PRE-QUESTION NOTE: Today is a Theme Day. Theme days can be overt, or they can be subtle and connected, in such a way that figuring out the theme may help you answer the questions. Good luck.

Name the man who led the Evansville Purple Aces to two straight Division II national championships in 1964 and 1965, had his no. 4 retired by the Chicago Bulls in 1978, and won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 before passing in 2020.

Name the author who wrote the book Paper Lion (about his time at the Detroit Lions training camp) and the Sports Illustrated article “The Curious Case of Sidd Finch,” about a pitcher whose fastball topped out around 168 mph.

Fill in the blank with the alliterative five-letter first name of BYU’s official mascot: ______ the Cougar.

Which Brazilian defensewoman and midfielder, whose last name is Estrela Moura but who goes by a single name in the Brazilian tradition, played in two World Cups and one Olympics from 2004 to 2011. Unlike some of her mononymic teammates, such as Marta and Pretinha, she never scored a goal.

Name the American stock car driver, nicknamed “Rocket Man,” who broke the rookie record for poles won in 2002, and had his best ever finish in the NASCAR Cup series in 2014, when he came in second to Kevin Harvick despite never winning a race.