LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville center Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning for his junior season.

Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said Samuels and his family approached Pitino about [...]]]> Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—Louisville center Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning for his junior season.

Samardo Samuels has declared for the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent.

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said Samuels and his family approached Pitino about testing the NBA draft and that he supports Samuels “100 percent.”

The 6-foot-9, 265-pound sophomore has until May 8 to withdraw from draft consideration. He averaged 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds last season for the Cardinals.

Pitino said he will orchestrate Samuels’ meetings with NBA teams.

Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The woman accused of attempting to extort money from University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino is asking a judge to move her trial out of Louisville.

Federal court records show the attorney for Karen Cunigan Sypher filed a motion in U.S. District Court on [...]]]> Associated Press

Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The woman accused of attempting to extort money from University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino is asking a judge to move her trial out of Louisville.

Federal court records show the attorney for Karen Cunigan Sypher filed a motion in U.S. District Court on Friday that asks that the June trial be moved to Bowling Green or Owensboro. She argues extensive media coverage would make it difficult to find impartial jurors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kuhn told The Courier-Journal on Saturday that the government will oppose the move, but said he will explain why in a filed response with the court next week.

Sypher has pleaded not guilty to trying to extort money from Pitino, retaliating against a witness and lying to the FBI.

Martin hasn't played since March 3. He was averaging nearly a double double (11.8 points, 9.6 rebounds) when persistent soreness and swelling in the knee forced him to the sideline.

DENVER — Former Cincinnati Bearcat, Kenyon Martin, the Denver Nuggets‘ top defensive player and a force on the boards, hopes to return as [...]]]> Associated Pres

Martin hasn't played since March 3. He was averaging nearly a double double (11.8 points, 9.6 rebounds) when persistent soreness and swelling in the knee forced him to the sideline.

DENVER — Former Cincinnati Bearcat, Kenyon Martin, the Denver Nuggets‘ top defensive player and a force on the boards, hopes to return as soon as Saturday from the left knee injury that has sidelined him for the last five weeks.

Speaking before Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Martin said he feels good to go and that he would like to play in at least one of the Nuggets’ last three regular season games before the playoffs. The Nuggets next play the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday followed.

“I just don’t want to go out there rusty, right into a game situation,” Martin said. “The last three games are a possibility. It will depend on how I feel. If I’m in any pain or what not, then no. But as of right now, I don’t have any pain. But I’ve got to do one of these last three if I’m going to play [before the playoffs].”

Martin hasn’t played since March 3. He was averaging nearly a double double (11.8 points, 9.6 rebounds) when persistent soreness and swelling in the knee forced him to the sideline. He underwent platelet rich plasma therapy March 8 and returned to the court for the first time since then on Wednesday in a 1-on-1 basektball session in Oklahoma City against assistant coach Jamahl Mosley prior to the team’s game against the Thunder.

“I went pretty hard and I felt good,” Martin said.

He followed that with a workout Thursday at the team’s practice facility that included a round of shooting.

“I’ve definitely made a lot of progress, a lot of progress,” he said. “I’m shooting the ball well upstairs but I want to play one of these last few games.”

The 6-foot-5 guard from New York City led Big East freshmen in scoring with 12.3 points per game, and was among the top five freshmen in rebounds, steals and assists.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson plans to enter the NBA draft.

The school said Wednesday that the Big East rookie of the [...]]]> Associated Press

The 6-foot-5 guard from New York City led Big East freshmen in scoring with 12.3 points per game, and was among the top five freshmen in rebounds, steals and assists.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson plans to enter the NBA draft.

The school said Wednesday that the Big East rookie of the year said he will hire an agent, which means he can not withdraw from the draft. It is scheduled for June 24.

The 6-foot-5 guard from New York City led Big East freshmen in scoring with 12.3 points per game, and was among the top five freshmen in rebounds, steals and assists.

He was chosen Big East rookie of the week four times, including the last two weeks of the regular season, after averaging 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds over the final four games.

Stephenson was chosen as the Bearcats’ defensive player of the year during the team’s awards banquet Tuesday night.

Dave Wannstedt's new deal keeps him at Pitt through 2014. And unless something really strange happens or Wannstedt decides to retire early, that's exactly where he'll be in 2015.

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt signed a two-year contract extension Tuesday that runs through the 2014 season, a deal designed to reassure [...]]]> Associated Press

Dave Wannstedt's new deal keeps him at Pitt through 2014. And unless something really strange happens or Wannstedt decides to retire early, that's exactly where he'll be in 2015.

PITTSBURGH — Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt signed a two-year contract extension Tuesday that runs through the 2014 season, a deal designed to reassure recruits that the Panthers are running one of the nation’s most stable programs.

The extension was the second signed by the former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins coach since he was hired in December 2004. Pitt has a 19-7 record in the two seasons since Wannstedt signed his initial extension.

“We have always believed that when you have the right person, you should give them the time and support to accomplish all the goals they have for our program,” athletic director Steve Pederson said.

The 57-year-old Wannstedt is promising that Pitt will be his last job, and he sought extra years on his contract so he could assure potential recruits he would be on the job throughout their college careers.

“It’s important when those young men and the mothers are sitting there, they want to make sure that their sons are going into a stable situation,” Wannstedt said. “They know that I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. I’ve said that from Day 1, and I haven’t wavered from that.”

Wannstedt had a 16-19 record in his first three seasons, receiving his first extension hours before Pitt upset then-No. 2 West Virginia 13-9 to end the 2007 season—a victory that made a significant impact on the Panthers’ recruiting.

The Panthers went on to go 9-4 in 2008 and 10-3 last season, when they lost to Cincinnati 45-44 to end the regular season. That last-minute defeat cost them a Big East title and an appearance in a BCS bowl game, but they rebounded to beat North Carolina 19-17 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The 10-win season was the school’s first since 1981.

“We have a lot of unfinished business,” Wannstedt said. “Our staff and our players, we understand that. … I thought we were very capable of winning a championship last year. From that standpoint, we didn’t, but we were in the game to win one. Now, we have to win one.”

With second team All-American running back Dion Lewis returning for his sophomore season, the Panthers are expected to be the Big East favorite in 2010. That doesn’t bother Wannstedt.

“We can’t just continue to knock on that door,” he said. “we’ve got to win a championship.”

Pederson wouldn’t say if Wannstedt got a pay raise.

“We never talk about the pay of our coaches, but we’ve always tried to compensate our coaches fairly and make sure their (salaries) are competitive,” he said.

Dayton guard Marcus Johnson (32) gets a rebound against Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates, right, in the second half during a second-round NIT college basketball game Monday, March 22, 2010, in Cincinnati. Dayton won 81-66.

CINCINNATI — Rob Lowery led an early 3-point barrage that built a 17-point lead, and Dayton held [...]]]> Associated Press

Dayton guard Marcus Johnson (32) gets a rebound against Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates, right, in the second half during a second-round NIT college basketball game Monday, March 22, 2010, in Cincinnati. Dayton won 81-66.

CINCINNATI — Rob Lowery led an early 3-point barrage that built a 17-point lead, and Dayton held on for a rough-and-tumble 81-66 victory over Cincinnati in the second round of the NIT on Monday night.

The Flyers (22-12) made eight of their first 12 shots from behind the arc to get the big lead, and survived a second-half Cincinnati comeback before pulling away to their most lopsided win over the Bearcats in 25 years.

It was only their third win over Cincinnati in their last 17 games in the southwest Ohio rivalry.

“I had fun out there,” said Chris Wright, who scored 11 points. “When you’re playing against guys you know, you know they’re going to play a lot harder. It’s for bragging rights. It felt like high school all over again.”

Dayton will play at Illinois in the quarterfinals Wednesday, extending a season that held a lot of disappointment. The Flyers were picked to win the Atlantic 10, but blew a lot of leads and suffered a lot of close losses, finishing seventh.

“They’ve been knocked down so many times and they keep getting back up,” coach Brian Gregory said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of these guys. We told them this would be a test of character and pride and how much the program meant to them. They’ve answered that and today they might have put an exclamation on it.”

Cincinnati (19-16) was prone to long shooting slumps all season, and managed only two field goals during a 10-minute span in the second half. After cutting the 17-point deficit to 44-43, the Bearcats could never make that final push.

“Same story again,” coach Mick Cronin said. “Once we got close, we couldn’t make a shot. We kept missing open shot after open shot.”

The Bearcats set the NCAA tournament as their goal — a place they haven’t been since 2005 — but faded down the stretch and finished 11th in the Big East.

Dayton brought its pep band, cheerleaders and a lot of fans, turning it into a high-energy game in front of 6,479 fans. The Flyers got the best of it early, pulling ahead 34-17 by hitting open 3s. Senior guard Deonta Vaughn scored Cincinnati’s last 11 points in the half, cutting it to 41-36.

Vaughn finished with a season-high 28 points and passed Danny Fortson for third on the school’s career scoring list. He got a standing ovation when he left the floor in the final minute.

“My four years have been great,” said Vaughn, who finished with 1,885 points. “I learned a lot about basketball. I matured a lot since I came here and did a lot of great things to try to help this program get back to where it needs to be.”

The Bearcats were caught flat-footed at the start, outplayed by a Dayton team that had a lot more enthusiasm.

“We definitely underestimated them,” said freshman Lance Stephenson, who said he would return for another season. “We knew they played hard, but we didn’t know they played with that much intensity.”

9:00 PM ET, March 22, 2010 Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, OH

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats (19-15, 7-11 BIG EAST), the No. 2-seed in the “Illinois” bracket of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), face No. 2-seed Dayton (21-12, 8-8 A-10) in the second round at home in Fifth Third Arena [...]]]> Staff and Wire Reports

9:00 PM ET, March 22, 2010 Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, OH

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats (19-15, 7-11 BIG EAST), the No. 2-seed in the “Illinois” bracket of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), face No. 2-seed Dayton (21-12, 8-8 A-10) in the second round at home in Fifth Third Arena on Monday, March 22 at 9 p.m. after knocking off  Weber State, 76-62 on Wednesday in the first round. The Flyers advanced to play UC after beating Illinois State, 63-42.

After a four-year hiatus, the University of Cincinnati will meet Dayton for the 90th time — UC’s second-oldest and third longest rivalry in program history. The Bearcats own a 59-30 advantage in the series and have won 14 of the last 16 meetings dating back to the 1989-90 season — UC’s first in Fifth Third Arena. Cincinnati won the last outing on Dec. 22, 2005, 81-63, in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic behind a combined 40 points by Devan Downey (21 pts.) and James White (19 pts.)

The Flyers enter the contest 21-12 overall and are coming off a 63-42 First Round NIT victory over Illinois State. Dayton ranks in the Top 25 in the nation and first in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding margin (plus-6.1) and ranked in the Top 35 in the NCAA in scoring defense (61.7 points per game). In fact, the Flyers have held 25 of their 32 opponents below their scoring average. In A-10 and NIT postseason play, Marcus Johnson has led UD averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting .500 (15-of-30) from the field.

Earning the No. 2 seed in the region, Cincinnati has been on a roll of late, winning three of its last four games. The Bearcats are19-15 overall and 11-4 at Fifth Third Arena this season. UC is led by the trio of 2010 BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Year Lance Stephenson (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), senior guard Deonta Vaughn (11.2 ppg, 3.5 apg), and sophomore forward Yancy Gates (10.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg). The Bearcats are 8-9 all-time in NIT play, including a mark of 6-2 at home.

Jerry Smith #34 of the Louisville Cardinals reaches around to foul Jerome Randle #3 of the California Golden Bears during the first round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena on March 19, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jerome Randle and Theo Robertson scored 21 points [...]]]> Associated Press

Jerry Smith #34 of the Louisville Cardinals reaches around to foul Jerome Randle #3 of the California Golden Bears during the first round of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena on March 19, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jerome Randle and Theo Robertson scored 21 points apiece and eighth-seeded California squandered most of a seemingly comfortable lead before pulling away to 77-62 victory over ninth-seeded Louisville on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

California’s distractions seem about as distant now as the Pacific Ocean.

That disappointing loss in the Pac-10 tournament? Getting sent across the country to open the NCAA tournament? The suspension of a starter?

The Golden Bears overcame them all – and showed even more resiliency in the first round against Louisville.

Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson – Cal’s senior stars – stole the show, carrying the eighth-seeded Bears to a 77-62 victory over the No. 9 seed Friday night and advancing to the second round for the first time since 2003.

Randle and Robertson scored 21 points apiece, Christopher added 17 and the Bears (24-10) responded to everything the Cardinals (20-13) could muster in the South Regional game at Veterans Memorial Arena.

Their reward? No. 1 seed Duke on Sunday.

The Bears don’t want to think about that one just yet. They’d rather savor this victory. There was plenty to enjoy, too.

They jumped out to an 18-point lead, watched Louisville whittle it down to six, then pulled back out front by 14. They watched that lead get cut to 62-58 with 6:55 remaining, then stepped on the gas for good. Cal finished the game on a 15-4 run.

Rakeem Buckles led Louisville with 20 points. Samardo Samuels added 16.

But the inconsistent Cardinals had no answers early and even less late. Coach Rick Pitino tried to foul Max Zhang in the final minutes, attempting to send the 50-percent free throw shooter to the line, but officials called Kyle Kuric for an intentional foul that got the coach’s blood boiling and led to a technical.

Randle and Zhang made their free throws, ending any thoughts of a late comeback.

Cal shot 51 percent from the field, even better from 3-point range (53.3 percent) and made 17 of 22 free throws. But the real damage came in the opening minutes.

The game was delayed 19 minutes because of a malfunctioning shot clock, but once it started, the Cardinals looked like the ones who needed repairs. They missed 11 of their first 13 shots and had no answer for the hot-shooting Bears.

Cal connected on seven of its first 10 shots, including four of six from 3-point range, and opened an 18-point lead with a little more than 6 minutes gone in the game.

Christopher, taking advantage of so much attention on Randle, hit three from behind the arc. Jamal Boykin dropped a couple of jumpers, Robertson chipped in five points and, all of a sudden, no one was questioning whether Cal would miss suspended forward Omondi Amoke.

Amoke was “temporarily suspended” for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Coach Mike Montgomery went with a three-guard lineup, starting Jorge Gutierrez. The move paid off, as Gutierrez hit a couple shots and dished out four assists in the first half.

Louisville, meanwhile, couldn’t seem to do anything right.

The Cardinals had three turnovers in their first eight possessions, got called for an intentional foul and even had a band member yelling, “Don’t be afraid to score.”

Pitino even seemed to get into a heated confrontation with an assistant coach during one timeout. Pitino was equally short-tempered with his players.

But they responded. After trailing 22-4, the Cards started getting to loose balls, creating turnovers, grabbing offensive rebounds and hitting 3s.

They really got things turned around with a 12-0 run that made it 30-24 with 6:48 remaining in the half. Edgar Sosa hit a jumper in the lane, Buckles got a steal and a layup, Samuels got an easy one in the paint and then Jared Swopshire and Buckles hit 3-pointers.

But Cal cranked it back up. Randle made two free throws, Christopher hit a 12-footer and then Randle drained a long-range 3 at the buzzer. He missed his first two shots from behind the arc, but this one swished the net and had Louisville’s players shaking their heads as they headed to the locker room.

They never really recovered.

9:45 PM ET, March 19, 2010 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—California and Louisville are shuffling their starting lineups for their first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament.

The Golden Bears had to. The Cardinals wanted to.

Cal coach Mike Montgomery suspended starting forward Omondi Amoke indefinitely for an unspecified [...]]]> Associated Press

9:45 PM ET, March 19, 2010 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—California and Louisville are shuffling their starting lineups for their first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament.

The Golden Bears had to. The Cardinals wanted to.

Cal coach Mike Montgomery suspended starting forward Omondi Amoke indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules. Louisville coach Rick Pitino benched forward Terrence Jennings in favor of Jared Swopshire, hoping a smaller frontcourt combination will clear out the lane for leading scorer Samardo Samuels.

Both moves could be key when the eighth-seeded Bears (23-10) and ninth-seeded Cardinals (20-12) meet in the South Region on Friday at Jacksonville Veterans Arena.

“Well, just like life, things are going to be thrown at you, and the way you handle it, I think, defines you,” Cal guard Patrick Christopher said. “We can’t really worry about things that we can’t control. This is a situation that we can’t control. We have to move forward with it, work with the guys and work with our chemistry that we have. I think we’ll be fine.”

Montgomery said Amoke is “temporarily suspended” and didn’t make the cross country trip with his teammates. “That’s what it is. The kid made a mistake and we felt like we had to take action, and we did, and pretty much the end of the story.”

Cal declined to divulge what prompted Amoke’s suspension and played down his absence—little surprise since he averaged 4.8 points and 4.6 rebounds, and had more fouls (72) than baskets (58) this season.

Still, the loss leaves the Bears with less muscle and a new rotation against Louisville. That could mean a big game for Samuels, one of the Big East’s best big men. The 6-foot-9 Jamaican leads the team with 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, and had five double-doubles.

“We really need to pound it into Samardo and let him get going early for us,” said guard Jerry Smith, who will return to the starting lineup after missing the Big East tournament with a thumb injury. “That’s going to be the main factor.”

The 6-10 Jennings had started 10 of the last 13 games alongside Samuels. But Pitino believes the 6-8 Swopshire, who started early in the season, will make it easier for Samuels down low.

“We’re going to try to open it up a little bit with Jared,” Pitino said.

Swopshire also could help more on the perimeter. Cal has three regulars shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range.

Although Theo Robertson (44 percent) and Jorge Gutierrez (42 percent) are more accurate, Pac-10 player of the year Jerome Randle might be the most dangerous.

Randle is averaging 18.7 points, has made 88 3-pointers and shown the kind of range that forces many opponents to pick him up near midcourt.

“If I see an opening, if I feel like that’s sagging off, I’m pretty sure I can hit from there if I’m really on top of my game,” he said. “One thing I know is they’re not going to give me a lot of open shots anyway, so I have to figure out another way to get my teammates involved or score with the basketball.”

Guard play could be huge for both teams.

The Bears start three senior guards in Christopher, Randle and Robertson. The trio helped Cal win its first Pac-10 championship in 50 years and reach the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year.

Cal lost to Maryland in the opening round last season, and those seniors don’t want to end their careers like they did last year.

“Last year, we came in not really knowing what to expect coming here to compete and play basketball,” Christopher said. “But this year, we have another year under our belt … so taking that into account I think we’re pretty well prepared for something like this.”

The Cardinals feel the same way. The backcourt duo of Smith and Edgar Sosa had led Louisville to the regional finals the last two years—and could have the talent to get even further this year.

“We’ve been to two straight Elite Eights, coming off a Big East championship the year before, so we have a lot of experience in the backcourt,” Pitino said. “This is their fourth NCAA tournament appearance, our backcourt. So I think they know what it’s all about.”

Cincinnati guard Deonta Vaughn (5) shoots against Weber State in the first half of an NIT college basketball game Wednesday, March 17, 2010, in Cincinnati. Vaughn led Cincinnati to a 76-62 win with 16 points.

CINCINNATI — Deonta Vaughn scored 16 points and became Cincinnati‘s career leader in assists and made 3-point shots [...]]]> Associated Press

Cincinnati guard Deonta Vaughn (5) shoots against Weber State in the first half of an NIT college basketball game Wednesday, March 17, 2010, in Cincinnati. Vaughn led Cincinnati to a 76-62 win with 16 points.

CINCINNATI — Deonta Vaughn scored 16 points and became Cincinnati‘s career leader in assists and made 3-point shots Wednesday night, leading the Bearcats to a 76-62 victory over Weber State.

The senior guard signed on to revive a program that fell on hard times after coach Bob Huggins was ousted. The Bearcats (19-15) hadn’t won more than 18 games in any of the last three seasons under coach Mick Cronin, who was brought in for the reconstruction.

“It’s progress,” Cronin said. “Getting in the NIT is progress. Playing in March is a habit. When you’re building a program, that’s important.”

Cincinnati, playing in the tournament for the first time since 2006, will host Dayton in the second round. A date hadn’t been set.

Vaughn has been through a lot of tough times, failing to reach the NCAA tournament in his four years. He was the team’s top player during that span, sometimes the only scoring threat in a subpar offense.

After he set the two school records in the second half, the 2,410 fans gave him a standing ovation during a timeout. At Cronin’s urging, Vaughn stood and acknowledged the crowd.

“I just wanted to sit down and get the game over and finish our first NIT game off right,” Vaughn said. “It felt good to be among one of the greatest at shooting 3s and dishing the ball out to teammates.”

Weber State (20-11) fell apart when Cincinnati went to a half-court trap midway through the first half. The Wildcats had seven turnovers during a decisive 17-0 run and finished with a season-high 23.

The run put the Bearcats up 37-19. Cincinnati had three steals and forced an errant pass, setting up four straight baskets in a 1-minute, 18-second span.

“It was tough,” said guard Damian Lillard, who had a game-high 26 points. “When we went over their press, they were right there. Sometimes they denied me the ball and forced everybody else to have to bring up the ball and make plays.”

Cincinnati hasn’t been very adept at the trap, but thought it might be useful. The Bearcats executed it as well as they have all season, surprising the Wildcats.

“Part of that was my fault,” coach Randy Rahe said. “We practiced it a little bit coming in. We haven’t seen it a lot. We talked to people in the Big East and asked about it, and people said it wasn’t a big factor [for Cincinnati]. We worked on it in practice a little, but obviously not enough.”