Louisville, UNC Roll Into Elite 8

... Kansas, with the Jayhawks beating Ohio State in the final game

(NEWSER) - President Obama isn't exactly going out on a limb with his Final Four picks: He's got the top seeds of Kansas, Duke, Ohio State, and Pitt advancing, reports ESPN . He thinks Kansas ("more firepower") will be the ultimate champ by beating Ohio State in the final game. Obama also picked the Jayhawks to win last year, but Duke triumphed. He did get North Carolina correct in 2009. 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»

(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»