Ty and the Heels are easy, but who else won and lost?
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So Much For Syracuse in 2010
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When it comes to predicting the early favorites for next season, the usual approach is to look at which teams appear to be coming back loaded with talent and ended the season playing well. Syracuse seemed to fit that bill.They were poised to bring back their entire starting line-up, one of their top recruits from last year -- Mookie Jones -- was injured so he will be able to help, plus another top-20 recruiting class. Of course that depended on no one leaving early. With the encouragement of coach Jim Boeheim, point guard Jonny Flynn will be checking his status in the NBA draft -- without hiring an agent. Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf, at first blush, appear to just be leaving.
NCAA Combines Impotent Investigations Into USC
It's been a year since the allegations broke of former USC basketball star O.J. Mayo getting a little something on the side from runners for an agent. And it has been over three years since the allegations against former USC football star Reggie Bush regarding some incompetent wannabe marketing agents fronting a lot of money and a house to Bush and his family.Neither investigation has gone anywhere with respect to USC. Yet both are still open investigations by the NCAA. So for whatever reason, the NCAA is combining the investigations into one single investigation into USC's athletic department.
Winners and Losers
It is as the sports Almighty intended it. For every winner, there is a loser (take that and your nil-nil ties, soccer!). For every Tiger Woods, there is a Detroit Lion. For every Isiah Thomas as a player, there is an Isiah Thomas as a general manager, league owner, boss and suspected poor Parcheezi player. And for every North Carolina with its win for the program's ring, there is a Wake Forest, which now hasn't made the Final Four since Carolina coach Roy Williams entered puberty. Check out FanHouse's breakdown of the winners and losers of the NCAA tournament, other than those five-time national champion Heels.DeMarcus Cousins Is the First Memphis Recruit to Follow Calipari to Kentucky
It has really been a question of if, not when, some of the Memphis commitments would choose to follow coach John Calipari to Kentucky. DeMarcus Cousins was the most likely to do so first, since he has not yet signed a National Letter of Intent (LOI) with Memphis. His commitment was only verbal, so there was not even a formality of having to ask Memphis to release him from the LOI.Sure enough, Cousins made the decision to go to Kentucky. He is likely to be only the first.
Xavier Henry did sign a LOI with Memphis, but has just received his release. He is not ruling out sticking with Memphis since his older brother will be eligible to play for the Tigers in 2009. He is, however, now deciding between Memphis, Kansas and Kentucky.
DeJuan Blair Closes Door on College
Pitt sophomore forward, DeJuan Blair was at the very least going to test the NBA draft waters. Most mock drafts have Blair being drafted mid-way in the first round despite being a 6-7 power forward. Blair has decided that he will not even pretend that there is a chance that he will come back to Pitt. He has retained an attorney to help him, though he has not hired an NBA-certified agent as of yet. The hiring of an attorney, though, means that Blair has surrendered his remaining eligibility. He has a press conference scheduled for later this afternoon to make an official statement.
Un-CONNquered Champions
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ST. LOUIS (AP) -With one final blowout, UConn grabbed the national title and a piece of basketball history.
Tina Charles had 25 points and grabbed 19 rebounds Tuesday night as UConn routed Louisville 76-54 and captured the Huskies' sixth national championship.
It wasn't just that Connecticut claimed another title. It was how they did it.
Blake Griffin Will Enter the NBA Draft
Blake Griffin has been picking up hardware for the past few weeks (the Naismith, AP and CBS Awards spring immediately to mind) and, considering that he announced his decision Tuesday to enter the NBA Draft, it's safe to say he's going to be getting a pretty substantial pay raise as well.
Griffin called choice a "tough decision," but the reality is grounded closer in what Oklahoma Jeff Capel meant when he called the decision a "no brainer."
Central Florida's Chicago Connection
Central Florida's basketball program recently landed two Chicago-area players for next year's recruiting class -- one of whom has very ample basketball bloodlines. Marcus Jordan -- yes, that Jordan's son -- and Nik Garcia both orally committed to play for the Knights on Monday. Jordan, the second son of Michael Jordan, helped his team win a State championship in March, and he grew up playing club basketball with Garcia. Jordan will join former teammate, A.J. Rompza, who made Conference USA's all-freshman team this past season, so they'll enter with some familiarity.
Hansbrough's Legacy Comes in Focus
DETROIT -- He's overrated. He's awkward. He will be a role player, at best, in the NBA. He cost himself lots of money by coming back to college this year. He's credited as working harder than everyone else, and that's entirely unfair to everyone else, maybe even with a racial hint to it.
I'm pretty sure I still feel all of those things about Tyler Hansbrough, who has touched a nerve to half of college basketball's fans, rubbed it raw. Also, national analysts just never stop forcing him down our throats.
10 Shining Moments -- Championship
For the fifth time in school history, North Carolina is the NCAA champion. Click through below to see the 10 best images from its win over Michigan State and the celebrations back in Chapel Hill.
10 Shining Moments - Day 10
It was a fitting metaphor for the night. No matter how much the Spartans scrapped, the ball always wound up in North Carolina's hands and in the basket.
Click through to see the other top images from North Carolina's fifth NCAA title.
Jeff Haynes, Reuters
The home field advantage never quite materialized as the Spartans might've hoped, but the crowd certainly did. The final smashed the championship game attendance record set in 1987 by nearly 10,000, when just under 73,000 watched the game.
Streeter Lecka, Getty Images
Michigan State's Raymar Morgan broke his nose in the Spartans' Sweet 16 win over Kansas and must've therefore been well equipped for a night that felt like a punch in the nose at every turn. Here Morgan recovers after a first-half collision.
Mike Segar, Reuters
It wasn't pretty, but North Carolina's effort against Michigan State's rebounding machine was enough. The Spartans actually out-rebounded the Tar Heels, but not by enough to keep the championship in Michigan.
Paul Sancya, AP
Freshman Ed Davis turned into one of the surprise stars of the night. The talented freshman came off the bench to score 11 points, including two here while rising over the Michigan State defense.
Gregory Shamus, Getty Images
Nothing to see here. Ty Lawson was unstoppable as usual. Michigan State's Durrell Summers finds that out the hard way.
Eric Gay, AP
No matter how quickly the Spartans tried to play, they were always one step behind the Tar Heels. Even Kalin Lucas couldn't shake free of the Tar Heel defense and the Spartans insistence on running with the Heels made North Carolina's defensive job easier.
Paul Sancya, AP
Roy Williams has been as maligned as any coach, but when he went up on the ladder twice Monday night, he cut down his second national championship net, matching Dean Smith's mark. Only John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski have more.
Paul Sancya, AP
The celebration started early in Chapel Hill and lasted well into the night as Carolina's student body celebrated the school's fifth NCAA title. Somewhere beneath the mass of students is Franklin Street.
Gerry Broome, AP
For the fifth time, North Carolina lifts an NCAA championship trophy. Senior Danny Green hoists the award aloft while Lawson and teammates celebrate.
Paul Sancya, AP
Michigan State's High-Speed Crash
In a sea of green, Michigan State flat out drowned. ...Carolina's Blue Is Gold Standard
DETROIT -- They celebrated together, arm in arm, bouncing and hugging and laughing and ultimately crying as the confetti buried them. It isn't the best time for traditional brand names in America, with even the surest things reduced to chilling ...Roy Williams Is Hoops' Newest Dean
DETROIT – The last North Carolinian to climb the ladder Monday night and clip a piece of the championship net for a keepsake was the head basketball coach, Roy Williams. He went up twice. The first time, he snipped just a strand. The second ...Spartans Lose Handle on Everything
There's no real secret as to what did in Michigan State in the NCAA championship game. Yes, there was the superior talent on North Carolina. The Tar Heels shot really effectively in the first half. North Carolina could actually make free throws. The ...Jodie Meeks Will Check Out NBA Life
John Calipari may have to start his Kentucky career in search of a new leading scorer. Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks, who paced the Wildcats with 23.7 points per game, will find out his standing in the NBA draft. He's not going to hire an agent, ...
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