April 14, 2014 Table Of Contents
SI.com
GOLF PLUS
Just the Splash The LPGA Needed
By Sal Johnson
The Case for ... The Houston Open
THE MAIL
2014 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
After they were banned from the NCAA tournament a season ago, coach Kevin Ollie held the Huskies together by giving them a higher sense of purpose. Then he guided the No. 7 seed to upset after upset—and, with a steely win over Kentucky, to the school's second title in four years
The season may have just ended, but it's never too early to start thinking about which teams will be at the top of the polls next fall
By Seth Davis
PATRICK BEVERLEY
Patrick Beverley: The X-Factor
The Patrick Beverley Experience is pure hell for every opponent, from weekend warriors to NBA stars. Relentlessly disruptive and unapologetically combative, the well-traveled point guard gives the Rockets their edge.
By Lee Jenkins
Six more players whose performances could have an outsized impact on their teams' playoff prospects
By Ben Golliver
NBA
BASEBALL
The economic landscape is set for this season: The Dodgers sit atop the payroll heap, the Marlins at the bottom. But in an era of LONG CONTRACT EXTENSIONS (this spring everyone from Indians catcher Yan Gomes to Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera got one) some teams have players signed through 2024. Here's a season-by-season look at each club's salary commitments over the next decade.
The seven-year, $215 million extension he signed in January didn't just make Clayton Kershaw the game's HIGHEST-PAID PITCHER—it also made him the ninth player the Dodgers must pay at least through 2017. The Giants and the Reds have L.A. beat on long-term commitments, though: They already have payroll obligations through '21 and '24, respectively.
FERRELL BROTHERS
POINT AFTER
By Steve Rushin
Departments
Edited by Jim Gorant
The Committee gave Nicklas Backstrom his silver medal, while Rick DeMont continues to go without his hardware
By Sarah Kwak
It came out last week that Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski will make $9.7 million this year, likely making him the highest-paid coach in America. Here's how the leaders in other sports and a not-so-random selection of other coaches match up.
Edited By Alexandra Fenwick
By Interview By Dan Patrick
Thon Maker wants to be the Sudanese Kevin Durant. Or maybe the black (and very tall) Bill Gates. While he scours the earth for answers—from Down Under to the Big Easy and beyond—know this: The ball is in his court
By Chris Mannix
The Case for ... Fixing Replay
By Joe Sheehan