Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL playoffs: Bruins at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NHL playoffs: Kings at Sharks, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA playoffs: Grizzlies at Spurs, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Draft lottery, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB: Red Sox at White Sox, 8:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Yankees at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Carmelo Anthony couldn't lift the Knicks past the Pacers in the second round of the playoffs. (AP)

♦ The Knicks are regrouping after their second-round flameout vs. the Pacers, but at least one person is convinced that the finger-pointing at Carmelo Anthony is unfair.

Jim Boeheim, who coached Anthony at Syracuse, expressed his disappointment with the rest of the Knicks and said Anthony can’t win a title with that lineup.

“Not on that team,” Boeheim told the Syracuse Post-Standard. “He did what he can do. He played very well the final game. Everybody’s killing him, but Tyson Chandler just didn’t try to catch the ball. He threw him the ball and Tyson Chandler went like this [dodging]. [Chandler] was wide open. He should have been looking for the ball right here. Kenyon Martin should have been looking for the ball. They both went like this [dodging]. Carmelo gets turnovers and the announcers aren’t smart enough to even think, ‘Well, the guy should try to catch the ball.’ ”

Speaking from his office at the Carmelo K. Anthony Center (which the Knicks star helped fund), Boeheim, who coached Anthony and Chandler on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, also took shots at other Knicks players.

“Tyson Chandler claims he never gets the ball. He doesn’t try to get the ball. He had two points, and [Pacers center Roy] Hibbert had [21],” Boeheim said. “What was the difference in the series? Raymond Felton was 0-for-7. [Pacers guard] Lance Stephenson had [25] points. They’re going to blame it on Carmelo? I told him when he went to New York, ‘They’re going to blame it on you.’

“They have no chance to win. Pablo Prigioni has never scored against [Team USA]. We played Argentina six or seven times in different events. He hasn’t scored against us. You have to have players to win in the NBA.”

Boeheim insisted it’s not Anthony’s fault that the Knicks offense begins and ends with him, and added that Anthony “has to work too hard” because of the lack of support.

“Referring to Felton and J.R. Smith, Boeheim said: “Those guys weren’t great players where they were and now they’re asking them to be second and third options. In Miami the second and third options are Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Your fourth option is Ray Allen, who is still in good shape. Your fifth option is Shane Battier, who is still a good player. The New York Knicks have who?”

♦ Bills defensive end Mario Williams on Monday denied ever considering suicide, despite sending a text to his former fiancee last fall implying that he was. Williams, who is suing Erin Marzouki in an attempt to recover a $785,000 diamond engagement ring, accused her of manipulating his text in an attempt to embarrass him.

“Obviously it’s just a tactic to cover up the point of the whole thing,” Williams said. “It is what it is. I could really care less. All it is [is] allegations and text messages and what not, whatever information blown out of proportion. I mean, it’s completely out of context.”

Williams also texted Marzouki that he had taken three hydrocodone painkillers the morning of a game against the Patriots, and that he planned to take two more on the plane ride back to Buffalo. On Monday he explained that he was playing three weeks after having surgery on his left wrist and insisted the drugs were prescribed by the team.

♦ Bobcats owner Michael Jordan reportedly will announce Tuesday that the team will change its name to the Hornets, as has been speculated for some time. The original Hornets left Charlotte in 2002 for New Orleans but recently changed their name to the Pelicans.

It’s expected to take at least a year before Charlotte’s name change becomes official.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 21, 1978, the Bruins beat the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime to even the Stanley Cup finals at two games apiece. Which forward scored the winning goal?

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Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Senators, 7:30 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Devils at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Valparaiso vs. Michigan State, 12:15 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Bucknell vs. Butler, 12:40 p.m. (truTV)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Wichita State vs. Pittsburgh, 1:40 p.m. (TBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, New Mexico State vs. Saint Louis, 2:10 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, St. Mary’s vs. Memphis, 2:45 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Davidson vs. Marquette, 3:10 p.m. (truTV)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Southern vs. Gonzaga, 4:10 p.m. (TBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Oregon vs. Oklahoma State, 4:40 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, North Carolina A&T vs. Louisville, 6:50 p.m. (TBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, South Dakota State vs. Michigan, 7:15 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Belmont vs. Arizona, 7:20 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, California vs. UNLV, 7:27 p.m. (truTV)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Missouri vs. Colorado State, 9:20 p.m. (TBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Akron vs. VCU, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Harvard vs. New Mexico, 9:50 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Montana vs. Syracuse, 9:57 p.m. (truTV)
College basketball: NIT, Denver at Maryland, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
MLB preseason: Phillies at Red Sox, 7:05 p.m. (NESN Plus; WEEI-FM)
MLB preseason: Cardinals at Mets, 1 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Nationals at Braves, 6 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Angels at Rangers, 9 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim claims the latest reports about the NCAA investigating his program won't be a distraction for his team. (AP)

♦ The Syracuse basketball team has been under investigation by the NCAA for years, and it reportedly includes possible “major” violations, according to multiple reports. But coach Jim Boeheim, whose team is preparing to meet Montana in the NCAA tournament Thursday night, doesn’t sound concerned.

“Same story they had last year at this time,” Boeheim said. “I guess that’s annual. I guess next year we’ll get it again.”

The issues reportedly concern drug-related violations, an alleged sexual assault case in 2007 that involved three players, and the handling of Fab Melo‘s academic eligibility. Melo, now property of the Celtics, was declared ineligible by the school just before its opening NCAA tournament game one year ago.

“Last year was completely different,” Boeheim said. “We didn’t have Fab Melo; that’s a little different. That was not a distraction; it was an absence. And they handled it as well as they could.”

Added Boeheim: “We’re concerned about playing Montana. What people write or say, you know, there’s 30,000 people in the Dome yelling at me all the time. People yell at their television sets. I tell them I can’t hear them, but they still yell at them. There’s no distractions for me. And these players, there’s absolutely no distractions for them. They’re here to play Montana, and that’s it.”

♦ Kendall Gill, who is part of the broadcast team for Bulls games on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, was suspended after reportedly throwing a punch at Big Ten Network analyst Tim Doyle following a taping of a talk show in the CSN newsroom Tuesday night.

On the show, Doyle criticized Gill for his analysis of a key play in the final seconds of the Bulls’ overtime loss to the Nuggets on Monday night. Gill said the referees made the wrong call on a basket interference against Bulls forward Joakim Noah.

As the two left the building, Gill, a former Illinois star who played 15 years in the NBA and then had a short stint in boxing, confronted Doyle, a former Northwestern player. The confrontation, witnessed by two newspaper reporters, escalated into a shoving match before Gill threw a punch.

“We’re looking further into the incident that took place in our newsroom earlier today,” CSN Chicago news director Kevin Cross said in a statement late Tuesday night. “Until the investigation is complete, Kendall Gill will not be appearing on our air.”

♦ Hockey Hall of Famer Glen Sather, general manager of the Rangers, reportedly will have surgery Thursday for prostate cancer. Sather, 69, is expected to resume his duties after a few days in the hospital.

Assistant GM Jeff Gorton, who spent 15 years in the Bruins front office before moving to New York six years ago, will be in charge in Sather’s absence.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 21, 1991, the Bruins peppered Quebec Nordiques goalie Ron Tugnutt with 73 shots — 10 short of the NHL record set by the B’s in 1941 — in a 3-3 tie. Which Bruin set an NHL record with 19 shots in the game?

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Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Heat at Thunder, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Clippers at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: UMass at VCU, 9 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
College basketball: Northwestern at Ohio State, 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Wisconsin at Minnesota, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Belmont at Tennessee State, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: LSU at South Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: George Mason at Drexel, 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
College basketball: Iowa at Penn State, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: UCLA at California, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: St. John’s at Louisville, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Gonzaga at St. Mary’s, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: USC at Stanford, 11 p.m. (ESPNU)
NHL: Capitals at Lightning, 7:30 p.m. (NHL Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ UMass-Lowell announced Wednesday that it will be moving to Division 1 and joining the America East Conference, effective next season. The River Hawks, who have competed in Division 2 since 1975 (except for ice hockey, which will remain in Division 1 Hockey East), will give America East a Boston-area presence following the departure of Boston University to the Patriot League after this season.

UMass-Lowell teams will go through an NCAA-mandated four-year reclassification period before being eligible for postseason play in 2017-18.

“We knew we were in the same league as these other renowned institutions of higher education in so many ways,” UMass-Lowell chancellor Marty Meehan said in a statement. “Now, we will join them on the playing fields as well.”

♦ Following Wednesday night’s loss at UConn, Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim teed off on veteran ESPN reporter Andy Katz.

“I’ll answer anybody’s question but yours because you’re an idiot and a disloyal person,” Boeheim told Katz at the postgame press conference. “There are a few other things I could add, but I’m not going to go there.”

Boeheim reportedly was upset that Katz shared some information about forward James Southerland‘s recently completed six-game suspension on the air Wednesday. Katz, a Newton native, revealed that Southerland told him the player’s academic suspension was an issue related to two paragraphs he wrote in a paper. Apparently, Boeheim believed that information was off the record.

♦ Cyclist Floyd Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title for doping, is organizing an event in New York’s Catskills Mountains on June 1-2, and the 37-year-old said he wants the race to focus on amateur riders, not professionals.

“Professional cycling is organized crime,” Landis told USA Today. “I’m done with that.”

After years of denial, Landis admitting to cheating in 2010, and his testimony helped expose Lance Armstrong. Landis said the last three years of his life have been “a long process” as he deals with legal issues.

“I didn’t tell the truth for a long time, and it was hard for me to then tell the truth and watch people try to say that wasn’t the case,” Landis said. “I was a villain for people in cycling because I lied for so long.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Feb. 14, 2003, which Bruin set a record for the fastest two goals by one player from the start of a game when he scored 10 seconds in and again at the 27-second mark in a 6-5 road victory over the Panthers?

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It’s only August and LeBron James is already having one of the best years a basketball player has ever had. In May, the 27-year-old won his third MVP award in four years. In June, he took home his first NBA title (and a finals MVP to go with it). And on Sunday, James topped it off with a gold medal in the Olympics.

He has been so great that Syracuse and USA assistant coach, Jim Boeheim believes James may even be better than, gulp, his Airness himself.

“[James] is a leader. He gets on the court, he tells people what to do … this guy can guard five [positions] … put him on anybody, he can guard him,” Boeheim told ESPN Radio Wednesday. “I always felt Michael Jordan was the best player I’ve ever seen … I didn’t think it was close … and I’m not so sure anymore … this guy is 6-9, 260 pounds and he’s getting better … I know we’ve had great, great players through the years. He’s like Magic Johnson with Michael Jordan-type skills as well.”

Zach Tomaselli of Lewiston, Maine, who accused former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of molesting him, has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison for sexually abusing a boy.

Tomaselli was sentenced Wednesday in Auburn, Maine, and had previously pleaded guilty to the offense in December.

The victim attended a camp at which the 23-year-old Tomaselli was a counselor. The boy was 13 and 14 when the abuse took place.

Tomaselli was one of several people who accused Jim Boeheim‘s long-time assistant coach of molestation and his case is the only one of the group that falls within the statute of limitations. Fine, who was fired in November, has denied Tomaselli’s allegation, one that the U.S. Attorney’s office is investigating.

Saturday night’s 77-70 loss to Ohio State in the East Regional final was too much for Scoop Jardine to take.

He broke down in the Orange locker room after the game, maintaining all the time that no matter the result, he still believes Syracuse is the best team in the tournament.

Jardine and the Orange won more than any Syracuse team in school history. They finished 34-3 and just a game away from the fifth Final Four in Cuse history.

Jardine had so much to be proud of this season but the point guard with 14 points and six assists couldn’t do enough Saturday night – and it was painful to talk about afterward.

“I don’t think we ever had any tough times on the court,” Jardine said with tears in his eyes. “Going through a season like that and being as successful as we were throughout the year, it hurts just a little bit more. I’m proud of all 20 guys on this team, even the coaches because we put everything into it. We just came up short.

“I tell you one thing, we’re one of the best teams in the country. They can say what they want. They have doubted us all year. They thought we wouldn’t get this far. I think we’re the best team in the country, for real.”

Jardine is not like Fab Melo – the star shot blocker ruled ineligible for the tournament. He did not come to Syracuse for an NBA tune-up. He spent five years in Central New York – missing his sophomore season with a stress fracture in his left leg. He put body and soul into trying to lead this team to the Final Four.

The likable and adored Jardine represents a four-year class that won more games (119) than any team in school history. It’s a history he now leaves behind as a fifth-year senior and it’s why Saturday hurt so much.

“I think I took full advantage of my opportunities that coach [Jim Boeheim] and the coaching staff gave me,” Jardine said. “As a kid, you go to college, you might try to leave early and go to the NBA. It was never in my mind. I was just trying to be a better person and a better player and that’s what I’m leaving with.”

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Wild at Avalanche, 9 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA: Rockets at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
College basketball: Big East tournament, UConn vs. DePaul, noon (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Pittsburgh vs. St. John’s, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Providence vs. Seton Hall, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Villanova vs. Rutgers, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Horizon League championship, Detroit at Valparaiso, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has another scandal to worry about as his Orange prepare for the postseason. (AP)

♦ A great season for the Syracuse basketball team on the court continues to be marred by off-court news. More than three months after longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine was fired amid accusations that he sexually molested former ballboys, school officials on Monday acknowledged that they self-reported possible violations of the school’s internal drug policy last year and the NCAA is investigating.

A Yahoo! Sports report indicates that at least 10 players since 2001 tested positive for banned substances, yet all of them were allowed to practice and play instead of being suspended. One of the players allegedly failed four tests and another tested positive for three.

Syracuse (30-1) is the No. 1 seed for the Big East tournament and opens play in Thursday’s quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Jim Boeheim‘s Orange are in line for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

♦ Former major leaguer Lenny Dykstra, who pleaded no contest to grand theft auto and providing a false financial statement, was sentenced to three years in a California state prison. Dykstra, who has already served almost a year, tried to withdraw his plea at Monday’s sentencing but was denied.

“I’m doing everything in my power to be a better person,” Dykstra said, although he insisted he would have been cleared of wrongdoing had he been able to change his plea.

The 49-year-old self-proclaimed financial guru was arrested last April, and police found recreational drugs and HGH in his Los Angeles home. Dykstra’s no-contest plea was part of a deal with prosecutors, who dropped 21 of the original 25 counts against him.

♦ With the NCAA tournament around the corner, Real Clear Sports has a look at the top 10 college basketball teams without pro talent since 1985. No. 10 is the 1986-87 Providence Final Four team led by coach Rick Pitino and sharpshooting guard Billy Donovan. No. 1 is last year’s Butler team that reached the NCAA final before losing to UConn.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 6, 1986, which Bruins forward recorded his 600th NHL point with two goals in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Nordiques at Boston Garden?

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Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine denies accusations of child molestation. (AP)

Onandaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said at a Wednesday morning press conference that he cannot bring charges against former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine due to the expired statute of limitations, even though he found the two former ball boys who made accusations against him “credible.”

“On almost every single criteria, Bobby Davis came out as a credible person,” Fitzpatrick said. “Mike Lang also comes across as a credible person.”

While Fitzpatrick said a 2005 investigation by the university was inadequate, he said people should stop calling for the resignation of school chancellor Nancy Cantor and coach Jim Boeheim, insisting that only man is to blame.

“Hasn’t Bernie Fine caused enough pain in this community?” he asked.

Fine also has been accused by a third man, Maine’s Zach Tomaselli, but his claims fall outside the jurisdiction of Onandaga County. Tomaselli’s accusations fall within federal statutes of limitations and are being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.

Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Penguins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Coyotes at Blackhawks, 8 p.m. (Versus)
NFL: Chargers at Jaguars, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN; WEEI)
College basketball: St. John’s at Detroit, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

AROUND THE WEB:

Buccaners coach Raheem Morris is having a frustrating season. (AP)

♦ Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris was not happy with Brian Price when the defensive tackle incurred a personal foul penalty in the third quarter of Sunday’s 38-19 loss to the Panthers. Price’s penalty came after a Tampa Bay sack that would have pinned the Panthers at their 16-yard line with a third-and-13. Instead, Carolina got a first down and went on to score a touchdown that essentially put the game out of reach, 38-12. Morris, frustrated with his oft-penalized team, ended Price’s afternoon early.

“Yes, I sent him to the locker room,” Morris said. “I told him go home. [Expletive], yeah. Because it’s foolish, it’s selfish to your teammates, to everybody in your organization, to your fans. That’s terrible. That’s just selfish behavior to get a 15-yard penalty, in that situation, when that’s all we talk about, when that’s all we discuss. You just can’t do that to your team.

“When you give up a penalty, after a third-and-15, those are things that are not smart, not fair to anybody on the football team. Not fair to anybody that’s coaching that football team. Those things are unacceptable.”

Price’s agent said his client “regrets the untimeliness and the foolish nature of the penalty” but suggested Morris overreacted with a player “who has played through some enormous challenges.”

♦ College football fans who logged on to LSUshop.net to find merchandise of the top-ranked Tigers were surprised Sunday night to find the site featuring clothing and memorabilia adorned with the logo of SEC rival and BCS championship game opponent Alabama. There was no immediate word as to if the site had been hacked by ‘Bama faithful or if it was a mistake.

♦ Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim made an emotional apology after Friday night’s game, acknowledging he “misspoke very badly” when he defended assistant coach Bernie Fine and derided the men who accused Fine of sexual abuse. On Saturday, Boeheim told The Associated Press that he plans to campaign against child abuse, although he knows that his motives will be questioned.

“We believed in helping kids long before this. I’m sure people are always going to question why you do something, but we’re going to do this and continue to do it,” Boeheim said. “We don’t do it for what people might say.”

At CBSSports.com, Matt Norlander writes that Boeheim might have won back some of the fans who turned on him for his arrogant and ignorant comments when news of the accusations were first reported.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 5, 1982, in a 6-4 victory over the Flyers, which Bruins player recorded a hat for the second consecutive day?

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Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim answers questions during Tuesday night's postgame press conference. (AP)

On the same night that it was revealed that a fourth victim has come forward in the Syracuse sexual abuse scandal, Orange basketball coach Jim Boeheim answered questions about former assistant Bernie Fine in the postgame press conference after Syracuse’s win over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday.

Rev. Robert Hoatson, who runs the molestation victims’ advocacy group Road to Recovery, said that the family of a man contacted him last week and informed him that an unidentified man was abused by Fine as a teen. The alleged victim, who is now a grown man, has been in contact with the District Attorney’s office.

Meanwhile, Boeheim said that he is not concerned with status as coach of the Orange and that the facts will be revealed once the case goes through the legal process.

“I never worried about my job status in 36 years,” Boeheim said. “I do my job. What happened on my watch, we will see. When the investigation is done, we will find out what happened on my watch.”

Boeheim came under fire for his initial comments that two former ball boys were lying about Fine molesting them in order to make money after the Penn State scandal. The longtime coach explained those comments on Tuesday.

“Based on what I knew at that time, there were three investigations and nothing was corroborated,” Boeheim said. “That was the basis for me saying what I said. I said what I knew at the time.”

“I supported a friend,” he added. “That’s what I thought I did.”

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