Purdue announced Wednesday that Johnson and Moore would enter the draft, although they have until May 8 to withdraw their names from consideration. The players both said in a school statement that it was possible they could remain at Purdue.
Butler (33-4) will be a 6½-point underdog when it plays for its first national title — in its hometown no less — and its proud fans will be thrilled no matter what the final score is. Top-seeded Duke (34-5) is a three-time national champion, so accustomed to playing on the biggest stage that its last appearance nine years ago in the title game is considered a lifetime.
One big storyline of today's matchup is Butler's status as a mid-major. Neither team, however, was willing to consider this a "small school versus big school" matchup. In fact, Butler sophomore Shelvin Mack said it was a media creation.
Playing basketball in a football stadium like Lucas Oil can be challenging. Lucas Oil Stadium will provide a much deeper background than the Bulldogs see in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Shooters often rely on depth perception to line up and make shots, and a larger arena can wreak havoc on that effort.
Some Butler students were considered "priority students" and given first dibs at noon on Monday to get their Final Four basketball tickets. Several of those students, however, ruined the slight chances of the other non-priority students to get their tickets by sharing the tickets link to their friends.
Check out the capsules of the Final Four teams as they embark on Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2010 Final Four.
Some Butler students were considered "priority students" and given first dibs at noon on Monday to get their Final Four basketball tickets. Several of those students, however, ruined the slight chances of the other non-priority students to get their tickets by sharing the tickets link to their friends.
Center Jarrod Jones was named first team All-District 14 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Monday.
Mid-American Conference champions Ohio University scored the biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament's first day, knocking off No. 3 seed Georgetown University 97-83 in Providence, R.I.
A tournament run that began at Ball State will continue into the NCAA for Ohio after Saturday's 81-75 upset of Akron.
Sports Editor Teddy Cahill provides news and notes from the MAC Tournament taking place in Cleveland this weekend.
A slow start in the second half doomed Ball State as Toledo was able to jump out to an 11-point lead and led by as many as 16 points down the stretch.
Tied at 30 at halftime, the Rockets went on a 17-6 run over the first five minutes of the second half to find themselves up 47-36 practically before the fans returned to their seats from the concession stands.
Ball State has eight players on its roster from last season's MAC Tournament Champion team that defeated powerhouse University of Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Junior forward Ty'Ronda Benning led the seventh-seeded Cardinals with 16 points. Senior guard Audrey McDonald scored 13 points, while senior forward Danielle Gratton added two in their final games for Ball State.
The loss for the Cardinals wraps up a crash-and-burn end of the season. Ball State's hopes of almost assuredly taking the MAC West Division title and a first-round tournament bye vanished with three straight losses to end the regular season. That losing streak ends at four with Sunday's decision.
Today's game is set for a 2 p.m. tipoff. Though it is a MAC Tournament game, students who have stayed in Muncie for Spring Break can still get into "The Nest" free of charge by showing their student IDs.
Trampled by dismal free-throw shooting and costly turnovers, Ball State lost 67-52 to Western Michigan as the Cardinals ended their regular season with three straight losses for the second year in a row.
Ball State coach Billy Taylor didn't comment on Watson's specific actions, but said he is meeting with Watson today to further evaluate the situation.
The Cardinals (15-13, 8-7 MAC) need a win to have any realistic chance of receiving a bye through the first round of the MAC Tournament. With a win and an Eastern Michigan University loss against Central Michigan University, Ball State would claim the No. 2 seed and the bye.
