NCAA March Madness: Cinderellas, Superstars, and Champions from the NCAA Men's Final Four

From Publishers Weekly
College basketball’s "biggest stage" gets a year-by-year treatment in this coffee-table book and accompanying DVD. The book covers the wildly popular sporting event of March Madness from its inception in 1939 (when the Oregon Ducks beat the Ohio State Buckeyes) to the 2004 crown (when top-ranked UConn triumphed over Georgia Tech). Each year’s game summary is written by a different newspaper sports editor, and most writers are matched with years in which their home team won the tournament. They document upsets, spectacular performances and gaffes, simultaneously charting college basketball’s evolution from a money-losing venture (the first tournament lost $2,531) to a forum on race (in 1962, Mississippi State refused an invite to the NCAA Tournament because it would have to play integrated teams) to a showcase of supreme athleticism (which Wooden, former UCLA coach and winner of 10 NCAA championships, laments: "If I want to see showmanship, I’ll go see the Globetrotters"). Although stiff pages make the book difficult to page through and keep open, fans probably won’t mind; they’ll be sucked in by the stories and photos of drama on the courts. Photos.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
This pictorial includes a DVD, making it an exciting multimedia slice of American sports and well worth its very reasonable price.From the NCAA itself comes a celebration of the Final Four, college basketball's most prestigious level of tournament play, in March Madness. Separated by decade and proceeding year by year, the book begins with the first Final Four showdown in 1939, which took place in Evanston, Illinois, and ended when Oregon beat Ohio State to become the first NCAA champions. The narration gives you not only the exciting action on the court but also the growing popularity of the tournament over time. What's interesting in looking back on great college ball is how many "regular guys" there were--great athletes who didn't go on to the pros, for whatever reason--standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside superstar athletes such as Russell, Chamberlain, and Jordan. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
They’re all part of the greatest spectacle in sports, and they’re all inside March Madness: Cinderellas, Superstars, and Champions from the Final Four. Relive 65 years of college basketball’s most memorable championship moments, including: · North Carolina’s triple-overtime victory over Wilt Chamberlain’s Kansas team in 1957 · Texas Western’s watershed victory over Kentucky in 1966 · The Magic vs. Bird showdown of 1979, still the highest-rated national championship game · Villanova’s stunning upset of Georgetown in 1985 · Pivotal moments with Clyde Lovellete, John Wooden, Lew Alcindor, Michael Jordan, Bobby Knight, and more . . . DVD INSIDE—ARCHIVAL GAME FOOTAGE AND SUPERSTAR INTERVIEWS Eight of the best championship games in history are highlighted on this spectacular DVD


From the Publisher
"While I finally grew tired of coaching when I reached the age of 64, I never grew tired of the Final Four. . . . It’s still the best event there is. I’m just pleased I was fortunate enough to be a part of it for so many years." —From the Foreword by John Wooden


From the Inside Flap
From its inauspicious 1939 debut in Evanston, Illinois, where Oregon defeated Ohio State 46–33 in the championship game, the NCAA’s Final Four has become one of the world’s most celebrated and widely anticipated sporting events. Basketball’s biggest names, from players such as Groza, Russell, Chamberlain, Alcindor, Bird, Johnson, and Jordan, to decorated coaches like Rupp, Wooden, Smith, Knight, and Krzyzweski, all have secured their places in history due to their performances on college basketball’s biggest stage. Those particular performances are just a small part of the 65-year history of the Final Four, which is captured in this book/DVD package through photographs, text, and archival footage. Beginning with that sparsely attended inaugural championship in 1939 and culminating with Connecticut’s emotional run leading to the 2004 crown in San Antonio, March Madness: Cinderellas, Superstars, and Champions from the Final Four brings to life the climactic finishes of every NCAA Tournament over the past seven decades. This year-by-year journey through the history of the Final Four captures the most memorable moments and personalities ever to participate in this great event, as well as chronicling the tournament’s rise from humble beginnings to become perhaps the most significant spectacle in sports. From unbelievable upsets to record-setting performances to coaching masterpieces, March Madness accurately conveys the outpouring of emotions that are unique to this one event year after year after year.


About the Author
Pete Newell was the first college coach to win the NIT championship (San Francisco, 1949), the NCAA championship (California, 1950), and an Olympic gold medal (1960). Considered America’s "Basketball Guru," the Hall of Fame coach has served as an NBA scout, general manager, and director of player development, and his celebrated Big Man camps have been the preeminent training ground for NBA post players for years. John Wooden coached UCLA to unprecedented heights that no future organization in any sport is likely to approach. Under the masterful guidance of Wooden, the Bruins set all-time records with four perfect 30–0 seasons, 88 consecutive victories, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, 20 PAC-10 championships, and 10 national championships, including 7 in a row. He was a fabulous player before becoming the most successful coach in college basketball history. He enjoyed an All-State career at Martinsville High School, and at Purdue University he was called the "Indiana Rubber Man" for his legendary dives on the court. He is one of only two people enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.


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Pete Newell was the first college coach to win the NIT championship (San Francisco, 1949), the NCAA championship (California, 1950), and an Olympic gold medal (1960). Considered America's "Basketball Guru," the Hall of Fame coach has served as an NBA scout, general manager, and director of player development, and his celebrated Big Man camps have been the preeminent training ground for NBA post players for years.


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