NCAA

It's a good thing John Kasich ain't gonna be in the Browns' war room at the draft next month ... 'cause as much as he loves Sam Darnold, the Ohio Gov. says he has no clue if he's the guy for Cleveland.

TMZ Sports spoke with Kasich -- our unofficial Ohio sports analyst -- about who the Browns should take with the No. 1 overall pick ... and he says the experts have him 2nd-guessing his love for the USC star.

BTW -- Darnold CRUSHED his pro day (in the rain!!) on Wednesday ... and now there's buzz he's a lock for the top pick.

Here's high school basketball phenom Shareef O'Neal going deep on one of the hottest topics in basketball -- the NBA age limit (19) ... which screws some players and helps others.

'Reef gets that not everyone grew up with Shaq money and some players need to get those life-changing checks ASAP, instead of spending a year playing for free.

"They might just do that to feed their families," Shareef told TMZ Sports. "I think that's why a lot of kids go 1-and-done."

But he also thinks NCAA basketball is the best way to prepare players for the pros -- and he points to the current NBA rookie class ... guys like Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum -- who are holding their own with the best in the world.

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about finding alternatives to the NCAA -- even LaVar Ball's trying to get in on the action -- but 'Reef argues that 1 year of college education is better than none.

"I think they should just leave it how it is ... college gets kids ready for the NBA," O'Neal said.

FYI, Shareef previously told us he would be 1-and-done too despite being comfortable financially ... but now, it seems like he ain't so sure.

Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer is letting the world know he's been CHEATED by father time, saying the HUGE money that the football coaches are making now should've been his ... and he's got PROOF.

Switzer was on Capitol Hill wheelin' and dealin' with the Washington types (on behalf of search and rescue dogs) when we asked him about the insane salaries some NFL players are making.

That's not what Barry wanted to talk about, though -- 'cause he let loose on what the guys in the headsets are making ... and how he feels like he got the short end of the money stick.

"What about the coaches?! The salaries these damn coaches are getting! I got paid $24k a year, went 32-1-1, won 2 national championships, 2 undefeated seasons back-to-back ... I didn't even get a bonus! We were on probation (at Oklahoma)."

Just for some comparison, Jimbo Fisher, who has 1 national title, just signed a 10-year $75 MILLION contract to bolt Florida State and head to Texas A&M.

Donald Trump (45) won't do one ... but Barack Obama (44) is still filling out his March Madness bracket -- and he's picking Michigan State -- a 3 seed -- to win it all!!!

"Just because I have more time to watch games doesn’t mean my picks will be better," Obama wrote ... "but here are my brackets this year."

So, who's he got? There are some upsets in there including Loyola-Chicago (11) over Miami (6).

He also has Texas (10) over Nevada (7).

Obama also has Syracuse (11) beating Arizona State in the playoff game and then beating TCU (6).

His Final Four -- Virginia (1), North Carolina (2), Villanova (1) and Michigan State (3).

The official tournament starts Thursday.

Of course, President Obama went to Harvard ... but they suck at basketball and didn't make the NCAA tourney.

Trump's White House ain't playin' when it comes to March Madness -- so says Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, who tells TMZ Sports a "very high stakes" pool is ON for the tourney.

You might remember -- Donald caused quite a stir last year when he broke Obama's tradition and didn't fill out a bracket.

So ... does this Oval Office pool signal a change of heart for POTUS??

Raj wouldn't say ... but he did reveal his pick -- and told us D.C.'s other power players are split on who's going all the way.

Billionaire dude Alec Gores says Barack Obama's "NBA Junior" idea ain't gonna work ... and if the NBA and NCAA want to fix college basketball there's only one way -- PAY THE PLAYERS!!

Gores is worth a cool $2 bil so, when we got him out on the town in L.A., we wanted to know if he thought it was time for another billion dollar entity -- the NCAA -- to break bread with their players.

"Absolutely they should pay," Gores said ... "It will reduce corruption, they should get paid. Period, end of the story."

Obama has floated the idea the NBA should create a junior league for younger players -- and when we asked Gores about that he showed the ex-Prez absolutely ZERO love.

"No. I don't like that."

Forget Mel Kiper or Todd McShay, it's time for Johnny Manziel's draft analysis -- on a street corner in West Hollywood.

Manziel was leaving Craig's with his fiancee Bre Tiesi (in a sick car, BTW) and we asked him who should go #1 in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Johnny is clearly a fan of Saquon Barkley -- the star running back from Penn State -- with Manziel telling us ... "He's a beast. I'm pulling for him."

Remember Mustafa Shakur?

He was a BEAST at the University of Arizona back in the day -- and now he's going to bat for hoops coach Sean Miller ... telling people to STOP assuming he's guilty of paying recruits!

"I think we have to go by innocent until proven guilty," Shakur says ... "can't assume anything!"

Miller has adamantly denied discussing plans to pay $100,000 to Deandre Ayton -- despite an ESPN report that the conversation was captured on an FBI wiretap.

Shakur not only praises the university for sticking by Miller -- but also says the scandal could actually MOTIVATE the team to kill it in the NCAA tourney.

We'll see ... in the meantime, check out this Shakur highlight.

DeAndre Jordan says the NCAA should absolutely pay its players ... and if they do, a crappy salary won't cut it.

We got DJ out at Poppy over the weekend, and the Clippers All-Star didn't shy away from our question about pay for play ... joining guys like Carmelo Anthony and Lonzo Ball who've called for change in college hoops.

As for how much they should rake ... DeAndre didn't go full LaVar, but he did call for them to earn more than millions of Americans do every year.

University of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller just came out swinging against allegations he tried to pay a top recruit $100,000 to play for him ... saying, "I have done nothing wrong."

Miller appeared at a news conference Thursday to address reports that FBI wiretaps show he discussed making a $100,000 payment to lock up high school phenom Deandre Ayton.

"I have never paid a recruit to come to Arizona," Miller said ... who adds he also never DISCUSSED paying a recruit.

In short, Miller says the allegations are inaccurate, false and defamatory.

"I have never knowingly violated NCAA rules while serving as head coach at this great program."

Miller says he was approached with the suggestion of paying a recruit at one point during his career at U of A ... but he did NOT agree to pay the recruit and that player did not end up at the school.

Let's stop pretending D-1 college basketball players are just student athletes -- they're PROS who deserve to get paid already ... so says Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin.

Bevin just WENT OFF about the current state of college basketball -- slamming the way the NCAA treats players ... and explaining why the concept of amateurism in top-tier college sports is a lie.

"It's a multi-BILLION industry in America, college athletics ... and yet we're pretending these kids are just student athletes? Come on."

That said ... Bevin is a huge fan of college basketball and sports in general -- he just wants the players to be treated fairly.

"I firmly believe that for top-tier D-1 programs, these kids should get paid. They're professional athletes, for us to pretend otherwise is ridiculous."

He also referred to the top-tier programs as the "minor leagues of professional sports."

Charles Barkley says college basketball is still GREAT because it helps black kids get a free college education -- and he dismisses the NCAA recruiting scandals as a few bad apples.

"The NCAA has some issues," Barkley told Adam Glyn in NYC ... "but what about all those kids who got to go to college for free?!"

"There's a few guys who are corrupt, I understand that. But, I always look at the big picture."

"I want all them young black kids getting their free education!"

The NCAA has been under fire recently after several high-profile players and programs were allegedly involved in schemes to pay players ... sometimes the payments reached 6 figures.

As for how Barkley would fix the system -- he says it's not as simple as just saying, "Pay the athletes."

"I don't know how to pay 'em. Who do you pay? Do you pay the basketball team? You pay the football team? You pay the girls teams? It's not that simple."

Shaquille O'Neal and his family were so excited for Shareef to commit to UCLA last night -- they made a victory family dance video!!!

We told you first ... Shareeef was leaning toward signing with the Bruins after decommitting from the University of Arizona following a recruiting scandal involving the head coach.

Well, Tuesday night, Reef -- one of the best high school hoops players in the country -- made it official ... and his mother Shaunie couldn't be happier (he'll be close to home!).

Then ... the family dance party broke out.

Shaq also posted a message about his son's decision -- "My baby @shareefoneal decided he’s gonna be a Bruin."

"Me and your mom @shaunieoneal5 are proud of you dude. This is the first of many steps to fulfill your dreams. #prouddad."

Here's a reason to 8-clap ... Shareef O'Neal is "leaning toward signing with UCLA" after pulling his commitment to the University of Arizona ... sources tell TMZ Sports.

O'Neal -- the high school superstar son of Shaquille O'Neal -- decommitted from Arizona over the weekend after reports surfaced that Arizona coach Sean Miller was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing making a $100,000 payment to a huge recruit.

Shareef is one of the best high school players in the country -- and the move made top programs around the country salivate at the mouth hoping to score a top prospect who has absolutely NO REASON to be involved in a pay-for-play scandal (his family's got way too much money for that).

Multiple sources connected to O'Neal tell us he's been considering a couple different schools -- mostly Pac-12 programs -- but right now, UCLA is in the lead.

The NBA's 1-and-done rule is "complicated" and objectionable" and has got to go ... so says ESPN star Michael Wilbon -- but he definitely stopped short of calling it "racist."

We got the "Pardon The Interruption" host leaving Craig's in L.A. -- and asked him about Stan Van Gundy's recent comments about the league's 1-year collegiate mandate being racist ... since most athletes it's holding back are black.

"The '1-and-done' is complicated and it's not good and its gonna go away," Wilbon said ... "I don't know if it's racist or not, but it's objectionable."

The complication? Wilbon points out that such a high percentage of college and pro basketball players are black ... suggesting people arguing against the rule might be able to twist the numbers to make their argument.

Think DeSean Jackson's over the beef with Chip Kelly?

Nope.

The NFL star was at LAX when he was asked about his old Philadelphia Eagles coach -- but before the photog could finish the question, D-Jack shut him down.

"We don't even talk about that dude," DeSean said about Kelly ... "He's a weirdo. He's a big-time weirdo."

Of course, Kelly cut D-Jack in 2014 -- and Jackson was PISSED about it.

He's since blamed Kelly for ruining the Eagles by getting rid of a bunch of superstars including LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin ... and said Kelly's 2016 firing was essentially "karma."