Rush The Court

The NCAA Tournament is here and there’s more news, commentary and analysis than any of us can possibly keep up with. To make things a little easier, we’ll bring you a list of daily links gathered about teams in each of the four regions all the way through the Final Four.

• Two days after helping Louisville reach the Sweet Sixteen, Cardinals assistant Kareem Richardson was introduced Monday as the new head coach at UMKC. Richardson will finish out the season with Louisville before making the permanent move.
• Louisville has been playing the best basketball of its season for over the last month and when everything is clicking for the Cardinals like it has been, they look scary good.
• Oregon senior E.J. Singler is getting a wonderful sendoff after his four years of service to the Ducks’ program.
• Oregon coach Dana Altman is excited that he gets to coach in the Sweet Sixteen, but he is even more excited for his players, saying, “It’s great for me. I’m excited but, man, it’s just great to get to see those guys in the locker room all fired up. And for our fans that have waited for this. And for our state, it’s good.”
• Michigan State point guard Keith Appling is banged up with shoulder and knee problems, but that is definitely not going to stop him from playing against Duke on Friday.
• After competing against each other for star recruit – and Duke commitment – Jabari Parker, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says the Spartans and Blue Devils have a respect for each other in recruiting.
• Duke had to rely on role players such as freshmen Amile Jefferson and Rasheed Sulaimon to help it get by Creighton on Sunday. This “next man in” mantra could prove to be beneficial for the Blue Devils as it continues its run in the Tournament.
• In a year where #9, #12, #13, and #15 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo were able to direct their programs back to the round that has been quite familiar to their programs.

West Region

• Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall summed up his team correctly when he stated, “Nobody in our program comes from basketball loyalty. We’re all blue-collar. We’re hard-hat and steel-toed workers. I’m just along for the ride.”
• Despite Wichita State‘s recent success, it has not played intrastate opponent Kansas since 1993 or Kansas State since 2003. Neither school has any designs of adding the Shockers to its non-conference schedule in the future either.
• Illinois native John Giannini is being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Northwestern opening, but right now Giannini is just enjoying the moment as his La Salle squad will play in the school’s first Sweet Sixteen since 1955.
• La Salle guard Ramon Galloway has had to overcome a lot of obstacles in life on his way to stardom with the Explorers, but Galloway believes, “Challenges are there to be overcome. That’s what makes you better, stronger.”
• Arizona forward Solomon Hill expressed Monday that the Wildcats are not satisfied with just a Sweet Sixteen appearance and that they still have work to do.
• Arizona coach Sean Miller was very complimentary of Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft by saying Monday, “If he’s not one of your favorite players, then you don’t like college basketball.”
• For Ohio State, usually forward Deshaun Thomas leads the offense and point guard Aaron Craft leads the defense, but late in its win over Iowa State on Sunday, the two momentarily switched roles.
• Arizona coach Sean Miller was on Ohio State coach Thad Matta‘s staff when Matta was the coach at Xavier. The two will face off as head coaches for the first time Thursday night when the Wildcats and Buckeyes meet in the Sweet Sixteen in Los Angeles.

South Region

• When Kansas plays Michigan on Friday, it will definitely be a match-up of contrasting styles. Kansas starts four seniors, while Michigan starts three freshmen. The Jayhawks focus on defense, while the Wolverines’ strong point is on the offensive end of the court.
• Kansas center Jeff Withey was nothing more than an afterthought two seasons ago, but he has since emerged as one of the best in a long run of great Jayhawk big men.
• Former Michigan starting forward Jordan Morgan has only played one total minute in the NCAA Tournament after struggling mightily towards the end of the regular season and in the conference tournament. Wolverines coach John Beilein is doing all he can to keep the benched forward’s spirits up.
• Michigan freshman big man Mitch McGary believes Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley really needs to rethink his criticism of the Big Ten.
• Florida guard Mike Rosario had a huge game in the Gators’ Round of 32 win over Minnesota on Sunday. The Gators are going to need Rosario to turn in similar performances if they want to advance to the Final Four.
• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun believes Florida should be wary of upstart Florida Gulf Coast as it prepares for Friday’s Sweet Sixteen game with the Eagles.
• Here’s a deeper look at the eclectic résumé of Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield.
• With Florida Gulf Coast‘s unexpected and amazing run to the Sweet Sixteen, the school is looking to fundraise in order to increase coach Andy Enfield‘s contract. Enfield is going to be a hot name in the coaching search market this offseason, so the school is going to need to do all it can to keep its coach around.

East Region

• Indiana has relied on freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell all season to run its offense and the move is paying off in the NCAA Tournament as Ferrell is running the Hoosiers’ offense without a hitch.
• Indiana guard Jordan Hulls suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday’s victory over Temple. While he was able to return, the injury was still seen as a concern. Hoosier fans should breathe easy though because Hulls acknowledged after the game that he was “fine.”
• Syracuse has mostly played well in its NCAA Tournament wins over Montana and Cal, but the Orange are going to have their hands full when they take on Indiana on Thursday.
• Scary story right here — the Boston area home of Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams was destroyed by a fire late Saturday night.
• Miami point guard Shane Larkin is a dynamic playmaker, so Marquette is going to need a great defensive effort to contain the star sophomore when the two teams meet Thursday.
• Marquette has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen without a star player, which goes to show the team’s chemistry and cohesiveness is one of the main reasons for the team’s success.
• Miami coach Jim Larranaga‘s “Muhammad Ali” locker room dance after Sunday’s win over Illinois has become a viral hit around the country.
• Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and James Jones will be playing close attention to Thursday’s match-up between Marquette and Miami. Marquette is Wade’s alma mater, while Miami is Jones’.