Bullying Tactics: Power League Members Deny Fans Entertaining Contests

December 7th, 2014 - 19:42

Any player worth his sneakers seeks to compete against quality, not inferior, opponents with something such as bragging rights at stake rather than devouring cupcakes. LSU refrains from opposing Tulane in recent years but one of the greatest freshman debuts in college annals took place when Tigers forward Rudy Macklin grabbed a school-record 32 rebounds against the Green Wave to open the 1976-77 campaign. How many comparable splendid performances never had a chance to unfold on the court? Meanwhile, how many power-player schools torture us with age-old, one-sided arguments flapping their self-serving jaws as much as aging witch-hunt Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.-D) via aiding-and-abetting-the-enemy public report about the CIA?

Isn't this supposed to be the era for putting an end to bullying unless you boast the guts of Hollywood hacks from Sony Pictures pulling the plug on movie when intimidated by Commie-hacking North Korea? The hoop haughtiness of power schools denying fans stimulating non-league games isn't a new phenomenon. For instance, LSU avoided potentially attractive in-state assignments for decades by never opposing McNeese State's Joe Dumars, Tulane's Jerald Honeycutt, New Orleans' Ervin Johnson, Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, Northeast Louisiana's Calvin Natt, Centenary's Robert Parish and Southwestern Louisiana's Kevin Brooks, Bo Lamar and Andrew Toney. Similarly, North Carolina shunned Davidson first- and second-team All-Americans Stephen Curry, Mike Maloy and Dick Snyder during the regular season. The Tar Heels did defeat Davidson in exciting back-to-back East Regional finals by a total of six points in 1968 and 1969 when Maloy averaged 21.5 ppg and 13 rpg.

Don't we deserve to see national players of the year such as Indiana State's Larry Bird (never opposed Indiana), Princeton's Bill Bradley (Seton Hall), La Salle's Tom Gola (Villanova), Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin (Ohio State), Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson (Ohio State), Navy's David Robinson (Georgetown and Maryland), Xavier's David West (Ohio State) and Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (Illinois) strut their stuff in regular-season contests against nearby prominent programs? The Terrapins only met "The Admiral" upon being forced to compete in the second round of 1985 Southeast Regional when Robinson contributed game-high figures in scoring, rebounding and blocks. Unbelievably, more than 30 All-Americans from Ohio colleges in the last 60 years never had an opportunity to oppose Ohio State during the regular season (including small-school sensation Bevo Francis of Rio Grande).

Elsewhere, a few national postseason contests created confrontations between in-state rivals that should have occurred in regular-season competition. But the premier mid-major player being shunned this campaign by nearby opponents probably is Georgia State's R.G. Hunter, who won't be allowed to compete against Georgia and Georgia Tech. The following mid-major/non-power league All-Americans specifically and fans generally were shortchanged during the regular season by smug in-state schools since the accepted modern era of basketball commenced in the early 1950s:

Mid-Major School All-American In-State Power League Member(s) A-A Never Played
Texas Western Jim Barnes SWC members except Texas in 1962-63 and 1963-64
Seattle Elgin Baylor Washington and Washington State in 1956-57 and 1957-58
Penn Ernie Beck Villanova from 1950-51 through 1952-53
Cincinnati Ron Bonham Ohio State from 1961-62 through 1963-64
Gonzaga Frank Burgess Washington from 1958-59 through 1960-61
Marshall Leo Byrd West Virginia from 1956-57 through 1958-59
Wichita State Antoine Carr Kansas and Kansas State from 1979-80 through 1982-83
East Tennessee State Tom Chilton Memphis State and Vanderbilt from 1958-59 through 1960-61
Dayton Bill Chmielewski Ohio State in 1961-62
Illinois State Doug Collins DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern at DI level in 1971-72 and 1972-73
San Francisco Quintin Dailey Stanford from 1979-80 through 1981-82
Bowling Green Jim Darrow Cincinnati and Ohio State from 1957-58 through 1959-60
Cincinnati Ralph Davis Ohio State from 1957-58 through 1959-60
Detroit Dave DeBusschere Michigan and Michigan State from 1959-60 through 1961-62
Wichita State Cleanthony Early Kansas and Kansas State in 2012-13 and 2013-14
Detroit Bill Ebben Michigan from 1954-55 through 1956-57
St. Louis Bob Ferry Missouri from 1956-57 through 1958-59
Dayton Henry Finkel Ohio State from 1963-64 through 1965-66
Columbia Chet Forte St. John's from 1954-55 through 1956-57
Cincinnati Danny Fortson Ohio State from 1994-95 through 1996-97
Oral Roberts Richie Fuqua Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at DI level in 1971-72 and 1972-73
Loyola Marymount Hank Gathers USC and UCLA from 1987-88 through 1989-90
Jacksonville Artis Gilmore Florida in 1969-70 and 1970-71
Oklahoma City Gary Gray Oklahoma State from 1964-65 through 1966-67
Colorado State Bill Green Colorado from 1960-61 through 1962-63
Tennessee Tech Jimmy Hagan Tennessee and Vanderbilt from 1957-58 through 1959-60
Loyola of Chicago Jerry Harkness DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern from 1960-61 through 1962-63
Miami (Ohio) Ron Harper Ohio State from 1982-83 through 1985-86
Western Kentucky Clem Haskins Kentucky and Louisville from 1964-65 through 1966-67
Detroit Spencer Haywood Michigan and Michigan State in 1968-69
Cincinnati Paul Hogue Ohio State from 1959-60 through 1961-62
Xavier Tu Holloway Ohio State from 2008-09 through 2011-12
Dayton John Horan Ohio State from 1951-52 through 1954-55
Army Kevin Houston St. John's and Syracuse from 1983-84 through 1986-87
East Tennessee State Mister Jennings Vanderbilt from 1987-88 through 1990-91
Memphis State Larry Kenon Tennessee and Vanderbilt in 1972-73
Cincinnati Sean Kilpatrick Ohio State from 2010-11 through 2013-14
Loyola Marymount Bo Kimble USC and UCLA from 1987-88 through 1989-90
Bowling Green Butch Komives Cincinnati and Ohio State from 1961-62 through 1963-64
Oklahoma City Bud Koper Oklahoma and Oklahoma State from 1961-62 through 1963-64
St. Bonaventure Bob Lanier St. John's and Syracuse from 1967-68 through 1969-70
Xavier Byron Larkin Ohio State from 1984-85 through 1987-88
Texas-El Paso David "Big Daddy" Lattin SWC members except SMU in 1965-66 and 1966-67
Memphis State Keith Lee Tennessee and Vanderbilt from 1981-82 through 1984-85
Marshall Russell Lee West Virginia from 1969-70 through 1971-72
Wichita Cleo Littleton Kansas and Kansas State from 1951-52 through 1954-55
Cincinnati Steve Logan Ohio State from 1998-99 through 2001-02
UC Irvine Kevin Magee USC and UCLA in 1980-81 and 1981-82
Western Kentucky Tom Marshall Kentucky from 1951-52 through 1953-54
Bradley Bobby Joe Mason DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern from 1956-57 through 1959-60
UNC Charlotte Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell Duke and North Carolina from 1973-74 through 1976-77
Dayton Don May Ohio State from 1965-66 through 1967-68
Furman Clyde Mayes South Carolina from 1972-73 through 1974-75
Richmond Bob McCurdy Virginia in 1973-74 and 1974-75
Wichita State Xavier McDaniel Kansas State from 1981-82 through 1984-85
Western Kentucky Jim McDaniels Kentucky and Louisville from 1968-69 through 1970-71
Dayton Don Meineke Cincinnati and Ohio State from 1949-50 through 1951-52
Bradley Gene Melchiorre Illinois and Northwestern from 1947-48 through 1950-51
Southern Illinois Joe C. Meriweather DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern from 1972-73 through 1974-75
Seattle Eddie Miles Washington from 1960-61 through 1962-63
Drake Red Murrell Iowa from 1955-56 through 1957-58
Seattle Twins Eddie O'Brien and Johnny O'Brien Washington from 1950-51 through 1952-53
Lamar Mike Olliver Houston and Texas from 1977-78 through 1980-81
Gonzaga Kelly Olynyk Washington in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2012-13
Tulsa Bob Patterson Oklahoma from 1952-53 through 1954-55
Dayton Jim Paxson Ohio State from 1975-76 through 1978-79
Bradley Roger Phegley Illinois and Northwestern from 1974-75 through 1977-78
Murray State Bennie Purcell Kentucky from 1948-49 through 1951-52
Western Kentucky Bobby Rascoe Kentucky from 1959-60 through 1961-62
Long Beach State Ed Ratleff USC and UCLA from 1970-71 through 1972-73
Memphis State Dexter Reed Tennessee from 1973-74 through 1976-77
Oklahoma City Hub Reed Oklahoma from 1955-56 through 1957-58
Massachusetts Lou Roe Boston College from 1991-92 through 1994-95
Tennessee State Carlos Rogers Memphis, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in 1992-93 and 1993-94
Drexel Malik Rose Villanova from 1992-93 through 1995-96
Bowling Green Charlie Share Cincinnati and Ohio State from 1946-47 through 1949-50
Oklahoma City Arnold Short Oklahoma from 1951-52 through 1953-54
Creighton Paul Silas Nebraska from 1961-62 through 1963-64
Tulsa Bingo Smith Oklahoma and Oklahoma State from 1966-67 through 1968-69
Weber State Willie Sojourner BYU and Utah from 1968-69 through 1970-71
Wichita Dave Stallworth Kansas and Kansas State from 1962-63 through 1964-65
Xavier Hank Stein Ohio State from 1956-57 through 1958-59
St. Louis Ray Steiner Missouri in 1950-51 and 1951-52
St. Bonaventure Tom Stith Syracuse from 1958-59 through 1960-61
Saint Francis (Pa.) Maurice Stokes Penn State and Pittsburgh from 1951-52 through 1954-55
Pacific Keith Swagerty California and Stanford from 1964-65 through 1966-67
Morehead State Dan Swartz Kentucky from 1953-54 through 1955-56
Miami (Ohio) Wally Szczerbiak Ohio State from 1995-96 through 1998-99
Princeton Brian Taylor Seton Hall in 1970-71 and 1971-72
Cincinnati Tom Thacker Ohio State from 1960-61 through 1962-63
Princeton Chris Thomforde Seton Hall from 1966-67 through 1968-69
Bowling Green Nate Thurmond Cincinnati and Ohio State from 1960-61 through 1962-63
Cincinnati Jack Twyman Ohio State from 1951-52 through 1954-55
Dayton Bill Uhl Ohio State from 1953-54 through 1955-56
Bradley Paul Unruh Illinois, Northwestern from 1946-47 through 1949-50
Cincinnati Nick Van Exel Ohio State in 1991-92 and 1992-93
Wichita State Fred VanVleet Kansas and Kansas State from 2012-13 through 2014-15
Bradley Chet Walker DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern from 1959-60 through 1961-62
American Kermit Washington Maryland from 1970-71 through 1972-73
Southern Mississippi Clarence Weatherspoon Mississippi and Mississippi State from 1988-89 through 1991-92
Ball State Bonzi Wells Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue from 1994-95 through 1997-98
LIU Sherman White St. John's and Syracuse from 1948-49 through 1950-51
Cincinnati Bob Wiesenhahn Ohio State from 1958-59 through 1960-61
Memphis State Win Wilfong Tennessee and Vanderbilt in 1955-56 and 1956-57
Portland State Freeman Williams Oregon from 1974-75 through 1977-78
Austin Peay James "Fly" Williams Memphis State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in 1972-73 and 1973-74
Cincinnati George Wilson Ohio State from 1961-62 through 1963-64
Cal State Fullerton Leon Wood USC and UCLA from 1981-82 through 1983-84
Cincinnati Tony Yates Ohio State from 1960-61 through 1962-63