It’s Friday and a big sports weekend is almost upon us. So what’s on our mind? Let’s find out:

1.We’re really looking forward to tomorrow’s highly anticipated men’s Final Four in Atlanta. You have two potential great match-ups. It’s very possible that both national semifinals could go down to the wire.

In one game, you have the battle of the big men with Ohio State’s Greg Oden going up against Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert. But what also makes it intriguing are the other players who have outshined the centers thus far. The Buckeyes’ guard tandem of Mike Conley, Jr. and Ron Lewis has been brilliant so far with Oden foul prone. Meanwhile, the Hoyas have gotten solid contributions from Jessie Sapp, DaJuan Summers and Jonathan Wallace. But Big East Player of The Year Jeff Green has stepped up in big spots and could be the difference maker.

In the other semi, it only pits the defending champion Gators against last year’s runner-up UCLA. Billy Donovan’s team is trying to make history by becoming the first school since Duke to repeat (’91 & ‘92). Sixteen years ago, UNLV was aiming for an elusive repeat and looking to go perfect and into NCAA history. They played Duke- the same team they dismantled for their first title in 1990. But this time in the semis, the overconfident Runnin’ Rebels were upset by the Blue Devils, putting a silent halt to that perfect season. Will the same thing happen to the Gators when they face a team they dominated to win the championship a year ago?

The Bruins will be out for redemption. But can they stop the explosive Gators in their tracks? Florida can beat you inside with dynamic duo Al Horford and Joakim Noah and they can get you outside with the lethal trio of Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey and Corey Brewer. Brewer also is exceptional at slashing to the basket and wreaking havoc.

So how can UCLA contest with all this? For one thing, they’ll need to defend real well and fluster the Gators. They’ll also have to force some turnover and create chaos similar to how they took apart Kansas last weekend. Thirdly, the Bruins’ guard tandem of Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison will have to be magnificent. They made big shots against the Jayhawks and must do the same thing tomorrow. They’ll also need support from forwards Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute plus center Lorenzo Mata.
If there is one clear advantage Florida has over UCLA, it’s on the interior where they should be able to control the glass. The Bruins can’t allow the more athletic Gators to dominate this aspect. A big part of Florida’s success is getting those second and third chances.

So what could help UCLA if they’re to pull it off? The Gators have yet to play their ‘A’ game in any of their previous four tourney victories. They haven’t gotten out of the gate fast and usually let opponents hang around, relying on their talent to prevail down the stretch. That strategy usually can backfire in the biggest games. The bad news for the Bruins is that the Gators are very determined to repeat and probably will come better prepared.

So, who do we think will prevail? Let’s just stick with our initial final selection which was the Hoyas against the Gators for all the marbles on Monday night with Florida repeating making history. If they play up to their potential this weekend, nobody is better.

2.Regarding the hot rumor about Kentucky offering Donovan their job according to a published report, it’s our sentiment that this kind of thing should never happen during what’s supposed to be the biggest weekend for college basketball. Shame on the Wildcats and shame on everyone involved. This isn’t the appropriate time for this sort of thing and can easily distract Donovan’s players as they aim for a little history. We’re in agreement with CBS analyst Billy Packer, who earlier today appeared on WFAN’s Mike & The Mad Dog and trashed this nonsense. It’s not fair to the Gators nor to the rest of the competitors this weekend. Unfortunately as both Mike Francesa and Chris Russo pointed out, there’s nothing sacred about college athletics anymore. Ethics are tossed out the window. It’s all about greed and need these days. What ashame.

3.Good luck this weekend to the Rutgers Lady Scarlet Knights in their bid to win the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. They’ll have to beat a tough LSU team and then either of the remaining favorites in the top seeded battle between Tennessee and North Carolina. It would be a great story if the underdogs from Piscataway came away champions.

4.Nice to see Texas freshman Kevin Durant rewarded for his outstanding season. He became the first freshman to ever win AP National Player of the Year- receiving all but two votes from a 72 national media panel which selects the top 25. Durant was brilliant in averaging 25.8 points-per-game (PPG) which ranked fourth in the nation and also pulled down 11.1 boards-a-game. For the season, he shot an efficient 47 percent from the field including 42 percent from three-point range and also was a solid 82 percent from the free throw line. The honor was well deserved. Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker garnered the other two votes to finish a distant second.

5.Josh Boone has contributed mightily lately to the Nets’ recent run at another playoff berth. In their last two wins, the former UConn center has put together back-to-back 20+ point games in increased minutes. In fact, his 21 and 10 during a home rout of the Pacers the other night was the 2006 first round pick’s first NBA career double double. The inspired play couldn’t come at a better time for Lawrence Frank’s club.

6.Meanwhile, the Knicks learned today that they lost shooting guard Quentin Richardson for the remainder of the season due to back surgery. This didn’t come as a surprise as the former Sun had sat out the last several games after being in and out of the lineup with back problems. It’s just another blow that Isiah Thomas’ Orange and Blue will have to overcome if they’re to get into the postseason. Tonight, they have the dubious task of trying to get their second straight win at the NBA’s best in Dallas. Best of luck.

7.Hockey hasn’t been in the spotlight much lately unless it’s a fight which KO’s an enforcer or a blatant cheapshot which creates controversy. But Pens’ wunderkid Sidney Crosby is changing that dynamic. The league’s leading scorer was recently featured on ESPN’s site in an interesting video comparison with childhood idol Wayne Gretzky. It has fascinating shots of both young stars as they take the league by storm. Check it out here:

Crosby vs Gretzky

8.Big weekend for the locals (Rangers and Islanders) as they fight their way to possible playoff berths. The Isles play Buffalo and Ottawa back-to-back nights while the Blueshirts face the Flyers and Leafs Saturday and Sunday.