The ACC Tournament has not yet begun and Syracuse's season is already over. Future seasons have also been compromised after penalties were hammered down on the program last week in the wake of a multi-year investigation into the university's athletic programs. On the diamond, meanwhile, Yu Darvish's season could be over before it even starts. Let's just say he may soon be hearing the dreaded words: "Dr. James Andrews."

All odds provided by Sportsbook.ag

Syracuse . The investigation produced damning results-namely that various athletic programs (most notably men's basketball) were guilty in the departments of academic misconduct, extra benefits, failure to follow a drug-testing policy, and impermissible booster activity. Consequences are already being suffered and will continue to be suffered throughout the foreseeable future. They include a five-year probation, the vacating of men's basketball wins involving ineligible players from 2004 through 2007 and from 2010 through 2012, and the vacating of football wins involving ineligible players from 2004 through 2006. Jim Boeheim is suspended for nine ACC games next season, his team is losing a total of 12 scholarships, and it is not participating in this week's conference tournament (Duke is a +150 favorite).

Yogi Ferrell . Indiana's floor general scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists while going 10 for 12 from the free-throw line against Michigan State last Saturday. Unfortunately for Ferrell, one of his two misses at the charity stripe came with two seconds left when the Hoosiers trailed 73-72. The visiting Spartans held on for a 74-72 victory, leaving Indiana firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble. A win would have done wonders for head coach Tom Crean's squad, but it is now on thin ice heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Indiana is +3000 to win the conference tourney.

Brooklyn Nets . Brooklyn has lost three in a row, giving it the longest current slide among teams in a playoff race. The Nets' preceded this stretch with an upset of visiting Golden State but promptly dropped three straight at home to Charlotte, Phoenix, and Utah. "I'm trying not to go the way of a couple of coaches that are in beer commercials," head coach Lionel Hollins said after Sunday's 95-88 setback against Utah, referring to the fact that he was tempted to rant on his team's ineptitude but restrained (unlike immortalized NFL coaches such as Dennis Green and Jim Mora Sr.). The Nets are now 2.5 games out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot, and it's not like being in the lottery does them any good because league-leading Atlanta owns their draft rights. The Hawks are +250 to reach the NBA Finals.

Nashville Predators . Nashville scraped past lowly Arizona 2-1 in overtime on Monday, but it has still lost six of its last seven games. Five of the Predators' six setbacks came against teams that are either playoff locks or at least in contention, which may make them feel better about things but does not bode well for their postseason prospects. They have only one regulation win since Feb. 17. It's safe to say the slump could not have been foreseen by anyone, as the Preds were an NHL-best 47-13-7 when it began. Anaheim, which is 7-3 in its last 10 outings, is tied with Nashville atop the Western Conference (and the entire league) at 91 points. The Predators are +900 to win the Stanley Cup.

Yu Darvish . Since coming into the majors in 2012 with Texas, Darvish has posted three straight seasons with double-digit wins and ERAs under 4.00-in the American League, no less. He won 16 games three years ago, compiled 2.83 ERA in 2013, and finished with a 3.06 ERA last season. Much to the Rangers' chagrin, however, Darvish's 2015 campaign could be over before it starts. The 28-year-old righty went in for an MRI last Friday after feeling tightness in his triceps and it revealed a partially-torn ligaments plus inflammation in his right elbow. Potential options include pitching through the injury, resting for six weeks, or Tommy John surgery. You probably know which one is the most likely, and Yu most certainly does too. Texas is +1200 to win the AL West.

Manchester United . The Red Devils bowed out of the FA Cup on Monday at the hands of English Premier League rival Arsenal. Man United hosted the quarterfinal match at Old Trafford, but home-field advantage proved fruitless as the club could not maintain momentum from an equalizing goal by Wayne Rooney in the 29th minute. Man U was undone by one of its former players, Danny Welbeck, who took advantage of some horrific defensive ball-handling by United to find the back of the net for Arsenal in the 61st minute. Manager Louis Van Gaal ditched Welbeck last summer because the striker was not scoring enough goals. How's that working out for ya now, Louis? Arsenal is +4000 to win the Premier League; Chelsea is a -900 favorite.

Rory McIlroy's 3-iron . McIlroy's now-famous (infamous?) club is no longer sitting at the bottom of a lake at Trump National Doral, but it did spend last Friday night there. After hitting a shot in the water on the eighth hole of his second round, the world No. 1 disgustedly launched his 3-iron into the middle of the lake. Donald Trump had a scuba diver retrieve the club on Saturday and McIlroy had it back in his possession for Sunday's final round. The Northern Irishman used the club again-and knocked a ball into the water with it on a fitting last hole of the tournament. He then imitated hurling it into the adjacent lake. McIlroy may have been in a joking mood at that point only because title contention was long gone; he finished tied for ninth at 1-under, eight strokes back of champion Dustin Johnson. Adam Scott is a +1200 favorite to win this week's Valspar Championship.

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