Who has the best alumni? Our special NCAA tournament bracket
While you scour the web for all sorts of analysis and tidbits to help you prepare to fill out your NCAA tournament bracket, we've got a bracket unlike any other for you.
We don't care which player averages the most points, which coach has a style best suited for tournament play, or any of those other factors that matter when it comes to wins and losses.
We only care about which school has the coolest alumni (or in many cases, attendees).
We broke down this year's field of 68, and pitted the schools against each other in our IndyStar Alumni Bracket Tournament.
Who wins? Guess you'll have to read to find out:
MIDWEST
PLAY-IN GAME: (16) HAMPTON VS. (16) MANHATTAN
MANHATTAN
Rudy Giuliani
James Patterson
Vincent dePaul Draddy
Thomas Gambino
Glenn M. Hughes
6th man: Hugh Grant
A former New York City mayor and Republican presidential nominee, Giuliani is credited with lowering NYC's crime rate and was named Time's "Person of the Year" for 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks… Whether he actually writes all his books or not, Patterson has sold more than anyone else. He has written a record 76 The New York Times bestsellers, including two of my favorite, "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls"… A College Hall of Fame QB for the Jaspers in the 1920s, Draddy married the daughter of a dress manufacturer and so began his career in fashion. He developed the Izod and Lacoste brands Stateside and gave back generously to his alma mater, who's gym is named after Draddy's wife and first son, who died in a car accident in 1953… The son of crime boss Carlo Gambino, Thomas used his college degree to help with the mob's trucking and garment businesses. He and famed mobster John Gotti were convicted in 1991 on a laundry list of charges after Sammy the Bull turned government witness. In 2000, Gambino was released from prison… The original "biker" in the Village People, Hughes' image is unmistakably disco… Hugh Grant, no that not one, this is Hugh J. Grant, one of the youngest mayors of a major U.S. city in history. In 1889, Grant was inaugurated at just 31 years old, served two terms and was later caught up in the corruption investigation of Tammany Hall.
HAMPTON
Wanda Sykes
Booker T. Washington
Alberta Williams King
Biff Henderson
Rick Mahorn
6th man: Spencer Christian
After earning a marketing degree from Hampton, Sykes took a job as a contracting specialist with the National Security Agency (NSA) — seriously. She got her break in comedy opening up for Chris Rock in the mid-90s and has been a TV and film staple since, even getting a short-lived sitcom of her own from 2009-10 ("The Wanda Sykes Show")… Born into slavery, Washington became a prominent leader for African-American rights and in 1901, became the first African-American invited to the White House… The mother of Martin Luther King Jr., King earned a teaching certificate from Hampton in 1924 and helped run Atlanta's iconic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was pastored by her husband, Martin Sr. It was there where she was gunned down sitting at the church's organ, six years after her son's assassination… Longtime stage manager for the "Late Show with David Letterman", here's hoping Biff still has a job when Dave retires… The baddest of "The Bad Boys", Mahorn's physical style of play was a perfect fit with the late 80s Detroit Pistons. A three-time NAIA All-American at Hampton, Mahorn spent 18 years in the NBA, winning a title in 1989. He coached in the WNBA for five seasons, including a short spell as interim head coach of the Detroit Shock… Christian was "Good Morning America's" version of Al Roker, serving as the morning show's weatherman from 1986 to 1998.
Winner: Manhattan. Wanda Sykes is funny, but she's not that funny.
(1) KENTUCKY VS. (16) MANHATTAN
KENTUCKY
Frank Vogel
Ashley Judd
Pat Riley
Glenn Kotche
John T. Scopes
6th man: Chris T. Sullivan
A Division III point guard and starter at Juniata College in central Pennsylvania, Vogel gave up playing to transfer to Kentucky and become a student manager under Rick Pitino. Now, he's the Pacers' all-time leader in NBA coaching wins… The Wildcats' Super Fan and former Mrs. Dario Franchitti, Judd is usually front and center if Kentucky's in a big game. Truth be told, she hasn't really done much in terms of Hollywood success in the past decade, but she's been active humanitarian work and even been suggested for a political run… Drafted in both the NBA and NFL drafts, Riley stuck with basketball and while his playing career was for the lack of a better term, "meh." he turned into one of the game's top coaches. winning titles with the Showtime Lakers and the Miami Heat. He's added two titles with the Heat as an executive, but now has to ponder life without LeBron James… Kotche, the drummer for Grammy-winning band Wilco, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Kentucky's College of Fine Arts… Scopes was charged with teaching evolution in Tennessee, a no-no back then. The trial drew national publicity, but Scopes' guilty verdict and $100 fine were later overturned due to a technicality… Sullivan is the founder of Outback Steakhouse, I know it's a tad weak, but who doesn't love a Bloomin' Onion?
Winner: Manhattan. Can't get "YMCA" out of my head.
(8) CINCINNATI VS. (9) PURDUE
CINCINNATI
Oscar Robertson
George Clooney
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sandy Koufax
Urban Meyer
6th man: Richard Jordan Gatling
The Big O starred at Cincinnati after leading Indy's Crispus Attucks to become the first all-black team to win a high school state title in the country in 1955. The king of the triple-double, Robertson was a 12-time NBA All-Star and is a no-brainer for the top basketball players of all-time… Clooney briefly attended UC after attending Northern Kentucky (1979-81), but did not graduate from either. He got his big break with NBC's hospital drama "ER" and has gone on to an Award-winning film career… Listed as a product of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, Parker is known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw, the lead in "Sex and the City"… Koufax, a Brooklyn native, walked-on to UC's freshman basketball team and in 1954 made the baseball team, striking out 51 batters in 31 innings. He returned east, tried out for a few teams, and was eventually signed by his hometown Dodgers. Koufax went on to become one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball history, winning three Cy Young Awards and two World Series MVPs… Already with three national championships to his credit, Meyer is staking claim as the best coach in the business. He played cornerback for the Bearcats while getting his degree in psychology and is building a dynasty at Ohio State… An inventor living in Indianapolis at the outset of the Civil War, Gatling is best known for creating the Gatling gun, the precursor to the modern machine gun.
PURDUE
Neil Armstrong
Orville Redenbacher
John Wooden
Drew Brees
Brian Lamb
6th man: David Boudia
The first man to walk on the moon, Armstrong is pretty much that guy at the party that can one up you every time… At Purdue, Redenbacher competed in track, performed in marching band and graduated with a degree in agronomy. He developed his famous popcorn in Valparaiso, which still hosts an annual popcorn festival in Redenbacher's honor… Before he was building a dynasty at UCLA, Wooden won a national title as a player with the Boilermakers in 1932 (prior to the advent of the NCAA tournament). He won 10 more titles in a 12-year span as a coach with the Bruins, giving birth to the Wizard of Westwood legend… In 2001, Brees led Purdue to its last Rose Bowl appearance and shattered all sorts of school and Big Ten passing records. Despite concerns about his stature, Brees has developed into one of the NFL's premier passers, is a 9-time Pro Bowl selection, and as you recall, defeated the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV… Born and raised in Lafayette, Lamb founded C-SPAN in 1979. And for anyone who has had trouble sleeping, you know you just how valuable C-SPAN can be… Boudia enjoyed a standout Big Ten career at Purdue before capturing Olympic glory in 2012, becoming the first American male to win gold since Greg Louganis in 1988.
Winner: Purdue. Neil Armstrong's footprints are still on the moon. I don't care how charming George Clooney is.
(5) WEST VIRGINIA VS. (12) BUFFALO
WEST VIRGINIA
Pat McAfee
Jerry West
Cheryl Hines
Don Knotts
Steve Harvey
6th man: Conchata Ferrell
No. 1 in your program — and your hearts — McAfee has become a fan favorite here in Indianapolis, despite the fact that he's the PUNTER! His work in the community and on social media with fans (and free agents) is unparalleled. Oh yeah, and he's a Pro Bowler. I mean, we liked him so much, we gave him a show!… Jerry West is the NBA logo. What else do you need to know?… The role of Larry David's wife isn't an easy one, but Hines nailed it. She starred opposite the neurotic comic in HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm", a role which earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also attended Florida State and Central Florida Universities… Another Walk of Famer, Knotts was born in Morgantown and returned to WVU after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. The perfect TV goof ball, his roles as Barney Fife ("The Andy Griffith Show") and Ralph Furley ("Three's Company") landed him at 27th on TV Guide's list of "TV Stars of All-Time"… Harvey and Ferrell, both born in West Virginia, attended the state's largest school, but also went elsewhere. Ferrell been acting since 1974, but we all know her as the housekeeper, Berta, on "Two and a Half Men". Harvey was among "The Original Kings of Comedy", had his own long-running sitcom and now hosts "Family Feud".
BUFFALO
Wolf Blitzer
Harvey Weinstein
James Foley
John Walsh
Jeffrey Wigand
6th man: Bram Cohen
The son of Holocaust survivors, Blitzer was raised in Buffalo and stayed there for his undergrad work. After his distinguished work covering the Middle East, Blitzer joined CNN in 1990 and has become the face of the network… The co-founder of Miramax films, Weinstein and his brother, Bob, got their start producing rock concerts in Buffalo before getting in the movie business. They eventually sold Miramax to Disney and in 2005 started The Weinstein Company… An advocate for bringing fugitives to justice after his son's murder, Walsh started "America's Most Wanted" in 1988. In its 25 seasons, the show claims to have helped in the capture of 1,202 people… Director of "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "Fear", Foley's main contribution has been Netflix-binge crack "House of Cards"… A whistleblower on the tobacco industry to "60 Minutes" in 1996, Wigand's story is the subject of "The Insider", a fantastic film starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe (Wigand). Great movie, which also features my great cousin Christopher Plummer (true story) as Mike Wallace… Cohen developed the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing program, which I'm not ashamed to admit, I used to download an album or 10. But not anymore. I swear. My wife gets iTunes gift cards from students. I swear.
Winner: West Virginia. In a cakewalk.
(4) MARYLAND VS. (13) VALPARAISO
MARYLAND
Larry David
David Simon
Sergey Brin
Jim Henson
Robin Quivers
6th man: Scott Van Pelt
With the creator of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (David), "The Wire" (Simon), Google (Brin) and "The Muppets" (Henson), the Terrapins are going to be hard to beat. Add in longtime Howard Stern sidekick Quivers and "SportsCenter" funny guy Van Pelt and Maryland is poised for a deep run.
VALPARAISO
Bryce Drew
JoBe Cerny
Michael Essany
Lloyd McClendon
Eugene Parker
6th man: Marc Voth
Drew 's shot against Ole Miss in the 1998 NCAA tournament will always be one of great March moments and helped put Valparaiso on the basketball map. The 1994 IndyStar Mr. Basketball, he spent six seasons as a reserve NBA point guard, but returned to his alma mater as an assistant in 2005 before succeeding his father, Homer. Drew has the Crusaders back in the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years and won the 2015 Horizon League Coach of the Year… Cerny, who got a degree in speech and drama at Valpo, is best known as the voice of the Pillsbury Dough Boy… At 15, Essany started hosting his own late night talk show from his home in Valpo. It lasted from 1997 to 2004, aired on E! for two seasons and included notable guests like Ray Romano, Jay Leno and Kevin Bacon… The Seattle Mariners manager, McClendon spent eight seasons as a player with the Reds, Cubs and Pirates, whom he managed from 2001-05… One of the NFL's premier sports agents, Parker did his undergrad work and played basketball at Purdue, but got his law degree at Valpo. He has represented some of the NFL's top stars -- Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Emmitt Smith and Ndamukong Suh… Voth is a nuclear reactor inspector for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. So you keep doing what you do, Mr. Voth.
Winner: Maryland. The Terrapins are pretty, pretty good.
(6) BUTLER VS. (11) TEXAS
BUTLER
Gordon Hayward
Ed Carpenter
Jim Jones
Thad Matta
Bobby Plump
6th man: Peter Lupus
Basketball helped put Butler in the national consciousness, so it's only natural the alumni list reflect that. Hayward brought the Bulldogs inches to within winning the national title in 2010 and has turned into one of the NBA's rising stars… Plump's Last Shot is more than a watering hole in Broad Ripple, it's the iconic moment of the Milan Miracle and the inspiration for "Hoosiers". After his 1954 state title winning exploits, Plump went on to star at Butler and played briefly professionally before going into insurance… Matta, a former point guard, coached the Bulldogs for just one season, guiding them to the NCAA tournament's second round before leaving for Xavier. Matta is now in his 11th season at Ohio State, reaching two Final Fours… Winner of back-to-back Indy 500 poles, Carpenter is still searching for his first IndyCar win at his hometown track, but has three series wins to his credit, including last year at Texas Motor Speedway… An infamous cult leader, Jones was responsible for the mass suicide of 909 people via cyanide poisoning at Jonestown, Guyana in 1978. Not exactly a gold star, but he's a recognizable name in history… A basketball and football player at Butler in the '50s, Lupus, a 1960s strongman went on to an acting career with the stage name Rock Stevens. If you believe the Internet, he owns the world record for endurance lifting of 77,560 pounds over 24 minutes, 50 seconds. For whatever that's worth.
TEXAS
Matthew McConaughey
Wes Anderson
Owen Wilson
Farrah Fawcett
Michael Dell
6th man: Richard Linklater
Alright, alright, alright. McConaughey graduated from UT in 1993 and can often be spotted on the sidelines of big Longhorns games. He met Linklater while in Austin and got his big break when Linklater cast him as David Wooderson in "Dazed and Confused".McConaughey won the 2013 best actor Oscar for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club", while Linklater was nominated this year for best director for the 12-year project "Boyhood"…A quirky filmmaker, Anderson has created such popular movies as "Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel", which earned him an Oscar nomination. While at Texas, Anderson befriended Wilson, who has starred in a number of Anderson's films, including his first, "Bottle Rocket", which became an underground hit and launched their careers. Whether it's in "Zoolander", "Wedding Crashers" or "Meet the Parents", Wilson has done a good job making us laugh during the 2000s… I'm a little young to have had Fawcett's poster hanging in my bedroom, but an entire generation of men before me did. The star of "Charlie's Angels", Fawcett got her start in modeling after she was named among the campus' 10 most beautiful coeds. The rest as they say, is history… The founder of Dell Computers, Dell dropped out of college after finding success selling computer parts out of his dorm room. In 2012, he was ranked the 41st richest person in the world, with an estimated worth of $22.4 billion. Who needs a college degree?
Winner: Texas.
(3) NOTRE DAME VS. (14) NORTHEASTERN
NOTRE DAME
Mike Golic
Nicholas Sparks
Hannah Storm
Regis Philbin
Joe Donnelly
6th man: Steve Bartman
A former NFL defensive lineman, Golic just celebrated the 15th anniversary of ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning", co-hosting with Mike Greenberg. And we're fine with him as long as he doesn't try to recreate anymore Kim Kardashian portraits… Sparks attended Notre Dame on a track scholarship and graduated with honors in 1988. He was selling pharmaceuticals in 1993 when he wrote "The Notebook" and was discovered by a literary agent. He's written 17 novels, with nine turned into 100 percent chick flicks… A longtime sportscaster, Storm spent 10 years with NBC Sports as a host for their Olympics coverage, tennis, and of course, Notre Dame football. She joined ESPN in 2008 and serves as a weekday anchor for "SportsCenter"… If you thought Storm's 30-plus years in the TV business, Philbin raises you 20 more. A TV icon, Philbin's run with "Regis and Kathy Lee" lasted nearly 14 years before Gifford left the show. He also got some juice as the original host for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"… The junior senator from Indiana, Donnelly defeated Richard Mourdock in the 2012 election and is a member of three congressional committees (Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Armed Services; Special Committee on Aging)… On Oct. 14, 2003, Bartman became Public Enemy No. 1 for Cubs fans as he interfered with left fielder Moises Alou potentially catching a foul ball in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. While many blame Bartman for the Cubs' continued World Series drought, the incident was just the first domino that led to the Cubs' defeat.
NORTHEASTERN
Biz Stone
George D. Behrakis
Shawn Fanning
Jane Curtin
Wendy Williams
6th man: Patrice O'Neal
Stone , who's net worth is listed at $200 million, attended but didn't graduate from Northeastern, but considering my daily reliance on Twitter, I suppose we'll look past that… The older I get, the more I rely on my old friend Tylenol. And I'd like to extend a personal thank you to Behrakis, who led the team that created the drug… Remember Napster? It was created by Fanning at Northeastern in 1999 and pretty much was responsible for revolutionizing the music industry. He dropped out of school and has had mixed results in non-Napster ventures… An original cast member of "Saturday Night Live", Curtin is more recognizable with the millenials for her work on "Coneheads" and "3rd Rock from the Sun"… A radio host turned TV personality, Williams got her start at Northeastern's college radio station in the mid 80s… A popular comedian, often featured on Comedy Central, O'Neal died in 2011.
Winner: Northeastern. I needed plenty of Tylenol after the 2003 NLCS.
(7) WICHITA STATE VS. (10) INDIANA
WICHITA STATE
Bill Parcells
Dan and Frank Carney
Joe Carter
The Big Show
Dennis Rader
6th man: Gary Burrell
After transferring from Colgate, Parcells played linebacker for Wichita State, earning a degree in physical education. He was drafted but never played in the NFL. A two-time Super Bowl winning coach, Parcells was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013… I'm not much of a Pizza Hut guy, but original founders Dan and Frank Carney attended WSU. Heck, even Frank jumped ship for Papa John's… The Sporting News' College Player of the Year in 1981, Carter went No. 2 overall in the draft to the Cubs. He played with six MLB teams, most notably for the Blue Jays, where he's remembered for his Game 6 World Series-winning walk-off home run against the Phillies in 1993… Real name Paul Wight, The Big Show was a member of the Wichita State basketball team in the early 90s, but ended up transferring to Northern Oklahoma where he was all-conference. The 7-foot-1 giant is one of the WWE's most recognizable champions of the past 20 years… Rader, otherwise known as the BTK Killer, got his degree from WSU in ironically enough, administration of justice… Burrell, the founder of global positioning system Garmin, got an electrical engineering degree from Wichita State, and is worth an estimated $1.67 billion.
INDIANA
Mark Cuban
Suzanne Collins
Jonathan Banks
Sage Steele
Mark Spitz
6th man: Straight No Chaser
The billionaire owner of the Mavericks, Cuban has gone from IU rugby scrums and dance lessons to the boardroom and "Shark Tank". A graduate of the Kelley School of Business, Cuban has appeared in a recent commercial for the school chronicling his IU journey… The best-selling author of "The Hunger Games" trilogy, Collins graduated from IU in 1985 with degrees in theater and communication. Her career began writing episodes of Nickelodeon's "Clarissa Explains It All" and she wrote children's books before publishing "The Hunger Games" in 2008… Banks doesn't have the name recognition of fellow Hoosier Kevin Kline, but his role as Mike in "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" is worthy of inclusion. You got a problem with that, take it up with him… A 1995 IU graduate, Steele worked at WISH-TV for two years in the late 90s before moving to Tampa. She's now the face of ESPN's NBA coverage. Steele often returns to Bloomington and has twice served as emcee for Hoosier Hysteria… Before Michael Phelps beat most of his Olympic records, no one had the swimming resume of Spitz. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics and in all, has nine golds for his career… An a cappella group, Straight No Chaser got its start at IU in 1996 and became a YouTube sensation with their "12 Days of Christmas" song and began touring the country. This year, the group will sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" at the Indianapolis 500.
Winner: Indiana. Pizza Hut? Yeah, no thanks.
(2) KANSAS VS. (15) NEW MEXICO STATE
KANSAS
Wilt Chamberlain
Don Johnson
Clyde Lovelette
Paul Rudd
Bill James
6th man: Dean Smith/Adolph Rupp/Phog Allen
One of the greatest basketball players of all-time, Chamberlain was a 4-time NBA MVP and led the NBA in scoring for seven straight seasons (1960-66). Oh yeah, he also led the league in rebounding 11 times… Crockett on "Miami Vice", Johnson owned the late 80s. I was a toddler then, so I know him as Kenny Powers' dad in "Eastbound and Down"… Sometimes referred to as "the best Indiana player no one knows," perhaps because he went out of state to Kansas after a standout high school career in Terre Haute, Lovellette was the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, leading the Jayhawks to the 1952 title. A Naismith Hall of Famer, Lovellette was a three-time NBA champ and 4-time All-Star… Part of the Judd Apatow Machine, Rudd has starred in comedies such as "Anchorman", "The 40-Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up"… It takes a true nerd to include James on this list, and well, no arguments here. The father of baseball's obsessions with sabermetrics, James was one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" of 2006. Not bad for a former security guard at a pork and beans factory. He's now employed by the Boston Red Sox… Our final spot is an amalgamation of basketball icons Smith, Rupp and Allen. More than 2,500 wins between them and seven national titles, this Jayhawk-bred trio are all candidates for college coaching's Mount Rushmore.
NEW MEXICO STATE
Paul Wilbur Klipsch
Lou Henson
Alan Hale
Alvy Ray Smith
Rich Beem
6th man: Kenton Keith
Born in Elkhart, Ind., Klipsch's family relocated to Texas after his father, whose father taught mechanical engineering at Purdue, died when Klipsch was 12. Klipsch attended NMSU and played in the school band before going to work for GE. He made great advances in speakers and the company that bears his name is closely tied to this city, with the Klipsch Music Center (formerly Deer Creek, Verizon) as well as celebrity endorsement deals with Andrew Luck and Roy Hibbert… A guard for the Aggies, Henson began his coaching career at a New Mexico high school before a lengthy and successful college coaching career. He led his alma mater from 1966-75 and 1997-2005, but it's his time at Illinois for which Henson is most remembered for. Illinois won the 1984 Big Ten title and advanced to the 1989 Final Four under Henson's guidance. He finished with 779 career wins and in 2014, was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame… Hale, who received his Ph.D. in astronomy from New Mexico State, co-discovered Comet Hale-Bopp with a telescope on his driveway. According to NASA, the comet was likely the most seen of the 20th century… Smith is the co-founder of Pixar, the animation studio that gave us "Toy Story" and "Up"… Beem conquered Tiger Woods to win the 2002 PGA Championship, but he hasn't won on the PGA Tour since… You remember Kenton Keith. He came to the Colts from the CFL in 2007, backed up Joseph Addai and did something Trent Richardson never did with the Colts — have a 100-yard game.
Winner: Kansas. Crockett plays.
SECOND ROUND
• Purdue vs. Manhattan -- Manhattan's bubble pops as Orville Redenbacher leads Purdue to victory.
• Maryland vs. West Virginia -- In a battle of fictional husband and wife between Larry David and Cheryl Hines, David and his Maryland buddies advance.
• Texas vs. Northeastern -- Way too much of my life is spent on Twitter, but there's just too much star power from Texas.
• Kansas vs. Indiana -- "The Hunger Games" introduced me to Jennifer Lawrence. Indiana wins. In a rout.
SWEET 16
• Maryland vs. Purdue -- Going to the moon is cool and all, but Maryland's David Simon created "The Wire". You can keep the moon.
• Indiana vs. Texas -- Matthew McConaughey darn near has me buying a Lincoln. Texas wins in a squeaker.
ELITE EIGHT
• Maryland vs. Texas -- Owen Wilson starred in "The Internship" where he and Vince Vaughn get jobs at Google. Maryland's Sergey Brin invented Google. Advantage, Terrapins.
WEST REGION
(1) VILLANOVA VS. (16) LAFAYETTE
VILLANOVA
Toby Keith
Jim Croce
Howie Long
Jill Biden
Maria Bello
6th man: Don McLean
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Keith attended Villanova from 1979-1980 in hopes of becoming a petroleum engineer. He returned to Oklahoma and suited up for the Sooners' football team, but never actually played. One of country music's most successful artists, Keith has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and received a honorary degree from 'Nova… While Keith had 20 No. 1 hits on the country music charts, Croce provided two songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ("Time in a Bottle" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown")… One of Croce's buddies at Villanova, McLean dropped out after only four months and in 1971 gave us the classic hit "American Pie"… The King of the Flat Top, Long played 13 years for the Raiders in his Hall of Fame career before transitioning to TV as part of Fox's "NFL Sunday" crew. He's also tried his hand in acting with roles in "Broken Arrow" and "Firestorm"… The wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Jill Biden received her master's degree from Villanova and currently teaches at Northern Virginia Community College. She is thought to be the first Second Lady to hold a paying job while her husband is Vice President… A political science major at Villanova, Bello moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. She was nominated for a best actress Golden Globe for her work in 2005's "A History of Violence" and played Kevin James' wife in "Grown Ups" and "Grown Ups 2".
LAFAYETTE
Joe Maddon
Pete Carril
Joel Silver
Russell Benjamin Harrison
George Barclay
6th man: S. Donald Stookey
A Hazelton, Pa., native, Maddon played baseball and football at nearby Lafayette before a brief minor league career. Now, he's tasked with the unthinkable: making the Chicago Cubs winners. Though, if "Back to the Future" taught us anything, it's that this is the year for the Cubs … and hovercrafts… The developer of the "Princeton Offense", Carril played basketball at Lafayette and stayed in Eastern Pennsylvania as a teacher and high school coach for 12 years. He spent one season at Lehigh before a 29-year run dominating the Ivy League with Princeton. He'll always be remembered for the Tigers' 1996 upset of UCLA… The list of Silver's producer credits would make any 30-50-year old man salivate. "Die Hard", "Predator", the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, "The Matrix" trilogy and "Road House"… The son of Indiana's lone U.S. President, Harrison was raised in Indianapolis before heading to Pennsylvania for military school and then, college. After serving in the Spanish-American War, Harrison returned to Indy and later served in the Indiana House of Representatives and State Senate… Barclay had a brief Major League Baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Beaneaters, but is known for inventing the football helmet in 1894, with the intention of preventing cauliflower ear… Stookey got his master's in chemistry at Lafayette and used it to good effect, inventing the always useful CorningWare.
Winner: Lafayette. Totally pandering to Cubs fans.
(8) N.C. STATE VS. (9) LSU
NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Bill Cowher
Zach Galifianakis
Philip Rivers
John Tesh
Spud Webb
6th man: William C. Lee
A linebacker and team MVP his senior year for the Wolfpack, Cowher was mostly a special teams player during his five-year NFL playing career. As a coach, Cowher led the Steelers to the Super Bowl title in 1995 and he retired with a 161-99-1 coaching record before joining CBS' football coverage… A Wilkesboro, N.C. native, Galifianakis attended, but didn't graduate from NC State. A comedian with bit roles early in his career, he gained fame for his role as Alan in "The Hangover" trilogy… A five-time Pro Bowl QB and agitator to Colts fans, Rivers has thrown for more 36,000 yards and 252 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons… A former co-host of "Entertainment Tonight" and sportscaster, Tesh is also an accomplished pianist, who's greatest achievement was providing us "Roundball Rock", better known as the NBA on NBC theme song in the 90s… At 5-foot-6, Webb is a hero to all vertically-challenged folk after winning the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He spent 12 seasons in the NBA, seven with Atlanta… The "Father of the U.S. Airborne", Lee was the first commander of the Army's jump school during World War II and helped plan the D-Day paratrooper drops into Normandy.
LSU
Shaquille O'Neal
James Carville
Pete Maravich
Better Than Ezra
Odell Beckham Jr.
6th man: Dr. James Andrews
A platinum-selling rap artist, star of "Blue Chips" and reality shows, O'Neal is unofficially the largest genie in the world. Oh yeah, he also played basketball… The Ragin' Cajun, Carville is usually among the most colorful of the Democratic political pundits. A longtime CNN contributor, who now appears on Fox News, Carville was instrumental in Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign… A revolutionary offensive talent, Maravich is still Division I's all-time leading scorer (3,667 points), despite playing without the 3-point line and losing a year to freshmen ineligibility. He averaged an insane 44.2 points per game for the Tigers and led the nation in scoring for three straight seasons (1968-70). Pistol Pete made five All-Star teams as a pro and led the NBA in scoring in 1977, but knee injuries would derail his career… I wrote about Better Than Ezra's love for their alma mater for ESPN.com a few years ago. The alternative rock band has released eight studio albums, though their first ("Deluxe") is still my personal favorite… Beckham became a household name with what many are calling the greatest catch ever… Keep trying to make those one-handed acrobatic grabs and you'll end up needing to pay a visit to Andrews, a former pole vaulter at LSU. Andrews has revolutionized arm and knee surgeries and has operated on a who's who of athletes.
Winner: N.C. State. I'm 5-foot-nothing. Spud Webb is a personal hero.
(5) NORTHERN IOWA VS. (12) WYOMING
NORTHERN IOWA
Kurt Warner
Mark Steines
Robert James Waller
Tom Pettit
Greg McDermott
6th man: Charles Grassley
Warner 's story from grocery store stock boy to Super Bowl hero is well-documented. Much of that story got started at Northern Iowa where he was the conference's Offensive Player of the Year as a senior… Steines appeared on celebrity gossip show "Entertainment Tonight" from 2004-12, but now appears on the Hallmark Channel's "The Home and Family Show"… Waller's "The Bridges of Madison County" was the best-selling novel of 1993 and made into a movie starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees at Northern Iowa before getting a Ph.D. in business from IU's Kelley School of Business… An award-winning TV journalist, Pettit worked as a correspondent for NBC News more than three decades. Dispatched to Dallas after the John F. Kennedy assassination, Pettit was standing six feet away when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald and it's Pettit's voice that we hear yelling, "He's been shot! Lee Oswald has been shot!"… A former player for UNI, McDermott coached his alma mater from 2001-06 before taking the Iowa State job. He resigned as Cyclones coach after the 2010 season and landed at Creighton, where he coached his son Doug, to three straight NCAA tournament third rounds… Grassley has been representing Iowa in D.C. since 1975, first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate since 1981. He has twice been the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and is currently the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
WYOMING
Jerry Buss
Dick Cheney
Curt Gowdy
Chuck Pagano
Gene Huey
6th man: Steve Cochran
Owner of the L.A. Lakers from 1979 to 2013, Buss brought 10 NBA titles to Hollywood and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor… After failing out of Harvard twice, Cheney returned to his childhood home, Wyoming, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in political science. Cheney served as Gerald Ford's Chief of Staff from 1975-77 and returned to the White House as George W. Bush's vice president… A two-time national Sportscaster of the Year, Gowdy had the distinction of calling both New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox games, working with the latter from 1951-66. He worked almost 20 years each for major networks NBC and ABC, appearing on ABC's "World Wide of Sports" from 1964-84… Colts coach Chuck Pagano played strong safety for the Cowboys (1980-84) before starting his coaching career as a grad assistant at USC. Pagano was won 11 games in each of his first three seasons with the Colts and has reached the postseason each year as well. He's also beaten his toughest foe: leukemia... The Colts running backs coach from 1992 to 2010, Huey had running backs Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James flourish under his tutelage. Huey's 272 games coached are the most for an assistant in franchise history… An actor and noted womanizer during the 1940s and 50s, Cochran died under mysterious circumstances off the coast of Guatemala. While on his yacht with two teenage girls and a woman, all from Mexico, an apparent lung infection killed him.The 40-foot schooner floated aimlessly for 12 days because the women didn't know how to operate it.
Winner: Wyoming. UNI dodged a few bullets from Dick Cheney, but Jerry Buss' championship pedigrees carries the Cowboys.
(4) LOUISVILLE VS. (13) UC-IRVINE
LOUISVILLE
Johnny Unitas
Jay Gruden
Sue Grafton
Tom Jackson
Donald Elbert
6th man: Mitch McConnell
A Louisville native and big Cardinals fan, Jennifer Lawrence never actually attended the school — a major blow to Louisville's chances for advancement. But next man up… The Real Johnny Football, Unitas was the standard for quarterbacks in the 1950s and 60s and held many Colts franchise records prior to Peyton Manning. But before becoming a Hall of Famer, Unitas was cut by the Steelers working construction when he had to borrow money from a friend for gas to drive to Baltimore for a tryout with the Colts. He went on to win 118 games, which still ranks 7th-most by a QB in NFL history… Gruden wishes he had a QB like Johnny U. The brother of Super Bowl winning coach Jon, Gruden is married to Robert Griffin III as the Redskins head coach. Year 1, didn't go so well in terms of wins, losses and drama-filled press conferences. Gruden has already named RG3 his 2015 starter… Remember those "'H' Is for Homicide" and "'M' Is for Malice" novels? That's Grafton. She stopped at "'W' Is for Wasted"… "''Z' is for Zzzz"… A former Cardinals and NFL linebacker, Jackson has been Chris Berman's wingman for ESPN's "NFL Countdown", "NFL Primetime" and "The Blitz"… In 1965, Elbert led the team of engineers that invented AstroTurf, which they originally called ChemGrass. Good job, marketing team, on the rename… The longest serving senator in Kentucky history, McConnell, a prominent Republican, is currently the Senate Majority Leader.
UC-IRVINE
Jon Lovitz
McG
Scott Brooks
Greg Louganis
Roy Fielding
6th man: Bob Gunton
Despite multiple reports of his death on "Saturday Night Live"'s 40th anniversary special, Lovitz is still alive… McG got his start producing music and directing music videos, but soon turned that success into movies. He directed the "Charlie's Angels" movies and produced TV shows "The O.C." and "Chuck"… A member of UCI's Hall of Fame, Brooks played two seasons with the Anteaters before a 10-year NBA career. He started just seven of his 680 career games, but has made his mark as a coach, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2008… When he was younger, my father looked quite a bit like Louganis, a four-time gold medal winning diver. So much so, that when we were kids, my mom would have us watch Louganis' 1988 head-smashing dive and tell us that was dad just to freak us out… Ever wonder where that http:// nonsense came from? Well, Fielding, a computer scientist who got his Ph.D. at UC-Irvine, is your man… A veteran actor, Gunton lands on the team for his role as Warden Norton in "Shawshank Redemption" and dropping this classic line, "Man up and vanished like a fart in the wind."
Winner: UC-Irvine. "The Critic" says Johnny Unitas has nothing on Jonny Lovitz.
PLAY-IN GAME: (11) BOISE STATE VS. (11) DAYTON
DAYTON
Dan Patrick
Roger Brown
Jon Gruden
Don Novello
Bruce Graham
6th man: Joseph T. Dickman
The host of NBC's "Football Night in America", Patrick was among ESPN's "SportsCenter" pioneers, coining numerous catchphrases. He left ESPN after 18 years, and now has his own nationally syndicated radio show bearing his name, which can also be seen on NBC Sports Network daily… One of the all-time great Pacers, Brown was a four-time ABA All-Star and was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. Here is an article from Zak Keefer that does more justice to Brown's story than a blurb like this ever could… Gruden won a Super Bowl coaching the Bucs in 2003, but is now in the broadcast both with ESPN's "Monday Night Football" dropping knowledge like "Spider 2 Y Banana" on the audience… Known for his role as Father Guido Sarducci on "Saturday Night Live" from 1977 to 1980, Novello has appeared in character in a variety of shows since, including "The Colbert Report" in 2010… A noted architect, Graham designed Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) as well as the John Hancock Center…Dickman, a Major General in the U.S. Army, served during the Spanish-American and World War I with great distinction, winning the Distinguished Service Medal. The USS Joseph T. Dickman was among the vessels that carried American soldiers to the beaches of Normany on D-Day.
BOISE STATE
Larry Jackson
Torrie Wilson
Tera Patrick
Michael Hoffman
Earl Boen
6th man: Trent Johnson
A five-time MLB All-Star, Jackson was born, raised and died in Idaho. He played 14 big league seasons with the Cardinals, Cubs and Phillies, finishing runner-up in the 1964 NL Cy Young voting. After baseball, Jackson became a sportswriter before serving four terms in the Idaho Legislature… A fitness model and former WWE diva, Wilson is a Boise native. Voted Miss Galaxy in 1999, she dated disgraced baseball star Alex Rodriguez from 2011-15… A porn star Hall of Famer (yes, there are such things), Patrick briefly studied nursing at Boise State. I'm sure some *really* creative director had fun with that one… The director of "One Fine Day" and "Soapdish", Hoffman was elected student body president at Boise State and became the school's first-ever Rhodes Scholar in 1979… A character actor, Boen has appeared in "Seinfeld", "The Wonder Years" and "L.A. Law". Perhaps his most prominent role is as Dr. Peter Silberman in the "Terminator" series… TCU's head basketball coach, Johnson played at Boise State from 1974-78 and got his start in coaching at Boise High School from 1980-85. Johnson parlayed a successful run at Nevada into the Stanford job, but surprisingly left for LSU in 2008. He took over at TCU and has a 36-48 record in three seasons with the Horned Frogs.
Winner: Dayton. I'd probably get fired for picking Tera Patrick and Boise State.
(6) PROVIDENCE VS. (11) DAYTON
PROVIDENCE
Billy Donovan
Janeane Garofalo
Peter Farrelly
Doris Burke
Richard M. Daley
6th man: Austin Croshere
A point guard on the Friars' 1987 Final Four team under Rick Pitino, Billy the Kid was among the college game's 3-point pioneers. Donovan followed Pitino into coaching and served on his mentor's Kentucky staff for six seasons. Florida's head coach since 1996, Donovan won back-to-back national titles (2006-07)… Garofalo studied history at Providence before going into comedy and has had memorable roles in "Wet Hot American Summer" and "Reality Bites"… It's crazy to think a small Catholic college in tiny Rhode Island would cultivate the mind of the man behind "Dumb and Dumber", "There's Something About Mary" and "Kingpin", but that's exactly what happened. Farrelly, who along with his brother, Bobby, created some of the raunchiest, mainstream comedies of the 90s… The Big East's assists leader her senior season, Burke often draws the ire of misogynistic basketball fans, but she does great work for ESPN… A six-term mayor of Chicago, Daley's 22 years in the office are the most in the city's history, surpassing even his father, Richard J. Daley… Croshere spent nine years with the Pacers after a successful college career at Providence. He was integral in the Pacers' run to the 2000 NBA Finals and was rewarded handsomely. Indiana ended up paying Croshere more than $40 million to start 72 games over the next six seasons before he was traded to Dallas. After retiring, Croshere worked on Pacers' broadcasts, but now works primarily for Fox Sports as their Big East studio analyst.
Winner: Dayton. Back-to-back wins. The Flyers are as Dan Patrick says, "en fuego."
(3) OKLAHOMA VS. (14) ALBANY
OKLAHOMA
Olivia Munn
Brian Bosworth
Ed Harris
Larry Merchant
Blake Griffin
6th man: Fred Haise
Munn should feel at home in her role in HBO's "Newsroom" having earned a journalism degree from Oklahoma. She gained fame as eye candy for nerds on "Attack of the Show!" and then spit in the eyes of those nerds by dating star jock Aaron Rodgers… A two-time All-American and Dick Butkus Award winner, "The Boz" was a phenomenon in the mid-80s, and thorn in the NCAA's side. He entered the NFL via the supplemental draft and was given the league's biggest rookie contract in history, 10 years for $11 million. He played just parts of three seasons in the pros and is considered among the biggest busts in draft history… A veteran actor, Harris is 64 — and my wife thinks he's "super sexy." I don't know about all of that, but he was pretty darn good in "The Rock", "Apollo 13" and "The Truman Show"… On the subject of Apollo 13, Haise was one of that aborted mission's three astronauts… Now seen as the cantankerous, overly… wait for it… still waiting… deliberate boxing analyst for HBO, Merchant is still one of the greatest boxing broadcasters of all-time, and he wasn't afraid to mix it up in his post-fight, in-ring interviews… He's been out for a month, but chances are you've seen Griffin in a commercial or twelve during that time. An All-Star in all five of his NBA seasons, Griffin was averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game undergoing surgery for a staph infection.
ALBANY
Steve Guttenberg
Edward Burns
Harvey Milk
Frank Whaley
Tara VanDerveer
6th man: Gregory Maguire
The star of "Three Men and a Baby", "Short Circuit" and "Police Academy", Guttenberg actually never attended Albany, but was scheduled to before heading to L.A. to test his acting chops. It's The Gutte, so he gets special dispensation… Albany was one of Burns' three collegiate stops before getting his break with "The Brothers McMullen". He's starred in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Confidence" and perhaps most notably, is married to Christy Turlington… The first openly gay elected official in California, Milk was a noted gay rights activist, who's life was the subject of a 2008 film, "Milk", with Sean Penn as the lead… Whaley played a young Archie "Moonlight" Graham in "Field of Dreams", starred in "Born on the Fourth of July" and was doomed FBI agent Van Miller in the first season of Showtime's excellent drama, "Ray Donovan"… A member of both the Naismith and Women's Basketball Halls of Fame, VanDerveer started her college career at Albany before finishing at IU, where she played three years for the Hoosiers. At Stanford since 1985, VanDerveer has built the Cardinal into a powerhouse, winning two national titles and earning national Coach of the Year honors four times. She also guided the U.S. women's basketball team to gold in the 1996 Summer Olympics… Author of "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West", Maguire's novel was turned into one of Broadway's most successful plays with more than a decade-long run.
Winner: Oklahoma. Sooners are Munn-y in Round 1.
(7) MICHIGAN STATE VS. (10) GEORGIA
MICHIGAN STATE
Magic Johnson
James Caan
Tom Sizemore
Chris Hansen
Lloyd Groff Copeman
6th man: Sam Raimi
A 12-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA champion and three-time MVP, Johnson was the premier attraction for the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s. His rivalry with Larry Bird, which began in college and continued throughout their pro careers, became so legendary it got the Broadway treatment… Nominated for an Oscar for both his role as Brian Piccolo in "Brian's Song" and Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather", Caan didn't finish his schooling at MSU, but after being tortured by Kathy Bates in "Misery", we'll offer some leeway. An actor who peaked in the late 90s with roles in "Saving Private Ryan", "Heat" and "Natural Born Killers", Sizemore has struggled with substance abuse and the law in recent years and appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab"… If Hansen walks through the door, chances are you're in trouble. Hansen's "Dateline" segment, "How to Catch a Predator" exposing pedophiles. But people watched… Copeman invented the first electric stove, the flexible rubber ice cube tray and is grandfather to musician Linda Ronstadt… Director of the cult classic "Evil Dead" movies, Raimi more recently directed the "Spider-Man" trilogy. On the negative side, he's responsible for the only bad Kevin Costner baseball movie, "For Love of the Game".
GEORGIA
Ryan Seacrest
Ernie Johnson
Wayne Knight
Bubba Watson
R.E.M.
6th man: Kyle Chandler
Here's a personal touch: Growing up in Atlanta, Seacrest and I attended the same elementary school (Austin Elementary in Dunwoody, Ga.; not at the same time) and at that very school on career day, Johnson stopped by to tell us about his blossoming TV career and to hand out signed baseball cards — of a sportscaster. I remember it vividly. Seacrest has rode the "American Idol" wave to fame and Johnson is perfect running the show on TNT's "Inside the NBA"… Knight is known primarily for his role as irrational postman Newman on "Seinfeld". He also was gobbled up by dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park", just like a Mackinaw Peach… Watson won the Masters twice in his home state with ridiculous shots like this. He's currently ranked No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking and is among the PGA Tour's most popular figures. All four members of R.E.M. met at UGA and got their start in the Athens music scene. The band, which disbanded in 2011, sold more than 85 million albums and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame… Coach Eric Taylor on the TV-version of "Friday Night Lights", Chandler has also starred in "The Wolf of Wall Street", "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo".
Winner: Georgia. Sentimentality wins out.
(2) VIRGINIA VS. (15) BELMONT
VIRGINIA
Tina Fey
Katie Couric
Edgar Allen Poe
Benjamin McKenzie
Stan Winston
6th man: Dylan Walsh
One of the funniest women in the industry, Fey was fantastic on "Saturday Night Live"'s Weekend Update and NBC's "30 Rock", which she created. She also created "Mean Girls", which holds personal significance to me because I proposed to my wife while she was watching it. (I wrote the book on romance.)… Couric enjoyed a 15-year run on NBC's "Today" show, and one of her most recent noteworthy interviews provided plenty of fodder for the aforementioned Fey (see: Palin, Sarah)… At UVA to study ancient and modern languages, Poe attended the school in just its second year of existence (1826). A poet and author, Poe's work was often steeped in mystery and darkness, like his most notable works, "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart"… Bet you didn't think the star of "The O.C." had a degree from UVA in foreign affairs and economics. McKenzie also featured in TNT's underrated drama, "Southland" and now stars as a young Jim Gordon in Fox's "Gotham". On a side note, McKenzie was friends and middle school flag football teammates with Drew Brees… A special effects creator in countless films, Winston owns four Academy Awards and provided the effects for modern classics "Jurassic Park", the "Alien" series, "The Terminator" series and "Predator"… Known for his role as Dr. Sean McNamara on FX's "Nip/Tuck", Walsh also starred in CBS, then A&E drama "Unforgettable". Virginia was harder to find distinguished alumni for than I had expected.
BELMONT
Brad Paisley
Florida Georgia Line
DJ Qualls
Lee Ann Womack
Trisha Yearwood
6th man: Minnie Pearl
A music school in Music City is bound to have a theme in its alumni. Some of country's biggest stars got their training at Belmont, so we'll just call this team "HANK FM." Paisley, Yearwood and Womack have sold more than 33 million albums and won seven Grammys combined… Perhaps it's a little ironic that Florida Georgia Line is a product of Tennessee, but Brian Kelley (Florida) attended Florida State on a baseball scholarship before transferring to Belmont where he met Tyler Hubbard (Georgia). Now, the two are one of country music's top duos… No offense to Qualls, but no one knows his name. They simply know him as the skinny kid from "Road Trip" who skinned a cheetah… Pearl performed at the Grand Ole Opry for 51 years, but as a comedian not a musician. In addition to her Opry duties, Pearl was featured on "Hee Haw" from 1969 to 1991. Longevity.
Winner: Virginia. I don't listen to country.
SECOND ROUND
• N.C. State vs. Lafayette -- Football helmets are pretty important. Lafayette moves on.
• Wyoming vs. UC-Irvine -- Chuck Pagano has Wyoming building the monster and into the Sweet Sixteen.
• Oklahoma vs. Dayton -- Ed Harris steals Dayton's "Milk Money" and lifts Oklahoma to the next round.
• Virginia vs. Georgia -- Love Tina Fey, but we've fallen under the spell of Newman. Georgia wins.
SWEET SIXTEEN
• Wyoming vs. Lafayette -- Pete Carril outfoxes Dick Cheney and his stubborn defense, leading Lafayette to the win.
• Oklahoma vs. Georgia -- Someone woke Larry Merchant just in time to nail the buzzer-beater for Oklahoma.
ELITE EIGHT
• Oklahoma vs. Lafayette -- Jokingly, I predicted the Sooners would be Final Four-bound simply because of Olivia Munn. The bracket broke Oklahoma's way, and they're headed to Indy.
SOUTH REGION
PLAY-IN GAME: (16) NORTH FLORIDA VS. (16) ROBERT MORRIS
NORTH FLORIDA
Sarah Walsh
Todd Haley
Yoanna House
Whitney Thompson
Doug Wamble
6th man: Kevin Phelan
North Florida has only been around since 1969, so finding distinguished alumni is a bit of a chore. Need evidence? Two of our selections were winners of "America's Next Top Model" (House and Thompson)… Walsh, a "SportsCenter" anchor played women's soccer for the Ospreys and holds the school record for goals in a game… Haley lasted just three years as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach and is currently the offensive coordinator for the Steelers, the team he was a ball boy for while his dad, Dick, served as Director of Player Personnel… A jazz and blues guitarist, Wamble's riffs are often used by noted PBS filmmaker Ken Burns in his documentaries. Anything Ken Burns works for me… A former member of UNF's golf team, Phelan, an Irishman, is playing on the European Tour and finished a career-best tied for second at the Joburg Open earlier this month.
ROBERT MORRIS
Wale
Kevin Colbert
Brianne McLaughlin
Hank Fraley
Robin R. Sanders
6th man: Musa Shannon
A Grammy nominated rapper, Wale attended Robert Morris on a football scholarship, but also attended Virginia State and Bowie State before dropping out. His 2013 album "The Gifted" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and his fourth studio album is slated to release later this month… Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Colbert stayed in the Steel City for college and worked as a graduate assistant coach for Robert Morris' basketball team from 1979-81. After years in NFL scouting departments, Colbert was hired as the Steelers' director of football operations in 2000 and was largely responsible for building two Super Bowl winning rosters. In 2010, the Rooney family named him the franchise's first general manager… A two-time silver medal winning goalie for the U.S. women's ice hockey team (2010, 2014), McLaughlin owns the women's NCAA record with 3,809 career saves… Fraley's No. 75 is retired at Robert Morris and the undrafted free agent lasted 10 years in the NFL, starting 123 career games at center for the Eagles and Browns… Sanders, the former US ambassador to the Republic of Congo (2002-05) and Nigeria (2007-10), holds degrees from three schools, including Robert Morris, so she plays… Shannon scored 20 goals in Major League Soccer's early days with the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny from 1997-99. He had the luxury of putting away chances created by soccer's greatest hair in history, El Pibe's.
Winner: Robert Morris. Flipped a coin.
(1) DUKE VS. (16) ROBERT MORRIS
DUKE
Adam Silver
Ken Jeong
Melinda Gates
Granville Semmes
John Feinstein
6th man: Crash Davis
If you include medical and law school, Duke has a decent roster with a president (Richard Nixon) and presidential nominees (Ron and Rand Paul), but we decided to limit the pool of candidates to undergrads and MBAs… Probably the most popular commissioner in sports these days, Silver, David Stern's successor, earned goodwill by jettisoning Donald Sterling… Jeong got his undergrad degree from Duke before getting an M.D. from North Carolina. You know him from NBC's "Community" and as Leslie Chow in "The Hangover" trilogy… Gates is in charge of giving away Bill Gates' money. The wife of the Microsoft billionaire is a noted philanthropist through her work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation… The founder of 1-800-FLOWERS, Semmes has made it simple for guys on-the-go, or those that forgot to stop on the way home, a chance to make it all OK… A sportswriter for The Washington Post, Feinstein was given behind-the-scenes access for "A Season on the Brink", where he spent six months with the 1985-86 Indiana Hoosiers and the volatile Bob Knight… The real life inspiration for Kevin Costner's character in "Bull Durham", Davis was captain of the Duke baseball team, graduating in 1940. After being discharged from the Navy in 1946, Davis returned to Duke for graduate studies and played with the Durham Bulls in town.
Winner: Duke. No one messes with Leslie Chow.
(8) SAN DIEGO STATE VS. (9) ST. JOHN'S
SAN DIEGO STATE
Carl Weathers
Marshall Faulk
Tony Gwynn
Raquel Welch
Julie Kavner
6th man: Cleavon Little
The man was in "Happy Gilmore" and "Predator" what more range do you need? Weathers, who played LB for the Aztecs and briefly for the Oakland Raiders, will forever be remembered for his role as nemesis-turned-trusted ally Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" films. I'll still never forgive Ivan Drago… Faulk spent the first five seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Indianapolis, but a contract dispute led to a trade to St. Louis, where he was the star attraction in the Greatest Show on Turf. He posted four straight seasons with 2,000 total yards and was named to seven Pro Bowls… One of the purest hitters of all-time, Gwynn played both baseball and basketball at SDSU. He stayed in San Diego with the Padres and won eight batting titles in his 20-year Major League Baseball career… A 60s sex symbol, Welch is the best looking 74-year old around… The star of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" spinoff "Rhoda" from (1974-78), Kavner has lent her voice as Marge Simpson since 1989… After graduating from San Diego State, Little received a scholarship to Juilliard and had a nearly 30-year acting career. But let's be serious, Little is known for just one role: ALF. Kidding of course. Little made his mark as Sheriff Bart in "Blazing Saddles", one of the funniest films of all-time.
ST. JOHN'S
J. Cole
Darryl McDaniels
Mark Jackson
Ron Artest
Ron Silver
6th man: Mario Cuomo
A pioneer in hip-hop, McDaniels, or "D.M.C.", was a founding member of platinum-selling rap group Run-D.M.C. Among the first mainstream rap acts, Run-D.M.C. was the first hip-hop group nominated for a Grammy and among Rolling Stone's Top 50 musical artists of all-time… Sticking with the rap game, J. Cole is not your typical rapper. A magma cum laude graduate of St. John's, this Jay-Z protege was nominated for a "Best New Artist" Grammy in 2012 and has released three studio albums, all reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200… The Red Storm program has had plenty of connection to the Pacers the past 25 years. Jackson was the maestro at the point during the Pacers' 90s run, with another St. John's product Chris Mullin on the wing. Artest, or Metta World Peace or The Panda's Friend, was an All-Star in 2004 for Indiana, but will always be remembered for his role in the Malice in the Palace… Silver received a master's in Chinese History from St. John's, which he used to great effect with his roles in "TimeCop" and "Ali"… A baseball player at St. John's, Cuomo actually signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but, after being struck in the head by a pitch, gave up baseball and returned to St. John's, eventually earning bachelor's and law degrees from the school. The governor of New York from 1983-94, Cuomo was the first-ever guest on "Larry King Live". His son, Andrew, followed in his footsteps and is currently New York's governor.
Winner: San Diego State. I know Racquel Welch is 74, but...
(5) UTAH VS. (12) STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
UTAH
Nolan Bushnell
Karl Rove
Bobby McFerrin
George Seifert
Mills Lane
6th man: Ted Bundy
Co-founder of Atari and the inventor of Pong, Bushnell also founded the Chuck E Cheese restaurants, which, except for the dancing bears, I was very fond of as a child… You either love him or hate him, but you can't argue that the man knows how to get results. Rove, a Republican political consultant, was vital to George W. Bush's successful presidential campaigns and served as White House Chief of Staff from 2005-07… A 10-time Grammy winner, a young McFerrin was given a job in the school's department of modern dance as a piano accompanist. A decade later, he was recording a hit we're all familiar with: "Don't Worry, Be Happy"… Seifert played for the Utes before beginning a career in coaching, which culminated with two Super Bowl wins with the San Francisco 49ers (1989, 1994)… "Let's get it on!" was Lane's patented message to fighters at the center of the ring as a boxing ref. He was in the ring in 1997 when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear. A Utah law school grad, Lane relied on his degree for his TV court show "Judge Mills Lane"… One of the most infamous serial killers in history, Bundy was a Utah law student at the time of his arrest on kidnapping charges. He escaped custody twice before eventually being recaptured in Florida. He confessed to 30 murders in seven states during the 1970s and was electrocuted in 1989.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Will Jennings
Don Henley
Bum Phillips
Jeremiah Trotter
Joseph W. Kennedy
6th man: Brad Maule
A member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame, Jennings provided many slow dances with the "Titanic" theme song "My Heart Will Go On". My personal Jennings favorites are Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Eric Claption's "Tears in Heaven". Absolute classics… Jennings never wrote a song for The Eagles, but they did just fine without him. Henley, the drummer and co-vocalist for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, was ranked the 87th greatest singer of all-time by Rolling Stone. He also attended North Texas University… After serving as a marine in World War II, Phillips returned to his native Texas to play football at Stephen F. Austin. He had a lengthy coaching career, which included an 86-80 stint as an NFL head coach with the Oilers and Saints. His son, Wade, succeeded him in coaching… Trotter played 12 NFL seasons, which included three separate stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, and was named to four Pro Bowls between 2000-05… Born and raised in Nagadoches, Texas, Kennedy earned his bachelor's degree from his hometown school before graduate work at Kansas and Cal-Berkeley. One of the nation's premier chemists, he co-discovered plutonium and worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II… He sang back-up for Jim Nabors and played Dr. Tony Jones on "General Hospital" for 22 years, Maule currently teaches in the film department at his alma mater.
Winner: Utah. Pong, Chuck E Cheese and "Don't Worry Be Happy"? Easy choice.
(4) GEORGETOWN VS. (13) EASTERN WASHINGTON
GEORGETOWN
Bill Clinton
Bradley Cooper
Jim Gaffigan
Nick Kroll
Olivia Pope
6th man: Mitchell Hurwitz
The 42nd President of the United States, you either hate Clinton or love him. Clinton was a two-time class president at Georgetown before graduating and heading to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar… Both Gaffigan and Cooper started their college careers elsewhere (Purdue and Villanova, respectively), but finished at Georgetown. Indiana-raised, Gaffigan is a successful comedian and pitchman, and for one day, was an Indianapolis Colt… Cooper has gone from three Hangovers to three successive Oscar nominations ("Silver Linings Playbook", 2012; "American Hustle", 2013; "American Sniper", 2014)… Rodney Ruxin in "The League", Kroll was also a writer for "Chapelle's Show" before Comedy Central gave him his own sketch show, creatively titled "Kroll Show"… The fictional main character in "Scandal", Pope cut her D.C. teeth at Georgetown before engulfing the nation's capital in, well, scandal. Personally, I've never watched the show. This is an obvious ploy to reach out to our female audience… Sure he created "Arrested Development" and co-created "The Ellen Show", but among Hurwitz's contributing credits is "Golden Girls". Drop the mic, Mitch.
EASTERN WASHINGTON
Colin Cowherd
Rodney Stuckey
Todd McFarlane
Terry Langston
Jim McElwain
6th man: Thomas Hampson
The host of ESPN Radio's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd", Cowherd can be abrasive, and who can forget his take on the Pacers' racist fan base. But he has a 10 a.m.-1 p.m. national slot, so people must like him… Pacers fans have no problem rooting for Stuckey these days. In his first season with Indiana, he has proven invaluable as a scoring option off the bench the past month and has been key to the Pacers' recent turn of fortune… On a baseball scholarship at EWU, McFarlane studied graphic art, which he used to great effect as an illustrator for Marvel and DC Comics before creating his "Spawn" series… Langston is the co-creator of "Pictionary", which was the perfect house party game for our parents' generation. Now, we have "Cards Against Humanity" where pictures would certainly kick it up a notch… A quarterback for the Eagles from 1980-83, McElwain stayed on at EWU as a grad assistant before becoming a full-time assistant coach and stayed there until 1994. After two bowl bids in three years as Colorado State's head coach, he is now entrusted with fixing Will Muschamp's mess at the University of Florida… A Grammy-nominated Opera singer, Hampson has performed across the world in more than 80 roles. None of which I've seen.
Winner: Georgetown.
(6) SMU VS. (11) UCLA
SMU
Jim Irsay
Kathy Bates
Aaron Spelling
Powers Boothe
Laura Bush
6th man: Lauren Graham
We're all familiar with this Irsay fella… Bates won an Oscar for her chilling portrayal of the feet-smashing kidnapper in "Misery" and has appeared in countless other films. We won't soon forget her role as Bobby Boucher's mother in "The Waterboy"… Among his 218 producer credits are hits like "Charlie's Angels", "The Mod Squad" and "Beverly Hills 90210", Spelling was a cheerleader during his days at SMU… Fantastic in his role as Cy Tolliver in "Deadwood", Boothe has been a familiar face in TV and film after receiving his master's in fine arts from SMU in 1972. In 1980, he won an Emmy for his portrayal of Indiana-born cult leader Jim Jones… The former First Lady of the United States, Bush graduated with an education degree from SMU in 1968, nine years before meeting her future husband and 43rd President George W. Bush, She is among the more popular First Ladies, dedicating her time to causes such as education and women's health… You could argue for Eric Dickerson here, but if we can avoid pulling from the sports pile, we will. Graham, who received her master's in acting from SMU was the lead role the WB's "Gilmore Girls" which enjoyed a seven-year run. She played a main role in the recently complete NBC series "Parenthood" and now has a recurring role on CBS' latest remake of "The Odd Couple" with Matthew Perry.
UCLA
James Dean
Ben Stiller
James Franco
Jack Black
Tim Robbins
6th man: Jaleel White
We can call this squad "Team Hollwyood", which you'd expect from a school based in L.A. And like you'd expect with most actors, a lot of them didn't finish college. Black dropped out of after his sophomore year, Stiller lasted nine months as a UCLA film student before returning to New York, the Indiana-born Dean was enrolled at the school for a semester before dropping out and Franco, who would later play Dean in a biopic, left school after just one year… Robbins actually graduated from UCLA's Film School and starred in two of my all-time favorite films, "Bull Durham" and "Shawshank Redemption". He won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in 2003's "Mystic River"… Another graduate, White is relevant for one reason, and one reason only: he played Steve Urkel in "Family Matters". Game over.
Winner: UCLA. "Did they do that!?"
(3) IOWA STATE VS. (11) UAB
IOWA STATE
George Washington Carver
Fred Hoiberg
Carrie Chapman Catt
Russell Stover
John Vincent Atanasoff
6th man: Thomas Harris MacDonald
Hoiberg , who is in his fifth-year coaching his alma mater, spent four seasons playing with the Pacers and is affectionately referred to as The Mayor of Ames, Iowa… When it comes women's suffrage, Susan B. Anthony gets most of the credit, but Chapman Catt was equally important in securing the women's right to vote. Naturally they'd like to celebrate with some cheap chocolate via Stover… We all won when Washington Carver got creative with the peanut… You might not recognize the names Atanasoff and MacDonald, but many of you spend much of your daily life using things they were instrumental in developing. Atanasoff, who studied at the University of Florida before received his master's and teaching at Iowa State, is credited with creating the computer. Boom… And MacDonald? He basically created interstates as the nation's Public Roads boss. He supervised the creation of 3.5 million miles of highways during his reign under seven different U.S. presidents.
UAB
Roddy White
Graeme McDowell
Regina Benjamin
Jerry DeLucas
Vonetta Flowers
6th man: Robert Vaden
A four-time Pro Bowl receiver, White was a star for the Blazers' now defunct football program. He's spent his entire 10-year career with the Atlanta Falcons and recording six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2007 to 2012… An engineering student in his native Northern Ireland, McDowell transferred to UAB and won the 2002 Haskins Award, golf's version of the Heisman Trophy. The 2010 European Tour Golfer of the Year, McDowell has 2 PGA Tour wins, including the 2010 U.S. Open and is currently ranked No. 22 in the World Golf Ranking… The nation's top doc from 2009 to 2013, Benjamin, the U.S.'s 18th Surgeon General earned her M.D. from UAB… A noted biochemist who went into space in 1992, DeLucas holds five degrees from UAB, is the co-inventor on 25 patents and was the chief scientist at the International Space Station… A track athlete at UAB, Flowers turned to bobsledding after unsuccessful Olympic attempts in track. She won gold in 2002 Olympics in the two-woman bobsled, becoming the first black person to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics… Admittedly we're scraping the barrel here in terms of fame, but Vaden at least has name recognition around here. A former star at Pike, Vaden spent the first two years of his career at IU, but followed Mike Davis to UAB after the coach was fired by the Hoosiers in 2006. Vaden finished his college career with 2,010 career points and his 379 3-pointers made are 20th most in NCAA history. He's played in Slovakia, Germany, Belgium and Italy, but has spent the past two seasons in the D-League.
Winner: Iowa State. I lived on UAB's campus during an internship. This was a no-brainer.
(7) IOWA VS. DAVIDSON (10)
IOWA
Ashton Kutcher
Gene Wilder
W.P. Kinsella
Mildred Wirt Benson — creator of Nancy Drew series
Tom Arnold
6th man: Dallas Clark
Kutcher attended Iowa as a biochemical engineering major with hopes of finding a cure for his twin brother's cardiomyopathy, but he dropped out after gaining attention as a male model. The star of "That 70s Show" and now, "Two and a Half Men" has had a tough life since. He was married to Demi Moore and is now engaged to Mila Kunis… The star of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles", Wilder's work is unmistakable… An avid baseball fan, Kinsella's novel "Shoeless Joe" was the inspiration for everyone's second-favorite baseball movie "Field of Dreams" (I'm not going to disrespect "Major League" like that.)… Benson, writing under the pen name Carolyn Keene, developed the Nancy Drew book series, writing 23 books from 1929 to 1947… A native Iowan, Arnold went into stand-up comedy after studying business administration and writing. Roseanne Barr hired Arnold as a writer for her sitcom "Roseanne", divorced her husband, married Arnold and wrote him into the show… You knew we were going to pander with the selection of Clark. A fan favorite during his nine years with the Colts, the former Hawkeye was one of the most prolific receiving tight ends during his run in Indy with 4,887 receiving yards and 46 TDs.
DAVIDSON
Steph Curry
Woodrow Wilson
Patricia Cornwell
Lunsford Richardson
Tony Snow
6th man: Laeta Kalogridis
Davidson's all-time leading scorer, Curry was a phenomenon in college, showing the deft 3-point touch his father Dell displayed in the NBA for 16 seasons. But Curry is doing things in the league his dad never dreamed of and is a leading candidate for MVP this season, guiding Golden State to the NBA's best record…The 28th U.S. President, Wilson is mostly associated with Princeton University, but he began his college career at Davidson in 1873. .. A popular crime novelist, Cornwell has sold more than 100 copies of her books, highlighted by the Kay Scarpetta series… Have a bad cough, get some Vicks VapoRub. Richardson invited the stuff and founded Vicks after he graduated with the highest honors from Davidson with a degree in latin. Useful… The third White House press secretary under George W. Bush, Snow was also the president's chief speech writer… A screenwriter, Kalogridis' credits include Oliver Stone's "Alexander" biopic, "Shutter Island" and she's a co-writer on latest "Terminator" installment, "Terminator Genisys", which is scheduled to be released later this year.
Winner: Iowa.
(2) GONZAGA VS. (15) NORTH DAKOTA STATE
GONZAGA
Bing Crosby
John Stockton
Carl Pohlad
Jim Wickwire
Tony Canadeo
6th man: Ray Flaherty
An American icon, Crosby was the nation's premier signing and acting star for 20 years (1934-54) and in the mid-1940s, the American public declared him the "most admired man alive" — ahead of the Pope. How big was Crosby? He has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame… The NBA's all-time assists and steals leader, Stockton was a 10-time All-Star, member of the 1992 U.S. Dream Team and is in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame… The story goes Crosby saw Pohlad play at a Southern California junior college and recruited him to Gonzaga. The owner of the Minnesota Twins from 1984 until his death in 2009, Pohlad earned his fortune in the banking business after fighting in Europe during World War II… In 1978, Wickwire became the first American to reach the summit of K2, the world's second-largest, and perhaps most dangerous mountain… Gonzaga dropped its football program in 1941, but still managed to produce two Pro Football Hall of Famers in Canaedo and Flaherty. A running back and defensive back, Canaedo played his entire career with the Packers, who retired his No. 3. Flaherty, a three-time NFL champion (once as a player and twice as a coach), had his number retired by the Giants (No. 1) and is credited with inventing the screen pass in 1937.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Jake Christiansen
Bob Backlund
Alf Clausen
William L. Guy
Gilmore Schjeldahl
6th man: Harold Schafer
Ever hear of a one-man band? That was Christiansen at Valparaiso from 1929 to 1941. He was the school's athletic director, football and basketball coach. He led the Crusaders to a 1932 undefeated season and compiled a 102-108 record on the hardwood. Christiansen, who got his master's at NDSU, left Valpo for a 27-year distinguished coaching career at Concordia College… Inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, Backlund enjoyed a 30-year career in professional wrestling, including two stints as WWF champion, the titles coming 16 years apart… A film and TV composer, Clausen's work has appeared on "The Simpsons", "The Naked Gun", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and appropriately, "ALF"… Guy was the longest serving governor in North Dakota history (1961-73) and selected by Lyndon B. Johnson to monitor the first presidential elections in South Vietnam… Awarded the Bronze Star after his part in the Battle of the Bulge, Schjeldahl began a long career with plastics, which culminated with a personal favorite of mine, plastic-lined airsickness bags — a massive contribution to mankind…. Schafer founded the Gold Seal Company, which created "Mr. Bubble" bubble bath.
Winner: Gonzaga. The air-sickness bags are key, but Bing Crosby stands the test of time.
SECOND ROUND
• Duke vs. San Diego State -- In memoriam to Apollo Creed, San Diego State gets the nod.
• Georgetown vs. Utah -- Bill Clinton never won Utah in his presidential campaigns, but he and his Georgetown brethren get it done for Bubba.
• Iowa State vs. UCLA -- Who doesn't love peanut butter? Iowa State, for the win.
• Gonzaga vs. Iowa -- Go back and watch Gene Wilder's comedies with Richard Pryor and you'll agree, Iowa is an easy choice here.
SWEET SIXTEEN
• Georgetown vs. San Diego State -- The Aztecs fill up on Bluth's frozen bananas and Georgetown uses Bradley Cooper's "Silver Linings Playbook" to get across the finish line.
• Iowa State vs. Iowa -- A matchup for the hearts and minds of the Hawkeye State, it's a battle between computers and highways versus Ashton Kutcher and Tom Arnold. Hail to Iowa State.
ELITE EIGHT
• Iowa State vs. Georgetown -- Which celebrity with Indiana ties wants to return to Indy more? Jim Gaffigan or Fred Hoiberg? It's a close call, but since Russell Stover chocolate really isn't all that good, it's a Georgetown kind of day.
WEST REGION
(1) WISCONSIN VS. (16) COASTAL CAROLINA
WISCONSIN
Charles Lindbergh
Steve Miller
Edward Schildhauer
Don Ameche
David and Jerry Zucker
6th man: Bud Selig
One of the most fascinating figures in all of American history, Lindbergh dropped out in the middle of his sophomore year at Wisconsin before pursuing a career in aviation, which included the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean as well as 50 combat missions over the Pacific… Leader of the band that bears his name, Miller's Greatest Hits album will always be a popular one. "The Joker", "Take the Money and Run" and "Fly Like an Eagle" are all popular classics… Schildhauer, who got a degree in electoral engineering from UW, was the lead engineer on the Panama Canal from 1907 to 1914. The dude connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Gold star for you… A veteran actor and comedian, Ameche's cousin, Alan, was a Heisman Trophy winner in Madison. My personal favorites of his roles include Mortimer Duke in "Trading Places", Dr. Wrightwood in "Harry and the Hendersons" and the voice of Shadow in "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey"… The Zuckers acted in a comedy troupe during their time in Madison. They went on to create classic comedies such as "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun" as well as a film every 30-45-year old woman loves, "Ghost"… Major League Baseball's commissioner from 1992 to 2015, Selig oversaw the league's popularity boom in the mid 90s power surge, which some argue allowed him to turn a blind eye to the runaway PED use.
COASTAL CAROLINA
Dustin Johnson
Michael Kelly
Amber Campbell
Edwin McCain
Bailey Hanks
6th man: Tommy La Stella
Johnson is one of the PGA Tour's top young guns, and reminded everyone of that last Sunday by winning the WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral. He's had his issues with substance abuse and took a leave from the Tour last summer to seek help. He returned to competitive golf in February, a few weeks after the birth of his first child with his fiancé, Paulina Gretzky, daughter of Wayne… Kelly is an actor's face you know, but name you don't. That could change with his role as Doug Stamper on Netflix's mega-hit "House of Cards"… An Indianapolis product out of Pike, Campbell is a six-time national champion in the hammer throw and competed in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics… McCain's singles "I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask For More" were both big hits in the late 90s and five of his 10 albums cracked the "Billboard 200"… Hanks won MTV's "Legally Blonde - The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods" — don't ask… La Stella is a utility infielder, who was traded from the Braves to the Cubs this offseason, so naturally, he's now of interest to me.
Winner: Wisconsin. In a walkover.
(8) OREGON VS. (9) OKLAHOMA STATE
OREGON
Phil Knight
Ty Burrell
Kaitlin Olson
Chuck Palahniuk
Steve Prefontaine
6th man: Chael Sonnen
A middle-distance runner for famed Ducks track coach Bill Bowerman, Knight, the founder of Nike, is basically an open piggy back for Oregon athletics… Keeping with the track theme, Prefontaine was on his way to being one of the best American distance runners ever before his life was cut short at 24 when he died in a car accident… A two-time Emmy winner for his role as Phil Dunphy on "Modern Family", Burrell is hilarious as a Zima-appreciating realtor and father of three… The laughs continue with Olson, who is equally hilarious as Dee, yet much less wholesome, on "Always Sunny in Philadelphia"… Sometimes his work is hard to wrap your head around, but Palahniuk's "Fight Club" was a game-changer and turned into a pretty freaking awesome movie… A standout wrestler at Oregon, Sonnen transitioned to mixed martial arts and over a 17-year career rose high enough for a UFC title shot versus Anderson Silva. However, that match was overshadowed by loud-mouth antics and failed drug tests.
OKLAHOMA STATE
Barry Sanders
Garth Brooks
Gary Busey
Bill Self
James Marsden
6th man: Bo Van Pelt
One of the best running backs ever, Sanders made it look like artwork. He won the Heisman in Stillwater in 1988 and despite retiring prematurely is still the NFL's third all-time leading rusher (15,269 yards). He could probably roll out of bed and rush for 800 yards tomorrow… One of the world's top selling musicians at more than 190 million records sold, Brooks attended Oklahoma State on a track scholarship (javelin) and began his music career playing at local clubs after graduation… Solid in roles in "Lethal Weapon" and "Point Break", Busey is more known now for, I guess just being a little… off… Self has led the Cowboys' Big 12 rival Jayhawks to 11 straight conference titles and the 2008 NCAA Championship… Known for his role as Cyclops in the "X-Men" film series, I prefer to think of Marsden for his role in "27 Dresses"… A two-time Indiana boys junior champ from Richmond, Van Pelt attended OSU on a golf scholarship before turning pro in 1998. He has just one PGA Tour win (2009 in Milwaukee), but five other wins on the worldwide circuit. Van Pelt reached as high as 20th in the World Golf Ranking, but currently sits 264th after missing the cut in five of his last seven events.
Winner: Oregon. The Phils (Knight and Dunphy) carry the Ducks through.
(5) ARKANSAS VS. (12) WOFFORD
ARKANSAS
Jerry Jones
Jimmy Johnson
John Daly
S. Rob Walton
Pat Summerall
6th man: Mike Conley Sr.
It's a little more sports heavy than we'd like, but we doubt J. William Fulbright would do it for you. Jones, the Cowboys owner/general manager/sideline hype guy/coach?, was a co-captain and offensive lineman on the Razorbacks' 1964 national title team and is worth an estimated $4.2 billion… A teammate of Jones' at Arkansas, Johnson won his college pal two Super Bowls (1992-93) and restored the Cowboys' luster… More of a sideshow now, Daly sprung to prominence after winning the 1991 PGA Championship right here at Crooked Stick. He has a British Open trophy on his mantle as well, though his closet is full of zubaz pants meets grandma's basement couch… One of many in a long line of Razorback Waltons, Rob, the eldest son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, is the current chairman and worth about $33 billion… Summerall's voice was familiar to generations of sports fans and he and John Madden lasted 22 seasons in the broadcast booth… A track and field star at Arkansas, Conley won the gold medal in the triple jump at the 1992 Summer Olympics. His son, former Lawrence North star Mike Conley Jr., is among the NBA's top point guards.
WOFFORD
Jerry Richardson
Wendi Nix
Fisher Deberry
Robert Henry Best
William T. Carpenter
6th man: Craig Melvin
The owner of the Carolina Panthers, Richardson still holds the school record for receiving yards in a single game with 241 set in 1956. He played briefly for the Baltimore Colts (1959-60) and in 1993 he became the first former NFL player since George Halas to become a team owner… Carpenter turned down a contract from the Colts in 1957 to pursue a career in medicine. He became a leader in psychiatry and was called as an expert witness in the trial of John C. Hinckley, who made an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan… An ESPN reporter and host, Nix is often seen on "NFL Insiders" and the network's college football coverage. She holds degrees from both Wofford and UMass-Amherst and was once married to Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington… A College Hall of Fame coach, DeBerry played both football and baseball at Wofford. He was hired as Air Force's QB in 1980 and elevated to head coach in 1984, a role he remained in until 2006. He racked up 169 career wins and guided the Falcons to 12 bowl bids during his tenure… Best was an American broadcaster of Nazi propaganda during World War II under the pseudonym "Mr. Guess Who" and was convicted of treason in 1948 for providing "aid and comfort to the enemy."… An NBC News correspondent, Melvin anchors "MSNBC Live" on the weekends and is married to "SportsCenter" anchor Lindsay Czarniak.
Winner: Arkansas.
(4) NORTH CAROLINA VS. (13) HARVARD
NORTH CAROLINA
Michael Jordan
Donnie Walsh
Andy Griffith
Lewis Black
James K. Polk
6th man: Kevin Wilson
The greatest basketball player of all-time, Jordan finally cracked the billionaire's club this year. A principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets, His Airness' greatest contribution might have been "Space Jam"... A senior captain on Dean Smith's first Tarheels team, Walsh earned bachelor's and law degrees from UNC and went into coaching before becoming the Pacers' GM in 1987. From 1990-2006, the Pacers reached the playoffs in all but one season. Walsh left for his hometown Knicks in 2008, but was saddled with awful contracts and resigned after three years, returning to the Pacers as a consultant... Griffith went to Chapel Hill looking to become a preacher, but came out with a music degree and desire for the stage and camera. He's most known for the TV show bearing his name, in which he starred as Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor... A comedian and social critic, Black came to prominence with appearances on "The Daily Show" with his intelligently crafted rage... The 11th President of the United States, Polk was called "easily our least-known consequential president" by Newsweek. He added Texas, California and the Southwest during the Mexican-American War and took Oregon from Great Britain. He served only one term and died three months after leaving office... A former walk-on offensive lineman for the Tar Heels, Wilson is entering his fifth season as Indiana's head football coach. The Hoosiers are 14-34 under Wilson, but there's optimism with improved results in recruiting the last few seasons. 2015 figures to be a bowl-or-bust season for Wilson in Bloomington.
HARVARD
U.S. Presidents
Mark Zuckerberg
Natalie Portman
Matt Damon
Tommy Lee Jones
6th man: Jack Lemmon
Eight U.S. Presidents hold degrees from Harvard (John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush and Barack Obama), the most any one school has produced… Zuckerberg developed Facebook in his Harvard dorm room and is now one of the world's richest men, worth an estimated $35 billion… Portman, who has appeared in the new "Stars Wars" and "Thor" films, graduated from Harvard with a degree in psychology in 2003. She's won two Golden Globes, including one for her role in "Black Swan"… Damon, who was born in Cambridge, Mass., left Harvard before graduating to take a role in "School Ties", but while he was on campus, he began the early stages of writing the script for "Good Will Hunting"… Jones, classmates with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, played football and was a first-team All-Ivy League selection in 1968. He graduated cum laude and rightfully won the 1993 Oscar for best supporting actor for his role chasing Harrison Ford in "The Fugitive"… One half of "The Odd Couple", Lemmon graduated from Harvard in 1947 and went on to have a long and distinguished acting career, bringing his humor to a younger generation when he and Walter Matthau teamed up again for "Grumpy" and "Grumpier" Old Men.
Winner:Harvard. UNC has one U.S. President (Polk), Harvard has eight.
PLAY-IN GAME: (11) BYU vs. (11) OLE MISS
BYU
Ken Jennings
Mitt Romney
Aaron Eckhart
John Heder
Stephanie Meyer
6th man: Philo T. Farnsworth
A captain on BYU's quiz bowl team, Jennings became the longest-winning contestant in "Jeopardy!" history, winning 74 games in a row and more than $3 million in 2004… The Republican nominee for in the 2012 presidential election, Romney earned his bachelor's degree from BYU in 1971 before doing his graduate work at Harvard. Worth an estimated $250 million, Romney has ruled out a run for president in 2016… Eckhart, who got his start in Mormon theater, was excellent in "Thank You For Smoking" and most recently as Harvey Dent in "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises"… Heder shot to prominence with his role as socially awkward "Napoleon Dynamite" in 2014 and has appeared in a number of other movies since, including starring opposite Will Ferrell in the figure skating comedy "Blades of Glory"… The best selling author of both 2008 and 2009 with her "Twilight" series, no one capitalized on the vampire fad more than Meyer, who has sold more than 100 million copies of her books, which have been turned into really, really bad movies… Farnsworth attended BYU in 1924 but never graduated. But who cares? The man is credited with inventing electronic television. Drop the mic.
OLE MISS
Archie Manning
Eli Manning
John Grisham
Shephard Smith
Kate Jackson
6th man: Gerald McRaney
Father and brother to Peyton Manning… I'm making an exception to include Ole Miss law school grad Grisham here because his fame is directly tied to his legal thrillers. It'll hold up in court… A Fox News original, Smith has been at the network since its inception in 1996 and is now the channel's breaking news managing editor… One of "Charlie's Angels", I'm sure Jackson's inclusion won't raise too many objections… You may know him as "Major Dad" from 90s TV or Raymond Tusk on "House of Cards", but you've seen McRaney. He's been acting since 1969.
Winner: BYU. Wrong Manning.
(6) XAVIER VS. (11) BYU
XAVIER
David West
John Boehner
Jim Bunning
Frank Robinson
Robert Romanus
6th man: Jack Miles
A two-time All-Star in New Orleans, West has been the veteran leader the Pacers hoped he'd be since his arrival as a free agent in 2011. In four seasons with the Pacers, West is averaging 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds a game and is among the more introspective athletes in sports these days… The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Boehner has been among President Barack Obama's chief adversaries. A Xavier grad, Boehner began his political career in 1982… Joining Boehner in Congress is former MLB baseball pitcher turned politician Bunning. A nine-time All-Star, Bunning ranked second in career strikeouts when he retired and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. A Republican congressman, Bunning served as Kentucky's senator from 1999-2011 after a 12-year run n the House of Representatives… Another member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Robinson starred with the Cincinnati Reds from 1956-65 and attended Xavier during the offseason in the 50s. He was a 14-time All-Star, claimed both the AL and NL MVPs during his career and won the 1966 Triple Crown. In 1975, Cleveland named him a player-manager, making him the first black manager in Major League Baseball… Romanus is known for his role as ticket scalper Mike Damone in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". That's about all I've got… Miles won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for his book "God: A Biography". A bit ambitious, but why not?
Winner: BYU. What is, "Who beats Xavier."
(3) BAYLOR VS. (14) GEORGIA STATE
BAYLOR
Jeff Dunham
Angela Kinsey
Trey Wingo
Mike Singletary
Allison Tolman
6th man: Thomas Harris
Dunham has turned ventriloquism into big business and is one of the highest-earning comedians in the world. According to Forbes, only three comedians earned more than in 2013 (Jerry Seinfeld, Russell Peters and fellow ventriloquist Terry Fator)… On "The Office", Kinsey played the role of Angela, the uptight, cat-obsessed love interest of Dwight Schrute, to great aplomb. It's a good thing she didn't get the role she originally auditioned for: Pam, the receptionist… A longtime ESPN personality, Wingo has found a niche with the NFL and hosts the mothership's "NFL Live" show as well as the occasional "SportsCenter"…Singletary may not have been up to the task of NFL head coach, but few played the linebacker position any better. A Hall of Famer with a glare that kill… On the topic of killers, Harris created one of our generation's most feared killers in Hannibal Lechter. The man is responsible for countless hours of sleepless, nightmare ravaged nights… Tolman cracks the list for her role as police officer Molly Solverson in FX's "Fargo", one of my favorite TV series.
GEORGIA STATE
Julia Roberts
Ludacris
Douglas Edwards
Coy Bowles
William Duvall
6th man: Ray Stevens
The star of "Pretty Woman", Roberts was born and raised in suburban Atlanta and attended Georgia State but never graduated. She's one of the most successful and recognizable actresses in the world, and has one Oscar to her credit for her role as "Erin Brockovich"… Ludacris, aka Chris Bridges, is a chart-topping rapper who studied music management at GSU in the late 90s. In addition to rapping, Ludacris has also appeared in a number of films, including a recurring role in "The Fast and Furious" series. What are they on, No. 73?... Edwards was America's first network news anchor, guiding CBS' nightly news broadcast from 1948-62. He was replaced by Walter Cronkite and the newscast changed its name to the now familiar "CBS Evening News"… Bowles, a guitarist and keyboardist in the Zac Brown Band, will be in Indy for the Final Four as the Atlanta-based country music band is scheduled to play April 5…The lead singer for rock group Alice in Chains, Duvall assumed the role after the band's original lead singer, Layne Staley died in 2002. Alice in Chains has released two albums with Duvall on lead vocals, and their 2013 album "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200… A country music singer, songwriter and comedian, Stevens majored in music at Georgia State before signing a deal with Capital Records. He's been nominated for 11 Grammys, winning two, and is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Winner: Georgia State. Julia Roberts is not only a "Runaway Bride", but a runaway winner in this matchup.
(7) VCU VS. (10) OHIO STATE
VCU
David Baldacci
Stephen Furst
Patch Adams
Iron and Wine
Debbie Matenopoulos
6th man: GWAR
One of my favorite authors, Baldacci has written many bestsellers, including "Absolute Power" and "The Camel Club" series. He's sold more than 110 million books worldwide… Flounder in "Animal House", Furst graduated from VCU, not Faber College… Adams' life was the subject of a Robin Williams movie bearing his name. He is known for dressing up as a clown to cheer up young patients and creating the Gesundheit! Institute… Samuel Beam, known as music act Iron and Wine, received a bachelor's degree in art from VCU. He's released five studio albums, with 2011's "Kiss Each Other Clean" rising as high as 6th on the US charts… An original member of Barbara Walters' talk show "The View", Matenopoulos was seen as a bit of ditz and became the subject of "Saturday Night Live" parodies. She was replaced on "The View" by Lisa Ling, and the last time I saw her was on the old TV Guide channel. A Richmond, Va., native, Matenopoulos went to VCU for a year before transferring to NYU… From the "I just don't get it" department, GWAR is the heavy metal band full of characters — literally. From Nippleus Erectus to Beefcake The Mighty, GWAR got its start in Richmond in 1984 and immediately began scaring the s**t out of parents. The band still tours and drops by The Vogue from time to time.
OHIO STATE
Bobby Knight
Richard Lewis
Jesse Owens
R.L. Stine
Patricia Heaton
6th man: Jeffrey Dahmer
This Knight fella, ever hear of him? While he became an icon at Indiana, it all started at Ohio State, where Knight played point guard from 1959-62. The General won three national titles at IU and finished his coaching career with a 902-371 record (.709)… Few play the neurotic comic better than Lewis, who has a recurring role as himself on "Curb Your Enthusiasm". In Comedy Central's list of Greatest Standup Comics of all-time, Lewis landed inside the top 50 at 45th (between Joan Rivers and Adam Sandler)… Arguably the greatest track athlete of all-time, Owens owned the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, basically giving Adolph Hitler the finger the whole time. Owens won four gold medals (100m, 200m, long jump, 4x100 relay) and became an international superstar… If you read books in elementary and middle school, you probably know who R.L. Stine is. He's authored more than 100 books, but is known for his "Goosebumps" and "Fear Street" series. "Night of the Living Dummy" was a guaranteed nightmare… Heaton gained prominence for her role as Ray Ramono's wife in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and stars in ABC's "The Middle", which is set in Indiana. Bonus point… Dahmer, well, Dahmer has a cannibalistic serial killer. So there's that.
Winner: Ohio State. The General guides the Buckeyes to victory.
(2) ARIZONA VS. (15) TEXAS SOUTHERN
ARIZONA
Geraldo Rivera
Kourtney Kardashian
Kristen Wiig
Barry Goldwater
Linda Ronstadt
6th man: Craig T. Nelson
I know what you're thinking, "Wait, what? A Kardashian went to college?" Yup, and she graduated too. Known as "the brains" of the Karadashian operation… alright, I'll stop… A "Saturday Night Live" alum, Wiig's star rose after the success of the comedy "Bridesmaids" and is slated to feature in an all-female remake of "Ghostbusters"… The father of modern conservatism, Goldwater was a five-term senator from Arizona and lost to Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1964 presidential election in one of the largest landslides in history… Speaking of conservative, a longtime talk show host and reporter, Rivera is among Fox News' cache of personalities… An 11-time Grammy winner and and multiplatinum recording artist, Ronstadt only had one No. 1 hit ("You're No Good), but older sports staffers (Nat Newell, Bob Thomas and Mark Alesia) insisted she be included… Nelson was a "Coach" for all of us. Plus, his role as Zeke on NBC's "Parenthood" often brought my wife to tears, so I've got no choice.
TEXAS SOUTHERN
Michael Strahan
Yolanda Adams
Jim Hines
Barbara Jordan
Tony Wyllie
6th man: Robert Taylor
A Hall of Fame inductee in 2014, Strahan is fifth on the NFL's all-time sack list (141.5) and still owns the single-season record with 22.5, though Kansas City's Justin Houston flirted with it last year, finishing with 22.0. Strahan played his entire career with the Giants and has stayed in the bright lights of New York as Kelly Ripa's co-host and Regis Philbin's replacement on "Live! with Kelly and Michael"… Named the No. 1 gospel singer of the decade for the 2000s by Billboard, Adams has sold more than 8 million records worldwide and won four Grammys… Hines won two gold medals at the 1968 Summer Olympics, setting world records in the 100 meters and well as the 4x100 relay team. With his record time of 9.95, Hines became the first sprinter to officially break the 10-second barrier, a record he held for 15 years. The Miami Dolphins hoped his track speed would translate to the NFL. It didn't. He caught just two career passes and is ranked by Deadspin as the 10th worst NFL player of all-time… A trailblazing politician, Jordan was the first black female member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was also the first black woman keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, giving a speech researchers rank as the fifth-best of the 20th century, behind Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream", JFK and FDR's inauguration addresses and FDR's "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"… A game day assistant for the Houston Oilers while a student at TSU, Wyllie is now the senior vice president of the Washington Redskins. He worked his way through the public relations ranks and is among the best PR directors in NFL history, winning the Pete Rozelle Award five times. For people in my industry, guys like Wyllie are invaluable… Taylor won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics in the 4x100 meter relay and captured silver in the 100m, a race remembered for two Americans missing their heat start times because of a communication error, while Taylor made it just in time. "These sprinters missed the start-line in their heats! We've handed the 100 to the Russian!" Howard Cosell exclaimed at the time.
Winner: Arizona.
SECOND ROUND
• Wisconsin vs. Oregon -- Ducks can fly, but not all the way across the Atlantic like Charles Lindbergh. Wisconsin gets the win.
• Arkansas vs. Harvard -- The leader of Wal-mart versus leaders of the free world. It's closer than you think, but Harvard pulls it out.
• BYU vs. Georgia State -- Like looking at Julia Roberts? BYU's Philo T. Farnsworth helped make it happen with invention of electronic TV. Kind of a big deal.
• Ohio State vs. Arizona -- A legendary coach vs. "Coach"... Hayden Fox never threw a chair. Advantage, Ohio State.
SWEET SIXTEEN
• Wisconsin vs. Harvard -- "Maaatt Daaaamon." Harvard advances.
• Ohio State vs. BYU -- "Twilight" finally trips up the Cougars as R.L. Stine gives BYU "Goosebumps" with real vampire stories. Ohio State keeps its mojo going.
ELITE EIGHT
• Ohio State vs. Harvard -- I wonder if Bob Knight is on Facebook? It doesn't matter, the rest of the world is. It's time for the Zuckerberg trump card. Harvard is off to the Final Four.
FINAL FOUR
That (finally) brings us to the Final Four. Our participants:
• Maryland, Harvard, Georgetown and Oklahoma
-- Pre-tournament favorites Maryland and Harvard meet in the national semifinals, and in the end, my love for "The Muppets", "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Wire" were enough to knock off the Presidents as Maryland moves on.
-- In other semifinal, Georgetown actually eases past Oklahoma, who used a favorable draw to reach this far.
-- So, after 17,000 words, we've finally reached the national championship. I won't waste anymore words: Maryland.