For many basketball fans, March is considered the best month on the calendar. Selection Sunday marks the start of a four-week, drama-filled sensation known as March Madness. However, in 2020, things are a bit different.
There will be no “Cinderella story” or “bracket busters” in the 2020 edition of the NCAA Tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NCAA has canceled its 68-team championship tournament in precaution to COVID-19.
With no games on the NBA or college basketball schedule, Warriors Wire looked back at how members of the 2019-20 edition of the Golden State Warriors fared in March Madness.
Before they were with Golden State, three different Dubs made trips to the final game, with others stamping spots in the Elite Eight. At the same time, one newly acquired Warrior was a victim of an upset in the opening weekend.
Never Played in the NCAA Tournament
Klay Thompson, Marquese Chriss and Damion Lee didn’t qualify for March Madness. Nevertheless, they did appear in a college postseason tournament.
The trio of Warriors all played in the NIT, with Thompson reaching the semi-finals in 2011. Wichita State eliminated Thompson’s Washington State Cougars.
Chriss and the Washington Huskies were knocked out in round two of the NIT in his freshman year by the San Diego State Aztecs. In two games, the eventual lottery pick averaged 23 points a game in the NIT.
In four seasons at Drexel, Lee made one trip to the NIT and was eliminated in the quarter-finals by UMass. As a graduate transfer at Louisville, Lee and Donovan Mitchell were ineligible for the tournament due to a self-imposed postseason ban.
Mychal Mulder — Kentucky — 2016 & 2017
Newly signed shooting guard Mychal Mulder transferred to the college basketball powerhouse Kentucky after spending two seasons at Vincennes University.
In two years at Kentucky, Mulder appeared in two NCAA tournaments, with his deepest trip coming in 2017. After knocking out Lonzo Ball and the UCLA Bruins in the Sweet 16, Mulder’s Kentucky squad met up with the North Carolina Tarheels in an Elite Eight classic.
After a game-tying 3-pointer with under 10 seconds left from Malik Monk, Luke May hit a buzzer-beating jumper to send Mulder, Bam Adebayo and De’Aron Fox back home to Lexington.
In Kentucky’s 2017 run, Mulder scored three points in 25 minutes across four games.
Eric Paschall — Villanova — 2017 – 2019
Rookie Eric Paschall recorded three trips to the big dance in his career at Villanova. Paschall’s Wildcats couldn’t get out of the first weekend of the tournament in two trips.
However, in 2018, Paschall, alongside Donte DiVincenzo, Omari Spellman, Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, brought a banner back to Villanova.
When it mattered most, Paschall was a key figure for Jay Wright’s second title run in three years. Against Kansas in the Final Four, Paschall led Villanova with 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, with four makes coming from long distance.
The redshirt junior added three assists and three rebounds against Devon’te Graham’s Jayhawks.
Kevon Looney — UCLA — 2015
Before getting drafted in the first round by the Warriors in 2015, Kevon Looney registered two double-doubles in three games with the UCLA Bruins as an 11 seed.
Looney’s first game in the tournament lived up to the March Madness billing. The Bruins upset SMU in the first round on a Bryce Alford shot that was ruled goaltending in the final seconds, advancing UCLA to the round of 32. Alford and Norman Powell combined for 46 of UCLA’s 60 points against the Mustangs.
Looney’s college career came to an end in the Sweet 16, with a loss to Domantas Sabonis’ top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Jordan Poole — Michigan — 2018 & 2019
In two seasons at Michigan, Jordan Poole advanced past the first weekend of the tournament each year of his career. Poole’s postseason college career started fast with a run to the championship round.
However, Poole’s Wolverines couldn’t get past Paschall and Villanova. While Poole didn’t take home a title, his March Madness legacy will live on in Ann Arbor for centuries. The Michigan freshman nailed a deep 3-pointer as time expired to send the Wolverines to the Sweet 16.
Poole’s game-winner over Houston has become a staple in March Madness highlight reels for the future.
Andrew Wiggins — Kansas — 2014
Although he was one of the top recruited players in 2013, Andrew Wiggins’ run in March Madness didn’t last long.
Wiggins and the Kansas Jayhawks were eliminated in the second round by the Stanford Cardinal. Wiggins scored 19 points against Eastern Kentucky in the opening round, but only recorded four points in 34 minutes against Stanford — the second-lowest scoring total of his Kansas career.
Even with his underwhelming tournament performance, Wiggins was still drafted first overall in 2014 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Juan Toscano-Anderson — Marquette — 2012 & 2013
Although Juan Toscano-Anderson did not register a point in two March Madness trips, the Oakland native logged minutes in six tournament games for Marquette.
In Marquette’s 2013 run to the Elite Eight, The Golden Eagles were nearly upset in the first round by Davidson. The Wildcats had the upset almost locked up with a four-point lead and only 11 seconds remaining.
Marquette’s Jamil Wilson cut the lead to one after drilling a 3-pointer — then March Madness ensued. Davidson turned the ball over on an errant pass out of bounds, giving the ball back to the Golden Eagles. Vander Blue hit a layup with one second remaining to stop the upset and send Marquette to the next round.
Toscano-Anderson and Marquette were eliminated by Michael Carter-Williams and Jerami Grant’s fourth-seeded Syracuse team in the regional finals.
Chasson Randle — Stanford — 2014
Before he was on a 10-day contract with the Golden State Warriors, Chasson Randle led the Stanford Cardinal on an unlikely Sweet 16 berth as a 10 seed.
Randle scored 13 points against Andrew Wiggins and the second-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in a 60-57 upset in the round of 32.
Although Randle registered a game-high 21 points, Stanford’s magic ran out in the Sweet 16 against Archie Miller’s Dayton Flyers.
Stephen Curry — Davidson — 2007 & 2008
Despite never making it to the Final Four, not many players have an NCAA tournament resume like Stephen Curry.
The two-time Most Valuable Player only scored under 30 points once in his March Madness career. Curry averaged 31.6 points for the Davidson Wildcats in five tournament games.
In 2008, Curry led Davidson to the Elite Eight as a 10 seed. In the opening round, the Davidson guard ripped Gonzaga for 40 points with eight 3-pointers. Curry then blitzed by the higher-seeded Georgetown and Wisconsin.
Davidson’s Cinderella run stopped in the regional finals against the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks. Curry scored 25 of Davidson’s 57 points in the final game of a captivating dance by the Wildcats.
Draymond Green — Michigan State — 2009 – 2012
Draymond Green’s decorated college career included two trips to the Final Four. Green played a whopping 14 games in the NCAA Tournament, more than any member on the Golden State Warriors.
During March madness, the Saginaw product averaged 12.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Green recorded two triple-doubles and two double-doubles for the Spartans in the tournament.
Green, Oscar Robinson and Magic Johnson are the only players to register multiple triple-doubles in NCAA Tournament history.
Green’s college career ended with a loss to the fourth-seeded Lousiville Cardinals in 2012.
