Middle holes doom Crusaders at NCAA regional tournament in Ohio

Paul Oren Times Correspondent

The Valparaiso men’s golf team started strong and finished strong at the NCAA tournament in Columbus on Thursday afternoon.

Michigan facing NBA questions after Final Four run

Noah Trister AP Sports Writer

After falling just short of a national title in a loss to Louisville, Trey Burke was asked about his relationship with Michigan coach John Beilein.

Wolverines fall in national title game despite career performance from C.P. native

PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer

ATLANTA | Rick Pitino capped the greatest week of his life with the prize he wanted most of all.

Auriemma looks for eighth national championship

DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

NEW ORLEANS | Geno Auriemma has never lost an NCAA championship game.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: Becca Bruszewski

Mike Nieto mike.nieto@nwi.com, (219) 933-3232

Becca Bruszewski is preparing to teach the skills that she mastered in her basketball career.

Twitter takes on McGary

Times Staff

The Twitterverse caught region fever Monday afternoon, exploding with the hashtag #mcgarysonofnorris.

McGary key in pushing Wolverines into title game

NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA | In Michigan's final game of the regular season — with the Big Ten title on the line — Mitch McGary played only eight minutes. He scored two points, committed four fouls and couldn't keep Indiana from dominating the boards in a crush…

UConn beats Notre Dame 83-65 to reach NCAA final

Doug Feinberg AP Basketball Writer

NEW ORLEANS | Breanna Stewart put on quite a show to help UConn finally vanquish Notre Dame.

Louisville beats Cal to reach title game

BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS | Make that three straight upsets for Louisville, who used the latest thriller to head back to the women's national championship game for the first time since 2009.

Louisville, Michigan escape shadows at Final Four

PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer

ATLANTA | The hoops teams at Louisville and Michigan are used to being overlooked.

SYF coach remembers fondly Michigan's three frosh

Steve Hanlon steve.hanlon@nwi.com, (219) 933-4198

Several years ago Mitch McGary grabbed a rebound in a summer AAU tournament game. His coach started barking the same thing over and over again.

Merrillville grad was assistant coach on Louisville's first NCAA championship team

Mike Nieto mike.nieto@nwi.com, (219) 933-3232

Jerry Jones will be rooting for Louisville tonight when it plays for the national championship.

Chesterton's McGary leads Wolverines to NCAA title game

Paul Newberry AP National Writer

ATLANTA | Michigan is more than just five fabulous players.

Louisville survives a jolt from Wichita State to advance

Nancy Armour AP National Writer

ATLANTA | Louisville's ugliest win was its biggest one yet.

Notre Dame, UConn women meet again in Final Four

Doug Feinberg AP Basketball Writer

NEW ORLEANS | Skylar Diggins has accomplished nearly everything she could have imagined in her career at Notre Dame. The only thing missing is a national championship.

AL HAMNIK: Jerome Harmon now operating on auto pilot

Al Hamnik Times Columnist

It was once believed Jerome Harmon could fly.

McGraw, Auriemma have crossed paths for years

TOM COYNE Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. | Muffet McGraw and Geno Auriemma have been crossing paths for a long, long time.

Ware makes big, bad Louisville the people's choice

By NANCY ARMOUR AP National Writer

ATLANTA | Louisville already had the bigger names, the better team and some unfinished business after coming up short in last year's Final Four.

Bridgeman, Trgovich 'Harbored' no ill will in '75 NCAA semis

Al Hamnik al.hamnik@nwi.com (219) 933-4154

"Pistol" Pete Trgovich was the scorer. Tim Stoddard provided the inside muscle. And Ulysses "Junior" Bridgeman was too often the unsung hero.

Emmert defends record during contentious briefing

PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer

ATLANTA | NCAA President Mark Emmert spent 15 minutes documenting the progress that the organization has made under his leadership, from making sure students go to class to fighting corruption.

Achonwa needs to find the right balance vs. UConn

Tom Coyne Associated Press

SOUTH BEND | The challenge for Notre Dame forward Natalie Achonwa is to find the right amount of aggressiveness.

Ware's injury causes 'problems' for Louisville

Nancy Armour AP National Writer

ATLANTA | His full-leg cast and crutches aside, Kevin Ware is no different than the rest of his Louisville teammates this week. He's at team meetings. He's going to practice. He's riding the bus. He even put on his jersey to pose for the stoc…

Coaches weigh in on attacking the Syracuse zone

Eddie Pells AP National Writer

ATLANTA | Some get paid millions to try and solve the riddle facing the Michigan coaching staff at the Final Four this weekend.

Michigan's Beilein still loves to look back

Noah Trister AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA | Earlier this week, John Beilein was asked to say a few words about the season he spent coaching Nazareth College — 30 years ago.

Varying paths have made Shockers a Final Four team

Dave Skretta AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA | More than 30 years ago, Cliff Levingston was part of a powerhouse team at Wichita State that was stocked with future NBA talent, and to this day he believes it underachieved.

Louisville's Ware upbeat despite broken leg

Gary Graves AP Sports Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. | Kevin Ware is pretty certain how his next few months will play out.

Notre Dame aims for fourth win vs. Connecticut

Tom Coyne Associated Press

SOUTH BEND | Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw hopes she was wrong two years ago.

Has Michigan turned a corner defensively?

Noah Trister AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA | Michigan had all season to improve its defense, yet it still looked hopeless as recently as the Big Ten tournament.

Louisville upsets No. 1 Baylor 82-81

JEFF LATZKE AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY | In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NCAA women's tournament, sixth-seeded Louisville got a stunning 82-81 upset of defending national champion Baylor in the regional semifinals on Sunday night.

Louisville heading back to the Final Four

Paul Oren Times Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS | As Kevin Ware’s leg was being immobilized on the sideline following a horrific injury, the Louisville sophomore had a message for his teammates: “Win the game.”

Duke overcomes Nebraska 53-45 to reach Elite 8

HANK KURZ Jr. AP Sports Writer

NORFOLK, Va. | Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie is growing weary of people expecting the Blue Devils to roll over teams in the NCAA tournament.

Diggins leads Notre Dame past Kansas, 93-63

Hank Kurz Jr. AP Sports Writer

NORFOLK, Va. | Skylar Diggins was already having such a great day, her coach figured she might as well make it historic.

Lady Vols rout Sooners 74-59, reach regional final

JEFF LATZKE AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY | Kamiko Williams scored 15 points, Cierre Burdick had 13 and second-seeded Tennessee routed Oklahoma 74-59 in the regional semifinals of the NCAA women's tournament on Sunday.

Michigan rolls into Final Four, beats Fla. 79-59

STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Basketball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas | Another fabulous group of young players has Michigan headed back to the Final Four.

Wichita State upsets OSU for Final Four trip

Greg Beacham AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES | Cleanthony Early kept stealing glances down at the hat in his hands while he waited for his turn to climb the stepladder, scissors in hand. The Wichita State forward seemed stunned at the words embroidered on his brand new ballc…

Fab 5 last Michigan region final, Florida 3 in row

STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Basketball Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas | Trey Burke was a 16-month-old toddler the last time Michigan was playing this late in the NCAA tournament.

Teams embrace atmosphere in Indy

By Courtney Linehan courtney.linehan@nwi.com, (219) 933-3367

INDIANAPOLIS | Freshman Marshall Plumlee walked onto the court set up inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday and took a deep breath.

Syracuse on to Final Four, beats Marquette

Howard Fendrich AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON | When played to perfection, there's nothing quite like Syracuse's aggressive, half-court 2-3 zone defense.

Indianapolis to host historic coaching rematch in NCAA tournament

Courtney Linehan courtney.linehan@nwi.com, (219) 933-3367

INDIANAPOLIS | Louisville forward Chane Behanan flipped on the television in his Indianapolis hotel room Saturday morning to see his coach — albeit with fewer wrinkles and less salt and pepper in his hair — standing on a sideline surrounded b…

Diggins, Goodrich in spotlight in Norfolk Regional

Hank Kurz Jr. AP Sports Writer

NORFOLK, Va. | Point guards are taking center stage at the Norfolk Regional of the women's NCAA tournament.

UCLA hires Steve Alford as new basketball coach

BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES | Steve Alford was hired as UCLA basketball coach on Saturday, spurning New Mexico days after he agreed to a new 10-year deal with the Lobos for a chance to run what he called "the premier basketball program in the country."

Louisville birddogs Ducks on defense, advances to Elite Eight

Courtney Linehan (219) 933-3367, courtney.linehan@nwi.com

INDIANAPOLIS | Some of it was Hoosier crimson to be sure, but the crowd at Friday's opening game at the Midwest Regional had a definite red bend.

Dawson's defense keeps Duke guard off his game

Courtney Linehan (219) 933-3367, courtney.linehan@nwi.com

INDIANAPOLIS | With three region natives already advancing to the Elite Eight, Lew Wallace graduate Branden Dawson had work to do if he wanted to become the fourth.

Ohio St. faces Wichita St. for trip to Final Four

Greg Beacham AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES | During Ohio State's journey to the Final Four last season, Aaron Craft learned the importance of focusing on the next 40 minutes, not the three-week trip.

Pac-12 vs. SEC showdown in Spokane regional semis

Tim Booth AP Sports Writer

SPOKANE, Wash. | Maybe the Spokane Regional should just be renamed the Pac-12 vs. SEC challenge.

Marquette-Syracuse means Big East in Final Four

Jim O'Connell AP Basketball Writer

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.

Hoosiers look ahead after disappointing finish

Michael Marot AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS | Indiana left Washington in a dour mood.

Top-seeded Hoosiers fall to Syracuse in Sweet 16

David Ginsburg AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON | Nineteen turnovers. Sixteen baskets. A season-low 50 points.

Buckeyes on brink of second Final Four appearance

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES | LaQuinton Ross hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2 seconds to play, and Ohio State advanced to the brink of its second straight Final Four appearance with a 73-70 victory over Arizona on Thursday night in the West Regional semifinals.