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NEW ORLEANS (AP)—Kentucky has the best players. Kansas has the most heart. From the first practice in October to the final cutting of the nets in April, that’s how the two teams remaining in the NCAA tournament have made a name for themselves. They meet Monday to decide the national championship—a game between the Wildcats and their cadre of NBA-caliber talent and the Jayhawks and their unending supply of high-wire comebacks. Kentucky (37-2), in search of its eighth national title but its first since 1998, has five, maybe six, players who will be playing in the NBA soon. Most are...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: So this assistant basketball coach at Syracuse, this guy -- Fine is his name, Bernie Fine -- has been accused of sexually molesting boys and students for a whole bunch of years. It turns out that ESPN had a tape since 2002 with evidence. ESPN has sat on evidence for nine years because they say they couldn't corroborate it. On the tape the guy's wife cops to it, saying she witnessed it and a ball boy admits it. They say they couldn't corroborate it. I wonder if the coach's name had been Paterno if ESPN woulda sat...

Florida A&M basketball player Shannon Washington died early Sunday morning after suffering a knife wound to her neck, the school announced. Tallahassee Police responded to a report of a stabbing and found Washington in an apartment. She was treated at the scene by police and EMS and later died at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, police said. Starquineshia Palmer, 20, who was visiting Washington for the weekend, was detained and charged with first-degree murder, police reported.

ESPN has reached an agreement with the Morale Entertainment Foundation to televise Michigan State vs. North Carolina in the Carrier Classic 11-11-11, the first men's college basketball game to be played on the deck of a United States military aircraft carrier, on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. ET. The United States military ship to host the unique Veteran's Day event honoring the men and women in the armed forces is to be determined but will be positioned in the San Diego harbor. As part of the telecast, ESPN will televise a special halftime entertainment show and post-game concert organized...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina and Michigan State are closing in on a deal to play a basketball game on an aircraft carrier next season. Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said on his radio show Monday night that the teams hope to play on Veteran's Day in San Diego on a carrier. Larry Gallo, a senior associate athletic director at UNC, said Tuesday that a contract isn't in place yet. "We feel as though all systems are go, we're just trying to finalize" details, Gallo said. "But until you have a contract, a deal hasn't been consumated."

SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah accepted an invitation to become the 12th member of the newly expanded Pac-10 Conference on Thursday. "Today is an absolutely great day to be a Ute," athletic director Chris Hill said before he was interrupted by applause during a news conference at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

With all due respect to Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski and even Bear Bryant and Vince Lombardi, John Wooden was in a class by himself. Wooden will go down as the most accomplished coach anywhere. Ever. The Wizard of Westwood won 10 national titles in a 12-year span, including a remarkable seven consecutive from 1967 through ’73. Wooden’s success is almost unfathomable. Wooden passed away on Friday night at the UCLA Medical Center, just months prior to his 100th birthday on Oct. 14. Wooden was still mentally sharp in his 90s and was spotted at UCLA games and other events.

John Wooden, the UCLA basketball coach who became an icon of American sports while guiding the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 national championships in the 1960s and '70s and remained in the spotlight during retirement with his "Pyramid of Success" motivational program, has died. He was 99. Though his fame extended beyond the sports world, it was Wooden's achievements during 27 seasons at UCLA that put him in the company of such legendary coaches as the Green Bay Packers' Vince Lombardi and Notre Dame's Knute Rockne. Wooden's string of championships began with back-to-back victories in 1964 and '65. Starting in...

The NCAA plans to expand the men's basketball tournament from 65 to 68 teams beginning next year and announced a new, $10.8 billion broadcasting deal with CBS and Turner Broadcasting on Thursday that will allow every game to be shown live for the first time. The three-team expansion is much more modest than 80- and 96-team proposals the NCAA outlined just a few weeks ago at the Final Four. The move coincides with the new, 14-year broadcasting arrangement that interim NCAA president Jim Isch said will provide an average of $740 million to its conferences and schools each year. The...

Butler took Duke to the final possession Monday night, but Gordon Hayward's potential game-winners drew iron as the Blue Devil won the national title 61-59.

Come watch Milan... err... I mean BUTLER, beat the Evil Duke!!!

Total votes 53,738

Tennessee shocks the basketball world.

Omar Samhan was an unstoppable Gael force. His career isn't over yet - and neither is Saint Mary's NCAA tournament run as the Gaels are improbably headed to the round of 16. Samhan played the game of his career on basketball's biggest stage, finishing with 32 points and seven rebounds to lead 10th-seeded Saint Mary's past Villanova 75-68 on Saturday and on to Houston for the South Regional's Sweet 16. Mickey McConnell stopped and fired an arcing 25-footer that banked high off the glass to give Saint Mary's a 68-65 lead with 1:15 left. Samhan used a two-handed block to...

Kentucky beat Wake Forrest 90-60

Ever go to a friend's 45th birthday party, and somebody decides it'd be a swell idea to jam 45 candles on the birthday cake, and the first 10 candles fit nice and orderly, but by the time you're wedging the 43rd and 44th candle into the cake, the surface is crammed like a subway car, and you can no longer see the icing, much less the pretty HAPPY BIRTHDAY written in cursive, and when you light it, it ignites like a Viking funeral pyre, and when you carry it out to the living room, your 45-year-old friend appears completely horrified,...

Oregon State Beavers men's basketball coach Craig Robinson seems to have been victimized by the curse of his brother-in-law, President Barack Obama.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro President Obama made an appearance as a third CBS commentator at the Georgetown-Duke men's college basketball game here at the Verizon Center. The president looked like he was having fun, joked that he was coming after Clark Kellogg's job and about his appearance at the House Republican Conference on Friday. After showing the 2008 footage of Obama playing with the eventual National Champion North Carolina Tar Heels, CBS play-by-play man Verne Lundquist asked, "Mr. President, you're a left-hander, do you have any trouble going to your right?" Recognizing the double entendre in the question, Obama said...

US President Barack Obama talks with Mona Sutphen (C), deputy White House Chief of Staff, and David Axelrod (R), senior advisor, during the first half of the NCAA men's college basketball game between Georgetown and Duke at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (AFP/Saul Loeb)

Georgetown today issued a press release asking fans to plan on arriving at Verizon Center 45 minutes earlier than usual for the Duke game tomorrow "due to the number of dignitaries expected to be in attendance, there will be enhanced security at the entrances to the arena." One of the fans in attendance will be President Obama, according to The Hill.

WASHINGTON (AP) -Georgetown coach John Thompson III was asked to describe his demeanor at halftime Saturday after watching his Hoyas go without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes and fall behind by as many as 19 points against Connecticut. Before Thompson could answer, two players piped up. With a knowing smile, Austin Freeman said: "He was calm." Then Greg Monroe also offered: "He was calm." After a pause, Monroe added, with perfect comedic timing: "for a couple seconds."

Georgia Tech was a team on a mission. It showed. Duke was just plain tired. That showed, too. Gani Lawal scored 21 points, including a crucial shot with just over a minute remaining, and No. 20 Georgia Tech bounced back from a dismal loss with a 71-67 upset of the fifth-ranked Blue Devils on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets avoided an 0-2 start in conference play and made up for Tuesday’s 73-66 loss to state rival Georgia, a team that doesn’t have nearly as much as talent.

STORRS, Conn. (AP)--Tina Charles scored all of her 25 points in the first half and grabbed 13 rebounds to help top-ranked Connecticut rout No. 7 North Carolina 88-47 on Saturday and win their 54th consecutive game. The streak ties one Louisiana Tech made from 1980-82 as the second-longest in Division I women's basketball history. UConn also has the longest streak, 70 straight between 2001 and 2003. The Huskies have run through their opponents during the current streak, winning every game by at least double digits. Connecticut has really turned it on against the nine top 10 teams its faced, winning...

A picture of America, Obama gets cheered by the GWU fans as he attends game to root for the Oregon State team where his brother-in-law is the head coach...(Video)

This Thanksgiving weekend, the First Family did the same thing many Americans families did – catch a game. For the Obamas, the game of choice was basketball. The Beavers of Oregon State, where Michelle Obama’s brother Craig Robinson is the head coach, were in town to play the George Washington University Colonials last night. The game was a family affair with Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama as well as grandmother Miriam Robinson, arriving at the Smith Center shortly before the game began. Fans were required to go through airport-like security before entering the arena. While there was no official...

In honor of John Wooden's 99th birthday, here are 99 things you may, or may not, know about the legendary former UCLA basketball coach: 1. He was born in Martinsville, Ind., on Oct. 14, 1910. 2. Wooden led Martinsville High to the Indiana state title in 1927 and runner-up finishes in 1926 and 1928.

LOS ANGELES -- Legendary former UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden is celebrating his 99th birthday today with the release of a new book that he co-wrote. Wooden coached the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships in his final 12 seasons, including a record seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. ...In addition to his championships and 620-147 record as UCLA's coach from 1948 to 1975, Wooden was acclaimed for the values he espoused. He had three rules for his players -- don't use profanity, be on time and never criticize a teammate.

So the ESPN everywoman and patron saint of blog traffic got her bell rung by an errant foul ball at last night's Mets-Dodgers game. She's fine, just bruised up, and ESPN says she'll resume her duties right away. Our (and by "our," I feel totally comfortable saying I'm speaking for college football fans everywhere of all persuasions) very best wishes for an SEC-speed recovery and better timing on live television.

(2) Michigan State 82, (1) Connecticut 73 Associated Press DETROIT -- Raymar Morgan grinned and lifted his right arm high in the air, saluting a stadium filled with Michigan State fans with a little wave. The Spartans promised their downtrodden state something good, and boy, did they deliver. Morgan broke out of his late-season slump with 18 points, Kalin Lucas added 21 and the smaller Spartans ran roughshod over Hasheem Thabeet and Connecticut in an 82-73 upset in the Final Four on Saturday night. The Spartans will play the winner of Villanova-North Carolina for the NCAA title Monday night, a...

1st Game, 6:07pm Michigan State Spartans at University of Connecticut Huskies 2nd Game, 8:47pm Villanova Wildcats At University of North Carolina Tarheels

Saturday, April 4th, 2009 - CBS TV Westwood One Radio 6:07pm EDT - Michigan St (2) at Connecticut (1) 8:47pm EDT - Villanova (3) at North Carolina (1)

Here's a quick look at today's NCAA tournament regional championship games:

Thursday, March 26th, 2009 East Regionals - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA (4) Xavier at (1) Pittsburgh, 7:27pm EDT CBS TV, Westwood One radio (3) Villanova at (2) Duke, 9:57pm EDT CBS TV, Westwood One radio Finals Saturday, March 28th, 2009 4:40pm EDT West Regional University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ (5) Purdue at (1) UConn, 7:07pm EDT CBS TV, Westwood One radio (3) Missouri at (2) Memphis, 9:37pm EDT CBS TV, Westwood One radio Finals Saturday, March 28th, 2009 7:10pm EDT Friday, March 27th, 2009 South Regional FedExForum, Memphis , TN (3) Syracuse at (2) Oklahoma, 7:27pm EDT CBS...

CHICAGO (CBS) ― After the first day of the NCAA basketball tournament, President Obama's bracket appears to be a bust. The president, a self-described basketball junkie, managed to only pick 11 of 16 games correctly-or 69 percent. CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago imported Obama's picks, which were originally made for ESPN, into its Bracket Challenge game. Currently, the president ranks in the 27th percentile among all players. Several contestants managed to pick every game correctly. WBBM-TV traffic reporter Susan Carlson, who admits to watching very little basketball, picked 15 of 16 games correctly. Perhaps Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was right...

Krzyzewski said he heard at breakfast on Thursday that his quote had been taken out of context. He was asked what he thought about the fact that Duke wasn't advancing too far in a lot of brackets. "Really it doesn't matter at all what anyone predicts, it's what you do," Krzyzewski said on Wednesday. "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four. As much as I respect what he's done, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably, more than the brackets. So why would I care about that? "I love the guy, and I...

The N.C.A.A. tournament hasn’t started, and already the women have fallen behind the men, never to catch up. Instead of being part of a sumptuous basketball buffet, the women are treated like leftovers. That’s too bad. And no one deserves more blame than the administrators in charge. Give me the women’s tournament over the men’s any day. Its coaches and players are more accessible and forthcoming. The story lines are plentiful and fresh. The women’s game is exciting to watch, and the players have careers, not auditions. No one who has met the garrulous wiseacre Geno Auriemma could possibly prefer...

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't thrilled his team got snubbed by the leader of the free world. "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets," Krzyzewski told a reporter from the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't thrilled his team got snubbed by the leader of the free world. "Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets," Krzyzewski told a reporter from the Associated Press on Wednesday. Related: Obama's Final Four picks revealed The president filled out his NCAA bracket for ESPN on Tuesday, and the Blue Devils weren't among his Final 4 picks. Instead, he has Coach K's squad falling to Pittsburgh in the...

Apparently President Obama's sports interest isn't limited to wanting to bring a college football playoff system to the country. He's also filled out an NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket that will be revealed Wednesday during a 9 a.m. ESPN "SportsCenter" interview with Andy Katz.

March Madness is here

Rating - Team - Perdogg power index 1. North Carolina 31.2477 2. Pittsburgh 31.1164 3. Connecticut 31.1133 4. Duke 30.9132 5. Memphis 30.3177 6. Michigan St. 30.2736 7. Oklahoma 30.2427 8. Kansas 30.0537 9. Louisville 30.0025 10. Missouri 29.5369

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)—Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun got into a heated exchange at a postgame news conference Saturday with a freelance journalist and political activist who questioned why the coach of a public university was making $1.6 million in tough economic times...

Central Michigan University is being sued after one of their women's basketball players said she was kicked off the team due to her heterosexuality. Brooke Heike was a high school basketball star who was aggressively sought after by several colleges that wanted the league MVP from Washington Township, Michigan, to continue her record-breaking rebounding and shot-blocking skills on their campus. After leading her team to its first conference title in 18 years as a high school senior, the 6-foot-2 forward decided to attend Central Michigan University, which offered her a full scholarship. But Heike says she fell out of favor...

Straight shooter.

During a week which featured both an historic 41-point loss to hated Duke and another double-digit lead turning into a crushing defeat, the Terps could have used some peace and quiet off the court as they tried to regroup. But, alas, it was not to be.

As CBS Sports announced Monday that it has hired Clark Kellogg to replace Billy Packer as lead analyst for its college basketball broadcasts, Packer cast an unemotional eye on his three decades as one of the network's signature voices and said he is eager to work on other projects.

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – The University of Kansas national champion men's basketball team began their victory lap in the nation’s capital yesterday by visiting wounded warriors and signing autographs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. The University of Kansas national champion men's basketball team poses for a picture with injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. The team and coaching staff kicked off their two-day tour of the nation's capital by visiting wounded warriors June 2, 2008. Defense Department photo by John J. Kruzel  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Towering players in...

Now recovered, hoops star says treatment affected his game - University of Tennessee men's basketball star Chris Lofton didn't want to make any excuses for his slump the first half of this past season. But cancer isn't an excuse - it's a reason. The senior All-American guard told the News Sentinel on Thursday that he underwent four weeks of radiation treatment after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last March. Tears came to his eyes when discussing his battle with cancer. Lofton said he has made a full recovery, but he acknowledged that last spring's treatment affected his offseason training regimen...

WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) — More than 100 college presidents and athletic directors are urging NCAA President Myles Brand to re-examine the presence of alcohol ads on broadcasts of games, suggesting that college sports and beer advertising are a “bad mix.” The Center for Science in the Public Interest has said some of CBS’s game telecasts may have exceeded the amount of beer advertising allowed. In a letter sent yesterday, the presidents cited the amount of beer advertising during CBS’s broadcast of the “March Madness” college basketball tournament. “Beer advertising during the games continues to undermine the many positive attributes of college...

4/6/2008 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- College basketball officials recognized the contributions of American servicemembers throughout the world during the men's NCAA Final Four weekend April 4 through 7 in San Antonio. Military members were present during college basketball's biggest weekend while singing the national anthem, presenting the colors, sitting in the stands and watching live from bases directly fighting the war on terrorism. The military was saluted throughout the weekend as officials of the NCAA saluted American warriors at festivities throughout the weekend. NCAA coaches and the public talked to and thanked troops serving on the front lines in...