Louisville Wins Big East

Claims against Bernie Fine credible, but statute of limitations has passed

(NEWSER) - Bernie Fine will not face state charges related to the sexual abuse allegations against him because the statute of limitations has expired, says the county prosecutor in the case. William Fitzpatrick says that while he can't prosecute the case against the former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach on behalf of two former ballboys, he finds their claims credible, reports the AP . More»

Jayhawks snag overall No. 1 seed

(NEWSER) - Overall No. 1 seed Kansas leads the field of 65 NCAA tournament teams, with Kentucky, Duke, and Syracuse—late-season slump and all—topping their respective brackets. The 32-2 Jayhawks, who won the 2008 title, captured this season's Big 12 tournament and will tangle with Syracuse in one semifinal if the seedings hold up. The Orangemen (28-4) won the regular-season Big East title but fell to Georgetown in the opening round of the conference tournament. More»

(NEWSER) - Rationally, Michigan State shouldn’t have prayer in tonight’s NCAA basketball title game, writes Chris Dufresne in the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this season, North Carolina didn’t just beat the Spartans, it demolished them 98-63—and the Tar Heels have only gotten better since. “Cold hard facts say North Carolina hangs its fifth championship flag,” says Dufresne. “Clear rational thinking, however, doesn’t always get it right—especially in sports.” More»

(AP) - In a classic case of men vs. boys, North Carolina never gave Villanova much chance to breathe, let alone whip up a fresh dose of Final Four magic. Ty Lawson scored 22 points, Wayne Ellington had 20 more, and the Tar Heels eased to an 83-69 win tonight over the plucky but overmatched Wildcats. UNC will play Michigan State for the title Monday night. More»

Popularity has sucked all the charm out of the tournament

(NEWSER) - In the '60s and '70s, the NCAA tournament was boring because UCLA seemingly always won. These days, "instead of UCLA winning it every year, there are now between five and nine UCLAs that can win it every year," Charles Pierce writes for Slate. "It's just as sterile and dynastic as it used to be." It’s oligarchy rather than monarchy, but it feels just as stale. More»