Cable network truTV, which annually televises the NCAA Tournament’s First Four games, will again air these contests for a second straight year.

“Not only will the basketball be terrific, but the mission of the tournament — to increase cancer awareness and support to defeat the disease — is even more important,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The opportunity to play in high level games at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, one of the best facilities in all of sports, is an added bonus for us.”

The tournament will be a showcase event for a number of 2014’s top college basketball prospects. Duke will have three of the top nine prospects in Rivals.com’s rankings in Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow participating, while UNLV will welcome three of the top 32 in Rashad Vaughn, Dwayne Morgan and Goodluck Okonoboh. Stanford has one player ranked inside the top 50 in forward Reid Travis.

"We are honored to play in this prestigious event and to be included with such a strong field,” Rebels coach Dave Rice said. “We haven't played in New York in many years and are excited for the opportunity to play on a national stage."


TWO DIFFERENT TAKES


Louisville coach Rick Pitino and Tom Lyles, the father of Class of 2014 Kentucky recruit Trey Lyles, can't seem to remember the same conversation the same way.

During an appearance Tuesday on the Dan Patrick Show, Pitino was asked if he had ever been told by a recruit that he was going to be a one-and-done player, and Pitino replied: "A young man Trey Lyles, who came down to Kentucky and us, said to me he wanted to stay in college one year and how did I feel about that. I said, 'Well, you shouldn't make that decision. I certainly couldn't make that decision. You should let the pros make that decision.' I said, 'Going into it you don't want to get disappointed and certainly have a great freshman year and let the pros tell you if you're ready.' "

However, Pitino’s side of the story doesn’t mesh with what the Lyles camp is saying.

"What was said at the time was, 'If it's the right time for him to go and if he's mentally prepared as well as ready talent-wise, it's something that would be looked at and talked about as a family,' " Trey’s father Tom Lyles told The Indianapolis Star. "Trey isn't going to college thinking he's a one-and-done player. It's accurate to say the NBA was talked about, but it's not accurate to say Trey told him he's going to be one-and-done."

Tom Lyles also said he was in a position to know what was said between Pitino and his son, given he was there for every meeting between the two.

"Actually, part the recruiting pitch from (Cardinals assistant Kevin) Keatts was that Trey could be Pitino's first one-and-done player," Tom Lyles told The Indianapolis Star. "The big sell was that he could break that stigma that Pitino doesn't get one-and-done players. So I'm surprised that was put out there the way it was. But it's more important to us that Trey is mentally and physically ready for the NBA if that happens, than being 'one-and-done.' And I'm not saying anything that Trey wouldn't echo me on."

And thus concludes the latest piece of friction between Louisville and Kentucky. You'll remember that Wildcats coach John Calipari did give Pitino and Tom Izzo the business for knocking social media just a few weeks ago.

Now that Pitino has returned fire, we'll see what Cal cooks up next.


MISSOURI VALLEY'S BEST


Wichita State was just about as dominant in the Missouri Valley's postseason awards Thursday as the unbeaten Shockers were in running roughshod through the league schedule.

Fred VanVleet beat out teammates Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker for the conference player of the year award, the first time that a school swept the top three spots. VanVleet received 22 of a possible 36 votes cast by coaches, athletic department officials and the media.

All three of them were voted first-team all-conference, while the Shockers' Tekele Cotton made the second team and was voted the league's defensive player of the year.

"We're happy for these accolades and these awards, and it's a great accomplishment," VanVleet said, "but with this week coming up, we know we have a lot of work to do, and these awards won't mean anything if we don't take care of business and finish the way we want to finish out."

The Shockers (31-0, 18-0) are the top seed and have a first-round bye in the Missouri Valley Tournament, which starts Thursday. Wichita State hasn't won the tournament since 1987.

VanVleet joins Doug McDermott of Creighton as the only sophomores to win the player of the year award, named for former Indiana State star Larry Bird. VanVleet's also the fourth player from Wichita State to win the award, joining Antoine Carr, Xavier McDaniel and Paul Miller.

VanVleet, Early and Baker were joined on the all-conference first team by Evansville's D.J. Balentine, Jake Odum of Indiana State and Seth Tuttle of Northern Iowa. There was a tie for the fifth vote-getter, which is why there were six members.


THREE DAYS OF MUSICAL GLORY


Those fortunate enough to hold tickets for next month’s Final Four in Arlington, Texas could also take in a weekend of free music in Dallas headlined by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

The three-day music festival at Reunion Park in Dallas, the site where Reunion Arena once stood, will begin Friday, April 4 with Jason Aldean and continue Saturday with country music star Tim McGraw and The Killers before fun. opens for Springsteen on Sunday. Tickets are allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis, which should make for huge crowds hoping to land them.

“As an NCAA Corporate Champion, we look to help fans connect with their passion for both sports and music,” AT&T Corporate Sponsorships director Jamie Kerr said in a statement. “Throughout Final Four weekend in North Texas, fans can enjoy unique and interactive experiences courtesy of AT&T at both the March Madness Music Festival and Bracket Town.”

The above musicians will not be the only ones playing that weekend. More performers will be added to the card.


HEART CONDITION ENDS CAREER


Purdue redshirt freshman Jay Simpson's college basketball career is over due to a heart condition, the team announced on Tuesday.

Simpson was recently diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyotrophy, a condition in which structural abnormalities in a person's heart prevent it from working properly.

If undetected, the condition can cause sudden cardiac arrest and even death in otherwise healthy people.

"Its discovery precludes the participation in competitive sports," Purdue team doctor Greg Rowdon said in a press release.

While the Champaign, Ill., resident can no longer participate in basketball activities, he will remain on scholarship with the Boilermakers.

"Obviously, this is very tough and upsetting news to take. You never want to see a young athlete's career end in a fashion like this," head coach Matt Painter said.

"Jay had a very bright future in our program and we are disappointed that he will not be able to continue his basketball career. We are very fortunate that our doctors were able to detect this condition early, which will enable Jay to live a long and healthy life."

Simpson played in 26 games this year, earning seven starts. The 6-10 forward averaged 4.3 points per game and 3.6 rebounds.

Contributors: Roger Kuznia, Kami Mattioli, The Associated Press