What Are Odds For Prominent School Possibly Reaching Final 4 Initial Time?
Alabama achieved the feat for first time a year ago in its 25th appearance. If guaranteed a virgin school will reach climax by advancing to the Final Four for first time, which team would you bet on this year? Following are odds regarding mostly power-conference members still striving to see the Promised Land:
5:1 - Tennessee (27th NCAA playoff appearance in 2025)
9:1 - Brigham Young (32nd)
9:1 - Clemson (15th)
9:1 - Creighton (26th)
9:1 - Texas A&M (17th)
9:1 - Utah State (25th)
11:1 - Mississippi (10th)
11:1 - Missouri (30th)
11:1 - Vanderbilt (16th)
11:1 - Xavier (30th)
Among current major universities, the following schools have endured droughts of more than 80 years since their last Final Four appearance:
Duquesne (last appearance was in 1940)
Pittsburgh (1941)
Washington State (1941)
Wyoming (1943)
Dartmouth (1944)
Iowa State (1944)
Famine Relief: Saint Francis Ends Long NCAA Tourney Appearance Dry Spell
If your RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) isn't satisfactory, then it's time to R.I.P. (Rest in Peace). That certainly was the case for Saint Francis PA, a Rip Van Winkle of college basketball, until the Terriers woke up and secured their first NCAA playoff berth since 1991, ending a 33-year playoff famine.
Stanford and Wisconsin, a pair of relatively recent Final Four schools, were tied with Brown for the longest dry spell in NCAA Tournament history for prior playoff participants until Harvard ended its 65-year drought in 2012. Following are the 12 schools - with Baylor, Iowa State, Wisconsin and Yale joining Saint Francis PA in this year's event - to participate in the tourney at least once before enduring playoff appearance droughts longer than the Terriers of at least 37 years (length of dry spells denoted in parentheses):
School Years Failing to Appear Years Without a Victory Harvard 1947 through 2011 (65) Won first game in 2013. Yale 1963 through 2015 (53) Only victory in 2016 until upsetting Auburn in 2024. Brown 1940 through 1985 (46) Never won a playoff game. Stanford 1943 through 1988 (46) 1943 through 1994 (52). Duquesne 1978 through 2023 (46) 1970 through 2023 (54). Wisconsin 1948 through 1993 (46) 1948 through 1993 (46). Furman 1981 through 2022 (43) Won only game in 1974 (48). Air Force 1963 through 2003 (41) Never won a playoff game. Lafayette 1958 through 1998 (41) Never won a playoff game. Iowa State 1945 through 1984 (40) 1945 through 1985 (41). Washington State 1942 through 1979 (38) 1942 through 1982 (41). Baylor 1951 through 1987 (37) 1951 through 2009 (59). Canisius 1958 through 1994 (37) Hasn't won since 1957. Miami (FL) 1961 through 1997 (37) Won first game in 1999.
NOTE: Miami suspended its basketball program for 14 seasons from 1971-72 through 1983-84.
College Exam: Day #2 Featuring One-and-Only NCAA Tourney Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper or cowering in fetal position prepping for next pandemic, 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.
Emphasizing a "one-and-only" theme for a "one-and-only" event, here is Day 2 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 individual selected the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player three times? Hint: His real first name was Ferdinand and he is the only player to couple three unanimous first team All-American seasons with three NCAA championships. He is also the only player to hit better than 70% of his field-goal attempts in two NCAA title games.
2. Who is the only coach to twice guide three different schools to the NCAA playoffs in the same decade? Hint: He achieved the feat in a span of six straight seasons and is the only coach to have two different sons play for him in the tourney with two different schools.
3. Who is the only one of the 40 Final Four Most Outstanding Players from 1972 through 2011 not to play for the championship team? Hint: He never led his college team in scoring average in any of his three seasons at the school.
4. Who is the only coach to guide a school to the Final Four as many as five times and never capture the national championship? Hint: He lost each time at the Final Four to the eventual titlist and served as captain for the school's first team in 1946.
5. Name the only current Pacific-12 Conference member never to reach the Final Four. Hint: The school has made more tournament appearances than seven Pac-12 members, but lost three West Regional finals by a total of 40 points before joining the conference. It absorbed the largest margin of defeat for the 14 No. 1 or 2 seeds losing their playoff opener since seeding started in 1979.
6. Name the only conference to have five teams all lose their opening-round game in a single tourney. Hint: The league has had four different schools lose first-round games by more than 20 points against squads with double-digit seeds since seeding started in 1979.
7. Who is the only coach to win a tournament game for four different schools? Hint: He was the only coach in 20th Century to direct four different universities to NCAA playoffs.
8. Who is the only individual to win NCAA titles in his first two seasons as head coach at a school? Hint: He achieved the feat the first year after the eligibility expired for the school's most illustrious player, a three-time UPI Player of the Year who led the nation in scoring each season.
9. Who is 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? Hint: He 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 yet another school.
10. Name the only school to reach the Final Four in its one and only NCAA Tournament appearance in the 20th Century. Hint: The coach of the Final Four team is only individual to win more than 30 games in earning a trip to national semifinals in his first season.
No Fortune Below .500: Quick Exits Loomed For Five Losing SEC Members
Mississippi State (8-10 in SEC) became the first school ever to receive an at-large berth three consecutive campaigns despite compiling a record below .500 in a power conference. The Bulldogs lost all three of those playoff openers. When will the Division I Committee and "impartial" media promoting leagues with which they have cozy business dealings realize a losing conference record probably should deny any team receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament? In 35 of the last 41 tourneys, the selection committee awarded at least one at-large berth to a squad with a sub-.500 mark in a top-caliber league. If history holds form, the committee pretty much simply wasted everyone's time. Texas promptly lost its First Four outing against Xavier before Georgia was gorged by Gonzaga in opening round.
Mississippi State and four other SEC at-large entrants with losing league records exited in opening round. Since numbers never lie, the cold and hard facts are that Virginia '84 is the only team with a sub-.500 conference mark to reach the Final Four. Three years later, Louisiana State became the last at-large team with a losing league mark to reach a regional final.
Maryland (#5 in 1986 and #4 in 2004) earned the two best seeds for an at-large squad with a losing conference record. Syracuse '18 is the only school in this sub.-500 category in the previous 14 tourneys to advance to the Sweet 16. In the same span, a total of 15 mid-majors reached a regional final or beyond. This striking number of at-large mid-level success stories doesn't even include recent Final Four clubs such as Virginia Commonwealth '11 (fourth-place finisher in Atlantic 10) and Wichita State '13 (second in Missouri Valley). How much more evidence does the committee require to give top-notch mid-majors a closer look rather than issuing handouts to underachieving members of power alliances?
Oklahoma and Texas, registering anemic 6-12 records in the SEC this season, compiled the worst league mark for an at-large entrant. A breakdown of conference recipients of basically unwarranted at-large bids include the ACC (16), Big Ten (12), Big Eight/Big 12 (12), SEC (14), Big East (six) and Pacific-12 (two). After registering a 10-5 NCAA playoff mark from 1983 through 1987, teams in this suspect group went 31-54 from 1988 through 2025 first round (ACC 12-14, Big East 1-5, Big Eight/Big 12 5-12, Big Ten 10-12, Pac-12 0-2, SEC 6-17). This year, the six SEC teams joined the following list of underachieving power-league "losers" given preferential treatment over more worthy mid-major conference members:
Year | At-Large Team | Conference | League | Overall | NCAA Playoff Performance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Alabama | SEC | 8-10 | 20-12 | #6 seed lost in first round |
1984 | Virginia | ACC | 6-8 | 21-12 | #7 seed lost in national semifinals |
1985 | Boston College | Big East | 7-9 | 20-11 | #11 seed lost in regional semifinals |
1986 | Maryland | ACC | 6-8 | 19-14 | #5 seed lost in second round |
1987 | Louisiana State | SEC | 8-10 | 24-15 | #10 seed lost in regional final |
1988 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 6-8 | 20-12 | #12 seed lost in first round |
1988 | Maryland | ACC | 6-8 | 18-13 | #7 seed lost in second round |
1989 | Providence | Big East | 7-9 | 18-11 | #12 seed lost in first round |
1990 | Indiana | Big Ten | 8-10 | 18-11 | #8 seed lost in first round |
1990 | Virginia | ACC | 6-8 | 20-12 | #7 seed lost in second round |
1991 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 6-8 | 17-13 | #8 seed lost in second round |
1991 | Villanova | Big East | 7-9 | 17-15 | #9 seed lost in second round |
1991 | Virginia | ACC | 6-8 | 21-12 | #7 seed lost in first round |
1992 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 5-9 | 21-13 | #10 seed lost in second round |
1992 | Wake Forest | ACC | 7-9 | 17-12 | #9 seed lost in first round |
1994 | Seton Hall | Big East | 8-10 | 17-13 | #10 seed lost in first round |
1994 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | 8-10 | 18-11 | #9 seed lost in second round |
1995 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 6-8 | 23-11 | #7 seed lost in second round |
1996 | Clemson | ACC | 7-9 | 18-11 | #9 seed lost in first round |
1997 | Virginia | ACC | 7-9 | 18-13 | #9 seed lost in first round |
1998 | Clemson | ACC | 7-9 | 18-13 | #6 seed lost in first round |
1998 | Florida State | ACC | 6-10 | 17-13 | #12 seed lost in second round |
1999 | Purdue | Big Ten | 7-9 | 21-13 | #10 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2001 | Penn State | Big Ten | 7-9 | 21-12 | #7 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2003 | Alabama | SEC | 7-9 | 17-12 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2004 | Maryland | ACC | 7-9 | 20-12 | #4 seed lost in second round |
2005 | Iowa | Big Ten | 7-9 | 21-12 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2005 | North Carolina State | ACC | 7-9 | 21-14 | #10 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2007 | Arkansas | SEC | 7-9 | 21-13 | #12 seed lost in first round |
2008 | Arizona | Pacific-10 | 8-10 | 19-14 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2009 | Maryland | ACC | 7-9 | 20-13 | #10 seed lost in second round |
2010 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 7-9 | 22-12 | #10 seed lost in second round |
2012 | Connecticut | Big East | 8-10 | 20-13 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2013 | Illinois | Big Ten | 8-10 | 22-12 | #7 seed lost in second round |
2013 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 8-10 | 20-12 | #11 seed lost in second round |
2014 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 8-10 | 21-12 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2015 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 8-10 | 18-14 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2015 | Texas | Big 12 | 8-10 | 20-14 | #11 seed lost in first round |
2017 | Kansas State | Big 12 | 8-10 | 21-14 | #11 seed lost in first round after play-in win |
2018 | Alabama | SEC | 8-10 | 19-15 | #9 seed lost in second round |
2018 | Arizona State | Pac 12 | 8-10 | 20-11 | #11 seed lost play-in game |
2018 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | 8-10 | 18-13 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2018 | Syracuse | ACC | 8-10 | 20-13 | #11 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2018 | Texas | Big 12 | 8-10 | 19-14 | #10 seed lost in first round |
2019 | Minnesota | Big Ten | 9-11 | 21-13 | #10 seed lost in second round |
2019 | Ohio State | Big Ten | 8-12 | 19-14 | #11 seed lost in second round |
2019 | Oklahoma | Big 12 | 7-11 | 19-13 | #9 seed lost in second round |
2019 | St. John's | Big East | 8-10 | 21-12 | #11 seed lost in First Four |
2021 | Maryland | Big Ten | 9-11 | 17-14 | #10 seed lost in second round |
2021 | Michigan State | Big Ten | 9-11 | 15-13 | #11 seed lost in First Four |
2022 | Indiana | Big Ten | 9-11 | 21-14 | #12 seed lost in first round |
2022 | Texas Christian | Big 12 | 8-10 | 21-14 | #9 seed lost in second round |
2023 | Arkansas | SEC | 8-10 | 20-13 | #8 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2023 | Mississippi State | SEC | 8-10 | 21-12 | #11 seed lost in First Four |
2023 | West Virginia | Big 12 | 7-11 | 19-14 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2024 | Mississippi State | SEC | 9-11 | 21-13 | #8 seed lost in first round |
2025 | Georgia | SEC | 8-10 | 20-13 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2025 | Mississippi | SEC | 8-10 | 24-14 | #6 seed lost in regional semifinals |
2025 | Mississippi State | SEC | 8-10 | 21-13 | #8 seed lost in first round |
2025 | Oklahoma | SEC | 6-12 | 20-14 | #9 seed lost in first round |
2025 | Texas | SEC | 6-12 | 19-17 | #11 seed lost in First Four |
2025 | Vanderbilt | SEC | 8-10 | 20-13 | #10 seed lost in first round |
Not Good But Good Enough: Saint Francis Enters Tourney With Losing Mark
Saint Francis PA (16-17) became the 28th school appearing in the NCAA Tournament despite entering playoffs with an overall losing record. The only one of the sub-.500 schools ever to win two NCAA playoff games was Bradley. The Braves won twice in the 1955 tournament (69-65 over Oklahoma City and 81-79 over SMU) after losing 14 consecutive contests during one stretch in the regular season. Despite the pair of playoff victories, they finished with their worst overall record (9-20) in a 53-year span until going 8-20 in the 1990-91 campaign.
In 1950, Bradley won two games apiece in both the NCAA Tournament and NIT to reach the championship game of both events. The Braves lost against CCNY in each final to finish the season with a 32-5 record under coach Forddy Anderson. Bradley's coach in 1955 was Bob Vanatta. He was in his first of two seasons at the school after succeeding Anderson, who departed for Michigan State after guiding the Braves to a national second-place finish in 1954. Bradley is the only school to go from the Final Four one season to 20 defeats the next year.
Texas, winner of just one non-conference game in the 1973-74 campaign, is the only school with a losing overall record to secure an automatic bid by winning a regular-season league title. Following is a list of the first 28 schools polluting the NCAA playoffs by entering the tourney sporting such an impoverished record:
School | W-L | Pct. | Coach | How Team Qualified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bradley '55 | 7-19 | .269 | Bob Vanatta | Independent |
Oklahoma City '55 | 9-17 | .346 | Doyle Parrack | Independent |
George Washington '61 | 9-16 | .360 | Bill Reinhart | Won Southern Conference Tournament |
Central Florida '96 | 11-18 | .379 | Kirk Speraw | Won TAAC Tournament |
Fairfield '97 | 11-18 | .379 | Paul Cormier | Won MAAC Tournament |
Florida International '95 | 11-18 | .379 | Bob Weltlich | Won TAAC Tournament |
Florida A&M '99 | 12-18 | .400 | Mickey Clayton | Won MEAC Tournament |
Lehigh '85 | 12-18 | .400 | Tom Schneider | Won East Coast Conference Tournament |
Oakland '05 | 12-18 | .400 | Greg Kampe | Won Mid-Continent Tournament |
Cal Poly '14 | 13-19 | .406 | Joe Callero | Won Big West Tournament |
Texas Southern '23 | 14-20 | .412 | Johnny Jones | Won SWAC Tournament |
Holy Cross '16 | 14-19 | .424 | Bill Carmody | Won Patriot League Tournament |
Liberty '13 | 15-20 | .429 | Dale Layer | Won Big South Tournament |
Texas Southern '18 | 15-19 | .441 | Mike Davis | Won SWAC Tournament |
Coppin State '08 | 16-20 | .444 | Fang Mitchell | Won MEAC Tournament |
East Carolina '93 | 13-16 | .448 | Eddie Payne | Won Colonial Tournament |
Prairie View A&M '98 | 13-16 | .448 | Elwood Plummer | Won SWAC Tournament |
San Jose State '96 | 13-16 | .448 | Stan Morrison | Won Big West Tournament |
UNC Asheville '03 | 14-17 | .452 | Eddie Biedenbach | Won Big South Tournament |
Western Kentucky '12 | 15-18 | .455 | Ray Harper | Won Sun Belt Tournament |
Texas '74 | 12-14 | .461 | Leon Black | SWC regular-season title |
Montana State '86 | 14-16 | .466 | Stu Starner | Won Big Sky Tournament |
Florida A&M '04 | 14-16 | .466 | Mike Gillespie | Won MEAC Tournament |
Siena '02 | 16-18 | .471 | Rob Lanier | Won MAAC Tournament |
Jackson State '97 | 14-15 | .482 | Andy Stoglin | Won SWAC Tournament |
Missouri '78 | 14-15 | .482 | Norm Stewart | Won Big Eight Tournament |
Hampton '15 | 16-17 | .485 | Edward Joyner Jr. | Won MEAC Tournament |
Saint Francis PA '25 | 16-17 | .485 | Rob Krimmel | Won Northeast Tournament |
NOTE: District 5 committee restricted to District 5 independents (only two in the district) to fill out 1955 bracket; this rule was changed for the 1956 playoffs.
Fairfield '97 posted the worst league record among teams in this category. Following are regular-season league records of conference tournament champions:
George Washington '61 (3-9 in Southern Conference before defeating #2 seed Virginia Tech, #3 The Citadel and #4 William & Mary by a total of 19 points).
Missouri '78 (4-10 in Big Eight before defeating #2 seed Iowa State, #3 Nebraska and #4 Kansas State by a total of seven points).
Lehigh '85 (6-8 in ECC before defeating #3 seed Drexel, #7 Hofstra and #1 Bucknell by a total of eight points).
Montana State '86 (6-8 in Big Sky before defeating #4 seed Nevada, #1 Northern Arizona and #2 Montana by a total of 12 points).
East Carolina '93 (4-10 in Colonial before defeating #2 seed Old Dominion, #6 UNC Wilmington and #1 James Madison by a total of 16 points).
Florida International '95 (4-12 in Trans America Athletic before defeating #1 seed Stetson, #4 Southeastern Louisiana and #3 Mercer by a total of 19 points).
Central Florida '96 (6-10 in Trans America Athletic before defeating #3 seed Southeastern Louisiana, #2 Campbell and #5 Mercer by a total of 21 points).
San Jose State '96 (9-9 in Big West before defeating #3 seed Pacific, #2 UC Irvine and #4 Utah State by a total of 25 points).
Fairfield '97 (2-12 in Metro Atlantic before defeating #1 seed Iona, #4 St. Peter's and #2 Canisius by a total of 27 points).
Jackson State '97 (9-5 in Southwestern Athletic before defeating #7 seed Southern, #3 Alcorn State and #1 Mississippi Valley State by a total of 16 points).
Prairie View '98 (6-10 in Southwestern Athletic before defeating #2 seed Jackson State, #6 Alabama State and #1 Texas Southern by a total of eight points).
Florida A&M '99 (8-11 in Mid-Eastern Athletic before defeating #10 seed Howard, #2 Coppin State, #3 Morgan State and #1 South Carolina State by a total of 42 points).
Siena '02 (9-9 in Metro Atlantic before defeating #10 seed St. Peter's, #2 Marist, #6 Fairfield and #4 Niagara by a total of 53 points).
UNC Asheville '03 (7-7 in Big South before defeating #4 seed Elon, #1 Winthrop and #6 Radford by a total of 19 points).
Florida A&M '04 (10-8 in Mid-Eastern Athletic before defeating #4 seed Hampton, #1 South Carolina State and #2 Coppin State by a total of 20 points).
Oakland '05 (7-9 in Mid-Continent before defeating #2 seed Valparaiso, #6 Chicago State and #1 Oral Roberts by a total of seven points).
Coppin State '08 (7-9 in Mid-Eastern Athletic before defeating Howard, Hampton, Norfolk State and Morgan State by a total of six points).
Western Kentucky '12 (7-9 in Sun Belt before defeating #10 seed Florida International, #2 UALR, #3 Denver and #5 North Texas by a total of 17 points).
Liberty '13 (6-10 in Big South North Division before defeating #4S seed Coastal Carolina, #1N High Point, #2S Gardner-Webb and #1S Charleston Southern by a total of 32 points).
Cal Poly '14 (6-10 in Big West before defeating #2 seed UC Santa Barbara, #1 UC Irvine and #5 Cal State Northridge by a total of 36 points).
Hampton '15 (8-8 in Mid-Eastern Athletic before defeating #6 seed Maryland-Eastern Shore, #2 Norfolk State and #5 Delaware State by a total of 37 points).
Holy Cross '16 (5-13 in Patriot League before defeating #8 seed Loyola MD, #1 Bucknell, #4 Army and #2 Lehigh by a total of 35 points).
Texas Southern '18 (12-6 in SWAC before defeating #6 seed Alabama State, #2 Prairie View A&M and #1 Arkansas-Pine Bluff by a total of 43 points).
Texas Southern '23 (7-11 in SWAC before defeating #1 seed Alcorn State, #5 Alabama A&M and #2 Grambling by a total of 20 points).
Saint Francis '25 (8-8 in Northeast Conference before defeating #6 seed Wagner, #2 Long Island University and #1 Central Connecticut State by a total of nine points).
From Here to Futility: March Madness Turns to Sadness For Some Big Winners
The alluring "Road to the Final Four" is a highway already lined with daydreamers and potholes. UC Irvine (28-6) became the fifth 28-win school in the last 15 years to be shunned as an at-large entrant. It defies logic why 26-win mid-majors such as Bradley and George Mason were consigned to NIT participation at the expense of power-league members (six from SEC) with non-winning conference records (two of them winning only 1/3 of SEC outings). Do committee members need to pass a history exam? Bradley previously prevailed in NCAA playoff games against four schools winning national titles at some point in their history (Baylor/Kansas/Oklahoma State/UCLA) while George Mason reached the 2006 Final Four by knocking off three former NCAA kingpins (UConn/Michigan State/North Carolina) in a four-game span.
Rather than automatically focusing on underachieving middle-of-the-pack power-alliance affiliates with non-winning league records, shouldn't teams capturing undisputed regular-season crowns in a Division I conference warrant more extensive consideration as at-large entrants to the NCAA playoffs? Season-long excellence needs to count more than always paying homage to mediocre members of a power league.
Davidson had two of 11 teams from mid-major conferences - Lafayette '78, American '81, Temple '82, William & Mary '83, Coppin State '94, Davidson '96, Austin Peay '04, Davidson '05, Norfolk State '13, Murray State '15 and North Carolina Central '15 - going undefeated in league round-robin regular-season competition but not participating in the NCAA playoffs after losing by a single-digit margin in their conference tournament since at-large bids were issued to schools other than conference champions in 1975.
Saint Mary's earned an at-large invitation this campaign and kayoed Vanderbilt in opening round, but is a classic example depicting why many mid-level schools have an inferiority complex. The Gaels were ignored by the committee three times in a 10-year from 2008-09 through 2017-18 despite registering in excess of 25 triumphs. Utah State was shunned in 2003-04 despite winning nearly 90% of its games (25-3 record). Would Stephen F. Austin had been shunned five years ago with 30 wins if it lost in Southland Conference Tournament title tilt? Ditto Missouri Valley kingpin Drake this campaign.
Prior to joining the Big East Conference, Creighton's splendid season 16 years ago was downplayed. Know-it-all national media types and committee members may haughtily belittle mid-major achievements because they're from the other side of the tracks, but following is an alarmingly long track record listing chronologically eligible teams winning more than 25 games yet failing to earn invitations to the NCAA playoffs since the field expanded to at least 64 in 1985:
NOTE: Bradley (defeated Baylor, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Southern California, SMU and UCLA), UC Irvine (Kansas State), Cleveland State (Indiana and Wake Forest), College of Charleston (Maryland), Colorado State (Colorado, Florida and Missouri), Creighton (Alabama, Florida, Louisville and Texas), Davidson (Georgetown, St. John's and Wisconsin), George Mason (Connecticut, Michigan State, North Carolina and Villanova), Illinois State (Alabama, Southern California and Tennessee), Indiana State (Arkansas, DePaul, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech), Liberty (Mississippi State), Louisiana-Lafayette (Oklahoma and Texas), Louisiana Tech (Ohio State and Pittsburgh), North Texas (Purdue), ORU (Louisville and Syracuse), Saint Mary's (Villanova), SIU (Arizona, Georgia, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech), Stephen F. Austin (West Virginia), Toledo (Iowa), UAB (Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Missouri, Virginia and Washington), Valparaiso (Florida State and Mississippi) and Vermont (Syracuse) collectively won NCAA playoff games in other years against a total of 45 different power-conference members (including 25 in this year's event).
Been There and Done That: Duke Designated as #1 Seed For 15th Time
Former national champions Marquette (44 victories) and Utah (38) have won a significant number of NCAA playoff games yet never received a No. 1 seed since seeding was introduced in 1979. It's virgin territory for a majority of DI institutions, but the top spot is old hat for Duke as the Blue Devils are revisiting the pedestal for 15th time - third most for any school.
Duke, accorded a No. 1 seed eight times in a nine-year span from 1998 through 2006, and Kentucky are connected with North Carolina and Kansas among the following four universities seeded #1 at least a dozen times:
18 - North Carolina (1979-82-84-87-91-93-94-97-98-05-07-08-09-12-16-17-19-24)
16 - Kansas (1986-92-95-97-98-02-07-08-10-11-13-16-17-18-22-23)
15 - Duke (1986-92-98-99-00-01-02-04-05-06-10-11-15-19-25)
12 - Kentucky (1980-84-86-93-95-96-97-03-04-10-12-15)
Southern Living: 3 of Top 6 Seeds Were Elite-League Late Arrivals to Party
Eleven power league members always classified as major colleges - with majority of them from the South - finished in the Top 20 of a final wire-service poll at least twice although they didn't make their initial NCAA appearance until after 1970. A reluctance to recruit African-American players probably was principal reason so many Southern universities weren't consistently competent enough to participate during first three decades of NCAA playoffs.
Three of the top six overall seeds for this year's NCAA party - Alabama (missed first 36 tourneys), Auburn (45) and Florida (48) - were SEC late arrivals to event. Among the late-bloomer group, Nebraska is winless in the NCAA playoffs while Florida is a two-time NCAA champion.
Major School (Power League) 1st NCAA Tourney Star Player(s) in Playoff Debut Alabama (SEC) 1975 (0-1) Leon Douglas and T.R. Dunn Auburn (SEC) 1984 (0-1) Charles Barkley and Chuck Person Clemson (ACC) 1980 (3-1) Larry Nance Florida (SEC) 1987 (2-1) Vernon Maxwell and Dwayne Schintzius Georgia (SEC) 1983 (3-1) James Banks, Terry Fair and Vern Fleming Minnesota (Big Ten) 1972 (1-1) Jim Brewer, Clyde Turner and Dave Winfield Mississippi (SEC) 1981 (0-1) Carlos Clark and Elston Turner Nebraska (Big Eight) 1986 (0-1) Brian Carr and Bernard Day Seton Hall (Big East) 1988 (1-1) Mark Bryant and John Morton South Carolina (ACC) 1971 (0-2) Kevin Joyce, Tom Owens, Tom Riker and John Roche Virginia (ACC) 1976 (0-1) Wally Walker **NOTE: Nebraska (Big Ten) and South Carolina (SEC) currently are members of other power conferences.
Premier School Individual Single-Game Scoring Records in NCAA Tournament
If you peer around the corner, someone better can always be found. Did you know NCAA playoff scoring highs for Arizona State's James Harden (10), Auburn's Charles Barkley (23), Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin (16; DNP as senior because of broken leg), DePaul's Mark Aguirre (34), Duke's Grant Hill (25)/Kyrie Irving (28)/Christian Laettner (31), Florida State's Dave Cowens (11), Georgetown's Alonzo Mourning (23), Houston's Clyde Drexler (21)/Hakeem Olajuwon (29), Illinois' Eddie Johnson (19), Indiana's Isiah Thomas (30)/Mike Woodson (26), Kansas' Paul Pierce (27)/Jo Jo White (22), Kentucky's Karl Anthony-Towns (25)/Rex Chapman (30)/John Wall (19), Marquette's Jimmy Butler (15), Louisville's Pervis Ellison (25)/Wes Unseld (25), Maryland's Len Elmore (14)/Buck Williams (19), Memphis' Penny Hardaway (24), Miami's Dick Hickox (17)/Shane Larkin (17), Michigan's Phil Hubbard (22), Michigan State's Magic Johnson (29)/Morris Peterson (21), Missouri's Anthony Peeler (28), North Carolina's Vince Carter (24)/Antawn Jamison (21)/Michael Jordan (27), Notre Dame's Adrian Dantley (34), Ohio State's John Havlicek (25)/Jim Jackson (24)/Clark Kellogg (14), Oklahoma's Ryan Minor (24), South Carolina's Alex English (22), Syracuse's Derrick Coleman (19), Temple's Mark Macon (32), Tennessee's Bernard King (23), Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge (26)/Kevin Durant (30), Texas A&M's John Beasley (13)/Sonny Parker (14)/Robert Williams (13), UCLA's Reggie Miller (32)/Russell Westbrook (22), Utah's Tom Chambers (26)/Keith Van Horn (27) and Villanova's Ed Pinckney (24) all are more than 10 points fewer than all-time single-game tournament record for their respective alma maters? Incredibly, the highest-scoring NCAA tourney game for luminaries Martin (40 fewer than UC's all-time mark), Drexler (28), Dantley (27), Wall (25), Coleman (24), Butler (22), Harden (22), Kellogg (22), Westbrook (22), White (22), Hickox (21), Larkin (21) and Peterson (20) are at least 20 points lower than the existing standard for their school.
Among power-conference members and mid-major universities reaching Final Four at some point in their history, an average of two players annually set school NCAA playoff single-game scoring records the previous seven years. Only two freshmen - Massachusetts' Marcus Camby in 1994 and Oregon's Tajuan Porter in 2007 - hold the existing NCAA playoff scoring standard for their school among the 109 universities in question. Six individuals among these schools - Gabe DeVoe (Clemson), Juan Dixon (Maryland), Jim McDaniels (Western Kentucky), Glenn Robinson (Purdue), Byron Scott (Arizona State) and Reggie Williams (Georgetown) - established their NCAA tourney single-game marks against Kansas.
There are 18 schools in the following alphabetical list to have their existing NCAA playoff single-game scoring mark set more than 60 years ago:
School | Record Holder | Class | HG | NCAA Playoff Opponent | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Antonio McDyess | Soph. | 39 | Penn (First Round) | 3-16-95 |
Arizona | Caleb Love | Sr.+ | 35 | Duke (Regional Semifinal) | 3-27-25 |
Arizona State | Byron Scott | Soph. | 32 | Kansas (Second Round) | 3-15-81 |
Arkansas | Mario Credit | Jr. | 34 | Loyola Marymount (First Round) | 3-16-89 |
Auburn | Chris Morris | Sr. | 36 | Bradley (First Round) | 3-17-88 |
Baylor | LJ Cryer | Jr. | 30 | Creighton (Second Round) | 3-19-23 |
Boston College | John Bagley | Soph. | 35 | Wake Forest (Second Round) | 3-15-81 |
Bradley | Hersey Hawkins | Sr. | 44 | Auburn (First Round) | 3-17-88 |
Brigham Young | Danny Ainge | Sr. | 37 | UCLA (Second Round) | 3-14-81 |
Brigham Young | James "Jimmer" Fredette | Jr. | 37 | Florida (First Round in 2OT) | 3-18-10 |
Butler | Shelvin Mack | Jr. | 30 | Pittsburgh (Second Round) | 3-19-11 |
California | Lamond Murray | Soph. | 28 | Duke (Second Round) | 3-20-93 |
Charlotte | Cedric Maxwell | Sr. | 32 | Central Michigan (First Round) | 3-13-77 |
Cincinnati | Oscar Robertson | Soph. | 56 | Arkansas (Regional Third) | 3-15-58 |
Clemson | Gabe DeVoe | Sr. | 31 | Kansas (Regional Semifinal) | 3-23-18 |
Colorado | Cliff Meely | Soph. | 32 | Colorado State (Regional Semifinal) | 3-13-69 |
Connecticut | Ray Allen | Soph. | 36 | UCLA (Regional Final) | 3-25-95 |
Connecticut | Ben Gordon | Jr. | 36 | Alabama (Regional Final) | 3-27-04 |
Connecticut | Kemba Walker | Jr. | 36 | San Diego State (Regional Semifinal) | 3-24-11 |
Creighton | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Jr. | 31 | North Carolina State (First Round) | 3-17-23 |
Dartmouth | Audie Brindley | Jr. | 28 | Ohio State (Regional Final) | 3-25-44 |
Dayton | Roosevelt Chapman | Sr. | 41 | Oklahoma (Second Round) | 3-17-84 |
DePaul | Dave Corzine | Sr. | 46 | Louisville (Regional Semifinal in 2OT) | 3-17-78 |
Drake | Jonathan Cox | Jr. | 29 | Western Kentucky (First Round) | 3-21-08 |
Duke | Jeff Mullins | Sr. | 43 | Villanova (Regional Semifinal) | 3-13-64 |
Duquesne | Jim Tucker | Soph. | 29 | Illinois (Regional Final) | 3-22-52 |
Florida | KeVaughn Allen | Soph. | 35 | Wisconsin (Regional Semifinal in OT) | 3-24-17 |
Florida Atlantic | Johnell Davis | Jr. | 29 | Fairleigh Dickinson (Second Round) | 3-19-23 |
Florida State | Sam Cassell | Sr. | 31 | Tulane (Second Round) | 3-20-93 |
George Mason | George Evans | Sr. | 27 | Maryland (First Round) | 3-15-01 |
Georgetown | Reggie Williams | Sr. | 34 | Kansas (Regional Semifinal) | 3-19-87 |
Georgetown | Charles Smith | Sr. | 34 | Notre Dame (Second Round) | 3-19-89 |
Georgia | Willie Anderson | Jr. | 35 | Kansas State (First Round in OT) | 3-12-87 |
Georgia Tech | Dennis Scott | Jr. | 40 | Minnesota (Regional Final) | 3-25-90 |
Gonzaga | Brandon Clarke | Jr. | 36 | Baylor (Second Round) | 3-23-19 |
Gonzaga | Drew Timme | Sr. | 36 | UCLA (Regional Semifinal) | 3-23-23 |
Holy Cross | Togo Palazzi | Jr. | 32 | Wake Forest (Regional Semifinal) | 3-13-53 |
Houston | Elvin Hayes | Sr. | 49 | Loyola of Chicago (First Round) | 3-9-68 |
Illinois | Deron Williams | Soph. | 31 | Cincinnati (Second Round) | 3-21-04 |
Indiana | Don Schlundt | Soph. | 41 | Notre Dame (Regional Final) | 3-14-53 |
Indiana State | Larry Bird | Sr. | 35 | DePaul (National Semifinal) | 3-24-79 |
Iowa | Bill Logan | Sr. | 36 | Temple (National Semifinal) | 3-22-56 |
Iowa | Luka Garza | Sr. | 36 | Oregon (Second Round) | 3-22-21 |
Iowa State | Lafester Rhodes | Sr. | 34 | Georgia Tech (First Round) | 3-18-88 |
Iowa State | Dedric Willoughby | Sr. | 34 | UCLA (Regional Semifinal) | 3-20-97 |
Iowa State | Dustin Hogue | Jr. | 34 | Connecticut (Regional Semifinal) | 3-28-14 |
Jacksonville | Artis Gilmore | Jr. | 30 | Western Kentucky (First Round) | 3-7-70 |
Jacksonville | Artis Gilmore | Jr. | 30 | Iowa (Regional Semifinal) | 3-12-70 |
Kansas | Clyde Lovellette | Sr. | 44 | St. Louis (Regional Final) | 3-22-52 |
Kansas State | Jacob Pullen | Sr. | 38 | Wisconsin (Second Round) | 3-19-11 |
Kentucky | Dan Issel | Sr. | 44 | Notre Dame (Regional Semifinal) | 3-12-70 |
La Salle | Michael Brooks | Soph. | 35 | Villanova (First Round) | 3-12-78 |
Louisiana State | Bob Pettit | Jr. | 36 | Washington (National Third) | 3-18-53 |
Louisiana State | Shaquille O'Neal | Jr. | 36 | Indiana (Second Round) | 3-21-92 |
Louisville | Junior Bridgeman | Sr. | 36 | Rutgers (First Round) | 3-15-75 |
Loyola of Chicago | Jerry Harkness | Sr. | 33 | Illinois (Regional Final) | 3-16-63 |
Marquette | Terry Rand | Jr. | 37 | Miami of Ohio (First Round) | 3-9-55 |
Maryland | Juan Dixon | Sr. | 34 | Kansas (National Semifinal) | 3-30-02 |
Massachusetts | Marcus Camby | Fr. | 32 | Maryland (Second Round) | 3-19-94 |
Memphis | Roburt Sallie | Soph. | 35 | Cal State Northridge (First Round) | 3-19-09 |
Miami (Fla.) | Jack McClinton | Jr. | 38 | Saint Mary's (First Round) | 3-21-08 |
Michigan | Glen Rice | Jr. | 39 | Florida (Second Round) | 3-19-88 |
Michigan State | Adreian Payne | Sr. | 41 | Delaware (First Round) | 3-20-14 |
Minnesota | Willie Burton | Sr. | 36 | Northern Iowa (Second Round) | 3-18-90 |
Minnesota | Bobby Jackson | Sr. | 36 | Clemson (Regional Semifinal) | 3-20-97 |
Mississippi | Stefan Moody | Jr. | 26 | Brigham Young (First Four) | 3-17-15 |
Mississippi State | Charles Rhodes | Sr. | 34 | Oregon (First Round) | 3-21-08 |
Missouri | Willie Smith | Sr. | 43 | Michigan (Regional Final) | 3-20-76 |
Nebraska | Eric Piatkowski | Jr. | 29 | New Mexico State (First Round) | 3-19-93 |
New Mexico State | Teddy Allen | Sr. | 37 | Connecticut (First Round) | 3-17-22 |
North Carolina | Lennie Rosenbluth | Sr. | 39 | Canisius (Regional Semifinal) | 3-15-57 |
North Carolina | Al Wood | Sr. | 39 | Virginia (National Semifinal) | 3-28-81 |
North Carolina State | David Thompson | Jr. | 40 | Providence (Regional Semifinal) | 3-14-74 |
North Carolina State | Rodney Monroe | Soph. | 40 | Iowa (Second Round) | 3-19-89 |
Northwestern | Ryan Langborg | Sr. | 27 | Florida Atlantic (First Round) | 3-22-24 |
Notre Dame | Austin Carr | Jr. | 61 | Ohio University (First Round) | 3-7-70 |
Ohio State | Jerry Lucas | Soph. | 36 | Western Kentucky (Regional Semifinal) | 3-11-60 |
Oklahoma | Stacey King | Jr. | 37 | Auburn (Second Round) | 3-19-88 |
Oklahoma | Buddy Hield | Sr. | 37 | Oregon (Regional Final) | 3-26-16 |
Oklahoma State | Bob Mattick | Jr. | 35 | Texas Christian (Regional Semifinal) | 3-13-53 |
Oregon | Tajuan Porter | Fr. | 33 | UNLV (Regional Semifinal) | 3-23-07 |
Oregon State | Gary Payton Sr. | Jr. | 31 | Evansville (First Round) | 3-17-89 |
Penn | Keven McDonald | Sr. | 37 | St. Bonaventure (First Round) | 3-12-78 |
Penn State | Andrew Funk | Sr. | 27 | Texas A&M (First Round) | 3-16-23 |
Pittsburgh | John Riser | Sr. | 34 | Notre Dame (Regional Third) | 3-16-57 |
Pittsburgh | Billy Knight | Sr. | 34 | Furman (Regional Semifinal) | 3-14-74 |
Princeton | Bill Bradley | Sr. | 58 | Wichita (National Third) | 3-20-65 |
Providence | Austin Croshere | Sr. | 39 | Marquette (First Round) | 3-14-97 |
Purdue | Glenn Robinson | Jr. | 44 | Kansas (Regional Semifinal) | 3-24-94 |
Rutgers | Phil Sellers | Jr. | 29 | Louisville (First Round) | 3-15-75 |
St. Bonaventure | Fred Crawford | Soph. | 34 | Rhode Island (First Round) | 3-14-61 |
St. Bonaventure | Bill Butler | Sr. | 34 | Boston College (First Round) | 3-9-68 |
St. John's | Bob Zawoluk | Sr. | 32 | Kentucky (Regional Final) | 3-22-52 |
St. Joseph's | Jack Egan | Sr. | 42 | Utah (National Third) | 3-25-61 |
San Diego State | Jaedon LeDee | Sr. | 32 | UAB (First Round) | 3-22-24 |
San Francisco | Ollie Johnson | Sr. | 37 | UCLA (Regional Final) | 3-13-65 |
Santa Clara | Dennis Awtrey | Sr. | 37 | Long Beach State (Regional Third) | 3-14-70 |
Seattle | Johnny O'Brien | Sr. | 42 | Idaho State (First Round) | 3-10-53 |
Seton Hall | John Morton | Sr. | 35 | Michigan (National Final) | 4-3-89 |
South Carolina | Tom Riker | Jr. | 39 | Fordham (Regional Third) | 3-20-71 |
Southern California | John Rudometkin | Soph. | 31 | Utah (First Round) | 3-7-60 |
Southern Methodist | Jim Krebs | Sr. | 33 | St. Louis (Regional Third) | 3-16-57 |
Stanford | Brook Lopez | Soph. | 30 | Marquette (Second Round) | 3-22-08 |
Syracuse | Gerry McNamara | Soph. | 43 | Brigham Young (First Round) | 3-18-04 |
Temple | Hal Lear | Sr. | 48 | Southern Methodist (National Third) | 3-23-56 |
Tennessee | Dalton Knecht | Sr. | 37 | Purdue (Regional Final) | 3-31-24 |
Texas | Travis Mays | Sr. | 44 | Georgia (First Round) | 3-17-90 |
Texas A&M | Tyrece Radford | Sr.+ | 27 | Houston (Second Round) | 3-24-24 |
Texas Christian | Lee Nailon | Jr. | 32 | Florida State (First Round) | 3-13-98 |
Texas-El Paso | Jim Barnes | Sr. | 42 | Texas A&M (First Round) | 3-9-64 |
Texas Tech | Jarrett Culver | Soph. | 29 | Northern Kentucky (First Round) | 3-22-19 |
UCF | Aubrey Dawkins | Jr. | 32 | Duke (Second Round) | 3-24-19 |
UCLA | Bill Walton | Jr. | 44 | Memphis State (National Final) | 3-26-73 |
UNLV | Armon Gilliam | Sr. | 38 | Wyoming (Regional Semifinal) | 3-20-87 |
UNLV | Freddie Banks | Sr. | 38 | Indiana (National Semifinal) | 3-28-87 |
Utah | Jerry Chambers | Sr. | 40 | Pacific (Regional Semifinal) | 3-11-66 |
Vanderbilt | Matt Freije | Sr. | 31 | North Carolina State (Second Round) | 3-21-04 |
Villanova | Howard Porter | Sr. | 35 | Penn (Regional Final) | 3-20-71 |
Virginia | Richard Morgan | Sr. | 33 | Providence (First Round) | 3-16-89 |
Virginia | Richard Morgan | Sr. | 33 | Middle Tennessee (Second Round) | 3-18-89 |
Virginia Commonwealth | Rolando Lamb | Sr. | 30 | Marshall (First Round) | 3-15-85 |
Virginia Commonwealth | JeQuan Lewis | Sr. | 30 | Saint Mary's (First Round) | 3-16-17 |
Virginia Tech | Glen Combs | Jr. | 29 | Indiana (Regional Semifinal) | 3-17-67 |
Wake Forest | Len Chappell | Sr. | 34 | St. Joseph's (Regional Semifinal in OT) | 3-16-62 |
Washington | Bob Houbregs | Sr. | 45 | Seattle (Regional Semifinal) | 3-13-53 |
Washington State | Paul Lindemann | Sr. | 26 | Creighton (Regional Semifinal) | 3-21-41 |
West Virginia | Rod Thorn | Sr. | 44 | St. Joseph's (Regional Semifinal) | 3-15-63 |
Western Kentucky | Jim McDaniels | Sr. | 36 | Kansas (National Third) | 3-27-71 |
Wichita State | Dave Stallworth | Jr. | 37 | Kansas State (Regional Final) | 3-14-64 |
Wisconsin | John Tonje | Sr. | 37 | Brigham Young (Second Round) | 3-22-25 |
Wyoming | Fennis Dembo | Jr. | 41 | UCLA (Second Round) | 3-14-87 |
Xavier | Jordan Crawford | Soph. | 32 | Kansas State (Regional Semifinal) | 3-25-10 |
Celebrity Gospel: "What's My Line?" Trivia Provides NCAA Tourney Knowledge
Fans fond of the NCAA playoffs argue the incredibly popular event is 100% perfection. That's gospel; not gossip. But can you promptly name two of the four NFL tight ends with more than 10,000 receiving yards who led their college basketball teams in scoring in victories against power-conference opponents in a six-year span from 1997 through 2002? How about any of the four versatile individuals who played in an NCAA regional final or Final Four in hoops before participating in a MLB World Series? Whatever your level of expertise, CollegeHoopedia.com guarantees you a 100% score is impossible for any brave soul willing to take our "Who Am I" quiz. With the tourney commencing 86 years ago, you can occasionally stumble across familiar faces (including celebrities) in non-basketball endeavors by browsing through old rosters and tourney box scores. Here is an old game show "What's My Line?" format testing your NCAA Tournament acumen or helping you "Stump a Chump." You'll need a PhD in "Hoopology" to secure a passing grade correctly discerning the following individuals who made a name for themselves elsewhere in endeavors other than as a hooper before or after appearing in the NCAA Division I Tournament (broken down by categories - Baseball, Football, Entertainers/Newsmakers, Clergy/Military Leaders/Politicians, Businessmen/Educators/Physicians and Secondary Sports):
MLB
- I appeared in the same NCAA playoffs as eventual Super Bowl running back Terry Kirby and MLB outfielder Terrell Lowery.
- I was a junior college recruit who missed a three-point attempt while playing briefly in a 111-92 defeat against Bo Kimble-led Loyola Marymount in the first round of 1990 NCAA Tournament West Regional.
- One of my New Mexico State teammates was 12-year NBA guard Randy Brown.
- I was a reliever who posted a 9-6 record for the Oakland A's in four seasons from 1994 through 1997 before my contract was sold to a Japanese team. My MLB teammates on Tony LaRussa-managed club as a rookie included Ron Darling, Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire and Ruben Sierra.
- I compiled a 5-1 record in the strike-shortened 1994 MLB campaign when I was considered heir apparent to assume Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley's closer role.
Who am I? MARK ACRE
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as pro quarterback Joe Kapp (California).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Kansas State All-Americans Bob Boozer and Jack Parr.
- I was a college teammate of Eddie Sutton before he coached four different schools in the NCAA Tournament.
- I was the second-leading scorer for Oklahoma State's NCAA Tournament team reaching 1958 Midwest Regional final under Hall of Fame coach Hank Iba.
- I hit .254 in 1,165 games in 13 major league seasons from 1958 through 1970 with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals before playing one year in Japan.
- My teammates with the Orioles included former college basketball players Dick Hall (attended Swarthmore PA), Robin Roberts (Michigan State) and Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State). My successor as second baseman with the O's was former college hooper Davey Johnson (Texas A&M).
- I participated in 1967 World Series with the Red Sox before leaving them following the next season in the expansion draft.
- I set major league records for highest fielding average (.994) and fewest errors (five) by a 2B in a season in 1964 and for consecutive errorless games by a 2B (89 in 1964 and 1965).
Who am I? JERRY ADAIR
- I collected eight rebounds in a loss against Utah State and 10 points in a victory against Jerry Tarkanian-coached Long Beach State in the 1970 NCAA playoffs.
- My Santa Clara teammates included center Dennis Awtrey, who went on to play 12 NBA seasons with six different franchises.
- I was selected in second round of 1972 MLB draft ahead of John Candelaria, Dennis Eckersley and Gary Carter among the next 20 choices.
- Representing the Mariners the only time Seattle hosted the Midsummer Classic, I knocked in a run with a single off Gaylord Perry in All-Star Game in 1979 when I finished 10th in batting average (career-high .316) and eighth in doubles (career-high 38) along with a career-high 100 RBI.
- I was named team MVP the next year.
- I was a lefthanded first baseman-outfielder who hit .282 with the California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Mariners and Oakland A's in 12 seasons from 1974 through 1986 (missed 1983).
Who am I? BRUCE BOCHTE
- I competed in NCAA playoffs against members from four different power conferences (including Jim Calhoun-coached UConn from the Big East).
- I averaged 5.6 ppg and 2.4 rpg in five NCAA tourney games (including 16 points and 6 rebounds as a freshman starter against UNC Charlotte in my first national postseason contest.
- I was a 6-10 power forward who averaged 7.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg with North Carolina State in 2004-05 and 2005-06 for a couple of NCAA playoff teams.
- As a righthanded pitcher, I was a first-round selection in 2007 MLB amateur draft (30th pick overall; four selections ahead of 3B Todd Frazier) who signed four-year, $4.55 million deal with the New York Yankees before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
- I was a candidate for one of two openings in the Yankees' starting rotation during spring training in 2011, but a groin issue put those plans on hold although I appeared in three games as a reliever.
- After leading two different minor leagues in wild pitches, I was released by the Yanks following the 2011 campaign.
- I am a Cincinnati native who signed with the Reds in 2012 and Chicago White Sox in 2013, toiling in their minor league systems.
Who am I? ANDREW BRACKMAN
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Southern California's Jerry Pimm, who went on to coach my alma mater in the playoffs five times in a seven-year span from 1977 through 1983.
- I scored 25 points in three NCAA playoff games in 1960 as a teammate of All-American Billy McGill.
- I was Utah's co-captain as a senior under coach Jack Gardner.
- I was Pacific Coast League MVP in 1963 with the Salt Lake City Bees.
- I was an outfielder who was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the New York Mets for first baseman George Altman in 1965.
- My only year as a regular was 1964 when I posted career highs of 16 doubles, 19 homers and 50 RBI as the Cubs center fielder and ranked among the National League top 10 in stolen bases with 12.
- I hit .236 with the Cubs, Mets, Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and California Angels in eight seasons (1963 through 1965, 1967 and 1969 through 1972).
Who am I? BILLY COWAN
- I averaged 8.8 ppg and 3.4 rpg as starting junior guard for Georgia Tech's 1960 NCAA Tournament team from SEC posting a 22-6 record.
- As a teammate of All-American Roger Kaiser, I scored nine points in Mideast Regional final loss against eventual NCAA champion Ohio State (led by Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Larry Siegfried; also including reserve Bob Knight).
- As a minor-league utilityman, I was Class AAA teammate of former college hoopers George Kernek (Oklahoma) and Ted Savage (Lincoln MO).
- I spent nearly 15 seasons as a player and manager in the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system before joining the Atlanta Braves' organization.
- I was Southern League Manager of the Year in 1978 for Savannah club including pitcher Jim Bouton, shortstop Rafael Ramirez and outfielder Terry Harper.
- I was a coach with the parent Braves' MLB franchise for a total of 14 years mostly under Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox.
Who am I? BOBBY DEWS
- I scored six points in NCAA playoff contest against eventual national runner-up La Salle and four points against Villanova in 1955 East Regional third-place game.
- I averaged 5.9 ppg with Princeton from 1952-53 through 1954-55 under coach Cappy Cappon, including a career-high 8 ppg as a junior.
- I struck out each of my three at-bats with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959 after serving as a pinch-runner for them in one game in 1955.
- After my Organized Baseball career was interrupted by a stint serving in U.S. Navy, I led the Eastern League in batting average (.321) in 1958 as an outfielder with Williamsport.
- One of my EL teammates was righthander Art Mahaffey, who went on to lead Philly in victories in 1962 with 19.
Who am I? JOHN EASTON
- I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual NFL linebacker Fred Carr and punter Ron Widby.
- I scored two points against eventual NCAA champion UCLA in the 1967 West Regional final.
- I was a teammate of Pacific All-American Keith Swagerty.
- I appeared in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974 and 1978).
- I ranked among the National League's top eight in bases on balls in 1973 and 1977.
- I paced the N.L. in sacrifice flies in 1973 with 10 and catchers in fielding average.
- I was Al Downing's batterymate on April 8, 1974, when LHP yielded Hank Aaron's MLB record-setting 715th home run surpassing Babe Ruth.
- I hit .240 with 122 homers and 445 RBI for the Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and California Angels in 14 seasons from 1970 through 1983.
Who am I? JOE FERGUSON
- I was among top two scorers for back-to-back Final Four teams.
- I was a two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection who averaged 11.3 points in four NCAA Tournament games for Ohio State.
- I was an NCAA consensus second-team All-American in 1944 and 1945.
- I signed a pro baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies prior to my senior season.
- My MLB teammates included former college hoopers Lefty Hoerst (La Salle), Andy Karl (Manhattan), Tony Lupien (Harvard) and Jim Tabor (Alabama).
- I pitched briefly for Philly in 1945 and 1946 (1-1 record with 9.37 ERA).
Who am I? DON GRATE
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as U.S. Congressman Hank Nowak (Canisius).
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Marshall's Hal Greer and Pittsburgh All-American guard Don Hennon.
- I grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds against Iowa All-Americans Carl Cain and Bill Logan when my team was eliminated by the national runnerup-to-be in the 1956 Midwest Regional semifinals.
- I was a 6-7, 195-pound forward-center who averaged 18.5 points for Morehead State in four NCAA Tournament games in 1956 and 1957.
- I was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection as a freshman in 1954-55.
- I am the only athlete to play in a World Series and an NBA Finals (rookie in 1959 when the Lakers were swept by the Boston Celtics) after participating in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was a lefthanded pitcher who compiled a 40-31 record, 3.05 ERA and 42 saves in 421 games during 12 seasons from 1961 through 1972 with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
- I was traded by the Senators to the Yankees for pitcher Jim Coates in April, 1963.
- My teammates with the Yankees included former college basketball players Gene Michael (Kent State) and Rollie Sheldon (Connecticut).
- I was a reliever in the 1963 and 1964 World Series for the Yankees.
Who am I? STEVE HAMILTON
- I played against All-Americans John Pilch (Wyoming), Allie Paine (Oklahoma), Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma) and Irwin Dambrot (CCNY) in NCAA Tournament.
- My basketball teammates included All-American John Hargis and eventual Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Slater Martin.
- I was a freshman forward who averaged 3.3 ppg for Texas' 1947 national third-place basketball team. As a senior, I led the Longhorns in scoring average with 15.1 ppg.
- I hit a SWC-leading .474 for the Longhorns' 1949 baseball squad winning the first of school's four College World Series championships. I contributed a homer and four RBI in championship game win against Wake Forest en route to capturing CWS Most Outstanding Player award.
- I was a first baseman who played briefly with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1952 and 1953 under manager Jimmy Dykes and as teammate of standout outfielders Dave Philley and Gus Zernial.
- I was involved in an 11-player swap between the Athletics and New York Yankees.
Who am I? TOM HAMILTON
- I was the leading rebounder for Washington State's team that competed against Boston College in the 1994 East Regional.
- I was the Cougars' leading rebounder each of my four seasons.
- I am a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection who was WSU's second-leading scorer as a junior and senior.
- I finished my college career as my alma mater's all-time second-leading rebounder (927) and third-leading scorer (1,496 points).
- I was a second-round NBA draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 before playing for the Sixers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
- I was selected six times in baseball's June draft.
- I am a 6-9 lefthanded pitcher who posted a 3-0 record and 2.45 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. The next year, I became the first pitcher in Blue Jays' history to hit a home run.
- My best season was 2005 when I went 11-8 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before being traded the next year to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Who am I? MARK HENDRICKSON
- I scored 12 points in the 1969 NCAA playoffs against coach Lou Henson and All-American-to-be New Mexico State guard Jimmy Collins.
- One of my college teammates, Paul Ruffner, was Collins' teammate with the Chicago Bulls in 1970-71.
- I was a second-team All-WAC guard as a junior and senior when I led Brigham Young in scoring each of those seasons.
- I am a son of BYU Hall of Famer Orin Howard.
- I was on roster of BYU's 1968 College World Series squad before selection in eighth round of 1970 MLB draft (one round ahead of eventual Hall of Fame reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage).
- I played in the major leagues with Frank Robinson as a teammate and under him when he was a manager.
- I played five years in the majors as a first baseman-outfielder with the California Angels, St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from 1972 through 1976.
Who am I? DOUG HOWARD
- I missed all three of my Final Four field-goal attempts for UCLA's first two national titlists under coach John Wooden (1964 final against Duke, 1965 national semifinal against Wichita and 1965 title contest against Michigan).
- I was MLB's chief publicist for a quarter century under four commissioners until retiring in 2010.
- I previously was a sportswriter with the Los Angeles Herald Examiner before joining the commissioner's office in 1985 under Peter Ueberroth after writing a book with him and working as his assistant press secretary at the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee.
Who am I? RICH LEVIN
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL linebacker James Francis (Baylor) and NFL quarterback Brad Johnson (Florida State).
- I was an Arizona teammate of All-Americans Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr.
- I was a member of the Wildcats' team that compiled a 35-3 record and reached the 1988 Final Four.
- I outscored Texas-El Paso guard Tim Hardaway, 12-2, in the 1987 West Regional.
- I led the American League in stolen bases in 1992 with 66, a record for an American League rookie.
- I was a Gold Glove outfielder who led the Cleveland Indians with a .325 batting mark (fourth in the A.L.) and paced the majors with 70 stolen bases in 1993.
- I played in the major league All-Star Game in 1994 and 1995, when I led the A.L. in stolen bases with 60 and 54, respectively.
- Considered the premier leadoff hitter of the 1990s, I am a six-time All-Star who hit a career-high .349 in 1994 with the Indians.
- I stole six bases in the 1995 World Series against the Atlanta Braves before hitting .333 for them in 1997 after I was traded in a deal involving former basketball player David Justice (Thomas More).
- I was traded to contending teams (the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, respectively) midway through the 2002 and 2003 campaigns.
- I tied a major league record by scoring a run in 18 consecutive games with the Giants.
- Longtime standout Bernie Williams became a designated hitter upon my acquisition by the New York Yankees as their center fielder in 2004.
- I finished my 17-year MLB career with a .299 batting average and 622 stolen bases.
Who am I? KENNY LOFTON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL running back Terry Kirby (Virginia).
- I was a Loyola Marymount teammate of eventual All-Americans Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble in 1988-89 when the Lions (181) and U.S. International (150) competed in the highest-scoring game in NCAA history.
- I scored at least 16 points as a sophomore in each of the last three NCAA playoff outings for Loyola Marymount's 1990 West Regional runner-up (against Michigan, Alabama and UNLV). I had 23 in as many minutes against Michigan (149-115 victory) in the highest-scoring game in NCAA playoff history.
- I was a two-time All-WCC first-team selection and league-leading scorer.
- I scored a career-high 48 points against Idaho State as a junior in 1990-91 when I finished among the top five nationally in scoring (28.5 ppg) and assists (9.1 apg). During that season, I tallied a team-high 34 points when the Lions set an NCAA single-game scoring record in a 186-140 victory over USIU.
- I am an Oakland product who ranked eighth in the country in scoring as a senior with 26 points per game.
- I played in the same major league outfields with Sammy Sosa and Bobby Bonds.
- I hit .282 with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and San Francisco Giants from 1997 through 2000 after previously being in the farm systems of the Texas Rangers and New York Mets.
- I went 15-for-34 from the plate (.441) with the Giants in 2000.
Who am I? TERRELL LOWERY
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as did Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee).
- I was a backup guard to eventual Princeton athletic director Gary Walters.
- I was a teammate of All-American Bill Bradley when the presidential candidate-to-be scored a Final Four-record 58 points against Wichita State in the 1965 national third-place game.
- I scored 14 points in three NCAA Tournament games in 1967 against coaches Bucky Waters (West Virginia), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Lou Carnesecca (St. John's).
- I was employed by the U.S. Congress along with Hillary Clinton as part of a litigation team during the Watergate hearings.
- I survived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the 1980s and prostate cancer in the 1990s.
- I was a key major-league baseball executive with the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox for more than 20 years.
- I was a driving force behind the construction of Camden Yards before becoming a minority owner of the Padres.
- I was instrumental in hiring Theo Epstein in November 2002 as the youngest general manager in baseball history.
Who am I? LARRY LUCCHINO
- I was a college teammate of Steve Ehlmann, a state legislator and circuit judge who contemplated running for Congress to fill Jim Tallent's seat when Tallent ran for Governor of Missouri in 2000.
- I was a junior college transfer who played for two different head coaches at Furman (Frank Selvy and Joe Williams).
- I was named MVP in the Southern Conference Tournament before collecting five points and two rebounds for the Paladins in their inaugural NCAA Tournament game, a 105-74 defeat against Digger Phelps-coached Fordham in the 1971 East Regional.
- I was an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years from 1974 through 1984 with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets.
- My major league teammates included Dick Allen, George Brett, Steve Carlton, Dave Kingman, Mike Schmidt, Darryl Strawberry and Bruce Sutter.
- I was a valuable backup who hit three pinch homers for the Phillies in 1978 in my last year with three consecutive divisional champions.
- I was involved in an eight-player trade including Ted Sizemore and Manny Trillo between the Phillies and Cubs during the winter before the 1979 season.
- I was a regular with the Cubs, collecting 42 homers and 146 RBI.
- I was a free-swinger who was suspended in 1984 for involvement with drugs.
- I served a three-month sentence in the Fort Worth Correctional Institute with Royals teammate Willie Wilson.
Who am I? JERRY MARTIN
- I played against Congressman-to-be Henry Hyde (Georgetown) in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was named to the first five on the All-Metropolitan New York team as a sophomore in 1942-43 when I was NYU's leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament (losses against Georgetown and Dartmouth).
- I played for two different major league teams in a single season four times in a seven-year span, including two tours of duty as a teammate of Hall of Famer Ted Williams.
- I was an outfielder who hit .267 in a 10-year playing career from 1947 through 1956 with six teams before becoming manager of the Minnesota Twins for seven years from 1961 through 1967.
- I led the American League with 36 doubles for the Washington Senators in 1951 and drove in six runs in one inning in a 1952 game for the Chicago White Sox.
- I managed the Twins in 1965 when they won the A.L. title.
Who am I? SAM MELE
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga) and NFL defensive back Percy Ellsworth (Virginia).
- I played in the 1996 NCAA Tournament against Temple coach John Chaney after my team was upset by Manhattan in the playoffs the previous year.
- I hold Oklahoma's record for consecutive successful free throws with 30.
- I was an All-Tournament Team selection as first baseman for the 1994 College World Series champion before becoming a second-round draft choice of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 (32nd pick overall ahead of 10-plus year NBA veterans Randy Livingston, Jeff McInnis and Malik Rose).
- I was a forward who averaged 16.5 ppg en route to finishing my career No. 6 on the Sooners' all-time scoring list (1,946 points).
- I was a two-time All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection and league player of the year as a junior when I averaged 23.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg.
- I was selected in three different MLB June amateur drafts - 1992 15th round (17 picks ahead of OF Jose Cruz), 1995 7th round (28 picks ahead of RHP A.J. Burnett) and 1996 33rd round (12 picks behind 2B Orlando Hudson).
- I was a third baseman who replaced Cal Ripken Jr. in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Ripken's major league record of 2,632 consecutive games played.
- I no longer was Ripken's teammate during his final season in 2001 because I was traded to the Montreal Expos.
Who am I? RYAN MINOR
- I participated in same NCAA tourney when ESPN analyst LaPhonso Ellis grabbed a playoff-high 18 rebounds for Notre Dame against fellow SEC member Vanderbilt.
- I appeared in the NCAA Tournament against Texas-El Paso's Tim Hardaway.
- I averaged 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1988-89 for LSU coach Dale Brown.
- I started in the same backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson in the West Regional of the 1989 NCAA playoffs.
- I was a two-time All-Tournament Team selection in College World Series, smacking two homers for eventual champion in 1991 CWS opener against Florida.
- I was the player to be designated in a trade when pitcher Jack McDowell went from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Mets.
- My MLB teammates included Hall of Famers Frank Thomas and Cal Ripken Jr.
- I was an outfielder who hit .287 for the White Sox from 1995 through 1997 before my contract was sold to a team in Japan.
Who am I? LYLE MOUTON
- I participated in inaugural NCAA tourney in 1939 with admiral John Dick (Oregon) and world-famous heart surgeon Denton Cooley (Texas).
- I was a backup guard and longest-surviving member for Oregon's legendary "Tall Firs" team winning first NCAA championship.
- I was a leadoff hitter who had four games with four hits as MLB rookie. My infielder teammates with the Philadelphia Phillies included Granny Hamner and former Harvard hoops captain Tony Lupien.
- I was a lefthanded-swinging second baseman who hit .267 in 1944.
Who am I? FRED "MOON" MULLEN
- I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and World Series of Poker legend Doyle Brunson.
- I averaged 15.3 ppg in three NCAA playoff contests in 1953 before becoming 58th pick overall in NBA draft.
- I was a third-team All-American selection on Converse and United Press All-American squads as a senior when I finished second in the nation in field-goal shooting (54%).
- I was a MLB bonus baby ($40,000) who hit .238 in 89 contests as a rookie with seven-game hitting streak in mid-July in 1953.
- My twin brother was a basketball All-American who went on to play six seasons of major league baseball.
- I was an infielder-outfielder who played five seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1958) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .236 in 231 games.
Who am I? EDDIE O'BRIEN
- I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey, Massachusetts U.S. Congressman Joe Early and World Series of Poker legend Doyle Brunson.
- I was a a two-time NCAA consensus All-American who averaged 32 ppg in three NCAA playoff games in 1953 after scoring 51 points in a regular-season game against Gonzaga.
- I became the first college player to crack the 1,000-point plateau in a single season by scoring 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52.
- I was the 49th pick overall in 1953 NBA draft.
- I was a MLB bonus baby ($40,000) who hit .247 with 17 extra-base hits in 89 contests and had a nine-game hitting streak as rookie in 1953.
- My twin brother was a basketball All-American who went on to play five seasons of major league baseball.
- I was an infielder/pitcher who played 339 games in six seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1959) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves, hitting .250 and compiling a 1-3 pitching record.
- I was traded by the Pirates with Gene Freese to the Cardinals for Dick Schofield and cash.
- I was a teammate of Hank Aaron in my final MLB season.
- I was a second baseman for the Pirates on July 3, 1956, when I became the last N.L. position player to earn a victory on the mound until catcher Brent Mayne achieved the feat for the Colorado Rockies against the Atlanta Braves in August 2000.
Who am I? JOHNNY O'BRIEN
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Rollie Sheldon.
- I was a West Virginia teammate of All-American Jerry West.
- I was a backup guard for the Mountaineers in 1960 when they lost to NYU, 82-81, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite my five of six field-goal shooting.
- I was an infielder who hit .233 in 11 seasons (1964 and 1966 through 1975) with the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
- My major league teammates included Ernie Banks, Don Drysdale, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Don Sutton and Billy Williams.
- I was traded with Ron Fairly by the Dodgers to the Montreal Expos for Maury Wills and Manny Mota during the 1969 campaign.
- I went three-for-three in pinch-hitting appearances for the Pirates in the 1974 N.L. Championship Series.
Who am I? PAUL POPOVICH
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Seattle All-American Elgin Baylor.
- I was a California teammate of future pro quarterback Joe Kapp.
- I averaged 15.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games in 1957 and 1958 under coach Pete Newell, leading the Bears in scoring in two of the four playoff contests.
- I was a three-time all-conference second-team basketball selection.
- I was a shortstop for Cal's 1957 College World Series champion.
- I was an outfielder who hit .268 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles in four seasons from 1958 to 1964.
- I was purchased by the Orioles from the Dodgers during the winter of 1960.
- My major league teammates included former college basketball players Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State), Dick Hall (Swarthmore), Gil Hodges (Oakland City), Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati), Robin Roberts (Michigan State) and Norm Siebern (Southwest Missouri State).
Who am I? EARL ROBINSON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league infielder Paul Popovich.
- I was Connecticut's third-leading scorer with 13.5 points per game as a 6-4 sophomore forward for a 1960 NCAA Tournament team that was eliminated by Satch Sanders-led NYU, which advanced to the Final Four.
- As a rookie, I had front-row seat when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle went after Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
- I compiled a 38-36 pitching record in five seasons (1961, 1962 and 1964 through 1966) with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics and Boston Red Sox.
- I was 11-5 as a rookie with the A.L. champion Yankees after going 15-1 in Class D ball the previous year.
- I appeared in two games for the Yanks in the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
- I was traded by the Yanks with Johnny Blanchard to K.C. for Doc Edwards during the 1965 season.
Who am I? ROLLIE SHELDON
- I averaged 8.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 3.6 apg for Miami (Ohio) from 1974-75 through 1977-78, leading team in assists as a sophomore and junior.
- I tied eventual Ohio State and NBA coach Randy Ayers with a team-high 20 points in an opening-round 84-81 victory over defending NCAA champion Marquette before Miami was eliminated in the next round by eventual 1978 titlist Kentucky.
- I was selected by the Chicago Bulls in sixth round of 1978 NBA draft (119th pick overall) three rounds after Ayers was chosen by same franchise. The Bulls' first-round choice that year was Reggie Theus.
- I was a 26th-round pick by the San Francisco Giants in 1974 MLB amateur draft out of high school (two rounds ahead of Hall of Fame INF Paul Molitor) and 35th-round choice by Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 (one round ahead of reliever Tom Niedenfuer).
- I was an infielder who hit .282 in the Dodgers' farm system in four years from 1977 through 1980.
- My .322 batting average with Class A Clinton (Midwest League) in 1977 was higher on club than eventual big leaguers Mickey Hatcher (.309), Max Venable (.271), Ron Roenicke (.256), Mike Scioscia (.253) and Ron Kittle (.189).
- I was on the California League All-Star team with .317 batting average in 1978 for North Division champion Lodi.
- I compiled more than 1,600 career victories as a minor-league manager in the Dodgers' organization from 1987 through 2021.
- My roster while managing Class AA San Antonio (Texas League) included pitchers Orel Hershiser and Pedro Martinez, 1B Eric Karros and OF Henry Rodriguez.
- I was named to Southern League Hall of Fame in 2016 after managing five years in the Class AA circuit at turn of the century.
Who am I? JOHN SHOEMAKER
- I played in NCAA Tournament against eventual U.S. Congressman Henry Hyde (Georgetown) and Phelps Dodge Corporation CEO George Munroe (Dartmouth).
- I was a starting guard who averaged 8.7 ppg for NYU's 1943 NCAA playoff team, scoring a total of 11 points in two postseason contests.
- I was a college teammate of Sam Mele, who led the American League in doubles in 1951 before driving in six runs in one inning in a 1952 game and managing the Minnesota Twins to 1965 A.L. title.
- I also was an outfielder who hit .215 in 62 games with the Washington Senators in 1949.
Who am I? JOHN SIMMONS
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against future All-American Dick Ricketts of Duquesne.
- I was a starting forward, teammate of eventual Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes and All-Ivy League second-team selection with Princeton's first NCAA Tournament squad in 1952.
- I was on roster of Princeton's 1951 College World Series participant.
- I was a major league pitcher who compiled a 38-44 record in seven seasons (1956 through 1962) with the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators and Cincinnati Reds.
- My batterymate when I broke in with the Red Sox was former college basketball player Sammy White (Washington).
- I was traded with cash by the Senators to the Reds for pitcher Claude Osteen near the end of the 1961 campaign.
- I am a son of a Hall of Fame first baseman and brother of a former Cincinnati Reds manager.
- After graduating magna cum laude, I became an executive vice president, vice chairman of the board, and branch director of St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., the largest brokerage firm headquartered outside New York, with 5,300 investment brokers in over 500 branch locations throughout 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Who am I? DAVE SISLER
- I averaged 7.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg in four-year hoops career, leading Furman in assists as a freshman when the Paladins participated in the 1975 NCAA tourney against Boston College.
- In 1977-78, I was senior captain of a hoops squad that beat ACC members Clemson, North Carolina and N.C. State in 10-day span in mid-season before losing against Bob Knight-coached Indiana, 63-62, in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was a ninth-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977 MLB draft, playing four seasons of Organized Ball as an infielder, advancing as high as Class AAA.
- In Class AA, one of my teammates was Julio Franco, who went on to play 32 seasons of professional baseball (23 at MLB level).
- I am my alma mater's all-time winningest baseball coach, compiling a 580-693-3 record in 23 years from 1994 through 2016 and appearing in 2005 NCAA Tournament.
Who am I? RON SMITH
- I arrived at Tennessee in same recruiting class as eventual All-American Ernie Grunfeld under coach Ray Mears.
- I collected two points and one rebound in 1976 NCAA playoff defeat against VMI (81-75) despite Grunfeld's 36 points.
- I was a righthanded pitcher selected in 1976 MLB draft ahead of eventual teammate Wade Boggs.
- I compiled a 76-86 record and 4.58 ERA with the Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox in eight American League seasons from 1982 through 1989.
- I hurled 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Red Sox in Game 4 of 1988 ALCS against the Oakland Athletics.
- I led A.L. hurlers in games started in 1984 and 1985 with the Twins when posting 15 victories both years.
Who am I? MIKE SMITHSON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as eventual major league outfielder Jerry Martin (Furman).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Ed Ratleff (Long Beach State) and Kresimir Cosic (Brigham Young).
- I averaged 22 ppg for Pacific's freshman squad in 1967-68 before averaging 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg in my three-year varsity basketball career from 1968-69 through 1970-71.
- I hit seven-of-eight field-goal attempts en route to scoring 21 points in two playoff games as a senior in 1971 after averaging a career-high 10.9 ppg as a junior.
- My Pacific basketball teammates included eventual NCAA Division I head coaches Bob Thomason and Pat Douglass and All-American center John Gianelli.
- I was a fifth-round selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1971 MLB amateur draft.
- My major league baseball teammates included Cesar Cedeno, Bill Madlock, J.R. Richard, Bruce Sutter, Bob Watson and Billy Williams.
- I was involved in a trade between the Cubs and San Francisco Giants before the 1977 season that included Madlock and Bobby Murcer.
- I was an infielder who hit .211 with the Cubs and Houston Astros in four years from 1974 through 1977.
Who am I? ROB SPERRING
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against standouts Marvin Barnes (Providence), Billy Knight (Pittsburgh), Maurice Lucas (Marquette) and UCLA's Walton Gang.
- I had a game-high seven assists for North Carolina State in a victory over Providence in the 1974 East Regional.
- I was the starting forward opposite national player of the year David Thompson for the Wolfpack's 1974 NCAA champion.
- I had a part as a menacing pitcher in a comedy film (Rookie of the Year).
- I was on major league pitching staffs with Dennis Eckersley, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry and Jim Palmer.
- I appeared in 485 games, all as a reliever, in 13 seasons (1975 and 1978 through 1989) with the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
- I compiled a 41-35 record with 3.95 ERA and 76 saves, recording 26 of the saves for the Orioles in 1980 the year after being the winning pitcher for them in Game Four of the 1979 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates when I became the only player with a WS RBI in my first big league at-bat by singling in eighth inning.
- I was traded by the Padres to the Yankees for pitcher Ed Whitson during the 1986 season.
- I am one of only two versatile athletes to play in the Final Four before competing in a World Series.
Who am I? TIM STODDARD
- I was third-leading scorer with 10 ppg for Ohio State's 1950 NCAA tourney team under coach Tippy Dye.
- I had a team-high four assists in playoff victory against Bob Cousy-led Holy Cross in East Regional third-place game after scoring eight points in 56-55 defeat against eventual champion CCNY.
- I went from the NCAA basketball playoffs to major leagues of baseball in the same year.
- I was a lefthanded-swinging first baseman who went 9-for-47 in 22 games with the Washington Senators from 1950 to 1952.
- The Senators' chief executive in the early 1950s was Calvin Griffith, a George Washington hooper in the mid-1930s.
- As hoops coach of my alma mater, my OSU basketball rosters included eventual MLB players Steve Arlin, Jim Geddes and Rick Renick.
- I am the only former MLB player to coach an NCAA basketball champion, guiding the Buckeyes to 1960 NCAA title en route to becoming their all-time winningest mentor.
Who am I? FRED TAYLOR
- I scored a team-high 16 points and contributed game highs of 8 rebounds and 3 steals in a 2004 NCAA playoff opening-round setback against Texas.
- I was an All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior under Princeton coach John Thompson III.
- I didn't play baseball my freshman year in college.
- I am the son of a 12-year major league outfielder who spent most of his career in the National League and was involved in a trade from the San Francisco Giants to the Montreal Expos for Al Oliver.
- I am a lefthanded outfielder who hit .264 in 28 games for the San Diego Padres during a September call-up in 2008, hitting a triple in my first at-bat.
- I was a regular for the Padres from 2010 through 2014 before being traded midway through the next season, finishing among the top 10 in the National League in triples a couple of years.
- I was a coach for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers since 2018 before becoming manager of the Chicago White Sox heading into 2025 campaign.
Who am I? WILL VENABLE
- I was Washington's second-leading scorer as a junior forward behind All-American center Jack Nichols in two 1948 NCAA Tournament games.
- I was named to the first five on the All-Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division basketball team as a junior and senior. * My major league baseball teammates included Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, George Kell, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn and Ted Williams.
- I was a catcher who hit .262 in 11 seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1951 through 1959), Milwaukee Braves (1961) and Philadelphia Phillies (1962).
- I was a 1953 All-Star who hit over .280 three times with the Red Sox.
- On June 18, 1953, I scored three runs in one inning when the Red Sox tallied 17 in the seventh against the Detroit Tigers.
- A trade including Russ Nixon and Jim Marshall between the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians before the 1960 campaign was cancelled when I announced my retirement.
Who am I? SAMMY WHITE
- I was a Minnesota teammate of All-American forward Jim Brewer under coach Bill Musselman.
- I played the entire game, collecting eight points and eight rebounds against eventual national runner-up Florida State, in the Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1972.
- I was named Most Outstanding Player in 1973 College World Series after fanning a total of 29 batters in two pitching starts (14 vs. Oklahoma and 15 vs. USC).
- I didn't play college football, but was chosen in the 17th round of 1973 NFL draft by Minnesota Vikings. That same year, I was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in fifth round of NBA draft (ahead of ABA-bound "Super" John Williamson and Tim Bassett) and by the Utah Stars in sixth round of ABA senior draft (ahead of All-Americans Richie Fuqua and Henry Wilmore).
- My major league baseball teammates included former college basketball players Bill Almon (Brown), Kenny Lofton (Arizona), Graig Nettles (San Diego State) and Dennis Rasmussen (Creighton).
- I was an outfielder who hit .283 with 465 home runs, 1,833 RBIs and 3,110 hits in 22 seasons (1973 through 1988 and 1990 through 1995) with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
- I participated in the World Series with the Yankees (1981) and Blue Jays (1992).
- I am a baseball Hall of Famer who appeared in 12 All-Star Games after never playing in the minors (fourth selection overall in 1973 MLB amateur draft behind David Clyde, John Stearns and Robin Yount).
Who am I? DAVE WINFIELD
NFL AND GRIDIRON PROSPECTS
- I appeared in the same NCAA tourney as eventual network broadcaster Curt Gowdy (Wyoming).
- I was an Arkansas hoop teammate of eventual San Francisco 49ers coach Red Hickey.
- I was third-leading scorer with six points when the Hogs lost against Washington State in 1941 NCAA Tournament national semifinals.
- In my NFL debut, I returned an interception 66 yards for the decisive score in the New York Giants' 14-7 win against the Washington Redskins in 1942. Two weeks later, I caught two touchdown passes in a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- My NYG teammates included fellow Arkansas hoopers Jim Lee Howell and Harry Wynne.
- I caught 28 passes for 494 yards and five TDs in four years with the Giants through 1945 before playing a couple of seasons in AAFC with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Who am I? O'NEAL ADAMS
- I scored 20 points and also contributed game highs of eight rebounds and three blocked shots in an NCAA Tournament victory against Oregon State in 2016.
- I averaged 7.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 1.8 bpg for Virginia Commonwealth's four NCAA playoff squads from 2013-14 through 2016-17.
- I finished my college career as VCU's all-time leader in shooting percentage (57.4%).
- I was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference's All-Defensive Team three times and also received an all-league third-team citation as a junior.
- I was a tight end who caught two touchdown passes as a rookie in 2018 for the NFL playoff-bound Indianapolis Colts.
- I led Colts TEs in pass receptions in 2020 with 31 and was runner-up overall in receptions in 2021.
Who am I? MO ALIE-COX
- I played in both of Ohio State's 1950 playoff games under coach Tippy Dye.
- One of my teammates was Fred Taylor, who went on to coach the Buckeyes to 1960 NCAA title.
- I was a wide receiver who caught 23 passes for 358 yards and five touchdowns for OSU from 1949 through 1951 (team runner-up in receiving yards for Rose Bowl winner following 1949 season).
- I caught nine passes for 127 yards and two TDs in 1950 when tailback in single-wing offense Vic Janowicz won the Heisman Trophy.
- I caught two TD passes with Woody Hayes' first OSU football squad in 1951.
Who am I? RALPH ARMSTRONG
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against John Tresvant (Seattle), Ollie Johnson (San Francisco), Joe Caldwell (Arizona State), Ron Bonham (Cincinnati), Tom Thacker (Cincinnati), George Wilson (Cincinnati) and Jeff Mullins (Duke).
- I was an Oregon State teammate of All-American center Mel Counts.
- I was an All-West Regional selection in the NCAA Tournament in 1962 and 1963.
- I was the second-leading scorer for the Beavers' 1963 Final Four team.
- My 99-yard run from scrimmage for a touchdown accounted for the only points in a 6-0 victory against Villanova in the 1962 Liberty Bowl.
- I was a college quarterback who became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
- I was the first Heisman Trophy winner west of the Mississippi River after rushing 115 times for 538 yards (4.7 per carry), completing 112 of 203 passes for a nation-leading 1,738 yards and 15 touchdowns.
- I was first selection overall in 1963 NFL draft who played with the Los Angeles Rams (1963 through 1965) before going to the Canadian Football League with Edmonton (1967).
- Two of my teammates with the Rams were former college basketball standout rebounders Charley Cowan (New Mexico Highlands) and Lamar Lundy (Purdue).
Who am I? TERRY BAKER
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Lou Carnesecca, Bob Knight, Bill Foster, Larry Brown and Lute Olson.
- I was a Purdue teammate of All-American center Joe Barry Carroll for the Boilermakers' 1980 national third-place team.
- My NFL teammates as a rookie included former college basketball player Al "Bubba" Baker (Colorado State) and All-Pro halfback Billy Sims.
- I was a linebacker with the Detroit Lions for four seasons from 1982 through 1985 after being a 10th-round draft pick.
Who am I? ROOSEVELT BARNES
- I averaged 3.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Houston's 1968 Final Four squad featuring All-American Elvin Hayes.
- I collected nine points and five rebounds in seven minutes against Lew Alcindor-led UCLA in the national semifinals after contributing seven points and three rebounds in nine minutes against TCU in regional final.
- As a two-year football letterman for UH, I rushed 121 times for 830 yards and seven touchdowns while also catching one TD pass.
- I rushed for a college career-high 125 yards against Cincinnati in 1968.
- I played tight end in one game with the New Orleans Saints in 1971 after being their fourth-round selection in NFL draft (82nd pick overall; 17 choices ahead of QB Joe Theismann and 22 ahead of DE Dwight White).
Who am I? CARLOS BELL
- I declared for the 2005 NBA draft out of high school before withdrawing my name.
- I played in the 2008 NCAA playoffs and grabbed five rebounds in 10 minutes against an eventual Final Four participant (LSU).
- I played under Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie before he accepted a similar position with Kentucky.
- I had a career-high of 133 yards and 2 TDs against Baylor as a sophomore when earning All-Big 12 Conference second-team honors.
- I was an NFL second-round draft choice by the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 as an undergraduate (4th tight end selected).
- I was fined $22,000 by the Cowboys in 2009 for an occasionally profane rap video mentioning several teammates and front-office personnel.
- I also played for the New York Giants and Chicago Bears en route to 348 receptions for 3,586 yards and 23 touchdowns in my first eight years from 2008 through 2015 before trade to the New England Patriots. I am the last DI hooper of note to go on and participate in the Super Bowl, competing with the Patriots in SB 51 before signing as free agent with the Green Bay Packers. I finished by 10-year NFL career with 433 catches for 4,573 yards and 30 TDs.
Who am I? MARTELLUS BENNETT
- I was a Virginia teammate of future NBA players Bryant Stith and John Crotty.
- I averaged 4.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in seven NCAA Tournament games from 1989 through 1991 while battling on the boards in the playoffs against LaPhonso Ellis (Notre Dame), Derrick Coleman (Syracuse) and Billy Owens (Syracuse).
- I appeared in three bowl games - Florida Citrus (vs. Illinois), Sugar (vs. Tennessee) and Gator (vs. Oklahoma)--the same three years I competed in the NCAA playoffs.
- I was named ACC offensive football player of the year as a senior when I threw 224 passes over the entire regular season without incurring a single interception.
- I was a quarterback who became a second-round NFL draft selection of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1992 (40th pick overall ahead of fellow hooper Brad Johnson in ninth round) after passing for 2,696 yards and 25 touchdowns in my college career (including nine 200-yard passing games).
- I was a backup to Joe Montana with the Chiefs.
Who am I? MATT BLUNDIN
- I averaged 6.3 ppg and 4.2 as an occasional starter for Georgia's 1998 NIT team. The previous year, I averaged 4.6 ppg and 3.3 rpg while shooting team-high 60.3% from the floor for Bulldogs' 24-9 NCAA playoff squad coached by Tubby Smith, collecting 8 points and 6 rebounds in 15 minutes in opening-round defeat against Chattanooga.
- I scored the winning basket with three seconds remaining in UGA's 1997 SEC Tournament quarterfinal victory against Arkansas after supplying 18 points in an earlier game against league regular-season champion South Carolina.
- I played against QB Donovan McNabb of eventual NCAA tourney runner-up Syracuse in a 1996 West Regional semifinal overtime game.
- As a football teammate of Champ Bailey and Hines Ward, I provided three pass receptions in 1998 Peach Bowl against Virginia.
- I was a two-time All-SEC second-team selection and four-year starting tight end who caught 80 passes for 1,077 yards and six touchdowns with the Dawgs from 1995 through 1998.
- I was a reserve who played nine games with the NFL's Tennessee Titans in 1999 and was on their roster for Super Bowl XXXIV.
Who am I? LARRY BROWN
- I participated in the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Tournaments.
- I played briefly in a playoff game against an Oklahoma team featuring first-team All-American freshman Wayman Tisdale.
- My college basketball teammates included Indiana All-Americans Ted Kitchel and Randy Wittman.
- My stepfather, Tom Harp, was the head football coach for Indiana State in the mid-1970s.
- I was an assistant football coach for Michigan under Bo Schembechler before becoming an assistant for three years with the Washington Redskins.
- I played quarterback in college before becoming my alma mater's head football coach for five years from 1997 through 2001.
- I was head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2007 when they posted a franchise-worst 1-15 record between stints as an assistant coach with the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.
- I was LSU's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach several seasons during the previous decade.
Who am I? CAM CAMERON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league baseball executive Larry Lucchino (Princeton) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee).
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Pacific All-American center Keith Swagerty. One of my Texas Western teammates was All-American center David "Big Daddy" Lattin.
- I collected 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds when the defending NCAA champion Miners were eliminated by Pacific, 72-63, in the 1967 West Regional semifinals before contributing eight points and five rebounds in a 69-67 victory over Wyoming in a third-place game.
- I was an NFL first-round draft choice (fifth pick overall) who played 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers (1968 through 1977).
- My fellow linebacker as an NFL rookie was Ray Nitschke.
- I had eight career interceptions (including a touchdown in 1976) and participated in the 1972 NFL playoffs after being selected as the outstanding lineman in the 1971 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.
Who am I? FRED CARR
- I am my school's all-time leading rebounder who played in the NCAA playoffs in 1981 against North Carolina standouts James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Al Wood.
- I played in two West Regional games for Pittsburgh (game highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 70-69 overtime victory against Idaho and 16 points, six rebounds and game-high five steals in a 74-57 defeat against eventual national runner-up North Carolina).
- I was a two-time All-Eastern 8 first-team selection.
- I was a third-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in the 1981 NBA draft five selections behind Frank Brickowski, who played 12 years in the league.
- I was a defensive end who had 49 sacks in 11 seasons in pro football with the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts in the NFL and Pittsburgh and Memphis in the USFL.
- My NFL teammates included Eric Dickerson, Steve Largent and Ozzie Newsome and former college basketball players Al "Bubba" Baker (Colorado State), Pete Metzelaars (Wabash) and Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State).
- I was a 6-6 pass rushing specialist who played in two AFC championship games with the Browns.
- I was defensive line coach for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe when they won the 1997 World Bowl.
- My son with the same name was the leading scorer and rebounder for Southern California's East Regional runner-up in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
Who am I? SAM CLANCY
- I was an All-Big Six Conference first-team selection who scored a team-high 10 points in Missouri's first-ever NCAA tourney game (setback against eventual 1944 titlist Utah).
- I was an all-league back who scored a team-high 10 touchdowns for Mizzou as senior captain in 1944.
- I was a second-round selection in 1945 NFL draft (14th pick overall) and made one start that year with the Chicago Cardinals.
Who am I? PAUL COLLINS
- I collected 16 points and 10 assists in two NCAA playoff contests in 2001.
- I led my team in assists that season when I directed North Carolina to a No. 1 national ranking and an 18-game winning streak.
- I was Most Outstanding Offensive Player in the 2001 Peach Bowl.
- I was a basketball/football teammate of Julius Peppers, the nation's top defensive lineman in 2001.
- I was a four-year starter in football who set school career records for total offense, passing yards, rushing yards by a quarterback and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
- I was activated for Super Bowl XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders as a defensive back before becoming a wide receiver for them the next year in 2003.
- I succeeded all-time great Tim Brown as a starter in 2004.
- I led the Raiders in receptions and receiving yards in 2006.
- I have been an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints since 2016 after serving in same capacity for the San Francisco 49ers in 2014 and 2015.
Who am I? RONALD CURRY
- In 1999 NCAA playoffs under Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson Jr., I scored four points in West Regional against Siena before collecting two blocked shots and two rebounds in defeat against Iowa.
- I was a 6-6 tight end who caught 49 passes for 554 yards and six touchdowns with the Razorbacks from 1996 through 1999.
- I caught a fourth-quarter, go-ahead TD pass against Michigan before losing 1998 Citrus Bowl, 45-31.
- I was an All-SEC second-team selection before participating in the Senior Bowl.
- I played three years with the Indianapolis Colts, catching a career-high three passes from Peyton Manning against the Denver Broncos in 2002 in coach Tony Dungy's inaugural campaign with Indy.
Who am I? JOE DEAN DAVENPORT
- I played in three consecutive NCAA playoff games against coaches capturing national titles in other seasons (Jim Calhoun, Dean Smith and Steve Fisher).
- I was an Ohio State teammate of All-American Jim Jackson.
- I collected three points and five rebounds in a 78-55 victory over Connecticut in the second round for the Buckeyes' 1992 Southeast Regional runner-up.
- I averaged 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior in 1994-95 when I led OSU in rebounding and finished third in scoring.
- I was Offensive MVP in the 1996 Florida Citrus Bowl.
- I am a tight end who was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round (9th pick overall) of the 1996 NFL draft ahead of RB Eddie George, WR Marvin Harrison and LB Ray Lewis in opening round.
- I caught 29 touchdown passes in five seasons with the Raiders before hooking on with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- I was a member of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl XXXVII champion.
Who am I? RICKEY DUDLEY
- I grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes of playing time in NCAA playoff opening-round victory against Valparaiso before briefly appearing in 1996 Midwest Regional semifinal setback against Kansas.
- I averaged 1 ppg in 1994-95 and 1995-96 under Arizona coach Lute Olson in same backcourt with eventual Final Four Most Outstanding Player Miles Simon.
- I was a short-yardage specialist who rushed 145 times for 532 yards and Pacific-10-Conference-leading 16 touchdowns with 12-1 Holiday Bowl team in 1998 (beat Nebraska, 23-20, on my one-yard plunge midway through final quarter).
- The previous year I rushed 19 times for 75 yards and two TDs in 20-14 win vs. New Mexico in Insight Bowl.
- I was a fullback who finished by UA career with 284 carries for 1,037 yards and 21 TDs along with 31 pass receptions for 275 yards and two TDs.
Who am I? KELVIN EAFON
- I scored eight points against Seattle in the 1964 NCAA playoffs and a total of 19 points in two West Regional contests in 1966 (vs. Houston and Utah).
- One of my Oregon State teammates in 1964 was All-American center Mel Counts. Two years later when I was the Beavers' third-leading scorer with 9.9 ppg, one of my teammates was eventual NFL defensive end Harry Gunner.
- I shared OSU's Paul Valenti Award with Gunner in 1966, given annually to the player who displays the most desire and determination.
- I was an eighth-round draft choice by the New York Giants in 1967 (one round ahead of DB Ken Houston by the Houston Oilers).
- My NFL teammates all five years of my stint with the Giants included Tucker Frederickson, Pete Gogolak, Carl Lockhart and Fran Tarkenton.
- I was a defensive back who intercepted 11 passes.
Who am I? SCOTT EATON
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Holy Cross All-American guard Bob Cousy.
- I was a second-team pick on the Helms All-American team in 1947-48 when I scored a team-high 15 points in Michigan's first NCAA Tournament victory, a 66-49 decision over Columbia in the Eastern Regional third-place game.
- I earned All-American honors as a senior quarterback for the Wolverines' 1948 national champion before becoming an All-Big Ten second-team selection in basketball.
- I was head football coach at Nebraska (1956), California (1957 through 1959), Illinois (1960 through 1966) and Miami FL (1973 and 1974), guiding Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths.
- I became executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Who am I? PETE ELLIOTT
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga).
- I played in all four of Virginia's playoff games for the 1995 Midwest Regional finalist that was eliminated by eventual national runner-up Arkansas.
- I was a safety who intercepted future NFL teammate Danny Kanell twice in the Cavaliers' victory over Florida State during my senior season.
- I made the New York Giants' roster as a rookie free agent and became a significant contributor as a part-time starter and in nickel-and-dime packages.
- I had a team-leading and career-high five interceptions for the Giants in 1998.
- I intercepted 20 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns with the Giants and Cleveland Browns in six years from 1996 through 2001.
Who am I? PERCY ELLSWORTH
- I was a four-year basketball letterman for Kansas who was the second-leading scorer for the Jayhawks in the 1942 NCAA Tournament as a teammate of All-American forward Charles Black.
- I was a two-time All-Big Seven Conference first-team selection in basketball.
- I am the only Kansas athlete to earn All-American honors in football and basketball.
- I am a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and had my jersey No. 15 retired in 1997.
- I led the nation's major-college players in passes attempted (200) and completed (101) and interceptions (10) in 1942 for a rare triple crown.
- I paced Kansas to the Big Six championship and a trip to the 1948 Orange Bowl after returning from World War II.
- One of my basketball and football teammates was fellow military veteran Otto Schnellbacher, who went on to become an All-Pro defensive back who led the NFL in interceptions in 1951.
- I was a first-round NFL draft choice (9th pick overall in 1944 five selection behind Otto Graham) who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1948 before becoming a prominent Kansas City bank official.
Who am I? RAY EVANS
- I averaged 10.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg with Western Kentucky in three NCAA tourney contests in 2012 and 2013.
- As a freshman, I was named Sun Belt Conference Tournament MVP before appearing in 2012 playoffs against eventual champion Kentucky after grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds in First Four outing.
- I averaged 12.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg through 2014-15, leading the Hilltoppers in rebounding each of my last three seasons.
- I was an All-Sun Belt Conference third-team choice as sophomore and junior before becoming All-CUSA second-team selection as senior.
- I played one year of football with WKU, appearing in two games with one reception as tight end for seven yards on offense and a pair of tackles on defense.
- I was an undrafted prospect trying out as a left tackle with Seattle Seahawks in 2016 before starting 10 games as rookie.
- I signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the New York Jets in 2020.
Who am I? GEORGE FANT
- As a teammate of Avery Johnson, I collected 5 points and 2 rebounds in 1985 NCAA playoff opening-round loss against eventual Final Four participant St. John's.
- I played with two brothers at various times for Southern (La.), where I averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.2 rpg from 1982-83 through 1985-86.
- I was an All-Arena League first-team selection in 1988 with the Chicago Bruisers.
- I was a defensive end who registered a total of 5 1/2 sacks with six different NFL teams (Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Phoenix Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins and New York Jets) in six years from 1987 to 1996.
- I am recognized as the first Virgin Islander to compete in the NFL.
Who am I? JEFF FAULKNER
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL quarterback Brad Johnson (Florida State) and major league outfielder Kenny Lofton (Arizona).
- I hit two of four field-goal attempts for Baylor in a 75-60 defeat against Memphis State in the opening round of the 1988 Midwest Regional.
- I was an All-American linebacker before becoming an NFL first-round draft choice (12th pick overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1990 five selections ahead of RB Emmitt Smith).
- Alfred Williams, my fellow LB with the Bengals, also played college basketball (for Colorado). Our teammates included Boomer Esiason and Anthony Munoz.
- I registered 33 sacks and returned three of my 11 interceptions for touchdowns with the Bengals in nine years from 1990 through 1998.
Who am I? JAMES FRANCIS
- I collected eight points and four rebounds against Final Four-bound North Carolina in the 2000 NCAA playoffs.
- I played against NCAA champion-to-be Duke in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, incurring four fouls in seven minutes.
- I was a Missouri teammate of eventual NBA first-round draft choice Kareem Rush.
- After beginning my college football career as a quarterback, I became a wide receiver who caught a then school-record 13 passes vs. Baylor in November 2001 en route to finishing my junior campaign one reception shy of the school single-season mark of 75.
- I set new standards the next year as a senior with 16 catches against Bowling Green and 82 receptions overall for 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns before competing in the East-West Shrine Game.
- I am a two-time first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection who set virtually every Mizzou career receiving record, including receptions (200), receiving yards (2,704), touchdown passes (18) and consecutive games with a reception (34).
- I caught two touchdown passes as a rookie with the Chicago Bears after being their fifth-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft.
- I signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent in 2007 and promptly caught a career-high 55 passes before managing a career-high 6 TD receptions the next year.
- I had 10 receptions for 135 yards with the Titans in a 13-10 playoff loss against the Baltimore Ravens following the 2008 season.
Who am I? JUSTIN GAGE
- I briefly played against Dean Smith-coached North Carolina in 1967 East Regional final.
- Eventual All-American Terry Driscoll was one of my Boston College teammates under coach Bob Cousy.
- I coached Northeastern football to a 38-60-1 record in nine years from 1991 through 1999.
- I was a wide receiver who set subsequently-broken school pass reception career records with 87 catches and 1,325 yards (for eight touchdowns) from 1966 through 1968.
- I led BC in pass receptions as a junior and senior before becoming 11th-round pick by the Boston Patriots in 1969 NFL draft (seven selections before Frenchy Fuqua).
Who am I? BARRY GALLUP
- I was the leader in rebounding and field-goal percentage for the only Mid-American Conference member ever to win three games in a single NCAA Tournament.
- I played against opponents in the 2002 NCAA playoffs from elite conferences such as the Big 12 (Oklahoma State), SEC (Alabama), Big East (Pittsburgh) and Big Ten (Indiana), leading my team in scoring in two of those games.
- I began my college career at Michigan State but never played there before transferring to junior college and subsequently to Kent State.
- I caught two touchdown passes as a rookie free-agent tight end with the San Diego Chargers in 2003 before setting an NFL record for TD receptions by a tight end the next year with 13.
- I was the only unanimous choice to the AP All-Pro team in 2005 when I caught 89 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs.
- I am a seven-time All-Pro (consecutive seasons) who managed a career-high 1,157 receiving yards in 2009 before signing a lucrative five-year, $36 million deal ($20 million guaranteed).
- I have the most career TD receptions than any TE in NFL history with 116.
Who am I? ANTONIO GATES
- My two NCAA Tournament victories were against schools from Nebraska. I averaged 6.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg in five NCAA playoff games from 2014 through 2016.
- I am a two-time All-Big 12 Conference selection who averaged 8.6 ppg and 8 rpg in four-year career with Baylor under coach Scott Drew.
- I led the Big 12 in rebounding as a junior with 11.6 rpg en route to becoming the Bears' all-time leader in that category.
- I was an undrafted free-agent tight end who caught three passes for 45 yards with the Dallas Cowboys in total of 15 games in 2018.
- My first NFL reception was a 32-yard pass from Dak Prescott.
Who am I? RICO GATHERS
- I was a teammate of Washington State All-American center Paul Lindemann.
- I was WSU's fifth-leading scorer as a senior in 1941 when I averaged 5.8 ppg as an All-PCC second-team selection for the NCAA Tournament runner-up.
- I was an All-West Coast first-team selection who earned football All-American first-team honors by the New York Sun as an end.
- I played in the annual East-West Shrine Game before earning All-Pro second-team honors my first two years with the Los Angeles Dons.
- Fellow end and former Great Northwest college basketball player Dick Wilkins (Oregon) joined the Dons the year after I left the team.
Who am I? DALE GENTRY
- I played in two NCAA playoff games for Georgia under coach Jim Harrick.
- As a freshman flanker, I became the first Bulldogs football player ever to have four consecutive 100-yard games in receiving.
- I returned a kickoff for 91 yards and a touchdown against Clemson the first time I touched the ball as a sophomore.
- I was the second-leading receiver the next season (43 catches for 758 yards and four TDs) with 2002 team that compiled the Bulldogs' first 13-win season, first SEC title in 20 years, a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State and a final national ranking of #3 (highest since 1980).
- I caught two first-quarter TD passes against Purdue in a 34-27 overtime victory in the First Capital One Bowl following the 2003 campaign.
- I received All-SEC first-team honors as a senior when hauling in career-high 49 receptions.
- I was instrumental in helping Georgia post three straight seasons of 10 or more victories, three consecutive bowl victories and three national top six rankings in a row.
- I was a fourth-round NFL draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005; one selection behind return specialist Darren Sproles.
Who am I? FRED GIBSON
- I played in the East Regional against North Carolina standouts Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison.
- I was a teammate of California All-Americans Sharef Abdur-Rahim and Ed Gray.
- I averaged 18 points and shot 61% from the floor in the Bears' first two NCAA Tournament games in 1997, including a team-high 23 points in an East Regional second-round victory against Villanova.
- I declared early for the NFL draft after becoming a first-team All-American. After catching 53 passes for 768 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 1996 for Cal's Aloha Bowl squad, I was selected in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
- I became the Chiefs' all-time leader in pass receptions by a tight end midway through the 2000 season en route to becoming a 12-time All-Pro selection.
- I set an NFL single-season record for most receptions by a tight end with 102 in 2004.
- After I was traded to the Atlanta Falcons, I became the NFL's all-time runner-up in receptions behind Jerry Rice before falling to #3 when passed by Larry Fitzgerald.
- I hold the NFL career tight end records for touchdowns (111) and receiving yardage (15,127). My 1,325 catches are most-ever by a former college hooper.
Who am I? TONY GONZALEZ
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Congressman Scotty Baesler (Kentucky) and CBS analyst Billy Packer (Wake Forest).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Arizona State's Joe Caldwell and UCLA's Walt Hazzard.
- I averaged 24.3 points per game in three NCAA Tournament contests and was named to the All-West Regional team.
- I was an all-league first-team selection the last three years of the Mountain States Conference.
- I was held under 10 points only once in college career and scored 46 against New Mexico on March 3, 1962.
- I remain Utah State's all-time leading rebounder and set a single-season record with 403 boards in 1959-60.
- My brother, Pumpsie, was the first black player for the Boston Red Sox, the major leagues' last integrated team.
- My NFL teammates included former college basketball players Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh), Pete Gent (Michigan State), Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State), Roger Staubach (Navy), Ron Widby (Tennessee) and Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State).
- I intercepted 34 passes as a defensive back with the Dallas Cowboys in 13 years from 1962 through 1974.
- I played in five Pro Bowl games and two Super Bowls (V and VI).
Who am I? CORNELL GREEN
- I started second half for Southern California as a freshman in the Trojans' 2002 NCAA playoff first-round overtime loss against UNC Wilmington.
- I was a part-time starter who averaged 5.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg for USC from 2001-02 through 2004-05.
- I was a tight end with the Tennessee Titans in 2005 (two catches for 13 yards) after catching 24 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns with the Men of Troy in 2002 and 2003.
- I started seven games on USC's 2003 national championship team and had one reception for 19 yards from Matt Leinart in the Rose Bowl.
- In 2002, I caught a TD pass from Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer against UCLA. I rejoined Palmer with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006.
Who am I? GREGG GUENTHER
- I grabbed a total of five rebounds in two NCAA playoff games in 1966 against Elvin Hayes-led Houston and Jerry Chambers-led Utah.
- One of my Oregon State teammates was eventual NFL defensive back Scott Eaton.
- I was a junior college transfer who averaged 4.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg with the Beavers in 1965-66 and 1966-67.
- I shared OSU's Paul Valenti Award with Eaton in 1966, given annually to the player who displays the most desire and determination.
- I was an eighth-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968 three selections behind safety George Atkinson.
- My NFL teammates with the Bengals included Bruce Coslet, Bob Trumpy and Sam Wyche.
- I was a defensive end who recorded a safety as a rookie and returned an interception for 70 yards and a touchdown in 1969.
- My teammates when I played for the Chicago Bears in 1970 included Dick Butkus, Bobby Douglass and Gale Sayers.
Who am I? HARRY GUNNER
Who am I? CECIL HANKINS
- I had a team-high 14 points in outscoring Illinois guard Derek Harper in my first NCAA playoff game with Utah before the Utes were eliminated in the West Regional by champion-to-be North Carolina State.
- My last college game was in the NCAA tourney against North Carolina coach Dean Smith and eventual first-team All-American Kenny Smith.
- I led the Utes in assists with 5.1 per game as a sophomore before finishing my college basketball career in 1986 as the seventh-leading scorer in school history.
- As a senior, I was an All-WAC second-team selection along with Wyoming sophomores Fennis Dembo and Eric Leckner.
- One of my NFL teammates was former college basketball player Too Tall Jones (Tennessee State).
- I was a defensive back who had two interceptions with the Dallas Cowboys during my six seasons with them from 1986 through 1991.
- I recorded a safety in 1991 before the Cowboys were eliminated in the second round of the NFL playoffs by the Detroit Lions.
Who am I? MANNY HENDRIX
- I played against long-time network broadcaster Curt Gowdy and former All-Pro wide receiver Dale Gentry in the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
- I was a 6-2, 195-pound guard who earned basketball honors as a second-team All-Southwest Conference choice as a sophomore and junior and a first-team selection as a senior.
- I was a member of Arkansas' 1941 team that won the SWC title with a 12-0 record, finished 20-3 overall and reached the Final Four in its NCAA Tournament debut.
- I finished sixth in the NFL in pass receptions as a rookie.
- I was a member of the Rams' 1945 NFL title team and finished my pro career with 75 receptions for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns.
- I was coach of the San Francisco 49ers (27-27-1 record from 1959 through 1963) after playing end with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams for five years (1941 and 1945 through 1948).
- Among the players I coached with the 49ers were former college basketball players Billy Kilmer (UCLA), R.C. Owens (College of Idaho) and Billy Wilson (San Jose State).
Who am I? HOWARD "RED" HICKEY
- I appeared briefly for UCF in 1994 NCAA playoff pounding by Southeast Regional #1 seed Purdue (coached by Gene Keady).
- I was a quarterback who passed for 437 yards against Valdosta in 1993 season opener before losing to Youngstown State in FCS Playoffs.
- I completed 614-of-1,112 passes for 9,000 yards and 82 touchdowns from 1991 through 1994, setting multiple UCF career passing records (subsequently broken by NFL draft first-rounder Daunte Culpepper).
- I was a quarterbacks/wide receivers coach for Tennessee from 2010 through 2012 and quarterbacks coach for Kentucky from 2016 through 2020.
Who am I? DARIN HINSHAW
- I appeared in a total of five NCAA playoff games for North Carolina in 2004 and 2005 (national champion under coach Roy Williams).
- I caught 126 passes for 1,760 yards and seven touchdowns with the Tar Heels from 2003 through 2006.
- I caught five passes for 66 yards in a 37-24 defeat against Boston College in 2004 Continental Tire Bowl.
- In 2005, I led UNC in pass receptions with 47.
- I caught seven passes for 169 yards with the Dallas Cowboys in 2010 and 2011.
Who am I? JESSE HOLLEY
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Joe B. Hall, Al McGuire and Digger Phelps. Among the opposing players were All-Americans Kevin Grevey (Kentucky), Maurice Lucas (Marquette), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and John Shumate (Notre Dame).
- I was a 6-4 forward who averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game in four NCAA Tournament contests in 1973 and 1974 as an Austin Peay teammate of celebrated James "Fly" Williams.
- I was an All-Ohio Valley Conference basketball selection as a senior.
- I became a wide receiver who caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach for their final TD in a 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X.
Who am I? PERCY HOWARD
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against teams coached by Jack Kraft, Jack Ramsay, Fred Taylor and John Wooden.
- I was a 6-6, 245-pound forward for the 1962 Wake Forest squad featuring Len Chappell and Billy Packer that finished third in the NCAA Tournament. Eventual five-time Pro Bowl defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State) was one of the top scorers in the same tourney.
- I was the first athlete in ACC history to start in both football and basketball.
- One of my pro football teammates was Hall of Fame-to-be quarterback Len Dawson, who briefly played basketball for Purdue.
- I was an All-ACC defensive end who became a third-round pick of the NFL's Chicago Bears in 1962, but chose to play with the AFL's Dallas Texans after being their fifth-round selection.
- In my only pro season, I intercepted a George Blanda pass and returned it 23 yards to help set up the game-winning field goal in second overtime of a 20-17 victory over Houston in 1962 AFL championship game.
Who am I? BILL HULL
- I committed one foul in one minute of playing time in 2005 NCAA tourney second-round defeat against Villanova.
- I averaged 1.4 ppg in 19 contests under Florida coach Billy Donovan.
- I was a teammate of eight future NBA players (Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford, David Lee, Joakim Noah, Chris Richard, Anthony Roberson and Matt Walsh).
- I was a football quarterback redshirt before becoming a tight end catching 64 passes for 888 yards and eight touchdowns for the Gators in 2006 and 2007.
- I caught four passes for 58 yards in a 41-24 win against Ohio State in BCS national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., following the 2006 campaign.
- I had seven touchdown receptions from Tim Tebow in 2007 when Aaron Hernandez was my backup.
- I was an All-SEC second-team choice as a junior before missing senior season because of knee injury.
- I was a fifth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 NFL draft two rounds ahead of TE David Johnson, who played seven years in the league.
Who am I? CORNELIUS INGRAM
- I played in waning moments of three NCAA tourney games for 1998 West Regional runner-up.
- Top five scorers among my Lute Olson-coached Arizona basketball teammates were eventual NBA players Mike Bibby, A.J. Bramlett, Michael Dickerson, Miles Simon and Jason Terry.
- I was a quarterback who completed 488-of-717 passes for 5,424 yards and 42 touchdowns from 1997 through 2000, leading the Wildcats in passing yardage as a freshman (including 348 yards vs. Washington) and senior.
- I was principal signal caller as freshman and threw 19 TD passes during regular season but only played for a few snaps in fourth quarter of 20-14 win against New Mexico in Insight.com Bowl.
- Primary receiver my first three years with UA was Dennis Northcutt, a second-round draft selection by the Cleveland Browns who played 10 seasons in the NFL.
- I played briefly with CFL's British Columbia Lions.
Who am I? ORTEGE JENKINS
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as NFL linebacker James Francis (Baylor) and major league outfielder Kenny Lofton (Arizona).
- I was a Florida State teammate of All-American George McCloud.
- I hit all three of my three-point field-goal attempts in a 102-98 opening-round loss to B.J. Armstrong-led Iowa in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
- I am a quarterback who received a four-year, $15 million contract from the Minnesota Vikings in 1996 despite being their ninth-round draft choice in 1992.
- I became a pro starter when Warren Moon was injured and directed Minnesota to the NFL playoffs.
- An injury led me to losing my starting job to Randall Cunningham in 1998 before I was traded by the Vikings to the Washington Redskins, where I set a club single-game record with 471 yards passing at San Francisco on December 26, 1999.
- I guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the NFL playoffs following the 2001 season after signing with them as a free agent.
- I threw a career-high five touchdown passes against the Minnesota Vikings in 2002 before leading the Bucs to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.
- I returned to the Vikings in 2005 for two seasons.
Who am I? BRAD JOHNSON
- I was a member of coach John Wooden's first NCAA tourney team in 1949-50.
- My UCLA teammates included George Stanich (bronze medalist in high jump at 1948 Olympics) and Eddie Sheldrake (eventual restauranteur).
- I was a tailback who led Bruins in scoring in 1946 and rushing yards in 1948.
- I was first-team all-conference choice who rushed for career-high 118 yards against Oregon as senior.
- I was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in 10th round of 1950 NFL draft (eight choices behind QB Eddie LeBaron).
Who am I? ERNIE JOHNSON
- I appeared in 1997 NCAA Tournament as did NFL Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez (California) and 2000 NCAA playoffs as did NFL Pro Bowl DL Julius Peppers (North Carolina).
- My Iowa State teammates included All-Americans Marcus Fizer and Jamaal Tinsley.
- I averaged 7.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg from 1996-97 through 1999-00 under coaches Tim Floyd and Larry Eustachy.
- As a senior, I collected a total of 37 points and 16 rebounds in back-to-back Midwest Regional outings against Auburn and UCLA.
- After my hoop eligibility expired, I played linebacker for one of best football teams in the Cyclones' history, posting school's first bowl victory (37-29 over Pitt in Insight.com in 2000).
Who am I? STEVIE JOHNSON
- I scored eight points in 10 minutes in a second-round victory against St. Joseph's in 2001. It was one of four times in six NCAA playoff games that I scored eight points.
- I was a teammate of Stanford All-American Casey Jacobsen when we were eliminated by national champion-to-be Maryland in the 2001 West Regional final and eventual Final Four participant Kansas in the second round of the 2002 Midwest Regional.
- I was an occasional starting forward who had career averages of 4.9 points and 3 rebounds per game with the Cardinal.
- After redshirting in 2000 as a quarterback, I became co-freshman of the year in the Pacific-10 Conference in 2001 when I caught 38 passes for 565 yards and seven touchdowns, including a TD in the Seattle Bowl against Georgia Tech.
- I am a 6-7, 240-pound wide receiver who declared for the NFL draft with two years of eligibility remaining after catching 41 passes for 467 yards and eight TDs in 2002.
- I was a second-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders in 2003 six selections ahead of fellow TE Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys).
Who am I? TEYO JOHNSON
- I appeared in opening round of 2011 NCAA playoffs against Clemson. My teammates included two All-CUSA first-team selections.
- I played in 24 UAB basketball games in 2008-09 and 2010-11 under a Final Four coach (Mike Davis previously with Indiana).
- I was a wide receiver who had 38 receptions for 531 yards and team-leading seven touchdowns with the Blazers in 2010.
Who am I? MIKE JONES
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league second baseman Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State).
- I was a teammate of California All-American forward Larry Friend.
- I participated as a backup forward in back-to-back West Regional finals in 1957 and 1958.
- I finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1958 when I led Cal to a Rose Bowl berth.
- I coached my alma mater and appeared as a bit actor in a dozen movies.
- I became a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame after quarterbacking Calgary (1959 and 1960) and Vancouver (1961 through 1966).
- I was an NFL Pro Bowl selection following the 1969 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
- I am the only QB to start in the Rose Bowl, Super Bowl and Grey Cup.
- I was the last QB to throw seven touchdown passes in a single NFL game.
- My teammates with the Vikings included former college basketball players Dale Hackbart (Wisconsin), King Hill (Rice) and Art Powell (San Jose State).
Who am I? JOE KAPP
- I averaged 5.5 ppg for national third-place team in 1949.
- My teammate, Dwight Eddleman, played in 1947 Rose Bowl before winning silver medal in the high jump in 1948 Olympics in London.
- I scored a team-high nine points for Illinois in Eastern Regional final defeat against eventual NCAA champion Kentucky.
- I was an All-Big Ten Conference second-team end in 1948 when leading Illini in pass receptions with 22 for 329 yards.
- I was a four-year football letterman selected in 23rd round of 1949 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams (two choices behind eventual University of Washington coach Jim Owens).
Who am I? WALT KERSULIS
- I averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.7 rpg for North Carolina A&T from 1993-94 through 1996-97.
- I competed in same NCAA tourneys as eventual MLB starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson and NFL Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens.
- I played against eventual national champion Arkansas in 1994 Midwest Regional first round before collecting two points and two rebounds in seven minutes against Tim-Duncan-led Wake Forest in 1995 NCAA tourney East Regional opener.
- I became top punter in A&T history as All-MEAC first-team selection in 1996 when setting school record with 43.4 yards per punt (runner-up nationally in Division I-AA). In addition to punting duties, I was used on punt- and kick-blocking special teams that season, blocking one of each.
- I was also a javelin and discus thrower on the Aggies' track squad.
Who am I? MONTY KEY
- I was a Virginia teammate of future NBA players Bryant Stith and John Crotty.
- I became the Cavaliers' career rushing record with 3,348 yards on 567 carries, including a total of 14 100-yard games.
- I participated in three football bowls and scored a touchdown against Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl.
- I was scoreless in two 1990 NCAA Tournament games against Notre Dame and Syracuse before becoming a starting running back as a rookie for the Miami Dolphins in 1993.
- I was the Dolphins' leading pass receiver and second-leading rusher after being a third-round pick in the 1993 NFL draft four selections ahead of SS John Lynch.
- I led the Dolphins in pass receptions with 66 for 618 yards in 1995 and was again the team's second-leading rusher before I was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
- I played with the Oakland Raiders after previously being in the same backfield with quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young.
- I missed Super Bowl XXXVII because of an injury.
Who am I? TERRY KIRBY
- I grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds as BYU freshman under coach Mark Pope in 2021 NCAA playoff loss against Final Four-bound UCLA.
- I transferred to Baylor and played in a total of four NCAA tourney games for the Bears in 2023 and 2024 under coach Scott Drew.
- After transferring again to Utah, I played tight end with the Utes' football squad in 2024.
- In a stunning statistic, I scored touchdowns on all four of my collegiate receptions covering 54 yards.
- I was a seventh-round selection by the Denver Broncos in 2025 NFL draft.
Who am I? CALEB LOHNER
- I made all three of my field-goal attempts and grabbed a total of four rebounds as walk-on freshman in first two NCAA playoff games for 2001 national champion Duke. Four years later, I hauled down a total of seven boards in 13 minutes of playing time in back-to-back Austin Regional contests against Mississippi State and Michigan State.
- I was suspended from coach Mike Krzyzewski's 2001-02 squad following incidents involving underage drinking and embarrassing photographs after getting drunk and passing out at a UNC fraternity party.
- I started 26 of 40 career football games with the Blue Devils as a wide receiver, making 75 receptions for 895 yards and six touchdowns. In 2003 for their only team posting more than three victories in an eight-year span from 1995 through 2002, I led them in catches (27), receiving yards (290) and TD receptions (four).
- I signed as a free-agent outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme with the Dallas Cowboys although I failed to earn a spot on their squad.
- I became Barack Obama's "body man" from 2007 to 2011, acting as something of a traveling valet in the President's entourage, making sure his personal needs were met.
- I was a constant presence in the West Wing and by the president's side during every trip away from home. Thus, I was in the background of numerous official photos.
- I became an editor-at-large for Vice Sports in 2016.
Who am I? REGGIE LOVE
- I appeared in 33 basketball games with Massachusetts from 1995-96 through 1998-99.
- As a freshman for John Calipari-coached Final Four team, I played briefly in opening-round win vs. UCF and East Regional rout of Georgetown.
- I was a four-year football letterman the second half of 1990s who still holds school career records for most punt yards and attempts plus longest punt (78 yards vs. Boston University in 1997).
- I was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference third-team selection as senior for Division I-AA national football champion.
Who am I? ANDY MACLAY
- I participated in four NCAA playoff games, including one where I made all four of my field-goal attempts and dished out a team-high five assists in a first-round loss against Jack Hartman-coached Kansas State in 1981.
- My San Francisco teammates included All-Americans Bill Cartwright and Quintin Dailey.
- I averaged 8.5 points per game during my career with the Dons.
- My NFL teammates during five seasons in the mid-1980s with three different teams included former college basketball players Sam Clancy, Ronnie Lott and Pete Metzelaars.
- I had two interceptions and four sacks as LB-DB for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1984.
Who am I? KEN McALISTER
- I was a member of Maryland's 2002 NCAA titlist before becoming a part-time starter for the Terrapins' defending champion the next season.
- I played in the same 2001 NCAA basketball tourney as NFL defensive end Julius Peppers (North Carolina).
- I participated in two 2000 NCAA Tournament games, including one against UCLA.
- My Maryland teammates included All-ACC first-team selections Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon and Terence Morris.
- In 1999, I finished No. 2 among Division I-A freshman quarterbacks (behind Virginia Tech's Michael Vick) in passing efficiency and total offense.
Who am I? CALVIN McCALL
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as eventual Indiana football coach Cam Cameron.
- I was a defensive specialist who fouled out when I collected seven points and five rebounds in a 1982 West Regional first-round loss against Wyoming.
- One of my Southern California teammates was Kentucky transfer Dwight Anderson. Another one of my USC teammates was Ken Johnson, who transferred after the season to Michigan State.
- My NFL teammates with the Los Angeles Rams included Eric Dickerson, Dennis Harrah, Jackie Slater, Jack Youngblood and Jim Youngblood.
- I was a tight end who caught 14 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns with the Rams and Detroit Lions in four years from 1983 to 1987.
Who am I? JAMES McDONALD
- I scored two points in two 1996 NCAA Tournament games for the eventual national runner-up.
- One of my Syracuse teammates was NBA first-round draft choice John Wallace.
- I am a former Gator Bowl MVP who was a high school basketball teammate of eventual Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker for Mount Carmel (Ill.), an all-male Catholic institution on the southside of Chicago.
- I participated in bowl games all four years in college - Gator, Liberty, Fiesta and Orange.
- I am a quarterback who completed 58.4% of my college passes with 77 TDs, including one as a freshman for 96 yards to eventual NFL standout Marvin Harrison against West Virginia in 1995.
- I finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting before becoming the second pick overall in the 1999 NFL draft.
- I finished runner-up to Marshall Faulk in voting for MVP in the NFL in 2000.
- A Super Bowl appearance climaxed my leading the Philadelphia Eagles to five consecutive NFL playoff appearances from 2000 through 2004 as a Pro Bowler each year in that span while completing 58% of my passes with twice as many touchdowns as interceptions.
- I set an an NFL record with 24 consecutive completions over a two-game span in 2004 when I had five games with at least four touchdown passes and established the Eagles' single-game record with 464 passing yards against Green Bay.
- I am the Eagles' all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
- I finished my career with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.
- No former college hooper has more NFL career passing yards (37,276) and rushing touchdowns as QB (29) than myself.
Who am I? DONOVAN McNABB
- I participated in same NCAA tourney when league rival Arkansas became the first SWC member in 22 years to reach the Final Four.
- I appeared in the NCAA playoffs against Notre Dame's Kelly Tripucka, Bill Hanzlik and Bill Laimbeer.
- I played briefly for Houston in the Cougars' 100-77 opening-round setback to the Fighting Irish in the 1978 Midwest Regional after leading the Cougars in QB sacks with eight.
- I was a defensive end who became a first-round NFL draft choice (27th pick overall).
- I played seven pro seasons (1981 through 1987) with the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
- One of my teammates with the Eagles was former college basketball player Harold Carmichael (Southern).
Who am I? LEONARD MITCHELL
- I made my only field-goal attempt in two minutes of playing time for Mike Montgomery-coached Stanford against Texas-San Antonio in the opening round of the 2004 NCAA playoffs.
- As a wide receiver with the Cardinal, I caught 103 passes for 1,555 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2003 through 2007. I was runner-up on the team in pass receptions with 39 in 2004 (led club with six TD catches) and 2007.
- I missed much of 2005 with a dislocated hip suffered in season opener at Navy and was restricted to a part-time role in 2006 because of a stress fracture in my right foot.
- I caught 62 passes for 804 yards and five TDs as mainly a tight end with the Cleveland Browns from 2009 through 2011 before playing with the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks in 2012.
- I had three pass receptions for a career-high 87 yards in 2010 NFL season opener.
- I caught a TD pass from Colt McCoy in each of first two games in 2011.
Who am I? EVAN MOORE
- I was scoreless in one minute for Tennessee-Chattanooga against No. 2 seed Connecticut in the 1995 West Regional.
- I played in the Senior Bowl after becoming UTC's all-time leading receiver (143 catches for 2,320 yards and 19 TDs).
- I started more games at receiver (10) than any San Francisco 49ers rookie since Gene Washington in 1969.
- I caught 162 passes for 2,553 yards and 26 touchdowns in my first three NFL seasons after being the 49ers' third-round draft choice in 1996.
- I became the heir apparent to Hall of Fame-bound Jerry Rice as the 49ers' go-to wide receiver after catching 15 touchdown passes in 1998, including at least one in each of the last eight regular-season games.
- My dramatic 25-yard touchdown catch from Steve Young with three seconds remaining lifted the 49ers to a 30-27 victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card game following the 1998 season.
- I set an NFL single-game record with 20 receptions in 2000 against the Chicago Bears.
- I led the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles in receiving in 2004.
- I am a six-time Pro Bowl selection who finished my 15-year NFL career with 1,078 pass receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns and became a Hall of Fame selection. The receiving yardage and TDs are most ever by a former college hooper.
Who am I? TERRELL OWENS
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against All-Americans Arnold Short (Oklahoma City), Bob Mattick (Oklahoma A&M), Bob Houbregs (Washington) and Don Schlundt (Indiana).
- I was a football/basketball teammate of All-American defensive back Gil Reich.
- I was a starting forward and second-leading rebounder for Kansas' 1953 national runner-up.
- I was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament team in 1952 when I averaged 20 points per game for Garden City (Kan.) before enrolling with the Jayhawks.
- I was an All-Big Seven Conference first-team basketball selection as a senior.
- After catching 10 passes for 179 yards with KU in 1953, I was a 14th-round selection in 1954 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles as a back (nine picks ahead of 1955 Jim Thorpe Trophy winner WR Harlon Hill).
- I scored 54 touchdowns in my 14-year CFL career and had 34 games with at least 100 yards in pass receptions.
- I became a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame after averaging 20.6 yards per pass reception with 460 catches for 9,473 yards and 64 touchdowns.
Who am I? HAL PATTERSON
- Hitting a three-pointer just before the final buzzer, I was a tri-captain who collected nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals for Northern Illinois in one-point, first-round loss (74-73) against once-beaten Texas Tech in 1996 East Regional.
- I was NIU's top wide receiver in 1994 with 34 catches for 578 yards and four touchdowns, finishing my football career with 93 pass receptions for 1,564 yards and eight TDs.
- I led the Big West Conference in punt return yards in 1994 with 252.
- I averaged at least 17 yards per reception in each of my last two seasons, catching a 32-yard TD pass against Illinois and 48-yarder against Oklahoma State.
Who am I? VAURICE "REESE" PATTERSON
- I was a member of a 2000 Final Four squad.
- I made 13 of 15 shots from the floor in NCAA playoff competition en route to leading North Carolina in field-goal shooting in 2000-01 (64.3%).
- I started both of my NCAA Tournament games in 2001, including my first double-double (10 rebounds and career-high 21 points against Penn State).
- I was a basketball/football teammate of Ronald Curry, a four-year starting quarterback.
- I was a first-team All-American as a defensive end who led the nation in sacks with 15 in 2000.
- I won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and Chuck Bednarik Trophy as the nation's top defensive player in 2001 (finishing 10th in Heisman Trophy voting) before becoming the second pick overall in the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.
- I was named NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2002 after registering 54 tackles and 12 sacks (including a pair of three-sack games) in 12 contests in 2002.
- The next year, I played in Super Bowl XXXVIII for Charlotte.
- I am an eight-time NFL Pro Bowl selection who signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears in 2010 and Green Bay Packers in 2014. Most recent Pro Bowl appearance was in my 14th NFL season before returning to Panthers.
- I am the only player in NFL history to accrue 100-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions.
Who am I? JULIUS PEPPERS
- I collected six points and a team-high nine rebounds for Texas Tech in a 1961 Midwest Regional semifinal loss against eventual NCAA Tournament champion Cincinnati.
- I averaged 12.1 ppg and 10.5 rpg as a junior as part of Tech's first SWC championship team in a major sport.
- I averaged 8 ppg for the Red Raiders in five NCAA playoff contests in 1961 and 1962.
- My NFL teammates included standouts such as Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Roger Staubach.
- I was a placekicker who scored 466 points with the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys in eight years from 1967 through 1974.
- In 1970, I had three consecutive NFL contests with at least three field goals.
- I led the league with 25 field goals for the Bears in 1968 when I tied for third place in scoring with 100 points.
Who am I? MAC PERCIVAL
- I participated in 1998 NCAA tourney against Northern Arizona and West Virginia.
- I averaged 2.5 ppg and 2.2 rpg while shooting 64.4% from the floor for Cincinnati in 1997-98 under coach Bob Huggins.
- I competed three campaigns as backup quarterback with the Bearcats from 1994 through 1996 before catching 10 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown as tight end my senior season.
- I played for UC's first bowl team in 46 years (Humanitarian victory vs. Utah State).
- I played one season as QB with the New York Dragoons of the Arena Football League (threw three TD passes and rushed two more).
Who am I? BRENT PETRUS
- I averaged 11.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg in four NCAA tourney contests for Midwest Regional runner-ups in 1959 (competed against national player of the year Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati) and 1961 (tied for game-high honors with 12 rebounds against Houston).
- I was an All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection as a senior when runner-up for Kansas State in scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (10 rpg) under coach Tex Winter before becoming an eighth-round pick by the New York Knicks in NBA draft.
- I was a wide receiver who finished runner-up in the Big Seven Conference in pass receptions (17) and receiving yards (230) in 1958.
- I was a 30th-round choice by the Dallas Texans in 1961 AFL draft.
Who am I? CEDRIC PRICE
- I played in the 1999 NCAA playoffs against St. John's All-American Ron Artest.
- I was a backcourt teammate of Indiana basketball All-American A.J. Guyton.
- I was a 14th-round selection as outfielder by Chicago Cubs in 1997 MLB amateur draft out of high school (one pick ahead of A.L. pitcher Ryan Drese).
- I was 1998 Big Ten Conference freshman of the year in football before becoming the first league football player to accumulate 5,000 total yards the next season as a sophomore.
- I was a 5-11 college quarterback who compiled 3,000 passing yards and 1,500 yards rushing through my first 19 games, which is faster than anyone in NCAA Division I-A history.
- I became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 6,000 yards and rush for 3,000, finishing sixth in 2001 Heisman Trophy voting.
- I became the only "40-40 Man" in major-college history (more than 40 passing touchdowns and more than 40 rushing/receiving touchdowns).
- I was a regular wide receiver as a rookie for the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002 after being their second-round draft choice (ahead of fellow second-round WRs Antonio Bryant and Deion Branch). The next year, I caught 37 passes for 364 yards and returned two punts for touchdowns.
- I signed a seven-year, $31 million contract with the Washington Redskins as an unrestricted free agent entering the 2006 campaign before being cast adrift by Mike Shanahan in 2010 and returning to the Steelers.
- I made a two-point conversion on a run for the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV and threw flea flicker 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward to cap off scoring in Super Bowl XL.
Who am I? ANTWAAN RANDLE EL
- I converted all four of my free-throw attempts in 1953 NCAA Tournament national third-place game victory against Bob Pettit-led LSU in 1953.
- I was assessed three personal fouls for Washington in Final Four national semifinals against Phog Allen-coached Kansas.
- I was slated to be one of top receivers for All-American quarterback Don Heinrich in 1952 before tearing ligaments in my left knee during a scrimmage and forced to sit out the football campaign.
- Converted to QB in 1955, I helped the Huskies defeat USC (7-0) with an electrifying ad-libbed pass play (trigger man teamed up with two ends for 80-yard game-winning completion and lateral for touchdown with 6:20 remaining.
Who am I? STEVE ROAKE
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as 1996 volleyball Olympian Mike Whitmarsh.
- I was a Washington teammate of All-American forward Detlef Schrempf.
- I was a 6-6, 260-pounder when I hit four of five field-goal attempts in the Huskies' 80-78 second-round victory over Duke in 1984 in Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski's first NCAA playoff game.
- I was a first-team All-American defensive lineman who became a first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions in 1987 (seventh pick overall).
- Placekicker Eddie Murray was my teammate on two NFL teams. Among my other NFL teammates were QB Jim Kelly, LB Chris Spielman, DE Bruce Smith, QB Vinny Testaverde and RB Thurman Thomas.
- I also played with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a six-year NFL career.
- My older brother, Don, an outstanding safety for UCLA, was a starting defensive back for the Cleveland Browns when he died tragically.
Who am I? REGGIE ROGERS
- I appeared in 1947 NCAA Tournament for Oregon State against eventual runner-up Oklahoma.
- I was an All-Coast football selection in 1948.
- I was a second-round NFL draft choice as a back by the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 (25th pick overall; 15 choices ahead of three-time Pro Bowl LB Don Paul).
- I rushed for a 31-yard touchdown in my rookie debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1949.
Who am I? DON SAMUEL
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Navy Admiral John Dick, world famous heart surgeon Denton Cooley and Ernst and Ernst CEO Dick Baker.
- I made a free throw for runner-up Ohio State in inaugural national championship contest in 1939.
- As a sophomore, I was a tackle on OSU's offensive and defensive lines while also punting and kicking extra points.
- As a junior and senior, I became a two-time football All-American as left halfback in single-wing formation offense, essentially making me the Buckeyes' primary ball handler (quarterback).
- Big Ten Conference opponent Tom Harmon won Heisman Trophy my senior year and was first choice in 1941 NFL draft - eight selections before I was picked ninth overall in opening round by the Chicago Bears although I chose to volunteer to fight in Europe during WWII.
- I died in fall of 1943 when bomber I piloted crashed in England while in training after already completing nine bombing missions.
Who am I? DON SCOTT
- I collected four points and three rebounds in a 69-57 setback against Mike Montgomery-coached Stanford in opening round of 1999 NCAA playoffs.
- I was a 6-8 center who averaged 4.3 ppg and team-high 5.9 rpg for Alcorn State team coached by Davey Whitney.
- My NFL career began as a practice squad member of the Dallas Cowboys in 2000.
- I was an offensive lineman who played four seasons with the Oakland Raiders, starting six games in 2006 under coach Art Shell (former UMES hooper).
- I played with the Baltimore Ravens' AFC runner-up in 2008, blocking for QB Joe Flacco and RBs Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Ray Rice.
Who am I? CHAD SLAUGHTER
- I played in same NCAA basketball tourney as former St. Louis Blue hockey franchise owner Bill Laurie (Memphis State).
- I was a member of Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight's first two 20-win teams with Indiana.
- I was a backup freshman forward for Knight's first Final Four squad in 1973.
- My IU hoop teammates included All-Americans Quinn Buckner, Steve Downing and Steve Green.
- Buckner also was a college football teammate of mine when leading the squad in interceptions and fumble recoveries.
- I caught 36 passes for five touchdowns as a sophomore split end when I was an AP All-Big Ten Conference second-team selection.
- I finished my college gridiron career under coach Lee Corso with 1,488 receiving yards and 15 TDs, leading the Hoosiers in catches three straight seasons.
- I was an NFL 15th-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 1976 (14 picks ahead of Chattanooga/Clemson/Memphis head football coach Tommy West).
Who am I? TRENT SMOCK
- I scored eight points for St. Louis' first NCAA tourney team in 1952 West Regional final setback against eventual champion Kansas.
- I was an NFL referee (head linesman) for 11 years from 1967 through 1977.
- I officiated in "The Sea of Hands" AFC Divisional playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins on 12-21-74 when scrambling QB Ken Stabler's lefthanded pass floated into the end zone toward four players, three of them defenders, before RB Clarence Davis yanked it away from them for game-winning touchdown (28-26 success for Raiders over two-time defending Super Bowl champion).
Who am I? RAY SONNENBERG
- I collected 16 points and 7 rebounds in 1966 West Regional final victory against Oregon State.
- I was a juco recruit who finished runner-up in scoring (12.2 ppg) for Utah's Final Four team coached by Jack Gardner.
- I was an All-WAC second-team defensive back in my lone college football campaign before becoming fifth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in 1967 NFL draft.
Who am I? RICH TATE
- I made both of my field-goal attempts and committed four fouls in seven minutes of playing time against eventual NCAA kingpin Kansas in 2008 NCAA playoff opener.
- I averaged 6.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg while shooting 66.3% from the floor with Portland State from 2006-07 through 2009-10 under eventual Washington State coach Ken Bone.
- I hold school records for FG% in a career and single season (71.4 as sophomore).
- I was an All-Big Sky Conference first-team selection in my only college football campaign (29 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns) before catching a TD pass in East-West Shrine Game.
- I started NFL season opener as a rookie after being the Denver Broncos' fourth-round draft choice (129th pick overall; 25 selections ahead of Stanford CB Richard Sherman).
- I caught four passes from QB Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLVIII.
- I was a two-time All-Pro tight end who caught 226 passes for 2,406 yards and 36 TDs with the Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins in seven years from 2011 through 2017.
Who am I? JULIUS THOMAS
- I averaged 11.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg in two tournament games for Kansas in 1967 as teammate of Jo Jo White.
- I led the Jayhawks in rebounding in both of their 1967 playoff contests against Elvin Hayes (Houston) and Wes Unseld (Louisville).
- I averaged 6.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 1966-67 and 1967-68 under coach Ted Owens.
- I was a third-round pick as defensive lineman in 1969 NFL draft (60th pick overall) three selections ahead of Miami Dolphins running back Mercury Morris.
- I played for the New York Giants (1971), Green Bay Packers (1972) and Houston Oilers (1973), starting three games as defensive tackle with the Packers. In mid-November 1972, I had personal-foul, 15-yard penalties for whacking opponent on the helmet on back-to-back plays against the Oilers.
- In my first NFL start with the Pack, I registered two sacks, got partial credit for a third and nearly got a fourth in 16-13 upset win against the Dallas Cowboys in 1972.
Who am I? VERNON VANOY
- I played against Bob Knight-coached Indiana in the 1992 NCAA playoffs before averaging 8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.5 apg and 3.3 spg in four tournament games for the 1993 Southeast Regional runner-up.
- I held my school's career record for steals when my eligibility expired in 1993-94.
- I passed and rushed for 6,636 yards in my college football career.
- I was named Orange Bowl MVP in back-to-back victories over Nebraska.
- I led Florida State to 1993 national title by passing for 3,032 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushing for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
- I was a Heisman Trophy winner and consensus All-American quarterback who captured the 1993 Sullivan Award as the nation's premier amateur athlete.
Who am I? CHARLIE WARD
- I averaged 2.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg for Idaho under coach Tim Floyd in 1987-88 after playing two seasons for Texas-El Paso when Floyd was aide under Don Haskins.
- I collected one foul and one turnover in one minute of playing time for UTEP in an 86-73 setback against Jim Valvano-coached North Carolina State in second round of 1985 West Regional.
- I was a defensive end who registered 40 1/2 sacks and 386 tackles with the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos in 11 NFL seasons from 1989 through 1999 after entering league as sixth-round draft choice.
- I had a team-high 8 1/2 sacks with the Jets in 1992 (including Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino for safety) and career-high 71 tackles with them the following campaign.
- I earned Super Bowl XXXIII ring with the Broncos after securing sack in win against the Miami Dolphins in AFC playoffs following 1998 season.
- In 2017, I was part of a lawsuit filed against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, seeking to overturn the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug.
Who am I? MARVIN WASHINGTON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and major league baseball executive Larry Lucchino (Princeton).
- I was a teammate of Tennessee center Tom Boerwinkle.
- I outscored All-American forward Don May, 20-9, in the NCAA playoffs to become an all-regional selection.
- I was the game-high scorer in the Volunteers' NCAA Tournament debut although it wasn't enough to prevent a 53-52 setback against eventual national runner-up Dayton in the 1967 Mideast Regional semifinals.
- I was a two-time All-SEC first-team basketball selection and led the league in scoring the season before LSU's Pete Maravich arrived at the varsity level.
- Larry Brown and Doug Moe were two of my ABA teammates with the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967-68.
- I was the first selection in fourth round of 1967 NFL draft (81st pick overall) by the New Orleans Saints.
- My NFL teammates included former college basketball players Fred Carr (Texas Western), Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh), Pete Gent (Michigan State), Cornell Green (Utah State) and Roger Staubach (Navy).
- I averaged 42 yards per punt in six seasons (1968 through 1973) with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.
- I posted the longest punt in the NFL in 1968 (84 yards as a rookie).
- I played in the Pro Bowl following the 1971 season and appeared in two Super Bowls with the Cowboys (V and VI).
Who am I? RON WIDBY
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Arkansas All-American center George Kok.
- I am the only freshman to lead a single NCAA tourney in scoring average (22 ppg).
- I scored a game-high 23 points for Oregon in a 79-76 loss to Arkansas in a 1945 West Regional semifinal before scoring a team-high 21 points in a 69-66 win over Utah in a third-place game.
- The next season, I became the first Oregon player to crack the 1,000-point plateau and repeated as an All-PCC North Division first-team selection.
- I was the leading pass receiver (27 catches for 520 yards and five touchdowns) on the 1948 Oregon team that featured quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, compiled a 9-2 mark and won the Pacific Coast Conference championship. The Ducks lost to SMU, 21-13, in the Cotton Bowl that season despite my four receptions for 57 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass from Van Brocklin.
- I was a 25th-round selection by the New York Giants in 1948 NFL draft (16 picks ahead of eventual LSU/Army/South Carolina coach Paul Dietzel).
- I led the Dallas Texans of the All-America Football Conference with 32 catches in 1952. Fellow end and former Great Northwest college basketball player Dale Gentry (Washington State) left the AAFC's Los Angeles Dons the year before I joined the team.
- Quarterbacks on my NFL teams included Don Heinrich and Frank Tripucka.
Who am I? DICK WILKINS
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as 1952 Olympic gold-medal winning high jumper Buddy Davis (Texas A&M).
- I played in the NCAA Tournament against Brigham Young All-Americans Mel Hutchins, Roland Minson and Joe Richey.
- I collected two points and seven rebounds for San Jose State in a 68-61 opening-round loss to BYU in 1951.
- I caught 10 touchdown passes my last three years for the football Spartans after spending 19 months in the Pacific with the Navy.
- I was a 22nd-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers in 1950 NFL draft.
- I was a split end who caught 407 passes for 5,902 yards in 10 seasons (1951 through 1960) with the 49ers.
- I was a Pro Bowl selection six consecutive seasons (1955 through 1960) and named to wire-service All-Pro teams in 1955 and 1957.
- I led the NFL in receptions three consecutive years - 1955 (60 catches), 1956 (60) and 1957 (52).
- I caught passes from NFL standout quarterbacks Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie.
- A fellow receiver with the 49ers was R.C. Owens, who led the nation's small colleges in rebounding in 1953-54 with the College of Idaho.
- I was named player of the game in the 1955 Pro Bowl after catching 11 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Who am I? BILLY WILSON
- I participated in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Hank Nowak (represented Buffalo area in U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms), MLB lefthanded reliever Steve Hamilton and Coppin State President Calvin Burnett.
- I averaged 4.8 points per game for Michigan State from 1954-55 through 1956-57.
- In the Spartans' NCAA playoff debut, I played against celebrated coaches Adolph Rupp, Frank McGuire and Phil Woolpert.
- I collected a total of eight points and five rebounds in two Final Four games in 1957.
- I shared quarterback/defensive back role in the era of single-platoon football with two future NFL signal callers - Earl Morrall and Jim Ninowski.
- I was a three-year football letterman under coach Duffy Daugherty, substituting in as DB for Morrall (my roommate) in 17-14 win against UCLA in 1956 Rose Bowl.
- As a senior, I rushed for four touchdowns and completed 20-of-39 passes (one for TD).
Who am I? PAT WILSON
- I played against Guy Lewis' Houston squad featuring Elvin Hayes and Don Chaney.
- I was Colorado State's leading scorer for NCAA Tournament teams in 1965 and 1966.
- I was a sixth-round selection by the St. Louis Hawks in 1966 NBA draft (54th pick overall).
- I was a cornerback who had a total of five interceptions in two seasons (1966 and 1967) with the AFL's Denver Broncos although I never played a down of college football.
- One of my teammates with the Broncos was receiver Lionel Taylor, who led New Mexico Highlands' basketball team in scoring average with 13.6 ppg in 1955-56 and 20.3 in 1956-57.
- I became the first player in professional sports history to simultaneously compete in football and basketball (Denver Rockets).
Who am I? LONNIE WRIGHT
ENTERTAINERS AND NEWSMAKERS
- I competed in back-to-back Mideast Regionals, playing briefly in setbacks against Tom Hawkins-led Notre Dame and eventual 1958 national champion Kentucky.
- As a Miami (Ohio) teammate of rebounder deluxe Wayne Embry, I averaged 1.2 ppg in 1956-57 and 1957-58.
- I am a storied Merry Prankster who became one of the psychedelic leaders of the 1960s.
- I along with best friend and Prankster leader, Ken Kesey, whom I befriended in grad school writing class at Stanford, wrote the book "Last Go Round" about the oldest and largest rodeos in America.
- I am best known for my participation in the Acid Tests (inspired from meeting the Grateful Dead with whom I was onstage at Woodstock) and on the 1939 International Harvester school bus named Furthur.
- The most famous "happening" of the Pranksters was a nationwide trip in 1964 to New York's World Fair with me as sound engineer for the bus.
- Acknowledged as the "Intrepid Traveler," I was mostly credited for the sound systems I created for the Trips Festival, a 1966 three-day music extravaganza conducted in San Francisco.
- It took me 45 years to finish writing, but I published in 2011 a coming-of-age novel about the Vietnam War ("Who Shot the Water Buffalo?"). In 2022, I published my memoir ("Cronies").
Who am I? KEN BABBS
- I played in NCAA Tournament games against coaches Denny Crum (Louisville), Tom Davis (Iowa), Rick Pitino (Kentucky) and Roy Williams (Kansas).
- I was a Wake Forest teammate of future NBA MVP Tim Duncan.
- I was a swingman who averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in my four-year career with the Demon Deacons before playing professionally for one year in England.
- I co-starred in the romantic comedy "First Daughter" as the guy the college-aged daughter of the President of the United States falls for before discovering things aren't quite what they appear to be on the surface.
- I was a regular on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes playing the role of Riley Finn, Buffy's one-time love interest.
- I played the role of Matthew Donnelly in the USA Network show "Necessary Roughness."
Who am I? MARC BLUCAS
Who am I? DOYLE BRUNSON
- I appeared in 1961 NCAA Tournament against Wake Forest squad featuring All-American Len Chappell and eventual network analyst Billy Packer.
- I was a playmaker who averaged 7.6 ppg and 1.9 rpg for St. John's from 1960-61 through 1962-63 under coach Joe Lapchick after playing in high school under Lou Carnesecca.
- As a college junior, I was starter for NIT runner-up.
- I was known for my performances in Broadway musicals (Hair, The American Clock and The Tap Dance Kid).
- My roles in several movies - The Pawnbroker, Shaft and Without a Trace - earned favorable reviews.
- I had an American soul album (The Swingin' Sound of Soul) released in Europe and was manager of a band called Entourage.
Who am I? DONNIE BURKS
Who am I? MARVIN DELOATCH JR.
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as eventual NFL All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates (Kent State).
- As a Texas Tech freshman in 2001-02, I played under coach Bob Knight and scored eight points in 11 minutes in East Regional defeat against Southern Illinois.
- After Red Raiders advanced to 2003 NIT semifinals, I transferred to Gonzaga under coach Mark Few.
- In high-stakes poker, I twice earned more than $200,000 in Vegas events later that decade.
- My highest winnings was $260,261 (finishing third in 39th WSP/No Limit Hold'em in June 2008) before earning $214,289 (fourth in 40th WSP one place ahead of 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan/Heads-Up in June 2009).
Who am I? NATHAN DOUDNEY
- As a Long Beach State senior, I made both of my field-goal attempts in four minutes of action in 2007 NCAA playoff setback against Tennessee.
- I am one of the first bisexual players in NCAA history to come out of the closet.
- After trying stand-up comedy, I commenced a comedy-writing career that saw me write for shows including Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.
- For a while, I was the only black writer on staff at the Daily Show, eventually winning two Emmys. I worked on movie called "Two Distant Strangers," earning me an Oscar for "Best Live Action Short Film," at the 2021 Academy Awards.
- An untitled action feature I wrote (romantic spy thriller set in Africa) starring Idris Elba was purchased at auction by Apple TV+.
Who am I? TRAVON FREE
- I played against NFL coach-to-be Red Hickey in the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
- I was scoreless in two West Regional defeats (against Arkansas in regional semifinal and Creighton in regional third-place game).
- One of my teammates was eventual All-American Kenny Sailors.
- I played in the NCAA playoffs for my beloved state of Wyoming.
- I was host of American Sportsman and also broadcast the Super Bowl and NCAA Tournament.
- I was a network broadcaster who worked two of the more memorable World Series on NBC (Miracle Mets' upset of Baltimore in 1969 and the seven-game Cincinnati-Boston series in 1975 that is credited with reviving baseball in the American sports consciousness).
Who am I? CURT GOWDY
- I competed in NCAA playoffs against opponents coached by luminaries P.J. Carlesimo, Dr. Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Don Haskins, Dean Smith, Jerry Tarkanian and Billy Tubbs.
- I was a member of three consecutive Arizona clubs seeded #1 or #2 in the NCAA bracket.
- I averaged 3.9 ppg and hit 42.4% of my three-point field-goal attempts under coach Lute Olson.
- My Final Four teammates in 1988 included Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr and eventual MLB All-Star outfielder Kenny Lofton.
- I am one-half of the hit-making production team "The Underdogs," whose past work includes films such as Dreamgirls, The Help, Pitch Perfect 2 and blockbuster hit Straight Outta Compton.
- I served as executive producer on the film More Than a Game - a documentary featuring NBA all-time great LeBron James.
- I am a six-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter/music producer (with Beyonce, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson and Justin Timberlake) elected as chairman of The Recording Academy in June of 2019.
Who am I? HARVEY MASON JR.
- I scored one point against Bob Kurland-led Oklahoma A&M for Baylor's first-ever NCAA tourney team in 1946.
- I was a C-LB who started five of 11 games with the AAFC's Baltimore Colts in 1948, returning one interception for five yards.
- At the conclusion of a defeat against the Buffalo Bills featuring a controversial incomplete-pass call, I helped escort the head linesman away from unruly fans to the dressing room. A young son for one of the other referees at the contest was Fay Vincent, who said the mob experience impacted his crowd management when later becoming MLB Commissioner.
- As Midland, Tex., city attorney, one of my teammates for a local businessmen football squad (called the Misfits) playing against other town clubs was George H.W. Bush, the future 41st President of the U.S. I also taught Laura Bush's mom and dad in Sunday School class at a Methodist church.
- In 1958, I purchased a 320,000-acre ranch, a large portion of which later became Big Bend Ranch State Park.
- I was a pall bearer for FBI founder/director J. Edgar Hoover.
- My storied life formed the basis of a film titled "The Wheeler Dealers" starring James Garner.
Who am I? LEN "TUFFY" McCORMICK
- I played in same NCAA basketball tourney as eventual Congressman Scotty Baesler (Kentucky) and Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State).
- I was the second-leading scorer for Wake Forest's only Final Four squad (behind All-American Len Chappell).
- I outscored Ohio State's Bob Knight 17-0 and UCLA All-American Walt Hazzard 22-15 at the 1962 Final Four.
- After earning a spot on the All-East Regional team, I scored a total of 39 points in two Final Four games for the national third-place Demon Deacons to finish the season with a 14.1-point scoring average.
- I hit just 1-of-10 field-goal attempts in a 97-74 victory over St. John's in the first round although Wake still became the only team to ever trail by as many as 10 points at halftime of a tournament game (46-36) and then win the contest by more than 20.
- I was an All-ACC first-team selection as a junior in 1960-61 with Chappell and three other All-Americans (Art Heyman, York Larese and Doug Moe).
- My son, Mark, is known as the radio host of syndicated "PrimeTime with the Packman," the most listened-to sports radio show in the Carolinas from late 1990s through next decade. Due to his fondness for college football, Mark coined the phrase "Southern Fried Football."
- I was the color commentator at the Final Four for two different broadcast networks.
Who am I? BILLY PACKER
- I played in the same NCAA Tournament as eventual NFL players Ron Curry, Justin Gage, Teyo Johnson and Julius Peppers.
- I participated in 2001 NCAA playoff victory against Hampton as a Georgetown teammate of eventual NBA players Mike Sweetney and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.
- I became an Oscar-nominated cinematographer and director for my first movie, a 2018 documentary called "Hale County This Morning, This Evening."
Who am I? RaMELL ROSS
- I was named to All-NCAA Tournament team in 1967 and 1968 as third-leading scorer for national titlists, averaging 13.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg in eight playoff contests.
- I was runner-up in scoring for UCLA as a sophomore in 1965-66 with 16.6 ppg before becoming a two-time All-American under coach John Wooden.
- I am the father-in-law of actress Jessica Alba.
- I am a television actor with numerous credits but known primarily for portraying Officer Bobby Hill on hit series Hill Street Blues.
Who am I? MIKE WARREN
CLERGY, MILITARY LEADERS AND POLITICIANS
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against La Salle All-American Tom Gola.
- I was a teammate of Canisius All-America guard John McCarthy and U.S. Congressman-to-be Hank Nowak.
- I was the third-leading scorer (9.2 points per game) as a senior for Canisius' first NCAA Tournament team in 1955.
- I served in the U.S. Army for 31 years, retiring with the rank of Major General.
- I was appointed Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services by Governor Mario Cuomo.
- I was listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who of American Business Leaders.
Who am I? ROBERT ADAMS
- I was a pre-law major who scored a total of eight points in three NCAA playoff games in 1955.
- I was a member of Tom Gola-led La Salle teams in 1954 (national champion) and 1955 (runner-up to San Francisco).
- I never got off the bench at the Final Four those two years although I was the only Explorer player to hit more than three-fourths of my free throws the season they won the NCAA title.
- I joined the Central Intelligence Agency and worked my way up the chain of command to become the Director of the CIA's Office of Analysis of the Near East and South Asia, toiling closely with both the Carter and Reagan administrations.
- I was killed in Beirut in 1983 when a truck loaded with TNT on a suicide mission rammed into the facility where I was staying while serving as a liaison trying to allay contacts among the Lebanese, Syrians and Israelis in hopes of calming the escalating discord.
Who am I? BOB AMES
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Dallas Cowboys defensive back Cornell Green (Utah State) and CBS analyst Billy Packer (Wake Forest).
- I twice played in the NCAA playoffs against Bob Knight (Ohio State).
- I was a Kentucky teammate of All-American Cotton Nash.
- I played for NCAA Tournament regional runner-up teams as a sophomore and junior before pacing UK in assists my final season with 4.3 per game.
- I was mayor of Lexington, Ky., for 10 years before representing Kentucky's Sixth District in the U.S. House of Representatives after getting more than 60 percent of the vote in 1992.
- I am a Democrat who ran for governor in 1994 and narrowly lost against Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Bunning for a Senate seat in 1998.
Who am I? SCOTTY BAESLER
- I hit .315 as the first baseman for Princeton's baseball team my sophomore year.
- Among the coaches I played against in NCAA Tournament East Regionals were Jack Ramsay, Jack Kraft, Press Maravich and Joe Mullaney.
- I was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American as a junior and senior and ranked among the nation's top five scorers all three of my varsity seasons.
- I hold the NCAA playoff record for most points in a single Final Four game (58 against Wichita State in 1965 national third-place game) en route to becoming Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
- I am a Rhodes Scholar who was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. basketball team in the 1964 Olympic Games.
- I was a three-term U.S. Senator (Democrat-N.J.) until 1995.
- I was a presidential candidate in 2000 who authored two basketball books (Life on the Run in 1976 and Values of the Game in 1998).
Who am I? BILL BRADLEY
- I played in the 1953 NCAA Tournament against LSU All-American Bob Pettit.
- Among my Holy Cross teammates were All-American forward Togo Palazzi and U.S. Congressman-to-be Joe Early.
- I authored a book called Fighting for Life.
- I was Pennsylvania's 42nd governor who served from 1987 to 1995 after winning in my fourth attempt for the office.
- I was a heart-and-liver transplant recipient and pro-life candidate in a Democratic presidential primary.
- I am the father of a U.S. Senator with the same name.
Who am I? ROBERT P. CASEY
- I contributed one field goal for North Carolina in both Final Four games in 1969 as a sophomore. One of my teammates was eventual Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany.
- I became a part-time starter who averaged 5.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg through 1970-71 with the Tar Heels under coach Dean Smith, scoring a career-high 30 points against Clemson.
- Following in the footsteps of my father, I became a pastor for more than 40 years, writing eight books.
- Worship attendance at my non-denominational church (Forest Hill) increased from 180 in 1980 to a mega-church of more than 6,000 with six Charlotte-area campuses, budget of $25 million and staff of 150.
- I presided over the wedding of former Charlotte Hornets guard Tony Bennett before he coached Washington State and subsequently Virginia to the 2019 NCAA title.
- My son with the same name played for Rice and Valparaiso from 2010-11 through 2014-15 and founded Real Recruit, now RealResponse, a digital outlet partnering with in excess of 100 collegiate institutions and athletic organizations providing more than 50,000 athletes a safe space to deliver concerns and feedback to their administration.
Who am I? DR. DAVID CHADWICK
- I scored a total of 14 points in three NCAA playoff games in 1983 and 1984, including a high of six against Memphis State squad featuring All-American Keith Lee.
- I averaged 4.1 ppg as a freshman with Utah in 1978-79 before transferring to Purdue, where I averaged 5.2 ppg for three national postseason tournament teams from 1981-82 through 1983-84 under coach Gene Keady.
- I was a senior co-captain who made the first three-point field goal in the Boilermakers' history.
- I was the former chief executive of a Michigan-based automobile wheel and brakes supplier after serving as President and COO of American National Can (world's largest manufacturer of beverage cans).
- I am a Republican who served as U.S. representative for Florida's 19th congressional district from 2014 to 2017.
- I delivered the Tea Party response to President Obama's State of the Union Address in 2015.
Who am I? CURT CLAWSON
- I played in the same NCAA tournament as eventual AFL/NFL players Scott Eaton, Harry Gunner and Lonnie Wright.
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-American Dick Snyder.
- I scored 19 points under former Rhode Island All-American Ernie Calverley in a first-round loss against Lefty Driesell-coached Davidson.
- In 1971, my wife and I took over leadership of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, a small struggling congregation of some 30 people gathered in a run-down building in the inner city. It went on to become a megachurch numbering more than 10,000 members from all walks of life.
- I was nominated for a 2002 Dove Award for Musical of the Year (Light of the Year) and had three books on the best-selling list of the national religious clothbound non-fiction books (including Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire).
Who am I? JOE CYMBALA
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as open-heart surgeon Denton Cooley (Texas).
- I was a starting junior forward for the first NCAA Tournament champion in 1939 when I led Oregon in scoring in two of three playoff contests, including a game-high 15 points in the final against Ohio State.
- I was an NCAA consensus first-team All-American the next season when I paced the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division (forerunner of the Pacific-10) in scoring with 183 points in 16 games.
- I retired with the rank of Admiral after 32 years of service in the U.S. Navy.
- I commanded the aircraft carrier Saratoga for two years and served as chief of staff for all carrier forces in the Western Pacific.
Who am I? JOHN DICK
- I was a Holy Cross teammate of Pennsylvania governor-to-be Robert Casey.
- I scored six points for the Crusaders in their 81-73 East Regional final loss to Bob Pettit-led LSU in the 1953 NCAA Tournament.
- I was a portly, rumpled cigar smoker who served in the Massachusetts state House from 1963-75.
- I am a Democrat who was a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts' Third Congressional District (1975-93).
- I lost to Republican Peter Blute in the 1992 election after being tainted by 140 overdrafts in the wake of an ethics committee investigation of members who overdrew their House bank accounts.
- By Massachusetts standards, I was a conservative who prided himself on my independence from any Democratic faction.
I was against abortion and busing and skeptical about foreign aid but when it came to labor and domestic spending, I was a New Deal Democrat.
Who am I? JOE EARLY
- I missed a three-point attempt with Princeton in 2001 NCAA playoff South Regional opener against #2 seed North Carolina squad featuring eventual NFL regulars Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers.
- Eight of my 11 career field goals for the Tigers were three-pointers.
- I served as an infantry platoon leader in Iraq and was a leading candidate for head of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in the first Trump Administration.
- I was CEO of Concerned Veterans for America while serving as a FOX News Channel contributor, providing analysis and commentary across FNC's daytime and prime-time programming. I subsequently became a Fox and Friends morning show co-host.
- In mid-November 2024, I was nominated by president-elect Donald Trump to become Secretary of Defense before being confirmed in late January 2025.
Who am I? PETE HEGSETH
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Dennis DuVal (Syracuse) and Marvin Barnes (Providence).
- I was a Furman teammate of All-American forward Clyde Mayes.
- I scored a total of 14 points in five East Regional games from 1973 through 1975.
- I was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1990, when I narrowly lost to Dan Coats.
- I am a Democratic Congressman who was a member of the Indiana House from 1982 until succeeding retiring Lee Hamilton in the U.S. House of Representatives in a widely-watched open-seat contest in 1998.
- After losing my House seat, I recaptured it in 2006 before losing it again in 2010.
Who am I? BARON HILL
- I appeared in NCAA playoffs as a junior and senior, scoring a total of 15 points in 1954 East Regional victories against Connecticut and Cornell before tallying seven in defeat against eventual titlist La Salle led by All-American Tom Gola.
- I averaged 4.3 ppg and 4.6 rpg from 1951-52 through 1953-54 under Navy coach Ben Carnevale.
- I had three combat tours during the Vietnam War.
- I was Rear Admiral/Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk after serving in similar capacity of USS Kawishiwi.
Who am I? EDWARD "NED" HOGAN
- I played in the NCAA tourney against future major league outfielder and manager Sam Mele of NYU.
- I was a forward-center for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up that compiled a 22-5 record.
- I scored two points in a 53-49 victory over DePaul, a team from my Chicago hometown, and fellow freshman George Mikan in the Eastern Regional final (playoff semifinals) before going scoreless in a championship game loss to Wyoming.
- I started out as a Democrat before becoming a 12-term Republican Congressman from Illinois and eventual chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
- My towering stature as a lawmaker (6-3) made me the ideal GOP pointman to lead an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton, who earned his diploma from my alma mater 21 years after I did.
Who am I? HENRY HYDE
- I was the leading scorer in the Mountain States (Big Seven) Conference with 16.4 points per game for Colorado's 1946 NCAA Tournament team.
- I am reputedly the first player selected in the NBA's first college draft in 1947 after enrolling at Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) to play on a 16-4 team with two of my brothers.
- I never appeared in the then-fledgling NBA, which doesn't have any official draft records prior to 1949. The franchise that selected me, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, folded shortly after the draft, and my rights reverted to the New York Knicks.
- I chose not to play in an uncertain situation for little money after the Knicks mailed a contract offer to me in the mail for just $3,500.
- My son, Chris, coached American University for seven seasons from 1990-91 through 1996-97.
- I was recalled to the military during the Korean War, where I was assigned to intelligence work for the Navy and later embarked on a civilian career that led to a job with the Central Intelligence Agency.
- I was the CIA's deputy director under George Bush in 1976.
Who am I? HANK KNOCHE
- I averaged 9.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg for Seattle from 1964-65 through 1966-67.
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as did Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr (Texas Western) and Dallas Cowboys punter Ron Widby (Tennessee) plus MLB catcher Joe Ferguson.
- As a senior, I grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in 62-54 defeat against defending national champion Texas Western in West Regional of 1967 NCAA tourney before becoming 54th pick overall in NBA draft by the SuperSonics (nine choices ahead of 10-year veteran Dale Schlueter).
- I was a Justice for the Supreme Court of Kings County in Brooklyn from 1996 to early 2009, presiding primarily over felony cases.
- One of my best-know cases involved a con man who posed as film legend Sidney Poitier's son, inspiring the play "Six Degrees of Separation" and a 1994 film adaptation of the same name.
- I was appointed as a Justice of the Appellate Division in spring of 2009.
Who am I? PLUMMER LOTT
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as six-year NFL defensive back Manny Hendrix.
- I played in the 1986 NCAA playoffs against All-Americans Rony Seikaly and Pearl Washington.
- I scored seven points for Brown's first-ever Ivy League champion in an opening-round loss against Jim Boeheim-coached Syracuse before leading the Bears in scoring the next season with 17.3 ppg.
- I assumed office as Rhode Island's Attorney General in January, 2003. Six weeks later, I oversaw a criminal investigation for the state after a pyrotechnics display burned a nightclub to the ground, killing 99 people and injuring 186.
- After endorsing Barack Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008, I competed for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2010 before bowing out.
Who am I? PATRICK LYNCH
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Steve Hamilton (Morehead State).
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against North Carolina's undefeated 1957 team and All-Americans Tom Gola (La Salle), Ronnie Shavlik (N.C. State), Guy Rodgers (Temple) and Hot Rod Hundley (West Virginia).
- I was a teammate of Canisius All-America guard John McCarthy.
- I was the leading rebounder for the first three Canisius teams to participate in the NCAA Tournament.
- I was the leading scorer and rebounder for one of the winningest teams in Canisius history (22-6 record in 1956-57).
- I became a two-time NCAA Tournament All-East Regional selection (1956 and 1957) by averaging 19.4 points per game in nine NCAA playoff contests.
- I was selected in the fourth round of 1957 NBA draft by St. Louis Hawks (Woody Sauldsberry was chosen in eighth round).
- I am a Democrat who never received less than 75 percent of the general electorate vote while representing the Buffalo area for nine terms (1975-93) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Who am I? HANK NOWAK
- I participated in the same NCAA basketball tourney as eventual NFL players Fred Carr (linebacker), Vernon Vanoy (defensive tackle) and Ron Widby (punter).
- I contributed a field goal in Princeton's 78-58 victory against Lou Carnesecca-coached St. John's in 1967 East Regional third-place game.
- I played for the Tigers under coaches Butch van Breda Kolff and Pete Carril.
- My law firm was a major financial contributor to Bill Bradley's failed campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
- I hosted one of the first fundraisers for future President Barack Obama.
- Obama traveled to my hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., as a groomsman in wedding of my daughter to Obama's Travel Director and confidant (Marvin Nicholson/body guy for Sen. John Kerry during his White House bid).
- I was Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986 (lost to Bob Martinez).
Who am I? STEVE PAJCIC
- I played in NCAA playoffs against Dayton team featuring eventual Flyers coach Don Donoher and James Paxson (eventual NBA first-round draft choice with two sons - Jim and John - who also became #1 picks).
- I was a teammate of eventual MLB pitcher Dave Sisler on Princeton's first NCAA Tournament squad in 1952.
- I was a Democrat who served as a member of U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977 and Maryland Senator from 1977 to 2007.
- My son, John, held dad's old House seat.
Who am I? PAUL SARBANES
BUSINESSMEN, EDUCATORS AND PHYSICIANS
- I appeared in same NCAA tourney as two eventual fourth-round picks in NFL draft as tight ends - Mickey McCarty (Texas Christian) and Carlos Bell (Houston).
- I was a 6-5 forward who played in the NCAA playoffs against New Mexico State center Sam Lacey and guard Jimmy Collins.
- I was Weber State's leading scorer with 14 points in the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament debut, a 68-57 defeat in the first round of 1968 West Regional against Lou Henson-coached New Mexico State.
- I was an All-Big Sky Conference second-team selection as a senior.
- I was on the Board of Directors of ITT.
- I was President and Chief Executive Officer of Black & Decker.
Who am I? NOLAN ARCHIBALD
- I was a three-year letterman and Ohio State's second-leading scorer as a starting senior forward for a team that finished runner-up to Oregon in the inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939.
- I scored a game-high 25 points for the Buckeyes in their tourney opener, a 64-52 victory over Wake Forest.
- I was managing partner and CEO of major accounting firm Ernst and Ernst for 13 years, starting in 1964.
- I was a member of the Accounting Hall of Fame who served on the board of directors of such distinguished enterprises as General Electric, Anheuser-Busch and Hershey Foods.
Who am I? DICK BAKER
- I grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for Texas A&M in a loss against Final Four-bound Drake in 1969 Midwest Regional.
- I averaged 14.2 ppg and 7.6 rpg from 1966-67 through 1968-69 under coach Shelby Metcalf, posting career highs of 32 points against Texas and 16 rebounds against Arkansas.
- I was a two-time All-SWC selection who led the Aggies in scoring as a senior after pacing them in FG% as a sophomore.
- I also lettered as a defensive end in football in 1969 under coach Gene Stallings before becoming a third-round choice of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970 NFL draft (61st pick overall and five ahead of Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl safety Charlie Waters).
- I served as a political consultant to Texas Governor Rick Perry, who also attended A&M and was a senior yell leader.
- I was founder of country and western nightclub Billy Bob's Texas, which was billed as the world's largest honky tonk in the spring of 1981 when opening in historic district of the Ft. Worth Stockyards with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and The Gatlin Brothers playing that opening weekend.
- I was also involved in the entertainment-venue development of Dallas Alley, The Cat's Meow on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and The Bucket in Austin.
Who am I? BILLY BOB BARNETT
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league pitcher Dave Sisler (Princeton).
- I participated in the 1952 NCAA Tournament as a freshman for a St. Louis team that was eliminated by champion-to-be Kansas when Jayhawks All-American Clyde Lovellette scored 44 points.
- I was an All-American whose career scoring average of 19.2 points per game is best in SLU history (minimum of three seasons).
- I was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team selection who earned a gold medal while playing for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team in Melbourne, Australia.
- I was named president of Vickers Petroleum Corporation in 1963 at the age of 29.
- I became the ninth president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- In December 2002, I pleaded guilty in federal court in Wichita, Kan., to defrauding a bank of more than $17 million.
Who am I? DICK BOUSHKA
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as MLB reliever Steve Hamilton (Morehead State) and U.S. Congressman Hank Nowak (Canisius).
- I played in 1957 NCAA playoffs against SMU All-American center Jim Krebs.
- I was a St. Louis University teammate of future NBA center and executive Bob Ferry.
- I was a 6-5, 190-pound forward who led SLU in rebounding with 14.9 per game as a sophomore (19th in nation in rebound percentage) and retrieved a team-high 18 missed shots in two 1957 NCAA playoff games.
- I was listed in Who's Who in America.
- I was president of Coppin State in Baltimore in 1997 when the Eagles upset No. 2 seed South Carolina in the East Regional.
Who am I? DR. CALVIN W. BURNETT
- I scored three points in a 74-59 East Regional final defeat against Satch Sanders-led NYU in 1960.
- I wrote a book about that Vic Bubas-coached Duke team called "These Devils Wore Blue" (school's first ACC championship club).
- I am a cardiologist who was one of the team doctors for the Atlanta Braves for more than 40 years and served as president of MLB team physicians.
- My interest in adventure travel has taken me and my family to all seven continents, including a trek to the Mt. Everest base camp, a hike on the Inca trail and a search for Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat.
- I served as the chief medical officer for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 overseeing the health care of 10,000 athletes and more than 1.5 million spectators.
Who am I? DR. JOHN CANTWELL
- I grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds for TCU in 1968 when the Horned Frogs lost to Elvin Hayes-led Houston in the Midwest Regional final.
- I was the first African-American to play in the Southwest Conference.
- I was an All-SWC second-team selection as a junior when TCU won the league championship.
- I became the first black-tenured professor at Harvard in 1976.
- I was named chairman of the Harvard Business School MBA program in 1992.
Who am I? JAMES CASH
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against West Virginia's Gale Catlett.
- I was a Connecticut teammate of future NBA center Toby Kimball.
- I was a 5-9, 150-pound guard who scored as many points (17) as NCAA consensus second-team All-American Rod Thorn in the Huskies' 77-71 first-round setback against West Virginia in 1963.
- I was an All-Yankee Conference second-team selection as a senior when three of my teammates were first-team picks.
- I earned more than $1 million per year as Executive Vice President of ITT, a conglomerate with global sales in excess of $23 billion specializing in diversified products and services in three areas--financial and business, manufactured products and Sheraton Hotels.
Who am I? DALE COMEY
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Admiral John Dick (Oregon).
- I was a three-year letterman from 1938-39 through 1940-41 on Texas teams combining for a 51-21 record.
- I saw action in both of the Longhorns' games in inaugural NCAA Tournament in 1939 after they captured the Southwest Conference championship.
- I was a world-famous surgeon based in Houston who performed in excess of 20,000 open-heart operations.
Who am I? DR. DENTON COOLEY
- I was a member of Providence team reaching 1997 Southeast Regional final, playing at the end of a 22-point, opening-round victory against Marquette.
- I was a walk-on who collected five points and four rebounds in 17 games with the Friars from 1995-96 through 1997-98 under coach Pete Gillen.
- I was named NBC Sports' president in fall of 2023, overseeing all business linked to NBC Sports, NBCU's Olympics broadcasts, the Golf Channel and NBC Sports' digital operations.
- I previously was enmeshed in developing streaming products for NBC Universal.
Who am I? RICK CORDELLA
- I scored a total of 12 points for Connecticut in three NCAA playoff contests from 1957 through 1959.
- Prior to 1962, the FBI had no African-American special agents who attended the FBI Academy. I was among four blacks breaking through the color barrier.
- I headed up the investigation into the May 1980 attempted assassination of Vernon Jordan, then-president of the National Urban League.
- I was one of the FBI's earliest black executives (25-year career included supervisory role in Indianapolis, Detroit and Philadelphia).
Who am I? WAYNE DAVIS
- I played in same 1992 Southeast Regional as eventual NFL first-round draft choice Rickey Dudley (tight end from Ohio State).
- I was third-leading scorer for Mike Montgomery-coached Stanford team spearheaded by All-American Adam Keefe. My 12 points were in vain as we lost playoff opener against Alabama.
- I have held several director's positions for Seattle-based Starbucks including Urban Markets.
- I was product manager in 2003 when leading the development of Pumpkin Spice Latte, which became the company's most popular seasonal beverage.
Who am I? PETER DUKES
- I played in 1952 NCAA playoffs, scoring six points in East Regional third-place game defeat against Dayton.
- I averaged 3.1 ppg with Princeton from 1949-50 through 1951-52.
- Following military service, I joined McGraw-Hill Publishing, eventually becoming president of the periodical division before resigning suddenly early in 1976.
- I subsequently joined Macmillan and American Business Press, retiring in 1995.
Who am I? JOHN EMERY
- I appeared in 1951 NCAA playoffs as a Columbia sophomore, scoring two points in loss against Final Four-bound Illinois.
- I was a newspaper executive at Hearst Corporation and former publisher of the San Francisco Examiner (succeeded William Randolph Hearst III), The Denver Post, Dallas Times Herald, plus president of USA Today and Detroit Free Press.
- My final journalism article was published in the Examiner about the 1999 John F. Kennedy Jr. plane crash in which I drew upon my own experiences as a licensed pilot commuting summer weekends from New York City to Martha's Vineyard.
Who am I? LEE GUITTAR
Who am I? JACK HARRINGTON
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as major league outfielder Dave Winfield (Minnesota).
- I participated in three consecutive Final Fours for NCAA championship teams under legendary coach John Wooden.
- My UCLA teammates included five All-Americans - Henry Bibby, Curtis Rowe, John Vallely, Bill Walton and Sidney Wicks.
- I scored 10 points as a senior against Weber State in the 1972 West Regional semifinals before scoring six points against Denny Crum-coached Louisville in the national semifinals.
- I am author of a book titled with one of Wooden's most famous quotes: "Be Quick - But Don't Hurry."
- As president of CBS Productions from 1991 to 1996, I was responsible for the development and production of such successful prime time programming as Touched by an Angel, Walker Texas Ranger, Rescue 911, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Dave's World.
- After CBS Entertainment President Leslie Moonves refused to release me from contract to join MCA Inc., I became president of programming for Channel One News from 1997 until 2000.
Who am I? ANDY HILL
- I played one minute in 2000 NCAA tourney final for championship club, missing lone field-goal attempt.
- I also played one minute in Final Four the following year for Michigan State.
- I was a walk-on who collected 28 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists in 48 games from 1999-00 through 2001-02 under coach Tom Izzo.
- I am Chairman, President and CEO of Pontiac, Mich.-based United Wholes Mortgage, the second-largest mortgage lender in the U.S.
- After taking company public in September of 2020, its value increased to in excess of $16 billion, making me one of the 25 richest people in the country.
- I received distinction of ringing the bell on New York Stock Exchange the first day of said trading.
- I committed to donating an individual record $32 million to my alma mater's athletic department in 2021.
Who am I? MAT ISHBIA
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against future college and NBA head coaches Mike Dunleavy (South Carolina), Larry Farmer (UCLA), Lon Kruger (Kansas State) and Brian Winters (South Carolina).
- I was a Memphis State teammate of All-Americans Larry Finch and Larry Kenon.
- I was a 5-10 guard who averaged 3.9 points per game for the Tigers' team that lost to UCLA's Walton Gang in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final.
- I breed and train horses at Crown Center Farms, south of Columbia, Mo.
- I presented Missouri with the largest single, private gift in the school's history - $10 million, which was earmarked as seed money for a new 17,000-seat, $50 million arena.
- My wife, Nancy, is the daughter of the late Bud Walton and niece of the late Sam Walton, the brothers who founded Wal-Mart. My wife and I owned the NHL's St. Louis Blues and the Kiel Center arena in St. Louis.
- I had two deals fall through while trying to purchase NBA franchises (Denver Nuggets and Vancouver Grizzlies) before courting the Charlotte Hornets.
- I was named to the state of Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
Who am I? BILL LAURIE
- I scored 12 points for Yale in overtime loss against Final Four-bound Wake Forest in 1962 East Regional.
- I was an All-Ivy League second-team selection in 1962-63 and 1963-64 who averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg in three-year varsity career under coach Joe Vancisin.
- I was captain of 1964 college tennis team and Yale-Harvard squad playing Oxford-Cambridge in the Prentice Cup Matches that year.
- Longtime singles and doubles champion of the Seabright Lawn Tennis Cricket Club, the Asbury Park Press voted me second-best player in history of Jersey Shore tennis in 2000.
- I was a VP at Smith, Barney & Co. before co-founding Lynch & Mayer, a large-cap investment advisory group with approximately $6 billion in assets in 1996.
Who am I? DENNIS LYNCH
- I was a 6-0 All-American forward as a junior for Dartmouth.
- I was the leading scorer for the 1942 NCAA Tournament runner-up (22-4 record) and averaged 12.6 points in seven NCAA Tournament games from 1941 through 1943.
- I was a trustee and chairman of the Finance Committee of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- I had a 29-year career as an executive (vice president in 1962, president/director in 1966, CEO in 1969 and chair/CEO from 1975-87) with the Phelps Dodge Corp., a Fortune 500 company and the nation's leading copper producer.
Who am I? GEORGE MUNROE
- I participated in NCAA playoffs same year as eventual Olympic high jump gold medalist Walter "Buddy" Davis (Texas A&M), Hearst Corporation newspaper executive Lee Guittar (Columbia) and Pro Bowl split end Billy Wilson (San Jose State).
- I collected eight points and four rebounds in a two-point defeat against eventual 1951 national runner-up Kansas State.
- I was a juco recruit who averaged 9.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 3 apg as All-Border Conference second-team selection for Arizona's first NCAA tourney team.
- My company thrived in Las Vegas, constructing the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in the late 1980s before doing earnest business in Sin City working on the Holiday Casino expansion, Flamingo Hilton and Holiday Riverboat. Later, my firm rehabbed the Tropicana Hotel, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino and Boulder Station Hotel & Casino before building the Texas Gambling Hall, Arizona Charlie's Casino and Hard Rock Cafe Hotel.
- I was founder of an Arizona-based steel company with my last name that was one of the nation's largest and most experienced structural steel fabricators (atop steel erector company rankings in 1995 Top 600 Specialty Contractors List).
Who am I? DAVE SCHNUFF
- One of my teammates, George Stanich, was a bronze medalist in the high jump in the 1948 Olympics.
- I scored 11 points in UCLA's first-ever NCAA Tournament game (73-59 setback against Bradley in 1950) before scoring a team-high 21 points in an 83-62 loss to Brigham Young in the Western Regional third-place contest.
- I was an All-PCC South Division selection as a senior when averaging 10.4 ppg as team captain for coach John Wooden.
- I opened the first Polly's Pie Restaurant in 1968 with my brother.
- I am a restauranteur who was the largest holder of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Anaheim-based Polly's Pies franchises in the country, operating as many as 15 KFCs and 13 Polly's in Southern California.
Who am I? EDDIE SHELDRAKE
SECONDARY SPORTS
- I averaged 19 points and 5.2 rebounds in five NCAA tourney games with Arizona from 2007 through 2009.
- My three NCAA playoff defeats came against celebrated coaches Matt Painter, Bob Huggins and Rick Pitino.
- I was Pacific-10 Conference Rookie of the Year before becoming a two-time all-league selection.
- I averaged 17 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.3 spg with the Wildcats before declaring as an undergraduate (after junior year) for the NBA draft.
- Devin Booker, a 2024 U.S. hoops Olympian, was a Phoenix Suns rookie teammate of mine in my final NBA campaign in 2015-16.
- I joined the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) in 2018 and promptly earned Rookie of the Year plus Most Improved Player awards, winning first AVP crown in 2019.
- My older sister and brother also played professional volleyball.
- I am the first individual to play in the NBA (seven seasons) and compete in an Olympic beach volleyball match (reached round of 16 in 2024 Paris Games).
Who am I? CHASE BUDINGER
- I played in two NCAA tourney games in 2012, collecting three points and three rebounds in Midwest Regional defeat against #1 seed North Carolina.
- I was an occasional starting center who averaged 2.8 ppg and 2 rpg for Vermont from 2009-10 through 2012-13.
- I took up professional wrestling in 2019 after dabbling at Australian Rules Football.
- I boast the stage name of "Big Trouble" Ben Bishop.
Who am I? BEN CRENCA
- I played in the same NCAA basketball tourney as Pro Bowl split end Billy Wilson (San Jose State).
- I played in the 1951 NCAA Tournament against Washington All-American Bob Houbregs when Texas A&M made its first playoff appearance.
- I was a two-time first-five selection on the All-Southwest Conference team and held school season (362 points) and career (952 points) scoring records when I graduated in 1952.
- I was named to the Helms Foundation All-American third team as a junior before becoming a member of two NBA championship teams - Philadelphia Warriors in 1956 and St. Louis Hawks in 1958.
- I won AAU high jump titles in 1952 and 1953.
- I was winner of the gold medal in the 1952 Olympic Games high jump with a leap of 6'-8 1/2".
- I set the then-world high jump record of 6'-11 1/2" in 1953.
Who am I? WALTER "BUDDY" DAVIS
- As senior captain, I scored a game-high 23 points for Princeton in 1952 East Regional reversal against Duquesne.
- I was a prominent tennis player who never lost a singles or doubles match in three years of varsity tennis.
- I played in two U.S. Nationals (now called U.S. Open) in the early 1950s.
- My most impressive tennis moment came when entering the 1966 Western Tennis Championship in Indianapolis as a 36-year-old businessman. My first-round opponent and victim was 21-year-old Puerto Rican phenom Charles Pasarell (just off reaching Wimbledon quarterfinals) as I won in two sets (6-2, 9-7).
- I held 11 Indiana state open singles titles and later claimed numerous national seniors crowns.
- My brother, Stephen, is a former director of professional tennis for the U.S. Tennis Association and tournament director for the U.S. Open.
- I was a co-founder of the ABA's Indiana Pacers.
Who am I? LESLIE "CHUCK" DeVOE
- I was a 6-4 forward who played briefly for Kansas State under coach Lon Kruger in 1989 NCAA playoff loss against Minnesota.
- Prior to attending K-State, I hit the game-winning basket for Hutchinson (Kan.) in 1988 NJCAA Tournament final.
- My wife, Suzie, became coach of women's volleyball team for my Manhattan-based alma mater.
- I was a decathlete who placed runner-up to Jim O'Brien in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1996 before finishing fourth at the Olympics in Atlanta.
- I won the Big Eight Conference decathlon title in 1989 and 1990 prior to finishing runner-up in 1994 Goodwill Games at St. Petersburg, Russia.
Who am I? STEVE FRITZ
- I played in same NCAA tourney as eventual MLB players Billy Cowan (Utah), Paul Popovich (West Virginia) and Rollie Sheldon (Connecticut).
- I scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for Idaho State in 1960 West Regional defeat against eventual national runner-up California.
- I averaged 12.2 ppg and 7.5 rpg with New Mexico in 1956-57 and 1957-58 (runner-up in scoring and rebounding averages both seasons) before transferring to ISU, where I averaged a team-high 16.4 ppg in 1959-60.
- I won Seniors World Championship Steer Roper titles in 1992, 1998 and 2000.
Who am I? MYRL GOODWIN
- I am a foreigner who participated in NCAA playoffs each of my first three seasons for New Mexico, averaging 5.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2 apg in four tourney contests.
- I averaged 7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.9 apg in my career with the Lobos from 2011-12 through 2014-15 under coaches Steve Alford and Craig Neal.
- I scored a career-high 24 points against Boston College.
- I have been an Australian Rules Football player in my native country since 2017.
- I am an inside midfielder who led the AFL in total tackles and tackles per game in 2020.
Who am I? HUGH GREENWOOD
- I scored a field goal in the 1998 NCAA playoffs for a #1 seed in South Regional opener before later playing against Jim Boeheim-coached Syracuse in Sweet 16.
- I was a 5-9, 155-pound walk-on point guard from Massachusetts who played in four seasons for Duke from 1995-96 through half of the 1998-99 campaign under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
- I was a four-time All-ACC soccer selection, tallying 45 goals during my college career.
- I earned the Missouri Athletic Club Sports Foundation Collegiate Men's Soccer Player of the Year Award.
- I was a first-team All-American before becoming the No. 2 pick in 1999 Major League Soccer (MLS) college draft.
- I became the league's rookie of the year with the Miami Fusion before winning Defender of the Year in 2009 for the New England Revolution.
- I coached the Revolution from 2011 to 2017 before serving as president and general manager of Birmingham Legion FC.
Who am I? JOHN "JAY" HEAPS
- I led UCLA in scoring in two seasons under coach John Wooden, including his second NCAA tourney team in 1952.
- I was an All-PCC South Division first-team selection as a senior in 1953-54.
- I helped the Bruins' tennis squad win PCC titles from 1952 through 1954.
- I joined fellow tennis co-captain Bob Perry to capture the NCAA doubles crown in 1954.
Who am I? C. "RON" LIVINGSTON
- I played in the NCAA playoffs against Notre Dame (Kelly Tripucka, Orlando Woolridge, Bill Hanzlik and Bill Laimbeer) and Maryland (Albert King and Buck Williams).
- I was a Tennessee teammate of All-Americans Reggie Johnson and Dale Ellis.
- I collected a total of 19 points and 14 rebounds in just 36 minutes in four NCAA Tournament games in 1979 and 1980.
- I am one of the most popular figures in recent wrestling history who quietly began my career in 1990 as a WCW undercard wrestler, including billing as Oz (dressed in green cape and claimed to be "great and powerful") and Vinnie Vegas (wise guy in a pink suit and sunglasses).
- I am a former bouncer who went from a hanger-on to a 6-10, 350-pound hero in about seven months. My pin of Bob Backlund completed an unprecedented trifecta, giving me the WWF World tag team title, International title, and World title in the same calendar year.
- I was known as "Diesel" when I won the World Wrestling Federation championship in a record-setting eight-second bout in 1994.
Who am I? KEVIN NASH
- I was a Drake teammate of Willie McCarter and Willie Wise.
- I blocked one of UCLA star Lew Alcindor's shots in the Bulldogs' 85-82 defeat in the 1969 national semifinals.
- I outscored ex-Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and former Wichita State/Vanderbilt/South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler, 11-9, in the national third-place game when they were North Carolina teammates.
- I won the decathlon title at the 1971 Pan American Games, 1971 National AAU meet and 1970 NCAA meet.
Who am I? RICK WANAMAKER
- I played in the same NCAA tourney as Washington's Reggie Rogers, an All-American defensive tackle and NFL first-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions.
- I scored a team-high 17 points for San Diego in a 65-56 loss to Pete Carril-coached Princeton in the preliminary round of the 1984 NCAA Tournament.
- I set a school DI single-game scoring record with 37 points at Loyola Marymount in 1982-83.
- I was an All-WCAC selection as a junior and senior.
- I was a fifth-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1984 NBA draft.
- I joined Miller Lite/AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tour in 1989, when I was rookie of the year.
- I aligned with Mike Dodd in 1993 and we subsequently became one of the premier pairs on the volleyball tour before earning a silver medal in the 1996 Olympics when two-man beach volleyball made its debut.
Who am I? MIKE WHITMARSH
Second to None: First For Knowledge About NCAA Playoff Groundbreakers
The SEC is the first league to have as many as 14 members participate in a single national tournament. Any time you're the first to do something, it's a thrill. Truism is especially accurate when it comes to the following achievements in the NCAA playoffs:
- The first NCAA Tournament game was on March 17, 1939, when Villanova defeated Brown, 42-30, in Philadelphia.
- The first player and only one in first 11 years of the event to score more than 30 points in a playoff game was North Carolina's George Glamack, who supplied 31 points in a 60-59 loss against Dartmouth in the 1941 East Regional third-place game.
- Kentucky's first game in an NCAA Tournament resulted in a 46-44 triumph against Big Ten Conference champion Illinois in 1942.
- DePaul's Ray Meyer became the first individual to reach the national semifinals in his initial season as a head coach in 1942-43.
- In 1944, Dartmouth became the first school to participate in four consecutive NCAA tourneys. The Big Green won at least one playoff game each of those years.
- The first time two members of the same league earned invitations to the NCAA playoffs occurred when Iowa State and Missouri of the Big Six Conference competed in the 1944 Western Regional.
- Oklahoma A&M, which won the Cotton Bowl, became the first school to win a football bowl game and the NCAA basketball tournament in the same academic year (1945).
- Oklahoma A&M was the NCAA's first repeat national champion (1945 and 1946).
- The only one of the first 18 NCAA playoffs through 1956 where North Carolina won a tourney game came in 1946.
- George Kaftan, a forward-center with an 11.1-point average for Holy Cross' 1947 NCAA champion, became the first player to score 30 points in a Final Four game (60-45 victory over CCNY in East Regional final before tossing in a team-high 18 in 58-47 triumph over Oklahoma in national final).
- In 1947, Navy's Ben Carnevale became the first coach to guide two different schools to the NCAA playoffs in back-to-back seasons. He directed North Carolina to the 1946 championship game.
- In 1948, Michigan's Ozzie Cowles became the initial coach to direct two different schools to the NCAA playoffs for the first time. He guided Dartmouth to its initial tourney appearance in 1941.
- In 1949, J.L. Parks of runner-up Oklahoma A&M became the first player to participate in three NCAA Tournament championship contests. Parks was a member of the school's national titlists in 1945 and 1946.
- In 1949, Wyoming's John Pilch became the first and only All-American to go winless in more than three NCAA Tournament games (0-6).
- In 1950, CCNY was the first NCAA champion to have black players in its starting lineup - Floyd Layne and Ed Warner.
- UCLA made its first NCAA playoff appearance in 1950. The Bruins lost their initial tourney game (73-59 decision against Bradley).
- The first year of automatic qualification was in 1951.
- In 1952, North Carolina State finished in second place in the Southern Conference but won the league postseason tournament to become the first automatic qualifier for the NCAA playoffs instead of the regular-season champion.
- In 1952, St. Louis' Eddie Hickey became the first coach to direct two different schools to NCAA playoff victories in their initial tourney appearances. He guided Creighton to the 1941 NCAA Tournament.
- In 1952, Elmer Gross became the first individual to coach his alma mater in the NCAA playoffs after playing in the tourney (Penn State in 1942).
- Games were televised regionally for the first time in 1952.
- The first player to reach the 40-point barrier in a playoff game was Kansas' Clyde Lovellette, who supplied 44 points in a 74-55 triumph against St. Louis in one of the two 1952 West Regional finals.
- Branch McCracken is the first and only NCAA consensus first-team All-American (1930) to later coach his alma mater to an NCAA championship (1953).
- In 1953, Kansas' B.J. Born became the first Final Four Most Outstanding Player not to play for the national champion.
- The first championship game televised nationally in 1954 was for a broadcast rights fee of $7,500.
- San Francisco was the first team to start three African-American players in a championship game (1955).
- In 1955, Bradley (7-19) became the only school to enter the tourney with a won-loss record more than than 10 games below .500.
- In 1955, Oklahoma City's Gerald Bullard became the first player to appear in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. He scored a total of seven points in five playoff games.
- In a 1955 West Regional third-place game, Utah became the first school to reach triple digits in a playoff contest by defeating Seattle, 108-85.
- In 1956, San Francisco became the first undefeated champion in NCAA history.
- In 1956, UCLA posted its only NCAA Tournament triumph in coach John Wooden's first 13 years as coach of the Bruins (94-70 over Seattle in Far West Regional third-place game). Later, Wooden won 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year span including record seven in a row.
- Temple's Fred Cohen became the first player to grab at least 25 rebounds in a tourney game by retrieving 34 missed shots in 1956 East Regional semifinals against Connecticut.
- In 1957, North Carolina's Frank McGuire became the first coach to take two different schools to the NCAA championship game. He guided St. John's to a second-place finish in 1952.
- In 1957, Oklahoma City became the first school to participate in six consecutive NCAA playoffs.
- The first player to reach the 50-point barrier in a playoff contest was Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson, who supplied 56 points in a 97-62 triumph against Arkansas in 1958 Midwest Regional third-place game.
- Kentucky clobbered Marquette, 98-69, in the 1959 Mideast Regional consolation game to become first school to post at least one victory in five consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
- In 1959, Navy's Ben Carnevale became the first coach to oppose a school in the tourney he previously guided to the playoffs (2-1 mark with North Carolina in 1946).
- In 1960, Idaho State became the only school to make as many as eight consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from the year it participated in event for first time.
- Duke posted its first NCAA tourney victory in 1960 after going winless in the first 21 years of the event.
- In 1960, Fred Taylor became the first and only former MLB player (1B with Washington Senators from 1950 to 1952) to coach his alma mater (Ohio State) to NCAA basketball championship.
- In 1962, Cincinnati's Ed Jucker became the only individual to win an NCAA title in his first two seasons as head coach for a major university.
- Ohio State became the first school to reach the Final Four three consecutive years on two separate occasions (1944 through 1946 and 1960 through 1962).
- In 1962, Wake Forest became the only school to win back-to-back tourney games by double-digit margins in overtime (10-point victory against Yale and 11-point triumph against St. Joseph's in East Regional).
- Loyola of Chicago was the first team to defeat an opponent by at least 50 points in a tournament game (111-42 over Tennessee Tech in first round of 1963 Mideast Regional).
- In 1966, Texas Western became the first school with an all-black starting lineup, despite three of them 6-1 or shorter, to win the NCAA championship. The Miners stunned top-ranked and all-white Kentucky, 72-65.
- Notre Dame guard Austin Carr became the only player to score more than 60 points in a single playoff game (61 against Ohio University in first round of 1970 Southeast Regional). The only playoff game in history when each squad supplied a player scoring more than 40 points was Kentucky (Dan Issel 44) beating Notre Dame (Carr 52) in 1970 regional semifinals.
- Dwight "Bo" Lamar collected 35 points and a tourney-high 11 assists and Roy Ebron contributed 33 points and 20 rebounds in Division I newcomer Southwestern Louisiana's 112-101 victory over Marshall in the opening round of 1972 Midwest Regional when the Ragin' Cajuns scored the most points in tourney history for a school in its first playoff game.
- In 1972, Hawaii coach Ephraim "Red" Rocha became the only individual to play and coach in both the NCAA and NBA playoffs. Rocha played for Oregon State in the 1947 NCAA Tournament before appearing in 39 NBA playoff games (including '56 champion Syracuse Nationals) and coaching the Detroit Pistons in the 1959 NBA playoffs.
- In 1974, the NCAA Tournament bracket rotation changes for the first time, eliminating East vs. West bracketing in effect since the event's inception.
- A 32-team bracket is adopted for the 1975 NCAA Tournament allowing teams other than the conference champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from same league for first time.
- Syracuse, the first and only school to play in as many as three overtime games in a single tournament, reached the 1975 Final Four for the only time in first 47 years of NCAA playoffs.
- The 1976 championship game pitting unbeaten Indiana against Michigan was the first intra-conference matchup in NCAA playoff history.
- Fred Snowden-coached Arizona opposed John Thompson Jr.-coached Georgetown in 1976 West Regional first round in the first NCAA playoff game where both coaches were African-Americans. Snowden defeated Thompson to earn distinction as initial black coach to win an NCAA playoff contest.
- In 1979, California became the only state to have at least five schools represented in a single tourney before the field expanded to at least 48 teams (Pacific, Pepperdine, San Francisco, Southern California and UCLA). USC became the first power-conference member in the seeding era to go from winless in league competition (0-14 in 1975-76) to participate in the tourney in fewer than four years.
- In 1979, DePaul forward Mark Aguirre became the first freshman named to an NCAA All-Tournament team.
- In 1981, the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), a computer ranking system, was used for the first time as an aid in evaluating teams for at-large selections and seeding.
- In 1982, DePaul became the first school to earn a #1 seed three consecutive campaigns.
- In 1983, North Carolina State became the first titlist with a double-digit defeat total.
- In 1984, Georgetown's John Thompson Jr. became the first and only person to play for an NBA championship team (Boston Celtics '65) before coaching an NCAA titlist. He was the first African-American mentor to guide his team to the title. Two years earlier, Thompson had become the first black coach to advance his club to the Final Four.
- In 1985, Villanova became the first title team to have a coach with a son on his roster, although guard R.C. Massimino played sparingly under his father (Rollie).
- In 1987, Indiana became the first school to win an NCAA championship in four different decades (previous titles were in 1940, 1953 and 1976).
- In 1987, Florida's 82-70 first-round victory over North Carolina State enabled Norman Sloan to become the first coach to post an NCAA playoff victory against a school he previously guided to the national title. Sloan directed the Wolfpack to the 1974 crown. The Gators were appearing the tourney for the first time.
- The ACC became the first league to have two Final Four teams in back-to-back seasons - 1990 (Duke and Georgia Tech) and 1991 (Duke and North Carolina).
- In 1991, Duke forward Greg Koubek became the first player to participate in four Final Fours.
- In 1991, North Carolina's Dean Smith became the first coach to direct teams to Final Fours in four different decades.
- In 1993, Dean Smith became the first coach in NCAA Tournament history to reach the 50-win plateau in playoff competition when he raised his record of playoff appearances to 23 and North Carolina won its opening game for the 13th consecutive year.
- Nolan Richardson Jr. became the only coach to win national championships in junior college (1980 with Western Texas), the NIT (1981 with Tulsa) and the NCAA (1994 with Arkansas).
- In 1994, Arkansas celebrated its third season in SEC by becoming the first league member other than Kentucky to win a Final Four game.
- In 1994, Skip Prosser of Loyola (Md.) became the only active coach to engineer a turnaround including an NCAA playoff appearance in his first full year at a new job although the school registered a record of more than 20 games below .500 the previous season. The Greyhounds, 2-25 in 1992-93, improved by 13 1/2 games when Prosser assumed control and compiled a 17-13 mark.
- Gary Williams, leading Maryland to the 1994 Midwest Regional semifinals, became the only individual to win games while coaching schools from the three conferences with the best winning percentages in NCAA Tournament history reflecting actual membership - ACC, Big East and Big Ten. He is also the only coach to win games with as many as three different schools (Boston College, Maryland and Ohio State) although they were seeded ninth or worse.
- In 1994, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski became the only coach to win his first seven NCAA regional finals.
- In 1995, the Big Ten Conference didn't have a representative among the Sweet 16 for the first time since the NCAA field expanded to at least 16 entrants in 1951.
- In 1996, first-year Georgia mentor Tubby Smith became the only coach to guide three consecutive clubs to regional semifinals despite failing to be accorded a top four seed during the span. His two previous tourney teams were with Tulsa.
- In 1996, San Jose State's Stan Morrison became the only coach to guide three different schools to the NCAA playoffs but never post a 20-win season. He previously coached Pacific and Southern California.
- In 1997, Arizona's Mike Bibby became the first freshman point guard to lead a team to a crown since the NCAA made freshmen eligible in the 1972-73 campaign.
- In 1998, Kentucky's Tubby Smith became the first coach to win an NCAA title only two years after his predecessor (Rick Pitino) achieved the feat.
- 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 guide 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.
- In 1999, Connecticut's Jim Calhoun became the first coach to make more than a dozen NCAA playoff appearances before reaching the Final Four.
- In 2001, Duke became the first school in history to earn a No. 1 seed in four consecutive years (extended to five in 2002) and Gonzaga became the first school to advance to regional semifinals three consecutive years despite having a double-digit seed each time.
- In 2002, Missouri became the first #12 seed to reach the Elite Eight. Mizzou became the first school to appear in the NCAA Tournament at least 20 times and never reach the Final Four.
- In 2002, the state of California set a record with as many as seven different entrants (Cal, UC Santa Barbara, Pepperdine, San Diego State, Southern California, Stanford and UCLA).
- In 2005, Rick Pitino became the first coach to guide three different schools to the Final Four after directing Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to the Promised Land.
- In 2008, Coppin State (16-20) became the first school entering the tourney with as many as 20 defeats. Liberty (15-20) matched the setback total five years later.
- In 2008, UCLA supplied the first set of teammates (Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute) from a foreign country (Cameroon) to compete in three consecutive Final Fours.
- UMBC became the first #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed (74-54 over Virginia in 2018). This year also marked the first time four schools entered a single tourney with at least 15 defeats - Alabama (19-15), LIU (18-16), North Carolina Central (19-15) and Texas Southern (15-19).
- In 2022, Mike Krzyzewski became the first coach to reach 100-win plateau in playoff history and broke tie with John Wooden to set record for most Final Four appearances with 13.
- In 2022, Iowa State became the first school to reach the Sweet 16 the year after going winless in a power conference (0-18 in Big 12 in 2020-21).
- In 2022, Big Ten became the first conference securing at least nine entrants in single tournament and have none of them advance to a regional final.
- In 2022, Jim Larranaga of #10 seed Miami (Fla.) became the first coach to direct two different programs with double-digit seeds to a regional final. He guided #11 George Mason to 2006 Final Four.
- In 2025, Mississippi State became the first school to secure an at-large invitation three consecutive years despite posting a losing conference record.
- In 2025, Florida guard Alijah Martin became the first player to start in Final Four for two different schools. He previously did so with Florida Atlantic (2023).
Great Expectations: Coach K Failed Securing 1st Tourney Win Until Year 10
Coach Pat Kelsey guided Louisville to a tremendous turnaround season in 2024-25 in his inaugural campaign with the Cardinals, but an opening-round defeat in NCAA playoffs left him as nation's winningest active bench boss (288-130 in 13 years including Winthrop and College of Charleston) without any of the triumphs coming in national tourney. Unrealistic expectations spread like a virus across the country when a young pup such as Brad Stevens becomes a big dawg by winning 11 NCAA Tournament games in his first four seasons coaching mid-major Butler before departing for the NBA's Boston Celtics at the conclusion of the 2012-13 campaign. But many school administrations and boosters, unaware that UCLA legend John Wooden notched only one tourney triumph in his first 13 years with the Bruins, need to exercise a little patience in this era of instant gratification.
As a misguided media surveys landscape seeking another overnight success, they need to take a cue from ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, who is deemed an expert after winning a grand total of one NCAA playoff game in 22 years as a DI head coach. While ESPN canonizes coaches to secure exclusive interviews and extensive foundation donations, it should be pointed out power-league luminaries John Beilein (formerly West Virginia and Michigan), Tony Bennett (Virginia), Jim Boeheim (formerly Syracuse), Mike Brey (formerly Notre Dame), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Lon Kruger (formerly Kansas State, Florida, Illinois and Oklahoma), Mike Krzyzewski, (formerly Duke), Matt Painter (Purdue), Bill Self (Kansas) and Jay Wright (formerly Villanova) combined to lose in the NCAA playoffs this century against mid-majors Bradley, Bucknell, FDU, George Mason, Lehigh, Maryland-Baltimore County, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, Nevada, North Dakota State, Ohio University, Old Dominion, Rhode Island, Saint Mary's, Vermont, VCU, Wichita State and Winthrop. Some Purdue fans are annoyed Painter didn't reach the Final Four in his first 17 opportunities (no national tourney in 2020 because of COVID pandemic), but elite bench bosses Pete Carril, Marv Harshman and Mike Montgomery didn't even win an NCAA playoff game until at least their 17th campaign.
Starter-kit supporters for some schools should take a chill pill if their coach such as K's successor remains winless in NCAA Tournament competition. Krzyzewski was frustrated by the tourney long before losing against Mercer. Impatient supporters should take a long look at how long it took for the following alphabetical list of high-profile coaches, including all-time leader Krzyzewski, to secure their first NCAA playoff victory.
NOTE: Victories for retired Greer, McCarthy and Newton were the only one they posted in NCAA playoff participation.
College Exam: Day #1 Featuring One-and-Only NCAA Tourney Trivia Challenge
Unless you're busy hoarding toilet paper for the next Dr. Fraudci pandemic, siphoning gas or cowering in fetal position from college basketball version of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds "dark winter" waiting for Plagiarist Biledumb to finally do something incisive or traverse up Air Force One steps without trepidation, 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.
Well, is that your final answer? Do you have the wit, guile and endurance to be a "Survivor" answering 10 daily questions about "The Amazing Race" otherwise known as the NCAA Tournament?
Standardized testing is controversial, but it's time to put your NCAA playoff knowledge on the line and attempt a free shot at CollegeHoopedia.com's challenging tourney-time questions. Your "scoring ability" on these one-of-a-kind trivia quizzes will reflect retention of critical knowledge, jogging your memory, exhibiting your lack of attention to detail or revealing once and for all you didn't major in "Hoopology" or take an advanced course in Basketball History.
As you're aware, many participants in the NCAA playoffs believe it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Similarly, more and more all-around sports fans probably would pick the Final Four over the World Series and Super Bowl if they were forced to choose one of the prestigious events they could attend.
In accordance with that "one-and-only" theme, following are a treasure-trove of tantalizing NCAA Tournament trivia questions by CollegeHoopedia.com dealing with the only coach, conference, player or school to be linked to a distinguished or dubious achievement (click here for answers or conduct PhD degree-like research digesting historical morsels in CollegeHoopedia's year-by-year highlights):
1. Name the only NCAA champion to have three players eventually score more than 15,000 points apiece in the NBA. Hint: Each of the trio was named an All-American at least two seasons and helped the school compete in 27 consecutive NCAA playoffs.
2. Name the only NBA team to have two teammates go on to coach teams in the Final Four. Hint: They were among the top three scorers for their team the first three seasons in NBA history. Their team posted the best regular-season record in the league's inaugural campaign and participated in the 1949 NBA Finals.
3. Name the only state currently with at least 10 Division I schools never to send a team to the Final Four. Hint: Just one school from the state won any NCAA playoff games from 1974 through 1996.
4. Who is the only individual to play and coach in both the NCAA and NBA playoffs? Hint: He played for a 28-5 Oregon State playoff team and on the frontline of an NBA champion with Dolph Schayes and Red Kerr. The leading scorer for his NBA playoff team was Gene Shue and the leading scorer for his NCAA tourney team was Bob Nash.
5. Who is the only coach to direct teams to Final Fours in four different decades in the 20th Century? Hint: He is the only coach to lose more than seven Final Four games and his first three NCAA Tournament championship games. His Final Four defeats were by an average of 15 points.
6. Name the only school to lose against UCLA as many as four times during the Bruins' 38-game winning streak in the NCAA playoffs from 1964 to 1974. Hint: The subject school is one of six other than UCLA to successfully defend a national championship.
7. Name the only All-American to go winless in more than five NCAA Tournament games. Hint: He played for a school winning the NCAA championship earlier in the decade he appeared in the playoffs.
8. Name the only school to reach the Final Four despite compiling a losing record in conference competition and being eliminated in the first round of its league tournament. Hint: The school's leading scorer that year had the lowest team-leading scoring average of any Final Four team since Kansas '74 had five players average from 11.3 to 12.4 points per game. Moreover, it's the only school to have as many as four at-large bids to the tournament despite compiling losing records in league play.
9. Name the only school to be top-ranked entering back-to-back tournaments but lose both opening playoff games. Hint: Two of the team's starters played more than 10 years in the NBA and one of them was on a third team for the school that lost its opening playoff game as a No. 1 seed. One of the two starters was a consensus national player of the year.
10. Name the only top-ranked team to decline a berth in the NCAA playoffs since the AP started conducting polls in 1949. Hint: The school was unbeaten the year it rejected a bid, defeated the national champion-to-be by 13 points and had only two games closer than a 12-point decision.
Day 1 answers.
Power Failures: Majority of #1 Seeds Don't Win Power-Conference Tourneys
More than half of #1 seeds from each of the six power conferences (five now after Pac-12 disbanded) failed to win their respective league tournaments since the Big Ten introduced its postseason event in 1998. The Big Ten is the last power alliance to have its #1 seed win three consecutive postseason tourneys (2010 through 2012). Can you imagine the level of despair among fans of power-league members if the field didn't significantly expand commencing with a 32-team bracket adopted for the 1975 NCAA playoffs allowing teams other than the conference champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from same league? Despite the field subsequently more than doubling to 68, bubble-team dialogue is always a hot topic during conference tournament competition.
Blueblood programs such as Kansas and North Carolina have struggled from time to time as top dog in conference tourneys thus far in the 21st Century. KU was eliminated seven times as a top seed since 2002 while Carolina bowed out as #1 seed five times in 12-year span from 2001 through 2012 prior to doing so again this year as the ACC's #1 seed didn't win event for the fifth straight time.
Elsewhere, a total of eight #1 seeds in the Big East succumbed to foes seeded seventh or worse in a 15-year span from 2000 through 2014, helping to mitigate Providence's embarrassment for losing to #4 seed Creighton by a whopping 27 points (85-58) two seasons ago. PC's setback was the most lopsided for a #1 seed in a power league this century until Iowa State humiliated Houston by 28 points last season.
This campaign marked the fourth time in 21st Century for Wisconsin to defeat the Big Ten's #1 seed (2004-13-24-25). The Badgers would need to duplicate the feat next season to match Michigan's three consecutive years kayoing #1 from 2016 through 2018 with an average #7 seeding.
A total of five power-league #1 seeds faltered in seven different years this century (2002-03-05-09-12-21-24). Eleven of the last 15 #1 seeds in the Pac-12 Conference failed to win the league tourney. Following in reverse order are the top seeds losing in power-conference tournaments during the past 28 years (events cancelled in 2020 due to pandemic):
Year | Power-League #1 Seeds Failing to Win Conference Tournaments |
---|---|
2025 | Auburn (lost to #4 seed Tennessee in SEC) and Michigan State (#5 Wisconsin in Big Ten) |
2024 | Arizona (#4 Oregon in Pac-12), Houston (#2 Iowa State in Big 12), North Carolina (#10 North Carolina State in ACC), Purdue (#5 Wisconsin in Big Ten) and Tennessee (#9 Mississippi State in SEC) |
2023 | Kansas (#2 Texas in Big 12), Miami (#4 Duke in ACC) and UCLA (#2 Arizona in Pac-12) |
2022 | Auburn (#8 Texas A&M in SEC), Duke (#7 Virginia Tech in ACC), Illinois (#9 Indiana in Big Ten) and Providence (#4 Creighton in Big East) |
2021 | Baylor (#5 Oklahoma State in Big 12), Michigan (#5 Ohio State in Big Ten), Oregon (#5 Oregon State in Pac-12), Villanova (#8 Georgetown in Big East) and Virginia (#4 Georgia Tech advanced because of pandemic-related no contest in ACC) |
2020 | league tourneys cancelled due to pandemic considerations |
2019 | Kansas State (#5 Iowa State in Big 12), Louisiana State (#8 Florida in SEC), Virginia (#4 Florida State in ACC) and Washington (#6 Oregon in Pac-12) |
2018 | Auburn (#9 Alabama in SEC, Michigan State (#5 Michigan in Big Ten) and Xavier (#5 Providence in OT in Big East) |
2017 | Kansas (#8 Texas Christian in Big 12), North Carolina (#5 Duke in ACC), Oregon (#2 Arizona in Pac-12) and Purdue (#8 Michigan in OT in Big Ten) |
2016 | Indiana (#8 Michigan in Big Ten), Texas A&M (#2 Kentucky in OT in SEC) and Villanova (#3 Seton Hall in Big East) |
2015 | Kansas (#2 Iowa State in Big 12) and Virginia (#5 North Carolina in ACC) |
2014 | Arizona (#2 UCLA in Pac-12), Kansas (#4 Iowa State in Big 12), Michigan (#3 Michigan State in Big Ten) and Villanova (#8 Seton Hall in Big East) |
2013 | Florida (#3 Mississippi in SEC), Georgetown (#5 Syracuse in Big East), Indiana (#4 Wisconsin in Big Ten) and UCLA (#3 Oregon in Pac-12) |
2012 | Kansas (#4 Baylor in Big 12), Kentucky (#3 Vanderbilt in SEC), North Carolina (#3 Florida State in ACC), Syracuse (#4 Cincinnati in Big East) and Washington (#9 Oregon State in Pac-12) |
2011 | Alabama (#E2 Kentucky in SEC), Arizona (#3 Washington in Pac-10), Florida (#E2 Kentucky in SEC), North Carolina (#2 Duke in ACC) and Pittsburgh (#9 Connecticut in Big East) |
2010 | California (#3 Washington in Pac-10) and Syracuse (#8 Georgetown in Big East) |
2009 | Kansas (#9 Baylor in Big 12), Louisiana State (#W3 Mississippi State in SEC), Michigan State (#5 Ohio State in Big Ten), North Carolina (#4 Florida State in ACC), Tennessee (#W3 Mississippi State in SEC) and Washington (#4 Arizona State in Pac-10) |
2008 | Georgetown (#7 Pittsburgh in Big East), Mississippi State (#E6 Georgia in SEC), Tennessee (#W2 Arkansas in SEC) and Texas (#2 Kansas in Big 12) |
2007 | UCLA (#8 California in OT in Pac-10) |
2006 | Connecticut (#9 Syracuse in OT in Big East), Louisiana State (#E2 Florida in SEC), Ohio State (#2 Iowa in Big Ten), Tennessee (#E5 South Carolina in SEC) and Texas (#2 Kansas in Big 12) |
2005 | Alabama (#E2 Florida in SEC), Arizona (#2 Washington in Pac-10), Boston College (#8 West Virginia in Big East), Kentucky (#E2 Florida in SEC), North Carolina (#5 Georgia Tech in ACC) and Oklahoma (#4 Texas Tech in Big 12) |
2004 | Duke (#6 Maryland in ACC), Illinois (#2 Wisconsin in Big Ten) and Pittsburgh (#2 Connecticut in Big East) |
2003 | Arizona (#8 UCLA in OT in Pac-10), Kansas (#5 Missouri in Big 12), Wake Forest (#4 North Carolina State in ACC), Wisconsin (#8 Ohio State in Big Ten) and both divisional #1 seeds lost in semifinals in Big East |
2002 | Alabama (#W2 Mississippi State in SEC), Georgia (#W4 Louisiana State in SEC), Kansas (#2 Oklahoma in Big 12), Maryland (#4 North Carolina State in ACC), Oregon (#4 in Pac-10) and Wisconsin (#9 Iowa in Big Ten) |
2001 | Illinois (#4 Indiana in Big Ten), Iowa State (#8 Baylor in Big 12) and North Carolina (#2 Duke in ACC) |
2000 | Louisiana State (#W3 Arkansas in SEC), Ohio State (#9 Penn State in Big Ten), Syracuse (#9 Georgetown in Big East) and Tennessee (#E5 South Carolina in SEC) |
1999 | Auburn (#E2 Kentucky in SEC), Tennessee (#W4 Mississippi State in SEC) and Texas (#5 Oklahoma State in Big 12) |
1998 | Duke (#2 North Carolina in ACC) and Michigan State (#8 Minnesota in Big Ten) |
NOTE: A Pac-10 Tournament wasn't conducted for 11 years from 1991 through 2001.
Quantum Leap: Long Odds For Tournament Success as NCAA DI Newcomers
UC San Diego, High Point, Omaha and SIU-Edwardsville punched their first ticket to the Big Dance since moving up to NCAA Division I level. There have been a striking number of smaller schools over the decades make even more impressive transitions to big-time basketball.
An overwhelming majority of dreamy schools moving up in classification from the small-college ranks to the major-college level are little more than fodder for prominent universities seeking non-conference cupcakes to devour. Amid the moving-on-up carnage, Northern Kentucky became the fifth institution making a quantum leap by earning the right to participate in the NCAA Tournament four years ago in its inaugural eligible season at Division I level - joining Seattle (29-4 record in 1952-53), Morehead State (19-10 in 1955-56), Long Beach State (24-5 in 1969-70) and Southwestern Louisiana (25-4 in 1971-72). Incredibly, the first four of these schools won their DI tourney debut and returned to the NCAA playoffs the next season, too.
Long Beach and USL each compiled a 25-4 mark in the 1971-72 campaign. USL's 90-83 victory over visiting LBSU early that season might have been one of the best inter-sectional matchups few people ever heard about or remember. Long Beach swingman Ed Ratleff and USL guard Bo Lamar became the only set of former high school teammates (Columbus, Ohio) named NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans in the same season. They achieved the feat again the next year.
USL (subsequently known as Louisiana-Lafayette and University of Louisiana), powered by Lamar and two other future pros (Roy Ebron and Fred Saunders), became the only one of this rare quartet to qualify for the national semifinals in its final season sporting small-school status. The Ragin' Cajuns were upended by national champion-to-be Evansville in the 1971 College Division Tournament. Evansville, sparked by guard Don Buse, was the host school for the Division II tourney from 1957 through 1976. Lamar collected 35 points and 11 assists while Ebron amassed 33 points and 20 rebounds in USL's 112-101 victory against Marshall in the first round of 1972 Midwest Regional when the Cajuns scored the most points in tourney history for a school in its first DI playoff game.
USL, which also won its 1973 NCAA DI tourney opener, was prohibited from fielding a team for two seasons (1973-74 and 1974-75) as part of sanctions stemming from an NCAA probation. UNLV failed to appear in the NCAA playoffs in the Rebels' first five years at the DI level. Following is a summary of where LBSU, USL and SDSU rank amid the quickest successful transitions by DI neophytes (appeared in DI tourney at least once in first seven campaigns):
Rank | School | 1st DI Season | Summary of Prompt DI Tournament Success |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Seattle | 1952-53 | Appeared in NCAA Division I Tournament first four seasons through 1955-56 before finishing national runner-up in 1958. |
2. | Long Beach State | 1969-70 | Participated in tourney each of first four seasons at DI level. |
3. | Jacksonville | 1966-67 | National runner-up in 1970 en route to three tourney appearances in four-year span after missing event first three seasons. |
4. | UAB | 1978-79 | Seven consecutive tourney appearances from 1981 through 1987 after missing first two seasons. |
5. | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1971-72 | Won tourney games each of first two seasons at DI level before facing two seasons of exile as a penalized program. |
6. | Morehead State | 1955-56 | Competed first two major-college years in national tourney and three of first six seasons. |
7. | UNC Charlotte | 1972-73 | Reached Final Four in 1977 after missing tourney first four seasons. |
8. | Alcorn State | 1977-78 | Appeared in DI tourney four times in five years first half of 1980s after missing first two seasons at that level. |
9. | Old Dominion | 1976-77 | Four tourney appearances in seven-year span from 1980 through 1986 after missing first three seasons. |
10. | Missouri State | 1982-83 | Four consecutive tourney appearances from 1987 through 1990 after missing first four seasons. |
11. | College of Charleston | 1989-90 | Appeared in tourney four times in six-year span from 1994 through 1999 after missing first four seasons. |
12. | South Dakota State | 2008-09 | Participated in seven of previous 12 DI tourneys (no event in 2020) after moving up in classification and missing playoffs first six campaigns. |
13. | James Madison | 1976-77 | Three straight tourney appearances from 1981 through 1983 after missing first four seasons. |
14. | Marist | 1981-82 | Back-to-back playoff appearances in 1986 and 1987 after missing first four seasons. |
Fall-Americans: Why Do Schools Take Risks Simply to Post Few More Wins?
Recent arrest of Marcus Denmon (Missouri All-American guard in 2011-12) raises questions as to why many university administrators and big-name coaches fail to take the definition of student-athlete a mite more seriously than they have for decades. Denmon was arrested with his younger brother on charges related to an armed robbery in Tulsa in January. The victim said she was preparing to travel to a friend's bachelorette party when ambushed by the men, who reportedly took more than $16,000 in cash and belongings from her.
A striking number of schools are willing to take risks to try to keep up with the Basketball Jones' Top 10 rather than simply be ranked in Top 25 or reach NCAA playoff field of 68. In order to win a few more games and enhance prospects of advancing to the Final Four, they are willing to accept too many marginal "necessary-obligation" problems even worse than reports of James Harden (Arizona State) exotically partying during COVID pandemic.
College hoopdom would be a certifiable _ _ _ _hole if notorious criminals David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo, John Wayne Gacy, Donald Harvey, Ted Kacynski, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, Dennis Rader, Richard Ramirez and Wayne Williams had been 4- or 5-star recruits. Coaches, seemingly recruiting anyone with a pulse if they exhibit hoop skills, expect us to believe prize prospects arrive on campus as authentic student-athletes knowing precisely how to assemble class schedule without silver-platter input citing no-risk-to-eligibility courses. Any "stable genius" knows nothing could be further from the truth amid the institutional self-interest. What was the average SAT score differential between the Fall-Americans acknowledged below and the everyday student attending same institution?
For decades, this scholastic sham has been stacking up as a farce devaluing many diplomas and denigrating the mission of higher education. Sixty-eight is a magic number when it comes to participating in the NCAA Tournament. But it becomes a tragic number when a significantly higher total of the following All-Americans plummeted from their lofty pedestal:
Lew Alcindor, UCLA (coached by John Wooden) - Two-time national player of the year in late 1960s ran into trouble with law over marijuana twice in two years at the turn of 21st Century (paid fine after surrendering small amount to officers at Toronto airport and arrested on suspicion of driving under influence). Ridiculously compared national anthem to slave songs when he probably should have been worried a mite more about a son, Adam Abdul-Jabbar, who was charged in late summer 2020 with stabbing a neighbor with a hunting knife during an argument over trash cans.
Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech (Bobby Cremins) - Despite earning close to $63 million in his NBA career, NCAA unanimous All-American in 1990-91 declared bankruptcy shortly after retiring in 2005. "When you're an athlete, there is always someone holding your hand, helping you get it done, guiding your every step," said Anderson, who had seven children from five different women. "But that NBA lifestyle isn't real. It can gobble you up. And it did me." Anderson was fired from his coaching job at a small Jewish high school in south Florida following his arrest in Pembroke Pines, Fla., at about 4:30 a.m. in late April 2013 after police allegedly saw him driving in and out of his lane. He also was arrested in Miranar, Fla., in mid-December 2011 after leaving the scene following crashing his vehicle into two trees along a swale. In a documentary (Mr. Chibbs), Anderson said he was sexually molested by a Queens neighbor during his childhood.
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - Arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at 4 a.m. in mid-April 2008 after one of his worst games of the season in Denver. He was suspended for 25 contests during the 2006-07 campaign for punching New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins in the face during one of the NBA's worst brawls. All-American as freshman in 2002-03 took up the mantle of "stop snitchin'" movement, appearing in an underground DVD circulated in his hometown of Baltimore in 2004 encouraging those who are questioned by the police to refuse to "snitch" on drug dealers, murderers and other criminals. Suspended for one game without pay midway through the 2012-13 campaign for confronting an opposing player (Boston's Kevin Garnett) multiple times (in arena tunnel, near players' locker rooms and in parking garage) following a loss against the Celtics.
Ron Artest, St. John's (Fran Fraschilla and Mike Jarvis) - Authorities arrested him in early March 2007 after a woman called 911 from his five-acre Sacramento estate saying she had been assaulted. Deputies arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence and using force or violence to prevent his victim from reporting a crime. Five years earlier, he was ordered to attend anger management classes after another girlfriend (mother of one of his children) filed assault charges against him. His temper flared in 2003 at New York's Madison Square Garden when he smashed a video monitor valued at $100,000. He drew six suspensions in the 2002-03 season and two in the 2003-04 campaign. On November 19, 2004, at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.), Artest went into the stands igniting a melee with the crowd and subsequently received the longest suspension in NBA history for an infraction not linked to drugs or gambling (86 games: 73 regular season and 13 postseason). All-Big East Conference first-team selection as a sophomore in 1998-99 changed his name to Metta World Peace in mid-September 2011.
Charles Barkley, Auburn (Sonny Smith) - Three-time All-SEC selection from 1981-82 through 1983-84 was arrested for breaking a man's nose during a fight at 2:30 A.M. just before Christmas in 1991 after a game at Milwaukee and also for throwing a bar patron through a plate-glass window in late October 1997 after being struck with a glass of ice while in Orlando for an exhibition game. In August 1997, a jury rejected a $550,000 lawsuit from a man who claimed Barkley beat him up at a Cleveland nightclub. Charges were dropped against Barkley and fellow NBA player Jayson Williams stemming from an accusation they were in a bar fight in Chicago in 1992. Compulsive gambler said in an ESPN interview in May 2006 that he lost approximately $10 million through gambling, including $2.5 million "in a six-hour period" while playing blackjack. The Wynn Las Vegas resort filed a civil complaint in May 2008 that Barkley failed to repay four $100,000 casino markers, or loans, received the previous October. He took a leave of absence from TNT Sports' broadcast booth in early 2009 after test results showed he was legally drunk (nearly twice the legal limit) on New Year's Eve when Phoenix police arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving. Barkley, who triggered a national debate with his "I am not a role model" proclamation, told police he was in a hurry to go have sex from a female passenger he had just picked up from a popular nightclub.
Marvin Barnes, Providence (Dave Gavitt) - Unanimous first-team All-American in 1973-74 was arrested for a variety of things - trespassing, being under the influence of narcotics, burglary of a locked vehicle. Homeless in San Diego, he stole X-rated videos to sell for drug money. He claimed his cocaine addiction escalated to the point where he snorted the drug on the Boston Celtics' bench during a game. Barnes contends he hit rock bottom during one of his drug-related prison stints when he almost killed a fellow inmate. Barnes attended the John Lucas Treatment Center in Houston and worked as a director at a halfway house before encountering liver problems. In mid-May 2007, he was arrested by state police on a felony charge of cocaine possession. In mid-January 2012, Barnes, 59, was arraigned in Rhode Island on a charge of soliciting a 17-year-old minor for sex after they met through his Rebound Foundation for at-risk youths. In 1972, he was charged with assault after allegedly hitting PC teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron following a scrimmage. Barnes once asked Providence Journal columnist Bill Reynolds if cocaine kills brain cells before saying: "I must have been a genius when I started out." While incarcerated, Barnes also told Reynolds: "Here I am trying to get myself straightened out and they come out with a brand-new drug (crystal meth)."
Michael Beasley, Kansas State (Frank Martin) - In the first week of August 2013, the 2007-08 first-team All-American had his fourth public run-in involving marijuana in some capacity since entering the NBA. As a rookie with the Miami Heat in 2008 before being considered expendable when the franchise cleared cap room to pursue LeBron James, he was fined $50,000 by the NBA after acknowledging he was involved in an incident involving a couple of other players at a rookie symposium in New York (they were found in a room at the resort with two women - violating NBA policy for the event - and security personnel said the scent of marijuana was detected). Checked himself into a Houston rehab center in the summer of 2009 after there was a photo of Beasley with a bag of what was assumed as pot on a table in front of him that made its way around the internet. Arrested in late-January 2013 in Scottsdale, Ariz., for multiple traffic violations (including driving on a suspended license and speeding), Beasley was investigated for an alleged sexual assault committed earlier that month. His AAU coach, Curtis Malone, was arrested in mid-August 2013 and charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin two decades after he was convicted for distributing crack cocaine in 1991. Malone is the step-father of former Duke All-American Nolan Smith.
William Bedford, Memphis State (Dana Kirk) - All-American as a junior in 1985-86 was arrested in February 2001 after Taylor, Mich., police said they found 25 pounds of marijuana in his car. Subsequently served time in a Fort Worth, Tex., prison on drug-related charges. In 1987, he was subpoenaed by a Maricopa County (Ariz.) grand jury investigating drug use among Phoenix Suns players and testified against his teammates after receiving immunity. In March 1988, Bedford admitted he was addicted to cocaine and marijuana and was committed to the NBA's treatment facility in Van Nuys, Calif. Known as "Willie B" - as in "Will he be at practice?" - Bedford relapsed the following October and was readmitted to the clinic. When he returned, his behavior on and off the court grew more erratic. He received a dozen traffic tickets and 10 license suspensions in less than four years. In September 1997, Bedford, who was on three years probation at the time, tested positive for cocaine and was sent to a Texas state jail for one year. Also arrested in Texas for failing to pay more than $300,000 in child support.
Ron Behagen, Minnesota (Bill Musselman) - All-American as a senior in 1972-73 was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to stealing money from a 68-year-old Atlanta woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and dementia. Behagen, receiving the woman's ATM card from her caretaker, withdrew $7,140 from the woman's bank account in 40 transactions the spring of 2011 with all of the them recorded on surveillance cameras.
Charlie Bell, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Third arrest of 2011 came in December when he showed up drunk to the court hearing regarding his previous arrest, an October 2011 DUI. All-American point guard as senior in 2000-01 was also arrested for DUI in February of same year. His estranged wife, a former Miss Michigan USA, was arrested in spring of 2011 for allegedly stabbing Bell with a box cutter.
Benoit Benjamin, Creighton (Willis Reed) - Arrested in hometown of Monroe, La., in spring of 2008 and charged with simple battery and resisting arrest following a domestic disturbance at his house. Big Ben, the nation's second-leading rebounder in 1984-85, was also reportedly ordered by a local judge to pay more than $500,000 in back child support. In 1993, domestic violence charges against Benjamin were dropped because prosecutors were unable to contact the alleged victim. Arrested three times for marijuana possession from 2009 to 2015. Also arrested for speeding in May of 1986 after purchasing a maroon BMW sedan.
Len Bias, Maryland (Lefty Driesell) - It was one of those moments when time seemed to stand still. The fallout stemming from the All-American forward's cocaine-induced death just four days after the 1986 NBA draft included the ouster of long-time Terrapins coach Lefty Driesell. Bias had become the only individual named ACC player of the year although his team had a losing league record (6-8 mark to finish in sixth place). Four and half years later, Bias' younger brother, Jay, a former Allegany Community College (Md.) forward after failing to measure up to DI scholarship academic standards, was shot and killed in the parking lot following an argument at a jewelry store in a local mall.
Mike Bibby, Arizona (Lute Olson) - All-American as sophomore in 1997-98 was investigated by police in late February 2019 amid sexual-abuse harassment accusations made against him while coaching his high alma mater (winning five state titles in six years). Bibby exited his position following the allegations.
Chauncey Billups, Colorado (Joe Harrington and Ricardo Patton) - All-American as sophomore in 1996-97 was sued along with Boston Celtics teammate Ron Mercer for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court. Pleaded guilty with a college teammate to misdemeanor theft in March 1996 after taking video rental coupons from book covers in the campus bookstore.
Nate Blackwell, Temple (John Chaney) - Drug dependency cost him his profession, marriage, legacy and future. Unable to work after doctors found a tumor pressing against his adrenal gland, All-American in 1986-87 went back to live with his parents in the Philly row home where he grew up.
Daron "Mookie" Blaylock, Oklahoma (Billy Tubbs) - Busted in 1997 when drug sniffing dogs uncovered marijuana on him in a Vancouver, Canada airport. Second-team All-American was arrested around 4 a.m. in early March 1989 and charged with public drunkenness following a report of an argument at a convenience store. He was charged with vehicular homicide arising from a head-on crash killing a mother of five in suburban Atlanta in late May 2013. Blaylock, accused of driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain his lane in the crash, was also wanted on charges of failure to appear in court, DUI and drug possession. Bond was set at $250,000 stemming from a criminal record including six DUIs in a six-year span from late 2007 to late 2013 (one when blood alcohol content was 4 1/2 times legal limit) before he pleaded guilty (term reduced to seven years - suspended after three - and eight years' probation according to a plea deal). Prior to the crash, a doctor had ordered Blaylock (treated for seizures) not to drive, prosecutors said. A former Hawks ball-boy told SI that Blaylock was stoned a large part of the time he played for Atlanta after spending many game days at a strip club.
Dick Boushka, St. Louis (Eddie Hickey) - The 1956 Olympian rose to chief executive of the Vickers oil company and eventually got into real estate development. But in December 2002, the Billikens' All-American in 1954-55 pleaded guilty in federal court in Wichita, Kan., to defrauding a bank of more than $17 million. Boushka, sentenced to 70 months in prison for his white-collar crimes, admitted that he made false statements inducing the bank to make several large loans to him in 1998. He also admitted cheating another businessman out of $1.5 million.
Miles Bridges, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 2017-18 faced felony domestic violence charge in summer of 2022 after accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children. Bridges, who is also a rapper under the name RTB MB, previously was fined $50,000 for striking a fan with mouthpiece.
Luther "Ticky" Burden, Utah (Bill Foster and Jerry Pimm) - Sentenced in August 1984 to the two years he already served in an update New York prison stemming from his involvement in a bank robbery of $18,000 in Hempstead, N.Y., in 1980 just five blocks from his house. Originally sentenced to six to 18 years after three associates struck deals with the state and testified against him. But he was released when a court ruled that police didn't have a search warrant when they raided his home. Upon release, he bounced back by promoting concerts and overseeing his own financial consulting company. Longtime counselor at a YWCA near his Winston-Salem, N.C., home. Burden was an All-American as a junior in 1974-75 before leaving college early for the pros.
Howard Carter, Louisiana State (Dale Brown) - Charged in the spring of 1995 with buying and using drugs after French police arrested him and seized a dose of heroin. He was arrested with five suspected drug dealers in the stairwell of a building shortly before his team was slated to play. Carter, a two-time All-American who averaged 15.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for LSU from 1979-80 through 1982-83 and appeared in the 1981 Final Four, took out French citizenship and played for the country's national team.
Rex Chapman, Kentucky (Eddie Sutton) - All-American as a sophomore in 1987-88 was arrested in September 2014 for allegedly shoplifting $14,000 worth of merchandise a total of nine times from an Apple store and then selling the items at a pawnshop for $5,460. Ten days following his arrest, Chapman checked himself into a substance-abuse treatment program in Louisville reportedly trying to break an addiction to a drug that helps wean people off opiates. It was his third stint in rehab for prescription narcotics since retiring as a player.
Derrick Chievous, Missouri (Norm Stewart) - All-American as a junior in 1986-87 was charged with felony stealing in May, 2001, for allegedly taking items from the United Parcel Service terminal in Columbia, Mo., where he had worked for nine months after playing in the NBA and Europe. Chievous, who had been under investigation for months regarding possible theft, allegedly fled from managers while carrying stolen items. In 1997, he was arrested for failure to pay child support. "I'm not the marrying type," said Chievous, who had daughters in his college town plus Philadelphia and Chicago. "I'm not always the greatest dad. But I'm the best dad they've got."
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Two-time Big Ten Conference MVP and 2000 Final Four MOP was arrested in mid-March 2010 on suspicion of drunken driving but ended up leading to careless driving. Acquitted of sexual assault charges in late summer 2019 after accused of false imprisonment by intoxicated woman who said she was driven in his Cadillac SUV to a Knights Inn and attacked four years earlier following a Flint-area charity golf outing and trip to local bar for drinks. A surveillance video showed Cleaves, clad only in socks, pulling the near-naked woman back to a motel room twice. Three-time All-American faced misdemeanor charges of stealing beer while in college but that case eventually was dropped.
Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - The Big East Conference's 1990 MVP was stopped in Farmington Hills, Mich., at 3:30 a.m. in late July 2002 for speeding (120 mph in a 70 mph zone) and taken into custody after refusing a breathalyzer test. Arrested in late October 1999 in Charlotte for driving while under the influence after the vehicle he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. A couple of months earlier, he was accused of urinating in front of patrons at a downtown Detroit Chinese restaurant and charged with disorderly conduct. Coleman also faced a civil lawsuit in Michigan in which he was accused of trespassing and battery at a Detroit woman's home in 1997. In summer of 1995, he was arrested and charged with refusing to move his truck and swearing at a police officer in Detroit. Despite earning an estimated $87 million in his NBA career, he owed creditors $4.7 million after a series of poor real estate investments in Detroit. NBA Crime Library, which tracks police blotters, claims Coleman's seven arrests while an active player is a record for the league. In college, Coleman was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to make restitution for damage after pleading guilty to charges of harassment and disorderly conduct at a campus dance.
Sherron Collins, Kansas (Bill Self) - In June 2008, months after KU won the NCAA title, a judge ruled in favor of a woman he allegedly sexually assaulted in an elevator the previous year, granting damages in excess of $75,000 in a civil suit. A 35-year-old woman said she was unable to continue working at the Jayhawker Towers because of an incident where Collins was accused of exposing himself and rubbing against her despite being told repeatedly to stop. Collins, a two-time All-American in subsequent seasons, denied the assault but was a no-show at the hearing. The accuser later dropped the lawsuit for mental and physical problems when Collins agreed to drop his counterclaim of defamation.
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky (John Calipari) - All-American as a freshman in 2009-10 faced an arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charge in late August 2019 before harassment allegation was dropped three months later. A former girlfriend in Mobile, Ala., sought a restraining order against him after she said in court documents and a police report that he threatened her (regarding not letting their son attend his wedding in Atlanta) and had previously choked her. The woman alleged Cousins said he would put a "bullet in (her) f---ing head" during a telephone argument. Cousins also avoided charges in the aftermath of a brawl at a New York City nightclub in December 2016. At the Olympics in August 2016, he and a couple other Team USA members were caught going to notorious high-end brothel near the Copacabana beach in Rio before team explanation that "they thought it was a health spa."
Quintin Dailey, San Francisco (Dan Belluomini and Pete Barry) - All-American season in 1981-82 was marred by him pleading guilty to aggravated assault of a nursing student in a dormitory (sentenced to three years' probation and paid settlement of $100,000). A document in the case revealed that the two-time WCC Player of the Year accepted $1,000 per month from USF boosters for a summer job the Baltimore native did not have to do, sparking the termination of the school's basketball program for three seasons. Dailey gained 30 pounds in a single NBA season, twice violated the league's drug policy, attempted suicide and took leaves of absence for psychiatric care. "I had to learn life by trial and error as I went along. I erred a lot," Dailey told the Los Angeles Times before dying in Las Vegas at the age of 49 because of a heart ailment.
Dwight Davis, Houston (Guy Lewis) - At one point, the 1971-72 All-American found himself complacent living in a shed as long as he could continue to feed his addiction. When illegal activities eventually got the best of him, Davis was placed in jail on drug-related charges. After serving six months in jail, Davis cleaned up his act once and for all, joining AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) on his way to recovery.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Louisiana State (John Brady) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2006 Final Four team as SEC Player of the Year was arrested at a Hampton Inn in Baltimore suburb in early February 2018 with a quarter of a pound of marijuana and $92,000 in cash.
Walt "Corky" Devlin, George Washington (Bill Reinhart) - Compulsive gambler, married to a regular singer on the Arthur Godfrey Show, consistently stole money from his family and was penniless when migrating to a Trappist monastery in Kentucky. His addiction is depicted in a book about him called "In Search of Corky." All-American in 1954-55 was jailed in California after acting as a strikebreaker for a union. Treated for mental depression, he made an appearance on the Phil Donahue Show about Gambler's Anonymous. Said Devlin: "When I gamble, it's like play money. It doesn't matter if I win or lose. The thrill is there either way."
Jay Edwards, Indiana (Bob Knight) - Less than a month after forgoing his remaining two seasons of eligibility, the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1988-89 was charged with two preliminary counts of battery following an accusation by a woman that he slapped and punched her at a party in late April 1989. He missed time for academic reasons as a freshman and failed a drug test in fall of his sophomore campaign. Suspended for violating NBA drug policy in spring of 1990.
Kahlil "Kay" Felder, Oakland (Greg Kampe) - Horizon League Player of the Year in 2015-16 was booked in early December of 2018 amid allegations of domestic violence.
Raymond Felton, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2004-05 was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted knowingly having a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a pistol without a license in his Manhattan apartment. The attorney for his estranged wife turned a semiautomatic firearm into police in late February 2014 after alleging Felton used gun to "intimidate" her during domestic disputes.
Marcus Fizer, Iowa State (Tim Floyd) - NCAA consensus first-team All-American in 1999-00 pleaded guilty in August 2004 to carrying a loaded handgun in his automobile and was sentenced to probation for a year and fined $2,500. Two years earlier, Fizer was also charged with a felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was one of the most-heavily tattooed players in the NBA with more than 30.
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Leading scorer for 1982 NCAA Tournament runner-up was arrested in early January 1996 in a Houston suburb on charge of misdemeanor assault after a fight with his wife.
Phil Ford, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Four-time All-American from 1974-75 through 1977-78 was arrested in fall of 1999 and charged with drunken driving for the second time in 25 months. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and entered a treatment center for the second time.
Chet Forte, Columbia (Lou Rossini) - ABC Sports' top director was humbled by a gambling sickness that left him $1.5 million in debt and with legal problems that almost sent him to prison. In March 1992, he was given five years' probation, ordered to perform 400 hours of community service, make restitution of past debts and pay $39,000 in back federal taxes. Forte was named UPI's national player of the year in 1956-57.
Joe Forte, North Carolina (Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty) - Maryland state police arrested him in early May, 2003, after finding marijuana and a handgun in his car on a trip back from New York, where he met his idol, rapper Jay-Z. Two-time All-ACC guard (1999-00 and 2000-01) also faced an assault charge when he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game. Questions linger about his mother being hired by the sports agency he subsequently affiliated with upon leaving school early.
Steve Francis, Maryland (Gary Williams) - J.C. recruit and All-American in 1998-99 was taken into custody in early October 2010 at Los Angeles International Airport for resisting arrest. He appeared intoxicated and was creating a stir at a ticket counter. Five months earlier, a 20-year-old woman on his record label filed a groping complaint against him. In mid-November 2016, Francis was arrested in Houston and charged with felony retaliation for allegedly threatening a police officer, misdemeanor DWI plus possession of marijuana after he was stopped for speeding.
Jason Gardner, Arizona (Lute Olsen) - Leader in assists and runner-up in steals for 2001 national runner-up prior to becoming an All-American the next two seasons was dismissed after five campaigns as IUPUI head coach in late August 2019 after being apprehended intoxicated at 4:30 a.m. asleep behind the wheel of his Nissan.
Jack "Goose" Givens, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall) - Final Four MVP in 1978 found not guilty following arrest during summer of 2004 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation of 14-year-old girl after giving her a private basketball lesson at her home while parents were away. Givens acknowledged "bad judgment" via instant-message conversations with the girl, some involving sexual topics, and apologized for "whatever she assumed I did" during a taped phone call with her. A police affidavit said the girl's grandmother was at the home, called the girl's mother twice at her work to report what she thought was inappropriate behavior in the swimming pool and later called the girl out of her bedroom out of concern for her well-being. After first 14 years of the franchise, Givens' contract as a color analyst for the Orlando Magic was not renewed.
Ben Gordon, Connecticut (Jim Calhoun) - Arrested during 2002-03 season for allegedly slapping a female student. Fiancee Sascha Smith was involved in an early-morning brawl at a Charlotte nightclub in mid-December 2012 that landed Tyrus Thomas' wife in jail. Four run-ins with the law in six-month span in 2017 (arrested in early June after allegedly pulling multiple fire alarms at his L.A. apartment complex, hospitalized for a psych evaluation in his hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., in October after cops responded to a confrontation he had with a woman at his sports rehab center-owned business, arrested in mid-November in New York City for driving with forged license plate and arrested in late November for felony robbery of apartment manager over his security deposit).
Ed Gray, Tennessee (Wade Houston)/California (Todd Bozeman and Ben Braun) - Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1996-97 was charged in Atlanta in late March, 1999, with drug possession and driving under the influence.
Spencer Haywood, Detroit (Bob Calihan) - All-American in 1968-69 when J.C. recruit led nation in rebounding (21.5 rpg) became addicted to cocaine. After all-night binge smoking crack, he needed to take the edge off before practice the next day. After taking a few Quaaludes and falling into a coma-like sleep during team stretching exercise at Lakers practice for a 1980 Finals match-up against Philly. Coked-out Haywood concocted plan with dubious Detroit deadheads to have his coach murdered but went no further than scoping out Paul Westhead's residence.
Luther Head, Illinois (Bill Self and Bruce Weber) - Leading scorer for 2005 national runner-up was suspended four games with a couple of teammates for being among individuals in a fall 2003 burglary entering an apartment and pilfering as much as $3,000 worth of goods. He also sat out Big Ten Conference opener in 2003-04 following arrest on charges of driving on a suspended license.
Joe Hobbs, Florida (John Mauer) - All-American guard as a senior in 1957-58 was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison in mid-June 1988. Indiana native was convicted of more than two dozen counts of grand theft stemming from insurance fraud, violating his probation and then escaping from a prison work-release center.
Byron Houston, Oklahoma State (Leonard Hamilton and Eddie Sutton) - The Cowboys' all-time leading scorer (2,374 points from 1988-89 through 1991-92) pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent exposure in 2003 and became a registered sex offender. In mid-September, 2007, he was sentenced to four years in prison for violating probation on an indecent exposure conviction in his hometown of Oklahoma City. Defense witnesses said Houston suffered from bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Charged with one count of cruelty to animals in the summer of 2011.
Allen Iverson, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - In the summer of 2002, he was charged with assault and other offenses for forcing his way into a Philadelphia apartment with a gun and threatening two men while looking for his wife. He was also sued for his part in a nightclub brawl in Washington in 2005. Iverson's wife, Tawanna, filed for divorce in early March 2010, a week after AI, beset by alcohol and gambling issues, left the 76ers. A judge used the signing of a $3 million divorce decree settlement as a moment to let Iverson know he felt his role as a father to the couple's five children was deplorable and suggested he was an alcoholic. He had been banished from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City. NBA Rookie of the Year was arrested in the summer of 1997 for possession of a handgun and marijuana near Richmond, Va. As a teenager, he was arrested in a Hampton, Va., bowling alley brawl in 1993 and spent four months in prison before then-Gov. Douglas Wilder granted clemency, allowing him to enroll at Georgetown, where he became a first-team All-American as a sophomore in 1995-96. His defacto father spent a good portion of his adult life in and out of prison for dealing crack cocaine. Iverson, a rapper wannabee, performed a song on his CD containing the following words: "Man enough to pull a gun, be man enough to squeeze it." After squandering more than $150 million in NBA salary, Iverson was ordered by a judge in Georgia in mid-February 2012 to pay $860,000 he apparently owed a jeweler. Since Iverson didn't have the cash to pay the jeweler, the judge ordered his bank accounts commandeered and his earnings garnished. Iverson's Atlanta mansion was sold in a foreclosure auction in early February 2013. A Sixers teammate said Iverson routinely spent $30-40G at strip clubs.
Josh Jackson, Kansas (Bill Self) - All-American as freshman in 2016-17 was charged with one count of criminal damage to property for causing more than $1,000 worth of damage kicking an auto at 2 a.m. in early December 2016 when a female student threw a drink in teammate LaGerald Vick's face. In an affidavit, the victim, a women's hooper for KU, told police Jackson followed her to the car outside a club and "was yelling for her to get out of the car and that he would beat her ass." In mid-May 2019, Jackson was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and escape at a hip-hop music festival in Miami Gardens (charges reduced to misdemeanor by enrolling in six-month diversion program). In June 2019, Detroit native was accused of using marijuana around his infant daughter according to her mother 19 years older than father.
Mark Jackson, St. John's (Lou Carnesecca) - In the summer of 2012, a salacious story unfolded as a stripper and co-conspirator were busted for a purported $200,000 extortion plot against Jackson, who moonlighted as a minister at a LA suburb-based non-denominational church, for sending compromising nude photographs during a 2006 affair. The NCAA assists average leader in 1985-86 and All-American as senior in 1986-87 "shimmied off" being called "a Bible-pounding phony" by ESPN colleague Bob Ryan when the network suspended the venerable ex-Boston Globe columnist, not "Action" Jackson, for a couple of weeks.
Marques Johnson, UCLA (John Wooden and Gene Bartow) - Two-time All-American in mid-1970s was arrested in late July 1988 on suspicion of beating his wife during an argument. Nine months after Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in fall of 1984, they filed suit in federal court to nullify the transaction because the Milwaukee Bucks had not told them about him undergoing treatment at a drug rehabilitation center.
Bernard King, Tennessee (Ray Mears) - Three-time SEC MVP in the mid-1970s had numerous encounters with the law, including theft of TV from UT's athletic center, before arrest in 1980 on charges of assaulting a woman in his apartment. Recognized as youngest NBA player (23) arrested four times. He also faced an assault charge in 1994 after a woman accused him of choking her and was arrested for spousal abuse in late October 2004 (charge dropped per counseling agreement).
Christian Laettner, Duke (Mike Krzyzewski) - NCAA national player of the year in 1991-92 was suspended for five NBA games in 2003-04 after violating the league's drug policy. Sued multiple times for failure to repay loans, including $671,309 owed to former teammate Johnny Dawkins. In 2010, Laettner's attorney said his client had $10 million in assets and $40 million in debt. His $3.65 million mansion outside Jacksonville, Fla., was foreclosed on in 2015. In the fall of 2016, a federal judge dismissed an involuntary bankruptcy case against him (five creditors claimed they were among those owed $14.05 million) after he reached a repayment deal his lawyer said should bring a decade of financial woes to a close. He earned $61 million as an NBA player.
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2008-09 when reaching Final Four for second season in a row was arrested in an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in mid-August 2013. In mid-July 2015, he was arrested for DUI for the fourth time in an eight-year span and subsequently served two DUI-related suspensions during the first half of the 2015-16 NBA campaign.
Lewis Lloyd, Drake (Bob Ortegel) - Beset by cocaine problems triggering a ban from the NBA in 1987. The previous year, the Stouffer Hotel Corporation sued him for an unpaid bill of more than $49,000 that had been charged to his room during a stay at one of its Houston hotels. He also was arrested in the spring of 1990 for nonpayment of child support.
Kevin Loder, Alabama State (James Oliver) - All-American in 1980-81 was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1994 for dealing cocaine. "The addiction undermined anything I tried to do," he said.
Steve Logan, Cincinnati (Bob Huggins) - All-American guard in 2001-02 when tying for 12th in nation in scoring with 22 ppg pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic violence stemming from mid-May 2009 incident involving his long-time girlfriend. Rape charges were dismissed against Cleveland native stemming from incident in early August 2009 after prosecutors determined there were too many inconsistencies with the case.
Stephon Marbury, Georgia Tech (Bobby Cremins) - In 2000, he told the NYPD a 24-inch diamond necklace worth $150,000 was stolen from him at gunpoint in Manhattan. He was arrested on an extreme DUI charge in 2002 after an Arizona officer saw his car weaving on the road. As a witness in a sexual harassment trial involving the New York Knicks' front office, he admitted to having sex in a SUV with an intern. A New York judge sided with his personal chef/mistress to pony up more than remaining $330,000 plus interest of $900,000 in "hush money" he promised in writing to keep his chick-on-the-side quiet. All-American in his only college campaign in 1995-96 opened up for an episode of HBO's Real Sports about a depressing dark time in his life including 24-hour live-streaming himself crying and eating Vaseline in the summer of 2009. According to SI, Marbury's wife said he stayed in bed all day eating Fruity Pebbles, isolating himself after frequent travails with the Knicks, the death of his father in 2007 and discontinuance of his "Starbury" discount sneaker company (logo tattooed on side of his head). In another internet video posted by TMZ, Marbury got blunt yucking it up while smoking marijuana. "I'm not under contract," he said. "I smoke weed occasionally. I'm not driving. I'm following the rules."
Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State (Gene Smithson) - All-American in 1984-85 when leading nation in scoring and rebounding was charged in March 1986 with assaulting his then-wife (charge dropped after agreeing to family counseling for anger management). In late summer 1996, he was charged with domestic-violence assault against his girlfriend (accused of choking her and preventing 911 call).
Cliff Meely, Colorado (Sox Walseth) - All-American in 1970-71 was charged in Boulder, Colo., in 1985 with possession of cocaine and two counts of selling the drug to an undercover officer. "I tried to distract myself from problems by using drugs and becoming an addict," Meely said. "After getting caught, they gave me treatment, classes, specialists, etc. My doctors taught me about the harm of drugs, and they were able to get me off cocaine and get me going in the right direction."
Dean Meminger, Marquette (Al McGuire) - Unanimous first-team All-American as a senior in 1970-71, who said his cocaine use escalated after leaving the NBA, worked as a substance-abuse counselor for several years while still using cocaine. He was treated at the Hazelden facility in Minnesota and had several relapses in the 1990s, ending up in a brownstone for transients in Harlem. In late November 2009, Meminger was hospitalized after a fire reportedly started by a crack pipe in a Bronx rooming house before he was found dead in a Hamilton Heights hotel of an apparent drug overdose in late August 2013. In a 2003 interview, he said his longest drug-free stint as an adult was three years.
Ron Mercer, Kentucky (Rick Pitino) - All-American as a sophomore in 1996-97 faced misdemeanor assault charge stemming from scuffle in Nashville strip club in April 2007 after police said Mercer punched a bouncer in the face. He was sued along with Chauncey Billups for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court (Walker sued for failing to stop alleged incident after socializing at Boston comedy club before also settling). In August 2013, a jury sided with Mercer in a lawsuit brought by an ex-girlfriend over the ownership of a $45,000 Range Rover.
Calvin Murphy, Niagara (Frank Layden) - Acquitted in 2004 of charges he sexually abused five of his 14 daughters fathered with nine different women (only one of whom he married). "You don't have one affair after another like I did," Murphy reflected the day following his acquittal. "It basically comes under the heading of playing with people's lives."
Lee Nailon, Texas Christian (Billy Tubbs) - Following roughing up of girlfriend in his dormitory room, juco recruit was suspended for one game in 1997-98 after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and was ordered to pay $165 in court costs. Charges were dropped during the summer of 1999 after the All-American was arrested for suspicion of drug possession and evading arrest (through back window of Comfort Inn motel room in Fort Worth). Midway through the 2005-06 NBA season, Nailon was arrested outside Philadelphia in connection with a domestic dispute. He was fined $300, completed anger-management classes and ordered to do community service in case in which he was charged with elbowing his wife in the face and throwing a picture frame at her.
Calvin Natt, Northeast Louisiana (Lenny Fant) - All-American in 1978-79 was arrested and charged with solicitation for prostitution in late January 1988 after responding to an ad for an escort service placed by Denver undercover police officers.
Greg Oden, Ohio State (Thad Matta) - All-American center as freshman in 2006-07 was formally charged with battery for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face around 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 2014, at his mother's home in Lawrence, Ind. In a plea agreement, he was found guilty of felony battery with moderate bodily injury. During his brief NBA career, a leaked naked picture of him emerged while Oden was sidelined with a broken kneecap.
Mike Olliver, Lamar (Billy Tubbs and Pat Foster) - Southland Conference Player of the Year as senior All-American in 1980-81 was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder. Three-time all-league first-team selection repeatedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend inside her Raleigh, N.C., townhouse in February 2007 after she obtained a restraining order against him for stalking. The victim was critically injured and wasn't expected to live but pulled through after several surgeries.
Gary Payton, Oregon State (Ralph Miller and Jim Anderson) - Arrested in Los Angeles in August 2004 for investigation of driving under the influence after being stopped by police backing down an entrance ramp on the freeway. NCAA unanimous first-team All-American in 1990 was charged with assault stemming from a fight outside a Toronto club in April 2003.
Anthony Peeler, Missouri (Norm Stewart) - In 1998, a federal court jury in St. Louis awarded a woman $300,000 in damages and $2.1 million in punitive damages after she sued him and testified that he pinned her down and held a gun to her head. Just before the 1992 NBA draft, the Big Eight Conference player of the year had an assault charge dropped against him in Kansas City. Peeler, placed on five years' probation in Columbia, Mo., the previous week in connection with another assault charge, had been accused of punching a woman in the face and wrestling her to the ground.
Chuck Person, Auburn (Sonny Smith) - The Tigers' all-time leading scorer was fired as associate head coach under Bruce Pearl in fall of 2017 after he was indicted on six federal charges for bribery, fraud and conspiracy following his arrest by the FBI. All-American as senior in 1985-86 pleaded guilty to accepting $91,500 in bribes from an FBI-cooperating witness to influence players from his alma mater to sign with certain financial advisers and business managers when they turned pro. Person, who reportedly was broke and financially desperate after purchasing as many as 14 cars and financing the building of 10 different houses for family members, was also accused of helping facilitate money to players' families. He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service during a two-year probationary period.
John Pinone, Villanova (Rollie Massimino) - All-American as a senior in 1982-83 was sentenced in late 2010 to six months of home confinement and an additional six months of probation, fined $10,000 plus ordered to cooperate with IRS to resolve outstanding tax liabilities after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor filing a false tax return. Three-time All-Big East Conference first-team selection and co-owner of a bar reportedly skimmed $130,050 cash from 2003 to 2005.
Chris Porter, Auburn (Cliff Ellis) - SEC Player of the Year in 1998-99 when he was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Tigers' all-time winningest team faced a warrant in late September 2010 stemming from a probation violation after he was charged with driving under the influence. Porter pleaded guilty concurrently to a misdemeanor marijuana charge but the jail time (one year) was suspended as part of a plea agreement. He had been charged in April, 2006, with driving under the influence and second-degree possession of marijuana. In August 2001, he was also arrested in Alabama and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Porter was suspended during his senior season for accepting $2,500 from a sports agent. "You make bad decisions," Porter said. "That's life. We all make decisions that we have to live with, and I've made some bad decisions." In January 2021, he was arrested for first degree sexual abuse (alleged fondling of a female teenager).
Howard Porter, Villanova (Jack Kraft) - Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1971 served six months in jail for probation violation on a previous drug conviction. "I was a junkie like any other junkie," Porter told the Tampa Tribune. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
Herman "J.R." Reid, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Two-time All-American in late 1980s was accused of spitting in student's face and suspended with teammate Steve Bucknall for 1987-88 season opener against Syracuse stemming from a confrontation involving N.C. State students at Shooters II, a Raleigh nightclub. Arrested in late summer 1995 when attempting to board a flight in San Antonio with an unloaded .45-caliber handgun in his carry-on luggage. Suspended for two NBA games in 1995-96 and fined $10,000 for intentionally throwing an elbow and dislodging two of A.C. Green's teeth.
Jason Richardson, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Leading scorer for 2001 Final Four team was found guilty of domestic violence in early summer of 2003 stemming from a dispute with an ex-girlfriend at her home in Saginaw, Mich., resulting in a three-game suspension by the NBA and a one-year probation sentence. Fresh off a DUI arrest, he was pulled over in late 2008 for going 90 mph in a 35-mph zone with his three-year-old son in the back of vehicle (although not in car seat).
J.R. Rider, UNLV (Jerry Tarkanian and Rollie Massimino) - In the fall of 2011 he was arrested on a parole violation in Arizona stemming from an incident the previous year when he fled police after they attempted to stop him from driving erratically. His chronic legal problems included an arrest at 5 a.m. in July, 2006, for felony cocaine possession at a home in the Oakland area. Bail was set at $2 million in six months earlier in Marin County (Calif.) following his arrest for kidnapping and battery of a female acquaintance. Rider also faced an outstanding warrant for resisting arrest in Alameda County. In May 1997, he was convicted of marijuana possession and later pleaded no contest to possessing unregistered cellular phones. There had been questions whether Rider, an All-American in 1992-93, did all the work in an English summer correspondence course allowing him to maintain his eligibility for Massimino's first season with the Rebels.
Anthony Roberts, Oral Roberts (Jerry Hale) - After a drug problem shortened his NBA career, he died at the age of 41 in March 1997 when a 19-year-old apartment complex neighbor in Tulsa shot the 1976-77 All-American in the back during a heated argument.
Alvin Robertson, Arkansas (Eddie Sutton) - All-SWC first-team selection in 1983-84 was sentenced to a year in jail in August, 1997, after pleading no contest to four misdemeanor charges stemming from confrontations with his ex-girlfriend. He previously agreed to undergo therapy for spousal abuse. Robertson was sentenced to three years in prison in 2002 for a probation violation involving a rape accusation. In San Antonio in late February 2010, Robertson faced sexual assault of a child and sex trafficking charges alleging he was among seven people who kidnapped a 14-year-old girl who was forced into prostitution and made to dance at a strip club. In mid-June 2014, he was arrested on a charge of violating terms of a bond involving his GPS ankle monitor. Seven months later, he was apprehended after being on the run for a week upon reportedly cutting off his GPS monitor. In late March 2015, court documents revealed he had accumulated 10 bond violations, including testing positive for methamphetamine.
Glenn Robinson Jr., Purdue (Gene Keady) - On May 15, 2003, a Cook County (Ill.) jury found the 1993-94 Big Ten Conference MVP guilty of domestic battery and assault after police charged him with attacking his former girlfriend and threatening to shoot her. In the summer of 1999, Robinson was arrested for disorderly intoxication after being denied entrance to a nightclub.
Rumeal Robinson, Michigan (Bill Frieder and Steve Fisher) - Best remembered for converting the game-winning free throws in the 1989 NCAA title game against Seton Hall, he was sentenced in early 2011 to 6 1/2 years in jail for financial fraud. The charges against Robinson were bank bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. The two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection borrowed more than $700,000 from a bank in Iowa in 2004, claiming it was for a business. He used the money for personal purposes instead (buying a condominium, cars, furniture and investing in an energy company). He's a bankrupted "strip club addict," according to his adoptive brother. Sparked outrage in his Cambridge, Mass., hometown when he reportedly caused his adoptive mother to be forcibly removed from her home after being tricked into signing a deed that sold a house to Robinson's business associate while receiving no money.
Thomas Robinson, Kansas (Bill Self) - Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2011-12 was cited with misdemeanor battery in spring of 2011 following an incident at a nightclub. The city prosecutor dismissed charge involving spitting on a bouncer, who did not want the prosecution to go forward. Robinson completed 20 hours of community service and agreed to write a letter of apology to the victim.
Lou Roe, Massachusetts (John Calipari) - A woman successfully filed a restraining order against two-time All-American (1994 and 1995) in 2014, alleging he abused her, according to court documents. In 2015, a judge ordered him to pay back child support for the son he and the woman had together in April 2014.
Marshall Rogers, Kansas (Ted Owens)/Pan American (Abe Lemons) - The nation's leading scorer in 1975-76 with Pan American was arrested in his hometown of St. Louis in late June 1987 and charged with assault and petty theft in connection with a shoplifting incident (bottle of Mennen Skin Bracer, stick deodorant, a pair of white sunglasses and three Baby Ruth candy bars worth a total of $13) at a downtown Walgreen's drug store. Police said Rogers fought with two store managers, a security guard and three police officers before he was subdued after being struck in the head three times with a nightstick. Rogers, who was living with his mother and told arresting officers he had been out of work the previous three years, was confronted by store personnel and allegedly told them: "Here, you can have the Skin Bracer but that's all." After his diabetes worsened, he had both of his legs amputated below the knees before being checked into a nursing home in 2006. Rogers, who frequently clutched scrapbooks he kept of his playing exploits, died in mid-June 2011 at the age of 57 after refusing to undergo the kidney dialysis treatment doctors said he needed.
Jalen Rose, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - The Wolverines' leader in assists for back-to-back Final Four teams in 1992 and 1993 was arrested around 2 a.m. in March 2011 on suspicion of drunken driving. Accused of operating a vehicle (Cadillac Escalade) while impaired (said he drank six martinis), he declined to take a Breathalyzer. Rose, who put the unbecoming "Uncle Tom" tag on Duke, was pulled from the air briefly by ESPN for failing to disclose his DUI arrest shortly after the release of a controversial documentary about his time with the Fab Five. Given a speeding ticket only hours after being ordered to serve 93 days in jail (all but 20 of them suspended; served 16 days).
Curtis Rowe, UCLA (John Wooden) - Two-time All-American while playing for three straight NCAA champions from 1969 through 1971 was charged in mid-October 1989 with possession of cocaine after Detroit police said they saw him and a companion throw packets of drugs on the ground. Arrested in late February 2008 in a drug raid in a building on Detroit's west side as officers found him with a baggie containing a substance believed to be heroin on his person.
Clifford Rozier, North Carolina (Dean Smith)/Louisville (Denny Crum) - After years of personal and legal trouble (five arrests and bankruptcy), the 1994 first-team All-American was incarcerated in his hometown of Bradenton, Fla., in May 2001, after being charged with grand theft auto. Rozier, jailed after an accusation of stealing a Manatee County sheriff deputy's personal car, was on the run for about a month before police apprehended him in Orlando. His ex-wife had him committed various times to a psychiatric care facility under Florida's Baker Act. Drug panhandler had three vehicles repossessed and his liabilities included child support to three women. After spending time in jail cells and psychiatric wards, Rozier lived in a halfway house following a 2006 arrest on an assault charge. Arrested in summer of 1998 on charges of assaulting his mother but the case was dropped.
Brandon Rush, Kansas (Bill Self) - Leading scorer for 2008 NCAA titlist was suspended five games for violating NBA drug policy in late August 2010. Arrested while in college for not appearing in court to settle multiple traffic incidents. Faced family court date in spring of 2008 related to a child-support case.
Ralph Sampson, Virginia (Terry Holland) - Three-time national player of the year from 1981 through 1983 was accused of lying to federal authorities about his finances in a child-support case. Sampson pleaded guilty in 2005 in Richmond to failing to pay about $300,000 in court-ordered child support for two children who live in northern Virginia and have different mothers. Sentencing was postponed after he was indicted on perjury and false claim charges before mail fraud and false-statement allegations were added. In a plea agreement, he was slated to serve two months in jail for mail fraud.
Ralph Simpson, Michigan State (Gus Ganakas) - All-American in his only season with the Spartans in 1969-70 was sentenced to 10 years probation in June 1989 after pleading guilty to defrauding a creditor in Aurora, Colo. Operating a credit-counseling business helping people with poor credit ratings finance new cars, he was accused of arranging for people to buy cars by using false credit information on loan applications.
Sean Singletary, Virginia (Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao) - All-American as junior in 2006-07 was arrested in early March 2015 around 4:00 a.m. on a DUI charge (license subsequently revoked by court for 90 days).
Scott Skiles, Michigan State (Jud Heathcote) - Nation's second-leading scorer in 1985-86 incurred two DUI arrests, a drug possession arrest, two jail sentences and 18 days behind bars during a 16-month span in mid-1980s. As a result of all those indiscretions, he received a one-game suspension.
Charles E. Smith, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Big East Conference MVP in 1988-89 served 29 months of a 4 1/2-year prison sentence for vehicular homicide. Smith, involved in a late-night hit-and-run accident, was driving a rented van that struck and killed two Boston University female students on a busy city street. An assistant district attorney argued in court Smith had been drinking, and an eyewitness testified he ran a red light. In October 2010, he was found shot in the upper body in Bowie, Md., in a house where a significant amount of cocaine and evidence of a gambling operation were found. Smith had been a part-time bartender at a sports bar. The shooting reportedly stemmed from a gambling debt.
Damon Stoudamire, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Co-Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1994-95 was arrested three times on marijuana-related charges in 2002 and 2003. "You live and you learn," Stoudamire said.
Rod Strickland, DePaul (Joey Meyer) - D.C. police charged him with driving while under the influence and reckless driving in April, 1999, after the 1987-88 All-American drove his gold Mercedes Benz through three red lights. Four years earlier, he was arrested in New York and charged with hitting his former girlfriend. In late October 2000, he was charged with refusing to leave a restaurant that was being closed by fire marshals in Washington. Strickland was a Kentucky assistant coach in the spring of 2010 when he was arrested around 3 a.m. for DUI, running a red light, having expired tags and insurance violations after failing a sobriety test. A couple of years later, he was arrested near UK's campus and charged with driving on a DUI suspended license.
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (Matt Painter) - Unanimous All-American in 2016-17 was arrested around 2:00 a.m. just before Christmas 2020 on drug charges (police found 3.4 pounds of weed as well as $3,415 in cash and some drug paraphernalia). First-time offender pleaded guilty to minor drug charge (possession of marijuana). He was sentenced to 180 days suspended, ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and comply with any prescribed treatment.
Stromile Swift, Louisiana State (John Brady) - All-American in 1999-00 was arrested in Shreveport in mid-May 2011 for stalking the same ex-girlfriend he allegedly threatened three months earlier by sending menacing text messages and then showing up at her home with a gun.
Roy Tarpley, Michigan (Bill Frieder) - All-American in 1984-85 and 1985-86 was charged in Denton County (Tex.) in May 1998 with assault and failure to appear in court. The charges stemmed from an alleged attack on a woman. Days after being released from jail in April, 2003, in the wake of serving more than a month for a probation violation, he filed for personal bankruptcy. Tarpley played for the Dallas Mavericks from 1986 until he was thrown out of the NBA in October 1991 for using cocaine, a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Leslie Rockymore, a former UM teammate, claimed Tarpley failed drug tests in college but was given a free pass.
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas (Bill Self) - In the spring of 2015, the assists leader for 2012 NCAA Tournament runner-up allegedly cashed a fake money order for $1,000 cash at a food store in his hometown of Hoboken, N.J. Sustained a dislocated thumb in fall of 2009 in an altercation involving several football and basketball players outside of the student union building. Late in 2010-11 campaign, KU suspended Taylor and a women's hooper for reportedly getting frisky playing unauthorized one-on-one inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Isiah Thomas, Indiana (Bob Knight) - A Detroit TV reporter filed an assault and battery complaint against Thomas during his playing days with the Pistons, claiming Thomas choked him and threw him against a car. A jury decided in the fall of 2007 that Thomas sexually harassed a former Knicks team executive, subjecting the former Northwestern basketball player to unwanted advances and a barrage of vulgarity (Madison Square Garden eventually settled for $11.5 million). The CBA almost disbanded after Thomas purchased the minor league before selling his interest in 2000. Multiple CBA executives said Thomas was "rude. . . . very poor business person. . . . doesn't listen to people. . . . makes poor decisions."
David Thompson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - National player of the year in 1973-74 and 1974-75 had well-publicized involvement with cocaine. He was accused of assaulting his wife while free-basing cocaine (served 180-day sentence in minimum security prison in 1987), filed for bankruptcy and suffered a severe knee injury in a dispute at Studio 54 in New York.
Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State (Larry Eustachy) - All-American playmaker in 2000-01 was charged with harassing a public official after a minor traffic accident plus lying to police about who was driving a car hitting a light pole and then leaving the scene on New Year's Eve 2000. In early December 2007, he was shot at about 3:40 when leaving a hotel club with entourage utilizing three cars owned by him (Mercedes, Rolls Royce and Dodge Charger). It was Tinsley's third late-night episode in a 14-month span with the NBA's Indiana Pacers. In high school, he got arrested for committing a robbery and spent a week in a juvenile detention center before attending a community college in California.
Bernard Toone, Marquette (Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds) - All-American in 1978-79 was charged with attempted grand larceny, criminal possession of burglar's tools and criminal mischief in April 1988 in White Plains, N.Y., after allegedly attempting to steal a car stereo system from a new Porsche. Toone had been arrested twice in less than a year in 1985 - charged with third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car radio and pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after arrest at a fast-food restaurant in rental car that had been reported stolen.
Robert "Tractor" Traylor, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1997-98 was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty in federal court in Detroit in January 2007 to a federal income tax charge, the result of receiving and concealing stolen property while hiding assets for a convicted drug dealer (Traylor's cousin Quasand Lewis). He was also accused of laundering $4 million of drug money for the same cousin who sold an estimated $178 million in illegal drugs in Metro Detroit and had associates with suspected links to nearly a dozen murders plus four fire-bombed homes, according to federal authorities. Prior to connection with his coarse cousin, Traylor was part of a scandal causing the NCAA to nail his alma mater. Traylor admitted that, as a high school and college player, he and his family accepted some $160,000 in cash and gifts from a local hoops junkie who ran an illegal lottery at area Ford plants. In May 2011, Traylor was found dead in his apartment at the age of 34 in Puerto Rico, where he was playing professionally.
Jimmy Walker, Providence (Joe Mullaney) - First-team All-American in 1965-66 and 1966-67 was sentenced in April 1983 to 90 days in prison, three years of probation and 250 hours of community service on charges of failing to file federal income tax returns in 1976 and 1977. In college, he pleaded guilty to two paternity suits and was sentenced to six years probation.
Kenny Walker, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton) - Two-time NCAA consensus All-American after helping UK reach 1984 Final Four received seven-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to menacing his wife. He had been arrested in early January 1996 and charged with assault for allegedly choking his spouse.
John Wall, Kentucky (John Calipari) - Unanimous first-team All-American as freshman in 2009-10 was charged in spring of 2009 with misdemeanor breaking and entering after police found him walking out the rear of a vacant house for sale in his Raleigh, N.C., hometown. He previously was known as Crazy J for his incorrigible lifestyle. Wall's father was incarcerated for armed robbery of a convenience store after serving time for second-degree murder of his housewife. An older half-brother also was imprisoned in 1999 following conviction for second-degree murder. "Without basketball, that's where I was going," Wall told ESPN. "No sense lyin' about it or comin' up with somethin' that sounds good. I was going down the same road as my dad."
John Wallace, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - A little over a year after becoming an All-American in 1995-96, his girlfriend withdrew a harassment charge alleging he punched her in the face and choked her during a quarrel over their son. Arrested in Brooklyn for driving with a suspended license in late February 2016. Also charged in summer of 1996 for failing to follow officers' instructions after issuance of a ticket.
Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1995 Final Four team apologized in court and agreed to perform 50 hours of community service plus seek counseling following accusation of choking the mother of his child while visiting her and the infant over Easter weekend in 1996. Arrested with Portland "Jail Blazers" teammate in late November 2002 in a speeding car in which officers smelled pot.
Kermit Washington, American University (Tom Young) - One of six players averaging more than 20 ppg and 20 rpg in his major-college career (20.1 ppg/20.2 rpg from 1970-71 through 1972-73) pleaded guilty to three felonies and faced up to eight years in prison and fine up to $750,000. Originally, the AU All-American as a senior faced up to 40 years in prison and $1 million in fines if convicted of charges brought against him in spring of 2016 by a federal grand jury that he orchestrated scheme evading taxes and defrauding donors to his charities under the pretense of helping the needy in Africa. Washington's NBA career was irreparably damaged after nearly killing Rudy Tomjanovich with a punch during a game in 1977.
Chris Webber, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - Charged with marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer in 1998. He was pulled over and resisted the officer. The vehicle was impounded and traces of marijuana were found inside. Also that year, he was arrested by customs officials for possession of marijuana as he returned from a promotional trip to Puerto Rico. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit in September, 2002, on four felony counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to federal investigators (regarding money laundering tied to a shady UM booster, a bookmaker who was convicted of tax evasion and robbery before dying of a heart attack before he testified against Webber, who subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intent for lying about his role in the scandal). Suspended in mid-February, 2004, for five games by the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program. Sued over the closing of his Sacramento restaurant after signing a 20-year lease in 2005.
Bonzi Wells, Ball State (Ray McCallum) - He and Portland Trail Blazers teammate Erick Barkley cited for criminal trespass in 2001 after refusing to follow the order of an officer to leave the scene of a fight near a downtown nightclub. Suspended for one game without pay in November 2002 for spitting on an opposing player (the Spurs' Danny Ferry). Wells told SI: "We're (the Jail Blazers) not really going to worry about what the hell (the fans) think about us." Suspended two games for publicly cursing at his coach, suspended one game without pay for fined $10,000 for intentionally striking an official during a game and was noted for making obscene gestures to the crowd when things didn't go well. A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Muncie, Ind., man and his mother in spring of 2013 including charges of damaging the front door of their home, threatening them and later battering the man.
Delonte West, St. Joseph's (Phil Martelli) - All-American guard in 2003-04 was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2010-11 NBA season after pleading guilty to weapons charges in Maryland. Authorities said he was carrying two loaded handguns, a loaded shotgun and an 8 1/2-inch Bowie knife while speeding on a three-wheel motorcycle (complete with sidecar) on the Capital Beltway the previous September. Battling bipolar disorder, he received home detention, probation and community service. His wife filed a domestic violence against him in the fall of 2009 and he was spotted loitering around a fast-food parking lot in a hospital robe without his shoes in Houston in mid-February 2016. Nearly three years later, multiple disturbing videos surfaced on social media of West rambling incoherently and apparently homeless in Washington, D.C.
Charles "Hawkeye" Whitney, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - Drug abuser was sentenced in June 1996 to 69 months in prison for the armed kidnapping of former White House lawyer Mark Fabiani. "I'm a recovering (cocaine) addict, and I will be for the rest of my life," said Whitney, an All-American in 1979-80. "I'm just grateful I have this chance to get it right. A lot of people die on the streets."
Frank Williams, Illinois (Lon Kruger and Bill Self) - Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 2000-01 was arrested with his younger brother (Aaron) in June 2009, after agents for a multi-county enforcement group executed a search warrant at a Peoria, Ill., home. Agents seized 78 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a .40-caliber handgun. In a plea bargain, Frank was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine. In July 2013, Williams was booked for domestic battery.
Freeman Williams, Portland State (Ken Edwards) - NCAA runner-up to Pete Maravich in all-time scoring (3,249 points from 1974-75 through 1977-78) developed a drug addiction and Los Angeles native was charged with possession near the turn of the 21st Century. "I'm not going to lie about the drugs," Williams told the Oregonian before asking author for $20. "It was cocaine. I went two or three years in a bad stretch."
James "Fly" Williams, Austin Peay (Lake Kelly) - Brownsville, N.Y., product served two years on a drug possession rap in the mid-1990s after spending 14 months in Attica and two other prisons stemming from charges of attempted robbery, unlawful imprisonment, weapons possession and menacing. After a pickup game in Starrett City in 1987, the drug-ravaged 1972-73 All-American got in an argument with a friend over money and was shot by an off-duty court officer with a shotgun. In the spring of 2017, he was busted in "Operation Flying High" as the kingpin of a massive drug ring peddling two million vials of heroin worth estimated $12 million to $20 million in his former Brooklyn neighborhood.
Sylvester "Sly" Williams, Rhode Island (Jack Kraft) - All-American in 1977-78 and 1978-79 faced felony charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and first-degree kidnapping in connection with an incident in September 2001 in Endicott, N.Y. Prosecutors accused him of having sex with a 42-year-old woman against her will at her home. Williams, working for a pipe and plastics company at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to a single kidnapping charge on the eve of jury selection and was sentenced to five years in prison. Previously, he received a suspended prison sentence in 1991 in New Haven, Conn., on abuse charges filed by his girlfriend.
Terrence Williams, Louisville (Rick Pitino) - Third-team All-American in 2008-09 was arrested in his hometown of Seattle on May 19, 2013, in a domestic violence case although the county prosecutor's office chose not to file charges. As they were exchanging their 10-year-old son fathered when he was 15, Williams allegedly brandished a gun and made threats at the mother during an argument. Williams' 20-year old father was murdered when Williams was only six; a few days after he was released from prison. His young mother was also in jail at the time and appeared at the funeral in chains. Williams was placed on the inactive list by the New Jersey Nets during the 2010-11 season for repeated violations of team rules. He denied salacious allegations in an escort's book about UL, calling himself the "Elvis Presley" of The Ville and asked why he would need to pay anybody for dirty dancing or sex.
Lorenzen Wright, Memphis (Larry Finch) - His badly-decomposing body, indicating at least five shots from multiple shooters, was found in a secluded field near a golf course in southeast Memphis in late July 2010. A 911 operator took an emergency call from Wright's cell phone and believes he heard gunshots in the background. Wright was in arrears on his $26,000-a-month alimony and child-support payments for his six children. Court documents show Wright, an All-American in 1995-96 as a sophomore, acknowledged to the FBI in 2008 that he sold a Mercedes sedan and Cadillac SUV to an individual known by authorities to be part of a drug kingpin gang. Despite earning an estimated $55 million over his 13-year NBA career, Wright's $1.3 million home in Atlanta was repossessed along with a $2.7 million home near Memphis he owned. His ex-wife claimed in a book she wrote that she was trapped in an abusive marriage. But Sherra Wright-Robinson was arrested in California in mid-December 2017 in his death and charged with conspiracy, first-degree murder and criminal attempt first-degree murder along with deacon from her previous church. The case blossomed when an FBI dive team searched a lake in Walnut, Miss., and found a gun authorities said was used in the murder. In 2014, she agreed to a confidential settlement in a dispute over how she spent $1 million in insurance earmarked to benefit their children. She received a 30-year sentence in summer of 2019 after pleading guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder.
Bob "Zeke" Zawoluk, St. John's (Frank McGuire) - All-American in 1950-51 and 1951-52 after scoring school-record 65 points against St. Peter's in 1949-50 had turbulent life including vast emotional instability, an arson rap, crack addiction, grand larceny conviction and prison. After getting fired by one of a series of auto dealers for which he worked, he got even in an alcohol-fueled rage in Queens and Nassau County in 1986, dousing two luxury cars with gasoline, torching them, then ramming into 17 other cars, before being apprehended after a high-speed chase. Following another transgression, he was paroled on Christmas Eve, 1993, after serving nearly two years at Clinton Correctional Facility on robbery and grand larceny charges. A subsequent positive drug test violated his parole and sent him to Rikers Island in the mid-1990s.
From Peon to Pedestal: Small-College Transfers Boast NCAA DI Playoff Impact
Drake, the first school to reach the 30-win plateau this year, boasts four transfers (Bennett Stirtz, Daniel Abren, Mitch Mascari and Isaiah Jackson) who tagged along with coach Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State. McCollum guided NW Missouri to four NCAA Division II Tournament titles from 2017 through 2022 (including three in a row as 2020 was canceled because of global pandemic).
Small-college transfers have a history of looming large in the DI playoffs. After previously toiling in obscurity, half of College of Charleston's top six scorers last season (Ante Brzovic of Southeastern Oklahoma State, Bryce Butler of West Liberty WV and Kobe Rodgers of Nova Southeastern FL) helped propel the Cougars to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Ditto Morehead State's top scorer and rebounder (transfer Riley Minix from Southeastern FL), Oakland's third-leading scorer and rebounder Jack Gohlke (three-point shooting specialist from Hillsdale MI) plus Samford's assists leader Dallas Graziani (Nova Southeastern FL). A couple of part-time starters for Howard University (Jordan Hairson/UT-Tyler and Joshua Strong/Minnesota-Duluth) also joined a long list of small-school transfer players going from nowhere to prospect of Cloud Nine in the NCAA DI playoffs.
Arkansas, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Nevada and Wisconsin featured small-college transfers in regular rotations of previous NCAA tourney squads. There was even a coach in recent tourney who was in this rare category as a player - Montana's Travis DeCuire (Chaminade HI prior to his current pitstop).
Of course, the most prominent player in history in this category is all-time great Elgin Baylor (Seattle), the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1958. Consider this alphabetical list of the more than 50 transfers going from non-Division I schools to regular rotation having bright lights of the NCAA Division I Tournament shine on them:
Adonis Arms, G (Northwest Nazarene ID 19/Winthrop 21 & Texas Tech 22)
Juco recruit was named GNAC Player of the Year when averaging 20.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.3 apg while shooting 55% from the floor. Contributed 10 points and 3 rebounds for Winthrop against Villanova in 2021 playoffs before averaging 11 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 4.7 apg in three 2022 tourney contests with the Red Raiders (including game-high 7 assists against Duke).
Desi Barmore, F (Southeast Missouri State 79/Alabama 81 and Fresno State 82-83)
Averaged 5.8 ppg and 3.3 rpg at DI level after averaging 15.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg with SEMO as a freshman. Appeared in 1982 NCAA playoffs with FSU, scoring eight points in 58-40 second-round West Regional semifinal defeat against eventual national runner-up Georgetown.
Scott Barnes, C (Eastern Montana 81-82/Fresno State 84-85)
Averaged 9.7 ppg and 4.8 rpg for Eastern Montana before averaging 11.7 ppg and 6.6 rpg for Fresno State. Barnes was an All-PCAA second-team selection as a senior when he led the Bulldogs in rebounding (7.4 rpg). Grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds against Karl Malone-led Louisiana Tech when Fresno bowed to the Bulldogs in the first round of 1984 NCAA playoffs.
Elgin Baylor, F (College of Idaho 55/Seattle 57-58)
Averaged 31.3 ppg and 18.9 rpg for College of Idaho (now Albertson College) before averaging 31.2 ppg and 19.8 rpg for Seattle. He was an NCAA unanimous first-team All-American and Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a junior in 1957-58 after averaging 27 points in five playoff games.
Andrew Benson, F (Prairie View A&M/Houston 67)
Averaged 2.4 ppg and 1.7 rpg for UH's national third-place team.
Davion Berry, G-F (Cal State Montery Bay 10-11/Weber State 13-14)
Big Sky Conference MVP scored a game-high 24 points in 68-59 opening-game defeat against Arizona in 2014.
Don Boldebuck, C (Nebraska Wesleyan 52-53/Houston 55-56)
Averaged more than 20 ppg for Nebraska Wesleyan before averaging 23 ppg and 17 rpg in leading UH in scoring and rebounding both of his seasons with the Cougars. He paced them in scoring in both of their NCAA playoff games in 1956.
Dalton Bolon, G (West Liberty WV 18-21/College of Charleston 23)
Collected 10 points and 4 rebounds in loss against Final Four-bound San Diego State.
Dale Bonner, G (Fairmont State WV 20-21/Baylor 22-23)
Averaged 5 ppg in four playoff games in 2022 and 2023 before returning to home state to play for Ohio State in 2023-24.
Mike Born, G (Nebraska-Omaha 85-86/Iowa State 88-89)
Averaged 10.5 ppg for Nebraska-Omaha before averaging 8.6 ppg and 2.5 apg for two NCAA Tournament teams at Iowa State. Scored six points in each of his NCAA playoff games.
Jim Boylan, G (Assumption MA 74-75/Marquette 77-78)
Fifth-leading scorer for 1977 NCAA Tournament champion. He scored 14 points in the tourney final against Phil Ford-led North Carolina.
Bryan Bracey, F (Wisconsin-Platteville 97/Oregon 00-01)
Played one game with UWP before transferring to a junior college. Averaged 13.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg with the Ducks, appearing in NCAA tourney as a junior (10 points and 6 rebounds in 72-71 opening-round East Regional defeat in OT against Seton Hall).
Gary Brell, F (North Dakota State 68/Marquette 70-71)
Averaged 15.2 ppg and 12.9 rpg for NDSU before averaging 12.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg with MU. As a senior, he distributed a game-high eight assists in 60-59 NCAA tourney defeat against Ohio State before grabbing nine rebounds in 91-74 win against Kentucky in Mideast Regional third-place game.
Jon Bryant, G (St. Cloud State MN 96-97/Wisconsin 99-00)
All-North Central Conference selection and team MVP with 17.3 ppg as a sophomore after being named NCC Freshman of the Year when he hit 57.4% of his three-point attempts. Third-leading scorer for the Badgers burst on the national scene with seven three-pointers, including four in a zone-busting 1 1/2-minute stretch late in the game, to help the Badgers rally to a 66-56 over Fresno State in the first round of 2000 West Regional.
Ronnie Clark, G (Florida Southern 00/Colorado State 02-04)
Sunshine State Conference freshman of the year was CSU's third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading scorer in 2003 when the Rams played Duke tough before bowing in the opening round.
Terry Connolly, F (Shepherd WV 87-88/Richmond 90-91)
Averaged 8.2 ppg each of his two seasons with Spider NCAA playoff teams. Member of first #15 seed to defeat a #2 seed (Syracuse in 1991).
Barry Davis, F (Sam Houston State 73/Texas A&M 75-76)
Freshman on Sam Houston State's top-ranked NAIA team. Juco recruit became two-time All-SWC selection, delivering team-high 16 points and game-high 15 rebounds in 87-79 setback against Cincinnati in 1975 Midwest Regional.
Travis DeCuire, G (Chaminade HI 90/Montana 92-94)
Led Chaminade in scoring with 10.9 ppg as a freshman in 1989-90. Averaged 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 5 apg for the Grizzlies, including Big Sky Conference-leading 7.1 apg as a senior. Competing against eventual Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, DeCuire scored six points in a 78-68 reversal against Florida State in 1992 NCAA playoffs.
Chris Flemmings, G (Barton NC 13-14/UNC Wilmington 16-17)
Conference Carolinas MVP in 2013-14 with 19.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg before posting team highs of 16.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg for UNCW's 2016 NCAA playoff team losing against Duke despite his 18 points. Flemmings also tallied a team-high 18 points in 76-71 setback against Virginia in 2017 NCAA playoffs.
Freddie Gillespie, F-C (Carleton MN 17/Baylor 19-20)
All-MIAC second-team selection in 2016-17 when leading league in blocked shots. Part-time starter for the Bears in 2018-19 averaged six points and three rebounds in two NCAA playoff games.
Landon Goesling, G (St. Edward's TX 15-18/Houston 19)
Led Heartland Conference with 22.9 ppg in 2017-18. Played briefly for UH in one NCAA playoff game in 2019.
Robert Gray, F (Cal Poly Pomona 72-73/Wichita State 75-76)
Averaged 13 ppg and 5.8 rpg with WSU. As a senior, he collected 10 points and team-high tying 7 rebounds in opening-round defeat against eventual NCAA Tournament runner-up Michigan.
Keenan Gumbs, F (Schreiner TX 15-18/Liberty 19)
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2018. Part-time starter for Liberty's 2019 team posting the school's first-ever NCAA playoff victory. He scored six points in each of two tourney contests.
Tate Hall, G (Indianapolis 17-18/Loyola of Chicago 20-22)
GLVC Freshman of the Year before becoming all-league first-team choice as sophomore. All-MVC selection averaged 2.5 ppg and 3.3 rpg with Ramblers in four NCAA playoff games in 2021 and 2022.
Mike Hansen, G (Tennessee-Martin 89/Louisiana State 91-93)
Scored 40 points vs. LSU as a freshman when leading UTM in scoring (20 ppg) and assists. Erupted for 31 points against both Tennessee and Illinois as a sophomore when he was the Tigers' third-leading scorer (12.7 ppg) before his playing time decreased significantly his final two seasons. Member of three LSU teams participating in the NCAA playoffs.
John Harrell, G (North Carolina Central 76/Duke 78-79)
Averaged 15.7 ppg and led N.C. Central in assists in 1975-76. Averaged 5.1 ppg for Duke's NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1977-78 before playing sparingly the next season.
E.J. Harrison, G (Western Connecticut State 95-96/Connecticut 98-99)
Averaged 1.9 ppg for UConn's 1999 NCAA titlist after averaging team-high 19.3 ppg and 2.7 spg for WCSU in 1995-96. He scored 12 points and had team-high three steals in '99 tourney opener against UTSA and team-high three assists in second-round win over New Mexico.
Ryan Hawkins, F (Northwest Missouri State 17-21/Creighton 22)
All-time leading rebounding for Northwest (948) and in MIAA Tournament (84) was Most Outstanding Player at the 2021 Elite Eight. Leading scorer and rebounder for the Bluejays' NCAA tourney team averaged 12 ppg and 7 rpg in two playoff outings.
Art Helms, F (Southwest Missouri State 53-54/Houston 56)
Averaged 13.7 ppg for SWMS before averaging 13.1 ppg and 10.1 rpg for UH's first NCAA playoff team (grabbed team-high 10 rebounds in tourney debut against SMU).
Curtis High, G (Tennessee-Martin 81-82/Nevada-Reno 84-85)
Tennessee-Martin's second-leading scorer as a freshman (14.3 ppg) and sophomore (12.6 ppg). Led UNR in scoring and assists as a junior (13.3 ppg, 6.3 apg) and senior (17.8 ppg, 6 apg) for two NCAA tourney squads. All-Big Sky Conference first-team selection in 1984-85. Scored a team-high 21 points in 1984 first-round loss to Detlef Schrempf-led Washington.
Roy Howard, F (Tarleton State TX 89/Texas-El Paso 91-93)
Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association Freshman of the Year when he led Tarleton State in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (11.5 rpg). UTEP's second-leading rebounder as a senior (6.5 rpg). Averaged 4.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for 1992 NCAA playoff team upsetting #1 seed Kansas in Midwest Regional.
Doug Jemison, F (Wright State OH 75/San Francisco 78-79)
Averaged 7.1 ppg for WSU before attending a junior college. Averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for two USF NCAA tourney teams (teammate of All-American Bill Cartwright led Dons in rebounding in two of four playoff games and in blocked shots one contest).
Avery Johnson, G (Cameron OK 85/Southern LA 87-88)
Averaged a modest 4.3 ppg for Cameron before leading the nation in assists with Southern for two NCAA tourney teams. Distributed a total of 17 assists in NCAA playoff games against Temple and Kentucky. Shares NCAA single-game record for most assists with 22. Went on to become principal playmaker for the San Antonio Spurs' NBA champion before coaching in the pros prior to accepting a similar job at Alabama.
Kenny Jones, C (Lincoln Memorial TN 76-78/Virginia Commonwealth 80)
Averaged 8.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg for VCU's first NCAA DI playoff team in 1980. He collected five points and seven rebounds in opening-round defeat against Iowa before the Hawkeyes reached Final Four.
Ron Lacey, G (Northeastern Oklahoma State 87-88)/Northeastern 90-91)
Runner-up in scoring for the Huskies' 1991 NCAA playoff team. He collected 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in opening-round setback against Dean Smith-coached North Carolina.
Fred Lewis, F (Tampa 88/South Florida 90-92)
Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year when he averaged 15.2 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Averaged 13 ppg and 8 rpg for USF. He was the Bulls' second-leading rebounder all three seasons, including two NCAA playoff teams.
Bob Lochmueller, F (Oakland City IN/Louisville 50-52)
Averaged 15 ppg in his career with the Cardinals, leading their first NCAA Tournament team in scoring as a junior (19 ppg). Grabbed game-high 18 rebounds in 1951 NCAA playoff loss against in-state rival Kentucky.
Tony Massop, C (Sacramento State 87/Kansas State 89-90)
Averaged 10.3 ppg and 8 rpg as a sophomore at Sacramento State. Averaged 5.9 ppg and 5.6 rpg as a junior and 8.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg as a senior for a pair of NCAA tourney teams. He was the Wildcats' leading rebounder in 1989-90.
Boyd McCaslin, F (Hobart NY 45/Dartmouth 46/Michigan 48-49)
All-Ivy League second-team selection went on to participate in Michigan's first NCAA playoff game in 1948 after transferring with coach Ozzie Cowles. Originally lettered with Hobart.
Paul Mickey, C (Troy State AL 63/Penn State 65-67)
Averaged 2.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for Troy before averaging 9 ppg and 8.7 rpg with the Nittany Lions. Appeared in 1965 NCAA playoffs against Bill Bradley-led Princeton.
Keaton Moffitt, G (Sioux Falls SD 12-13/South Dakota State 15-16)
Posted same scoring average (5.8 ppg) with SF as he did as part-time starter for SDSU's 2016 NCAA DI tourney team. Reserve grabbed three rebounds in 14 minutes of playing time in South Regional 79-74 setback against Maryland.
Bret Mundt, C (Bethel TN/Memphis State 88-89)
Averaged 5.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 1987-88 and 6.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg in 1988-89 for a pair of NCAA tourney teams. Scored 13 points when the Tigers lost to Purdue in 1988 Midwest Regional.
Tucker Neale, G (Ashland OH 91/Colgate 93-95)
Averaged 23.1 ppg for Colgate's first NCAA playoff team in 1995. Scored game-high 25 points in loss against Kansas.
Carlton Neverson, G (Elmira NY 78/Pittsburgh 79-81)
Averaged 11.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg with Elmira before transferring to Pitt, where he averaged 11.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 2.3 apg. Appearing in NCAA playoffs as a senior, he scored a team-high 17 points in 74-57 second-round setback against North Carolina after contributing six points in 70-69 win against Idaho.
Anunwa "Nuni" Omot, F (Concordia MN 15/Baylor 17-18)
Member of the Bears' regular rotation much of 2016-17 season as juco recruit. Played briefly in all three NCAA tourney games that year.
Chris Parker, G (Henderson State AR 18-20/Liberty 21)
GAC Tournament MVP in 2020. Son of former NBA player Charlie Parker was assists leader and second-leading scorer for the Flames' NCAA tourney team. He scored 10 points in playoff game against Oklahoma State.
Aaron Preece, G (Illinois College/Bradley 49-51)
Sixth-leading scorer for the Braves' 1950 NCAA and NIT runner-up tallied 12 points in each of the NCAA Final Four games.
Cecil Rellford, F (Kentucky State 74/St. John's 76-77)
Averaged 21.7 ppg and 10 rpg for KSU in six games before averaging 11.2 ppg and 6 rpg with St. John's. Averaged 9 ppg and 4.5 rpg in two NCAA playoff setbacks.
Xavier Rhodes, G (Northwest Missouri 19 & Florida Southern 20-22/Northern Kentucky 23)
Collected 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in opening-round defeat against #1 seed Houston.
Demetre Roberts, G (St. Thomas Aquinas NY 19-22/Fairleigh Dickinson 23)
Averaged 15.7 ppg, 4 rpg and 4 apg in three contests for #16 seed upsetting Purdue.
Duncan Robinson, F (Williams MA 14/Michigan 16-18)
Averaged 17.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg for DIII Tournament runner-up as a freshman in 2013-14. Four years later, he led the Wolverines' 2018 DI Tournament runner-up in three-pointers with 78. Also competed in NCAA playoffs in 2016 and 2017.
Khalil Shabazz, G (Central Washington 18/San Francisco 20-23)
GNAC Freshman of the Year averaged 15.3 ppg before transferring to USF. Averaged 14.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.9 spg with the Dons, leading them in scoring as a senior after collecting 3 points and 4 rebounds in 2022 NCAA tourney overtime setback against Murray State.
Nevil Shed, F (North Carolina A&T/Texas Western 65-67)
"The Shadow" sank the free throw in 1966 NCAA championship game against Kentucky, giving the Miners a lead they never relinquished. He averaged 10.6 ppg and 7.9 rpg for the national titlist.
Bill Sherwood, C-F (Oglethorpe GA 84-85/Oregon State 87-88)
Averaged 7.7 ppg in 1986-87 and 14.7 ppg in 1987-88 for the Beavers. Outscored teammate Gary Payton with 17 points in OSU's 70-61 loss to Louisville in 1988 Southeast Regional.
Danny Singletary, G (Ohio Valley WV/Coppin State 97-98)
Led National Small College Athletic Association in scoring in mid-1990s with 27.6-ppg average before transferring. Averaged 12.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.8 apg and 2.3 spg for Coppin State. Scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half of a shocking 78-65 first-round triumph against South Carolina in 1997 NCAA playoffs before collecting team-high 6 assists and game-high 6 steals in 82-81 setback against Texas.
Grant Singleton, G (St. Thomas Aquinas NY 19-22/Fairleigh Dickinson 23)
Averaged 9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.7 apg and 2 spg in three playoff games for #16 seed eliminating Purdue.
Gregg Smith, C (North Dakota State 00/Eastern Washington 02-04)
Transferred along with coach Ray Giacoletti following freshman season in 1999-00 (5.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg). Averaged 3.4 ppg and 2.3 rpg in three-year career with EWU, scoring team-high 16 points against Oklahoma State in his final game (75-56 setback in 2004 East Regional in East Rutherford).
Scott Snider, C (Pacific Lutheran WA 92-93/Gonzaga 95-96)
Led Pacific Lutheran in scoring as a freshman with 11.9 ppg before averaging 14 ppg and 5.6 rpg as a sophomore. Led the WCC in field-goal shooting (62.9%) as a senior when averaging 10.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg after averaging 5.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg the previous year for the Zags' first NCAA Tournament team.
Jerry Stroman, F (Benedict SC 83/Utah 85-86)
All-WAC first-team selection as a senior when leading the Utes in scoring with 18 ppg. He shared team-high scoring total with 18 points in opening-round loss against North Carolina in 1986 NCAA tourney.
Manny Suarez, C (Adelphi NY 16-17/Creighton 18)
Averaged 15.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 2.2 bpg in two-year career with Adelphi. Played briefly for Creighton in 2018 NCAA playoff opening-round defeat against Kansas State.
Johnny Taylor, F (Knoxville TN 94/Tenn.-Chattanooga 96-97)
Averaged 18.2 ppg and 8.1 rpg with UTC before becoming an NBA first-round draft choice. Southern Conference Player of the Year for UTC team upsetting Georgia and Illinois in 1997 Southeast Regional. He averaged 17.7 ppg and 6 rpg in three NCAA playoff games, scoring a game-high 22 points in defeat against Providence.
Chad Townsend, G (St. Edward's TX 95/Murray State 97-98)
Averaged 22.4 ppg and 4.4 rpg in his final season with St. Edward's. All-Ohio Valley Conference second-team selection averaged 13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg and a school-record 7.1 apg as a junior when he was OVC Tournament MVP. Played in two NCAA tourneys with the Racers, pacing them in assists in both games while averaging 12 ppg and 5.5 rpg.
Joel Tribelhorn, G (Fort Lewis CO 85-87/Colorado State 89)
Finished third on Fort Lewis' career scoring list with 1,390 points after setting school single-season records for most points (635 in 1986-87), highest scoring average (24.4 ppg in 1985-86) and best three-point field-goal shooting (50% in 1986-87). The NAIA All-American second-team selection as a junior became an All-WAC second-team pick as a senior when he was CSU's second-leading scorer (13.8 ppg), led the Rams in field-goal shooting (53.9%) and paced the league in three-point shooting (56.3%). Scored a game-high 20 points when CSU upset Florida, 68-46, in 1989 Midwest Regional.
Jeff Tyson, G (Aquinas MI 72/Western Michigan 74-76)
Played seven games with Aquinas before averaging 15 ppg and 5.4 rpg with WMU. As a senior, he scored a game-high 25 points in 77-67 decision over Virginia Tech in the Chippewas' first-ever NCAA playoff contest.
Chandler Vaudrin, G (Walsh OH 17-18/Winthrop 20-21)
Averaged team-high 15.5 ppg and ranked fourth in DII with 7.5 apg as sophomore before ranking seventh in DI in assists as senior with 6.9 apg. Also led Winthrop's 2021 NCAA playoff squad in scoring.
Roosevelt Wallace, F (Virginia Union/Arkansas 91-92)
Averaged 8.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg for the Razorbacks' 1992 NCAA playoff squad. He played a total of 16 minutes in two tourney tilts.
Ross Williams, G (Menlo CA 19-20 & Colorado Christian 21-22/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 23)
Averaged 12 ppg in two playoff contests with the Islanders.
Phil Zevenbergen, F (Seattle Pacific 83/Washington 86-87)
Attended community college before averaging 10.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg for the Huskies. Grabbed two rebounds in nine minutes in 72-70 setback against Michigan State in first round of 1986 Midwest Regional.
NOTE: Missouri State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, North Dakota State, Omaha, Prairie View, Sacramento State, Southeast Missouri State, Tarleton State, Tennessee-Martin, Troy and Wright State subsequently moved up to NCAA Division I status.
Recipe For Success: Helpful Hints Filling Out Your 2025 NCAA Playoff Bracket
Participating in pools for major sporting events, whether for money or not, has become as American as apple pie. Everyone who has ever visited a water cooler or copy room knows that no office pool spawns emotional involvement more than the invigorating NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.
If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for a handicapping guide to answer vital questions, here is a sane approach for surviving March Madness. Sixty-eight is a magic number for the incisive tips because that is the number of teams in the original NCAA field. If you want to merrily maneuver through mine field to Phoenix when pool results are posted on the bulletin board, pay close attention to these time-honored 68 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. In deference to the number of entrants, they might not all be applicable this year but these handy-dandy points to ponder should help steer you away from potholes on the Road to the Final Four.
SEEDING CLEARLY
* Pick all No. 1 seeds to win their first-round games. This one's a gimme: Top-seeded teams have lost only one opening-round game since the field was expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985.
* Pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded one through four.
* Pick one No. 3 seed to lose in the first round.
* Pick at least one No. 2 seed to lose in the first two rounds.
* Don't pick a No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four, let alone win the national tournament, if the school wasn't in the NCAA playoffs the previous year.
* Don't automatically pick a perennial power to defeat an opponent with a double-digit seeding.
* Pick a team seeded No. 1 or No. 2 to win the national title.
* Don't pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four.
* Pick the better-seeded team to win any second-round game pitting two double-digit seeds against each other.
* Pick one team with a double-digit seed to reach a regional semifinal.
* Don't pick more than one regional to have its top four seeds reach the regional semifinals.
* If two members of the same conference earn No. 1 seeds, don't pick both teams to reach the Final Four. Only once has two #1 seeds from the same league advanced to the national semifinals (Georgetown and St. John's from the Big East in 1985).
* Don't pick all four No. 1 seeds to reach regional finals.
CONFERENCE CALL
* Pick at least one Big East team to lose in the opening round.
* Pick at least two teams from the Big Ten and/or SEC to incur opening-round defeats.
* Don't pick a team from the Big South to win a first-round game.
* Don't pick an at-large team with a losing conference record to get beyond the second round.
* Pick at least two ACC teams to reach a regional semifinal and at least one to reach the Final Four.
* If an ACC school wins both the league's regular-season and tournament titles, pick the team to reach the Final Four.
* Don't be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney. Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory.
* Double your pleasure by picking two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four.
* Don't choose a different member from the same league as the previous year's champion (Duke in the ACC) to capture the crown. There has been just seven times in NCAA playoff history for two different schools from the same conference to win the title in back-to-back years - Big Ten (Indiana '40 and Wisconsin '41); ACC (North Carolina '82 and N.C. State '83); Big East (Georgetown '84 and Villanova '85), ACC (Duke '92 and North Carolina '93); ACC (Duke '01 and Maryland '02); Big East (Syracuse '03 and Connecticut '04) and ACC (North Carolina '09 and Duke '10). Three different members from the same alliance capturing the crown over a three-year span has never happened.
* Don't pick an undisputed Big Ten champion (Wisconsin this year) to reach the Final Four.
* The Big Ten occasionally is the nation's premier conference but don't get carried away with that credential when picking a national titlist. Only one Big Ten member (Michigan State in 2000) captured an NCAA crown in the previous 25 years.
* Two of your Final Four picks should be teams that didn't finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
* Burnout has a tendency to set in. Remember that the odds are against a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
* Don't pick a team to reach the Final Four if it lost in the first round of a postseason conference tournament.
* Don't be too concerned about a regular-season defeat against a conference rival with a losing league record.
* Don't get carried away with the Pac-12 Conference. A Pac-12 team regularly loses an opening-round game to an opponent seeded 12th or worse.
* Don't pick a conference tournament champion winning four games in four nights to reach a regional semifinal.
* Pick one league to have four members reach the regional semifinals. It happened a total of 13 times in a 15-year span from 1989 through 2003.
* Don't be overwhelmed by quantity because six or seven bids for a league is not a recipe for success. Less than half conferences in this category finished with cumulative playoff records better than two games above .500.
* Don't pick a MEAC or SWAC representative to reach the Sweet 16. It has never happened.
NUMBERS GAME
* Enjoy the "mid-major" Cinderella stories but know that the clock eventually strikes midnight. Gonzaga faces a challenge because no "mid-major" since San Francisco in 1956 won the NCAA title after entering the tourney ranked atop the national polls.
* If there are as many as four first-time entrants, pick one of the novices to win its opening-round game.
* Don't pick a team with 30 or more victories entering the tournament to win the national title.
* Don't develop an aversion for coaches with impoverished playoff records. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of 11.4 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975.
* Don't be obsessed with comparing regular-season scores. Two-thirds of the NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as they combined to lose more than 50 games by double-digit margins.
* Pick a team with at least 25 victories entering the tournament to win the championship. Villanova, entering the 1985 playoffs with 19 triumphs, was the only national champion in more than 35 years to enter the tourney with fewer than 20 wins until Arizona won it all in 1997 after also entering with 19 victories.
* Don't pick the nation's top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown. Also, Gonzaga has never reached the Final Four.
* The best place to start selecting the Final Four is in the previous year's round of 16. More than half of the teams reaching the national semifinals since 1988 advanced to a regional semifinal the previous season.
* Don't tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four. No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game.
* Make certain your Final Four picks include at least one 30-game winner and one team with a minimum of six defeats.
* After choosing your Final Four schools, don't automatically select the winningest remaining team to go ahead and capture the title.
* Don't pick a team to win the championship if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
* Don't pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are Caucasians.
* Don't pick a team with as many as 12 defeats entering the tourney to reach a regional semifinal.
* Don't pick a team entering the tournament undefeated to go ahead and win the title. Of the first 17 teams to enter the playoffs with unblemished records, just seven were on to capture the national championship. Excluding UCLA's dominance under coach John Wooden, the only other unbeaten NCAA champion since North Carolina in 1957 is Indiana in 1976.
* Don't overdose on senior leadership. A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Half of the NCAA champions since the early 1990s had only one senior among their top seven scorers.
PICKS AND PANS
* Pick any team defeating North Carolina or Duke in the bracket to already be in or on its way to the Final Four.
* Pick Duke to advance in the bracket if they oppose members of the Big East and Big Ten. Despite Indiana's success against the Blue Devils in the 2002 South Regional and Connecticut's victory over them in the 2004 Final Four, the Dynasty in Durham rarely loses a playoff game against Big East and Big Ten competition.
* Don't pick a member of the MAC or former member of the SWC to reach the Final Four. No Mid-American member has ever reached the national semifinals and the SWC Final Four teams all failed to come home with the national championship trophy.
* Don't pick a Conference USA member to reach a regional final.
* Pick Kansas to win a regional final if the Jayhawks advance that far. KU went to the Final Four six straight times the Jayhawks reached a regional championship game (1971-74-86-88-91-93) until they were upset by Syracuse in the 1996 West Regional. Kansas has continued regional final success much of 21st Century.
* Don't pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
* Make certain the coach of your championship team has at least five years of head coaching experience.
* Don't pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
* Pick at least one Final Four team with a coach who will be making his debut at the national semifinals. Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience.
* Don't pick the defending champion to repeat as national titlist.
* Don't pick the defending national runner-up to win the championship the next season. The only teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982) and Duke (1990 and 1991).
* Don't put any stock into justifying a preseason No. 1 ranking. The runner-up won each of the four times the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams met on the hallowed ground of the NCAA final.
* Pick one team not ranked among the national top 10 entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
* Pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
* Don't pick a school to reach the Final Four if you think a vital undergraduate defector from last season will become a pro star. Of the 10 individuals to score more than 20,000 points in the NBA or be named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining, none of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college - Auburn (Charles Barkley departed early), Houston (Hakeem Olajuwon), Indiana (Isiah Thomas), Kansas (Wilt Chamberlain), Louisiana Tech (Karl Malone), Michigan State (Magic Johnson), North Carolina (Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan), Notre Dame (Adrian Dantley) and Seattle (Elgin Baylor).
* Don't be infatuated by a Final Four newbie. Before UConn in 1999, the last team to win a championship in its initial national semifinal appearance was Texas Western (now Texas-El Paso) in 1966.
* Pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter but don't choose a squad in that category to win the title.
* Don't be infatuated with first-team All-Americans when deciding Final Four teams because a majority of NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans failed to reach the national semifinals since seeding was introduced.
* Your star search should focus more on pro prospects. Select Final Four teams that each have a minimum of one player who'll eventually become a No. 1 NBA draft choice with one of the squads reaching the championship game to have at least three players who'll become a No. 1 NBA draft pick.
TIME-TESTED TIEBREAKERS
* The vast majority of NCAA Tournament office pools have a tiebreaker category or two. One of them might be designating a player for most points in a single game of the tournament. If so, avoid selecting a player from the championship team because the highest output normally is achieved by a member of a non-titlist.
* Another possible tiebreaker is projecting the total number of points in the championship game. To get your bearings, you should know the average point total is more than 150 since the inception nationwide of both the shot clock and three-point field goal.
Jumping in Office Pool: Sweet 16 Dos & Don'ts Filling Out 2025 NCAA Bracket
Participating in office pools for major sports events, whether for money or not, has become as American in the national workplace as filling out your vacation schedule. Both forms can be perplexing because you frequently second guess yourself on where to go, when to go and exactly what to do. More often than not, you want to modify the submissions moments after turning them in. You feel as if you've flunked Office-Pool Economics 101.
No office pool heightens your frustration more than the NCAA Tournament. The allure of the office anarchy can be attributed to the futility of the exercise. You could have asked deceased Pete Rose when pardoned hits king was relaxing at spring training. Still, a little sophisticated guidance is better than none at all as you strive to meet the deadline for submitting your final NCAA playoff bracket.
If you're among the ardent fans who adore the Final Four and are starving for relevant handicapping tips, a sane approach to surviving March Madness has arrived. It is time to start chewing on historical nuggets to avoid making another April Fool appearance when results are posted on the bulletin board. Pay close attention to these sweet 16 dos and don'ts on how to fill out your bracket. As events unfold in 2025, you might want to rekindle old memories by assessing CollegeHoopedia.com's most magical playoff moments and All-Time All-NCAA Tournament teams.
1. SEEDING CAPACITY
DO pick a top three seeded team to win the national title.
In the first 35 years since the NCAA Tournament embraced seeding, 31 of the champions were seeded No. 1 (20 titlists), 2 (six) or 3 (five). The only championship game without at least one No. 1 or No. 2 seed was 1989, when a pair of No. 3 seeds clashed (Michigan and Seton Hall), until when #3 Connecticut opposed #8 Butler.
DON'T pick more than two of the four regional No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four.
No. 1 seeds always look tempting (especially after all four advanced to national semifinals in 2008). But the Final Four did not have more than two of them any year from 1979 through 1992.
2. DOUBLE TROUBLE
DO pick two teams seeded 13th or worse to defeat teams seeded two through four and one team seeded 12th to reach a regional semifinal.
Since the seeding process started in 1979, never have all of the top four seeds in each regional survived their opening round. A No. 12 seed advanced to the round of 16 five consecutive years from 1990 through 1994.
DON'T automatically pick a perennial power to defeat a team with a double-digit seed.
More than 100 different coaches have lost at least one tournament game to an opponent with a double-digit seed since the seeding process was introduced. Playoff newcomers shouldn't be shunned if they get any break at all in the seeding process. First-time entrants assert themselves when they receive a decent draw. Of the schools making their tournament debuts since the field expanded to at least 52 teams, almost one-fourth of them survived the first round.
3. SCORING SUMMARY
DO shun a potential championship team if an underclassman guard is leading the squad in scoring.
The only freshmen to lead a national champion in scoring were Utah forward Arnie Ferrin in 1944 and Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Of the sophomores to lead national titlists in scoring average, the only guards were Indiana's Isiah Thomas (16 ppg in 1981) and Duke's Jason Williams (21.6 ppg in 2001).
DON'T tamper with a "curse" by picking a team with the nation's leading scorer on its roster to reach the Final Four.
No national champion has had a player average as many as 30 points per game. The only player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a school to reach the NCAA Tournament championship game was Clyde Lovellette, who carried Kansas to the 1952 title. The only other player to lead the nation in scoring average while playing for a team advancing to the Final Four was Oscar Robertson, who powered Cincinnati to the national semifinals in 1959 and 1960 before the Bearcats were defeated both years by California. The Bears restricted the Big O to a total of 37 points in the two Final Four games as he was just nine of 32 from the floor.
4. PICKS AND PANS
Unless vital criteria is met to suffice otherwise, DO go with better-seeded teams to win games in the four regionals.
The better-seeded teams win a little over 2/3 of the games in regional competition. However, Final Four games have virtually broken even in regard to the original seedings.
DON'T pick a team to capture the NCAA title if the club lost its conference tournament opener.
No team ever has won an NCAA championship after losing a conference postseason tournament opener.
5. DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS
DO remember the cliche "East is Least."
No Eastern school won the East Regional and the national title in the same season since the tournament went to four regionals until Syracuse achieved the feat in 2003. The first seven national champions from the East Regional since 1956 were all ACC members (North Carolina '57, N.C. State '74, North Carolina '82, Duke '92, North Carolina '93, Duke '01 and Maryland '02) before Carolina won the East Regional again in 2005.
DON'T accept the axiom that the "West is Worst."
What does the Left Coast have to do to shed a misguided image? The Pacific-12 Conference supplied two NCAA champions in a three-year span (UCLA '95 and Arizona '97) before Stanford and Utah reached the 1998 Final Four. Arizona was runner-up in 2001 before UCLA participated in three straight Final Fours from 2006 through 2008. Although the Pac-12 struggled this season, the multiple-bid Mountain West and/or West Coast could take up the slack.
6. MATHEMATICAL ODDS
DO pick two of the ten recognizable schools with the all-time best playoff records to reach the Final Four.
There is a strong possibility some familiar faces will arrive in Phoenix since at least two of the ten winningest schools by percentage (minimum of 50 playoff games) usually appear at the Final Four.
DON'T be too wary of first-rate coaches with dime-store playoff results.
High-profile coaches are occasionally grilled because of their dismal tournament resumes. But they're due to eventually turn things around and shouldn't be written off altogether. Remember: Legendary John Wooden lost his first five playoff games as coach at UCLA by an average of more than 11 points and compiled an anemic 3-9 record from 1950 through 1963 before the Bruins won an unprecedented 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 through 1975. It doesn't seem possible, but additional elite coaches who didn't win their first NCAA playoff game until their 10th DI season or longer include Dana Altman, Rick Barnes, P.J. Carlesimo, Pete Carril, Bobby Cremins, Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Bill E. Foster, Hugh Greer, Leonard Hamilton, Marv Harshman, Terry Holland, Maury John, Mike Krzyzewski, Ralph Miller, Mike Montgomery, Joe Mullaney, Pete Newell, Tom Penders, George Raveling, Kelvin Sampson, Norm Sloan, Butch van Breda Kolff and Ned Wulk.
7. GO WITH MIGHTY MO?
DO remember the odds about a conference tournament champion reaching the NCAA Tournament final.
There is a theory that burnout has a tendency to set in. But more than half of the NCAA titlists since seeding started in 1979 also won their conference postseason tournament the same year.
DON'T be swayed by a postseason conference tournament title or a poor performance in an elite league tourney.
Disregard the "hot team" factor because a defeat in a league tournament is often a better motivational tool than a complacency-inducing victory.
8. LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1
DO look for a school other than the defending champion (Connecticut) to become national titlist.
Duke was fortunate to repeat in 1992 when they reached the Final Four on Christian Laettner's last-second basket in overtime in the East Regional final against Kentucky. Florida repeated in 2007 despite winning its last five contests by 10 or fewer points.
DON'T pick the top-ranked team entering the tournament to reach the national championship game, let alone capture the crown.
There is a clear and present danger for pole sitters. Only three of the 29 schools atop the national rankings entering the NCAA playoffs from 1983 through 2011 went on to capture the national championship and only six No. 1 squads in the last 25 seasons of that span reached the title game.
9. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
DO pick at least one Final Four team with a coach making his debut at the national semifinals.
Just four Final Fours (1951, 1968, 1984 and 1993) had all four coaches arrive there with previous Final Four experience. There has been at least one fresh face among the bench bosses at the national semifinals all but one of the last 27 years. In 1993, coaches Steve Fisher (Michigan), Rick Pitino (Kentucky), Dean Smith (North Carolina) and Roy Williams (Kansas) returned to familiar surroundings at the Final Four.
DON'T pick a team to win the national title if its coach is in his first season at the school.
Steve Fisher guided Michigan to the 1989 title after succeeding Bill Frieder just before the start of the playoffs. But the only individual to capture an NCAA crown in his first full campaign as head coach at a university was Ed Jucker (Cincinnati '61 after seven years at King's Point and Rensselaer). The average championship team head coach has been at the school almost 13 years and has almost 17 years of college head coaching experience overall. The only championship head coaches with less than five years of experience were Fisher and Fred Taylor (second season at Ohio State '60).
10. SENIORS AND SHEEPSKINS
DO realize that senior experience needs to be complemented by the vigor from undergraduates.
A senior-laden lineup is not a prerequisite for capturing a national championship. An average of only two seniors were among the top seven scorers for NCAA Tournament titlists since the playoff field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985. Eight of the 16 NCAA champions from 1991 through 2006 boasted no more than one senior among its top seven scorers. Only three NCAA champions since Indiana '87 - UCLA (1995), Michigan (2000) and Maryland (2002) - had seniors as their top two scorers.
DON'T pick a team to capture the title if it is coached by a graduate of the school.
A champion is almost never guided by a graduate of that university.
11. CHANGE OF ADDRESS
DO pick at least one of your Final Four teams to have a transfer starter.
Almost every Final Four features at least one starter who began his college career at another four-year Division I school.
DON'T pick schools that lost a vital undergraduate to reach the Final Four if you think the defectors will become pro stars.
Ten individuals scored more than 20,000 points in the NBA or were named to at least five All-NBA teams after participating in the NCAA Division I playoffs and then leaving college with eligibility remaining - Charles Barkley (departed Auburn early), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), Isiah Thomas (Indiana), Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas), Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech), Magic Johnson (Michigan State), Bob McAdoo and Michael Jordan (North Carolina), Adrian Dantley (Notre Dame) and Elgin Baylor (Seattle). None of their schools reached the Final Four the year or years they could have still been in college.
12. CONFERENCE CALL
DO pick two teams from the same conference to reach the Final Four, with at least one of them advancing to the championship game.
Double your pleasure: A pair of members from the same conference frequently advance to the Final Four.
DON'T be condescending and overlook quality mid-major conference teams.
It's not a question of if but where will David defeat Goliath. There have been more than 100 Big Boy losses against members of lower-profile conferences seeded five or more places worse than the major university which is currently a member of one of the current consensus top six leagues. A total of 74 different lower-profile schools and current members of 23 different mid-major conferences (all but Northeast and Summit) have won such games since seeding started in 1979.
13. REGULAR-SEASON REVIEW
DO pick two of your Final Four teams from schools failing to finish atop their regular-season conference standings.
The best is yet to come for a team or two that might have been somewhat of an underachiever during the regular season. Almost half of the entrants since the field expanded to 48 in 1980 did not win outright or share a regular-season league title.
DON'T put much emphasis on comparing regular-season scores.
A striking number of NCAA champions lost at least one conference game to a team with a losing league mark. Many NCAA champions weren't exactly invincible as a majority of them lost a regular-season games by a double-digit margin.
14. AT-LARGE ANSWERS
DO avoid picking an at-large team with a losing conference record to go beyond the second round.
An at-large team with a sub-.500 league mark almost never wins more than one NCAA Tournament game.
DON'T pick an at-large team compiling a mediocre record to reach the regional semifinals.
Only a handful of at-large entrants winning fewer than 60 percent of their games manage to reach the second round.
15. RACIAL PROFILING
DO pick at least a couple of teams coached by African Americans to advance a minimum of two rounds in the tournament.
More often than not, at least two teams coached by African Americans reach the regional semifinals (round of 16).
DON'T pick a team to win the championship if its top two scorers are white athletes.
Duke had the only two teams in recent memory to win the NCAA title with white players comprising its top two point producers that season. In 1991, the two two scorers were Christian Laettner and Billy McCaffrey, who subsequently transferred to Vanderbilt. In 2010, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler were Duke's top two scorers. Laettner also led the Blue Devils in scoring when they captured the 1993 crown. The only other white players ranked among the top three scorers for NCAA championship teams since the field expanded to at least 40 teams included: Randy Wittman (third for Indiana '81), Steve Alford (led Indiana '87), Kevin Pritchard (third for Kansas '88), Eric Montross (led North Carolina '93), Jeff Sheppard/Scott Padgett (first and third for Kentucky '98), Gerry McNamara (third for Syracuse '03) and Tyler Hansbrough (led North Carolina '09).
16. LAW OF AVERAGES
DO pick one "sleeper" team not ranked among the top ten in either of the final wire-service polls entering the tournament to reach the championship game.
There likely will be a Rip Van Winkle finally waking up to advance to the national final after not being ranked among the top ten in an AP final poll.
DON'T pick the national runner-up from one year to win the championship the next season.
The only three teams ever to finish national runner-up one year and then capture the title the next season were North Carolina (1981 and 1982), Duke (1990 and 1991) and Kentucky (1997 and 1998).
Power Outage: Mizzou Struggled Down Stretch But Still Left SEC Winless Zoo
Missouri struggled down the stretch, losing four of last five regular-season outings. But the Tigers (10-8 in SEC) still duplicated Oregon's feat of posting a winning mark in premier-conference play the year after going winless in league competition (8-6 in 1972-73). Seton Hall (2-18 in Big East) and South Carolina (2-16 in SEC) registered the worst power-conference records this campaign.
Eight power-conference members in the previous 11 seasons went winless in league competition after DePaul and Missouri suffered the indignity in 2023-24. The Blue Demons, incurring the same Big East Conference fate 15 years earlier, joined Clemson (1954 and 1955), Georgia Tech (1954 and 1981), Northwestern (1991 and 2000) and Texas Christian (1964, 1977 and 2014) as current power-league schools in this dubious category multiple times since the formation of the ACC in 1953-54. Tech was winless in two different power leagues (SEC and ACC).
The 2023-24 campaign marked the third season in 70 years when two power-conference members were winless in league competition. Previous campaigns with a pair of winless power-league teams in that span were 1953-54 (Clemson and Georgia Tech) and 1985-86 (Colorado and Wake Forest). The ACC and Big East have had the most different members go winless in that stretch with four apiece. Clemson headlines the following list by largest average losing margin in power-league play of winless teams since the ACC's inaugural campaign in 1953-54:
Winless Power-League Member | Conference | Season | League Mark (Average Losing Margin) | Overall | Coach |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clemson | ACC | 1953-54 | 0-9 (29.3) | 5-18 | Banks McFadden |
Clemson | ACC | 1954-55 | 0-14 (24.6) | 2-21 | Banks McFadden |
DePaul* | Big East | 2023-24 | 0-20 (23.9) | 3-28 | Tony Stubblefield/Matt Brady |
Georgia Tech | ACC | 1980-81 | 0-14 (23.6) | 4-23 | Dwane Morrison |
Miami (Fla.) | Big East | 1993-94 | 0-18 (20.2) | 7-20 | Leonard Hamilton |
Northwestern | Big Ten | 1999-00 | 0-16 (20.1) | 5-25 | Kevin O'Neill |
Pittsburgh | ACC | 2017-18 | 0-18 (19.1) | 8-24 | Kevin Stallings |
Oregon State | Pac-10 | 2007-08 | 0-18 (18.7) | 6-25 | Jay John/Kevin Mouton |
Georgia Tech | SEC | 1953-54 | 0-14 (18.4) | 2-22 | John "Whack" Hyder |
Texas Christian | Big 12 | 2013-14 | 0-18 (17.8) | 9-22 | Trent Johnson |
Colorado | Big Eight | 1985-86 | 0-14 (17.2) | 8-20 | Tom Apke |
Boston College | ACC | 2015-16 | 0-18 (16.9) | 7-25 | Jim Christian |
Northwestern | Big Ten | 1990-91 | 0-18 (16.7) | 5-23 | Bill Foster |
Texas Christian | SWC | 1976-77 | 0-16 (16.1) | 3-23 | Johnny Swaim |
DePaul* | Big East | 2008-09 | 0-18 (15.8) | 9-24 | Jerry Wainwright |
Wake Forest | ACC | 1985-86 | 0-14 (15.4) | 8-21 | Bob Staak |
Texas Tech | SWC | 1989-90 | 0-16 (13.8) | 5-22 | Gerald Myers |
Vanderbilt | SEC | 2018-19 | 0-18 (13.3) | 9-23 | Bryce Drew |
Texas Christian | SWC | 1963-64 | 0-14 (13.1) | 4-20 | Byron "Buster" Brannon |
Iowa State | Big 12 | 2020-21 | 0-18 (12.6) | 2-22 | Steve Prohm |
Georgetown | Big East | 2021-22 | 0-19 (12.4) | 6-25 | Patrick Ewing |
Oregon | Pac-8 | 1971-72 | 0-14 (12.3) | 6-20 | Dick Harter |
Texas A&M | Big 12 | 2003-04 | 0-16 (11) | 7-21 | Melvin Watkins |
Missouri | SEC | 2023-24 | 0-18 (10.7) | 8-23 | Dennis Gates |
Southern California | Pac-8 | 1975-76 | 0-14 (9.6) | 11-16 | Bob Boyd |
Providence | Big East | 1979-80 | 0-6 (9.5) | 11-16 | Gary Walters |
*DePaul won opening-round game in 2009 league tourney and lost 2024 tourney opener by one point.
Conference Kingpins: 11 Schools With Most League Titles Do Poorly This Year
There is a segment of fans thinking things have been bad over the decades regarding conference championships. But just remember there are fools out there who actually care about the gender of a plastic toy potato, want a grade-school kid to be able to choose his or her gender while not allowing an individual's parents to select what school he or she attends and won't applaud Gold Star families or 13-year-old cancer survivor receiving distinction as honorary Secret Service agent.
What would have been the betting odds in the preseason? Inconceivably, the 11 schools with the most regular-season titles in NCAA history all finished at least four games behind in their respective conference standings this season. Kansas leads for most championships, collecting 64 regular-season conference crowns in illustrious history despite having a streak of 14 straight Big 12 titles come to a halt six years ago. The Jayhawks, despite ranked #1 in preseason AP poll, finished eight games behind Houston this campaign in league standings, which they haven't done since 1982-83 in the Big Eight Conference when Missouri reigned supreme.
KU and Kentucky are atop the following list of 11 schools with more than 25 regular-season major-college league championships:
- Kansas - 64 (13 of the 21 Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles from 1908 through 1928, 30 in Big Eight and 21 in Big 12)
- Kentucky - 54 in SEC
- Pennsylvania - 40 in EIBL/Ivy League
- North Carolina - 40 (7 in Southern and 33 in ACC)
- Princeton - 40 in EIBL/Ivy League
- UCLA - 36 in Pacific-12
- Connecticut - 30 (19 in Yankee and 11 in Big East)
- Western Kentucky* - 28 (19 in Ohio Valley and 9 in Sun Belt)
- Arkansas - 26 (22 in SWC and 4 in SEC)
- Purdue - 26 in Big Ten
- Texas - 26 (22 in SWC and 4 in Big 12)
*WKU's total is 42 if include 14 titles won in the KIAC/SIAA in the 1930s and 1940s. All current members of the SEC (except for Arkansas) previously were in the SIAA and six ACC members comprised a portion of the former alliance.
Runaway Winners: McNeese State Cowboys Dominate Southland Competition
Seven years ago, Virginia became the first ACC member since Duke in 1999-00 to win the regular-season league title by as many as four games in final standings. The most dominant club in conference competition this season was McNeese State (won Southland Conference by five games with 19-1 mark). The Will Wade-coached Cowboys' lone league loss was against Nicholls.
Duke (ACC) and Houston (Big 12) posted gaudy 19-1 records this season but no power league in the last 11 years has had a team finish atop conference standings by at least five games. Colgate was the first school to be so dominant in back-to-back regular-season conference competition (2022-23 and 2023-24) since Stephen Curry-led Davidson to Southern Conference crown by six games in 2007-08. Following is a list of most dominant league titlists in that span finishing at least six games ahead in standings (listed in reverse order):
Season | League Champion (Coach) | Conference | Mark | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023-24 | Colgate (Matt Langel) | Patriot League | 16-2 | +6 |
2022-23 | Colgate (Matt Langel) | Patriot League | 17-1 | +6 |
2021-22 | Longwood (Griff Aldrich) | Big South/North | 15-1 | +7 |
2021-22 | Vermont (John Becker) | America East | 17-1 | +6 |
2020-21 | Navy (Ed DeChellis) | Patriot League/South | 12-1 | +6 |
2019-20 | New Mexico State (Chris Jans) | Western Athletic | 16-0 | +6 |
2017-18 | Buffalo (Nate Oats) | Mid-American/East | 15-3 | +6 |
2014-15 | Murray State (Steve Prohm) | Ohio Valley/West | 16-0 | +6 |
2013-14 | Wichita State (Gregg Marshall) | Missouri Valley | 18-0 | +6 |
2013-14 | Florida (Billy Donovan) | SEC | 18-0 | +6 |
2011-12 | Kentucky (John Calipari) | SEC | 16-0 | +6 |
2011-12 | Middle Tennessee State (Kermit Davis) | Sun Belt/East | 14-2 | +6 |
2009-10 | Butler (Brad Stevens) | Horizon League | 18-0 | +6 |
2007-08 | Davidson (Bob McKillop) | Southern/South | 20-0 | +7 |
How Have Premier Active Coaches Fared in League Tourneys Pre-Big Dance?
For quality teams in upper-echelon leagues, conference tournament action is only the beginning of what they hope will be a long postseason experience culminating with memorable success in the NCAA playoffs. Because of their season-long excellence, quality power-league members are virtually immune to exclusion from the NCAA Tournament. Thus, along with trying to win the league tournament title, the squads are tuning up for the main event by jockeying for position in the NCAA bracket.
Despite winning event two years ago, Purdue's Matt Painter has struggled the most in league tournament play among a total of 16 active coaches appearing in more than a dozen NCAA tourneys through 2024. Following is a look at how these prominent mentors have fared in conference tournament competition through 2024 before attending the Big Dance a majority of the time:
Celebrated Coach | Current School | League Tourney Mark Overall | Conference Tournament Summary Through 2024 |
---|---|---|---|
Mark Few | Gonzaga | 52-6 (.897) | all appearances in West Coast Conference Tournament |
John Calipari | Arkansas | 55-16 (.775) | 14-3 (.824) in Atlantic 10 Tournament, 17-5 (.773) in CUSA Tournament and 24-8 (.750) in SEC Tournament |
Rick Pitino | St. John's | 53-16 (.768) | 4-1 (.800) in ECAC North/ECAC North Atlantic Tournament, 15-8 (.652) in Big East Tournament, 17-1 (.944) in SEC Tournament, 8-2 (.800) in CUSA Tournament, 2-1 (.667) in American Athletic Tournament, 0-2 (.000) in ACC Tournament and 7-1 (.875) in MAAC Tournament |
Bill Self | Kansas | 47-15 (.758) | 4-3 (.571) in Western Athletic Tournament, 5-2 (.714) in Big Ten Tournament and 38-10 (.792) in Big 12 Tournament |
Thad Matta | Butler | 34-12 (.739) | 3-0 (1.000) in Midwestern Collegiate Tournament, 8-1 (.889) in Atlantic 10 Tournament, 23-9 (.719) in Big Ten Tournament and 0-2 (.000) in Big East Tournament |
Sean Miller | Xavier | 28-12 (.700) | 7-3 (.700) in Atlantic 10 Tournament, 18-7 (.720) in Pac-12 Tournament and 3-2 (.600) in Big East Tournament |
Dana Altman | Oregon | 48-23 (.676) | 0-1 (.000) in Southern Conference Tournament, 2-4 (.333) in Big Eight Tournament, 21-9 (.700) in Missouri Valley Tournament and 25-9 (.735) in Pac-12 Tournament; making first appearance in Big Ten Tournament |
Tom Izzo | Michigan State | 35-20 (.636) | all appearances in Big Ten Tournament |
Kelvin Sampson | Houston | 35-20 (.636) | 2-3 (.400) in Pacific-10 Tournament, 1-2 (.333) in Big Eight Tournament, 17-7 (.708) in Big 12 Tournament, 0-1 (.000) in Big Ten Tournament and 13-6 (.684) in American Athletic Tournament; 2-1 (.667) in Big 12 Conference |
Mick Cronin | UCLA | 26-15 (.634) | 6-1 (.857) in Ohio Valley Tournament, 6-6 (.500) in Big East Tournament, 9-4 (.692) in American Athletic Tournament and 5-4 (.556) in Pac-12 Tournament; making first appearance in Big Ten Tournament |
Bruce Pearl | Auburn | 21-13 (.618) | 5-2 (.714) in Horizon League Tournament and 16-11 (.593) in SEC Tournament |
Steve Alford | Nevada | 36-23 (.610) | 6-4 (.600) in Missouri Valley Tournament, 13-6 (.684) in Big Ten Tournament, 10-9 (.526) in Mountain West Tournament and 7-4 (.636) in Pac-12 Tournament |
Fran McCaffery | Iowa | 31-21 (.596) | 4-2 (.667) in ECC Tournament, 7-5 (.583) in Southern Conference Tournament, 11-2 (.846) in MAAC Tournament and 9-12 (.429) in Big Ten Tournament |
Rick Barnes | Tennessee | 42-34 (.553) | 2-1 (.667) in CAA Tournament, 5-5 (.500) in Big East Tournament, 2-4 (.333) in ACC Tournament, 22-17 (.564) in Big 12 Tournament and 11-7 (.611) in SEC Tournament |
Jamie Dixon | Texas Christian | 21-20 (.512) | 12-9 (.571) in Big East Tournament, 3-3 (.500) in ACC Tournament and 6-8 (.429) in Big 12 Tournament |
Matt Painter | Purdue | 16-16 (.500) | 1-1 (.500) in Missouri Valley Tournament and 15-15 (.500) in Big Ten Tournament |
Shooting Stars: NCAA DI Conference Tourney Single-Game Scoring Standards
North Dakota's Treysen Eaglestaff came within five points this year of breaking the highest-scoring game in NCAA DI conference tournament history. Did you know the individual boasting highest-scoring game in a DI league postseason tournament is a genuine gamebreaker-turned-lawbreaker? You can find him in prison serving a life sentence without parole after facing felony charges stemming from automobile hijacking, kidnapping the driver by holding a gun to his head and robbing a convenience store following a 3 1/2-year stint in prison for a probation violation. Well, it's Marshall guard Skip Henderson, who erupted for 55 points in the 1988 Southern Conference quarterfinals against The Citadel. Marshall (also C-USA) and Texas Tech (Big 12 and SWC) are the only schools to have two players hold existing league tourney scoring marks in two different NCAA Division I alliances.
After Stetson's Jalen Blackmon in Atlantic Sun last year, four mid-major leagues - America East (twice after three-time MVP Jameel Warney's 18-of-22 field-goal shooting six years ago for Stony Brook), Ivy League (Harvard's Bryce Aiken four years ago) and Horizon League (Detroit's Antoine Davis two years ago) - provide the only players setting existing NCAA DI conference tournament scoring marks in a tourney final. All-Americans Lennie Rosenbluth (North Carolina) and Cliff Hagan (Kentucky) accounted for the two of following DI league tourney scoring standards (ACC and SEC) standing since the 1950s:
Conference | Round | Record Holder | School | HG | Opponent | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
America East | Final | Taylor Coppenrath | Vermont | 43 | Maine | 3-13-04 |
America East | Final | Jameel Warney | Stony Brook | 43 | Vermont | 3-12-16 |
American Athletic | Semifinal | Russ Smith | Louisville | 42 | Houston | 3-14-14 |
Atlantic Coast | Quarterfinal | Lennie Rosenbluth | North Carolina | 45 | Clemson | 3-7-57 |
Atlantic Sun | Quarterfinal | Reggie Gibbs | Houston Baptist | 43 | Georgia Southern | 3-7-89 |
Atlantic Sun | Final | Jalen Blackmon | Stetson | 43 | Austin Peay | 3-10-24 |
Atlantic 10 | Quarterfinal | Tom Garrick | Rhode Island | 50 | Rutgers | 3-7-88 |
Big East | Quarterfinal | Donyell Marshall | Connecticut | 42 | St. John's | 3-11-94 |
Big Eight | Quarterfinal | Eric Piatkowski | Nebraska | 42 | Oklahoma | 3-11-94 |
Big Sky | First | Randy Onwuasor | Southern Utah | 43 | Montana State | 3-7-17 |
Big South | Quarterfinal | Chris Clemons | Campbell | 51 | UNC Asheville | 3-2-17 |
Big Ten | Semifinal | Terrence Shannon Jr. | Illinois | 40 | Nebraska | 3-16-24 |
Big 12 | First | Mike Singletary | Texas Tech | 43 | Texas A&M | 3-11-09 |
Big West | First | Josh Akognon | Cal State Fullerton | 37 | UC Riverside | 3-11-09 |
Coastal Athletic | Semifinal | Justin Wright-Foreman | Hofstra | 42 | Delaware | 3-11-19 |
C-USA | Semifinal | Trey Freeman | Old Dominion | 42 | Western Kentucky | 3-11-16 |
Horizon League | First | Antoine Davis | Detroit | 46 | Robert Morris | 2-25-21 |
Ivy League | Final | Bryce Aiken | Harvard | 38 | Yale | 3-17-19 |
Metro Atlantic | Quarterfinal | Kevin Houston | Army | 53 | Fordham | 2-28-87 |
Mid-American | Semifinal | Ron Harper | Miami (Ohio) | 45 | Ball State | 3-8-85 |
Mid-Eastern Athletic | First | Richard Toussaint | Bethune-Cookman | 49 | Morgan State | 3-11-03 |
Missouri Valley | Quarterfinal | Hersey Hawkins | Bradley | 41 | Indiana State | 3-5-88 |
Mountain West | Semifinal | Jimmer Fredette | Brigham Young | 52 | New Mexico | 3-11-11 |
Northeast | Quarterfinal | Rahsaan Johnson | Monmouth | 40 | St. Francis (N.Y.) | 3-3-00 |
Ohio Valley | Quarterfinal | Charles "Bubba" Wells | Austin Peay | 43 | Morehead State | 2-25-97 |
Pac-12 | Quarterfinal | Klay Thompson | Washington State | 43 | Washington | 3-10-11 |
Patriot League | Quarterfinal | Joe Knight | Lehigh | 45 | Colgate | 3-4-05 |
Southeastern | Semifinal | Cliff Hagan | Kentucky | 42 | Tennessee | 3-1-52 |
Southeastern | Quarterfinal | Melvin Turpin | Kentucky | 42 | Georgia | 3-8-84 |
Southern | Quarterfinal | James "Skip" Henderson | Marshall | 55 | The Citadel | 3-4-88 |
Southland | Quarterfinal | Kenneth Lyons | North Texas | 47 | Louisiana Tech | 3-10-83 |
Southwest | Semifinal | Rick Bullock | Texas Tech | 44 | Arkansas | 3-5-76 |
Southwestern Athletic | unavailable | unavailable | unavailable | TBD | unavailable | TBD |
Summit League | Quarterfinal | Treysen Eaglestaff | North Dakota | 51 | South Dakota State | 3-7-25 |
Sun Belt | Quarterfinal | Dee Brown | Jacksonville | 41 | Old Dominion | 3-3-90 |
West Coast | Quarterfinal | Tim Owens | San Francisco | 45 | Loyola Marymount | 3-2-91 |
Western Athletic | Quarterfinal | Mike Jones | Texas Christian | 44 | Fresno State | 3-6-97 |
NOTE: Scoring outbursts by Fredette (Mountain West), Garrick (Atlantic 10), Gibbs (Atlantic Sun), Harper (Mid-American), Henderson (Southern), Houston (Metro Atlantic Athletic), Lyons (Southland) and Piatkowski (Big Eight) are also existing school single-game standards. Outputs for Eaglestaff (North Dakota) and Warney (Stony Brook) are highest for those schools at DI level.
Clever Cliff Clavin: Timeless Trivia Tidbits Trace Tantalizing Tournament Trails
An amazing six-overtime thriller between Connecticut and Syracuse in the 2009 Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals is relatively easy to remember. But one of the most titillating tourney tidbits among all leagues that gets overlooked because the Southwest Conference is defunct remains Texas Tech's Rick Bullock single-handedly outscoring the "Triplets" from Arkansas (Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph and Sidney Moncrief) by seven points, 44-37, when he set the SWC's single-game tournament scoring record in the 1976 semifinals.
As league tourney action commences, don't hesitate to capitalize on the links for the current Division I conferences cited below to refresh your memory about past champions and events. Following are many of the names and numbers of note only Cliff Clavin knows regarding previous conference tournament competition you can reflect upon as teams tune up for the main event by jockeying for position in the NCAA playoff bracket:
America East - The 1989 North Atlantic Tournament was dubbed the MIT (Measles Invitational Tourney) because all spectators were banned due to a measles outbreak. Delaware competed for 17 years in the East Coast Conference and never won an ECC Tournament championship. But the Blue Hens entered the AEC predecessor, the North Atlantic, in 1992 and won their first-ever title and went to the NCAA playoffs for the initial time. They successfully defended their crown the next year before closing out the decade with another set of back-to-back tourney titles.
American Athletic - In their lone season as members of the conference, Louisville (joined ACC) routed Rutgers (Big Ten), 92-31, in 2014 quarterfinals.
Atlantic Coast - Maryland, ranking fourth in both polls, lost in overtime against eventual NCAA champion North Carolina State, 103-100, in the 1974 final in what some believe might have been the greatest college game ever played. Three players from each team earned All-American honors during their careers - North Carolina State's David Thompson, Tom Burleson and Monte Towe plus Maryland's John Lucas, Len Elmore and Tom McMillen. The Terrapins had four players score at least 20 points - Lucas, McMillen, Owen Brown and Mo Howard - in a 20-point victory over 22-6 North Carolina (105-85) in the semifinals. The Terps, of course, didn't participate in the NCAA playoffs that year because a 32-team bracket allowing teams other than the league champion to be chosen on an at-large basis from the same conference wasn't adopted until the next season. Duke and/or Carolina participated in every tourney final from 1996 until 2021.
Atlantic Sun - Belmont hit 12-of-19 first-half shots from beyond the arc in the 2007 final against top seed East Tennessee State.
Atlantic 10 - Temple reached the tourney semifinals 19 consecutive seasons in one stretch. None of the top four seeds reached the semifinals in 2024.
Big East - St. John's doesn't seem to have any advantage at Madison Square Garden. It lost five consecutive tourney games on its homecourt by an average margin of 11.4 points from 1987 through 1991. DePaul won opening-round league tourney contest in 2009 against Cincinnati after going winless in conference competition during regular season (0-18).
Big Sky - Montana, capitalizing on a homecourt advantage, overcame a jinx by winning back-to-back tournament titles in 1991 and 1992. The Grizzlies had just two losing regular-season league records from 1976 through 1990, but they didn't win the tournament title in that span, losing the championship game five times from 1978 through 1984.
Big South - The No. 1 seed won this unpredictable tourney only five times in the first 17 years. Radford failed to reach the postseason tournament final for nine years until capturing the event in 1998.
Big Ten - Illinois won as many games in the 1999 tourney as the Illini did in regular-season conference competition that season (3-13). Northwestern, en route to its initial NCAA playoff appearance, scored 31 unanswered points in the first half of a 2017 quarterfinal game against Rutgers.
Big 12 - Kansas won the first three championship games from 1997 through 1999 by at least 14 points. No Texas-based member won tourney title until the Longhorns in 2021.
Big West - Pacific didn't compile a winning league record from 1979 through 1992, but the Tigers climaxed three consecutive appearances in the tournament semifinals by advancing to the '92 championship game.
Coastal Athletic - Navy, seeded No. 8 in 1991 in its last year in the tournament before joining the Patriot League, upset top seed James Madison in overtime, 85-82, in the opening round.
Conference USA - Three of four C-USA Tournament champions from 1997 through 2000 won four games in four days. Cincinnati captured six league tournament titles in seven years from 1992 through 1998 in the Great Midwest and C-USA.
Horizon League - The first two tournament winners (Oral Roberts '80 and Oklahoma City '81) of the league's forerunner, the Midwestern City, subsequently shed Division I status and de-emphasized to the NAIA level. ORU, which also won the crown in 1984, returned to Division I status in 1993-94. Butler lost its first 12 games in the tourney until breaking into the win column in 1992.
Ivy League - Harvard aspired to become the fourth different member to win the conference's postseason tournament in the first four years of the event until the alliance tucked tail and ran, cancelling the event due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
Metro Atlantic Athletic - Eight different schools won the tournament title in an eight-year span from 1992 through 1999.
Mid-American - Bowling Green never has won the MAC Tournament. John Whorton, tourney MVP in 1999 when guiding Kent State to its initial NCAA playoff appearance, won $1.3 million with his wife in late 2016 on a NBC game show, "The Wall," created and produced by Akron native LeBron James.
Mid-Eastern Athletic - North Carolina A&T won seven consecutive titles from 1982 through 1988. The Aggies defeated Howard in the championship game each of the first six years of their streak with the middle four of them decided by a total of only 17 points.
Missouri Valley - Indiana State won only two of its next 20 MVC tourney games after All-American Larry Bird led the Sycamores to the 1979 title.
Mountain West - Not once has Air Force reached the championship game of the WAC or Mountain West.
Northeast - The final pitted the top two seeds against each other 11 times in a 13-year span from 1983 through 1995.
Ohio Valley - Former member Western Kentucky reached the championship game in eight of the OVC's first 10 tourneys. Tennessee Tech won only one tournament game from 1975 through 1992.
Pacific-12 - Arizona won the last three tourney finals from 1988 through 1990 by a minimum of 16 points before the league discontinued the event until reviving it in 2002.
Patriot League - No seed worse than third reached the championship game in the first 20 years of event from 1991 through 2010.
SEC - Seven of the 13 tourney MVPs from 1979 through 1991 didn't play for the champion. One of them, LSU's John Williams, didn't even compete in the 1986 title game. Although Kentucky standout center Alex Groza saw limited action in the 1947 tournament because of a back injury, the Wildcats cruised to victories over Vanderbilt (98-29), Auburn (84-18), Georgia Tech (75-53) and Tulane (55-38). UK was also without Converse All-American guard Jack Parkinson (serving in the military), but the five-man all-tourney team was comprised of nothing but Wildcats - forwards Jack Tingle and Joe Holland, center Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones and guards Ken Rollins and Ralph Beard. UK (24) has won more than half of the SEC's tourneys.
Southern - Furman's Jerry Martin, an outfielder who hit .251 in 11 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals and New York Mets from 1974 through 1984, was named MVP in the 1971 tournament after the 6-1 guard led the Paladins to the title with 22-, 36- and 19-point performances to pace the tourney in scoring. Two years earlier, former Davidson coach Bob McKillop scored three points for East Carolina against the Lefty Driesell-coached Wildcats in the 1969 SC Tournament championship game.
Southland - North Texas State's Kenneth Lyons outscored Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, 47-6, when Lyons established a still existing single-game scoring record in the 1983 tournament quarterfinals. Malone led the SLC in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and steals (1.9 spg) that season as a freshman before going on to score more than 30,000 points in the NBA. Two years earlier, McNeese State won a first-round game after going winless in regular-season conference competition.
SWAC - Regular-season champion Grambling State lost by 50 points to Southern (105-55) in the 1987 final. An interesting twist that year was the fact Bob Hopkins, Grambling's first-year coach, had coached Southern the previous three seasons.
Summit League - The first tournament final in 1984 featured two teams with losing league records in regular-season competition (Western Illinois and Cleveland State).
Sun Belt - South Alabama's stall didn't prevent the Jaguars from losing to New Orleans, 22-20, on Nate Mills' last-second jumper in the 1978 final. The next season, the Sun Belt became the first league to experiment with a 45-second shot clock. The four different schools that accounted for the participants in six consecutive finals from 1980 through 1985 went on to join other conferences - UAB, Old Dominion, South Florida and Virginia Commonwealth. Two-time champion Charlotte also abandoned ship.
West Coast - Gonzaga has participated in tourney final for the last 26 years from 1998 through 2023. The top two seeds didn't meet in the championship game until 2000. The most tragic moment in the history of any conference tournament occurred in the semifinals of the 1990 event at Loyola Marymount when Hank Gathers, the league's all-time scoring leader and a two-time tourney MVP, collapsed on his home court during the Lions' game with Portland. He died later that evening and the tournament was suspended. The Lions earned the NCAA Tournament bid because of their regular-season crown and advanced to the West Regional final behind the heroics of Bo Kimble, who was Gathers' longtime friend from Philadelphia.
Western Athletic - The tourney's biggest upset occurred in 1990 when No. 9 seed Air Force defeated No. 1 seed Colorado State in the quarterfinals, 58-51. Hawaii's Carl English, averaging 3.9 points per game as a freshman during the regular season, had a season-high 25 in a 78-72 overtime victory against host Tulsa in the 2001 final.
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