Wednesday Quickies: First Four Edition

The NCAA Tournament has begun with the First Four, with Mount St Mary’s taking down New Orleans 67-66. They will take on the Villanova Wildcats in the Round of 64. 11 seeds Kansas State and Wake Forest played last night as well, with KSU taking down Wake Forest 95-88. The Wildcats will play No. 5 Cincinnati in the Round of 64.

Today, 16 seeds North Carolina Central will take on UC Davis, and 11 seeds USC will take on Providence.

Tweet of the day

How do you even refute that? Unfortunately for Tom Crean, you can’t.

De’Aaron Fox praises his team - 247 Sports
Fox says the team has hit its incline, and they’re playing the best basketball they’ve played all year.

Why Kentucky can get through the tough South Region - SEC Country
Kentucky has a tough road ahead, but they’re the fifth overall seed for a reason. They have a good chance at surviving their bracket.

Every NKU undergrad gets a steak if NKU beats Kentucky - KSR
Jeff Ruby has promised to buy every student at NKU a steak dinner if the Norse beat the Cats in the round of 64.

For Kentucky to soar, Fox must lead the way - Herald-Leader
Malik Monk was once the bonafide superstar for this team, but De’Aaron Fox has become the heart and soul of this team, and a star on top of that. They need him at his best to win it all.

Hamidou Diallo prepares for next year - Courier-Journal
Diallo couldn’t contribute on the floor for Kentucky’s SEC Championship, but he was still apart of it, and he’s ready to make his contribution next season.

Taveion Hollingsworth named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball - BG Daily News
Hollingsworth is a three-star guard and a Western Kentucky Hilltoppers commit.

Indiana falls to Georgia Tech in NIT - ESPN
Tom Crean’s tenure at Indiana has likely come to a laughable end after they went from championship contenders to first round NIT losers.

17 questions to settle the NBA MVP race - CBS Sports
This is a historically close MVP race, coming down to Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. It’s hard to determine who the clear favorite is.

Why March Madness has global appeal - ESPN
College sports are a huge deal in the United States, a much bigger deal than they are in other countries. But the NCAA Tournament grabs the attention of sports fans around the world.

Seahawks sign Eddie Lacy - AL.com
Lacy was once a star with the Green Bay Packers, but weight issues hampered his development. Now in Seattle, Pete Carroll tends to prefer bigger running backs. Perhaps Lacy will find his perfect fit.

Patriots add Rex Burkhead - CBS Sports
The New England Patriots have added to an already crowded backfield. They have a ton of solid backs now, maybe too many.

Cardinals acquire Jarvis Jones - FOX Sports
The Arizona Cardinals have added a huge piece to their front seven, snagging linebacker Jarvis Jones in free agency.

Cleveland might make a run at Kirk Cousins - NBC Sports
Cousins may not be happy in Washington, especially with the fact that they won’t lock him down with a long-term deal.