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Ranking the 10 best games of this year’s college basketball season (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:57:11 PDT

The Dagger continues its season-in-review series this week with a look back at the best games of the 2012-13 college basketball season. Let us know which ones we missed via Twitter or in the comments below. 1. Louisville captures national title Why it was memorable: Very few national championship games turn out to be must-see, but this one was scintillating from start to finish. Little-known freshman Spike Albrecht came off the bench to torch Louisville for 17 first-half points. Fellow reserve Luke Hancock brought the Cardinals back from a 12-point deficit with four 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch. And despite Trey Burke's heroics to keep Michigan competitive in the second half, the trio of Peyton Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan each made enough big plays to help Louisville pull away for an 82-76 victory. 2. Notre Dame outlasts Louisville in 5OTs Why it was memorable: A mundane Big East battle that appeared destined to be forgotten suddenly became captivating when Notre Dame's Jerian Grant scored 12 points in 31 seconds to rally the Irish from an eight-point deficit with less than a minute to go. One overtime turned to two, two turned to three ... and pretty soon the two teams were playing deep into the night. Nine players fouled out in Notre Dame's 104-101 five-overtime victory, and the hero of the game didn't play a minute in regulation. Garrick Sherman entered the game in the first overtime and hardly left the court thereafter, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds. 3. The birth of Dunk City Why it was memorable: The reason Florida Gulf Coast's upset of Georgetown is so high on this list isn't because the Eagles became only the seventh No. 15 seed ever to topple a No. 2 seed. It was the way they did it that resonated. Bombing threes, throwing lobs and attacking in transition at every opportunity, FGCU extended a two-point halftime lead to as many as 19 points and never let the Hoyas any closer than four points down the stretch. The Eagles rode the momentum from their first upset to a victory over San Diego State in the next round, becoming the first No. 15 seed ever to reach a Sweet 16.

Game Preview: Michigan vs. Louisville - Michigan (Rivals)

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:05:00 PDT

A quick look at U-M's championship clash with Louisville ...

Gregg Marshall takes out full-page newspaper ad to thank Wichita State fans (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 08:47:32 PDT

Wichita State fans awoke Sunday morning to a classy gesture from the Shockers' coach. Gregg Marshall, whose team fell to No. 1 overall seed Louisville in the Final Four on Saturday night, took out a full-page ad in Sunday's Wichita Eagle saluting Wichita State fans for their support. The ad reads "Thank You, Shocker Faithful" at the top with "WE KEEP MARCHING" underneath. Wichita State fans were outnumbered both at the West Regional in Los Angeles and at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, but they made up for it by cheering louder than the crowd supporting any other team. The Shockers played in the national semifinals for the first time since 1965, becoming the fifth team seeded ninth or higher to reach a Final Four.

Louisville beats Wichita State 72-68 in Final Four (The Associated Press)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:50:05 PDT

ATLANTA (AP) -- Russ Smith looked at the scoreboard, then at the clock, then over at the bench.

Backup guard Tim Henderson unlikely hero as Louisville advances to NCAA title game (Yahoo! Sports)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:47:35 PDT

Kevin Ware's replacement sparked the Cardinals with a pair of second-half 3-pointers.

A $25 ticket to the NCAA championship? It could have been yours if you’d known where to look (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:24:53 PDT

ATLANTA – A ticket to the NCAA championship game for $25 could have been yours, if you’d been in the right place at the right time. Saturday night, there were less than three minutes left in the Louisville-Wichita State game, and the vultures were starting to circle. Their prey: the poor heartbroken fans of whichever team was about to fall in the NCAA Tournament semifinal. Why? Simple. Because when your team falls early in the NCAAs, you’re still most likely holding still-good tickets to future games, thanks to the ticket package you’ve already bought. And even though your championship dreams are worthless, your ticket remains extremely valuable. How valuable? Depends on the minute, really; tickets are more volatile than dot-com IPOs (with roughly the same shelf life). But consider: the ratio of would-be buyers to sellers outside the Georgia Dome Saturday night was, conservatively estimating, at least 30-1. That meant some quality tickets were selling for $400 and up, cash-in-hand. So, yes, when the game ended and the shocked Wichita State fans began filing out of their seats, the scalpers didn’t see proud but disappointed Shockers; no, they saw wounded antelope. And they pounced. The hopeful vultures roamed the plaza in front of the Georgia Dome. The conniving ones camped out inside the Dome, at the top of the stairs to sections 126 and 127, catching the Wichita State fans while they were still within sight of their seats. “They were all over me as soon as I stood up,” said Sherl Weatherbee, a loyal Shocker who’d journeyed with her husband Tony not just to this tournament, but to Wichita State’s two previous tourney destinations. “I just kept saying, ‘No, no, no.’” The Weatherbees decided to hang onto their Monday night ticket for souvenir purposes. As they were posing with it for a picture, a college-aged kid walked up to them. “I’ll give you $150 cash for that right now,” he said. “We’re not selling,” Sherl replied. “We’re keeping it as a souvenir.” “A souvenir …. ? But I’ll give you $150 right now! That’s cash money!” “Someday you’ll understand,” Sherl said. Other Wichita State fans decided to go for the money. One family sold theirs for face value – “$140, something like that,” the matriarch of the group said as they walked sadly into the night, refusing to give their names. Others got greedy, trying to sell two lower-level tickets for $1,000 apiece. When the potential buyer balked, the seller instantly dropped his price to $600. (He still didn’t make a sale.) Still, by the time they’d reached the plaza outside the Dome, most Shocker fans had either sold their tickets or decided to hold onto them, shaking their heads again and again like a cheerleader parrying prom invitations. That left dozens, if not hundreds, of fans literally out in the (not very) cold. "I've got $80, that's all I can spend," said Jeremy Roth, a Michigan fan standing in the shadow of the CNN Center adjacent to the Dome. "Nobody's got anything now, though." The lesson, then, is obvious: if you’re going to prey on the losers, get to them early, before the shock really sets in. Take, for example, that $25 ticket. That was courtesy of Kevin Miller of Wichita, who was wandering away from the Dome with a dazed look in his eye and only a few bucks in his pocket. “Out of sight,” he said, “out of mind.” And out of a potential payday, too. But when your team's just lost in the Final Four, you're not always in your right mind. Memorable Moments on Yahoo! Sports: Other popular March Madness content on Yahoo! Sports: • NCAA allowed Adidas to profit off Kevin Ware injury • Michigan's Mitch McGary a unicycle enthusiast • Tim Pernetti out as Rutgers athletic director • NCAA president Mark Emmert takes heat at Final Four

Twitter becomes conduit for congratulations to Wichita State for superb season (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:03:24 PDT

Wichita State led by 12 points in the second half Saturday but ultimately succumbed to a Louisville rally and fell 72-68 in a national semifinal game ending a storybook run through the NCAA tournament. The ninth-seeded Shockers were trying to become the lowest seeded team in tournament history to advance to the national title game. That distinction will remain with 1985 Villanova (No. 8 seed) for at least another year. When the Shockers' season ended, plenty of Wichita State fans, alumni and others around college sports sent messages of congratulations for a stellar season. Here is a small sampling. RT @ marchmadness : .@ goshockers - You said you would #PlayAngry , and you sure did! Congrats on a great season! — MVC Basketball (@ValleyHoops) April 7, 2013 Cheering on @ goshockers & @ valleyhoops . #midmajorssticktogether RT if you're doing the same! — Big West MBB (@BigWestMBB) April 6, 2013

Louisville rallies past Wichita State for shot at title (The SportsXchange)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:10:54 PDT

ATLANTA -- No. 1 seed and tournament favorite Louisville was in trouble.

Controversial held ball denies Wichita State opportunity to send game into overtime (Yahoo! Sports)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 18:31:48 PDT

Instead of an attempt at a dramatic three-pointer, the Shockers' upset bid ends on a questionable call.

Twitter reacts to the controversial Louisville-Wichita St. jump ball call (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 18:18:58 PDT

With less than 10 seconds remaining in the Louisville-Wichita State Final Four game, and the Cardinals leading 71-68, Shockers guard Ron Baker grabbed the rebound off a Luke Hancock missed free throw. Hancock reached his hand in and a jump ball was called. Louisville went on to win 72-68 to secure a spot in Monday's title game. The reaction to the controversial call on Twitter was immediate and strong. PULLLEZZZE — Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) April 7, 2013 for those watching the pundits (my guys: Chuck, Kenny, Greg) the definition of a jump ball is that there must be a two 'tugging' the ball. — Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) April 7, 2013 Nothing worse than terrific Final Four game decided by sketchy jump ball call. Here's idea NCAA: Actually JUMP the ball in those situations. — Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) April 7, 2013 Refs totally took away a chance for Wichita st to tie the gamewith that quick call. Sorry bunch of clowns. Let em play — Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) April 7, 2013 U can't make that call. Smh — Eric Maynor (@EMaynor3) April 7, 2013 Not sure u make that call in that situation. Louisville deserved to win but.... — Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 7, 2013 they gave the game to louisville with that jump ball call. hate to see a game like that decided on a bad call — Flea (@flea333) April 7, 2013 Ref can't make that call in a close game to decide outcome — VontaLeach44 (@vleach44) April 7, 2013 Wowwwwww bad call. Let it play out — James White (@Flight8) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports Jump ball call was beyond terrible. Ncaa cannot let refs decide these games. Case of a ref looking to leave his "stamp" — Jake Hunter (@JakeHunter46) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports someone earned a trip to Playa del Casa #GreatDebate #embarassing — Brian J. Gawronski (@gawtcb) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports Very quick whistle to make it a jump ball, but that didn't cost 'em game. Blowing double-digit lead cost 'em #SportsDebate — Anthony Dunkel (@A_Dunkel) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports if the game was close in the end the whole world new the refs would tilt the game in Louisville's favor. #sportsdebate — Dave Fresher (@dfresh500) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports it was a bad call. Ruined what could of been a fantastic ending. But now it's only what could of been. — Michael Niemeier (@awesomeniemeier) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports I think we all realized who the refs wanted to win.Quickest tie up ever.Should of been a foul. — robin quattlebaum (@robshq) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports #SportsDebate you just can't make that call. Not on this stage at that point of the game. — Tony (@Tony_Parsons7) April 7, 2013 @ yahoosports FIX — Cyrus (@GrammercyRiffs) April 7, 2013 What did you think about the call? Tell us in the comments below.

Louisville 72, Wichita State 68 (The SportsXchange)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 18:10:13 PDT

ATLANTA -- No. 1 seed and tournament favorite Louisville was in trouble.

Luke Hancock’s heroics save Louisville and end Wichita State’s unlikely run (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:58:28 PDT

ATLANTA — Whether it was after winning the Big East tournament or advancing to the Final Four, Louisville has twice passed on the chance to cut down the nets to emphasize that only one set of nets are worth snipping. The Cardinals' season-long goal is still within reach thanks to the heroics of a reserve guard who came up huge in the biggest game of his life. Luke Hancock, a transfer from George Mason, scored 14 of his 20 points after halftime in Saturday's first national semifinal, enabling Louisville to rally from a 12-point second-half deficit against underdog Wichita State and escape with a 72-68 victory. The Cardinals will advance to face the winner of Saturday's second semifinal between Syracuse and Michigan. [Slideshow: Game action from Final Four ] Hancock had a hand in every aspect of the comeback, burying a 3-pointer to give Louisville the lead with six minutes to go, knocking down another key three with two minutes to go to extend the advantage to five and scoring a driving layup on the next possession to keep Wichita State at bay. He also made the most crucial defensive play of the game, atoning for a missed free throw with eight seconds left by tying up Ron Baker and forcing a held ball that deprived Wichita State the chance to tie the game on its final possession. "Luke's an excellent player and an excellent person," Louisville guard Peyton Siva said. "He didn't get named team captain for nothing before he even played a game with us. He showed his leadership out there tonight. ... Tonight he showed the world what he's capable of doing." Hancock's brilliance saved Louisville from a loss that would have been more devastating than last year's Final Four loss to rival Kentucky. Whereas the Cardinals entered that game knowing their season was a success just by making the Final Four, they arrived in Atlanta this week with the burden of higher expectations. [Related: Controversial held-ball call mars outstanding game ] Louisville has now won 18 of 19 games since emerging from a late-January slump, challenging the prevailing notion that there isn't a dominant team in college basketball this season. In their first four NCAA tournament games, the Cardinals outclassed every team in maybe the toughest of the four regions, winning by an average of nearly 22 points.

Cleanthony Early dunk helps Wichita State take halftime lead over No. 1 seed Louisville (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 16:30:27 PDT

Wichita State and Louisville combined to abuse the rims with plenty of missed shots in the first half of their Final Four matchup Saturday, but the Shockers managed to take a 26-25 lead into the locker room. The highlight of the first half, aside from injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware cheering on his team, was Wichita State's Cleanthony Early throwing down a vicious dunk in transition with about 5 minutes remaining in the half. Three Louisville starters failed to score in the first half. Likewise Wichita State point guard Malcolm Armstead was shutout in the first half. CBS television cameras were allowed in the Wichita State locker room where coach Gregg Marshall told his team before it headed back to the court for the second half, "The noose will get tighter. ...You're 20 minutes away from playing for the national championship."

Final Four: It's Louisville and The Other Guys (The Associated Press)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:30:28 PDT

ATLANTA (AP) -- Tip-off time is nearing. Time to see if Louisville can live up to the hype or one of those other guys can turn the Final Four into their party.

Final Four preview: Three keys to both Saturday’s national semifinals (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 08:04:24 PDT

A week of build-up has finally given way to Final Four day at last. Here's one last look at some of the keys to Saturday's two national semifinals: No. 9 WICHITA STATE (30-8) vs. No. 1 LOUISVILLE (33-5) How the Shockers got here: Defeated No. 8 Pittsburgh, No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 13 La Salle and No. 2 Ohio State How the Cardinals got here: Defeated No. 16 North Carolina A&T, No. 8 Colorado State, No. 12 Oregon and No. 2 Duke Did you know? Wichita State is trying to become the first team seeded ninth or higher to advance to the national title game. The four who reached the Final Four prior to the Shockers each lost in the national semifinals. Three keys to the game: 1. How will Wichita State handle Louisville's pressure? Wichita State averaged 12.8 turnovers and ranked 144th nationally in turnover percentage, neither of which is especially encouraging when facing a team with as ferocious a full-court press as Louisville's. The good news for the Shockers is they survived VCU's swarming "Havoc" defense with only 13 turnovers in a 53-51 November road win. The bad news for the Shockers is any slip-ups Saturday will be costly because Louisville is proficient at turning turnovers into fast-break buckets. [ Related: Louisville success goes beyond Final Four ]

FAST REACT: Louisville beats Wichita State - Louisville (Rivals)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 04:25:00 PDT

No. 1 seed and tournament favorite Louisville and 9-seed Wichita State squared off in the first national semifinal at the 2013 Final Four. Louisville escaped with a come-from-behind 72-68 win.

Andrew Wiggins’ older brother says Kentucky may not be the best fit (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:50:20 PDT

ATLANTA — As Wichita State guard Nick Wiggins fielded questions in the locker room on the eve of Saturday's Final Four matchup with Louisville, the subject matter quickly turned to a familiar topic. Everyone wanted to know where his kid brother was going to attend college. Andrew Wiggins, the Class of 2013's premier high school player, has visited Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. The younger Wiggins would complete one of the best recruiting classes of all time if he chose Kentucky, but his older brother isn't so sure Andrew is Lexington-bound. "They've got a couple kids coming (back), they got seven or eight dudes that are already signed to come in off the (McDonald’s) All-America team, and I don’t feel like it would be the best fit for him to make his own legacy," Nick Wiggins said. "But in the end, he’s going to make the best decision for him." The price of being Andrew's older brother is Nick gets asked at least two or three times a day about what school his sibling will choose. Having a younger brother who plays the same sport yet commands so much more attention can't be easy, but Nick insists he has no problem with it. "It is never something that bothered me," he said. "I'm very proud of him. He deserves all the attention he gets. He works very hard. I'm just happy for him."

Final Four notebook: Michigan in the zone (The SportsXchange)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:20:22 PDT

Michigan coach John Beilein popularized a version of the 1-3-1 half-court trap as a defensive equalizer. Entering Saturday's national semifinal against Syracuse, Beilein has gone back to his roots to study and teach the intricacies of the 2-3 zone employed by the Orange.

They’re happy to be at the Final Four, but Wichita State players insist they’re not ‘satisfied’ (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:13:23 PDT

ATLANTA — The first time Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall noticed his team getting a little too full of itself, the Shockers had reeled off four straight late-January wins to crack the top 15 in the polls. In the locker room before the Shockers hosted Indiana State on Jan. 29, Marshall brought his players together, urged them to refocus and and punctuated his speech by asking them, "Are you satisfied?" Wichita State players bellowed "no" in unison ... and then delivered a lackluster performance in a 13-point loss to the Sycamores. "We took it for granted and we got popped the next game," guard Fred VanVleet said. "We're keeping that in mind now and trying not to get too high on our success." The Wichita State staff has reintroduced that message during the postseason, this time with far more success. Marshall has asked his team that question in the locker room after all four of its NCAA tournament victories and after sloppy moments in practice – pretty much any time he sees a chance complacency might set in. "Anytime he sees something he doesn't like, he'll pretty much say, "Are you satisfied?" senior guard Demetric Williams said. "'Are you going to start not caring just because you guys are happy to be here?' I think he's going to keep saying it until we hold the trophy up. As long as we have another game, we're going to keep saying that." It would be understandable if a Wichita State team of castoffs and overlooked recruits was just happy to become the fifth team seeded ninth or higher to make a Final Four, but the ninth-seeded Shockers insist that's not the case.

Marshall: Wichita State no 'Cinderella' (The SportsXchange)

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:00:20 PDT

Gregg Marshall might be the only person in America who doesn't believe Wichita State, the No. 9 seed that won the West Region by defeating top-seeded Gonzaga and No. 2 seed Ohio State, isn't a Cinderella story.

Louisville plans tribute for Kevin Ware (Yahoo! Sports)

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:45:39 PDT

The Cardinals will wear practice jerseys baring their fallen teammates number before the start of the Final Four.

For Wichita State’s Ron Baker, sacrifices pay off with unlikely Final Four run (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:39:07 PDT

Somehow, getting his driver's license when he turned 16 is now merely the second best birthday present Wichita State guard Ron Baker has received. That pales in comparison to the dream 20th birthday party Baker experienced Saturday in Los Angeles. He started in an Elite Eight game as a redshirt freshman for Wichita State. He climbed a ladder and cut down a strand of net after the Shockers upset heavily favored Ohio State to advance to the Final Four. And hundreds of fans who made the trip from Wichita serenaded him during the postgame revelry while the school's pep band played "Happy Birthday" in his honor. "By far the best birthday a 20-year-old can imagine," Baker said. "It doesn't get better than this." If Wichita State's roster of castoffs and overlooked recruits is especially appreciative of its improbable Final Four run, then it's safe to say Baker may be the most thankful of all the Shockers to be playing in Atlanta. Very few Division I coaches saw him play in high school since he grew up in a town of 4,000 in rural Kansas, so Baker actually paid his own way to attend Wichita State last year before earning a scholarship this season. Since returning from a stress fracture in his left foot just in time for the Missouri Valley tournament last month, Baker's relentless effort and accurate perimeter shooting has been instrumental in Wichita State's success. The 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman torched top-seeded Gonzaga for 16 points and four 3-pointers in the round of 32, lit up La Salle for 13 points five nights later and sank all nine of his free throws in the Final Four-clinching win over the Buckeyes on Saturday. "Him being back means a lot to us," Cleanthony Early said. "He probably does surprise our opponents because they probably think he's just a shooter, but he's going to dive on the floor, he's going to lock you up and he's going to play with heart. I don't know if they're surprised, but they've got game film. If they're not doing their studies on him, that's on the other coaching staff."

Getting to know the 2013 Final Four: Wichita State (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:57:59 PDT

This week, The Dagger takes a deeper look at each of the four schools participating in the 2013 Final Four. We conclude with the Cinderella story. Wichita State Location: Wichita, Kan. Enrollment: 14,898 Team Mascot: Shockers Must Follow on Twitter: Guard Fred VanVleet Find them here: Official team site or Facebook [Getting to know the Final Four: Michigan | Syracuse | Louisville ] How they got to Atlanta: d. No. 8 Pittsburgh (73-55), d. No. 1 Gonzaga (76-70), d. No. 13 La Salle (72-58), d. No.2 Ohio State (70-66). Greatest basketball moment: With apologies to the 1965 Final Four team, you're watching it unfold in this season's tournament. The NCAA tournament wasn't as competitive and nationally relevant back in the 1960s as it is now.

Louisville beats Duke 85-63 to reach Final Four (The Associated Press)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 20:09:14 PDT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Crying and shaken by the sight of Kevin Ware writhing on the court, his right leg splintered, Rick Pitino and his Louisville players had no idea how they were going to pull it together with a half still left to play and a Final Four berth on the line.

Final Four: Louisville vs. Wichita State; Syracuse vs. Michigan (The SportsXchange)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 20:00:21 PDT

The Final Four matchups for next Saturday have been set, with Louisville being the only No. 1 seed to advance to the national semifinals at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

From underdogs to juggernauts, this year’s Final Four has something for everyone (The Dagger: College Basketball Blog)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 18:22:16 PDT

A frenetic, unpredictable NCAA tournament has yielded a Final Four that seems to have something for every taste. Louisville and Wichita State will meet in one national semifinal, a matchup pitting the pre-tournament favorite against a underdog whose roster of ex-walk-ons and overlooked recruits stormed through the West Region the past two weeks. The other semifinal will pit Syracuse and Michigan, two No. 4 seeds who spent much of the season in the top 10 but had to rebound from late-season fades to reach the Final Four. That the Final Four only features one team seeded better than No. 4 is no surprise considering the topsy-turvy nature of this year's college basketball regular season. Not only did no team emerge as a dominant powerhouse in the mold of last year's Kentucky team or 2009 North Carolina, the nation's top teams traded the No. 1 ranking week-by-week as though it was a hot potato. [Related: Injured Kevin Ware inspires Louisville in Final Four bid ] Of the remaining teams in the field, however, Louisville has earned the title of favorite. The Cardinals have torn through their four NCAA tournament opponents by an average of nearly 22 points per game and have won 17 of 18 games overall, the only loss coming in five overtimes against Notre Dame back in mid-February. Don't expect Wichita State to be intimidated though. The Shockers have already become only the fifth team seeded ninth or higher to make a Final Four, parlaying strong defense, fierce rebounding and unusually torrid outside shooting into victories over the likes of Pittsburgh, Gonzaga and Ohio State.

Ross returning, Thomas will weigh options - Ohio State (Rivals)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:25:00 PDT

LaQuinton Ross has vowed to return to Ohio State next season, but Deshaun Thomas will weight his options.

BracketRacket: Shockers, Coach K and sportsmanship (The Associated Press)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:16:26 PDT

Welcome back to BracketRacket, your one-stop shopping place for all things NCAA.

Malcolm Armstead's decision to pay his own way at Wichita State leads to Final Four trip (Yahoo! Sports)

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:25:10 PDT

Armstead walked away from a scholarship at Oregon, searching for a place that was a better fit for him.

Wichita State upsets OSU 70-66 for Final Four trip (The Associated Press)

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:03:28 PDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Cleanthony Early kept stealing glances down at the hat in his hands while he waited for his turn to climb the stepladder. The Wichita State forward seemed stunned at the words on the side of his brand-new ballcap: ''Final Four Atlanta.''