Repeal of 'bathroom bill' could be good news for Tar Heels, hoops in state

GLENDALE — Just in time for the Final Four — and before the NCAA selects another four years of championship sites — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday signed a measure to undo the state’s controversial “bathroom bill.”

Whether that will be enough to satisfy the NCAA isn’t known yet.

During a news conference Thursday, NCAA president Mark Emmert said the organization’s committees will have to determine whether there’s been enough of a “sufficient change” in the law to justify awarding future sites to a state associated strongly with college basketball.

“Everybody loves being in North Carolina for our games,” Emmert said.

“They are great hosts. Nobody made the decision to leave North Carolina casually. It was a very, very difficult decision for the board to make and I’m sure the next decision will be very difficult as well.”

Emmert said the NCAA board will try to make special arrangements to meet in the next few days with the goal of announcing a decision early next week. There’s a lot on the line for North Carolina: According to The Associated Press, the state made $71.4 million from 28 neutral-site NCAA events in the five academic years ending last spring.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams has been an outspoken critic of the measure known as HB2, saying it wasn’t so much about preventing events from being held in the state but because it was “wrong.”

Still, Williams refrained from commenting seriously on the change Thursday because he, too, said he didn’t know yet what it meant.

“I’ve already made my statements about the old law, and I really think that’s enough, to be honest with you,” Williams said. “And this is America. I don’t tweet, but I do give my opinion. Or is it a twit? Or is that what I am, a twit? Somewhere in there.”

Thornwell sidelined

South Carolina star guard Sindarious Thornwell did not practice Thursday, staying at the team hotel because he wasn’t feeling well, though he has two days to recover before the Gamecocks face Gonzaga on Saturday.

“He had a little body temperature last night when we landed, and he was a little better this morning,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. “I kind of told our trainer, just feed him fluids, do what doctors do and let him rest rather than stress him right now. … He understands basketball at a high level. He doesn’t need to be on the practice court to understand what we’re doing.”

Mason, Few honored

The Associated Press named Kansas’ Frank Mason its Player of the Year and Gonzaga’s Mark Few the Coach of the Year in awards announced Thursday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

For Mason, that made for a trip to Phoenix full of mixed emotions, after the Jayhawks were eliminated by Oregon in the Elite Eight last weekend.

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“It was very difficult,” he said. “You know, I didn’t plan on doing this. My goals and our goals as a team were to be here as a family. I expected to be here with my teammates and coaches.”

Lonely banner

Oregon is hoping to make an improvement to Matthew Knight Arena that even Nike boss Phil Knight can’t do: Put another banner inside the arena.

The Ducks broke out their 1939 championship trophy to show the players this week, and center Jordan Bell said it was motivational.

“I had never seen it before,” Bell said. “It’s definitely to show us that our school only had that one little banner so we definitely want to add to that and get another banner up there, continue with Oregon success.”

Media distractions

Ducks coach Dana Altman opened his news conference Thursday by saying how difficult it is to keep his team in routine with all the media attention — meaning mandatory press conferences on Thursday and Friday.

Then just four questions into his news conference, Altman was asked if he regrets anything about the way Oregon handled the dismissal of three players who were subject to rape allegations in March 2014.

“No. I’m comfortable with the way we handled it,” Altman said. “It was three years ago. But I think in retrospect everything was handled correctly.”

According to the Oregonian, three UO players (two active) were accused of rape on March 8, 2014, and the two active players played in the NCAA tournament but were dismissed in May.

Surprise visit

Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant made a surprise visit with Oregon and Gonzaga players upon their arrival in Phoenix.

“Our jaws hit the floor,” Gonzaga forward Zach Collins said. “Our coach told us somebody was going to talk to us about mentality. The last person we thought was gonna walk through there was Kobe. He’s a great dude. Took pictures with us, gave us shoes.”

Bell said it was “crazy” that the Ducks had a chance to listen to him, too.

“He said some things I’ve heard before but when Kobe says it, you kind of take it to heart,” Bell said. “Everything he said I took to heart.”