Final Four news from student papers of each university represented. .

01. Ram Nation helps rock, chalk out the Jayhawks

“Students, alumni and citizens of the city of Richmond all show up and support the Rams. VCU has broken attendance records for home games the past two seasons and the support could not be higher as the Rams have made history this year in their run in the NCAA tournament.” (Commonwealth Times).

02. Butler men’s basketball upsets Florida; advances to Final Four

“A 74-71 overtime victory against the No. 2 seed Florida Gators makes the Bulldogs champions of the NCAA tournament’s Southeast Region. After the game, junior guard Ronald Nored even shouted those same famous words, which preceded senior guard Zach Hahn shouting, “Your dogs are back, woof woof!” Butler advanced to its second consecutive Final Four, just one year after losing the national championship game by two points.” (Butler Collegian).

03. The Unlikeliest Year to End the Drought

“This is what John Calipari was brought in for. To get Kentucky back to the top of the college basketball world. To get Kentucky back to banner-worthy postseason results. To get Kentucky back to the Final Four. It had been 13 years since the last trip to the Final Four, one that ended in a national championship. Since then, there were near-misses (Elite Eights in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2010) and some not so close (missing the NCAA Tournament altogether in 2009). After experiencing the NIT season, Darius Miller wondered if he would ever experience the success he expected at UK.” (Kentucky Kernel).

04. Marching Four-ward

“It was a fairytale ending for the UConn men’s basketball team in Disneyland. Two three-point attempts in the final seven seconds by No. 5-seed Arizona’s Derrick Williams and Jamelle Horne were off the mark, and the third-seeded Huskies punched a ticket to their fourth Final Four in school history, defeating the Wildcats before 17,856 at the Honda Center.” (The Daily Campus).

05. Jay-Z visits the Kentucky locker room after Sunday’s victory (Above).

“As if securing their program’s first Final Four berth since 1998 weren’t excitement enough for Kentucky players, the Wildcats had a surprise guest waiting for them outside their locker room after Sunday’s victory over North Carolina.” (Yahoo).

The Timberland Boot Company Earthkeepers collection consists of fabrication and materials that are sensitive to the environment. By grading each shoe’s manufacturing with a point system, the company can monitor its hit on the environment. The higher the grade the more of a hit. The “City 6-Inch Boot” is made of “premium burnished leather uppers, moisture-wicking linings and 100% organic cotton laces.” The slim silhouette of the boot looks to be a classic boot that might be mistaken for many of the big U.S.A. made shoe companies of today. A great shoe for city with the earth in mind. Available at Timberland.

More looks after the click.

A cultural conduit of sorts, Elliot Aronow has translated a life long love of music into a unique digital space. As Creative Director and VP of A&R for RCRD LBL, Aronow oversees the first and only completely free and legal curated music site. RCRD LBL has been instrumental in breaking acts like Passion Pit, Theophilus London, Kid Cudi and MNDR – primarily through evangelizing acts Aronow falls for and sharing exclusive MP3s.

Aronow’s growth in the music industry follows a familiar path – record store clerk to music magazine editor – but with an unusual twist on how to best introduce new acts to the music loving. blog reading public.

Our short profile of Aronow and RCRD LBL follows after the jump.

Board shorts and trunks have always been apart of summer menswear. J. Crew shows us their take on the classic swimwear trunk. They’ve collaborated with surf salon, Saturdays, to create a classic take on the trunk shorts. A stylish piece for the beach, the shorts feature
the Saturday’s logo and is made of nylon with a velcro fly closure. The trunks come in either navy, red, or black and are available online.

More looks after the click.

With Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts, the American Folk Art Museum has transformed New York’s Park Avenue Armory into a temple of American craft. Undoubtedly one of the most stunning installations of the year, the quilts are only on display through March 30, 2011.

Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue (between 66th and 67th Streets)
New York City

Catch it if you can.

A full look at Infinite Variety is found on Curated.

Ivory color finishes off this pair of Heutchy’s well. Black laces seal the deal. A fine looking pair of oxfords.  Stels has them.

More looks after the click.

Style comes through with an exclusive look at the forthcoming Alexander Wang men’s collection. “Alexander Wang is on a roll. The designer not only opened his first-ever flagship and revamped his entire online presence, while designing two labels, Alexander Wang and T, and finding time to hit his fair share of parties. For Fall, he’s introducing men’s ready-to-wear, too.” The collection is a small one. Look for it at Barneys New York, Dover Street Market, and Colette for starters.

For those that need to unique-up everything, these Penguin Books luggage tags make you look like a thinking while offering a special indicator on your bag. Makes for easy viewing off the luggage return. Choose from two titles: On the Road by Jack Kerouac and The Lost Girl by D. H. Lawrence. (sm)

More looks after the click.

Serious stuff here. Ricola gets their own custom trunks for candy. Yes, candy is now the latest of a long line of items to get wrapped in Pinel & Pinel trunks (including Krug and Brompton bicycles). 11 trunks are being built for 11 Ricola flavors: “Alpine Fresh Sea Buckthorn, Cassis, Lemon Balm, Cranberry, Eucalyptus & Plants, Flowers elderberry, Menthol, Orange Mint and Lemon Verbena,” though it should be noted that the photos show them mixing and matching flavors.  (sbt via notcot)

More looks after the click.

A slew (well, 20) of special covers will be landing on newsstands for Esquire UK’s 20th anniversary. Coverjunkie give us the scoop: “It’s a must see; 20 great covers by iconic names like George Lois, Martin Parr, Ricky Gervais, Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons), photographer Rankin, Keith Richards, Mark Ronson, Michael Stipe, Goldie, Peter Saville, Noma Bar, Paul Smith, Tommy Hilfiger, Lanvin, Jenson Button, Cat Deeley, Steve Jones, Vic Reeves, David Shrigley & Esky (the Esquire’s mascot)”

More looks after the click.