Tournament history barroom banter
Impress your friends, stun your neighbors. More importantly, you can be the hit of your tourney gathering with these tidbits from the history of the NCAA Tournament.
The late Hank Iba probably never knew Kevin Bacon, but four generations of college coaches can be traced to the man everyone called Mr. Iba.
Change of Address
Ohio State's Scoonie Penn could be the next transfer to hit the Final Four.
Touching All The Bases
Check out where the National Pastime meets up with Hoops Hysteria.
It's Dean's List
In this era of win-or-else in college coaching, Dean Smith holds the all-time record for victories.
Undergrads Hit Their Best Shots
Sometimes it's best to leave the dirty work to the youngsters.
So You Thought it Was an Easy Road
Some coaches, like Chuck Daly, went on to win NBA titles after not-so-great college coaching stints
Reverse Pivot
Bill Musselman joins a select group of coaches who moved from the NBA to college and led a program back to the Big Dance.
Tourney Dynasties
A quick look at the best of the best: UCLA, Indiana, etc., etc.
Honor Roll
Final Four AND four-point-oh: A not-so-odd combination for this group of true student-athletes.
Up Close and Personal
Check out the bloodlines of some of the NCAA Tourney stars of the past.
Freshmen of Influence
Mike Bibby in 1997 and Ron Mercer in 1996 reminded the world that a freshman can make an impact.
Knight School Professionals
No NCAA Tourney package would be complete without a note on the General.
We Came a Long Way, Baby
Did you know hat coach K was 12-14 in his first season as a head coach at Army?
Missing in Action
These matchups have never taken place in the tourney ... believe it, or not.
Name Dropping
For some, like future baseball Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield, the NCAA Tourney was just the beginning.
All Dressed Up but No Place To Go
Five teams that never got the chance to strut their stuff
in the Tournament.
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens wasn't discussing the Fab Five, but he could have been.
Repeat After Me
It's supposed to be difficult to return to the Final Four year after year, unless your name is Wooden.
The Greatest Stories Never Told
Some tourney heroes went on to careers where steals and
zones take on whole new meanings.
Shoe Wars
In case you were wondering, here's what Final Four teams are wearing.
Social Significance
From City College of New York to Texas Western to John Thompson.
Sad State of Affairs
A stately look at the NCAA tournament.
Vanishing Breed
Did you know Cleveland Indians center fielder Kenny Lofton was a backup guard for Arizona in its '88 Final Four run?
The Good They Die Young
The irrepressible Jimmy V and others who left us much too soon.
Shock Treatment
For every Cinderella team there is a program with unfulfilled expectations after an early-round loss.
The Way We Were
Seattle, NYU and Oklahoma City used to be NCAA Tournament regulars back in the day.
Winners All The Way
This bit of trivia will wn you some money in a locker room one day.
Fast Track After Slow Start
John Wooden didn't just become The Wizard of Westwood. He won his first title 15 years into his UCLA career.