JIM LITKE
North Carolina's Leaky Black celebrates after North Carolina won a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Column: Familiar Four prove NCAA tourney is not 'Hoosiers'

By Jim Litke Mar. 28, 2022 03:40 AM EDT
For all the talk of college basketball's brave new world, it suddenly looks a lot

Saint Peter's Shaheen Holloway talks to his players during the first half of a college basketball game against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Column: Saint Peter's boils Purdue; Is mighty Carolina next?

By Jim Litke Mar. 26, 2022 03:42 AM EDT
Something about Saint Peter's doesn't add up. Put aside for the moment how the

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski celebrates after his team defeated Texas Tech in a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Sweet 16: Coach K says 'It's not the coaching.' But it is

By Jim Litke Mar. 25, 2022 03:57 AM EDT
Duke keeps winning games in the NCAA Tournament and Mike Krzyzewski keeps telling

Duke's Paolo Banchero (5) greets head coach Mike Krzyzewski after a win against Michigan State following a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 20, 2022, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
NCAAs: Coach K's farewell tour extended through next weekend

By Jim Litke Mar. 21, 2022 03:46 AM EDT
Mike Krzyzewski's farewell tour was thisclose to over. Duke trailed

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski yells during the first half of a college basketball game against the Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
NCAAs Day 2: You're going to miss Coach K when he's gone

By Jim Litke Mar. 19, 2022 03:11 AM EDT
Mike Krzyzewski won his first NCAA Tournament game as Duke's coach in 1985 and his

New Mexico State guard Teddy Allen (0) shoots against Connecticut forward Tyler Polley (12) during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA men's tournament Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
NCAAs Round 1: 'Teddy Buckets' shows what's old is new again

By Jim Litke Mar. 18, 2022 02:52 AM EDT
“Old” is a relative term in college basketball, but if the players in this year's

Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with Gonzaga guard Martynas Arlauskas (5) after an Elite 8 game against Southern California in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium, Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Indianapolis. Gonzaga won 85-66. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Final Four set, a question left: Can anybody beat Gonzaga?

By Jim Litke Mar. 31, 2021 03:02 AM EDT
It’s not easy to bury a team as good as USC, let alone in a half, no matter how

Baylor guard Davion Mitchell (45) celebrates beating Arkansas 81-72 after an Elite 8 game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium, Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Baylor broils No. 3 Razorbacks, ready for even bigger game

By Jim Litke Mar. 30, 2021 03:45 AM EDT
Another contender emerged from the mist at the NCAA Tournament — nothing

Michigan head coach Juwan Howard celebrates as he walks off the court after a Sweet 16 game against Florida State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Indianapolis. Michigan won 76-58. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
NCAA tourney hits halfway point, still the field vs. Gonzaga

By Jim Litke Mar. 29, 2021 02:56 AM EDT
The Elite Eight marks the halfway point of the NCAA Tournament, but don’t blink

Kansas head coach Bill Self signals against USC during the first half of a men's college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
March was bound to be mad; NCAA tourney hasn't disappointed

By Jim Litke Mar. 23, 2021 04:25 AM EDT
Considering how everything else has gone this past year, March was bound to be

Oral Roberts players and coaches huddle on the court after a college basketball game against Florida in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Sunday, March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis. Oral Roberts won 81-78. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Big upset day in NCAAs: Has the mid-major revolution begun?

By Jim Litke Mar. 22, 2021 04:13 AM EDT
In any other college basketball season, four upsets in the eight second-round

Ohio players celebrate on the court after defeating Virginia in a first-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 20, 2021, at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Coronavirus doesn't care that it's the NCAA Tournament

By Jim Litke Mar. 21, 2021 02:25 AM EDT
If you didn’t pay attention to college basketball until the NCAA Tournament,

Loyola Chicago center Cameron Krutwig (25) celebrates after defeating Georgia Tech 71-60 in a first-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Friday, March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Sister Jean gets the vaccine and seat at the NCAA Tournament

By Jim Litke Mar. 20, 2021 01:57 AM EDT
The best COVID-19 vaccine shots in America just might be the two that went into

Michigan State's Aaron Henry (0) is defended by UCLA's Jules Bernard (1), Tyger Campbell (10), Johnny Juzang (3) and Cody Riley (2) during the second half of a First Four game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, early Friday, March 19, 2021, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. UCLA won 86-80. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
710 days later, NCAA Tournament is back with 'First Four'

By Jim Litke Mar. 19, 2021 02:32 AM EDT
Who are we kidding? “First Four” still sounds more like an educational toy than

FILE - Duke players celebrate on the court after their 68-63 victory over Wisconsin at Lucas Oil Stadium in the NCAA Final Four college basketball tournament championship game in Indianapolis, in this April 6, 2015, file photo. Lucas Oil Stadium is one of six venues hosting NCAA Tournament games later this week.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Column: NCAA brackets NOT the best use of stimulus check

By Jim Litke Mar. 15, 2021 07:30 PM EDT
Forget what you’ve read elsewhere. And since it’s been a while, remember this

FILE - Florida State players leave the court after the NCAA college basketball games were canceled at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., in this Thursday, March 12, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
Sports in 2020: Disruptions aplenty, only constant was loss

By Jim Litke Dec. 28, 2020 12:30 PM EST
2020 reminded us that the show mustn’t always go on. Disrupted by the

CORRECTS THAT THE GAME WAS AGAINST ST. JOHNS FOR THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP, NOT AGAINST HOUSTON FOR THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP - FILE - In this March 9, 1985, file photo, Georgetown NCAA college basketball head coach John Thompson poses with player Patrick Ewing after Georgetown defeated St. John's in the Big East Championship in New York. John Thompson, the imposing Hall of Famer who turned Georgetown into a “Hoya Paranoia” powerhouse and became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship, has died. He was 78 His death was announced in a family statement Monday., Aug. 31, 2020. No details were disclosed.(AP Photo/File)
John Thompson spoke truth to power 'when it was hard to do'

By Jim Litke Sep. 01, 2020 03:01 AM EDT
John Thompson opened the palm of one of his catcher’s mitt-sized hands and

The empty court is seen at the Wells Fargo Center after an NBA basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Column: What will fans talk about without sports?

By Jim Litke Mar. 12, 2020 06:14 PM EDT
Going a week without watching sports used to be a dare. It’s the new reality.