Courtside Post

by CSP Guest Writer Richard Cato

As early as next year we may see an increase to 96 teams in the annual March tournament. Rather than an expansion of conference representation, it is estimated that the NCAA-owned NIT tournament will be shut down and the selection process currently in use expanded.

by Matt Etlinger

Tiger entered the Augusta National Press Conference room smiling, and greeting reporters. This was nothing like his eery, White House-esque statement he gave back in February. This was a likable Tiger, a humbled Tiger, and a much more comfortable Tiger. Tiger was open and honest when talking about the fans at Augusta, his peers on the tour, his use of Pain Medication, and all golf and injury related issues. He still kep things close to the vest when discussing the night of the accident and his rehab experience. When asked about his expectations for the Masters Tournament, he responded with a smile saying “Nothing’s changed. I am going to go out there and try to win this thing.”

by Pete Williams

It’s a great day to be a Butler Bulldog.

With the national championship looming and the city of Indianapolis abuzz, the nation has become captivated with the march of this “Cinderella” team through the tournament. While Butler was a preseason top 15 team, there is certainly something incredibly enchanting about a little known team from the mid-major Horizon League playing for a national championship not ten miles from its own campus. When the lights at Lucas Oil Stadium turn on tonight, a team whose coach looks barely old enough to buy a beer will take the floor amidst a raucous like no other as they attempt to take down the powerful Blue Devils of Duke. It is clear what the run of Brad Stevens and the Bulldogs has meant to the sporting community but its meaning to the Butler community has been equally inspiring. Names like Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack have become as well known in Indy as names like Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney, a fact that adds to the ‘wow factor’ surrounding this team.

by CSP Guest Writer Yael I. Friedman

A recent study, showing the growing disparity in graduation rates between white and black college basketball players, casts the perennial March spotlight on the tensions underlying college basketball. Likewise, each March brings out a chorus of leading educators and civil rights activists calling for measures to compel colleges to do a better job of looking after their athletes’ academic well-being. Yet what role should academics play in the development of a basketball player with a probable career in the NBA? Should the focus remain on stressing academic accountability or rather acknowledging the shift away from the NCAA as a farm system for the NBA and focusing instead on structuring the development of players in a non-academic context?

By Carson Tigges

If you heard a lock turn and a key jingle at the bottom of a trashcan Friday, it was the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers locked up their superstar Kobe Bryant with a three-year contract worth a reported $90 million that will keep him in purple and gold through the 2013-14 season. Coincidentally, Bryant’s running mates Pao Gasol and Ron Artest are signed through the same season while the team holds options for Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum for the 2012-13.

By Brittni Michaelis

Siovaughn Wade, estranged and future ex-wife of Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, previously claimed in her divorce documents that Dwyane gave her chlamydia, however, a family friend is coming forward and blowing the whistles on the accusation.

By Andrew S. Rockoff

There have been reports that King James has signed a new contract with Nike due in large part to his extraordinary production over the past seven seasons, on and off the court. What has not been reported yet is the amount. On the court James has gone from Rookie of the Year in 2004 to the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2009. Off the court, James has two children that he had with his high school sweetheart and although he has been criticized for stances on several public issues, he also maintains a personality that can be hard to read at times. With this new deal in place there is one question that comes to mind, can King James ever reach Air Jordan’s heights.

by Kevin Cushing

Someone send Donovan McNabb a memo; the NFL overtime rules have changed.

During the offseason NFL team owners vote on rule changes for the league. This year’s biggest change comes in the form of new overtime rules for the playoffs. The NFL’s solution to tied games in the past hasn’t exactly been perfect.

By Brittni Michaelis

With the Masters just one week away, many are waiting in anticipation to see how Tiger Woods handles the spotlight and just how much his golf game has changed since taking a 3 month leave of absence from golf because of the startling revelations that the golfing great cheated on his wife, supermodel Elin Nordegren, with many, many women.

By Brittni Michaelis

Tiger Woods is caught in another scandal. No, it is not another mistress coming forward, but this time it is about a lie that Woods told back in 2005.

According to Woods, his first day of kindergarten was a traumatic one for the young cub. “A group of sixth graders tied me to a tree, spray-painted the word ‘n***er’ on me, and threw rocks at me. That was my first day of school. And the teacher really didn’t do much of anything.”