Brad Stevens' Butler squad defied the odds with its run to the NCAA tournament title game. But who knew Stevens could buck the odds twice?

There's no other way to describe Stevens' performance Monday for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The traditional seventh-inning stretch song has chewed up non-singing celebrities before, yet Stevens does a respectable rendition.

More impressive? Stevens also threw out the first pitch – and he's no Mark Mallory.

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Andre Dawkins did it. Daniel Hackett did it. Two more players may do so for the 2010-11 season. Yet don't expect graduating high school early, or "reclassifying" to become the norm anytime soon.

It just doesn't fit most circumstances or most players.

This great read by ESPN.com's Matt Winkeljohn details Matt Carlino and Scottie Wilbekin, two players who normally would be part of the 2011-12 freshman class, but are both trying to get to college a year early. (Carlino to UCLA, Wilbekin to Florida.) However, both have academic requirements to meet first.

Carlino's taking three accelerated-learning classes this spring and plans to enroll in summer school at UCLA. His dad, Mark, says Matt isn't playing any summer hoops, just studying so he can fulfill admissions standards. Wilbekin is doing essentially the same thing. Both are ahead of the curve in that department, which wouldn't be the case for many players.

Still, getting to school early doesn't matter if the team doesn't have a place for you.

"It got us thinking, and given the success of the young man (Dawkins) who went to Duke this past year … we investigated," Mark Carlino said. "Now is a great time for him to enter. There is a window of opportunity. The team did not have a record that they would have liked, but it's certainly a time in UCLA's program that it would be a good time to enter because of the youth of the team."

But is getting to school early a good thing? What about prom or summer days? What about your last gasp as a kid? Once a player gets to college, a lot of that ends. Many of Wilbekin's family members live in or near Gainesville, which was an important factor in his choice – and could be a huge factor in him not getting homesick.

"I would question anybody who would do this whether they've thought it through all the way through. I told them I thought it was the wrong decision, and it didn't make any difference," Carlino's high school coach, J.R. Holmes, told ESPN. "I just don't see why you want to rush growing up."

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Kansas coach Bill Self combined Tom Izzo's costume flair with Bo Ryan's dancing moves for perhaps the awesomest/silliest video I've seen since Tosh.0's last season. (Have you seen that show? It's delightfully crude, hilarious and addictive. Can't wait for season 3.)

OK, it's not quite that level. Though I am hoping Self wears this suit during at least one game next season.

More details on 'Boogie' Self can be found here. Details on buying your own leisure suits can be found here. If you can do both, even better.

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Now that JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore are officially returning to school, Purdue can exhale and finally turn its attention to next season.

Even better? The Boilermakers can celebrate as the biggest winners from the NBA draft withdraw deadline, along with BYU, Seton Hall and Florida. Mississippi State, Xavier and Louisville weren't so lucky.

So let's go through the college hoops winners and losers. I'm skipping the teams who lost sure-fire lottery picks. No sense in bemoaning players for starting their professional careers.

Laura Rauch / AP

Jimmer Fredette made BYU a big winner with his NBA draft decision.

WINNERS

Purdue
You've heard this before, but it's still true. With Moore, Johnson and a healthy Robbie Hummel, the Boilermakers will be on the shortlist of Final Four contenders next season.

BYU
Jimmer Fredette's return gives the Cougars one of the country's premier players and makes them perhaps the best team out West (though UNLV will have something to say about that).

Virginia Tech
Does Malcolm Delaney's return give the Hokies the ACC's second-best lineup next season? It's possible.

Illinois
Few thought Demetri McCamey or Mike Davis would stay in the draft (though stranger things have happened), which downplays their decisions a bit, but not much. The Illini will be part of a loaded Big Ten.

N.C. State
Tracy Smith was a surprise early entrant. His return, along with star freshman C.J. Leslie, could help turn the Wolfpack into one of next season's surprise teams.

Richmond
Having Kevin Anderson – the A-10 player of the year – back for his senior season was expected, but still worth celebrating if you're Chris Mooney.

Dayton
It didn't take Chris Wright long to withdraw his name from the draft. Flyers fans should expect a return to the NCAA tournament.

Temple
Notice a trend? The A-10's best teams got a nice boost. Lavoy Allen gives the Owls an experienced, reliable post presence.

Seton Hall
Jeremy Hazell, Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson all withdrew their names, giving new coach Kevin Willard some talent for 2010-11. An NCAA tournament berth isn't out of the question.

Oklahoma
How can the Sooners lose three guys – Willie Warren, Tommy Mason-Griffin and Tiny Gallon – and come out as winners?

Florida
Alex Tyus wasn't ready for the NBA. Gators are glad to have his size.

Morehead State
Keep your eye on Kenneth Faried. He could help the Eagles to the MissouriOhio Valley title.

LOSERS

Kentucky
John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were always going to be one-and-dones. But losing out on Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton will probably prevent John Calipari's team from returning to the Elite Eight.

Butler
Admit it: You were rooting for Gordon Hayward to stay. I was. Butler was too. Even if Hayward staying in the draft was the smart thing to do, it doesn't mean we have to like it.

Xavier
Guess Jordan Crawford wanted to be different than Anderson, Wright and Allen. The Musketeers lose an elite scorer and one of the main reasons they reached the 2010 Sweet 16.

Texas
There are mixed opinion on Avery Bradley's NBA prospects. Maybe he's Russell Westbrook, or maybe not. I know Rick Barnes would've another year to help him on his way.

New Mexico
The Lobos were one 2010's best stories, mostly because Darington Hobson, the MWC player of the year, did a little bit of everything. Now they're behind BYU, UNLV and San Diego State in the conference race.

Vanderbilt
Just when the Commodores were primed to make a run at the SEC crown, A.J. Ogilvy decides to go pro. But it probably won't be in the NBA.

Michigan
Manny Harris isn't going to be a lottery pick, but the odds of him making an NBA impact are pretty good. He'll be around when all the good teams are drafting. He would've made a bigger impact with another season under John Beilein.  

Virginia
Can't blame Sylven Landesberg (too much). I wouldn't want to play in Tony Bennett's system, either.

Ole Miss
No Terrico White, no Eniel Polynice, no shot at the NCAA tournament. Again.

Louisville
Tough break for the Cardinals. Samardo Samuels will probably a second-round pick, but reading about his family situation in Jamaica makes it hard not to sympathize.

South Florida
I wish Dominique Jones luck. I wish Stan Heath even more luck.

Cincinnati
Lance Stephenson's nickname is "Born Ready." Not for the NBA.

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Jim Calhoun's retirement party is on hold, perhaps until 2014. That's saying something for a 68-year-old coach who missed parts of the 2009-10 season due to health issues.

Connecticut signed its coach to a 5-year, $13 million contract, a deal that took almost a year to complete. What took so long? Well, it was a fairly complex deal.

His base salary begins at $325,000 and increases by $25K for each year. In addition, he'll get almost $1.7 million for speaking engagements and media-related appearances for last season. Total compensation for 2011-12 will be $2.7 million and $3 million each year after that. Also, he can retire anytime after 2011 and receive either $1 million of a five-year job with the athletic department.

But most interesting are the academic ties. Calhoun can be penalized $100,000 if the school loses a scholarship because of poor academic performance rating by his team.

"It doesn't mean any more to me now or any less to me now, it really doesn't," Calhoun said. "But it's tangible evidence that, yes, I'm really involved in this."

Perhaps the new contract does indicate Calhoun is reinvigorated and excited about upcoming seasons. As the Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs writes, the coach demonstrated passion, energy and healthy vigor during his press conference.

The lesson? Calhoun's using any negative press as fuel to prime himself for upcoming seasons.

"We're one year [removed] from being in the Final Four," Calhoun told Jacobs. "It seems to be forgotten. I remember it. Maybe I'm the only one."

"If I wasn't up to the fight 100 percent I wouldn't be here ... I'm here."

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Maybe the Justice Department reads sport blogs. Or maybe it's finally catching on to some of unfair aspects of being a student-athlete.

Either way, this story is a promising development in how the athlete-college relationship is viewed.

The DOJ's antitrust division contacted the NCAA last week regarding its scholarship policies, including why scholarships are awarded on a year-to-year basis and when they're limited to five years. The NCAA responded with this statement:  

"Student-athletes must demonstrate that they deserve the merit-based award of athletics aid in two ways - by remaining academically eligible for competition and by meeting participation expectations in the sport for which aid is granted … The NCAA has also explained that the five year rule (or 10 semesters for Division II) is linked to the fact a student-athlete has only five years or 10 semesters in Division II in which to use his or her four years of eligibility to participate in NCAA sports."

They're reasonable explanations, but it just reinforces that everything's one-sided in the student-athlete relationship to their schools. It's part of the deal – some want their education paid for, some want exposure before a career as a professional athlete while the schools usually profit off those athletes – but it's good that the DOJ is at asking those questions, because there are several wrinkles that extend beyond just scholarships.

This excellent post from Chris Littman of the Sporting Blog details a football player and basketball player who must jump through several hoops in order to continue their athletic careers.

Consider the basketball player, Justin Knox. He's graduating from Alabama in three seasons and would like to play another season as a graduate student but there are three stipulations for him to do so: He cannot transfer to another SEC school; a school on Alabama's 2010-11 schedule; another school in the University of Alabama system.

Nevermind that previous Alabama athletes have transferred to UAB and played in the past.

Keep in mind: Not all athletes are simply there to play and entertain us. Most are student-athletes who won't be playing sports for a living. But they're caught up in the athletic machine and can often be treated unfairly.

It's time to re-evaluate everything, starting with the National Letter of Intent. Maybe the DOJ and the NCAA's new president, Mark Emmert, can work on it.

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Roy Williams better hope Tyler Zeller can stay healthy and that John Henson continues to gain weight because North Carolina's front court went from overcrowded to understaffed in record time.

The Wear twins, David and Travis, announced Thursday that they'll transfer, much to Williams' consternation.

"We are extremely disappointed that David and Travis are leaving the program," Williams said in a statement. "I love both kids and they would have been very important parts of our team next season. It is a significant blow to our team as we had four post players and now we are down to two. They are quality kids and will be quality players."

UNC spent most of the 2009-10 season rotating six big men, but lose the Wears, senior Deon Thompson (to graduation) and sophomore Ed Davis (to the NBA draft). That leaves Zeller, who'll be a junior, and Henson, who'll be a sophomore.

So now what? Well, Williams has to work fast.

He could try his luck with Kadeem Jack, a 6-9 power forward who Scout.com rates as the No. 43 overall prospect in 2010. As Jim Young from ACCSports.com writes, Jack would probably be very interested in coming to Chapel Hill.

If there's a silver lining, it's that many of the ACC's best interior players won't be around next season due to eligibility or declaring for the NBA draft. Not sure that's what Williams or the Tar Heel faithful wanted to hear though…

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Talk about your lose-lose situations.

Is Jerry Joseph a 16-year-old playing high school hoops in Odessa, Texas who's an illegal alien? Or is he Guerdwich Montimere, a 22-year-old who previously starred for Ft. Lauderdale's Dillard High School and graduated in 2007?

Either way, he's in for a rough next few months.

This ESPN story contains most of the strange details, including the stance from U.S. Immigration officials and how Joseph got to Odessa by way of Fort Myers, Fla.

But the best quote – and one of the reasons for the added confusion – comes from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. An assistant coach maintains Joseph isn't Joseph at all, but Montimere.

"I'm 100 percent sure," Cedric Smith told the paper. "I would bet my paycheck."

You can't make this stuff up. Well, some people can, but not me.

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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Purdue's season will hinge on E'Twaun Moore's NBA draft decision.

And then there were 40.

Butler sophomore Gordon Hayward became the latest underclassmen to stay in the NBA draft, which leaves roughly 20 players who may seriously consider staying in. Eighty initially declared, but two have withdrawn and at least 15-20 are good bets to do so as well. (See the complete list here.)

There's not much time left to decide, either. Saturday's deadline is approaching fast. (The choices are difficult given that most NBA teams aren't holding workouts.)

Now Butler knows its 2010-11 season will be a little bit tougher, but what other teams are also eagerly awaiting decisions from players? Glad you asked.

Here are the most notable schools that will be affected by decisions yet to come.

PURDUE
Still deciding: guard E'Twaun Moore, center JaJuan Johnson.
What's at stake: A national title.

The Boilermakers will be on the shortlist of contenders if Moore and Johnson return. Yes, Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant are gone, but Robbie Hummel returns from injury and Matt Painter's ready to give guys like Lewis Jackson, John Hart and Kelsey Barlow more prominent roles. But it hinges on Moore and Johnson in West Lafeyette.

ILLINOIS
Still deciding: forward Mike Davis, point guard Demetri McCamey.
What's at stake: A Top-3 Big Ten finish, the Elite Eight.

It's shaping up to be a brutal Big Ten race. Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State will garner most of the attention, but if McCamey and Davis both return (as expected) don't ignore Illinois. Bruce Weber also landed a Top 15 recruiting class, though he'll need McCamey to run the show.

BYU
Still deciding: point guard Jimmer Fredette.
What's at stake: A conference title and a Top 4 NCAA tourney seed

Fredette, a national player of the year candidate, has worked out for two NBA teams, with two more workouts remaining. Expect him back in school to help the Cougars compete in the loaded Mountain West and possibly a sweet seed in the Big Dance.

NEW MEXICO
Still deciding: forward Darington Hobson.
What's at stake: A second straight MWC title

It's 50/50 if the reigning conference player of the year returns. Hobson's skills would be impossible for Steve Alford to replace, to say nothing of his leadership and knack for big plays. If he returns, the Lobos are NCAA bound again. Without him, they're headed for the NIT.

XAVIER
Still deciding: guard Jordan Crawford.
What's at stake: A reliable scoring presence for a Top 15 team

Crawford will probably stay in, which must torment Musketeers coach Chris Mack and their fans. Xavier would be in prime position to mimic Butler's 2010 run next season, but having someone with Crawford ability is key.

VIRGINIA TECH

Still deciding: guard Malcolm Delaney.
What's at stake: Silencing critics and challenging Duke

A 23-8 record wasn't good enough for the NCAA tournament seeding committee. If Delaney returns to a senior-laden team, the Hokies are not only a good bet to return to the tournament, they could make a serious run at the ACC regular-season crown.

MOREHEAD STATE

Still deciding: forward Kenneth Faried.
What's at stake: A spot in the Big Dance

Faried's an elite shot blocker and rebounder – but doesn't have NBA size. At 6-8, he's shorter than NBA teams would like, which makes him a good bet to return to school and help Morehead State compete with Murray State for the Ohio Valley crown.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Still deciding: guard Dee Bost, guard Ravern Johnson.
What's at stake: Someone to stretch the defense for Renardo Sidney

Bost and Johnson will likely be back in Starkville, but they'll be just one aspect of the Bulldogs' season. The biggest key to an NCAA berth is Sidney, who missed his entire freshman season due to eligibility issues. With him in the post, Bost has an easier time running the point and Johnson has an easier time stretching the defense.

SETON HALL

Still deciding: guard Jeremy Hazell, forward Jeff Robinson.
What's at stake: Continuity

New coach Kevin Willard would love to have Hazell, the team's leading scorer, and Robinson, an underrated swingman, back in the fold, to say nothing of having a healthy Herb Pope. Twenty victories may actually be attainable.

UPDATE: Not long after posting this, both reportedly decided to return to school.

FLORIDA

Still deciding: forward Alex Tyus.
What's at stake: Front court depth

The Gators would survive without Tyus, but a more reliable rebounder and interior scorer than anyone else Billy Donovan has on the bench.

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That Duke-Butler rematch just got a little less sexy.

Bulldogs sophomore Gordon Hayward, the driving force behind their run to the NCAA tournament title game, will reportedly stay in the NBA draft, the Indy Star reported. The 6-9 swingman could be a lottery pick (and should be, but who knows when it comes to NBA teams?).

Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns explains that the decision was an easy one given the impending NBA lockout:

Hayward essentially will guarantee himself three years of NBA money, somewhere in the range of $3 million (as the 20th pick) to $6 million (as the 10th pick). … And by going now, Hayward will get to his second contract — when players are free agents and free from the rookie scale — two years sooner. That means two more years at his most marketable, which could be somewhere around $6-8 million per season.

It's the right move for Hayward, who's NBA ready. It's not so good for the Bulldogs.

Without Hayward, Butler loses two starters from their 33-5 squad and probably drops from a preseason Top 5 team to somewhere in the 15-20 range. Losing Hayward isn't a deathblow to the Bulldogs' 2010-11 season – Matt Howard, Ronald Nored and Shelvin Mack are still playing and form an impressive trio --  but it certainly hurts.

Where it hurts most is when it comes to facing opponents like Duke. Hayward's a matchup nightmare for most teams on Butler's schedule and an equalizer against pro-laden schools like Duke.

Now the Bulldogs have to emphasize their strengths – nasty defense, perimeter shooting, no turnovers – even more to beat a team like Duke, to say nothing of making another Final Four run.

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Why is high school recruiting an inexact science? Look no further than this year's rankings of prospects.

Rivals, Scout and ESPNU have finalized their rankings, but can't agree on the top prospect. When someone like John Wall comes along, it's easy. But 2010's different because Scout and ESPNU think North Carolina recruit Harrison Barnes is the best guy out there, while Rivals is going with Kansas recruit Josh Selby.

Oddly enough, Scout and ESPNU both have Selby 5^th. Rivals has Barnes at No. 2, and their Top 10s are essentially the same. Who's right? Who knows? It'll probably be one of those years when everyone misses on a guy like Joakim Noah or Gordon Hayward…

For what it's worth, Gary Parrish likes Barnes at No. 1, mostly because Barnes is "the single most impressive high school kid I've ever met."

Rivals.com's final rankings

1.    Josh Selby (Kansas)

2.    Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

3.    Enes Kanter (Kentucky)

4.    Kyrie Irving (Duke)

5.    Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)

6.    Brandon Knight (Kentucky)

7.    Tobias Harris (Tennessee)

8.    Cory Joseph (Texas)

9.    Perry Jones (Baylor)

10.  Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)

Scout.com's final rankings

1.    Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

2.    Kyrie Irving (Duke)

3.    Enes Kanter (Kentucky)

4.    Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)

5.    Josh Selby (Kansas)

6.    Brandon Knight (Kentucky)

7.    Tobias Harris (Tennessee)

8.    Terrence Jones (considering Washington and Kentucky)

9.    Perry Jones (Baylor)

10.  Tristan Thompson (Texas)

ESPNU's final rankings

1.    Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)

2.    Jared Sullinger (Ohio State)

3.    Kyrie Irving (Duke)

4.    Brandon Knight (Kentucky)

5.    Josh Selby (Kansas)

6.    Tobias Harris (Tennessee)

7.    Perry Jones (Baylor)

8.    Will Barton (Memphis)

9.    Terrence Jones (considering Washington and Kentucky)

10.  Tristan Thompson (Texas)

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Well, that didn't take long.

Hours after a report surfaced that Kentucky coach John Calipari was interested in the Chicago Bulls coaching vacancy, the school announced that it'll re-do his contract. That's no small deal, either. Calipari's 8-year, $31.65 million deal already makes him college basketball's highest-paid coach.

"I'm extremely proud of what Coach Calipari has done in just one year as the leader of our men's basketball program," Kentucky A.D. Mitch Barnhart said. "Cal has brought Kentucky men's basketball back to its rightful place of national prominence and I'm excited about our future."

Barnhart hopes the new deal will keep Calipari in Lexington for the rest of his career. If Calipari's tweets are to be believed, it could be true.

"Throughout my career I've been mentioned for other jobs," Calipari wrote. "Now that I'm here u won't hear about other colleges because I've got the best job. Every year you will hear my named mentioned for NBA jobs because I coached in the league before. I'm very happy at Kentucky."

I'm sure that's true. He led the Wildcats back to national prominence this season, going 35-3 and reaching the Elite Eight. He's running arguably the place to play. Who wouldn't be happy?

Then again, a cynic might believe the rumors and say Barnhart is just doing the smart thing. A new contract would certainly contain a new buyout clause, which means if Calipari does ever bolt to the NBA, Kentucky will get nice chunk of change.

Everybody wins! Well, everyone except the NBA team…

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