CRYSTAL BALL: We hate to mess up...

CRYSTAL BALL: We hate to mess up all the Valley office pools, but we now know the teams in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament that begins Thursday. We got the scoop from CSUN Coach Pete Cassidy, whose team (8-18), believe it or not, didn’t make it. . . . His picks: North Carolina, Purdue, Arkansas and Louisville. The winner: North Carolina. “I like their size and experience,” he said.

WRONG LARRY: We also asked Larry Bird. No, not that Larry Bird. This Bird, 46, is running for City Council in Santa Clarita. But he couldn’t help us because he doesn’t keep track of college basketball. He owns and manages an apartment building in Newhall and sometimes gets tired of being associated with the former Boston Celtic superstar. . . . “I had the name first.”

MIGHTY MAGS: Big companies like to branch out--that’s why they’re big companies. Disney is no exception. These days, the folks in Burbank (above) are putting a lot of effort into magazines. It’s another way to get the Disney name out there. . . . The latest publication is a computer magazine for the whole family--Family PC. See Valley Business, Page 12.

CHEAPER COMMUTE: Good news for some Metrolink riders: Starting April 1, the price of monthly passes is going down. For passengers from Antelope Valley, passes will go from $208 a month to either $112 or $80, depending on the final destination. Those commuters originating in Santa Clarita will also get better monthly deals. . . . The new fares will be in effect for three months. (B14)

MASTER’S MADNESS: OK, so it’s not the big dance, but it’s better than staying home. The Master’s College in Newhall will play today in the first round of the NAIA Division I basketball tournament. . . . Master’s faces a school that graduated a president. That’s Georgia Southwestern, with Jimmy Carter and wife, Rosalyn, among its alumni. (C7)