Serena Williams (Getty Images)

Three games into Friday's one-sided U.S. Open semifinal between Serena Williams and Sara Errani, CBS analyst John McEnroe figured the outcome was already a foregone conclusion.

McEnroe began evaluating Williams' chances in Saturday's final against top-seeded Victoria Azarenka, noting that he did not expect tentativeness to be a problem for the American star.

A 3-0 first-set lead is typically far too early to pencil any player into the next round, but it's hard to blame McEnroe because of the dominance Williams has displayed in New York the past 10 days. She has steamrolled opponents with astonishing ease, a streak that continued Friday with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over an overmatched Errani.

Even though Williams is a year older than Kim Clijsters when she retired last week and just a few months younger than Andy Roddick when he played his last match Wednesday, the 30-year-old American remains the most dominant force in women's tennis. She won Wimbledon, captured gold at the Olympics and stands one victory away from her 15th grand slam singles title.

Rather than waste words trying to sum up Williams' dominance, it's easier to allow some numbers to do it. Here's a by the numbers look at how untouchable Williams has been so far during the U.S. Open.

The Superdome in New Orleans hosted the 2012 Final Four (Getty Images)

Sixteen years after the Final Four last took place in anything besides cavernous domed football stadiums, the NCAA has apparently begun looking into more intimate venues for its showcase basketball event.

ESPN.com reported Thursday night that the NCAA and the men's basketball selection committee have discussed the possibility of playing the Final Four in an arena in a major metropolitan city. Such a move couldn't happen until at least 2017 because the next four Final Fours are booked for domes in Atlanta, Arlington, Indianapolis and Houston.

The upside to going back to arenas would be that the more intimate setting is more conducive to basketball and would give the NCAA greater ability to host the event in destination cities like Los Angeles or New York. Of course, the downside would be that as much as 50,000 fewer tickets would be available to the general public, sending prices skyrocketing.

To get a better idea how players might feel about such a change, Yahoo! Sports spoke to four guys who have played in Final Fours about the topic. Ex-Kentucky guard Jeff Sheppard, ex-Michigan State forward A.J. Granger, former VCU guard Joey Rodriguez and current Butler center Andrew Smith each weigh in on that topic below.

The NCAA is considering having NBA-style arenas host the Final Four in the future rather than domed football stadiums. Do you have a preference?

SHEPPARD: I lean toward the big venues. I think the Final Four is a special event, and what makes it so special is it being in a football stadium with the bright lights on you. I've always told people it's different playing in the Final Four, different even than playing in the other rounds of the NCAA tournament or in the SEC tournament. I think that's good. I think it helps the event. Also, there are obvious reasons for fans to want to keep it at the bigger arena because they get to get in. It's easier to get a ticket. I can't imagine what kind of price tag they'd put on tickets if they go from 80,000 seats to 20,000. So I'm all for keeping it in the big domes. I love the atmosphere it creates.

Newly renovated Wildcat Coal Lodge (screen shot via CoachCal.com)

If John Calipari loses a recruit to a fellow college basketball juggernaut, it certainly won't be because living conditions at Kentucky were inadequate.

Calipari posted a video on his website Monday giving viewers an MTV Cribs-style tour of Kentucky's newly renovated Wildcat Coal Lodge, which will house the basketball team beginning this school year.

The $7 million privately funded dormitory is located directly adjacent to Kentucky's  practice facility and athletic tutoring facility for maximum convenience. It features everything from a private chef, to plush lounges, to spacious dorm rooms designed with a 7-footer in mind.

Why would this be in compliance with NCAA rules when athletic dormitories typically are not allowed? Well, as Kentucky is careful to note, non-student athletes will also live in the building. NCAA rules indicate at least 50 percent of the residents of every wing or floor of a dorm have to be non-student-athletes for it to be permissible.

Whoever the lucky everyday students are who live in the lodge, it's safe to say they won the housing lottery at Kentucky. Here's a look at some of the extravagant amenities Calipari showcased that are sure to entice potential recruits and dismay opposing coaches.

Jim Calhoun (Getty Images)

There are two schools of thought in explaining why Jim Calhoun has once again allowed the calendar to reach September without publicly revealing whether he will coach UConn next season or announce his retirement.

Taking Calhoun at face value, he's merely giving his body as long as possible to heal from his summer bike accident in hope he feels healthy enough to return to the UConn bench. Taking a more cynical school of thought, perhaps he also has a bit of an ulterior motive.

Calhoun has stated many times he believes UConn assistant Kevin Ollie should succeed him whenever he does retire, but it's no secret first-year athletic director Warde Manuel prefers to keep his options open.

Well, if Calhoun retires in mid-to-late September, Manuel will have little choice but to hand the reins to someone within the program on an interim basis. And if that person is Ollie and he meets or exceeds what would be modest expectations next season, Manuel might face pressure to reward him with a long-term contract.

Some will inevitably question whether Calhoun should be holding the program hostage, but the UConn administration would be wise not to pick a fight. Not only has Calhoun earned the right to choose how he retires with his three national championships, it's also critical for the Huskies he leaves on good terms and remains part of the program in some capacity.

What's more, who's to say Calhoun's wrong about Ollie being the best choice for the job? Maybe there's an external candidate with head coaching experience and an impeccable track record who will blow Manuel away, but Ollie has played and coached under Calhoun and been instrumental in keeping recruiting on track despite the uncertainty at the top of the program.

Oscar Pistorius congratulates Jonnie Peacock after Thursday's raceOscar Pistorius ran the same time in the T44 100-meter finals Thursday in London as he did four years ago in Beijing.

In 2008, 11.17 seconds earned him Paralympics gold. In 2012, it was merely good enough for fourth place.

Great Britain's Jonnie Peacock won one of the showcase races of the Paralympics in a speedy 10.90 seconds, outclassing U.S. sprinter Richard Browne (11.03 seconds) and South Africa's Arnu Fourie (11.08). Pistorius has now failed to defend two of his Paralympics titles from Beijing, having already finished second in the 200 meters Sunday.

That Pistorius came up short in the 100 meters is a testament to the progress Paralympic sprinters have made the past four years. Whereas Pistorius swept all three individual sprints in Beijing, other competitors have since improved to the point where they can challenge him and even beat him in his weaker events.

Pistorius, known as "Blade Runner" because of his two carbon fiber prosthetic legs, often falls behind at the start of races because his springy blades force him to pop straight up out of the blocks rather than driving out low and reducing wind resistance. A long sprint like his trademark 400 meters provides him ample time to recover from an early deficit, but the start is much more crucial in the 100.

Give Pistorius credit for accepting defeat with far more grace Thursday than he did four days earlier after placing second to Brazil's Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira in the 200.

Jabari Bird (Getty Images)

As soon as Salesian High standout Jabari Bird announced Wednesday afternoon he'd be attending Cal next season, Bears fans began dreaming of the possibilities he could be the lynchpin for a decorated class.

Could Bird's commitment make Cal more attractive to fellow highly touted Bay Area high school seniors Aaron Gordon (Arch Bishop Mitty in San Jose) and Marcus Lee (Deer Valley High in Antioch)? Is it possible all three could play together for Cal like they have on various summer travel teams during junior high and high school?

"I'm sure it has come up in conversation because they know each other really well," said Lechet Phillips, Lee's coach at Deer Valley. "A possibility? Anything's possible. I'm sure they would love to play together because I've watched them when they do and they smile a lot, they enjoy each other's skill set and honestly they really complement each other. But I think each of them have good relationships with different schools and they'll all make decisions on what's best for them."

The possibility of even two of the three wearing a Cal jersey is tantalizing for Bears fans.

Bird, a 6-foot-6 wing rated No. 20 in his class by Rivals.com, boasts a smooth jump shot, elite athleticism and the ability to finish at the rim. Lee, a 6-foot-9 big man rated No. 15 by rivals, is a gifted shot blocker and rebounder whose offensive repertoire is rapidly developing. And Gordon, a 6-foot-8 forward and consensus top-five player nationally, combines unmatched athleticism with relentlessness going after loose balls or attacking

Lee and Gordon both visited Cal with Bird this past weekend, but Bird still has a lot of work to do to get either to join him in Berkeley. Lee has drawn scholarship offers from the likes of Louisville, Indiana, Duke and Kansas. And Gordon has been thought to be very high on Washington for a while.

Saint Mary's guard Matthew Dellavedova played for Australia in the Olympics (Getty Images)

In three standout seasons as starting point guard for Saint Mary's, reigning WCC player of the year Matthew Dellavedova has proven he can thrive against some of the best guards in college basketball.

This summer, he showed he can also handle a step up in competition.

Not only was Dellavedova one of only two current college players who competed at the Olympics, he also won the starting point guard role for the Australian national team. Dellavedova logged 26 or more minutes in all six games he played and averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 assists, helping the Aussies win their final three games of pool play and reach the quarterfinals.

Falling short of a medal was a disappointment for Dellavedova, but he still calls the Olympics the best experience of his life. He chatted with me this week about his favorite memories of London, what it was like playing Team USA and how the experience will help him entering his senior season at Saint Mary's.

JE: I know you were very excited for the Olympics prior to leaving for London. Did the experience live up to your expectations?

MD: It has always been a dream and a goal of mine to play in the Olympics since I was a kid. I didn't really know what to expect, but it definitely exceeded any expectations I could have had. It was the best experience of my life And to do it with a bunch of unbelievable guys made it even better.

Ricardo Ledo (Rivals.com)Providence received the news it was dreading Wednesday evening when the NCAA ruled top recruit Ricardo Ledo academically ineligible to play next season.

Now the Friars have to hope Ledo will live up to his word and remain on campus long enough to don a Friars uniform during the 2013-14 season.

Ledo, Rivals.com's No. 6 recruit in the nation, told GoLocalProv.com earlier this week that he intends to stay at Providence no matter how the NCAA ruled, but there's no question he has other options if he loses patience practicing but not playing. He could play professionally overseas for a season, go to the D-League or even practice with Providence for the year before entering the NBA draft.

"I am happy to be a student at Providence College," Ledo said in a statement. "It has always been a dream of mine to represent PC and I am looking forward to my days as a student-athlete."

It would certainly allow Ledo to get some stability in his life if he stays at Providence for a couple years or more. He attended four different high schools the last five years for both academic and athletic reasons, making his transcript a challenge for NCAA officials to decipher.

Whether Ledo stays or goes will have a big impact on second-year Providence coach Ed Cooley's attempt to transform the Friars into Big East contenders. Cooley had hoped to have Providence in the NCAA tournament next season, but that goal seems more remote now with Ledo unable to play and fellow top recruit Kris Dunn out until January with an offseason shoulder injury.