NBA

The Best

Sam McCants, Oral Roberts University All-American on 1974 team that played Kansas in the Elite Eight  (Sam passed away this past year.) In honor of the four BEST college basketball teams getting to t...

March 2024
1 min read
By Jack Sutter
Sam McCants — Oral Roberts University All-American and the outstanding player in the 1974 NCAA Mid-West Regional.
Sam McCants — Oral Roberts University All-American and the outstanding player in the 1974 NCAA Mid-West Regional.

Sam McCants, Oral Roberts University All-American on 1974 team that played Kansas in the Elite Eight  (Sam passed away this past year.)

In honor of the four BEST college basketball teams getting to the Final Four and playing this weekend for the coveted NCAA National Championship I thought it appropriate to write something about “the best”. As a former D1 player at Middle Tennessee State and a college coach at Oral Roberts and Iowa State I am fully aware of the controversy in labeling any one player or any one team “the best”. Like most sports fans I still like to compare. In 1974, while serving as an assistant coach at ORU, we came within an overtime of going to the Final Four. Every year during March Madness I reflect on what might have been all those 51 years ago and look forward to what is about to happen this weekend.

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Jack Sutter

Jack has spent 70+ years playing, coaching, and watching basketball. Former D1 player at Middle Tennessee State, assistant coach at Oral Roberts University (3 All-Americans, 7 NBA Draftees, Top 10 rankings, 1974 Elite Eight), and author of three books on the sport he loves.

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Jack Sutter has spent 70 years playing, coaching, and watching players play the game he loves. His books are written for the casual basketball fan as well as the "hard core" fan.

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