Numbers to Know: National title game

In a season of upsets and Cinderella stories, we are down to the final game of the season for the national title, pitting a team ranked second (Louisville) and a team ranked fifth (Michigan) in the AP preseason poll.

The last time we had a national championship game between two teams ranked in the top 5 of the AP preseason poll was 2008, when Kansas beat Memphis in overtime. Let’s hope Monday night’s contest between the Cardinals and Wolverines is just as exciting as that game five years ago.

It’s been a while

Both Michigan and Louisville are among the elite college basketball programs of the past several decades, but it’s been a while since either has hoisted the national championship trophy.

Louisville is appearing in its first title game since 1986, when Pervis Ellison led the Cardinals to the championship.

Michigan is in the final game for the first time since the Fab Five made back-to-back appearances in 1992-93 (which were later vacated), and is looking for its first title since 1989.

Strength vs. strength 

This is a classic strength vs. strength matchup between the nation’s top-ranked teams in adjusted offensive efficiency (Michigan) and adjusted defensive efficiency (Louisville), per Kenpom.com.

Louisville’s defense is built on a swarming press that forces turnovers on 27 percent of its opponents' possessions, the second-highest rate in the nation. However, its defensive turnover rate has been below 20 percent in each of its past three games of the tournament.

Michigan ranks first in Division I in offensive turnover percentage (14.5%) and has shown the ability to handle a pressure defense. The Wolverines had a turnover rate of 18 percent against VCU, which leads the country in defensive turnover percentage at 28 percent.

What’s at stake 

Michigan is trying to be the second No. 4 seed to win the national title. The other was Arizona in 1997, which defeated a top-seeded Kentucky team coached by Rick Pitino. 

The Wolverines are also trying to improve on their 1-4 record in national championship games, which is tied for the worst among all schools that have played at least three games.

Louisville is seeking to be the third No. 1 overall seed to win the title since the NCAA began the designation in 2004, joining Florida in 2007 and Kentucky last year. The Cardinals would also be the eighth school to win at least three national championships.

Rick Pitino is the fourth head coach to take multiple teams to the national championship game, along with Larry Brown, Frank McGuire and Roy Williams (John Calipari’s title game appearance with Memphis was vacated).

If Louisville wins, Pitino would be the first men’s coach in NCAA Division I history to win a national title with two different schools.

Source: ESPN

Gabby Giffords at DNC

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whose political career was cut short when she was seriously wounded by a gunman at a constituent event on Jan. 8, 2011, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night to lead the crowd in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

With her longtime friend and colleague, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., by her side, Giffords fought her way through the oath in a spirited but at times slurred voice, as conventioneers, many in tears, joined her before exploding into applause.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker tweeted:

"Ok, now Gabby Giffords just made me cry. What a testimony to strength, resilience, perseverance and beauty!"

She walked haltingly off with the stage with Wasserman Schultz aiding her progress, but all the time flashing a broad smile as supporters stayed on their feet, chanting "Gabby! Gabby!" and, "Fired Up! Ready to go!" during a prolonged ovation.

On Aug. 13, after 17 months at a rehab facility in Houston, Giffords moved back to Tucson, where she continues therapy.

Giffords resigned from Congress in late January.

Source: Associated Press

How to beat the heat? Five tips from Arizona

Phoenicians have learned a thing or two about surviving scorching summer days. And folks in the nation's middle section could use the advice.

St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago and several other Midwest cities already have broken heat records this week or are on the verge of doing so.

The National Weather Service said the record-breaking heat that has baked the nation's midsection for several days was slowly moving into the mid-Atlantic states and Northeast. Excessive-heat warnings remained in place Friday for all of Iowa, Indiana and Illinois as well as much of Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Kentucky.

St. Louis hit a record high of 105 on Wednesday and a record low of 83. In Wisconsin, the coolest Milwaukee and Madison got was 81 in the early morning, beating previous low records by 2 and 4 degrees respectively. Temperatures didn't fall below 79 in Chicago, 78 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and 75 in Indianapolis.

"When a day starts out that warm, it doesn't take as much time to reach high temperatures in the low 100s," said Marcia Cronce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "You know it'll be a warm day when you start out at 80 degrees."

For people in other parts of the country who aren't used to hearing the weather man say, "It'll be cooling down to 105 tomorrow," here are a few unique tips from the Valley of the Sun:

1. Keep your ride cool. Those cumbersome windshield reflectors are your new best friend. And if you have young children, buy an extra one to strap over a car seat to keep metal clasps from heating up in the sun as your car sits in the parking lot. You might even throw an ice pack or frozen water bottle in the seat to keep it cool for little ones while you shop.

2. Get creative about sleeping arrangements. Set up beds on a porch or back yard. Or just sleep in the shade, during the heat of the day.

3. Avoid the sun. Sure, sunscreen helps. But you can avoid it altogether by waking up and doing yard work before sunrise or going for your daily run at midnight.

4. Think before you touch. Any surface that sits in the sun could be hot enough to burn. There's no shame in using pot holders to open doors. Also, carry a towel to put on hot seats, and keep curtains pulled tight to block out the rays.

5. Water is your friend. Drink it. Swim in it. Spray it on your face. In Phoenix, shopping centers and cafes greet visitors by showering them with a fine, cool mist. You can get the same effect by filling a spray bottle with water.

And if all this talk about smoldering temperatures is getting you down, look on the bright side. You can always bake cookies on the dashboard of your car. We really do that.

Credit: Christian Science Monitor