Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods both greeted Sunday with unbridled optimism. But the day would end happily only for Mickelson.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
Getty ImagesWhen they toss the ball up to start Saturday’s semifinals, what kind of pro Hansbrough is going to be will be irrelevant. Even the people who keep reminding us of his shortcomings aren’t going to be thinking of where he’ll go in the draft and whether he’ll find a home for himself in the NBA. All that’s going to matter is what he does to — or for — your brackets.
If he rises to new heights in the Final Four and walks out with the trophy, there won’t be any more arguments against his greatness as a college basketball player. His place in the game’s pantheon will be secure.
There have been plenty of great college players who didn’t become great pros. They always end up being called disappointments, but that’s people on the outside talking. You can bet their coaches and the fans of their schools don’t share that opinion.
Christian Laettner remains one of the greatest college players ever, one who belongs up there with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton and David Robinson. That legacy isn’t diminished by the fact he wasn’t a great pro. Danny Ferry is another like him. So are Ralph Sampson and Pistol Pete Maravich.
And so what? These guys could play college ball like few others. If they weren’t Hall of Fame pros who took NBA teams to multiple titles like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, so what? The college game and the pro games are as different as college football and the NFL variety. Success in one doesn’t guarantee success at the next level up.
So lay off Hansbrough and give him the credit he’s due. And you might want to also thank him for not having the size and athleticism that would have made him a lottery pick coming out of high school. Because of the questions about his pro future, he’s stayed in college, just like the great players did in the good old days. He’s given UNC and college hoops three years of thrills, and there’s almost certainly a fourth to follow.
What’s bad about that?
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points and Evan Smotrycz added 13, helping No. 22 Michigan remain unbeaten at home with a 70-61 win over Illinois on Sunday.
 | Slideshow |
 | College hoops power rankings A look at the top teams in college basketball based on performance and potential. NBCSports.com |
Latest from Beyond the Arc |
Would Rick Pitino’s white suit work its magic vs. Syracuse?2 hr 55 min ago Here’s a shot you just can’t defend6 hr 1 min ago Five up, five down from college hoops’ huge day22 hr 32 min ago Michigan State sure shook up Big Ten by beating Buckeyes23 hr 17 min ago |
 | College basketball videos |
 Getty Images Highlights: No. 14 UNLV 65, No. 13 SDSU 63 Mike Moser scored 19 points, and UNLV forced three turnovers in the final 42 seconds to win. |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
 | Special feature |
 | NBCSports.com |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.