Missouri, 'Nova Make Elite 8

(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»

(AP) - Villanova beat Pitt, 78-76, in dramatic fashion to reach the Final Four for the first time since its surprise run to the championship in 1985. The Wildcats join UConn, which held off Missouri, 82-75. 'Nova's Scottie Reynolds made a driving layup with 0.5 seconds left for the win. Dwayne Anderson added 17 points for Villanova, which responded to Pittsburgh’s physical play by sinking 22 of 23 free throws. The Wildcats will play the winner of UNC-Oklahoma. More»

(NEWSER) - Along with the obligatory madness, March always brings along a slew of detestable teams and characters. This year, thankfully, Billy Packer is gone, but Josh Levin, writing for Slate, still has plenty to disparage. The list starts, as always, with:

• Duke: This isn’t the most deplorable squad ever, but Coach K’s “basketball as leadership seminar” style always evokes a bit of vitriol.
• Jim Calhoun: The Connecticut coach’s “classlessness and self-aggrandizing bring shame to a shameless profession.”

Memphis, UCLA and Kansas other No. 1s among 65 teams invited

(NEWSER) - The seedings are in and its time to fill out those brackets. North Carolina was rated the No. 1 overall seed for this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament, which begins in earnest on Thursday. The Tar Heels are the No. 1 seed in the East region, joined by fellow top seeds Memphis (South), Kansas (Midwest) and UCLA (West), reports the AP. More»