FINALLY FOUR #1 SEEDS

Four number one seeds had never made it to the NCAA Final Four. Each year people’s brackets would include the top teams from each region and typically one, if not two, would stumble.

Not this year. North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA and Memphis clearly seem to be the best four teams in the county setting up two great games in the semi-finals next Saturday in San Antonio. All four teams are undefeated in March and have a combined record of 143 wins against 9 losses.

(1) UCLA (35-3) v. (1) MEMPHIS (37-1), 6:07, CBS
(1) UNC (36-2) v. (1) KANSAS (35-3), 8:47, CBS

GOLIATH GETS EVEN

Kansas wore down Stephen Curry and plucky upstart Davidson with its size and strength, holding on for a 59-57 victory Sunday. It wasn't easy.

After Kansas' Sherron Collins missed with 21 seconds left, the 10th-seeded Wildcats got one last chance. Curry was double-teamed, could not get off a shot and was forced to pass to Jason Richards, whose 25-footer from the top of the key thudded off the backboard. Richards dropped to his back at midcourt while the Jayhawks celebrated with a measure of relief.

Kansas (35-3) moved on to play overall No. 1 seed North Carolina -- and former coach Roy Williams.

Curry, who became only the fourth player to hit the 30-point mark in his first four NCAA tournament games, finished with 25 on 9-of-25 shooting and was picked Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional. His roommate, Bryant Barr, was the only other Davidson player in double figures, scoring all 11 of his points in the second half.

The loss snapped Davidson's 25-game winning streak, longest in the nation.

Sasha Kaun came up with big baskets down the stretch whenever the Jayhawks needed them, and he and Chalmers scored 13 for Kansas, which ended the feel-good story of the tournament. Davidson, trying to become only the third double-digit to make the Final Four, simply ran out of gas in the stretch.

After making improbable shots all tournament, Davidson could not get the one it needed most.

"They had a lot of bodies and a lot of athletic guys who could chase me," Curry said. "They did make me work hard, and I had good looks at the end, but they weren't falling like they did all tournament. We can't hang our heads. We had opportunities. We just didn't execute."

Though they fell short of the Final Four, the Wildcats (29-3) have nothing to be ashamed of. They hung with the toughest teams in the nation -- Georgetown and Wisconsin had two of the stingiest defenses in the country -- and gave little Davidson something to be known for besides providing free laundry to its students. The Wildcats left the floor to applause from a fan club that's gotten a lot bigger over the last two weeks.

"We made history for our school," Curry said. "Not a lot of people expected a lot from us, so I'm proud of what we have accomplished, but it hurts a lot to have been this close to the Final Four."

This is Kansas' Jayhawks' 13th trip to the Final Four, but its first since 2003 -- Williams' final season. He took the Jayhawks to the championship game -- they lost to Syracuse -- then left for his alma mater.

"Everyone knows he used to coach for KU," Collins said. "There will be a lot of emotion and a lot of heat for that game."

Mario Chalmers #15 and Sherron Collins #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrate their 59-57 win against the Davidson Wildcats during the Midwest Regional Final of the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Ford Field on March 30, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Sherron Collins #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks controls a loose ball against Jason Richards #2 of the Davidson Wildcats as Cole Aldrich #45 of Kansas looks on during the Midwest Regional Final. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Stephen Curry #30 of the Davidson Wildcats looks to drives against Russell Robinson #3 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the Midwest Regional Final. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

LONGHORN: THE OTHER RED MEAT

Driving, dishing and dunking, going above the rim for rebounds and flying around to block shots, Derrick Rose led the Memphis Tigers (37-1) past Texas 85-67 Sunday for its first trip to the Final Four since 1985.

The Tigers tied the NCAA Division I record for wins in a season(37), with their only loss coming to a team ranked No. 2 at the time. They've been first, second or third in the poll all season. And to all the people who keep saying they'd be the first No. 1 seed to lose, leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts says, "See you in San Antonio."

Memphis will play UCLA and its freshman phenom, Kevin Love. The Tigers and Bruins have a nice little history, having met in a regional final two years ago and in the 1973 title game.

Memphis has only been back to the Final Four once, with Keith Lee leading the way in 1985. But that trip was vacated according to the NCAA record book because of rules violations. Ditto for the only other time John Calipari coached a team to the Final Four, UMass in 1996. So, even if they do win it all, Vegas says it won't hold up to NCAA scrutiny. Bummer.

This March, Memphis has treated the NCAA field like it a continuation of Conference USA play. This 18-point finish was the second-closest final margin.

The Tigers were a win away from the final weekend of the NCAA tournament each of the last two years, but couldn't get over the hump.

The Longhorns’ D.J. Augustin scored 16 points, but was 4-of-18 and had more turnovers (four) than assists (three). Memphis' size, speed and athleticism kept Texas (31-7) from ever getting into a groove.

Robert Dozier #2 of the Memphis Tigers puts up a shot against Justin Mason #24 of the Texas Longhorns during the fourth round game of the South Regional as part of 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Derrick Rose #23 of the Memphis Tigers lays up a shot past Damion James #5 of the Texas Longhorns during the fourth round game of the South Regional. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

DOWN GOES DUKE (AGAIN) PART 3

(2) TEXAS A&M 77, (3) DUKE 63

Patrice Reado had all of her 17 points and eight rebounds in the second half and point guard A'Quonesia Franklin hit three 3-pointers during a critical stretch, lifting Texas A&M past Duke 77-63 on Sunday night.

Takia Starks added 15 points for second-seeded Texas A&M (29-7), which extended its winning streak to 12 games and will play top-seeded Tennessee on Tuesday for a trip to the Final Four.

Chante Black, who had a career-high 26 points and season-high 13 rebounds in a second-round win over Arizona State, led the Blue Devils (25-10) with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Duke center Chante Black (11) loses control of the ball against Texas A&M forward Patrice Reado, bottom, in the first half of an NCAA women's Oklahoma City Regional semifinal basketball game, Sunday, March 30, 2008, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

FRED COUPLES SAYS “NEAT” IN PUBLIC

The Presidents Cup - unlike its historic and uptight cousin, the Ryder Cup - will bring a reputation for relaxed, spirited competition to Harding Park next year. The choice of Fred Couples as U.S. captain reinforced the image, as did Couples' announcement Thursday that gentlemanly Jay Haas will serve as his assistant.

Another nugget of news brought a similar vibe: Michael Jordan also will wander the tree-lined fairways alongside Lake Merced.

Couples, upon his appointment last month, had said he hoped to convince Jordan and comedian Robin Williams to become "special assistants" when the event comes to San Francisco in October 2009. Couples has not yet spoken to Williams, but Jordan agreed to fill a supporting role for a team likely to be headlined by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

"If I was going to make a team and someone said Michael might be around, my eyes would light up," Couples said. "I believe he's been at every Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup I've ever played, and I thought that was kind of neat."

Capt. Freddie "Neat" Couples watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy sixth birthday, T-man!

You share this day with:

1976 Colin Farrell (actor, former bad boy), 1971 Ewan McGregor (actor, Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary), 1948 Rhea Perlman (actress, Mrs. Danny DeVito), 1948 Al Gore (45th US Vice President and inventor of the internet), 1945 Gabriel (Gabe) Kaplan (actor, comedian - Mr. Kotter),
1943 Christopher Walken (actor - More Cow Bell!), 1935 Richard Chamberlain (actor, gay, Thornbirds), 1935 Herb Alpert (bandleader, Tijuana Brass), 1934 Shirley Jones (singer, actress, Partridge Family), and 1928 Gordie Howe (hockey player - oldest).

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY

FIRST PITCH...President George W. Bush throws out the first pitch during the Washington Nationals opening home game against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park March 30, 2008 in Washington, DC. President Bush attended the home opener which was the Nationals first game in their new stadium.

Fireworks light the sky during the national anthem before the game between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves on opening day March 30, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.

The Nationals won 3 to 2 with a home run in the bottom of the ninth.

(Photos by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

ANOTHER LOOK...The Washington Nationals warm up on the field before the game against the Atlanta Braves on opening day March 30, 2008 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

AFRICA SWEEP...Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia (r) wins the Junior Women's cross country race in the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh on March 30, 2008. Dibaba won the race ahead of Irine Chepet Cheptai of Kenya in second and Emebt Etea of Ethiopia in third.

(Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 4

PEDAL FASTER...Jennie Reed of USA battles with Victoria Pendleton of Great Britain on her way to victory in the Women's Keirin Final during the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the Manchester Velodrome on March 30, 2008 in Manchester, England.

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 5

MORE CRAZY PEOPLE ROLLING AROUND ON THE ASHPALT...125 cc riders Danny Webb of England (L) and Joan Olive of Spain fall during the Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez de la Frontera on March 30, 2008. Simone Corsi of Italy won the race ahead of Nicolas Terol of Spain and Bradley Smith of Britain.

(Photo by Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 6

HEADED FOR CHURCHILL DOWNS...Big Brown #12, riden by Kent Desormeaux, leads the field out of turn four during the 57th $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park March 29, 2008 in Hallendale, Florida.

Big Brown has won all three of his starts and is now pointing to the Kentucky Derby.

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

FINALLY FOUR

Call it redemption or relief, but after a year of wearing around last year’s Elite Exit to Georgetown after blowing a double digit lead, the North Carolina Tar Heels are headed back to the Final Four (their 17th).

They got there on the back of three-time All-American and ACC player of the year Tyler Hansbrough who had 28 points and 13 rebounds Saturday night to help the Tar Heels hold off Louisville 83-73 in the East Regional final.

The Tar Heels (36-2) advanced to play the Kansas-Davidson winner next Saturday at San Antonio, setting up a potential match up between Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams and the Jayhawks' program he left to returned to his alma mater in 2003.

Battling in a physical contest inside, Hansbrough finished 12-for-17 from the floor in 38 minutes and was named regional MVP. That included a pair of clutch jumpers over the outstretched arms of 6-11 center David Padgett as the Tar Heels desperately tried to hold their tenuous second-half lead in the final minutes. Those two late jumpers might have been the two biggest shots of the year.

Overlooked in the Psycho-T love fest was what might have been the third most important shot: Ty Lawson’s three-pointer off a called play the possession before Hansbrough’s pair of daggers. Lawson’s shot extended a four point lead to seven.

Louisville and Rick Pitino did a great job of half-time adjustments. Their 2-3 zone slowed the Tar Heels’ torrid first-half pace and neutralized Wayne Ellington and Danny Green. The Heels shot just 3of 11 (27%) from behind the arc, but 85% from the free throw line making 18 of 21.

Louisville’s second half adjustment of starting their offense at the top of the key with senior center David Padgett worked well enough to get the Cardinals back in the game, but ultimately the Tar Heels defensive stops and the Louisville’s turnovers (19) won the day for Carolina.

Last year, nobody could hit a shot when the Tar Heels needed one most against the Hoyas in a loss that had stayed with them all season. But this time, the Tar Heels played with steady poise when the third-seeded Cardinals (27-9) erased the margin and traded baskets with them in the anxious final minutes. Lawson and the Hansbrough made clutch shots to pave the way to San Anotonio.

While lots of teams are undefeated in November and December, the Tar Heels are undefeated in March. Carolina hasn’t lost since it’s February 6th defeat at the hands arch-rival Duke winning 15 in a row.

Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks over Juan Palacios #3 of the Louisville Cardinals during the 2008 NCAA Men's East Regional Final. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Ty Lawson #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs back on defense after hitting a three-pointer in the second half as his teammates cheer against the Louisville Cardinals. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, right looks on along with the team mascot during the second half of the NCAA East Regional final. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

THE TALE OF TWO SHOTS

If you were still conducting a debate about who should be the Naismith Award Winner for national college player of the year, you can stop now. Kansas State’s Michael Beasley is a phenomenal young player who had a great season, but he’s not Tyler Hansbrough.

Last night, Hansbrough continued to punctuate another statistically impressive season with tournament heroics.

First, with the Tar Heels clinging to a 68-64 lead, Lawson came around the baseline and knocked down a 3 from the corner in front of his bench that pushed the margin to seven. Then, after a basket from Louisville's Earl Clark inside, Hansbrough knocked down a straightaway jumper over the 6-foot-11 Padgett to make it 73-66 with 2:27 to play.

As we like to say here at TAH: GAME OVER.

Hansbrough essentially closed the door on Louisville on the next possession. The 6-9 junior got the ball on the left wing with the shot clock winding down, then pump-faked to get Clark up in the air and step in for another jumper over Padgett. The ball swished cleanly through while Hansbrough was knocked to the ground, pushing the lead to 75-66 with 1:33 left.

Lost in the shuffle of those two great shots, were three other Hansbrough jumpers made over the Cardinals’ second half zone. We’ve talked about this before in JUMP SHOOTING TYLER HANSBROUGH’S (http://www.todaysaccheadlines.com/2008/03/jump-shooting-tyler-hansbrough.html). How many player of the year candidates teach themselves an entirely new shot for their third All-American season? Hansbrough has mastered the mid-range jumper, and now it’s as much of a weapon (if not more) than his inside game.

Last night Jay Bilas kept saying that Psycho-T would not have taken those jump shots with “such confidence” last season. We think it safe to say he would not have taken them at all, but now teams have to defend the Poplar Bluff Whirlwind everywhere inside the three point line.

"I've been playing with him my whole college career," said junior Danny Green, who had 11 points despite needing four stitches to close a cut above his left eye late in the first half. "A lot of shots that he takes and makes, it still shocks me to this day. I'm like, 'How did he get that off and how did he make it?' He's been doing it his whole career."

The baskets left Louisville's players in similar disbelief.

"You see the guy as a junior and he's getting his jersey retired and you're like, 'Why?" said Terrence Williams, who had 14 points for Louisville. "Then you play against him and you say, 'That's why.' He'll go through the floor just to get a rebound. He's a great player."

CBS broadcaster Jay Bilas interviews Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels after the Tar Heels defeated the Louisville Cardinals. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels shoots over Kyle Singler #12 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium March 8, 2008 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photos top and bottom by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

NEWS FLASH: KEVIN LOVE IS REALLY GOOD

UCLA 76, XAVIER 57

Hey, we don’t pay much attention to PAC 10 basketball – we don’t stay up that late too often and when we do, we ain’t watchin’ hoop from out west. None the less, we are aware of the fact that UCLA’s superfrosh Kevin Love is good – really good. Last night, he put on a show that confirmed his elite status.

After reaching the Final Four for the third straight time, UCLA coach Ben Howland called these Bruins "by far the best" of the three.

The other two didn't have Love, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the top-seeded Bruins blitzed Xavier 76-57 Saturday to earn their record 18th overall trip to the Final Four. Love was picked as the most outstanding player of the West Regional.

The Bruins (35-3, also undefeated in March) lost in the Final Four the last two years. But they go to San Antonio with Love, who has given them a formidable inside presence and has raised his game in this tournament.

UCLA plays the Memphis-Texas winner in the national semifinal in San Antonio on April 5.

Love made 7-of-11 shots from the floor, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Half of his rebounds came at the offensive end and he added four assists for good measure.
The Musketeers (30-7) had no answer for Love on a day they shot 36.2 percent from the floor -- a credit to UCLA's relentless man-to-man defense.

UCLA forward Kevin Love, center, shoots between Xavier players C.J. Anderson, bottom, B.J. Raymond, center left, Derrick Brown, top left, and Josh Duncan, right, during the second half of the NCAA West Regional men's basketball final. (AP Photo/Matt York)

NORTH CAROLINA 78, LOUISVILLE 74

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell couldn't bring herself to belabor her team's 25 turnovers, double-digit rebounding deficit or bumbling first half.
The Tar Heels had shown too much grit, too much poise in the face of adversity, to be cut down by their own coach.

LaToya Pringle had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and North Carolina (33-2) climbed out of an 18-point hole in a 78-74 victory over fourth-seeded Louisville (26-10) on Saturday, keeping alive the top-seeded Tar Heels' bid for a third straight trip to the Final Four.

"When you look at those numbers and you still won, I see that as a positive, because I don't think we're going to play like that again," Hatchell said. "Those kids had so much heart. It's tough, and we had to rise to the occasion."

The victory extended the Tar Heels' winning streak to 16 and placed them in the regional final on Monday night, when they'll play the winner of Saturday afternoon's game between LSU and Oklahoma State.

North Carolina guard Cetera DeGraffenreid (22) shoots over Louisville guard Patrika Barlow (3) in the first half of the New Orleans regional of the women's NCAA basketball tournament in New Orleans, Saturday, March 29, 2008. The winner will play LSU or Oklahoma St. in the finals on Monday. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

MARYLAND 80, VANDERBILT 66

ESPN - Shhhh! Crystal Langhorne would like everyone to ignore Maryland's convincing performance on Saturday night.

The Terrapins dominating senior center would prefer to remain the No. 1 seed no one expects to advance, even if Maryland finally looked worthy of its top billing and is one step away from the Final Four.

"When no one is paying attention to us, that's when we play our best," she said.

Langhorne and the Terrapins rebounded from lackluster efforts in the first two rounds, using a swarming defense to overwhelm No. 4-seed Vanderbilt 80-66 in the Spokane Regional semifinals.

Langhorne again showed why she was the ACC player of the year, scoring 16 of her 28 points in the first half as Maryland advanced to the regional finals for the sixth time in school history.
Two years removed from their national title, the Terrapins are back in the regional finals, and will face Stanford in Monday night's regional final.

Maryland players Ashleigh Newman (21), Drey Mingo (24) and Laura Harper celebrate from the bench as Marissa Coleman signals that her basket against Vanderbilt was good in the second half . (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

WINONA STATE WINS D2 CHAMPIONSHIP

Jonte Flowers scored 30 points as Winona State erased a 16-point deficit to win its second NCAA Division II championship in three years with an 87-76 win over Augusta State on Saturday.

Flowers, who scored 25 points in the second half, was named tournament most valuable player.
John Smith scored 18 points for Winona State (38-1), while Travis Whipple had 10 and Quincy Henderson scored 10 points with 10 rebounds.

A.J. Bowman scored 26 points to lead Augusta State (27-7), which was playing in the title game for the first time. He made 12 of 15 shots, an 80% rate that set a record for the championship game.

Winona State's Travis Whipple celebrates after the team beat Augusta State 86-76 to win the NCAA Division II men's college basketball championship in Springfield, Mass. Saturday, March 29, 2008. (AP Photo/Nancy Palmieri)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

UM...THE LOGO...? The NCAA logo appears to still be on the floor. Mind you, it's smaller.

David Padgett #4 of the Louisville Cardinals shakes hands with Tyler Hansbrough #50 of the North Carolina Tar Heels prior to the start of the 2008 NCAA Men's East Regional Final at Bobcats Arena on March 29, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

2007 HORSE OF THE YEAR...Curlin starts off 2008 with an impressive victory.

U.S. jockey Robby Albarado celebrates after riding Curlin to victory in the $6 million Dubai World Cup at Nad al-Sheba race track in Dubai on 29 March, 2008.

(Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

CULTURE CLASH...Two veiled Emirati women stare at a foreigner wearing a revealing dress at the 2008 Dubai World Cup at Nad al-Sheba in Dubai on March 29, 2008.

(Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 4

PEACE, LOVE...and a million bucks. Nice work.

South African jockey Kevin Shea celebrates in the saddle of Australian born horse Sun Classique with the horses owners after winning the Dubai Sheema Classic horse race at Nad al-Shiba club in Dubai, 29 March 2008, during the Dubai World Cup meet.

(Photo by Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 5

SEVENS WINNERS...New Zealand rugby players celebrate after defeating South Africa in the final of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament in Hong Kong Sunday, March 30, 2008. New Zealand won 26-12.

Can you say PARTY?

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

DAVIDSON AND GOLIATH

Mr. Mason (as in George) meet Davidson. The Wildcats are one wildly improbable upset of top-seeded Kansas away from being the new George Mason.

The Wildcats Stephen Curry outscored Wisconsin 22-20 in the second half, and the amazing fairy tale that is Davidson now has a collision with the top-seeded Jayhawks on Sunday for a berth in Final Four.

Quick, call Cinderella, the stage coach is here.

Curry scored more than 30 points for a third straight game, and the 10th-seeded Wildcats dismantled third-seeded Wisconsin 73-56.

Evidently, little Davidson has gotten so big, even NBA Goliath LeBron James is on the bandwagon, snagging a seat a few rows behind the Wildcats’ bench.

Curry, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Hokie Dell Curry, outscored the Badgers all by himself in the second half, 22-20. He finished with 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including six 3-pointers.

Davidson (29-6) extended the nation's longest winning streak to 25. The Wildcats will try to make it 26 on Sunday when they play top-seeded Kansas for a trip to the Final Four. The Jayhawks beat Villanova 72-57.

This marked the second time in three tournaments that a double-digit seed got this far. In 2006, 11th-seeded George Mason reached the Final Four. It's the furthest Davidson has gotten since 1969, when Lefty Driesell's squad got to the East Regional before losing to North Carolina.

Stephen Curry #30 of the Davidson Wildcats is congratulated by his teammates after he came out of the game late in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the Midwest Regional Semifinal. (Photos by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

(Props to Greg “Washington State” Bengston for the Davidson and Goliath phrase.)

THE OTHER HALF OF THE ELITE EIGHT IN TWENTY-FIVE WORDS OR LESS

(1) MEMPHIS 92, (5) MICHIGAN STATE 74 – Like a lot of geniuses we didn’t think Memphis was this good. We were wrong. The Tigers were plus 11 in rebounds, had 7 blocked shots and 9 steals…and they made 26 of 35 free throws (74%).

(1) KANSAS 72, (12) VILLANOVA 57 – Twelve seeds don’t beat one seeds. Especially if the 12 seed doesn’t have somebody like Stephen Curry. The Jayhawks (34-3) are awfully good.

(2) TEXAS 82, (3) STANFORD 62 – The Longhorns got their usual good work from D.J. Augustin, and center Dexter Pittman did the heavy lifting against the Cardinal’s twin towers. A 20-3 run set up the Sunday game with top-seeded Memphis.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

IT AIN’T THE BIG DANCE WITHOUT SOME SNAPPLE

We miss the wisdom of Julius “Snapple” Hodge who once played for N.C. State and now resides in the NBA. Hodge was a sound bite machine, and thankfully one member of Wolfpack Nation has memorialized his many choice words.

Of course, our favorite remains this gem:

On the differences between Harlem and Raleigh, January 21, 2002

“New York is the place to be. I could wake up there at three in the morning and decide to go to the store for some chips and Snapple and there would be cars racing down the street and people walking around everywhere. If I do that here, I'd probably get attacked by a deer.”

Here’s the full library of Hodgisms:

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jphollow/julius.html

SOFTBALL HOKIES BEAT GOLIATH

The mighty U.S. Olympic softball team struck out.

Virginia Tech's Angela Tincher pitched a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over the three-time defending gold medalists Wednesday night, ending the U.S. team's 185-game winning streak in pre-Olympic exhibitions.

It was the American team's first loss in a pre-Olympic exhibition since May 3, 1996. During that span, the U.S. team outscored opponents 1,475-24.

Tincher, a senior from Eagle Rock, VA struck out 10 and allowed one base runner on a one-out walk to Kelly Kretschman in the second inning.

Earlier, the U.S. defeated DePaul 23-0, running its record on the "Bound 4 Beijing" tour to 17-0.

The Hokies scored their only run in the second inning off Jennie Finch, one of 12 players on the U.S. squad that won gold at the 2004 Athens Games. Kelsey Hoffman led off with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Anna Zitt, who moved to third on a Finch's illegal pitch. Caroline Stolle's two-out bloop single scored Zitt.

PICTURE(S) OF THE DAY

IT'S ALL FUNNY NOW...We didn't mean to slight Marcus Ginhard when we didn't mention him yesterday in Carolina Green. Ginyard is, of course, the new and improved Jackie Manuel. The difference being Ginyard has more assists, is a better shooter and is better looking.

(Phooto by Zeke Smith/CB)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 2

NO, THE PICTURE ISN'T UPSIDE DOWN, THE CRAZY PEOPLE ARE UPSIDE DOWN...Two member of the Crusty Demons perform a syncronised backflip during the Crusty Demons night of world records held at Calder Park March 29, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 3

CRAZY PEOPLE, ACC STYLE...? Looking for yet another way to beat down Duke, UNC is developing a Grand Prix Motorcyle team. Of course, the Carolina blue bike is in the lead.

(Bradley Smith and Danny Webb ride their Aprilias during the 125cc free practice number 2 at the Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez de la Frontera, on March 29, 2008.)

(Photo by Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 4

MAMA SAID...you're gonna crash. Eugene Laverty from Ireland crashes during the 250cc second free practice of the Grand Prix of Spain in Jerez de la Frontera, on March 29, 2008.

...and Mama, as usual, was right.

(Photo by Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)

PICTURE OF THE DAY 5

TAKE TWO, THEY'RE SMALL...Two streakers run across the field during a break in play on the second day of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament Saturday, March 29, 2008. Officials claim the two men had been drinking.

Really now?

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

CAROLINA GREEN

They call him the best sixth-man in the ACC, but Danny Green has overcome some now well-publicized family adversity to be the best sixth-man in the country. Eighteen points against arch-rival Duke in a win at Cameron followed by 15 points in 23 minutes against Washington State last night sealed the deal for TAH.

It’s official. Let the Danny Green love rain.

Before he was wowing the home crowd and annoying opponents with his requisite pregame dance to "Jump Around," now a YouTube staple, Green’s mother walked away from him and his two younger brothers some nine years ago. Then two years ago, his father was arrested and accused of trafficking $40 million worth of cocaine.

Those charges were dropped, but Danny Green, Sr. was eventually jailed on a conspiracy charge. Out of the slammer now, Danny’s dad still can’t come to games as he can’t leave his home state of New York.

The whole situation perplexed the younger Green who knows his father as a loving dad who worked three jobs to keep his family together through hard times. His coach and teammates helped the younger Green through the rough patches.

You know what they say: If it doesn’t kill you, it just makes you stronger, and Danny Green, Jr. is looking plenty strong these days.

The first man off UNC’s bench, Green has been inconsistent at times. You could count on him for a spectacular play as soon as he entered the game. Could be a turnover. Could be a three or a spectacular block. Either way, something happens when Danny Green hits the hardwood.

Lately, most of that ‘something’ has been consistently good. Following a complete disappearing act along with teammate Wayne Ellington in the Heels home loss to Duke in February, Green led the Tar Heels to victory with 18 points in the rematch in Durham.

He cruised through the ACC tournament scoring 4 points against FSU, 8 points in 19 minutes in the Virginia Tech thriller, and 12 solid points against Clemson in the championship game. A familiar number, as Green averages 11.3 points per game for the season.

Green is the team’s fourth leading scorer which comes as no surprise. He is also their second leading rebounder behind Tyler Hansbrough, and second leading shot blocker behind Deon Thompson.

There wasn’t much need for Green’s scoring in the NCAA opening hoopfest last weekend. He had but two against Mount St. Mary’s, and a solid 8 points in 20 minutes against the Razorbacks in those two easy wins.

Then came last night where his Carolina teammates were off to a slow start. With 12:45 left in the first half, coming off his routine bench, Green missed his first shot with UNC trailing by an ugly 10 to 8 score. Then he made a layup, then he made a three pointer, and then he made a two point jumper. The Tar Heels never trailed again.

Game over. Wazou, you've been Greened.

It’s interesting to note the parallels between this North Carolina team and Roy William’s 2005 championship squad. Ty Lawson/Raymond Felton, Wayne Ellington/Rashad McCants and Tyler Hansbrough/Sean May all seem to play similar roles. The guys above took turns on the 2005 team leading the way to NCAA wins until the Final Four when May simply took over.

But this Carolina team has one extra weapon – Danny Green, Jr.

Call him a turbo-charged Reyshawn Terry. Terry was also a solid performer off the bench for the Heels last championship team.

Terry was good, but Green is better.

Considering all Green has been through, we wager he’s stronger too.

(Photos by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images )

MY DEFENSE IS BETTER THAN YOUR DEFENSE

Word from the pundits was that this game was about defense – Washington State’s defense. Turns out they were right about one thing, but wrong about the other.

Washington State’s defense slowed the Tar Heels torrid pace, but it was Carolina’s defense that stifled the Cougars and led to another easy UNC win. When the stats were tallied, the Heels held Washington State to 32% shooting in a 68-47 wins.

Danny Green had 15 points and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes to help Carolina (35-2) set a school record for victories in a season while continuing their dominant tournament run. Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half. Carolina out-rebounded the Cougars 46 to 32.

North Carolina improved to 24-1 in NCAA games played in its home state, including 7-0 in Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The 47 points were the fewest allowed by the Tar Heels in an NCAA game since 1946, especially impressive after a season in which Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams constantly implored his team to step up its defensive intensity.

Green’s performance of the bench is particularly compelling. In Carolina’s 2005 championship season they had three players they could count on to score – Sean May, Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants. This year they also have three primary scorers in Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington, but the wild card for this year’s UNC squad is the scoring ability of Green.

Kyle Weaver #25 of the Washington State Cougars goes up for a shot against Danny Green #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2008 NCAA Men's East Regional Semifinal. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Derrick Low #2 of the Washington State Cougars is covered by Marcus Ginyard #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2008 NCAA Men's East Regional Semifinal. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

ELITE EIGHT IN TWENTY-FIVE WORDS OR LESS

XAVIER 79, WEST VIRGINIA 75 OT – The Mountaineers blew several chances to win the game. The worst being an inbounds play late in overtime when they left a three-point shooter (B.J. Raymond) wide open. He canned it. Game over.

NORTH CAROLINA 68, WASHINGTON STATE 47 – Carolina simply had too many offensive weapons for Wazou to stop. The fact that the Heels played great defense simply made it another easy win.

UCLA 88, WESTERN KENTUCKY