Basketball

This is amazing ... the University of North Carolina player who hit the game-winning shot against Kentucky was IN CLASS hours after the game ... and got a standing ovation from his classmates.

Luke Maye was in his Business 101 class on Monday when the professor called him out -- and everyone stood up and applauded.

What's even more impressive ... the video was shot at 8 AM. The team flight reportedly didn't even land back in NC until midnight.

Salute.

Master P says he's ready for the NBA -- as an assistant coach -- and he's laser-focused on making it happen with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Austin Rivers is engaging in some serious generational smack talk with his dad, Doc ... saying he'd beat the hell out of his pops in a 1-on-1 game ... even when Doc was at the top of his game.

Austin currently plays for his dad on the Clippers, but before that Doc was an All-Star player in NBA. So when we got Austin out at Catch, we had to ask who'd win an all Rivers battle if both guys were young.

"I'm whooping that ass every time."

We got Doc a little later and asked the same question -- he said Austin would win because he's "old" now ... which tells us he fully didn't get the scenario and thinks a young him would bust his kid's ass.

D'Angelo Russell is the best young player in the NBA ... as in playa, playa, play on playa, 'cause the dude's got a brand new lady love, and she's absolutely surface-of-the-sun hot.

The Lakers star is dating 25-year-old Janay Bankston, an ex-volleyball player at Cal State Stanislaus ... did we mention she's beautiful?

You might remember DLo's former gf Nicki Withers was also a college volleyball player, so dude's definitely got a type.

Xavier's got Bill Murray ... South Carolina's got Darius Rucker!

The Gamecocks' superfan -- and proud USC alum -- says he's fired up about Friday's big game against Baylor ... and says he's very confident the squad will roll on to the Final Four.

Rucker isn't a casual fan ... he's one of the team's biggest supporters and breaks down why the Gamecocks have an edge over the Baylor Bears.

South Carolina head coach Frank Martin is putting the entire NCAA tournament ON NOTICE ... saying his Gamecocks squad is capable, and ready to win the whole thing.

The 'Cocks upset Duke in the 2nd round -- and when TMZ Sports talked with Martin he assured us one thing ... the carnage isn't over.

"We have a lotta confidence. We've put in the time. We can beat anybody."

As far as the Duke win, Martin says he's not surprised at all his squad tripped up the Blue Devils, 'cause he doesn't think anyone is better than his guys.

Bill Murray was all sorts of LIT after Xavier (11) knocked out Arizona (2) from the NCAA tourney Thursday night ... because his son is an assistant coach on the team!

Luke Murray has been with X since 2015 -- and his famous dad was right in the crowd as the Muskesteers took down the Wildcats at the SAP Center in San Jose.

Bill danced. He pumped his fist. He totally messed up his friend's hair.

Next up ... in the Elite Eight.

By the way, Murray is also a die-hard Cubs fan. So, yeah, he's having a good year.

Movie star and UCLA basketball fan Michael Pena has a question for LaVar Ball ... and he's using TMZ Sports to ask.

Pena was out in NYC promoting his new movie, "CHiPs," when we talked to him about the NCAA tourney, and specifically his UCLA Bruins who are rollin' right now.

Any conversation about UCLA, of course, turns to Lonzo Ball and his father, LaVar ... the man who just keeps making headlines with his outrageous statements.

This is AWESOME!!!

One of the Harlem Globetrotters took over for that famous HANDSHAKE TEACHER in North Carolina ... and welcomed every single one of his students with their own custom greeting!!

It all went down this week at Ashley Park PreK-8 School in Charlotte -- where Zeus filled in for Mr. Barry White Jr. ... the teacher who went viral with his students for their morning shake routine!

Zeus -- who's in town for the Globetrotters game on Saturday -- did a pretty bang-up job before dropping some life knowledge on the kids inside the classroom.

LeBron James is firing back at LaVar Ball -- warning the outspoken basketball dad to STOP talking about the James kids ... or else.

James is clearly furious with LaVar for recent comments he made ... in which he said LeBron's kids (LeBron Jr. is 12, Bryce is 9) are going to have a tough road ahead of them.

"It's going to be hard for [LeBron's] kids because they are going to look at them like, 'You got to be just like your dad,'" LaVar told Chris Broussard this month.

"And after a while, that pressure starts sitting on you like, 'Why do I got to be just like him? What can't I just be me?' And then they are going to be like, 'Aw, you're soft, you're not that good.' Because the expectation is very, very high."

Well, LeBron didn't take kindly to LaVar's public analysis.

"Keep my kids' name out of your mouth," LeBron told ESPN ... "Keep my family out of your mouth."

"This is dad to dad. It's a problem now."

"He can talk all about his brand, talk about his sons, talk about basketball, talk about me. But keep my family out of this."

LeBron wasn't finished ... he actually had a compliment for LaVar's son, Lonzo Ball.

The high school basketball ref who went viral for throwin' down CRAZY DUNKS after working a prep tournament tells TMZ Sports ... he's got a lot more where that came from!!!

If you haven't seen the video ... stop.

Watch right now.

Tim Huskisson was in full stripes when he grabbed a ball and executed a windmill alley-oop, a tomahawk and more. The 11,000 people at the Missouri tournament lost their minds!

The 24-year-old -- who played college ball at the University of Northern Colorado -- tells us it was the kids who encouraged him to put on the aerial show ... but he waited until the tournament was over so he wouldn't take the spotlight off the athletes (dope, right?).

Now the video's everywhere ... Tim says he's hoping he can parlay his fame into a guest segment on the 'Ellen' show.

LaVar Ball is putting way too much pressure on his kids ... and it's not fair to them -- so says NFL star Victor Cruz.

The ex-NY Giants superstar clearly understands what it takes to dominate as a pro athlete -- and believes the crazy statements LaVar's been making ain't helpin' his 3 boys.

Here's a treat for all you North Carolina fans ... video of a totally bummed out Kyrie Irving licking his Blue Devil wounds after his alma mater was eliminated from the tourney.

Duke went down to South Carolina Sunday night ... and when we got Irving out in L.A. he told us the loss hurt him, 'cause he thought the guys had a chance to win it all.

Irving played for Coach K back in 2010 (for all of 12 games) but even though he's killing it in the NBA right now it's clear from the clip he still bleeds blue.

LaVar Ball is now taking aim at the OTHER big college hoops star projected to go #1 in the NBA Draft ... saying Markelle Fultz ain't worthy of the top spot -- because he's not a winner.

Draft experts have been debating whether it'll be LaVar's kid Lonzo Ball or University of Washington star Markelle Fultz who'll get the top honor at the NBA Draft in June.

But LaVar tells TMZ Sports it's a no-brainer -- Lonzo wins. Markelle doesn't.

LaVar's point ... Lonzo was a key reason UCLA chalked up a 29-4 record this year. Markelle led Washington to a 9-22 season.

"If you got a kid that makes everybody better, you mean to tell me you wouldn't take him over a guy that's averaging 40 points but the team's losing?? If you wanna winner, you pick my boy."

"Look what he did to UCLA. They 15-17 last year. You bring one dude and change the culture that's what you want, it's not Lonzo's passing and shooting that's his great gift, it's the winning."

Look at the bright side Markelle ... by being called out by LaVar you just joined a list that includes Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.

Repeating as NCAA champs is nearly impossible ... so does Villanova have a shot? Jay Wright sure thinks so ... telling TMZ Sports his squad has handled everything thrown at them all year.

Wright admits there was a "hangover" after winning it all last year ... and although he's stoked about finishing this season 31-3, he says it's no lock they'll breeze through the tourney.

"[The NCAA tournament is] a different type of pressure. A different vibe. I think I'm gonna wait 'til our first game to see how we're handling it. But right now it seems pretty good."

FYI -- in the last 40 years, only 2 teams (Florida and Duke) have won back-to-back championships.

Ice Cube says his Hall of Fame wish list for the BIG3 league is Hall of FULL ... claiming he's got all the historic NBA talent he needs to get the new venture poppin'.

It was recently announced that Dr. J will be joining the league as a coach ... a huge get for the young league, 'cause Doc is a Mount Rushmore-type NBA legend.

So when we got Cube out in NYC braving the winter storm, we had to ask if there are more big names he wants to coach.

The answer? Not really. Cube tells our guy they have all the legends they need, then runs off a list of names that are pretty damn impressive.