Not that there's much danger of the latter outcome happening. Connecticut is 38-0 and not a single one of those wins came by less than 10 points. (Most were by much, much more.) They already beat tonight's opponent, Louisville, twice this season by a combined margin of 67. Geno Auriemma can talk all day about how dangerous that makes them, but no one is buying it. A win tonight by Louisville would be one of the greatest upsets in sports history and I'm pretty sure he'll never let that happen.

By the way, if they do win by double digits, the Huskies would be the first team ever—men's or women's—to beat every opponent on their schedule by at least 10 points. That's some pretty good firepower for the "greatest of all time" arguments.

Louisville-Connecticut Preview [AP]
Normal Conventions Of Sports Just Don't Apply To UConn Women's Team [The Day]

Here's how ultra-likeable Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma injects some life into his pre-game preparation.

"I know this is going to get played out the wrong way," said Auriemma, "But I'm going to say it anyway. And I know I'm going to get criticized for this. White kids are always looked upon as being soft. So Stanford's got a tremendous amount of really good players who for whatever reason, because they don't look like Tina Charles or Maya Moore, the perception out there is going to be, well, they must be soft.

"Well, I think that's a bunch of bull. I watched them play and nobody goes harder to the boards. Nobody takes more charges. Nobody runs the floor as hard. Those kids are as tough as any of the kids in the country. But people on the sports world like to make judgments on people by how they look. And it's grossly unfair."

First of all ... who says that? The best white kids are always described as "tough" and "gutsy" instead of "silky smooth" or "graceful" or even "athletic." Secondly ... yes, people do make judgments based on looks, but you're the one who brought up race. Did anyone even call Stanford soft besides Geno Auriemma? Finally, why bring something up if you know you're going to get criticized for it? (Which no one has, by the way. This story has barely registered on the news wires.) Is it to give people like me a reason to write about a tournament that's gone completely ignored because your team is so good the sport is not even fun anymore? Well, you win this round, Geno! Your reverse mind games will definitely work on me.

Oh, did I mention the women's Final Four is tonight? UConn-Stanford and Oklahoma-Louisville. The Huskies will win both their games by 30, so don't even bother.

Auriemma Says Perceptions of Stanford Based on Race [NY Times]
Auriemma Video [ESPN]
Jayne Appel, Former UConn Recruit, Now Stands in Huskies' Path [NY Times]

The explanation is simple, of course—they need to sell tickets. It's hard enough to fill the Breslin Center for a regular MSU game, but try doing it for four teams that no one in East Lansing could give a rip about. So the Spartans (and some other teams that did not necessarily deserve it) got to play at home for rounds one and two, despite being the lower-seeded team in both games. So what happened? Two wins, including a sweet, sweet smackdown of top-seeded Duke, now led by State's former coach.

Joanne P. McCallie left East Lansing for Durham in 2007, one month after signing a $500,000 contract extension. She actually tried to sell it as a good thing for women's basketball, because the fact that one school would pay out big bucks to pinch a coach from another program means that the ladies' game has finally arrived. Yay, headhunting! Just like the men! I think the fact that a coach who took a team to its only Final Four appearance was booed on her return to campus probably says something too.

So yes, it's totally unfair that a No. 9 seed got to play two postseason games at home, but honestly ... no one cares. Spartan fans will take it.

Spartan women knock off Duke, McCallie, 63-49 [Lansing State Journal]
Duke's Coach P stands on way she left Michigan St [AP]
Losing Joanne McCallie to Duke was blessing in disguise for Michigan State [Gang Green]
2009 Women's NCAA Tournament Bracket [ESPN]

The story, written by Robert Bell, ran Sunday (even though the women's ACC tournament was held March 5-8th — Maryland won, btw) points out that the WNBA has gone out of its way to court its thriving lesbian fans, but there hasn't been much headway in the ACC — or any collegiate divisions, for that matter — to embrace lady-on-lady kissin'. But they were there alright, in all of their pink triangle'd glory:

On Friday, 13,599 fans watched UNC's quarterfinal victory over Clemson. The crowd was a mix you'd never see at the more-exclusive ACC men's tournament: children from area schools, dads with their teenaged daughters, entire families, retired couples.

And lesbians. Alone, in couples and in large groups of friends.

"It's nice to just walk around the concession stand and see thousands of other women just like you," said Lisa McGehee, 46, of Greensboro.

As successful as the women's tournament has been in terms of attendance, Griffin and others believe it would do even better if officials would target lesbians in their marketing.

"It seems to me it makes no sense economically not to market to every part of your fan base," Griffin said. "The object is to put fans into seats, isn't it?"

It is. But it seems obvious that the NCAA — regardless of how many gay women follow the tournament — would have to drastically shift their marketing efforts in order to go after both the youth demo (which they covet) and the lesbians. They wont' say it, but they're ill-equipped to deal with that reality.

ACC Reluctant To Acknowledge Lesbian Fans [Greensboro News & Record]

If anyone has earned the right to talk a big game, it's Paris. She was AP national player of the year as a sophomore, will likely win her third Big 12 Player of the Year award this season, and has had a double-double in all but four games for her entire career. But while lots of athletes like to guarantee wins, few would risk a four-year scholarship in the event they couldn't back it up.

"If we don't, which is not even an option," Paris said after the applause died down, "just to put something on the line - and it might take me the rest of my life - I will pay back my scholarship because I didn't do what I said I was going to do."

In other words ... up yours, Joe Namath. There is one little problem though—Connecticut, which is undefeated and possibly the best women's college basketball team of all time. However, even after having a few days to think about it, Paris stands by a promise that would cost her roughly $64,000 if she fails.

"So when you're good enough and don't do something, then you have to take accountability for that and that's your own fault. We can win a national championship. If we don't, I'll feel like I didn't earn my scholarship."

In case you're wondering, WNBA rookies make less than $45,000 a year. On the other hand, her dad is former '49er Bubba Paris, so maybe she can borrow it from him.

Courtney sticking by guarantee [The Oklahoman]
Courtney Paris Guarantees National Championship [Crimson And Cream Machine]
OU wins, Paris says team will win it all [Tulsa World]

Brittney is actually a McDonald's All-American who is committed to Baylor for next season, but she won't be going to the Mickey D's game in Miami next month. Why? Because her school won't let her out of class to attend. That seems ... um ... insane, right? The last thing a high school wants to do is let its students succeed at what they're best at!

No one knows why they won't let her go and frankly, I'm not that interested. This post is mostly an excuse to show this video of Brittney absolutely crushing some poor girl who must be giving up two feet of height to her. This is actually from a game last season where she missed a quadruple double by one assist, but honestly, it doesn't even feel like these two teams are playing the same game. She's the only female player I've seen who can it throw it down two-handed and without a running start and that alone could make her the women's game next big thing.

Just in time for the NBA lockout to make the women's game the only one in town! Huzzah!

No Show at McDonald's Likely for Griner [Texas Prep Insider]

N.C. State's men's basketball team played North Carolina on Saturday and the university used the opportunity as one of several chances to honor longtime women's coach Kay Yow, who died of breast cancer a week earlier. Some State students had already painted a mural of Coach Yow in the school's Free Expression Tunnel (your school probably had a giant rock for a similar purpose), but the tunnel is often the target of rival school looking to stick it to Wolfpack fans. Well, some HI-larious jokesters were not about to let such a golden opportunity pass by, so they painted a blue mustache (Carolina Blue, I assume) and the phrase "cancer rules" over the painting of Yow. Unbelievable.

Students quickly repaired the damage by repainting the mural, but I'm sure they had a good chuckle about it first. I mean, you have to admit that there is no subject more ripe for comedic gold than a woman dying of breast cancer after struggling with the disease for over two decades. (Except maybe plane crashes.) And since N.C. State is also the school of Jim Valvano it's like they really "get" it, you know? Just a classic zinger!

And by "zinger," of course, I mean "dick move."

Yow mural defaced at N.C. State [WNCT]
Coach Yow mural defaced at NC State [WWAY]
Coach Yow mural defaced [News Observer]

Coach Rompola is dodging direct questions about the allegations but issued this statement:

"It is regrettable that the plaintiffs in this lawsuit are attempting to try their case in the public arena through the media. I will not respond to their unfounded allegations and look forward to presenting the facts through the proper venue in court."

I'd say that's a yes. Colli says that plenty of the Lady Mustangs were saddling up to each other (coaches, too!) , but she feels that Rompola's "disapproval" of lady love in her program made it an uncomfortable situation for her. Right now, the school is waiting for its day in court and it says it has plenty of material to defend against Colli's ridiculous claims. Colli's basketball career is over thanks to SMU and now she's just going to focus on her other career — modeling.

Ex-Player alleges SMU challenged her sex life [Dallas Morning News]

It's pretty amazing, really, that Pat Summitt keeps winning national championships with Tennessee; this is now her eighth, and her second in a row.

We like how Rocky Top Talk characterizes a cute picture of a little boy.

Pat Summitt says that even though this kid is cute as a button, she would rip his freakin' head off if he ever challenged her to a game.

She's like Dean Smith and Coach K rolled into one, John Wooden if John Wooden had to deal with Bruce Pearl hanging around all the time. Pretty impossible not to salute.

Lady Vols Take Their Eighth NCAA Championship [Rocky Top Talk]

You may not care about women's basketball, but don't say that around Michigan coach Kevin Borseth. He's, um, into the game. And as you may have picked up from this clip, he thinks that offensive rebounding is rather important. Not sure if he's ranting at his players or at the officiating here, but either way, it's fun.

The only thing better would be if he got down on all fours and lobbed a pretend hand grenade. "Maybe we should recruit football players and put them around the basket!" Ha. He's forty! He's a man!

Kevin Borseth Post-Game Interview [Big Ten Network]

And no one dared give us the women's coaches' teleconference number; that might have been a disaster. It certainly was in the SEC this week.

The LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER gets a busy signal, as a teleconference with SEC women's basketball coaches was interrupted by prank calls.

The H-L reports, "The questions were graphic in nature, and included inquiries about coaches having sexual relations with players and players' performances based on their menstrual cycles." Unfortunately, the media meeting was adjourned before Pat Summitt got her chance to speak.

We're still not certain this was actually a prank and wasn't, say, Mike Tirico.

(Sorry, Mike! We know, you're better now!)

Women's Coaches' Teleconference Gets Dirty [Sports By Brooks]

At the end of the double overtime game, they had only two players on the court.

The Wildcats suited up just six players, watched their 16-point second-half lead disappear and had four players foul out before losing 94-88 to Oregon State at Gill Coliseum.

This is the best part: They had a 16-point lead! They played with only four players in the first overtime and actually built a six-point lead until Oregon State tied it up. Then two more players fouled out in the second overtime. And Oregon State still only won by six. If anyone has any video of the five Oregon State players taking on the two Arizona players, we would absolutely love to see it.

Wildcats End Game With Two On Court [Arizona Daily Star]

Apparently, the Purdue women's basketball team was having tutors write their papers for them — they ended up going on probation for it — and they weren't particularly clandestine. Witness these email exchanges:

10/26/05, 4:45 PM Merriweather to George: Here are some thoughts that should help. Make sure you read it and add your own info from class notes or any textbooks you use. All of my info is from the internet and what I remember...

10/26/05, 10:16 PM Merriweather to George: Throw away the other one. This one is better and more organized....

11/29/05, 2:43 AM Merriweather to George: Hey, you still have to do the title page and the reference page. I have attached everything you need to do those (two) things. Make sure you reread the paper and make it sound like you.

"Make it sound like you." By that, they meant, "Make it sound like Marques Slocum."

Purdue Assistant Writes Paper For Player, Shows Just How To Land Your School On Probation [Lion In Oil]

And players will go to rather desperate measures to make sure they hang onto their scholarships. Witness Syracuse women's basketball starting forward Fantasia Goodwin, who hid her pregnancy the entire second half of last year. She finally gave birth last week.

Goodwin said no one on the team or the coaching or training staff knew about her pregnancy. She said head coach Quentin Hillsman was the first person she told, on Feb. 25, the night before the final game of the season at Cincinnati. She said Hillsman immediately told her to go see the team doctor and not play.

"Everyone found out the same time," Goodwin said. "I was playing pregnant, yes, and no one knew about it. And when they found out, that's why I didn't play (the last game)."

If a school doesn't have a policy about pregnant athletes — Syracuse doesn't — they could, conceivably, have their scholarship pulled, which is why Goodwin didn't tell anyone. Goodwin just mysteriously missed the final game — which was only two months ago — and suddenly, we have a greater understanding of J.D. Drew and Mark Prior.

Is That A Basketball Under Your Jersey Or Are You Just Glad To See Me? [The Feed]

The shocking resignation of LSU women's basketball coach Pokey Chatman was linked Thursday to inappropriate conduct with players, according to university sources familiar with the matter. Chatman announced she would step aside immediately.

The folks at Women's Hoops Blog are all over this story, though you get the feeling they'd rather not. There are tons of rumors out there about which player(s) Pokey — Pokey! — might have been involved with, including a current WNBA player, but we doubt those names will ever officially come out. We will enjoy watching them try to talk around this during LSU NCAA tourney telecasts though; Musburger's not covering these games, is he? Because that would make us all rather uncomfortable.

Chatman To Leave LSU Immediately [Times-Picayune]
Women's Hoops Blog