UT Relieved to Beat American

Lorenzo Charles remembered for stunning 1983 victory

(NEWSER) - Lorenzo Emile Charles, the hero of the 1983 NCAA championship game, died yesterday in a bus crash in North Carolina. Charles, who caught and dunked a last-second shot from his NC State Wolfpack teammate to win the title over heavily favored opponents, was alone and driving a charter bus when he apparently lost control and crashed into trees off an exit ramp. Police were still trying to determine the cause of the crash last night, the News & Observer reports. More»

The 11th-seeded team upsets No. 1 seed Kansas 71-61

(AP) - Jamie Skeen scored 26 points and 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth is crashing the Final Four after the upset of the NCAA tournament, shocking No. 1 seed Kansas 71-61 today. So doubtful were the Rams of even making the tournament that they didn't watch the selection show. Two weeks later, they're Houston-bound after an incredible takedown of the last No. 1 seed. More»

Or maybe the men's NCAA tournament field should include all 347 teams

(NEWSER) - The NCAA's interest in expanding the men's basketball tournament from 65 teams to 96 has met with almost universal scorn, but the bottom line will clearly dictate the path the all-American rite of spring takes. For some, even 96 teams isn't enough. "It's going to make putting a bracket together a little complicated," writes Jason Gay, but "why not go for it—invite every one of the current 347 NCAA Division I schools"? More»

(NEWSER) - The Ivy League has a reputation for excellence in all things, but the consignment of its sports programs—particularly the more visible ones like football and basketball—to college athletics’ second tier has alumni clamoring for change, the Wall Street Journal reports. Academic standards limit the pool of top student-athletes for the eight Ivy schools; the football teams can’t play in the postseason, nixing their title chances. More»

(NEWSER) - Now Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green can head to the NBA feeling good about their decision to return to school. The upperclassmen led North Carolina to its fifth national championship with an 89-72 blowout of Michigan State tonight in Detroit, reports the AP. "We've been working so hard since last year when we fell short," said Ellington, named most outstanding player. "I wanted to redeem myself. We worked so hard." More»