Force Flashback: March Madness

The 2021-22 Sioux Falls Skyforce team is no stranger to March Madness and the Big Dance. 11 of the 12 rostered players, along with Head Coach Kasib Powell have reached the NCAA Tournament. The team features two NCAA Champions and Most Outstanding Players of the Final Four, four Final Fours, seven Elite Eights and 25 total NCAA Tournament appearances. The school's of all 11 players that have played in an NCAA Tournament are in either 2022 NCAA Tournament or the National Invitational Tournament. 

MARIO CHALMERS | KANSAS, 2006-08

Mario Chalmers has ice in his veins. That didn't start in South Beach. He was hitting big shots for the Kansas Jayhawks in the late 2000's. Just like he is no stranger to the NBA Finals, he is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament.

With 2.1 seconds left in the 2008 NCAA Championship game in San Antonio, Texas, Super Mario drained a three pointer to send the Jayhawks to overtime. Known as 'The Shot Heard Round The World', this prayer, down three points, is looked back as the play that won the game and put Chalmers into royalty status amongst the Jayhawk greats. Chalmers and KU were able to defeat Derrick Rose and the Memphis Tigers 75-68 for Kansas' fifth National Championship. He was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player and to the AP All Final Four Team, averaging 14.8 points in the tourney. Rio's tournament play and rising to the challenge helped him get drafted to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he was traded to the HEAT on draft night. The rest is history.

He is the only Alaskan that has won a high school state championship, NCAA Championship and NBA Finals Championship.

Chalmers helped the Jayhawks reach the 2007 Elite Eight, as they were defeated by UCLA, who went on to the Final Four that year. As a freshman in 2006, Rio was on the Kansas team that made the Round of 64, but was upset by Bradley.

The Jayhawks (28-6) will look to win their first National Championship since Chalmers sent the Tigers packing in '08. As the number-one seed in the Midwest, Kansas will play the winner of Texas Southern and Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Thursday night at 8:57 PM CST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E84y-SrwUtA&ab_channel=MattSmith

KYLE GUY | VIRGINA, 2017-19

Guy is no stranger to the big shot, as well. Down four points to Auburn in the 2019 Final Four in Minneapolis, Guy hit a corner-three with 7.4 seconds left to trail by just one-point. After a made and missed free throw, Guy (15 points and four assists) was fouled in the opposite corner. He drilled all three free throws with 0.6 seconds left to send Virginia to the National Championship.

Behind Guy's 24 points on 8-15 FGA and three rebounds, the Cavaliers were able to defeat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 85-77 for the programs first NCAA Championship. He averaged 19.5 points in the Final Four to be named the Most Outstanding Player. Much like Chalmers, Guy's clutch play helped him get drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Just as he has seen the highest highs of the NCAA Tournament, Guy and Virgina saw the lowest lows. In 2018, despite scoring 15 points on 7-11 FGA, the then first seeded Cavaliers were defeated by 16th seeded University of Maryland-Baltimore County 74-54.

As a freshman in 2017, Guy and Virginia made it to the Round of 32, where they defeated UNC-Wilmington in the first round and followed that up with a loss to Florida.

Virginia is the lone team of Skyforce players that is in the NIT. The Cavaliers (19-13) are a six-seed in the NIT and host three-seed Mississippi State, the school of former Skyforce player DJ Stewart. Tip-off for the game is slated for 6:00 PM CST.

https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1115429075521163264

BRANDON KNIGHT | KENTUCKY, 2011

Big Shot Brandon helped the Kentucky Wildcats go on a run as a four-seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Coach Calipari and company danced all the way to the Final Four, where they met Kemba Walker and UConn, who went on one of the most memorable runs from the conference tournament to National Champions.

Knight bounced back from a tough shooting game in the opening round to power the Wildcats to a 71-63 victory over fifth seeded West Virginia. Knight poured in 30 points on 9-20 FGA and four assists. He drilled a midrange jumper with 5.4 seconds left to the one-seed Ohio State Buckeyes, who had Skyforce forward Sam Thompson on the roster packing.

The upsets didn't stop there. Knight and former Force forward DeAndre Liggins powered the Wildcats over second seeded UNC 76-69 in the Elite Eight. Knight had 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the victory. Knight went toe-to-toe with Walker in the Final Four in Houston, but ultimately fell 56-55 in a heart breaker. But Knight's play helped solidify him as a lottery pick, as he was taken eighth to the Detroit Pistons in the 2011 NBA Draft.

You can bet on Calipari and the Cats making a deep run year-after-year. This season, they are the two-seed in the East Region and will play St. Peter's in Indianapolis on Thursday at 6:10 PM CST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBXDZP8Aa30&ab_channel=HowLegendsAreMade

SAM THOMPSON | OHIO STATE, 2011-14

No Force player has danced more than Sam Thompson. In his four-year career at Ohio State, he made the tournament each year, with  Final Four and Elite Eight runs in his freshman and junior campaigns.

Led by Jared Sullinger, the Buckeyes went all the way to the Final Four in 2011, but were defeated by the Jayhawks 64-62. Thompson played in all five games of the 2011 NCAA Tournament and posted a total of four points.

In 2012, Thompson moved to a starting role and helped two seeded Ohio State reach the Elite Eight. Thompson scored a NCAA Tournament career-high 20 points on 6-10 FGA and 10 rebounds in a 95-70 route of Iona in the opening round. He scored in double figures in the Sweet 16, with 11 points and eight rebounds to defeat the Arizona Wildcats 73-70. Fred Van Vleet and Ron Baker helped upset the Buckeyes 70-66 in the 2012 Elite Eight.

Thompson and Aaron Craft combined for 34 points on 12-16 FGA in an opening round loss to the 11th seeded Dayton Flyers in 2014. The Wildcats got their revenge over Thompson, D'Angelo Russell and the Buckeyes. In the Round of 32, despite having 18 points on 6-11 FGA and three rebounds, Arizona defeated Ohio State 73-58.

The seven-seed Buckeyes (19-11) have an interesting matchup in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, as they face Loyola-Chicago, who as of recently is known for making the early upsets in the tournament. Tip-off from Pittsburg is slated for 11:15 AM CST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tWcpYCNhk0&ab_channel=MarchMadness

MIKE SMITH | MICHIGAN, 2021

After for seasons at Columbia University, Big Shot Mike was ready for the big stage. He graduate transferred to the University of Michigan and helped former HEAT NBA Champion Juwan Howard reach the Elite Eight in 2021 as a one-seed.

Smith posted his NCAA Tournament career-high of 18 points on 6-12 FGA, four rebounds and five assists in an 82-66 first round route of Texas Southern.

Smith battled with Skyforce teammate Javonte Smart in the Round of 32 and edged past the eighth seeded Tigers 86-78. He posted eight points and four assists in a Sweet 16 victory over Florida State and fell just short in a 51-49 defeat of 11th seeded UCLA in the Elite Eight.

The Wolverines (17-14) play later in the season helped them sneak in as an 11-seed against Colorado State in Indianapolis. Despite the Rams owning a 25-5 record, most experts aren't calling a Michigan victory an upset. Tip-off is slated for 11:15 AM CST on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1376303632912539652

MYCHAL MULDER | KENTUCKY, 2016-17

Kentucky is the lone school with multiple players on the Skyforce roster. Not only did Mychal Mulder play with former Skyforce center Marcus Lee in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, he did with Miami HEAT big man Bam Adebayo in 2017, as well.

Mulder came off the bench for the Wildcats in both the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Tournaments.

He played in two minutes of the first round throttling of Stony Brook. Indiana defeated the Wildcats 73-67 in a Round of 32 blue-blood matchup.

In 2017, with Miami HEAT forward Bam Adebayo, Mulder played in a total of 25 minutes for Kentucky in their Elite Eight run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFpxf8Mij4I&ab_channel=newmancalipari39

JAVONTE SMART | LOUSIANA STATE 2019, 2021

In three years at LSU, Smart made two NCAA appearances and compiled three tournament wins. The Tigers were destined for a run in 2020, but were not able to see it through due to COVID-19.

As a freshman, with South Bay Lakers guard Tremont Waters, Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid and former Force forward Kavell Bigby-Williams, LSU was able to make it to the Sweet 16. Smart posted nine points and six rebounds off the bench for the third seeded Tigers in a 79-74 victory over Yale. He posted nine points again in a slim 69-67 Round of 32 victory over Maryland. The magic ran short, as Michigan State defeated LSU 80-63 in the Sweet 16.

Smart and the Tigers returned in the 2020 NCAA Tournament. He posted seven points in a  76-61 first round victory over St. Bonaventure. Despite losing to Mike Smith and Michigan 86-68, Smart poured in an NCAA Tournament career-high 27 points on 10-23 FGA, nine rebounds and six assists.

LSU (22-11) makes it three appearances in four years, as they are the six-seed in the Midwest and face Iowa State at 6:20 PM CST on Friday in Milwaukee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruscqF_mu9g&ab_channel=MarchMadness

MICAH POTTER | OHIO STATE/WISCONSIN 2018, 2021

Potter is one of two Force players to make the big dance with two different colleges. He helped the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2018 make the Round of 32 in a reserve role and in 2021 he did the same thing as as starter for the Wisconsin Badgers.

He played in two games in the 2018 NCAA Tournament for the Buckeyes, playing a total of 10 minutes. He helped the Buckeyes defeat South Dakota State 81-73 in the opening round and scored three points in a 90-84 loss to four seeded Gonzaga.

The Badgers made the 2019 NCAA Tournament with a 23-11 record, but as Potter sat out due to transfer rules, Wisconsin was bounced in the opening round by Oregon 72-54. Wisconsin was poised for a deep tournament run in 2020, as they were 16-5 before COVID-19 halted the remainder of the season. Potter scored in double figures in five of seven games during an eight-game winning streak to end the 2020 campaign.

Potter and the Badgers responded with a return to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, earning the ninth seed and routed North Carolina 85-62, as the big man had nine points and four rebounds off the bench. He posted a double-double (1o points on 4-9 FGA and 10 rebounds) in a 76-63 loss in the Round of 32 against Baylor.

The Badgers (24-7), winners of the Big Ten regular season, are poised for a run this March. As the three-seed in the Midwest, they play Colgate on Friday at 8:50 PM CST in Milwaukee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZcGN-kxrTc&ab_channel=MarchMadness

CHARLES COOKE | JAMES MADISON/DAYTON 2012, 2016, 2017 

The newly acquired Cooke, who spent 2018-19 with the Skyforce, is the second player to make the tourney with two different colleges.

As a freshman at James Madison in 2011-12, Cooke helped guide the team in a first round victory over LIU with 18 points. He followed that up with 15 points in a loss to Indiana.

After sitting out in 2013, Cooke and Dayton returned to the big dance in 2016 and 2017. He posted 14 points in an opening round loss to Syracuse in 2016 and seven points in a loss to Wichita State in the first round, as well.

The Flyers are a one-seed in this year's NIT and will face Toledo at 6:00 PM CST.

CHANDLER HUTCHISON | BOISE STATE, 2015, 2017

The first round NBA pick out of Orange County, California made the NCAA Tournament once and the NIT twice in his four-year career at Boise State.

The Broncos lost a nail biter 56-66 in the 11-seed play-in game, as Hutchison had four points and two assists off the bench in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Hutchison went off in the 2017 NIT, scoring 34 points on 14-24 FGA and five rebounds in a 73-68 slugfest against Utah. He followed that up with 17 points and eight rebounds in a 71-58 loss in the second round of the NIT. Boise State returned in 2018 and Hutchison nearly willed the Broncos to a victory over the Washington Huskies. He posted 39 points on 11-17 FGA, 14 rebounds and four steals in a 77-74 loss to the Huskies. His play in Boise earned him the 22nd pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Boise State (27-7) is one of the hottest teams coming into the 2022 NCAA Tournament. They are the eight-seed in the West and play the Memphis Tigers in Portland on Thursday at 12:45 PM CST.

https://twitter.com/CBSSportsNet/status/946232889812828160

MARTIN KRAMPELJ | CREIGHTON, 2017

Krampelj and the Bluejays made the NCAA Tournament twice time and the NIT two times in his four-year career at Creighton.

As a freshman in 2016, Krampelj played in just seven games before a season ending injury. Creighton advanced to the Final Four of the NIT, where they were defeated 88-82 by BYU.

Krampelj and Creighton made the NCAA Tournament in 2017, as Rio Grande Valley guard Marcus Foster, former NBA first round pick Justin Patton and South Dakota native Zach Hanson helped the Bluejays earn a 25-10 record and the sixth seed. They were defeated 84-72 to Rhode Island, where Krampelj posted two points in three minutes.

Martin appeared in 17 games as a junior in 2018, where despite injury ending his campaign early, Creighton earned the eighth seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost 69-59 in the opening round to Kansas State. He led the Bluejays to an Elite Eight of the NIT as a senior, where he scored 17 points on 6-10 FGA and eight rebounds in an opening round victory over Chicago-Loyola. Krampelj followed that up with a 12-point performance in a victory over Memphis. In the Elite Eight, he scored seven points in a 71-58 loss to TCU.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQYxy_ktgXM&ab_channel=BetkaKrampelj