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Anyone who walked by the fountain in Lexington's Triangle Park outside Rupp Arena on Wednesday afternoon probably assumed the University of Kentucky was the victim of an elaborate rivalry prank.

Believe it or not, however, the fountain's blood-red water isn't the brainchild of a clever Louisville or Indiana fan. Instead, it's merely a promotion gone wrong.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Downtown Lexington Corporation tried to temporarily dye the water pink to promote the airing of the '80s classic Pretty in Pink on Friday evening in the park. The event is the first in the Fountain Films on Friday series during which free movies will be shown once a week in the park this summer.

The sight of so much red water outside the home of Kentucky basketball has elicited very different responses from Kentucky and Louisville fans.

"Why is the water in the fountain at Triangle park red?" wrote a Kentucky fan on Twitter. "If they wanted to color it, shouldn't it be BLUE!?!?!"

Countered Mike Rutherford of the Louisville fan site Card Chronicle: "I'm not saying God did this, but I'm also not saying God didn't do this."

(Thanks, @BDawsonRivals)

When the Missouri Valley Conference agreed to an annual league-wide challenge with the Mountain West four years ago, its hope was the event would ease some of the struggles its top teams have scheduling marquee non-conference games.

Unfortunately, this year's event does little to accomplish that goal.

Preseason Valley favorite Creighton draws Mountain West also-ran Boise State despite returning All-American Doug McDermott and nine of its top 10 players from last year's 28-win team. Fellow Valley contenders Wichita State and Illinois State also received unappealing matchups at Air Force and home against Wyoming respectively.

Why would the Valley waste an opportunity to showcase its top teams rather than pit them against the likes of NCAA tournament contenders UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico or Colorado State? Well, it wasn't entirely by choice. Instead it's partially a result of the rigidity of the four-year agreement the league entered with the Mountain West.

Since no Valley team can play the same Mountain West opponent twice in a four-year cycle and every team needs two games at home and on the road, the options for what matchups the leagues could create this season were limited.

Creighton has previously met San Diego State and New Mexico and required a home game this year, taking UNLV and Colorado State out of the running. Wichita State already met San Diego State and UNLV and needed a road game, meaning that New Mexico wasn't an option.

Still, the current pairings do have some missteps. Why not send Wichita State to a Colorado State team that brings back the core of last year's NCAA tournament team? And Illinois State may not be the draw Wichita State or Creighton is, but the Redbirds probably would have made a better opponent for New Mexico than Indiana State.

What's more, if ever there would have been a year for some flexibility and creativity from the two leagues, this might have been it.

Creighton reportedly is struggling to find quality power-conference teams willing to enter a home-and-home agreement as a result of the Bluejays' formidable roster and home court advantage. Why not send preseason top 20 San Diego State to Omaha instead of to Missouri State? Would anyone really be bothered by seeing a rematch of last year's superb back-and-forth matchup in San Diego?

Missouri Valley associate commissioner Mike Kern said the challenge with the Mountain West will not continue once the original four-year contract expires after next season. Instead the Valley is exploring other potential scheduling arrangements with other leagues or select teams in other leagues.

Whatever arrangement the Valley enters next, it would be great if it was more flexible than the current one with the Mountain West. The event only meets its potential when the leagues have the capability of creating the best matchups every year.

One of the feel-good stories in last year's Mountain West was Wyoming forward Leonard Washington putting his troubled tenure at USC behind him and making the most of his fresh start.

That's why it's unfortunate to see the senior-to-be jeopardizing the good will he built up in Laramie last season because of recent off-the-court issues.

Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt suspended Washington indefinitely April 4 for unspecified team rules violations. Then Tuesday, Washington was sentenced for battery and criminal entry as a result of an April 15 incident in which he allegedly entered a house party without invitation and punched a guest with a closed fist.

An incident like this one isn't all that unusual in college, but Washington's judgment was especially poor considering it happened less than two weeks after his suspension. It's unclear at this point what punishment Washington will face from the Wyoming staff since coach Larry Shyatt has only said he's aware of the situation and monitoring it closely.

Complicating Shyatt's decision is the importance of Washington to a Wyoming team that won 21 games last season against a modest schedule but loses three of its top five scorers to graduation. Washington led Wyoming in scoring and rebounding as a junior, averaging 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds, shooting 56 percent from the floor and displaying the same fiery competitiveness he did at USC without any of the issues that came with it.

At USC, Washington was best known for the punch to the groin he delivered to Oklahoma star Blake Griffin during his freshman season. Washington also began his sophomore year academically ineligible for the fall semester and later clashed with new coach Kevin O'Neill so many times that he was dismissed from the team at the end of the season.

It seemed like Washington was making the most of his second chance last season. Now he'll have to hope he's lucky enough to get a third one.

In the midst of a discouraging offseason featuring early defections, unfounded transfer rumors and a flurry of misses on high-profile recruits, Duke finally received some badly needed good news.

The Blue Devils landed power forward Amile Jefferson, the lone unsigned consensus top 40 recruit in the class of 2012.

Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 McDonald's All-American from Philadelphia, chose Duke over ACC rival NC State, Kentucky, Villanova and Ohio State. Duke made him a priority after the early signing period and put on a full-court press after fellow elite power forward Tony Parker chose UCLA over the Blue Devils.

[Pat Forde: Leading U.S. Olympic team a thankless job for Coach K]

What Jefferson provides Duke next season is a perfect frontcourt complement off the bench to starters Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. Whereas Plumlee is a traditional back-to-the-basket big man and Kelly is a spot-up shooter, Jefferson brings athleticism, length and an ability to score off the dribble that is largely missing from Duke's roster.

The addition of Jefferson to a recruiting class that previously included only guard Rasheed Sulaimon is both a talent and morale boost for Duke. On the heels of an already disappointing first-round exit against Lehigh, the Blue Devils lost Austin Rivers to the NBA draft, learned Andre Dawkins may redshirt the season and failed to land Parker, Shabazz Muhammad and transfer Jordan Clarkson, among others.

[Mike Huguenin: Elite eight ACC newcomers for 2012-13 season]

While North Carolina or NC State is probably still the favorite in what may be a down season in the ACC, Jefferson's presence figures to ensure the Blue Devils remain a contender at the very least.

They lack athleticism or lateral quickness in the backcourt again this year, but they do have a bevy of shooters who cannot be left alone, especially if Dawkins is available. And the frontcourt is deep and talented between Plumlee, Kelly, Jefferson and even redshirt freshmen Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee.

Jefferson needs to put on weight to reach his full potential, but he'll still have the chance to make an immediate impact. He's a likely rotation player next season and a potential centerpiece thereafter.

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For anyone either unable or unwilling to endure the 20 minutes of administrative blather that accompanied VCU's announcement it's headed to the Atlantic 10, here's the gist of school president Michael Rao's justification for the decision.

He believes VCU has outgrown the CAA. He thinks VCU is prepared for a major step up in competition. And he expects the money generated by longterm success in the Atlantic 10 to outweigh the short-term costs of making the switch.

Ultimately that's the gamble the Rams are taking by making the leap next fall to the league generally considered to be the nation's best outside the power six.

Yes, they're forfeiting about $5 million in revenue from their 2011 Final Four appearance.  Yes, they must pay $250,000 exit fee to the CAA and a $700,000 entrance fee to the A-10. Yes, they're driving up annual travel costs about $150,000 by trading a regional league for one with farther-flung programs. But those expenditures eventually will be worthwhile as long as the Atlantic 10's soon-to-be-negotiated TV deal is lucrative and VCU thrives in its new league the way Rao believes it can.

"Sometimes you have to focus on what's in the longterm best interest of your university," Rao said. "One of the things you have to consider is ... how much faith do you have in your ability to win? My faith is very, very high. I believe we will win, and therefore we will be able to do well. The expected returns are far greater than the short-term losses."

VCU will begin competing in the Atlantic 10 in the 2012-13 school year, a decision made out of concern that the CAA would render the Rams ineligible to participate in conference tournaments during their lame-duck season.

What the Atlantic 10 provides VCU basketball that the CAA can't is a league formidable enough to annually earn three or four NCAA tournament bids per year. The CAA has been on an upswing since George Mason's 2006 Final Four run, yet it's only received four at-large bids since 2000 and its league champ, Drexel, missed the NCAA tournament last season despite a gaudy 16-2 conference record.

VCU will have to out-duel the likes of Xavier, Dayton, Saint Louis and Butler to contend for league titles and NCAA tournament berths, but there's no evidence to suggest the Rams aren't capable of that.

Under coaches Jeff Capel and Anthony Grant, VCU made three appearances in the NCAA tournament in six years, notching an opening-round victory over Duke in 2007. The Rams have parlayed increased financial commitment and improved recruiting into even greater strides under current coach Shaka Smart, making the Final Four in 2011 and the round of 32 last season and cracking some early preseason top 25s for next year.

The move to the Atlantic 10 may mark the end of VCU's longstanding rivalries with Old Dominion and George Mason, but a potential two matchups a year with city rival Richmond should help soften the blow. Furthermore, Smart said in a statement that VCU plans "to maintain our key rivalries with CAA teams, now and in the future," suggesting the Rams will at least attempt to schedule the Patriots and Monarchs in annual non-league games.

"We are extremely excited by the opportunity to join the Atlantic 10 Conference," Smart said. "It is a phenomenal league, made up of programs with both rich traditions and recent track records of success."

Maybe the biggest risk in VCU's decision to leave the CAA is the league could be vulnerable to being raided. If the basketball schools in the Big East ever broke off and formed their own league, Xavier, Dayton and perhaps other Atlantic 10 schools would be obvious candidates to receive invitations from that league.

Still, in this age of conference realignment, few decisions are 100 percent safe.

VCU's move to the A-10 doesn't come without risks. But they were risks the Rams had to take.

Graduating from the Louisville School of Dentistry wasn't the most exciting moment of Taraneh Momeni's weekend.

In fact, it was a distant second.

As Momeni walked across the stage after receiving her diploma, Louisville senior guard Kyle Kuric ran up to the podium under the guise that he wanted to snap some photos of his longtime girlfriend's big moment. Instead, Kuric grabbed the microphone and launched into a concise speech, telling the audience, "Sorry to interrupt, but me and her have been dating for about 2 1/2 years. I love her more than anything and I definitely want to be with her for the rest of my life."

With that Kuric, dropped to one knee, unveiled a ring and asked a wobbly-legged Momeni if she'd marry him. She said yes and they shared an embrace, much to the delight of the roaring crowd at the ceremony.

"Well, my entire family was going to be in town and obviously her entire family was going to be in town for this so, we wanted it to be a big family thing," Kuric told WHTV in Louisville. "She had no idea so that just added to it."

Kuric admitted he was extremely nervous sitting through the graduation ceremony and walking up to the stage. Even for a guy who coolly sank some key jumpers in the Final Four last month in front of 70,000 fans, a marriage proposal in front of an audience of only a few hundred is still a stressful, anxious experience.

When Michigan State's Branden Dawson slipped on the Quicken Loans sticker covering the jump ball circle and tweaked a knee in last year's Carrier Classic, both Tom Izzo and Roy Williams used the moment to rail against the treacherous decals.

Said Williams: "If we want to give somebody some publicity, put it on there on TV only and don't put the kids in danger of slipping and sliding."

Said Izzo: "I'll wear logos to support the people who sponsor us. They can paint me. But we have to get rid of the logos for the safety of the players."

It took longer than it should have, but it appears common sense may finally prevail. The men's and women's basketball rules committees announced Monday they've recommended requiring courts be of a consistent surface, meaning temporary decals would be outlawed by next season if the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves the rule change next month.

"The safety of our student-athletes has to come before anything else," said St. Peter's coach John Dunne, the chair of the men's basketball rules committee. "We're seeing players slip on the non-consistent parts of the floor too many times."

"Sometimes it takes a high-profile event to make a rules change. But we don't want to sit back and wait for injuries to happen and then pass the rule."

Credit the rules committee for being proactive because for a while it seemed it would take a torn ACL or a severely sprained ankle to force a rule change. Coaches have complained about the decals for years after watching players lose their footing trying to make a cut on a surface with minimal traction.

The best part is there should be an easy solution that keeps both safety-conscious coaches and publicity-hungry advertisers happy.

TV networks now have the technology to superimpose images on a court that aren't actually visible in the arena. Why not do that with the logo of a sponsor for a preseason tournament? It achieves the same purpose without putting players at risk.

ESPN announced the schedule for next season's Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Monday. Here's a look at each of the games ranked from 1 to 12.

1. North Carolina at Indiana (Nov. 27): The crown jewel of next year's slate pits a pair of blue bloods who haven't faced each-other since 2005. It's a shame it comes one year late for Tyler and Cody Zeller to face one-another, but this will still be a chance to gauge how viable a title contender North Carolina will be despite the loss of four likely first-round draft picks.

2. NC State at Michigan (Nov. 27): What better opportunity for these two preseason top 10 teams to establish themselves as legitimate Final Four contenders than to play each other in November? Michigan blends a vaunted freshman class with returning stars Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. NC State returns the core of a surprise Sweet 16 team and adds top recruits Rodney Purvis, T.J. Warren and Tyler Lewis.

3. Ohio State at Duke (Nov. 28): The last time Ohio State met Duke, the Buckeyes stormed to an 11-0 lead and never wavered, winning 85-63 in Columbus last November. It probably won't be as lopsided this year with the Buckeyes traveling to Durham and losing Jared Sullinger to the NBA and William Buford to graduation.

4. Minnesota at Florida State (Nov. 27): With Trevor Mbakwe back for a sixth year and Rodney Williams, Austin Hollins and Julian Welch all returning as well, Minnesota may be primed to return to the NCAA tournament next March. Winning at Florida State would be an early confidence booster, but it won't be easy because the Seminoles' always-stingy interior defense will be tough to crack.

5. Michigan State at Miami (Nov. 28): Miami narrowly missed the NCAA tournament last March because it lacked enough quality wins. With guard Durand Scott and big men Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji all back for their senior years, the 'Canes will have an opportunity to land a big early win against a Michigan State team headlined by guard Keith Appling and big man Derrick Nix.

6. Virginia at Wisconsin (Nov. 28): What this one will surely lack in points it will make up for with an intriguing storyline. Tony Bennett, who played at Wisconsin Green Bay and began his coaching career under his father at Wisconsin, will return to the Kohl Center sidelines as head coach of Virginia.

7. Iowa at Virginia Tech (Nov. 27): Only twice has Virginia Tech managed to win a game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge: In 2006 and 2009, both against Iowa. The Hokies will get a chance to pull off a hat trick, but it won't be easy because the Hawkeyes return five of their top six scorers from last year's NIT team.

8. Purdue at Clemson (Nov. 28): Clemson lost its top scorers from a team that already wasn't very good at putting the ball in the basket and Milton Jennings is the only returner with any size. If Purdue was going to draw a road game this season, the Boilermakers should feel fortunate they got a winnable one.

9. Maryland at Northwestern (Nov. 27): Northwestern is probably a year removed from its best chance to make its first-ever NCAA tournament. Maryland is probably a year away from returning to national relevance. As a result, this matchup doesn't really move the needle, though it does represent an early chance to see if Terrapins sophomore Nick Faust can emerge as his team's go-to perimeter threat.

10. Georgia Tech at Illinois (Nov. 28): There are years when a matchup between the Yellowjackets and Illini would have been a must-see game. Next year? Probably not. Both Georgia Tech and Illinois are rebuilding.

11. Nebraska at Wake Forest (Nov. 27): Since last year's snoozefest between the Cornhuskers and Demon Deacons was such a thriller, the good folks at ESPN decided to give us a rematch. Perhaps Wake Forest takes some baby steps forward this season and maybe Tim Miles can one day succeed at Nebraska, but this game won't prove much either way.

12. Boston College at Penn State (Nov. 28): Here's the most damning indictment of the worst game on the Big Ten-ACC slate: It's less watchable than Nebraska-Wake Forest. Anyone who makes it through more than five minutes of this one either needs a social life or a medal of valor.

When ex-Kentucky forward Terrence Jones' mom returned home to Portland on Sunday night after spending the day with her son in Los Angeles, she found a final Mother's Day surprise waiting for her.

Parked in front of Linda Mashia-Jones' house was a new Cadillac SRX Crossover with a giant red bow on it.

Jones tweeted a photo of the car while his mom was still en route to Portland, joking with his followers that none of them should call or text her to ruin the surprise. Apparently Mashia-Jones was quite pleased with her gift because her son later tweeted a photo of her smiling next to the car.

"Loved hearing how happy she was," Jones wrote. "Can't wait to watch the video."

Cynics have already questioned where Jones got the money to purchase a car valued at between $36,000 and $55,000, but there's a relatively obvious explanation. Jones reportedly signed with Arn Tellem of the Wasserman Media Group last week. And agents typically give future lottery picks a hefty advance that the players then pay back once they sign their rookie contracts after the draft.

Regardless, for once, let's just celebrate a generous act rather than scrutinizing it. Many players say they're going to use their first paycheck to buy something nice for a family member who raised them. Jones actually followed through with it.

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A bouncer's swollen right eye may result in another black eye for Cincinnati basketball program.

Brian McLucas, a bouncer at PLAY nightclub in Cincinnati, filed a police report Sunday claiming several Bearcats punched and kicked him when he tried to remove them from a VIP table the previous night. McLucas told Fox19 in Cincinnati that he asked the players to leave because they were drinking liquor that didn't belong to them from another party's table, but they refused to cooperate.

"I said you guys need to calm down," McLucas told Fox19. "And whenever I did that I looked to the right of me and right as I looked to the right of me I seen the dude take three quick steps and punch me in the eye."

The incident at the night club comes a mere five months after Cincinnati took part in one of the worst brawls in recent college basketball history in the final seconds of a loss to rival Xavier last season. Four players from each team were suspended including Cincinnati's Yancy Gates, whose right hand to the face of an unsuspecting Kenny Frease bloodied the Xavier center.

It's important to note we've only heard one side of the story from Saturday night's incident and we don't know which Cincinnati players (if any) were involved, yet this isn't the sort of publicity the team needs if it turns out to be true.

Coach Mick Cronin and his players helped heal the wound from the brawl last winter with their exemplary behavior and on-court success. Backlash from an incident like this can only undermine some of that progress.

Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock released a statement late Monday morning urging fans not to rush to judgment yet promising to hold players accountable if necessary.

"It is a privilege to play for and represent UC. It is not a right," Babcock said. "We have made great strides in our program and this type situation is not what UC athletics is about or will be about. As of now, to my understanding, there are no charges filed, only accusations. We will next comment after we have had time to gather facts and our process moves along or is completed."