Free Republic

North Carolina defeats Michigan State 89-72,wins 5th National championship.

(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:

Upset SpecialA second Big East team is headed to the Final Four, but the first No. 1 seed has fallen as Villanova knocks out Pittsburgh 78-76. Results »

<p>Why no women's bracket? asks Christine Brennan of USA Today.</p>

The NCAA Tournament commences Thursday night with four games in the round affectionately known as the Sweet 16. While the dearth of upsets thus far might have zapped some of the excitement out of the tournament, the advantage is that, according to the seeds, many of the top teams remain alive, including five from the Big East.

Has the Bible verse John 3:16 become too controversial to be displayed at sporting events? Some might be asking that question after a basketball fan at the NCAA Tournament had his sign featuring the famous New Testament quote snatched away from him by a security guard. The incident took place last week during Round One of the annual contest, as Siena College, a Catholic school, was taking on Ohio State at the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. CBS Sports coverage posted on YouTube shows the sign being confiscated by a security guard, who then folds it up several times so...

Would you call getting a 53 on a test "close to brilliant?" If you're Chris Matthews, and you're reporting about Barack Obama you would, for on Monday's "Hardball," the MSNBC host bragged about his president being "close to brilliant," "amazing," "incredibly on target," and "unbelievable" with his NCAA college basketball tournament picks. Yet, when you dig into the numbers, out of all the entrants into ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge 2009, Obama currently ranks 2,167,290, which makes his relative score compared to others 53.20 percent.

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...

B.J. Raymond netted 15 points to lead a balanced scoring attack and Xavier outlasted Wisconsin in a defensive battle, 60-49, to earn a trip to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament's East Region. Xavier (27-7), slated as the fourth seed, will play either top-seeded Pittsburgh or No. 8 seed Oklahoma State in the regional semifinal on Thursday.

Abusing his authority. LOL!

[VIDEO} The President took time out from his busy schedule of magazine cover photo shoots and late night TV appearances on Tuesday and made his NCAA men’s basketball tournament picks for ESPN. And that didn’t sit well with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Somebody said that we’re not in President Obama’s Final Four,” Krzyzewski said, “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.”

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...

Another brutal day for President Obama's NCAA Tournament bracket. He was just 8-for-16 on the day and he would be pretty much eliminated from contention in most pools. The biggest hits he took were Cleveland State's win over Wake Forest and Wisconsin's win over Florida State, which eliminated two of his Sweet 16 teams. He's in pretty good shape in the West Region, where he's only missed one game. His Midwest Region is a disaster with five incorrect first-round picks. Overall, Obama picked 19 of 32 first-round games correctly. In his defense, he probably hasn't had much time to follow...

Rollie Massimino sat on the edge of his seat, rooting on his former team from behind the bench. No need to sweat this one out, Coach. The Wildcats had it all the way.

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...

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 2 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. CBS 2 traffic reporter Susan Carlson, who admits to watching very little basketball, picked 15 of 16 games correctly. Perhaps Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was right when he said the president...

Obviously everybody has a lot of high expectations, but I'm not sure any of them compare to the president of the United States. I was just wondering, you know, what you thought about him picking you guys to win it. As a coach, do you feel a little more pressure to make him look kind of smart? "You know, I love the president. I really, really like President Obama. I've been fortunate enough to meet him, and I really, really like him. I think it's great that he's a sports fan and goes through the bracket and the whole bit...

Michigan, Texas A&M and LSU defied the president's expectations by winning first-round games. Of those, only Michigan was close to being an upset, as the No. 10 Wolverines knocked off seventh-seeded Clemson 62-59.

Hoops Coach to Obama: Forget March Madness, Duke It out With Economy! By John Lillpop Friday, March 20, 2009 - Satire - Advisers to President Obama probably figured that the young president could score a solid “connect” with average Americans by getting publicly involved in the annual NCAA basketball championships. No doubt those same folks calculated that Obama could defect attention from his tawdry cabinet picks by wowing the nation with his clever picks for the Final Four in what is known in sports talk as March Madness. Besides, with those ungodly AIG bonuses and other administration disasters exploding in...

Why is there no "March Madness" for soccer? Here are 6 Reasons. Now this is going to offend some of you. Too bad. I don't hate soccer. But sometimes the truth hurts. 6. The Capitalist/Socialist Theory. Basketball is...

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...

March Madness is here

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...

Responding to recent charges leveled against him, Nittany Lion basketball player Stanley Pringle told police he was touching his penis but was not masturbating in the Pattee Library stacks last Thursday. Pringle told police he has "a bad habit of putting his hand down his pants," and demonstrated for the officer by placing his hand down the front of his sweatpants, according to the complaint. "Why would I need to masturbate?" he told police. "This is how I chill, ma'am." Centre County District Judge Jonathan Grine signed a criminal complaint on Friday leveling charges of open lewdness and disorderly conduct...

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...

Anybody watching this game? I am in 'shock and awe'tm at what Kansas is doing to UNC.

CBS-TV 6:05pm EDT San Antonio Memphis at UCLA pickum O/U 133 1/2 8:47pm EDT San Antonio Kansas at UNC -2 1/2 O/U 157

Tournament High lites: Duke, Georgetown, UConn, Pittsburgh notable eliminations. Thursday, March 27th, 2008 all times TBD West Regional , U.S. Airways Center (Phoenix, AZ) (12) West. Kentucky (28-6) @ (1) UCLA (33-3) (7) West Virginia (26-10) @ (3) Xavier (29-6) East Regional, Charlotte Bobcats Arena (Charlotte, NC) (3) Louisville (26-8) @ (2) Tennessee (30-4) (4) Washington St. (26-8) @ (1) North Carolina (34-2) Friday, March 28th, 2008 all times TBD Midwest Regional, Ford Field (Detroit, MI) (10) Davidson (27-6) @ (3) Wisconsin (31-4) (12) Villanova (21-12) @ (1) Kansas (33-3) South Regional, Reliant Arena (Houston, TX) (5) Michigan St. (27-8)...

FINAL: (7)WEST VIRGINIA 73 (2)DUKE 67 Somehow the sun seems to be just a bit brighter once Duke is eliminated. Congrats and thanks to West Virginia.

Could Barack Obama's NCAA championship pick have something to do with an upcoming primary? No, he was leaning toward North Carolina because of its 6-foot-9 star. The Democratic presidential candidate and avid basketball player selected North Carolina, Kansas, Pittsburgh and UCLA in his Final Four bracket, and is counting on North Carolina to beat UCLA in the championship game. North Carolina, with 115 delegates at stake, holds its primary May 6. During his short flight Wednesday from Fayetteville to Charlotte, N.C., Obama began working on his NCAA basketball tournament bracket. The campaign staff is competing in a $10 per person...

This message is from VRWCmember who is challenging you to play Men's Tournament Challenge on ESPN.com. This game gives you the chance to win $10,000 by predicting the winner of the most games in the 63 game men's college basketball tournament. A correct selection in the first round counts as 10 points, and in each succesive round the point values are doubled. You can create up to ten entries, and best of all, it's FREE to play. Get in the action now: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/group?groupID=43926 Game Front: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage Group: FReeper Madness Password: no2hillaryin08 Are you up to the challenge?

Former NCAA tournament selection committee chair Gary Walters once called the too-good-to-be-true pairings that the bracket produces the "serendipity of the tournament." Roy Williams might use another word in three weeks. Roy Williams could face his former team in San Antonio. The dadgum fan might reach into his adjective repertoire from his interview with Bonnie Bernstein circa 2003 to describe the path his top-seeded Tar Heels are on thanks to serendipity. If the seeds hold, the national semifinal would pit No. 1 overall seed North Carolina against Midwest Region No. 1 seed Kansas, the team Williams had just led to...

North Carolina beat Clemson 86-81 for a record 17th Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Montell Watson had 15 points and Brett James 13 to lead seventh-seed Elon into its first Southern Conference tournament championship game with a 75-61 victory Sunday over the College of Charleston. The Phoenix (14-18) came into the tournament 11-18, but knocked off their second league heavyweight in as many days following a 60-57 defeat of second-seed Chattanooga on Saturday. . .

UNC wins the ACC regular season with a 76-68 victory over Dook.

Tonight is the night that March Madness ends in the National Championship Game between The Gators of Florida vs. The Buckeyes of Ohio State.

This message is from VRWCmember, who is challenging you to play Men's Tournament Challenge on ESPN.com. Game Description - Here is your chance not only to win $10,000 in prizes but also to enjoy bragging rights as the best sports prognosticator on Free Republic. Get in the action now: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/group?groupID=71018&password=hillaryisaliar Game Front: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage Group: FReeper Madness Password: hillaryisaliar

George Mason University's basketball team broke into national prominence, going all the way to the NCAA Final Four matchup but losing to the red hot University of Florida Gators. The Patriots' stellar performance this season is emblematic of the entrepreneurship and risk taking that long has been a feature of the University. In 1980, when I left Temple University to join George Mason University's Economics Department, it was a little known school in northern Virginia. Dr. George Johnson, also from Temple University, was president. In an early meeting, to settle my dispute with one of the deans, I learned that...

Florida beat UCLA 73-57

Online video has arrived in a big way. CBS' March Madness on Demand offering, live streams of games from the NCAA college basketball tournament, has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that people are willing to go on to the Web to view live entertainment. CBS streamed more than 15 million live broadcasts of NCAA tournament games during this year's March Madness, numbers that exceeded the network's expectations. CBS streamed more than 15 million live broadcasts of NCAA tournament games during this year's March Madness, numbers that exceeded the network's expectations. According to figures from CBS SportsLine, the online...

By Pat Forde ESPN.com 1. Find the weakness in Florida. Go ahead. I'll wait 2. Billy Donovan has been here before. Ben Howland has not. 3. Banners don't win championships, players do Tradition is a valuable thing to have on your side in the banter between fans. But UCLA's 11 national championships won't help the Bruins one iota come tipoff Monday. 4. Florida has had the stronger tournament run 5. UCLA used up all its good karma escaping Gonzaga The Bruins' desperate scramble to score the final 11 points of the game and extricate themselves from near-certain defeat was the...

INDIANAPOLIS - UCLA used to be the most intimidating letters in college basketball. Under legendary coach John Wooden, the Bruins captured 10 national championships in 12 tournaments, won 88 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in NCAA history, and had four undefeated seasons. But since Wooden retired in 1975 after 27 seasons as the Bruins' coach, those four letters haven't meant as much in college basketball. UCLA has won only one national championship in the 31 seasons since Wooden retired, and the 1995 NCAA tournament title was tarnished when coach Jim Harrick was fired less than two years later for...

INDIANAPOLIS, April 1 — The George Mason band played "All I Need Is a Miracle" before its national semifinal game against Florida on Saturday, a plea to make the Patriots' charmed run through the N.C.A.A. tournament last two more days. But it turned out that the Patriots had exhausted their miracles, and will have to settle for the most improbable postseason run ever in college basketball.

"He Could Have Played Blind" ‘The radio was playing and the morning news was on. I was startled to hear that Pete Maravich, the basketball player, had collapsed on a basketball court in Pasadena, just fell over and never got up. I’d seen Maravich play in New Orleans, when the Utah Jazz were the New Orleans Jazz. He was something to see – mop of brown hair, floppy socks – the holy terror of the basketball world – high flyin’ – magician of the court. The night I saw him he dribbled the ball with his head, scored a behind-the-back,...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates -- There's a vague notion on this tiny satellite campus of George Mason University that basketball is played by bouncing a ball and tossing it toward a hoop. It's also starting to sink in that classmates on the other side of the world have done something remarkable. "Go, Mason, go," yells 19-year-old Mohamed Eltigani, who was born in Sudan. "Kun fi al-qimma," campus receptionist Khawla Yousef screams in Arabic, which means "Reach the top." Welcome to the real Mideast regional.