Purdue’s Edwards headlines area players in NCAA Tournament field
Archie Aldridge, Middletown: In 1978, his senior year, Aldridge led Miami to the biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament in the first round. The Redskins, as they were called then, defeated defending national champion Marquette 84-81 in overtime. When Aldridge graduated, he was Miami's all-time leading scorer with 1,490 points.
Butch Carter, Middletown: Carter played on the Indiana team that advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1979-80, his senior season. He hit the game winning shot in the 1979 NIT championship game vs. Purdue, earning him the tournament's MVP award, alongside teammate Ray Tolbert.
Bill Edwards Sr., Carlisle: As a senior at Wright State, Edwards was on the team that lost to No. 1 seed Indiana 97-54 in the first round of the 1993 tournament.
Ryan Fletcher, Middletown: Fletcher was a key member on the University of Cincinnati team that was ranked No. 1 heading into the postseason. The Bearcats were 28-2 when Kenyon Martin broke his leg in a first round of the C-USA tournament loss to St. Louis. Cincinnati beat UNC-Wilmington in the NCAA tournament before losing to Tulsa in the second round. The Bearcats posted a combined 137-29 record during Fletcher's career.
Kevin Grevey, Hamilton: In his senior season at Kentucky, the Wildcats lost to UCLA in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament in what would be the final game in the career of UCLA's legendary coach John Wooden. Grevey scored a game-high 34 points and was named to the all-Final Four team.
Chris Kingsbury, Hamilton: He played guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1993 to 1996. Kingsbury was a McDonald's All-American his senior year with Hamilton High School. The Hawkeyes earned a trip to the 1996 NCAA Tournament and lost in the second round to Arizona, 87-73. He did not return to Iowa for his senior season but instead pursued a career in professional basketball.
Shelby Linville, Middletown: After leading Middletown High to two state titles, Linville attended Miami University, then transferred to Kentucky to play for Adolph Rupp. Linville played three seasons at Kentucky and helped lead the Wildcats to the 1951 National Championship.
Jerry Lucas, Middletown: Lucas led Ohio State to the 1960 national championship and advanced to the championship game all three seasons before freshmen were eligible. During his three seasons at OSU, the Buckeyes went 78-6 and he was a three-time All American.
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