Sports

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel has announced he will forego his sophomore season and enter his name in this year's NBA Draft.

A release from UK Athletics says after talking it over with family, and Coach John Calipari, Noel decided to put his name in for the draft.  Noel is projected by most experts to be a top five first round pick.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Java's War edged Palace Malice by a neck Saturday to win the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and solidify his credentials for the Kentucky Derby.

ATLANTA - Rick Pitino capped the greatest week of his life with the prize he wanted most of all.

Luke Hancock produced another huge game off the bench, scoring 22 points, and Pitino became the first coach to win national titles at two schools when relentless Louisville rallied from another 12-point deficit to beat Michigan 82-76 in the NCAA championship game Monday night.

NEW YORK -- A'dia Mathies rebounded from the worst game of her career to match her career high with 34 points and lead second-seeded Kentucky to an 84-70 win over seventh-seeded Dayton on Tuesday night in the second round of the NCAA women's tournament.

The Wildcats (29-5) will face Delaware in the semifinals of the Bridgeport Regional on Saturday.

Clinging to a 46-44 advantage early in the second half, Mathies scored 10 points during a 16-3 run to take control of the game.

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota has fired Tubby Smith one day after the Golden Gophers lost to Florida in the NCAA tournament.

NEW YORK  -- After a sluggish first half, Kentucky finally shook off its rust and put away Navy.  DeNesha Stallworth scored 18 points and Jennifer O'Neill added nine of her 12 points in the second half to lead the second-seeded Wildcats to a 61-41 win over the 15th-seeded Midshipmen on Sunday in the opening round of the NCAA women's tournament.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Watching film of Louisville demolishing Colorado State is going to be scary enough for anyone who has to face the Cardinals over the next two weeks.

Hearing what coach Rick Pitino said afterward is going to be downright terrifying.

"We can play much better," Pitino said. "This is the best we have played so far at both ends of the floor. ... But we can definitely get better and improve."

It's tough to see how.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- No matter where he's coaching or who his team is facing, Rick Pitino has never liked playing the first game of the NCAA tournament as a top seed.

"Normally your guys get a little tight, say, `We're a 1 seed, uh-oh, we could lose this game,'" the Louisville coach said. "And you start playing not to lose rather than to win."

Look at fellow No. 1 Gonzaga, nearly leveled by little Southern out in the West Region. Or third-seeded New Mexico, which got schooled by Harvard.