Campus Watch

Draft night

---Seth Davis provides draft profiles for 40 of the top NBA draft prospects in the country like UConn's Kemba Walker and Butler's Shelvin Mack, pictured right.

 ---The dreams of the members of this draft class are on hold, for reasons completely out of their control.

---Can Jimmer Fredette be an explosive scorer?

---Eric Williams off-season at Niagara has been rather painful.

---Former Binghamton coach Kevin Broadus has been hired by Georgetown as a special assistant coach.

---Boston University has finally hired a new coach.

---Former UCLA stars Ed O'Bannon and Baron Davis will be returning to Westwood this summer in order to complete their studies and recieve their degrees.

---Jason King details Mike Rice's efforts to resurrect Rutgers.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Life of a recruiter never ends

---SI's Bruce Schoenfeld provides a look at the life of college basketball recruiters.

---A look at Syracuse's potential dance-partners in next season's Big East/SEC Challenge.

---Dana O'Neil profiles piece former Villanova forward Will Sheridan, who openly admits that he is gay.

---In a surprising move, Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey is leaving the coaching profession because of personal issues.

---Coach-K made $4.7 mil during Duke's 2010 National Title run. Worth every penny.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

A thing of beauty for UConn

 

---Jerry Sullivan writes that while UConn isn't a great team, it's a worthy champion.

---Butler's Matt Howard enjoyed quite a career.

---Butler could not buy a bucket last night and shot a record low 18 percent.

---Kemba Walker will be able to graduate after just three years at UConn. But that might not mean he's leaving for the NBA. Walker's halftime speech lifted the Huskies to the top.

---Will Jim Calhoun go out on top, or return to UConn and face his suspension?

---Nate Miles has apparently changed his mind about speaking to the NCAA.

---Here's 16 years worth of "One Shining Moments."

---Here's a preseason Top 25 list for 2011-12.

---Fairfield has hired Princeton's Sydney Johnson as its new coach, while Towson hired Pitt assistant Pat Skerry.

---Wichita State's Gregg Marshall has become one of the many coaches to turn down the North Carolina State job opening, including Cincinnati's Mic Cronin, who recieved an extension from the Bearcats to remain their head coach until the end of the 2016-17.

---Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals is the leading candidate for the Fresno State opening.

---Lon Kruger, the new coach at Oklahoma, does not believe his program needs to rebuild, and who will UNLV hire to replace him?

---North Carolina's Harrison Barnes and John Henson will decide on their futures in the next week or so.

---With a potential NBA lockout, many prospects are uncertain about their futures.

---Steve Kerr wants to see some changes with the First Four.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

One defining moment

---Tonight's national championship game between Butler and UConn may produce a shot for the ages like Keith Smart's or a gaffe that can never be forgotten like Chris Webber's, pictured left.

---Jerry Sullivan writes UConn's Jim Calhoun is an underdog in his own way. On the heels of a successful season, should Calhoun consider retirement? Dan Bickley says Calhoun Calhoun is a complicated genus.

---Rick Bozich writes how the Butler Way is the right way for college basketball. Mike Wise writes that the Bulldogs are on the verge of turning myth into reality. David Woods says a Butler victory would cap the greatest basketball story ever told.

---Barry Tramel writes how paying Lon Kruger $2 million to coach Oklahoma, doesn't make much cents.

---For CBS, the three-man booth works.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Kentucky-North Carolina game thread

Final: Kentucky 76, North Carolina 69

3:18: Eight consecutive points for Harrison Barnes. UK 67, North Carolina 65.

4:39: It's the Harrison Barnes Show. Tune in.

7:43: UK 59, UNC 55. Harrison Barnes just woke everyone up with a coast-to-coast reverse layup.

10:16: Kentucky is up 56-49 because its shooting nearly 60 percent from three-point range.

15:40: Kentucky is up 47-36 and Henson just picked up his fourth foul. The Tar Heels are in trouble. Henson had three fouls when he got pump faked into picking up his fourth. Not smart. And he thinks he's going to help someone win in the NBA next season? Don't think so.

19:07 second half: Kentucky comes out with two turnovers in the first 50 seconds of the half. Good time out by Cal.

---Halftime: Kentucky 38, North Carolina 30. I don't think anyone, not even Calipari, expected Kentucky to shoot this well (6 for 11) from long range.

---59.9: UK up 36-30. Zeller's last basket was the first time he got position on Harrellson all game.

---3:49: UK up 33-27 and John Calipari can't stop yelling at Terrence Jones. Probably for not getting back for that fastbreak layup by Tyler Zeller.

---6:39: John Henson just picked up his third with 6:39 left in the first. Dean Smith would have never let that happen. Justin Knox is going to have to play the rest of the half and he's no Henson.

---11:27: Brandon Knight's jumper is off again early. I bet he finds his groove in the last five minutes of the game. This is around the time North Carolina began to destroy Marquette on Friday.

---12:29: UNC doubling Josh Harrellson?

---15:19 left in the first half: UK up 11-6. Tyler Zeller is getting pushed around underneath the basket.

---We're about 10 minutes from tipoff for today's East Regional championship between Kentucky and North Carolina. The building is buzzing, however, because of VCU's stunning upset over No. 1 seed Kansas. All four No. 1 seeds - Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Duke and now Kansas have been eliminated from the field of 68. Here's something to chew on: Jim Calhoun had already been a head coach for five seasons at Northeastern before VCU's Shaka Smart or Butler's Brad Stevens were born.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

 

Virginia is for hoops

---At least for the next few days, Richmond is Hoopstown, U.S.A. Here's an in-depth look at VCU's run to the Swee16.

---UB's season came to an end in the quarterfinals of the CIT.

---According to Coach-K, Kyrie Irving will get a heavy dose of playing time against Arizona.

---The Final Four is still weeks away, but with Duke/North Carolina being a possible match-up, it's just too sexy to ignore.

---It looks like Mike Anderson will stay at Missouri and will receive a hefty contract extension.

---Which underdog team has the best chance to make it to Houston?

---Here's 16 storylines likely to pan out during the Sweet 16.

---Bruce Pearl's had a rough six months. The search for the next coach at Tennessee begin. A look back at Pearl's career.

---Matt Norlander provides power rankings for the 16 remaining tournament teams.

---Eamonn Brennan and Andy Katz debate ESPN's power rankings.

---The first weekend of March Madness received the highest TV ratings in the history of March Madness opening weekends.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

The fun is just beginning

---Here are some winners and losers from the NCAA Tournament as we head into the Sweet 16.

---Score another one for the mid-majors.

---UB finds out how the other half lives.

---Syracuse' Kris Joseph will return for his senior season.

---VCU and Florida State found their identities at the perfect time.

---Vanderbilt has exited the NCAA tournament in the first round three years in a row. Likewise, the Georgetown senior class will graduate with just one tournament win.

---Are the Pittsburgh Panthers the Chicago Cubs of college basketball?

---Ray Mernagh believes fans need to stop worrying about officiating and just enjoy this time of year.

---The CAA is doing well on the court and in the bank accounts too.

---Mike DeCourcy provides four questions regarding the regionals.

---Mike Anderson will stay at Missouri and may even get a contract extension.

---Rick Barnes has been able to recruit talented players to Texas, but talent can only take a team so far in the NCAA tournament.

---Mark Price is interested in the job opening at Georgia Tech.

---The rosters are out for the 2011 Nike Hoops Summit, which includes Syracuse recruit Raheem Christmas.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Full dose of Madness

---The season is over for the St. Bonaventure men and UB women basketball teams but March Madness is just beginning.

---Former Indiana State coach Bill Hodges remembers the Sycamores run to the 1979 Final Four.

---Pat Forde has his dream and nightmare scenarios for every tournament team.

---Luke Winn details how power programs adjust to the constant carousel of players and personnel.

---Eamonn Brennan apparently doesn't care for the "First Four" which Greg Couch believes messes with the rhythm of opening weekend of March Madness.

---Doug Gottlieb has gained the ire of Michigan State's Tom Izzo.

---North Carolina State should take the advice other programs have used and not hire a superstar coach.

---Texas Tech has officially interviewed Billy Gillespie for its opening.

---Here's a list of ten teams that can win it all.

---Will these mid-majors make the Final Four?

---Looking for guards? Head to New Jersey.

---Will anybody upstage UConn's Kemba Walker, pictured above?

---Mark Schlabach writes about Florida big man Vernon Macklin.

---A breakdown of how the elite coaches in the country have performed in March Madness.

---A solid list of the biggest/most damaging pre-tournament injuries in the last 20 years.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

poll by twiigs.com

Video: 2010-11 Big 4 College Basketball Preview

How will Western New York's Big 4 colleges -- UB, Canisius, Niagara and St. Bonaventure -- fare in this year's basketball season? News Sports Reporters Bob DiCesare and Rodney McKissic break it down.