Today is all about the college game. Selection Sunday (no Pat Mills and St Mary's) is huge in the USA as people sit around their television waiting to see if their team is one of 65 to make it to the "Big Dance".
So in honour of this day, I will run a two part series on how each school is connected to Aussie hoops history, somehow. (Maybe some will become a stretch, but work with me people.)
PART 1
MID WEST
Louisville - Gold Coast Blaze Luke Whitehead honed his rebounding skills here.
Ohio St - One time West Sydney Razorback Jason Singleton went to a Final Four with the Buckeyes. Chris Jent attended school here as well.
Siena - I once got free NBA tickets from former Washington Bullets player Jeff Ruland. He went to Iona that is in the same conference (MAAC) as Siena. (1st stretch story)
Utah - Conference player of the year Luke Nevill is an Aussie. I think this is where Andrew Bogut went.
Arizona - NBL champion Daniel Dillon was a Wildcat for four years. Mike Dunlap is an assistant coach there.
Wake Forest - Randolph Childress of the Sydney Kings variety teamed up with Tim Duncan.
Cleveland St - Valparasio is in the Horizon Conference with the Vikings. Aussie gunner Ryan Broekhoff will be at Valpo next season.
West Virginia - The Mountaineers are coached by Bob Huggins. Huggins coached Bobby "Baywatch" Brannen at Cincinnati.
Dayton - Prolific scoring forward Dave Colbert is a Flyer and in their Hall of Fame.
Kansas - Scooter Barry and Adonis Jordan pulled on a Magic jersey, while Steve Woodberry played for Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney.
North Dakota St - The Bison beat Oakland to advance to the tourney. Oakland could have used Mike Helms' scoring punch.
Boston College - Townsville Croc and Razorback import Dave Hinton call this place home for a while.
Alabama St - A name on this roster breaks all rules. Chief Kickingstallionsims
Morehead St - Aussie Ben Congiusta of Tennessee-Martin lost in the championship game to the Eagles to advance.
USC - One time Brisbane Bullet strongman Chris Munk went here.
Michigan St - Adam Ballinger, Mike Chappell and Dave Thomas all won a championship for the Spartans.
Robert Morris - Help please.
WEST
Connecticut - Andre LaFleur is an assistant coach for his college coach, Jim Calhoun.
UT-Chattanooga - They beat out Dontaye Draper's College of Charleston to advance to the dance.
BYU - 7'0 Brisbane boy Corey Reader played for the Mormons for two years.
Texas A&M - The Aggies are coached by Mark Turgeon. Last year he was at Wichita St where Sydney Spirit assistant coach Brett Coxedge was under him.
Purdue - Newcastle Falcons leaper Everett Stephens was a Boilermaker.
Northern Iowa - Dave Gruber (Spirit) is a true mid west boy.
Washington - Mark Sanford was a Husky for two years.
Mississippi St - AJ Ogilvy and Vanderbilt could not mix it with the Bulldogs.
Marquette - My brother-in-law went to school here.
Utah St - Dominique Cooks (Eric's son) redshirted this season for the Aggies.
Missouri - Nate Tomlinson (son of Coach Billy T) and his Colorado team will be hoping that next year they can turn it around like Missouri did this year.
Cornell - The Big Red are an Ivy League school. Paul Maley was and Ivy League boy at Yale.
California - NBL MVP Brian Wethers graced the court for this Pac-10 school.
Maryland - Former King Rodney Elliot defeated my Gonzaga Bulldogs in this very tourney in 1995.
Memphis - I met the Tigers coach, John Calipari, at the Athens Olympics.
Cal St Northridge - Former Gold Coast Roller, Bullet and Giant Mike Mitchell was an assistant coach here before he moved onto the WNBA.
Let me know if you have your own story about a particular school.
Part 2 will be tomorrow.
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