Moment of Final Four Silence: Acknowledging Alumni Who Went Before Them

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die." - Thomas Campbell's poem Hallowed Ground

Memo to Final Four players: It's not just about this year's team. Never forget those who supported your program along the way and never forget who helped program out while everyone else was making excuses about not doing what you achieved.

Feel proud to take them with you on trip to San Antonio area and make them part of your experience. They fully knew the sweat-and-tears sacrifice you expended. They had the same sense of pride when putting on uniform of your common alma mater. They are your extended teammates who would have donned old letterman jackets/sweaters/caps or newer school merchandise this weekend if they were still alive. They set the table for you and will be there in spirit. Take a second to acknowledge them with a silent thank you because they also left it all on the court trying to earn this moment. They didn't quite make the heart-pounding journey with you. But if you believe in the hereafter, they'll still be rooting for you.

Duke's deceased probably are rolling over in their graves after Houston's 11-1 run in last 1:14 of national semifinal. Following is a RIP sampling of basketball brotherhood (deceased players and coaches) from 2025 F4 schools perishing earlier this decade (including Hall of Fame coaches Vince Dooley and Lefty Driesell plus eight-time MLB All-Star shortstop Dick Groat):

AUBURN
2024 - Rolland "Brownie" Nelson (died at age 91/juco recruit averaged 10.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg in 1954-55 and 1955-56 under coach Joel Eaves).
2023 - Gerald White (58/7.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 5.1 apg and 1.3 spg for four NCAA tourney teams from 1983-84 through 1986-87. White, the school's career assists leader, was a freshman teammate of All-American Charles Barkley on school's first playoff squad.
2022 - Vince Dooley (90/6.3 ppg in 1951-52 before football team MVP in 1954 Gator Bowl coached Georgia to 1980 national championship and six SEC titles, compiling a 201-66-10 record as 20 of his clubs appeared in bowl games in 25 seasons from 1964 through 1988); Johnny Meagher Jr. (95/letterman in 1944-45 served in U.S. Marine Corps), and Jeff Moore (56/13.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg for four NCAA tourney teams from 1984-85 through 1987-88 as All-SEC second-team selection as junior when leading Tigers in scoring and rebounding).
2021 - Bob Davis (93/compiled 70-61 coaching record in five seasons from 1973-74 through 1977-78); Kay Slayden (86/9.2 ppg and 4.7 rpg from 1953-54 through 1955-56 under coach Eaves), and Emmett Thomas (played in 1973-74 and 1974-75).
2020 - Terry Chandler (84/5.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg from 1955-56 through 1957-58 under Eaves); William "Porter" Gilbert (81/10.3 ppg and 5 rpg while shooting 59.7% from the floor from 1958-59 through 1960-61 under Eaves, leading SEC in field goal shooting as senior co-captain at 58.4%); Dan Kirkland (69/9.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg in 1970-71 and 1971-72, finishing runner-up in scoring and third-leading rebounder his final season); Jimmy Lee (84/14.3 ppg and 4.2 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59 as two-time All-SEC selection led Tigers in scoring as sophomore and senior); Jim Retseck (69/15.7 ppg and 10.3 rpg in 1970-71 and 1971-72 before leaving school with one season of eligibility remaining to play professionally in Europe), and Billy Tinker (81/All-SEC third-team selection as junior in 1961-62 when averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg).

DUKE
2024 - Charles "Lefty" Driesell (92/4 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 1952-53 and 1953-54 under coach Harold Bradley).
2023 - Dick Groat (92/23 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52, earning All-American acclaim his last two years when finishing among nation's top five scorers before becoming eight-time N.L. All-Star shortstop hit .286 with Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants in 14 seasons (1952 and 1955 through 1967) and Fred Shabel (90/compiled a 72-29 coaching record (.713) with Connecticut in four seasons from 1963-64 through 1966-67, participating in three NCAA tourneys, after averaging 3.5 ppg and 1.2 rpg from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under Bradley).
2022 - Tom Blackburn (88/played for Duke in 1954-55 under Bradley; Merrill Morgan (84/2.4 ppg from 1958-59 through 1960-61 under Bradley and Vic Bubas), and Steve Vandenberg (75/8.4 ppg and 6.1 rpg from 1966-67 through 1968-69 under Bubas, finishing runner-up in rebounding for an NIT team).
2021 - Burwell "Bucky" Allen Jr. (85/10.7 ppg and 2.8 rpg from 1955-56 through 1957-58 under Bradley, earning All-ACC second-team honors as senior); Jerry Robertson (83/4.1 ppg and 3.3 rpg from 1956-57 through 1958-59, serving as senior captain under Bradley), and Steve Salisbury (78/played in 1961-62 under Bubas).
2020 - Dick Latimer Sr. (89/1.9 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52 as teammate of Groat).

FLORIDA
2024 - Ronnie Montgomery (58/3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.9 apg and 1.1 spg from 1984-85 through 1987-88 under coach [Norm Sloan](coaches/norman-sloan, leading Gators in assists as sophomore and senior); Paul Morton II (83/6.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg from 1963-64 through 1965-66 under Sloan, finishing runner-up in scoring with 9.1 ppg as senior co-captain); Edd Poore (79/2.5 ppg and 2 rpg from 1963-64 through 1966-67 (redshirt in 1965-66); Dick Roher (87/played in 1957-58), and Elam Stokes Sr. (92/3 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 1950-51 and 1953-54 (college career interrupted by serving in U.S. Army during Korean Conflict).
2023 - Howie Tesher (90/played in 1951-52. As a horse trainer, he won more than 1,300 races from 1962 to spring of 2014.
2022 - Brooks Henderson (84/NYU transfer averaged 15.2 ppg and 5.5 rpg from 1962-63 through 1964-65 under Sloan, serving in U.S. Air Force before becoming two-time All-SEC selection as Gators' top scorer); David "Skip" Higley (77/7.6 ppg and 2.9 rpg from 1964-65 through 1966-67, earning All-SEC second-team honors as senior captain); Major Parker (44/4.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg from 1997-98 through 2000-01 under coach Billy Donovan, serving as occasional starter with Gators' 2000 NCAA Tournament runner-up), and Lanny Sommese (1.3 ppg in 1962-63 and 1963-64 under Sloan).
2021 - Eddie Clark (79/1.7 ppg in 1961-62 under Sloan) and Ronnie Williams (59/19 ppg and 8.7 rpg while shooting 58.5% from the floor from 1980-81 through 1983-84 under Sloan, becoming four-time All-SEC selection and leading league in scoring as sophomore).
2020 - Carlos "Sonny" Morrison (79/team runner-up in scoring and rebounding in 1961-62 under Sloan).

HOUSTON
2024 - Robert "Bunky" Bradford (93/8.7 ppg as starting forward in 1951-52 when Cougars were transitioning to major-college status); Leary Lentz (79/8.4 ppg and 8.3 rpg with three NCAA tourney teams from 1964-65 through 1966-67 under coach Guy Lewis), and Sonny Willis (74/4.2 ppg with three NCAA tourney teams from 1969-70 through 1971-72 under Lewis).
2023 - Reggie Chaney (23/3.6 ppg and 2.6 rpg for Arkansas transfer from 2020-21 through 2022-23 under coach Kelvin Sampson, earning American Athletic Conference's Sixth Man of the Year award as senior graduate), and Jerry Messick (82/transferred to Iowa, where he averaged 8.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 1961-62 and 1962-63).
2022 - none of whom we are aware
2021 - Bill Howard (81/juco recruit played with 1961 NCAA tourney team coached by Lewis) and Renaldo Thomas (57/3.9 ppg from 1982-83 through 1985-86 under Lewis. Thomas was member of Phi Slama Jama clubs finishing national runner-up in 1983 and 1984).
2020 - Jim Grigsby (86/played in 1953-54); Jeff Hickman (69/12.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 2.4 apg in 1969-70 and 1970-71 under Lewis); Jack McNutt (88/juco recruit averaged 4.2 ppg in 1951-52 when Cougars were transitioning to major-college level); John Moore (76/played in 1964-65 under Lewis); Herb Richardson (93/juco recruit averaged 9.5 ppg in 1950-51 in Cougars' inaugural campaign at major-college level); Alvaro Teheran (54/Houston Baptist transfer averaged 9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.3 bpg in 1989-90 and 1990-91, earning All-SWC second-team honors as senior), and Jack Thompson (82/juco recruit averaged 8.9 ppg in 1960-61 and 1961-62 under Lewis).