Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Tuesday 13 March 2018

Business as usual? Not really in this year’s NCAA Tournament

By EDDIE PELLS last team in, Rasmussen
AP National Writer said.
The coaches, players and —Some of the first week’s
TV announcers waited best action could be in Boi-
breathlessly for the re- se, Idaho, which features
veal, then broke down a possible second-round
the snubs, seedings and South matchup between
matchups with the same No. 5 Kentucky and No.
glee as kids unwrapping 4 Arizona, each of which
gifts under the Christmas won their conference tour-
tree. In all, the unveiling naments. “I had to ask my
of the NCAA Tournament guys, ‘How many of you
bracket felt pretty much know what state Boise is
like business as usual. in?’” coach John Calipari
That’s really not the case said, as part of an enter-
this season. taining riff during an ESPN
March Madness will pro- interview about the long
vide a three-week break trip his team faces.
from the troubling head- It’s that sort of back and
lines that have consumed forth about brackets,
college basketball. All four matchups and slights —
of the tournament’s No. 1 both real and perceived
seeds — Virginia, Villano- — that have turned March
va, Kansas, Xavier — have Madness into the party it
been caught up in allega- has become over the last
tions of rule-breaking that few decades.
have come up through an In a way, nothing changed
FBI investigation and result- Kentucky players celebrate after beating Tennessee 77-72 in an NCAA college basketball cham- Sunday.
ing news coverage detail- pionship game at the Southeastern Conference tournament Sunday, March 11, 2018, in St. Louis. Only this time, when the
ing potential NCAA viola- Associated Press party ends, it will do so with
tions. role again this year — even headlined by Kansas, Duke the tournament). It was yet a thud.
They aren’t alone. if the underpinnings of col- and Michigan State, all of another blow to a Cardi- An NCAA commission led
No fewer than a dozen lege basketball may be which were ranked in the nals program that has lost by former Secretary of
of the 68 programs who out of whack. top 4 in the AP preseason its coach (Rick Pitino), ath- State Condoleezza Rice is
kick off the tournament “March Madness and the poll. Michigan State will go letic director (Tom Jurich) expected to deliver rec-
this week have had their Final Four, it’s supposed to into Friday’s game against and even its latest national ommendations shortly af-
names mentioned in these be one of the best times to Bucknell not having played title (2013) due to a string of ter the Final Four about
reports. There’s an unde- be a sports fan,” Michael L. a game in two weeks be- scandals that have played what reforms are needed
niable chance the team Buckner, a Florida-based cause of the Big Ten’s early out over the past several to save college basketball.
cutting down the nets in attorney who has worked conference tournament. years. At stake: A three-week ex-
San Antonio on April 2 on infractions cases, said “It’s a concern. But with —Teams that squeaked travaganza worth nearly
could be forced to forfeit last week. “Now it’s going what this team has gone in included Oklahoma, $20 billion in TV money
its title a few years down to have this cloud hanging through this year, who which means the nation’s alone. In other words, the
the road, after the NCAA over it, so that’s why I say cares?” coach Tom Izzo most electric player, Trae lifeblood of the NCAA.
sorts through the damage. it’s a little surreal.” said. It was a nod to the Young, will be on the court John Tauer, the champion-
But in considering who was For now, though, the sex-abuse scandal that has for at least one game, on ship-winning coach at Divi-
in and out, the selection games go on. rocked Michigan State’s Thursday against Rhode sion III St. Thomas in Minne-
committee only looked at Those filling out brackets in athletic program, along Island. The Sooners (18-13) sota, said there’s too much
who was eligible, not who office pools that will amass with an NCAA eligibility is- went 2-8 down the stretch, on the line for the NCAA to
was being investigated. It more than $10 billion in ac- sue involving Miles Bridges. but NCAA selection chair stand pat.
made for a bracket that tion, most of the $10 and —Teams that didn’t make Bruce Rasmussen said “There are enough com-
looks fairly typical — de- $20 entry-fee variety, were it included St. Mary’s (weak games in November and peting pressures and
fending champion North handed their palette Sun- schedule), Notre Dame December weighed just enough legs to this story,
Carolina and runner-up day during a bracket-un- (not enough quality wins), as heavily as those in Feb- that I’d be shocked if, over
Gonzaga are in, and a veiling show on TBS. Oklahoma State (Dick Vi- ruary and March. Arizona the next couple years,
few blast-from-the-past un- Some highlights: tale went on a rant ) and State also made it off the things don’t change some-
derdogs such as Davidson —The Midwest Region Louisville (its 39 rating in bubble. And Syracuse, what markedly,” Tauer
and Butler are playing that stands out as the toughest, the RPI is the best to miss snubbed last year, was the said.q

Federer moves on, Stephens loses again at Indian Wells

By BETH HARRIS Stephens remained mired The Swiss star’s young son, four of the current Grand
AP Sports Writer in her post-U.S. Open Lenny, watched from a Slam champions in the last
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) slump. box wearing a Superman year: French Open winner
— Roger Federer rolled Federer improved to 65-5 cap. Stephens lost to Daria Jelena Ostapenko, Austra-
past No. 25 seed Filip Kra- since returning from a left Kasatkina of Russia 6-4, 6-3, lian Open winner Caroline
jinovic 6-2, 6-1 in pursuit of knee injury last year with his and fell to 2-4 in matches Wozniacki, Wimbledon
a record sixth BNP Paribas third-round victory in a rare this year. winner Garbine Muguruza
Open title, while Sloane day match Monday. Kasatkina has beaten all and now Stephens.q