Knights finished, Tars head to NCAA tournament

With no shot at the postseason, the Knights ended an impressive 2012-13 with a loss at Southern Miss. The Knights (20-11) had fallen apart in recent weeks, but were already knocked out of contention in the Conference USA Championship as part of NCAA sanctions because of recruiting violations.

The ban from postseason play ended the Knights’ tenure in C-USA on an ignominious note, with the team barred from playing what would have been its final games in the conference.

But the most prolific Knights player of all time went out with a bang. Keith Clanton ended his college career with more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, making him the second player in conference history to do so. Clanton graduates just as the Knights prepare to enter a new conference, the Big East, next season.

Rollins

A big start to the Sunshine State Conference Championship against Florida Southern wasn’t enough to grab the title for the Tars, as the men’s basketball team fell 72-66 in a game that they largely led until the final seconds. Former Winter Park baller Brett Chance did all he could with 22 points and six 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to hold on.

But there’s good news for the felled Tars (19-10). Two players — Dave Diakite and Kyle McClanahan — were named to the All-Tournament team. And there’s more: The Tars are headed to the NCAA Division 2 Championship tournament with a No. 5 seed.

They’ll travel to Lakeland for their first-round game against St. Leo (21-7), tipping off at 8:30 p.m. on March 16. That’s good and bad news for the Tars. They’ve faced St. Leo three times this season, losing by blowouts in the first two games, and redeeming themselves with a 62-53 win March 9 in the SSC tournament semifinal.