Men's College Basketball | Ohio State completes its winning NIT run

NEW YORK — In a locker-room outburst equal parts joy and angst, Jamar Butler finally dropped the charade Ohio State had been playing for nearly three weeks and revealed its main motivating factor for a roughshod run through the NIT.

"This is what happens when you put an NCAA tournament team in the NIT," Butler yelled, surrounded by his teammates after beating Massachusetts 92-85 in the title game Thursday night. "Write that down and send that to the committee."

A year removed from a loss in the national-championship game, the Buckeyes have a trophy to carry home — even if it's not the one they had wanted.

"Kind of a sore loser," coach Thad Matta said, when asked whether he would watch the Final Four this weekend. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I think I'm going to rest."

Butler had 19 points and eight assists in his final college game, which culminated with the kind of raucous victory celebration inside Madison Square Garden that he couldn't have last year.

Kosta Koufos added 22 points and earned the tournament's MVP award. Evan Turner finished with 20 for the Buckeyes (24-13), who shot 63 percent from the field in the second half.

Ricky Harris scored 27 for UMass (25-11), hitting three three-pointers in the closing minutes for the Minutemen.

Cal's Anderson declares

BERKELEY, Calif. — California sophomore forward Ryan Anderson has decided to test his NBA value by declaring for the draft without signing with an agent.

The decision gives Anderson the opportunity to work out at his own expense for NBA teams to gauge where he would be drafted before making a decision. Anderson has until June 16 to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to school.

He is projected by draft analysts as a borderline first-round pick. How that status changes in the next two months will decide what Anderson ultimately will do.

Notes

• Jessie Evans sued San Francisco for unlawful termination of his contract as men's coach. Evans was fired last month by the school after being forced to take a leave of absence in December. Eddie Sutton replaced Evans for the rest of the season for the Dons and won his 800th career game. Evans had two years left on his contract worth about $600,000 in compensation and benefits. He is seeking that money as well as future lost compensation based on damage to his reputation.

• Ben Carnevale, a successful men's coach at North Carolina and Navy and later an athletic director and a national and international basketball administrator, died on March 25 at his home in Williamsburg, Va. He was 92.

• Two Portland State players — Scott Morrison and Jeremiah Dominguez — were suspended from the team while the university looks into allegations they were involved in beating a man while on spring break in Mexico.

• Bob Knight is not a candidate for the men's coach opening at Western Kentucky, athletic director Wood Selig said. Selig addressed the situation after hearing various reports that Knight was spotted in the area.

• Bill Grier said he will remain the men's coach at San Diego rather than pursuing the vacant job at Oregon State.

• Indianapolis hired Stan Gouard as its new men's coach.

• Rick Giles, the president of the College Basketball Invitational, said the alternative to the NIT considers its first year a success and plans a similar event next year.