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Dunking on Duncan: Ivy League Diploma Not What It Is Cracked Up to Be
"I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we - we own this country. We - we run it. It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours." - Clint Eastwood
Phrasing it "clumsily," perhaps an Ivy League education in general and race-baiting White House officials specifically aren't "as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they were, and that's pretty scary." Showing why the "scary" Department of Education should be excised, Secretary Arne Duncan, who scored 20 points for Harvard as a senior in 1986-87 against then nationally-ranked Duke, scored zero points with "white suburban moms" by blaming them for Common Core opposition.
A widespread attempt to standardize national education has angered a diverse coalition of parents across the country. As usual, the establishment media has largely given a pass to magna cum laude Duncan, who averaged 13.3 ppg and 4.8 rpg in his career with the Crimson. But what would the pathetic press have done if Duncan was a mean-spirited conservative and substituted "African-American inner-city moms" for "white suburban moms."
Not making Eastwood's day or anyone with comparable standards, condescending Duncan insisted he seeks an honest conversation about the challenges of the Common Core guidelines. He offered a common apology for the insult about as honest as his boss did for chronic fabrication to the American people about their health-care policies. Duncan, who was CEO of the Chicago Public Schools under Mayor Richard Daley, previously implied that opponents of beleaguered Common Core are unreasonable, saying "fringe" conspiracy theorists believe the requirements are a vehicle for control-freak federal government know-it-alls to assert unwarranted control. When will these elitists realize they work for us; not the other way around?
Duncan isn't the only elected official/political appointee who played college basketball. CollegeHoopedia.com has conducted extensive research on individuals who beat the press before appearing on Meet the Press.
Grinnell's Jack Taylor Earns Another Generous Dose of 15 Minutes of Fame
The spotlight on Division I leaves the vast majority of Division II and III players toiling in virtual obscurity. That's unless, of course, a 5-10 guard from Grinnell (Iowa) named Jack Taylor tallies a "No! He didn't!" 138 points in a game against Faith Baptist Bible College last season and 109 against Crossroads (Minn.) this year.
On the flip side, Rutgers-Camden considered dropping its program in the midst of establishing an NCAA record for most consecutive defeats with 117 from January 18, 1992 to January 7, 1997. It was only three years ago when Grinnell and Faith Baptist were involved in another noteworthy outing. Grinnell set an NCAA single-game record as 19 different players contributed a three-pointer in a 137-103 victory over Faith Baptist. Although barely mentioned or remembered, incredible achievements have been commonplace in the small-college ranks. Consider:
In a game tied 59-59 at the end of regulation, the two teams were just getting started as Skidmore (N.Y.) outlasted Southern Vermont, 128-123, in seven overtimes in 2010-11. Southern Vermont's Lance Spratling played all 75 minutes.
Northern Kentucky's Paul Cluxton set an NCAA record for consecutive successful free throws with 94 in 1996-97.
Rollins' Daniel Parke (1994-97) established the NCAA standard for consecutive games with a three-point basket at 93.
In 1999-2000, Saint John's (Minn.) coach Jim Smith coached his grandson Brandon Smith, which is the first grandfather-grandson connection on the court in NCAA history.
Wisconsin-Platteville, the winningest school in the country in the 1990s (266-27, .908), had a 92-game homecourt regular-season winning streak entering 1999-2000 and had not lost a regular-season, non-conference home game since 1984.
The list goes on and on and Taylor is simply the latest to get his 15 or so minutes of fame. He incurred a season-ending broken right wrist (shooting arm) in mid-season last year, averaging 27.9 ppg in nine contests following his outburst. But he is back to challenge the greatest folk hero in college basketball history. A small-college player named Clarence "Bevo" Francis set the previous all-time collegiate scoring record with 113 points for Rio Grande (Ohio) College in a 134-95 victory over Hillsdale on February 2, 1954. Francis' revolutionary jump shot helped him average 46.5 points per game that season, when he earned spots on AP, UPI and NABC All-American teams as a small-college player.
Francis, distinguishing himself from Taylor's achievement, proved he could score against major-college opponents by pouring in 39 points vs. Villanova, 41 vs. Providence, 48 vs. Miami (Fla.), 34 vs. North Carolina State, 32 vs. Wake Forest, 48 vs. Butler and 49 and 41 vs. Creighton. Rio Grande won the Providence, Miami, Wake Forest and Butler games plus the first Creighton contest.
"I really don't remember much about the 113-point game," said Francis, who was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1956 draft but couldn't reach a contract agreement with them and never played in the NBA. "It was just another time when I was double- and triple-teamed. Their coach told me after the game that if he could have dressed out, he would have guarded me, too."
No stat sheet exists to detail how many shots the 6-9 Francis attempted en route to his 37 field goals against Hillsdale. "Most of them were outside," he said. "With the three-pointer, I know I would have come close to 150 points."
The scoring outburst might not have had much of an impact on him because he scored even more points - 116 - as a freshman the previous season against Ashland (Ky.) Junior College when he erupted for 55 in the 10-minute fourth quarter. Francis averaged 50.1 points that year for a 39-0 team that reportedly generated sufficient gate receipts to save the school from bankruptcy. However, his single-game total against Ashland and his season average were later expunged from the NCAA record book because 27 of the opponents for Rio Grande (pronounced RYE-o Grand) were junior colleges, military teams and vocational schools.
Francis was outscored by a teammate only once (23-21 by Roy Moses at Bluefield). Among the coaches who tried to contain him was George Steinbrenner III, the eventual New York Yankees owner who piloted the airmen at Lockbourne Air Force base in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Bevo's nickname stemmed from his father's fondness for Beve Beer, a root beer-type soft drink. Francis rejected offers from larger universities to follow his Wellsville, Ohio, high school coach, Newt Oliver, to a college with an enrollment of 92 full-time students. Francis, who had a wife and an infant when he arrived at Rio Grande, left school after his sophomore season and signed a three-year contract worth $13,000 annually to play on a national barnstorming tour for a team opposing the Harlem Globetrotters.
Francis singlehandedly outscored the opposition eight times to spark Rio Grande (Ohio) to a 59-8 record in his two-year scoring orgy. Bevo supplied four of the following 19 scoring explosions of more than 75 points in games between two four-year colleges:
|Jack Taylor
|Faith Baptist Bible
|Bevo Francis
|Rio Grande
|Jack Taylor
|Frank Selvy
|Ron Porter
|Griffin Lentsch
|vs. Principia
|Jack Duncan
|Rio Grande
|Capital City
|Paul Arizin
|Philadelphia NAMC
|Robert Sklarz
|Franklin Pierce
|Windham State
|Bevo Francis
|Rio Grande
|Ulyss Brock
|Brownell Bryant
|Lincoln Memorial
|Tennessee Wesleyan
|Bevo Francis
|Rio Grande
|at Bluffton
|Freeman Williams
|Portland State
|Rocky Mountain
|Michael Anderson
|College of Pharmacy
|Paul Chrissman
|Southern Cal College
|Pacific Christian
|William English
|Winston-Salem State
|Fayetteville State
|Jeff Clement
|Illinois College
|Bevo Francis
|Rio Grande
Illini Might Need to Avoid Windy City For Now to Realize Hope and Change
John Groce inherited a gross situation two years ago after two fellow mid-major coaches rejected overtures from Illinois. The Illini are one of the 10 schools with the most Top 20 appearances and aspire to avoid the disarray of the 1970s when they failed to finish in the Top 20 of a final wire-service poll or appear in the NCAA playoffs the entire decade.
There is no question Gross' program is progressing but Illini Nation won't be all it can be unless he fends off Duke (lost Jahlil Okafor this year to Chicago native Mike Krzyzewski) and Kansas (Cliff "Hat Trick" Alexander) for elite in-state recruits. Illini fans are disheartened because close only counts in hand grenades and bombs, horseshoes plus drive-in movies; not recruiting. Former Illini coach Bill Self previously lured Chicago-area All-Americans Sherron Collins and Julian Wright to KU.
After compiling a losing Big Ten Conference record over the last seven years, it boils down to in-state recruiting. Among the Illinois natives who earned All-American status during the '70s with other universities were DePaul's Mark Aguirre (from Chicago), Minnesota's Jim Brewer (Maywood), Indiana's Quinn Buckner (Dolton), Penn's Corky Calhoun (Waukegan), Illinois State's Doug Collins (Benton), DePaul's Dave Corzine (Arlington Heights), Marquette's Bo Ellis (Chicago), Michigan's Rickey Green (Chicago), Kentucky's Dan Issel (Batavia), Iowa's Ronnie Lester (Chicago), Colorado's Cliff Meely (Chicago), Bradley's Roger Phegley (East Peoria), Kansas' Dave Robisch (Springfield), Marquette's Lloyd Walton (Chicago) and Jerome Whitehead (Waukegan) plus Georgia Tech's Rich Yunkus (Benton). Four of these standouts were All-Americans in the same season - Buckner, Ellis, Green and Walton in 1975-76.
Kansas has been a thorn in the Illini's side for an extended period. Collins, Wright and Robisch were joined at KU by the following '70s recruits from Illinois:
- Roger Brown (Chicago) - Leading rebounder for KU's 1971 Final Four squad.
- Seven of top eight scorers for Jayhawks' 1974 Final Four team - Norm Cook (Lincoln/All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection), Dale Greenlee (Rockford), Tom Kivisto (Aurora/all-league first-team selection), Roger Morningstar (Dundee/two-time all-league second-team selection), Tommie Smith (Kewanee), Rick Suttle (East St. Louis/three-time all-league selection) and Dave Taynor (Bethalto).
- Donnie Von Moore (Chicago) - End-of-the-bench forward for 1974 Final Four squad averaged 8.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 1.6 bpg the next three seasons.
- Herb Nobles (East St. Louis) - Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer in 1976-77.
Comparable to several decades ago, focusing your recruiting on Chicago won't be a panacea for the Illini. The "audacity-of-hype" truth is that the Windy City might be delusional and won't always supply a Messiah providing the "hope and change" you're seeking. Groce's staff needs to take every back road in the state. After all, Issel and Yunkus were among 22 different major-college All-Americans in less than 30 years to come from Illinois high schools in towns with populations smaller than 20,000. Bigger isn't always better or worth your time and energy.
Bigger Not Always Better: Taylor-Made Notebook for Small-School Hoops
In a caste-like era separating the haves from the have-nots, imperial universities are seeking mega-conferences and, perhaps in the near future, an even more restrictive upper division. But the elitist institutions won't be able to exclude humble small schools from making a big impact on college basketball. Jack Taylor of Grinnell (Iowa) is lighting up scoreboards again, pouring in 71 points in his season opener against Finlandia (Mich.) before exploding for 109 points against Crossroads (Minn.). Even when Taylor was out of the lineup in mid-season, Grinnell generated national headlines after Pat Maher set an NCAA single-game mark with 37 assists in a 164-144 win over College of Faith. In the afterglow of a focus on small colleges when Taylor erupted for 138 points in a single game last year, following is a chronological notebook with items detailing what will always be appealing about the little guy:
Basketball was a new demonstration sport at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, which also was part of the World's Fair the same year. Hiram College (Ohio), Wheaton College (Ill.) and the University of Latter Day Saints (known today as Brigham Young) were the three college teams invited to compete in what was officially called the "Olympic Collegiate Basketball Championship." Hiram finished the round-robin tournament 2-0 and was declared the champion and awarded the first Olympic gold medal in basketball.
College of Charleston (S.C.) went winless 10 seasons from 1913-14 through 1923-24 (0-56 record; did not compete in 1918-19). . . . Paul Davis, after leaving Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma State), guided North Dakota State (18-0 in 1916) and North Dakota (16-0 in 1920) to undefeated seasons in a five-year span. He was also the football coach for these schools. . . . Indiana State's coach for five seasons from 1918-19 through 1922-23 after playing for the institution (known as Indiana State Normal School at the time) was Birch E. Bayh Sr. His son with the same name is a former U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1963 to 1981 and candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election. His grandson, Birch E. "Evan" Bayh III, is a former Indiana Governor and U.S. Senator (from 1999 to 2011). . . . Peru (Neb.) State Teachers won 55 consecutive games over a five-year span from 1921-26. . . . Earl Kinzie, a member of McPherson's 1928 Kansas Conference championship team that placed third in the national AAU Tournament in Kansas City, became a doctor and practiced family medicine in Texas for 50 years. He delivered more than 2,000 babies, including standout running back Earl Campbell.
Stanford All-American Hank Luisetti is usually credited with introducing the jump shot but fans of Glenn Roberts from Emory & Henry (Va.) beg to differ. Roberts led the nation in scoring in 1933 and 1935 en route to tallying 2,013 career points. . . . Westminster (Pa.), playing in the first-ever collegiate basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden on December 29, 1934, upset St. John's, 37-33. . . . Tarleton (Tex.), coached by W.J. Wisdom, posted 86 straight victories from 1934 to 1937 en route to winning 112 of 113 games in a seven-year span. . . . Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr., the son of a legend who had the longest coaching career in the history of football (71 years), guided the basketball squad at Susquehanna (Pa.) for 16 seasons from 1935-36 through 1950-51. . . . Carleton (Minn.) forward Wayne Sparks, a "Little All-American" in 1936-37, died in a bomber crash in World War II. . . . Drury's Eugene "Peaches" Westover (class of '38), a four-time All-MCAU forward, was killed January 1, 1945, during WWII at the Battle of the Bulge. . . . Western Kentucky was the only school to defeat Murray State in a 79-game span from January 3, 1936 through March 10, 1938. . . . The leading scorer for champion Central Missouri State in the first NAIA tourney in 1937 (when it was known as the National Intercollegiate Tournament) was eventual major leaguer Chuck Workman, an outfielder-third baseman who finished second in the National League in home runs in 1945 with 25 for the Boston Braves. . . . Louisville lost a school-record 19 consecutive contests in the midst of a six-year stretch from 1936-37 through 1941-42 when the Cardinals were 57 games below the .500 mark. Louisville was a long way from becoming a major-college power in 1944 when Peck Hickman was hired as coach for $200 per month. The Cardinals won a total of 29 games over the previous seven seasons. In that span, they lost at least three times to Alfred Holbrook (three defeats), Berea (four), Centre (seven), Georgetown College (nine), Hanover (nine), Oakland City (three) and Transylvania (six). . . . Ulyss "Useless" Brock, a 6-0, 135-pound forward, scored 83 points (22 field goals and 39 free throws) for Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in a 101-21 verdict over Bethel in February, 1940. . . . UC Santa Barbara reached the 1941 NAIA Tournament semifinals although All-CCAA first-team center Lowell Steward, the league's first black player, couldn't compete because Missouri was a Jim Crow state at the time. Steward would later fly 143 combat missions in Europe as a P-51 pilot for the famed Tuskegee Airmen. . . . George Barr, regarded as probably the finest player in Northland (Wis.) history when he competed in the early 1940s, entered the Army Air Corps as a senior during World War II, earning his diploma in absentia. Barr volunteered for the Jimmy Doolittle raids over Tokyo in 1942. His plane was forced down on mainland China after the raid and the crew imprisoned. Barr was a prisoner of the Japanese for 3 1/2 years with most of the time spent in solitary confinement. Teammate Duane Borst served as a First Lieutenant with the Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauder Group in France, flying 43 missions over Germany.
Football legend Eddie Robinson won more than 70 percent of his games as Grambling's basketball coach from 1942-56. . . . York (Neb.) College, boasting an enrollment of 50, upset Akron, 52-49, in the first round of the 1943 NAIA Tournament before losing to North Texas, 51-49, in the second round. Brothers Jim and Wayne Kaeding scored 78 of York's 101 points in the two contests. . . . North Carolina College's Rocky Roberson scored 58 points in a game against Shaw (N.C.) during the 1942-43 season for what was believed to be a college record at the time. . . . More than 100 current NCAA Division I schools previously competed in the NAIA Tournament. Thirteen of the 17 different colleges to win NAIA titles from 1941 through 1963 are currently classified as NCAA Division I institutions. One of the 13 universities is Southeast Missouri State, which captured the 1943 crown after losing its first four games of the season. . . . Mississippi College defeated Mississippi State three times by double-digit margins in 1944-45. . . . Howie Schultz, a star for Hamline (Minn.) in the early 1940s, replaced Jackie Robinson at first base in Robinson's first regular-season game for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. . . . CIAA champion West Virginia State was the nation's only undefeated college team in 1947-48, finishing with a 23-0 record. The squad, coached by Mark Cardwell, included future NBA players Bob Wilson and Earl Lloyd. . . . UCLA legend John Wooden was in his final season as coach of Indiana State when the Sycamores lost to Louisville in the 1948 NAIA final. Curtis Walker, Indiana State's 12th man, was the first African-American player in the NAIA Tournament. The all-tourney first five included Beloit's Johnny Orr, who went on to become a longtime major-college coach. Two years later, Indiana State won the NAIA title. . . . Tennessee A&I, coached by Henry A. Kean, was the nation's only undefeated team in 1948-49 with a 24-0 record. The Tigers' leading scorers, Clarence Wilson and Joshua Grider, were both eventually longtime standouts with the Harlem Globetrotters. . . . Hamline (Minn.), the 1949 NAIA champion, had two players - center Vern Mikkelsen and forward Hal Haskins - on Converse's first three five-man All-American teams. In 1950, scribes named Haskins winner of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association's Gold Star Award as the outstanding visitng player in New York. In what might be the most impressive honor ever received by a small-college player, he virtually doubled the vote total of runner-up Chuck Cooper of Duquesne. North Carolina State's Sam Ranzino finished third, UCLA's George Stanich placed fourth and Holy Cross' Bob Cousy was fifth. The first five winners of the award were Penn's Howie Dallmar, DePaul's George Mikan, Kentucky's Ralph Beard, St. Louis' Ed Macauley and Denver's Vince Boryla. Haskins was among seven Hamline players who started their professional careers in an eight-year span from 1946 through 1953 under coach Joe Hutton Sr.
Morris Harvey's George King became the first college player to average 30 or more points per game in a seson when he led the nation's small-college players with a 31.2-point average in 1949-50. King went on to become a prominent major-college coach. . . . Sewanee (Tenn.) played 58 games in 10 weeks during the summer of 1951 while touring Africa and Europe with Goose Tatum, Marques Haynes and the Harlem Globetrotters. This reportedly was the first international trip for any college basketball team. . . . Florida A&M won the 1952 SIAC Tournament final against host Alabama State, 71-67, despite having just four players on the court the final 13-plus minutes (including two overtimes) because of players fouling out. . . . The first predominantly black college to take the floor in an integrated national collegiate tournament was Tennessee State (then Tennessee A&I) in 1953. Hall of Famer John McLendon coached Tennessee State to three consecutive national titles (1957-59). Oddly, the '53 Tennessee State team defeated McLendon-coached North Carolina College for the opportunity to go to Kansas City. . . . Seven years earlier, McLendon led North Carolina College to a 64-56 triple-overtime victory over Virginia Union in the final of the first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament. The CIAA Tournament blossomed into one of the premier postseason events in the country, including major-college tourneys. . . . Alderson-Broaddus College's Joe Miller (3,666) and Carl Hartman (3,373) became the only pair of 3,000-point scorers in college history to be teammates (1954 and 1955). . . . Southwest Missouri, winning the 1953 NAIA crown to become the first school to capture back-to-back titles with a 32-team format, played the last 3 1/2 minutes of its semifinal game with only four players on the court after encountering foul problems. The principal reason Southwest Missouri was shorthanded stemmed from two squad members being in spring training on their way to playing 12 seasons of major league baseball - infielder Jerry Lumpe and first baseman/outfielder Norm Siebern.
Tom Hart of Middlebury (Vt.) became the greatest rebounder in collegiate history. He still holds the record for most rebounds per game in a single season (29.5 rpg as a junior in 1954-55) and in a career (27.6 rpg). His coach was former baseball major leaguer Tony Lupien. The 6-4 Hart had two 46-rebound games in 1955 and grabbed 45 in a contest the next year as a senior. In track meets, Hart routinely entered six events and often scored over half his team's points, specializing in the high jump and pole vault. . . . West Virginia Tech averaged more than 100 points per game four consecutive seasons from 1954-55 through 1957-58. . . . Bill Reigel, playing for his third college in six seasons, led the nation's small-college players with a 33.9-point average when he paced McNeese State to the 1956 NAIA Tournament title. Reigel had averaged 18 points per game for the Duquesne freshman team in 1950-51 and 16.3 points per game for the Duke varsity in 1952-53 before entering military service. He later coached McNeese for three seasons from 1971-72 through 1973-74. . . . One of McNeese's three defeats in its championship season was at Lamar, 61-60, after the Cowboys had clobbered the Cardinals (12-12) by a total of 84 points in two early-season contests. . . . Long-time Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy directed the basketball squad from Coe (Iowa) in the 1956 NAIA Tournament. . . . Lee Pfund, the coach for 1957 NCAA Division II champion Wheaton (Ill.), compiled a 3-2 pitching record for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. The all-time winningest coach for Wheaton had three sons (John, Kerry and Randy) each score more than 1,150 points for the school. Randy went on to become coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers before becoming vice-president of the Miami Heat. NBA coach Donn Nelson, who gained a reputation as an authority on foreign basketball talent, collected 1,460 points and 538 rebounds for Wheaton in the mid-1980s. . . . Western Illinois missed an opportunity to become the nation's only undefeated college team in 1957-58 when it lost to Tennessee State, 85-73, in the NAIA Tournament championship game. Western had defeated Tennessee State, 79-76, earlier in the season. It was one of three consecutive NAIA titles won by Tennessee State, which boasted future pros Dick Barnett, John Barnhill and Ben Warley. . . . Davis & Elkins' Paul Wilcox, 6-6, is the only player to lead the NAIA in scoring (22.6 ppg) and rebounding (22.3 rpg) in the same season (1958-59). . . . In 1959, North Carolina A&T became the first predominantly black institution to participate in NCAA Division II national playoff competition. The Aggies finished third in the tourney. . . . Jack Madden, the dean of NBA referees for an extended period, graduated from Rider (N.J.) in 1959 as the school's career leader in scoring and rebounding.
The NAIA All-Stars upset NCAA champion Ohio State, 76-69, in a first-round game in the 1960 Olympic Trials. The NAIA zone defense limited Buckeye All-American Jerry Lucas to 14 points. . . . The first final NCAA College Division poll in 1960-61 included three coaches - Stan Albeck (Northern Michigan), Harry Gallatin (Southern Illinois) and Butch van Breda Kolff (Hofstra) - who went on to coach in the NBA for at least four seasons. In the next 10 campaigns, three other coaches - Bill Fitch (North Dakota), Bill Musselman (Ashland) and Scotty Robertson (Louisiana Tech) - guided College Division schools to a final Top 10 spot before moving up to the NBA for at least five years. Fitch and his successor, Jimmy Rodgers, coached multiple NBA teams. . . . The 1961-62 All-SWAC first-team selections included three frontcourters who later played at least 10 seasons in the pros - Prairie View's Zelmo Beaty, Southern's Bob Love and Grambling's Willis Reed. . . . Grambling finished in the top 10 of the first 76 weeks of College Division/Division II polls from January 5, 1961 through the end of the 1966-67 campaign. The Tigers, coached by Fred Hobdy, placed in the top five 40 consecutive weeks from March 2, 1961, through January 28, 1965. Grambling supplied seven top 20 NBA draft choices in a 20-year span from 1957 through 1976 before moving up to the NCAA Division I level - Bob McCoy (10th in 1957), Hershell West (16th in 1963), Reed (10th in 1964), Wilbert Frazier (12th in 1965), Jimmy Jones (13th in 1967), Fred Hilton (19th in 1971) and Larry Wright (14th in 1976).
Ronnie Maravich, a letterman for Georgia Southern in 1961-62, is a half-brother of Hall of Famer Pete Maravich (NCAA DI all-time leading scorer from LSU). . . . North Carolina A&T's Hugh Evans, a 12th-round draft choice by the St. Louis Hawks in 1963, went on to become a long-time NBA referee. Evans, a high school teammate in New York with Connie Hawkins and a college teammate of Al Attles, spent three years in the San Francisco Giants' minor league system. . . . Longtime Harlem Globetrotter Fred "Curly" Neal was an All-CIAA selection for Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) in 1962-63. . . . South Dakota State's decisive basket in a 44-42 decision over Wittenberg (Ohio) in the 1963 College Division Tournament final was a 40-foot baseball pass by Sid Bostic that went in after the buzzer sounded while the ball was in flight. . . . Winthrop "Wink" Davenport, who holds career average (19.6 ppg) and single-game (44 points as a junior vs. Bowdoin on February 2, 1963) scoring records for Wesleyan (Conn.), is the father of former women's tennis sensation Lindsay Davenport. He played for the U.S. volleyball team in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. . . . Sam Alford, father of former Indiana All-American guard Steve Alford, led the NAIA in free-throw shooting in 1963-64. The elder Alford hit 91.2% of his foul shots for Franklin (Ind.) that season. . . . Midwestern (Tex.) defeated Austin College, 14-11, in overtime in 1964. Midwestern held a 4-1 halftime lead and the teams were tied at 8-8 at the end of regulation. Midwestern had won an earlier game that season with Austin by 40 points, 92-52. . . . Bob Jones, the all-time leading rebounder for Georgetown College (Ky.), is the father of former Virginia All-American guard and coach Jeff Jones. . . . Evansville was ranked No. 1 for 19 consecutive weeks from January 30, 1964, through the end of the 1964-65 season. . . . Jerry Sloan outscored Walt Frazier, 25-16, in Evansville's 85-82 victory over Southern Illinois in the 1965 NCAA College Division Tournament final. They went on to become NBA All-Defensive Team first-team selections the same year four times in seven seasons from 1968-69 through 1974-75. . . . Shippensburg's team in the mid-1960s had four different players eventually coach high school state championship teams in the mid-1980s during their careers following graduation. Art Taneyhill and Reggie Weiss coached basketball champions in Pennsylvania while Harry Chapman and Jim Deibler coached football titlists. . . . Wilberforce (Ohio) forward Lonnie Lynn Sr., a 1966 NBA draft choice of the St. Louis Hawks who played in the ABA in 1969-70, is the father of entertainer "Common" (previously Common Sense), a hip hop artist, actor and rap poet who was invited to the White House by the Obama Administration. . . . In 1966-67, Cleveland State's John McLendon became the first African-American to coach at an integrated college in the United States. He had previously been the first black coach at the professional level with the ABL's Cleveland Pipers. . . . In 1966-67, Kentucky Wesleyan had its first of 13 full seasons ranked in the top 10 of College Division/Division II polls (1967-68-69-82-84-87-90-98-99-00-01-02-03). . . . Rockhurst's Ed McKee, a 10th-round choice of the ABA's Indiana Pacers in its initial draft in 1967, went on to become P.R. director of the franchise after it merged with the NBA. McKee was also SID for Indiana State when Larry Bird gained national notoriety. . . . Ashland (Ohio) was coached by Bill Musselman in 1967-68 when the school allowed only 33.9 points per game, an NCAA record. . . . Scranton (Pa.), boasting a 20-5 record in 1968-69 under coach Nat Volpe, defeated five different major colleges that season - Lehigh, Rider, Lafayette, Colgate and Seton Hall. . . . Youngstown State's John McElroy became the shortest player (6-0) ever to score 70 or more points in a game involving NCAA colleges when he scored 72 against Wayne State (Mich.) on February 26, 1969. . . . Mickey Gibson, a transfer from Kentucky who was dismissed from the Wildcats' squad by coach Adolph Rupp because he got married, set the UNC-Asheville single-game scoring record with 44 points against Washington & Lee on February 8, 1969.
The first family of small-college basketball, if not all of hoopdom, was the six brothers Jones from McGehee, Ark., all 6-8 or taller, who became the top six rebounders in Albany (Ga.) State history during the 1960s and 1970s. Oliver and Melvin were borderline pro prospects before Wil (nine), Caldwell (17), Major (six) and Charles (15) each played a minimum of six ABA/NBA seasons. Major Jones, 6-9, led NCAA Division II rebounders in 1974-75 with an average of 22.5 per game. He is the last Division I or Division II player to average at least 20 per game.
Doug Williams, a 32-year-old Air Force veteran, earned NAIA first-team All-American honors for St. Mary's (Tex.) in 1969-70 when he averaged 18.9 points per game. He scored 24 in a 76-66 upset of Houston. . . . Elmore Smith, a 7-0 center for 1970 NAIA champion Kentucky State, was called for goal tending 12 times in a 116-98 defeat against Eastern Michigan. . . . New Orleans won 38 consecutive home games in a small arena nicknamed the "Chamber of Horrors" after losing its opener against Louisiana College in the Privateers' varsity debut in 1969-70. LC, coached by Billy Allgood, also defeated Mississippi State that season. LC beat the following six eventual DI in-state schools at least five times apiece from 1964-65 through 1974-75: Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northeast Louisiana, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. The Wildcats also upended Tulane three times from 1962-63 through 1967-68. . . . Stephen F. Austin, the top-ranked team at the NCAA College Division level in 1969-70, had four players selected in the NBA draft after the season - Narvis Anderson, George E. Johnson, Surry Oliver and Erwin Polnick. . . . Curlee Conners, Southeastern Louisiana's leading scorer and rebounder in 1969-70 and 1970-71, is an uncle of Marcus Dupree from Philadelphia, Miss., and a central figure in the recruiting of the nation's premier prep running back by Oklahoma in the early 1980s. . . . In 1970, with an enrollment under 650 students, three Maryland State College players from a 29-2 team were selected in the NBA draft - Jake Ford (2nd round), Levi Fontaine (5th) and James "Bones" Morgan (7th). Four years later, the school (now known as Maryland-Eastern Shore) had three more players chosen from a 27-2 squad - Rubin Collins (2nd), Talvin Skinner (3rd) and William "Billy" Gordon (4th). . . . Tennessee State edged Oglethorpe (Ga.), 7-4, on February 16, 1971, in what is believed to be the lowest-scoring college game since the center jump was eliminated prior to the 1937-38 season. Tennessee State had overwhelmed Oglethorpe, 82-43, earlier in the season. . . . Louisiana Tech had two players selected fourth overall in an NBA draft - Jackie Moreland (Detroit Pistons in 1960) and Mike Green (Seattle SuperSonics in 1973). . . . Birmingham-Southern's Russell Thompson scored 25 points without making a field-goal attempt in a 55-46 victory over Florence State in the 1970-71 season. He converted 25 of 28 free throws. . . . Kentucky State's Travis "Machine Gun" Grant set the single-game NAIA Tournament scoring record with 60 points against Minot State in 1972. Grant finished his four-year college career with 4,045 points and a 33.4-point average. . . . Roanoke guard Hal Johnston, whose athletic career was almost ended when he fractured his skull in a fall from a truck as a senior in high school, was a runaway choice for most outstanding player honors at the 1972 NCAA College Division Tournament. . . . Robert "Firechief" Smith came to USC-Spartanburg in 1972 as a 34-year-old center, powering USCS to its first two winning seasons. He averaged 9.9 rpg in 1973-74, when he was named MVP of the Palmetto Conference Tournament - the first title of any kind in the history of the program. . . . Guilford won the 1973 NAIA Tournament with a lineup that included included three future NBA players - Lloyd Free, M.L. Carr and Greg Jackson. Guilford's top reserve was Steve Hankins, a 6-6, 220-pound, 28-year-old Marine Corps veteran who had served 44 months in Vietnam and was one of the military pallbearers at President Kennedy's funeral. . . . Guilford (N.C.) and Tennessee State are the only two small colleges to have two alums score more than 20 points per game in an NBA season - Free and Bob Kaufmann attended Guilford, while Dick Barnett and Truck Robinson attended Tennessee State.
Guard Greg Procell averaged 11.5 ppg in two seasons for Northwestern State in 1972-73 and 1973-74. Procell, a native of Noble, La. (Ebarb H.S.), held the national high school scoring record (6,702 points) until 2002 when it was broken by Jeremy Monceaux at Parkway Christian Academy of Birmingham, Ala., after Monceaux played varsity as a seventh- and eighth-grader at Spencer, La. Procell's NSU-career high was 27 points as a junior in a 76-70 overtime loss at Northeast Louisiana. He originally signed with Southwestern Louisiana, but when the Rajun Cajuns' program was shut down for NCAA infractions Procell attended Panola (Tex.) Community College, where he averaged 33.7 ppg as a freshman and 28.5 ppg as a sophomore. Procell, who had a J.C. single-game high of 57 points, became a fishing guide on Toledo Bend and an assistant principal at Huntington High in Shreveport. . . . Leon Gobczynski, a 6-10 center, averaged 36.1 points per game for Millikin (Ill.) in the 1973-74 season despite being blanked by Augustana (Ill.) in an 88-61 defeat. Gobczynski, who had scored 43 points in an earlier game that year between the two teams, missed all nine of his field-goal attempts in 36 minutes of playing time. . . . Salem (W. Va.) College's Archie Talley set an NAIA record for most points in a season (1,347) in 1975-76 when he averaged 40.8 per game. . . . Philadelphia Textile defeated a different Big Five school in three consecutive seasons from 1975-76 through 1977-78 - Villanova twice, Temple and St. Joseph's. . . . Amherst's Jim Rehnquist, son of Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, finished fifth in NCAA Division III scoring in 1976-77 with an average of 27.8 points per game. . . . Dave Robbins, who is white, became coach at Virginia Union in 1978-79 in the predominantly black CIAA. Robbins went on to win more CIAA Tournaments than any coach in league history. VUU finished in the Top 10 of final national rankings nine consecutive seasons from 1987-88 through 1995-96 and 12 of 13 beginning in 1983-84. . . . Former Briar Cliff (Iowa) players comprised Panama's entire starting lineup in the 1987 Pan American Games. Four members of Briar Cliff's "Panamanian Pipeline" were selected in NBA drafts from 1978 through 1981 (Mario Butler, Rolando Frazer, Tito Malcolm and Ed Warren). In the late 1980s, the first five spots on the school's career scoring list were Panamanians.
When Tampa resurrected its men's program in 1983-84 after a 13-year hiatus, coach Richard Schmidt took his first-year squad, starting one junior transfer and four freshmen, and won the Sunshine State Conference postseason tournament and automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs en route to a 20-11 record. It was the first time in NCAA history that a first-year team in any division qualified for the national tourney. Schmidt is a professional aviculturist who breeds exotic birds and raises other prize-winning animals on his ranch. Entertainer Wayne Newton has purchased birds from him. . . . Former Phoenix Suns/Seattle SuperSonics coach Paul Westphal guided Grand Canyon (Ariz.) to the 1988 NAIA title. . . . Four of the eight NAIA finals from 1981 through 1988 required extra sessions. Nine of 11 championship games in one stretch were decided in overtime or by fewer than six points in regulation. . . . Chuck Randall, Western Washington's longtime coach, invented the Slam-Dunk basketball rim. . . . Gary Lydic, a guard for the junior varsity as a freshman at McPherson (Kan.) and student assistant coach as a senior, served as director of ministry services for Focus on the Family when the organization was headquartered in Pasadena, Calif. On the morning Hall of Famer Pete Maravich died of a heart attack stemming from a heart defect, Lydic was among the men playing with him in a pickup game before the 40-year-old legend was slated to be interviewed on a Christian radio program. . . . Michael Jordan wasn't the best former college basketball standout performing as an outfielder with Birmingham (AA Southern League) in the Chicago White Sox's farm system in 1994. The superior baseball player was teammate Scott Tedder, a 6-4 lefthander who graduated as Ohio Wesleyan's all-time leading scorer in 1988. Tedder, playing about 1/4 of the '94 season in the league with Orlando, hit .281 while Jordan managed a lowly .202 and amassed more than 2 1/2 times as many strikeouts (114). Tedder posted a .261 average over five years with the Barons. . . . The pep song for Chadron (Neb.) State should have been "Here's to Mrs. Robinson" during eight seasons from 1988-89 through 1995-96 when three brothers (Josh, Jason and Jeremy Robinson) played for the Eagles. Each of Gerry and Triss Robinson's sons was a four-year starter and they collaborated for 5,081 points and 2,138 rebounds in a total of 330 games. No one can determine for sure, but they might have combined for more points and rebounds than any other trio of brothers at any single college. Josh, the eldest brother, finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer (2,041 points). . . . Marquette's Al McGuire wasn't the only former Belmont Abbey (N.C.) coach to make a name for himself at the major-college level. All four Belmont Abbey coaches in the 1980s went on to coach Division I schools - Bobby Hussey (Davidson/Virginia Tech), Eddie Payne (East Carolina/Oregon State), Kevin Eastman (UNC Wilmington/Washington State) and Rick Scruggs (Gardner-Webb).
Oregon Tech's Danny Miles, the winningest active coach in NAIA Division II, earned his 400th career victory on January 15, 1990, in a game that took over 4 1/2 hours to complete. Oregon Tech was meeting Simpson College in Redding, Calif. Early in the game, Owl forward Tyrone Holmes shattered the backboard on a slam dunk. The contest was moved 20 miles away to another gymnasium before Tech could pull out the win. . . . Todd Rowe, a 1992 graduate who is the all-time leading scorer for Malone (Ohio), became the first player in a professional Chinese league to score 3,000 points before he moved on to a league in Japan. . . . Bob Hoffman was deprived of becoming the first coach in NAIA history to guide men's and women's champions when No. 1 seed Oklahoma Baptist bowed to Hawaii Pacific (88-83) in the 1993 championship game. Hoffman had directed Southern Nazarene (Okla.) to the 1989 NAIA women's title. . . . John Pierce of David Lipscomb (Tenn.) became college basketball's all-time leading scorer after totaling 33 points in his 1993-94 regular-season finale, a 119-102 triumph over Cumberland. Pierce's 4,110 total career points broke former roommate Phil Hutcheson's mark of 4,106 set in the 1990 NAIA Tournament. . . . NAIA powerhouse Life (Ga.) had a 99-game homecourt winning streak, the third longest in college history, snapped by Talladega (Ala.), 75-72, in January 1999. Talladega was an unlikely spoiler, having won just two of its first 16 games that season. Life went on to become the first unseeded team to win the NAIA Tournament by overcoming a 26-point deficit to frustrate Mobile, 63-60. . . . Central Arkansas ranks among the schools for most NAIA Tournament appearances but none of those were when 1992 U.S. basketball Olympian and Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen played for the Bears. . . . David Lipscomb's Don Meyer reached the 700-win plateau quicker than any coach in college history. He compiled 702 victories through 1998-99 in 24 seasons before leaving for Northern State (S.D.) when he disagreed with Lipscomb's decision to move up to NCAA Division I. His 1989-90 squad won a college basketball-record 41 games. . . . Six different members of the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) from the state of Missouri - Central Missouri State, Missouri-Rolla, Missouri Southern, Missouri Western, Northwest Missouri State and Southwest Baptist - finished with a final Top 10 ranking in a 12-year span from 1990-91 through 2001-02. . . . Prior to the inaugural season for Westminster (Pa.) in the NCAA in 1998-99, the Titans were acknowledged as the all-time winningest program in NAIA history with 1,299 victories. . . . Danny Miles, en route to reaching the 1,000-win plateau in 2013-14, earned triumph No. 400 in 4 1/2 hours because a broken rim at Simpson College in Redding, Calif., forced the game to be moved 20 miles to another facility. In college at Southern Oregon, Miles set the all-time pass completion percentage record for both NCAA and NAIA for a single season based on 225 attempts (1965, 190-247, .769) and career percentage based on 500 completions (1964-67, 577-871, .662).
Three different North Dakota State coaches the first three years of the 21st Century - Ray Giacoletti, Greg McDermott and Tim Miles - went on to guide other schools at the NCAA Division I level to national postseason competition. . . . Kenyan Charles Maina, who led Lynn (Fla.) in blocked shots two seasons in the late 1990s, starred in the nationally-acclaimed movie "The Air Up There." . . . Haitian Robert Joseph of Union (Tenn.) surpassed David Robinson's record by becoming the single-season blocked shots leader for all levels of college basketball with 242 rejections in 2001-02. . . . The College of Staten Island (N.Y.) started hosting an in-season tournament, called CSI Tournament of Heroes, to pay homage to three former CSI players (Terrance Aiken, Scott Davidson and Tom Hannafin) who perished during the terorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Aiken had just started a computer consulting job on the 97th floor of World Trade Center Tower I while Davidson and Hannafin were New York City firefighters. . . . Jaeson Maravich, a son of NCAA all-time leading scorer Pete Maravich, was an NAIA All-American for William Carey (Miss.) in 2002-03 and 2003-04. Jaeson previously had stints with Alabama and McNeese State sidetracked by a back ailment. . . . Hope International (Calif.) ended a 60-game losing streak with a 94-84 win over Redlands (Calif.) in 2003-04. . . . Jack Bennett, the coach of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's 2004 NCAA Division III champion, is a brother of Dick Bennett, who guided Wisconsin to the 2000 NCAA Division I Tournament Final Four. Just like Dick had a son (Tony) play for him at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Jack had a son (Nick) who supplied 83 three-pointers for the Pointers in 2003-04. . . . Grinnell (Iowa) set an NCAA single-season scoring record for all levels by averaging 126.2 points per game in 2003-04. The Pioneers (18-6) had more three-pointers (530) than either two-point baskets (472) or free throws (495). Boasting eight players with more than 25 treys, they scored fewer than 100 points only three times. Grinnell coach David Arseneault had his teams press from the start and they would surrender a layup for a chance to come back down and take a three-point shot. The Pioneers hit 530 of 1,582 attempts from beyond the arc (33.5%).
The Moir family has accounted for more than 1,500 college victories. Page Moir became the all-time winningest coach for a school, Roanoke (Va.), where his father, Charles, won the 1972 NCAA College Division crown before coaching at the Division I level with Virginia Tech and Tulane. Charles' brother, Sam, coached at Catawba (N.C.) for 31 seasons. . . . In 2006, Texas Wesleyan became the fourth unseeded team in eight years to capture the NAIA Division I title. Three years later, Rocky Mountain (Mont.) defeated Columbia (Mo.) in the first championship game between two unseeded teams since seeding was introduced in 1957. . . . Northern State's Don Meyer, atop the NCAA win list among active coaches with 891 at the time in 2008, had his left leg amputated below the knee after an auto accident. Meyer either fell asleep or was distracted when his car crossed the center line and collided with a semi. Meyer, 63, was diagnosed with a slow-growing cancer in his liver and bowels that doctors said might not have been found had he not been injured. . . . Brian Rice, a 43-year-old Navy retiree, was a backup for Geneva (Pa.) in 2012-13.
By George: Pacers Star Latest Example of All-American Voter Ineptitude
Paul George, Mr. Versatility for Fresno State in 2009-10, was shunned by inept All-American voters before promptly blossoming into an NBA All-Star with the Indiana Pacers. George, with his stock soaring, is the latest classic example of the chronic problem exhibited by low-information A-A voters and their shoddy treatment of mid-major standouts.
Questioning the qualifications of misguided media members quickly comes to mind when assessing their track record for not acknowledging stellar mid-level players as All-Americans. Despite superb collegiate careers, including player of the year acclaim in a mid-major conference, a striking number of individuals didn't generate sufficient national recognition to be chosen as an All-American. For instance, Louisiana Tech's Paul Millsap led the nation in rebounding three straight seasons from 2003-04 through 2005-06 but wasn't accorded All-American status.
Incredibly, the overlooked features two prominent floor generals who went on to lead the NBA in assists a total of 14 times - John Stockton (nine) and two-time MVP Steve Nash (five) - plus Tim Hardaway, who averaged 8.2 apg during his 13-year pro career; Joe Dumars, a six-time NBA All-Star guard and 1989 NBA Finals MVP, and Derek Fisher, who received five championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers in the first decade of the 21st Century. Among shunned frontcourters, two-time conference MVPs Chris Gatling, Brian Grant, Popeye Jones and Rik Smits each played at least 11 seasons in the NBA.
Whether they are coaches who need to come out of the film-watching closet or members of the lame-stream media, many incompetent voters should be deep-sixed for overdosing on the premier leagues while condescendingly looking upon mid-level players. Sonny Parker, the father of Duke freshman sensation Jabari Parker, is among the following alphabetical list of Division I conference MVPs left behind in regard to securing All-American status before they enjoyed NBA/ABA careers of at least six seasons:
Coach Cal's Calendar Countdown: Calipari Tastes Own November Medicine
Did you know that John Calipari was the victorious coach the first three times a #1 team was defeated in the month of November? Calipari achieved the feat with Massachusetts three straight seasons including against Kentucky in 1995-96. On 11-12-13, he received a taste of his own early-season medicine when UK bowed against Michigan State. If history repeats itself, the good news for Big Blue Nation is that the Wildcats went on to win the 1996 NCAA championship. Bill Clinton was president at the time and name-dropper Calipari said Clinton recently called him to discuss UK hoops. An "unimpeachable source" indicated Sick Willie didn't offer Coach Cal tips on parsing words during any future investigation, vegan diet menus or ways to motivate young people with cigars; especially if they spend too much time working on their hair than offensive moves.
Of course, seasons didn't start earlier in November until a couple of decades ago. The only #1 school to lose earlier than UK is Connecticut (70-68 against Iowa in 1999). Following is a chronological look at the 12 times when nationally top-ranked teams were knocked off their lofty perch in November since AP national rankings were introduced in the late 1940s:
|Ranked No. 1
|Upsetting Team
|Opponent's Coach
|North Carolina
|91-86 in OT
|Massachusetts at New York
|John Calipari
|Massachusetts at Springfield, MA, in Tip-Off Classic
|John Calipari
|Massachusetts at Auburn Hills, MI
|John Calipari
|Skip Prosser
|Duke at Hawaii in Maui Invitational
|Mike Krzyzewski
|Cincinnati at Anchorage in Great Alaska Shootout final
|Bob Huggins
|Iowa at New York
|Steve Alford
|Purdue at Indianapolis
|Gene Keady
|Georgia Tech at New York
|Paul Hewitt
|82-80 in OT
|Kansas at Las Vegas
|Bill Self
|North Carolina
|at UNLV
|Dave Rice
|Michigan State on neutral court in Chicago
|Tom Izzo
Military Salute: Two Vets Returned to A-A Status After Three Years in Service
College basketball aficionados occasionally cite achievements they think never will be duplicated. On Veterans Day, they should be reminded about truly incredible comebacks likely never to be matched. In 1946-47, Andy Phillip (Illinois) and Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma) returned to first-team All-American status after missing three seasons while serving in the U.S. military during World War II. Charles Black (Kansas) and Kenny Sailors (Wyoming) also returned to All-American acclaim after missing two seasons serving in similar capacities.
Numerous standout players had their college playing careers interrupted by WWII. While much of the misguided media currently obsess with the return of an injured backup guard averaging an anemic 3.3 points per game (Louisville's Kevin Ware), they should be reminded about authentic American heroes. Folk hero Ware, driving a 2013 Dodge Challenger when recently cited for driving 95 mph in a 45 mph zone, failed to show up for his court date. The press should be focusing on the following list of All-Americans - three each from Illinois, Kentucky and Notre Dame - who deserve to be honored after having their college careers interrupted in the mid-1940s while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces:
Air Force - Charles Black (Kansas) and Jack Parkinson (Kentucky).
Army - Don Barksdale (UCLA), Lew Beck (Oregon State), A.L. Bennett (Oklahoma A&M), Gale Bishop (Washington State), Vince Boryla (Notre Dame/Denver), Harry Boykoff (St. John's), Bob Brannum (Kentucky), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), Alex Groza (Kentucky), Ralph Hamilton (Indiana), Walt Kirk (Illinois), Allie Paine (Oklahoma), Don Rehfeldt (Wisconsin), Jack Smiley (Illinois), Odie Spears (Western Kentucky) and Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma).
Marine Corps - Aud Brindley (Dartmouth), John Hargis (Texas), Mickey Marty (Loras), Andy Phillip (Illinois), Gene Rock (southern California) and Kenny Sailors (Wyoming).
Navy - Bobby Cook (Wisconsin), Howie Dallmar (Stanford/Penn), Dick Dickey (North Carolina State), Bob Faught (Notre Dame), Harold Gensichen (Western Michigan), Wyndol Gray (Bowling Green State), Hal Haskins (Hamline), Leo Klier (Notre Dame), Dick McGuire (St. John's) and John Oldham (Western Kentucky).
OSU Beavers Beaten at Home by Second HBCU School in Last Four Seasons
Oregon State's Craig Robinson, already on the hot seat, should be issuing an apology a mite more sincere than his POTUS brother-in-law's lame Mr.-Fix-It comments stemming from the ObamaCare fiasco and website security that could only be considered competent in Kenya after debuting with more cancelled health-care plans than enrollments. The Beavers' season opener, a defeat at home against Coppin State, would be injurious to any coach's health.
The embarrassing setback, leaving a historically black mark, was the second at home for OSU under Robinson against a HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in the last four years. OSU's glory days include being unbeaten until the regular-season finale in 1980-81 under legendary coach Ralph Miller, who must be rolling over in his grave. The Beavers promptly won at Maryland, a comparative result showing that Coppin State must be the top team in the state. Following are HBCU road victories on a power league member's homecourt or neutral court during regular-season play the last 10 campaigns:
|HBCU Winner on Road
|Power League Member Loser
|Competence of Power League School
|South Carolina State 60
|Miami (Fla.) 50
|Hurricanes won at NCAA playoff-bound Florida.
|South Carolina State 63
|Penn State 43
|Nittany Lions lost by three points against 20-game winner Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament.
|Bethune-Cookman 75
|South Florida 68
|Bulls beat NCAA playoff-bound Georgetown in regular-season finale.
|Jackson State 71
|Rutgers 70
|Scarlet Knights twice defeated Cincinnati.
|Tennessee State 60
|Illinois 58
|Illini beat Oklahoma State and Missouri in nonconference competition before bowing to TSU.
|Morgan State 79
|DePaul 75
|Blue Demons defeated Cincinnati (18-14) in Big East Tournament.
|Morgan State 66
|Maryland 65
|Terrapins participated in NCAA Tournament.
|Morgan State 97
|Arkansas 94
|Razorbacks prevailed at Ole Miss, a 24-game winner.
|Texas Southern 66
|Oregon State 60
|Beavers beat 30-game winner Arizona.
|Tennessee State 64
|South Carolina 63
|Gamecocks upended Clemson, Alabama and Georgia.
|Alabama A&M 59
|Mississippi State 57
|Bulldogs beat Marshall Henderson-led Ole Miss and twice defeated Frank Martin-coached South Carolina.
|Southern (La.) 53
|Texas A&M 51
|Aggies won at Kentucky in inaugural SEC season and also beat NCAA playoff-bound Mizzou.
|Coppin State 78
|Oregon State 73
|Beavers bow to second HBCU school under coach Craig Robinson in last four seasons before winning at Maryland.
|North Carolina Central 82
|North Carolina State 72
|Wolfpack suffered first-ever defeat against a MEAC member.
|Texas Southern 90
|Temple 89
|Owls defeated UAB on neutral court by 21 points before the Blazers beat North Carolina, which whipped three PS Top 5 teams (Louisville, Michigan State and Kentucky).
*Neutral court (Milwaukee).
NFL Basketball Report: Look at Active Players Who Were College Hoopsters
The NFL Injury Report is distributed in mid-week although it isn't nearly as important to genuine hoop fans as this mid-season NFL Basketball Report. Pass catchers (tight ends and wide receivers) are the most prominent ex-college hoopsters with blossoming stars in Jordan Cameron (Cleveland Browns) and Julius Thomas (Denver Broncos).
Tony Gonzalez, who excelled in 1997 NCAA playoffs with California before becoming the first tight end with 100 touchdowns, aspires to secure his first NFL playoff victory but probably will need to be traded by the Atlanta Falcons to achieve that milestone. The NFL featured the following versatile players who previously were college hoopsters:
|NFL Team
|Summary of 2013 NFL Regular Season
|Connor Barwin
|Philadelphia Eagles
|newcomer had three sacks (after 11 1/2 in 2011 with Houston Texans)
|Jordan Cameron
|Cleveland Browns
|Brigham Young/Southern California
|team highs of 50 receptions and six TDs in third campaign
|Demar Dotson
|Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|Southern Mississippi
|6-9 lineman is a starter in fifth season
|London Fletcher
|Washington Redskins
|Saint Francis, PA/John Carroll, OH
|52 tackles plus one fumble recovery and one sack in 16th season
|Antonio Gates
|San Diego Chargers
|Kent State
|42 pass receptions for 497 yards and two touchdown catches in 11th year
|Tony Gonzalez
|Atlanta Falcons
|38 pass receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns in 17th campaign
|Jimmy Graham
|New Orleans Saints
|Miami (Fla.)
|fourth-year pro has 40 pass receptions for 630 yards and eight touchdowns
|Demetrius Harris
|Kansas City Chiefs
|rookie is member of developmental squad
|DeAndre Hopkins
|Houston Texans
|rookie had 28 receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns
|Vincent Jackson
|Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|Northern Colorado
|posted 41 receptions for 623 yards and four touchdowns in ninth campaign
|Jeff King
|Arizona Cardinals
|Virginia Tech
|career might be over after undergoing knee surgery
|Julius Peppers
|Chicago Bears
|North Carolina
|six-time Pro Bowler had 15 tackles and one sack in 12th season (ranks fourth among active players in sacks)
|Joe Reitz
|Indianapolis Colts
|Western Michigan
|started one of first seven games in 2013
|Julius Thomas
|Denver Broncos
|Portland State
|third-year pro has emerged as a game-changer, catching 39 passes for 451 yards and eight touchdowns
|Melenik Watson
|Oakland Raiders
|rookie seeking more playing time
|Kendall Wright
|Tennessee Titans
|second-year pro had 40 pass receptions for 433 yards and one touchdown
On This Date: November Calendar for Great Games in College Hoops History
Did You Know?: Gene Bartow (UAB), Mike Montgomery (Stanford) and Bo Ryan (Wisconsin) incurred defeats in their debuts before eventually becoming the all-time winningest coaches for these schools. Check out the following November calendar for memorable games in NCAA major-college history:
9 - David Holston (43 points vs. St. Bonaventure at Austin, Tex., in 2006) set Chicago State's Division I single-game scoring record. . . . Junior Hairston (21 rebounds vs. Loyola Maryland in 2007) set Towson's Division I single-game rebounding record.
11 - Kyle Hines (38 points at Marshall in overtime in 2006) set UNC Greensboro's Division I single-game scoring record.
13 - Rotnei Clarke (51 points vs. Alcorn State in 2009) set Arkansas' single-game scoring record before transferring to Butler. . . . Siena's school-record 38-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Vermont (80-76 in 2010).
15 - Reggie Williams (45 points vs. Virginia Intermont in 2006) set Virginia Military's single-game scoring record.
17 - Bo Ryan made his Wisconsin debut in 2001 with a 74-69 defeat at UNLV before going on to become the Badgers' all-time winningest coach.
19 - Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky (43 points vs. North Dakota in 2013/modern-era mark) and Stony Brook's D.J. Munir (36 at Sacred Heart in 2001) set school Division I single-game scoring records.
20 - Okechi Egbe (44 points vs. Bethel in 2000) set Tennessee-Martin's Division I single-game scoring record. . . . Tom Izzo made his Michigan State debut in 1995 with a 69-66 triumph at Chaminade en route to becoming the Spartans' all-time winningest coach.
21 - Nick Davis (23 rebounds vs. Jackson State in 1997) set Arkansas' single-game rebounding record.
22 - Kevin Martin (46 points vs. Coastal Carolina in 2002) set Western Carolina's Division I single-game scoring record.
23 - Kevin Stallings made his Vanderbilt debut in 1999 with a 72-55 triumph over Belmont en route to becoming the Commodores' all-time winningest coach.
24 - Gene Bartow made his UAB debut in 1978 with a 64-55 defeat against Nebraska before becoming the Blazers' all-time winningest coach. . . . Nolan Richardson made his Arkansas debut in 1985 with an 86-72 triumph over Southern Illinois en route to becoming the Razorbacks' all-time winningest coach.
25 - Bethune-Cookman's Reggie Cunningham (46 points at Stetson in 1995) and Nevada's Kevin Franklin (48 at Loyola Marymount in 1989) set school Division I single-game scoring records. . . . Louisiana Tech's school-record 39-game homecourt winning streak was snapped by Stephen F. Austin (67-58) in 1985. . . . Lute Olson made his Arizona debut in 1983 with a 72-65 triumph over Northern Arizona en route to becoming the Wildcats' all-time winningest coach. . . . Bob Huggins made his Cincinnati debut in 1989 with a 66-64 triumph over Minnesota en route to becoming the Bearcats' all-time winningest coach. . . . Gale Catlett made his West Virginia debut in 1978 with an 86-66 triumph over Rider en route to becoming the Mountaineers' all-time winningest coach.
26 - Jim Boeheim made his Syracuse debut in 1976 with a 75-48 triumph over Harvard en route to setting the NCAA career record for most victories by a coach at a single school. . . . Rudy Macklin (32 rebounds vs. Tulane in 1976) set Louisiana State's single-game rebounding record.
27 - Brandon Wood (39 points at Georgia Southern in 2009) set Valparaiso's single-game scoring record against a Division I opponent. . . . John Thompson Jr. made his Georgetown debut in 1972 with a 61-60 triumph over St. Francis (Pa.) en route to a school-record 596 victories with the Hoyas. . . . Alvan Adams (28 rebounds vs. Indiana State in 1972) set Oklahoma's single-game rebounding record.
28 - Lou Henson made his Illinois debut in 1975 with a 60-58 triumph at Nebraska en route to becoming the Illini's all-time winningest coach. . . . Mike Krzyzewski made his Army head coaching debut in 1975 with a 56-29 victory over Lehigh before becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history with Duke. . . . Mike Montgomery made his Stanford debut in 1986 with a 67-65 defeat against Georgia Tech at Richmond before becoming the Cardinal's all-time winningest coach.
29 - The three-point goal was an experimental rule in the Southern Conference in 1980 when Western Carolina's Ronnie Carr made the first three-pointer in history at Reid Gymnasium vs. Middle Tennessee State. . . . Alan Williams (39 vs. South Dakota State in 2013) tied UC Santa Barbara's single-game scoring record. . . . Mike Krzyzewski made his Duke debut in 1980 with a 67-49 triumph over Stetson en route to becoming the Blue Devils' all-time winningest coach. . . . Jim Calhoun made his Connecticut debut in 1986 with a 58-54 triumph over Massachusetts en route to becoming the Huskies' all-time winningest coach. . . . Billy Tubbs made his Lamar head coaching debut in 1976 with an 80-73 triumph over Houston Baptist en route to more than 600 victories with three schools. . . . Gene Keady made his Purdue debut in 1980 with a 72-59 triumph over Colorado State en route to becoming the Boilermakers' all-time winningest coach.
30 - Dartmouth set an NCAA single-game record by having nine different players contribute at least one three-point basket vs. Boston College in 1993. . . . John Chaney made his Temple debut in 1982 with a 68-67 triumph at George Washington en route to becoming the Owls' all-time winningest coach. . . . Bobby Cremins made his Georgia Tech debut in 1981 with an 82-66 triumph against Presbyterian (S.C.) en route to becoming the Yellow Jackets' all-time winningest coach.
Twin Billing: Where Will Harrisons Rank Among All-Time Top Sets of Twins?
For those observers who revel in recruiting rhetoric and reviews, the world stopped revolving last year when the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew) announced their intention to attend Kentucky. There are all sorts of short-term Harrison Hysteria questions regarding how the guards will impact the Wildcats and their orgasmic supporters as they aspire to recover from last season's NIT first-round defeat embarrassment. After a shaky performance against Michigan State, the biggest long-term question is how will they rank among the most touted twins in college basketball history; especially in regard to impact for an extended period. Big Blue Nation could have had a scary Halloween after Andrew incurred an injury to his right knee in the annual Blue/White intra-squad game but the point guard suffered only a contusion.
If the Harrisons simply become the latest additions to UK's list of "one-and-done" players, they won't crack the Top 10 of the most influential sets of twins at the same school - 1. Van Arsdale (Indiana); 2. O'Brien (Seattle); 3. Lopez (Stanford); 4. Morris (Kansas); 5. Collins (Stanford); 6. Graham (UCF/Oklahoma State); 7. Hughes (Wisconsin); 8. Holmes (VMI); 9. Hayes (Western Carolina/Georgia); 10. Williams (VMI); 11. Kerr (Colorado State); 12. Stanley (Texas A&M); 13. Nelson (Duquesne). Following is a chronological look at them plus many of the nation's most outstanding sets of twins who played together at least one season on the same team:
- George and Francis Coakley were members of Clemson's 1939 Southern Conference Tournament championship team. It is the Tigers' only league tourney title.
- Clifford and Beauford Minx combined for 10.9 ppg for Missouri's 1944 NCAA Tournament team.
- Forwards John and Rupe Ricksen combined to average 9.7 ppg for California in 1950-51, 15.9 ppg in 1951-52 and 18.4 ppg in 1952-53. The Bears won at least 16 games each of their seasons together. They were co-captains as seniors when Cal captured the PCC South Division title and John earned first-team all-conference status.
- Bantam-sized Johnny and Eddie O'Brien were the top two scorers for Seattle (26-3 record) when it reached the 1953 NCAA Tournament in the Chieftains' first season at the major-college level. They also were infielders for the Pittsburgh Pirates the same year. Johnny O'Brien, a 5-8 unanimous first-team All-American who played center on offense, is the only player to score more than 40 points in his first NCAA Tournament game (42 in an 88-77 victory against Idaho State). Eddie contributed 21 in the same playoff contest.
- Bob (8.6 ppg in 63 games) and Bill (7.5 ppg in 40 games) Gaines played together for Furman from 1954-55 through 1956-57. Each of them averaged 10.3 ppg as a senior.
- Don and Pat Stanley combined for 17.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg in 1959-60 and 24.8 ppg and 11.7 rpg in 1960-61 for Texas A&M. They earlier played at Kilgore when it won a national J.C. title.
- Don and Doug Clemetson combined for 9.5 ppg with Stanford in 1960-61 and 11 ppg in 1961-62. The 16-6 Cardinal finished AAWU runner-up to UCLA, which wound up at the 1962 Final Four.
- Tom and Dick Van Arsdale ranked sixth and seventh on Indiana's list of all-time leading scorers when they graduated in 1965. They were among the nation's top 60 point producers as juniors in 1963-64 and combined for 76 points in a 108-102 neutral court victory against Notre Dame. The Hoosiers went 19-5 their senior campaign. They each played 12 seasons in the NBA, where they both scored more than 14,200 points.
- Lloyd and Floyd Kerr were swingmen who combined to average 25.3 ppg and 10.7 rpg for Colorado State from 1966-67 through 1968-69. Brothers Kerr each scored more than 10 points in all three NCAA playoff games when the Rams reached the Midwest Regional final their senior season (17-7 record) before becoming NBA third-round draft choices.
- Barry and Garry Nelson combined for 21.7 ppg and 16.9 rpg for Duquesne teams compiling a 59-16 record from 1968-69 through 1970-71. Garry led the team in field-goal percentage all three seasons and in rebounding as a sophomore and junior.
- In 1974, seniors Kim and Kerry Hughes carried Wisconsin to its only winning record in Big Ten Conference competition (8-6; 16-8 overall) in a 34-year span from 1963 through 1996. Kim was the Badgers' top rebounder as a sophomore. The 6-11 identical twins combined for 27 ppg and 22 rpg in their junior season and 26 ppg and 20.3 rpg in their final year. Kerry had 21 points and Kim contributed 20 in a home game versus Northwestern their senior year.
- Billy and Bobby Martin excelled for UNC-Wilmington in 1976-77 and 1977-78 after transferring from junior college. Bobby and Billy still rank among the school's all-time leaders in assists.
- Harvey and Horace Grant combined for 16.4 ppg and 11.1 rpg as sophomores for Clemson's 16-13 NIT team in 1984-85. Harvey transferred after the season to a junior college before enrolling at Oklahoma. Each of them had long NBA careers.
- Wichita State's Dwayne and Dwight Praylow combined for 16.3 ppg in 1987-88 (20-10 record) and 20.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg in 1988-89 (19-11 record).
- Victor and Vincent Lee played for Northeast Louisiana from 1986-87 through 1988-89. Their best season was 1988-89 when they were juniors (9.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg).
- Terry and Perry Dozier combined for 9.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg with South Carolina from 1986-87 through 1988-89.
- Damon and Ramon Williams combined for 28.9 ppg in their four-year VMI careers from 1986-87 through 1989-90. They were All-Southern Conference Tournament first-team selections as sophomores in 1988. Ramon was an all-league first-team pick as a junior and Damon achieved the feat as a senior. They rank among the school's all-time top scorers.
- Carl and Charles Thomas were among the top 40 scorers in Eastern Michigan history when they finished their careers following the 1990-91 campaign. They combined to average 16.9 ppg and 7.2 rpg in college before making brief stints in the NBA.
- Sean and Shawn Wightman played together with Western Michigan for three years (1990-91 through 1992-93) after transferring from Illinois State. They combined for 17.9 ppg as juniors. Sean was the nation's top three-point marksman as a junior and led the Mid-American Conference in free-throw shooting as a senior.
- Joe and Jon Ross played together with Notre Dame from 1990-91 through 1993-94. They combined for more than eight rebounds per game their last two seasons.
- Sammie and Simeon Haley combined for 12.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg with Missouri's NCAA Tournament team in 1994-95 (20-9 record) and 14.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg for an NIT team in 1995-96 (18-15 record) after transferring from junior college.
- Jim and David Jackson combined for 7.7 ppg and 3.6 rpg with Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament team in 1995-96 (23-6 record) and 13.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 1996-97 (15-16).
- Bill and Bob Jenkins combined for 14.9 ppg and 12.5 rpg with Valparaiso's NCAA playoff Sweet 16 team in 1997-98 (23-10 record).
- Stanford's Jarron and Jason Collins combined for 19.3 ppg and 12.6 rpg in 1999-2000 before powering the Cardinal to a 31-3 record in 2000-01 with 27.3 ppg and 14.5 rpg.
- Jarvis and Jonas Hayes combined for 25.1 ppg as freshmen with Western Carolina in 1999-2000. They transferred to Georgia after Jarvis led the Southern Conference in scoring with 17.1 ppg. With the Bulldogs, the twins teamed for 25.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg in 2001-02 and 25 ppg and 8.8 rpg in 2002-03.
- Joey and Stevie Graham combined for 25.3 ppg and 9.5 rpg as sophomores with Central Florida in 2001-02 before transferring to Oklahoma State. They collaborated for 15.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 2003-04 and 24.2 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 2004-05 for two OSU NCAA playoff teams.
- Errick and Derrick Craven combined for 17.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg with Southern California in 2002-03, 17.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg in 2003-04 and 10.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 2004-05.
- Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart combined for 13 ppg and 4.8 rpg with Southern California in 2003-04 before Rodrick transferred to Kansas.
- Yale swingmen Caleb and Nick Holmes combined for 12.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.2 apg from 2004-05 through 2007-08.
- Travis and Chavis Holmes combined for 18.7 ppg with VMI in 2005-06, 34.2 ppg in 2006-07 and 34 ppg in 2007-08. They colloborated for 57 points in a 156-95 victory against Virginia Intermont in 2006-07 when they each ranked among the nation's top five in steals (placed 1-2 in the Big South Conference). Finished 1-2 nationally in thefts their senior season.
- Centers Brook and Robin Lopez combined for 20.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 4.1 bpg with Stanford as freshmen in 2006-07 and 29.4 ppg, 13.8 rpg and 4.4 bpg as sophomores in 2007-08 before they both left school early and became NBA first-round draft choices.
- La Salle's Jerrell and Terrell Williams combined for 12.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg from 2007-08 to 2009-10.
- Charles and Philip Tabet combined for 7.2 ppg and 3 rpg with South Alabama in 2008-09 before falling off to 2.8 ppg with 4.5 rpg in 2009-10.
- Philadelphia natives Markieff and Marcus Morris combined for 12 ppg and 9.2 rpg with Kansas in 2008-09, 19.5 ppg and 11.4 rpg in 2009-10 and 30.8 ppg and 15.9 rpg as All-Big 12 Conference selections in 2010-11 before they both left school early and became NBA first-round draft choices. Marcus was KU's leading scorer (17.2) and Markieff its leading rebounder (8.3) for the Jayhawks' 2011 Big 12 champion.
- David and Travis Wear combined for 6.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg as freshmen for North Carolina in 2009-10 before transferring to UCLA, where they collaborated for 18 ppg and 10.2 rpg in 2012-13.
- Charlie (freshman RS in 2009-10) and Colin Reddick combined for 7.7 ppg and 6.1 rpg with Furman in 2010-11, 14.8 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 2011-12 and 22.1 ppg and 11.5 rpg in 2012-13.
Misplaced Priorities: Could Kentucky Possibly Fall Out of Final Polls Again?
Which will be the next touted team failing to live up to enormous preseason hype? There has been an average of one such squad fall in that dubious category each year thus far this century. Could Kentucky under John Calipari possibly become the first school to dramatically disappoint in back-to-back campaigns if the Wildcats' flaunted freshmen flop? Could Michigan State under Tom Izzo be knocked off its preseason pedestal for the fourth time in the last 11 years?
The last 20 squads in this great-expectations category incurred at least double digits in defeats. Following is a chronological list of the first 24 teams that were preseason Top 5 selections since 1968-69 but finished out of the AP's final Top 20 poll:
|Preseason Top 5 Team
|Preseason AP Ranking
|Top Players For Disappointing Squad
|Notre Dame
|Johnny Dee
|Austin Carr, Bob Arnzen, Bob Whitmore, Dwight Murphy, Collis Jones and Sid Catlett
|George King
|Rick Mount, Larry Weatherford, George Faerber, Bob Ford, William Franklin and Tyrone Bedford
|Southern California
|Bob Boyd
|Paul Westphal, Joe Mackey, Ron Riley, Dan Anderson and Mike Westra
|Florida State
|Hugh Durham
|Reggie Royals, Lawrence McCray, Otis Cole, Benny Clyde and Otis Johnson
|Bob Knight
|Kent Benson, Mike Woodson, Wayne Radford and Derek Holcomb
|Ted Owens
|Darnell Valentine, Paul Mokeski, John Crawford, Wilmore Fowler and Tony Guy
|Joey Meyer
|Tyrone Corbin, Kenny Patterson, Dallas Comegys, Marty Embry, Tony Jackson and Kevin Holmes
|Bob Knight
|Steve Alford, Uwe Blab, Stew Robinson, Dan Dakich, Delray Brooks and Daryl Thomas
|Denny Crum
|Herbert Crook, Pervis Ellison, Tony Kimbro, Mark McSwain, Keith Williams, Kenny Payne and Felton Spencer
|Michigan State
|Jud Heathcote
|Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga, Mike Peplowski and Mark Montgomery
|Rick Barnes
|Greg Buckner, Terrell McIntyre, Harold Jamison and Tony Christie
|Cliff Ellis
|Chris Porter, Doc Robinson, Scott Pohlman, Daymeon Fishback, Mamadou N'diaye and Mack McGadney
|Steve Lavin
|Jason Kapono, Billy Knight, Matt Barnes, Dan Gadzuric and T.J. Cummings
|Lute Olson
|Hassan Adams, Salim Stoudamire, Channing Frye, Andre Iguodala and Mustafa Shakur
|Michigan State
|Tom Izzo
|Paul Davis, Chris Hill, Kelvin Torbert, Maurice Ager and Alan Anderson
|Quin Snyder
|Arthur Johnson, Rickey Paulding, Linas Kleiza, Jimmy McKinney, Travon Bryant and Jason Conley
|Georgia Tech
|Paul Hewitt
|Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder, Will Bynum, Luke Schenscher and Isma'll Muhammad
|Michigan State
|Tom Izzo
|Maurice Ager, Paul Davis, Shannon Brown and Drew Neitzel
|Louisiana State
|John Brady
|Glen Davis, Tasmin Mitchell, Terry Martin, Garrett Temple and Darnell Lazare
|Rick Barnes
|Damion James, Avery Bradley, Dexter Pittman, J'Covan Brown, Gary Johnson and Dogus Balbay
|Kansas State
|Frank Martin
|Jacob Pullen, Rodney McGruder, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels
|Michigan State
|Tom Izzo
|Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green, Durrell Summers, Delvon Roe and Keith Appling
|Jim Calhoun
|Andre Drummond, Jeremy Lamb, Ryan Boatright, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith and Tony Olander
|John Calipari
|Willie Cauley-Stein, Archie Goodwin, Ryan Harrow, Julius Mays, Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress and Kyle Wiltjer
Racial Profiling: Creighton's Doug McDermott is Latest Great White Hope
Similar to a deceptive West Wing, sometimes you know the numbers and are just too embarrassed to release them with detailed explanation. But according to a politically-direct UCF study several years ago, fewer than 1/3 of NCAA Division I players are white. There is some credence to refraining from judging a book by its cover, but the last time a majority of the NCAA consensus All-American first-team selections were white was 1969-70 (LSU's Pete Maravich, Purdue's Rick Mount and Kentucky's Dan Issel).
Creighton's Doug McDermott, perhaps en route to becoming only the second three-time first-team All-American in the last quarter century, clearly is the latest "Great White Hope." Non-whites accounted for more than 83% of the NCAA consensus All-American first- and second-selections since the shot clock was introduced nationwide in 1985-86.
The last all-white NCAA consensus first-team All-American squad was in 1953-54. McDermott is only the sixth white player in the last 30 seasons to emerge as a multiple-year consensus first-team All-American. Following is an alphabetical list of only 20 different white players in that time span named as an NCAA consensus first-team All-American:
White First-Team All-American Pos. School All-American Season(s) Steve Alford G Indiana 1985-86 and 1986-87 Andrew Bogut C Utah 2004-05 Nick Collison F Kansas 2002-03 Dan Dickau G Gonzaga 2001-02 Danny Ferry F Duke 1988-89 Jimmer Fredette G Brigham Young 2010-11 Tyler Hansbrough F-C North Carolina 2006-07 through 2008-09 Bobby Hurley G Duke 1992-93 Casey Jacobsen F-G Stanford 2000-01 Christian Laettner F-C Duke 1991-92 Raef LaFrentz F-C Kansas 1996-97 and 1997-98 Kevin Love C UCLA 2007-08 Doug McDermott F Creighton 2011-12 and 2012-13 Chris Mihm C Texas 1999-2000 Adam Morrison F Gonzaga 2005-06 Chris Mullin G St. John's 1984-85 Troy Murphy F Notre Dame 1999-2000 and 2000-01 Kelly Olynyk C Gonzaga 2012-13 J.J. Redick G Duke 2004-05 and 2005-06 Keith Van Horn F Utah 1996-97
Debate Class: Time to Play 20 Questions Prior to Start of 2013-14 Season
Will they be able to keep their plans? Coaches and players are optimistic at this stage, but the start of the regular season will begin to provide authentic answers to the most vital questions heading into the 2013-14 campaign. The truth won't eventually clutter any filtered message being circulated now. In the meantime, following is a preseason game of 20 Questions with links to nerd-tears analysis amplifying on the Q&A:
How in the name of James Naismith is anyone supposed to keep track of the almost 50 schools changing conference affiliation this season?
What are the prospects for Michigan returning to the Final Four after the Wolverines lost multiple undergraduates early in the NBA draft?
Will any Big 12 Conference opponent keep Kansas from becoming the fourth DI school in NCAA history to capture 10 consecutive regular-season league titles?
Will Creighton's McDermott duo continue its ascension to the top among the premier father-son, coach-player combinations in NCAA history?
Will Doug McDermott join North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough as the only three-time first-team All-Americans since the mid-1980s?
Will McDermott become the first MVP in two different conferences after Creighton moved from the Missouri Valley to the Big East?
Will Kentucky's regal recruiting class live up to billing and become one of the elite crops since freshmen became eligible in the early 1970s?
What is the historical perspective if Gonzaga returns to the top of the WCC standings under coach Mark Few?
How will Butler, Creighton, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Xavier fare in their new power conference digs?
Which schools are overdue to end a drought by supplying an all-conference selection?
Which power conference members should be ashamed of themselves because of their lame non-league schedules?
Will POTUS need to issue his brother-in-law a presidential pardon if Oregon State continues to struggle under coach Craig Robinson?
Will Denver forward Chris Udofia become the first player to earn all-league first-team acclaim in three different DI conferences?
Which schools such as Grambling (winless last season) should consider moving back to small-college status?
What coaching fraternity was joined by new L.A. crosstown rivals Steve Alford (UCLA) and Andy Enfield (Southern California)?
Which coaches have security via contracts extending into the next decade?
What can we expect from NCAA Division I newcomers?
How many coaches such as Butler defector Brad Stevens have reneged on long-term contracts?
Which Wisconsin player is most likely to become the latest Badger earning status as an All-Big Ten selection after averaging fewer than three points per game as a freshman?
What significant achievement could former small-college player Davion Berry make if he becomes Big Sky Conference MVP for Weber State?
Craig's List: POTUS Brother-In-Law Among Nation's Most Overrated Coaches
Oregon State coach Craig Robinson, beseeching the country for seven-footers regarding his welfare, was part of the Democratic Convention in Charlotte last year helping introduce sister Michelle Obama. Amid questioning whether the party was guilted into putting God back into its platform, a "Fluke" inquiry lingers regarding if Robinson gets a vacation from significant media criticism because he is brother-in-law of paternalistic POTUS.
If circumstances don't change in a hurry this campaign, Robinson may need a presidential pardon mixed in with halfhearted apologies to retain his position unless there is as much personal responsibility at OSU as there is in the First Hustler's unaccountable White House rebooting a - - - - health-care scheme. The Beavers dropped their season opener against visiting Coppin State, the second HBCU to win in Corvallis the last four campaigns. Can the golfer-in-chief, fond of comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln but too busy to attend the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, unilaterally give Robinson a mulligan or is he too busy assembling an excuse for not saying "under God" while reciting a portion of the famous speech for historian Ken Burns?
At least Oregon State is sufficiently God-fearing to know not to put Seattle back on its schedule after losing at home to the Reclassifying DI school, 99-48, in 2009-10. That regrettable result reminiscent of Reagan mauling Mondale has to qualify as the most embarrassing clunker by a power league member thus far this century. It was perhaps as appalling as Central Planning's health care rollout debacle - the signature legislation for the selfie-taking "Audacity of Hype" - or his Marvin Gaye routine "I (Only) Heard It Through the Grapevine" pleading of ignorance regarding a series of scandals and shortcomings. After shaking down the health-care industry for money rather than closely monitor website development, his sniveling HHS secretary said during Congressional testimony: "Don't do this to me!" Meanwhile, the non-Medicade populace says: "Don't do this to us!"
Right-thinking Americans don't like the White House "apology" and DC can keep it, period! Let me be clear about the ideology as defenseless as the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, ill-conceived as shaking hands with/bowing down to dictators and insidious as intimidating witnesses of the Libyan lynching! But chill out, if your identity is pilfered by a navigator felon/former ACORN staffer, no one will be more upset than Mr. Teleprompter's neighborhood. In order to show compassion and not run the race-baiting risk of offending a grandstanding Big O, it's time to give the ObowwowCare apologists a hug like you would your little puppy and then let them go back to supporting sucking on the government nanny's teat.
There is no need to give them the old razzle dazzle by being Clintonesque and parcing "is is" words amid the chronic fabrication. Even a sports intern realizes no evidence exists from an unimpeachable source that Robinson is on the verge of ending OSU's bump-in-the-road streak of 31 consecutive campaigns winless in the NCAA playoffs. At least Robinson doesn't chronically immerse himself in the Bush-league ploy of blaming his predecessor (Jay John) for the past five lackluster years. They are not in an IRS targeting binder, but following are some optimal "facts" why Robinson didn't deserve a contract extension because he is among the following alphabetical list of the 10 most overrated coaches from power conferences:
|Overrated Coach
|Current School
|Career Truth Detector
|Jeff Bzdelik
|Wake Forest
|Career losing overall record and abysmal 21-79 mark in first six seasons in Big 12 and ACC league competition. No NCAA playoff victory in 10 DI campaigns.
|Mick Cronin
|Total of 10 games below .500 in Big East competition in first seven seasons with the Bearcats, finishing among top five in Big East only once.
|Johnny Dawkins
|Total of 12 games below .500 in Pac-10/12 competition in first five seasons with the Cardinal with no NCAA playoff appearance.
|Stan Heath
|South Florida
|Only two winning league records in first 11 seasons in the SEC and Big East.
|Trent Johnson
|Texas Christian
|A total of 38 games below .500 in league competition the last four seasons in the SEC and Big 12 with LSU and TCU, respectively.
|Andy Kennedy
|Losing record in Big East/SEC competition and only one NCAA playoff appearance in eight seasons.
|Oliver Purnell
|Total of 54 games below .500 in conference competition the last 10 seasons in the ACC and Big East. Never won an NCAA playoff game in 25 years.
|Craig Robinson
|Oregon State
|Losing overall record with the Beavers the last five seasons when he posted losing mark in Pac-10/12 competition each year.
|Herb Sendek
|Arizona State
|No regular-season conference championship and only six winning league records in first 17 seasons in the ACC and Pac-12. Worst record in the nation among veteran active coaches in close contests (minimum of 125 games decided by fewer than six points).
|Bruce Weber
|Kansas State
|Losing record his last six seasons with Illinois in Big Ten competition before winning big last season at K-State with someone else's recruits.
World Series-ous Athletes: Impact of Ex-College Hoopsters on Fall Classic
Numerous universities have had versatile athletes who played college basketball before going on to major league baseball careers. While many single-minded basketball fans are assessing polls and rankings in preseason hoop magazines and websites, following is an incisive "Who Am I?" quiz for well-rounded basketball/baseball enthusiasts taking a toll on their memories as they try to recall World Series participants, including former members of the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, who played varsity basketball for a current NCAA Division I college.
Keep your chin up if you need relief answering the following questions because they're almost as difficult as both teams probably will find scoring off brilliant bullpens:
I was a 13-year major league second baseman who set several fielding records and played in the 1967 World Series
with the Boston Red Sox after ranking among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters both of my college basketball
seasons with Oklahoma State.
Who am I? Jerry Adair
I was a 17-year first baseman who hit four homers and a double in a single game and played in back-to-back World
Series with the Milwaukee Braves after being LSU's leading scorer (18.6 points per game) for the Tigers' 1945-46
team that compiled an 18-3 record and lost against Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference Tournament final.
Who am I? Joe Adcock
I was a 10-year pitcher who led the A.L. in winning percentage in 1935 with an 18-7 record (.720) for the World
Series-bound Detroit Tigers after I was named to the first five on an all-conference basketball team in my final
season at Kansas State. I was a submariner who hurled a complete game victory in a 10-4 verdict over the St.
Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the '34 Series before losing Game 7 to Dizzy Dean.
Who am I? Eldon Auker
I was a shortstop who participated in five World Series, four with the champion, in a six-year span from 1910
through 1915 after earning a basketball letter for Holy Cross in 1908.
Who am I? John "Jack" Barry
I was a rookie pitcher in 1978 with the New York Yankees who went the distance for the first time in my major
league career in a Game 5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. I was a 6-5 forward who
averaged 14.3 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game for Dartmouth in 1974-75 when I was selected team MVP
and honorable mention All-Ivy League.
Who am I? Jim Beattie
I was a catcher who appeared in back-to-back World Series with the New York Yankees (1927 and 1928) after being a
basketball letterman for Niagara from 1916-17 through 1918-19.
Who am I? Bernard "Benny" Bengough
I was an outfielder who, during my 11-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit a double in the 1925 World
Series to help them become the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a seven-game series. I played with
my brother on Oregon's basketball squad before we briefly played alongside each other with the Pirates.
Who am I? Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee
I was a player-manager who earned American League MVP honors in leading the Cleveland Indians to the 1948 World
Series after being the top scorer for an Illinois team that shared a Big Ten basketball title.
Who am I? Lou Boudreau
I was a pitcher who appeared in the 1947 and 1949 World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers after notching 21-12 and
13-5 won-loss marks, respectively, following a basketball career at NYU, where I was the Violets' sixth-leading
scorer in 1943-44 with an average of 3.8 points per game. Major league player and manager Bobby Valentine is my
Who am I? Ralph Branca
I was a 12-year outfielder who played in three World Series with the New York Yankees and hit 38 home runs in one
season with Kansas City after finishing my college basketball career ranking fourth on Nebraska's career scoring
Who am I? Bob Cerv
I am a Hall of Fame catcher who participated in five World Series (1929-30-31-34-35) with the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers after playing basketball for Boston University.
Who am I? Mickey Cochrane
I posted a 1.88 ERA in 14 1/3 innings for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Giants in the 1912 World Series
after being a two-year basketball letterman with Vermont.
Who am I? Ray Collins
I am a Hall of Fame outfielder for the New York Yankees who compiled a .350 batting average in four World Series (1926-27-28-32) after being captain with Eastern Kentucky's basketball squad.
Who am I? Earle Combs
I am a three-time All-Star Game performer who pitched in the 1957 World Series for the Milwaukee Braves after
being an All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection in 1949-50 when the 6-7 sophomore center led
Washington State and the PCC North Division in scoring (13.3 points per game).
Who am I? Gene Conley
I hit .323 in three World Series (1948 with Boston Braves; 1951 and 1954 with New York Giants). Member of LSU's
1942-43 basketball squad before entering military service (Marine Corps V-12 program) during World War II. Known
as the "Swamp Fox," I was a five-sport letterman with Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now Louisiana-Lafayette)
during 1943-44.
Who am I? Alvin Dark
I led N.L. outfielders in putouts three years and hit near or over .300 for three St. Louis Cardinal pennant
winners (1926, 1928 and 1930) after lettering three seasons in basketball for California.
Who am I? Taylor Douthit
I was a 10-year utility infielder who saw action in two World Series games in 1959 with the Chicago White Sox
after averaging seven points per contest as a 5-9 starting guard for Indiana in 1951-52.
Who am I? Sammy Esposito
I was a catcher who appeared in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974 and 1978). Pacific teammate
of All-American Keith Swagerty averaged 3.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 1965-66 and 1966-67 under coach Dick Edwards,
scoring two points against eventual NCAA champion UCLA in the 1967 West Regional final.
Who am I? Joe Ferguson
I led the A.L. in won-loss percentage in 1946 with a 25-6 mark before pitching a shutout in Game 3 of the World
Series for the Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals after being a basketball letterman for Mississippi
State in 1940-41.
Who am I? Boo Ferriss
I was a lefthanded hitting backup outfielder who participated in the 1929 World Series with the Philadelphia
Athletics after being a basketball letterman for Army's 18-5 team in 1921.
Who am I? Walter French
I wasa righthanded pitcher who appeared in the 1980 World Series with the Kansas City Royals after leading New
Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76.
Who am I? Rich Gale
I was a first baseman-outfielder who hit 103 major league homers and pinch hit four times for the Cincinnati Reds
in the 1961 World Series after earning a letter with Temple's basketball team in 1948-49 when I averaged 2.7
points per game.
Who am I? Dick Gernert
I was a lefthanded pitcher who appeared in the 1960 World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates after finishing my
four-year college career as Mississippi's leader in career scoring and rebounds following a senior season when my
scoring average was higher than first-team All-Americans Elgin Baylor (Seattle) and Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas).
Who am I? Joe Gibbon
I am a Hall of Fame pitcher who set a record with 17 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers in my third World
Series in five years after becoming the first player in Creighton history to average at least 20 points per game
in a career.
Who am I? Bob Gibson
I am a palm-ball specialist who blanked the Baltimore Orioles in 5 1/3 innings in three relief appearances for the champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1971 World Series after becoming the first N.L. pitcher to appear in each contest of a four-game LCS. I connected on 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60.
Who am I? Dave Giusti
I am an eight-time All-Star Game shortstop who started for World Series championship teams with the Pittsburgh
Pirates in 1960 and St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 after twice ranking among the top four scorers in the country
with Duke.
Who am I? Dick Groat
I was a perennial All-Star outfielder with multiple Gold Gloves and N.L. batting titles who sparked the San Diego
Padres to two World Series (1984 and 1998) after being a two-time All-WAC second-team selection as a San Diego
State guard who led the league in assists as a sophomore and junior.
Who am I? Tony Gwynn
I was a three-time All-Star catcher who played in the 1962 World Series with the San Francisco Giants (swatted a
two-run homer off Hall of Famer Whitey Ford of the Yankees in Game Four) after playing as a backup forward for
Illinois' basketball squad as a sophomore (1956-57) and junior (1957-58).
Who am I? Tom Haller
I was a 12-year lefthanded reliever who appeared in back-to-back World Series with the New York Yankees after
being a 6-7 Morehead State forward-center who ranked 15th in the country in scoring as a junior (24.2 ppg) and
among the nation's top 10 rebounders as a senior (19.1 rpg).
Who am I? Steve Hamilton
I was a 12-year lefthanded pitcher who appeared in the 1989 World Series with the San Francisco Giants after
being a 6-2 guard who averaged 5.3 points per game as a freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 ppg as a sophomore in 1977-78
for East Tennessee State.
Who am I? Atlee Hammaker
I was a first baseman-outfielder who participated in the 1942 World Series with the New York Yankees after
playing for Manhattan basketball teams that won a school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931.
Who am I? John "Buddy" Hassett
I was a lefthanded hitting utilityman who participated as a rookie with the New York Yankees in the 1923 World
Series against the New York Giants after being a basketball letterman for Vanderbilt in 1918.
Who am I? Harvey Hendrick
I was a 10-year pitcher who hurled four shutout innings as the fourth-game starter for the New York Yankees in
the 1939 World Series after being a basketball All-American for Butler. I was named to the first A.L. All-Star
team in 1933.
Who am I? Oral Hildebrand
I was a 16-year first baseman/outfielder who homered in Game 4 of the 1963 World Series to help the Los Angeles
Dodgers sweep the New York Yankees and twice led the A.L. in homers after leading Ohio State in scoring and
rebounding as a junior and senior.
Who am I? Frank Howard
I was a 13-year infielder who slugged 43 of my 136 career homers for the Atlanta Braves in 1973 after appearing
in four World Series with the Baltimore Orioles (1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971). I averaged 1.7 points per game as a
sophomore in my only varsity basketball season (1961-62) with Texas A&M before signing a pro baseball contract.
Who am I? Davey Johnson
I was a 13-year outfielder who hit .306 for the New York Yankees in 19 World Series games after being a three-year basketball letterman for Maryland.
Who am I? Charlie Keller
I was a Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher who became N.L. MVP but lost the 1950 World Series opener to the New
York Yankees as a starter, 1-0, after playing two seasons for Syracuse basketball teams.
Who am I? Jim Konstanty
I began my rookie year with the Chicago Cubs by winning nine of my first 10 decisions before becoming a reliever
for the 1969 Amazin' Mets World Series champion. I was a standout basketball player for Campbell in 1960 and 1961
when the North Carolina-based school was a junior college.
Who am I? Cal Koonce
I was an infielder-outfielder who hit .303 in my 15-year career. When I was with the Detroit Tigers, I led the
A.L. in batting average once (.353 in 1959), hits four times (209 in 1953 when he was rookie of the year, 201 in
1954, 196 in 1956 and 198 in 1959) and doubles on three occasions (38 in 1955, 39 in 1958 and 42 in 1959) before
appearing in the 1962 World Series with the San Francisco Giants. I managed the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982
World Series. I played in five games for Wisconsin's basketball team in the 1951-52 season.
Who am I? Harvey Kuenn
I was a three-time All-Star outfielder who posted a .331 average with 22 HRs and 107 RBI in my first full season with the New York Giants in 1935 before appearing in the World Series in 1936 and 1937. I had two hits in a six-run second inning of Game Four in the Giants' lone victory against the New York Yankees in 1937 after scoring 16 points in nine basketball games for Arizona in 1931.
Who am I? Hank Lieber
I am an outfielder who led the A.L. in stolen bases, a record for an A.L. rookie, and appeared in the World
Series with three different teams (Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants) after setting
Arizona basketball records for steals in a season and career.
Who am I? Kenny Lofton
I was a 12-year infielder who played in the 1957 and 1958 World Series with the New York Yankees after being a
member of Southwest Missouri State squads that won 1952 and 1953 NAIA Tournament titles.
Who am I? Jerry Lumpe
I was a lefthanded outfielder who appeared in 1943 World Series for the New York Yankees against the St. Louis
Cardinals after being a basketball letterman with William & Mary from 1935-36 through 1937-38.
Who am I? Arthur "Bud" Metheny
I was a Gold Glove left fielder in 1960 between participating in two World Series with the Dodgers (1959 and
1965) after averaging 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50.
Who am I? Wally Moon
I was a righthander who appeared in 1934 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals' Gas House Gang against the
Detroit Tigers. I was an all-around athlete at East Tennessee State.
Who am I? Jim Mooney
I was an infielder who hit .303 with the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox in 17 A.L. seasons from 1925
through 1941, participating in two World Series (1925 and 1933). I was a basketball letterman for Mississippi
State in 1923-24.
Who am I? Charles "Buddy" Myer
I was a five-time All-Star who holds the A.L. record for most homers by a third baseman (319), but was homerless
in five World Series (four with the New York Yankees and one with the San Diego Padres). The highlight of my
career was four dazzling stops in Game 3 of the 1978 World Series to help the Yankees win their first of four
consecutive games. I averaged 5.3 points per game while earning basketball letters in my hometown for San Diego
State in 1963-64 and 1964-65, shooting 87.8% from the free-throw line (36 of 41) as a sophomore.
Who am I? Graig Nettles
I was a 19-year pitcher who appeared in two World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies after averaging 18.9
points and 14.3 rebounds in three varsity basketball seasons with Notre Dame.
Who am I? Ron Reed
I was a catcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 and 1968 World Series. I led Duquesne in
scoring in my senior season with a 17.9 average in 1956-57 when I finished fourth in the nation in free-throw
percentage (86.2). As a sophomore, I was a starter for an NIT championship team that compiled a 22-4 record and
finished sixth in the final AP poll.
Who am I? Dave Ricketts
I appeared in 1915 World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies en route to becoming the N.L.'s winningest
lefthanded pitcher until Warren Spahn broke my record. I earned basketball letters with Virginia in 1911-12 and
Who am I? Eppa Rixey Jr.
I am a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a 20-game winner for six consecutive seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies
after leading Michigan State in field-goal percentage as a junior captain. In 1950, I lost my only World Series
start, 2-1, when the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio homered off me in the 10th inning.
Who am I? Robin Roberts
I am a Hall of Fame infielder who was a regular for six National League pennant winners after compiling league-high scoring averages in both of my seasons with UCLA. I collected two homers and seven doubles in World Series competition for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Who am I? Jackie Robinson
I was a four-time All-Star third baseman with the New York Yankees who appeared in six of the seven World Series
from 1936 through 1942. I managed the Detroit Tigers after being a head basketball coach at Yale and with the
Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America. I played in a handful of basketball games for
Who am I? Robert "Red" Rolfe
I was a New York Yankees lefthander who registered a pair of 2-1 World Series victories (over the Brooklyn
Dodgers in 1941 and St. Louis Cardinals in 1943) after playing for two of the premier teams in college basketball
history when LIU went 24-2 in 1934-35 and 26-0 in 1935-36. I was named to the first five on the Metropolitan New
York Basketball Writers Association All-Star Team after the undefeated season.
Who am I? Marius Russo
I pitched in two World Series games for the New York Yankees in 1964 after being a 6-4 sophomore forward who
averaged 13.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for Connecticut's NCAA Tournament team in 1959-60.
Who am I? Rollie Sheldon
I was a three-time All-Star first baseman-outfielder who played in the 1956 and 1958 World Series with the New
York Yankees and 1967 World Series with the Boston Red Sox. I was a member of Southwest Missouri State squads
that won back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953.
Who am I? Norm Siebern
I was an infielder-outfielder who batted .319 or better in 12 of 14 major league seasons with the Cleveland
Indians and Chicago Cubs from 1921 through 1934. In 1927, my first full season with the Cubs, I led the N.L. with
46 doubles. In the Cubs' 1929 pennant-winning season, I combined with Hall of Famers Kiki Cuyler and Hack Wilson
to become the first outfield in N.L. history to have each starter finish with more than 100 RBI. I hit .378 in
nine World Series games with the Cubs in 1929 and 1932 after being a guard who earned a basketball letter with
the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1920.
Who am I? Riggs Stephenson
I was a 10-year switch-hitting utilityman who played in the 1970 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds. I was an
all-conference selection both years when I finished third in scoring for Austin Peay teams in 1959-60 (11.5
points per game) and 1960-61 (10.4 ppg) that participated in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Who am I? Jimmy Stewart
I was a 13-year veteran who appeared in 485 major league games, all as a reliever, and won a 1979 World Series
game with the Baltimore Orioles after being a starting forward opposite national player of the year David
Thompson of North Carolina State for an NCAA basketball champion.
Who am I? Tim Stoddard
I was a lefthander who led the N.L. in won-loss percentage in 1973 (12-3 mark with the New York Mets) before
appearing in the World Series and notching a save in Game 2 against the Oakland A's. Basketball letterman for
Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66 (averaged 14.7 ppg as teammate of noted women's coach Leon Barmore).
Who am I? George Stone
I was a lefthanded swinging catcher-utilityman who participated in 1940 World Series with the Detroit Tigers
after being a basketball letterman for Portland in the late 1920s.
Who am I? Billy Sullivan
I was an 11-year infielder who led the A.L. in stolen bases three times and hit .326 in the World Series for back-to-back N.L. pennant winners with the Cincinnati Reds after becoming the first Duke player to earn All-American honors in basketball. I was the initial player to bat in a televised major league game (Reds vs. Brooklyn on August 26, 1939) and the only player ever to hit four consecutive doubles in a game in both leagues.
Who am I? Billy Werber
I was an outfielder who played in 12 All-Star Games and had over 3,000 career hits after playing the entire game
for Minnesota in the Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1972. I participated in the World Series with
the New York Yankees (1981) and Toronto Blue Jays (1992).
Who am I? Dave Winfield
Grambling's Gambling At NCAA DI Level Trashes Eddie Robinson's Legacy
The previously-proud G-Men, where a long-time school president (Dr. Jones) also served honorably as the baseball coach, are now the hand-wringing Q-Men (as in "Quit"). Grambling's struggling football program, which had its own weekend TV network during legendary coach Eddie Robinson's heyday, was tarnished by boycotting a game at Jackson State for reasons equivalent to McDonald's minions whining about work conditions.
Evidence that the gloomy days at Grambling could be worse surfaced when the CIAA championship game was cancelled after Winston-Salem State's quarterback was allegedly beaten by a group of Virginia State players in a bathroom of a WSSU campus building during the league's football banquet. Boys will be boys, but did "The Longest Yard" incident make you wonder what the average college board score was for this collection of contemptible characters?
The chaos at Grambling isn't confined to the gridiron. The school's basketball program, winless last season (ghastly 0-28 after squandering halftime lead in opening round of SWAC tourney against Alabama A&M) with all of its regular-season defeats by double-digit margins, has faced DI misery "mold" in its locker room for an extended period. The toothless Tigers never have appeared in the NCAA Division I Tournament.
Grambling, boasting as much athletic competence as a criminal navigator in the objectionable ObamaCare rollout (reportedly grand total of six enrollments the first day), isn't the only HBCU institution imprisoned at the NCAA Division I level. Most of them are little more than indentured servants doing the bidding of their major university masters almost always getting whipped on the road as picking-on-patsies fodder during non-conference competition. In a form of "gaming the system," a striking number of power league schools appear as if they want to celebrate Black History Month in advance during their non-conference slates by overdosing on scheduling outmatched opponents from the MEAC and SWAC.
Most fans are unaware that Robinson won more than 70% of his games as Grambling's basketball coach from 1942 to 1956. The Tigers, coached at the time by Fred Hobdy, placed in the top five of College Division/Division II polls 40 consecutive weeks from March 2, 1961, through January 28, 1965. Beginning with third-rounder Charles Hardnett in 1962, the G-Men supplied one of the top 21 NBA draft picks four consecutive years through 1965. But the "New Deal" moving up to major-college status has been a raw deal for the Tigers since the mid-1970s. They even lost to Xavier (La.), a small school from New Orleans, by 37 points in 1991-92 (106-69).
Grambling A.D. Aaron James was the 28th pick in the 1974 NBA draft. Despite James' prowess, he wasn't one of the total of 23 products from historically black colleges and universities now at the NCAA DI level, including eight from Grambling, among the following top 22 NBA draft choices in a 20-year span from 1957 through 1976:
1957 - Sam Jones (North Carolina Central/8th pick overall) and Bob McCoy (Grambling/10th)
1958 - Ben Swain (Texas Southern/8th)
1959 - Dick Barnett (Tennessee A&I/5th)
1960 - none
1961 - Ben Warley (Tennessee A&I/6th) and Cleo Hill (Winston-Salem State/8th)
1962 - Zelmo Beaty (Prairie View/3rd) and Charles Hardnett (Grambling/21st)
1963 - Hershell West (Grambling/16th)
1964 - Willis Reed (Grambling/10th)
1965 - Wilbert Frazier (Grambling/12th) and Harold Blevins (Arkansas AM&N/17th)
1966 - none
1967 - Earl Monroe (Winston-Salem State/2nd) and James Jones (Grambling/13th)
1968 - none
1969 - Willie Norwood (Alcorn A&M/19th)
1970 - Jake Ford (Maryland State/20th)
1971 - Fred Hilton (Grambling/19th) and Ted McClain (Tennessee State/22nd)
1972 - none
1973 - none
1974 - Truck Robinson (Tennessee State/22nd)
1975 - Marvin Webster (Morgan State/3rd), Eugene Short (Jackson State and Tom Boswell (South Carolina State before transferring to South Carolina/17th)
1976 - Larry Wright (Grambling/14th)
Amid Grambling's recent groveling, is it time for hapless HBCU affiliates to return to the DII level? The truth about black crime in basketball is that it's a big sin many observers don't know or can't recall the high degree of success historically-black colleges and universities enjoyed there. It simply isn't going to the back of the bus. For instance, Norfolk State appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament 10 times in a 12-year span from 1984 until finishing third in the 1995 tourney. The Spartans upset Missouri in the 2012 NCAA DI playoffs but no HBCU ever has reached a Sweet 16.
What many observers should know is seven different historically black colleges and universities advancing to the NCAA DI level captured a total of nine NAIA and NCAA College Division Tournament championships in a 21-year span from 1957 through 1977 (Tennessee State from 1957 through 1959, Grambling '61, Prairie View A&M '62, Winston-Salem State '67, Morgan State '74, Coppin State '76 and Texas Southern '77). Coppin State is the lone school in this group to go on and post a triumph in the NCAA Division I playoffs.
Winson-Salem State saw what life looked like on the DI side of the fence and abandoned ship after only one season. All but two of the 25 HBCUs endured at least one season with 20 defeats in a six-year span from 2003-04 through 2008-09. The pair that emerged unscathed during that stretch were Hampton (worst record was 13-17 in 2003-04) and Norfolk State (11-19 in 2006-07).
Conference members from the Mid-Eastern Athletic and Southwestern Athletic have won only 10% of their NCAA Division I Tournament games. Alcorn State registered the first three of the following modest total of nine HBCU wins over 33 years in the DI tourney (four in preliminary round competition; including Florida A&M's 15-point victory over Lehigh in 2004) since the SWAC and MEAC moved up to the DI level in 1979-80 and 1980-81, respectively:
1980 Midwest First Round: #8 Alcorn State 70 (Baker/Smith game-high 18 points), #9 South Alabama 62 (Rains 22)
1983 Midwest Preliminary Round: Alcorn State 81 (Phelps 18), Xavier 75 (Fleming 16)
1984 Midwest Preliminary Round: Alcorn State 79 (Phelps 21), Houston Baptist 60 (Lavodrama 14)
1993 West First Round: #13 Southern (LA) 93 (Scales 27), #4 Georgia Tech 78 (Mackey 27)
1997 East First Round: #15 Coppin State 78 (Singletary 22), #2 South Carolina 65 (McKie 16)
2001 West First Round: #15 Hampton 58 (Williams 16), #2 Iowa State 57 (Rancik/Shirley 10)
2004 Preliminary Round: Florida A&M 72 (Woods 21), Lehigh 57 (Tempest 13)
2010 Preliminary Round: Arkansas-Pine Bluff 61 (Smith 14), Winthrop 44 (Corbin 13)
2012 West First Round: #15 Norfolk State 86 (O'Quinn 26), #2 Missouri (Dixon 22)
As Good As It Gets: Will McDermott Join Hansbrough as 3-Time 1st-Team A-A?
If Doug McDermott (#3) lives up to billing in Creighton's inaugural season in the Big East Conference, he could join North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough as the only three-time first-team All-American since Georgetown's Patrick Ewing and Oklahoma's Wayman Tisdale in the mid-1980s. Hansbrough (2007 through 2009) is the only three-time first-team All-American in the previous 28 campaigns.
There were a total of 15 three-time first-teamers in less than 20 years from 1960 (Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson) to 1978 (North Carolina's Phil Ford). After several decades when a majority of players departed at the first scent they could possibly play in the pros, following is an alphabetical list of the individuals earning All-American recognition three or four college seasons:
|Three- or Four-Year All-American Recognition
|Mark Aguirre
|1979 (C2), 1980 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1981 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Danny Ainge
|Brigham Young
|1979 (NABC4), 1980 (NABC3) and 1981 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Lew Alcindor
|1967 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1), 1968 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1969 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Marvin Barnes
|1972 (NABC4), 1973 (C2, UPI3, NABC4) and 1974 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Ralph Beard
|1947 (C1, NABC1), 1948 (AP1, C1, NABC1) and 1949 (AP1, NABC1, UP1, C2)
|Kent Benson
|1975 (C2, NABC4), 1976 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1977 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1)
|Larry Bird
|Indiana State
|1977 (NABC3, UPI3), 1978 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1979 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Bill Bradley
|1963 (AP2, C2, UPI2, NABC3), 1964 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1965 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Quinn Buckner
|1974 (NABC4), 1975 (C2, UPI2, NABC3) and 1976 (C2)
|Bill Cartwright
|San Francisco
|1977 (AP2, UPI2, NABC3), 1978 (C2) and 1979 (AP1, C1, USBWA1, NABC2, UPI2)
|Calbert Cheaney
|1991 (USBWA2, AP3, NABC3, UPI3), 1992 (AP3, NABC3, UPI3) and 1993 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Mateen Cleaves
|Michigan State
|1998 (USBWA1, AP2, NABC3), 1999 (AP1, NABC1, USBWA1) and 2000 (AP2, NABC3)
|Bob Cousy
|Holy Cross
|1948 (NABC2, AP3), 1949 (AP2, UP2, C4) and 1950 (AP1, NABC1, UP1, C2)
|Dave DeBusschere
|1960 (C2, UPI3), 1961 (C2, NABC2, UPI3) and 1962 (C2, AP3, NABC3, UPI3)
|Terry Dischinger
|1960 (C1, USBWA1, AP2, NABC2, UPI1), 1961 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1962 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Tim Duncan
|Wake Forest
|1995 (AP3, NABC3), 1996 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1997 (AP1, NABC1, USBWA1)
|Paul Ebert
|Ohio State
|1952 (C3), 1953 (AP2, C3, UP3) and 1954 (C3, UP3)
|Maurice "Bo" Ellis
|1975 (C2, NABC4), 1976 (C2) and 1977 (C2, NABC2, AP3)
|Patrick Ewing*
|1982 (C2), 1983 (AP1, C1, NABC1, USBWA1, UPI2), 1984 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1985 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Arnie Ferrin*
|1944 (C1), 1945 (C1), 1947 (C2, NABC3) and 1948 (C1, AP2)
|Phil Ford*
|North Carolina
|1975 (C2), 1976 (C1, NABC1, AP2, UPI2), 1977 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1978 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Mike Gminski
|1978 (C2), 1979 (NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1, AP2, C2) and 1980 (AP2, NABC2, UPI2)
|Tom Gola*
|La Salle
|1952 (C1), 1953 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1), 1954 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1) and 1955 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1)
|Sihugo Green
|1954 (C4), 1955 (C1, NABC1, UP1, AP2) and 1956 (AP1, NABC1, UP1, C2)
|Darrell Griffith
|1978 (C2), 1979 (C1, NABC3) and 1980 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Alex Groza
|1947 (NABC1, C2), 1948 (C1, AP2, NABC2) and 1949 (AP1, C1, UP1)
|Tyler Hansbrough*
|North Carolina
|2006 (AP3, NABC3), 2007 (NABC1, USBWA1, AP2), 2008 (AP1, NABC1, USBWA1) and 2009 (AP1, NABC1, USBWA1)
|Elvin Hayes
|1966 (C2), 1967 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1968 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Fred Hetzel
|1963 (C2), 1964 (C1, AP2, UPI2, NABC3) and 1965 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Art Heyman
|1961 (C2, AP3, UPI3), 1962 (USBWA1, AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2) and 1963 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Grant Hill
|1992 (UPI2), 1993 (NABC2, UPI2, USBWA2, AP3) and 1994 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|"Hot" Rod Hundley
|West Virginia
|1955 (C4), 1956 (AP2, C2, NABC2, UP2) and 1957 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1, USBWA1)
|Tony Jackson
|St. John's
|1959 (NABC3), 1960 (AP1, C2, NABC2, UPI2) and 1961 (AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2)
|Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones
|1947 (C2), 1948 (C3) and 1949 (C1, UP1, AP2)
|Bernard King
|1975 (C2, UPI2, NABC3), 1976 (USBWA1, C2, UPI2, AP3, NABC3) and 1977 (AP1, C1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2)
|Bob Kurland
|Oklahoma A&M
|1944 (C2), 1945 (C1) and 1946 (C1)
|Bob Lanier
|St. Bonaventure
|1968 (USBWA1, AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2), 1969 (AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2) and 1970 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|York Larese
|North Carolina
|1959 (AP3), 1960 (C2, NABC3) and 1961 (NABC2, AP3, UPI3)
|Tony Lavelli*
|1946 (C3), 1947 (NABC2), 1948 (NABC1, AP2, C2) and 1949 (AP1, UP1, C2)
|Keith Lee*
|Memphis State
|1982 (C1, AP2), 1983 (C1, UPI1, USBWA2, AP2, NABC2), 1984 (NABC2, UPI2, USBWA2, AP3) and 1985 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Ron Lee
|1974 (C2, NABC4), 1975 (NABC1, C2, UPI2, AP3) and 1976 (AP2, C2, NABC3, UPI3)
|Clyde Lovellette
|1950 (C2, AP3), 1951 (AP1, NABC1, UP1, C2) and 1952 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1)
|Jerry Lucas
|Ohio State
|1960 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1), 1961 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1962 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|John Lucas Jr.
|1974 (AP2, C2, NABC3), 1975 (C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1, AP2) and 1976 (AP1, C1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Angelo "Hank" Luisetti
|1936 (C1), 1937 (C1) and 1938 (C1)
|Kyle Macy
|1978 (UPI3), 1979 (C2, NABC3) and 1980 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Mike Maloy
|1968 (C2), 1969 (C1, USBWA1, AP2, UPI2, NABC3) and 1970 (C2, AP3, NABC3, UPI3)
|Danny Manning
|1986 (AP2, NABC2, UPI2, USBWA2), 1987 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1988 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Pete Maravich
|Louisiana State
|1968 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1), 1969 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1970 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Billy McGill
|1960 (AP3, NABC3), 1961 (USBWA1, AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2) and 1962 (AP1, C1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2)
|Tom McMillen
|1972 (C2, AP3, UPI3), 1973 (C1, NABC2, UPI2, AP3) and 1974 (C1, NABC2, UPI2, AP3)
|Jim McMillian
|1968 (UPI3), 1969 (USBWA1, C2, NABC2, UPI3) and 1970 (C2, AP3)
|George Mikan
|1944 (C1), 1945 (C1) and 1946 (C1)
|John Moir
|Notre Dame
|1936 (C2), 1937 (C1) and 1938 (C1)
|Rick Mount
|1968 (C1, UPI2, AP3, NABC3), 1969 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1970 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Alonzo Mourning*
|1989 (AP3, UPI3), 1990 (NABC1, AP2), 1991 (NABC3) and 1992 (AP1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2)
|Chris Mullin
|St. John's
|1983 (C2, UPI3), 1984 (NABC1, UPI1, AP2, USBWA2) and 1985 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Calvin Murphy
|1968 (UPI1, USBWA1, AP2, C2, NABC2), 1969 (AP1, C1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2) and 1970 (AP1, C1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2)
|Charles "Cotton" Nash
|1962 (USBWA1, AP2, C2, UPI2, NABC3), 1963 (USBWA1, AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2) and 1964 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Mike O'Koren
|North Carolina
|1978 (C2, NABC3), 1979 (C1, USBWA1, NABC2, UPI2) and 1980 (C1, USBWA1, NABC2, UPI2)
|Kevin O'Shea*
|Notre Dame
|1947 (NABC3), 1948 (AP1, C1, NABC1), 1949 (AP3) and 1950 (AP1, UP1, C2)
|Robert Parish
|1974 (NABC5), 1975 (NABC5) and 1976 (AP2, C2)
|Sam Perkins
|North Carolina
|1982 (USBWA1, C2, NABC2, UPI2), 1983 (C1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2, AP3) and 1984 (AP1, UPI1, USBWA1, NABC2)
|Bob Pettit
|Louisiana State
|1952 (AP2, UP2, C4), 1953 (AP2, NABC2, UP2, C3) and 1954 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1)
|Andy Phillip
|1942 (C3), 1943 (C1) and 1947 (NABC1)
|Howard Porter
|1969 (C2, AP3, NABC3, UPI3), 1970 (C2) and 1971 (C1, NABC2, UPI2, AP3)
|Mark Price
|Georgia Tech
|1984 (UPI3), 1985 (AP2, NABC2, UPI3) and 1986 (NABC2, AP3, UPI3)
|Frank Ramsey
|1951 (AP3, C3, UP3), 1952 (C1, AP2, UP2) and 1954 (C1, AP2, NABC2, UP2)
|Jonathan "J.J." Redick
|2004 (NABC3), 2005 (AP1, NABC1, USBWA1) and 2006 (AP1, NABC1, USBWA1)
|Oscar Robertson
|1958 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1, USBWA1), 1959 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1960 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|John Roche
|South Carolina
|1969 (C2), 1970 (C1, USBWA1, AP2, UPI2, NABC3) and 1971 (C1, UPI1, USBWA1, AP2, NABC2)
|Cazzie Russell
|1964 (C1, USBWA1, AP2, NABC2, UPI2), 1965 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1966 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Ralph Sampson*
|1980 (C2), 1981 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1), 1982 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1983 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Don Schlundt
|1953 (AP2, C2, NABC2, UP2), 1954 (AP1, NABC1, UP1, C2) and 1955 (NABC1, AP2, UP2, C4)
|Charlie Scott
|North Carolina
|1968 (C2), 1969 (C1, NABC1, USBWA1, AP2, UPI2) and 1970 (C1, NABC1, USBWA1, AP2, UPI2)
|Frank Selvy
|1952 (C3), 1953 (AP2, C2, UP2) and 1954 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UP1)
|Paul Silas
|1962 (C2), 1963 (C2) and 1964 (C2, NABC2, AP3, UPI3)
|Lionel Simmons
|La Salle
|1988 (UPI3), 1989 (NABC2, UPI2, USBWA2, AP3) and 1990 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Meyer "Whitey" Skoog
|1949 (AP3), 1950 (AP2) and 1951 (C2, NABC2, AP3, UP3)
|Doug Smart
|1957 (C2), 1958 (C2) and 1959 (C2)
|Dave Stallworth
|Wichita State
|1963 (C1, UPI3), 1964 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1965 (C1, USBWA1, AP2, NABC2, UPI2)
|David Thompson
|North Carolina State
|1973 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1), 1974 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1975 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Wayman Tisdale
|1983 (AP1, C1, USBWA1, UPI2, NABC3), 1984 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1985 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Kelly Tripucka
|Notre Dame
|1979 (USBWA1, NABC2, UPI2, AP3), 1980 (UPI3) and 1981 (UPI1, NABC2)
|Wes Unseld
|1966 (C2), 1967 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1968 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Darnell Valentine*
|1978 (C2), 1979 (C2), 1980 (C1) and 1981 (C1, AP2)
|Jacque Vaughn
|1995 (UPI3), 1996 (AP2, NABC2, UPI2, USBWA2) and 1997 (AP2, NABC2, USBWA2)
|Chet Walker
|1960 (AP2, C2, NABC2, UPI2), 1961 (AP1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1, C2) and 1962 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Jimmy Walker
|1965 (C2, AP3, NABC3), 1966 (UPI1, USBWA1, AP2, C2) and 1967 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Bill Walton
|1972 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1), 1973 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1974 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Jerry West
|West Virginia
|1958 (C2, AP3, UP3), 1959 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1) and 1960 (AP1, C1, NABC1, UPI1, USBWA1)
|Joseph "Jo Jo" White
|1967 (C2), 1968 (USBWA1, C2, NABC2, AP3, UPI3) and 1969 (C1, AP2, NABC2, UPI2)
*Among the total of 11 four-time All-Americans.
All-Conference Dry Spell: Waves Crashing in West Coast for Pepperdine
Pepperdine is runner-up to San Francisco for most all-league selections in West Coast Conference history. But the Waves have fallen on hard times and are the nation's only school not to have an all-conference choice in the last eight seasons. The best bet for ending Pepperdine's string of futility is sturdy Stacy Davis, the WCC's newcomer of the year last season.
Elsewhere, Rutgers might need to visit its archives and bring Dick Vitale back as a recruiter. Vitale helped lure diploma-less coach Eddie Jordan to Piscataway before the Scarlet Knights reached the 1976 Final Four. Rutgers, failing to secure All-Big East Conference acclaim since Quincy Douby in 2005-06, has the longest all-league famine among members of power alliances. Unless guard Myles Mack earns acclaim, the Big Ten Conference might have more Nebraska, Northwestern or Penn State mediocrity on its hands - trio combined for three NCAA playoff victories in previous 58 years (all by Nittany Lions) - after the Scarlet Knights complete their one and only campaign in the American Athletic Conference.
Perhaps the biggest surprise among schools seeking all-league famine relief is Southern Illinois, which had at least two All-Missouri Valley selections six times in a seven-year span from 2001-02 through 2007-08. Following is an alphabetical list of schools enduring honor droughts having no all-league picks at least the past five seasons:
School Conference Last All-League Selection(s) DePaul Big East Draelon Burns in 2007-08 Louisiana-Monroe Sun Belt Tony Hooper in 2006-07 Pepperdine West Coast Alex Acker and Glen McGowan in 2004-05 Rutgers Big East Quincy Douby in 2005-06 Sacramento State Big Sky Alex Bausley and DaShawn Freeman in 2005-06 Samford Ohio Valley Travis Peterson in 2007-08 Southern Illinois Missouri Valley Randal Falker and Bryan Mullins in 2007-08 Texas Tech Big 12 Martin Zeno in 2007-08
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Gory: Power Teams Play Weak Non-League Slates
By any measure, it was shortsighted of Indiana and Kentucky to let their "Clash of the Titans" rivalry expire because of colossal coaching egos. Regrettably, the schedule neglect doesn't end there. Notre Dame finally met Purdue last year but it's obscene that fans aren't able to enjoy the following potentially great natural non-league matchups between in-state power league members: Cincinnati/Ohio State, DePaul/Illinois, Georgetown/Maryland and Penn State/Villanova.
Misguided Memphis mentor Josh Pastner didn't see the benefit in continuing the Tigers' series with Tennessee. He'd rather just sit at home and beat up on out-of-state fodder. Do you think there is any connection between that misguided mindset and Pastner going winless in his first 11 assignments against opponents ranked in the Top 25? But mark a date on your calendar. Instead of Memphis vs. Tennessee, we get the titantic tilt featuring the Volunteers vs. Tusculum.
Maryland, rather than coping with an exit fee lawsuit from the ACC, should face litigation from Terrapin fans because of a woeful non-league home schedule that probably cost them an at-large berth in the NCAA playoffs. To their credit, the Terps are playing a better non-league slate this season (incuding George Washington) but not enough to still be in a category with other schools that could be denied an at-large bid because of a lack of foresight. Ohio State and Pittsburgh could succeed Maryland this campaign as the most shortsighted schools possibly ending up in the NIT rather than the NCAA tourney. Shouldn't the overriding view be what's best for the fans, players and game in general? Instead, a striking number of schools should be criticized for their fiasco picking on an excessive number of patsies. Kudos to Virginia for scheduling Virginia Commonwealth although the Cavaliers succumbed at home against VCU in a credential-building contest.
The last two NCAA titlists - Kentucky and Louisville - should be embarrassed about their non-conference schedules leading up to their annual battle. Thankfully, Oklahoma is finally opposing Tulsa, Penn State is pitted against Pittsburgh in ACC/Big Ten Challenge and Purdue meets Butler. But rather than insomnia-curing mismatches, how much more interest would there be in Wichita State opposing Kansas and Kansas State, Akron and Dayton against Cincinnati and Ohio State, Tulsa against Oklahoma State, Illinois State against DePaul and Illinois, Missouri against Missouri State and Saint Louis, plus Belmont against Tennessee and Vanderbilt? KU may have the nation's most rigorous non-league slate for a Top 20 team but the Jayhawks should still have an entertaining duel with the Shockers on the heels of their Final Four appearance. At some point, Self-serving needs to defer to what's best for the sport.
Isn't this supposed to be the era for putting an end to bullying? The hoop haughtiness of power schools denying fans stimulating non-league games isn't a new phenomenon. For instance, LSU avoided potentially attractive in-state assignments for decades by never opposing McNeese State's Joe Dumars, Tulane's Jerald Honeycutt, New Orleans' Ervin Johnson, Louisiana Tech's Karl Malone, Northeast Louisiana's Calvin Natt, Centenary's Robert Parish and Southwestern Louisiana's Andrew Toney. Similarly, North Carolina shunned Davidson first- and second-team All-Americans Stephen Curry, Mike Maloy and Dick Snyder during the regular season. The Tar Heels did defeat Davidson in exciting back-to-back East Regional finals by a total of six points in 1968 and 1969 when Maloy averaged 21.5 ppg and 13 rpg.
Don't we deserve to see national players of the year such as Indiana State's Larry Bird (never opposed Indiana), Navy's David Robinson (Georgetown and Maryland) and Bradley's Hersey Hawkins (Illinois) strut their stuff in regular-season contests against nearby prominent programs? The Terrapins only met "The Admiral" upon being forced to compete in the second round of 1985 Southeast Regional when Robinson contributed game-high figures in scoring, rebounding and blocks.
In a form of "gaming," a striking number of power league schools "man up" by appearing as if they want to celebrate Black History month in advance during their non-conference slates by overdosing on scheduling outmatched opponents from the MEAC and SWAC. Mississippi State, infamous 50 years ago for failing to compete against black players, is virtually an HBCU adjunct member this season in an effort to try to avoid repeating as the nation's worst power conference team.
Utah players, officials and coaching staff should don hoodies hiding their faces in shame during the Utes' non-league home slate. Why would anyone spend their hard-earned money on attending many of these mismatches? Even if an observer detests government involvement, perhaps state legislatures should step in where they can and force power league members to get off their high horse and play the following potentially entertaining intra-state games against quality mid-level opponents:
|Power League Member
|Shunned Quality In-State Mid-Major Foes
|Out-of-State Non-League Weak Sisters on 2013-14 Home Schedule
|South Alabama and UAB
|Charleston Southern, Georgia State, North Florida, Robert Morris and Stillman
|Arizona State
|Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona
|UC Irvine, Grambling State, Idaho State, Maryland-Baltimore County and Miami (Ohio)
|Arkansas State and UALR
|High Point, Louisiana-Lafayette, Savannah State, South Alabama, Southeastern Louisiana, SIU-Edwardsville, Tennessee-Martin and Texas-San Antonio
|South Alabama and UAB
|Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Jacksonville State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State and Tennessee State
|numerous school in Texas
|Charleston Southern, Hardin-Simmons, Louisiana-Lafayette, Northwestern State, Oral Roberts, Savannah State and Southern (La.)
|Saint Mary's, San Francisco, San Jose State and Santa Clara
|UC Irvine, Coppin State, Denver, Furman, Nevada, Oakland and Southern Utah
|Cleveland State, Dayton and MAC schools
|Appalachian State, Campbell, Chicago State, Kennesaw State, Massachusetts-Lowell, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina Central and USC Upstate
|Central Connecticut State, Fairfield, Hartford, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart
|Boston University, Detroit, Eastern Washington, Harvard, Loyola (Md.), Maine and Yale
|American, George Mason and George Washington
|Colgate, Elon, Florida International, High Point, Lipscomb and Wright State
|Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Mercer
|Appalachian State, Chattanooga, Gardner-Webb, Lipscomb, Western Carolina and Wofford
|Georgia Tech
|Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Mercer
|Delaware State, East Tennessee State, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina A&T and Presbyterian
|Bradley, Illinois State, Loyola of Chicago and Southern Illinois
|Alabama State, Chicago State, Dartmouth, IPFW, Jacksonville State, UIC and Valparaiso
|Northern Iowa
|Abilene Christian, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Fairleigh Dickinson, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Nebraska-Omaha, UNC-Wilmington and Penn
|Kansas State
|Wichita State
|Central Arkansas, George Washington, Long Beach State, Northern Colorado, Oral Roberts, South Dakota and Troy
|Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State and Western Kentucky
|Belmont, Boise State, Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan, UNC-Asheville, Northern Kentucky, Robert Morris and Texas-Arlington
|Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Murray State
|College of Charleston, Cornell, Hartford, Hofstra, Louisiana-Lafayette, Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri State and Southern Mississippi
|Green Bay and Milwaukee
|Ball State, Grambling State, IUPUI, New Hampshire, Samford and Southern (La.)
|American, George Mason and Loyola (Md.)
|Abilene Christian, Boston University, Florida Atlantic, Morgan State, North Carolina Central and Tulsa
|Belmont, Chattanooga and Middle Tennessee
|Arkansas-Little Rock, Austin Peay, Jackson State, LeMoyne-Owen, Nicholls State, Northwestern State and Southeast Missouri State
|Michigan State
|Detroit and MAC members
|Columbia, McNeese State, Mount St. Mary's, New Orleans, North Florida, Oakland and Portland
|Southern Mississippi
|Louisiana-Monroe, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina A&T, MVSU and Troy
|Mississippi State
|Southern Mississippi
|Florida A&M, Florida Gulf Coast, Jackson State, Kennesaw State, Loyola of Chicago, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M and Southeastern Louisiana
|Notre Dame
|Ball State and Butler
|Army, Bryant, Canisius, Cornell, Delaware, Miami (Ohio), North Dakota State, Santa Clara and Stetson
|Ohio State
|Akron, Cleveland State, Dayton and Xavier
|American, Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Delaware, Louisiana-Monroe, Morgan State, North Dakota State, North Florida and Wyoming
|Oral Roberts
|Arkansas-Little Rock, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Mercer, North Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas-Arlington
|Portland and Portland State
|UC Irvine, Cal Poly, Morgan State, North Dakota, Pacific, San Francisco, Utah Valley and Western Carolina
|Oregon State
|Portland State
|Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Coppin State, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Quinnipiac, SIU-Edwardsville and Towson
|Robert Morris
|Albany, Cal Poly, Fresno State, Howard, Loyola Marymount, Savannah State and Youngstown State
|Evansville, Indiana State and Valparaiso
|Central Connecticut State, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Northern Kentucky, Rider and Siena
|FDU, Monmouth, Rider and Saint Peter's
|Army, Canisius or Elon, Florida A&M, UNC-Greensboro, William & Mary and Yale
|St. John's
|Iona, Long Island, Manhattan and Stony Brook
|Bucknell, Columbia, Longwood, Monmouth, San Francisco, Wagner and Youngstown State
|Fresno State, Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount
|UC Santa Barbara, Chattanooga, Drexel, Morehead State, Oakland, Prairie View A&M, Sacramento State and Weber State
|Utah State and Utah Valley
|Ball State, UC Davis, Evergreen State, Fresno State, Grand Canyon, Idaho State, Lamar, St. Katherine, Savannah State and Texas State
|Wake Forest
|Appalachian State, East Carolina and Western Carolina
|The Citadel, Colgate, Jacksonville, UNC-Greensboro, Presbyterian, St. Bonaventure, Tulane and Virginia Military
Reaching a Summit: Udofia May Become First First-Teamer in Three Leagues
Denver forward Chris Udofia averaged a modest 13.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg the previous two seasons but he has a chance to reach a summit. After the Pioneers became a member of the Summit League, Udofia could become the first player ever to be named an all-conference first-team selection in three different leagues.
Joining Udofia last season in this category was Belmont's Ian Clark, who showed he should have been an NBA draft choice by erning a spot on an opening-day roster. Udofia already is on the following alphabetical list of all-conference first-team choices in two different alliances that should increase significantly with nearly 50 schools joining different leagues this season:
On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Score Big in October MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only four percent of active MLB players earned college diplomas.
Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October calendar involving such versatile athletes:
31 - SS Alvin Dark (basketball letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the San Francisco Giants in 1960. . . . Baltimore Orioles P Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) named winner of the 1979 A.L. Cy Young Award.
30 - Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) and St. Louis Cardinals SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) finished 1-2 in N.L. MVP voting in 1963. . . . 1B Gary Holle (Siena's scoring and rebounding leader in 1974-75 and 1975-76) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981. . . . Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) hired as manager of the Baltimore Orioles in 1995.
29 - Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) stepped down as president and general manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1987. . . . OF Wally Roettger (Illinois letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) purchased from the New York Giants by the Cincinnati Reds in 1930.
28 - St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) captured the Cy Young Award in 1968. . . . A homer by Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85) against the Cleveland Indians accounted for the only run in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series as the Braves became the first franchise to win championships representing three different cities (previously Boston and Milwaukee). . . . SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975. . . . OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) traded by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the Seattle Mariners in 2002.
27 - SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) traded with 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram, OH, in early 1950s) and C Bob Uecker by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies for C Pat Corrales, OF Alex Johnson and P Art Mahaffey in 1965.
26 - Detroit Tigers OF Hank Greenberg (attended NYU briefly on basketball scholarship in late 1920s) won 1940 A.L. MVP. . . . In 1960, Washington Senators President Calvin Griffith (letterman in 1934 and 1935 when George Washington compiled 25-10 record) made decision to move franchise to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. . . . P Oral Hildebrand (All-American for Butler in 1928-29 and 1929-30) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the New York Yankees in 1938. . . . P Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the Texas Rangers to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973.
25 - OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox in 1955. . . . C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1972. . . . 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) traded by the Texas Rangers to the San Diego Padres in 1978. . . . In 1977, P Jim Todd (played for Parsons IA before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville State PA in 1968-69) shipped by the Chicago Cubs to the Seattle Mariners to complete an earlier deal in the spring.
24 - Philadelphia Athletics SS Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) stroked two doubles among his three hits in a 4-2 Game 4 victory against the New York Giants and Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson in the 1911 World Series. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons for UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41), the first black major leaguer of the 20th Century, died of heart disease at the age of 53 in 1972. . . . DH-RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) banged out a two-out, two-run double in the top of the 11th inning to spark the Toronto Blue Jays to their first World Series championship with a 4-3 decision over the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 in 1992.
23 - Boston Red Sox P Bruce Hurst (played J.C. basketball for Dixie, UT, in mid-1970s) notched a 4-2 complete-game victory against the New York Mets in Game 5 of the 1986 World Series. . . . Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) hired as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998. . . . Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) replaced by Bob Watson as general manager of the New York Yankees in 1995. . . . INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons for UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945, paving the way for MLB integration. . . . OF Richie Scheinblum (averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 1962-63 and 1963-64 with LIU-C.W. Post) purchased from the Cleveland Indians by the Washington Senators in 1970.
22 - P Danny Coombs (Seton Hall's third-leading scorer and rebounder in 1961-62) purchased from the Houston Astros by the San Diego Padres in 1969. . . . C Art Kusnyer (led Kent State in field-goal percentage in 1965-66 when he was team's third-leading scorer and rebounder) traded by the California Angels to the Milwaukee Brewers in a nine-player swap in 1973. . . . OF Joe Lahoud (letterman for New Haven, CT, in mid-1960s) traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the California Angels in a nine-player swap in 1973.
21 - 1B Bill Davis (averaged 12.5 ppg in 1963-64 for Minnesota team including eventual NBA standouts Archie Clark and Lou Hudson) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the San Diego Padres in 1968. . . . Kansas City Royals P Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) lost Game 6 when the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the 1980 World Series championship. . . . P Dave Giusti (made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) traded with C Dave Ricketts (Duquesne's leading scorer with 17.9 ppg in 1956-57) by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969. . . . In 1995 opener against the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four squad compiling 35-3 record) became the first player since 1921 to steal two bases in one inning of a World Series game. . . . P Claude Passeau (played for Millsaps, MS, in late 1920s and early 1930s) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1935. . . . OF Richie Scheinblum (averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 1962-63 and 1963-64 with LIU-C.W. Post) purchased from the Texas Rangers by the Kansas City Royals in 1971.
20 - Philadelphia Athletics SS Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) contributed three hits and three runs against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the 1910 World Series. . . . St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham basketball captain) captured the 1931 N.L. MVP. . . . Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (attended NYU briefly on basketball scholarship in late 1920s) won 1935 A.L. MVP. . . . Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) named manager of the Seattle Mariners in 2004.
19 - P Bob Garibaldi (starting forward for Santa Clara in 1961-62 when averaging 10.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg) traded by the San Francisco Giants to the Kansas City Royals in 1970. . . . In 1978, Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) named player-manager of the Chicago White Sox after they dismissed Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist).
18 - P Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State, NC, backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) traded by the New York Mets to the St. Louis Cardinals in an eight-player swap in 1971. . . . Boston Red Sox P Bruce Hurst (played J.C. basketball for Dixie, UT, in mid-1970s) notched a 1-0 victory against the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series opener.
17 - OF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1962. . . . Pittsburgh Pirates P Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) started decisive Game 7 of the 1979 World Series but wasn't involved in the decision (4-1 win against the Baltimore Orioles). . . . Alvin Dark (letterman for Louisiana State and Louisiana-Lafayette during World War II) fired as manager of the Oakland A's in 1975. . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85), winner of the 2000 ALCS MVP award, contributed a three-run homer to help the New York Yankees defeat the Seattle Mariners, 9-7. . . . After winning the opener of the 1911 World Series, New York Giants Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) took a shutout into the ninth inning in Game 3 when 3B John Baker belted a contest-tying homer for the Philadelphia Athletics, who went on to win in the 11th frame. The clutch blast helped him become known as "Home Run" Baker. . . . Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Kent Tekulve (played as freshman in mid-1960s for Marietta, OH) notched a save in decisive Game 7 of the 1979 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
16 - 1B Donn Clendenon (played for Morehouse, GA) homered in Game 5 against the Baltimore Orioles to help power the New York Mets to the 1969 World Series title. . . . Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the New York Yankees in 1961. . . . 1B Dick Siebert (played for Concordia-St. Paul, MN, in 1929 and 1930) traded by the Philadelphia Athletics to the St. Louis Browns in 1945.
15 - 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) selected from the Boston Red Sox by the Kansas City Royals in 1968 expansion draft. . . . New York Yankees rookie P Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) went the distance, striking out eight Los Angeles Dodgers batters in a 12-2 success, in Game 5 of the 1978 World Series. . . . OF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Kansas City Athletics in 1956. . . . In 1957, 2B Jack Dittmer (played for Iowa in 1949-50) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the New York Giants for 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan in late 1940s). . . . St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) won decisive Game 7 against the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series. . . . Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) stepped down as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies to become general manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1981. . . . P Rich Hand (averaged 6.2 ppg for Puget Sound, WA, in 1967-68) shipped by the California Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974 to complete an earlier deal. . . . Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) fired as manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1999. . . . In 2001, OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85) whacked a pinch-hit homer to help the New York Yankees defeat the Oakland A's and become the first team ever to capture a best-of-5 series after dropping the first two contests at home. . . . P Don Kaiser (one semester on scholarship at East Central, OK) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Detroit Tigers in 1959.
14 - Montreal Expos P Ray Burris (Southwestern Oklahoma State player) hurled a shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of 1981 NLCS. Five days later in Game 5, Burris yielded only five hits in eight innings. . . . 1B Donn Clendenon (played for Morehouse, GA) selected from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Montreal Expos in 1968 expansion draft. . . . P Dave Giusti (made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) selected from the St. Louis Cardinals by the San Diego Padres as the third pick in 1968 expansion draft. . . . New York Yankees reliever Steve Hamilton (Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) saved Game 6 in the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals after replacing starter Jim Bouton. . . . New York Yankees OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85) homered in a 5-0 win against the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of 2000 ALCS. . . . Toiling on two days rest, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) hurled a three-hit shutout in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins. Supporting Koufax with a fourth-inning homer was LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52). . . . OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) delivered the game-winning safety in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2002 NLCS to send the San Francisco Giants to the World Series. . . . In Game 5, New York Giants Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) tossed his third shutout against the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1905 World Series. . . . Philadelphia Phillies OF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster, MO, in 1968-69 and 1969-70) homered in a 7-6 decision over the Kansas City Royals in the opener of 1980 World Series. . . . New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) singled twice in a seven-run fourth inning in Game 2 of the 1981 ALCS against the Oakland A's to become the first player ever to collect two safeties in a single frame in LCS competition. . . . P George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1965-66) notched a save in Game 2 of the 1973 World Series when the New York Mets outlasted the Oakland A's, 10-7, in 12 innings. . . . INF Gary Sutherland (Southern California's fifth-leading scorer in 1963-64 when averaging 7.4 ppg) selected from the Philadelphia Phillies by the Montreal Expos in 1968 expansion draft. . . . 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Chicago Cubs for $100,000 in 1949.
13 - 1B Gail Hopkins (averaged 2.5 ppg for Pepperdine in 1963-64) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals in 1970. . . . Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) fired as manager of the San Diego Padres in 1981. . . . OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when averaging 12.4 ppg) traded by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1971. . . . 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) hit a three-run, first-inning double to spark the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory against the Oakland A's in the 1981 ALCS opener. Nettles' spectacular defense highlighted a 5-1 triumph for the Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 1978 World Series. Nettles whacked two homers in Game 4 of the 1976 ALCS for the Yankees but they weren't enough to prevent a 7-4 loss against the Kansas City Royals. . . . Philadelphia Phillies P Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1912 and 1914) allowed two homers in 6 2/3 innings in a 5-4 defeat against the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the 1915 World Series. . . . Baltimore Orioles reliever Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) won Game 4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series.
12 - St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) won decisive Game 7 against the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 World Series. Gibson helped his cause with a homer. Three years earlier, Gibson whiffed 13 batters in a 10-inning, 5-2 win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 1964 WS. . . New York Yankees OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) socked a homer in a 10-7 triumph against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of the 2004 ALCS. . . . In Game 3, New York Giants Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) tossed his second of three shutouts against the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1905 World Series. . . . Philadelphia Phillies P Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) yielded back-to-back homers to LF George Foster and C Johnny Bench to start the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds came from behind to win, 7-6, and sweep their 1976 NLDS. . . . Toronto Blue Jays DH-RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) walloped a homer but it was in vain as the Oakland A's avoided elimination with a 6-2 Game 5 victory in the 1992 ALCS.
11 - In 1948, SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) doubled for the third consecutive World Series contest with the champion Cleveland Indians in Game 6 against the Boston Braves. . . . P Dave Giusti (made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) traded by the Houston Astros to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1968. . . . P Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) traded by the New York Giants to the Philadelphia Phillies for P Stu Miller in 1956. . . . INF Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) was the on-deck batter in Japan in 1976 when Sadaharu Oh stroked his 715th homer to pass Babe Ruth's mark. Incredibly, Johnson was also the next hitter in April 1974 when Atlanta Braves OF Hank Aaron hammered his 715th round-tripper. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) hurled a four-hit shutout in Game 5 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins. . . . Cleveland Indians OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) whacked a homer but it wasn't enough to prevent a 5-3 defeat against the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 1998 ALCS.
10 - OF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) and P Jim Mooney (played for East Tennessee State) traded by the New York Giants to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932. . . . Increasing his hitting streak in World Series competition to eight in a row, Philadelphia Athletics SS Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) banged out two doubles among three safeties against the New York Giants in Game 4 of 1913 WS. . . . 1B Kevin "Chuck" Connors (scored 32 points in 15 varsity games for Seton Hall in 1941-42 before leaving school for military service) traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs in 1950. Connors, star of the television series The Rifleman, gained critical acclaim playing the role of a slave owner in the TV mini-series Roots (1977). . . . In the 1961 expansion draft, the New York Mets selected P Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) from the Los Angeles Dodgers, OF John DeMerit (letterman for Wisconsin in 1956-57) from the Milwaukee Braves, 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) from the Dodgers and P Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer with 10.7 ppg as sophomore in 1955-56) from the Cincinnati Reds. The same expansion draft also had the Houston Colt .45s selecting 1B-OF Dick Gernert (letterman with Temple in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) from the Reds and P Jim Umbricht (Georgia's captain in 1951-52) from the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . Baltimore Orioles P Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) won the 1979 World Series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) lashed a Game 4 homer in a 7-2 win against the Minnesota Twins in the 1965 World Series. . . . OF Joe Lahoud (letterman for New Haven, CT, in mid-1960s) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Milwaukee Brewers in a 10-player swap in 1971. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as All-Iowa Conference freshman selection in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66) collected two homers and five RBI in an 11-5 triumph against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 1978 World Series. . . . In decisive Game 7, Chicago White Sox P Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) tossed his second five-hit win in the 1939 World Series in City Series against the Cubs. . . . Breaking up a scoreless duel in Game 7 of the 1968 World Series, Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma, MI, in 1958-59) stroked a decisive seventh-inning triple off St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57). . . . New York Yankees P Marius Russo (member of LIU teams compiling a 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) hurled a complete game and knocked in the decisive run with a double in a 2-1 decision over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the 1943 World Series. . . . 1B Bill "Moose" Skowron (scored 18 points in eight games for Purdue in 1949-50) smashed a grand slam to help the New York Yankees win Game 7 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. . . . Kansas City Royals P Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside, IA, in 1967-68) won Game 2 of the 1976 ALCS with 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against the New York Yankees.
9 - Boston Red Sox P Ray Collins (Vermont letterman in 1907 and 1908) started Game 2 of the 1912 World Series against the New York Giants when they tied, 6-6, in a contest called after 11 innings. . . . Before a crowd of 81,897, OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) contributed the first homer of the 1948 World Series to spark the Cleveland Indians to a 2-1 victory against the Boston Braves in Game 4. . . . Boston Red Sox P Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) hurled a 4-0 shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the 1946 World Series. . . . In the first World Series utilizing a seven-game format, New York Giants Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) blanked the Philadelphia Athletics, 3-0, in the opener of the all-shutout 1905 WS. Mathewson also tossed whitewashes in Game 3 and Game 5. . . . Bill Virdon (played for Drury, MO, in 1949) stroked a two-run single propelling the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 triumph against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the 1960 World Series. . . . Washington Senators P Tom Zachary (Guilford, NC, letterman in 1916) hurled a complete-game, 2-1 win against the New York Giants in Game 6 of the 1924 World Series. Zachary also won Game 2.
8 - George Earnshaw (played for Swarthmore PA in 1922), clearly the pitching standout of the 1930 World Series, carried the Philadelphia Athletics to a decisive 7-1 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals. . . . San Francisco Giants C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) supplied a go-ahead homer off Whitey Ford in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the 1962 World Series. . . . P Oral Hildebrand (All-American for Butler in 1928-29 and 1929-30) hurled four scoreless innings as the New York Yankees' starter in Game 4 of the 1939 World Series when they swept the Cincinnati Reds. . . . In Game 2, P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) hurled a 10-inning shutout for the New York Giants' lone victory against the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1913 World Series. . . . P Roy Parmelee (letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1936.
7 - Hall of Fame OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) played final game of his 20-year career for the San Diego Padres. . . . In Game 7, Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) went hitless again against the New York Yankees and finished 0-for-21 in the 1952 World Series. . . . 1B-OF Doug Howard (All-WAC second-team selection with Brigham Young in 1968-69 and 1969-70) shipped by the California Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals to complete an earlier deal in 1974. . . . New York Yankees OF Charlie Keller (three-year letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) clobbered two homers in a 7-3 triumph at Cincinnati in Game 3 of the 1939 World Series. . . . In the 1939 Windy City World Series, Chicago Cubs OF Hank Lieber (played for Arizona in 1931) hammered a game-winning, two-out, three-run homer in the ninth inning for a 5-3 verdict over the White Sox in Game 4. . . . Hall of Fame P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) died of tuberculosis in 1925 at the age of 45. . . . P Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) notched the San Diego Padres' only victory in the 2006 NLCS (3-1 against the St. Louis Cardinals).
6 - Detroit Tigers P Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) went the distance in whipping the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-4, in Game 4 of the 1934 World Series. . . . St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) collided with a teammate in Game 4 and was sidelined for the remainder of the 1926 World Series against the New York Yankees. . . . P George Earnshaw (Swarthmore, PA, player in 1922) square the 1931 World Series with a two-hit, 3-0 shutout for the Philadelphia Athletics against the St. Louis Cardinals. The previous year, Earnshaw combined Hall of Famer Lefty Grove for a three-hit shutout against the Cardinals in Game 5 of the 1930 World Series. . . . P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) outdueled fellow lefthander Whitey Ford as the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the 1963 World Series from the New York Yankees. RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) contributed both of L.A.'s safeties off Ford, including a long homer in the fifth inning. . . . Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) fired as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000. . . . Chicago White Sox rookie P Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) secured his first two of 260 MLB victories by winning both ends of a 1923 doubleheader in relief against the Cleveland Indians. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers P Preacher Roe (played for Harding, AR, in late 1930s) tossed a shutout against the New York Yankees in game 2 of the 1949 World Series. The contest's only RBI was supplied by 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948), who drove in 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41).
5 - P Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) won Game 6 of the 1947 World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers when he was helped by Al Gionfriddo's famous catch of New York Yankees Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio's long drive to left field. . . . St. Louis Cardinals SS Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s with Lebanon Valley PA) hit safely in first four World Series games against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1930. . . . New York Giants INF Eddie Grant (paced Harvard's freshman squad in scoring in 1902 and played varsity as sophomore before declared ineligible for receiving money in independent summer baseball league) died from German shelling in 1918 in the Argonne Forest, France, during WWI while in charge of his battalion after his commanding officer was killed. . . . New York Giants OF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln, PA, 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) hit safely seven straight times in the 1951 World Series against the New York Yankees. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers RF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52), blanked by Dave McNally and Moe Drabowsky of the Baltimore Orioles in the 1966 opener, went hitless for the only time in his last nine World Series contests. . . . DH David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) homered off Dwight Gooden to help the Cleveland Indians square their 1997 ALDS at two games apiece with the New York Yankees. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as All-Iowa Conference freshman selection in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66) contributed a homer and triple while knocking in three runs in a 4-0 decision over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of 1978 NLCS. . . . OF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster, MO, in 1968-69 and 1969-70) accounted for the Philadelphia Phillies' lone run with a homer in a 7-1 setback against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the 1977 NLCS. . . . Chicago Cubs P Claude Passeau (letterman with Millsaps, MS, in late 1920s and early 1930s) hurled a one-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of the 1945 World Series. . . . P Nels Potter (leading scorer during two years he attended Mount Morris, IL, in early 1930s) selected from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1937 Rule 5 draft. . . . Philadelphia Phillies P Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) lost Game 2 of the 1950 World Series against the New York Yankees, 2-1, on Joe DiMaggio's leadoff homer in the 10th inning. . . . New York Giants P Hal Schumacher (played for St. Lawrence, NY, in early 1930s) notched the victory in Game 5 of the 1936 World Series against the New York Yankees. Schumacher lost Game 2 three days earlier. . . . Kansas City Royals P Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside, IA, in 1967-68) yielded only one hit in combining with Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) for a 4-0 triumph against the Minnesota Twins in 1980. . . . St. Louis Cardinals P Ray Washburn (led Whitworth, WA, in scoring and named All-Evergreen Conference in 1958-59 and 1959-60) won Game 3 of the 1968 World Series against the Detroit Tigers. . . . In 1985, RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) became the first New York Yankee to collect 100 RBI and score 100 runs in a single season since Joe DiMaggio in 1942.
4 - Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) helped the Detroit Tigers capture their first World Series in 1935, starting Game 3 against the Chicago Cubs and allowing two earned runs in six innings in a contest Detroit won in extra frames. . . . In a one-game playoff for the 1948 A.L. pennant, Cleveland Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out four hits, including two homers, in an 8-3 win at Boston. He finished the year with only nine strikeouts, the lowest number by any regular since 1922. . . . Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) dismissed as manager of the San Francisco Giants in 1964. . . . INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of his last three seasons with Lebanon Valley, PA, in late 1920s) selected by the Washington Senators from the St. Louis Browns in 1938 Rule 5 draft. . . . In the opener of the 1967 World Series, St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) fanned 10 Boston batters in a 2-1 triumph against the Red Sox. . . . Detroit Tigers OF Hank Greenberg (attended NYU briefly on basketball scholarship in late 1920s) whacked a homer in a 4-1 Game 2 victory against the Chicago Cubs in the 1945 World Series. . . . In the opening game of the 1951 World Series, OF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln, PA, 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) stole home and collected four hits to spark the New York Giants to a 5-1 victory against the New York Yankees. . . . P Jim Konstanty (Syracuse player in late 1930s), after making 133 straight relief appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies, started Game 1 of the 1950 World Series but lost against the New York Yankees, 1-0. . . . Minnesota Twins 2B Dan Monzon (played briefly for Buena Vista IA in 1964-65) scored four runs against the Chicago White Sox in 1972. . . . OF Bill Nicholson (played for Washington College, MD, in mid-1930s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies for former N.L. batting champion Harry Walker in 1948. . . . P Roy Parmelee (letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) selected from the Boston Red Sox by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 Rule 5 draft. . . . P Cotton Pippen (Texas Western letterman in 1929-30) selected from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 Rule 5 draft. . . . Jim Riggleman (two-year letterman for Frostburg State, MD, averaged 7.2 ppg in early 1970s) fired as manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1999. . . . New York Yankees P Marius Russo (member of LIU teams compiling a 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) hurled a four-hitter in a 2-1 verdict over the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 3 of the 1941 World Series. In the seventh inning of a scoreless tie, Russo broke P Fred Fitzsimmons' knee with a line drive.
3 - New York Yankees rookie P Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) won the opener of the 1978 ALCS against the Kansas City Royals, yielding only two hits in 5 1/3 innings. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers P Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) sustained his sixth setback of the 1951 season against the New York Giants when Bobby Thomson hit the "shot heard round the world" (three-run homer in bottom of the ninth inning) to decide the N.L. playoff. A single by SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) started the rally climaxed by Thomson's historic blast. . . . 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named the state's "Mr. Basketball") traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958. . . . Jim Fanning (played for Buena Vista, IA, in late 1940s) resigned as manager of the Montreal Expos in 1982. . . . P Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage as a Portland freshman in 1975-76) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1988. . . . In 1904, New York Giants P Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) fanned 16 St. Louis Cardinals in a 3-1 triumph. . . . Washington Senators 2B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) committed three errors in the opener of the 1933 World Series against the New York Giants. . . . Despite striking out seven consecutive New York Mets hitters, Montreal Expos P Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) had his record fall to 1-10 with a 5-2 defeat against Hall of Famer Tom Seaver in the opener of a 1972 doubleheader. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers P Preacher Roe (played for Harding, AR, in late 1930s) registered a complete-game victory against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the 1952 World Series. . . . New York Yankees 1B Bill "Moose" Skowron (scored 18 points in eight games for Purdue in 1949-50) smashed a three-run, first-inning homer to ignite a 5-1 Game 6 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1955 World Series.
2 - P Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) yielded the first pinch-hit homer in World Series history (by Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees in 1947) but the Brooklyn Dodgers still prevailed in Game 3, 9-8. Two days earlier, Branca lost Game 1 when he was knocked out in the fifth inning. . . . OF Earlie Combs (three-year captain for Eastern Kentucky) clubbed a homer and scored four runs as the New York Yankees swept the 1932 World Series by crushing the Chicago Cubs, 13-6. It was the Bronx Bombers' 12th straight WS game win. . . . Brooklyn Dodgers P Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) notched a 5-3 victory against the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 1955 World Series. . . . OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) contributed four hits as the Cleveland Indians assure themselves of a tie for the 1948 a.L. title with an 8-0 triumph against the Detroit Tigers. . . . In 1950, Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 in 1942-43) became the first player to surpass 100 with more RBI (144) than games played (136). . . . Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City, CA, club winning 1967 state community college crown) hammered his MLB-leading 40th homer in 1985, becoming the first player to reach that plateau in each league (41 round-trippers for the Atlanta Braves in 1973). . . . In the opener of the 1968 World Series, St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) outdueled 30-game winner Denny McLain, 4-0, and established a WS record by fanning 17 Detroit Tigers. . . . Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) fired as manager of the New York Mets in 1983. . . . In 1966, Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) concluded his final season with career bests of 27 victories and 1.73 ERA. The previous year, Koufax finished with a single-season MLB-mark 382 strikeouts after fanning 13 Milwaukee Braves batters. In the 1963 World Series opener, the first five batters he faced whiffed en route to 15 strikeouts in a 5-2 win against the New York Yankees. . . . OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) supplied a homer to help the Cleveland Indians edge the New York Yankees, 4-3, in Game 3 of their 1998 A.L. playoff series. . . . Bud Metheny (letterman for William & Mary from 1935-36 through 1937-38) belted a first-game homer against the St. Louis Browns to help power the New York Yankees to their 14th sweep of a doubleheader in 1943.
1 - P Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) incurred the loss for the Brooklyn Dodgers when they dropped the first-ever N.L. playoff in 1946 at St. Louis, which got three hits from C Joe Garagiola. . . . In the first game ever broadcast live coast-to-coast, P Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech basketball letterman in 1941-42) notched a career-high 17th victory for the New York Giants in the opener of 1951 N.L. playoff series against Branca and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Supporting Hearn with a homer was OF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln, PA, 1 1/2 years in late 1930s). . . . Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) contributed three hits and three RBI in an 8-5 triumph against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the 1955 World Series. . . . Cincinnati Reds OF Earle "Greasy" Neale (West Virginia Wesleyan College hoopster graduated in 1915) contributed three hits in a 9-1 success against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of the 1919 World Series. . . . In his third start in five days, P Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-1, in 1950 as the Whiz Kids clinched the Philadelphia Phillies' first pennant in 35 years. Roberts became the first 20-game winner for the Phils since Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1917. . . . In 1970, New York Mets OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) supplied the only two hits (both doubles) off Chicago Cubs standout Ferguson Jenkins. . . . St. Louis Cardinals closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) established a N.L. record for most saves in a single season in 1991. . . . In 1954, OF Ted Tappe (leading scorer in 1949 NJCAA Tournament was Washington State's third-leading scorer the next year in 1949-50) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago Cubs in a deal involving P Jim Willis (Northwestern State letterman in late 1940s). . . . St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram, OH, in early 1950s) played the entire schedule in 1963.
MLB achievements/highlights in September by former college basketball players
MLB achievements/highlights in August by former college basketball players
MLB achievements/highlights in July by former college basketball players
MLB achievements/highlights in June by former college basketball players
MLB achievements/highlights in May by former college basketball players
MLB achievements/highlights in April by former college basketball players
Instant Success: Will Any of Frosh Class Rank Among All-Time Best Rookies?
Fresh men. As in fresh blood or brand spanking new. Just like an excess of one thousand male teenagers who attempt each season to survive in the dog-eat-dog world of major-college basketball less than one year after being a top dog at the high school level. For many of the yearlings, it is a risk-filled voyage where "rookies" are thrown in the Division I ocean and asked to sink or swim. Some of the can't-miss prospects become studs such as Kentucky center Anthony Davis two years ago while others turn into duds. And some are somewhere inbetween such as North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, the first freshman ever named a preseason All-American by the AP. And now we have media outlets proclaiming freshmen will dominate the race for national player of the year in 2013-14.
Complicating the high-expectations transition are misguided rush-to-judgment comments from experts such as Dick Vitale who hype recruits beyond reason during their senior season in high school. According to the effervescent ESPN analyst, Delray Brooks (Indiana/Providence) was going to be the next Oscar Robertson, Tito Horford (Louisiana State/Miami, FL) was going to be the next Hakeem Olajuwon, Jeff Lebo (North Carolina) was going to be the next Jerry West, ad nauseam. Brooks, Horford and Lebo went on to become fine college players, but the only thing they had in common with the Big O, the Dream and Mr. Clutch was they played in the same half century.
Freshmen played varsity college basketball in wartime years during the 1940s and early '50s because of manpower shortages, and at earlier times when eligibility requirements were lax. But for the most part prior to the 1972-73 campaign, colleges fielded freshman teams requiring extra scholarships and operating expenses. Consequently, the introduction of freshman eligibility trimmed costs and, of course, gave eager coaches instant access to high school phenoms who are immediately placed under the glare of the spotlight to help keep elite programs on a pedestal or possibly give struggling teams a chance to climb the ladder of success.
Exhibiting an amateurish historical perspective, many "so-called" experts are hyping this year's freshman class as the greatest in NCAA history. But they need to take a sedative while someone with some authentic expertise tells them about the following center-stage crop of freshman recruits in 1979-80 (listed alphabetically): John Bagley (Boston College), Thurl Bailey (North Carolina State), Sam Bowie (Kentucky), Antoine Carr (Wichita State), Howard Carter (Louisiana State), Terry Cummings (DePaul), Quintin Dailey (San Francisco), Dale Ellis (Tennessee), Sidney Green (UNLV), Clark Kellogg (Ohio State), Cliff Levingston (Wichita State), Jeff Malone (Mississippi State), Rodney McCray (Louisville), John Paxson (Notre Dame), Ralph Sampson (Virginia, Byron Scott (Arizona State), Steve Stipanovich (Missouri), Isiah Thomas (Indiana), LaSalle Thompson (Texas), Dominique Wilkins (Georgia), Rob Williams (Houston) and James Worthy (North Carolina). Carter and Williams are the only players in this gifted group not to either become an NBA lottery pick or score at least 4,900 points in the NBA. Will any recruiting genius say this year's frosh crop can come anywhere close to this one from 1979-80 featuring a dozen top five NBA draft selections, 18 players who had pro careers of at least nine NBA seasons and seven different players who scored more than 15,000 NBA points?
Former Marquette coach Al McGuire coined the phrase: "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." Too bad flamboyant Al wasn't college hoops impresario and could mandate that "the best thing about recruiting gurus is that they eventually are forced to have brain transplants." Amid the widespread player ranking miscues, a striking number of sudden-impact freshmen combined sufficient physical maturity with quick adjustments to the speed and complexity of the college game. Celebrating the first 40 years of freshman eligibility, following is a ranking of the top 40 freshman seasons nationally including frosh statistics and games improved by their school from the previous season:
Rank Freshman Pos. College Season Statistics Games Improved 1. Bernard King F Tennessee 1974-75 26.4 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 62.2 FG% +1 to 18-8 record 2. Devin Durant F Texas 2006-07 25.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 40.4 3FG% -4 to 25-10 3. Robert Parish C Centenary 1972-73 23 ppg, 18.7 rpg, 57.9 FG% +5 to 19-8 4. Chris Jackson G Louisiana State 1988-89 30.2 ppg, 4.1 apg +3 to 20-12 5. Carmelo Anthony F Syracuse 2002-03 22.2 ppg, 10 rpg +7 1/2 to 30-5 6. Wayman Tisdale C Oklahoma 1982-83 24.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg 58 FG% +2 to 24-9 7. Mark Aguirre F DePaul 1978-79 24 ppg, 7.6 rpg -2 to 26-6 8. Keith Lee C Memphis State 1981-82 18.3 ppg, 11 rpg, 3.5 bpg +10 to 24-5 9. Earvin "Magic" Johnson G Michigan State 1977-78 17 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.4 apg +11 1/2 to 25-5 10. Anthony Davis C Kentucky 2011-12 14.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg +8 to 38-2 11. Adrian Dantley F Notre Dame 1973-74 18.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg +8 1/2 to 26-3 12. Shareef Abdur-Rahim F California 1995-96 21.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg +3 1/2 to 17-11 13. Mark Macon G Temple 1987-88 20.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg -1 to 32-2 14. Mark Price G Georgia Tech 1982-83 20.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 87.7 FT% +2 to 13-15 15. Ralph Sampson C Virginia 1979-80 14.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.6 bpg +2 1/2 to 24-10 16. Kenny Anderson G Georgia Tech 1989-90 20.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 8.1 apg +6 1/2 to 28-7 17. Greg Oden C Ohio State 2006-07 15.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.3 bpg +5 1/2 to 35-4 18. Michael Beasley F-C Kansas State 2007-08 26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg -1 to 21-12 19. Joe Smith C Maryland 1993-94 19.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.1 bpg +5 to 18-12 20. Quentin Richardson F DePaul 1998-99 18.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg +10 1/2 to 18-13 21. John Wall G Kentucky 2009-10 16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.5 apg +12 to 35-3 22. Derrick Rose G Memphis 2007-08 14.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.7 apg +3 1/2 to 38-2 23. Kevin Love C UCLA 2007-08 17.5 ppg, 10.6 rpg +3 1/2 to 35-4 24. Lionel Simmons F La Salle 1986-87 20.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg +3 1/2 to 20-13 25. Jared Sullinger F Ohio State 2010-11 17.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg +5 to 34-3 26. Patrick Ewing C Georgetown 1981-82 12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.2 bpg +7 1/2 to 30-7 27. Karl Malone F Louisiana Tech 1982-83 20.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 58.2 FG% +7 1/2 to 19-9 28. Chris Webber F Michigan 1991-92 15.5 ppg, 10 rpg +8 1/2 to 25-9 29. James "Fly" Williams G Austin Peay 1972-73 29.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg +9 1/2 to 22-7 30. Jeff Ruland C Iona 1977-78 22.3 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 59.4 FG% +1 to 17-10 31. Jacky Dorsey F Georgia 1974-75 25.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg +2 1/2 to 8-17 32. Michael Brooks F La Salle 1976-77 20 ppg, 10.7 rpg +4 1/2 to 17-12 33. Gary Trent F Ohio University 1992-93 19 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 65.1 FG% +3 1/2 to 14-13 34. Ron Lee G Oregon 1972-73 18.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.3 apg +10 to 16-10 35. Johnny Dawkins G Duke 1982-83 18.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.8 apg +1/2 to 11-17 36. Allen Iverson G Georgetown 1994-95 20.4 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.9 spg +2 to 21-10 37. Phil Ford G North Carolina 1974-75 16.4 ppg, 5.2 apg +1 1/2 to 23-8 38. Larry Hughes G Saint Louis 1997-98 20.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 spg +9 to 22-11 39. Gene Banks F Duke 1977-78 17.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg +9 1/2 to 27-7 40. Alvan Adams C Oklahoma 1972-73 22.1 ppg, 13.2 rpg +4 to 18-8
Music Men: Hip-Hop in Hoops Arrives After Additional Musical Venues
By any measure, basketball can be categorized as a series of rhythmic or dance moves. Former college hoopster Pat Cleland, going by the stage name Rick Chyme, entered the Guinness Book of World Records recently by freestyling rap for 17 hours straight at ArtPrize, a nearly three-week long art festival/competition in Grand Rapids, Mich. Cleland scored 32 points in his 41-game Western Michigan career from 1999-2000 through 2002-03.
Additional hoopsters also proved they could carry a tune by going on to secure marquee status in the music industry. Whether or not they sang a better game than they actually played, following is an alphabetical list of musicians who "had game" as college basketball players:
ISHMAEL BUTLER, Massachusetts
Known as Butterfly with the hip-hop group Digable Planets, which was nominated for a 1994 Grammy Award as the "Best New Artist."
He averaged 3.8 ppg and 2 rpg in John Calipari's first season as UMass coach in 1988-89.
JOHN FRED GOURRIER, Southeastern Louisiana
Lead vocalist and harmonica player for the rock-and-roll group John Fred and the Playboy Band that boasted a hit single "Judy in Disguise" in 1967 and 1968.
The 6-5, 185-pound forward averaged eight points per game for Southeastern Louisiana as a junior in 1962-63 before scoring 248 points as a senior. The Baton Rouge native also played two seasons for SLU's baseball team and still shares the school single-game record for most RBI with eight.
VAUGHN HARPER, Syracuse
New York City disc jockey, the host with the mellow voice on "The Quiet Storm," for more than a quarter century in the New York City area.
One of the Orange's all-time leaders in rebounds per game (11.1). Harper also averaged 13.5 ppg from 1965-66 through 1967-68, leading SU in scoring as a senior (15.8 ppg). Teammate of All-American Dave Bing and all-time winningest coach Jim Boeheim grabbed team-high 10 rebounds in 91-81 loss to Duke in 1966 East Regional final. Ninth-round selection in the 1968 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.
AL JARREAU, Ripon (Wis.)
Innovative musical expressions made him one of the most exciting and critically-acclaimed performers of our time, winning five Grammys, including best jazz vocalist in 1978 and 1979. He began singing at the age of four, and was soon harmonizing with his brothers and performing solo at a variety of local events in his hometown of Milwaukee. Following an extended stint in Los Angeles, he was spotted by Warner Brothers Records talent scouts and signed to a recording contract in 1975. Two years later, Jarreau embarked on his first world tour. While on a break from touring in 1996, he accepted a three-month stint on Broadway playing the role of the Teen Angel in the hit musical Grease!
Member of Ripon's basketball team from 1958-59 through 1961-62 posted career highs of 5.9 ppg and 4.3 rpg as a sophomore. While attending college, he performed locally with a group called The Indigos on weekends and holidays before graduating with a B.S. in Psychology.
MARK MILLER, Central Florida
Front man and principal songwriter for Sawyer Brown, one of the nation's most popular and enduring country music bands. Sawyer Brown, the top grossing country group in 1994, has sold more than 11 million records since getting a jump start in 1984 on Ed McMahon's Star Search and was named the Top Vocal Group in 1997 by the Academy of Country Music. Sawyer Brown's "Six Days on the Road" video, which came out in early 2000, emphasized the baldheaded Miller's shooting ability.
The 5-8 guard was scoreless in a total of 13 minutes in seven games for Central Florida in 1978-79. He had one assist and committed three turnovers. "I play whenever I can," Miller said. "I go at it really hard. I think my greatest strength in basketball is just seeing the floor and having a feel for where everything should go. And maybe that's my strength in music, too."
Miller, who majored in physical education, joined UCF the year after it went to the Final Four in Division II, and coach Torchy Clark was a local legend. "He (Torchy) wanted you to play hard, but he also wanted you to be a good person," Miller said. "If it came between winning and being a good person, he would rather you be a good person. He helped me as a player, and the lessons I learned from him have helped me in my career. Late at night while on tour, I still call him."
PERCY ROMEO MILLER JR., Southern California
Rapper/actor, son of entertainment mogul and entrepreneur Master P, has released multiple studio albums and compilation albums. His debut album titled after his original alias Lil' Romeo contained the hit single "My Baby" that charted #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-hop Singles.
Signed with the Trojans with friend Demar DeRozan, who left for the NBA after only one season. Romeo, a 5-9 point guard, played 19 minutes in nine games in 2008-09 and 2009-10, scoring a total of five points.
KENNY PARKER, St. Peter's
Brother of one of the most influential rap and hip-hop artists of the 1980s and early 1990s--KRS-ONE (born Kris Parker). Kenny, who performed as a DJ alongside his brother and in music videos as part of the hard-core hip-hop outfit Boogie Down Productions, was a producer for BDP recordings. He has produced TV commercials for Nike.
Parker was a four-year regular who had his best scoring season as a freshman (8.4 ppg in 1985-86 when he supplied a 26-point, nine-rebound effort against MAAC power La Salle).
DARRYL SHEPHERD, Pittsburgh
Produced two #1 hits on the R&B charts. An accomplished keyboard player, he also worked on movie soundtracks and for numerous artists (including Smokey Robinson).
The 6-6 forward, who averaged 6.3 ppg and 2.5 rpg while shooting 53.3% from the floor, participated in national postseason competition each year from 1984 through 1986. He posted game highs of 18 points and 5 steals in Pitt's 78-54 loss against Louisiana Tech in the first round of the 1985 NCAA playoffs. His wife, attorney Renee Henderson, was a former Pitt sprinter who won the 60- and 200-meter dashes in France at the 2008 World Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships (setting two American records en route to winning gold).
Exit Strategy: Alford and Enfield Depart Tournament Teams for Tinseltown
An average of four coaches per year leave NCAA playoff teams since seeding started in 1979. The two tournament mentors in this category to depart this year went to Pac-12 Conference crosstown rivals in Los Angeles - Steve Alford (UCLA from New Mexico) and Andy Enfield (Southern California from Florida Gulf Coast). Alford left a school for the third time with at least three seasons remaining on his contract.
In every year since 1968, directing a team to the NCAA Tournament has been a springboard to bigger and better things at a "poach-a-coach" school. Following are head coaches since the field expanded to at least 64 entrants in 1985 who had a change of heart and accepted a similar job at a different major college promptly after directing a team to the NCAA playoffs:
1985 (six) - J.D. Barnett (switched from Virginia Commonwealth to Tulsa), Craig Littlepage (Penn to Rutgers), Nolan Richardson (Tulsa to Arkansas), Andy Russo (Louisiana Tech to Washington), Tom Schneider (Lehigh to Penn), Eddie Sutton (Arkansas to Kentucky)
1986 (four) - Jim Calhoun (Northeastern to Connecticut), Paul Evans (Navy to Pittsburgh), Clem Haskins (Western Kentucky to Minnesota), George Raveling (Iowa to Southern California)
1987 (two) - Jim Brandenburg (Wyoming to San Diego State), Benny Dees (New Orleans to Wyoming)
1988 (two) - Dave Bliss (Southern Methodist to New Mexico), Tom Penders (Rhode Island to Texas)
1989 (four) - Tommy Joe Eagles (Louisiana Tech to Auburn), Bill Frieder (Michigan to Arizona State), Rick Majerus (Ball State to Utah), Lynn Nance (Saint Mary's to Washington)
1990 (five) - Kermit Davis Jr. (Idaho to Texas A&M), Mike Jarvis (Boston University to George Washington), Lon Kruger (Kansas State to Florida), Mike Newell (UALR to Lamar), Les Robinson (East Tennessee State to North Carolina State)
1991 (four) - Tony Barone (Creighton to Texas A&M), Jim Molinari (Northern Illinois to Bradley), Stew Morrill (Montana to Colorado State), Steve Newton (Murray State to South Carolina)
1992 (one) - Charlie Spoonhour (Southwest Missouri State to Saint Louis)
1993 (one) - Eddie Fogler (Vanderbilt to South Carolina)
1994 (eight) - Tom Asbury (Pepperdine to Kansas State), Rick Barnes (Providence to Clemson), Jeff Capel Jr. (North Carolina A&T to Old Dominion), Kevin O'Neill (Marquette to Tennessee), Skip Prosser (Loyola, Md. to Xavier), Kelvin Sampson (Washington State to Oklahoma), Ralph Willard (Western Kentucky to Pittsburgh), Jim Wooldridge (Southwest Texas State to Louisiana Tech)
1995 (three) - Dick Bennett (Wisconsin-Green Bay to Wisconsin), Scott Edgar (Murray State to Duquesne), Tubby Smith (Tulsa to Georgia)
1996 (one) - Ben Braun (Eastern Michigan to California)
1997 (five) - Ernie Kent (Saint Mary's to Oregon), Mack McCarthy (UT-Chattanooga to Virginia Commonwealth), Jim O'Brien (Boston College to Ohio State), Steve Robinson (Tulsa to Florida State), Al Skinner (Rhode Island to Boston College), Tubby Smith (Georgia to Kentucky)
1998 (seven) - Rick Barnes (Clemson to Texas), Larry Eustachy (Utah State to Iowa State), Rob Evans (Mississippi to Arizona State), Mark Gottfried (Murray State to Alabama), Mike Jarvis (George Washington to St. John's), Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte to Texas A&M), Tim Welsh (Iona to Providence)
1999 (four) - Steve Alford (Southwest Missouri State to Iowa), Dave Bliss (New Mexico to Baylor), Jim Harrick (Rhode Island to Georgia), Dan Monson (Gonzaga to Minnesota)
2000 (four) - Barry Collier (Butler to Nebraska), Ray McCallum (Ball State to Houston), Buzz Peterson (Appalachian State to Tulsa), Bill Self (Tulsa to Illinois)
2001 (five) - Thad Matta (Butler to Xavier), Dave Odom (Wake Forest to South Carolina), Skip Prosser (Xavier to Wake Forest), Gary Waters (Kent State to Rutgers), Jay Wright (Hofstra to Villanova)
2002 (three) - Stan Heath (Kent State to Arkansas), Steve Merfeld (Hampton to Evansville), Jerry Wainwright (UNC Wilmington to Richmond)
2003 (eight) - Cy Alexander (South Carolina State to Tennessee State), Ed DeChellis (East Tennessee State to Penn State), Dennis Felton (Western Kentucky to Georgia), Ben Howland (Pittsburgh to UCLA), Oliver Purnell (Dayton to Clemson), Bill Self (Illinois to Kansas), Dereck Whittenburg (Wagner to Fordham), Roy Williams (Kansas to North Carolina)
2004 (eight) - Jessie Evans (Louisiana-Lafayette to San Francisco), Ray Giacoletti (Eastern Washington to Utah), Billy Gillispie (Texas-El Paso to Texas A&M), Trent Johnson (Nevada to Stanford), Thad Matta (Xavier to Ohio State), Matt Painter (Southern Illinois to Purdue), Joe Scott (Air Force to Princeton), John Thompson III (Princeton to Georgetown)
2005 (two) - Travis Ford (Eastern Kentucky to Massachusetts), Bruce Pearl (Wisconsin-Milwaukee to Tennessee)
2006 (eight) - Mike Anderson (UAB to Missouri), Brad Brownell (UNC Wilmington to Wright State), Mick Cronin (Murray State to Cincinnati), Mike Davis (Indiana to UAB), Fran Dunphy (Penn to Temple), Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa to Iowa State), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma to Indiana), Herb Sendek (North Carolina State to Arizona State)
2007 (four) - Ronnie Arrow (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to South Alabama), Todd Lickliter (Butler to Iowa), Billy Gillispie (Texas A&M to Kentucky), Gregg Marshall (Winthrop to Wichita State)
2008 (five) - Jim Christian (Kent State to Texas Christian), Tom Crean (Marquette to Indiana), Keno Davis (Drake to Providence), Darrin Horn (Western Kentucky to South Carolina), Trent Johnson (Stanford to Louisiana State)
2009 (three) - John Calipari (Memphis to Kentucky), Anthony Grant (Virginia Commonwealth to Alabama), Seth Miller (Xavier to Arizona)
2010 (five) - Tony Barbee (Texas-El Paso to Auburn), Steve Donahue (Cornell to Boston College), Bob Marlin (Sam Houston State to Louisiana-Lafayette), Fran McCaffery (Siena to Iowa), Oliver Purnell (Clemson to DePaul)
2011 (seven) - Mike Anderson (Missouri to Arkansas), Patrick Chambers (Boston University to Penn State), Ed DeChellis (Penn State to Navy), Sydney Johnson (Princeton to Fairfield), Lon Kruger (UNLV to Oklahoma), Jim Larranaga (George Mason to Miami FL), Mark Turgeon (Texas A&M to Maryland)
2012 (six) - Larry Eustachy (Southern Mississippi to Colorado State), Jim Ferry (Long Island to Duquesne), John Groce (Ohio University to Illinois), Frank Martin (Kansas State to South Carolina), Tim Miles (Colorado State to Nebraska), Sean Woods (Mississippi Valley State to Morehead State)
2013 (two) - Steve Alford (New Mexico to UCLA), Andy Enfield (Florida Gulf Coast to Southern California).