Horizon League Ties Throughout NCAA 75th Anniversary Celebration

INDIANAPOLIS – Celebrating the 75^th anniversary of the Final Four, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced its top 75 players, top 25 teams and 35 greatest moments in tournament history on Tuesday, with several Horizon League ties among the candidates.

The “Game of Change” between Loyola and Mississippi State, which took place in the 1963 NCAA Tournament, was cited as one of the top moments in tournament history as well.

Mississippi State defied an unwritten state law prohibiting the team from competing against African-American players, sneaking across the border to meet Loyola for a tournament game in East Lansing, Mich. Loyola, starting four African-American players, won the game en route to the 1963 NCAA Championship, but the impact of the game had a far more profound impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

Loyola and Mississippi State will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the event this Saturday at Loyola’s Gentile Arena.

Former Butler standout Shelvin Mack was named to the top 75 players list, while the Bulldogs were cited among the top moments in NCAA Tournament history for their run to the 2010 national championship game.

Mack led the Bulldogs to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back national championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011, earning Southeast Regional MVP honors in the 2011 tournament and a place on the All-Tournament Team at the Final Four. In his four games in the Final Four, Mack averaged 15.8 points per game, including a 24-point performance in Butler’s semifinal win over VCU in 2011. Mack finished his career as Butler’s all-time tournament scoring leader with 232 career NCAA points.

Current Valparaiso head coach Bryce Drew was cited for a moment he helped craft as a player with the Crusaders in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Drew hit “The Shot,” coming off a touch pass from near mid-court, as Drew’s three-pointer lifted Valparaiso to a last-second win over Mississippi en route to a Sweet 16 appearance.

The Horizon League served as a co-host for three of the top 35 moments in NCAA Tournament history, with Butler (2010) and George Mason's (2006) Final Four appearances earning spots, along with Duke's upset of UNLV in the 1991 Final Four. Eleven of the top 75 players also appeared in Indianapolis-hosted Final Fours.

Starting in early January at www.NCAA.com/MarchMadness, fans will vote to help determine the top 15 All-Time March Madness Players, the single best All-Time March Madness Team, and the single best All-Time March Madness Moment in NCAA tournament history. These honorees will be introduced at this year’s 2013 Men’s Final Four in Atlanta. Status on the voting throughout the year will be available on NCAA’s March Madness Facebook page and Twitter under the hashtag #MM75.