USC's Mayo Accused of Taking Gifts

Mayo scandal shocks few, and penalties remain slight

(NEWSER) - The NBA can't stop agents from scurrying around high school and college basketball these days, offering illegal gifts to sign young players. Although the players are getting younger—more go pro right out of high school—punishments for players and agents alike remain slight, the New York Times reports. More»

NCAA expands Bush, Mayo investigation; school takes little action

(NEWSER) - Years after footballer Reggie Bush was accused of accepting gifts from marketers while at USC, the university is still doing almost nothing to investigate the matter, despite the spread of allegations to a top basketball player and coach, the Los Angeles Times reports. Though the NCAA has expanded its own probe—with potentially dire consequences for USC—school officials haven't spoken to a single key figure in the cases. More»

Olson calls NBA rule "farce," plans to push for changes benefiting college basketball

(NEWSER) - Lute Olson is sick of an NBA rule that results in top basketball prospects spending just one year in college, the Los Angeles Times reports, and says he'll no longer recruit such players for his University of Arizona program. Olson, who's seen the rule cost Arizona two top players this spring alone, calls it a "farce" and say he'll push for changes. More»

Rick Pitino nearly loses it in win over protege Billy Donovan

(AP) - Hated to do that to ya, kid. Rick Pitino nearly came unhinged and his point guard watched the end of the game from the bench. When it was over, though, it was Pitino and Louisville making plans for the Final Four and his protege, Billy Donovan, and the Florida Gators wondering what the heck happened. Chane Behanan made the go-ahead basket with 1:04 left today and the fourth-seeded Cardinals finished the game on a 23-8 run for a 72-68 victory over Donovan's stunned Florida team in the West Regional final. More»

Loathing Duke's basketball team is just part of March Madness

(NEWSER) - Think the Yankees are despised? Now that March Madness is here, Duke-hating "is as much a rite ... as marking up your bracket with a red pen," write Josh Levin and Jim Pagels in Slate . They not-so-kindly run down 18 of the Blue Devils' most loathsome moments:

• 1986: Duke fans fall in love with themselves after setting up tents in so-called "Krzyzewskiville"—a makeshift camp named after six-year head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Soon a simple setup "devolved into a Byzantine three-color classification system with wait lists and line monitors."