We’re just hours away from the Final Four, and right on cue, we’ve got an NCAA ethics scandal. According to the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson has been hanging out in Detroit casinos, though it’s not known whether he’s been doing any gambling or not. The Inquirer piece comes complete with an immediate Roy Williams defense, but it took blog BUSTED COVERAGE only a matter of hours to get snapshots of the guard in earlier action … off the court.

That’s why the bigger issue for Williams and co. now is the set of photos BUSTED uncovered, shots which show Lawson gambling at craps tables in Reno, Nev. on New Year’s Eve. Why is that such a big deal? Well, considering the fact that the NCAA still has an ongoing investigation into the University of Toledo’s programs for alleged point-shaving, Nevada casinos probably aren’t the best places to be hanging around killing time … or placing bets that can land you in debt taht would warrrant, say, shaving points in a Final Four game.

None of these photos or allegations mean that Lawson is guilty of anything illegal or even unethical. It just means taht he’s putting himself firmly in the land of gray area, and that can’t help he and his teammates stay focused on a tough matchup with Villanova tonight.

Speaking of Villanova, anyone else think that, perhaps, Villanova fans may have done some digging to see if there was anything they could cook up to help out the Wildcats in the team’s first Final Four appearance since 1985? We’re not saying they did, but man, if they pulled it off, that’s some impressive and resourceful sleuthing.