Coach K’s final rodeo includes farewell stops in New York, Las Vegas and Columbus

By TOM SHANAHAN Duke released the non-conference portion of its schedule today that includes trips in November to New York to play Kentucky, Las Vegas to face Gonzaga and the Big Ten Challenge at Ohio State. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said upon announced this will be his final season before he retires he’s isn’t interested in a farewell tour. But he better get ready to receive some rocking chair gifts, anyway. His final rodeo is too much to…

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Climate change, thankfully, is real in college basketball’s men’s and women’s games

PHOTO: Johnny Juzang drives against Michigan State. By TOM SHANAHAN College basketball is refreshing again. The Final Four -- on both the men’s and women’s sides – has knocked us off our feet two straight nights, the women on Friday in San Antonio and the men Saturday in Indianapolis. The climate change has displaced the predictable air clouding the sport through the previous decade. Kentucky has been blown into the background, watching the NCAA tournament with a 9-16…

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College basketball’s March Madness showing us everything college football lacks

PHOTO (Loyola Chicago Athletics): Loyola Chicago's Ramblers celebrating upsetting No. 1 seed Illinois. By TOM SHANAHAN Oh, how we missed the NCAA basketball tournament. The 2021 resumption of March Madness upsets has resoundingly reminded us a year after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 tournament. The 2020 college football post-season, though, played out as if we wouldn't have missed anything. The College Football Playoff was the same old, same old. Alabama won the national title – this time…

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