Indiana and Illinois fans have long battled over which campus housed the real Assembly Hall.

That argument is now moot.

Illinois announced Monday afternoon that effective immediately, its venerable 50-year-old basketball arena will be known as State Farm Center. The insurance company struck a $60 million 30-year deal for the naming rights.

The name change predictably hasn't been received well by Illinois fans, many of whom are pledging to still refer to the building by its former name.

"I'm totally gonna call Assembly Hall by its new name, State Farm Center" - no one ever

— abby radasevich (@abbyradd) April 29, 2013

A corporate name change to a hallowed building is an easy target for criticism, but Illinois fans would be wise to remember what they're getting out of this deal. The $60 million will help fund a $160 million in renovations to the arena, a project that should improve the fan experience at Illinois basketball games and aid the recruiting efforts of coach John Groce and his staff.

Grant Gibbs (Getty Images)In addition to Doug McDermott, another Creighton standout may be returning for one more year.

Grant Gibbs, Creighton's third-leading scorer and assists leader, told the Omaha World-Herald the school has hired a law firm to look into the feasibility of him petitioning the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility.

Although Gibbs' five-year clock expired this year, his injury history enables him to make a case to extend his college career. He did not play a minute in two of his five seasons, the first as a result of a shoulder injury as a true freshman at Gonzaga and the second when he sat out after transferring to Creighton in 2010.

“[The law firm] indicated we should have an answer any day now,” Gibbs told the World-Herald. “If they indicate it would be worth pursuing, I would sit down with [coach Greg McDermott] and [Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen] and discuss it.

"If it’s something they would want to pursue, I’d be more than willing."

It's safe to assume Gibbs would have no trouble swaying McDermott or Rasmussen since Creighton would surely be elated to have him back for one more season. The playmaking guard thrived from long range and creating off the dribble this past season, averaging 8.5 points and 5.8 assists and shooting nearly 40 percent from behind the arc.

Thanks to the return of Adreian Payne and Gary Harris, Michigan State will be loaded next season (Getty Images)

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA draft came and went on Sunday. Here's a look at which programs benefited from the return of some high-profile players and which suffered some unexpected losses:

EARLY-ENTRY DEADLINE WINNERS:

1. Michigan State: Freshman guard Gary Harris likely would have been a first-round pick had he opted to enter the NBA draft. Junior forward Adreian Payne had a chance to parlay his strong finish this past season into being selected in the first round as well. Both opted to return to school for one more year instead, all but ensuring Michigan State will start next season in the top three in the polls along with Louisville and Kentucky. Every key player besides Derrick Nix from this past year's Sweet 16 team returns for the Spartans, with point guard Keith Appling, wing Denzel Valentine and forward Branden Dawson likely to join Payne and Harris in a formidable starting lineup.

2. Oklahoma State: Of all the top college players who opted to return to school this spring, Marcus Smart's decision was the most surprising. The dynamic freshman had a chance to be selected in the top five in this year's draft, but he came back to Oklahoma State in hopes of paving the way for a special season next year. With Smart, Markel Brown and Le'Bryan Nash all returning from a team that won 24 games and finished 13-5 in the Big 12, the Cowboys belong in the preseason top 10. They're also a big threat to end Kansas' Big 12 title streak, especially with the Jayhawks losing their entire starting five.

3. Creighton: Doug McDermott's decision to return for his senior year prevents the Bluejays from entering the Big East in rebuilding mode. Had McDermott left, Creighton would have lost its three leading scorers off a team that won 28 games and captured the Missouri Valley title last season. Graduating seniors Gregory Echenique and Grant Gibbs will still be missed, but the Bluejays will have an All-American candidate to build around. Pair the high-scoring McDermott with sweet-shooting Ethan Wragge, steady Jahenns Manigat and dynamic Austin Chatman, and that's a nucleus capable of competing with Georgetown, Marquette and Villanova in the new-look Big East.

Demetrius Harris (screen grab via YouTube)

To Demetrius Harris, the voice message sounded suspiciously like a practical joke.

A man whose voice the Wisconsin-Milwaukee power forward didn't recognize dialed his cell phone in late March and introduced himself as a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs. The scout asked Harris to contact him as soon as possible if the 6-foot-6, 237-pound senior had any interest in trading his high tops for football cleats.

"I had no idea this was coming," Harris recalled. "I listened to the message like five times. I was like, 'I can't believe it. I don't think this is real.'"

It's understandable Harris initially assumed he was the victim of a prank because that explanation seemed more reasonable than an NFL team showing interest in him. Harris was once an all-state receiver and safety as a senior at Jacksonville High School, but the Arkansas native had scarcely even played touch football with his buddies since giving up the sport four years ago to pursue basketball in college.

Skeptical yet intrigued, Harris called the scout back later that day. He learned Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey became aware of his football past as a scout for the Green Bay Packers and made a note in his calendar two years earlier to remind himself not to forget about the promising receiver turned power forward.

Since Harris had little chance of pursuing professional basketball and was only a few months from graduating, he eagerly accepted an invitation to work out for the Chiefs in Milwaukee on April 5. That left him barely a week to prepare for the most important interview of his life, a workout in which he would have to prove to the Chiefs he had the potential to make the same transition from basketball that NFL stars Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham once did.

(AP)Josh Johnson isn't going to get his first win in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform on Friday. That's because Johnson, who came to Toronto as part of the mega-trade with the Miami Marlins, has been scratched from his scheduled start against the New York Yankees with tightness in his right triceps muscle.

Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan was first to break the news Thursday night. Now, on game day, we know more. This via MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm:

[Also: MLB Power Rankings: Rangers climb near top]

The Blue Jays described the move as precautionary, and at least for now Johnson has not been placed on the 15-day disabled list. Left-hander Aaron Laffey will come in from the bullpen to make the spot start. Johnson had gotten off to a slow start this season, and while the extent of the injury is unknown, it could help explain some of his issues.

Rick Pitino shows off his new tattoo (via Kenny Klein)

After his team fell to a pedestrian 7-4 in the Big East with a five-overtime loss to Notre Dame in mid-February, Louisville coach Rick Pitino boosted the Cardinals' spirits by promising to get a tattoo if they won the national championship.

A closer look at Rick Pitino's tattoo (via Kenny Klein)They held up their end earlier this month, so now Pitino has as well.

Louisville sports information director Kenny Klein tweeted the above photos early Friday morning of a shirtless Pitino showing off his fresh ink. The tattoo beneath his left shoulder features a Louisville script "L" logo adorned with the words "2013 NCAA Champions 35-5"

Credit Pitino for not only following through on his promise quickly but also not wimping out with a barely visible tattoo. That "L" takes up prime real estate on his back and appears to be about the size of a wallet.

The only remaining question now is what Pitino will do if the Cards go back-to-back, a real possibility with leading scorer Russ Smith announcing Thursday that he is coming back for his senior season. At

Jon Severe (Screen Shot via Rivals.com)

In the 24 hours since Jon Severe announced Wednesday evening that he would be attend Fordham next fall, the state of New York's reigning Mr. Basketball has heard one question more than any other.

Why?

None of the friends, family members or reporters who have asked Severe that question mean to be disrespectful. They're just genuinely curious why the Christ the King High School standout would choose a struggling program that is 8-72 in the Atlantic 10 the past five years over the likes of Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Rutgers.

"I think I can make a big impact at Fordham," Severe explained Thursday. "I think I can do a lot to help turn around that program.

"I get to stay home and I was comfortable with the coaches. They were just real cool. They recruited me, but they recruited me in a smart way. They weren't telling me, 'come, come, come.' They got to know me more."

[Also: Former Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps has bladder cancer]

Severe won't make Fordham an instant Atlantic 10 contender, but his decision to join the Rams could be a turning point for coach Tom Pecora in his attempt to revitalize a program that hasn't reached the NCAA tournament since 1992. Fordham has finished in the bottom two in the Atlantic 10 each of Pecora's three seasons at the school, though a total of six league wins the past two seasons represents modest improvement since the Rams lost 41 consecutive conference games from Jan. 2009 to March 2011.

Doug McDermott (Getty Images)

It was no surprise Doug McDermott waited until three days before the NBA deadline to figure out whether to enter the draft or not because the Creighton junior had one of the more challenging decisions of any potential prospect.

On the one hand, McDermott had little more to prove by returning to college considering he averaged 23 points per game each of the past two seasons and shot an absurdly high percentage both years. On the other hand, McDermott would be giving up more than most prospects by forgoing his senior year.

In the end, McDermott decided another year playing for his dad and the chance to lead Creighton in its first year in the Big East meant too much to him to give that up. As a result, McDermott announced on Twitter on Thursday evening he intends to return to Creighton for his senior season.

"Just wanted to thank my team, coaches, family, and friends for the support throughout this tough decision," McDermott said in a series of three tweets. "It has been a difficult process. With that being said ... I will be returning to Creighton for my senior year and can't wait to put on that uniform for one more season!"

[Also: Former Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps has bladder cancer]

Thanks to McDermott's decision to delay his NBA dreams one more year, Creighton will enter the Big East as a contender rather than fodder for the league's top teams.

Had McDermott opted to enter the NBA draft this spring, Creighton would have been in rebuilding mode after losing its three leading scorers off a team that won 28 games and captured the Missouri Valley title last season. Graduating seniors Gregory Echenique and Grant Gibbs will still be missed by the Bluejays, but at least they'll have an All-American candidate around which to build.