Try, try again! History repeats itself but can take longer than anyone wants or expects. For instance, the hoop-obsessed triangle including Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville is absent from the NCAA Final Four 10 consecutive tournaments for the first time in history since UK was there in 2015. Nonetheless, it isn't anywhere close to a source of tourney frustration for Iowa State, which was seeking to end an 82-year drought since last Final Four appearance. Among this year's participants, Arizona (2001) and Illinois (2005) are returning for the first time in more than 20 seasons since early this century.

Five seasons ago, Baylor participated in the Final Four for the first time since 1950. The Bears' 71-year absence between national semifinal appearances is exceeded only by Oregon (78). Illinois is among the following 15 institutions going more than 35 years before returning to the Promised Land at some point in their history:

Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper to wipe big butts of George Soros NY flunkies (Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and State AG Letitia James), craving translator to try to understand Plagiarist Biledumb's Easter message, taking ugly pill to join "No Kings" rally or cowering in fetal position seeking medical directive from Dr. Fraudci, it's your opportunity to start taking online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.

We need something to occupy our minds during quarantine from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 15 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):

1. Who is the only individual to play for two NCAA champions, play for more than two NBA champions and coach two NBA champions. Hint: He was the first of four players to be a member of an NCAA championship team one year and an NBA titlist the next season as a rookie. He won the high jump in the West Coast Relays his senior year.

2. Who is the only individual to average fewer than four points per game as a freshman and then be selected Final Four Most Outstanding Player the next season as a sophomore. Hint: He had more three-point baskets in two Final Four games than contributing his entire freshman season.

3. Who is the only player named to an All-NCAA Tournament team not to score a total of more than 10 points in two Final Four games? Hint: He had the same point total in each Final Four game for a team whose star had same last name.

4. Who is the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player to later coach his alma mater in the NCAA Tournament? Hint: The guard was named Most Outstanding Player although he was his team's fourth-leading scorer at Final Four that year.

5. Name the only school to have two of the six eligible teams ranked among the top five in the AP and/or UPI final polls to not participate in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT in the days before teams other than the conference champion could be chosen to the NCAA playoffs as at-large entrants. Hint: The school lost three regional finals in one four-year span and hasn't reached Final Four in last 50-plus years.

6. Who is the only coach to lose more than five regional final games? Hint: His regional final defeats were by an average margin of 10 points and his biggest nemesis was the Big Ten Conference.

7. Who is the only individual to become NBA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player to participate in the NCAA Tournament but never win an NCAA playoff game? Hint: He shared the NBA Rookie of the Year award with another player who was on the losing end in his only NCAA Tournament appearance. Two years later, he was NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player the same season named league MVP.

8. Of the more than 40 different players to be named NBA Most Valuable Player, score more than 20,000 points in the pros or be selected to an All-NBA team at least five times after participating in the NCAA Tournament, who is the only one to average fewer than 10 points per game in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: He is believed to be the youngest Hall of Famer to appear in an NCAA championship game at the tender age of 16 and subsequently was named to 12 consecutive All-NBA teams.

9. Who is the only guard to score more than 35 points in an NCAA final? Hint: He led his team in scoring in back-to-back Final Fours but wasn't named Final Four Most Outstanding Player either year. He is the only championship team player to have a two-game total of at least 70 points at the Final Four and is the shortest undergraduate to average more than 20 points per game for an NCAA titlist.

10. Who is the only player to have as many as 20 field goals in an NCAA championship game? Hint: He scored fewer than seven points in both his tourney debut and final playoff appearance.

Answers (Day 15)
Day 14 Questions and Answers
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The four active coaches with the highest NCAA playoff winning percentages (minimum of 80 decisions) are John Calipari (61-24, .718), Tom Izzo (61-27, .693), Rick Pitino (57-23, .713) and Bill Self (58-25, .699). Izzo and Pitino were on a collision course to possibly meet in East Regional final but both lost in regional semifinals. Calipari has some breathing room in the following comparison of how the four luminaries have fared against each other in their college careers (including stints with Illinois, Iona, Louisville, Massachusetts and Tulsa):

Best Tourney Trivia Item Involving Calipari and Pitino: Did you know Kentucky coach Mark Pope hit all six of his free throws in 1996 Final Four game when UK defeated Massachusetts in first-ever NCAA playoff meeting between Calipari and Pitino?

Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper again to wipe butts of disgraced #Dimorat politicians for failing to pay TSA personnel plus Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, NY Governor Kathy Hochul and NY State AG Letitia James after they were told to leave funeral by family of slain police officer, it's your opportunity to start taking online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.

We need something to occupy our minds during quarantine from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 14 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):

1. Name the only school to compile a losing record in a season it won on the road against a conference rival later capturing the NCAA championship. Hint: The school is a former national titlist itself, but had just one winning league mark in 12 years from 1977-78 through 1988-89.

2. Name the only school to compile a conference record of more than 10 games below .500 in a season it defeated a league rival becoming NCAA champion. Hint: The school, which finished in first or second place in league competition four consecutive seasons in early 1930s, had 44 consecutive non-winning records in conference play before securing its first tourney appearance.

3. Name the only school to trail by at least 10 points at halftime of a tournament game and end up winning the contest by more than 20. Hint: A prominent network broadcaster played for the team. The next year, the school became the only one in tourney history to win back-to-back overtime games by double-digit margins.

4. Who is the only coach to lose in back-to-back seasons to teams seeded 14th or worse? Hint: He captured an NCAA championship later that decade.

5. Name the only double-digit seeded team to reach the Final Four until Virginia Commonwealth achieved the feat last year. Hint: It's the worst-seeded school to defeat a #1 seed, a conference rival that defeated the team a total of three times that year during the regular season and postseason league tournament. The next year, the university became only school to reach back-to-back regional finals as a double-digit seed.

6. Name the only school to win a regional final game it trailed by more than 15 points at halftime. Hint: The school lost its next game at the Final Four to a team that dropped a conference game against the regional final opponent by a double-figure margin. Three years later, it became the only school to score more than 100 points in a championship game and win national final by more than 21 points.

7. Who is the only team-leading scorer to be held more than 25 points under his season average in a Final Four game? Hint: He scored 39 points against the same opponent earlier in the season to help end the third-longest winning streak in major-college history. He is the only player to lead the playoffs in scoring and rebounding in back-to-back seasons although he wasn't named to the All-Tournament team one of those years despite becoming the only player to lead a tourney in scoring by more than 60 points. In addition, he is the only player in tournament history to collect more than 40 points and 25 rebounds in same game.

8. Name the only school to lead the nation in scoring offense and win the NCAA title in the same season. Hint: The top four scorers were undergraduates for the only titlist to win all of its NCAA Tournament games by more than 15 points.

9. Name the only school to play in as many as three overtime games in a single tournament. Hint: One of the three overtime affairs was a national third-place game.

10. Who is the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player to go scoreless in two NCAA Tournament games in a previous year? Hint: His NBA scoring average decreased each of last nine seasons in the league after becoming Rookie of the Year.

Answers (Day 14)
Day 13 Questions and Answers
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There is a long history of current and future All-Americans struggling at some point in the NCAA playoffs. This season A-As Jaden Bradley (scoreless in first two playoff contests with Alabama in 2023 before transferring to Arizona), Jeremy Fears (two points for Michigan State in 2025 regional final defeat vs. Auburn), Joshua Jefferson (scoreless for Saint Mary's as freshman in 2023 tourney opener vs. VCU before transferring to Iowa State) and Braden Smith (three points for Purdue in 2024 national semifinals against North Carolina State) had shaky moments in previous NCAA tourneys.

If the stars were aligned a couple of years ago and rejection of one-and-done was in offing, they could have returned and become conquering heroes. But freshman phenoms Reed Sheppard and D.J. Wagner, after absorbing significant criticism from Kentucky zealots as frosh flops combining for only one field goal in the Wildcats' upset loss against Oakland in South Regional opener, moved on to next chapter of their hoop lives via NBA draft as undergraduate and transfer portal. If it's any consolation to Sheppard and Wagner specifically plus Big Blue Nation generally, they should be aware 1978 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Jack Givens of UK also laid a goose egg by going scoreless in his NCAA Tournament debut. In fact, Sheppard's father, Jeff, scored fewer than five points in half of his first 12 playoff games with UK before becoming 1998 Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

For what it's worth in comparing Big Blue standouts, Reed Sheppard matched consensus All-American Ralph Beard's three-point outputs in two NCAA tourney outings for UK's 1949 national champion and outscored NBA prolific point producer Devin Booker, who had only two points in his debut against Hampton in 2015 before averaging more than 22 ppg each of the past eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns. Additional fizz-free UK luminaries included celebrated center Sam Bowie scoring only two points and fouling out in UK's setback against Duke as a freshman in 1980; Michael Bradley was scoreless in two playoff games as a freshman with 1998 kingpin prior to transferring and becoming an All-American with Villanova in 2000-01; Willie Cauley-Stein going scoreless in Midwest Regional defeat against arch-rival Louisville in 2014 before contributing only two points as All-American the next year in 33 minutes of loss against Wisconsin at Final Four; freshman All-American DeMarcus Cousins contributed only five points in 2010 opener against East Tennessee State; national POY Anthony Davis was named Final Four MOP in 2012 despite his 1-of-10 FG shooting in NCAA Tournament final; Tony Delk going scoreless in 1992 playoff game against Utah and had two other tourney tilts with fewer than five points as freshman for Final Four squad; all-time great Cliff Hagan managed only four points in playoff win against St. John's in 1951; eventual All-American Vern Hatton contributed just four points in tourney setback against Iowa in 1956; Thad Jaracz, an A-A as a sophomore, was limited to two points in playoff game as senior in 1968; three-time All-American Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones scored fewer than five points in two of three tourney games as senior for 1949 NCAA kingpin; freshman All-American Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contributed only two points in second-round victory against Iowa State for 2012 champion; eventual All-American Jim Line was scoreless in 1948 Final Four outing against Holy Cross; All-American Kyle Macy was restricted to two points in 1978 playoff tilt against Miami (Ohio); eventual All-American Ron Mercer was scoreless in 1996 regional final against Wake Forest; eventual All-American Tayshaun Prince scored a total of nine points in 62 minutes in his first three playoff assignments as a freshman in 1999; All-American Frank Ramsey made only 2-of-19 FGAs in 1951 Final Four contest against Illinois; eventual two-time All-American Rick Robey was restricted to two points while fouling out of 1975 NCAA final against UCLA; eventual A-A Jack Tingle was scoreless in 1945 regional third-place outing; freshman A-A Karl-Anthony Towns scored one point in a Sweet 16 outing against West Virginia in 2015; eventual A-A Melvin Turpin tallied only two points as a freshman in 1981 opening-round defeat against UAB; freshman Tyler Ulis scored a total of five points in back-to-back 2015 Midwest Regional contests before becoming consensus first-team A-A the next year; eventual three-time NBA All-Star Antoine Walker scored only two points as a freshman in 1995 regional final loss against North Carolina; eventual All-American Kenny Walker supplied only two points in 1983 regional final loss against Louisville plus four points in 1984 Final Four setback against Georgetown, and eventual A-A Kyle Wiltjer (after transferring to Gonzaga) was scoreless in a pair of UK playoff games as a freshman in 2012.

Additional eventual MOPs joining Givens in a zilch/zero/nada category were Kansas' B.H. Born (1953), Marquette's Butch Lee (1977), UCLA's Ed O'Bannon (1995), UCLA's Richard Washington (1975) and UCLA's Sidney Wicks (1970). Born scored a total of only seven points in four playoff games the year before becoming MOP. Incredibly, Givens and Lee were blanked in the same game in their freshman season when UK mauled Marquette (76-54) in 1975 Mideast Regional opening round. O'Bannon was scoreless as a medical redshirt freshman in 1992 playoff contest against Louisville. Washington was scoreless as a freshman in 1974 West Regional semifinals when the Bruins outlasted Dayton (111-100 in triple overtime). Wicks, after one season in junior college, was blanked as a sophomore in the 1969 West Regional semifinals when UCLA defeated New Mexico State (53-38) and also went scoreless at the national semifinals when the Bruins defeated Drake (85-82).

If it was easy to excel, then everyone would do it every game. Even all-time leading playoff scorer Christian Laettner (Duke) had three tourney games with fewer than nine points. You can also ask ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis of North Carolina after he went 4-for-20 from the floor (missing all nine attempts beyond the three-point arc) in elimination loss against Alabama about the same time a former Tar Heel teammate - Arizona All-American Caleb Love - also went 0-for-9 from three-point territory. Sizzling scorers learn anew it's not always a walk in the park in postseason play. For instance, two-time national Player of the Year Zach Edey went scoreless as a freshman in 2020-21 when Purdue was eliminated by North Texas. Elsewhere, Hall of Famer Bob Cousy scored more than six points only once in his first six playoff games with Holy Cross in 1947 and 1948. UCLA All-American Keith Erickson, after erupting for 57 points in two 1965 West Regional outings, scored a total of five points in two Final Four contests. Shane Battier (Duke) became 2001 POY and MOP after scoring five or six points in four consecutive playoff contests as a sophomore and four points in a tourney tilt as freshman. Gary Bradds, a sophomore backup to national POY Jerry Lucas in 1962 before earning same award himself two years later, was scoreless for Ohio State in Mideast Regional final victory against Kentucky. Consensus national POY Trey Burke scored only six points on 2-of-12 field-goal shooting in Michigan's opening-round win against South Dakota State in 2013. Virginia's Kyle Guy was scoreless as a freshman in 2017 playoff defeat against Florida before becoming an All-American and F4 MOP two years later. Luke Hancock scored a total of 17 points in Louisville's first three playoff games in 2013 before becoming Final Four MOP that year. Kansas' Danny Manning managed only four points in 1986 Final Four setback against Duke before becoming F4 MOP and national POY two years later. Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin was scoreless as a freshman in 1997 playoff loss against Iowa State three years before becoming national POY. Indiana's Scott May, hampered by a broken left arm, scored a total of two points in 11 minutes in three 1975 NCAA playoff games before earning national POY acclaim the next season. Connecticut guard Shabazz Napier scored fewer than five points in four of his last five games as a freshman for 2011 NCAA champion before becoming a consensus first-team All-American and F4 MOP three years later. Connecticut unanimous first-team All-American Emeka Okafor was restricted to two points in 2004 regional final against Alabama before becoming F4 MOP. Houston's Akeem Olajuwon was limited to two points in a pair of 1982 playoff contests before becoming an All-American and F4 MOP two years later. Michigan State's Shawn Respert scored three points in 30 minutes against Missouri State in his first NCAA playoff game as a medical redshirt freshman in 1992 before becoming NABC national POY three years later. Michigan State's Denzel Valentine went scoreless in his playoff debut as a freshman in 2013 prior to becoming national POY in 2016. National POY Bill Walton scored only four points against Weber State in his inaugural playoff game for UCLA as a sophomore in 1972.

Former NBA sensation Clyde Drexler averaged more than 17 points per game each of his last 13 NBA seasons, but he glided to more than 17 points in just one of 11 NCAA Tournament contests for the University of Houston from 1981 through 1983 (including only four in national title game). Elsewhere, eventual All-American Luther Head scored fewer than six points in three of his first five playoff assignments with Illinois in 2002 and 2003; two-time All-American Bobby Hurley (Duke) scored fewer than six points in six of his first eight playoff games; UCLA's Marques Johnson, national POY as a senior, went scoreless as a freshman in Final Four game against North Carolina State; eventual consensus All-American Bobby Jones (North Carolina) scored a total of nine points in his first two playoff games as a sophomore; eventual NCAA unanimous All-American Stacey King contributed only two points in a pair of playoff games as an Oklahoma sophomore in 1987; two-time Kansas State All-American Dick Knostman scored fewer than four points in three of four playoff assignments as a sophomore in 1951; eventual All-American Kyle Korver made only 4-of-23 three-point field-goal attempts in his first two tourney contests (both opening-round losses) with Creighton in 2000 and 2001; eventual All-American Ty Lawson scored a total of nine points on 4-of-19 FG shooting in back-to-back playoff games for North Carolina in 2007; Quincy Lewis contributed only two points on 1-of-9 FG shooting in Minnesota's 1997 Final Four loss against Kentucky before All-American made only 3-of-19 shots from floor in 1999 playoff opener defeat against Gonzaga; eventual UCLA All-American Dave Meyers scored a total of eight points in his last three playoff games for 1973 champion; eventual North Carolina All-American Eric Montross scored one point as freshman in 1991 regional final; premier playmaker Steve Nash struggled while making only one field goal in three of five playoff contests for Santa Clara in the mid-1990s, shooting a paltry 29.2% from the floor in his postseason games; eventual Duke All-American DeMarcus Nelson scored fewer than five points in five playoff games from 2005 through 2008; Connecticut All-American A.J. Price went scoreless in 2008 opening-round loss against San Diego (injured midway through first half), and eventual Marquette A-A Jerome Whitehead supplied only two points in back-to-back games in 1977.

Two-time NBA slam-dunk champion Jason Richardson (5th pick overall in 2001) was grounded by the NCAA playoffs, going scoreless in three consecutive contests as a Michigan State freshman in 2000 before earning All-American acclaim the next year. Ditto eventual All-American Clifford Rozier with North Carolina in 1991 before transferring to Louisville. Eventual All-Americans Clyde Bradshaw (DePaul), Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse), L.J. Cryer (Baylor before transferring to Houston), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Brian Evans (Indiana), Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), Collin Gillespie (Villanova), Brendan Haywood (North Carolina), Al Horford (Florida), Mark Randall (Kansas), Thomas Robinson (Kansas), Jamal Shead (Houston), Charles E. Smith IV (Georgetown), Ken Spain (Houston), Jeff Withey (Kansas) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina) each went scoreless in two NCAA playoff games. Cole Aldrich (Kansas) had three scoreless outings as freshman for 2008 NCAA champion, eventual All-American Alan Henderson (Indiana) did likewise in consecutive playoff contests as a sophomore in 1993, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky went scoreless in all three playoff games as a freshman in 2012 before becoming unanimous national POY three years later for tourney runner-up, North Carolina's Luke Maye went scoreless in four playoff outings in 2016 and 2017 before becoming an A-A, eventual A-A Jason Terry (Arizona) went scoreless in a total of three tourney tilts in 1996 and 1998 and eventual A-A Scottie Wilbekin (Florida) went scoreless in three consecutive playoff outings as a freshman in 2011.

Also going scoreless in a tourney game were eventual All-Americans Grayson Allen (Duke), Justin Anderson (Virginia), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), James Bailey (Rutgers), Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Charlie Bell (Michigan State), A.L. Bennett (Oklahoma A&M), Jim Bredar (Illinois), Mikal Bridges (Villanova), Don Burness (Stanford), Sherron Collins (Kansas), Darren Collison (UCLA), Bonzie Colson (Notre Dame), Brian Cook (Illinois), Marcus Denmon (Missouri), Dan Dickau (Washington before transferring to Gonzaga), Michael Dickerson (Arizona), Chris Duhon (Duke), Mike Dunleavy Jr. (Duke), Mike Farmer (San Francisco), Danny Ferry (Duke), Kendall Gill (Illinois), Ben Gordon (Connecticut), Devonte' Graham (Kansas), Gary Grant (Michigan), Aaron Gray (Pittsburgh), Roy Hamilton (UCLA), Derek Harper (Illinois), Josh Hart (Villanova), Udonis Haslem (Florida), Joe Hassett (Providence), Mark Jackson (St. John's), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Ted Kitchel (Indiana), Trajan Langdon (Duke), Rudy Macklin (Louisiana State), Gale McArthur (Oklahoma A&M), Billy McCaffrey (Duke before transferring to Vanderbilt), Derrick McKey (Alabama), Brandon Miller (Alabama), Todd Mitchell (Purdue), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Kris Murray (Iowa), Dikembe Mutombo (Georgetown), Joakim Noah (Florida), Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga), Mason Plumlee (Duke), Juan "Pepe" Sanchez (Temple), Nik Stauskas (Michigan), Earl Tatum (Marquette), Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin), Deshaun Thomas (Ohio State), Denzel Valentine (Michigan State), Mark West (Old Dominion), Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Andy Zimmer (Indiana) before Alabama freshman phenom Brandon Miller duplicated their inability to dent the scoreboard in 2023 opener against a #16 seed. Miller's goose egg was the most disappointing playoff performance by a Bama standout since eventual four-time NBA All-Star Latrell Sprewell went 2-for-15 from the floor in a reversal against North Carolina in 1992.

Ferry scored fewer than 10 points in six straight tourney tilts before averaging 20 ppg in his last 11 playoff outings; three-time All-American Grant Hill (Duke) failed to tally more than 14 points in all of his first 11 postseason outings in 1991 and 1992; Kirk Hinrich (Kansas) scored fewer than four points in playoff games as an All-American in 2002 and 2003, and Syracuse All-American Kris Joseph never scored more than 12 points in 11 NCAA playoff contests from 2009 through 2012. Sometimes it only matters when you score points. All-American Lorenzo Charles had a woeful four-point game against heavily-favored Houston in 1983 NCAA Tournament final but his second basket (dunk at buzzer) lifted North Carolina State to an upset win. Memo to UK Fans: If Sheppard had returned to UK, you shouldn't have expected him to duplicate Austin Carr's prolific playoff scoring with Notre Dame after a slow start. Carr collected only six points in a loss against Miami (Ohio) in 1969 before averaging 47.2 ppg in his next six tourney contests in 1970 and 1971.

Feeling the pressure? If looking at tournament glass as half empty, the coronavirus outbreak was culprit bringing postseason competition to a screeching halt six years ago. If gazing at glass as half full, the shutdown possibly averted additional tourney stigma now attached to Nebraska after the Huskers' late-game miscue deploying only four players on the court before Iowa converted crucial conventional three-point play in final minute of regional semifinal contest.

Three years ago, Virginia playmaker Kihei Clark, who went from adroit delivery as freshman helping Cavaliers capture 2019 NCAA crown to senseless panic pass (surrounded by defenders in corner with option of requesting team timeout still remaining) allowing Furman a last-second opportunity for game-winning three-pointer in his college career finale. Five seasons ago, Alabama's Herb Jones, the SEC Player of the Year, committed a pair of offensive fouls in opening minute before missing three of four free throws in the last 37 seconds of regulation, making only 2-of-7 from the charity stripe for the entire game, as #2 seed was eliminated by #11 seed UCLA in overtime in regional semifinal.

Remember Northern Iowa's 2016 complete collapse in squandering a 12-point lead in the last 35 seconds of regulation against Texas A&M en route to a 92-88 setback in double overtime. The Panthers' cataclysmic cave-in almost makes you forget about Arizona's fiasco flop when the Wildcats frittered away a 15-point advantage with four minutes remaining in regulation against Illinois in 2005 playoffs.

If you think about gaffes from a human perspective for a moment, having their playoff balloon pop by dull pin is terrible thing to happen to a team. On the other hand, a scorned squad can share the blame-game burden while an individual player could be branded for lifetime. Truth be told, some players probably will live with major miscue in front of God and country for the remainder of their Earthly existence. No one deserves a humiliating label, even after bad blunder on the biggest stage, but spit happens where temperatures rise and afflicted seek a stay-at-home order. Punctuated by fable-like failure, the following chronological list details 10 additional fatal stumbles at the wrong time since the tourney field expanded to at least 32 teams in 1975:

1975: Louisville reserve guard Terry Howard, after converting all 28 of his previous foul shots during season, missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity with 20 seconds remaining in overtime and the Cardinals leading by one point. UCLA prevailed in national semifinal, 75-74, when Richard Washington sank short jumper from right baseline in closing seconds.
1982: Georgetown sophomore guard Fred Brown's errant pass, ostensibly seeing a teammate out of the corner of his right eye, went directly to North Carolina forward James Worthy and prevented the Hoyas from attempting a potential game-winning shot in the closing seconds of 63-62 setback against the Tar Heels.
1993: Michigan rallied to trim deficit to 73-71 before two North Carolina players trapped Chris Webber on the right sideline with only 11 seconds remaining after he dribbled downcourt when referees failed to call him for walking after grabbing rebound of missed free-throw attempt. The Wolverines' consensus first-team All-American called a fateful timeout his team did not have. Donald Williams wrapped up the game with four consecutive free throws to give Carolina a 77-71 triumph. "Sometimes winning a basketball game is just plain luck," UNC coach Dean Smith said. Meanwhile, Webber's family took mental lapse in stride and showed time heals all wounds when his father, Mayce, acquired a vanity license plate proclaiming "Timeout," a reference to his son's excruciating blunder.
1994: The score was tied when Connecticut All-American Donyell Marshall, who hit 77% of his foul shots during three-year college career, missed two free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation in East Regional semifinals. UConn wound up losing to Florida, 69-60, in overtime.
1995: Upon making splendid steal off baseline in-bounds pass by Arkansas, Lucious Jackson called an unnecessary timeout while prone in right corner with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation although Syracuse was out of them and had possession arrow pointing in direction of the Orange. The Razorbacks made one-of-two technical foul charity tosses to knot score, 82-82, and won second-round game in overtime, 96-94.
2006: In the last 20 seconds, Gonzaga's Jose Bautista committed a foul going for rebound following teammate's missed field-goal attempt and subsequently had ball stolen from him after receiving in-bounds pass triggering go-ahead basket for UCLA, giving the Bruins their first lead of game en route to 73-71 come-from-behind victory. The reversal left national player of the year Adam Morrison of the Zags weeping prostrate at mid-court.
2008: Given multiple chances to put away Kansas in national final including leading by nine points with fewer than two minutes remaining in regulation, Memphis All-Americans Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined to convert only one of five foul shots in the final 1:12 of regulation (including one front end of a one-and-one). They were 1-of-4 in the last 16 seconds. Rose and Douglas-Roberts had collaborated to sink 20-of-23 in a semifinal rout of UCLA. The Tigers hit only 59% from the line for the season after losing to KU, 75-68.
2014: Virginia Commonwealth's JeQuan Lewis ran into Stephen F. Austin player (Desmond Haymon) as lefthander made three-point field goal with 3.6 seconds remaining in regulation in second round of South Regional. After Haymon converted free throw to complete four-point play, VCU went on to lose in overtime, 77-75.
2019: New Mexico State's Terrell Brown missed two of three free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining in a 78-77 opening-round setback against Auburn after getting fouled by Bryce Brown beyond the three-point arc. Terrell Brown made a team-leading 77.6% of his charity tosses during the entire season.
2019: Auburn's Samir Doughty fouled Virginia's Kyle Guy at buzzer when sharpshooter launched a three-point attempt from the left corner. Guy sank all three free throws to give the Cavaliers a 63-62 win in national semifinals.

First things first! This admonition for handful of prominent schools is finally winning an NCAA playoff regional semifinal game. Nebraska finally got out of starter's block but joined Texas A&M this year in failing to advance to a regional final.

Some fans hate that their university never has been in a position to secure one more victory and reach the Final Four love-fest. The Huskers and Aggies are among a total of six existing power-conference members failing to advance to an NCAA Tournament regional final. The frustration list included Miami (Fla.) before the Hurricanes left dubious list with Midwest Regional success at 2022 party. Combining for 86 NCAA playoff appearances (including 2026) and 66-78 record (.458), following is an alphabetical list of the half-dozen "Elite Eight" no-shows from top six leagues:

Will Wade, rehired by Louisiana State, boasts an opportunity to achieve something rare in the major-college coaching community. The Tigers reeled Martin back in despite a trend where resurrected mentors failed to come anywhere close to duplicating success during previous tenure. Wade won 67.3% of his games in previous five-season stint.

Although eight of them posted losing marks during initial stint, Ronnie Arrow (South Alabama), Jim McCafferty (Loyola LA) and Ritchie McKay (Liberty) are the only three of the 42 mentors a total of 44 times in this "Comeback Club" category over the last 60-plus years to compile a higher winning percentage the second time around.

Several years ago, Xavier's Sean Miller reupped to align with Lou Carnesecca (St. John's) and Lake Kelly (Austin Peay State) as the only coaches to win NCAA playoff games in two different stints with the same school. Wade is the fourth active coach on the following alphabetical list of coaches returning to their former major-college stomping grounds if their tenures weren't interrupted solely by World War II:

NOTES: VBK also had two stints at Hofstra, but Hofstra wasn't at the major-college level his first stint there. . . . OCU de-emphasized its program to the NAIA level after Lemons returned. . . . ORU wasn't always at the Division I level for either of Trickey's stints.

Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper to wipe derriere of George Soros butt boy NYC attorney Alvin Bragg, trying to help Supreme Court Justice define a woman or cowering in fetal position awaiting directive from deity Dr. Fraudci, it's your opportunity to start taking online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.

We need something to occupy our minds during quarantine from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 12 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):

1. Who is the only championship team player to have a season scoring average of less than six points per game entering a Final Four but tally more than 30 points in the national semifinals and final? Hint: He is the only player with a single-digit season scoring average to score more than 25 points in an NCAA championship game.

2. Who is the only player to score at least 25 points in eight consecutive NCAA playoff games? Hint: He is the only player to rank among top five in scoring average in both NCAA Tournament and NBA playoffs. He was denied a championship ring in his only Final Four appearance when a player who would become an NBA teammate tipped in decisive basket in the closing seconds.

3. Name the only Final Four Most Outstanding Player who wasn't among the top five scorers on his team. Hint: The only other player to earn the award who wasn't among top four scorers on his team attended same university.

4. Who is the only individual to be named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and NIT Most Valuable Player? Hint: As a freshman, he shared one of the awards with a teammate.

5. Who is the only U.S. Congressman to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee after playing in the NCAA Tournament championship game? Hint: Starting out as a Democrat, he became a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois.

6. Who is the only individual to be named Final Four Most Outstanding Player and NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in back-to-back seasons? Hint: He holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most points by a rookie.

7. Name the freshman who had the highest season scoring average for a team to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game until Carmelo Anthony achieved the feat for 2003 champion Syracuse. Hint: The word "Boss" is tattooed to his chest for a good reason because he also led his team in assists as freshman.

8. Who is the only freshman to score more than 30 points in a national semifinal or championship game before failing to score more than half that total in his next four playoff outings? Hint: He didn't score more than 15 points in any of his next four NCAA playoff games, all defeats, and averaged a modest 8.2 points per game in an eight-year NBA career with an all-time pro season high of 11.4 ppg and game high of 28.

9. Who is the only freshman on a Final Four team to score more than 20 points in as many as four tournament games? Hint: He did not play in the national championship game and his school lost in the NCAA playoffs to opponents with double-digit seeds each of four seasons before he arrived.

10. Name the only season-leading scorer of a titlist to be held more than 14 points below his average in the NCAA championship game. Hint: He was named national player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He is one of four Final Four Most Outstanding Players held scoreless in their NCAA Tournament debuts in a previous season. He is also the only individual to become a member of three NCAA titlists after playing one season in junior college.

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Siena has lost five different head coaches this century after Gerry McNamara returned to his old stomping grounds at Syracuse. A striking number of mid-major schools have had even more bench bosses depart for greener pastures. For instance, Ryan Odom's departure to Virginia a year ago enabled Virginia Commonwealth to become the first school to lose nine head coaches to other major colleges or the NBA. VCU, which moved up to NCAA Division I level in the mid-1970s, had six bench bosses bid adieu for power-conference members in the last 20 years.

Incredibly, Tulsa lost four coaches in a seven-year period from 1995 to 2001. The following list shows Idaho (11 years from 1983 to 1993), Princeton (12 years from 2000 to 2011), Murray State (14 years from 1985 to 1998), New Orleans (14 years from 1994 to 2007), Penn (15 years from 1971 to 1985), Louisiana Tech (16 years from 1974 to 1989) and Xavier (16 years from 1994 through 2009) losing four coaches in comparable short spans:

Virginia Commonwealth (nine head coaches departed for other schools) - Dana Kirk (Memphis State/1979), J.D. Barnett (Tulsa/1985), Mike Pollio (Eastern Kentucky/1989), Jeff Capel III (Oklahoma/2006), Anthony Grant (Alabama/2009), Shaka Smart (Texas/2015), Will Wade (Louisiana State/2017), Mike Rhoades (Penn State/2023), Ryan Odom (Virginia/2025)

Murray State (eight) - Ron Greene (departed for Indiana State/1985), Steve Newton (South Carolina/1991), Scott Edgar (Duquesne/1995), Mark Gottfried (Alabama/1998), Mick Cronin (Cincinnati/2006), Billy Kennedy (Texas A&M/2011), Steve Prohm (Iowa State/2015), Matt McMahon (Louisiana State/2022)

Xavier (eight) - Ned Wulk (Arizona State/1957), Bob Staak (Wake Forest/1985), Pete Gillen (Providence/1994), Skip Prosser (Wake Forest/2001), Thad Matta (Ohio State/2004), Sean Miller (Arizona/2009), Chris Mack (Louisville/2018), Sean Miller (Texas/2025)

Idaho (seven) - Dave MacMillan (Minnesota/1927), Dave Strack (Michigan/1960), Joe Cipriano (Nebraska/1963), Don Monson (Oregon/1983), Tim Floyd (New Orleans/1988), Kermit Davis (Texas A&M/1990), Larry Eustachy (Utah State/1993)

Kansas State (seven) - Jack Gardner (Utah/1953), Tex Winter (Washington/1968), Cotton Fitzsimmons (Phoenix Suns/1970), Lon Kruger (Florida/1990), Dana Altman (Creighton/1994), Bob Huggins (West Virginia/2008), Frank Martin (South Carolina/2012)

Louisiana Tech (seven) - Scotty Robertson (New Orleans Jazz/1974), J.D. Barnett (Virginia Commonwealth/1979), Andy Russo (Washington/1985), Tommy Joe Eagles (Auburn/1989), Jim Wooldridge (assistant with Chicago Bulls/1998), Michael White (Florida/2015), Eric Konkol (Tulsa/2022)

Montana (seven) - Jud Heathcote (Michigan State/1976), Jim Brandenburg (Wyoming/1978), Mike Montgomery (Stanford/1986), Stew Morrill (Colorado State/1991), Pat Kennedy (Towson/2004), Larry Krystkowiak (assistant with Milwaukee Bucks/2006), Wayne Tinkle (Oregon State/2014)

Penn (seven) - Howie Dallmar (Stanford/1954), Jack McCloskey (Wake Forest/1966), Dick Harter (Oregon/1971), Chuck Daly (assistant with Philadelphia 76ers/1977), Bob Weinhauer (Arizona State/1982), Craig Littlepage (Rutgers/1985), Fran Dunphy (Temple/2006)

Tulsa (seven) - Ken Hayes (New Mexico State/1975), Nolan Richardson Jr. (Arkansas/1985), Tubby Smith (Georgia/1995), Steve Robinson (Florida State/1997), Bill Self (Illinois/2000), Buzz Peterson (Tennessee/2001), Danny Manning (Wake Forest/2014)

Need an example showing how scoring is down in college basketball? Disregard the freak set of circumstances in 2008-09 when eventual NBA MVP Stephen Curry went scoreless against Loyola (Md.). Unsure if it is a byproduct of doomed civilization stemming from eco-fascist climate change, but only one NCAA Division I player averaged in excess of 30 points per game in the 21st Century (since LIU's Charles Jones in 1996-97). He was Campbell's Chris Clemons, who barely achieved the feat six seasons ago (30.1 ppg).

This campaign, Brigham Young freshman AJ Dybantsa became the fifth scoring leader in the last six seasons to averaged fewer than 26 ppg. Yale's Tony Lavelli posted a modest 22.4 ppg in 1948-49. As a means of comparison to an era when scorers flourished, an average of 17 players annually posted higher scoring marks than Dybansta in a four-season span from 1967-68 through 1970-71, including a high of 24 in 1969-70 when LSU's Pete Maravich dwarfed Dybantsa's output with 44.5 ppg despite the absence of the three-point field goal.

Glenn Robinson Jr. (30.3 ppg for Purdue in 1993-94) was the only player from a power six league to pace the country in scoring in a 41-year span from 1971-72 through 2011-12 (South Carolina was independent in 1980-81 and TCU was SWC member in 1994-95). Dybantsa joined the following list citing the high and low games for players during the season when they led DI in scoring average:

NOTE: Leaders are unofficial from 1935-36 through 1946-47.

Unless you're still busy hoarding toilet paper to wipe big butts of New York's woeful fat attorneys, wondering how many translators are required for world leaders to try to understand former President Plagiarist Biledumb, seeking to drink margaritas with illegal-alien criminals like #Dimorat politicians or cowering in fetal position from latest Dr. Fraudci deity directive, it's your opportunity to start taking online tests for 23 quarantined days symbolic of normal time frame from Selection Sunday to Monday evening championship contest.

We need something to occupy our minds during quarantine from much of the invective-infected #MessMedia. Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 11 of a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions from CollegeHoopedia.com tracking the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia.com's year-by-year highlights):

1. Who is the only one of the 60 or so two-time consensus first-team All-Americans since 1946 never to participate in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT? Hint: His school was a total of 10 games over .500 in Big Ten Conference competition in his junior and senior seasons. He never played on a team to win playoff series in his nine-year NBA career.

2. Who is the only player to score more than 20,000 pro points yet never reach the conference finals in the NBA playoffs after playing at least two seasons of varsity basketball at a major college and never participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs? Hint: The college he attended made its NCAA Tournament debut the first year after he left school early to become third pick overall in NBA draft.

3. Who is the only coach since the tourney field expanded to at least 48 teams to take two different universities to the playoffs when the schools appeared in the tournament for the first time? Hint: His last name begins with a "F" and he no longer is Division I head coach.

4. Name the only school with a losing record to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs by winning a regular-season conference title. Hint: The league started a postseason tournament two years later and the school in question has lost all six times it reached conference tourney championship game.

5. Name the only major university to have two graduates score more than 17,000 points in the NBA after playing at least three varsity seasons in college and failing to appear in the NCAA Tournament. Hint: The school has had three other players score more than 10,000 points in the NBA after never appearing in NCAA playoffs.

6. Name the only former titlist to have an all-time playoff record 10 games below the .500 mark. Hint: Longtime network broadcaster Curt Gowdy played in the tournament for the school.

7. Name the only state with three schools to compile tournament records at least nine games below .500. Hint: The three institutions from same state are members of different conferences.

8. Who was the only player shorter than Bobby Hurley, Duke's 6-0 guard, to play for a championship team and be selected as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player? Hint: There was another Final Four MOP who was also shorter than 6-0, but he played for a national third-place finisher in the mid-1950s.

9. Who is the only individual to play in an NCAA Tournament championship game and later coach his alma mater to a final? Hint: He served as an assistant to the coach with the most NCAA playoff victories and a college teammate is one of the winningest coaches of all time.

10. Name the only one of the schools with multiple national titles to have two teams participate in the NCAA playoffs as defending champions but lose their opening-round game. Hint: Both of the opening-round setbacks for the school when it was defending champion occurred in East Regional.

Answers (Day 11)
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