Day 28 without sports 🏀: The non-coaching faces of every blue-blood college basketball program
The 2019-20 college basketball season had an abrupt ending with the NCAA tournament's cancellation due to the coronavirus outbreak. But to pay tribute to seasons of the past we'll take a page from our MLB experts by identifying players who define every blue-blood college basketball program. Since most coaches would fall on this list based on longevity, we decided to highlight the most notable student-athlete instead. We cut off the list of blue-bloods based on notoriety over the years, postseason success and championships.
(Feel free to tell us how we messed up by tweeting us @USATODAYSports)
Kentucky: Dan Issel (1967-70).
Duke: Christian Laettner (1988-92).
North Carolina: Michael Jordan (1981-84).
Kansas: Wilt Chamberlain (1956-58)/Danny Manning (1984-88)
Villanova: Kyle Lowry (2004-06)/Jalen Brunson (2015-18)
Florida: Joakim Noah (2004-07).
Gonzaga: Adam Morrison (2003-06).
UCLA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Known then as Lew Alcindor) (1966-69)
Georgetown: Patrick Ewing (1981-1985).
Indiana: Isiah Thomas (1979-1981)
Syracuse: Carmelo Anthony (2002-2003)/Derrick Coleman (1986-90)
Michigan State: Magic Johnson (1977-79)/Mateen Cleaves (1996-00)
Michigan: Chris Webber (1991-1993)
Arizona: Mike Bibby (1996-1998)
Ohio State: John Havlicek (1959-1962
North Carolina State: David Thompson (1972-1975)
Maryland: Len Bias (1982-1986)
Louisville: Darrell Griffith (1976-1980)
UConn: Kemba Walker (2008-2011)/Rip Hamilton (1996-1999)
Virginia: Ralph Sampson (1979-83)
What to watch
► ESPN: 2013 NBA Finals Game 6: San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.
► ESPN: 2013 NBA Finals Game 7: Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs on ESPN at 9:30 p.m. ET.
►NBC Sports Network: NASCAR Classic: Pepsi 400 – Daytona International Speedway, July 2001 at 8 p.m. ET.
► NBC Sports Network: NASCAR Cup Series: Talladega Superspeedway 2017 at 10 p.m. ET.
► CBS Sports Network: 2019 World's Strongest Man Competition at 7 p.m. ET.
Sports video of the day
A nod to Wednesday night's ESPN re-airing: Ray Allen's clutch 3-pointer saves the Heat, sending Game 6 of the NBA Finals to overtime. The Heat go on to beat the Spurs in OT then win the series and their second title in Game 7.
Story time! Here are our best
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BOB NIGHTENGALE: MLB's crazy Arizona 2020 plan could have terrible consequences
DAN WOLKEN: College football fans seek comfort in familiar voice
TAMPA BAY: Bucs unveil new unis ahead of Tom Brady's arrival
EX-NFL TIGHT END: Coronavirus 'kicked my ass'
NANCY ARMOUR: Don't play games with unrealistic ideas to return to sports
ROBOTS: Fans replaced with mannequins in Chinese Baseball League
NFL DRAFT: QB recommendations for all 32 teams
MIKE GUNDY: Dan Wolken had some thoughts on the coach's ridiculous comments
ON THIS DAY IN SPORTS
1943: The Detroit Red Wings captured the Stanley Cup with a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins.
1945: Future Hall of Famer Charley Trippi was selected with the first pick in the NFL draft.
1969: Major League Baseball officially hits Canada as the Montreal Expos play their first game. It's also the first game for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres and Seattle Pilots (who would become the Milwaukee Brewers).
1974: Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's all-time record with his 715th home run.
1975: Frank Robinson becomes the first black manager in MLB.
1976: The expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers take future Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon No. 1 in the NFL draft.
1994: The Braves' Kent Mercker throws a no-hitter vs. the Dodgers.
2001: Tiger Woods won his second Masters, his sixth major title.
2007: Zach Johnson wins the Masters.
2008: Pat Summitt captures her eighth and final NCAA title as Tennessee takes down Stanford.
2012: Bubba Watson wins the Masters in a sudden-death playoff.
2014: Connecticut defeated Notre Dame 79-58 to become the second school to win both the men's and women's Division I national titles in the same year.
2018: Patrick Reed wins the Masters.
2019: Virginia defeated Texas Tech 85-77 in overtime, to claim the national championship and strike redemption after losing the previous year in the first round to a No. 16 seed.
Games we're missing
NBA
- Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
- Toronto Raptors at Charlotte Hornets
- Orlando Magic at New York Knicks
- San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets
- Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers
- Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
MLB
- San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
- Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees
- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
- Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins
- Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
- Seattle Mariners at Chicago White Sox
- Texas Rangers at Colorado Rockies
- Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals
- Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates
- Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals
- New York Mets at Houston Astros
- Arizona D'Backs at San Francisco Giants
- Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels
Follow reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.