Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, April 9, 2013

Michigan?s run for the national championship game up short. But the Wolverines have no shame in falling 82-76 to No. 1 overall seed Louisville. Have to start daily links right there. Michigan?s improbable march to the national championship game is evidence that the program is back among the nation?s elite-and it?s not going anywhere.

Hey, Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free-Press concurs. So, you know it must be true.

Was this Trey Burke?s final game in Maize and Blue? Tim Hardaway, Jr.? Mitch McGary? Glenn Robinson III? Perhaps. But, no matter who leaves early, the Wolverines still figure to have a strong team in 2013-14.

Incoming freshmen Derrick Walton, Zak Irvin and Mark Donnal are on the way to help no matter what happens.

In case you missed the iconic ?One Shining Moment? CBS video montage that punctuates the NCAA tourney, here it is-complete with many images of the Wolverines? run to the title game. Watch it qucik as it's being pulled from YouTube on other pages.

The ink hasn?t even dried on the 2012-13 season, but that hasn?t stopped Marcus Jackson of the Champaign News-Gazette from coming out with an early, early 2013-14 Top 10And, looky here: He has Michigan State No. 1. Michigan is No. 6 and Ohio State is No. 10.

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The Champaign News-Gazette has a nice Q&A with Illinois coach John GroceGroce and his staff have three scholarships to hand out on a team that welcomes back 10 players. The Fighting Illini bubble with optimism, as Groce continues to put his stamp on the program.

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It seems Indiana assistant Tim Buckley has interest in the Florida Gulf Coast job, which has become more desirable since Andy Enfield engineered that crazy Sweet 16 run before landing the USC job. This time last year, I bet Buckley couldn?t find Florida Gulf Coast on a map.

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They just can?t stop writing about the Richard Pitino hire at Minnesota. Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says he could be the school?s best hire in a decadeAnd, in case you missed it, Amelia Rayno of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune offers her final thoughts on the hire right here.

For the second year in a row, Ohio State has competition at right offensive tackle, as Reid Fragel has moved on.

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Taylor Decker and Chase Farris are trying to replace Fragel. Oh, and Pat Elflein also is in the mix for the lone opening on a line that came together nicely last season. Entering last season, Decker was pushing Fragel for the job as a true freshman. So, it?s a bit of a surprise to see that Decker hasn?t claimed the spot.

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The quarterback position at Michigan State is interesting. Yes, Andrew Maxwell is a returning starter, but he?s coming off an uneven 2012 season after taking over for Kirk Cousins. That has created an opportunity for others to impress, including redshirt Tyler O?Connor-along with Connor Cook. And, so far, O?Connor has looked good.

O?Connor brings an athletic dimension to the field that could make what was a moribund Spartan offense more effective. He can extend plays and make something happen out of nothing-elements the MSU offense needs.

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Penn State athletic department's latest financial report shows revenue declined by $7.9 million, or nearly 7 percent, last year to more than $108 million. The report, posted on a university website late Monday, showed revenue from football ticket sales was $33.4 million in 2012, down from $34.2 million in 2011.

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TWEETS THAT MATTER

My take: I?m not gonna argue with that.

My take: It is always absurd to even pose this question in this situation. In the end, most feel Trey Burke will go pro and maybe Tim Hardaway, Jr., but no others. Still, stay tuned.

My take: This is true.

My take: The motto: Don?t play Rick Pitino or one of his protégés.

My take: Yes, well, Saban also has three national titles in four years and four overall in much fewer seasons coached the Rick Pitino, who has just two crowns.

My take: No comment necessary.

My take: Dominance.

About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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