Miami vs. NCAA Fight Will Get Ugly

Even by Miami’s high-minded standards, amid a moment of tumult and hell from a war with the NCAA, it’s been quite a fight. If she could, Donna Shalala would declare combat on the battlefield, a woman who is anxious to finish what a corrupted organization started. Might I suggest, perhaps as the everlasting event mounts, that the tension between the University of Miami and the NCAA will only get ugly?

Because, in truth, the news that centers the Miami athletic department for its dealings with booster Nevin Shapiro, a convicted Ponzi crook, is not shrinking and won’t disappear for a long time. This is not, as we all know, the first time the school has been in the middle of a scandal ever so horrifying and shameful. Except this time, it happens to be traded punches, not to mention swinging, jabbing and counterpunching, a nasty brawl between a university and the NCAA.

Earlier in the week, Mark Emmert, as the NCAA president should to salvage his damaged credibility, admitted that his organization bungled in its investigation of Miami athletic program. And, yes, I think we all can agree that Emmert is an idiot, a steward who has taken a prestigious job to his head, fast to punish a university and evidently is more about protecting his name from shame.

It would be appropriate to place all the blame on a vaunted program if there weren’t two sides to a story. But since there is, Emmert, no matter if he apologizes and tries to protect his name and the NCAA brand, should be just as culpable for his mistakes. When you look at it, from a certain standpoint, no second thoughts whatsoever, Emmert’s believability suffers among all people.

The more we talk about him, the more we are talking bad about him, not having anything nice to say about the guy simply when he is seeking power, and isn’t bothered by the fact that the NCAA needs to be reformed. The great American folks want him out.

It seems he’s the enemy in Miami, unable to crack down on slimy agents and athletes who would receive improper benefits to violate NCAA rules. It is dumb, at best, and credulous to believe that the NCAA will find the resources to catch athletes and coaches breaking rules, especially when a number of these coaches and athletes have not been caught for infractions.

Just when the news was beginning to die down, especially with all the noise regarding the messy Penn State sex scandal, it’s become awful again, in an instant. Still, before it reaches that point, Shalala is not afraid to challenge the NCAA to a fight. It takes a powerful woman, like Shalala, to stand up to a stained organization, but she is probably more powerful than Emmert and can even qualify for his position.

So Emmert is in for a rude awakening and cannot drop the hammer on Miami. And how proper for it to be the Hurricanes, so long in the aftermath of prior scandals and misdeeds, now the victims of the NCAA. It really takes heart and guts for Shalala, who is the Miami president and the former Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton, to flex her political power and argue that you cannot believe what Shapiro tells the NCAA, even though he came clean.

Looking at it from this view, Emmert is weaker while Shalala is stronger, bringing out the NCAA unethical conduct. It turns out the NCAA is just as bad as the schools it has punished, if not worse. And Shalala knows it. Just like Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, who is suing the NCAA because of its handling of the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State, is fighting back for the sake of her university and its athletic program.

Shapiro is not credible to most. He’s certainly not credible to Shalala, but she also knows Miami had a relationship with the sleazeball. It’s unfortunate that Miami penalized itself, and banned itself from bowl games for the last couple of years, a harsh penalty for a school when the allegations were uncertain and vague.

It won’t be long until Emmert will be done as NCAA president, quickly tearing down the organization’s brand, even after admitting to his blunders. It could happen soon, if he doesn’t stop botching investigations and doesn’t get things under control. He could provide a difference and reform an unbalanced system but Emmert is desperate, unskilled and unqualified, running a shaky organization that has picked its battles with a few prominent schools without accountability for its own actions, which seems far worse than the universities it has punished.

As bad as it seems that the program’s name keeps surfacing with the same old mess — Miami is guilty as charged for its outrageous involvement with Shapiro — it shed light on a grievous issue that has not been figured out. Shapiro, who is serving 20 years in prison for managing a $930 million Ponzi fraud scheme as a sleazy booster of the University of Miami’s athletics program, provided thousands of dollars in cash and illegal benefits to football players and the men’s basketball team.

Will Shalala win the battle peacefully?

This can’t be happening. Of course it can. This may yet be remembered as the craziest showdown in sports, crazier than the scandals in the past, more interesting than a game itself once Shalala is through with the NCAA. Standing up for her university, Shalala has swagger in a clash with the NCAA.

Months since the astonishing news where the NCAA bullied and shoved Miami around, Emmert and the people under him have not recognized that the Hurricanes can be a threat and a fatal storm to the organization. The NCAA, breaking its own rules, is no match for Shalala in the boxing ring or the Octagon. It looks as if we’re in for an endless struggle before these two parties reach an understanding.

But, in the meantime, Miami’s accuser is just as dirty as the NCAA, which is all the more reason Emmert and the organization sided with Shapiro, without knowing the actual facts. It won’t be surprising to see him dismissed for hypocrisy and the lack of institutional control.

So it should come as no surprise that he will be gone soon, considering that he cannot administer a system or enforce the rules. No one can trust Emmert when he admitted that his investigators, yes those working under him in the Miami case, gathered information erroneously to give its brand a bad name as critics are all over Emmert, calling for his job.

It’s bad anytime an organization has to pay almost $20,000 to Shapiro’s attorney to use her ability and power in Shapiro’s bankruptcy case. After those working under Emmert were breaking the rules, he was not holding himself accountable.

If it was up to me, I would fire him, but the NCAA executive committee has no intentions of dismissing Emmert.

The NCAA won’t ever go away, not until Emmert does.

Harsh Penalty Sentence Penn State to Death

In the light of an egregious scandal, maybe the worst in NCAA history, we could have seen this coming a long time ago and we could have already known a punishment would have been so severe to basically destroy Penn State. Unfortunately, as we witness the unprecedented scene of punitive sanctions in which PSU may never recover and especially not anytime soon, the university is crippled because of Jerry Sandusky’s horrid crimes of sexually abusing young boys.

Eleven days removed from the damning report by former FBI director Louis Freeh that learned the late Joe Paterno had concealed allegations of child sex abuse against Sandusky, along with three other high-level Penn State officials, the NCAA handed down the harshest penalties to Penn State without the Committee on Infractions having a word.

One day removed from the removal of the larger-than-life bronze statue of Joe Paterno, while the monument was stored in a “secure location,” the NCAA leveled rare penalties to use Penn State as an example. And, in fairness, it was handled responsibly with disciplinary actions that fit the crime as the school must pay for its wrongdoing. Unfair as it is to those who have nothing to do with these heartless and selfish acts, Penn State is punished as a whole. It’s a real shame, but in reality, student athletes, coaches and alumni are guilty by association because they chose to commit or attend a storied university and football program that four men knew about Sandusky’s dirty secrets of sexual child abuse but kept it confidential to protect the school’s brand, reputation, and more importantly, Paterno’s legacy. It’s unfortunate, but it’s something that had to be done.

And so as a way to pay the price, the NCAA pretty much sentenced Penn State to death without handing down the Death Penalty. It’s worse than what SMU, a football program that received the most stringent punishment ever in the late 80s, endured and the NCAA sanctions can paralyze Penn State for months, years and decades. For a moment Monday morning, this stood as one of the most humiliating news conferences in college sports history, and NCAA President Mark Emmert stepped to the lectern and acted as if he was the new sheriff in town.

“In the case of Penn State, the results were perverse and unconscionable,” Emmert said. “No price the NCAA can levy will repair the grievous damage inflected by Jerry Sandusky on his victims. However, we can make clear that the culture, actions and inactions that allowed them to be victimized will not be tolerated in intercollegiate athletics.”

Rather than impose the death penalty and shut down the entire football program, he just handed down a $60 million fine, a four-year postseason ban, including the Big Ten championship game and the playoffs that goes into effect in 2014, a reduction of 40 scholarships over the next four years and 112 vacated wins. That makes Penn State alumni and the student body cringe, as a somber mood spreads on campus with the suffering and desolation from the depravity of sordid allegations and concealment by a dead football coach and three top administrators that percolates through people’s minds for all that has happened over the past months at State College. The historic sanctions against Penn State wasn’t an overreaction or even too harsh, but it was the right thing and a way to send a powerful message to every school that protecting the safety of children is the top priority over shielding a football program from vulnerability.

“There is incredible interest in what will happen to Penn State football,” Ed Ray, the chairman of the NCAA’s executive committee and Oregon State’s president said Monday. “But the fundamental chapter of this horrific story should focus on the innocent children and the powerful people who let them down.”

The NCAA and Emmert dropped the hammer and nailed Penn State football program for its role in shielding and keeping Sandusky’s misconduct of sexual molestation hush hush, refusing to stop suspected sexual abuse of children and report a longtime assistant to authorities for preying on young helpless boys. In other words, Paterno, who was docked 111 wins and stands 8th on the all-time wins from the sanctions, enabled a damn sexual predator and failed to protect the victims. It’s become obvious that Paterno moves onto the back burner, behind Florida State’s Bobby Bowden and Grambling’s Eddie Robinson. As of today, now deceased after dying at the age of 85 to lung cancer earlier in the year, Paterno is not represented as the winningest coach in college football history.

The most stunning upshot of the ordeal – and even for those Penn State folks in State College who cried and lowered their jaws in tremendous shock as Emmert caught us by surprise with his unprecedented decision – was the inconceivable penalties he announced. One of the finest and most prestigious programs, losing money from its wallet and a sense of pride even, was deprived of wins in the record books. With that in mind, Penn State, a shamed football program best known for the ugliest scandal in the history of American sports, will take decades to recover from the destruction if not permanent damage to forever wash away what the university stood for and a well-respected football culture.

“It’s important to know we are entering a new chapter at Penn State and making necessary changes,” said Penn State president Rodney Erickson. “We must create a culture in which people are not afraid to speak up, management is not compartmentalized, all are expected to demonstrate the highest ethical standards, and the operating philosophy is open, collegial, and collaborative.”

The corruption of Penn State’s despicable outrage and disgrace, though not everybody at the institution is culpable or responsible for the actions of four men who are either dead, unemployed or going to prison, warranted an unprecedented reaction to discipline a school after enabling a pedophile. It’s one thing for an athlete to receive improper benefits from a slimy agent that is commonplace in this era of college athletics. But it’s quite another thing for a football program, along with three top Penn State officials, to ignore a child predator and not stop him from sexually abusing children on campus for at least over a decade.

Tough as it is, newly hired football coach Bill O’Brien arrived at a time when it all remained in much uncertainty. But he also knew what was likely to happen when he accepted the coaching job to replace the fired Paterno. After the NCAA enforced a punishment that was harsher than the death penalty, sabotaging an entire program for decades and years — an investigation that didn’t take months — decided Penn State’s fate. For a long time now, recruiting will become greatly difficult for O’Brien and his staff. What’s uncertain is, Christian Hackenberg, the No. 1 rated quarterback prospect who is cautious and holding back as to whether he should decommit and verbally commit to another top football program with advice from his father. The bad thing is, Greg Webb, a four-star recruit in class of 2013, has rescinded his verbal commitment to Penn State and instead has chosen to attend North Carolina.

“Today we receive a very harsh penalty from the NCAA and as head coach of the Nittany Lions football program, I will do everything in my power to not only comply, but help guide the University forward to become a national leader in ethics, compliance and operational excellence,” said O’Brien. I knew when I accepted the position that there would be tough times ahead. But I am committed for the long term to Penn State and our student athletes.”

There’s no doubt the university is in a quandary, and sadly, this may be the end of Penn State. Indeed it is, and the school is paying for its sins. With a lack of institutional control, which involved sexual child abuse, NCAA enforcers and overseers had not conducted or launched into its normal investigation but relied heavily on the scathing Freeh Report. It concluded that Paterno, among three others, shielded the sexual child abuse allegations against Sandusky as it was more important to protect a football program and school from embarrassment.

“An argument can be made that the egregiousness in the behavior in this case is greater than any other seen in NCAA history,” Emmert said.

True, it’s the most heinous crime we’ve seen in NCAA history.

Kentucky Has Slight Edge, but Don’t Rule Out Kansas

If this has been a watchful season with Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Kansas’ Thomas Robinson — what are the odds we witness one of the most amazing instant classics in NCAA history? This tournament has infatuated our senses — amazed by Davis’ beast-like behavior and the Wildcats dream season … the fab freshman sealed the deal when he slammed home an alley-oop from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to defeat in-state rival Louisville 69-61 in Saturday night’s first semifinals. What fun to see an NCAA national championship game involving Kentucky, arguably the best team in the nation loaded with plenty of talented one-and-done, NBA ready superstars, and Kansas, a storied basketball program that includes big-name stars in All-Americans Robinson and Jeff Withey.

Bluegrass State vs. Sunflower State!

The road ends here, a chance for one of these schools to celebrate in bliss, climb the ladder and cut down the nets and raise the trophy. The winner is awarded — rightfully so — with a gold-plated trophy made of wood as it embodies everything college athletics signifies, as much as it pays homage to the best basketball team in college hoops. That honor might go to Kentucky, considered as one the greatest modern-era teams we’ve seen ever. Or Kansas just might travel to Lawrence as winners, once it’s all said and done.

Kentucky, meet Kansas.

Kansas, meet Kentucky.

In the ultimate debate of Kentucky likely being one of the best college basketball teams ever seen, it’s not an overstatement to turn one’s attention to the Wildcats and flatter UK for such a dominant run throughout an unpredictable, suspenseful three-week competition. This time around, surely, the Final Four featured not one underdog, an unusual scene for a tournament where a sleeper normally wears the glass slipper to attract attention as a Cinderella. For those of you who filled out elusive brackets, which were busted no later than the first round, they were smart to fill in their brackets by choosing chalk. There is no one more unstoppable, uncontainable, unbeatable and scarier than Kentucky and, if Kansas is still unsatisfied over heartbreaking losses and is hankering for a national championship, they’ll have to beat considerably the most talented team in college basketball.

It was too often during a month of chancy basketball that, time and time again, Kansas relied on comebacks, rallying from behind in another late-game run to survive and beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 64-62, and advance to the national championship for a test in a tough meeting against Kentucky Monday night. They won’t beat the Wildcats playing stagnant and sluggish early on. They won’t because the ‘Cats cause trouble for opponents, with plenty of athleticism, ferocity and a winning mentality, coming from an inexperienced and raw group of impending NBA stars. It’s becoming a usual standard, the Calipari Way to recruit the best players, a method he utilizes beautifully to his liking with almost full confidence in one-and-done, NBA-caliber players.

This is nothing new for Kentucky head coach John Calipari, whose philosophy is a simple pattern to figure out. The Wildcats, again next season, will reload and rebuild a talented Kentucky roster because Calipari has mastered the art of recruiting. This is not to say Kansas loses to the Wildcats, but the Jayhawks must score early and maintain leads or either keep a close deficit and cannot rely on an unbelievable comeback. By realizing Calipari has mustered the most talented team ever, the Wildcats are indeed the slight favorites, while Kansas make people have panic attacks with its customary come-from-behind wins. The real concern is whether KU can match UK’s intensity and its level of focus, against a dangerous group of superstars who have played consistently and productively, a well-balanced and staunch Kentucky team.

If not for Kansas’ late-game swagger, luck charms and resilience, the Jayhawks wouldn’t have scored six unanswered points in the final minutes of the game versus Purdue in the second round to take a 63-60 win, and wouldn’t have surged on a 12-0 run that resulted in an 80-67 win. If the Jayhawks somehow sustains satisfaction — if they beat the Wildcats – then it would truly be special for Kansas and Bill Self, who will take a 2-0 lead over Calipari in the overexposed duel to remain perfect against Kentucky’s coach.

There’s another obstacle standing in Kansas’ way, and focus now shifts to Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist, who is the second-best freshman even after having an awful game by spending much of the first-half on the bench in early foul trouble. And overall, it wasn’t Kentucky’s finest game. For much of the contest, the ‘Cats were outplayed, outhustled and outrebounded but shot the ball perfectly, shooting 57.1 percent from the field. With the game tied 49-49 late in the second half, Kentucky was a bit uncomfortable and was hindered from driving the lane as Louisville tightened on defense and disrupted the Wildcats’ dribble penetration, forcing them to launch thoughtless, midrange jumpers.

It took Calipari’s guys out of their comfort zone briefly, only to regain poise and confidence with their flair for penetrating to the basket, creating plays and finding the open man. Sitting on the bench for a while, Kidd-Gilchrist played only 23 minutes total and had not one offensive rebound and went scoreless for much of the first half, finishing with nine points. It’s been an unbelievable season for Kidd-Gilchrist, a breakthrough year for the true freshman, and while he had a bad game, he still had a couple of flashy, fast break dunks in the final minutes.

Even beyond that, Davis is a key component for Kentucky and, all season, he has been the defensive force with a serious approach. It isn’t as though his time is almost over with the Wildcats, but more than likely he won’t return to Kentucky next season as Davis is definitely a surefire No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. For now, anyway, he’s the most important player on the floor for the Wildcats, and on Saturday alone, he scored 18 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and had five blocks — becoming just the second player since 1986 to post 15-10-5 in a Final Four game.

So now, the two winningest programs in college basketball are set to meet on center stage. No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 1 Kentucky. It’s clear Self will have another shot at Calipari, who will be trying to get even with Kansas’ coach in a rematch from the 2008 national championship game when Calipari, after Memphis had a nine-point lead, was defeated by Self’s Jayhawks. That was the game where Mario Chalmers buried an indelible three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to send the game to overtime and an eventual national championship. The Jayhawks are entering Monday night’s game as heavy underdogs after Kentucky overwhelmed Kansas in the second half back in November.

“This is my stage!”

Yes, this is Davis’ stage.

But for now, and until Kansas is beaten, we can’t rule the Jayhawks out. Who cares if theory has it that Kentucky can’t be stopped or beaten? There’s still one game to be played, and with lethargy, arrogance and a few costly mistakes, the Wildcats could be just as vulnerable as are the Jayhawks. At the start, Kansas was trailing by 13 early in the first half, but as they’ve done so well throughout the tournament, they stormed back in the second half by being awarded trips to the charity strike where they made free throws down the stretch. The matchup everyone talked about heavily was no match for Ohio State star Jared Sullinger in which Robinson outdueled him on a collision course.

And then, Withey, the seven-foot All-American center who only had four points was one of the game’s dominant forces and the difference maker. He shut down and stifled shooters, swatting three Sullinger shots less than three minutes into the game. And when it was over, Sullinger finished 5-for-19 and seemed exhausted as Withey stopped and rejected Sullinger with his low post defense on almost every shot he attempted. It was brought to our attention that Withey had blocked seven shots — denying everything with his size and strength, one of the tallest centers out there.

It will be a battle for Kansas, just as it will be tough for Kentucky. It’s fairly known these two teams are evenly matched in a sense, which gives us a better understanding why these two teams have advanced to the biggest stage in college basketball and will play for a title. Nothing is certain. That’s for sure. The Wildcats, as they were anticipated, beat their rivals Louisville. Following the loss, Rick Pitino spoke nicely of the Wildcats and handled it with grace and class.

But now, it’s vital the ‘Cats realize they aren’t playing a team on a lesser scale but against one of the top programs. It’s hard to argue that Kentucky can’t beat the Jayhawks, when Kansas barely hung on against low-seeded teams and almost experienced a major upset against N.C. State in the Sweet 16.

It’s fitting to see these two teams, two storied school, two great coaches with talented players.

Only the strong survives.

Calipari vs. Pitino Defines Intense, Bloody Bluegrass Showdown

They are not best friends, but enemies in one of the best rivalries in all of sports. They’re not at each other’s throats in the 2012 Final Four that features a war between in-state rivals. As often is seen, the Kentucky and Louisville engagement is so intense, it becomes a lust for spectators to witness such an exaggerated, compelling rivalry with two clashing schools battling in the Bluegrass showdown, while much animosity is between Rick Pitino and John Calipari.

It’s felt tremendously, a mutual sense of bitterness and jealousy among two elite coaches, and apparently Pitino and Calipari loathes one another. The rest of the basketball world might recall the moment when Calipari alluded to Kentucky being the only major college basketball program in the state — speaking ill of Louisville as if the university and its exquisite basketball program never existed. The folks might even recall the moment, which happened just recently, when Pitino responded by speaking in defense of the Cardinals and admittedly suggested that Calipari was jealous, resentful and ignorant.

In a state predominately known for its college hoops, annual horse racing, fried chicken and distilleries, as crazy as it sounds, Pitino and Calipari are known for trading punches, verbal jabs as to which team is more fitting to withstand a cold war. It’s impossible to specify when the Calipari-Pitino relationship turned bitter. Whatever it is, somebody pissed off somebody, and now the rivalry is a watchful display Saturday evening. For decades now, Pitino has said he opened the door for Calipari’s career, recommending his nemesis for the coaching job at UMass and wrote a check for $5,000 to cover expenses when Calipari was hired in 1988.

Things happen, and for the worse, they have a broken relationship after a growing feud has recurred for much of this week, now that Louisville and UK will meet in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament in New Orleans. So here’s what we know in all of this – Calipari comments ensued greatly that inflamed bad blood last fall.

“There’s no other state, none, that’s as connected to their basketball program as this one because those other states have other programs,” Calipari told KSTV. “Michigan has Michigan State, California has UCLA, North Carolina has Duke. It’s Kentucky throughout this whole state, and that’s what makes us unique.”

Those remarks didn’t go over well with Pitino. The real petulance for Pitino, it seemed, was from Calipari’s theory of the non-existence for one of the best college basketball programs on the face of this earth. In days following, he responded.

“Four things I’ve learned in my 59 years about people,” Pitino told CBSSports.com. “I ignore the jealous, I ignore the malicious, I ignore the ignorant and I ignore the paranoid. If the shoe fits anyone, wear it.”

It’s hard to believe anything from Pitino and Calipari, whether they are trying to avoid distractions or repair a rocky relationship by discussing their differences. Right now, as much has been made about an overblown story that has generated puffery all week, who knows if Calipari and Pitino are friends? It’s a strange state of affairs when Pitino said, “there’s no animosity” between he and Calipari. And as this week has shown, in the history of a longstanding coaches’ feud, there’s plenty of emotion and disruptions with two coaches in the middle of hysteria, dominating all conversations leading up to this weekend’s Final Four.

“I’m as close to John Calipari as I am to (Kansas coach) Bill Self and (Ohio State coach) Thad Matta,” Pitino told reporters two days before the Louisville-Kentucky battle. “But they don’t coach at Louisville or Kentucky, so you’re not going to write or listen to it.”

In this case, while Pitino is modifying his team for one of the most talented teams in the nation, he’s downplaying the truth and refuses to reveal what the relationship really is like. And however, he’s a competitor chipping away at a good friend for all we know.

“We’re cordial,” Pitino said. “If we were at the Marriott in Las Vegas and we were recruiting, we’d have lunch together and a beer together. That’s our relationship. There’s no animosity. It’s just we’re competitors, and we want to win. We want to beat each other out for recruits. That’s the truth.”

Perhaps we should consider it a wonderful comeback for Pitino, who reached the Final Four for his sixth appearance — now with a chance to knock off Kentucky, a program he once led to a national championship back in 1996. It’s a gratifying moment, and maybe even one of the proudest moments Pitino, 59, has ever seen in his noteworthy career. For once, the most spectacular event is happening, which is the first Final Four between Louisville and Kentucky — representing a basketball-infatuated region. Our infatuation for basketball, which is unparalleled across the nation, steals our consciousness and ultimately satisfies viewers. This is a bloodier rivalry than if North Carolina and Duke played in the Final Four for the heavyweight title in a sense.

It’s the equivalent of Alabama and Auburn meeting in college football’s national championship game. This rivalry — beautiful though the contest may be — is what entices fans to keep an eye on an eventful NCAA men’s basketball tournament with our love of basketball absorbing our minds. Once again, Pitino has returned to basketball grandest stage, and no one ever imagined Louisville advancing to the Final Four. He knows he has been fortunate to have much success after a sex scandal poured forth two years ago when a woman was seeking to extort millions from him, and overcame adversity and public humiliation — keeping his coaching job at Louisville.

As tired as Pitino was hearing he couldn’t emulate and keep pace with his rival down the road in Lexington, he arrives to New Orleans as Calipari’s adversary with Louisville meeting Kentucky for what could be an instant classic. The hat is nodding to Calipari for recruiting the best talent available, as Pitino isn’t bringing in enough talent to jockey for a position on Kentucky’s level. For sheer bragging rights, with Pitino’s superlative pedigree, he’s looking to win his second national title and first with the Cardinals — and he’ll have to beat in-state rivals Kentucky to make it possible.

Evidently peeved, Pitino, who was UK’s head coach from 1989-1997, is not deify in Lexington but an enemy, a traitor — and during his tenure at Kentucky, he brought the Wildcats back to the top, escaping a recruiting scandal that defaced the program. He took the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1993, and won a championship three years later, defeating Syracuse to raise the trophy. In those days, Kentucky was one of the top teams in the country as they are now, after Pitino had coaxed the best players in the nation to verbally commit and sign with the school, visiting homes and sitting in living rooms to woo kids to play for him. Then he left for the NBA, only to return at the college level on the other side of town, the wrong side of town, to stir plenty of resentment. He failed ever so miserably in over three seasons with the Boston Celtics and had been censured by the local media and fans, after lacking the ability to rejuvenate a mediocre franchise.

Let’s not kid ourselves about the latest beef of this ever-present rivalry, or even the high-stakes and history between two programs relentlessly in disfavor to each other. In a few days, Calipari could be the savior at Kentucky or vice versa if Pitino can fare well against the Wildcats and come through in the jaws of defeat for one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. The argument is now over whether this is one of the well-anticipated, heated college basketball games ever, the type of epic theater we’ll reminisce about for many years, with a pair of villainous coaches who are identified as heroes on their side of town and with a brand of talented, athletic superstars on each team of this intense rivalry.

The storyline of Calipari’s recent effectuation is the one-and-done formula he has adopted, a knack to align stars and turn freshmen into explosive superstars. It’s clearly the Calipari Way, a strategy in which he relies solely on one-and-done, NBA-ready players to produce enough wins to qualify for the Final Four, and then is bereaved of mind-blowing talent and replenishes Kentucky’s roster. Very rare does Calipari foster and discipline veterans, but has recruited the best players in the nation in the past three years. Now is a good time for him to win, with all this talent.

Years ago, the Pitino-Calipari relationship crumbled and their personalities have drastically changed, and most likely they don’t have dinner together, don’t have long conversations over the phone — they are not as close as they once were. And therefore, Pitino and Calipari only deal with each other from a professional standpoint. As for Pitino, dressed faddishly in his disco-style, tailor-made suits with his hair combed neatly, he’s racked up more feats than Calipari, masterfully building an image based on his craft and victories, greater than what Coach Cal has stockpiled.

This was not an absolute surprise -- for like many -- Calipari, the blue-collar Pittsburgh native, has battled with Pitino but never come close to matching his share of workmanship. It’s becoming clear that — given that he’s envy and dislikes Pitino in some way — he’s been waiting for such a moment like this, meeting him on the biggest stage for an intense fight. It’s a curious sight as Louisville and Pitino are the underdogs, even after he’s taken the Cardinals to the Final Four and has a bloated resume of victories and unbreakable history.

The difference is that now — with all the talent it has — Kentucky is unbeatable. They are too loaded, too talented, too explosive and too fundamentally sound to stop — and quite frankly — no one believe the Wildcats will fold at this point. He is, however, optimistic and slightly suspects that he can rob Kentucky of its dream to become national champs by Monday night, undeterred by the Wildcats as favorites to cut down the nets and travel home to Lexington with the trophy. It’s not a strange place for Calipari, reaching his second straight Final Four appearance and hoping not to fall short of a national title this year.

He hasn’t lived a perfect life, and before he accepted his dream job at Kentucky, he ran into trouble at previous schools and left behind a mess. The revelations of NCAA violations weren’t worse than Pitino’s tasteless allegations of an extortion trial. As a way to punish Calipari of his wrongdoings, he had one Final Four vacated for the Marcus Camby scandal and had another stripped at Memphis on academic fraud charges on Derrick Rose. In a time when Calipari runs the program Pitino once directed, he is spearheading the most talented team we’ve witnessed in years, with plenty of first-round picks such as Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

This is finally a chance for Calipari to beat Pitino. This is finally a shot for Calipari to soar to new heights by knocking off a rival.

The year might have finally come for Calipari, just as much as it has come for Pitino.

Bill Self Built Kansas into Winner

He isn’t such a bad coach, after all. He shook the hand of North Carolina’s Roy Williams and, with a smile, celebrated on the floor with his players. For once, Kansas head coach Bill Self had something to be proud of — overjoyed with his team’s accomplishments amid all the adversity and scares.

So ecstatic, and deservingly so, he climbed the ladder to cut the final three strands of the net, following an impressive 80-67 win over North Carolina on Sunday. He was thrilled, grinning, exactly what he needed, and when it ended, the victory sent Self to a second Final Four in nine years with Kansas. The emotions were tangible, the victory cured souls and Self’s players jumped around like fidgety kids at the end, erasing the horrifying memories of tough losses, battling through hard times and overcoming so many bad breaks to make amends. It was a moment of redemption, and more importantly, a real test for Self and the Jayhawks.

Given the program’s history, while the winner is on its way to college basketball’s biggest stage, Self can easily be considered the most decorated coach with eight consecutive Big 12 titles, the 2008 national title and the craft to beat Williams twice in the NCAA tournament at Kansas. So now, it’s all right to make an assumption he’ll win it again someday, if not this year. But he’s only two wins away from the reward, joining the big dance in the Big Easy with eyes on the trophy.

It’s been nine years ago since Williams fled Kansas, and by the time Self accepted one of the hardest jobs in America, he was right away in the shadows of one of the finest coaches ever in Kansas’ basketball program. By any measure, beyond all the doubts that he is extremely overrated after only winning one championship in his nine-year period at Kansas, Self is almost in the company of basketball’s elite coaches, especially if and when the Jayhawks dreams of another championship becomes a reality.

The Jayhawks, favored to raise another championship banner and party wildly in New Orleans once it’s all said and done, will meet East Region champion Ohio State in the semifinals. For much of the game, Kansas engaged in a tight contest to stay alive in likely its most hard fought and dominant game in this year’s NCAA tournament, for once not frightening the hearts and souls of crazed Jayhawks’ fans or believers with busted brackets, no doubt. It was a very fulfilling win, but at the same time, it was also a sign of relief for a team that had already been through it all, from the ups and downs to the good times and the bad times.

And, in a sense, Self has fueled and shaped the Jayhawks into fierce competitors overnight, and Self-motivated his players to have Self-assurance, Self-belief and Self-discipline. That’s sure to draw much attention, with all the heavy talk surrounding Kansas and Self. For now on, he probably won’t have to answer questions about Williams during press conferences, and could strictly focus on his team’s improvement.

This is the most battled-test team to ride to the Final Four, and again, will be relentlessly challenged by Ohio State next Saturday, even if Kansas is not within realm of possibility as exposed to danger as the Jayhawks have been in the past, relying on comebacks and luck to avoid potential letdowns. It is, however, no matter if the Jayhawks struggled and teetered constantly in the tourney, Self’s most remarkable season at KU. In light of the well-accomplished run with Kansas, close to capturing his second championship, Self’s Jayhawks beat a No. 1 seed for the school’s 14th Final Four appearance.

In short, he’s made Kansas even more relevant and has reestablished a storied program with his stubborn, soft attitude. Self’s mighty Jayhawks, now considered the most dangerous program behind Kentucky of course, is finding a basketball identity. Prior to this year’s extraordinary run, each year ended ever so miserably — early exits to low-seeded teams before abruptly leaving for home empty handed and with teardrops slowly draining down the faces of saddened Kansas’ players.

But now, there is reason for hope — and even Self knows that — nurturing and breeding the boys for a chance at a title. It was one of those games that Kansas’ defense stifled and trapped North Carolina, holding the Tar Heels to 22.6 percent shooting in the second half, the lowest percentage in a half for a school in an NCAA tournament game. That’s impressive, given that Self’s players play the most deadly and relentless brand of defense. And simply, it’s what defines a team with some of the best talent in the nation.

They are winners — rightfully so — by playing solidly on offense, for once, and dominating as aggressors defensively. It’s all enough to manipulate every opponent it face, enough to hinder the opposing team from turning into tenacious scorers. The star in the middle of it all is Kansas’ All-American Thomas Robinson, yes, the 6-foot-9 junior forward whose dream turned into a reality on D.C. playgrounds before arising into a physical athlete to be one of the top five picks in this year’s NBA draft.

Two years ago, Robinson wasn’t nearly as proficient as he is now and possibly is the national player of the year, dealing with disheartening tragedies and family issues that have truly been inspirational. So it’s amazing what Kansas has accomplished, and with all the joy and confidence, Self told his players that he’s enjoyed coaching this team more than anyone he’s ever directed. And with that said, this Kansas team has exceeded all expectations. The story of this contest was the reemergence of Tyshawn Taylor, who had 22 points in an eye-opening spectacle, helping Kansas to a 12-0 run in the closing minutes.

He developed into the kind of scoring guard that had been missing in this tournament, ending a scoring drought, such as thoughts of any struggles. Midway in the second half, it was a one-point game and the pressure was on for Kansas — with a chance at the Final Four. Along the way, they gained momentum and it brought fans to their feet as the crowd roared louder and louder in a neutral site that felt as if it was a homecoming for the Jayhawks, with the vast majority of their supporters in the stands.

It took exactly a second half for Kansas to realize it could outperform, outsmart and outplay North Carolina. And on the court, Taylor was the man who couldn’t be stopped, the player the Tar Heels couldn’t close in on -- stealing the ball from John Henson, one of North Carolina’s superstars, and racing down the floor for a dunk.

It was all Jayhawks from there, and so Jeff Withey, who was the blocking machine at the basket, tipped in a shot, off Taylor’s ill-advised three-point attempt. Within that span, the Tar Heels just had six points during eight minutes. The rest of the night Taylor forced turnovers and the highlight play came on Elijah Johnson’s three-point shot.

But the bigger story here is Self, of course, in search of a second championship. And yet that’s exactly why he chose to coach Kansas, hoping to be crowned. With Self’s incredible feats as opposed to his recent achievements in March, he can move into the company of top college basketball coaches.

By now, Self is more proud of a team than he’s ever been.

Kentucky, Calipari Can Finally Win Whole Enchilada

What makes the Wildcats so good, besides the fact the school has the shrewdest recruiter in college basketball, is their ability to push inside the paint, masterfully dominate at will and pose as a fundamentally sound unit with the necessities to beat anyone in their path.


And after watching the most talented and completed team in the tournament at which Anthony Davis was dangerously terrorizing underneath the basket, as if he's a beast-like animal on the prowl, the feeling here is that he's the most relentless player not only for Kentucky but in the country. He drove to the basket aggressively, finishing it with an empathic dunk to posterize Iowa State players that erupted a frenzy as Wildcats' fans roared for much of the second half. He swatted shots tenaciously, stopping dribble-penetration and forcing Iowa State to fire three-point shots for much of the second half, though Royce White used his strength to drive the ball and score at the basket.

As the Wildcats increasingly raises fear, Saturday night was Kentucky's biggest test so far in the tournament, and indeed, they prevailed and advanced to the Sweet 16 for a rematch with Indiana. Believe me, if Kentucky is after all the best squad in the nation, they've proved it with an 87-71 rout over a fearless Iowa State team.

“I’ve got a good basketball team,” Calipari said after the game. “You won’t believe this. I’ve got good players, too. But they’re a good team. They’re efficient. They play hard. They are skilled. They’re all skilled."

It's all part of Calipari's way of preparing his team for any disappointment that could stop Kentucky's run to the Final Four and winning its eighth championship. Calipari, at least in perceptive, has disciplined and fortified a talented army of youngsters for one of the most demanding programs in college sports, acting in a tough role by signing the best players in the country to play for the Wildcats and attend the prestigious university for a higher education. The intent is ultimately for Calipari to guide the most talented team he's ever coached to his first NCAA championship, but also he is seeking to achieve larger goals.

He won't be satisfied until he brings life and revives Kentucky, and with the players he has now, Calipari is well on his way to reaching a fulfilled accomplishment. In keeping with tradition, Calipari's purpose is simply to restore a tenor of aspiration for the winningest school in college basketball. It's more about solidifying excellence for a basketball program committed to good fortune in attempt to validate a principle and blueprint for manufacturing multiple championships.

The criticisms toward Calipari, the most polarizing coach in college basketball after the UMass scandal involving Marcus Camby who received improper benefits from an agent, is from his half-knowledge and denial. The bashing toward Calipari, the most hated coach in the game after Memphis was stricken for violations of NCAA rules during his watch regarding Derrick Rose's fraudulent SAT scores, is from him sadly leaving behind a darkened cloud that cast a gloom over two schools for his negligence and blindness.

If the Wildcats raise the trophy and cut down the nets in New Orleans this year, believed to be the most completed team in the tourney, then it figures that Calipari will finally escape dreadful, haunted episodes from prior schools he once coached -- joining Louisville's Rick Pitino as the only coaches to lead three different schools to the Final Four a year ago.

Maybe this is the year he finally reaches a pinnacle and wins his first ever title in his 20 years of coaching, with the eye-catching talent he possess now -- fully entrusting one-and-done superstars every season -- developing NBA-ready players after recruiting, signing and having a part in top prospects verbally committing to play for the program. It has become common to see Calipari fully reload the UK roster with the know-how to string together the best recruiting class every season, and then watch one-and-done players leave after freshman season without polishing three-and-four year stars for a possible championship run.

By now, you know he and the Wildcats benefit nicely from two returning sophomores with NBA capabilities -- enough experience and confidence to instill the importance of staying composed and engaged in what it takes to earn the prize. And now, after this season comes to an end, Terence Jones and Doron Lamb are likely to leave for the NBA, and they are both projected to be selected late in the first round or early in the second round. If there were two players worth crediting, Jones and Lamb were those well-deserving following an awesome performance.

It was surprising to see Jones come back to Kentucky after his freshman season, but now he has a chance perhaps to end his college career with much gratification. He should be, since he had eight points and 11 rebounds Saturday, increasingly raising his draft stock if he decides to leave after this season is over. Just like last season, Lamb is being a difference-maker and playing with much energy and hunger -- scoring 16 points to absolutely slaughter Iowa State and spoil White's tremendous night against the terror of Kentucky's size and physique, a slew of foreboding NBA players. The unique aspect to the Wildcats, after playing deliciously good at the Yum! Center this weekend, is the way Calipari's phenomenal freshmen dominate at will every season, and then he recruits again to sign almost every best player in the nation.


What's a stake is a national title, and senior Darius Miller, who had 19 points Saturday for the Wildcats, knows the significance of playing splendidly. The secret ingredient to rule as a powerhouse is by putting superstars together in order to align, which defines Calipari -- a recruiting virtuoso. This is how the No. 1 Wildcats earned the top seed overall in the NCAA tournament. This is how the 'Cats marvels of near-perfection. For a while there, it looked as if an upset was brewing but Marquis Teague came through and poured in 24 points and had seven assists, and eventually Kentucky pulled away. A lead that was only four ballooned to 18 and, from there, the Wildcats held a large lead.

"Take your hats off to them," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said. "They hit tough shots, they hit shots with the shot clock running down. They were very good in transition I thought."

It's amazingly a craft and cleverness to turn youth quickly into natural, powerful stars -- a standard for running a top-level program. So now, Kentucky is going to the Sweet 16, which was expected all along. And make no mistake, Iowa State was a very good team but was no match for Kentucky, well, maybe for the first half. If he continues to recruit the best and breed superstars for the NBA, players constantly will leave for the league.

If Calipari can really win this year, with the most dangerous team, he can persist in signing the top players in the country, as he does so well. Seniors are not necessary in his program, simply because he has the knack of recruiting and relies on very young, talented athletes. It doesn't matter whether they are underclassmen or upperclassmen, but what matters is whether he can win it all.

This would now be a perfect time.

John Calipari's Wildcats Are Most Talented Squad In Country

What if I told you John Calipari is a premier coach with one of the best coaching jobs in the nation, a university known greatly for its basketball? What if I told you Calipari, 53, has an ability for getting his point across to players, grooming one-and-done players and turning diaper dandies into NBA products?

What if I told you Kentucky's Anthony Davis, an all-round forward projected to potentially declare for the 2012 NBA Draft, is the best player in college hoops? What if I told you Kentucky Wildcats are the scariest and most dangerous men's basketball team in the nation?

Wouldn't you buy into what I think is valid?

If you were smart and had a sense of knowledge about college hoops, then you might have penciled in the Wildcats for the Final Four or even the national championship game on your elusive brackets, to raise the trophy and cut down the nets in New Orleans. Generally, Davis is a surefire No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft, will forgo sophomore season and plans to establish a foundation at the professional ranks. He's the strongest and best player on the floor, a freshman standout, a shot-swatter with a knack and size to pose as a dominant force in the interior to intimidate opponents -- largely putting fear in the minds of his opposition.

If this is the beginning to an extraordinary joyride for the Kentucky Wildcats, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, then fans all over are revering the most compelling and eventful unit. They've never disappointed, not once, this year in a well-accomplished season, in chase for the national title to amass much more trophies as the winningest school in college basketball history. It's time for Kentucky to dance, which is just another chance for Calipari, who is, simultaneously, one of the most despised coaches to prove he's one of the stellar coaches all-time. For the first time in his 20-year coaching career, he's never had the deepest unit in the nation with plenty of weapons predicted to go home with a title.

With solid recruiting during his tenure at Kentucky -- since his arrival to Lexington two years ago -- Calipari has built an inferior program from the bottom and lured some of the best prospects from high school. Calipari, in particular, had an extremely touted recruiting class and brought in the top players in all three years, in which he has been the head coach for Kentucky. There is no doubting Calipari's diligence to recruit -- and he's been conspicuously a mentor molding point guards with much potential. Ask Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and John Wall -- among those skilled point guards he coached.

But this year, Calipari clearly has the most talented team in the nation, more talented than prior classes he masterfully honed and prepared for Elite Eights and Final Fours. It would be an upset surely enough after the Wildcats were given the No. 1 overall seed and were ranked as the most powerful team in the country with first-rate studs and athletic figures, if they are beaten in the most unpredictable tournament. For once, it seems at least, Calipari has a team with parity, experience, heart, hunger and better depth.

Any team is vulnerable and nothing is ever promising in a tourney of single elimination -- nothing, not even advancing past the first round. The Wildcats have flaws, no doubt, but they look more unbeatable and remarkably are the most dominant team Calipari has ever coached, believe it or not, after bringing in the proper ingredients to make a bold statement this March.

He's finally on top of the world, six games away from a national championship, and with the current roster he has now, it's feasible to have faith in the Wildcats. Whether you like him or not, Calipari installed relevance in a storied program that ailed for many years. Whether you like him or not, he accepted the most demanding coaching job in college basketball and, shortly after the hiring, he lifted the program into primary conversations for Final Fours.

What Calipari is doing at Kentucky is turning players into stars, just as he reshaped UMass, Memphis and now Kentucky. The most improved team in the nation is Kentucky, with a seven-men rotation of NBA prospects, including one of the tallest forwards in the game in Davis, a dominant defensive player startling a number of teams because of his shot blocking and fierce toughness in the paint. Without him, Kentucky's run to the NCAA tournament wouldn't be so foretelling. The healthiest team of the tournament is Kentucky -- the amount of depth it requires to win a national championship.

The Wildcats clearly won't be satisfied, until they complete a triumphant quest and continue to play dominantly in each round of the tournament. There's no celebrating, well, at least not for Calipari, who wants his team to stay focus solely on the task at hand and certainly his players have a winning mentality just as much as reality has set in to remind each of them of vulnerability in a competition with surprises and where anything is possible. There is something for Blue Nation to cheer and hopefully the agony of defeat won't reduce crazed fans to tears. This would be the time for Calipari and the Wildcats to win a title with the usual roster of one-and-done superstars.

This would be the time for Calipari to finally become the conqueror of his first championship in such a long coaching tenure with Davis being the ripple effect. If he leaves, which he will likely end a sensational college career to arise as a star in the NBA, the Wildcats won't nearly be dominant. It's not hard to judge that Kentucky is well on its way to New Orleans to play for the prize, and pretty soon if they continue to overpower and beat opponents, Davis and company will celebrate and cut down the nets. The stakes are high and now is the perfect time for Kentucky to capitalize on pride and prestige. My inclination is, when it is all said and done, there will be Kodak moments of Calipari hoisting the trophy and exchanging an extended bear hug with Davis.

And then, Ashley Judd would blow kisses from the stands.

On Thursday, Davis will be the best player on the floor, a primary factor, a menacing threat, a shot-swatter, a penetration-stopper in the lane that would make it rather difficult for No. 16 seed Western Kentucky. He'll be the top superstar respectively for weeks to come, an aggressor and a beast-like specimen with an appetite for wins and a visit to the Final Four in a couple of weeks from now. My bracket says there's no way, and there's just no way in hell, a team can figure out a way to beat an army of superstars with much equilibrium and athleticism.

The excitement created by the Wildcats, starving to taste the glory of winning for putting in effort and exertion to be rewarded, should be even more telling if Kentucky succeeds in the end. Having Davis, the popular athlete who is a top 5 NBA prospect -- without any doubt -- is a boon for a program on track to master total domination in NCAA basketball, a common program filled with much merit years ago. The emergence of freshmen Marquis Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, both expected to enter the NBA draft, are scoring options as they play hard and hustle to attract attention, quickly evolving into flowering supplements offensively. Then it could be useful to have Doron Lamb be a threat from beyond three-point range, scoring from long distance all season. And Terrence Jones is unstoppable on the baseline.

Once again, Calipari, a recruiting expert obviously, may have a better class than John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Brandon Knight -- all his players who potentially had enough to win a national championship. Only the Wildcats can beat themselves, already showing they can defeat anybody they face, despite an inexcusable loss to talented Vanderbilt for the SEC championship Sunday. It won't hurt Kentucky's chances, not as long as Calipari motivates and has the attention of his determined players.

This is what Calipari has waited for, an opportunity, a conceivable opportunity to finally win the prize he's heavily had his eyes on for many years, and now Kentucky is the obvious favorite, finishing 52-0 in home games since taking over the 'Cats 30-win seasons. It is fun to watch players fresh out of high school with tremendous talent each season, to see Calipari produce All-American athletes -- preparing and cultivating all his players. Other than winning, his intentions is to develop superstars send them off as one-and-dones. He's not to blame for that, either. Find fault in the flawed NCAA system for not enforcing college athletes to stay in school longer than a year.

If you weren't aware, the Wildcats have won seven national championships. As it stands, Calipari, who probably can accumulate the number of titles in school history for the winningest program, is honored to join the acclaimed group of coaches from Adolph Rupp to Joe B. Hall to Rick Pitino to Tubby Smith.

With Calipari around, he can recruit and sign the best players in the country. Thank him for Davis. Thank him for putting together the most invincible basketball program in the nation.

Syracuse Will Hurt In Fab Melo's Absence

For what we know -- officially, openly, indisputably, is that he can only sit and watch and miss out on all the madness. There's not much Fab Melo, the shot-blocking sophomore, can do actively to facilitate and help No. 1 Syracuse in the NCAA tournament.

And so, suddenly, upon hearing the latest news, Melo will not play in the tournament due to eligibility issues, a non-factor at the worst possible time. It's been a season of adversity and ignominy for the Syracuse men's basketball team -- longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine was fired after former two ball boys accused him of sexually abuse. And just recently, Yahoo Sports! learned that at least 10 players failed a banned substance test.

With that in mind, Melo's absence will be felt and, because he won't be taking part in activity of the most unpredictable tournament, bracketologist and casual fans should be skeptical about penciling Syracuse in the Final Four on brackets. Besides, the real fun of Syracuse was watching Melo, who not only had a flashy name but the intangibles of size and incredible wingspan. It would be an upset, not to mention an absolute failure, if Syracuse can't make it to New Orleans. But without the 7-foot Brazilian, logic is, the Orange can't survive, can't easily thrash their opposition and can't perform at best.

Projected to at least qualify for the national title to some, now it appears Syracuse is in serious trouble, as the status remains unknown on whether they can play effectively minus the services of Melo. The spate of distractions from a star player's ineligibility looks painfully bad for a basketball program striving in bringing home the gold trophy and cutting down the nets in New Orleans, but the Orange has depth and tremendous talent with sustainably the best sixth-man in the nation, Dion Waiters. He is a legitimate guard, an athletic sophomore coming off the bench after he was almost released from the team, blooming into a star in his role as a reserve. There are plenty of weapons, from senior point guard Scoop Jardine to Kris Joseph, who leads Syracuse in scoring, piling on 13.8 points and collecting merely five rebounds and has abundantly stolen the ball with his quick hands, tied for the team's second most steals with Jardine.

If Syracuse wants a chance to compete, by all means, it will take contributions from all of them, specifically without Melo having an impact at a time when his presence will deeply be missed. In what will probably be the toughest, stiffest run for Syracuse in the upcoming weeks, beginning with North Carolina-Asheville on Thursday afternoon, it's now conceivably to envision a No. 16 seed having the better chance of becoming the first to defeat a No. 1 seed. It wouldn't be so surprising -- trust me -- if UNC Asheville startled our consciousness and extremely annihilated our brackets as giant killers in the tourney after the greatest upset in NCAA history.

Now, imagine if this were to happen?

If this game becomes an instant classic, replays of the biggest upset will forever reappear on ESPN Classic to remember a fantastic contest of thrills and shocking outcomes. It's not the first time Melo was declared ineligible by the school. The last time he was disqualified by the school was for academic issues, and now comes Melo's second suspension. Worse of all, after penalizing its best player for an unspecific purpose, the NCAA could impose a sanction against the program if the seven-footer was mistakenly cleared to return after the first punishment. His earlier suspension proved costly, he was the missing domino effect and Syracuse -- believe it or not -- diminished in areas of offense, and although you are optimistic the Orange can definitely win without Melo, there is a possibility they might be an early ouster.

It essentially, whether a person buys into it or not, ends Syracuse's national title hopes, putting a scare on the hearts of Syracuse faithful -- starving for a championship and much happiness with all the adversity giving the university a bad name. Through it all, Syracuse has come together as a unified team and immensely overcame adversity, enough to amass a 31-2 record and claim a No. 1 seed, but will have to play without Melo after the announcement that one of the tallest starting centers is ineligible. All season, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has dealt with off-court distractions on numerous occasions, but it has not caused the Orange to teeter and break down fundamentally.

Melo's absence would be enough, even though he had a disappointing freshman season, to demolish the basketball season, wastefully ending a run of achievements and dreams by missing a key component. It's necessarily a problem without Melo, who was named Big East defensive player of the year, especially if he averaged 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game in which he dominated perfectly in Boeheim's acclaimed 2-3-zone defense.

Upset, anyone?

The school is deprived of their superstar in essence of a severe punishment, but in likelihood they could be upset bait. Then again, perhaps this traditionally may be the year we see 'Cuse basketball. It's not believable at this very moment, though.

March Figures to Have Much Parity, Thrills -- Let Madness Begin

The madness is essentially part of our sports culture, which could start an interesting conversation at the water cooler where co-workers all week will discuss their tournament brackets and devote much time away from the workplace to secretly engage in a gambling pool. Each year, we have fun penciling in schools in a field of 68 teams -- watching the unthinkable unfold in arguably the most enthralling tournament in sports. This has been the most exciting season for college hoops. It's always fun to witness the tourney because of underdogs, upsets, breathtaking finishes and thrills.

March Madness is, after all, the time of year when fans fill out brackets, which are busted by the second round to only define a crazy month of March Sadness as no one's bracket is never perfect and usually is obliterated before the Sweet 16. There is nothing new about the majority being at work all week, focusing on brackets, checking the scores and rooting for the underdog -- a tradition we have culturally braced for years. It's a moment in time for a field of 68 teams to ultimately advance to the Final Four in a tourney of single elimination by having the drive, willpower, character, determination and ammunition at the right possible time.

With all due respect Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina all earned No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tournament Sunday despite stunning conference losses. A team that solely ruled the Big Ten was Michigan State after beating Ohio State, now the only school to earn No. 1 seed after winning its conference tournament. But in truth, all season, the schools worthy of top seeding dominated and were well deserving of largely earning the top spot. The road to the 2012 Final Four -- which is played in New Orleans two weeks from now -- is elusive in which anything is possible.

Like the rest us, President Obama, who has shown enthusiasm for sports, will likely fill out a bracket even if there are more important issues on his to-do list such as restoring a nation financially battered by a long-suffering recession. He is, without a doubt, enamored with college hoops, perhaps maybe even too much. But what sports fan isn't in love with March? The most interesting, fun three weeks on the calendar looms ever so closer, a tournament of dreams, miracles, ecstasy and agony. Even though Kansas are favorites to win all to some, that is, the Jayhawks were given a No. 2 seed.

It's almost as if the deepest teams in the nation exist in the Big 12 with the likes of Missouri and Baylor, two teams that may actually be stronger and more efficient than Kansas. Truth is, every region is competitive and the least expected team, as the NCAA tournament begins -- would wear the class slipper -- like George Mason and Villanova as giant killers in the past. So let the Madness begin.

Where exactly does Kansas stand? You can't ever tell with the Jayhawks.

For whatever reason, as people are so fascinated by Kansas because its considered one of the most talented and deepest teams in the country, the Jayhawks are marked to advance to the Final Four -- but tends to stunningly fall against sleepers in a game of chillers and thrillers. It's hard to believe that Kansas will survive the madness, with far too many people sold on a program that is the most vulnerable team in March. Bill Self, head coach for Kansas, doesn't get much sleep these days, incapable of winning the big ones when it counts. Remember when Ali Farokhhmanesh hit a big three-point shot to help Northern Iowa stun Kansas for one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history? Remember when eleven-seeded VCU beat Kansas that ended in a stunning collapse last season?

Once again, Self, who has won one national championship in eight seasons, is one of the nation's best offensive set coaches and has recruited brilliantly throughout his tenure, but Kansas hasn't had the Big 12's top recruiting class in four years. This is the man who made Kansas relevant after the Roy Williams regime, bringing in Brandon Rush, Julian Wright, and Mario Chalmers -- in the same class. This class has Thomas Robinson -- college basketball's MVP, if not national player of the year, averaging 11.8 boards per game and scoring 17.9 points on 53 percent shooting.

It can't be denied that Kansas is talented and loaded with offensive weapons, but relatively speaking it's always unknown how far they'll go in the tourney, a basketball program that can never, ever be trusted -- even with third-year starter Tyshawn Taylor, who is indispensable if the Jayhawks are playing to get through the first two rounds of their hardest challenge. And the big man, Jeff Withey, a seven-foot center, couldn't disrupt more in the middle as a solid defender.

This team is so equipped with talent of all sizes and athleticism, for which a loss is considered a failure. There's a reason this team is bigger and advertised more than any other team in contention, why Kansas' expectations are immense following a dominant, remarkable 27-6 season and why it's quite a shock when the Jayhawks have tourney misfortune. And if Kansas doesn't watch it and let its guard down, it's feasible that Belmont or Saint Mary's could painfully strike them by surprise. Is this the nation's best offensive team? That remains to be seen.

The nation's second-best teams, such as Duke, Missouri and Ohio State, all earned two seeds and may have felt they should have been ranked higher. One can argue that they all deserved No. 1 seeds, just as much as a person can argue that Drexel and Washington, winner of the Pac-12 title, should have been given at-large bids. It amazes me to see that, of all teams, Iona secured a bid for the tourney, and as it turns out, it seems like an absolute joke come to think of all the craziness. Iona over Oral Roberts and Drexel? Iona over Washington? Are you kidding me?

Sixty-eight teams qualified and, as always, there is much controversy over snubs and seeding for which you can't please everyone, even if you tried. The outcry of snubbed teams is nothing more but bickering on whether a school was legitimately good enough to compete in the NCAA tournament and, from the scheme of things, the committee apparently thought those schools were undeserving.

It's my inclination that the real jockeying for the big dance comes this week in a tourney of much parity, mystic and excitement. Now that we've established the brackets, rightfully so, we can predict a winner and digest the beauty of the big dance, comprised of sixty-eight teams, four regions, three weeks of intense drama.

1. Potential Cinderella


Not many college basketball games have been played lately without George Masons or even an unexpected Cinderella in existence, coming alive to stun the world. And this year alone, Belmont, Detroit and Memphis are a trilogy of dark horses on the road to the Final Four. It wouldn't be smart to ignore Belmont. This is the week Harvard, yes, an Ivy League school, can possibly survive early on with a win over No. 5 Vanderbilt, who convincingly beat unbeatable Kentucky in the SEC championship game. If any upsets happen, Belmont, a well-coached, experienced and powerful team, should be the favorites to pull off the stunner over third-ranked Georgetown, particularly after thrashing North Florida in the Atlantic Sun championship Saturday.

Just so you know, the Bruins finished 19-1-conference play and 30-4 overall. Watch out for Belmont. The annual notion of all the madness is that we should witness another George Mason, as we have each year, becoming obsessed with a suspenseful, compelling contest, which has grown into a popular sports event every spring -- from March Madness gatherings to brackets to online streaming at the workplaces. If you like upsets, then you may fall in love with No. 9 Southern Miss over No. 8 Kansas State or No. 12 Long Beach State over No. 5 New Mexico. This is all seemingly possible.

2. Kentucky Wildcats


The feeling of cutting down the nets in New Orleans is very possible for the Wildcats. And in the big dance, at least for what it is, Kentucky is the most dominant team in the nation and might be crowned champs in three more weeks. The feeling is, once the winner is decided, folks might be partying in Lexington. When he was hired as Kentucky's basketball coach, John Calipari described the University of Kentucky coaching position as his "dream job." It's more than just an illusion and, in reality, he's finally coaching a group of players projected to hold the gold trophy and travel back to the Blue Nation with a sense of joy.

The development of Kentucky is partly from the rise of freshman Marquis Teague and Anthony Davis, the diaper dandy as Dickie V calls them -- a surefire Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and top pick in the NBA draft, scoring 15 points a game, dominating in the middle and blocking shots. And with the likes of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb, the Wildcats are the clear favorites. Among the things for which he has developed the toughest program in the nation, Calipari has influenced his driven players to contend for a national title, chasing the ultimate goal. The best team loses sometimes, and Calipari is advising his considerably talented young players to not beat themselves.

2. North Carolina Tar Heels


The toughest region is the Midwest in which the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, such as North Carolina and Kansas -- seem probable to meet in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels are obviously one of the best teams in the nation, after their opposition beat them in the ACC tournament -- which was No. 3 Florida State -- to win its first conference title in school history. Aside from the Tar Heels' loss over the weekend, the team is led by Tyler Zeller, who became the 13th Tar Heel and third in the last five seasons to be named the ACC Player of the Year. Most of North Carolina's flaws are from the inability to shoot the ball -- they don't shoot the ball consistently and depend greatly on Zeller to lead the way. For a team who potentially has enough depth to win a national title, Kendall Marshall, Harrison Barnes and junior forward John Henson are brutal in a transition offense.

3. Syracuse Orange


Jim Boeheim is one of America's premier college basketball coaches, and generally is considered to be an expert of the zone defense. What is a major concern is the way the Orange let their guard down in the Big East tournament, to stumble shockingly in a defeat to Cincinnati. They can't afford to duplicate a shortage of success in a win-or-go-home situation, and if Syracuse struggles, the odds is that they can unravel in the Elite Eight if they meet third-seeded Florida State, a team with enough talent to carry out the upset. By all means, the Orange must get contributions from a disappearing Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine, two players who will have to recover from woes if Syracuse is angling to overrule.

It's the time of year we die for.

Let the madness begin.

Austin Rivers Hits Thrilling Shot, But Still Bearing Growing Pains

Austin Rivers, at the end of a college hoops spectacular, was mobbed by his teammates, his father, Doc Rivers, among them, went nuts watching his son drill a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to beat rivals North Carolina 85-84 Wednesday night in Chapel Hill.

As the clock trickled, he pulled up, launched a rainbow three-pointer and stunned the Tar Heel folks, taking the air out of a building that suddenly went silent -- an instant classic to send the Duke Blue Devils right back to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference. He is, indeed, a true freshman with much promise, choosing to play for an institution where basketball is truly a tradition on Tobacco Road in Carolina.

He could have chosen North Carolina, a school eight miles away from Duke, but he had the motive to play behind legends, the popular athlete on campus until he eventually ventures off for the NBA. As of now, Rivers has NBA qualities, drilling threes from professional range with guard capabilities -- scoring a career-high 29 points after providing the unbelievable finishing touches.

"This is the best feeling I've ever had on the basketball court," Rivers said. "This is the best feeling I've ever had."

And yes, this is one of the best finishes we've ever witnessed in college hoops. This appears to be more relevant, all because it happened during rivalry week, a moment when Duke and North Carolina-- the best rivalry in college basketball -- battled in an epic theater on a night that Rivers generated much buzz after making magic happen in a hostile territory where Duke is always unwelcome on their rival's home court.

And now, after that incredible buzzer-beater, he is most believed for developing into an athletic sensation and perhaps the top young player in the nation. Fitting enough, he plays for a school that produces artistic, admirable guards. The growth of Rivers, a more polarizing player in the nation maybe for the uniform and colors he wears, has led to an abundance of progression in Duke's sudden rise -- in position to be an overweighing factor in March.

In the meantime, he is playing his best basketball and might be the fundamental piece if Duke is indeed in contention during the madness in March. For this young group of guys, it could either turn out as March Happiness or March Sadness, but as we all know, anything is possible in a tourney of underdogs and spectacular basketball. It's a month of surprises, a time that we pencil in our teams on those elusive brackets, predicting on what teams are worthy of the Final Four. The rare athleticism is what separates Rivers from most players, and it wouldn't surprise me if he leads Duke in the NCAA tournament.

Without a doubt in our minds, he is a scorer and that alone tells us he's a star player at a prestigious university, where Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and a well-known basketball program have produced many NBA stars. It's hard to ignore weaknesses, as it might be a mistake not to address Rivers' fundamental flaws often underestimating his deficiencies as a player.


This, then, means he must learn to play within a team and not individually and mature over time. If so, and imagine if he does, Rivers will become the most dynamic offensive player in the nation and will generate buzz all over the country -- maybe even more so that he wears a Duke uniform when the vast majority of its games are broadcast nationally for the world to embrace and see.

What if he does forgo his college career after this season? This is a sampling of a future NBA star aiming for the professional ranks, and Duke suddenly has become a school of one-and-dones. He's the most terrifying and supernatural 18-year-old, reaching his potential at a school where the expectations are largely vital and where losing is considered a failure in the business of tradition and an abundance of legendary athletes who once played for Duke amid historically a few incredible runs. But I have to wonder about Rivers, because in truth, he's a pull up shooter and hogs the ball.

If you can pinpoint his downside, it would be his lack of commitment to play defense, and without him working diligently on defense, Duke is not such a well-balanced, skilled team. There's no denying that he's a flourishing player. The flaws, though he won it remarkably for the Blue Devils, eclipse his strengths, an almost punitive measure to keep him from excelling as the best player in the country.

It's that one shot, the game-winner that might be historic and go down as one of the exciting classics in sports. Good as he is, Rivers must mature a bit if he desires to become an efficient and complete ballplayer in Duke history, taking over for Kyrie Irving as the best athlete on the court. While the product of Duke is exhilarating and fun to watch, in the perfect atmosphere being in the presence of Coach K -- who is a teacher of the game and has cultivated his kids over the years with his craft and brilliance of coaching the game, Rivers still has to improve his shot selection and decision making. The excitement and emotion of Rivers' style on the court is from him pushing the tempo, driving to the rim, and distributing the ball to his teammates for open shots -- a dimensional guard to Duke's offense.

Without him, the Blue Devils are only, at best, an average basketball program. In most ways, he plays the role as a combo guard and his maturation has gently polished. The electrifying shot that everyone raved about immediately after Wednesday night when it took many by surprise -- reducing the volume in a noisy environment -- created enough buzz for one night. And everyone is waiting to see how he produces in March, in what would be Rivers' first NCAA tourney, a chance for him to strive for an NBA livelihood. Or he can opt to stay in school and elevate his collegiate status at Duke, as many before him have done in previous years. It's all up to him. It's his call. But, even though he's somewhat NBA-caliber, he still needs much improvement before he jumps into the NBA.

One shot doesn't confirm that he's ready to take on a tougher, harder task on the professional level. Maybe considering he's ultra-talented player who is a scorer and has ultimately a unique shooting stroke in his arsenal. And that's fine. But he's just inexperienced and an undersized shooting guard at 6-foot-4 who has to play more aggressively on defense. He's far from it, not even close to being a complete shooting guard, nonetheless, a work in progress as a freshman. He has to be more than just a deep-range shooter, if anything, and be well-rounded in every department -- performing through the emotions and getting past the challenges of stiff competition.

It's not the lack of potential or skill that is slowing down his process of establishing himself as the best player in the country, but it's the thought that he hasn't fulfilled much experience and defended his opponents, giving up too many points to the opposing team. Clearly, he committed to the right program and now is playing for Krzyzewski, who has built a bond with his players giving them unconditional love and opportunities to grow as he cultivate and groom his players.

There's undoubtedly a reason that Rivers decided to commit to Duke, not only for the education, but also for the noteworthy program where he can expand his style of play with one of the well-respected basketball coaches. While folks are reliving that thrilling, game-winning buzzer-beater -- Rivers -- and Duke as a whole -- are bearing with growing pains as they adjust to a completely new style. But he may have had his signature moment with a come-from-behind victory over No. 5 North Carolina -- trailing by as many as 13 points in the second-half.

The Blue Devils were on the brink of dropping a conference game against their rivals, but never stopped playing and continued to battle, pulling off a miraculous rally near the end that led to a gratifying finish with 13 seconds left. When North Carolina's Tyler Zeller missed a free throw for what would have been a three-point advantage, it was Rivers who received the ball, and certainly, he hurried down the floor and launched it from the perimeter. Sure enough, it dropped in. This happened after his teammate Seth Curry, who had 15 points, scored a three that cut the lead within four with 1:48 left. And then, moments later, Ryan Kelly hit a jump shot off his own missed three that made it 82-80. That created magic of a celebrated rivalry.

"Obviously this is my favorite win I've ever had in my entire life," Rivers said. "And it's because we were down the whole game. The whole game, we were down. They just kept it on us - 10-point lead, 10-point lead. And then there was 3 minutes left and probably everybody thought we were going to lose, and we just kept fighting. To get a W, it's amazing."

However, he's still a work in progress.

Oregon’s James Faster, Scarier Than Life

LOS ANGELES — There’s a portrait of a notably horrified tailback LaMichael James trying the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland on Tuesday, an eternally lifelong image that went viral when teammate Kenjon Bamer hastily posted it on Twitter for the world to see.

Funny he revealed another side of himself, an all-encompassing athlete recently known as the fastest runner on the planet, well, at least in Oregon at Nike University. For one afternoon, a day he spent at the happiest place on earth with his teammates, touring the popular surroundings of Southern California, a star running back suddenly looked frightened.

Relax.

He was seen having fun with his entourage, and when he steps on to the Rose Bowl turf Monday, James will overcome his fears. Because – trust me on this – he’s a fearless star player at his position anchoring what is a high-flying offense, maybe even the best in the nation as long as he is carrying the ball and gaining chunks of yards. Losing to Auburn in the BCS title game was painful a year ago. That alone left a bitter, fiery taste in his mouth, ready to finally stand the test of time and prevail in a BCS bowl game.

Never to celebrate a victory in a BCS bowl game, and until he finally hoists a trophy – which might be real soon, no later than Monday night — James can sleep well in his bed at nights. If he plays efficiently, as the most valuable asset in such a paramount event, the Oregon Ducks likely can demoralize Wisconsin. Then, when the time comes, he can dazzle in his signature game and reduce the painful memories of last year’s national championship game, a gut-wrenching 22-19 loss once Auburn kicked a field goal on the final play of the game.

Situations like these, of course, he’s partly a cornerstone – except when, as it is from other perspectives, he’s the necessary component to set the tone early and lead the Ducks to new heights. He is a terror on the field in each game against any opponent, leaving the impression that he’s truly the best running back in the nation, when it’s almost certain he’ll be projected the highest among running backs for the 2012 NFL Draft.

It’s reasonable to think so, especially when he has filed paperwork with the NFL for a draft evaluation and announced that he will declare for the NFL Draft. It’s really about James’ competitive drive that separates him from average stars on the collegiate level, ready to take on new challenges and contend as the Oregon star strikes our curiosity much. It’s not unusual that he’s the more watchable player, in other words.

The thinking behind it, mind you, is quite simple as James is an electric playmaker and has defied the art of explosion and quickness. The irony is particularly gratifying, and not once is there a dull moment when James puts on his racing shoes and finishes the night with a stylish performance, capping the nicest moment as Oregon’s offensive specialist.

The beauty of speed is Oregon’s nature, so mostly James is far more superior in this well-anticipated meeting – loudly creating plenty of buzz as Oregon’s speed versus Wisconsin’s strength. And he’s far more infallible to judge on the field. With that in mind, it’s not surprising he’s a political discussion, starting a national craze, where even chatter still swirled around James when he was injured and missed two games with a dislocated elbow early in the season.


As in a multitude of well-equipped running backs, James is an instrumental piece in Oregon’s explosive rush attack, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound junior tailback from Texarkana, Texas. The result is here — he essentially owns every rushing record in school history, including career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. It would take clearly a poor performance by James to imperil his draft stock, a completely 180 degree turnaround but it seems logic to believe that won’t happen, as good as he is advertised with Oregon a win away from ecstasy.

This week alone, the yapping has been everlasting and annoying. For what it is, in three full seasons at the helm, Oregon coach Chip Kelly has taken a program into national spotlight. The downside of this is he hasn’t won a bowl game, although he’s a two-time Pac 12 coach of the year, although he’s groomed James and the rest of his powerful offense and although he’s led the Ducks to the Rose Bowl twice since 1995.

There’s nothing like, aside from the misfortunes in previous bowl appearances, having James run the fastest in a high-flying offense – the blistering, sizzling quickness within the West Coast’s dominant program, scarier than James riding a roller coaster.

Ah yes, it’s that scary.

Kelly prefers to make adjustments if his tactics are unsuccessful, but opponents usually have ample time to prepare a game-plan to neutralize Oregon’s high-flying offense, so he hasn’t employed a forceful offensive attack during bowl season. Known as a mastermind, the schemes have backfired in his face in games of huge ramifications, with the Ducks now 0-2 in bowl games since he became head coach.

If the Ducks are worried about the sturdy Wisconsin offense, they have every reason to panic a bit, realizing the Badgers are built with offensive toughness. And, believe it or not, Wisconsin’s Montee Ball, a counterpart in the marquee tailback duel, can finally earn respect. If the Badgers upset the Ducks, he and the school as Rose Bowl champs can merit prestige, national regards and more recruits in the future.

He’s not alone, and it’s not like he’s playing all by himself as it takes a total team effort. But he’s accompanied by quarterback Russell Wilson, a senior and transfer from NC State who finished ninth in Heisman voting, which forms a dangerous tandem and the toughest assignment for the Ducks.

It is, however, about chasing down James more than anything, even though Wilson and Ball assembles a bottomless nucleus. For at least this game, as logic tells us, even if he lacks size and the body mass, that James is extremely dangerous on the field and has the speed to blast into the open, finding all the holes and short cuts to run by the tacklers and sprint to the end zone.

So let’s see what happens. It will be interesting. The battle is for roses, and for what it’s worth, James doesn’t want to leave Pasadena empty handed.

Those cleats and bizarre uniforms are hanging at his visitor’s locker. The honeymoon he relished when he arrived to Southern California wasn’t nearly as scary.

But his speed?

That’s enough to frighten you.