Tuesday Quickies: That One Hurts Edition

March Madness has finally come to an end, with that team that crushed the hearts of Big Blue Nation taking the National Championship over the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

For Wildcat fans it’s hard to watch the Tar Heels hoist the trophy, knowing that, with the outcome of the Final Four and the National Championship, the Cats were likely just a matter of seconds from winning their ninth title. Being that close hurts, and with last night’s UNC win, Luke Maye has cemented himself in UNC history, and UK infamy.

But hats off to the North Carolina Tar Heels for their sixth national title.

Tweet of the day

Terrible officiating? Again? No way!

Your quickies

Kentucky among the likely favorites for the 2018 title - ESPN
Kentucky joins Duke and Louisville as the early favorites at 10-1 odds in Vegas.

Comparing Kentucky’s three new shooting guard targets - Cats Pause
Kentucky is going to need a lot of help replacing the departures in the backcourt once those that are headed for the draft leave. Here’s a look at who Cal is targeting to help fill the void.

Illinois Mr. Basketball could be best option for backcourt addition - Herald-Leader
Mark Smith could be Kentucky’s best option when it comes to adding depth and filling holes after the presumed departure of Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, and of course the seniors.

Boom Williams invited to Falcons’ local workout - KSR
Williams got invited to “Locals’ Day,” a workout for Atlanta metro residents who are eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft.

Kentucky baseball wants to do what Kentucky baseball has never done - SEC Country
Kentucky baseball is getting good. Like, really good. The Cats and their first-year head coach Nick Mingione have unbelievable confidence, and with good reason given how hot they’ve started this year.

Kentucky ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s way too early rankings - ESPN
Considering this was the same honor bestowed upon Duke a year ago, I wouldn’t put much stock in it (but it’s still a testament to Cal’s recruiting ability).

Biggest winners and losers of the NCAA Tournament - Bleacher Report
The SEC was a winner, and the ACC was a loser, as was the officiating.

Adrian Peterson reportedly leaves Patriots visit with no deal - ESPN
This doesn’t mean that the New England Patriots won’t sign Peterson, but they must not be on the same page right now.

All teams have access to Tony Romo - Washington Post
The Dallas Cowboys have given permission for all 31 other NFL teams to contact Romo. He’s still a member of the team, despite the fact that the Cowboys were expected to release him when free agency started.

Kevin Durant expected to return to action this weekend - Yahoo Sports
Durant is expected to rejoin the Warriors on the floor on Saturday. He’ll be a necessity for the Warriors if they want to fulfill their superteam status and win a title.

Georgetown is hiring Patrick Ewing as their head coach - Sports Illustrated
It’s an intriguing choice to say the least, but to me it seems like players would want to play for a Hall of Fame legend. It should be a good fit.

How close is baseball to returning to Montreal? - SB Nation
It’d be wrong to not include a baseball article in today’s quickies. There would be a lot of work to get done in order to make it possible for Major League Baseball to return to Montreal. But it’s not out of the question.

The internet’s most famous pregnant giraffe still won’t give birth - Daily Beast
C’mon April, just give birth already!