Big10 RappUp

Sparty Reins In Indy

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:12:00 GMT

After the Big Ten made its case as the best overall conference this men’s basketball season, the league tournament in Indianapolis appeared to be a time for it to shine heading into March Madness.

The regular season went about as well as commissioner Jim Delany could have hoped as the Big Ten headed into its March 8-11 tournament in Indianapolis tops in the country in RPI according to RPIratings.com and also stood out for having five teams in the top 25 – actually top 15 – of The Associated Press rankings. In fact, more than half of the teams entered as an RPI top-50 squad and all 12 league teams were in the top 159 of RPI, setting the Big Ten further apart from the pack.

Also, with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State all having tied for the regular-season crown at 13-5, it only figured that more drama was in store.

Not all of it was positive, however.

Even the warm-and-fuzzy story of Northwestern trying to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history likely required the Wildcats to still win a game in Indy. Plus, Bruce Weber’s lame-duck status as coach of Illinois was in danger of turning ugly, especially if the Illini were to be bounced on the first day of action.

And then there’s Penn State and Nebraska, two programs in not-ready-for-primetime mode, especially when compared to the likes of the top of the conference.

Still, through all the subplots, the tournament and the atmosphere at Bankers Life Fieldhouse delivered, especially with a rather epic final that arguably was as good as any in the history of the 15-year event.

The Michigan State Spartans arrived a wounded animal after Ohio State clipped them in East Lansing on March 4, the last day of the regular season. Not only did the Buckeyes ruin MSU’s Senior Day with a 72-70 win compliments of a dagger 18-foot jumper by William Buford with a second to go, they also created a three-way co-championship, thereby stealing Michigan State’s outright title.

Longtime Spartans coach Tom Izzo called the loss to cap the regular season his most disappointing since heading up the program – even though the seventh Big Ten championship banner of his era was raised afterward.

Sure enough, MSU arrived on a mission while the Buckeyes showed renewed confidence after a pair of key road wins to in the last week of the regular season.

OSU was not a top seed, however. By virtue of tiebreakers, the Spartans earned the No. 1 seed in Indianapolis with co-champ and bitter rival Michigan checking in as the 2-seed and Ohio State as the 3-seed. Those three teams posted 13-5 Big Ten marks. Wisconsin, which was just a game back at 12-6, came in as the 4-seed.

Which of those kingpins would get knocked off? Or would we have, for the first time ever, a showdown of the league’s four best teams into the weekend?

Chalk, Please

The answer turned out to be the latter. On Thursday, three of the four games ended with the higher seed advancing (more on the game of exception below). On Friday, all four quarterfinals winners were the teams of higher repute, creating the first-ever 1-2-3-4 survival in the history of the tournament.

Wisconsin, as expected, had to tap into its diligence to make it to the semis with a 79-71 decision over No. 5 Indiana in the second quarterfinal matchup. The determined Spartans had no problem with No. 8 Iowa in the first game on Friday, posting a 92-75 win

The second session on Friday, which had sold out the day before, began with a doozy of a contest as Michigan needed overtime to send away pesky Minnesota, the 10-seed.

Actually, the situation appeared dire for the Wolverines as they trailed 56-50 with 1:30 left in regulation. But Zack Novak hit a clutch three to cut the lead in half and after a must-have defensive stop, Evan Smotrycz followed suit with 17 seconds left. Minnesota missed a pair of attempts in the final seconds and succumbed in overtime.

Next up were the Buckeyes, who had to endure the longest wait of any team in the history of the tournament before getting on the court. With 12 league members and a fourth game added to the first round, the 3-seed now does not appear until the eighth game – after every other team has already played at least once and three had played twice.

Ohio State was anything but rusty, however, rolling to an 88-71 win over No. 6 Purdue, a team that played the Buckeyes to three points in Columbus on Feb. 7. Jared Sullinger poured in a season-high 30 points in the victory as OSU connected on 37 of 61 shots (60.7 percent).

The Saturday semifinals, with CBS on hand to feed the games out nationally, were more a recognition of the cream of the Big Ten crop than another exercise in the league’s highly competitive nature.

Michigan State tuned an early 9-0 hole against Wisconsin into a 35-25 lead, built the advantage to as high as 19 and cruised to a 65-52 win in the first semi. Your play, OSU.

The Buckeyes flexed their muscle in the second game of the day with a 77-55 destruction of rival Michigan. Sullinger was at it again with 24 points and Deshaun Thomas added 22, but it was the Ohio State defense that was the story as the Buckeyes vaporized point guard Trey Burke and center Jordan Morgan.

Sunday’s finale was staged before a crowd of 17,125, which is an excellent turnout on Selection Sunday and with 10 of the 12 league teams bumped off. Those on hand were treated to a high-level basketball war replete with ebbs and flows and big plays.

In the first half, Ohio State was outshot, recorded just one assist and received only nine minutes of court time from Sullinger because of foul trouble yet trailed only 34-32 at the break. A three-pointer by Thomas six minutes into the second half gave OSU a 52-45 lead but the Spartans responded with a 10-0 run to seize a lead they would never relinquish.

Still, there was drama. A basket by Sullinger with 3:27 remaining trimmed the MSU lead to 64-62 and the Buckeyes missed on a chance to tie and a pair of potential go-ahead three-pointers in the following couple minutes. That set the stage for a dagger three by Draymond Green over Thomas that provided a 67-62 lead with 1:35 to play.

MSU hung on and hoisted its first Big Ten Tournament trophy in 12 years.

“I thought it was one of the tougher, better games that I’ve seen watching this thing over the last years,” Izzo said. “I guess I’m prejudice, but it was big-time plays, couple mistakes here and there by both teams, big-time shots.

“I think there were two teams that were pretty evenly matched. I think Ohio State has got a very talented group. I think there’s two, three pros on that team.”

Weber, Sadler Exit Stage Left

The postseason is supposed to provide new life for teams that haven’t reached their potential but it also can be a death knell for the programs that have fallen woefully short. Illinois certainly qualified for the latter after a 6-12 Big Ten season that started off with a promising mark of 4-1.

The Illini beat Gonzaga and played Missouri to a four-point game in the nonconference and took down Ohio State and Michigan State in league play. But Weber sounded like a coach who saw the writing on the wall late in the season after his team lost nine of 10 games, leaving many to wonder if he sensed his players had quit on him.

Sure enough, UI suffered a 64-61 loss to Iowa to open tournament action on Thursday. Illinois (17-15) allowed the smaller Hawkeyes to corral 16 offensive rebounds and never attempted a free throw in the contest, giving even more credence to the idea that this is a soft team that already had packed it in for the season.

Still, it’s Weber’s head that went to the chopping block.

With the Illini home before Friday for their first time in the history of the tournament and Weber sounding defeated about his future, the expectation was that UI officials would dismiss him within 24 hours of the team’s postseason exit.

That expectation was met when Weber was canned on Friday. He spoke briefly during a press conference and became emotional. Not long after that, Izzo came to Weber’s defense after the Spartans won their quarterfinal matchup with Iowa.

“I’m sick about it,” Izzo said at the end of his postgame press conference. “Bruce is a friend of mine. He’s been here since the Gene Keady days. He’s done it the right way. He doesn’t cheat. He mans up to his own responsibilities. Incredible, incredible person. I’ve recruited against him and lost and I’ve recruited against him and won, and it hasn’t changed things. (But) this isn’t about a friendship. This is about a profession.

“Yeah, friendship is some of it, but it’s not all of it. We lost a good coach. We got a coach that beat me and my team more often than not, and I just … I can’t figure that out.”

Weber actually attended tournament semifinal games as Izzo’s guest and sat with Michigan State fans. He was seated next to former NBA coach Flip Saunders.

Illinois missed the NCAA tourney just four times in a 25-season stretch from 1983-2007, and Weber had a hand in the tail end of that, leading the Illini to the 2005 national championship game. Just this season, he logged wins over two top-10 teams (MSU and OSU) and posted a 10-0 start, the program’s best since the 2005-06 season. Also, guard Brandon Paul’s 43-point outburst in the win over the Buckeyes was the most by a Big Ten player in a league game since 1994.

But, of course, Weber fell prey to the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately approach. His conference record his first three seasons in Champaign was 39-9. After that it slumped to 50-56. That was enough for new Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas to drop the axe, just as he did to UI football coach Ron Zook.

Later on Friday, another Big Ten coach was sent packing.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne announced the firing of Doc Sadler, who just finished his sixth season with the Cornhuskers. Nebraska went 12-18 overall and just 4-14 in its first year in the Big Ten.

Sadler had signed a two-year contract extension last year that ran through 2015-16 and his salary was $900,000 a year. His contract calls for him to be paid as much as $66,667 a month until he finds another job – up to a total of $3.4 million.

“Doc and I both felt this season could be his best with an experienced team returning, and with new facilities we could start moving into a brighter era for Nebraska basketball,” Osborne said in a statement released by the school. “However, injuries, a difficult schedule and competing in a new conference has made the season even more difficult.

“Unfortunately, I feel the program has lost momentum which makes recruiting and fan support more problematic, thus the change.”

Sadler was a former coach at UTEP, where he led the Miners to an NCAA and NIT appearance in two seasons. Nebraska made three trips to the NIT under Sadler.

He teared up repeatedly during a press conference confirming his departure and even had to leave the podium at one point. When he finally composed himself and finished up his address, he asked if reporters had any questions but those on hand asked none.

Nebraska dealt with injuries to several players this season, most notably big men Andre Almeida and Jorge Brian Diaz, as well as freshman guard Corey Hilliard.

“What went wrong?” Sadler posed. “Besides three of my top six players not playing all year because of injury? I think that’s about it. People don’t want to hear any excuses or about injuries, but they are the facts.

“I won more basketball games in my first five years at Nebraska than any other coach did in that time, so I don’t hang my head.”

Bubble Burst

With Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana all in the top 15 in the polls entering the week of the tournament, and with Purdue owning 20 overall wins and a winning conference mark, the Big Ten had a lock on six spots in the NCAA Tournament.

A seventh could be added to the field in one of two ways: a team in the lower half of the standings coming out of nowhere to win the tournament and earn the league’s automatic berth or Northwestern winning a game or two in Indianapolis. The latter not only seemed more feasible, the Wildcats had backers all around the country as they appeared to be on the doorstep of their first-ever NCAA tourney appearance.

NU entered town 18-12 overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten. In their last five regular-season games the Wildcats posted wins over Minnesota, Penn State and the two losses were acceptable: an overtime defeat vs. Michigan and a two-point setback against Ohio State.

Another win over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament and decent showing against a high seed on Friday probably would have been good enough – but it didn’t happen.

The Wildcats went ice-cold down the stretch – in fact, they made just one field goal in the final 9:53 of regulation – and allowed the Golden Gophers to push the game to overtime. As cruel fate would have it, more missed opportunities in the extra session led to a 75-68 Minnesota victory.

NU was outscored 6-0 in the final minute of OT, leaving the ’Cats to wonder if their NCAA dreams had melted away. In the somber Bankers Life Fieldhouse locker room, though, they looked for a sliver of hope.

“This is one game on our resume,” said forward John Shurna, the leading scorer in the Big Ten this season. “Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. We’ll put up our entire resume against these other teams and see how it plays out Sunday. We’ve been on the bubble the entire time. This is a game we wanted to win to put ourselves in but a loss doesn’t mean we are out.”

Still, it was difficult for the Wildcats not to look at the game ruefully.

“It was turnovers down the stretch that really killed us,” NU ‘s Drew Crawford said. “We had a couple mix-ups that really hurt us in the fourth quarter and overtime. You can’t do that and win a game. We were making dumb plays and they just capitalized on it.” Crawford then was asked what it would mean to be part of a historical team – the first in school history to go to the Big Dance.

“It’s not like we affect the history, so we really don’t think about that too much,” he said. “But we wanted to be able to do it. I’m hoping we still have that chance.”

On Selection Sunday, however, Northwestern’s name was nowhere to be found in the NCAA Tournament bracket. The Wildcats instead joined Big Ten brethren Minnesota and Iowa in the NIT.

Tourney Notes

* The battle between Iowa and Illinois on the first day was the first between the teams in the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini had only played three previous times on Thursday of the tourney and were 3-0 in such contests before the three-point loss to the Hawkeyes.

* Iowa and Michigan State entered their quarterfinal matchup with a 2-2 mark against each other in the tournament and nearly identical overall records in the event: Iowa 14-12 and MSU 15-12. However, their encounter on Friday was no contest. The Spartans won 92-75.

* Michigan State’s Izzo is the only league coach to have been on the sidelines for every year of the Big Ten Tournament, which began in 1998. MSU won the title in 1999 and 2000, but hadn’t advanced to the tourney finals since the latter championship until this year. The win tied Izzo with OSU’s Thad Matta for the most tournament titles with three.

* Ohio State set a record by reaching the championship game for a fourth consecutive year. In the process, Buford became the only Big Ten player ever to play in four tournament title games.

* Bo Ryan became Wisconsin’s all-time winningest coach with the Badgers’ victory over Indiana in the quarterfinals. It marked Ryan’s 266th win since taking over in Madison.

* Green was named the BTT’s Most Outstanding Player. He averaged 15.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in MSU’s wins over Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State. He’s the first Spartan to win the honor since Morris Peterson in 2000.

* Joining Green on the All-Tournament team were teammate Wood, Sullinger and Thomas of Ohio State, and Minnesota point guard Andre Hollins.

* Michigan came into the postseason with a best turnover margin (+7.0 per game) of any league team. However, in the loss to OSU, that number flipped. The Wolverines compiled 18 miscues to Ohio State’s 11.

* The total tournament attendance was announced at 107,737, a new record.

* Next year’s event shifts back to the United Center in Chicago then will flip-flop between Indy and Chicago the following two years. Delany said the conference would like to appoint a permanent site after that.

The Good

* The performance of Wisconsin freshman Rob Wilson in the Badgers’ quarterfinal defeat of Indiana. Normally a bit player off Ryan’s bench, the Cleveland-area product burned IU for a career-high 30 points. The 6-4 guard canned 11 of 16 shots including 7 of 10 from long range.

* The defensive work of OSU point guard Aaron Craft against Michigan counterpart Burke, who finished 1 of 11 from the field with eight turnovers. Simply put, a clinic.

* The three-pointer Buford made from the corner with Michigan coach John Beilein standing directly behind him. When the ball got swung to Buford, he pulled up with Beilein in his back pocket and on the court – yet still swished the shot to provide Ohio State with a 26-12 lead.

* Michigan State’s first half on Friday. In the Spartans’ first appearance since a heartbreaking loss to Ohio State in the regular-season finale, they showed no hangover effect. In fact, they put together perhaps their best 20 minutes of the season, blasting out to a 55-39 lead over Iowa by canning 21 of 30 shots (70.0 percent) and committing just four turnovers. Two of the miscues were offensive fouls.

* The upside of Indiana center Cody Zeller. Already hailed as the league’s Freshman of the Year according to the coaches, the 6-11 Zeller get more impressive in person every single time. He runs the floor like a lithe shooting forward, has terrific hands and simply plays within the confines of the offense. He was IU’s leading scorer during the regular season at 15.4 points per game, a figure that may just go up as long as he’s in crimson and cream.

* Penn State guard Tim Frazier didn’t have a great shooting performance against Indiana, but it’s still astounding how much he does for his team. The 6-1 junior led the Big Ten in assists in the regular season at 6.3 per game and also was second in scoring at 18.6 points per game. He also was the team’s leader in rebounds (4.8) and steals (2.3). Against the Hoosiers, he scored a game-high 26 points, grabbed two rebounds and recorded four assists and five steals. PSU’s next leading scorer in the game was Trey Lewis with 11 points.

* The work of lead official Terry Wymer in the Northwestern-Minnesota game. He was on top of the all the key calls and at one point told baby-faced center Elliott Eliason of Minnesota to get up and not say a word when he sensed the frosh was going to roll around on the floor in protest of a call.

The Bad

* Minnesota’s Chip Armelin going in for the wrong player after head coach Tubby Smith summoned him at a crucial moment in overtime against Michigan. “What are you doing?!” Smith barked.

* The histrionics of Indiana forward Derek Elston. A rough-and-tumble power forward who wore a facemask for much of the season, Elston hit a three to stretch a 16-point lead to 19 yet still felt compelled to hold up three fingers, pump his fist multiple times and then start beating his chest to remind everyone how much “heart” it takes to make a wide-open trey against Penn State’s zone defense.

* Penn State. OK, that sounds mean, but the Nittany Lions weren’t any good all season and didn’t alter their status in Indy. PSU starts four babies – three freshmen and one sophomore – with Frazier, so there is hope for a brighter future. But right now there is no experience, skill or standout asset about this team after No. 23.

* The (presumably) drunken idiot Michigan fan who kept yelling “Jimmy!” at the top of his lungs at Big Ten Network analyst and former Buckeye Jim Jackson while he was live on the air after the final game on Thursday. I’m guessing a 1992 Fab Five reference would have been made if Jackson would have turned to acknowledge him. However, J.J. was working.

* The technical Wymer called on Purdue coach Matt Painter as Thomas was gliding in for a fastbreak layup. Wymer didn’t like what Painter was saying in his ear in protest and immediately bipped him. The problem is the knee-jerk reaction wiped away a breakaway basket by the Buckeyes.

The Ugly

* Verdell Jones’ knee injury in the second game on Thursday. The 6-5 senior went down in a clump in the first half against Penn State and was writhing on the ground in obvious agony. He refused to be carted away but wasn’t able to put any weight on his right leg when he finally left the court. Word came out later that evening that Jones had suffered an ACL tear.

* Illinois guard Paul, who has a tendency to be on either end of the teeter-totter, definitely left town with a handful of crumbs. Paul scored just four points in 37 minutes against Iowa and was 2 for 11 from the field, including 0 of 4 from behind the arc. Even worse, he was credited with seven turnovers.

* Russell Byrd’s back-to-back airballs while the Spartans were just trying to put a wrap on a big quarterfinal win over Iowa.

* Green’s shooting percentage against the Buckeyes this season. Including a 4-for-15 showing in the BTT title game, the Big Ten Player of the Year ended up 15 for 49 (30.6 percent) from the field in three games vs. the co-champs.

Quips & Quotes

* Izzo on the firing of Weber – “My wife and I shed a tear this morning over it, and it was half for Bruce and half for my profession. I’ve known Bruce Weber since the day I was a grad assistant. There’s not a classier, better guy. And I don’t want to just hear better guy – better coach.”

* Wymer to OSU assistant coach Jeff Boals after the Buckeye bench during a particularly heated moment of the championship game – “You need to sit your ass down right now.”

* Penn State coach Patrick Chambers to Ross Travis after the freshmen forward missed inside for the second straight possession against Indiana – “F&#!ing finish that! That’s two layups!”

* Izzo on Adreian Payne’s maturation as a player – “You know, I think he’s growing. I think all sophomores … we’re in such a screwed up society, where we try to speed everything up. And normal maturation process of kids is freshman and sophomore years, most of them take to get there. And we’re in the Kentucky mode now where every freshman and sophomore is supposed to be at a certain level.”

* Izzo on MSU freshman Russell Byrd – “Unfortunately, it isn’t going to happen this year like we’d hoped, but he is getting a little better. And if he sets his feet, then someday he’s going to be great, great, you know, I’m hoping in the (Jon) Diebler mode, a guy that can really just stroke it if he sets his feet and gets himself ready.
But Russ’ mind is going a thousand RPMs and his body is going about 10. The coordination of it just isn’t there yet.”

* Izzo on why he’s a fan of Indiana freshman center Cody Zeller – “Nothing bothers him. He does not get frustrated. You could probably punch him in the mouth or you could kiss him and it doesn’t seem to affect him either way.”

* UW’s Wilson on his 30-point explosion against Indiana – “The weight of the ball felt like it was going in today. I don’t remember that feeling in a long time. I don’t know the last time I’ve been in the interview room.”

* Ryan after a reporter asked him about the Badgers’ struggles in the tournament – “Where were you between ’04 and ’08? Were you doing your job here?

* Matta on Michigan drawing Ohio University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament well aware that Beilein and UM football coach Brady Hoke refer to Ohio State as “Ohio” – “That’s going to be really confusing for them. I don’t know, maybe they can borrow whatever uniform we’re not wearing. That is irony as its finest right there.”

* Thomas, a sophomore forward for the Buckeyes, on whether he planned to leave for the NBA after this season – “No comment. I mean, right now I’m just focusing on the team and then trying to get to the national championship and going from there. I’m playing well, and that’s great for the team and on my part, but I’m just thinking about this team right now.”

* Green on the rematch with Ohio State after losing teammate Branden Dawson to injury – “You lose a Branden Dawson and everybody’s worried that William Buford gonna go off. If I look at the stat sheet, Buford finished with 11 points. He had 10 at the half.”

* Northwestern coach Bill Carmody on the agony of losing yet another close game – “It’s just every emotion you think, the staff and the players. It’s beyond frustrating. It’s just very hard right now. I don’t know what else to say. I thought the effort was there tonight, it just didn’t work out. The ball didn’t bounce right for us.”

* Izzo on Michigan State being sent to Columbus for its first NCAA Tournament assignment – “I think it will be good. We’ve had a lot of Ohio players. I think the people there will pull for us. I think we have a good relationship with them.”

Fear The Boilers

Jeff Rapp — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:00:36 GMT

With March Madness upon us and all the fervor surrounding the Big Ten as a power conference in both men’s and women’s basketball, one member school decided to fire up a little reminder.

In case you had forgotten, Purdue University knows a thing or two about roundball.

The men ended up finishing sixth in the league standings and lost their regular-season finale to rival Indiana, which isn’t exactly headline-inducing. However, many believe head coach Matt Painter did an admirable job this season.

In fact, prior to the loss to IU, the Boilermakers won five of six games including an upset of ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor to secure a 20-win season and winning mark in arguably the best conference in the country. That’s pretty good production for a team that lost superstars JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore to the NBA and also dealt with the dismissal of junior guard Kelsey Barlow due to a violation of team rules.

Purdue still holds the Big Ten standard with 22 league titles and has the only men’s basketball program in the conference that owns a break-even or winning mark against every other member school.

The women, meanwhile, also came to the forefront on Sunday when they cut down the nets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis after triumphing at the Big Ten Tournament in thrilling fashion.

Rranked No. 21 coming into the week, PU got 19 points from KK Houser and hung on to defeat No. 24 Nebraska 74-70 in two overtimes in the tourney final.

Houser, ironically who hails from Lincoln, Neb., also had five steals against her hometown team. Chantel Poston had 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Sam Ostarello added eight points and 10 rebounds for the Boilermakers (24-8), who won the tournament for the eighth time in 17 years.

The win was a bit of a payback as Purdue lost its regular-season matchup with the Cornhuskers, 93-89 in triple-overtime.

Nebraska, which had dumped Ohio State in the semifinals, also left Indy at 24-8. Lindsey Moore scored 27 points and Jordan Hooper added 25 for the ’Huskers, who caught fire during the week. They had lost four of six heading into the tournament but averaged 82 points in their three wins to reach the final. The Big Ten newbies came up just short in their bid to become the first women’s team to win the conference tournament with four wins in four days.

At the end of the first overtime, Nebraska’s Kaitlyn Burke missed an open three-pointer with fives seconds remaining and the score tied.

Purdue entered the postseason as the 4-seed for the conference tournament. In the semifinals on Saturday, the Boilermakers eliminated top-seeded Penn State. Brittany Rayburn, who scored nine points and hit the game winner against the Nittany Lions, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Penn State earned the top seed for the fifth time in program history after winning the outright regular-season crown with a 13-3 mark in conference play. The Lady Lions will head to the NCAA Tournament with an overall mark of 24-6

Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue all put together 11-5 conference records, creating a four-way tie for second place. The Buckeyes earned the 2-seed by virtue of their 3-0 combined record against the other three teams. However, OSU could not add to its run of three consecutive tournament titles after losing grip of a double-digit lead in the first half against Nebraska.

Six conference teams have taken home the Big Ten Tournament title since the event’s inception in 1995, led by Purdue’s record seven titles (1998-99-00-03-04-07-08). Ohio State is next with four tournament titles (2006-09-10-11) while Iowa (1997-01) and Penn State (1995-96) have each won the title twice. Indiana earned the crown in 2002 and Michigan State took home the title in 2005.

The Big Ten sold all-session passes for $70 and single-session tickets were either $10 or $16 depending upon seat location.

Located in downtown Indianapolis – and formerly known as Conseco Fieldhouse – Bankers Life Fieldhouse also will host the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament March 8-11 with an unprecedented four games on the first day and four more for the Friday quarterfinals. CBS will nationally televise the Saturday semifinals beginning at 1:40 p.m. Eastern and the Sunday championship game beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000, and through the Bankers Life Fieldhouse box office.

Stay tuned to SportsRappUp.com for a preview of the men’s tournament including predictions for each game.

For a look at postseason awards for Big Ten men’s basketball, click here.

Bucks And Wolves Tops Again

After Urban Meyer was hired as Ohio State’s new football coach and Brady Hoke was a smashing success in his first year heading up the program at Michigan, Big Ten fans had reason to believe that the rivalry between the two schools and their level of play would soon be on the rise and back to an elite level.

If the results of 2012 recruiting are any indication, The Game is about to be loaded with quality players on both sides once again. In fact, according to Rivals.com, only two Big Ten schools closed on classes that ranked among the top 25 in the country – Ohio State at No. 6 and Michigan at No. 7.

Rivals, like many sites that analyze football recruiting, tabbed Alabama’s class as tops in the country followed by Florida State, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. Joining Ohio State and Michigan in the top 10 were Miami (Fla.), Clemson, and Notre Dame.

The rest of the Rivals top 25 is as follows: 11) Oklahoma, 12) Stanford, 13) Southern Cal, 14) LSU, 15) Texas A&M, 16) South Carolina, 17) Auburn, 18) Oregon, 19) UCLA, 20) Texas Tech, 21) Tennessee, 22) California, 23) Washington, 24) Rutgers, and 25) Virginia Tech.

Meyer’s initial OSU class was headlined by bookend defensive ends Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington, each considered five-star talents. Analysts were amazed that he was able to land the top haul in the Big Ten considering Ohio State’s current plight with NCAA sanctions including a postseason ban that goes into effect this year.

Conversely, Hoke and his staff pinned down 20 of their commitments in the spring and summer prior to the 2011 season, although four-star running back Dennis Norfleet was added on National Signing Day. The class is balanced and loaded. Defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins is among those expected to make an immediate impact.

The remainder of the Big Ten was ranked thusly by ESPN.com: 3) Nebraska, 4) Purdue, 5) Michigan State, 6) Iowa, 7) Penn State, 8) Northwestern, 9) Illinois, 10) Wisconsin, 11) Minnesota, 12) Indiana.

The Hoosiers not only ranked last compared to their league brethren, they also were left to lament the loss of in-state quarterback Gunner Kiel, a five-star talent who originally committed to IU. However, Indiana was put in topflight company when LSU also was spurned by Kiel, who finally signed with Notre Dame.

Recruiting Tension

Indiana coach Kevin Wilson, who lost grip of Kiel, wasn’t the only Big Ten coach who came away less than elated from the entire experience.

New Penn State coach Bill O’Brien – who left his post as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots to help guide the Lions through troubled waters – blasted critics of the PSU class.

“I could care less about player rankings,” O’Brien said on conference call from the Patriots team hotel in Indianapolis the week of the Super Bowl. “What I care about is that we found the right fit for Penn State with all these prospects.”

Scout.com has Penn State’s class ranked No. 49 nationally and No. 6 in the Big Ten, while Rivals.com ranks the group No. 50 nationally and, as previously mentioned, No. 7 in the conference.

Rivals only ranks two prospects in the class, wide receiver Eugene Lewis and defensive tackle Jamil Pollard, as recruits worthy of at least four stars. Scout had only Lewis attaining a four-star rating and everyone else falling in line as a three-star or lower.

But O’Brien’s testy response was nothing compared to the firestorm that surrounded Meyer’s recruiting tactics. The former Florida coach, who cited the dog-eat-dog approach of the SEC as a concern when he took time away from coaching, came out guns a-blazin’ on the recruiting trail and actually flipped no less than seven prospects who previously had committed elsewhere.

The two that caused the most reaction were offensive lineman Kyle Dodson – an original Wisconsin commitment who ended up announcing a change of heart and inking a letter-of-intent with OSU on signing day – and defensive end Se’Von Pittman of Canton McKinley, who appeared to be a solid verbal to Michigan State for months but changed his mind and opted for the homestate Buckeyes.

“Se’Von Pittman had a relationship with Luke Fickell,” Meyer explained as the keynote speaker of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association clinic in February. “I think we helped it when I made that phone call. He recruited us after a little bit. The phone call went something like this: ‘Are you interested?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Come on down for a visit.’

“I get a phone call the next few days. ‘Come on up, we’ve got good news for you.’ Can’t say I had a lot to do with that other than, Hey, let’s go. He always wanted to be an Ohio State Buckeye.

In response to comments by Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, Meyer also reportedly said, “You’re pissed because we went after a committed guy? Guess what, we’ve got nine guys who better go do it again. Do it a little harder next time.”

Bielema made pointed remarks after signing his class, which forced Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany to bring up the issue while meeting with the football coaches in Chicago days later and asking them to play nice.

That discussion was somewhat productive.

“There are a few things that happened early on that I made people aware of that I didn’t want to see in this league,” Bielema said, “that I had seen take place in other leagues, other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal.”

Bielema went on to mention Meyer specifically.

“I was very up front and was very pointed to the fact, actually reached out to Coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him,” Bielema said. “The situation got rectified.”

Meyer, though, doesn’t sound like someone who is backing down.

“We’re hired to go after recruits as hard as we can,” Meyer said. “I mean as hard as we can.”

OSU also received signatures from two players who originally committed to Notre Dame – including well-rated OL Taylor Decker – and three who once had pegged Penn State. It’s long been suggested that there’s an unwritten agreement within the Big Ten that once a recruit commits to a school, all other Big Ten coaches will leave the player alone.

Two coaches who steadfastly adhered to that policy, Dantonio and former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, were especially careful about how they contacted prospects that were committed to MSU and OSU.

“(The agreement) has been between the coaches,” Narduzzi said while speaking at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club in Canton, Ohio, according to the Canton Repository. “Jim Tressel and Mark Dantonio would never call or talk to each other’s commitments. People coach Dantonio knows well don’t come in and take players away. When you do, you lose friendships over that.

“It sets a tone and starts a recruiting rivalry. I guess it’s fair game. You don’t want it to be that way, but that’s how it is.”

Meyer intimated that he believes there is an ethical way to recruit committed players.

“There are some people that say, ‘How can you go and recruit a young guy that’s committed to another school?’ ” he said. “You ask a question, ‘Are you interested?’ If they say no, you move on. If they say, ‘Yes, very interested,’ then you throw that hook out there. If they’re interested, absolutely, especially if they are from your home state.

“Is it gratifying to go a take a guy from another school? Not at all. Is it gratifying to know that we got the two offensive tackles that we went out (for) from day one? That amazes me.”

Furthering his point, Meyer added, “We went after a young guy in Cleveland, Ohio. I asked him if he was interested in Ohio State. He said no. I wished him the best of luck, do well in school, move on. If a kid isn’t interested, we’re done. We move on.”

Meyer likely was referring to five-star OL Kyle Kalis of Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward, who signed with and pledges his allegiance to Michigan.

Meyer did receive some support during the controversy, including a comment from, of all people, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez.

“Recruiting is recruiting until they sign,” the AD said. “If we had somebody who changed their mind and came to us, that’s OK.”

Ohio State AD Gene Smith also had his coach’s back.

“I am disappointed that negative references have been made about our football coaches, and particularly head coach Urban Meyer regarding recruiting,” Smith said in a statement. “In our league appropriate protocol, if you have concerns, is to share those concerns with your athletic director. Then your AD will make the determination on the appropriate communication from that point forward. The ADs in our league are professionals and communicate with each other extremely well. Urban Meyer and his staff have had a compliance conscience since they have arrived.”

Hot Streaks

Northwestern forward John Shurna, the Big Ten’s leading scorer this season, was particularly warm in wins over Nebraska and Illinois at the outset of the Wildcats’ February schedule.

He played all but two minutes in those victories and scored 52 points on 20-of-28 shooting (71.4 percent). He also was 5 of 10 from three-point range in the two contests.

Penn State leading scorer Tim Frazier had a four-game blitz this year in which he scored 81 points, which is 37.2 percent of the Nittany Lions’ total points in that span. The junior guard also added 17 assists in the four games.

Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas was held under double digits in a home loss to Michigan State on Feb. 11 but caught fire after that in the Buckeyes’ remaining six league games. He scored 12 points in a win at Minnesota on Feb. 14 then followed that up with 25 points – and a career-high 13 rebounds – against Michigan on Feb. 18. He closed out the regular season with 19 points, 23, 19 and 12 to give him a scoring average of 18.3 ppg in those final six games.

In those game, the 6-7 left forward hit 41 of 76 shots, good for 53.9 percent from the field.

Quick Hitters

* Ohio State’s victory at Wisconsin was the Buckeyes’ 20th of the season, giving Thad Matta’s Buckeyes their eighth consecutive 20-win season. That is the longest active streak in the Big Ten and also the second-longest in conference history, trailing only Illinois, which did it nine times (1983-91).

* On Feb. 17, Painter announced that Barlow had been dismissed from the program and that junior guard/forward D.J. Byrd had been suspended for the team’s subsequent game against Michigan State. Both actions were a result of violation of team rules.

“This is an unfortunate situation, but we will move forward as a program,” Painter said. “We expect our student-athletes to live up to a high standard, and when their actions become detrimental to the program, there are consequences.”

The West Lafayette Police Department is investigating allegations that Byrd assaulted a bouncer at Where Else bar near campus. Byrd, 21, was under suspicion of public intoxication at the time of the incident.

A spokesperson for local police said Barlow had been at Where Else earlier but either left or got kicked out of the establishment. Barlow then came back, believing he left his wallet there. Where Else, however, refused to let him back in.

Barlow left and returned later accompanied by Byrd, teammate Robbie Hummel and other members of the basketball team. This resulted in some type of confrontation, during which Byrd is suspected of assaulting a bouncer.

Byrd was booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail and released five hours later.

* Several Big Ten players were named as members of the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District team for District V, which includes student-athletes in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The USBWA unveiled all of the all-district coaches and players on March 6.

The District V winners were as follows:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Draymond Green, Michigan State

COACH OF THE YEAR
Tom Izzo, Michigan State

ALL-DISTRICT TEAM
William Buford, Ohio State
Trey Burke, Michigan
Jae Crowder, Marquette
Draymond Green, Michigan State
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
John Shurna, Northwestern
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
Cody Zeller, Indiana

Record 10 B1G Teams Go Bowling

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:40:00 GMT

Most observers labeled Big Ten football as “down” again this season, and it would be hard to argue the point given the hardship beset on marquee programs Ohio State and Penn State and the disappointment in Illinois that led to the ouster of head coach Ron Zook.

Plus, just when it looked like Wisconsin was a legitimate national championship contender, the Badgers lost consecutive games in the final minute on desperation touchdown passes by Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins and Ohio State’s Braxton Miller.

And when the Spartans went to the head of the class and provided the conference with a team that looked ready for the top 10, they also faltered, losing in grand fashion at Nebraska.

Still, MSU held onto the lead in the Legends Division and Wisconsin emerged from the rubble in the Leaders Division, setting up a rather tasty rematch in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Many followers of the league were just hoping for a competitive and entertaining tilt with the two teams battling in prime time on FOX on Dec. 3. They got it – and then some.

In a highly dramatic affair in which the Badgers battled from behind, fell in another hole, took a late lead and then held on thanks in large part to a horribly ill-timed MSU penalty, UW managed to produce a 42-39 Rose Bowl-clinching victory. Perhaps the last time two conference teams were on such a high stage was when No. 1 Ohio State held off rival and No. 2 Michigan in 2006. The score of that game – 42-39.

Despite the turmoil surrounding some of the top programs, commissioner Jim Delany at least could hang his hat on a record 10 conference teams advancing to bowl games, including troubled Ohio State and Illinois, and doubly troubled Penn State.

The previous Big Ten record for bowl teams was eight in 2003 and 2007. The 2011-12 bowl season marks the seventh straight season that seven or more Big Ten programs have earned postseason berths, continuing the longest streak in conference history.

Including the coming bowl season, conference programs will have made 74 bowl appearances over a 10-year span (2002-11) and 266 appearances all-time.

And even though no Big Ten teams were able to remain in national championship contention, two of them – Wisconsin, which is headed to the Rose Bowl, and Michigan, which will play in the Sugar Bowl – will be showcased in BCS bowls. That marks the 10th time in the 14-year history of the BCS that two Big Ten teams have participated in a top-five postseason game.

Other current conference institutions to play in BCS games are Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue. The Big Ten’s total of eight BCS participants ranks second only to the Pac-12, which added Colorado and Utah this season and now has nine different schools with BCS appearances.

The only other conferences with six or more current schools boasting at least one BCS berth are the ACC and SEC with seven teams each and the Big 12 and Big East with six participants each.

For the seventh consecutive season, at least two of the Big Ten bowl matchups will be virtual road games, with conference teams facing schools from the state in which the bowl will be played.

One such matchup, of course, pits Ohio State against Florida in the Gator Bowl. EverBank Field is located in Jacksonville, Fla., just a short drive away from UF’s Gainesville campus.

Also, Penn State will be facing a highly successful Houston squad in the TicketCity Bowl the same afternoon. That contest will be staged at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

The nation, no doubt, will be interested to see how interim head coaches Luke Fickell of Ohio State and Tom Bradley of Penn State fare, and Michigan State and Nebraska also will be on display on Jan. 2. However, the biggest stage for a Big Ten team will be the Rose Bowl.

The Badgers lost to TCU in Pasadena last January and they are the underdog once again as they face Pac-12 champ Oregon this time. However, UW will have Russell Wilson at the controls of one of the nation’s top offenses and can’t be taken lightly.

“They do a good job with play-action and protecting their quarterback,” Fickell said of Wilson back in October. “Ultimately it comes down to that with the quarterback. You have to find ways to get to him, whether it’s picking a ball off, sacking him, getting hits on him, getting guys in front of his face. There’s all different kind of ways, but most importantly you have to be able to affect the quarterback.”

Can a sometimes soft Oregon defense rattle Wilson or can the Ducks survive the more comfortable way – in a shootout?

We shall see.

The following is a sneak peek at all 10 bowl games involving Big Ten teams, starting with Tuesday night’s matchup between Purdue and MAC counterpart Western Michigan:

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Purdue (6-6) vs. Western Michigan (7-5)
Date, Time (TV): Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Location: Ford Field; Detroit
Line: Purdue by 2½
AP Rankings: Both teams unranked
Outlook: Purdue will play in its 16th bowl game in history but first since 2007, when the Boilermakers defeated Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl, where it defeated Central Michigan in a wild 51-48 party. Top tackler Dwayne Beckford (suspension after drunken driving arrest) and top runner Ralph Bolden (injured) will not play for PU, which will make matters tougher. Plus, the Boilers will try to slow down Western QB Alex Carder, who threw for 3,434 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. Western was eighth nationally in passing yards per game.

Insight Bowl
Oklahoma (9-3) vs. Iowa (7-5)
Date, Time (TV): Friday, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: Sun Devil Stadium; Tempe, Ariz.
Line: Oklahoma by 14
AP Rankings: Oklahoma, 19th; Iowa, unranked
Outlook: The Hawkeyes, who had a break-even mark of 4-4 in the Big Ten this season, have been rewarded by having to face the nation’s preseason No. 1 team. Also, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops will want to take down his alma mater and post another 10-win season. Iowa, though, has played admirably in the postseason and owns an overall mark of 14-10-1 in bowls. The Hawkeyes were 27-24 winners over Missouri in last year’s Insight Bowl. The Big Ten is 3-4 in the Insight. Oklahoma hasn’t quite reached its potential offensively, mostly because of the loss of star receiver Ryan Broyles, but QB Landry Jones still managed to compile 4,302 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. Plus top Iowa rusher Marcus Coker has been suspended.

Meinke Car Care Bowl
Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Northwestern (6-6)
Date, Time (TV): Saturday, noon (ESPN)
Location: Reliant Stadium; Houston
Line: Texas A&M by 10
AP Rankings: Both teams unranked
Outlook: The Wildcats actually will appear in their fourth straight bowl game for the first time in program history. It’s NU’s 10th bowl game overall. Illinois won the TicketCity last year by knocking off Baylor. A&M is about to head off to the SEC and would like to do so on a good note. Houston’s Kevin Sumlin has been tabbed to replace the fired Mike Sherman but defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will handle the head coaching duties for the bowl game. The Aggies come into the postseason with four losses in the their last five games while Northwestern has won four of its last five. NU’s lone loss since a 2-5 start was a hardfought 31-17 setback vs. Michigan State.

Fight Hunger Bowl
UCLA (6-7) vs. Illinois (6-6)
Date, Time (TV): Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: AT&T Park; San Francisco
Line: Illinois by 2½
AP Rankings: Both teams unranked
Outlook: Even though this was not a season of notable success for the Illini, they will be compete in a bowl game for the second straight year for the first time since 1991-92. Like UI, the Bruins let go of their head coach as Rick Neuheisel wasn’t about to survive a 50-0 lashing at the hands of rival USC. The last time a Big Ten team played in a bowl game in the state of California that was not the Rose Bowl Game was when Michigan State competed in the Silicon Valley Classic in 2001. The Illini are 7-9 in bowl games all-time. UCLA leads the series between the two schools, 6-5. Illinois became the first team in I-A history to open 6-0 and finish 6-6. UCLA is the first-ever 6-7 team to make a bowl.

TicketCity Bowl
Penn State (9-3) vs. Houston (12-1)
Date, Time (TV): Mon. Jan. 2; noon (ESPNU)
Location: Cotton Bowl Stadium; Dallas
Line: Houston by 6½
AP Rankings: Penn State, 24th; Houston, 20th
Outlook: Penn State is bowl-bound for the 44th time in program history, the eighth most in college football history, but this probably won’t feel like a celebration. Scandal dating back more than a decade of alleged hideous acts by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has rocked Happy Valley and cost legendary coach Joe Paterno and others their jobs. After that story unfolded, the Nittany Lions lost grip of first place in the Leaders Division with losses to Nebraska and Wisconsin. Now they are the proverbial underdogs with record-setting QB Case Keenum (5,099 yards, 45 TDs) leading the Cougars. Penn State returns to the Lone Star State for a postseason game for the first time since 2007, when it defeated Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl. In its history, Penn State is undefeated in bowl games in Texas with a 4-0-1 mark. Houston was dumped by Southern Miss in the Conference USA title game, missing out on a chance at an undefeated season.

Gator Bowl
Florida (6-6) vs. Ohio State (6-6)
Date, Time (TV): Mon., Jan. 2; 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Location: EverBank Field; Jacksonville, Fla.
Line: Florida by 2½
AP Rankings: Both teams unranked
Outlook: The last time the Buckeyes played in the Gator Bowl it signaled an inglorious ending to the career of 28-year head coach Woody Hayes, who infamously punched Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman after a late interception. This time, OSU is not itself once again as the program has been hit with a multitude of NCAA sanctions and won’t usher in new head coach Urban Meyer, UF’s six-year coach, until after the game. Florida, meanwhile, will have the homefield advantage. Still, we’re talking about Ohio State here. Buckeye fans will travel just as they have for the school’s previous 41 bowl appearances. Plus, the offense finally some teeth in the loss at Michigan in late November, putting 34 points on the board and showing that freshman QB Miller and senior wideout DeVier Posey can be a lethal combination. Florida won the only previous meeting between the two schools on the gridiron, a dominant 41-14 decision in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. The winner of the “Urban Bowl” will go out with a 7-6 record; the loser will suffer the ignominy of a 6-7 mark.

Outback Bowl
Georgia (10-3) vs. Michigan State (10-3)
Date, Time (TV): Mon., Jan. 2; 1 p.m. (ABC)
Location: Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla.
Line: Georgia by 3½
AP Rankings: Georgia, 18th; Michigan State, 12th
Outlook: The Spartans are going to have to get over their disappointment of a near-miss in the Big Ten title game or they could suffer a similar fate, or worse, in Tampa. Georgia comes into this matchup as one of the nation’s hottest teams and leads the series 2-0, including a 24-12 win over MSU in the Jan. 1, 2009 Capital One Bowl. The Bulldogs own a sterling mark 26-17-3 in bowl games while MSU is just 7-14. Still, Sparty has a chance to do well here and may want to prove a point considering it took down Michigan in the regular season and the Wolverines are the ones going to a BCS game. Seniors Cousins and WR B.J. Cunningham might be able to exploit Georgia with big plays the way LSU did in the SEC championship.

Capital One Bowl
Nebraska (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2)
Date, Time (TV): Mon., Jan. 2; 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium; Orlando, Fla.
Line: South Carolina by 2½
AP Rankings: Nebraska, 21st; South Carolina, 10th
Outlook: Nebraska will make its 48th bowl appearance but first as a member of the Big Ten. The Cornhuskers certainly have a rough assignment as South Carolina, but the Big Ten actually holds a slight edge of 11-10 at the Capital One. Plus, the ’Huskers lead the all-time series 3-0, though the two teams haven’t met since 1987. The Gamecocks’ two defeats were against Auburn (16-13) and Arkansas (44-28) this season. They have won just four bowl games in 16 tries, two of them coming in back-to-back years at the expense of Ohio State following the 2000 and ’01 seasons. Nebraska will rely on the option running attack of QB Taylor Martinez and RB Rex Burkhead as well as the defensive prowess of star LB Lavonte David.

Rose Bowl
Oregon (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (11-2)
Date, Time (TV): Mon., Jan. 2; 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: Rose Bowl; Pasadena, Calif.
Line: Oregon by 6
AP Rankings: Oregon, 6th; Wisconsin, 9th
Outlook: Even with the two hard-to-swallow defeats, the Badgers are confident if not cocky and shouldn’t intimidated to face Oregon’s high-octane attack, even on Pac-12 turf. UW has earned a bowl berth for the 10th consecutive year and will be on display in the Rose Bowl for the eighth time. UW is 3-4 in the game and the Big Ten is 30-34. Oregon is 9-15 in bowl games including as loss to Auburn in last season’s BCS title game. Oregon will enter town averaging 46.2 ppg, just ahead of Wisconsin’s 44.6 ppg average. It’s a perfect setting for Wisconsin running back Montee Ball to set NCAA history. He’s just one touchdown away from equaling Barry Sanders’ NCAA single-season mark of 39 TDs.

Sugar Bowl
Michigan (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2)
Date, Time (TV): Tues., Jan. 3; 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome; New Orleans, La.
Line: Michigan by 2½
AP Rankings: Michigan, 13th; Virginia Tech, 17th
Outlook: Some have questioned Michigan’s inclusion in this game but the Hokies also have looked pretty mortal at times. Plus, the Wolverines are entertaining if nothing else with Denard Robinson under center. With Robinson a dual threat at QB and Fitzgerald Toussaint adding into the mix, UM ended up 12th nationally in rushing yards per game (235.7). Michigan is 19-21 in bowl games while Tech has struggled with a 9-15 showing. The Hokies can run it, too, with RB David Wilson (1,627 yards, nine TDs) while QB Logan Thomas (2,799 passing yards, 19 TDs) also can make plays. Tech came on if late but had a preconference schedule that included games with Appalachian State, East Carolina, Arkansas State and Marshall. The Hokies were bombed by Clemson.

Football Notes

* Zook was fired after Illinois’ second-half collapse but took the high road. Despite a sometimes tumultuous relationship with the media and fans, he thanked both factions for their support in his seven years in Champaign. The university tabbed Toledo head coach Tim Beckman as his replacement.

* Michigan State senior offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr. was named the winner of the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award. Ray, who hails from Chicago, returned to football this season four years after bone cancer derailed his career and caused him to undergo nine surgeries.

The award will be presented Jan. 3, 2012, at the AVMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon in Miami. Ray will be honored again Jan. 4 on the field during the Discover Orange Bowl.

“This is a tremendous award for a young man who has conquered all of the odds up against him,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said.

Ray had been given a medical waiver but remained on scholarship with Michigan State. Last April, doctors cleared him to resume football.

“I was in class, and I just cried tears of joy,” Ray told the Associated Press.

* The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) put out a statement in early December with regard to the recent developments at Penn State matter:

“The Big Ten Presidents and Chancellors express their sincere concern for any harm done to innocent young victims and their families. Protection of our children is one of society’s most central responsibilities and institutions of higher education should be particularly vigilant. We are committed to examining our own institutions to assure that effective measures are taken to assure the safety of children on our campuses.”

The COP/C also determined it will work in coordination with the state grand jury, but “will reserve the right to impose sanctions, corrective or other disciplinary measures in the event that adverse findings are made in the areas of institutional control, ethical conduct and/or other conference-related matters.”

* Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi was expected to receive overtures for a head-coaching job after a very impressive season guiding the Spartan defense. Sure enough, Akron came calling with an offer. Narduzzi reportedly met with Akron officials and had a contract in hand to sign but decided to stay on Dantonio’s staff.

UW-MSU Thriller Shapes Race

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:18:23 GMT

Michigan State’s last-second, Hail Mary upset of previously undefeated Wisconsin has created quite a buzz in and outside of the Big Ten. Some are even calling it the game of the year in college football so far.

But it’s a good bet that the 37-31 outcome didn’t plant a smile on the face of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

Oh, sure, Delany is happy with the exposure for the conference after the two teams battled so valiantly in prime time on Saturday. And MSU’s win on the last play sets up the potential for a very juicy rematch in Indianapolis in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 3. But Wisconsin appeared to be on a course that might have landed the Badgers in the BCS title game.

Now, the Big Ten is without a team in the top 10 of the BCS standings, which is a rarity.

Michigan State (6-1) moved up to 11th but Wisconsin (6-1) fell to 15th, one spot below Nebraska (6-1), a team the Badgers dusted 48-17 at the beginning of October. Michigan (6-1) and Penn State (7-1) also are putting together noteworthy seasons but can’t be considered real contenders for the BCS prize.

However, the possibilities are still vast in terms of the Big Ten race at the virtual halfway point. One of four teams to already have four league games under its belt, Penn State is the only 4-0 conference member heading to the last weekend in October. However, the Nittany Lions face Illinois next and then are looking at a November closing stretch of Nebraska, at Ohio State, at Wisconsin.

PSU is atop the Leaders Division, followed by Wisconsin (2-1), Purdue (2-1), Illinois (2-2), Ohio State (1-2) and Indiana (0-4). The only other unscathed team in league play, Michigan State (3-0), currently commands the Legends Division, but Nebraska, Michigan and Iowa are all a game behind at 2-1. Minnesota (0-3) and Northwestern (0-4) are yet to capture a league win and are mired at the bottom of the Legends pile.

Michigan State has to travel to Nebraska Oct. 29 and also has a trip to Iowa No. 12. However, MSU’s other remaining games are against league doormats Minnesota, Indiana and Northwestern.

Wisconsin looks to bounce back at Ohio State on Oct. 29 and a win there could propel the Badgers right back into the picture, especially considering the remaining ledger reads thusly: Purdue (Nov. 5), at Minnesota (Nov. 12), at Illinois (Nov. 19) and Penn State (Nov. 26).

It’s very likely UW players and coaches are going to spend the rest of the season and possibly beyond wondering “what if” when thinking about their last play in Spartan Stadium.

Wisconsin stormed from behind and hit the 30-point mark for the 14th straight time in regular-season play to tie the game at 31 and head coach Bret Bielema even called three timeouts in the final minute in hopes of getting the ball back from the Spartans. Instead, Michigan State maneuvered past midfield and had time for one last heave. That’s when lightning struck down the Badgers.

MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins lofted a deep ball in the direction of his star receiver B.J. Cunningham, and the aerial bounced off of Cunningham’s helmet and into the hands of teammate Keith Nichol.

Officials on the field originally ruled Nichol down at the Wisconsin 1-yard line, meaning the game was tied and heading to overtime. Replay officials, however, overruled the call and said Nichol had crossed the goal line – barely.

The play was so close that broadcasters Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit didn’t seem to offer much opinion on the ruling.

Since the booth review occurred with no time left on the clock, the announcement came from the public address announcer, sending the crowd of 76,405 to turn Spartan Stadium into an instant party.

The Badgers, of course, had a different reaction.

“You definitely don’t want to lose like that,” Wisconsin cornerback Antonio Fenelus said. “You’d rather get blown out than let a team win on a last-second play.”

“I’ve never been a part of something like that,” Bielema said afterward.

Wisconsin rallied from a 31-17 deficit in the final nine minutes and did so with its top weapons. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who was picked off twice, ripped off a 22-yard scoring run to bring UW back within a score and hit running back Montee Ball with a 2-yard TD toss with 1:26 remaining. The extra point tied the score and gave the appearance that both teams headed to overtime.

Prior to the final play, Wilson was understandably confident.

“I was just trying to figure out what play we were going to run once we got the ball back,” he said during a teleconference Tuesday. “It was a pretty miraculous, incredible play.”

Added Bielema, “I felt confident … that if we took it into overtime, we’d roll.”

MSU drove 78 yards for the winning score thanks in large part to Bielema’s decision to burn timeouts with 42, 30 and 4 seconds remaining.

“We wanted to get the ball back,” he said. “We were going for the win.”

Richmond Can’t Get It Together

Former Illinois forward Jereme Richmond has gone from disappointment to early defector to possibly jailbird.

Still only 19, Richmond twice was kicked off his high school team because of off-court trouble but still earned a scholarship to UI and put in a rather promising freshman season for coach Bruce Weber despite also serving a suspension during the 2010-11 campaign.

He left the program after just one year, declared early entry into the NBA draft and went unselected. It didn’t help that he reportedly was late for several predraft workouts and that his father claimed his son wasn’t chosen because every league team was unwilling to recognize his talents.

And all of that is insignificant compared with what he faces now.

That’s because Richmond was arrested in August amid allegations that he punched his ex-girlfriend and threatened her family, charges that if proved could put him behind bars for up to five years. Complicating that serious matter, the 6-7 wing was jailed Friday for allegedly failing a drug test imposed as a condition of his bond.

Despite his current situation, Richmond recently told the Chicago Tribune that he still expects to make it in the NBA very soon.

“I will be on somebody’s roster,” he told the newspaper. “I believe it will happen for me.”

Richmond, though, has serious issues to address. He allegedly punched and spat on his former girlfriend, a 17-year-old from Waukegan, Ill., and also allegedly got into an altercation with the girl’s father the following day. The man said Richmond pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him.

Richmond, who was charged with marijuana possession in February 2006, tested positive for the substance in an Oct. 5 drug test administered by the Lake County courts.

On Friday, Judge Theodore Potkonjak raised Richmond’s bond from $65,000 to $100,000 and had him returned into custody.

Richmond’s eyes brimmed with tears as he was cuffed and taken from the courtroom, according to a report.

Cousins, McNutt Share Offensive POW Honors

The Big Ten player of the week awards for games on Oct. 22 were announced recently and Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt and Cousins shared the offensive mention.

A senior from St. Louis, McNutt set the Iowa career record for touchdown receptions as part of a three-touchdown performance against Indiana. He hauled in scoring passes of 80, 28 and 24 yards, bringing his career total to 24. That passed the school record of 21 set by former Hawkeyes Tim Dwight (1994-97) and Danan Hughes (1989-92).

McNutt finished the game with six receptions for a career-high 184 yards.

Cousins, a senior from Holland, Mich., threw three TD passes in the upset of Wisconsin, including, of course, the bomb to Nichol as time expired.

He completed 22 of 31 passes for 290 yards and won his 22nd game as Michigan State’s quarterback, becoming the program’s all-time wins leader at the position.

Cousins also had been named Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25, 2010.

Junior linebacker Gerald Hodges of Penn State and junior defensive end Kawann Short of Purdue were named co-Defensive Players of the Week.

Hodges recorded a career-high 14 tackles and added 1.5 sacks in Penn State’s win over Northwestern. He also had a 63-yard interception return to set up PSU’s clinching score in a 34-24 win.

Short logged career-bests with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in Purdue’s 21-14 upset of Illinois. He finished with with six total tackles.

Michigan State linebacker Kyler Elsworth was named the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt in the final minute of the first half. The play led directly to a recovery in the end zone for an MSU touchdown.

Meanwhile, Indiana QB Tre Roberson was honored as the Freshman of the Week. Roberson became the first true freshman in Hoosier history to start at quarterback. He accounted for nearly 300 yards of total offense – completing 16 of 24 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 84 yards on 16 carries – during IU’s 45-24 loss to Iowa.

B1G Tourney Tix Now On Sale

All-session tickets for the 2012 Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments went on sale to the general public on Oct. 22 and some seats are still available.

Tickets can be purchased at the Conseco Fieldhouse Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Conseco Fieldhouse is the site of the women’s tournament March 1-4 and the men’s tournament from March 8-11, featuring 22 games over eight days.

Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament all-session tickets for the lower and club levels are available for $325 through Big Ten university ticket offices only. All-session tickets for the upper levels are available for $240 or $175 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the Conseco Fieldhouse Box Office only. Orders will be limited to eight all-session tickets.

Women’s tournament all-session tickets are available for $50 through Jan. 31, which marks a 30 percent discount off the regular price of $70. Fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets within their university’s fan block for their respective team’s games are encouraged to contact their school’s ticket office. The women’s tournament will feature general admission seating, allowing fans to witness the action from the best available seats in Conseco Fieldhouse.

In addition, the men’s tournament will continue to feature a special discounted rate of $50 for all-session tickets available only to students of Big Ten universities. All students must have a valid student ID for entry. Student section seating will be available in eight balcony sections and orders will be limited to one all-session ticket.

League Notes

* Penn State coach Joe Paterno racked up career win No. 408 on Oct. 22 with the Lions’ defeat of Northwestern. That tied the legendary leader for the NCAA Division I record, previously held solely by Grambling State’s Eddie Robinson. Paterno is in his 46th year at PSU; Robinson spent 55 at Grambling. Paterno can set the all-time record Oct. 29 as No. 19 Penn State hosts Illinois.

* Ohio State’s Jake Stoneburner recently was added to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, which annually recognizes the nation’s best tight end. Stoneburner is one of 25 candidates for the award and one of four from the Big Ten. The others are Northwestern’s Drake Dunsmore, Wisconsin’s Jacob Pedersen and Nebraska’s Kyler Reed.

A junior from nearby Dublin, Stoneburner leads the Buckeyes with 12 receptions (for 150 yards) and six touchdowns. He caught OSU’s only completed pass at Illinois – and the reception resulted in a 17-yard, win-clinching TD. In the team’s season-opening win over Akron, Stoneburner became the first tight end in modern Ohio State history to catch three touchdowns in a game.

* The Big Ten leads all conferences with six bowl-eligible teams. Along with 7-1 Penn State, five conference teams already have six victories. Illinois is 6-2 with four regular-season games remaining while four teams – Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Wisconsin – are 6-1.

* Times and television designations have been set for games scheduled for Nov. 5. They are as follows:
Michigan at Iowa (noon Eastern, ESPN)
Minnesota at Michigan State (noon Eastern, BTN)
Indiana at Ohio State (noon Eastern, BTN)
Northwestern at Nebraska (3:30 p.m. Eastern, BTN)
Purdue at Wisconsin (3:30 p.m. Eastern, ABC/ESPN2)

Divisional Play Arrives

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:50:44 GMT

When the calendar flips to October on Saturday and a decided chill will be in the air throughout the Midwest, the Big Ten football season, appropriately, will begin.

But this fall will be unlike the previous 115 that have involved league play. That’s because there are now two divisions – the Legends and Leaders – and the winners from those six-team alignments will meet in the first-ever Big Ten Football Championship Game in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 3 (8:17 p.m. Eastern, FOX).

Since 2000, nine different teams have earned at least a share of the Big Ten title, a group that includes Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.

The Buckeyes, though, have dominated the conference of late and claimed at least a piece of the last six titles under head coach Jim Tressel. A lengthy NCAA probe and Tressel’s admission that he knew of the potential ineligibility of several key players last season and did not forward the information cost him his job and cost the program its 12-1 2010 season, league co-championship and Sugar Bowl win. Now 38-year-old Luke Fickell is charged with reclaiming OSU’s glory.

But Ohio State, like everyone else, will have to earn its way to Indy and win a December game to be called a Big Ten champion. The winner of that game would move on to either represent the conference in the Rose Bowl or play for it all in the BCS National Championship Game.

Perhaps the top candidate for that achievement is Wisconsin. The seventh ranked Badgers (4-0) are averaging 48.5 points per game and are allowing just 8.5 ppg, both Big Ten bests, and have a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Russell Wilson, an N.C. State transfer who leads the conference with 311.0 yards of total offense per game. Wilson also leads the league in pass efficiency and passing yards per game (284.0) and is getting plenty of help on the ground from running back Montee Ball, who already has compiled 360 yards rushing and a league-best 10 touchdowns in four games.

Wisconsin, though, has a major test right out of the Big Ten gate in the form of league newcomer Nebraska. The eighth-ranked Cornhuskers (4-0) will play in their first-ever Big Ten game in prime time on Saturday (8 p.m. Eastern, ABC) at Wisconsin. Nebraska leads the Big 10 in rushing offense at 272.5 yards per game with 105.2 of it coming from quarterback Taylor Martinez and an almost identical figure (105.0) the result of the churning legs of runner Rex Burkhead.

Those two players rank second and third in the league in rushing but are still well behind Michigan QB Denard Robinson, who leads the nation with 138.0 ypg. Robinson, though, has struggled throwing the ball for new coach Brady Hoke. He is slightly under 50 percent in terms of pass completions (35 of 72, 48.6 percent) for 624 yards, six TDs and a like number of interceptions.

No. 19 Michigan (4-0) could get the elixir it needs, however, this week when Minnesota comes to town, “armed” with a pass defense that ranks 108th among FBS schools. The Golden Gophers and Indiana Hoosiers, who host Penn State Saturday, each are just 1-3 and are decided underdogs in their Big Ten openers.

While Michigan and Nebraska are the two 4-0 teams in Legends Division, Leaders Division kingpin Wisconsin is joined by a surprise fourth undefeated squad – Illinois. The No. 24 Illini have shut down the run better than anybody, allowing just 56.5 yards per game on the ground, good for fifth in the nation. That is especially impressive considering Illinois has had tough battles with Arizona State and Western Michigan the past two weeks, winning each game by a field goal. Sophomore QB Nathan Scheelhaase has blossomed. So far he has completed 47 of 66 passes (71.2 percent) for 637 yards and four TDs compared to just two interceptions.

The following is a sneak peek at the six games involving Big Ten teams for the first weekend of the league season (Purdue is facing FBS independent Notre Dame and Iowa has an open week):

Penn State (3-1) at Indiana (1-3)
Sat., noon Eastern (ESPN)
The Nittany Lions have had trouble getting their running game in gear and also can’t seem to settle on a quarterback as coach Joe Paterno has pegged Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden to share the role for now. Still, tailback Silas Redd and wideout Derek Moye should be a handful for an IU defense that ranks second-to-last in the Big Ten in terms of yards allowed per game (386.8). The Hoosiers will try to expose the middle of the field with linebacker Michael Mauti out for the year with a knee injury and Indiana could manage to stay in the game via the air. QB Ed Wright-Baker already has amassed 925 passing yards. Still, IU is facing an uphill battle, especially considering the early struggled on special teams and the fact that the Hoosiers have drawn the most penalties of any Big Ten team – 35 for 277 yards.

Minnesota (1-3) at No. 19 Michigan (4-0)
Sat., noon Eastern (Big Ten Network)
The Wolverines are staring at a 5-0 start if they don’t slip up in this battle for the Little Brown Jug. Hoke improved his career coaching mark to 51-50 last week and is hoping Michigan can turn the corner at the start of Big Ten play. Even though Michigan’s passing game is spotty, receiver Junior Hemingway has 211 receiving yards on just five receptions and is clearly a big-play threat when Robinson actually looks to throw. Like Robinson, Minnesota’s MarQueis Gray carries the offense. The nimble QB is the team’s leading passer (521 yards) and rusher (351) and can make plays out of small openings. Defensive back Kim Royston leads the Gophers defense – and the Big Ten – with 41 tackles. Coach Jerry Kill has suffered from seizures during the season and was hospitalized recently but returned to practice Wednesday and has vowed to be on the sideline at Michigan Stadium. “I’m in a position where right now I can’t take two weeks off,” Kill said.

Northwestern (2-1) at No. 24 Illinois (4-0)
Sat., noon Eastern (ESPN2)
This could prove to be a highly entertaining conference game, even on a day when Michigan State is visiting the Horseshoe and Nebraska is awaiting battle with Wisconsin. The Illini rolled up more than 500 yards rushing in last year’s encounter at Soldier Field and some UI players proclaimed Chicago as their town. The Wildcats, of course, didn’t like that and the bad blood that rivalries produce might rise in temperature in this one. NU is coming off an open week and claims it can again rely on QB Dan Persa, who was a preseason All-Big Ten candidate until being slowed down by a still-sore Achilles tendon that he ruptured at the end of last season. If Persa stumbles, coach Pat Fitzgerald will call on dual threat Kain Colter. Illinois is reaping the rewards of a hot start by Scheelhaase and a potent rushing attack led by Troy Pollard. Northwestern ranks dead-last in the league in both rushing defense (205.7 ypg) and total defense (394.3 ypg), which doesn’t help the cause.

Michigan State (3-1) at Ohio State (3-1)
Sat., 3:30 p.m. Eastern (ABC or ESPN)
It’s hard to believe neither of these teams is ranked in The Associated Press poll, although the Spartans are 25th in the USA Today coaches poll. They looked mortal in a lopsided 31-13 loss at Notre Dame and the Buckeyes struggled the same evening at Miami (Fla.) to the tune of 24-6. Still, this should be a rock’em, sock’em affair with the team that can unleash its running game standing the best chance. MSU has been stingy in terms of points allowed (11.0) and total defense, allowing a nation-best 172.3 yards per game. The Spartans are sure to present different blitzes and looks for Braxton Miller in an attempt to confuse the freshman QB. Jordan Hall will look to provide another spark to the OSU run game but Michigan State has shown better offensive balance and has a senior signal caller who has seen it all in Kirk Cousins. Wideout B.J. Cunningham of nearby Westerville, Ohio, already MSU’s all-time leading pass receiver, is on pace for a big senior year with 26 catches for 428 yards. The Buckeyes, though, might be able to change matters in their favor on special teams, where Sparty has sputtered.

Notre Dame (2-2) at Purdue (2-1)
Sat., 8 p.m. Eastern (ESPN)
The Fighting Irish have been an enigma thus far, producing moments of high-level football and also unexplained ineptitude. After a home defeat to South Florida and last-minute meltdown at Michigan they put it together against Michigan State and managed to escape Pittsburgh with a three-point victory. Still, head coach Brian Kelly is searching for elusive consistency. Tommy Rees looks to be the answer at QB. He’s thrown for 988 yards and seven TDs in four games and has one of the nation’s best weapons at his disposal in wide receiver Michael Floyd (35 catches for 424 yards and two TDs). Purdue is trying to keep it together after losing QB Robert Marve to a season-ending knee injury in the season opener and losing in Week 2 at Rice, of all places. The Boilermakers will try to run clock by keeping the ball on the ground as much as possible, and they rank second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (258.7), Leading the way are running backs Ralph Bolden and Akeem Shavers.

No. 8 Nebraska (4-0) at No. 7 Wisconsin (4-0)
Sat., 8 p.m. Eastern (ABC)
This is the biggee of the week. The Cornhuskers have overwhelmed foes with their uptempo offense and varied rushing attack with Martinez at the epicenter of it all. Wisconsin, meanwhile, has been downright dominant on both sides of the ball and UW has been especially adept at finishing off drives, converting a gaudy 23 of 24 trips to the red zone, 21 of them resulting in a touchdown. Wisconsin also leads the league in third-down conversions (28 of 46, 60.9 percent). Wilson has been the key, seemingly making all the right decisions and plays. Linebacker Chris Borland has led the Badgers’ charge on defense with 35 tackles, including five for loss, and defensive end David Gilbert has added three sacks. Nebraska, though could counter some of that star power with special teams weapon Ameer Abdullah, who leads the Big Ten in both punt returns (12.0 yards per attempt) and kickoff returns (42.5). The ’Huskers also have a terrorizer of their own on defense in the form of senior linebacker David Lavonte (38 tackles).

B1G Notes

* Paterno, Penn State’s legendary coach, of course, leads all Big Ten coaches in most league wins with 90, reaching that mark in 144 conference games. Kirk Ferentz of Iowa (53-43) is next, followed by Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema (27-13). No other head coach has more than 20 Big Ten wins and five of them – including Nebraska’s veteran boss, Bo Pelini – are set to coach in their first conference game. Along with Fickell and Hoke are newcomers Kill at Minnesota and Kevin Wilson at Indiana.

* With the beginning of divisional play, the Big Ten has instituted a new tiebreaker to determine the Big Ten Football Championship Game participants, if necessary. After head-to-head matchups, the next tiebreaker is records within the division, which makes winning divisional games an important part of the Big Ten title chase. There are only two divisional games this week: a Legends Division matchup between Michigan and Minnesota and a Leaders Division clash between Indiana and Penn State.

* The Big Tenn announced Co-Offensive Players of the Week for games of Sept. 24: junior quarterbacks Robinson and McGloin. A product of Deerfield Beach, Fla., Robinson rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan’s win over San Diego State. McGloin, who hails from Scranton, Pa., completed 14 of 17 passes for 220 yards and three TDs in PSU’s win over Eastern Michigan. The Defensive Player of the Week was Iowa lineman Tom Nardo, a senior from Lancaster, Pa. He logged a career-high 12 tackles in helping Iowa defeat visiting Louisiana-Monroe.

Colorful Two Days In Chicago

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:05:15 GMT

The Windy City is known for its popular and colorful Chicago-based ball teams – Cubs blue, Bulls red and the familiar black worn by the Bears.

On Thursday and Friday the town was painted scarlet and gray in that the discussions during the 2011 Big Ten Football Media Days there always seemed to circle back to Ohio State.

The Buckeyes, of course, are the perennial power team of the conference after winning six straight league crowns. However, head coach Jim Tressel and quarterback Terrelle Pryor are gone because of scandal while several other key players have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season.

And new coach Luke Fickell inherits a team that needs to rebuild its core on defense and will have to deal with varying expectations and distractions throughout the fall.

So as the 12 coaches took the podium individually on Thursday and delved into their team outlook, the questions still managed to pertain to OSU.

Perhaps most interesting were the comments by Michigan’s Brady Hoke, who, like Fickell, enters the rivalry for the first time as a head coach.

A former UM assistant who opened eyes heading up the programs at Ball State and San Diego State, Hoke already has Wolverine fans fired up and Buckeye fans disliking the portly new head coach. In Woody Hayes-like fashion, Hoke has showed extra attention to the rivalry by referring to the enemy with a slighted title. But in this case, instead of Hayes calling Michigan “that school up north” Hoke simply refers to OSU as “Ohio.”

He did it repeatedly in Chicago.

“You know, we're really fortunate at Michigan,” Hoke said at the mic. “We have a national rivalry. We play Notre Dame. We have an in-state rivalry with Michigan State, obviously. Then the rivalry with Ohio is as big a rivalry as there is in sport.”

Fickell didn’t react to Hoke’s reference to the Buckeyes but he made sure to tell reporters in Chicago that he doesn’t intend to let UM suddenly get the upper hand in The Game.

“Nobody will overlook that,” Fickell said. “I know that's not something that will ever be overlooked at Ohio State. Obviously (we) look forward to that rivalry, continuing that great tradition.”

Hoke also admitted he has a special feeling for the late November matchup.

“It’s fun,” said Hoke, who last participated in the rivalry as an assistant at Michigan in 2002.

“I mean, if you can’t get geared up for that and get goosebumps and all those things for that game, then you may not be human.”

Hoke grew up in the Dayton area but claims he rooted for Michigan as a kid. His father, John Hoke, played for Hayes and Bo Schembechler at Miami (Ohio).

Hoke eventually found himself on the sidelines for the rivalry but doesn’t expect to be part of the spotlight when the series is renewed this fall.

“It never has been who the coach is,” he said. “It’s always about those two great institutions.

“Playing at the end of November is tradition and some traditions you don’t mess with,” Hoke added.

And some you start yourself – like calling your bitter rival by its first name.

Similarly, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema seemed to both crack Ohio State and show the program major respect throughout his two-day appearance in Chicago.

Bielema, who was selected by the media as the conference’s best coach in a preseason poll, has made no bones about putting Ohio State in his gun scope and he sounded like a man hell-bent on the opportunity to catch the Buckeyes during his media address. He also reminded reporters that the Badgers ruined OSU’s otherwise perfect season – even if sanctions take away the 12 wins.

“We’ve been knocking on the door of Ohio State for a couple of years, but to finally go through last year in the way that we did, there wasn’t any question about who won that football game,” he said of the 31-18 upset of No. 1 OSU last October.

“The only bad part about Terrelle leaving was he said the week after it was a fluke, that they’d beat us nine out of 10 times. So to me, we really wanted to play that game against him, but unfortunately we won’t.”

The two teams will meet again in Columbus this year – a Halloween (Oct. 29) treat that is sure to stir up more emotion. The Buckeyes are expected to wear replica uniforms for that contest and the national spotlight will shine brightly. Considering Bielema’s obsession with surpassing OSU in the conference race, that some consider the Badgers as Ohio State’s biggest rival, and that the two teams are now in opposing divisions, setting up a possibly December rematch in the conference’s first-ever championship game, Bielema was asked to respond to the Buckeyes’ recent NCAA hot water.

“I understand why you ask the question, but I don’t spend one day at the University of Wisconsin worrying about what’s going on at Ohio State,” he said.

Sure you don’t, Coach.

“Ohio State still has a lot of real good football players,” he continued. “Luke (Fickell) is a very good football coach. He’s a great assistant coach and my guess is he’s going to be a good head coach, but it doesn’t change what we do at Wisconsin.”

Bielema also seemed to reference Tressel, saying, “If you’re trying to be competitive, you’re trying to win a football game, all those things, maximize all your opportunities, do what you have to do,” he said at the podium.

“But when you consciously break an NCAA rule, to me the only way to deter that is to get rid of people, or seriously hold programs accountable. That’s probably the number one thing I would love to see happen in the world of college football.”

However, a gaggle of reporters grabbed Bielema in thw hallway and he tried to clarify his statement.

“You know what, those comments weren’t directed toward Ohio State,” he said.

“I don’t know exactly what went on. More to those comments that I was referring to was recruiting. When you have people who knowingly are breaking rules or doing things that aren’t over the table, that is very frustrating. It’s very hard to trace. It’s just very, very upsetting when the people who are involved aren’t hammered the way they should be.”

Bielema went on to say that Tressel was highly supportive of him and did admit regret that he is no longer in the conference.

“Unfortunately, the situation arose there, but it doesn’t change my opinion about who he is or what he is or the program he built,” he said. “To win six Big Ten championships (in a row), that doesn’t just happen. You have a lot of good coaches and a lot of good football players that were able to do that, and he’s responsible for all of that.”

Veteran Presence – Just prior to the Big Ten Football Media Days, the conference compiled a list of the top players and called it the league’s inaugural Preseason Players To Watch List. The intent was to honor five student-athletes each from the Legends Division and Leaders Division. The 2011 list was selected by a media panel and features additional honorees due to a tie.

Representing the Legends Division are Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick and linebacker Lavonte David, and Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa.

The Leaders Division honorees are Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, Indiana wide receiver Damarlo Belcher, Ohio State center Mike Brewster and defensive tackle John Simon, Penn State linebacker Michael Mauti and Wisconsin running backs Montee Ball and James White.

All five Legends Division players received postseason recognition in 2010, with Robinson, Crick and David earning All-America honors and first-team All-Conference accolades. Robinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year while David was tabbed the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Persa was also named first-team All-Big Ten while Cousins was an honorable mention All-Conference choice.

The group of Leaders Division standouts includes five All-Conference selections from 2010. Brewster earned All-America accolades and first-team All-Big Ten honors. White was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-Conference selection. Belcher, Simon and Ball were each All-Big Ten honorable mention selections.

Hot Ticket – The conference opened up ticket sales for the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game to the general public on July 30 and the ducats reportedly sold out within a few hours. Tickets ranged from $50 to $125. Orders were limited to eight tickets.

The championship game is slated to begin at 8:17 p.m. Eastern on Sat., Dec. 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will be televised by FOX Sports.

Those individuals who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster or the Lucas Oil Stadium ticket office for the 2011 Big Ten Football Championship Game will have the opportunity at a later date to purchase tickets in a comparable location for the 2012 game. In addition, every Big Ten Football Championship Game ticket will include a ticket to Big Ten Fan Fest, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center from 10 a.m. Eastern until kickoff.

The championship game will feature the champion of the Legends Division facing the champion of the Leaders Division, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in either the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.

The Big Ten Conference and Indiana Sports Corporation have entered into an agreement to host Big Ten Football Championship Games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through 2015. FOX Sports will serve as the official broadcast partner of the Big Ten Football Championship Games through 2016.

Looking Back – Just one year ago, Nebraska was not a part of the conference and the fraternity of Big Ten head coaches included the likes of Tressel, Rich Rodriguez, Tim Brewster and Bill Lynch.

In fact, just last summer Lynch was talking about the strides his staff was making at Indiana and raving about the Hoosiers’ renovated stadium.

“One, it shows a commitment to football at Indiana, and I think that’s really big,” he said at the time. “And then I think it’s more fun. There’s no question it’s more fun to play in a lively atmosphere. That’s why when you talk to our kids they talk about playing at Penn State or playing at Iowa, those places where it’s alive from the time you take the field to the time the game’s over.”

Lynch, of course, wasn’t around long enough to see the full effect. But he was prophetic when he said the following: “Everybody can say what they want but I don’t care where they’re at, they don’t want to line up and play Ohio State.”

A year ago, the league also had different players in starring roles, most notably defensive end. Sure enough, Ohio State’s Cameron Heyward, Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn and Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan all had big senior seasons and became top draft choices.

“Those are good ones right there,” Tressel said of that trio last year. “When you have edge guys like that, those guys disrupt what you do. All of a sudden you’ve got to send your backs out to chip them, you get them out in routes and your quarterback’s timing is off because he’s used to the check-down being there with that coverage. I don’t think it’s a secret whether it’s our league or the league above us, D-linemen are impactful.”

Meanwhile, a few tables away, Rodriguez was telling reporters that UM football was on the brink of returning to glory despite fan unrest.

“We’re at a place where they care,” Rodriguez said last August. “You want to coach and play at a place like that. I don’t know if you ever have 100 percent of the people happy no matter where you’re at. When we were having our good runs at West Virginia at the end there, when we lost two games it was tragic. But you build up to that point.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I want to get to that point. I want to get to that point where, boy, one or two losses is a bad, bad thing – and we can get there. It’s taken us longer than we wanted, that’s for sure, but we can get there.

“We’re getting there. We wanted to have a fast team. It starts off with recruiting fast players. Now we’ve got to get them to play fast all the time, and that’s our job as coaches. We’ve got to put them in that position. We’ve got to teach them, educate them. And on both sides of the ball. Some people talk about the offense, but it’s defensively, too. We’ve got to play faster defensively. And in a couple years those fast guys playing fast will be juniors and seniors.”

Michigan defensive back Troy Woolfolk also was talking about a turnaround – including Michigan’s results against Ohio State.

“For us (the hatred of OSU) has been as high as it’s ever been because they’ve kind of dominated the last few years. I think it’s that time to finally get over the hill and end that winning streak. Everyone on the team, I can just see it in their eyes when everyone is telling them about Ohio State. Or even just on TV or even just an O-shaped figure I just get instantly angry. Cheerios, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, none of that.”

For the record, Woolfolk ended up suffering a season-ending injury and his Wolverines were bombed at Ohio State in November.

Coachspeak – The Big Ten coaches checked in on a number of topics at the Media Days. Here are some of the more noteworthy comments:

Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio on the demise of Tressel, his former boss and mentor – “To me, it’s tragic. He becomes a tragic hero in my respect, in my view. Usually tragic heroes have the ability to rise above it all in the end and that’s what I’ll look for in the end. It is very heart-wrenching for me and my family because we’re close to Coach Tress. He’s had a lot to do with my life as a mentor really since 1983, and that’s a long time. That’s a tough situation.”

Illinois’ Ron Zook on Ohio State’s NCAA predicament – “You hate to see those things happen. Obviously it’s lessons that we as all coaches have to look at, maybe rethink, obviously help your players in education, learning what’s right and what’s wrong from that standpoint as well.”

Zook on hanging onto his job – “Well, it’s hard to believe going into my seventh year and I’m actually third in seniority. Actually kind of mind-boggling.”

Indiana’s Kevin Wilson on making the Hoosiers a contender – “If you talk to our three guys representing us today, we’re not trying to be good four, five, six years from now. The expectation, I think every game is going to be exciting, competitive, challenging in the Big Ten. That’s the niche in college football these days. That’s the beauty of BCS, fighting every week in your bowl situation.”

Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz on Nebraska being added to the league – “First and foremost, I think it’s a fantastic thing for the conference. I was in the league for nine years back in the ’80s, gone for nine, now I’ve been back again. I was not here when Penn State joined the league. I think we’d agree that’s been a tremendous thing overall. I think this is a move that balances that out, if you will. In our case we have a border that we share. It’s certainly something that is going to be something very much of interest for the fans.”

Nebraska’s Bo Pelini on QB Taylor Martinez – “We feel really good about where Taylor is. He’s had a great offseason. He had a tremendous spring. He’s had a phenomenal summer. I think he’s more engaged as a leader. I think he’s really taken it
upon himself to grow in that area. I think he’s becoming a tremendous leader on our football team, holding his teammates accountable, holding himself accountable. I think he’s poised to have a great year.”

Pelini, a former Buckeye, on how the Big Ten compares to the Big 12 – “When I think of the Big Ten, I think of class, I think of tremendous tradition. Like I said, I think of integrity. I think that’s what the Big Ten has represented for a very long time. You look a the academic accomplishments throughout the conference. To me it serves as a model, and it’s why I feel so great about us being a part of the conference. I think it serves as a model for the rest of college football. That’s why it’s such an honor for us as an institution for us to become a part of it.”

Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald on Ohio State’s troubles – “There’s a lot that’s going on right now in college football that I think we need to wrap our arms around as a complete and total body. We will. We’ll make it better. There are going to need to be changes, tweaks, adjustments, to bylaws and rules, I would think so based on what we’ve seen in the last off-season. I don’t think there’s a coach or administrator in the country that doesn’t want to be a part of that solution.”

Penn State octogenarian Joe Paterno on his health – “I feel a lot better than I did a year ago. I had two tough years physically. The kid from Wisconsin running into me in the sideline, when I broke my knee that time. Then I threw my hip out showing off, trying to show the kids how to kick a football. I couldn’t kick when I was healthy. I sure as hell couldn’t kick with a broken knee.”

BKB Races, Pre-Spring FB Outlook

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:04:30 GMT

And down the stretch they come.

It’s a three-horse race for the Big Ten men’s basketball crown – and Ohio State is in the lead by a full head – but there is still a lot of jockeying for position going on, especially in the middle of the pack.

After the first-place Buckeyes took down Illinois on Tuesday night at the Schottenstein Center, Minnesota was trying to take down suddenly feisty Michigan State later that evening. A win by the Gophers would have created a five-team tie for fifth place as MSU and Minnesota would have joined Illinois, Penn State and Michigan with 7-8 conference records.

That didn’t happen as Minnesota lost grip of a six-point lead and was outscored 12-1 in the final minutes of a 53-48 loss to the Spartans. That damaging defeat at Williams Arena dropped the Gophers to 17-10 overall and 6-9 in league play. Meanwhile, Michigan State (16-11, 8-7) inched up to fourth place.

The following night, Wisconsin edged Michigan 53-52 as Josh Gasser banked in a three at the buzzer to turn Crisler Arena into a funeral home.

The win kept faint hopes alive for the Badgers (21-6, 11-4) to grab a share of the Big Ten prize. Wisconsin needs to beat Northwestern at home on Sunday, take down Indiana in Bloomington on March 3 – and get some help from either IU or Penn State against Ohio State – to set up a showdown with OSU (26-2, 13-2) in Columbus on March 6.

Ohio State, meanwhile, could secure a co-championship as soon as this weekend if Purdue (23-5, 12-3) loses at Michigan State on Sunday afternoon and the Buckeyes take care of Indiana, which hasn’t won a league road game all season, in a home game later that afternoon.

The Boilermakers (23-5, 12-3), though, are still very much alive at the moment. They took down the rival Hoosiers (12-16, 3-12) on Wednesday night, 72-61, and can keep a lot of pressure on OSU with wins down the stretch at MSU Sunday and at home against Illinois (March 1) and Iowa (March 5).

At this writing, though, no one team has locked down a particular spot in the standings, which, of course, corresponds to seeding in the Big Ten Tournament. Even Indiana and Iowa (10-17, 3-12) are in a battle to avoid last place.

If Ohio State wins the regular-season title, either outright or shared, it would mark the fourth Big Ten championship for the program in six years. Only three conference teams have won as many titles in as sort a span: Ohio State (1960-64), Indiana (1973-76) and Michigan State (1998-2001).

Paint By Numbers

Also taking shape are some very interesting team and individual races for leadership in statistical categories for men’s basketball.

For example, heading into Thursday night’s game between Penn State and Northwestern, PSU senior guard Talor Battle had a slight lead in scoring among Big Ten players at 20.8 points per game compared to Purdue center JaJuan Johnson’s average of 20.4 ppg. In the mix behind those players were Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer (19.1 ppg), Purdue guard E’Twaun Moore (18.6), Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor (17.9), Ohio State post man Jared Sullinger (17.8) and Northwestern forward John Shurna (17.3).

In the rebounding department heading into the penultimate weekend of the regular season, Minnesota big man Trevor Mbakwe was the only Big Ten player in double figures (10.4 per game), but Sullinger was right behind at 9.9 rpg. Michigan State’s Draymond Green was third at 8.4 rpg.

Michigan had some league leaders as well with center Jordan Morgan atop the conference in field-goal percentage (63.2) and point guard Darius Morris ranking first in assists per game (6.8).

The battle for top free-throw percentage (minimum 2.0 made per game) was tight with Iowa swingman Matt Gatens in first at 87.5 but Leuer (86.3) and Penn State’s David Jackson (86.2) within striking distance.

Interestingly, with three regular-season games to go teammates Aaron Craft and David Lighty of Ohio State ranked 1-2 in the league in steals per game, 1.89 to 1.82. Green was a hair behind at 1.81. Johnson appears on pace to lead the league in blocked shots per game (2.25) but Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson III is not far behind (2.07).

Shurna was the only Big Ten player to that point making at least half his three-point attempts – he was a league-leading 56 of 112 for a percentage of 50.0 – but Illinois guard Demetri McCamey (61 of 127, 48.0), OSU’s Jon Diebler (76 of 159, 47.8) and Wisconsin forward Keaton Nankivil (48 of 101, 47.5) also were above 45 percent.

As a team, Ohio is on pace to shoot right around 40 percent from long range. The Buckeyes lead the league at 202 of 506 for a mark of 39.9 percent. OSU also leads the league in overall field-goal percentage at 49.3 as a team. Minnesota was the only league team holding foes below 40 percent from the field (39.5) and Illinois was the only Big Ten squad holding teams under 30 percent from long range (29.7).

Not surprisingly, Ohio State has led the conference in scoring (77.1 ppg) and scoring margin (+17.6) while Wisconsin was tops in scoring defense (57.4 ppg) and Minnesota, which has the biggest front line in the league, was best in rebounding margin (+5.4) and blocked shots (5.6).

Spartan Women Claim Title

The Michigan State women lost for the first time at home all season on Thursday night as the Spartans were nipped 54-53 at the Breslin Center, but there was still reason to celebrate that evening.

By virtue of Penn State’s home loss to Purdue, 51-49, Michigan State had secured the outright Big Ten regular-season championship. It was the first such title for MSU, which shared the conference crown in 1997 and 2005.

MSU clinched at least a co-championship with a win over Illinois on Sunday. The Spartans (24-4, 12-3) had a chance to win the league in style but missed a last-second shot against the Buckeyes (18-9, 9-6). Ohio State had its string of six straight league titles snapped but moved into a tie in the standing with Iowa (21-7, 9-6) and Michigan (16-11, 9-6), one game behind second-place teams Penn State (21-8, 10-5) and Wisconsin (15-12, 10-5).

Purdue (19-10, 9-7) also has a winning record in league play, leaving just Northwestern (17-11, 6-9), Minnesota (12-16, 4-11), Indiana (9-18, 3-12) and Illinois (7-21, 2-13) on the wrong side of .500 in conference play.

Michigan State advanced all the way to the NCAA title game in 2005 under head coach Joanne P. McCallie, who left in 2007 to take over the controls at Duke. The Spartans have found recent success under her replacement, fourth-year head coach Suzy Merchant.

This season marked the eighth straight the Spartans have won 20 or more games and it is also the ninth straight year they have won 10 or more conference games. The 24 wins are a program high under Merchant.

The Spartans look to become the sixth No. 1 seed to win the Big Ten Tournament, which begins March 3.

Football Fever

Snow and freezing temperatures still blanket most of the Midwest, but that hasn’t quelled optimism for 2011 football across the Big Ten.

Several programs will start their spring practice sessions in less than five weeks, including defending Big Ten co-champion Ohio State. The Buckeyes begin their 15-practice spring season on March 31 and have scheduled their annual Scarlet and Gray Game for April 23 in the Horseshoe. That is the Saturday of Easter weekend.

Ohio State (12-1, 7-1 last season) has won at least a piece of the conference crown for a record six straight years and came through with a gutty 31-26 win over Arkansas in the Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Still, the Big Ten finished just 3-5 in bowl games thanks to a rough New Year’s Day. League co-champion Wisconsin was nipped by TCU in the Rose Bowl while the other title sharer, Michigan State, was massacred by Alabama in the Capital One Bowl. Likewise, Penn State and Michigan lost to SEC teams Florida and Mississippi State and Northwestern couldn’t get past Texas Tech in the TicketCity Bowl.

The league, however, should be noticeably stronger in the game of pigskin with Nebraska now set to join the conference. The arrival of the Cornhuskers swells the conference to 12 teams, which will now be split into two divisions. The new divisions will be The Leaders (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin) and The Legends (Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern).

The new format brings a new outlook and hopes suddenly are high again at Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan with newly hired coaches in place. Minnesota canned Tim Brewster in October and after the season filled the void by hiring Northern Illinois’ Jerry Kill. Indiana ousted Bill Lynch in November and tabbed Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson as his replacement.

Michigan waited until January, after the Wolverines were bombed 52-14 in the Gator Bowl and were still smarting from a seventh straight loss to Ohio State, to fire embattled head coach Rich Rodriguez. After a very unsuccessful three-year run under RichRod, UM is now putting its trust on former assistant Brady Hoke, who ushered turnarounds at Ball State and San Diego State.

Also looking to turn their fortunes are the Iowa Hawkeyes. Head coach Kirk Ferentz thought he had a title contender but instead endured a disappointing 8-5 season that included losses in the final three games of the regular season. That includes a defeat at the hands of lowly Minnesota.

After that, Iowa’s top receiver (Derrell Johnson-Koulianos) and running back (Adam Robinson) were suspended for off-field issues, although the Hawkeyes did rally to upset No. 12 Missouri in the Insight Bowl, 27-24. Still, the bad news continued in the off-season as 13 Iowa players were hospitalized in January with a rare muscle disorder.

Iowa will try to stay with Nebraska, Michigan State and Michigan in The Legends division with the loss of several key players including defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn and quarterback Ricky Stanzi. James Vandenberg will be under the microscope at QB with Stanzi departed.

Ohio State also lost a slew of starters on defense and some offensive linemen but the Buckeyes did not have a junior leave the program early to head off to the NFL for the first time in the Tressel era.

Key underclassmen from the Big Ten who are now at the NFL combine or planning a professional career include Wisconsin running back John Clay, Indiana wide receiver Tandon Doss, Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt, and three standouts from Illinois – running back Mikel Leshoure, defensive tackle Corey Liuget and linebacker Martez Wilson.

JoePa, A Big Ten Shootout & Hoops

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:51:20 GMT

It was another momentous week for the Big Ten with men’s and women’s basketball teams unveiling themselves in exhibition action, several fall sports nearing the stretch run and member football teams nearing an exciting conclusion to the regular season.

But the headliner from recent days can be extolled in just five letters: JoePa.

Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno captured his 400th career win Nov. 6 before a soldout crowd at Beaver Stadium but not before the Nittany Lions staged a furious comeback against pesky competitor Northwestern.

The Lions (6-3, 3-2) became bowl eligible by storming back from a 21-0 deficit to post a 35-21 victory, which was aided in large part by former walk-on quarterback Matt McGloin and his four touchdown tosses.

Paterno, who has headed up the PSU program since 1966, became the first Football Bowl Subdivision head coach to record 400 career victories. He has amassed a mark of 400-132-3 in his 45 years as head coach at PSU and will take that ridiculous achievement into Columbus this weekend for a nationally televised showdown with No. 8 Ohio State on Saturday (3:30 p.m. Eastern, ABC).

His total of 535 games coached is second all-time in FBS history behind only the 578 games for Chicago’s Amos Alonzo Stagg. In comparison, the 10 other current Big Ten coaches have been on the sidelines for a combined 610 games at conference schools with 367 triumphs.

Counting all 120 FBS schools’ current coaches, Ohio State’s Jim Tressel ranks second behind Paterno in career wins with 237.

Paterno joins current St. John’s (Minn.) coach John Gagliardi (477) and former Grambling boss Eddie Robinson (408) as the only coaches in NCAA history with 400 victories.

Paterno also won his 100th, 200th and 300th games at Beaver Stadium and passed Paul “Bear” Bryant as the all-time winningest coach in Division I history in PSU’s 29-27 come-from behind win there over OSU and Tressel in 2001.

Pinball Wizards

Before the season, the conference boasted the return of several noteworthy skill players and yet they weren’t expected to breeze into the end zone and put up astronomical yardage totals – at least not against Big Ten foes.

“Our defenses in this league are so talented and so sound, you’re not going to have crazy numbers like you have in some conferences,” Tressel said. “It’s not going to happen. You’re going to earn every dime you get here. People don’t blow coverages and stuff like that.”

Well, OSU’s coach probably didn’t foresee the offensive explosion Illinois and Michigan staged Nov. 6 at Michigan Stadium.

The game went triple-overtime but even before that drama the Wolverines rallied to tie the score at 45 at the end of regulation. They would go on to register a 67-65 victory to become bowl eligible at 6-3 overall and 2-3 in league play.

The Illini were forced to go for a two-point conversion at the end of the third extra session but QB Nathan Scheelhaasse couldn’t set and throw and was forced into a blind flip of the football with defenders draped on him.

Before that ending, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez appeared to mouth the words “one play” and he got it, albeit one of the very rare defensive stops of the entire afternoon.

The 132 total points shattered the conference record and the two teams combined for 1,237 yards of total offense – 665 passing and another 572 rushing. There were a whopping 58 first downs in the game.

The previous Big Ten record for combined scoring in a conference game was 115 points when Minnesota defeated Purdue, 59-56, on Oct. 9, 1993. The last time two Big Ten teams combined for 105 or more points was on Nov. 4, 2000, when Northwestern defeated Michigan, 54-51.

The last college football game to feature more points occurred on Nov. 10, 2007, when Navy defeated North Texas, 72-64. The last game with two teams each scoring at least 65 points was Oct. 14, 2007, when Boise State edged Nevada, 69-67.

Title Up For Grabs

With just a handful of games remaining, four Big Ten football teams were still eyeing the regular-season crown as Michigan State stood at 5-1 with Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa all 4-1. The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes meet Nov. 20 in Iowa City so no more than three teams figure to share the title unless they also stumble and Penn State continues its surge.

Among the top four teams in the standings, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin face only one more road game, while Iowa must hit the road for two of its final three contests. The Spartans have a bye Nov. 13 then finish with a home contest against Purdue and a trip to Penn State. Wisconsin also was in good position heading into the stretch run with home games against Indiana and Northwestern sandwiched around an important Nov. 20 trip to Michigan. Iowa’s ledger reads at Northwestern, vs. Ohio State, at Minnesota.

The Buckeyes have the most challenging closing slate as their final three opponents have a combined mark of 9-6 (.600) in Big Ten play, including the huge roadie at Iowa.

The conference would recognize co-champions but in case of a logjam at the top of the standings the league’s automatic qualifier goes to the winner of a tiebreaking procedure of head-to-head, combined record against the other school(s) involved and highest BCS ranking. That puts Wisconsin in the best position at the moment since the Badgers already have defeated OSU and Iowa.

Michigan State beat Wisconsin but lost to Iowa and doesn’t play Ohio State. The Buckeyes need to win out and hope someone bumps off the Badgers.

Feet Of Clay

With Wisconsin seemingly in the driver’s seat for the Rose Bowl, running back John Clay may now be the odds-on favorite to win the coveted Silver Football as the Big Ten’s most outstanding player.

Through nine games the bruising tailback already had amassed 929 yards rushing, second only to Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson. He also was leading the conference in scoring with 13 touchdowns.

Clay told SportsRappUp.com prior to the season that he was driven throughout the summer by a key fumble he committed last season against Northwestern.

“That has motivated me because in my eyes I felt that I lost that game for our team,” he said.

Clay is a punishing runner who is listed at 255 pounds and looks even bigger. He said he played at 248 pounds last year but used to embellish that figure since everyone else did.

“I find it hilarious,” he said. “Sitting down talking with Coach (offensive coordinator Paul) Chryst, he just told me to make up a whole bunch of numbers. He told me to tell people, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve lost like 5 or 10 pounds and now I’m at a solid 285.’ It gets so ridiculous to have people keep talking about it.”

Clay said he tries to stay somewhere around 250.

“I feel good at that weight but with another 5 pounds lost I can have more speed, too, along with my power,” he said.

Hoops Are Here

The Big Ten is looking like an elite conference on paper when it comes to men’s basketball.

The league welcomes back 17 players who graced last season’s All-Big Ten teams, including five players that have earned first-team honors over the last two seasons and a previous Player of the Year.

Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas was the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2009 and the point guard is considered the top player once again now that he’s healthy and Evan Turner has departed Ohio State for the NBA. Lucas was named the Preseason Player of the Year at the Big Ten basketball media conference in Chicago and is joined on the preseason first team by Illinois point guard Demetri McCamey, Purdue guard E’Twaun Moore, Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer and Purdue center JaJuan Johnson.

Also returning from last year’s All-Big Ten teams are Illinois’ Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale; Indiana’s Verdell Jones; Iowa’s Matt Gatens; Michigan State’s Draymond Green; Northwestern’s Drew Crawford, John Shurna and Michael Thompson; Ohio State’s William Buford, Jon Diebler and David Lighty; and Penn State’s Talor Battle.

The conference placed four teams in the preseason top 25 as voted on by The Associated Press: No. 2 Michigan State, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 13 Illinois and No. 14 Purdue. Wisconsin and Minnesota also received votes.

A voting panel at the conference in Chicago hailed Michigan State as the team to beat this season followed by Ohio State and Purdue, which has lost star forward Robbie Hummel for the season with a torn ACL.

Notes

* During his time as Penn State’s head coach, Paterno has had 1,050 players letter for him and there have been 863 coaching changes at the Division I level.

* With just three weekends left in the women’s volleyball regular season, the Big Ten was showing more balance than ever.

Illinois (12-2) was just ahead of traditional power Penn State (11-3) with Michigan (10-4) also lingering. The Nittany Lions still had hope to reclaim their crown as they were preparing to host UI in a key match.

Meanwhile, the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll included five Big Ten teams – No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Illinois, No. 16 Michigan, No. 22 Minnesota and No. 24 Northwestern. Indiana, Ohio State and Purdue were among the other teams receiving votes.

* The Big Ten wrestling season is underway and nine of the squads earned recognition in the InterMat and National Wrestling Coaches Association/USA Today preseason polls that were released in late October. The conference also placed 54 wrestlers in InterMat’s individual top-20 rankings across the 10 weight classes.

Wisconsin leads the way in the InterMat poll at No. 4 with No. 5 Minnesota, No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 Iowa and No. 10 Illinois rounding out the top 10. Michigan checks in at No. 13, while Ohio State debuts at No. 14, Northwestern begins the season at No. 17 and Purdue enters the poll at No. 23.

Minnesota takes the top spot among Big Ten teams in the NWCA rankings at No. 4 followed by Wisconsin at No. 5, Penn State at No. 6, Iowa at No. 7, Illinois at No. 10 and Ohio State at No. 12. Michigan debuts at No. 18 in the poll with No. 19 Northwestern and No. 20 Purdue following closely behind. Indiana is also receiving votes in the inaugural poll of 2010.

* Illinois was the first Big Ten men’s basketball squad to get on the board with a win as the 13th-ranked Illini took down UC-Irvine Nov. 9 in Champaign, 79-65. Sophomore guard Brandon Paul led the way with 18 points, all of his baskets coming from behind the arc. Paul, in fact, only shot from deep and was 6 of 8 from there. Illinois improved to 41-7 in home openers at Assembly Hall.

* Four Big Ten women’s basketball standouts were named to the 2010-11 Preseason Naismith Award watch list including Ohio State teammates Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis.

A preseason All-American, Lavender is a 6-4 senior center who is threatening to become the conference’s only four-time Player of the Year. Prahalis is a 5-7 junior point guard and perhaps the Big Ten’s most exciting player.

The other two league members named to the Naismith watch list are Iowa’s Kachine Alexander and Northwestern’s Amy Jaeschke. The list will be narrowed to 30 by the end of February. Four finalists will be selected in March, with the award being presented at the Final Four.

* Michigan State has advanced to the last two men’s Final Fours and is looking to become the first program since UCLA in 2006-08 to make three consecutive Final Four appearances. The Spartans had a three-year run that deep in the tournament from 1999 to 2001 and won the 2000 national championship.

* ESPN’s “College GameDay” has tabbed two Big Ten games for all-day on-site coverage.

The show will feature the Jan. 22 matchup between MSU and Purdue at West Lafayette and the Feb. 19 contest between the Spartans and Illinois in East Lansing. Both games will tip at 9 p.m. Eastern.

* It turns out the Dallas Football Classic wasn’t much of a classic at all. The fledgling Texas-based bowl game, which has a Big Ten tie-in, has found full sponsorship and has changed its name to the TicketCity Bowl.

The inaugural bowl with pit a Big 12 team against a Big Ten participant and will be played on New Year’s Day with a noon Eastern kickoff. The host site for the game is a familiar one of college football fans: the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

“We’re thrilled to be able to play a part in bringing a bowl game back to a venue so rich in history and tradition as the Cotton Bowl,” said Randy Cohen, founder and CEO of TicketCity.

Conference Endures Rough Mid-October

Jeff Rapp — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:12:44 GMT

With tons of fall sports in high gear, basketball practice underway and the conference receiving daily exposure on the Big Ten Network, which is growing in popularity, it’s probably not entirely fair to say the Big Ten Conference just had a bad weekend.

Well, we’re going to say it anyway: The Big Ten Conference just had a bad weekend.

Ohio State’s reign as the nation’s No. 1 team lasted only a week, Minnesota decided to wait no longer and sacked Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster and even Nebraska, which will join forces with the conference next year, suffered its first loss and plummeted in the polls.

And that’s just the football-related news.

One of the league’s power teams in men’s basketball, Purdue, lost the services of star forward Robbie Hummel, effectively turning what appeared to be a three-horse race into a two-horse race between Michigan State and Ohio State.

We delve into two of those developments and a few other Big Ten-related notes below:

Hummel To Miss Entire 2010-11 Season

Hummel re-tore his ACL in practice the morning of Oct. 16 and will miss the entire 2010-11 season, the university said. It’s the same ligament that snapped on him late last season on Feb. 24 vs. Minnesota, causing him to miss the Boilermakers’ final eight games.

In the 27 games Hummel played last season, he again proved he is one of the most versatile and effective wings in college basketball. He averaged 15.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and earned All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-America honors.

“This is obviously disappointing for Robbie, as well as our team, since he worked so hard to return from the tear he suffered in February,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said in a statement. “As he begins his rehab and recovery, we’ll persevere together and provide Robbie with all the support possible. I have no doubt he’ll continue to play a pivotal role for this season as a leader for our team.”

Because Hummel never redshirted, he will be eligible for a fifth year and would be able to rejoin the Boilermakers next season.

Without him Purdue still could be a team to watch this season with JaJuan Johnson manning the middle and E’Twuan Moore again ready to take the big shots and make key stops in the backcourt.

In fact, even after news of Hummel’s injury, Purdue still checked in at No. 8 in the initial USA Today/ESPN coaches poll.

Purdue rallied without Hummel to make the Sweet 16 in March before losing to eventual national champion Duke and finishing 29-6. But Painter is now left wondering how to attack teams without his 6-8 forward. He hinted recently he might go to a four-guard lineup to surround Johnson.

Graduation already has cost Purdue two longtime starters in Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer.

Hummel also missed significant time his sophomore year with a back injury.

Brewster Gets Pink Slip

Moments after Minnesota’s 41-23 loss to Wisconsin on Oct. 9, Brewster was incensed that UW coach Bret Bielema ordered a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter with his team already owning a 41-16 lead. He shook out of a postgame handshake with Bielema and blasted the coach in his postgame address.

A week later, the Golden Gophers fell to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten with a 28-17 setback at Purdue. That spelled the end for the fourth-year UM coach, who was fired on Sunday.

“While I appreciate the passion and commitment that Coach Brewster has shown, it is clear that a change in the leadership of Gopher football is necessary,” athletic director Joel Maturi said in a statement. “We have high aspirations for our football program and we are not satisfied with its current direction. The results so far this season have been unacceptable and the program has simply not shown enough improvement over the past three and a half years to continue with the status quo.”

Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Horton takes over as the interim coach for Minnesota’s final five games. After beating Middle Tennessee in the opener, the Gophers have dropped six consecutive games, including home losses South Dakota and Northern Illinois.

Brewster was just 1-11 in 2007, his first on the job, but the Gophers advanced to the Insight Bowl at the end of the past two seasons.

He finishes his tenure in Minneapolis at 16-30, including a 6-21 record in the Big Ten.

Among the names that have surfaced as possible replacements is that of Tony Dungy, a Minnesota alum and Super Bowl-winning coach, as well as Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, who is a former Minnesota assistant, and former Gophers quarterback Marc Trestman, who is coaching the Montreal Alouettes after a long career as a NFL assistant.

Q&A

When he represented his school, Iowa, at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago late this summer, defensive end Adrian Clayborn was asked to provide some quick answers to a few football-related questions.

Here are the replies Clayborn provided:

Best defensive player in the conference: Greg Jones (Michigan State’s middle linebacker)
Best rivalry game you’re not involved in: Michigan-Ohio State
Best venue in the conference: Penn State
What do you enjoy most about playing in the Big Ten?: Just that game in and game out every week you have to bring your ‘A’ game every week.
When you hear the words “Wisconsin football,” what is the first thing that comes to mind?: Hard-nose running attack.
What it means to be considered the best defensive player in the conference, especially from your peers: It’s an honor to hear people say that.

By the way, Clayborn will get to tangle with that Wisconsin running game and red-hot tailback John Clay this Saturday as the No. 13 Hawkeyes will host No. 10 UW (3:30 p.m. Eastern, ABC or ESPN) in a highly important league showdown.

League Notes

* In other Big Ten matchups on Oct. 23, No. 11 Ohio State hosts Purdue and Illinois hosts Indiana (noon Eastern, Big Ten Network), No. 8 Michigan State is at Northwestern (noon Eastern, ESPN) and Penn State is at Minnesota (noon Eastern, ESPNU). Michigan has an open week.

* The Big Ten actually is the only conference in the country that has four member schools in the top 15 of the initial BCS standings that were released Oct. 17. Undefeated Michigan State debuted at No. 7, Ohio State is at No. 10, Wisconsin is No. 13 and Iowa is No. 15.

* After seven weeks of college football, only 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs remain undefeated, including Michigan State. The Spartans are one of only four teams standing at 7-0, a group that includes Auburn, LSU and TCU. Six programs are off to 6-0 starts, including Boise State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Utah.

* Indiana’s Bill Lynch and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz are both nearing the 100-victory mark for their coaching careers. Lynch improved to 99-92-3 last week as he led the Hoosiers to a 36-34 win over Arkansas State. Ferentz currently holds a career mark of 98-77 and is looking for win No. 99 against the Badgers.

* Wisconsin wide receiver David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Ohio State, his first career kickoff return score, and shattered a Big Ten career record in the process. Gilreath now has amassed 2,677 career kickoff return yards. That ranks first all-time among conference performers and just ahead of Michigan State’s Derrick Mason, who had 2,575 yards from 1993-96.

* Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, who is closing in on his 400th win, will be coaching in the 65th different facility of his illustrious career when he leads the Nittany Lions into TCF Bank Stadium for the first time Saturday.

Conference Expands Its Mind

Jeff Rapp — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:50:52 GMT

To expand or not to expand. That, apparently, is not the question.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has thrown enough hints out there to drown Heloise.

The conference clearly wants to grow from its current 11 member institutions. The only questions remaining are who and when – and how if any of the candidate universities end up dragging out the process through involved meetings by their boards of trustees.

For now, though, the Big Ten is in the denial business. In fact, Delany e-mailed conference officials May 11 to quash a rumor that four schools had already been offered a chance to join the league. The communication was reported by the Columbus-based Associated Press and confirmed by Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.

A Kansas City, Mo., radio station went so far as to report that Delany already had made at least an informal offer to officials at Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers, but Smith told AP, “There’s no truth to it whatsoever. Actually, Jim sent us all an e-mail telling us there’s no truth to that, which we knew. There’s no extensions of offers that have been made, so that’s not true.”

Still, speculation remains strong that Big 12 participants Missouri and Nebraska are being courted. The Big Ten’s infatuation with adding Notre Dame was been ongoing basically throughout Delany’s tenure as league commissioner and it’s no longer a secret that the conference would love the panache and potential television ratings bonanza Notre Dame would bring.

But what has changed in recent years – partly because of the success of Big Ten Network as a viable sports cable television station – is that the conference appears very interested in upping the ante to 14 or even 16 teams instead of following the old superconference model of 12.

One report suggested that Rutgers, currently a Big East member, is backup plan number one in case Notre Dame opts to stay independent. Other reports claim that Missouri, which would strengthen the Big Ten’s tie to the St. Louis market, and Nebraska, which boasts outstanding tradition in football and a few other sports, are already prepared to accept.

Rutgers, meanwhile, would enhance the conference’s academic profile and bring in the New York City market.

Other schools that have been mentioned as possible targets include Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia of the Big East, Vanderbilt of the SEC and, believe it or not, Maryland and Georgia Tech of the ACC.

Originally, even Big 12 power Texas appeared to be in the discussion but those rumors have died off of late.

Still, the league’s attempts to branch out could be far-reaching.

“We have a little bit of a central location,” OSU football coach Jim Tressel said recently. “There’s people to our west and people to our south and people to our east that might have interest in being part of this group. It’s, in my mind, the finest group of academic institutions in the country. I think it’s (also) the fact that we have the Big Ten Network, which has proved to be so successful. I think that’s obviously something that someone would want to be a part of.

“If it makes sense, let’s go. I’m sure whatever rationale they come up with, we’ll be on board and we’ll be excited to be a part of it.”

Tressel said it’s his understanding and that of the Big Ten’s other football coaches that expansion would be beneficial to their sport and others.

One of the allures, of course, would be to use BTN to televise a championship game in football, which alone would net the Big Ten millions of dollars a year in advertising revenue.

“I assume if we expand we would end up with a championship game,” Tressel said.

But the OSU coach said he is not privy to all the behind-the-scenes involvements by the conference and isn’t sure what the future will bring.

“Coaches aren’t really in that level or echelon that gets involved in many of those discussions at the conference level, so I’ve been in no discussions with anyone, whether it be my AD or with the commissioner’s office or anything in terms of expansion,” he said.

“What do I sense? I sense in collegiate athletics as in most things the status quo does not last forever, and there’s constantly change, there’s constantly tweaking to find out what would be a better way to do things. The minute you think, ‘Oh, everything’s fine, it’s going to be that way forever,’ is just when someone else passes you by. So I would expect there will be significant discussion about expansion and I think the Big Ten sits in an enviable position, honestly.”

The Big Ten athletic directors are scheduled to meet May 17-19 in downtown Chicago. Also on hand will be several faculty representatives, senior women’s administrators and the head coaches in football and men’s and women's basketball. However, Smith said the meetings were routine and nothing would be decided in terms of expansion.

“This is our normal meetings, the ones we have every year,” Smith said. “Jim (Delany) will probably give us an update on what the consultant has shared, and I don’t even know if the consultant report is done. He’ll give us an update and then move on doing what he’s been doing.

“I think they meet with the (university) presidents in June or something like that. So the timeline hasn’t changed, but there won’t be any action next week.”

Hoops Hysteria Underway

The 2009-10 NCAA Tournament just ended a few weeks ago but already there is great excitement for what the Big Ten could showcase in men’s basketball next season.

All six teams that made the Big Dance have reasonable hope to repeat the feat next spring, especially defending regular-season co-champs Ohio State, Michigan and Purdue.

The Buckeyes lost the services of national player of the year Evan Turner, a 6-7 do-it-all performer, but Ohio State still projects as a power team in 2010-11 with the return of the team’s other four starters and the arrival of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.

Meanwhile, Michigan State superstar point guard Kalin Lucas, who injured during the team’s NCAA tourney march to the Final Four, has announced he will return for his senior season, which makes Tom Izzo’s Spartans look very dangerous on paper once again.

And then there is the very encouraging news in West Lafayette, Ind., and Champaign, Ill., as top players yanked their names from the NBA early entry list and also are set to return to their teams.

At Purdue, seniors E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson withdrew from draft consideration in time, meaning they will make another run at a title with forward Robbie Hummel and the Boilermakers, who tied the school mark with 29 wins last season.

“We’re obviously happy to have two players of the caliber of E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson returning to our team,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said in a statement. “Their dedication, leadership and work ethic are key components of our team, and we’re looking forward to helping them develop as both people and basketball players over the next year.”

A 6-3 guard, Moore was an honorable mention Associated Press All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten selection after leading Purdue in scoring (16.4 points per game) and assists (2.7). He was the definition of tough and consistent, scoring in double figures 32 times last season including 28 in a row at one point.

“I can’t wait to get back and start preparing for a great senior season at Purdue,” Moore said.

Johnson enjoyed a highly productive junior season 15.5 ppg and 7.1 rebounds per game, which led PU. He also bested the conference in blocked shots (2.0 per league game), which earned him election to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team for the second straight year.

The 6-10 Johnson is one of just 20 Boilermakers with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career and he has a chance to move up significantly on the school’s all-time list in those categories.

“We have a chance to be very successful this season at Purdue, and I’m excited to be a part of that,” Johnson said. “Being able to play one more year with E’Twaun and Rob (Hummel) will be special because we came in together, and hopefully we can make the most out of the opportunity we have.”

Similarly, Illinois coach Bruce Weber welcomed back 6-3 point guard Demetri McCamey and 6-9 power forward Mike Davis after that duo pulled out of the draft just before the May 8 deadline. They also will be seniors.

Turner’s former high school teammates, McCamey also is coming off an All-Big Teb season. He led the Illini in scoring (15.1) and assists (7.1), the latter figure tops in the Big Ten and second-best in the nation. He also added 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

McCamey is the only player in Illinois history to reach career milestones of 1,200 points as well as 500 assists in three seasons of competition. But he decided not to try to join his buddy Turner at the professional level – at least not yet.

“This was a great experience, a blessing for me to follow my dream of playing in the NBA,” McCamey said. “After going through workouts and talking with my family and Coach Weber, I feel that it’s in my best interest to return to school for my senior season. Point guards are judged on victories. I think our team can do big things next year so I’m coming back to help us compete for championships and at the same time keep getting better so I can challenge for a first-round spot in next year’s draft.”

Davis was the Big Ten’s top rebounder at 9.2 boards per game. He also averaged 10.7 ppg and logged 15 double-doubles on the season. Only Turner had more.

“I put my name in to hear from NBA personnel which areas of my game I need to make improvement,” Davis said. “Deep down I knew another year of school was best for me, but having the chance to workout and get that feedback were helpful so I’m thankful for that opportunity. Now I’m motivated to work harder than ever so that we can have a great year next year, get back to the NCAA Tournament and make a run.”

Also, it is worth noting that point guard Talor Battle also pulled out of the draft and will return to Penn State. The Nittany Lions finished in last place in the Big Ten but Battle was a bright star, averaging 18.5 ppg. He will rejoin a PSU squad that features four returning starters.

With so many key players returning to top teams, the Big Ten figures to be be on prominent display in the national rankings next season. In fact, FOX Sports recently came out with a preseason top 25 and it featured Purdue, Michigan State and Ohio State in the 2-4 slots behind defending national champion Duke. Also in that projection was Illinois at No. 15 and Minnesota at No. 25 while Wisconsin and Northwestern were on the “Twenty More To Watch” list.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Field Set

It looks like Michigan State one-upped Ohio State again in men’s basketball.

The Buckeyes, defending Big Ten co-champs and the winner of the 2010 conference tournament, had reason to believe they would be paired with reigning NCAA champion Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge later this year. Instead, organizers opted to send MSU, fresh off yet another Final Four run, to Durham, N.C.

Ohio State will rematch Florida State on Nov. 30 in Tallahassee while the Spartans will face Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 1 in what undoubtedly will be billed the marquee matchup of the 11-game competition.

The Big Ten won last year’s Challenge for the first time, 6-5, thanks in large part to OSU’s win over Florida State and Wisconsin’s upset of Duke on the final evening of play.

For the sixth-consecutive year, the Challenge will feature 11 games and include two telecasts on ESPNU with ESPN and ESPN2 combining to televise the remaining nine games. ESPN3.com, the broadband sports television network from ESPN, will simulcast the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts.

Minnesota hosts Virginia to open the Challenge on Nov. 29.

The Nov. 30 games are as follows: Iowa at Wake Forest, Michigan at Clemson, Ohio State at Florida State, North Carolina at Illinois and Georgia Tech at Northwestern.

The following night, Dec. 1, five more games will commence: Indiana at Boston College, Purdue at Virginia Tech, Michigan State at Duke, North Carolina State at Wisconsin and Maryland at Penn State

QB Controversy?

Michigan fans obviously have been in agony of late and waiting for something positive heading into the college football season.

According to reports, many in the spring game crowd of approximately 35,000 who endured wind and cold in the Big House on April 17 had reason to be somewhat encouraged.

“There was a lot to like and some not to like,” UM coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters afterward.

Rodriguez and his staff used a complex scoring system for the game, which ended with the Blue defeating the Maize, 49-37.

What many fans may not have expected to see but got instead was reason to believe that sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson is now just as worthy of the starting spot as incumbent Tate Forcier, also a soph.

Forcier started every game last season and was electrifying early in the season. However, his play dropped off significantly in November and Robinson, tabbed as an athletic changeup to the position, appears to have closed the gap.

Robinson wasn’t considered much of a throwing threat last season but he connected with receiver Roy Roundtree for a 97-yard touchdown in the spring game on a perfectly lofted pass that carried about 30 yards in the air.

Robinson also led the offense to two other TD drives, running for one and throwing for another to Roundtree.

“He’s really improved from last year,” Roundtree said. “Last year he tried to throw everything too hard. Now, he has better touch on the ball and he’s really working hard.”

Forcier had a solid performance and threw a touchdown pass but he also lost a fumble.

Rodriguez did not make any of his quarterbacks available for interviews after the game. Instead, he fueled a possible QB controversy for the fall by saying, “I’ve played with two No. 1 starters in the past and I could do it again.”

The spring game raised $300,00 for Mott Children’s Hospital.

Hoops Helping Hands

Ohio State head coach Thad Matta had to deal with a the loss of a topflight assistant coach for the second straight year but once again came up with a renowned addition.

Last offseason, longtime Matta aide John Groce left the program to become the head coach at Ohio University and Matta quickly moved in to swoop up well-regarded Akron assistant Jeff Boals, ironically a former Ohio U. player.

Recently, another coach who had been with Matta since his Xavier days, Alan Major, accepted the head coaching position at Charlotte. Matta’s response was to hire Dave Dickerson, once considered one of the elite assistant coaches in the country.

Dickerson built a stellar reputation as a recruiter and right-hand man during his nine years as an assistant to Gary Williams at Maryland. He left to take the head coaching spot at Tulane in 2005 but was relieved from that post this spring.

Meanwhile, Major already is looking to turn a corner at Charlotte and wants to up the ante on the 49ers preconference schedule. One potential matchup of note in the near future would be with Ohio State.

“Coach Matta and I have actually talked about that because it could be very possible,” Major said. “Here’s the thing: You only know how good you are until you play the high-level people. You also want to be smart enough to have balance in your schedule and I don’t know a lot about the schedule right now to make a comment. You need to know what you are made of and you need to schedule some games once in a while to find out what you are made of. There’s a very good possibility that could happen.

Miscellaneous Notes

* New Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffrey brought aboard a couple of his assistants from Siena soon after accepting the job in Iowa City. The question about his third assistant lingered, though, and produced a plea from former Iowa point guard Andre Woolridge, a Hawkeye star of the mid-’90s.

Woolridge, though, did not get his wish as McCaffrey went in a different direction.

On May 12 it was announced McCaffery completed his staff by hiring former Indiana State and James Madison head coach Sherman Dillard.

A former standout guard at James Madison, Dillard was a head coach at his alma mater from 1997-2004 after serving in the same capacity for three years at ISU. He also has been an assistant at Maryland, California and Georgia Tech.

* ESPN/ABC-TV recently selected six Big Ten games for the 2010 season and three of them are marquee matchups involving defending conference champion Ohio State. More such telecasts will be announced at a later date.

The games already tabbed follow (all times are Eastern):
Sept. 11, 3:40 p.m. – No. 13 Miami at No. 2 Ohio State (ESPN)
Sept. 18, 8 p.m. – Notre Dame at Michigan State (ABC)
Oct. 2, 8 p.m. – No. 19 Penn State at No. 8 Iowa (ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)
Oct. 16, 7 p.m. – No. 2 Ohio State at No. 11 Wisconsin (ESPN or ESPN2)
Oct. 30, 8 p.m. – No. 2 Ohio State at Minnesota (ABC, ESPN or ESPN2); Michigan at No. 19 Penn State (ABC, ESPN or ESPN2)

* The Chris Allen transfer rumors are swirling.

The future of the Michigan State guard has been in question for months and speculation that he might leave the program gained steam in early May when Izzo addressed the transfer of backup center Tom Herzog to Central Florida.

“There is still one other player that’s up in the air and I have to make some tough decisions – and I will – and he’s got to make some tough decisions,” Izzo said. “So there might be one more coming or going. But to honest with you, that’s just the way it is right now. We should be able to make that decision in the next couple of days because we’ll do it before he leaves.

Izzo made that comment on May 5 but still there is no word on Allen, who would be a senior if he returns to play for the Spartans.

Allen came through at times in the wake of Lucas’ Achilles’ tendon injury and started 27 of 36 games last season, averaging 8.2 ppg. He also led the team in three-point percentage at 39.8 and showed the capability of being a top perimeter defender.

However, the Lawrenceville, Ga., native, caught Izzo’s ire several times during the season and he was suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules in Indianapolis before the Spartans’ Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal loss to Minnesota.

Allen also dealt with an injury at the end of the season – a torn arch ligament he suffered in the NCAA Tournament opener with New Mexico State.

Izzo said he likely would not pursue more immediate help if another scholarship opens up/

“I don’t think we’d do that unless there’s some phenom out there,” he said. “I’ve never been really big on transfers unless it’s for the right reason.”

* Single-game tickets are now on sale for the Big Ten Baseball Tournament.

The tournament, set for May 26-29, will be held at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

There was interest in returning it to Huntington Park downtown but the regular inhabitants, the Columbus Clippers of Triple-A, have a homestand that begins May 27 and runs through to June 2.

Tickets to individual games for this year’s event are $10 apiece, plus service charges, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. All single-game tickets are general admission.

All-Tournament passes are $100 each. Group tickets (minimum 20) are available for $7 per ticket. All-Tournament and group tickets are available at www.ColumbusSports.org or www.bigten.org.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Jeff Rapp — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:53:15 GMT

They call it the Sweet 16 but the experience of participating in regional action of the 2010 NCAA Tournament left a bitter taste in the mouth of one Big Ten combatant – Ohio State – and the reason, in a sense, was the success of another league member.

The Buckeyes won a share of the Big Ten regular-season in part because Michigan State took advantage of a late-season ACL injury to star Purdue forward Robbie Hummel and won a huge contest at Mackey Arena. Other than that, the Ohio State players didn’t have much reason to care about MSU’s fortunes.

OSU won the only matchup between the schools in a 74-67 win in East Lansing on Feb. 21. Their paths did not cross during the Big Ten Tournament as the third-seeded Spartans were bounced from quarterfinal action in a loss to Minnesota while the top-seeded Buckeyes won the prize.

But in St. Louis March 26-28, after Michigan State squeaked by New Mexico State and Maryland in the first two rounds and OSU bester Cal-Santa Barbara and Georgia Tech, it was Sparty who stole the show.

The Buckeyes, who earned the 2-seed in the Midwest Region, were sent home after a 76-73 loss to Tennessee in the first regionals semifinal at the Edward Jones Dome. Fifth-seeded Michigan State slid by Northern Iowa in the second contest on Friday night and the Spartans then nipped UT on Sunday to return to the Final Four.

It had to be a bitter pill to swallow for the Buckeyes, who had every reason to claim their superiority over MSU until the near-miss against Tennessee.

Interestingly, the OSU players seemed genuinely happy to hear the weekend prior that the Spartans had advanced. In fact, this reporter told several of them in the Bradley Center locker room in Milwaukee. Moments after Ohio State took down Georgia Tech, Michigan State eked by Maryland 85-83 on a lat-second three-pointer in Spokane, Wash.

“Who hit the shot?” asked OSU’s Evan Turner. “Korie Lucious? That’s great for them. That’s great for the Big Ten. What did Wisconsin and Purdue do?”

Wisconsin lost that same day to Cornell and Purdue, at the time, was entrenched in battle with Texas A&M. So at the moment the Buckeyes knew that at least Michigan State would join them in the Sweet 16.

“That’s great,” Turner said. “If they take care of business maybe we’ll see them again. Don’t get me wrong, though. We still want to beat them. I’m sure they’re nice guys, but … ”

Buckeye forward David Lighty also was glad to hear about the Lucious heroics.

“Whoa. That’s crazy,” he said. “They’re representing the Big Ten, so I’m excited for them.”

“Obviously you want to root for the Big Ten and Michigan State is a good basketball team,” added OSU guard Jon Diebler. “They’ve got one of the better coaches in the county in Coach (Tom) Izzo and he does a great job of getting his players ready to play. A lot of people were questioning, I think, whether they were playing their best basketball, but they’ve been there.

“They made it to the championship game a year ago, they’ve got most of their team back and you can’t beat experience. It really helps at this time of year, and I think their players understand what it takes to win.”

Will Buford also was all for seeing the Spartans advance, no knowing, of course, they would steal OSU’s thunder in St. Louis.

“That’s good if they can come out,” said the Ohio State sophomore. “It shows what the Big Ten is capable of. I just wish them good luck, but we’ve got to worry about our game.”

Diebler was asked if Michigan State’s presence in the bracket added to the excitement.

“Absolutely. I think it’s exciting because of how we played each other. We only played each other once this year but I’m sure they’d like to play us again.”

McCaffrey Era Begins In Iowa City

Iowa, of course, was nowhere near the NCAA Tournament and the program’s bottom-feeder status caused the higher-ups to let go of coach Todd Lickliter.

The likable Lickliter left a successful stint at Butler three years ago to take the job but was just 38-57 at Iowa including a mark of 15-39 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes won just 10 games this season and played a very deliberate, yawn-inducing style.

That prompted newly named coach Fran McCaffrey to blare a different tune when he was introduced at a press conference on March 28.

“Our players are going to have fun, they’re going to enjoy what they do on the floor,” said McCaffery, who brought Siena back into prominence. “This place is going to be rocking again.”

McCaffrey has some work to do. Iowa not only was bad last season, the team seemed to lose its homecourt advantage and also was pummeled by rivals Wisconsin and Minnesota. Attendance slumped to just 9,550 per home game.

Iowa fans have been hearkening back to the days of Dr. Tom Davis for a while now, especially as Steve Alford and Lickliter struggled to add to the program’s winning tradition. Davis coached in Iowa City for 11 years and advanced the Hawkeyes to nine NCAA Tournament appearances in that time with a pressing, uptempo style.

Big Ten fans may already know McCaffrey considering Siena knocked off Ohio State in last year’s NCAA tourney and battled Purdue to the wire in the first round this March.

’Backing Their Reputation

Like every football team in the Big Ten, Penn State enters the spring practice session looking to fill openings and begin to answer offseason questions. However, what is unusual is that Linebacker U. goes into the offseason with no sureties at that sacred position.

Along with classic names such as Matt Millen and Jack Ham, Penn State has produced lots of very productive LBs in recent years. In fact, five of the top 12 single-season tackle performances at Penn State have occurred over the past half-dozen seasons. They are as follows: Dan Connor, No. 2 all-time with 145 tackles in 2007; Sean Lee (fifth, 138, 2007); Paul Posluszny (10th, 116, both 2005 and 2006); and Josh Hull (10th, 116, 2009).

Heading into this season, though, it’s hard to know who is capable of logging a 100-tackle season. In 2009, Lee, Hull and Navorro Bowman, who was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten performer, had almost exactly a third of Penn State’s tackles (33.7 percent) and tackles for a loss (34.8 percent).

Not surprisingly, though, the Nittany Lions have some capable replacement candidates, four to be exact.

The most experienced is senior Bani Gbadyu (6-1, 231 pounds). He started five games last season as Lee nursed injuries and ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 37.

Meanwhile, redshirt senior Nathan Stupar (6-1, 236) had a pair of starts and logged 31 stops. Most likely to join them in the starting lineup this fall is senior Chris Colasanti (6-2, 238), an Austin Spitler type who could make a big jump.

And the Lions also have another ’backer with major potential to breakout in redshirt sophomore Michael Mauti (6-2, 231), who missed last season after suffering a torn ACL in preseason practice in August. Mauti was well on his way to significant time before the injury. He played in every game as a freshman in 2008 and had 26 tackles.

Mauti, though, is still rehabbing and may have to ease his way into a role.

Big Ten Notes

* With Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State making it through the first weekend, the Big Ten had more teams advance to this year’s Sweet 16 than any other conference. In fact, only the Big 12, Big East and SEC had two member schools make it that far.

The other conferences represented in the Sweet 16 were the Missouri Valley, Horizon League, Ivy League, Atlantic 10, ACC, Pac-10 and West Coast.

* Few pundits seemed to believe the Big Ten was as good as any conference this season even after the league finally won the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Instead, the plaudits tended to land on the Big East and Big 12.

But the NCAA Tournament showed the Big Ten deserved to be in the discussion.

“We’ve got some pretty good teams,” Turner said. “For one, I think a lot of teams in the Big Ten have been together for a while. We preach defense. Every single game in the Big Ten, pretty much, is close. Playing against a Big Ten and then an out-of-conference team you feel like there is not as much defensive pressure on you. You’re kind of up a little bit as far as the mental part.”

* Izzo continues his mastery of the NCAA format. He has led the Spartans to six Final Fours and a like number of Big Ten championships since he took over at Michigan State for mentor Jud Heathcote in 1995.

MSU made it all the way to the title game last year. The school last won the national championship in 2000 with Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and company. Ohio State actually shared the regular-season Big Ten crown with MSU that year.

* One men’s basketball coaching change already has occurred in the league and another is being rumored.

Minnesota boss Tubby Smith continues to be linked to the opening at Oregon and some reports claim he is the top candidate for the job. However, Smith is denying reports he has been offered the head coaching or even had contact with the school.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Monday that Oregon was getting ready to offer Smith a contract worth $2 million per year. The Press also is reporting that Minnesota is working on an extension with Smith, who has three years remaining on his current contract. Smith is making $1.8 million annually.

* Manny Harris didn’t wait too long after Michigan’s season ended with Turner’s 37-foot shot in the Big Ten Tournament to decide he is jumping to the NBA.

The 6-2 junior guard held a press conference to announce his decision and become one of the first underclassmen to gain early entry into the draft. Harris does not yet have an agent but plans to hire one soon. He leaves UM after leading the Wolverines in scoring the last three seasons.

“After long discussions with the U-M staff and my family and friends, I have decided to pursue my dream of professional basketball and leave U-M early for the NBA,” said Harris. “It is important for me to thank the University of Michigan, Coach (John) Beilein and his staff, my teammates, my professors, as well as all those in the athletic department who have helped me over the last three years. My growth as a person and player wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

“Manny believes it is his time to move on to the NBA and we fully support him,” Beilein said. “It was a tough decision for him and we are prepared to assist him in every way we can as he begins this new chapter in his life. Manny has assured us he plans on successfully finishing this semester, which would put him in a position to graduate from Michigan with just one more academic year.”

Draft Express has Harris projected as a late second round pick but NBADraft.net has him going undrafted.

* Ohio State played three of the Final Four teams during the regular season, tangling with Butler, West Virginia and Michigan State. All three contests were on the road.

The Buckeyes lost 74-66 at Butler on Dec. 12 without Turner, who suffered a broken back in OSU’s previous game. Ohio State lost 71-65 at WVU on Jan. 23. The win at Michigan State put the Buckeyes back in the Big Ten race.

Buckeyes Best The Rest In Indy

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:45:10 GMT

Apparently all the Big Ten Tournament needed was a shot for the ages.

It was provided by none other than Evan Turner, Ohio State's 6-7 point guard deluxe who had just been named the conference's 2010 Player of the Year.

In the first a loaded slate of quarterfinal games on Friday - the day the tournament always seems to come alive - the top-seeded Buckeyes were facing a head-scratching two-point deficit. The crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis was buzzing after Michigan guard Manny Harris made a high-arcing pull-up over the freakishly long arms of OSU center Dallas Lauderdale with just 2.2 seconds to play.

That's when Turner launched a 37-foot jumper just before the horn and drilled a heart-ripping three, a play that was shown over and over on various sports networks throughout the weekend.

The Buckeyes survived 69-68 and ended Michigan's season of disappointment with a losing record (15-17).

"I knew I only had two dribbles and I knew the whole thing was about staying calm and not rushing anything," Turner told SportsRappUp.com. "A lot of times you see some players just shoot a floater or something crazy."

Michigan coach John Beileien was skewered afterward by analysts and UM fans for not directing more pressure to be placed on Turner. The OSU junior caught David Lighty's inbound pass just beyond the deep foul line and was able to get well across half court with two bounces of the ball.

Turner was among the stupefied.

"That was crazy," he said. "All day they were trapping me and double-teaming me and all this nonsense. I don't know why they did that."

"I'm sure Coach Beilein is going to be living that one for many, many years (and) wake up with nightmares about that thing," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said hours later with Turner's shot still the national topic du jour.

Weber, it turned out, would suffer his own nightmare the next day in the semifinals as the Illini fell victim to more Buckeye heroics in an 88-81 loss in double overtime.

Ohio State advanced to the Sunday championship game for the fourth time in five years but, again, it wasn't easy. William Buford (22 points, 10 rebounds) and Lighty (12 points, four assists, three steals) played all 50 minutes and offered much-needed support to Turner, who logged 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Turner scored with 11 seconds left in regulation to send the gave to extra sessions and scored his team's last six points in OT to tie the score at 75. Jon Diebler nailed a three on the first possession of the second overtime and the Buckeyes never looked back.

The unsung hero was key reserve - OK, Ohio State only regular bench player - Kyle Madsen. The 6-9 senior played a career-high 32 minutes in relief of the sluggish Lauderdale and made several key plays duirng a four-point, seven-rebound performance.

"Kyle was tremendous and I couldn't be happier," OSU head coach Thad Matta said. "He really picked up what we were doing defensively. I thought he went to the boards harder than he's ever gone. I was very excited to see him play that way."

Sixth-seeded Minnesota, which logged wins over Penn State (11-20) and Michigan State (24-8) earlier in the tourney, shook down a hapless-looking Purdue squad (27-5) in the other semi, 69-42. The intent Golden Gophers opened up a 26-4 lead and cruised home. However, playing a fourth game in four days proved too taxing, especially as the Buckeyes began to open up a sizable lead in the second half of the championship.

The Buckeyes led just 42-40 with 13 minutes to play when they put together a decisive 23-5 run. Lighty was unstoppable in the sequence with nine points, Diebler banged in a pair of threes and Turner was his usual brilliant self on both ends of the court in an eventual 90-61 blowout.

Ohio State (27-7), which shared the regular-season crown with Purdue and Michigan State, won its third Big Ten Tournament title in convincing fashion after a palpitating buildup.

"I think it puts some closure to a lot of things," Matta said. "As I told these guys tonight after the game, Dec. 26 when we came back (from break) I said, 'Look, we've got 19 battles and whatever the conference tournament brings.' Today, after 22 straight battles, a war was decided and we won the war.

"I couldn't be prouder of them. I think given some of the tests we had over here in Indianapolis the guys did a great job of playing through adversity, and coming out playing the second half the way we did today I couldn't prouder of them."

Turner had a nearly identical line in the championship as he did after the semifinal thriller, finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Surprisingly, he took five three-point shots and hit four of them.

"I was just trying to take what the defense gave me," he said. "The first couple days they were trying to lock up my drives."

Turner became the only player to score 30 or more points twice in one tournament and was the runaway choice for Most Outstanding Player. He was the fifth player to be voted Big Ten POY for the regular season and MOP of the tournament, joining Devin Harris of Wisconsin in 2004, Brian Cook of Illinois in 2003, Morris Peterson of Michigan State in 2000 and Mateen Cleaves of Michigan State in 1999.

"He's incredible and he did some special things out there for us - all weekend," Matta said.

Turner was joined on the 2010 all-tournament squad by teammates Lighty and Buford, Illinois guard Demetri McCamey and Minnesota guard Devoe Joseph.

There were no surprises on the first day of the event as Minnesota routed 11th-seeded Penn State, and Indiana (10-21) and Iowa (10-22) mercifully closed 10-win seasons with defeats at the hands of Northwestern and Michigan, respectively.

Northwestern bowed out to Purdue but still finished with 20 wins at 20-13. Illinois took out fourth-seeded Wisconsin (23-8).

Bubble Watch

Even with the dust cleared and the net on the north goal cut down by the Buckeyes, there was still an important league matter at hand: namely, the postseason fate of bubble teams Minnesota and Illinois.

It turned out that the NCAA selection committee put a lot of stock in the semifinal results from Saturday.

After his Illini dumped Wisconsin in the quarters, coach Bruce Weber began to make what became a weekend-long pitch for his team.

"We have, I believe, the fourth-most top-RPI wins in the country," he said. "We have proven all year we can beat people."

About 23 hours later, he knew UI was in limbo with a mark of 19-14.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Weber said after the OSU game. "Obviously I think we had a good showing here, but that doesn't mean anything. Hopefully it'll work out because I think we're one of the top 65 teams in the country, and if we get in the tournament I think we can do some damage."

Illinois only heard its name called during Sunday's Selection Show on CBS in reference to teams that had their bubble burst.

Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers, meanwhile, were more fortunate. With a record of 21-13 and wins over MSU and Purdue in Indy, they rejoiced at the announcement of being an 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament less than an hour after being drubbed by 29 points in the final.

"We got hot at the right time, these last few games," Smith said after the game and before the brackets were unveiled. "I think it's a great story line, guys that have had to overcome adversity this year. But I think the most important thing is I do think we're one of the best 65 teams in the country."

Tourney Notes

•   Ohio State's 90 points and 57.6 field-goal percentage in the win over Minnesota are championship game bests.

•   Minnesota guard Blake Hoffarber set the school record for career three-pointers in the March 11 win over Penn State. The smooth-stroking lefty passed Michael Bauer's total of 191 treys with his first made bomb against PSU.

•   Wisconsin entered the tournament a perfect 22-0 on the season when leading or tied with 4:00 remaining in regulation. The Badgers never flirted with extending that string, though, trailing Illinois in the entire second half of a quarterfinal loss.

•   Northwestern forward John Shurna set his school's all-time single-season scoring mark. He arrived to Indianapolis third on that list but passed Dale Kelley (582, 1972) and Evan Eschmeyer (585, 1998) in a 14-point outing against Penn State.

•   Illinois improved to a healthy 12-1 in Big Ten quarterfinal games after a 58-54 win over Wisconsin.

•   Lauderdale entered the postseason as the Big Ten's leader in field goal percentage at, get this, 77.1. Illinois big man Mike Tisdale was a very distant second at 57.0 during the regular season. Lauderdale needed to average three made field goals per game to qualify and was 91 of 118 in OSU's 30-game regular season.

•   Diebler made four threes in the win over Illinois to run his career total to a school-best 243. Jamar Butler was the previous record-holder with 242. A 6-6 sharpshooter, Diebler moved to the top of the list with a straight-on trey at the outset of the second overtime. He made a pair of free throws with 8:10 remaining in regulation to give him exactly 1,000 points in his career. He is the 45th Buckeye player to reach that plateau.

•   Purdue is 42-1 in the Matt Painter era when it wins the rebounding and turnover battles. Not surprisingly, the embarrassing 69-42 loss to Minnesota can be equated to being battered on the boards by the Gophers to the tune of 50-26. PU also had 16 miscues to Minnesota's 10.

•   Iowa guard Devan Bawinkel was 0 of 1 from the field in with his only attempt coming from behind the arc. Why is that significant? Bawinkel shot only three-balls for the entire season, faring 32 of 84 in 32 games.

•   The championship game marked the first time Ohio State and Minnesota had ever met in the 13-year history of the tournament.

The Good

•   Minnesota's first-day performance. The league's most schizophrenic team took down Penn State in the 6-11 game, blowing to a 26-11 lead and cruising to a 76-55 win over a PSU team that had been competitive down the stretch of the regular season. The Gophers didn't dilly-dally. They shot 58.0 percent from the field, 47.4 from three-point range and committed just eight turnovers compared to a like number of steals. The blowout marked just the fifth game in tournament history decided by 20 points or more.

•   Northwestern hit 18 of 20 free throws in its first-round win over Indiana.

•   Michigan's second-half comeback against Ohio State. The Wolverines trailed by 10 at the break and by 13 midway through the second stanza when they began to earn their way to the free-throw line and bottom long-range jumpers. Then there was this matter of not guarding the Player of the Year well enough in the final seconds ...

•   Harris' 22-point explosion in the second half of the battle with rival OSU. The Michigan guard hit an array of tough pull-ups and bombs in charging his team back.

•   The Purdue pep band's bellowing version of "Livin' On A Prayer" and "Sweet Caroline."

•   Iowa freshman point guard Cully Payne in the Hawkeyes' first-day loss to Michigan. The crafty lefty scored 25 of his team's 52 points and cashed 5 of 10 three-point attempts. Unfortunately, his teammates were a combined 0 of 10 from long range.

•   The semifinal between Ohio State and Illinois, especially the two overtimes. It was the first double-OT contest in the tourney and the highest-scoring game in the event since the Buckeyes downed Illinois 94-88 in the 2002 semis.

•   Minnesota big men Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III, who rebounded, defended well and hurt teams with high-low play. Iverson finished the tournament 18 of 24 from the field.

•   Purdue coach Matt Painter's more-than-deserved, animated tirade while he dressed down his team during a timeout trailing Minnesota 37-9. It worked. The Boilermakers moved into double digits as center JaJuan Johnson rolled in a floater at the halftime buzzer. Hooray!

The Bad

•   Indiana's collapse in a 73-58 loss to Northwestern on the first day. The Hoosiers led by as many as eight points and built up a six-point lead (45-39) with 12 minutes to play when the wheels fell off. NU rattled off a 10-0 run to gain control thanks to 5:44 spell in which the Hoosiers missed five consecutive shots and lost the ball on six other possessions. Indiana ended up committing 19 turnovers on the evening.

•   The officiating in the OSU-Michigan game. In the first 13:47 of the game each team had accumulated just two team fouls, but the zebras made up for it with eight foul calls in the first seven minutes of the second half. The Buckeyes were dinged for four fouls in the first half and 11 in the suddenly tighter second.

•   Beilein's decision to have just one player, Stu Douglass, pressuring in the backcourt on the fateful Turner heave play. William Buford was able to pick Douglass on the inbounds and not a single UM player stepped up to distract Turner.

•   Illinois being unable to get off a shot at the end of regulation and overtime in the heartbreaking setback against Ohio State.

•   The conference's promotion of "Big Ten Icons," which entailed people with giant head-likenesses of former conference hoop stars. Frightening.

The Ugly

•   Purdue's entire first-half performance in a semifinal loss to Minnesota was, in a word, dreadful. The Boilers made just five of 27 shots (18.5 percent) and were stuck on four points

•   Penn State "improved" to 0-6 as a No. 11 seed. The real shame of that, of course, is the six opportunities as a league doormat.

•   Trevon Hughes of Wisconsin was prominent on All-Big Ten lists but he probably would have jumped into a trap door if he could have found one in the Conseco hardwood. He missed his first 11 shots in the loss to Illinois and committed a key turnover with his team trying to rally. Meanwhile, his backcourt mate, Jason Bohannon, was a woeful 1 of 10 from the floor.

•   Illinois' end-of-game management against Wisconsin. The Illini led from their opening possession, opened up an advantage of 16 with 6:45 to play and still led by 10 at the 1:41 mark. However, Bohannon actually was able to fire off a potential game-tying three with 18 seconds to play and UI clinging to a tenuous 57-54 lead.

•   Michigan State's effort at the free-throw line in a 72-67 overtime loss to Minnesota - 18 of 34. That's just 52.9 percent.

Quips & Quotes

Smith on the idea of expanding the NCAA Tournament field from 65 teams to 96 - "I think it would be a great idea. When I first got in the business in 1978, '79, there might have been 100 Division I teams. Now there's 347. Just like football. When they increased, they increased the number of bowl games. So why not increase the opportunities for these student-athletes to participate and enjoy and be a part of March Madness? I think it's long overdue, to be honest with you."

Beilein on the same topic - "I've never been in favor of that. Being a guy who was in the low majors to mid-majors and the high-majors. I just think it's really a great tournament right now. Now, they may know more than I know. I think it's really nice and tight right now and we probably should keep it that way. But I'll do whatever people say. And if we're the 96th team in sometime, I'll be happy about it."

Northwestern coach Bill Carmody after his team made just 7 of 31 three-point attempts at Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers - "I was just thinking about Reggie Miller. I was thinking, 'How does he make all those shots?' It's unbelievable. That's why I always voted for Chicago, keeping the Big Ten Tournament there, because I just hate the rims. Nothing about the city. It's closer, collegiate, all that stuff. I just hate the rims."

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo on his team's lousy free-throw shooting vs. Minnesota - "That's never happened, and it's my fault because I ran these guys into the ground. We don't do what Ohio State does. I played Kalin (Lucas) and these guys stretches that they were so tired by the end that they missed free throws."

Matta on Beilein's decision to allow Turner to dribble across half court - "John Beilein has won more games than I'll ever win, so I'm never going to try to think of what he's thinking. I'm not that smart."

Turner on staring at the crowd with frozen body language after nailing his 37-foot game-winner against Michigan - "You definitely have to have a little swag after you do something like that. It wasn't anything like LeBron James but I was trying to stop myself from running around and screaming like a girl."

OSU's David Lighty on Illinois' chatty approach to the semifinals - "They had a reason to talk. They were winning. But when we went on a 20-0 run that stopped real quick."

Matta on Jon Diebler setting a new school career record for made three-pointers during the win over Illinois - "I think it speaks volumes. If he had made a couple as a freshman he would have passed it a year ago. But I'm happy for Jon. Jon flies under the radar screen for his career here, but I know how important he is, I know how good he is and I love the kid to death."

Lighty, who checked guards and even the 6-11 Sampson during the tournament, on not being named to the conference's all-defensive team - "My mom was more mad about it than I was. She was angry, but I told her, 'You can't vote on it, I can't vote on it, don't worry about it.' "