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Sports Quote of the Day:

"Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts." ~ Dan Gable, retired American Olympic wrestler, (1972 Gold Medal winner), and college wrestling head coach.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks 4, Blues 2.

By Jerry Bonkowski, The Sports Xchange

Blackhawks celebrating victory against the Saint Louis Blues, 4-2, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, April 6, 2014.

It was tough skating early, but easy sledding from the second period on as the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 4-2 win over the arch-rival St. Louis Blues Sunday afternoon at the United Center.

Center Marcus Kruger scored his eighth goal of the season just 56 seconds into the third period to put the game on ice for the Blackhawks.

And with three seconds remaining, right wing Ben Smith added an empty-net tally to seal things up for Chicago. It was Smith's 13th goal of the season and his third in the last three games.

Chicago has now won three straight, while St. Louis has lost its last two, both heading into the final week of the NHL regular season.

"This one was huge for us," Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa said after being awarded one of the three stars of the game.

It was the second straight win Chicago (45-19-15) has earned over St. Louis (52-19-7) in the last three weeks, but the Blues still wound up winning the regular season series, three games to two.

The win also temporarily moved Chicago to within one point of second-place Colorado in the Central Division. The Avalanche, who have won six straight, host the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday evening.

Unlike the last meeting between the two teams at the United Center two weeks ago (Blackhawks won 4-0 on March 19), the Blues came out aggressive and tenacious right from the opening faceoff.

With Andrew Shaw in the penalty box (two minutes for crosschecking at 1:45), the Blues needed just 12 seconds to take a 1-0 lead. Left wing Jaden Schwartz scored his 24th goal of the season, peppering a wrist shot past Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.

Interestingly enough, St. Louis had just three shots on goal in the first period, but Schwartz's was the one that counted the most.

Chicago finally got on the scoreboard at 8:34 of the second period on left wing Jeremy Morin's third goal of the season, knotting the score at 1-1.

With left winger Patrick Kane and center/team captain Jonathan Toews still sidelined until the start of the playoffs, right wing Patrick Sharp continued his prolific goal scoring ways.

Sharp tallied his team-leading 33rd goal with only 27 seconds left in the second period to lift Chicago to a 2-1 lead going into intermission.

Also of note in the second period, Chicago outshot the Blues 12-8, putting the two-period total overwhelmingly in the Blackhawks' favor, 23-11.

For the game, Chicago outshot St. Louis 35-23.

Pulling goalie Brian Elliott to have an extra attacker, St. Louis closed the score to 3-2 with just over two minutes to play on left wing Vladimir Sobotka's ninth goal of the season, but Chicago's defense held on for the win.

Crawford improved to 31-15-10, while Elliott fell to 18-6-2.

Chicago improves to 26-7-7 at home, while St. Louis suffered only its 12th road loss of the season (24-12-3).

NOTES: Sunday's attendance of 22,184 was the third highest this season. ... The Blackhawks came into Sunday's game with one less game and three points behind the Colorado Avalanche for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Colorado was to host the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday night. ... Several media reports indicated that Blackhawks LW Patrick Kane began skating after missing the last week-plus with a lower-body injury. Team captain and C Jonathan Toews is also expected to start skating this week. Unless there is a setback, both players should be ready for the first round of the playoffs. ... The Blues came into Sunday's game just two points behind the Boston Bruins in the Presidents' Trophy race. ... Sunday was the 291st meeting between both teams (most in Blues team history). Chicago leads the all-time series 128-115-46. ... With Thursday's win vs. the Minnesota Wild, the Blackhawks eclipsed the 100-point mark for only the 10th time in club history. ... Chicago wraps up its home part of the regular season Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens, and will head into the playoffs after back-to-back road games at the Washington Capitals on Friday and the Nashville Predators on Saturday. ... St. Louis plays Tuesday at home vs. Washington, followed by road games at Minnesota and the Dallas Stars, and then closes out the regular season next Sunday at home vs. the Detroit Red Wings.

 

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears sign C de la Puente.

By The Sports Xchange

 

The Chicago Bears agreed to terms with C Brian de la Puente on a one-year contract, the team announced Sunday.

 

The 6-foot-3, 306-pound de la Puente has started 44 of 48 games played over the last three seasons (2011-13) for the New Orleans Saints, with all 44 starts coming at center. He also started all four postseason contests at center during his time in New Orleans.

Over the last three seasons, de la Puente manned the middle of a Saints offensive line that allowed just 87 sacks, second fewest in the NFL. During that time, the Saints offense was second in the league in scoring offense (29.6 points per game) and tops in the NFL in total offense (425.8 yards per game) and passing offense (318.0 ypg).

According to the Chicago Tribune, the deal is for the minimum veteran salary, with a $65,000 signing bonus and $100,000 base salary guaranteed.

 

Marshall-Jeffery heralded as NFL's top receiving duo.

 

CSN Staff

 

Chicago Bears receivers Brandon Marshall (L) and Alshon Jeffery (15) (R). 

This shouldn't come as any surprise to Bears fans.

DeSean Jackson's arrival alongside Pierre Garcon in Washington, D.C., got people talking about the best wide receiver duos in the NFL.

And, as the headline indicates, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery were named as the league's top pair on Yahoo's Shutdown Corner, combining for 189 catches, 2,716 yards and 19 touchdowns.

It'd hard to argue against that as Marshall is one of the elite receivers in the game and Jeffery made some ridiculous highlight-reel catches in 2013. Both players also found their way to the Pro Bowl.

Two other NFC North rivals made the list — Green Bay's Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb were second while Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate were fifth. Jackson and Garcon came in sixth.

Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls rout Wizards in possible playoff preview
      
By Benjamin Standig, The Sports Xchange

Thanks to a dominant defensive effort and a rocking first half, the Chicago Bulls avenged two previous losses this season by rolling the Washington Wizards 96-78 Saturday.

Whether the outcomes serves as a viable playoff preview should the Eastern Conference foes collide in a first round matchup, time will tell.

Not that anyone on the Bulls' side claimed to be thinking about the postseason just yet. For the Wizards, their coach hopes his squad doesn't soon forget the taste of this unwanted result.

Guard D.J. Augustin scored 25 points, center Joakim Noah had 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls used a dominant first half to win their fifth straight game.

Augustin made six 3-pointers and Noah recorded his fifth straight double-double for the Bulls (45-32), who led by 28 points in the first half and 52-26 at halftime.

"We lost to these guys at home. We lost to them here. It was just getting this win tonight," Augustin said. "We're not looking forward to the playoffs just yet, but we wanted to come out tonight and do it for ourselves."

Chicago, which remains tied with the Toronto Raptors for third place in the Eastern Conference, outscored Washington 16-4 during the opening nine minutes of the second quarter. The Raptors won 102-98 at the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

"We wanted to throw the first punch tonight, and I think we did a good job with that tonight," Noah said. "In the beginning of the game, we were the more aggressive team. Usually, the most aggressive team wins."

Forward Carlos Boozer scored 16 points for the Bulls in their first victory in three tries over the Wizards this season. Chicago has won an Eastern Conference best 33 games since Jan.1.

Washington pulled within 72-61 during a third quarter push only to see the Bulls counter. Noah scored the next seven points and Augustin's sixth 3-pointer capped a 19-4 run as Chicago led 91-65 with 6:37 remaining in the series finale.

Guard John Wall scored 20 points and center Marcin Gortat had 19 for the Wizards (40-36), who had won two straight and four of five. Washington shot 3 of 16 on its 3-point attempts.

The sixth place Wizards are now only one game ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats and fell 2 1/2 games behind the Brooklyn Nets, 105-101 winners over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

The Bobcats, who visit Washington on Wednesday, downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-94 in overtime.

"They flat-out beat us," said Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who scored 14 points. "There are no excuses, no way around it. It was never close."

The Bulls and Wizards played on Friday and then traveled to Washington. Only the home team labored in the back-to-back scenario.

Augustin went 2 of 8 on shots inside the arc, but 6 of 11 on 3-point tries.

After shooting 2 of 14 from the field in Chicago's win over Milwaukee, Noah sank 9 of 13 attempts. The Bulls outrebounded Washington 27-16 in the first half.

The Wizards missed all eight of their 3-point attempts, went 0 of 4 from the free throw line and shot 31 percent from the field en route to their season-low points in for a first half before the crowd of 19,661.

The Bulls' stingy defense helped lead to the struggles, and to a teachable scenario about maintaining intensity for Randy Wittman.

"We beat them twice. We know we can beat them. We didn't tonight," the Wizards coach said. "They were the better team. There is no question about that.

"Sometimes you can gain things from losing a game like this and that's what I want out guys to do."

Augustin's scoring outburst helped with giving Chicago a massive lead. He tallied 14 points in the second quarter and sank four from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Wizards previously won 102-88 on Jan. 13 in Chicago and 96-93 at home four days later.

Both victories came shortly after the Bulls traded forward Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers and with power forward Nene (sprained left MCL) in Washington's lineup.

Asked to compare the Bulls now to the squad in January, Noah said, "Yeah, our team is better. We've gone through a lot. We're playing good basketball. We're confident and we're ready for these playoffs."

NOTES: Wizards F Trevor Ariza, who was under the weather for a second straight game, scored two points on 1 of 9 shooting. ...The Wizards recalled rookie G Glen Rice Jr. from the Iowa Energy of the NBA's Developmental League on Saturday. Selected 35th overall in the 2013 Draft, Rice averaged 17.2 in 19 games over two stints with Iowa. He previously played in 11 games for the Wizards, averaging 2.9 points. ... On Saturday, the Utah Jazz claimed rookie F Erik Murphy, waived by the Bulls earlier this week. ... Chicago next plays at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, the same day Washington hosts the Charlotte Bobcats.

 

MLB Scoreboard: Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Yahoo Sports

Chi White Sox 5
Kansas City 1

Philadelphia 3
Chi Cubs 8

Minnesota 10
Cleveland 7

NY Yankees 6
Toronto 4

Baltimore 3
Detroit 1

Cincinnati 2
NY Mets 1

San Diego 4
Miami 2

Milwaukee 4
Boston 0

Atlanta 1
Washington 2

St. Louis 1
Pittsburgh 2

Texas 3
Tampa Bay 0

LA Angels 4
Houston 7

Seattle 3
Oakland 6

Arizona 5
Colorado 3

San Francisco 2
LA Dodgers 6

Jones tops Kuchar with playoff chip-in.

BY NBC Sports

For the second week in a row, Matt Kuchar squandered a back-nine lead and lost to a previously winless Australian. Matt Jones earned his first trip to the Masters with a remarkable 42-yard chip-in on the first playoff hole, outdueling Kuchar on his way to winning the Houston Open on Sunday.

The win is the first on the PGA Tour for the Australian, who made a 46-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to reach the playoff. He ended it one hole later, chipping over the right front bunker on the 18th and watching it roll in.

Kuchar, who bogeyed the final hole of regulation, then missed his bunker shot to give Jones the win - earning him nearly $1.2 million and a trip to Augusta National.

Jones, who began the day six shots back of Kuchar, shot a final-round 66 and ended the tournament 15 under overall.

 

In September, Jones lipped out an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the BMW Championship - a putt that would have earned him a trip to next week's Masters by sending him to the Tour Championship.
 

He waited until the last possible moment to make amends for that miss on Sunday, doing so in impressive fashion.
 

Jones sent his tee shot on the first hole of the playoff into the right fairway bunker. He then landed just short of the greenside bunker with his second shot, while Kuchar found the bunker from the fairway.
 

It was the second straight miss of the 18th green from the fairway for Kuchar, who sent his fairway metal on the 72nd hole into the water before recovering to make bogey and reach the playoff.
 

Jones didn't leave Kuchar any room for error in the playoff, sending his chip over the greenside bunker and watching as it rolled in - much to the delight of the Golf Club of Houston gallery.
 

Golfers were sent off in threesomes early Sunday morning for the second day in a row because of the threat of strong storms in the Houston area. The rain, heavy at times, began early during the final pairing's round, but the pros finished without any delays.
 

Kuchar started the day with a four-shot lead over Garcia and Cameron Tringale, but he bogeyed the first hole and was 1 over on the front nine.
 

That allowed Jones, who began the day at 9 under, to briefly tie for the lead at 14 under following a birdie on the par-4 11th.
 

Kuchar answered moments later with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 10. The putt gave him a one-shot lead at 15 under, a lead that seemed solid until the final hole of regulation.
 

With Kuchar watching from the tee, Jones bounced back from a bogey on the 17th to make a 46-foot birdie putt on No. 18. That sent him to 15 under overall, one shot back of the lead.
 

Kuchar hit the fairway before his second shot found the water - opening the door for Jones to earn the win and his improbable trip to next week's Masters.
 

It was the second straight final-round disaster for Kuchar, who shot a 75 in the final pair of last week's Texas Open on his way to finishing fourth.
 

Garcia finished in third at 13 under, while Tringale was fourth at 12 under.
 

Rory McIlroy matched the low round of the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Sunday, finishing tied for seventh at 8 under overall.
 

Phil Mickelson, who won the tournament in 2011, was 1 under on Sunday and finished 7 under overall in a tie for 12th - a week after he was forced to withdraw from the Texas Open because of a muscle pull in his right side.

Eisenhower Tree, famous landmark on 17th hole at Augusta, looms large in its absence.

PGA.COM; By Doug Ferguson, Associated Press

Most players walking up the hill toward the 17th fairway at Augusta National can't help but notice the famous Eisenhower Tree: A loblolly pine, far enough from the tee to be a nuisance, sprawling at 65 feet and getting taller by the year.

What got Stewart Cink's attention was another tree behind it.

"Between 10 or 15 years ago, I noticed they planted a rather substantial new tree, about 20 yards further away from the Eisenhower Tree," Cink said. "They were planning on the Eisenhower tree being lost at some point, coming to the end of its life."

This was the year it did.

A miserable winter produced an ice storm so severe that the aging Eisenhower Tree was damaged beyond repair. As the Masters prepares to tee off in Augusta, the biggest change might be what's no longer there.

In an announcement that read like an obituary, club Chairman Billy Payne said the tree could not be saved and was removed.

"The loss of the Eisenhower Tree is difficult news to accept," Payne said.

Worse yet, turns out that other tree Cink noticed years ago also fell victim to the ice storm and was taken down. The club has no immediate plans to replace it. Such decisions are not made hastily at Augusta National. The brother of former Masters champion Trevor Immelman posted a photo of the 17th without the tree, and the hole was not easily identified without the tree that gave it such definition.

The tree got its name from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He hit the tree so often that during an Augusta National governors' meeting in 1956 that he demanded that the tree be cut down immediately.

Clifford Roberts, the chairman and co-founder of the club, overruled the president and adjourned the meeting.

To understand the loss of the tree, consider St. Andrews without the Road Hole bunker or the TPC Sawgrass without the island green.

The 17th hole already was perhaps the least exciting hole on a back nine that is famous for producing great theater at every other turn. It has ranked as the 10th most difficult hole at Augusta over the years - middle of the pack - as a 440-yard par 4 with an average score of 4.15.

Of all the holes on the back, the 17th probably has the fewest stories to tell.

The biggest moments came in 1986, when Jack Nicklaus hit pitching wedge into 12 feet, his final birdie in a closing round of 65 that brought him a sixth green jacket at age 46. Not far behind him that day, Greg Norman hit a beautiful bump-and-run from under the trees and just left of a bunker to 12 feet for his fourth straight birdie to tie for the lead. Just his luck, the Shark hit his shot on the 18th into the gallery and made bogey.

Gary Player stuffed a 9-iron into a foot on the 17th that secured his second Masters title in 1974. Charl Schwartzel made a 10-foot birdie that gave him the outright lead in 2011, the year he birdied the last four holes to win the Masters.

The tree managed to play a role in Tiger Woods' injuries. It was a shot he had to play from under the Eisenhower in 2011 that aggravated injuries to his left Achilles' tendon and caused him to miss two majors. Woods won't be back this year to see the change because of surgery for a pinched nerve in his back, but he spoke for plenty of players this spring.

"I can't say some of the guys are going to miss it," he said. "But we are going to see a difference."

Rain postpones Duck Commander 500 to Monday.

By Nick Bromberg

A steady rain and unfavorable drying conditions postponed Sunday's Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway to Monday at Noon ET. The race can be seen on Fox.

Tony Stewart is the pole-sitter, his first pole since 2012. Kyle Busch is the defending race winner.

US team among 2 new entrants set for F1 in 2015.

By CHRIS LINES (AP Auto Racing Writer)

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone says a U.S.-backed team led by NASCAR's Gene Haas is among two new teams likely to join the series next season.

Speaking at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, Ecclestone said he held talks with the sport's governing body and there was agreement about expansion next season.

''They will be accepted, and we've also accepted another team as well, although whether they'll make it or not is another story,'' Ecclestone said when asked about a possible Haas entry.

The other 2015 bidder is believed to be an Eastern Europe-based entry backed by Colin Kolles, who formerly was at defunct teams HRT, Midland and Spyker.

 

FIA President Jean Todt confirmed that applications were being considered and said a decision will be announced ''in coming days.'' Those applying will need approval from the governing body and the commercial rights holder, headed by Ecclestone.
 

At the NASCAR race in Fort Worth, Texas, Haas said he had not heard from Ecclestone or the governing body.

''We haven't been notified by the FIA, but Bernie is kind of half Formula One, so I'm sure what he says goes,'' Haas said. ''I have no doubt that even if Mr. Ecclestone says he's OK with it, there's probably another few weeks of legal paperwork'' before FIA would issue a license.

The new entries may replace existing teams rather than add to the grid. Several F1 teams are struggling financially.

Haas is the founder of the Stewart-Haas NASCAR team based in North Carolina. He also operates one of the world's most sophisticated wind tunnels for the testing of car aerodynamics, which would aid any new F1 entry.

He's the owner of Haas Automation, which is one of the largest machine tool builders in the world. Haas said his company currently does $1 billion in annual sales, and he believes entering Formula One could help him double that number.

''It's not that we're trying to individually sell machines. We're trying to make people aware of Haas Automation as a company,'' he said.

He added: ''We're just trying to bring our awareness up and Formula One is even more important because half our sales are outside the country. So we think Formula One would be a really great way of bringing us awareness and increasing our sales.''

But Haas said he's running out of time to get a team ready for the 2015 season.

''We needed to know about two months ago,'' he said. ''If Mr. Ecclestone says that we're accepted and the FIA issues us some kind of notice in the next few weeks, then we can entertain 2015. But if we lose another month, I don't think we could do it.''

His team would be based in North Carolina, next to the existing NASCAR shop. A possible barrier to Haas' involvement in F1 could be a set of standards FIA applies to those involved at high levels of ownership and management. Haas has a conviction for tax evasion and related charges.

A U.S. team was initially admitted to F1 in 2010 but lacked the funding and development to join.

West Ham 1-2 Liverpool: Contentious battle sees Liverpool through top.

By Kyle Bonn

The home side put up a fight, but a pair of penalty decisions downed the Hammers as Liverpool returned themselves to the top of the table and retained control of the Premier League race.

Steven Gerrard slotted home both chances from the spot, one in each half, to deny a stubborn West Ham a surprise result and nullify a Guy Demel goal just before the break.

West Ham begun the game with some poise, keeping Liverpool’s blistering attack at bay for the opening 15 minutes and producing a half-chance or two of their own.

The first real chance on goal was a Luis Suarez shot on 19 minutes that would have been a stunning goal out of nothing, and it evaded the dive of Adrian but struck the top corner of the post curling towards goal.

The Hammers used their strong midfield to peg back Liverpool, who found it difficult to get into quality positions. Daniel Sturridge had a chance on a half-hour after a brilliant back-heel from Jordan Henderson but the ball took a bobble off the pitch and he lifted the shot well high.

West Ham nearly took a shock lead in the final five minutes before the break, but Kevin Nolan standing on the penalty spot couldn’t control a ball from Mohamed Diame after great work down the right flank.

It appeared Liverpool’s Premier League record of 22 straight matches with a first-half goal would come to an end, but three minutes to the break Luis Suarez flicked a ball on in the box that clipped the outstretched arm of James Tomkins and referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot.
 
Steven Gerrard cooly slotted the ball into the bottom corner, and all of West Ham’s strong tactical play in the first half came unraveled…or so it seemed.

A West Ham corner into stoppage time came in which Simon Mignolet should have collected, but he spilled under pressure by Andy Carroll and Guy Demel pounced with the ball barely even having touched the ground for the equalizer.

The referees convened after the linesman flagged, but they decided Carroll did not foul Mignolet.

Replays showed there was contact, and while it may have been enough had they been playing basketball, the arm check wasn’t enough for Taylor to rule out the score.

The second half took a while to settle in, but Liverpool skirted a West Ham opportunity to go in front on 62 minutes when a thunderous header from Carroll was parried up and out of the way by Mignolet.

With title hopes on the line, Liverpool found their breakthrough to once again take the lead. Jon Flanagan looked for space down the left side of the box, and West Ham keeper Adrian took him down.  It may have been a foul anyways, but a late tug by the keeper on Flanagan’s trailing foot ensured the penalty decision. Gerrard again was cool from the spot, and the Reds went on top again.

The second completed penalty gives Gerrard his 13th goal of the season, 10 of which have come via the spot.

West Ham began to get frustrated after going behind, and their fouling became more prevalent. Luis Suarez had himself a handful of chances late in the match, but Adrian was there to stop him a few times. Raheem Sterling also saw a late effort quelled by the Hammers stopper.

With the win, the Reds return themselves to the top of the table, two above Chelsea and four above City, who have played two fewer games.  The Hammers, looking for a top 10 finish, are still three back of 10th-placed Stoke.

LINEUPS:

West Ham United – Adrian; Armero, Reid, Tomkins, Demel; Noble, Taylor (Jarvis 78′), Diame (Cole 85′), Downing, Nolan (Nocerino 68′); Carroll.

Goals: Demel 45+1′

Liverpool – Mignolet,; Johnson, Flanagan, Sakho, Skrtel; Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho (Lucas 45′), Sterling; Suarez, Sturridge (Toure 85′).

Goals: Gerrard 44′ (pen), 71′ (pen)

Viewer's Guide: Connecticut vs. Kentucky.

By Jeff Borzello | College Basketball Writer

Back in October, my college basketball season started at Big Blue Madness in Lexington. And now, it will end with Kentucky playing for the national championship against Connecticut outside of Dallas. Can the Wildcats win their second title in three seasons? Can Connecticut win its fourth championship in 15 years?

No. 7 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Kentucky (9:10 p.m., CBS)

At the beginning of the season, no one would have batted an eye if Kentucky were in the title game. The Wildcats were preseason No. 1 and had the most talent in the country. Then they had an up and down regular season, eventually falling out of the top 25 heading into the NCAA Tournament. And now they're back in the national championship game.

And that's not the more unbelievable of the two stories heading into the title game. Connecticut was on NCAA probation last season, with a new head coach that had never been a head coach before. The Huskies lost by 33 in the regular season finale, and then by double-digits again in the AAC tournament. And now they're back in the national championship game.

Connecticut's offense vs. Kentucky's defense

There's no question the first priority for Kentucky's defense will focus on Shabazz Napier. Napier is obviously Connecticut's primary option on the offensive end, running him through constant ball-screens and hoping to catch the defense on a bad switch or a slow hedge. Kentucky will likely try to switch, although Connecticut's small lineup on Saturday night caused Florida a ton of trouble. The Wildcats can switch one through four most of the time, but having Dakari Johnson guard Niels Giffey or DeAndre Daniels could be tough for the Wildcats.

Daniels will once again be a major key for Connecticut's offense. He has to be a guy who can take the pressure off Napier and be a go-to scorer. Julius Randle is capable of defending Daniels, but when he gets his inside-outside game going, there are few players more difficult to defend. The Huskies will try to stretch the floor and get Johnson on Giffey away from the rim, opening up driving lanes for Napier and Ryan Boatright. Wisconsin got open looks from 3 on Saturday, and Connecticut is just as good a 3-point shooting team as the Badgers. Despite everything, it's still going to be Napier or bust for Connecticut. Even when he doesn't score a ton, like against Florida on Saturday night, he's still the focal point of the offense.

Kentucky's offense vs. Connecticut's defense

Throughout the NCAA Tournament, the thought was that Connecticut couldn't handle the size of opponents. Last weekend, it was Michigan State. How could the Huskies defend Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson? On Saturday, it was Florida. How could the Huskies battle with Patric Young down low? And on Monday, it will be Kentucky. Can Connecticut handle Randle and Johnson in the post? On paper, the answer is no. Especially when the Huskies go with their small lineup, guys like Daniels and Giffey aren't strong enough down low. But on Saturday, Connecticut basically dared Florida to go through Young every possession, and it didn't work until late in the game. I'm expecting Phil Nolan and Amida Brimah to play bigger roles on Monday, as they provide some more size and strength.

Connecticut also needs to keep Kentucky out of the lane. Napier and Boatright have been very solid defenders in the NCAA Tournament, with Boatright being an absolute pest the past few games. Terrence Samuel and Lasan Kromah have provided some more physical defense when they come in on the wing. Andrew and Aaron Harrison have been getting more confident as the season has progressed, and Connecticut can't let either one get going. Kromah or Samuel also have to be on James Young when he catches it. If Young or Aaron Harrison get hot from the perimeter, Kentucky is brutal to guard. At the end of the day, Connecticut has to keep Kentucky off the offensive glass and away from the free-throw line.

NCAA 2014 Women's Basketball Championship: UConn, Notre Dame advance to historic title game.

By DOUG FEINBERG, AP Basketball Writer

Women's basketball came away a winner Sunday night. After a season-long buildup, the NCAA tournament will be decided by the perfect championship game.

The undefeated titans of the sport this season will meet Tuesday night in an historic championship game when UConn plays Notre Dame. It will mark the first time in NCAA basketball history that unbeaten teams will play for a title when the former Big East rivals face each other.

"It is pretty amazing," Irish coach Muffet McGraw told The Associated Press after her team beat Maryland 87-61. "So many of the media and fans have been looking at this all season long. It's great that we've made it this far.
 

"Both of us remaining undefeated. See who the best team is."

 

Said UConn guard From Moriah Jefferson: "Now we can finally talk about it. That has been the talk of this whole tournament and I guess it is finally here."

 

The teams didn't play during the regular season this year for the first time since 1995 as Notre Dame moved to the ACC. That helped set up the championship showdown that will put the sport in the spotlight.

 

"It looked to me like as the season went on it almost looked like it was inevitable to happen," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "It was supposed to happen. Our sport doesn't have enough significant moments. ... To have the spotlight on Tuesday on two teams that one is going to lose for the first time this year, it's pretty remarkable when you think how hard it's to do for one team much less two."

 

Notre Dame (37-0) is one of the rare teams that has had success against the Huskies in recent history, winning seven of the past nine meetings, including beating UConn twice in the national semifinals. McGraw drew attention to that fact during the tournament selection show.

 

The Huskies (39-0) won the last one though, topping Notre Dame in the Final Four last season en route to the school's eighth national championship. A UConn victory Tuesday night will be a record ninth for Auriemma, breaking a tie with Pat Summitt for most all-time in the women's game. It will also cap the fifth perfect season for the Huskies and make them only the second team ever to go 40-0, joining Baylor which did it two seasons ago.

 

Auriemma has never lost a championship game.

 

Notre Dame will be trying for its second national championship. The Irish have had chances lately to win their first title since 2001, advancing to the national semifinals in four straight seasons. They lost in the championship game twice during that span.

 

They advanced to Tuesday night's game with a convincing 87-61 victory over Maryland behind 28 points from senior All-American Kayla McBride.

 

Notre Dame played without senior Natalie Achonwa, who suffered a torn ACL in the regional final victory over Baylor.

 

Even without their star forward, the Irish dominated the Terrapins on the boards, outrebounding them in record fashion. Notre Dame had a 50-21 rebounding advantage, including a 19-4 mark on the offensive end. It was the widest rebounding margin ever in a Final Four game, shattering the previous mark of 19 set by Louisiana Tech in 1989.

 

Maryland broke the national semifinals record for fewest rebounds in a game of 25 set by Minnesota in 2004.

 

They'll need a similar effort against UConn and its imposing front line of Breanna Stewart and Stefanie Dolson.

 

The Huskies got off to a sluggish start against Stanford before taking control in the second half in a 75-56 victory. They probably can't afford the same thing to happen for a fourth straight game if they hope to win that record title.
 

Nolan Richardson selected for Basketball Hall of Fame.

By Marc J. Spears

Former University of Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson will be inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2014 class, a source told Yahoo Sports.

Richardson, 72, led Arkansas to the 1994 NCAA national championship and to three Final Four appearances (1990, '94 and '95). He is the winningest coach in Razorbacks history, compiling a 390-170 record over 17 seasons while using a pressure defense that earned the nickname "40 Minutes of Hell." Richardson also led Tulsa to a 1981 NIT championship and Western Texas College to a 1980 national junior college championship.

Richardson is a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame. He also coached the WNBA Tulsa Shock and national teams for Panama and Mexico.

Richardson is in North Texas for Final Four weekend and will be attending Monday's Hall of Fame announcement.

Wildcats' Fitzgerald urges 'no' vote on union.

By JIM LITKE (AP Sports Writer)

Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald sided with his university against the formation of a players union in his first public comments Saturday, repeating what he already told his team: ''I believe it's in their best interests to vote no.''

Fitzgerald addressed the issue for the first time with his squad Wednesday, a week after Peter Ohr, regional director for the National Labor Relations Board, ruled that Northwestern's scholarship football players were ''employees.'' That decision entitled players to conduct a secret-ballot vote on forming a union to pursue collective bargaining with the school, a move that could significantly alter the structure of college sports - especially big revenue-producers like football and basketball.

Fitzgerald spoke at the end of a spring practice session at the school's lakefront facility, alongside a plot of land being developed for a $225 million athletic center. He also said that while he's constrained in what he can discuss regarding a union, he sent players and their parents a letter stating his position before addressing the team in person.

''All this can be handled with communication. It's about trust,'' Fitzgerald said about issues - including improved medical care, practice schedules and others - raised by the College Athletes Players Association, the group seeking to unionize players.

So far, CAPA has not addressed paying players on scholarship.

''I just do not believe we need a third party between our players and our coaches, staff and administrators. ... Whatever they need, we will get them,'' Fitzgerald said.

The NLRB set April 25 for the players vote. Only players currently on scholarship and participating in football activities will cast ballots, totaling around 70 current members of the squad.

The university has until Wednesday to ask the full, five-member NLRB in Washington to review Ohr's decision. If the full board upholds Ohr's ruling, Northwestern could also challenge that ruling in federal appeals court.

Fitzgerald cited his own experience at Northwestern, covering 18 years, to make his case. He played linebacker at the school, then served as an assistant coach and took over the program in July 2006, after the sudden death of his mentor, Randy Walker. Fitzgerald said the school had always been receptive to players' needs, including his own, and that there was already a structure in place to pursue many of the issues CAPA raised.

''I've always been an advocate of change for student-athletes,'' Fitzgerald said, ''if it has positive impact.''

A handful of players who lingered after practice said they were inclined to vote ''no,'' though senior center Brandon Vitabile added, ''We're all smart guys. We're open to hearing things and discussing things.'' Like Fitzgerald, he was reluctant to characterize the team's deliberations so far.

But quarterback Trevor Siemian said flatly, ''I don't support it.''

The fifth-year senior is the front-runner to replace graduating quarterback Kain Colter, who took a lead role in seeking to organize players at the school. CAPA, which is headed by former Southern California linebacker Ramogi Huma, has provided support for similar efforts in recent years.

''I don't think a union is the answer for my team or my university,'' Siemian said.

Fitzgerald was asked whether recruiting wouldn't be easier at Northwestern if a union were organized and able to secure additional benefits for players.

''I'm not allowed to speculate,'' he replied tersely.

Tim Waters, the political director for the United Steelworkers Union, which has provided support to efforts to unionize players, told The New York Times he was ''disappointed after coach Fitzgerald's initial reaction of supporting these guys'' and predicted players would vote to support the union.

NCAA still refusing to see big picture; all college sports are not equal.

By Dan Wetzel

Based on a steady, if slow, push of action, and backed again by words during Sunday's annual state of the NCAA address at the Final Four, it's clear that the leaders of college athletics are determined to make concessions toward their athletes.

Additional monetary stipends, a voice for the players, scholarship adjustments, stricter practice time limits are all on the table and some are inevitably going to be passed, at least at the biggest schools.

These are all small, common sense and almost impossible to oppose things that should've been done long ago, of course. The multipronged threat of union certifications, pending lawsuits, threatened lawsuits, public opinion and so on has sped up the timetable.

College sports appear to remain naïve, however, to the depth of the opposition. Once the battle is engaged, a few minor steps will appease no one on the players' side.

Moreover, they aren't ready to acknowledge how the endgame is likely not about colleges deciding whether or not to allow student-athletes to share in revenue, but football players deciding whether they should continue to allow gymnasts, swimmers, wrestlers and the like to share in their money.

College sports long ago created a system where cash brought in by essentially two sports (football and men's basketball) was pooled to fund up to two dozen other sports that, for the most part, generate little to no income or fan interest.

The concept isn't without some merit – who is against the hard working track star getting a chance to compete and even perhaps earn a partial scholarship? Seems win-win. Until the football players realize who is, and isn't, paying for it.

College sports are increasingly capitalistic. These aren't just teams representing schools anymore, they are profit points that command their own cable television networks, massive stadiums, huge media rights, national tournaments and billions and billions in revenue.

While student-athletes are rightly saying, why can't we get more of the pie, or at least the freedom to go out and get it themselves via sponsorship or advertising opportunities, the real debate is why are all student-athletes still being considered equal?

NCAA president Mark Emmert repeatedly spoke Sunday of the 460,000 college athletes out there, but there is little commonality between a Division III cross country runner who is paying their own tuition and Johnny Manziel. And it's the next Johnny (or even the current Johnny seeking royalties on Texas A&M memorabilia sales that will continue for years) that is the focus of the high-priced and unyielding lawyers and labor leaders.

The NCAA says it can only afford to share a small portion of revenue with Manziel (say, a $2,000 stipend) because it must give one to every athlete. And allowing athletes to cut into marketing money and donations that would otherwise go to the school would put the athletic department coffers that fund a full range of sports at risk.

Why is that set policy though, and why is downgrading the scope of some sports a bad thing?

Why is it just assumed that elite, revenue-generating football and basketball players should automatically concede their market value to prop up smaller sports? Why are all players the same when no school pays the football coach and the field hockey coach the same amount?

"Most universities don't have the resources to move to that kind of model," Emmert said, "So they'll probably be playing Division III style."

Exactly. That's where this is heading one day.

– – – – – – – – – – – –

 

College sports have expanded and so-called gold-plated non-revenue sports have grown to unprecedented and unnecessary levels. New facilities, expanded travel, conference expansion and so on have come under the ideal that all sports are equal, even when they are not in a free market place.

Non-revenue sports should operate under a less demanding, more regional manner than one that comes under the umbrella of these geographically vast conferences that were constructed solely in pursuit of football television dollars.

It's not a popular sentiment, but why would a field hockey team fly all over to games when there are plenty of schools within a bus drive? It may not be as grandiose, but it would be less demanding on the players, who can't go pro in their sport, and, importantly, it would be much more cost-effective. It wouldn't even be the end of the world if there were no scholarships in these sports, if they were operated more like club teams.

Or should a university want to use general funds to fully fund a soccer team, then go ahead and do it. Some may have to due to Title IX.

"With declining state resources, and most public institutions have that, there is no impetus to take those dollars and shift them over and fund those types of teams," Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State said. "For us, the best thing to do is have athletics fully supporting and they cover those costs."

It's definitely best for Kansas State. Is it best for the Kansas State football players that generate that full funding though?

That's what the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit, and the United Steelworkers, and labor lawyer Jeffery Kessler are going to demand. Non-revenue sports aren't a matter of concern for them.

– – – – – – – – – – – –

 

The trend lines here are obvious. The schools are going to have to share additional resources with the players who make the money and that means tough decisions about the players who don't generate the money. That's the endgame here. It's straight capitalistic America.

"I came up as a wrestler and I can tell you I worked just as hard as any football player in the country, as any basketball player, in fact I would say I worked harder than those guys," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.

"The fact is we have student-athletes in all sorts of sports that, if you apply any form of value to their labor, you cannot pay football players and not pay gymnasts just because the football player has the blessing of an adoring public," Bowlsby continued. "That's the only difference. There are a lot of student athletes that are worthy."

That's all well and good but hard work guarantees nothing in the United States and is often not rewarded. Besides, there are tons of worthy students (athletes and non-athletes) out there. It doesn't mean players who have an adoring public are obligated to prop them up.

If a university had to use general funds on deciding which student is worthy of a free ride – a softball player or a biology major – everyone seems to agree the decision will go to academics. Well, isn't that the point of school anyway? We can wax poetic about non-revenue sports athletes, but if we're talking money, and it always comes down to money, what's their value?

"I am very opposed to [changing] that," Schulz of KSU said. "There is no support for that. What we want to do is enhance the financial package for all student athletes whether its women's golf, field hockey, men's basketball, football."

At some point they won't be able to meet all the demands though.

The saber-rattling that Emmert and the others did Sunday was to criticize the NBA and NFL for not having minor leagues in place to take the high-earning student-athletes out of the college game by letting them turn pro out of high school.

"[We] hope that the NBA and the NBA Players Association will make some changes," Wake Forest president Nathan Hatch said.

This is absurd and casts misplaced blame. It's not the Kentucky freshmen that are the problem. It's not Manziel. Those guys should be embraced. They are funding this entire enterprise while experiencing campus life and, it sure seems, having fun doing it. It's completely backwards to push those guys away, except the powers-that-be see them as a threat to the purse strings.

The truth is the NCAA isn't going to run from the people that are making them wealthy. The issue is demanding they prop up everyone else. Not all sports are equal. That's just reality.

"I just don't think there is any possibility of this going forward without all student athletes being considered," Bowlsby said.

Well, at some point, that's where it's headed. When the revenue inevitably gets shared, this becomes an internal campus debate and the smart money is on the guys with the adoring publics.

NCAA officials adamantly opposed to one-and-done.

By DAVE SKRETTA (AP Sports Writer)

NCAA officials and Kentucky coach John Calipari at least agree on something: The one-and-done rule in college basketball needs to be revised.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said during his annual news conference Sunday that he is in ''vocal opposition'' to the rule established by the NBA and its union that requires players be at least one year removed from high school before declaring for the NBA draft.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby went further, saying ''the NFL and NBA have been irresponsible in not providing other legitimate opportunities for kids that really don't want to go to college.''

Calipari has said he favors a two-year period before players can declare for the NBA draft, even though his 2012 title team had three one-and-done players, and the team that he'll put on the floor in Monday night's national title game against UConn could have even more.

''As everyone knows here, this is enshrined in the labor agreement between the NBA and the NBA players, and not a rule that we have control over,'' said Emmert, who has spoken out against it in the past. ''I think everybody here knows my position on it.''

The age restrictions were put in place in 2005, two years after LeBron James joined players such as Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant on the none-and-done path to the NBA. While those players succeeded, many other high schoolers declared for the draft and struggled.

The rules have been tweaked and scrutinized since then, and there is still no consensus on what system is best. Some prefer the baseball model, which gives high school players the right to enter the draft immediately, but those that stay must wait three years. Others agree with Calipari that two years is appropriate, and still others believe that all age limits are ridiculous.

''I like the baseball rule,'' Bowlsby said. ''I like, 'Draft 'em out of high school or leave 'em go until after their junior year.' And I also think the NBA and NFL need to have some legitimate developmental program to allow people who don't want to go to college to go develop their skills.''

The one thing that everyone seems to agree upon, including Calipari and NCAA officials, is that the current model serves neither the players nor the college game.

''Every president I know, and every conference I know, is pretty adamantly opposed to that, and hopes that the NBA and the NBA Players' Association will make some changes,'' said Michael Drake, the chancellor at California-Irvine and the incoming president of Ohio State.

Calipari has grown weary of the attention his program gets for churning out one-and-done player. He has had 13 of them dating to his days at Memphis in 2006. He argues that he is simply playing with the hand that he's dealt, and that the players who do leave for the NBA after only one season are simply pursuing their dreams.

In fact, Calipari was so disgusted by the negative connotation associated with the term ''one and done'' that he offered an alternative this week: ''succeed and proceed.''

''Every player that I've recruited, and they will tell you, I say the same thing: 'Don't plan on coming to school for one year. You make a huge mistake,''' Calipari said. ''But if after one year, you have options, that will be up to you and your family.

''Enjoy the college experience, enjoy the college environment, because the rest of it is work. It's not about family, it's about business. So enjoy it.''

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