Image via Complex Original
To cut down the nets this April, a team will need more than good shooting, solid defense, and a smart coach. To come out on top at the end of the NCAA Tournament, a team also requires a leader with great decisiveness, initiative, judgment, and knowledge of the game. While they share common traits, great team leaders do come in different shapes and sizes. History shows that leaders don’t appear as a single type, or even a single type of player. Some are known for doing the dirty work, others for their consistency, others for taking the big shot. Here are 10 of the best leaders in March Madness history, and the qualities that distinguished them.
Bill Russell, San Francisco (1953-1956)
In 1955 and 1956, Bill Russell and the University of San Francisco grabbed national titles, winning 55 straight games along the way. Russell was a force—an absolute rock with the bearing of a champion. In college, the center averaged 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game. He made an even bigger impact on the defensive end. After San Francisco faced UCLA, famed coach John Wooden reportedly called Russell “the greatest defensive man I’ve ever seen.”
But Russell’s biggest attribute was his courage. Russell played at a time of overt racism. Circumstances were so bad that in 1954, Russell and some of his teammates were denied access to an Oklahoma City hotel. One year later, Russell, despite being the obvious pick, was passed over as Player of the Year in Northern California. In spite of the adversity, Russell had the courage to keep playing (and dominating), leading his team to another championship in 1956.
Lew Alcindor, UCLA (1966-1969)
Before he was winning NBA titles with the Lakers as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew Alcindor (as he was then known) was raking in the accolades with UCLA. Alcindor was the definition of dependability. UCLA coach John Wooden and the rest of the Bruins knew they could count on Alcindor to perform when it mattered most. In his three seasons with the team, Alcindor led UCLA to three titles and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player each year.
Bill Walton, UCLA (1971-1974)
For three years, Bill Walton anchored UCLA. Like Alcindor, Walton’s biggest asset was his dependability. In his three years with the Bruins, Walton averaged 20.3 points and 15.7 rebounds. Walton understood the Coach Wooden “Pyramid of Success” perhaps better than any other Bruin, and as such could be depended on when it counted most.
With the title on the line, Walton’s "competitive greatness"—the pinnacle of that pyramid—shone through. In the 1972 championship game against Florida State, Walton went for 24 and 20 in an 81-76 UCLA win. One year later, Walton famously connected on 21 of 22 shots in the title game against Memphis State for 44 points, and UCLA came out on 87-66.
Christian Laettner, Duke (1988-1992)
By now you’ve seen this clip a hundred times. With 2.1 seconds left and Duke trailing Kentucky 103-102 in the East Regional final, the Blue Devils’ Grant Hill tossed a full-court pass to Laettner at the free throw line. Laettner didn’t have much time to think, but he stayed calm under pressure and made a savvy play: he faked to his right with one dribble, creating enough space to get a look at the basket. The shot was good, and Duke went on to win the championship. “The Shot” demonstrates the blend of intuition and courage you only find in great leaders.
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (1996-2000)
In 1999, Michigan State made it all the way to the Final Four before falling to Duke. Cleaves, a junior, had a standout season averaging 11.7 points and 7.2 assists per game. The NBA seemed to be calling. But Cleaves made the unselfish decision to return for his senior season. The 6-2 guard was rewarded for his loyalty to the program: he was named the team’s captain for the third straight year.
With Cleaves handling the rock, the Spartans entered the NCAA Tournament with a 26-7 record and the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region. After five straight double-digit wins, Michigan State met Florida in the championship game. In the second half, Cleaves hit the deck hard on a fast break, and he limped off the court with a sprained ankle. With his teammates—and all MSU fans—on the edge of their seats, he returned to the game. Playing at less than 100 percent, Cleaves demonstrated uncommon perseverance to finish the game and led the Spartans to the title.
Juan Dixon, Maryland (1998-2002)
Dixon was born in Baltimore and played high school ball in Towson, Maryland. When it came to picking a college, Dixon stayed loyal to his home state. He chose to play for Gary Williams at Maryland, and then, as a senior in 2002, Williams led the Terrapins to their first—and only—national championship. Even when it came to his NBA career, Dixon began and ended playing for the closest thing he had to a hometown team, the Washington Wizards.
“For Juan Dixon, Terps Coaching Gig was Long Time Coming.”
That headline says it all. Dixon may have been playing pro ball from 2002 until 2011, but it only makes sense that he’s back with the Terrapins—now as a special assistant. Juan Dixon and Maryland hoops have been—and will be—forever linked. There is a special loyalty in remaining with one state, and one school, for decades. Dixon stands as a perfect example of that special determination to stay true to your roots.
Gerry McNamara, Syracuse (2002-2006)
Gerry McNamara was one of those guys you could have just sworn played college basketball well beyond four years. That’s because McNamara was Syracuse’s anchor for four solid seasons. Talk about endurance: as a freshman, he started every game for the Orange, playing an integral role on the 2003 championship team featuring Carmelo Anthony and Hakeem Warrick.
After Melo left for the NBA, McNamara returned to lead the Orange, pacing Syracuse in assists and finishing second in scoring. He averaged 26.7 points per game in the tournament that year, and the Orange reached the Sweet Sixteen. After Warrick’s departure for the NBA, McNamara was asked to shoulder an even greater burden as a senior. That year, McNamara’s endurance was especially critical. In the Big East tournament, McNamara and the Orange failed to earn a bye and had to play four games in four days. McNamara didn’t slow down one bit. The senior scored 17, 17, 17 and 14 points to lead the Orange to the title.
Joakim Noah, Florida (2004-2007)
In the last 21 years, Florida is the only school to win back-to-back NCAA championships. Much of the credit for that feat must go to Joakim Noah. Noah wasn’t putting up huge scoring numbers (in fact, in 2007 he was the team’s fourth-leading scorer) but the center took care of the team’s dirty work. In 2006 he averaged 7.1 boards per game, and one year later he bumped that average to 8.4.
And not only did Noah do the dirty work, but he did it with enthusiasm. Noah was Florida’s emotional leader, with an infectious enthusiasm few have rivaled. He picked up his teammates when their energy was down, he pumped them up after big plays, and he danced in celebration.
Stephen Curry, Davidson (2006-2009)
A true David and Goliath story has to begin with an unlikely hero. Stephen Curry did not ultimately win an NCAA championship, but as a leader for upstart Davidson, his accomplishment was still extraordinary.
In March 2008, the scrawny sharpshooter made the nation respect the small liberal arts college from North Carolina. In the opening round, Curry led by example, dropping 40 points to lead the Wildcats to their first NCAA tournament win in decades—and then he tacked on two more. Neither Davidson nor Curry was given much respect when the Selection Committee gave the team a 10 seed. But after two weeks going head-to-head with some of the nation’s established programs, Curry’s Davidson squad had earned it.
Kemba Walker, Connecticut (2008-2011)
After two solid seasons, Walker exploded as a junior. In just a year, he went from scoring 14.6 points per game to 23.5. His unquestioned talent was a key factor in UConn winning both the Big East Tournament and the national championship, but even more impressive than Walker’s gaudy stats was his ability to get the best out of his teammates. In this case, his teammates included a group of unproven freshmen. During an 11-game winning streak to end the season, freshmen Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier fed off Walker’s energy. Thanks to Walker’s ability to put the rookies in positions where they could succeed, Lamb and Napier developed the confidence to become the role players UConn needed down the stretch to win a championship.