Kentucky’s woes thrill Louisville

Alumni and supporters of the University of Louisville woke up winners this morning, but they were smiling even before their Cardinals routed Arizona in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

If the Cardinals win three more games and win the national title, it will be an even longer offseason for Kentucky Wildcats fans.

The woes of the Wildcats -- now the state's "other" basketball team -- began when Cardinals faithful were able to laugh through most of the basketball season; their team is 31-5 and still playing, while rival Kentucky is 22-14 and done.

And without a coach.

Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie Friday after only two years.

Perhaps the only rallying point for Kentucky fans: The Wildcats beat UNLV, and Louisville didn't.

• PICKS BY PREZ -- The country can only hope President Obama's strategy for helping the country is more astute than how he filled out part of his NCAA Tournament bracket.

Obama correctly picked Louisville, North Carolina and Michigan State to win their regional semifinals Friday, but he lost a team when Oklahoma beat Syracuse.

Before the North Carolina and Michigan State victories, Obama had fallen into the bottom 40 percent of the more than 5 million entrants in ESPN.com's pool.

The president has lost one of his Final Four teams -- Memphis. He has North Carolina beating Louisville for the national championship.

• EXTREME CONSEQUENCE -- Some are dying to become famous and rich in the world of "extreme" sports.

Extreme skier and base jumper Shane McConkey died Thursday in Italy after trying a stunt in which he was to launch himself off a cliff and then detach his skis and deploy a parachute.

Witnesses said McConkey was not able to get one of his skis off, which sent him spinning out of control and prevented him from deploying the chute. McConkey died on impact.

• CAVS HIT -- A Sunday interview with LeBron James on CBS's "60 Minutes" has a memorable ending.

Steve Kroft interviews the Cleveland Cavaliers star in the Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary High School gym where James first gained national attention.

Before leaving the court, Kroft turns to James and asks, "Are you going to do anything with this (ball)?"

"Who, me?" says James, who then takes one dribble and almost effortlessly flips the ball into the basket underhanded from 60 feet.

"I'm one take, baby, that's all. I'm just one take," James says.

• CAVS MISS -- Police are investigating an altercation between Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and a former executive of his mortgage company at a suburban Detroit hotel.

Birmingham, Mich., police Chief Richard Patterson said Friday a "simple altercation" on March 21 involved Gilbert and David Hall, a one-time senior vice president at Rock Financial.

Rock Financial is part of Livonia-based Quicken Loans Inc., of which Gilbert is chair and founder.

Well, at least Gilbert's Cavs are having a good year.

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL