Former NBA basketball player Christian Laettner speaks during a NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball 75th anniversary news conference, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Wichita State plays Louisville in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Former NBA basketball player Christian Laettner speaks during a NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball 75th anniversary news conference, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Wichita State plays Louisville in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Former NBA players' Oscar Robertson, left, and Bill Walton speak during a NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball 75th anniversary news conference, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Wichita State plays Louisville in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Celta at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo, Spain, Saturday, March 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)
Men at Work actors Adam Busch, Michael Cassidy, Danny Masterson and James Lesure, from left, pose for a photo, Thursday, April 4, 2013, in Atlanta. Men at Work will be in its second season and premiers April 4 on TBS. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware answers questions during an interview Wednesday April 3, 2013, at the KFC Yum! Center practice facility in Louisville, Ky. Ware was released from an Indianapolis hospital Tuesday, two days after millions watched him break his right leg on a horrifying play trying to block a shot during an NCAA college basketball regional championship game against Duke. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
ATLANTA (AP) ? Around the Final Four and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the games.
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LAETTNER'S MOMENT
Christian Laettner is trying to be a good role model for his three children.
So the former Duke star said he hasn't shown the highlights of the play when he caught the full-court pass from Grant Hill, turned and made the last-second winning shot to beat Kentucky 104-103 in the 1992 East Regional final.
"People already think I have a big ego and big head," he said. "I don't want my children thinking that. But whenever my dad is in town he sneaks the DVD in and makes them watch a little bit of it."
Laettner was back in the Final Four spotlight on Friday as he was honored for his starring role in the NCAA tournament's most memorable moment, as voted on by fans.
Laettner, who played in four national semifinals and won two NCAA championships at Duke, also was named one of the top 15 players in the tournament's 75 years.
? Charles Odum __ http://twitter.com/@CharlesOdum
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THE BIG 'O'
It's not every day generations of college basketball greats like Oscar Robertson, Bill Walton, Danny Manning and Christian Laettner sit elbow to elbow at the same table.
They gathered Friday to be named in the top 15 players in 75 years of the NCAA tournament, as voted on by fans.
"I think it's great for the fans across the country to see what transpired over the years," said the 74-year-old Robertson. "Some of the things I've almost forgotten."
Robertson said there wasn't "all this fanfare" when he played in the 1959 and 1960 Final Fours for Cincinnati.
Also voted as top 15 players: Bill Russell, San Francisco; Jerry West, West Virginia; Jerry Lucas, Ohio State; Bill Bradley, Princeton; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA; Larry Bird, Indiana State; Magic Johnson, Michigan State; Michael Jordan, North Carolina; Patrick Ewing, Georgetown; Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston; and Grant Hill, Duke.
? Charles Odum
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QUICK QUOTE: NEW BIG EAST NOT GREAT
"The way the Big East has changed, it's not a great conference now. It's different now."
? Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on the soon-to-be disbanded Big East conference
? Eddie Pells ? ? http://twitter.com/@epells
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MESSI FAN
Lionel Messi has a big fan in Gorgui Dieng.
Emphasis on the big.
Louisville's 6-11 center grew up in Senegal, and soccer was his first love. Though basketball is Dieng's game now, he still loves soccer.
And Messi.
"He's the best soccer player I've ever seen in my life!" Dieng said.
Messi has been FIFA's Player of the Year each of the last four seasons, and he's making a case for another win this season. He's scored 57 times already this season for Barcelona, including a goal in Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Asked who his favorite team was, Dieng said, "Of course, Senegal." When asked his favorite club team, Dieng just laughed.
"I'll show you my Barcelona jersey," he said. "I'm a fan."
? Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/@nrarmour
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WARE RESTS
A room packed with reporters hoping to interview injured Louisville Kevin Ware had to settle for one of his best friends on the Cardinals team.
On Friday, Ware and forward Chane Behanan were scheduled to field questions together, but the decision was made to give Ware a day of rest his surgically repaired right leg when he fell asleep at the team's dinner table on Thursday night.
"Once he gets one minute to relax, he was just dozing at the table and he went on to his room to go to sleep," Behanan said.
Louisville spokesman Kenny Klein said Ware needed Friday's rest so he can attend Saturday's semifinal game against Wichita State.
? Charles Odum
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INJURED SHOCKER
Wichita State's Evan Wessel certainly can empathize with Kevin Ware.
The Louisville guard has been in the spotlight ever since breaking his leg in the regional finals against Duke, while Wessel has been forced to watch the Shockers' remarkable Final Four run from the bench after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand.
Wessel, from Wichita, started the Shockers' first eight games before getting hurt.
"I have the utmost respect for Kevin Ware," Wessel said, "and I don't want to see that happen to anybody, and obviously my injury wasn't as severe as his was, but I know how he feels."
Wessel is part of a Wichita State dynasty. His grandfather, Evert Wessel, played basketball from 1956-59, and his father Todd played football when the school still had a program.
The school has applied for a medical redshirt, so Wessel will still have three seasons of eligibility. But then again, the Final Four could be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
"The whole atmosphere at the Final Four has been great," Wessel said, "and whether you're playing or not you're going to remember this for the rest of your life."
? Dave Skretta ? http://twitter.com/@APdaveskretta
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'76 HOOSIERS
Day 2 of the Final Four schedule of events kicked off Friday with Indiana's undefeated 1976 team honored as part of the celebration of 75 Years of March Madness.
Coach Bob Knight and seven players from the team, including Scott May and Quinn Buckner, reflected on the team's 32-0 season. It was the last undefeated season in college basketball.
"I don't think there's ever been a better representative of collegiate athletes than these kids," Knight said.
The Final Four was just gaining steam as a big national event in 1976 and the NCAA tournament included only 32 teams.
? Charles Odum
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MEN AT WORK
The cast of the TBS sitcom "Men at Work" is split when it comes to who they think will win the national basketball championship.
Danny Masterson and Adam Busch believe Syracuse will walk away with the crown. James Lesure is taking Louisville while Michael Cassidy is going with Wichita State.
The cast is in Atlanta promoting the second season of their sitcom, which premieres April 4.
But the four main characters of the show also plan to catch some of the festivities surrounding the Final Four and are looking to attending the games at the Georgia Dome.
? Jonathan Landrum ? http://twitter.com/@MrLandrum31
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THE BOTTOM LINE
There is always considerable debate about the financial benefits for cities that host big events like the Final Four and the Super Bowl.
Tens of thousands of fans spend money over several days, clearly benefiting local restaurants, bars and hotels and generating local tax revenue. But there's also lost productivity for other routine businesses affected by traffic and the other trappings. And there's increased cost for city services, from overtime for police and other first responders to expensive cleanup.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed unapologetically declares the Final Four a welcome event for Atlanta. His office pegs the economic impact at $70 million.
? Bill Barrow ? http://twitter.com/@BillBarrowAP
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WARE'S TOP 10 LIST
In case you missed it, injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware made an appearance on David Letterman Thursday night and was featured on the show's regular Top 10 list.
The category was the top 10 things going through Ware's mind when he suffered the gruesome compound fracture on his right leg Sunday against Duke. He had surgery on his leg after a bone protruded about six inches through his skin after landing awkwardly trying to block a shot.
The No. 1 item on his Top 10 list: "At least my bracket's not busted."
Presumably, Ware picked Louisville to win the championship.
? Charles Odum
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NCAA Finals Watch follows the Final Four games and all the activities surrounding the event as seen by journalists from The Associated Press from across Atlanta. It will be updated throughout the day with breaking news and other items of interest. Follow AP reporters on Twitter where available.
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