Rick Pitino has dashed those dreams, though, choosing instead to have a little cardinal tattooed on his left shoulder in honor of Louisville winning the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Pitino said he would fulfill his promise of getting a tattoo after Louisville won, and he said on CBS This Morning this week that the cardinal will do the trick.

“I said it … not believing this was going to be a reality, but I am going to get it. I’m a man of my word,” he said. “I’m going to get it on my left shoulder. It will be a cardinal, and it will say 2013 champions.”

Maybe Pitino will be a real champ and show it off while wearing a tank top or something.

Albrecht rained 3-pointers off the bench during the first half of the NCAA Tournament championship game against Louisville after National Player of the Year Trey Burke went down with two fouls. Albrecht finished with 17 points and was 4-of-5 from beyond the arch. He thought that was a good enough performance to try and pick up one of the world’s most successful models.

@kateupton hey saw you at the game last night, thanks for coming out! Hope to see you again 😉

@KateUpton hey saw you at the game last night, thanks for coming out! Hope to see you again 😉—
spike albrecht (@SpikeAlbrecht) April 09, 2013

Taking a page from Darnell Dockett’s playbook, eh? Spike’s performance was great, especially for a freshman, but I don’t know if it was that good — better luck next time, kid.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Michigan Basketball

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/spike-albrecht-tweets-kate-upton-after-appearance-at-ncaa-championship-game-hopes-to-see-you-again/feed/ 0 Spike Albecht nesnstaff http://nesn.com/2013/04/march-madness-ratings-highest-in-19-years-with-ncaa-games-averaging-10-7-million-viewers-nielsen-reports/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/march-madness-ratings-highest-in-19-years-with-ncaa-games-averaging-10-7-million-viewers-nielsen-reports/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:29:09 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=162611 ]]> The Fab Five wasn’t the only thing from the early 1990s that returned to college basketball on Monday night. Big ratings were back as well.

The national title game between Louisville and Michigan averaged 23.4 million viewers, a 12 percent increase from last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. That capped off an NCAA Tournament that averaged 10.7 million viewers — marks that haven’t been seen since 1994.

The Louisville-Michigan matchup was far more interesting than last year’s Kansas-Kentucky tilt, when the heavyweight Wildcats easily took the crown. This year’s tournament also featured several upsets, with a record number of low seeds making the Sweet 16.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/march-madness-ratings-highest-in-19-years-with-ncaa-games-averaging-10-7-million-viewers-nielsen-reports/feed/ 0 NCAA Final Four Michigan Louisville nesnjslothower http://nesn.com/2013/04/rick-pitino-says-hell-get-tattoo-fulfill-promise-to-louisville-team-after-winning-ncaa-championship/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/rick-pitino-says-hell-get-tattoo-fulfill-promise-to-louisville-team-after-winning-ncaa-championship/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:02:59 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=162187 ]]> Few doubted that the Louisville Cardinals could roll to a championship this year — but, at some point this season, even coach Rick Pitino wasn’t thinking about cutting down the nets.

Pitino’s team is now making sure he sticks to a promise he made earlier in the season. The 60-year-old Hall of Fame coach said he would get a tattoo if the Cardinals won it all, and now he says he’ll follow through.

“About 12 or 13 games ago, all of these guys, when they’d say hello, they’d say, ‘Get a tattoo,’” Pitino told CBS’ Jim Nantz after the game. “They said, if you win the national championship, you are getting a tattoo. I said, ‘Yeah, I am getting a tattoo.”

He now has to make good on the agreement, with the only challenge being what the tattoo will be, and where.

“We have a couple ideas,” junior Luke Hancock said. “I don’t think he knew what he was getting into when he signed up for that one.”

And who would have thought Pitino wasn’t all-in on himself winning another title?

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/rick-pitino-says-hell-get-tattoo-fulfill-promise-to-louisville-team-after-winning-ncaa-championship/feed/ 0 Rick Pitino nesnjslothower Rick Pitino http://nesn.com/2013/04/rick-pitino-freaks-out-ducks-for-cover-after-fireworks-go-off-in-louisville-celebration-gif/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/rick-pitino-freaks-out-ducks-for-cover-after-fireworks-go-off-in-louisville-celebration-gif/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:00:45 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=162163 ]]> It’s all fun and games until someone spooks the senior citizen.

Rick Pitino, 60, usually looks pretty spry on the sidelines, but the now-Hall of Fame coach added to his reputation of being old school after his Louisville Cardinals won the national championship Monday night. As Pitino went to shake Michigan coach John Beilein‘s hand after the game, fireworks went off in celebration. Pitino was jolted by the sudden explosion, ducking his head and instantly providing a GIF that would usurp all other great championship game GIFs.

In Pitino’s defense, the fireworks were pretty loud, and he’s not crazy to think that tomfoolery could have been going on after the game. He managed to keep it together for the most part, and him getting unnerved only makes his expression when he finally gets to shake Beilein’s hand that much more priceless.

Check out the shining moment of GIFs below.

GIF via Twitter/@Jose3030

Photo of the Day

Uh, are those streamers Michigan colors?

Not quite, but they do look like faded versions of Michigan colors.

Tweet of the Day

Agreed on all fronts, Big Papi.

Video of the Day

Let’s hear what Will Arnett had to say about hockey.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/rick-pitino-freaks-out-ducks-for-cover-after-fireworks-go-off-in-louisville-celebration-gif/feed/ 0 Rick Pitino nesnjslothower Rick Pitino APTOPIX NCAA Final Four Michigan Louisville APTOPIX NCAA Final Four Michigan Louisville Basketball David Ortiz http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-cuts-down-net-after-louisville-defeats-michigan-in-national-title-game-photo/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-cuts-down-net-after-louisville-defeats-michigan-in-national-title-game-photo/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:37:23 +0000 Zack Cox http://nesn.com/?p=162135 ]]> Louisville’s promise to “Win It For Ware” came to fruition Monday night.

The Cardinals defeated Michigan 82-76 to win their first national championship since 1986, and Kevin Ware – just over a week removed from suffering a horrific leg injury in the Elite Eight — was on hand to enjoy the win with his teammates.

After Cardinals players took turns ceremoniously cutting down the net, stadium staff at the Georgia Dome lowered the basket to allow Ware, who stood on the court with crutches, to finish the job.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-cuts-down-net-after-louisville-defeats-michigan-in-national-title-game-photo/feed/ 0 Kevin Ware net nesnzcox NCAA Final Four Michigan Louisville Basketball http://nesn.com/2013/04/louisville-wins-national-title-rick-pitino-has-best-week-ever/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/louisville-wins-national-title-rick-pitino-has-best-week-ever/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:37:13 +0000 Alison Bullock http://nesn.com/?p=162132 ]]> The Louisville Cardinals are national champions in men’s basketball. The team rallied to take down the Michigan Wolverines 82-76, after enduring a tournament that tested the team’s limits.

Less than two weeks ago, Cardinals guard Kevin Ware was rushed to the hospital with a broken leg after contesting a shot in the team’s win over Duke. Ware’s advice to his teammates before he was carted off the court? “Just win the game. I’m OK. Just win the game.”

The Cardinals won that game. And the games after that to take the crown. The No. 1 seed lived up to their top billing in the tournament, taking care of every team in their path on the way to the title.

The win capped off a special week for Louisville coach Rick Pitino, as the win came on the same day he was announced as a member of the newest Hall of Fame class. Earlier in the week, Pitino’s horse won a big race on the way to the Kentucky Derby and his son got the head coaching job at Minnesota.

Pitino is now the only coach in NCAA history to win national championships with two different schools, after Kentucky won the title 17 years ago with him at the helm.

Luke Hancock came off the bench to give Louisville 22 points in the win, and Peyton Siva added 18 points for the Cardinals, who closed the season on a 16-game winning streak.

As viewers at home prepared themselves for the “One Shining Moment” montage, the hoop was lowered so that Ware could cut the remaining pieces of the net down. In that special moment, fans everywhere were reminded why we all love college sports.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/louisville-wins-national-title-rick-pitino-has-best-week-ever/feed/ 0 APTOPIX NCAA Final Four Michigan Louisville Basketball nesnabullock APTOPIX NCAA Final Four Michigan Louisville Basketball http://nesn.com/2013/04/fab-five-reunited-at-national-title-game-as-chris-webber-makes-appearance/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/fab-five-reunited-at-national-title-game-as-chris-webber-makes-appearance/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:42:18 +0000 Alison Bullock http://nesn.com/?p=162029 ]]> Jalen Rose‘s pleas have been answered. The former Wolverine’s Fab Five teammate, Chris Webber, made an appearance Monday night at Michigan’s national title game.

Rose reached out to Webber Sunday night during his podcast with Bill Simmons, urging C-Webb to join his former Fab Five teammates in Atlanta.

Webber has had a strained relationship with his alma mater since his role in a scandal that led to the university taking down the Fab Five’s national finalist banner.

Speculation swirled Monday night on Twitter about whether or not Webber would show up after Rose said he’d texted his former teammate and never heard back. CBS showed footage of Webber entering the arena from the parking garage, and the Twitter world went crazy.

Michigan squares off against the No. 1 seed Louisville Cardinals for the national championship on Monday night. Neither team has won a championship since the 1980s, and Monday night’s matchup is sure to be an instant classic.

Photo via Twitter/@Jose3030

Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@thisisourmusic

 

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/fab-five-reunited-at-national-title-game-as-chris-webber-makes-appearance/feed/ 0 Fab Five nesnabullock Chris Webber http://nesn.com/2013/04/jim-boeheim-unloads-on-reporter-gregg-doyel-over-question-about-returning-next-season-video/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/jim-boeheim-unloads-on-reporter-gregg-doyel-over-question-about-returning-next-season-video/#comments Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:14:33 +0000 Doug Kyed http://nesn.com/?p=161205 ]]> Perhaps Jim Boeheim was testy after a tough loss to Michigan or maybe he’s just sensitive about his age, but the Syracuse coach was not happy about a question regarding possible retirement.

CBSSports.com’s Gregg Doyel asked Boeheim “When do you think you’ll decide, announce, whatever whether or not you’re coming back next year or do you already know?” Boeheim was not happy with the question and said he wouldn’t answer it unless every coach had to answer it.

Doyel mentioned that the same question is posed to college players and that “they handle it better than you.” The 68-year-old coach responded with snark saying, “You ask a 19-year-old if he’s going to retire? If you’re going to say something smart at least be smart.”

Check out the back and forth between Boeheim and Doyel below.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/jim-boeheim-unloads-on-reporter-gregg-doyel-over-question-about-returning-next-season-video/feed/ 0 Boeheim nesndkyed http://nesn.com/2013/04/louisville-rallies-defeats-wichita-state-to-advance-to-national-championship/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/louisville-rallies-defeats-wichita-state-to-advance-to-national-championship/#comments Sun, 07 Apr 2013 01:36:18 +0000 Anna Fogel http://nesn.com/?p=161101 ]]> After a ferocious comeback that saw Louisville capitalize off of costly turnovers by Wichita State late in the game, the Cardinals are headed to the NCAA tournament championship game for the first time since 1986.

For most of Friday night’s matchup, the No. 9 seed Shockers were in control and looked poised to come away with yet another upset. Leading by double digits with 13 minutes to play, it seemed unlikely that the No. 1 seed was going to be able to pull this one off.

Cue the Lousiville bench.

Luke Hancock, a junior forward, came off the bench and sparked his team with 20 points.  Walk-on Tim Henderson, who saw increased playing time because of the injury to Kevin Ware, nailed a couple of clutch threes down the stretch to bring the Cardinals back into the game. Ware watched from the bench.

The Shockers began to unravel late in the second when they committed five turnovers in seven possessions — after going more than 26 minutes without turning the ball over. With 4:47 remaining, the Shockers saw their last lead of the night slip away as Russ Smith, who led the Cardinals with 21 points, took it in for an easy layup after a steal. Wichita State pulled within two with 22 seconds left, but the Shockers were forced to foul and Smith and Hancock both sank their free throws for the Cardinals.

Louisville will face the winner of the Syracuse-Michigan game for the national title on Monday night.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/louisville-rallies-defeats-wichita-state-to-advance-to-national-championship/feed/ 0 APTOPIX NCAA Final Four Wichita St Louisville Basketball nesnstaff APTOPIX NCAA Final Four Wichita St Louisville Basketball http://nesn.com/2013/04/amare-stoudemire-shows-solidarity-with-kevin-ware-pays-2500-for-ware-face-cut-outs-for-louisville-fan-section/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/amare-stoudemire-shows-solidarity-with-kevin-ware-pays-2500-for-ware-face-cut-outs-for-louisville-fan-section/#comments Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:27:34 +0000 Alison Bullock http://nesn.com/?p=161033 ]]> Kevin Ware’s unfortunate injury has caused an outpouring of support from people around the country. Since he fractured his leg  in Louisville’s game against Duke, Ware has been seen tweeting with the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.

New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is the most recent athlete to show his support for Ware. As reported by Darren Rovell of ESPN, Stoudemire did his part by donating 1,000 giant cut-outs of Ware’s face, at a cost of $2,500, to be used in the Louisville fan section.

Stoudemire was contacted by Bryan Price, the founder of Build-A-Head, who had worked with Stoudemire’s foundation in the past. The back of the heads feature the hashtag #WinforWare, and a logo for Stoudemire’s foundation, which aims to makes lives better for at-risk youth.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/amare-stoudemire-shows-solidarity-with-kevin-ware-pays-2500-for-ware-face-cut-outs-for-louisville-fan-section/feed/ 0 NCAA Final Four Wichita St Louisville Basketball nesnabullock NCAA Final Four Wichita St Louisville Basketball http://nesn.com/2013/04/jim-boeheim-gives-syracuse-the-edge-over-michigan-in-final-four-matchup/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/jim-boeheim-gives-syracuse-the-edge-over-michigan-in-final-four-matchup/#comments Sat, 06 Apr 2013 21:15:55 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=160020 ]]> For the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament, a pair of No. 4 seeds will face off in the Final Four as Syracuse faces Michigan on Saturday night in Atlanta. The Wolverines are two-point favorites at Bovada.

History would seem to favor the underdog Orange. It’s the fourth time that coach Jim Boeheim has led Syracuse to the Final Four, and Syracuse won its previous three national semifinals comfortably: 95-84 over Texas in 2003 on the way to the Orange’s lone national title, 77-69 over Mississippi State in 1996 before losing to Kentucky, and 77-63 over Providence in 1987 before falling to Indiana on the memorable Keith Smart jumper.

In addition, Boeheim is 9-0 in his career against Michigan counterpart John Beilein, although just one of those wins has come with Beilein at Michigan. At 68 years and five months, Boeheim could become the second-oldest coach to win a national championship behind UConn’s Jim Calhoun (2011). The Orange are +425 to cut down the nets Monday.

The Orange sputtered to close the regular season, losing four of their final five games. They reached the Big East Tournament final but lost by 17 to fellow Final Four team Louisville. A Syracuse-Louisville rematch in the national title game is +140 at the book. One conference hasn’t had both finals teams since the Big Eight with Kansas and Oklahoma 25 years ago. This is Syracuse’s final season in the Big East as it heads to the ACC. Louisville follows in 2014.

It’s the first Final Four for Beilein and for Michigan since the Fab Five went in 1992 and ’93. The Wolverines were No. 1 in the country briefly earlier this season before closing the season with six losses in their final 12 games.

Michigan needed a miracle rally in the Sweet 16 to send their game against Kansas into overtime. Trey Burke, the Big Ten Player of the Year and the favorite for the national award, hit a 3-pointer from about 30 feet to tie it late. Burke has accounted for 134 points in this tournament (scoring and assists), the most of any player. Other than versus Kansas, Michigan hasn’t been challenged in the tournament. A Michigan-Louisville national title game is the -110 favorite at the book, and Michigan is +300 to win it all.

It should be a classic game of opposites. The Wolverines are an up-tempo team averaging nearly 79 points per game in the Big Dance. They shredded VCU’s vaunted “Havoc” pressure defense in the Round of 32 in a 25-point blowout and outscored VCU 27-4 in transition. Florida was ranked as the No. 2 defense in the nation but was gouged for 79 points (one shy of a season high against the Gators) in the Elite Eight as Michigan was 10-for-19 from 3-point range and turned the ball over only nine times.

Syracuse’s 2-3 zone is one of the toughest defensive sets to prepare for. At the top of that zone are 6-foot-6 guard Michael Carter-Williams and 6-foot-4 Brandon Triche, making it tough to penetrate and get off jumpers. Syracuse is allowing less than 46 points per game in this tournament, and Indiana, one of the nation’s highest-scoring teams, was held to a season-low 50 in the Sweet 16.

Madness Championship: Bovada live betting will be there until the end. Raise your game.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/jim-boeheim-gives-syracuse-the-edge-over-michigan-in-final-four-matchup/feed/ 0 Jim Boeheim nesnjslothower Jim Boeheim http://nesn.com/2013/04/facebook-and-yahoo-analyze-how-people-fill-out-brackets-using-hometown-bias-relationship-status/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/facebook-and-yahoo-analyze-how-people-fill-out-brackets-using-hometown-bias-relationship-status/#comments Sat, 06 Apr 2013 00:26:42 +0000 Anna Fogel http://nesn.com/?p=160618 ]]> Every March, brackets are filled out, trash talking ensues between friends and co-workers and before the first round even ends, a school like Florida Gulf Coast University shocks the nation and ruins countless brackets. While it seems borderline impossible to account for all of the unpredictability in March Madness, Facebook and Yahoo! teamed up to shed some light on the factors that affect filling out a bracket.

Based off of 60,000 brackets that Facebook users filled out for Yahoo!’s Tourney Pick’em game, the two determined how much of a role hometown bias plays, the authority seeds have and if relationship status affects success when it comes to picking the winning teams.

Not too surprisingly, hometown pride is strong with the top seeds, but all loyalty goes out the window with the low-ranked teams. At the state level, essentially every state picked Louisville to go home with the hardware, but Kansas and Indiana stuck to their roots, sticking with the Jayhawks and Hoosiers, respectively.

The majority of the country may have picked the No. 1 seed to win it all — and they very well could be right — but it turns out that little number in front of the school’s name may not be as influential when it comes to brackets as once thought. According to the study, in the first round users predict No. 4 seeds to have a 93% win rate, but after analyzing NCAA tournaments since 1985, it was determined they only have a 78% win rate — just don’t tell that to Syracuse or Michigan. In addition, the disparity between No.8 and No. 9 seeds is almost nonexistent and the two should be approached evenly.

As for the relationship side of March Madness, those who were listed in a relationship performed better than those who are single or married and male users were more accurate by half a game, but women tended to predict more upsets than men.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/facebook-and-yahoo-analyze-how-people-fill-out-brackets-using-hometown-bias-relationship-status/feed/ 0 NCAA Duke Louisville Basketball nesnstaff NCAA Duke Louisville Basketball http://nesn.com/2013/04/report-rick-pitino-will-be-inducted-into-basketball-hall-of-fame-becomes-89th-coach-elected/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/report-rick-pitino-will-be-inducted-into-basketball-hall-of-fame-becomes-89th-coach-elected/#comments Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:41:01 +0000 Mark Loiselle http://nesn.com/?p=160470 ]]> Rick Pitino has been part of something special with the Louisville Cardinals in 2013. His impressive career resume, however, is what will carry him to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Pitino, one of the winningest active coaches in college basketball, has more exciting news than just winning the Big East conference championship, securing a Final Four bid and being within reach of a national championship. The longtime Louisville coach has been elected to the Hall of Fame, according to Ian O’Connor of ESPN.

The inductees will be announced Monday prior to the national title game in Atlanta.

Pitino posted a 192-220 record in his six-year NBA coaching career with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. In his 28 years of coaching at the college level, Pitino has a 662–239 record, for a .734 winning percentage, which ranks 10th among active coaches and 29th all-time among collegiate basketball coaches entering the 2012 season.

Bernard King, Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, Guy Lewis, Maurice Cheeks and the recently announced Gary Payton are the other Hall of Fame finalists.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/report-rick-pitino-will-be-inducted-into-basketball-hall-of-fame-becomes-89th-coach-elected/feed/ 0 Rick Pitino nesnstaff Rick Pitino http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-jokes-with-david-letterman-reads-top-10-list-about-broken-leg-on-late-show-video/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-jokes-with-david-letterman-reads-top-10-list-about-broken-leg-on-late-show-video/#comments Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:03:01 +0000 Jen Slothower http://nesn.com/?p=160460 ]]> Kevin Ware‘s injury has officially progressed to the laughter stage.

The Louisville guard is coming back from his gruesome broken leg, and that included an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman this week. Ware showed that he can joke just about as well as he can play basketball, having fun with David Letterman before delivering a Top 10 list about the injury.

Ware and Letterman chatted about the injury and the surgery afterward, with Ware saying the first thing he wanted to do was get in touch with his mom.

“I know she freaks out over the littlest things, like when I crack a toenail,” he said.

He said the last thing he remembers before going into surgery was asking whether Louisville was winning, and he assured Letterman he would play next year.

Check it out in the video below.

Click here to see who else Ware has been in touch with>>

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-jokes-with-david-letterman-reads-top-10-list-about-broken-leg-on-late-show-video/feed/ 0 Kevin Ware David Letterman nesnjslothower http://nesn.com/2013/04/marshall-henderson-apologizes-to-ole-miss-fans-for-behavior-admits-he-can-take-things-too-far/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/marshall-henderson-apologizes-to-ole-miss-fans-for-behavior-admits-he-can-take-things-too-far/#comments Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:19:11 +0000 Anna Fogel http://nesn.com/?p=159867 ]]> Marshall Henderson’s tumultuous season was full of taunts, trash talking and even middle fingers. He responded with the obscene gesture after receiving boos when Ole Miss fell to La Salle in the NCAA tournament in Kansas City.

But throughout it all, the controversial yet amusing point guard never showed remorse for his unpredictable behavior — until now.

In an open letter to Ole Miss fans, the SEC’s leading scorer announced he will return for his senior season, but even more surprisingly, he showed maturity and accountability in apologizing for his actions, which often overshadowed his play throughout the season.

“The spotlight on the court means my actions affect more than just me, and I need to show my teammates that I can be a leader for this team,” he said. “I play the game with a lot of passion, and sometimes that passion boils over. I take responsibility for my actions this season and apologize to anyone I offended. However, my edge on the court has made me the player that I am. I can’t change that, but I do understand that I can take things too far.”

Taking things too far may be putting it mildly, as Henderson certainly added to the madness this past March, but toning down his antics for his upcoming senior season will be the true upset nobody has on their bracket.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/marshall-henderson-apologizes-to-ole-miss-fans-for-behavior-admits-he-can-take-things-too-far/feed/ 0 Marshall Henderson nesnstaff Marshall Henderson http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-gets-phone-calls-from-kobe-bryant-kevin-durant-charles-barkley-michelle-obama-after-breaking-leg/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-gets-phone-calls-from-kobe-bryant-kevin-durant-charles-barkley-michelle-obama-after-breaking-leg/#comments Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:57:20 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=159851 ]]> Kevin Ware won’t be signing up for another day like Sunday, when he became famous for horrifically painful reasons. But his broken leg has given him some experiences that he would have never had otherwise.

Want to talk to Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant? How about a phone call from Charles Barkley? Need some advice from the first lady?

Ware has had a chance to talk with Bryant, Durant, Barkley and Michelle Obama since breaking his leg, the New York Post reports, and that has left the 20-year-old shaking his head.

“I had no idea I would get this kind of attention,” he said Wednesday. “I’m one of those guys who just likes to play basketball. But the injury opened up a lot of people’s eyes, and I really appreciate all the support. It really means a lot.”

Ware, who will be traveling with the rest of the Louisville Cardinals to the Final Four in Atlanta, is now among the best-known faces in the group.

“You’re the coolest guy I know in Louisville,” coach Rick Pitino said he told Ware. “The president is pretty cool, but Michelle Obama is the real thing.”

Ware said he’s trying to move past the injury already, focusing on his team’s yearlong objective.

“Our goals are still the same, my injury or not,” he said. “When we cut down the nets, that’s what’s going to be most important.”

The Cardinals already shared one such moment with Ware, sending their regional championship trophy to him after he had surgery.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” he said of being able to hold the trophy in his hospital bed. “It was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

It’s been a week of such great moments, with one more possibly right around the corner.

Click here to read what may have caused Ware’s injury>>

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-gets-phone-calls-from-kobe-bryant-kevin-durant-charles-barkley-michelle-obama-after-breaking-leg/feed/ 0 Kevin Ware nesnjslothower Kevin Ware http://nesn.com/2013/04/florida-gulf-coast-athletic-director-players-angry-at-usc-for-using-dunkcityusc-in-tweets/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/florida-gulf-coast-athletic-director-players-angry-at-usc-for-using-dunkcityusc-in-tweets/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:02:02 +0000 Zack Cox http://nesn.com/?p=159065 ]]> It didn’t take long for USC to capitalize on the “Dunk City” phenomenon, and that’s rubbing some of the term’s originators the wrong way.

The USC athletic department announced via Twitter late Monday night that former Florida Gulf Coast head coach Andy Enfield had agreed to become the next coach of the Trojans, concluding the tweet — and several others thereafter — with the hashtag “DunkCityUSC.”

Dunk City is, of course, the moniker that was given to the high-flying FGCU squad that became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 before being ousted by Florida last Friday. Enfield may have been the architect behind the offense, but people in Fort Myers argue the nickname belongs to the school, not the coach.

“There’s only one Dunk City USA. It’s here in Southwest Florida,” FGCU athletic director Ken Kavanagh told reporters Tuesday. ”I think it’s totally inappropriate for USC to do that. We would not copy somebody else’s well-earned scenario, and I will be sure to let USC know that.”

The team seemed to share these sentiments, agreeing that Dunk City does not belong on the West Coast.

“That was kind of bad on their part,” FGCU sophomore Bernard Thompson said. ”They didn’t earn the right to have that type of label, try to trademark that for themselves. Coach Enfield is not really Dunk City. It’s the whole team. I figure it should go to the school. FGCU is Dunk City.”

“We understand what we’ve done. But everybody else sees it now as we don’t have a coach anymore and he just kind of left for USC,” said FGCU sophomore point guard Brett Comer, who racked up a good chunk of his 31 tournament assists on alley oops.

“They’re claiming dunk city. But he didn’t make a play. He gave us the blueprint for it. But we made every single play. We had the athletes to do it. I made the passes to the guys that do it. I feel like we are still dunk city. Nobody will ever take that away from us.”

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/florida-gulf-coast-athletic-director-players-angry-at-usc-for-using-dunkcityusc-in-tweets/feed/ 0 Florida Gulf Coast nesnzcox Florida Gulf Coast http://nesn.com/2013/04/wichita-state-still-not-expected-to-shock-louisville-despite-upset-laden-run-to-final-four/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/wichita-state-still-not-expected-to-shock-louisville-despite-upset-laden-run-to-final-four/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:00:14 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=158991 ]]> A team seeded No. 9 or higher has never reached college basketball’s national championship game, and oddsmakers aren’t big on the chances of ninth-seeded Wichita State, either.

The Shockers are big 10.5-point Bovada underdogs against top overall seed Louisville for Saturday’s Final Four opener in Atlanta.

The highest seed to reach the finals was No. 8 Villanova in 1985 when the Wildcats went on to beat Georgetown for the national title in one of the sport’s biggest upsets. Wichita State is the second No. 9 to ever reach the Final Four, joining the 1979 Penn team. It’s the second national semifinal trip for Wichita State overall. The 1965 team lost in the third-place game.

Wichita State (30-8) finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference to Creighton, both in the regular season and conference tournament. The Shockers have been a betting underdog against Pittsburgh, Gonzaga and Ohio State in this tournament.  They were up 20 points in the second half on Sunday against the Big Ten Tournament champion Buckeyes before OSU nearly rallied at the end.

The team’s good karma could be due to the fact that star player Carl Hall cut his trademark dreadlocks, which he had worn throughout his WSU career, on the eve of the tournament. The 6-foot-8 Hall is the Shockers’ second-leading scorer at 12.8 points a game and the team’s leading rebounder at 7.2 per game. Wichita State is one of the nation’s better rebounding teams, especially on the offensive end. It’s also a very good defensive team. WSU has held three of four NCAA Tournament opponents under an average of one point per possession. The team is 23-1 this year when doing that. The Shockers are +1200 to cut down the nets next Monday.

It’s the 10th and second straight Final Four appearance for Louisville – the Cardinals lost to eventual national champion Kentucky in last year’s semifinals. They opened this tournament as the favorites and have done nothing to change that, beating their four opponents by an average of nearly 22 points. Louisville has won 14 straight since a five-overtime loss at Notre Dame, and all but two of those wins have been by at least 10 points.

U of L, which is -140 to win the national title, leads the nation in defensive efficiency rankings. The Cardinals allow just 0.82 points per possession and are No. 2 in the country in defensive turnover percentage, as opposing teams give it away on almost 28 perecent of their possessions against Louisville. Duke, one of the nation’s best offensive teams, scored their second-fewest points of the season in Sunday’s 85-63 defeat and shot 36.5 percent from the field while getting nine shots blocked. The Blue Devils had beaten Louisville 76-71 earlier this year.

The Cardinals (33-5) also have the guy playing better than anyone in this tournament in guard Russ Smith. He’s averaging 26.0 points and is the Final Four Most Outstanding Player favorite, now at 4-5.

Wichita State and Louisville have faced two common opponents this season: Pittsburgh and Northern Iowa. The Shockers beat Pitt 73-55 in their tournament opener and split two regular-season meetings with Northern Iowa. Louisville beat Pittsburgh 64-61 in their lone meeting and beat Northern Iowa 51-46 in November.

College’s best has Atlanta in their sights. We’ve got every exciting moment covered with Bovada Live Betting. Raise your game.

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/wichita-state-still-not-expected-to-shock-louisville-despite-upset-laden-run-to-final-four/feed/ 0 NCAA Wichita St Ohio St Basketball nesnstaff NCAA Wichita St Ohio St Basketball http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-louisville-teammates-featured-on-inspirational-sports-illustrated-cover-photo/ http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-louisville-teammates-featured-on-inspirational-sports-illustrated-cover-photo/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:55:18 +0000 NESN Staff http://nesn.com/?p=158876 ]]> For all the horror that accompanied Kevin Ware‘s gruesome leg injury on Sunday, plenty of inspiration has come as well.

Ware was assuring his teammates he was fine and telling them to go on and win just moments after he was hurt Sunday. His teammates, while initially shook up, pulled themselves together enough to finish out the game in dominating fashion. An injury that will go down as one of the worst in sports has now become an inspiration to the Cardinals and sports fans everywhere.

Sports Illustrated honored that spirit on one of its regional covers this week. The magazine captured one of the pivotal moments Sunday, showing the Louisville team crowding around Ware before he was carried from the court with the injury.

Check it out in the photo below.

Photo via Twitter/@SInow

Click here to read about media response to Ware’s injury>>

Click here to read what may have caused Ware’s injury>>

Click here to read about Ware’s recovery>>

]]> http://nesn.com/2013/04/kevin-ware-louisville-teammates-featured-on-inspirational-sports-illustrated-cover-photo/feed/ 0 Kevin Ware Sports Illustrated nesnjslothower Sports Illustrated