'Nova Wins Thriller, Joins UConn in Final 4

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»

Wildcats crush Blue Devils; Missouri comes out top in Tigers showdown

(NEWSER) - Villanova and Missouri have powered through to the Elite Eight, reports the Los Angeles Times. Villanova rolled over Duke 77-54 to set up a Big East showdown with Pittsburgh. Wildcats guard Scottie Reynolds scored a game-high 16 points, while the No. 2 seeded Blue Devils were held to their worst shooting performance of the season, a shocking 16 for 60. More»

(AP) - For Pitt and UConn, it's on to the Elite Eight. Pitt had the tougher fight, edging Xavier 60-55 to reach the regional finals for the first time in 35 years. Levance Fields gave Pitt the lead with a 3-pointer with 50.9 seconds left, then scored off his own steal. The top-seeded Panthers trailed 54-52 before its point guard connected on that 3-pointer. 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.”

North Carolina joins Louisville, Pitt, UConn at top of bracket heap

(AP) - Big East powers Louisville, Pittsburgh, and UConn helped the league that was created for hoops become the first conference to earn three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament in the field announced tonight. North Carolina, the regular-season ACC champ, was the other top seed. The coup comes 24 years after the Big East became the first league to get three teams in the Final Four (Georgetown, Villanova, and St. John's). More»