Playing Race Card: Second Time in Last 45 Years Half of A-As Are Caucasian
Since MJ couldn't handle him one-and-one, heaven knows how Daddy Ball Game would treat average white player. If not a generous dose of humility, "Slow" Hoops Daddy Lavar Ball probably needs a history lesson. The hoop lowdown might not rise to the level of aggressive African-American commentary on Donald Trump or previous POTUS #AudacityofHype lecturing Christians rather than unprincipled marauders. Nonetheless, it could be time to proclaim white players matter. Many white-privilege provocateurs, who should seek reparations of their own for being exposed to race hustlers such as MSDNC's Joyless Reid and "Not So" Sharpton clamoring for "R-E-S-P-I-C-T," seem to care as much about the basketball topic, however, as far-left zealots are outraged about Muslim terrorists murdering saints and believers. Perhaps they should dwell a mite more on how in hell giving $1,400 to jailed prisoner helped with COVID-19 relief.
Is this DEI in reverse? A milestone won't trigger White History Month, but 2023-24 marked the second time in 45 seasons at least half of the list of NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans were white players. From 1980 through 2012, less than one-fifth of the NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans were Caucasian. Struggling as much as Marxist BLM founder purchasing luxury homes in white neighborhoods, Plagiarist Biledumb ascending Stair Farce One, #MSLSD's "Resist We Much" RevAl and #JoylessReid plus confused Congresswoman #(Mad)Maxine Waters may consider this repulsive racist research. However, they probably should be more concerned about paying fair share of taxes on filing deadline day, candor about hacked computer and concocting conspiratorial claptrap more worthy of April Fool's Day about CIA planting drugs in the hood.
All of America needs more critical thinking than critical race theory. Unless there are some closet Rachel Dolezals in the identity mix or Jussie Smollett's air-head attorney is accurate about an outbreak of white-face escapades, Gonzaga (Dan Dickau, Blake Stepp, Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, Kyle Wiltjer, Corey Kispert, Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren) was alone boasting the most white consensus All-Americans thus far in 21st Century with eight. It might be accurate-but-unacceptable information to cancel-culture leftists indoctrinating students in public schools with critical race theory, but the Zags in each of the last two seasons are the first school to feature a set of white consensus All-Americans in same season since Missouri's Steve Stipanovich and Jon Sundvold in 1982-83.
It might not reign purple important as a photograph of Prince in a junior high basketball uniform to African-American Studies majors but we could be in the midst of a modest resurgence for the white player represented each year thus far this century. After all, Duke was the nation's only school to supply a white first-team All-American in a nine-year span from 1987-88 through 1995-96 (Danny Ferry in 1989, Christian Laettner in 1992 and Bobby Hurley in 1993). For those monitoring such identity demographics or who might be a dues-paying member of an alternative version of NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Caucasian Players), following is a list of white NCAA consensus first- and second-team All-Americans since Indiana State's Larry Bird was unanimous national player of the year in 1979:
MAC Attacks Streak: No Member in 66 Years Compiled Unbeaten League Mark
Two years ago, South Dakota State (18-0) became the first Summit League member to compile an unblemished conference record since the league's inaugural season in 1982-83. Oral Roberts duplicated SDSU's feat in the SL in 2022-23.
Indiana, the last NCAA Division I school to go undefeated (32-0 in 1975-76), is also the last team to go unbeaten in Big Ten Conference play. The Mid-American (65 straight years) is the only league posting a longer active streak than the Big Ten without an undefeated team in conference competition.
Analyst Dick Vitale, rather than chronically currying favor with the big boys energizing ESPN elitism, should always be promoting the MAC. After all, he has firsthand experience dealing with league rigors, losing his first six games against MAC members when coaching independent Detroit.
After SDSU's success in the SL in 2021-22, the Big East Conference and Northeast Conference remained as leagues never having an undefeated club since their alliances were formed in the early 1980s. Upon the Pac-12 bowing out with no undefeated league team during its final 46 seasons of existence, following are the other five longest current streaks of at least 40 campaigns without a member going unbeaten in league competition:
| Conference (Years) | Last Unbeaten Team in League Play | Coach (Overall Record) |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-American (66) | Miami (Ohio) in 1957-58 | Dick Shrider (18-9) |
| Big Ten (48) | Indiana in 1975-76 | Bob Knight (32-0) |
| Pac-12 (46) | UCLA in 1977-78 | Gary Cunningham (25-3) |
| Big East (45) | None since inaugural season (1979-80) | never achieved in league |
| Northeast (43) | None since inaugural season (1981-82) | never achieved in league |
| Coastal Athletic Association (41) | William & Mary in 1982-83 | Bruce Parkhill (20-9) |
Buyer's Remorse: Will Mark Pope and Kyle Smith Succeed at New Outposts?
It isn't "just a knife fight (according to social scholars)" and doesn't always pan out for a big-time university after hiring a coach from a fellow power-league member. Poaching within a conference (say John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas in the SEC), takes things to an even higher level. Naturally, it's too early to judge whether Mark Pope (Brigham Young to alma mater Kentucky) and Kyle Smith (Washington State to Stanford) this year plus Ed Cooley (Providence to Georgetown) and Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State to Notre Dame) last year will thrive at their new outposts. If not, they'll "fall" in line with the following alphabetical list of prominent coaches who struggled at their new digs after bolting one power conference member for another?
Coach Summary of Career After Switching Jobs Between Current Power-League Members Tom Davis 58-59 record with Stanford from 1982-83 through 1985-86 after leaving Boston College Bill E. Foster 54-141 with Northwestern from 1986-87 through 1992-93 after leaving South Carolina Pat Kennedy 67-85 with DePaul from 1997-98 through 2001-02 after leaving Florida State Dave Leitao 63-60 with Virginia from 2005-06 through 2008-09 after leaving DePaul Kevin O'Neill 36-47 with Tennessee from 1994-95 through 1996-97 after leaving Marquette Oliver Purnell 54-105 with DePaul from 2010-11 through 2014-15 after leaving Clemson George Raveling 115-118 with Southern California from 1986-87 through 1993-94 after leaving Iowa Tubby Smith 46-50 with Texas Tech from 2013-14 through 2015-16 after leaving Minnesota Kevin Stallings 24-41 with Pittsburgh in 2016-17 and 2017-18 after leaving Vanderbilt Bob Weltlich 77-98 with Texas from 1982-83 through 1987-88 after leaving Mississippi
Dribble Handoff: Power-League Members Keeping Coaching Chain In-House
In a typical season, about 1/5 of the NCAA DI head coaches are "next man up" in-house promotions. After Jake Diebler was elevated by Ohio State prior to the Buckeyes bowing in NIT quarterfinals, the following eight active mentors serve as promoted bench boss for a power-conference member:
| Head Coach (Years as Aide) | Power-League School | Stint as Assistant at Same University Under Predecessor |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Painter (1) | Purdue | 2004-05 under Gene Keady |
| Rodney Terry (2) | Texas | 2021-22 and 2022-23 under Chris Beard |
| Jake Diebler (5) | Ohio State | 2019-20 under Chris Holtmann |
| Hubert Davis (9) | North Carolina | 2012-13 through 2020-21 under Roy Williams |
| Jon Scheyer (9) | Duke | 2013-14 through 2021-22 under Mike Krzyzewski |
| Adrian Autry (12) | Syracuse | 2011-12 through 2022-23 under Jim Boeheim |
| Tom Izzo (12) | Michigan State | 1983-84 through 1994-95 under Jud Heathcote |
| Greg Gard (15) | Wisconsin | 2001-02 to 2015-16 under Bo Ryan |
NOTE: Terry served as interim head coach for more than half of 2022-23 campaign and Diebler was in similar capacity final month of 2023-24.
College Exam: Day #12 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
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.
Answers (Day 12)
Day 11 Questions and Answers
Day 10 Questions and Answers
Day 9 Questions and Answers
Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
Day 6 Questions and Answers
Day 5 Questions and Answers
Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
Personal Items: Did You Knows Regarding 2024 Tourney Sweet 16 Coaches
There is a tendency to overindulge at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Anyone digesting the following assortment of incisive facts on the 16 NCAA Division I Tournament regional semifinalist 16 coaches should find that variety is the spice of this occasionally irreverent smorgasbord. Remember: If a morsel isn't appetizing, don't be a glutton for punishment in trying to comprehend what makes the coaching community tick. Just proceed directly to the next tidbit. Sooner or later, there's bound to be a few factoids you can savor among the following 2024 Sweet 16 mentors:
ALABAMA: Detroit-area prep coach Nate Oats joined Bobby Hurley's Buffalo staff directly with junior college recruit Justin Moss in 2013 before Moss became Mid-American Conference Player of the Year the next season and one year before center Raheem Johnson aligned with the Bulls as another J.C. signee. Moss and Johnson played under Oats at Romulus H.S.
ARIZONA: Tommy Lloyd's son, Liam, averaged 1.5 ppg for Grand Canyon the previous two seasons before transferring to Northern Arizona and averaging 6 ppg plus 2.2 apg as a starter. During the construction of their home in Spokane while Gonzaga's associate head coach, his family lived in the childhood residence of Zags legend and Hall of Famer John Stockton. Lloyd, known for his international recruiting, spent several months backpacking on several continents before commencing his coaching career in the late 1990s.
CLEMSON: Brad Brownell played for DePauw University (Ind.) under former Indiana State coach Royce Waltman.
CONNECTICUT: One of Dan Hurley's assistants at previous pitstops Wagner and Rhode Island was brother Bobby Hurley, an All-American guard for Duke's back-to-back NCAA titlists in 1991 and 1992 and current Arizona State coach.
CREIGHTON: Following graduation from Northern Iowa, Greg McDermott played one season of professional basketball in Switzerland. McDermott led the Panthers in field-goal shooting three consecutive seasons from 1985-86 through 1987-88 when he was a combined 59.5% from the floor. He ranked 16th in the nation in that category as a junior.
DUKE: Jon Scheyer was raised in his father's Jewish religion and became a Bar Mitzvah. Scheyer was known as the "Jewish Jordan" and his Illinois high school state championship squad (Glenbrook North; prep alma mater of Northwestern coach and fellow Blue Devils guard Chris Collins) is the nation's only one known to have included an all-Jewish starting lineup. He received a scholarship offer from then Marquette coach Tom Crean as an eighth-grader before playing in high school under former Illini coach Bruce Weber's brother.
GONZAGA: Mark Few never was a head coach at any level before inheriting that position after Dan Monson departed for Minnesota. Few was an assistant for two different Oregon high schools before becoming an aide with the Zags under Dan Fitzgerald and Monson. Few's wedding vows in 1994 were exchanged with Rev. Norm Few, the father of the groom.
HOUSTON: Kelvin Sampson was a three-year baseball letterman for Pembroke (N.C.) State.
ILLINOIS: Brad Underwood, as a juco recruit, took a visit to Oklahoma State, where his player host at the time was current Kansas bench boss Bill Self. Underwood's son, Tyler, played sparingly under his father with OSU and the Illini.
IOWA STATE: T.J. Otzelberger was an assistant coach with the Cyclones under his three predecessors - Greg McDermott, Fred Hoiberg and Steve Prohm. Otzelberger's wife, Alison Lacey, was a three-time All-Big 12 Conference selection for ISU women's basketball program.
MARQUETTE: When Shaka Smart graduated, he was the career assists leader for Kenyon College, a liberal arts school in Ohio.
NORTH CAROLINA: Hubert Davis is the nephew of Walter Davis, another Tar Heel and NBA player. NBA first-round draft choices 15 years apart combined to play for nine different pro franchises. Hubert's rookie campaign (1992-93) came the year after Walter retired. Each of them was runner-up in scoring a UNC Final Four squad (Hubert in 1991 and Walter in 1977). Hubert averaged 13.6 ppg in 12 playoff games while Walter averaged 14.1 ppg in eight tourney contests.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE: Kevin Keatts joined Rick Pitino's staff directly with George Mason transfer Luke Hancock in 2011. Hancock had played for him at Hargrave Military Academy (Va.). The next season, forward Montrezl Harrell aligned with the Cardinals after the Hargrave product de-committed from Virginia Tech following coach Seth Greenberg's firing.
PURDUE: Matt Painter's father attended Big Ten Conference rival Indiana.
SAN DIEGO STATE: Brian Dutcher's contract buyout is only $1 million, not in the $6 million range for any other college, if he has a chance to coach his alma mater (Minnesota). His three sisters and wife also attended Minnesota, where his father, Jim, coached for 11 seasons from mid-1970s to mid-1980s and still resides.
TENNESSEE: Texas' turnaround in 1998-99 (19-13 record after going 14-17 in 1997-98 under Tom Penders) enabled Rick Barnes to become the only active coach to take two different schools to the NCAA playoffs in his maiden voyage with them after they posted a losing mark the previous campaign. He previously achieved the feat with Providence in the late 1980s. Barnes posted the nation's best winning percentage by a first-year major college head coach in 1987-88 when he went 20-10 (.667) in his lone season with George Mason.
Familiar Territory: Cuonzo Martin Returns to Old Stomping Grounds at MSU
Cuonzo Martin, rehired by Missouri State, boasts an opportunity to achieve something rare in the major-college coaching community. The Bears reeled Martin back in despite a trend where resurrected mentors failed to come anywhere close to duplicating success during previous tenure. 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 41 mentors a total of 43 times in this "Comeback Club" category over the last 60-plus years to compile a higher winning percentage the second time around.
A couple of 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. Martin is the seventh 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:
| Two-Time Coach | DI College | First Stint | W-L | Pct. | Second Stint | W-L | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Arrow | South Alabama | 1988-95 | 114-93 | .551 | 2008-13 | 97-68 | .588 |
| Tom Asbury | Pepperdine | 1989-94 | 125-59 | .679 | 2009-11 | 28-68 | .292 |
| Lou Carnesecca | St. John's | 1966-70 | 104-35 | .748 | 1974-92 | 422-165 | .719 |
| Ed Conroy | The Citadel | 2007-10 | 49-76 | .392 | since 2023 | 21-42 | .333 |
| Paul Cormier | Dartmouth | 1985-91 | 87-95 | .478 | 2011-16 | 55-116 | .322 |
| Kermit Davis | Idaho | 1989 and 1990 | 50-12 | .806 | 1997 | 13-17 | .433 |
| Mike Dement | UNC Greensboro | 1992-95 | 55-56 | .495 | 2006-12 | 69-125 | .356 |
| Joe Dooley | East Carolina | 1996-99 | 57-52 | .523 | 2019-22 | 44-67 | .396 |
| Homer Drew | Valparaiso | 1989-2002 | 235-185 | .560 | 2004-11 | 136-120 | .531 |
| Marshall Emery | Delaware State | 1977-79 | 30-50 | .375 | 1986-88 | 18-66 | .214 |
| Dan Fitzgerald | Gonzaga | 1979-81 | 51-29 | .638 | 1986-97 | 203-140 | .592 |
| Blair Gullion | Washington (Mo.) | 1948-52 | 65-41 | .613 | 1954-59 | 69-61 | .531 |
| Lou Henson | New Mexico State | 1967-75 | 173-71 | .709 | 1998-2005 | 136-105 | .564 |
| Ben Jobe | Southern (La.) | 1987-96 | 191-100 | .656 | 2002 and 2003 | 16-40 | .286 |
| Phil Johnson | San Jose State | 1999 | 12-16 | .429 | 2003-05 | 19-67 | .221 |
| Donald Kellett | Penn | 1944 and 1945 | 22-9 | .710 | 1947 and 1948 | 24-22 | .522 |
| Lake Kelly | Austin Peay State | 1972-77 | 110-52 | .679 | 1986-90 | 79-70 | .530 |
| Joe Lapchick | St. John's | 1937-47 | 181-54 | .770 | 1957-65 | 154-75 | .672 |
| Dave Leitao | DePaul | 2003-05 | 58-34 | .630 | 2016-21 | 66-113 | .369 |
| Abe Lemons | Oklahoma City | 1956-73 | 309-181 | .631 | 1984-90 | 123-84 | .594 |
| Cuonzo Martin | Missouri State | 2009-11 | 61-41 | .598 | since 2025 | TBD | TBD |
| Thad Matta | Butler | 2001 | 24-8 | .750 | since 2023 | 32-33 | .492 |
| Jim McCafferty | Loyola (La.) | 1950 | 9-15 | .375 | 1955-57 | 38-36 | .514 |
| Dave McDowell | Kent State | 1949-51 | 56-20 | .737 | 1956 and 1957 | 15-29 | .341 |
| Ritchie McKay | Liberty | 2008 and 2009 | 39-28 | .582 | since 2016 | 205-99 | .674 |
| Doc Meanwell | Wisconsin | 1912-17 | 92-9 | .911 | 1921-34 | 154-90 | .631 |
| Sean Miller | Xavier | 2005-09 | 120-47 | .719 | since 2023 | 43-28 | .606 |
| Robert Moreland | Texas Southern | 1976-2001 | 399-352 | .531 | 2008 | 7-25 | .219 |
| Joe Mullaney | Providence | 1956-69 | 271-94 | .742 | 1982-85 | 48-70 | .407 |
| Buzz Peterson | Appalachian State | 1997-2000 | 79-39 | .669 | 2010 | 24-13 | .649 |
| Steve Prohm | Murray State | 2012-15 | 104-29 | .782 | since 2023 | 29-34 | .460 |
| Bill Reinhart | George Washington | 1936-42 | 100-38 | .725 | 1950-66 | 216-201 | .518 |
| Elmer Ripley | Georgetown | 1928 and 1929 | 24-6 | .800 | 1939-43 | 68-39 | .636 |
| Elmer Ripley | Georgetown | 1939-43 | 68-39 | .636 | 1947-49 | 41-37 | .526 |
| Jack Rohan | Columbia | 1962-74 | 154-161 | .489 | 1991-95 | 43-87 | .331 |
| Lorenzo Romar | Pepperdine | 1997-99 | 42-44 | .488 | 2019-24 | 76-112 | .404 |
| Glen Rose | Arkansas | 1934-42 | 154-47 | .766 | 1953-66 | 171-154 | .526 |
| John "Honey" Russell | Seton Hall | 1937-43 | 101-32 | .759 | 1950-60 | 194-97 | .647 |
| Joe Scott | Air Force | 2001-04 | 51-63 | .447 | since 2021 | 39-77 | .336 |
| Larry Shyatt | Wyoming | 1998 | 19-9 | .679 | 2012-16 | 98-69 | .587 |
| Norm Sloan | Florida | 1961-66 | 85-63 | .574 | 1981-89 | 150-131 | .534 |
| Ken Trickey | Oral Roberts | 1970-74 | 118-23 | .837 | 1988-93 | 96-93 | .508 |
| Billy Tubbs | Lamar | 1977-80 | 75-46 | .620 | 2004-06 | 46-43 | .517 |
| Butch van Breda Kolff | Lafayette | 1952-55 | 68-34 | .667 | 1985-88 | 64-51 | .557 |
| Butch van Breda Kolff | Hofstra | 1956-62 | 112-43 | .723 | 1989-94 | 79-81 | .494 |
| Donald White | Rutgers | 1946-56 | 98-145 | .403 | 1963 | 7-16 | .304 |
| Davey Whitney | Alcorn State | 1971-89 | 395-199 | .665 | 1997-2003 | 115-93 | .553 |
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.
Foreign Invasion: Zach Edey is Latest All-American From Beyond U.S. Borders
Foreign All-American Zach Edey (Purdue/Ontario, Canada) is much more than bit player in a modern-day immigrant version of "Coming to America." Edey might not be a lottery pick in the NBA draft, but he is expected to be selected unlike recent foreign All-Americans Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona) and Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky). Following is an alphabetical list of more than 40 hoop-prince All-Americans spending most or all of their formative years in a country beyond U.S. borders:
| Foreigner | Pos. | College | Native Country | Year(s) All-American | NBA Draft Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deandre Ayton | C | Arizona | Bahamas | 2018 | 1st pick overall by Phoenix |
| Udoka Azubuike | C | Kansas | Nigeria | 2020 | 27th by Utah Jazz |
| R.J. Barrett | G-F | Duke | Ontario, Ontario | 2019 | 3rd by New York |
| Charles Bassey | C | Western Kentucky | Nigeria | 2021 | 53rd by Philadelphia |
| Andrew Bogut* | C | Utah | Australia | 2005 | 1st by Milwaukee |
| Dillon Brooks | F | Oregon | Ontario, Canada | 2017 | 2nd by Houston |
| Kofi Cockburn | C | Illinois | Jamaica | 2021 and 2022 | undrafted |
| Kresimir Cosic | C | Brigham Young | Yugoslavia | 1972 and 1973 | 66th by L.A. Lakers |
| Chris Duarte | G | Oregon | Dominican Republic | 2021 | 13th by Indiana |
| Tim Duncan* | C | Wake Forest | Virgin Islands | 1995 through 1997 | 1st by San Antonio |
| Zach Edey | C | Purdue | Ontario, Canada | 2023 and 2024 | TBD |
| Melvin Ejim | F | Iowa State | Ontario | 2014 | undrafted |
| Patrick Ewing* | C | Georgetown | Jamaica | 1982 through 1985 | 1st by New York |
| Adonal Foyle | C | Colgate | West Indies | 1997 | 8th by Golden State |
| Rui Hachimura | F | Gonzaga | Japan | 2019 | 9th by Washington |
| Buddy Hield | G | Oklahoma | Bahamas | 2015 and 2016 | 6th by New Orleans |
| Al Horford | F-C | Florida | Dominican Republic | 2007 | 3rd by Atlanta |
| Kris Joseph | F | Syracuse | Quebec | 2012 | 51st by Boston |
| Jock Landale | C | Saint Mary's | Australia | 2018 | undrafted |
| Lauri Markkanen | C | Arizona | Finland | 2017 | 1st by Minnesota |
| Bennedict Mathurin | G | Arizona | Quebec | 2022 | 6th by Indiana |
| Jamal Murray | G | Kentucky | Ontario | 2016 | 7th by Denver |
| Dikembe Mutombo | C | Georgetown | Zaire | 1991 | 4th by Denver |
| Eduardo Najera | F | Oklahoma | Mexico | 2000 | 38th by Houston |
| Jordan Nwora | F | Louisville | Nigeria | 2020 | 45th by Milwaukee Bucks |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | C | Houston | Nigeria | 1983 and 1984 | 1st by Houston |
| Kelly Olynyk | C | Gonzaga | British Columbia | 2013 | 13th by Dallas |
| Kevin Pangos | G | Gonzaga | Ontario | 2015 | undrafted |
| Filip Petrusev | C | Gonzaga | Serbia | 2020 | withdrew and returned to Serbia |
| Jakob Poeltl | C | Utah | Austria | 2016 | 9th by Toronto |
| Juan "Pepe" Sanchez | G | Temple | Argentina | 2000 | undrafted |
| Detlef Schrempf | F | Washington | Germany | 1985 | 8th by Dallas |
| Rony Seikaly | C | Syracuse | Greece | 1988 | 9th by Miami |
| Doron Sheffer | G | Connecticut | Israel | 1996 | 36th by L.A. Clippers |
| Ben Simmons | F | Louisiana State | Australia | 2016 | 1st by Philadelphia |
| Nik Stauskas | G | Michigan | Ontario | 2014 | 8th by Sacramento |
| Hasheem Thabeet | C | Connecticut | Tanzania | 2009 | 2nd by Memphis |
| Mychal Thompson | F-C | Minnesota | Bahamas | 1977 and 1978 | 1st by Portland |
| Oscar Tshiebwe* | C | Kentucky | Congo | 2022 and 2023 | undrafted |
| Azuolas Tubelis | F-C | Arizona | Lithuania | 2023 | undrafted |
| Greivis Vasquez | G | Maryland | Venezuela | 2010 | 28th by Memphis |
| Andrew Wiggins | G-F | Kansas | Ontario | 2014 | 1st by Cleveland |
*Named National Player of the Year.
College Exam: Day #11 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Unless you're still busy hoarding toilet paper to wipe butts of woeful New York attorneys, wondering how many translators are required for world leaders to try to understand Plagiarist Biledumb 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)
Day 10 Questions and Answers
Day 9 Questions and Answers
Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
Day 6 Questions and Answers
Day 5 Questions and Answers
Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
All-American Boys: Minor is Only Major League Hoops A-A in Last 43 Years
Will there be an NCAA Division I basketball All-American in 21st Century sufficiently versatile to eventually play major-league baseball? Ryan Minor (Oklahoma) is the only hoops All-American in the last 43 years to subsequently become a major leaguer. The absence of another such versatile athlete is a stark contrast from when Seattle "bonus-baby" twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien were among six different major-college A-As in six-season span from 1951-52 through 1956-57 to each end up performing at MLB level by 1960.
The two most prominent two-way athletes from the 1950s in this increasingly rare category clearly are Frank Howard (Ohio State) and Dick Groat (Duke). Is there any doubt Michael Jordan (North Carolina) should rank #23? As Opening Day for the 2024 MLB season unfolds, following is a baseball ranking of the 25 major-college basketball All-Americans who played Organized Ball:
| Rank | Hoop All-American | College | A-A Year(s) | Summary of Organized Baseball Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Frank Howard | Ohio State | 1956-57 | Four-time American League All-Star outfielder-first baseman hit .273 with 382 home runs and 1,119 RBI with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers in 16 seasons from 1958 through 1973. Hit .341 with 84 homers and 269 RBI in three minor-league campaigns in the Dodgers' organization. He also managed the San Diego Padres and New York Mets in early 1980s. |
| 2. | Dick Groat | Duke | 1950-51 and 1951-52 | Eight-time National League All-Star shortstop hit .286 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants in 1,929 games in 14 seasons (1952 and 1955 through 1967; served in U.S. military in 1953 and 1954). He did not play an inning of minor-league baseball. |
| 3. | Frankie Baumholtz | Ohio University | 1940-41 | Outfielder hit .290 in 1,019 games with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies in 10 N.L. seasons (1947 through 1949 and 1951 through 1957). Hit .345 in three minor-league campaigns. |
| 4. | Joe Gibbon | Mississippi | 1956-57 | Lefthander compiled a 61-65 pitching record and 3.52 ERA in 419 MLB games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros during 13 N.L. seasons from 1960 through 1972. Posted a 31-26 mark in three minor-league campaigns in the Pirates' organization. |
| 5. | Johnny O'Brien | Seattle | 1951-52 and 1952-53 | Infielder/pitcher played six seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1959) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves. Hit .250 and compiled a 1-3 pitching record in 339 MLB games. Hit .294 in three minor-league campaigns in farms systems of the Cards and Cincinnati Reds. |
| 6. | Louis "Bosey" Berger | Maryland | 1931-32 | Infielder hit .236 with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in six A.L. seasons (1932 and 1935 through 1939). Played six minor-league seasons in farm systems of Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees. |
| 7. | Eddie O'Brien | Seattle | 1952-53 | Infielder-outfielder played five seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1958) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .236 in 231 MLB games. He also won his lone decision while pitching in five contests. O'Brien hit .260 and compiled an 11-11 pitching record in two minor-league campaigns. |
| 8. | Danny Ainge | Brigham Young | 1978-79 through 1980-81 | Utilityman hit .220 with the Toronto Blue Jays in three years from 1979 through 1981. Hit .237 in three minor-league seasons at AAA level. Selected in 15th round of 1977 MLB amateur draft out of high school (one round ahead of INF-OF Tony Phillips and two rounds ahead of OF-1B Gary Redus). |
| 9. | Ryan Minor | Oklahoma | 1994-95 and 1995-96 | Rookie third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles replaced Cal Ripken Jr. in their lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Ripken's major league record of 2,632 consecutive games played. Minor hit .185 in three years with them before hitting .158 in lone campaign with the Montreal Expos in 2001. He hit .266 with 95 HRs and 356 RBI in nine minor-league seasons in farm systems of the Orioles, Expos, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins. Selected in 15th round by Orioles out of high school in 1992 MLB amateur draft (ahead of OF Jose Cruz), 7th round by New York Mets in 1995 (one round ahead of RHP A.J. Burnett) and 33rd round by Orioles in 1996. |
| 10. | Charles "Cotton" Nash | Kentucky | 1961-62 through 1963-64 | First baseman went 3-for-16 (.188) in three brief A.L. stints with the Chicago White Sox (1967) and Minnesota Twins (1969 and 1970). He collected 170 homers and 540 RBI in nine minor-league seasons in farm systems of the California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Twins and Texas Rangers. |
| 11. | Dick Ricketts Jr. | Duquesne | 1953-54 and 1954-55 | Compiled a 1-6 pitching record and 5.82 ERA in his only MLB season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959. Registered a 99-91 mark in 10 minor-league campaigns in farm systems of the Cards, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. |
| 12. | Dave DeBusschere | Detroit | 1959-60 through 1961-62 | Righthander compiled a 3-4 pitching record for the Chicago White Sox in 1962 and 1963. Posted a 40-21 mark in three minor-league seasons. |
| 13. | Don Grate | Ohio State | 1943-44 and 1944-45 | Righthander pitched briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945 and 1946 (1-1 record with 9.37 ERA). Compiled a 43-28 minor-league mark in the farm systems of the Phillies, Boston Braves, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. Also played outfield in farm systems of Senators and New York Giants in 1953, 1956 and 1957. |
| 14. | Ernie Andres | Indiana | 1937-38 and 1938-39 | Hit .098 in 15 games as a third baseman with the Boston Red Sox in 1946. Played five minor-league seasons in farm systems of the Red Sox, New York Giants, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He posted a .287 batting average in three years at AA level with Louisville, including 100 RBI in 1941. |
| 15. | George Lacy | Richmond | 1934-35 | Catcher for 10 minor-league seasons from 1936 to 1948 in farm systems of the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves. He also was a minor-league manager for the Braves and Washington Senators (237-178 record from 1946 through 1949). |
| 16. | R. Gail Bishop | Washington State | 1942-43 | Outfielder in the Boston Braves' farm system played four minor-league seasons from 1946 through 1949. In 1947, he hit .365 with 37 extra-base safeties in Sunset League (Class C). |
| 17. | Bill Sharman | Southern California | 1949-50 | OF-3B hit .281 in Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system in five minor-league seasons from 1950 through 1953 and 1955. Model of consistency hit from .286 to .292 in four of the campaigns. |
| 18. | Jay Arnette | Texas | 1959-60 | Outfielder hit .269 with 17 homers and 144 RBI in Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system in four seasons from 1961 through 1964. He hit .295 in Class A his last two campaigns. |
| 19. | Rolland "Rollie" Seltz | Hamline MN | 1945-46 | Infielder hit .266 in St. Louis Cardinals' organization in four minor-league seasons from 1943 through 1946. He hit .296 with a total of 37 homers and 142 RBI in his last two years at Class B level. |
| 20. | Andy Phillip | Illinois | 1941-42, 1942-43 and 1946-47 | Reached the Class AAA level in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization. OF-1B also played in the Cleveland Indians' farm system. In 1949, he collected 22 doubles, 8 homers and 47 RBI with Winston-Salem Cardinals in Carolina League (Class B). |
| 21. | Jim Jarvis | Oregon State | 1964-65 | Second baseman hit .288 with three minor-league teams in Philadelphia Phillies' organization in 1966. |
| 22. | Ferdinand "Fred" Pralle | Kansas | 1937-38 | OF hit .303 for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class D team in Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League in 1946. |
| 23. | Michael Jordan | North Carolina | 1982-83 and 1983-84 | Outfielder hit .202 with 114 strikeouts in 127 games in Chicago White Sox' farm system in 1994 with Birmingham (AA Southern League). |
| 24. | Trajan Langdon | Duke | 1997-98 and 1998-99 | Third baseman, a sixth-round selection by San Diego Padres out of high school in 1994 MLB amateur draft (ahead of eventual All-Stars Ronnie Belliard, Carl Pavano, Placido Polanco and J.D. Drew), hit .189 in 50 games in their farm system in three years. |
| 25. | Wardell "Dell" Curry | Virginia Tech | 1985-86 | Lost only start as pitcher (yielded one run while fanning four batters in three innings) with Gastonia (Class A South Atlantic League) in the Texas Rangers' farm system in 1991. He was a 37th-round selection by Rangers in 1982 MLB amateur draft out of high school and 14th round in 1985 by Baltimore Orioles in 1985 (eight rounds ahead of RHP John Smoltz). |
How the West Has Lost: BYU & USU Each is 19 Games Below .500 in Playoffs
Amid Boise State still being winless after 10 playoff outings, the West remains the worst. Such a viewpoint shouldn't be a surprise unless you put stock in creepy porn lawyer #Avenaughty as a #Dimorat presidential candidate, hideous Hunter's laptop is Russian disinformation or always believe contrived comments from Muslim Brotherhood apologist/former CIA chief John "NBC News' Snoopy" Brennan. Brigham Young and Utah State - more games below .500 than any institutions in NCAA playoff history (both 19) - bowing out of the NCAA playoffs before the Sweet 16 is almost a tradition. Also weighing heavily out West, Wyoming is the only former national champion (1943) to compile an all-time NCAA playoff record more than five games below .500 (9-21).
Everett Shelton, coach of Wyoming's titlist, is the only championship team bench boss to finish with a non-winning playoff record (4-12 from 1941 through 1958) and was more games under .500 in NCAA Division I Tournament competition than any coach in history until supplanted by Fran Dunphy (3-17 with Penn and Temple from 1993 through 2019). Also, Shelton is the only coach to lose three consecutive regional final games (1947, 1948 and 1949).
Joining Dunphy and Shelton among the eight coaches more than six games under .500 in NCAA playoff play are Rick Byrd (1-8 with Belmont from 2006 through 2019), Pete Carril (4-11 with Princeton from 1969 through 1996), Don Corbett (0-7 with North Carolina A&T from 1982 through 1988), Hugh Greer (1-8 with Connecticut from 1951 through 1960), Stew Morrill (1-9 with Montana and Utah State from 1991 through 2011) and Mike Vining (0-7 with Louisiana-Monroe from 1982 through 1996).
More than half of the following 11 schools more than 10 games below .500 in NCAA tourney competition are from west of the Mississippi River:
School Playoff Record Games Below .500 Mark Summary of Tournament Tumult Brigham Young 15-34 minus 19 only one of victories was by fewer than six points Utah State 7-26 minus 19 lost 20 of last 22 playoff games New Mexico State 11-28 minus 17 lost 12 straight games until ending streak this year after winning seven of 11 contests from 1968 through 1970 Princeton 15-30 minus 15 lost eight of first nine games from 1952 through 1963 and five straight contests since 1998 until reaching 2023 Sweet 16 Iona 1-16 minus 15 15 straight setbacks with first four of them by fewer than four points from 1980 through 1998 Miami (Ohio) 6-19 minus 13 only victory in 10-game span from 1969 through 1992 was in OT against defending NCAA champion Marquette in 1978 Murray State 5-18 minus 13 lost 11 games in a row from 1988 through 2006 Penn 13-26 minus 13 lost last 10 games and 15 of last 16 after entering 1979 Final Four with winning playoff record (11-9) Wyoming 9-21 minus 12 1943 NCAA titlist before losing 12 of 13 games from 1947 through 1967 Montana 2-13 minus 11 won inaugural game in 1975 but lost last four contests since 2012 by an average of 26 points Weber State 6-17 minus 11 seven of last nine defeats since 1979 were by fewer than 12 points
Down But Not Out: Iowa State's Turnaround From Going Winless in Big 12
In the seeding era, Iowa State is the ninth school to promptly revive its program and participate in the NCAA Tournament within five years after going winless in a power conference (0-18 in Big 12 three seasons ago before reached Sweet 16 in 2022 and losing to Pitt in opening round last season). The only other school in this quick-turnaround category to earn as good a seed (#2) was Georgia Tech, which reached the 1985 East Regional final after going winless in ACC four years earlier. Following is a chronological list of power-league members going from outhouse to penthouse within five campaigns since seeding was introduced in 1979:
| Winless Power-League Member | Conference (Season) | Ensuing NCAA Playoff Appearance (Record) |
|---|---|---|
| Southern California | 0-14 in Pac-8 (1975-76) | #7 seed in 1978-79 (1-1) |
| Georgia Tech | 0-14 in ACC (1980-81) | #2 seed in 1984-85 (3-1) |
| Wake Forest | 0-14 in ACC (1985-86) | #5 seed in 1990-91 (1-1) |
| Texas Tech | 0-16 in SWC (1989-90) | #12 seed in 1992-93 (0-1) |
| Miami (Fla.) | 0-18 in Big East (1993-94) | #11 seed in 1997-98 (0-1) |
| Texas A&M | 0-16 in Big 12 (2003-04) | #12 seed in 2005-06 (1-1) |
| Texas Christian | 0-18 in Big 12 (2013-14) | #6 seed in 2017-18 (0-1) |
| Pittsburgh | 0-18 in ACC (2017-18) | #11 seed in 2022-23 (2-1) |
| Iowa State | 0-18 in Big 12 (2020-21) | #11 seed in 2021-22 (reached Sweet 16), #6 seed in 2022-23 (lost to Pitt) and #2 seed in 2023-24 (2-0 entering Sweet 16) |
Deal or No Deal: Long-Term Contracts Don't Mean Much to NCAA DI Coaches
Should I stay or should I go? It's a good thing universities play in mammoth arenas because the egos of their "Pompous Pilots" wouldn't fit any other place. Reverberations will be felt for years after Arkansas' romance prying John Calipari loose from Kentucky.
Much of the excess in the canonization of coaches is perpetuated by coaches-turned-television commentators who shamelessly fawn over their former colleagues. Instead, the analysts should be more concerned about encouraging mentors to spare fans the pious blather about school loyalty and the sanctity of a contract.
Granted, it's survival of the fittest amid the offer-you-can't-refuse backdrop. But in many instances, schools have been little more than convenient steppingstones for "larger-than-life" coaches along their one-way street to success. It's understandable in many instances why mercenaries are leaving the minute they're appointed because coaches are in a distasteful "hired-to-be-fired" vocation, where a pink slip is only one losing season or poor recruiting class away.
If not about the money and perks, why did obsessive Buzz Williams reportedly file FOIA requests annually for the contracts of every basketball and football coach for every NCAA Division I public institution to discern how an agreement should be created?
Whatever the case, it's a black eye on the sport when loyalty seems to have become too much of a one-way street. At times, it makes one wonder how the bench bosses can look themselves in the mirror. Five of Tulsa's six coaches in one stretch - Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith, Steve Robinson, Bill Self and Buzz Peterson - abandoned ship for more prestigious positions despite each of them having at least three years remaining on their deals.
More than 70 different active coaches had at least three years remaining on their pacts when leaving for greener pastures. New Stanford bench boss Kyle Smith (from Columbia/San Francisco/Washington State) joined Calipari and the following alphabetical list of mentors departing three or four schools before their contracts expired:
Steve Alford - three years remaining on contract when he left Southwest Missouri State for Iowa; four when left Iowa for New Mexico, and 10 when left New Mexico for UCLA
Chris Beard - three years remaining on contract when he left UALR for UNLV; five when left UNLV for Texas Tech, and four when left Texas Tech for Texas
John Calipari - 10 years remaining on contract when he left Massachusetts for the NBA's New Jersey Nets; four when left Memphis for Kentucky, and five when left Kentucky for Arkansas
Jim Christian - five years remaining on contract when he left Kent State for Texas Christian; three when left TCU for Ohio University, and three when left Ohio University for Boston College
Trent Johnson - five years remaining on contract when he left Nevada for Stanford; one when left Stanford for Louisiana State, and two when left LSU for Texas Christian
Lon Kruger - four years remaining on contract when he left Kansas State for Florida; five when left Florida for Illinois; four when left Illinois for the Atlanta Hawks, and two when left UNLV for Oklahoma
Cuonzo Martin - four years remaining on contract when he left Missouri State for Tennessee; two when left Tennessee for California, and four when left Cal for Missouri
Ritchie McKay - two years remaining on contract when he left Portland State for Colorado State; four when left Colorado State for Oregon State, and four when left Oregon State for New Mexico
Kevin O'Neill - three years remaining on contract when he left Marquette for Tennessee; four when left Tennessee for Northwestern, and two when left Northwestern for the New York Knicks (assistant)
Buzz Peterson - nine years remaining on contract when he left Appalachian State for Tulsa; four when left Tulsa for Tennessee; two when left Coastal Carolina for the Charlotte Bobcats (director of player personnel), and four when left Appalachian State again for UNC Wilmington
Rick Pitino - five years remaining on contract when he left Providence for New York Knicks; three when left Kentucky for Boston Celtics, and two when left Iona for St. John's
Bill Self - two years remaining on contract when he left Oral Roberts for Tulsa; five when left Tulsa for Illinois, and five when left Illinois for Kansas
Tubby Smith - three years remaining on contract when he left Tulsa for Georgia; six when left Georgia for Kentucky; four when left Kentucky for Minnesota, and three when left Texas Tech for Memphis
Mark Turgeon - two years remaining on contract when he left Jacksonville State for Wichita State; nine when left Wichita State for Texas A&M, and four when left Texas A&M for Maryland
Buzz Williams - involved in lawsuit with New Orleans when he left to become Marquette assistant; six years remaining on contract when left Marquette for Virginia Tech, and four when left Virginia Tech for Texas A&M
Deal or no deal? The length of contracts doesn't seem to carry any weight as a factor in the equation as long as your brain cells or ethical standards don't put any stock into length of an existing pact. Dusty May had nine years remaining on his pact with FAU upon departing for Michigan. Following is an alphabetical list detailing coaches reportedly still having contractual obligations of more than five seasons when they left a school for greener pastures during their careers:
- Steve Alford (10 years remaining on contract) - left New Mexico (following 2012-13 season)/hired by UCLA
- Rick Barnes (6) - Clemson (1997-98)/Texas
- John Beilein (6) - Richmond (2001-02)/West Virginia
- Tony Bennett (6) - Washington State (2008-09)/Virginia
- Dave Bliss (6) - New Mexico (1998-99)/Baylor
- Mike Brey (7) - Delaware (1999-00)/Notre Dame
- John Calipari (10) - Massachusetts (1995-96)/New Jersey Nets
- Jeff Capel III (6) - Virginia Commonwealth (2005-06)/Oklahoma
- Tom Crean (9) - Marquette (2007-08)/Indiana
- Keith Dambrot (6) - Akron (2016-17)/Duquesne
- Kermit Davis (6) - Middle Tennessee State (2017-18)/Mississippi
- Jamie Dixon (7) - Pittsburgh (2015-16)/Texas Christian
- Matt Doherty (6) - Florida Atlantic (2005-06)/Southern Methodist
- Bryce Drew (7) - Valparaiso (2015-16)/Vanderbilt
- Larry Eustachy (6) - Utah State (1997-98)/Iowa State
- Dennis Felton (6) - Western Kentucky (2002-03)/Georgia
- Tim Floyd (6) - New Orleans (1993-94)/Iowa State
- Tim Floyd (8) - Iowa State (1997-98)/Chicago Bulls
- Travis Ford (7) - Massachusetts (2007-08)/Oklahoma State
- Billy Gillispie (8) - Texas A&M (2006-07)/Kentucky
- Brian Gregory (7) - Dayton (2010-11)/Georgia Tech
- Leonard Hamilton (7) - Miami (Fla.) (1999-00)/Washington Wizards
- Fred Hoiberg (8) - Iowa State (2014-15)/Chicago Bulls
- Chris Holtmann (8) - Butler (2016-17)/Ohio State
- Ben Howland (6) - Pittsburgh (2002-03)/UCLA
- Danny Hurley (6) - Rhode Island (2017-18)/Connecticut
- Johnny Jones (6) - North Texas (2011-12)/Louisiana State
- Jeff Lebo (8) - Chattanooga (2003-04)/Auburn
- Gregg Marshall (8) - Winthrop (2006-07)/Wichita State
- Thad Matta (9) - Xavier (2003-04)/Ohio State
- Dusty May (9) - Florida Atlantic (2023-24)/Michigan
- Fran McCaffery (7) - Siena (2009-10)/Iowa
- Sean Miller (9) - Xavier (2008-09)/Arizona
- Wes Miller (8) - UNC Greensboro (2020-21)/Cincinnati
- Paul Mills (6) - Oral Roberts (2022-23)/Wichita State
- Dan Monson (10) - Gonzaga (1998-99)/Minnesota
- Lute Olson (7) - Iowa (1982-83)/Arizona
- Buzz Peterson (9) - Appalachian State (1999-00)/Tulsa
- Skip Prosser (6) - Xavier (2000-01)/Wake Forest
- Oliver Purnell (6) - Clemson (2009-10)/DePaul
- Mike Rice Jr. (7) - Robert Morris (2009-10)/Rutgers
- Steve Robinson (7) - Tulsa (1996-97)/Florida State
- Kelvin Sampson (6) - Washington State (1993-94)/Oklahoma
- Shaka Smart (8) - Virginia Commonwealth (2014-15)/Texas
- Tubby Smith (6) - Georgia (1996-97)/Kentucky
- Brad Stevens (9) - Butler (2012-13)/Boston Celtics
- Mark Turgeon (9) - Wichita State (2006-07)/Texas A&M
- Brad Underwood (6) - Stephen F. Austin (2015-16)/Oklahoma State
- Will Wade (7) - Virginia Commonwealth (2016-17)/Louisiana State
- Buzz Williams (6) - Marquette (2013-14)/Virginia Tech
College Exam: Day #10 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper to wipe butts of dimwit attorneys Alvin Bragg, Letitia James and Fani Willis, wondering if Plagiarist Biledumb is male version of bike-riding witch stealing Toto in Wizard of Oz or cowering in fetal position waiting on marching orders 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 10 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's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who is the only All-American to coach three different schools in the NCAA playoffs? Hint: He was the leading scorer for an NCAA champion.
2. Who is the only coach to take three different schools to a regional final in a 10-year span? Hint: He is the only individual to meet two different schools in the playoffs he had previously coached to the Final Four. He had a chance to become the first coach to guide three different universities to national semifinals, but retired and turned reins over to his son.
3. Who is the only seven-foot player to lead a Final Four in scoring and win a conference high jump title in the same year? Hint: He is the only player to lead the NBA in rebounds and assists in same season.
4. Of the total of 10 different teams in the 1980s to defeat a school twice in a season the opponent eventually won the national title, name the only one of the 10 to fail to win its NCAA Tournament opener. Hint: The team had the misfortune of opening playoffs on home court of its opponent.
5. Of the Final Four teams in the last several decades to have standouts whose high school coach was reunited with a star player as a college assistant, name the only school to win a national championship. Hint: The high school coach who tagged along with his prep All-American as a college assistant was also first minority player to play for his alma mater.
6. Who is the only coach to take a team more than two games below .500 one season to the national title the next year? Hint: He is the only championship team coach to finish his college career with a losing record. He is also the only major-college coach to stay at a school at least 25 seasons and finish with a losing career record at that institution.
7. Who is the only coach to reach the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament and NIT at least five times apiece? Hint: Of the coaches to win basketball championships at every major level (the NCAA, NIT and Summer Olympics), he is the only one to capture the "Triple Crown" in a span of less than 10 years.
8. Of the players to score more than 225 points in the playoffs and/or average in excess of 25 points per tournament game (minimum of six games), who is the only individual to score more than 22 points in every postseason contest? Hint: He is the only player from group to have a single-digit differential between his highest-scoring game and his lowest-scoring game.
9. Who is the only one of the first 20 players to accumulate at least 235 points in NCAA playoff competition to fail to score at least 25 points in a tournament game? Hint: He is the only one of the more recent Most Outstanding Players to score fewer than 28 points in two Final Four games and his highest-scoring playoff performance couldn't avert a defeat in the only one of his four years he didn't participate in Final Four.
10. Among the all-time leading scorers in NCAA Tournament history, who is the only player in this group to go scoreless in a playoff game? Hint: He scored less than 10 points in six consecutive tournament games before averaging 20 points per game in his last 11 playoff outings.
Answers (Day 10)
Day 9 Questions and Answers
Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
Day 6 Questions and Answers
Day 5 Questions and Answers
Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
Short & Sweet: Sprinkle Won 80% of Games in Only Season With Utah State
Danny Sprinkle won 80% of his games in only season (28-7 record) with Utah State before seeking greener pastures at Washington. But a surprising number of previous "won-and-done" mentors posted even higher winning percentages in "short-and-sweet" one-year stints since the generally recognized start of the modern era of college basketball in the early 1950s.
Kyle Neptune nearly joined loser list of one-year wonders (16-16 with Fordham before succeeding Hall of Famer Jay Wright at Villanova). Fordham improved by 14 games in Digger Phelps' only season with the Rams in 1970-71, a mark that stood for one-year wonders until Chris Beard broke it with a 15-game improvement after UALR (30-5) went 13-18 in 2014-15. Buzz Peterson, the only coach to win a national postseason championship in his only season at a school (Tulsa), is among the following "one-and-done" coaches - including 2024 Sweet 16 bench bosses Rick Barnes (with George Mason), Matt Painter (Southern Illinois) and Brad Underwood (Oklahoma State) - who won more than 60% of their games in one-year tenures in the last 70 years:
| Coach | School | Single Season | W-L | Pct. | Reason for One-Year Stint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lute Olson | Long Beach State | 1973-74 | 24-2 | .923 | Became coach at Iowa. |
| Digger Phelps | Fordham | 1970-71 | 26-3 | .897 | Became coach at Notre Dame. |
| Chris Beard | UALR | 2015-16 | 30-5 | .857 | Became coach at UNLV. |
| Carl Tacy | Marshall | 1971-72 | 23-4 | .852 | Became coach at Wake Forest. |
| Keno Davis | Drake | 2007-08 | 28-5 | .848 | Became coach at Providence. |
| Matt Painter | Southern Illinois | 2003-04 | 25-5 | .833 | Became coach at Purdue. |
| Stan Heath | Kent State | 2001-02 | 29-6 | .829 | Became coach at Arkansas. |
| Paul Weir | New Mexico State | 2016-17 | 28-6 | .824 | Became coach at New Mexico. |
| Danny Sprinkle | Utah State | 2023-24 | 28-7 | .800 | Became coach at Washington. |
| Thad Matta | Butler | 2000-01 | 24-8 | .750 | Became coach at Xavier. |
| Bill Fitch | Bowling Green | 1967-68 | 18-7 | .720 | Became coach at Minnesota. |
| Jim Harding* | La Salle | 1967-68 | 20-8 | .714 | Forced out by administration. |
| Buzz Peterson | Tulsa | 2000-01 | 26-11 | .703 | Became coach at Tennessee. |
| Bob Vanatta | Army | 1953-54 | 15-7 | .682 | Became coach at Bradley. |
| Larry Shyatt | Wyoming | 1997-98 | 19-9 | .679 | Became coach at Clemson. |
| Rick Barnes | George Mason | 1987-88 | 20-10 | .667 | Became coach at Providence. |
| Corey Gipson | Northwestern State | 2022-23 | 22-11 | .667 | Became coach at Austin Peay. |
| Ron Greene | Mississippi State | 1977-78 | 18-9 | .667 | Became coach at Murray State. |
| Art Tolis | New Orleans | 1987-88 | 21-11 | .656 | Forced out by administration. |
| Steve Lutz | Western Kentucky | 2023-24 | 22-12 | .647 | Became coach at Oklahoma State. |
| Scott Drew | Valparaiso | 2002-03 | 20-11 | .645 | Became coach at Baylor. |
| Louis Orr | Siena | 2000-01 | 20-11 | .645 | Became coach at Seton Hall. |
| Bob Huggins | Kansas State | 2006-07 | 22-13 | .629 | Became coach at West Virginia. |
| Grant McCasland | Arkansas State | 2016-17 | 20-12 | .625 | Became coach at North Texas. |
| Brad Underwood | Oklahoma State | 2016-17 | 20-13 | .606 | Became coach at Illinois. |
*Harding became coach for Minnesota (ABA) for portion of 1968-69 season.
Purdue's Zach Edey Latest NCAA Leading Scorer Not Averaging > 30 PPG
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 achieved the feat four seasons ago (30.1 ppg).
Nine years ago, Eastern Washington's Tyler Harvey (23.1 ppg) finished with the lowest average for the national scoring leader since Yale's Tony Lavelli posted 22.4 ppg in 1948-49. As a means of comparison to an era when scorers flourished, an average of 36 players annually posted higher scoring marks than Harvey in a six-season span from 1967-68 through 1972-73, including a high of 44 in 1969-70 when LSU's Pete Maravich nearly doubled Harvey 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). Purdue center Zach Edey is on his way to joining 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.
Scheyer Joins List of Former A-As With Winning NCAA Playoff Coaching Marks
A modest total of 14 individuals have emerged victorious as both an All-American player and head coach in NCAA Tournament competition. Michigan's Juwan Howard is the only one of them to compile winning NCAA tourney records at least two games above .500 in each category. But Howard, missing the tourney the past two years, was dismissed by the Wolverines. Duke's Jon Scheyer and Nevada's Steve Alford were the only former A-As coaching teams in this year's tourney.
Indiana's Branch McCracken, who directed the Hoosiers to NCAA tourney titles in 1940 and 1953, is the only one of the first 69 All-Americans becoming major-college mentors to finish his coaching career compiling a higher winning percentage as coach. But McCracken and Whitey Baccus, Tom Churchill, Jack Gray, Moose Krause plus John Wooden were A-As before the NCAA Tournament was introduced in 1939. More than 40 All-Americans who became major-college coaches either did not play or coach in NCAA playoffs. Five Duke graduates are among the following alphabetical list of 24 individuals participating in national tourney as an All-American player and bench boss (nine of them guiding their alma mater):
| All-American/Tourney Coach | Playoff Record as Player | Playoff Record as Head Coach |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Alford | 8-2 with Indiana | 11-13 with Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico, UCLA and Nevada |
| Tommy Amaker | 8-4 with Duke | 4-5 with Seton Hall and Harvard |
| Alfred "Butch" Beard | 1-3 with Louisville | 0-1 with Howard University |
| Henry Bibby | 12-0 with UCLA | 3-3 with Southern California |
| Jimmy Collins | 7-4 with New Mexico State | 0-3 with Illinois-Chicago |
| Bob Cousy | 5-1 with Holy Cross | 2-2 with Boston College |
| Howie Dallmar | 3-0 with Stanford | 1-1 with Penn |
| Johnny Dawkins | 6-3 with Duke | 3-2 with Stanford and UCF |
| Patrick Ewing Sr. | 15-3 with Georgetown | 0-1 with Georgetown |
| Larry Finch Sr. | 3-1 with Memphis State | 6-6 with Memphis State |
| Sidney Green | 0-1 with UNLV | 0-1 with Florida Atlantic |
| Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway | 1-1 with Memphis State | 2-2 with Memphis |
| Clem Haskins | 2-2 with Western Kentucky | 11-8 with Western Kentucky and Minnesota |
| Walt Hazzard | 6-4 with UCLA | 1-1 with UCLA |
| Juwan Howard | 13-3 with Michigan | 5-2 with Michigan |
| Bobby Hurley Jr. | 18-2 with Duke | 2-4 with Buffalo and Arizona State |
| Danny Manning | 13-3 with Kansas | 0-2 with Tulsa and Wake Forest |
| Chris Mullin | 6-4 with St. John's | 0-1 with St. John's |
| Jeff Mullins | 6-2 with Duke | 0-3 with UNC Charlotte |
| Jeff Ruland | 1-2 with Iona | 0-3 with Iona |
| Jon Scheyer | 9-3 with Duke | 4-2 with Duke |
| John Shumate | 2-1 with Notre Dame | 0-1 with Southern Methodist |
| John Thompson Jr. | 0-1 with Providence | 34-19 with Georgetown |
| Mike Woodson | 2-2 with Indiana | 2-2 with Indiana |
Elite Hate: Six Power-Conference Members Never Advancing to Regional Final
First things first! This admonition for handful of prominent schools is finally winning an NCAA playoff regional semifinal game. Nebraska didn't get out of starter's block again while Northwestern and Texas A&M failed to capitalize on an opportunity to erase that resume blemish this year. The Aggies made a herculean comeback against #1 seed Houston before losing in overtime, nixing trip to Sweet 16 and possibly advance to initial "Elite Eight."
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 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 82 NCAA playoff appearances (including 2024) and 59-74 record (.444), following is an alphabetical list of the half-dozen "Elite Eight" no-shows from top six leagues:
| Power-League Member | App. | Record | Pct. | Premier Players for Previous NCAA Tournament Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State | 17 | 15-18 | .455 | Larry Armstrong, Isaac Austin, Art Becker, Mario Bennett, Joe Caldwell, Jahii Carson, Tony Cerkvenik, Ike Diogu, Jamal Faulkner (transferred to Alabama), James Harden, Tra Holder, Lionel Hollins, Alton Lister, Scott Lloyd, Remy Martin (transferred to Kansas), Kurt Nimphius, Ron Riley, Byron Scott and Rudy White |
| Boston College | 18 | 22-19 | .537 | Danya Abrams, Michael Adams, Steve Adelman, John Bagley, Troy Bell, Bob Carrington, Bill Curley, Terry Driscoll, Jared Dudley, Howard Eisley, John Garris, Jay Murphy, James "Scoonie" Penn (transferred to Ohio State), Tyrese Rice and Craig Smith |
| Mississippi | 9 | 5-9 | .357 | Keith Carter, Carlos Clark, Terence Davis, Aaron Harper, Marshall Henderson, Marcus Hicks, Stefan Moody, Justin Reed, Ansu Sesay and Elston Turner |
| Nebraska | 8 | 0-8 | .000 | Cookie Belcher, Jaron Boone, Derrick Chandler, Bernard Day, Juwan Gary, Venson Hamilton, Carl Hayes, Rich King, Tyronn Lue, Rienk Mast, Terran Petteway, Eric Piatkowski, Shavon Shields, Erick Strickland, Keisei Tominaga, Brice Williams and Andre Woolridge (transferred to Iowa) |
| Northwestern | 3 | 3-3 | .500 | Chase Audige, Brooks Barnhizer, Boo Buie, Ryan Langborg, Vic Law, Scottie Lindsey, Bryant McIntosh and Dererk Pardon |
| Texas A&M | 16 | 14-17 | .452 | Billy Bob Barnett, John Beasley, Josh Carter, Winston Crite, Barry Davis, Tyler Davis, Mike Heitmann, Danuel House, Jalen Jones, Joseph Jones, Acie Law IV, Bennie Lenox, Khris Middleton, Steve Niles, Sonny Parker, Ronnie Peret, Tyrece Radford, Claude Riley, Vernon Smith, Wade Taylor IV, Robert Williams, Rudy Woods and Rynn Wright |
Fall-Americans: Every NCAA Consensus First-Team A-A Survived This Season
All five of them advanced this year following three consecutive campaigns when at least three consensus first-team All-Americans didn't reach the Sweet 16. Two seasons ago marked the first time four available NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans - three from Big Ten - failed to reach the national tournament Sweet 16 since 1975 when field expanded to 32 teams and every entrant had to win at least one game before advancing to regional semifinals.
Four consensus first-teamers didn't reach Sweet 16 in 2000 but one of them was injured (Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin broke his right leg in C-USA Tournament). There had been only one year (2006) when every consensus first-teamer appeared in Sweet 16 since seeding was introduced in 1979.
Creighton's Doug McDermott is the only first-teamer in that span failing to play in second weekend three straight seasons (2012 through 2014) and DePaul's Mark Aguirre is lone first-teamer to be eliminated in opening round in back-to-back years (1980 and 1981). Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire (Arizona) is among the following NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans failing to appear in Sweet 16 since 1975 (listed in reverse order):
^Lost opening-round game.
NOTE: Martin was injured (broke his right leg in 2000 C-USA Tournament).
Mid-Major Gladness: Gonzaga Reaches Sweet 16 For Ninth Straight Tourney
Gonzaga and San Diego State returned again, but there isn't a chance this year of three mid-major Final Four participants duplicating what Jacksonville, New Mexico State and St. Bonaventure achieved in 1970. After an average of four mid-level schools reached the Sweet 16 in a six-year span from 2006 through 2011, the previous decade could have cemented the premise about mid-major schools deserving additional at-large consideration. But that was before nine mid-level schools - UCF, Gonzaga, New Mexico, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, Saint Mary's, Southern Mississippi, UNLV and Virginia Commonwealth - were eliminated in games against power six conference members by an average of only four points in 2012, the Mountain West Conference flopped in 2013, only two mid-majors reached the Sweet 16 in 2014 and 2015, Northern Iowa and Stephen F. Austin frittered away last-minute leads against power-league opponents in 2016 and Rhode Island squandered a significant lead against Oregon.
Butler, Gonzaga, Virginia Commonwealth and Wichita State advancing to the Final Four the previous decade was invigorating, but the mid-major community missed out on a potential bonanza. Gonzaga reached the second weekend for the ninth consecutive tourney. Following is a look at how at least one mid-major conference member advanced to a regional semifinal or beyond since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985:
NOTE: Brigham Young, Butler, Cincinnati, Houston, Texas, Utah and Xavier subsequently joined a power conference.
League of Their Own: ACC Provides 4 Sweet 16 Teams 5th Time in 10 Years
Packing the court legitimately eight years ago, the ACC set an NCAA Tournament record with six Sweet 16 participants. No power league had as many as four for the the past two years before the ACC supplied four this season. In 2016-17, the national media proclaimed the ACC as perhaps the greatest league in history but that assessment came before the nine-bid alliance was fortunate to have one representative among regional semifinalists (North Carolina overcame five-point deficit in last three minutes against Arkansas) and failed to produce a single individual among 19 All-Americans three seasons ago. #MessMedia proclaimed the Big Ten as dominant two seasons ago but only one of nine participants survived the first weekend of competition. The Big Ten became the first conference securing at least nine entrants in single tourney and have none of them advance to a regional final in 2022.
In 2009, the Big East became the first conference to boast five playoff teams reaching the regional semifinals in the same year until the ACC duplicated the feat two years ago. The ACC boasted four members advancing that far on eight occasions in a 12-year stretch from 1984 through 1995.
The ACC in 1985 was the only league in this category not to have at least one of the quartet reach the Final Four until the Big East was foiled in 2006. The following list of thoroughbred leagues supplied at least four Sweet 16 participants a total of 30 times since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to at least 48 teams in 1980:
x-Won NCAA championship
y-Finished national runner-up
z-Reached Final Four
College Exam: Day #9 For One-and-Only NCAA Tournament Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper, seeking translator to try to understand Plagiarist Biledumb before his afternoon nap or cowering in fetal position due to having Dr. Fraudci as deity, 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 9 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's year-by-year highlights):
1. Who was the only athlete to lead his championship team in scoring in two Final Four games and pitch in the major leagues the same year? Hint: He was a guard for three consecutive Final Four teams and was selected to the All-NCAA Tournament team as a senior.
2. Name the only school with more than 1,300 victories in the 20th Century never to reach the Final Four. Hint: The school participated in the NCAA playoffs just once (1992) in last 40-plus years.
3. Name the only school to defeat a team three times in a season the opponent captured the NCAA title. Hint: The school also defeated the same conference foe three times the next season as defending national champion.
4. Name the only champion to win its two Final Four games by a total of more than 50 points. Hint: The titlist suffered its only loss that season against one of the Final Four victims.
5. Of the 35 Final Four Most Outstanding Players selected from 1946 through 1981 when there was a national third-place game, who was the only honoree to play for a fourth-place team? Hint: He never averaged as many as nine points per game in four NBA seasons.
6. Name the only school to lose in back-to-back years in the first round to different institutions going on to capture national titles those years. Hint: The school won a total of 47 games in the two seasons. The two defeats were in the middle of six consecutive playoff appearances for the school after it appeared in playoffs just once from 1939 through 1982.
7. Name the only year four teams arrived at the national semifinals with a composite winning percentage of less than 75 percent. Hint: The two schools that met in the national third-place game are traditional football powers. The college losing both of its Final Four games that year is the only national semifinalist to finish a season with as many as 14 defeats.
8. Who is the only player to score more than 60 points in a single playoff game and to score more than 43 points at least twice? Hint: Of the players who scored more than 235 playoff points and/or averaged more than 25 points per tournament game (minimum of three games), he is the only individual from the select group to have a losing playoff record. He is the only one of the top 25 playoff scorers never to reach Final Four.
9. Who is the only male player to score more than 44 points in a single Final Four game? Hint: He is the only player to twice convert more than 12 free throws without a miss in playoff game.
10. Who is the only player to score more than 400 points in his playoff career? Hint: The only individual to start in four straight Final Fours hit two last-second shots to help his team win East Regional final overtime games and is only player with at least 10 championship game free-throw attempts to convert all of them.
Answers (Day 9)
Day 8 Questions and Answers
Day 7 Questions and Answers
Day 6 Questions and Answers
Day 5 Questions and Answers
Day 4 Questions and Answers
Day 3 Questions and Answers
Day 2 Questions and Answers
Day 1 Questions and Answers
As Good As It Got: Teams Entering Tournament With Longest Winning Streak
Gonzaga entered NCAA Tournament final three years ago boasting a school-record winning streak (35) before beaten by Baylor. The Zags should know the fact numerous other teams had the daunting task of capturing the NCAA championship or watch even longer school-record winning streaks come to a halt. James Madison entered national playoffs this campaign with a 13-game winning streak, which is significantly shorter than the following alphabetical list of schools boasting still existing all-time DI winning streaks of at least 25 consecutive victories broken during the NCAA playoffs:
| School | Streak | Date Ended | Opponent | Score | NCAA Tourney Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | 26 | 4-5-10 | Duke | 61-59 | Championship Game |
| College of Charleston | 25 | 3-12-99 | Tulsa | 62-53 | East Regional First |
| Columbia | 32 | 3-20-51 | Illinois | 79-71 | East Regional First |
| Davidson | 25 | 3-30-08 | Kansas | 59-57 | Midwest Regional Final |
| Duke | 32 | 3-29-99 | Connecticut | 77-74 | Championship Game |
| Florida | 30 | 4-5-14 | Connecticut | 63-53 | National Semifinals |
| Gonzaga | 35 | 4-5-21 | Baylor | 86-70 | Championship Game |
| Houston | 32 | 3-22-68 | UCLA | 101-69 | National Semifinals |
| Indiana | 34 | 3-22-75 | Kentucky | 92-90 | Mideast Regional Final |
| Indiana State | 33 | 3-26-79 | Michigan State | 75-64 | Championship Game |
| Kentucky | 38 | 4-4-15 | Wisconsin | 71-64 | National Semifinals |
| Loyola Marymount | 25 | 3-19-88 | North Carolina | 123-97 | West Regional Second |
| Marquette | 39 | 3-18-71 | Ohio State | 60-59 | Mideast Regional Semifinals |
| Memphis | 27 | 3-26-09 | Missouri | 102-91 | West Regional Semifinals |
| Ohio State | 32 | 3-25-61 | Cincinnati | 70-65 | Championship Game |
| Rutgers | 31 | 3-27-76 | Michigan | 86-70 | National Semifinals |
| Stephen F. Austin | 29 | 3-23-14 | UCLA | 77-60 | South Regional Second |
| Temple | 25 | 3-21-58 | Kentucky | 61-60 | National Semifinals |
| UNLV | 45 | 3-30-91 | Duke | 79-77 | National Semifinals |
| Wichita State | 35 | 3-23-14 | Kentucky | 78-76 | Midwest Regional Second |
Slow Start: All-Americans LeDee and Shead Endured Growing Pains as Frosh
In a microwave atmosphere of instant expectations, Iowa's Kris Murray (0.6 points per game in 2020-21) failed to generate national headlines in his freshman season with the Hawkeyes before blossoming into an All-American two years later. He is a textbook example why fans shouldn't put too much stock in freshman statistics. All-Americans this year who struggled as a freshman include San Diego State's Jaedon LeDee (3 ppg with Ohio State in 2018-19) and Houston's Jamal Shead (3.3 ppg in 2020-21).
Murray, posting the lowest-ever freshman scoring average for an eventual All-American, isn't the only standout who endured growing pains. The following alphabetical list of players averaged fewer than three points per game as a freshman before eventually earning All-American acclaim:
Eventual All-American Pos. A-A School Freshman Scoring Average Cole Aldrich C Kansas 2.8 ppg in 2007-08 Lorenzo Charles F North Carolina State 2.2 ppg in 1981-82 Rakeem Christmas F Syracuse 2.8 ppg in 2011-12 Keith Edmonson G Purdue 1.3 ppg in 1978-79 Aaron Gray C Pittsburgh 1.7 ppg in 2003-04 Erick Green G Virginia Tech 2.6 ppg in 2009-10 Tom Gugliotta F North Carolina State 2.7 ppg in 1988-89 Rui Hachimura F Gonzaga 2.6 ppg in 2016-17 Roy Hamilton G UCLA 1.2 ppg in 1975-76 Jeff Jonas G Utah 2.8 ppg in 1973-74 Johnny Juzang G UCLA 2.9 ppg in 2019-20 with Kentucky Frank Kaminsky C-F Wisconsin 1.8 ppg in 2011-12 Ted Kitchel F Indiana 1.7 ppg in 1979-80 Bob Kurland C Oklahoma A&M 2.5 ppg in 1942-43 Tom LaGarde C North Carolina 2.2 ppg in 1973-74 Jock Landale C Saint Mary's 2.1 ppg in 2014-15 Kenyon Martin C Cincinnati 2.8 ppg in 1996-97 Luke Maye F North Carolina 1.2 ppg in 2015-16 Kris Murray F Iowa 0.6 ppg in 2020-21 John Pilch G Wyoming 2.4 ppg in 1946-47 Thomas Robinson F Kansas 2.5 ppg in 2009-10 Steve Scheffler C Purdue 1.5 ppg in 1986-87 Russ Smith G Louisville 2.2 ppg in 2010-11 Earl Tatum G-F Marquette 1.5 ppg in 1972-73 Kurt Thomas F-C Texas Christian 0.8 ppg in 1990-91 Al Thornton F Florida State 2.8 ppg in 2003-04 B.J. Tyler G Texas 2.9 ppg in 1989-90 with DePaul Scottie Wilbekin G Florida 2.4 ppg in 2010-11 Jeff Withey C Kansas 1.3 ppg in 2009-10 NOTES: Oregon's Wally Borrevik (1.8 ppg in 1940-41), Wisconsin's Gene Englund (2.3 ppg in 1938-39), California's Darrall Imhoff (0.9 ppg in 1957-58), Kansas' Dean Kelley (0.8 in 1950-51), Purdue's Bob Kessler (2.3 ppg in 1933-34), Notre Dame's Leo Klier (2.7 in 1942-43), Oklahoma A&M's Gale McArthur (2.96 ppg in 1948-49), Notre Dame's Bob Rensberger (1.5 ppg in 1940-41) and Stanford's George Yardley (2.9 ppg in 1947-48) averaged fewer than three points per game as sophomores when freshmen weren't eligible to play varsity basketball before becoming All-Americans. . . . Withey originally attended Arizona.
Missing in Main Action: Many All-Americans Without Postseason Experience
Naturally, it would be unfair to include "one-and-done" players from four seasons ago as coronavirus prevented them from participating in national postseason competition. No All-American missed out on postseason play this year, but you can go back to Big Ben to assess whether he was a freshman phenom or flop. Eight seasons ago, LSU's Ben Simmons was the first NCAA consensus All-American in 38 years (since Minnesota's Mychal Thompson and Portland State's Freeman Williams in 1978) to leave college after failing to appear in either of the two principal national postseason tournaments during their career. After previously occurring frequently, Army's Kevin Houston (1987) had been the last All-American of any type to miss the NCAA tourney and NIT until Simmons and Detroit's Antoine Davis last season (despite COVID-enhanced five years of eligibility as the Titans went 29 games below .500 during his stint). Davis, Houston, Thompson and Williams comprise four of 24 four- and five-year players among all A-As in this dubious category. Thompson is among a total of 50 such players from Big Ten Conference members.
Simmons' questionable NBA playing status the past several seasons is nothing new. He plus fellow All-Americans Kay Felder (Oakland) and Markelle Fultz (Washington freshman seven years ago) might have made bigger names for themselves in college if they had participated in national postseason competition prior to declaring early for the NBA draft. Fultz, briefly a teammate of Simmons with the Philadelphia 76ers, became the 126th standout from a member of an existing power league (26 of them consensus) on the following alphabetical list of All-Americans, including Kevin Love's father (Stan Love/Oregon A-A in 1971), who never competed in the NCAA playoffs or NIT since the national-tourney events were introduced in the late 1930s:
*Number of times named an NCAA consensus All-American.
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