Mashup: Gov. calls UConn ban 'outrageous'

The NCAA on Thursday denied the UConn men's basketball team's final appeal of its ban from the 2013 NCAA tournament due to its failure to meet recently instituted academic standards. UConn argued that it has shown improvement over the past two seasons, but the NCAA wouldn't budge.

The school said it's hoping the rule will be changed in time for it to submit more recent test scores.

"While we as a university and coaching staff clearly should have done a better job academically with our men's basketball student-athletes in the past, the changes we have implemented have already had a significant impact and have helped us achieve the success we expect in the classroom," coach Jim Calhoun said in a statement. "We will continue to strive to maintain that success as we move forward."

Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy called the NCAA's rejection "absolutely outrageous."

"It's as if they've decided to get UConn, one way or the other," he told The Associated Press. "UConn should have done a better job. But in point of fact, they are doing a better job. The results are already there. You know, grade the test."

Read more about that story and others -- including the odd interaction between Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and center Dwight Howard -- plus check out videos, trivia and more, at Friday's Morning Mashup [1].