when the network's "inn" doesn't have room for the authentic Messiah's message vying for a little air time more important to many Americans than giving free political points.
Was it any surprise then that sister network A&E is equally intolerant of deeply-held religious beliefs when "be(ing) original" by suspending/marginalizing the brassy "Duck Dynasty" patriarch for his version of "Vagina Monologues"? Are you buyin' what ESPN's flock of quacks are sellin' verbatim - accepting the laughing/thinking/crying hook, line and sinker? Very odd this vociferous emphasis on V. Upon "ducking" and turning the other cheek again, it's time to say an old-fashioned: "Merry CHRISTmas, ESPN!" If this vernacular is objectionable to sensibilities of the politically-correct elite, then avoid a GQ bearded set-up with a patronizing "Happy Holidays!"
Diminutive Dandies: Big Things Come in Small Packages at Point Guard
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind (about your size) don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss
The good doctor knows big things can come in small packages. What San Diego's Christopher Anderson (5-7) and Richmond's Kendall Anthony (5-7) may lack in height, they compensate for with heart. Brimming with self-confidence and mental toughness, they defy the odds to excel in a big man's game. Anderson was the Toreros' leader in assists and steals and runner-up in scoring each of his first two seasons. Anthony is the Spiders' second-leading scorer over the last three campaigns.
The nation's premier little big men are the principal reason why their clubs are credible and capable of keeping up with more highly-regarded teams in their respective conferences. If Anderson and Anthony continue their Grade A performances, they could rank among the following alphabetical list of top players in NCAA history shorter than 5-8:
| Mighty Mite | School | Ht. | Short Summary of College Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vin Albanese | Syracuse | 5-7 | Averaged 4.6 ppg for the Orangemen in 1955-56 and 1956-57. |
| Ken Alessi | West Virginia | 5-7 | The Mountaineers' second-leading scorer in 1950-51 (10.1 ppg) behind All-American Mark Workman. |
| Martin Badoian | Brown | 5-7 | Three-year letterman was captain as a senior in 1951-52 when he averaged 13.9 ppg. |
| Mike Belich | Pittsburgh | 5-7 | Led the Panthers in scoring as a senior in 1950-51 with 15.9 ppg. |
| Eric Bell | Stephen F. Austin | 5-6 | Ranked 30th in the nation in assists with 5.7 per game as a sophomore in 2007-08. |
| Arnold Bernard | Southwest Missouri State | 5-5 | J.C. transfer was an All-Mid-Continent Conference second-team selection in 1989-90. The next season, earned the same status in the Missouri Valley when he led the league in assists (7.6 apg) and steals (2.4 spg). |
| Tyrone Bogues | Wake Forest | 5-3 | All-ACC first-team selection as a senior averaged 8.3 ppg, 6.6 apg and 2.3 spg from 1983-84 through 1986-87. |
| Jermaine Bolden | Morgan State | 5-7 | Led MEAC in assists with 4.9 per game in 2008-09. |
| Jimmy Boothe | Xavier | 5-7 | Led the Musketeers' 1956 NIT team in scoring with 16.5 ppg. |
| Earl Boykins | Eastern Michigan | 5-6 | Two-time All-MAC first-team selection finished second in the nation in scoring in 1997-98 with 25.7 ppg, including 45 points vs. Western Michigan (tying school single-game record against a Division I opponent). MVP in the league's postseason tournament as a senior. |
| DeAndre Bray | Jacksonville State | 5-6 | Posted an OVC-leading 5.2 apg as a sophomore in 2006-07 and ranked 11th in the nation as a junior (6.4 apg). Assists average fell off to 4.9 per game as a senior. |
| Greg Brown | New Mexico | 5-7 | WAC Player of the Year as a senior in 1993-94 when he averaged 19.3 ppg and 4.4 apg. |
| Alex Bynum | Brown | 5-7 | Averaged 8.3 ppg with the Bears from 1980-81 through 1983-84. |
| Alton Byrd | Columbia | 5-7 | Three-time All-Ivy League first-team selection averaged 8.1 apg as a sophomore in 1976-77 en route to becoming the Lions' all-time leader in assists. Led the conference in assists as a sophomore and senior. |
| Joe Campbell | Purdue | 5-7 | Eventual PGA golfer averaged 7.7 ppg in three seasons of varsity basketball. He was the Boilermakers' third-leading scorer (11.9 ppg) and leading free-throw shooter (73.6%) as a senior in 1956-57. |
| Pete Carril | Lafayette | 5-6 | The 1952 graduate averaged 11.5 ppg in his career with the Leopards before becoming Princeton's all-time winningest coach. |
| Taurence Chisholm | Delaware | 5-6 | Blue Hens all-time leader in assists with 877 ranked among the top 12 in the nation all four years, including a runner-up finish as a sophomore. All-ECC second-team selection as a senior in 1987-88. |
| Jackie Crawford | Southwest Missouri State | 5-7 | J.C. transfer was an All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selection and MVC Tournament MVP in 1991-92 (12 ppg, 4.5 apg, 83.5 FT%). |
| Jordon Crawford | Bowling Green | 5-6 | Shortest player among NCAA's top 150 scorers as a senior in 2012-13 when he averaged 15 ppg. Led Falcons in assists his last three seasons. |
| Johnny Dee | Notre Dame | 5-7 | Second-leading scorer (12.6 ppg) for the 15-5 Irish in 1944-45 before UND went 17-4 the next year when he averaged 5.8 ppg. |
| Jeremiah Dominguez | Portland State | 5-6 | Big Sky Conference MVP in 2007-08 and league tournament MVP the next season. Leading scorer for PSU's all-time two winningest DI teams those years. |
| Gene Duffy | Notre Dame | 5-7 | Averaged 6.6 ppg for the Irish's 1958 Mideast Regional runner-up. Contributed 6.8 ppg as team captain the next season. |
| Andy Dulik | Navy | 5-7 | Averaged 10.3 ppg from 1954-55 through 1956-57, finishing among the Midshipmen's top three scorers as a sophomore and junior. |
| Haywood Eaddy | Loyola Marymount | 5-5 | J.C. transfer led the WCC in steals (2.1 spg) in 1997-98 and in free-throw shooting (89.8%) and assists (5.6 apg) in 1998-99. |
| Don Ferguson | Iowa State | 5-7 | Averaged 5.1 ppg in 1948-49 and 8.9 ppg in 1949-50 with the Cyclones. |
| Chico Fletcher | Arkansas State | 5-6 | Three-time all-league selection led Sun Belt Conference in assists four consecutive seasons from 1996-97 through 1999-2000. |
| Robert Flynn | Dayton | 5-7 | Member of 1951 NIT runner-up averaged a career-high 7.8 ppg as a sophomore in 1948-49. |
| Louis Ford | Howard | 5-6 | Contributed 14 assists and 10 steals in a game against Maryland-Eastern Shore when he averaged a team-high 14.1 ppg in an abbreviated junior campaign in 2004-05 before averaging 9.2 ppg and team-high 4.8 apg as a senior. Led the MEAC in assists as a sophomore (5 apg) and in steals as a senior (2.6 spg). |
| Tony Freeman | Indiana/Illinois-Chicago | 5-7 | Honorable mention All-Mid-Continent Conference in 1988-89 after playing for the Hoosiers in 1986-87. |
| Maurice "Kojak" Fuller | Southern (La.) | 5-7 | Averaged 10.5 ppg and 3.7 apg as a sophomore in 1995-96 with the Jaquars. |
| Jack Goldsmith | Long Island | 5-7 | Led the Blackbirds in scoring in 1945-46 when they posted their 13th of 18 consecutive winning records through 1950-51. |
| Tyquawn Goode | Fairfield | 5-5 | Averaged 5.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.5 spg from 2001-02 through 2004-05. MAAC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior led the Stags in assists all four seasons. |
| Marques Green | St. Bonaventure | 5-7 | Averaged 15.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.9 apg and 2.9 spg while shooting 83.5% from the free-throw line from 2000-01 through 2003-04. He finished seventh in school all-time scoring when his career ended while ranking first in assists and steals. All-Atlantic 10 Conference first-team selection as a junior when he led league in scoring (21.3 ppg), assists (8 apg), steals (2.6 spg) and free-throw shooting (87.9%) before earning second-team acclaim as a senior. He paced the A10 in steals his last three seasons. |
| George Harrington | Harvard | 5-7 | All-Ivy League second-team selection as a senior in 1958-59 when he averaged a team-high 14.6 ppg after averaging 11.4 ppg the previous two seasons. |
| Jason Harrison | Mississippi | 5-5 | Started every game as a senior for the Rebels' 2002 NCAA playoff team after serving as their "sixth-man" most of his first three seasons. Finished his career third on Ole Miss' all-time list for three-pointers (163), third in assists (427), third in steals (172) and fifth in free-throw shooting (82%). |
| Dick Hickox | Miami (Fla.) | 5-6 | Averaged 19.4 ppg from 1958-59 through 1960-61, leading the Hurricanes in scoring all three seasons. |
| Jermaine "Squirt" Hicks | Weber State/Chicago State | 5-6 | Co-Newcomer of the Year in Mid-Continent Conference in 1997-98. Scored 40 points at Fresno State the next season when he was an all-league second-team selection. |
| David Holston | Chicago State | 5-7 | Scored school DI record 43 points against St. Bonaventure in 2006-07 season opener. Mid-Continent Conference second-team selection as a freshman in 2005-06 (13.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, 85.7 FT%). Ranked 10th in the nation in scoring as a junior in 2007-08 (23.1 ppg) when pacing country in three-point field goals per game (4.6). Became school's all-time leading Division I scorer in 2008-09 when averaging 25.9 ppg (4th in nation). |
| Shawn Hood | Cleveland State | 5-7 | Leader in assists and steals in 1983-84 and 1984-85 for the Vikings. |
| Rod Hutchings | Northern Arizona | 5-7 | Shot 93.3% from the free-throw line as a senior in 2000-01 to finish his four-year career at 84%. Also contributed 285 assists for the Lumberjacks. |
| Keith "Mister" Jennings | East Tennessee State | 5-7 | All-American and Southern Conference Player of the Year as a senior. Two-time Southern Conference Tournament MVP averaged 15.7 ppg and 7.7 apg while shooting 86.1% from the free-throw line from 1987-88 through 1990-91. Paced the league twice in free-throw shooting, three times in steals and all four seasons in assists. |
| Aaron Johnson | UAB | 5-7 | Averaged 5.2 ppg and team-high 4.1 apg as a freshman in 2007-08. Named an All-Conference USA third-team selection as junior in 2009-10 before becoming league MVP as a senior when he led nation with 7.7 apg. |
| Omar Johnson | Texas-San Antonio | 5-7 | Averaged 12.6 ppg, 4.2 apg and 1.9 spg with the Roadrunners in 2008-09 and 11.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 3.4 apg in 2009-10. |
| Casey Jones | Northeast Louisiana | 5-7 | Led the Indians in assists as a senior in 1990-91 with 5.8 per game, finishing his career with 3.8 apg. |
| Charles Katsiaficas | New Hampshire | 5-7 | Averaged 7.8 ppg in 1947-48 and 12.1 ppg in 1948-49 with the Wildcats. |
| Darryl "Pee Wee" Lenard | Georgia/St. Louis | 5-7 | Led the Midwestern City Conference in steals with 1.8 per game in 1983-84. |
| Drew Lavender | Oklahoma/Xavier | 5-6 | Paced the Sooners' 2004 NIT team in assists and steals before finishing team runner-up in same two categories for their 2005 NCAA playoff squad. After transferring, he led Atlantic 10 Conference in assists with 4.8 per game in 2006-07. |
| Sherry Marshall | Columbia | 5-7 | All-Ivy League first-team selection as a sophomore in 1947-48 when he averaged 8.2 ppg and shot 75.9% from the free-throw line. All-conference second-team pick as a freshman, junior and senior. |
| Kellen McCoy | Weber State | 5-6 | J.C. transfer was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year in 2008-09 (team highs of 14.1 ppg and 1.3 spg) after averaging 8.8 ppg and 2.9 rpg the previous year. |
| Shandue McNeil | St. Bonaventure | 5-7 | Averaged 9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.4 apg and 2.5 spg from 1993-94 through 1996-97. Led Atlantic 10 Conference in assists and steals as a sophomore (all-league second-team choice) and in assists as a senior. |
| Bob Michel | New Hampshire | 5-6 | Averaged 9.1 ppg from 1953-54 through 1955-56 with the Wildcats. |
| Wendell "Cookie" Miller | Nebraska | 5-7 | Averaged 6.1 ppg plus team highs of 3.6 apg and 1.9 spg with the Huskers as a freshman in 2007-08 before posting similar figures the next season as a sophomore. |
| Mark Morse | Tulsa | 5-7 | All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selection in 1991-92 (14.9 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.2 spg) and 1992-93 (17.4 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.2 spg). J.C. recruit earned award as MVC Newcomer of the Year. |
| Johnny Nunziato | Boston University | 5-5 | Led the Terriers in scoring with 15.4 ppg as a senior in 1953-54 after averaging 6.6 ppg the previous season. |
| Billy Pappas | New Hampshire | 5-6 | Two-time All-Yankee Conference first-team selection averaged 18.9 ppg from 1952-53 through 1954-55 with the Wildcats. |
| Ronell Peters | Texas-Arlington | 5-6 | UTA's all-time leader in assists led the SLC in that category in 1983-84 (7 apg). He also paced the SLC in steals in 1983-84 (2 spg) and 1985-86 (2.4 spg). |
| Otto Petty | Florida State | 5-7 | The Seminoles' all-time leader in assists with 602 averaged 6.4 ppg for FSU's 1972 NCAA Tournament runner-up. Contributed 7.6 ppg in 1970-71 and 8.2 ppg in 1972-73. |
| Bernie Pina | Rhode Island | 5-6 | Letterman from 1951-52 through 1953-54 averaged a career-high 8.5 ppg as a senior for the Rams. |
| Tajuan Porter | Oregon | 5-6 | Career averages of 14.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 2.1 apg while shooting 87% from the free-throw line and 38.5% from beyond the arc with the Ducks from 2006-07 through 2009-10. Averaged 31 points in his first three games as a freshman, including 38 with 10 three-pointers against Portland State. Pacific-10 Conference Tournament MVP in 2007. |
| Shawnta Rogers | George Washington | 5-4 | Leading scorer for Atlantic 10 Conference Western Division champion in 1998-99 (20.7 ppg) when he was named the league's MVP while also topping the A10 in assists (6.8 apg) and steals (3.6 spg). Three-time all-league selection twice paced the conference in free-throw shooting. |
| Chuck Rolles | Cornell | 5-6 | Two-time All-Ivy League first-team selection averaged 23 ppg as a senior in 1955-56 after averaging 16 ppg as a junior. |
| Jim Ross | Washington State | 5-7 | Averaged 9.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59. Led the Cougars in free-throw percentage as a junior. |
| Gene Sosnick | Pacific | 5-6 | All-California Basketball Association first-team selection as a senior in 1952-53 when he averaged 17.6 ppg for the Tigers. |
| Javan Steadham | Delaware State | 5-7 | Averaged 8.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 2.1 apg as a sophomore in 1995-96 after contributing 4 ppg as a freshman. Averaged 9.7 ppg and team-high 4.8 apg in 1996-97 with the Hornets. |
| Frank Sylvester | Bradley | 5-4 | Averaged 5.9 ppg from 1968-69 through 1970-71. Led the Braves in assists as a junior and senior. |
| Raymond Taylor | Florida Atlantic/Florida International | 5-6 | Averaged 11.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.8 apg and 1.4 for FAU from 2009-10 through 2011-12 before transferring to FIU. |
| Jim Thacker | Idaho | 5-7 | Two-time All-Big Sky Conference selection averaged team-high 16.7 ppg in 1967-68 and 14.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 1968-69](seasons/1968-69) with the Vandals. |
| Joe Tocci | Penn State | 5-7 | Averaged 7.5 ppg as Nittany Lions senior co-captain in 1949-50 after contributing 6.3 ppg the previous season. |
| Monte Towe | North Carolina State | 5-7 | All-ACC first-team selection as a junior averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.1 apg from 1972-73 through 1974-75. |
| Benny Valentine | Eastern Washington | 5-7 | All-Big Sky Conference second-team selection as a junior in 2008-09 (team highs of 15.1 ppg, 3.1 apg, 1.5 spg and 55 three-pointers). Contributed 8.2 ppg and 2.7 apg the next season. |
| Spud Webb | North Carolina State | 5-7 | J.C. transfer averaged 10.4 ppg and 5.7 apg with the Wolfpack in 1983-84 and 1984-85. Led the ACC in assists as a junior (6 apg). |
| Willie Worsley | Texas Western | 5-6 | Averaged 8 ppg as a sophomore for the Miners' 1966 NCAA Tournament champion. Contributed 12.2 ppg in 1966-67 before sharing backcourt with Tiny Archibald and scoring 14.4 ppg in 1967-68. |
I'll Be Back: ORU Goes Full Circle By Returning to Old Stomping Grounds
"Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering." - Charles Dickens
Dominoes fall every time a school seeks greener pastures. The Ivy League is the only Division I conference to remain intact since the late 1980s.
Oddly, there are a striking number of schools such as Oral Roberts going full circle and returning to a league (Summit League) where it previously was a member. There is a "Terminator" way back akin to Michelle Beadle, Keith Olbermann and Jason Whitlock trying to revive their careers by returning to ESPN. Amid the wandering described by Dickens, ORU joined the following institutions re-enlisting with a conference after leaving for various durations:
| Returning Member | DI Conference (Membership Tenure) | School Status During Interim |
|---|---|---|
| Boise State | Big West (1997-2001 and will rejoin in 2014) | WAC (2002-11) and Mountain West (2012 and 2013) |
| Campbell | Big South (1986-94 and since 2012) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1995-2011) |
| Charlotte | Conference USA (1996-2005 and wll rejoin in 2014) | Atlantic 10 (2006-13) |
| Creighton | Missouri Valley (1929-48 and since 1978) | Independent |
| Davidson | Southern (1937-88 and since 1993) | Big South (1991 and 1992) |
| Drake | Missouri Valley (1908-51 and since 1957) | Independent |
| Duquesne | Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 (since 1977 except for 1993) | Midwestern Collegiate (1993) |
| East Tennessee State | Southern (1980-2005 and since 2015) | Ohio Valley (1959-78)/Atlantic Sun (2006-14) |
| Georgia State | Sun Belt (1977-81 and will rejoin in 2014) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1985-2005) and CAA (2006-13) |
| Harvard | EIBL/Ivy League (1902-09 and since 1934) | Independent |
| Lamar | Southland (1969-87 and since 1999) | American South (1988-91) and Sun Belt (1992-98) |
| Murray State | Ohio Valley (since 1949 except for 1962) | Independent |
| New Orleans | Sun Belt (1977-80 and 1992-2010) | Independent and American South (1988-91) |
| Northern Illinois | Mid-American (1976-86 and since 1998) | Mid-Continent (1991-94) and Midwestern Collegiate (1995-97) |
| Oral Roberts | Summit League (1998-2012 and since 2015) | Southland (2013 and 2014) |
| Oregon | Pacific Coast (1916-59 and since 1965) | Independent |
| Oregon State | Pacific Coast (1916-59 and since 1965) | Independent |
| Pacific | WCAC/West Coast (1953-71 and will rejoin in 2014) | PCAA/Big West (1972-2013) |
| Penn State | Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 (1977-79 and 1983-91) | Independent |
| Prairie View A&M | SWAC (since 1921 except for 1991) | Discontinued program one season |
| Virginia Military | Southern (1926-2003 and since 2015) | Big South (2004-14) |
| Washington State | Pacific Coast (1917-59 and since 1964) | Independent |
Winner From Start: Bespectacled Boeheim Sees Only Positive Results
In his inaugural campaign in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the most illuminating item about Jim Boeheim ranking among the nation's all-time winningest coaches is that the bespectacled "Baron of Upstate New York" has a stunning streak of nothing but winning records in 38 seasons with Syracuse. His worst worksheet was 16-13 in 1981-82 when the NIT-bound Orange dropped four of its last five outings.
Rupp never had a losing record in 41 campaigns but did post one breakeven mark with UK (13-13 in 1966-67). When assessing this topic, keep in mind the following mentors among the all-time biggest winners each had multiple non-winning seasons: Phog Allen (four non-winning records), Jim Calhoun (six), Lefty Driesell (four), Lou Henson (eight), Hank Iba (eight), Bob Knight (two), Mike Krzyzewski (four), Lute Olson (three), Dean Smith (two) and Eddie Sutton (two).
Boeheim boasts the best record among active coaches in close contests, winning more than 60 percent of games decided by fewer than six points. He is atop the list of five major-college coaches in history with winning marks every year in college careers spanning more than 20 years.
Coach Seasons Closest to Non-Winning Record Jim Boeheim 38 16-13 (Syracuse in 1981-82) *Jerry Tarkanian 31 16-12 (UNLV in 1980-81) and 19-15 (Fresno State in 2001-02) John Wooden 29 14-12 (UCLA in 1959-60) Lou Carnesecca 24 17-12 (St. John's in 1987-88) Peck Hickman 23 13-12 (Louisville in 1957-58) *Tarkanian also compiled seven more winning records in as many seasons for two community colleges in California, where he won five consecutive state championships after notching a 14-13 mark in 1961-62 at Riverside City College to begin his coaching odyssey.
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