Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini have dismissed both wide receiver Darius Millines and defensive end Darrius Caldwell off their football program, citing unspecified program violations. The team announced the dismissals earlier in the week and the fallout is being felt this morning.

Caldwell was a redshirt freshman last season and registered 17 tackles with 2.5 sacks for Illinois. But the real loss is in wide receiver Darius Millines, as he was the Illini’s second best wideout during the 2012 season.

Go ahead and insert your joke here about how Millines being the second best receiver on the Illini last season isn’t saying much. He did only register 319 yards and no touchdowns, but those are astronomical stats for a team as offensively challenged as the Illini were last season.

The school has yet to offer up an explanation as to why Tim Beckman ultimately decided to end the football careers of the two young men, but Millines was already on an indefinite suspension at the time of his dismissal from the team.

Things were not easy for Illinois last season and they just made things a whole lot harder by letting go of two players that could have budded into stars had they gotten their acts together in time. 

Apr 13, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kendal Thompson (1) looks to pass in the annual Red White spring game at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. White beat Red 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Landry Jones landed in Pittsburgh after leaving the Oklahoma Sooners following his senior season, which left a void at the starting position for Bob Stoops to fill. One of the guys vying for that starting gig didn’t do himself any favors this week as Sooners quarterback Kendal Thompson was arrested on charges of public intoxication and disobeying police orders.

Per USA Today:

According to a police affidavit, officers responding to a complaint about a loud party found Thompson asleep on a grass hill outside an apartment complex. Upon waking Thompson up, the officer observed that he smelled like alcohol, didn’t make sense when he spoke and attempted to walk away against the officer’s orders, according to the affidavit.

The Sooners gave the standard response that they’re aware of the incident and will be handling it internally. Thompson is the son of former Sooners quarterback Charles Thomson, who quarterbacked Oklahoma Sooners in The Game of the Century II in which the Sooners knocked off No. 1 Nebraska. However, Thompson was the subject of a high profile drug case on the campus of Oklahoma and became the poster boy for what Sports Illustrated dubbed, the out of control Sooners.

The recent arrest by the younger Thompson is troubling that that there’s history in his family of screwing up good chances. Hopefully Kendal Thompson uses this arrest as a wake up call and gets his act together, which is something his father eventually did, as there could very well be a bright future he’s jeopardizing with his current behavior.

Mar 22, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban speaks on behalf of all coaches after Bill Battle (not shown) is introduced as the athletic director for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletics department at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Building. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC is without a doubt the power conference to end all power conferences in college football. There was some rumblings a few years ago that the Pac-12 may be the power conference of the future, but Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide have led the way in the SEC and have helped make it the football factory it is.

But Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops doesn’t share that sentiment, and he called the notion that the SEC is the best conference in football, “propaganda”.

While there are schools like LSU and head coaches like Les Miles who are talented and have outstanding programs, it’s Alabama and Nicks Saban who are the ambassadors of the conference, and their message to Bob Stoops and the rest of college football is simple: I don’t care.

“I’ve got more important things to do than sit around and read what Bob Stoops has to say about anything,” Saban said, via Anniston Star reporter Mark Edwards.

Of course, Saban has a point in that he’s he head coach of the National Champions and he’s going for a third straight title while Bob Stoops and the Sooners haven’t been relevant for years, let alone the crippled Big 12 they’re apart of. Stoops calling out Saban and the SEC is laughable but it goes to show how serious college football is, even in the offseason.

Stoops’ “propaganda” remarks sounds like mid-season bulletin board material, but he’s making a fatal mistake. It’s one thing to tick off Nick Saban and Alabama but Stoops kind of got hung-ho and  just bashed an entire conference. So not only is the remark about Alabama, but it’s directed at Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and everyone in between.

I believe the phrase is you bit off a little more than you can chew.

Mar 16, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Ben McLemore (23) drives to the basket against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second half during the championship game of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Kansas defeated Kansas State 70-54. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

A scandal seems to be brewing surrounding NBA Draft prospect Ben McLemore. USA Today reports that McLemore’s former AAU coach Darius Cobb admitted to taking payments for his part in persuading McLemore to leave the University of Kansas early and enter the 2013 NBA Draft. Cobb says that the CEO of Hooplife Academy Rodney Blackstock payed him two installments of $5,000 in order to get the Jayhawks star to declare for the draft and enter the pros.

This could be something that blows back on Kansas, as the NCAA has stricter than strict rules about players, family member and even former coaches accepting money on behalf of a player. Cobb says that in addition to the $5,000 payments, he was flown out to Los Angeles three times to meet with sports agents and financial advisers looking to represent McLemore if he decided — or was persuaded– to enter the NBA Draft early.

Further connection to McLemore is that his cousin Richard Boyd allegedly accompanied Cobb on two of the three trips to Los Angeles. Boyd denies that he went on these trips, but he admitted to USA Today that Rodney Blackstock had formed a close relationship with McLemore and his family in recent months. This is a claim supported by the fact that records show Blackstock received complimentary admittance to three Jayhawks games last season.

“He is cool,” McLemore’s cousin Richard Boyd said of Blackstock, via USA Today. “He has just given us some pointers. He has been in the business a while and has been overseas. But everything is Ben’s and his mom’s decisions.”

Cobb said that McLemore wasn’t aware that the AAU coach was receiving payments and also states that the relationship between McLemore and Blackstock was pre-existing, saying that Blackstock cultivated the relationship on his own.

McLemore is on his way to the NBA Draft after declaring on April 9th. But this is a story that may follow him into the pros and it wouldn’t be the first time a top prospect came out of poverty and was connected to a money scandal in some way. No evidence exists that suggests McLemore himself was given money by anyone, but that’s an accusation that unfortunately comes with the territory and is now something that will likely be asked of the Jayhawks star moving forward.

January 1,2013; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half of the 2013 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. South Carolina won 33-28. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC is set to soon launch their 24-hour television network with an announcement coming today. The network is going to be huge in terms of generating revenue for the conference through the media, so it should come as no surprise that part of the discussion on the revenue front will come back to compensating athletes for their performance.

No one has been as outspoken on the issue and as supportive of paying players as South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier.

Spurrier once again stood up and banged the table in his effort to show support of the idea with the announcement of the SEC Network just hours away.

“As the commissioner and the presidents and the athletic directors all say, we are going to make a whole lot more money,” Spurrier said, via The State’s Josh Kendall. “My question is, ‘When are we going to start giving a little bit of it to the performers?’ Football and basketball players. It won’t do any good probably, but I’m going to still keep yelling for them. They bring in an awful lot of money for all of us.”

Spurrier believes that as revenue generated from the athletic programs rises the athletes should be given a chunk of the change that they are responsible for.

Quite frankly, we have to agree.

Athletes are putting their futures on the line when they step on to the field. Yes, they are receiving a free education, but one unfortunate injury could force them to potentially miss out on millions of dollars down the road, while the university is bringing in millions of dollars for their own benefit while the player sees none of that money. It appears to be twisted logic and very unfair, so it is nice to see someone like Spurrier standing up for the players.

This is a debate that will not be going away anytime soon, so we would like to hear your thoughts on the issue.

Do players deserve to be compensated for their play? Why or why not? Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts.

[H/T: CBS Sports]

(White House Flickr)

If you’re looking for another uplifting, heart warming story this week, look no further than the inspiring story of 7-year old Jack Hoffman. The young Nebraska football fan who is battling brain cancer, lifted our spirits when he ran for 69-yard touchdown in the Cornhusker’s spring game earlier in April. Jack met with President Obama and the youngster’s father said to this wasn’t an agenda pushing move — his seven year old son was simply doing nothing more than meeting with the leader of the free world.

“There is no advance agenda. I am here simply as Jack’s dad, and Bri is here as Jack’s mom,” Jack father Andy Hoffman told the N’Sider blog. “Of course, we hope that the President wants to support a conversation about pediatric brain cancer, but no matter what might happen if we get to meet President Obama, we’re honored that he has followed Jack’s journey. We’re honored because Jack represents every kid who has gone through this horrific disease without any changes in the first-line protocol to treat his form of pediatric brain cancer in 25 years.”

[RELATED: Jack Hoffman Gets His Own Trading Card]

After being diagnosed with brain cancer at just seven years old, Hoffman has already seen and done more than most people have or could imagine. He made headlines and won over hearts when he ran for that touchdown in the Nebraska spring game, but since then Hoffman has thrown out the first-pitch at a Nebraska-Michigan softball game, will be getting his own trading card and has now met President Obama.

It’s amazing that a kid can be battling such a brutal and devastating disease, yet still be coming out on top. A weaker person, in other words everyone else including myself, would crumble at the thought of facing death at a young age — or even our current age. But for Jack, that’s not a worry to him, because he’s too busy doing something those of us with more time fail to do: enjoy life.

He’s only been alive for seven years, but young Jack Hoffman is already finding it hard to choose what the best moment of his life has been, and here’s to hoping these are just the first in a long, long series of amazing moments in the life of Jack Hoffman.

You can make a donation on Jack’s behalf here.

Mar 17, 2013; Greensboro, NC, USA; Miami (Fl) Hurricanes guard Shane Larkin (0) reacts after hitting a three point shot in the first half during the championship game of the ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Shane Larkin has finally made a decision. After leading Miami to the Atlantic Coast conference this season and in the NCAA tournament, Larkin said he will be declaring himself for the NBA draft.

Having spent one year at DePaul University and one year at the University of Miami, Larkin will forgo his eligibility with the Hurricanes to enter the NBA draft. He is expected to go in the in the middle of the first round.

Via USAToday:

“I can honestly sit here and say this is the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make in my life,” Larkin said. “I’ve probably gone back and forth on this 100 times, just because I love the university so much.”

The Hurricanes were ranked as high as No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 Poll. However Miami fell short of expectations. Despite that, Larkin led the Hurricanes in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.

Still Miami head coach, Jim Larranaga saw the inevitable happening, and just felt happy for Larkin.

“This is another first for us,” Larranaga said. “We’ve had a lot of firsts this year. You know, a lot of things went really, really well. And this is another milestone. If someone we’re recruiting in the future says ‘Hey, have you ever had somebody go one-and-done or two-and-done?’ we can now say, ‘Yes, Shane Larkin did.’ Before that, we couldn’t. Shane’s going to be the first.”

Larkin’s father, baseball hall of fame player Barry Larkin, hinted over the weekend that his son was turning pro. Larkin made his decision on Saturday and told his former Hurricanes team mates the same day.

“It really just came down to what was in my heart and what was in my gut,” Larkin said.

The Miami Hurricanes lost to the Marquette Golden Eagles during the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Larkin, who was battling an illness, initially said he would return to school because he didn’t want his collegiate career to end on a bad note. However, the devastating injury of Kevin Ware changed his mind.

“I just thought to myself, if I did come back to school and something horrific happened — even though it’s a one-in-a-million chance — if something horrific happened to me like that, would I be able to live with myself, seeing that my dream was right here for me to take,” Larkin said. “That was just one of the main things I was thinking about.”

Larkin was selected as the ACC’s player of the year, voted by the league’s coaches. He also said he plans to obtain his degree, a promise he made to his mother.

(H/T; Deadspin)

D.J. Fluker came mighty close to a colossal screw up on Tuesday morning. The NFL Draft is right around the corner, but players still have ample time to mess up their potential draft status by doing and saying stupid things. Sam Montgomery already fell victim to the latter, stating that he took easy games off while at LSU. Now a fellow SEC lineman is in potentially hot water after a late night tweet sent short lived shockwaves though the sports world.

Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker, a first-round prospect, tweeted early Tuesday morning that he accepted payment while playing with the Crimson Tide. This is obviously a direct violation of NCAA rules and would result in serious sanctions against Alabama. But almost as soon as it was tweeted, the message was deleted and Fluker’s agent issued a statement saying his client had been hacked, and we should all ignore the tweet that was sent out.

To all followers of @djfluker76 his account has been hacked. We will rue activate his account after the draft.

— Deryk Gilmore (@DerykGilmore) April 23, 2013

It’s probably best to give Fluker the benefit of the doubt in this situation. Not only would it be one of the stupidest things a person could do, the tweet didn’t jive with everything else the supposed real D.J. Fluker had been tweeting up until then. No less than an hour before the tweet, Fluker spelled ‘what’ the right way and there has been no instances of misspelling the word prior to the bogus tweet.

And as far as the hacked tweet starting an investigation into Alabama’s recruiting practices just to make sure nothing’s going on, you forget that the NCAA would investigate itself before it investigated Alabama for anything. It’s the NCAA, when did it start being mistaken for a legitimate organization?

Fluker’s tweet, whether it was real or not — and it’s almost certain it was just a hacked tweet — wouldn’t have effected his standing with NFL teams a whole lot, as much like the NCAA, teams could care less if an Alabama player took money to play at the university.

Jordan is returning to his alma mater in becoming the Scarlet Knight’s new head coach. Johnson played on the Rutgers basketball team from 1973-77 and was actually a candidate to become the head coach at Rutgers back in 2010 before being passed up for the job in favor of Rice. Jordan wasn’t even the first pick this time around for Rutgers, but despite that the school will be paying Jordan over $1 million, according to the Star-Ledger.

According to USA Today, the deal to hire Jordan will pay him upwards of $6 million over five years.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said Jordan has agreed in principle to a deal in the ballpark of five-years and $6.25 million. Pending an expected sign-off by the university’s board of governors today, the 58-year-old Los Angeles Lakers assistant will become the Scarlet Knights’ 18th men’s basketball head coach.

In hiring Jordan, Rutgers is bringing a former NBA head coach into the fold, albeit one that had his fair share of failures. Jordan’s first gig in the NBA saw him coaching the Sacramento Kings, but he was fired after his first season. He then bounced around with jobs in Washington and most recently in Philadelphia.

But perhaps the most important part of Jordan’s hiring is his hometown value. He maintains a home in Montgomery and gives the Scarlet Knights a fresh start, one as far away from Mike Rice as humanly possible.

Apr 6, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) reacts at the end of the second half of the semifinals during the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four at the Georgia Dome. Michigan won 61-56. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Another Michigan star is trying his hand at the NBA. After point guard Trey Burke announced his intentions to enter this year’s NBA Draft, guard Tim Hardaway Jr., son of former pro Tim Hardaway Sr., will announce he’s also entering the NBA Draft at a press conference scheduled for this afternoon.

Michigan junior Tim Hardaway Jr., will enter the NBA draft, sources tell Y! Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) April 17, 2013

According to MLive.com, Hardaway had been weighing his options in recent days about whether he should enter the draft or return for his senior season with the Wolverines. Hardaway was part of a dream team for Michigan and helped the Wolverines reach the NCAA National Championship game against Louisville earlier in March.

But the 6-foot-6 guard had decided that the NBA is where he wants to be and he’s not going to wait any longer to realize his dream. The next question is where will Hardaway land when the drat kicks off?

Many NBA scouts are viewing Hardaway as a second-round pick, but one scout told MLive.com that he wouldn’t be surprised if a team fell in love with Hardaway and took him towards the end of the first-round.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if a team really fell in love with him, maybe even in the first round,” Jonathan Givony said, via MLive.com. “But he could go anywhere. And I’m not even sure he’s a lock to get drafted (if he declares).”

Now that Burke and Hardaway are NBA bound, there is still questions about two more of Michigan’s work horses. Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary both have yet to decide whether they will return next season or enter the draft early. They window for deciding is closing though, as all underclassmen have until April 28th to declare for the draft, so expect more news out of Michigan in the coming days.

Another national championship has been handed out and more history has been made. For the first time in the school’s long history, Yale is hoisting a national championship as the Bulldogs skated to a 4-0 win over Quinnipiac in the Frozen Four national championship. Yale’s national championship victory ends an epic run that saw them tear through the Frozen Four tournament despite being a 15-seed.

Quinnipiac came into the game heavily favored as a No. 1 seed, but failed to play off their own magic on their own ride to the national championship. The Q’s crawled out of a close first round matchup with Canisius but blew through Union in the second round before ending the dream season that St. Cloud State was having in order to set up their showdown with Yale.

But while Quinnipiac managed to be rather dominant up until the national championship game, it’s Yale’s story that has people thanking the hockey gods for yet another memorable ride. The Bulldogs had zero expectations coming into the tournament, but their frist round upset over No. 2 Minnesota sparked them on a run that now has them champions of college hockey.

Yale actually ran through two massive WCHA titans in the Minnesota Gophers and then the North Dakota Sioux before winning a nail bitter over Mass.-Lowel in the Frozen Four.

But while they were shaky in their final game before the title game, Yale was incredibly dominant against the Q’s, shutting Quinnipiac out and never letting them get into the game whatsoever. The game got tight in the second period when Yale broke a scoreless game, but pulled away in amazing fashion with three third period goals.

Andrew Miller, Jesse Root and Charles Orzetti all scored third period goals, but it was Clinton Bourbonais’s goal in the second period that gave the Bulldogs some breathing room and the confidence to come out guns blazing in the third.

Quinnipiac defeated Yale three times this season, but the Bulldogs weren’t about to go through that a fourth time, and they now end up with a national championship to reward their efforts. It has been an amazing season in college hockey, and we now have an amazing ending to it all. Yale went all in and they now have made history and are kings of the college hockey world.

The Louisville Cardinals have done it. They came in the favored team and ended the season the best team, and now it’s time for some serious celebrating in Louisville. Things weren’t easy for the Cardinals and their magical run took a dark turn with the gruesome injury to Kevin Ware, but despite everything the Cardinals ended their season on a tear and ran through not only their last Big East tournament, but finished as the last team standing in college basketball.

Now that they’ve been crowned the kings of college basketball, the Cardinals can begin to relish in their victory and obviously that starts with some championship threads. The Cardinals NCAA National Championship shirts have been released and are set to go on sale immediately for Cardinals fans all over to scoop up and display their victorious pride on their bodies.

The Cardinals are also releasing two other championship shirts with the slogan’s “Cut The Net” and “Net Worth” to commemorate the Cardinals ceremonial cutting down of the net after their win.

Incase you’re wondering why the Cardinals are selling adidas shirts when they have a deal with Nike, Darren Rovell has an explanation.

Nike is still a licensee of the school RT @rjohnny99 How is Nike allowed to make Louisville shirts if they have a deal with Adidas?”

— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) April 9, 2013

But really, if you’re part of the Louisville faithful tonight, if you’re worrying about licensing rights you’re obviously a fan of the wrong team. The 2013 sports season now has three major champions in the Baltimore Ravens, Alabama Crimson Tide and now the Louisville Cardinals.

That’s not bad company to be in and those championship threads aren’t the worst thing to be caught wearing either.

Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals fans react during the first half of the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The college basketball season has come to an end and the Louisville Cardinals are the last team standing amid all the madness. The Cardinals were the favorites entering the tournament, but they fought the odds that come with the kind of pressure and managed to avoid any and all pitfalls to finish as National Champions.

Twitter exploded after the final buzzer sounded with many people congratulating both teams for a hard fought battle, but most of the Twitter action was reserved for the team of the night: the Louisville Cardinals.

Great game!! Hate their had to be a loser. Both teams were great! Congrats to Kevin Ware and the rest of L’ville

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 9, 2013

Not only is Pitino the first D-1 coach to win titles at two schools, he does so at blood rivals. That’s pretty awesome.

— FanSided College (@FanSidedU) April 9, 2013

Louisville: 8th school to win at least 3 National Championships in men’s basketball

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 9, 2013

The biggest travesty of this result, is those uniforms won the national championship

— LA Sports Hub (@LA_SportsHub) April 9, 2013

What about all of Louisville’s offensive rebounds? RT @deazy86: what about all the other horrible calls?

— J.A. Adande (@jadande) April 9, 2013

 

And finally, Adam Schefter who was waiving his alma mater’s pom-poms harder than he’s ever shaken anything before.

Congratulations to Michigan on a great season. Congratulations to Louisville on a championship season.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 9, 2013

The college basketball season is over, but this is surely a game we will be talking about for sometime after the lights are turned out in the Georgia Dome and the Louisville Cardinals return home with their brand new hardware.

Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino high fives guard Peyton Siva (3) at the end of the first half of the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the night we’ve all been waiting for, the NCAA National Championship — the pot of gold at the end of the bloody March Madness rainbow. We thought we were in store for a killer game and that’s exactly what we were given as both the Louisville Cardinals and Michigan Wolverines turned in a classic NCAA Championship game, both teams holding their own blow-for-blow until the very final minutes of the contest.

The game was ripe with storylines, as both teams came into the game via their own paths to glory. For Michigan, the story was about how the Wolverines were finally back to their winning ways after years of ups and downs within the program. Not since the Fab Five had a Michigan basketball team made this deep of a run into the madness and it was this 2013 unit lead by consensus player of the year Trey Burke that almost managed to finish off their story differently than the aforementioned Fab Five. 

GIF via Twitter (@jose3030)

But the Wolverines of 2013 fell into an identical finish to their 1992 and 1993 counterparts and fell just short of raising a banner and taking home the hardware.

As for the Louisville Cardinals, they entered the tournament the best team in the field and that’s the way things ended. Of all the teams and storylines in the tournament, perhaps the most powerful belonged to Louisville as the team was playing not only for pride, but to honor Kevin Ware. It’s not that the Cardinals wouldn’t have been in the position they are now had Ware not suffered his horrendous injury, but it lit a fire under the team and whether you want to believe in that sort of thing or not, the team truly did “Rise for Five” in the games since losing him.

Before you crown the Cardinals, a ton of credit needs to be given to the Wolverines and specifically to point guard Trey Burke, who sacrificed his body on the court to drag Michigan as close as he could to basketball immortality. Burke was controversially rested for 12 minutes in the first half after picking up two fouls but came out in the second half to lead the Wolverines down the stretch, hitting the floor numerous times including one instance where he was upended driving to the basket and landed flat on his face.

But while Michigan may have had the better story, with the Fab Five angle and Trey Burke’s presence, Louisville had the better team on the court in Atlanta. Not only did Louisville comeback from 12-points down to beat Wichita State in the Final Four, they came back from a deficit in the first half against Michigan to regain control of the game and secure their first NCAA National Championship since 1986.

Sports fans live for March Madness and they live for moments like the one we witnessed on Monday night inside the Georgia Dome. Dreams were realized and crushed at the same time and we saw yet another college basketball titan rise to the top of the sport. Rick Pitino is on his way to the Basketball Hall of Fame, but right now nothing tastes sweeter than the victory the Cardinals just secured and no one can take it away from them.

April 7, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Connecticut Huskies celebrates after a play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half in the semifinals during the 2013 NCAA womens Final Four at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

The college basketball season is winding down, and we now have the final four teams in both men’s and women’s basketball standing. We all know about the highly anticipated showdown between the Michigan Wolverines and the Louisville Cardinals on the men’s side of things, but we now know who will be going at it on the women’s side. After the women’s Louisville Cardinals team continued their spectacular run with a win over Cal earlier on Sunday, the UConn Huskies punched their National Championship ticket with an easy win over Notre Dame, 83-65.

Breanna Stewart threw down 29 points on the Huskies’ way to yet another National Championship game under legendary head coach Geno Auriemma. The win over Notre Dame means that Auriemma has coached the Huskies to eight National Championships, and he’ll be seeking his eighth title as well.

The win to propel the Huskies to the National Championship means that Auriemma is one win away from tying Pat Summit’s current record of eight titles, and it would also mean that he’s yet to lose in the biggest game of the season.

UConn’s win was a dominant one, as they never let the Irish within six after building a 10-point halftime lead, and essentially coasted through the Final Four. But they are running into one of the hottest teams in all of college sports right now, as the Louisville Cardinals are riding high after beating top-seeded Baylor as well as Tennessee and Cal on their way to the National Championship.

But the Huskies have run into hot teams before, and it’s more than notable that they haven’t lost a title game while under Auriemma’s reign. There is a lot of hype heading into the men’s title game, but the women’s game is doing it’s best to rival the excitement and may end up turning in a more entertaining and emotional game, or at the very least match that of the men’s final blow-for-blow.

April 7, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Louisville Cardinals celebrates against the California Golden Bears during the second half in the semifinals during the 2013 NCAA womens Final Four at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a good year to be a Louisville Cardinal. Not only is the men’s team preparing to battle Michigan tomorrow in the March Madness National Championship, the Louisville women’s basketball team have reached the championship on the other side of the gender bracket. After a thrilling upset win over top-seeded Baylor, the Cardinals have extended their dream season one more game and now await the winner of the Notre Dame-UConn Final Four showdown later tonight.

Antonita Slaughter led the way for Louisville, throwing down 18 points in her 38 minutes on the court. She, along with her teammates, looked to be playing inspired, which seems to fit with the flow when it comes to Louisville sports this weekend. The men’s team erased a 12-point deficit to beat Wichita State, and many are crediting their win to Kevin Ware and the team’s will to win the game for him.

The women’s team may have also been inspired by their colleague’s story, but they’re riding an emotional tidal wave of their own. No one gave them a chance against top-ranked Baylor who were led by Brittney Griner, yet the Cardinals clawed out a one-point victory and have been riding high ever since then.

By beating the Golden Bears on Sunday night, Louisville becomes the first team seeded lower than a five-seed to win a Final Four game and reach the NCAA National Championship.

What we’re all wondering now is how long this magical ride can last. So far it’s lasted through the Final Four and into the National Championship. Both Notre Dame and UConn present incredible challenges, but at this point it’s really hard to bet against the Louisville Cardinals and program has a real chance to pull off something special and win championships in both men’s and women’s basketball.

***UPDATE***

According to Texas Tech, all reports — including those from the Associated Press and ESPN– are premature and Smith has not yet been hired by the school.

TTU just told the AP to chill. RT @blaynebeal: Texas Tech has NOT reached an agreement with Tubby Smith.Current reports are inaccurate.

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) April 1, 2013

****
A week after his six year run at the University of Minnesota came to an end, head coach Tubby Smith has found a new home. According to the Associated Press, Texas Tech has reached out and agreed to a deal with Smith to make him the next head coach of the Red Raiders.

A person with knowledge of the deal says Texas Tech agreed to terms Monday with Smith on a contract to be its next coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made.

Smith enters his tenure with Texas Tech after the program has been through quite a lot in the recent years. Billy Gillispe had been the head coach, but his one year stint proved to be detrimental to not only team moral but to Gillispe’s health as well. Interim head coach Chris Walker did what he could with a mutinous team, but managed to only go 11-20 on the season and just 3-5 in the Big 12.

It’s been a while since Texas Tech has been competitive in the Big 12, but the hope is that Smith can come in and redeem himself and in the process lift the program to new heights. That was the exact same sentiment shared by the Golden Gophers six years ago, but Smith was never able to do much more for the Gophers than take them to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Still, Smith taking the Gophers to the NCAA Tournament was something few coaches had done before in recent years, which means Smith’s stint with Minnesota wasn’t the bust some fans think it is. Texas Tech is in a similar situation as the Gophers were half a decade ago, and while Smith doesn’t have the pristine sheen on him he did when the Gophers hired him, the Red Raiders are hoping he can dig deep and lift the program.

While the first slate of games in the Elite 8 featured programs from all over the map, like big name schools like Syracuse to cinderella’s like Wichita State, the second slate of games features powerhouses across the board.

From Michigan to Duke and Louisville and Florida, Sunday’s Elite Eight showdowns feature some pretty impressive and historic names. Duke and Louisville are mainstays in the NCAA March Madness tournament, while Florida and Michigan are familiar with deep success but don’t have histories riddled with it.

It’s hard to determine which game will be the most entertaining. In our matinée game, the Florida Gators are looking to keep their dreams alive but the upstart Michigan Wolverines, hot off a thrilling win over No. 1 Kansas, are looking to relive the Fab Five glory days of yesteryear’s success. But the matchup between titans in the Midwest region is undeniable. Duke and Louisville are synonymous with March Madness and the game gives us another aspect of the tournament we love.

While the tournament is known for buzzer beaters and cinderella teams like Wichita State, it also affords us a chance to see titans battle with one another on the grandest stage in college basketball with everything on the line.

Who will join Wichita State and Syracuse in the Final Four? We will find out after tomorrow’s slate of games.

Here is the schedule for tomorrow’s action:

Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the entire tournament as we keep you up to date with the latest results.

Mar 30, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wichita State Shockers forward Carl Hall (22) celebrates against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of the finals of the West regional of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

America loves the underdog, and Wichita State is currently the darling of a nation. Wichita State entered the NCAA March Madness tournament as a No. 9 seed and have fought their way to the Final Four and have officially become the Cinderella team of the tournament. Obviously, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles are the true cinderella team, but the Shockers have done exactly what their name suggests and stunned everyone by reaching the Final Four for the first time in the school’s history.

Ohio State was riding high after an adrenaline pumping win in the Sweet 16, but they didn’t have enough left in the tank to overpower the Shockers, ho shut down the Buckeyes and took their best player out of the game. Nothing can make up for Aaron Craft’s terrible day from the field, as he couldn’t spark his team at all during the game. Craft finished the game 2-for-11 shooting and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc which ended up sinking the Buckeyes down the stretch of the game.

The Buckeyes pulled close to the Shockers late in the game, but it was Craft’s poor day shooting that really crippled any comeback Ohio State was hoping to make. His missed buckets were crucial in the end, and while the Badgers as a unit were out hustled by Wichita State, Craft didn’t do his team any favors.

But the story is Wichita State, who become another team in a rare line low-seeded teams to make a march through the madness and into the Final Four in Atlanta. But the Shockers are living up to their name and now face a showdown with either Louisville or Duke in the Final Four. But while a matchup with either team looks daunting, let’s not forget the road the Shockers have paid to get here and that even Louisville and Duke may not be able to stop the run this Cinderella team is on right now.

Mar 30, 2013; Washington, D.C., USA; Syracuse Orange guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) reacts during the second half of the finals of the East regional of the 2013 NCAA Tournament against the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

This game is going to be viewed in one of two different ways. Some will call it a defensive masterpiece by Syracuse, who managed to hold an opponent in an Elite Eight game to 39 total points. Others will likely call it what it was, a mess of a basketball game and hopefully not a precursor to what we have in store for the other Elite Eight games scheduled for the rest of the weekend.

All credit defensively goes to the Orange, who used their trapping 2-3 zone defense, held the Eagles to their lowest point total of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Marquette. After barely escaping the opening round against Davidson, the Eagles looked to be picking up speed in the region, but couldn’t have looked more embarrassing in the regional finals than they did.

Syracuse gave Marquette a brutal parting shot, as the two schools will no longer be playing in the Big East together next season, but the lasting memory of their final game against the Orange will stick with the Eagles for sometime now. The question for them is what are the repercussions of the embarrassing loss? Head coach Buzz Williams is already drawing interest from the Minnesota Gophers, and while it’s not the most attractive job in the country right now, he might try to sprint from this embarrassment as quickly as possible and get paid handsomely by the Gophers to do so.

But that’s not the concern of the Orange, who have rolled into the Final Four and are a game away from making their first NCAA National Championship appearance since winning it all back in 2003. In fact, it hasn’t been since the days of Carmelo Anthony that Syracuse has even made it to the Final Four, so this is without a doubt a high point once again in Jim Boeheim’s era of coaching (the others being trips to the Final Four in 1987 and 1996).

Syracuse will get either the Michigan Wolverines or the Florida Gators, both of whom are dangerous teams that seem to be heating up the closer they get to the Final Four. But for now, Syracuse is back in the Final Four and their itching to close things out and raise another banner back home.

Mar 6, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; Virginia Commonwealth Rams head coach Shaka Smart (right) gestures from the sidelines against the Richmond Spiders in the second half at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The Rams won 93-82. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Shaka Smart has put to bed any rumors that he’ll be leaving the VCU Rams for another head coaching job. Smart reportedly texted ESPN’s Andy Katz informing him that despite rampant speculation, he will not be leaving his current program for another gig elsewhere and will remain with the Rams — for now.

Smart’s text didn’t leave any doubt about his immediate future plans, in fact, Smart’s extension reportedly will keep him with the program through the 2023 season.

“Coach Smart has demonstrated through this process that he is loyal to VCU and his greatest concern lies with our program moving forward every year,” VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin said in a statement. “Our goal was to present him with a revised agreement proactively rather than wait for another institution to step in with an offer.”

A lot of people pegged Smart as the guy who will take the UCLA job, but a dark horse candidate (and perhaps the more likely option) was in Minnesota with the Golden Gophers. Neither school was able to get Smart to the negotiating table, but common sense indicates that had either team done so, they would have offered much more than the $1.5 million annual salary he’ll make with the Rams.

Many of the national writers laughed at the notion of the lowly, mid-level Gophers attracting Smart, but the connections were undeniably there for Smart, and the fact that he said thanks but no thanks to the man who virtually made him says a lot about Smart’s decision to stay at VCU.  Norwood Teague hired Smart at VCU when he was a nobody head coach with his only experience being as an assistant with the Florida Gators. Smart has since taken the Rams on one of the greatest cinderella stories ever told and has made the school into an attractive destination for college recruits.

But despite obvious interest from both the Bruins and Gophers, Smart is staying at VCU and the other schools will have to look elsewhere to fill their head coaching voids.

Mar 24, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Florida Gulf Coast Eagles guard Sherwood Brown (25) celebrates after defeating the San Diego State Aztecs during the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Florida Gulf Coast defeated San Diego State 81-71. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

In the ultimate Cinderella story, 15-seeded Florida Gulf Coast will make their way to the Sweet 16 after a convincing 81-71 victory over San Diego State. The FGCU Eagles were absolutely tremendous in the second-half, outscoring the Aztecs by an 11-point margin, thanks to a 17-0 run in the middle of the half that saw SDSU unable to score for over 7 minutes of clock time.

On the night, the Eagles shot a blistering 56% from the field, led by 9-for-15 shooting from Bernard Thompson (who finished with 23 points), and a crazy 14-assist game from point guard Brett Comer.

[RELATED: Download the updated 2013 NCAA bracket here]

It was a masterful offense performance for the entirety of the night, but their defense keyed the put-away run in the second-half with some lockdown intensity and play-making. Their athleticism is staggering for a so-called “mid-major” team, and if you took the names off of the front of the jersey, it would look a lot like major-conference talent.

San Diego State didn’t play particularly poorly in the game, out-rebounding the Eagles 33-to-27, and generally playing a solid brand of basketball, but their second-half offensive outage doomed them here. Jamaal Franklin, in possibly his last game with SDSU, scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, but his counterpart Chase Tapley struggled all night (7-for-18 shooting), and they couldn’t sustain success late.

At the end of the night, the craziest part of the discussion is a 15-seed playing in the Sweet 16. I really thought that FGCU was the better team in both of their 1st-weekend match-ups (which seems insane), and if they can play with the same level of intensity and productivity, there’s no reason they can’t hang with the admittedly more talented Florida Gators. They’ll be no shortage of partying on that campus this week, and if their on-court swagger is any indication, the party will start and end with the players on the team.

What an amazing cinderella story — one that has yet to see the clock strike midnight.

Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com throughout the entire tournament as we keep you up to date with the latest results.

Mar 23, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Wichita State Shockers forward Chadrack Lufile (0), Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Elias Harris (20) and Shockers guard Ron Baker (31) battle for position in the first half of the game during the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The nation’s longest winning streak is no more as the #1-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs went down in a heap at the hands of #9-seeded Wichita State on Saturday night. The Shockers led for much of the night, including a 36-31 half-time lead, and though they lost the lead for a significant portion of the second half, they were more than up to the challenge.

With 5:32 left in the second half, Wichita State trailed 61-54 to the ‘Zags, but the Shockers proceeded to knock down a staggering four three-point field goals in the final minutes, pulsing a 16-4 run to seize control of the game that they would never relinquish. Ron Baker, Cleanthony Early, and Fred Vanvleet each converted at least 2 threes off of the bench for the Shockers, and the trio led the team in scoring with a combined 45 points.

[RELATED: Download the updated 2013 NCAA bracket here]

On the Gonzaga side, they simply couldn’t get shots to fall for the majority of the night, as they were outshot by WSU from both the field (50% to 37%) and behind the arc (54% to 35%) in decisive fashion. The saving grace for Gonzaga all night was their significant rebounding edge (36-27), but as the shots continued to fall for Wichita, they couldn’t answer in crunch time.

In the “craziest stat of the night department, Wichita State converted their last seven three-point attempts. For reference as to how crazy that really is, the chances of a 33% three-point shooting team (as WSU during the regular season) doing that were 2,346-to-1. Gonzaga fans will want to cover their eyes during this part of the recap.

At any rate, the first #1 seed has fallen from the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and Wichita State advances to the Sweet 16 to square off with the winner of the 12/13 match-up between Ole Miss and La Salle. Because of the way the top half of the region has opened up, Wichita State is now the default “favorite” to reach the Elite 8, and they are a quality basketball team in every way. For Gonzaga, it will be a long summer/fall of “what if?” and visions of three pointers raining in their heads.

Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided.com and BustingBrackets.com throughout the entire tournament as we keep you up to date with the latest results. Will there be a Cinderella story in 2013? We will have to tune in and see.

Mar 22, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Villanova Wildcats players react as they loose to the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second round of the 2013 NCAA tournament at the Sprint Center. North Carolina defeated Villanova 78-71. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The second round (or first, depending on who you are) of the NCAA March Madness tournament has come and gone this year, and holy cow what a doozy it was. From a stale opening to an upset finish, the first round of the tournament symbolized everything March Madness stands for and gave us everything we love to see. But not everyone has emerged from the first two days of the main tournament unscathed, so it’s time to look at who the real winners are and who lost worst than what the box score indicates. 

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After a woeful start to the tournament for the Mountain West conference, San Diego State faced the challenge of maintaining their conference’s reputation, and they responded with flying colors. The Aztecs trailed 33-31 at the half, but they were able to keep things close before exploding with a 15-3 run late in the second half that put the game out of reach for good.

Junior guard Jamaal Franklin led SDSU with 21 points (on 6-13 shooting), 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, while James Rahon added a crucial 17-point effort off of the bench in the victory. Franklin has been the bell cow for the Aztecs all season, and when it mattered in crunch time, he was up to the challenge with 11 second-half points.

For the Sooners, they were simply unable to sustain their offense against the tenacious SDSU defense in the second-half, finishing the frame with just 22 points, and scoring only 3 points over an 8-minute stretch in the decisive moments. As a team, Oklahoma shot under 40% from the field, and they couldn’t make up for their lack of efficiency with increased possessions, as they lost the rebounding battle 36-28.

Though many people (including myself) thought that Oklahoma was either a) over-seeded, or b) undeserving of a bid, the Sooners showed themselves to be a worthy tournament team on this night. In the end, however, San Diego State was simply more talented, and the play of Franklin (along with gang rebounding) stood out above all else for me. Steve Fisher’s team will move to face the suddenly popular #15-seed in Florida Gulf Coast, and the bracket has really opened up for the Aztecs to represent the Mountain West in the Sweet 16.