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North Carolina coach Roy Williams joked that he and South Carolina coach Frank Martin have "humorous stories together" that they don't want to share with anyone. The veteran of the Final Four coaches, tabbed as "Mount Rushmore quality" by Gonzaga coach Mark Few and hailed for his "consistency" by Oregon coach Dana Altman, said of the other three coaches — all rookies in college basketball's grand finale — that he "loves them all" while discussing those coaching relationships during a Final Four teleconference on Monday. But friendships aside, Williams knows from his eight previous Final Fours at Kansas and UNC that the camaraderie and fun spirit is just part of the hoopla of the coming week heading into Saturday's semifinals and Monday's championship. MORE FINAL FOUR NEWS March Madness: Four bold projections for the Final Four South Carolina's Frank Martin credits his mom as part of drive to top ...

USA Hockey and players for the U.S. women’s national team agreed Tuesday to a tentative four-year deal to avert a boycott of the IIHF Women's World Championship, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday. The person requested anonymity because the deal has not been finalized. The players were expected to vote around noon ET on the agreement. The financial terms of the deal were not immediately known. If the players approve the deal, it would end their year-plus efforts to secure higher wages and other support from USA Hockey. The 23 players on the national team drew international attention when they announced March 15 they intended to forgo the World Championship. Team USA’s first game of the tournament is against Canada on Friday. Messages left with USA Hockey were not immediately returned. USA Hockey spokesperson Dave Fischer declined comment. The players said in a statement earlier this month they were seeking a livable wage, altho...