Marquette-Syracuse means Big East in Final Four

WASHINGTON | When two teams from the same conference meet with a Final Four berth at stake, fans think it's great from a rivalry and bragging rights perspective. Conference administrators hear cash registers ringing as NCAA shares are earned.

Indiana stays at No. 1 in AP Top 25 despite loss

Indiana coach Tom Crean used an analogy to the state's second favorite sport after the Hoosiers remained No. 1 in The Associated Press' Top 25 for a second straight week.

Louisville jumps to No. 1 in AP basketball poll

Rick Pitino is guessing his Louisville Cardinals won't be the last team to be No. 1 this season.

Villanova beats Purdue in OT in 2K Sports Classic

NEW YORK | James Bell was doing what a shooter does — shoot.

All eyes on No. 1 Indiana as season nears

Kentucky has another great freshman class. Indiana is on top of the preseason poll for the first time in 33 years. There was a lot of conference movement — again — and there's more ahead.

Zeller near unanimous preseason pick

The biggest man on The Associated Press' preseason All-America team got the most votes.

Syracuse avoids being first No. 1 to lose to 16

PITTSBURGH | Syracuse was missing its starting center. North Carolina-Asheville thought the Orange got help from three men in striped shirts.

North Carolina runaway No. 1 in AP preseason poll

North Carolina broke a tie with its fiercest rival and moved into one with one of college basketball's most storied programs.

Carril, Phelan, Ryan to receive Lapchick Award

College coaches fighting cancer

NEW YORK | Coaches vs. Cancer has become more than a fundraising organization. It is trying to raise awareness about the disease.

Purdue's Johnson named to Associated Press All-America team

Seniors dominated The Associated Press All-America team for the first time in five years.

Louisville beats Notre Dame at Big East tourney in OT

NEW YORK | Louisville was in bad shape at halftime. The Cardinals were in foul trouble most of the second half. After dominating in overtime, they're in the Big East championship game for the second time.

No. 13 Illinois escapes with 3rd-place win at 2K Sports Classic

NEW YORK | Illinois was thinking about last season and the Illini didn't want the same thing to happen to them that might have cost them a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Hamilton leads Texas to OT men's basketball win over Illinois

NEW YORK | Texas' two young frontcourt players had impressive numbers Thursday night. When it came to overtime, though, the senior man up front made sure the Longhorns took the lead for good.

Another college hoops season is here

It can't be seven months ago that Gordon Hayward's shot from halfcourt came so close to providing one of the greatest endings in sports history.

There's plenty of reaction to possible expansion

NEW YORK | It wouldn't take an act of Congress, and in the overall scheme of things, expanding the field for the NCAA men's basketball championship wouldn't solve or create any problems for most Americans.

One Shining Bracket? This could be it

Some day, someone will fill out the perfect bracket sheet.

Notre Dame comes up short in Big East semis

NEW YORK | Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia's last-second hero in the quarterfinals, scored 24 points to lead the seventh-ranked Mountaineers to a 53-51 victory over Notre Dame on Friday night in the Big East tournament semifinals.

Andrean grad Harangody leads AP preseason All-America team

Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody, an Andrean grad, and Kansas teammates Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are the leading vote-getters on The Associated Press' preseason All-America team.

Harangody named second-team All-America

Sophomore Blake Griffin of Oklahoma is a unanimous selection for The Associated Press' All-America team, and senior Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina is on the first team for a second consecutive year.

A look at how the NCAA tournament might turn out

The season started with people predicting as many as 10 teams from the Big East making the NCAA tournament's field of 65. OK, it came up a little short with only seven teams being included, but all were seeded sixth or better and a record three of them were No. 1 seeds.

It takes six OTs, but Syracuse beats UConn

NEW YORK | Syracuse outlasted Connecticut in the second-longest Division I game ever played, capping a Big East tournament quarterfinal doubleheader in which the second- and third-ranked teams in the country both lose.

Notre Dame advances in Big East tourney

NEW YORK | Tory Jackson scored all 12 of his points in the second half to lead Notre Dame to a 61-50 victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night in the opening round of the Big East tournament.

St. John's tops Notre Dame despite Harangody's double-double

NEW YORK | Paris Horne was there every time Kyle McAlarney turned around or went around a screen.

St. John's beats ND despite Harangody's big day

NEW YORK | D. J. Kennedy scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 15 seconds, and had 10 rebounds to send St. John's past No. 7 Notre Dame 71-65 on Saturday.

Harangody won't dwell on missed free throws

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Luke Harangody had done everything a bruising power forward is supposed to do. He scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and even threw in a banked 40-footer as the shot clock expired.

Harangody leads Notre Dame to 81-80 win over Texas

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Andrean grad Luke Harangody had done everything a bruising power forward is supposed to do. He scored 29 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and even threw in a banked 40-footer as the shot clock expired.

Harangody leads ND to 81-80 win over Texas

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Andrean grad Luke Harangody had 29 points and 13 rebounds and No. 8 Notre Dame hung on to beat No. 6 Texas 81-80 on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Notre Dame crushes IU in Maui Invitational

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Notre Dame and Indiana are about a 4-hour drive apart on the map. It's not even close on the court.

Notre Dame cruises in Maui, crushing IU

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Tory Jackson had 21 points and fellow guard Kyle McAlarney added 18 to lead No. 8 Notre Dame to an 88-50 victory over Indiana in the opening round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational on Monday.

Four Indiana teams in top 25

North Carolina was back at No. 1 again Monday, thanks to a memorable few days in the state of Tennessee.

Harangody has 19 points and 14 rebounds to lead Notre Dame over Kansas State

MEN'S BASKETBALL

No. 13 Duke beats Illinois

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Duke has a chance at another title on Maui.

UCLA is apt at holding its opponents down

ATLANTA | Florida is defending its national championship. UCLA is defending opponents at a remarkable rate.

Wright's 3 leads to wrong outcome for ND

NEW YORK | Larry Wright hit a 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds to play to give St. John's a 71-68 victory over No. 22 Notre Dame on Tuesday night, the Red Storm's second straight last-minute win at Madison Square Garden.

Demons feeling blue

NEW YORK | Darryl Hill hasn't been himself this season because of a bad knee. Aaron Spears wasn't around the last four games because of a suspension. They both came up big for St. John's on Wednesday night.

No. 6 Duke tops No. 22 Gonzaga

NEW YORK | Greg Paulus had five stitches in his chin and a wide smile on his face.

No. 5 UCLA knocks off No. 20 Kentucky

LAHAINA, Hawaii | Luc Richard Mbah A Moute scored 18 points despite playing the final 8.5 minutes with four fouls, leading No. 5 UCLA to a 73-68 victory over No. 20 Kentucky on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Hansbrough leads AP's preseason All-America team

Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina led a preseason All-America team of underclassmen.

No excuses for Irish

MEN'S BASKETBALL | BIG EAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

Rutgers topples Notre Dame

NEW YORK | Ricky Shields had never played beyond the first round of the Big East tournament. The senior guard from Rutgers finally got that win Wednesday night and may have ended the NCAA hopes of Notre Dame.