- The Louisville Cardinals will face the Michigan Wolverines in tonight’s NCAA Championship game in Atlanta. This is the first championship game for the Cardinals since 1986, and for Michigan since 1993. Both teams are led by supurb backcourts and this should lead to a fantastic championship game.
- Louisville made it past surprising Wichita State after a major deficit in the first half. A unrelenting second half run led by Luke Hancock’s 20 points put Louisville on top 72-68. The Shockers' Cinderella run ended a game short of the championship game, but catapulted this tiny school in Kansas to the spotlight. With injured player Kevin Ware sitting (and at times standing) near the bench, the Cardinals played inspired second half basketball and it paid off with a trip to tonight’s game.
- The Michigan Wolverines started out strong, taking an 11-point lead to halftime, against Syracuse, and never looked back winning 61-56. Led by Center Mitch McGary’s 10 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, the Wolverines were able to withstand a late run by Syracuse who brought the game to within 1 late. A late charging call on Syracuse's Brandon Triche (on which he also fouled out) was a crucial call that seemingly swung the momentum back to the Wolverines.
- The game is tonight at 9:20 EST.
Clippers win first division title
- For the first time ever, the Los Angeles Clippers will be division champions, clinching the Pacific division after a 109-95 defeat of their famed Staples Center co-tenants, the Lakers. Afterwards the Clippers posed for pictures with some T-Shirts but did not change into them, noting that they have not yet accomplished their goals of playoff success.
- In addition to winning the division, it marked the first time that the Clippers have swept the Lakers in a season (the only other time was when the franchise was known as the Buffalo Braves in 1974-75). The loss moved the Lakers a half game back of the last playoff spot and they did so despite having Kobe Bryant play all but seconds of the game. Bryant has averaged a very high 46 minutes per game over his past 4 but Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni justified the use given the team's dire situation. It would be nothing short of embarrassment to have a team with four potential Hall of Famers in the starting lineup miss the playoffs.
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