Kentucky
Bad day for the commonwealth in hoops. But a decent, overdue day in public health/tax policy:

Kentucky's 3-cent-a-pack cigarette tax - the lowest in the nation - will rise to 30 cents on June 1 as part of a tax overhaul passed by the General Assembly this week.

The hope is that the increase will help solve the state's fiscal woes.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher, a physician who originally proposed a 31-cent increase, called the move "historic."

Why not make smoking ridiculously expensive? In a tax devoted to health care? There's virtually no cigarette tax level that would be too high for my taste. Or better yet, just buy out all the tobacco farmers.

As for the hoops team, I've thought all year the Wildcats have benefited from a weak league and some smoke-and-mirrors coaching magic from Tubby. At this point, 2 wins in the NCAA tourney is all we fans can ask. 3 would be great. 4 would be amazing. It takes 6 win the whole thing. As long as Duke doesn't win, I'm content.