UConn, Michigan State: No gambling

DETROIT - North Carolina guard Ty Lawson's revelation that he won $250 playing craps after arriving at the Final Four site Wednesday night spurred a barrge of questions about gambling and college athletes during Friday's media session.

Coach Roy Williams said he gave Lawson and teammate Marc Campbell permission to go to the casino, which was legal. Lawson said the media were blowing the issue out of proportion.

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun and Michigan State's players said gambling was forbidden for their teams.

"He just said, 'No gambling,' " Michigan State guard Travis Walton said of Spartans coach Tom Izzo.

"Our curfew has been tight, number one," Calhoun said. "Number two, we told them that (gambling) was off limits."

North Carolina had a 1:30 a.m. curfew Thursday morning after arriving Wednesday night, according to Lawson.

Calhoun went on to say that he didn't see Lawson's gambling as being prolematic because Lawson is of age and playing craps in the casino is legal. Calhoun also addressed his own failure to talk about the NCAA's review of Connecticut.

A Yahoo! Sports report alleged that a former Connecticut team manager who is a sports agent violated NCAA rules with his contact with ex-UConn player Nate Miles.

"The NCAA has put a gag order," Calhoun said. "While they're doing their, not an investigation right now, but a review, they have told us we cannot speak to the facts." -- Ken Tysiac