Sixty-eight teams began the NCAA tournament Tuesday trying to make it to the Georgia Dome, site of this year’s Final Four and national championship game.
Many teams have direct ties to Georgia, and some team’s connections veer into Kevin Bacon territory.
Either way, here are a few of the nylon threads that connect the Peach State with every team that was in this year’s version of March Madness (even those already eliminated):
Akron
Dominique Moceanu was part of the U.S. gymnastics team that won gold at the 1996 games in Atlanta. She attended Akron.
Albany
School president Robert Jones is a native of Dawson.
Arizona
Mike Bibby, point guard on the Wildcats’ 1997 national championship team, played for the Hawks from 2008-11.
Belmont
The Bruins have two players from Atlanta: Chad Lang, a graduate of Marietta, and J.J. Mann. Mann played at Marist before transferring to Hargrave Military Academy. Mann is averaging 10.5 points per game this year and Lang 1.2.
Boise State
The Broncos opened the 2011-12 football season by thumping Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game. Bob Behler, the voice of the Broncos, is a Georgia grad.
Bucknell
The Bison defeated George Mason, led by former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, earlier this season.
Butler
Former Bulldog Shelvin Mack plays for the Hawks.
California
Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez played on the Bears’ basketball team. Cal beat Georgia Tech in Anaheim earlier this season.
Cincinnati
The Bearcats feature senior Cashmere Wright, a former standout at Savannah’s Urban Christian Academy. He has averaged 12.6 points per game this season.
Colorado
Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson used to be chancellor of Colorado.
Colorado State
Swimmer Amy Van Dyken won four gold medals in the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. She was a student at Colorado State.
Creighton
Former Bluejays Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver play for the Hawks.
Davidson
The roster includes Connor Perkey, a graduate of Pace Academy. He appeared in 10 games this season.
Duke
The Blue Devils played in the Georgia Dome earlier in the season, defeating Kentucky 75-68 in the Champions Classic on Nov. 13. The Blue Devils also defeated Georgia State and Georgia Tech, both times in Durham. Hawks player Dahntay Jones, who recently made headlines for his play against Kobe Bryant, was a standout at Duke.
Florida
The Gators won the national championship at the Georgia Dome in 2007.
Florida Gulf Coast
The Eagles not only are in the same conference as Kennesaw State and Mercer, but their roster includes Conyers native Bernard Thompson, Atlanta’s Jamail Jones and former Georgia Tech player Nate Hicks. Thompson, a former standout at Rockdale County High School, has averaged 14 points and 4.4 rebounds this season. Jones and Hicks didn’t play because they transferred in.
Georgetown
The Hoyas reached the 2007 semifinals in the Georgia Dome, but were beaten by Ohio State.
Gonzaga
The Zags are predicted by many to make it to the Final Four at the Georgia Dome.
Harvard
The Crimson’s roster includes freshman forward/center Michael Hall, a graduate of Woodward Academy.
Illinois
The Illini defeated Georgia Tech earlier this season in Champaign.
Indiana
The Hoosiers were beaten by Maryland in the 2002 championship game in the Georgia Dome. The Hoosiers defeated Georgia on Nov. 19 in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Iona
The Gaels defeated Georgia earlier this season.
Iowa State
The 2001 Iowa State team was co-captained by Kantrail Horton, who starred at Newton. The Cyclones won the Big 12 regular-season title, earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and were beaten by No. 15-seed Hampton in one of the event’s bigger upsets.
James Madison
The Dukes and Georgia State tangled many times the past few years while both were members of the CAA. The Panthers, who will join the Sun Belt next year, won both meetings this season. The Dukes also feature Alioune Diouf, a McEachern grad who has averaged 4.8 points this season. Lastly, Lefty Driesell coached at Georgia State (1997-2003) after leading James Madison (1988-96).
Kansas
The Jayhawks were beaten 67-64 by Michigan State at the Georgia Dome in the Champions Classic. The Jayhawks also reached the 2002 semifinals at the Georgia Dome, but were beaten by Maryland.
Kansas State
Former Hawks coach Lon Kruger’s jersey was retired by the Wildcats, where he played from 1971-74.
La Salle
Albert Vertino, vice president of Atlanta-based Turner Sports, is a graduate of La Salle. This year, Turner Sports will televise 41 games across its three TV networks (TBS, TNT and truTV).
Liberty
The Flames were beaten by Georgia State earlier this season. Also, former Braves first baseman Sid Bream attended Liberty.
LIU-Brooklyn
Former Boston and Milwaukee Brave Sid Gordon attended LIU-Brooklyn.
Louisville
The Cardinals feature sophomore Kevin Ware, a former standout at Rockdale County. He has averaged 4.4 points per game this season. Pervis Ellison, who led the Cardinals to a national championship, is a Savannah native.
Marquette
The Eagles won the NCAA championship at the Omni in 1977.
Memphis
The Tigers feature two former prep standouts from Atlanta: Southwest DeKalb’s Shaq Goodwin and Damien Wilson, who went to Pebblebrook before enrolling at Oak Hill Academy. Goodwin has averaging eight points and Wilson 1.8 this season.
Miami
The Hurricanes’ roster includes junior Rion Brown, a former standout at Liberty County and the son of Tico Brown, who played for Georgia Tech. He averaged 5.9 points per game. Miami also split games this season with the Yellow Jackets.
Michigan
Glenn Robinson III’s father played for the Hawks in 2002.
Michigan State
The Spartans defeated Kansas by three points in the Georgia Dome in the Champions Classic.
Middle Tennessee
The Blue Raiders feature several players from Georgia, including Rentz natives Tweety Knight and Marcos Knight, Waynesboro’s Jacquez Rozier and Columbus’ Torin Walker.
Minnesota
Golden Gophers coach Tubby Smith led Georgia from 1995-97 before leaving to coach Kentucky.
Missouri
The Tigers defeated Georgia earlier this season.
Montana
Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann played for the Grizzlies.
New Mexico
Craig Neal, former standout for the Yellow Jackets, is an associate head coach for the Lobos, a position he has held since 2007. Neal set the since-broken ACC single-season record for assists (303) in 1988.
New Mexico State
The Aggies have been speculatively linked to a move to the Sun Belt Conference, which Georgia State will join July 1.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels swept the Yellow Jackets this season.
North Carolina A&T
The Aggies defeated Georgia Southern earlier this season.
North Carolina State
The Wolfpack feature senior Richard Howell, a former standout at Wheeler. Howell has averaged 12.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season. They also feature Lorenzo Brown, a former standout at Centennial, who has averaged 12.1 points per game this season. The Wolfpack swept Georgia Tech this season.
Northwestern State
Ex-Falcons quarterback Bobby Hebert played for the Demons.
Notre Dame
Georgia Tech was the opponent when Rudy finally got to play for the Fighting Irish in football. Notre Dame is joining the ACC.
Ohio State
The Buckeyes were beaten by Florida in the 2007 championship game at the Georgia Dome. This year’s team features sophomore Shannon Scott, a former standout at Milton. He has averaged 4.8 points per game.
Oklahoma
The Sooners reached the 2002 semifinals at the Georgia Dome, where they were beaten by Indiana. Ex-Sooner Mookie Blaylock played for the Hawks from 1992-99.
Oklahoma State
Georgia Tech defeated the Cowboys in the semifinals of the Final Four in 2004 in the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Ole Miss
The Rebels defeated Georgia in overtime earlier this season.
Oregon
The Ducks feature senior Tony Woods, a former standout at Rome High School. The center has averaged 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Pacific
The Tigers appeared in the Anaheim Classic with Georgia Tech earlier this season. The teams didn’t play each other. Also, Zoo Atlanta director emeritus Terry Maple is a Pacific grad.
Pittsburgh
Assistant coach Brandin Knight’s brother, Brevin, played for the Hawks in 2001. The Panthers are joining the ACC.
Saint Louis
Georgia State athletic director Cheryl Levick held the same title in the Billikens’ athletic department.
Saint Mary’s
The Gaels were beaten by Georgia Tech in Anaheim, Calif., earlier this season.
San Diego State
As we said, some ties aren’t as strong as others: Silverbacks advisor Eric Wynalda is a famous alum.
South Dakota State
Artist Gutzon Borglum started the carving on Stone Mountain before leaving the project. He later moved on to Mount Rushmore.
Southern
The roster includes Thomas Marshall, a former standout at Miller Grove, and Damien Goodwin, a former standout at Columbia.
Syracuse
The Orange also are joining the ACC, and the football team will play at Georgia Tech on Oct. 19.
Temple
Former student and notable supporter Bill Cosby’s son Ennis (now deceased) graduated from Morehouse. And, Temple played in Atlanta in 2001 to go to the Final Four, losing to Michigan State at the Georgia Dome. Tech coach Brian Gregory was an assistant on the Spartans’ staff.
UCLA
The Bruins’ roster includes two metro Atlantans: freshmen Jordan Adams (who is injured) and Tony Parker. Adams, who played at Central Gwinnett High School before transferring to Oak Hill Academy, has averaged 15.3 points per game. Parker, a former standout at Miller Grove, has averaged 2.2 points. The Bruins beat Georgia in Brooklyn, N.Y., earlier this season.
UNLV
Greg Anthony played for UNLV’s national championship team. He now works for TNT, which is based in Atlanta. Also, assistant coach Stacey Augmon played for the Hawks from 1991-96.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders hammered Georgia Southern earlier this season.
Villanova
Former Falcons wide receiver Brian Finneran (now a host on 680 the Fan) played for the Wildcats, and former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt was an assistant there.
Virginia Commonwealth
The Rams’ roster includes freshman Justin Tuoyo, a former standout at Lovejoy. He averaged 1.1 points per game this season.
Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers feature Nigel Snipes, a Wheeler grad who played his first three years in high school at Paideia. He didn’t play this year. Georgia State will join Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt.
Wichita State
The Shockers roster includes sophomore Tekele Cotton, a former standout at Whitefield Academy, and senior Carl Hall, a native of Cochran. Hall has averaged 12.8 points per game this season and Cotton 6.3.
Wisconsin
Former Badger Devin Harris plays for the Hawks.
