Exclusive autographed items available highlight latest auction that ends March 18.

2010 Football Parking Updates & Information

Griffin signs with Buckeyes

Jim Cordle from Ohio State was recognized for his excellence on and off the field and for his work in the community

Cornerback for Detriot Lions had 62 career interceptions, becomes eighth Buckeye enshrinee

Here comes 23 straight nights of tourney coverage

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – One of the nation's premier spring football events, Penn State's Blue-White Game presented by AAA, will be televised live by ESPN2 on Saturday, April 24. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. ET in Beaver Stadium. As in previous years, there will be no admission or parking fee for the Blue-White game, which culminates spring practice for the Nittany Lions. The Blue-White Game also will air on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com. The Blue-White Game presented by AAA will be the first spring football game ESPN has televised among Big Ten Conference institutions. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma are among the schools that have hosted ESPN for their spring football game over the past five years, with LSU and North Carolina also joining the list this spring. One of the highlights of the Penn State sports calendar, Blue-White Weekend presented by AAA is set for April 23-24 with numerous free, fan-friendly events adjacent to Beaver Stadium. The celebration of Penn State football will include the popular pre-game autograph session with the players, the announcement of the spring football award winners as well as the recipients of the PNC Bank "Player of the Game" from last season. During the weekend, the University will also announce the official dollar goal of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, the most ambitious fundraising effort in its history. The Blue-White Game presented by AAA is one of the nation's most popular spring football contests. The attendance record has fallen each of the past three years, with an estimated crowd of 76,500 flocking to the 2009 contest. An estimated 73,000 fans attended in 2008 and 71,000 in 2007. More than 40,000 fans have attended the game in 11 of the past 14 years, with rainy conditions during the other three contests. Other events held in conjunction with Blue-White Weekend presented by AAA will be announced at a later date. Coach Joe Paterno's squad will begin spring practice the last week of March. ESPN2 is available in nearly 99 million homes. Penn State has made numerous appearances on ESPN and ESPN2, including recent games with Northwestern (2009), Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue (2007 and '08), Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Indiana (2007), in addition to ABC outer market appearances. ESPN's popular ""College GameDay presented by the Home Depot"" has originated from Penn State three times in the past five years. The Nittany Lions earned their second consecutive 11-2 record last season, capped by a win over LSU in the Capital One Bowl, Penn State's fourth bowl victory in the past five seasons. The Nittany Lions were No. 8 in the final USA Today Coaches poll and No. 9 in the Associated Press survey, earning their 23rd final Top 10 ranking under the Hall of Fame coach. Penn State is 51-13 (79.7) since the start of the 2005 season, tied for the nation's No. 7 winning percentage over that span. The Nittany Lions return 37 letterwinners for the 2010 season, including 13 starters (7 offense, 5 defense, 1 specialist), as well as 11 players that have starting experience. Penn State opens the season Sept. 4 vs. Youngstown State in Beaver Stadium and visits 2009 national champion Alabama on Sept. 11.

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The Gophers are about to enter the most intense one-week beauty pageant in sports. A multitude of NCAA bubble teams will try to gain the attention of the tournament's selection committee during this week's conference tournaments. If those teams impress -- by recording crucial victories in the days before Selection Sunday -- they just might make the cut. The Gophers' only sure shot of an NCAA bid requires a Big Ten tournament title, a feat that only one sixth seed (Iowa in 2001) has achieved since the tourney began in 1998. But victories against Michigan State in the quarterfinals and perhaps Purdue in the semifinals certainly would help their prospects. First, though, is an opening-round matchup against Penn State on Thursday in Indianapolis. "We have nothing to lose, take one game at a time, play with energy and whatever happens, happens," Lawrence Westbrook said after his team's victory over Iowa on Sunday. The selection committee is comprised of humans, not computers. The Gophers' bad losses to teams such as Indiana and Michigan (twice) might be too much to overcome in the eyes of the selectors, sans an automatic bid. They will need two victories to reach 20 for the season, typically the minimum requirement for at-large berths. Gophers coach Tubby Smith knows the formula for picking up steam in conference tourneys, having won five Southeastern Conference tournament titles during his 10-year tenure at Kentucky. He said his squad should worry about preparing for Penn State and not think about the NCAA tournament. "It's a long ways; we've got to do a lot of work," Smith said. "We've got to play like we played [Sunday against Iowa] ... When it comes this time of the year, if you haven't already solidified things and you're on the outside, you'd better be concentrating on one practice at a time and hoping you can win that practice." Penn State represents a prime opportunity for the Gophers (18-12, 9-9 Big Ten). They are facing the tournament's lowest seed. And they won both meetings against the Nittany Lions (11-19, 3-15) this season. But be sure to read the fine print about this matchup. "Penn State's a good team," Gophers senior Damian Johnson said Sunday. "Most of their losses were real close games. ... They're a team that you can't think is an easy win and you can't go out there playing lackadaisical.' After an 0-12 start to conference play, the Nittany Lions finished by going 3-3. In their past two games, they lost to two of the Big Ten's three co-champions, Michigan State and Purdue, by two and four points, respectively. The Gophers needed a late push in their first game against Penn State and a buzzer-beater in the second to collect the sweep. Penn State coach Ed DeChellis is concentrating on the way his squad has performed lately. "We're all 0-0 heading into Thursday," he said. "We've played better basketball over the last three weeks than we have all year." Smith wants the Gophers to focus on their opening game, expect Penn State's best. But even he can't deny that there appears potential to advance in the tournament, since even the best teams in the Big Ten haven't been invincible this year. "I'm just looking at Penn State, I don't care about anything else," Smith said. "That's all we can focus on right now, one game at a time, but it is a pretty balanced tournament. ... I don't know that there's a favorite among those four [Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin], so hopefully we can play well and go deep into the tournament." BIG TEN TOURNAMENT All games at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis Thursday's first round Game 1: No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 9 Iowa, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Game 2: No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Indiana, 4 p.m. (ESPN2) Game 3: No. 6 Gophers vs. No. 11 Penn State, 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Friday's quarterfinals Game 4: No. 1 Ohio State vs. Michigan/Iowa winner, 11 a.m. (ESPN) Game 5: No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Illinois, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN) Game 6: No. 2 Purdue vs. Northwestern/Indiana winner, 5:30 p.m. (BTN) Game 7: No. 3 Michigan State vs. Gophers/Penn State winner, 8 p.m. (BTN) Saturday's semifinals Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12:40 p.m. (Ch. 4) Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 3 p.m. (Ch. 4) Sunday's championship 2:30 p.m., Ch. 4 SELECTION SUNDAY The 65-team field is announced from 5 to 6 p.m. on Ch. 4. Copyright 2010 Star TribuneAll Rights Reserved

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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State point guard Talor Battle was one of the best players in the Big Ten Conference this season despite playing on the worst team. A 6-foot junior, he is the only player in the six BCS conferences to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Battle scored 17 points Saturday in 31 minutes, but missed the final six-plus minutes with cramps as the Nittany Lions closed out their regular season with a 64-60 loss to No. 7 Purdue at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Boilermakers (26-4, 14-4 Big Ten) clinched a share of their first regular-season conference championship since 1996, while the Lions (11-19, 3-15) lost for the seventh time in conference play by six or fewer points. "With the season we've had and the record we have, we could have easily given up, but we've continued to work hard," Battle said recently. Battle considered quitting the team in early January, saying he was frustrated. But he regrouped and was the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten through Saturday, averaging 18.8 points. He was one of several impact point guards in the conference, along with Ohio State's Evan Turner and Michigan State's Kalin Lucas. "When I step on the court, I play with a certain confidence and swagger," Battle said. "I feel like I'm the best player out there." Battle was the focal point of opposing defenses this season and Penn State's only double figure scorer. The Lions dropped their first 12 Big Ten games after recording a school-record 27 victories and their first NIT title last year. Consequently, Battle and No. 11 seed Penn State will be looking to play the role of postseason spoiler at the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis this week. Battle, who led the Big Ten with 14 20-point games, also became just the third player in Penn State history to record 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in his career. "I think his numbers are pretty good and I think it's even more impressive because he's had to do so much by himself," Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. "He's had to do an unbelievable balancing act. 'When do I try to take the game over? When do I score? When do I try to make my teammates better and get them the ball?' "But, he's still scoring pretty well and he's made other guys better by passing the ball to them and getting them shots. And that's been impressive, because he's been the focal point of opposing defenses at times. "I think he has improved. I think he's playing stronger, his body's gotten bigger." Battle was named a first-team All-Big Ten pick and team co-MVP last season while establishing himself as one of the Big Ten's top scoring threats and playmakers. He led the conference in scoring (17.3 ppg) in the regular season a year ago and the country in minutes played (1,422). Battle's confidence continued to grow this past summer after he led the U.S. World University Games team in scoring (10 ppg) and 3-pointers made (13) on the way to capturing a bronze medal. Battle ranks seventh in school history with 1,516 points and could catch former All-American Jesse Arnelle (2,138) as the Lions' all-time leading scorer next season -- a mark that has stood since 1955. "(Battle's) not just a quick guy," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "He sees everything on the floor. He's a terrific player. I've seen a lot of good point guards, a lot of good guards. He's one of the best." Battle and his half-brother, Taran Buie, will be reunited next season after previously starring together at Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, N.Y. Buie, a 6-2 senior guard who transferred to State College High School before this season, signed with Penn State in the early period in November. "Taran is a terrific playmaker and defender," DeChellis said. "And, like his brother, he has a tremendous motor and plays with great energy." Buie is one of Penn State's highest-rated recruits in recent history. He is ranked No. 87 overall in ESPNU's top 100 players. He had offers from Pitt, Maryland, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Marquette, among others. "Hopefully, he can give us that added dimension we're missing," Battle said. Copyright 2010 York Newspapers, Inc.All Rights Reserved

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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Chris Allen has been indefinitely suspended from the Michigan State basketball team and will miss at least the team's Big Ten tournament opener. Coach Tom Izzo told reporters Tuesday the guard was suspended for not meeting responsibilities to his teammates. Allen usually starts and is the fifth-leading scorer for the No. 11 Spartans, averaging 9.1 points per game. Michigan State (24-7) opens Big Ten tournament play on Friday in Indianapolis against the winner of Thursday's Minnesota-Penn State game. Allen's status for possible later Big Ten tournament games hasn't been decided.

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It has been a strange season in Big Ten basketball. It was a season that began with six ranked teams and great expectations, especially after the conference prevailed in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the first time in the 11-year history of the event. But nonconference losses early in the season took the edge off that success, leaving Big Ten teams to scramble for more than four NCAA tournament bids after they received seven last season. Notable decliners were Michigan and Minnesota, which haven't approached their Top 25 preseason billing. On the other side, Wisconsin overachieved. Again. And despite a late swoon, Northwestern soldiered on very well without Kevin Coble. The most remarkable development, though, is that this was the season of the big injury. Each of the top four teams in the conference saw All-Big Ten-caliber players go down. Ohio State weathered the six-game absence of Evan Turner (broken vertebra) the best and now is in the hunt for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin, which lost big man Jon Leuer (broken wrist, nine games), and Michigan State, which didn't have point guard Kalin Lucas (sprained ankle, one game) at full strength during a key stretch, lost ground but still are in position for strong finishes. The most devastating setback was suffered by Purdue, which lost forward Robbie Hummel for the season to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Boilermakers would have been legitimate Final Four contenders with him but now face an uncertain postseason. Northwestern and Indiana also lost standout players. The Wildcats lost Coble (broken left foot) at the start of the season, and the Hoosiers saw likely Big Ten freshman of the year Maurice Creek (fractured left knee) go down in late December. No one has shaken an injury better than Turner, who leads the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding and is second in assists. He's an easy choice for Big Ten player of the year and is emerging as the favorite for national player of the year. And look for him to turn pro a year early and be a high pick in the NBA draft in June. Here's a rundown of the Sun-Times' Big Ten honorees: HERB GOULD'S ALL-BIG TEN AWARDS First team Evan Turner* G Ohio State Robbie Hummel F Purdue Kalin Lucas G Michigan State Demetri McCamey G Illinois E'Twaun Moore G Purdue * Player of the year Comment: No one in the Big Ten is close to Turner in all-around impact. Michigan State might have run away with the conference with a healthy Lucas. No player is worth more victories to his team than McCamey. Hummel, Moore and JaJuan Johnson all are huge for Purdue. Second team Jason Bohannon G Wisconsin Trevon Hughes G Wisconsin JaJuan Johnson C Purdue David Lighty G/F Ohio State John Shurna F Northwestern Comment: Bohannon helped Hughes keep Wisconsin tough without injured Jon Leuer. Johnson is the best big man in the Big Ten. Lighty does all the little things. Shurna shouldered a big load for Kevin Coble-less NU. Third team Talor Battle G Penn State William Buford G Ohio State Jon Diebler G Ohio State Draymond Green F Michigan State Mike Tisdale C Illinois Comment: Battle didn't get enough help. Under-the-radar Buford has next-level talent. Diebler is a pure shooter. Green gives the Spartans a spark. Tisdale came up big when he manned up. ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM D.J. Richardson* G Illinois Kelsey Barlow G/F Purdue Drew Crawford G/F Northwestern Cully Payne G Iowa Christian Watford F Indiana * Freshman of the year Comment: Freshman of the year was a two-horse race between Richardson and Crawford, both of whom average around 10 points a game. After a hot start, Crawford tailed off. Richardson guarded the best perimeter players in the conference game after game and delivered some scoring. Advantage, Richardson. TOURNAMENT SCENARIOS - Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Illinois have clinched first-day byes. OSU won the tiebreaker over Purdue for the top seed. MSU can finish no higher than third. - With three games scheduled today, here are the teams who hold the tiebreaker for seeding: Wisconsin has tiebreaker over Michigan State; Michigan over Minnesota; Northwestern over Michigan; Iowa over Indiana. COACH OF THE YEAR Bo Ryan, Wisconsin A strong case can be made for Ohio State's Thad Matta, who made Turner a point guard and didn't let a lack of depth stop the Buckeyes. Good cases can be made for Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Purdue's Matt Painter, both of whom handled the burden of expectations well -- and would have handled them better if not for key injuries. But nobody did what Ryan did. He molded a team out of nowhere, a team that survived the long absence of its best big man. The improvement many Badgers made from last season to this season was a tribute to Ryan's offseason magic. In a conference filled with excellent coaches, Ryan always seems to be underestimated. He never should be. Copyright 2010 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.All Rights Reserved

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TRIPLE CROWN: For only the sixth time in conference history, three teams shared the Big Ten Championship. Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue earned a share of the 2010 Big Ten crown after completing the regular season with identical 14-4 marks in conference action. The last time three teams shared the conference title was in 2002 when Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin ended the year at 11-5. Ohio State also finished 11-5 in 2002, but later vacated their share of the title. PASSING GO AND MOVING ON: In the 12-year history of the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin have all advanced to at least the quarterfinals in every event. When the 2010 event is included, the trio will have reached the quarterfinals in all 13 years, as those teams earned top-five seeds this year. Eleven of the 13 advancements for Michigan State and Wisconsin have come thanks to first-round byes. No other team in the conference has garnered as many first-round passes as those two teams. Illinois is next on the chart with 10, while Indiana has eight. THE LIFE OF NUMBER ONE: The No. 1 seed has won the tournament only four times with Michigan State claiming the 1999 title, Illinois capturing the crown in 2005, the Buckeyes winning in 2007 and the Badgers in 2008. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have faced off in the championship final on only three occasions, all within the last six tournaments. In 2007, No. 1 Ohio State defeated No. 2 Wisconsin. In previous years when the top two teams have met, No. 2 Iowa upset top-seeded Ohio State in 2006. In 2004, the No. 2 Badgers defeated the No. 1 Fighting Illini. In four of the 12 events, the No. 1 seed has been upset in its opening game. GOOD TO BE NUMBER 2: The No. 2 seed remains the event's leader in Big Ten Tournament titles. No. 2 seeds are 16-6, have won four titles, have been to the finals five times and in the semifinals on six occasions. No. 2 seeds won the tournament in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006. The No. 6 seed is the lowest to ever win a Big Ten Tournament, as Iowa did in 2001. DÉJÀ VU: Wisconsin enters the 2010 Tournament as the No. 4 seed. A year ago, the Badgers sat in the same spot. UW will open its tournament run in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game for the second straight year. THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Big Ten Conference includes at least 25 men's basketball players who hail from the Hoosier state, as six of the 11 schools carry at least one Indiana resident on their rosters. Purdue leads the way with 14 native sons, while Indiana has six in-state products. Michigan has two native Hoosiers, while Iowa, Northwestern and Ohio State each have one player who call Indiana home. HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse have proved to be comfortable surroundings for several Big Ten teams in March. Through the five times the event has been held in Indianapolis, Wisconsin owns the best winning percentage in the facility (.667), going 6-3, including two tournament titles. Iowa ranks second in win percentage in Conseco Fieldhouse, sporting a .600 win percentage. The Hawkeyes took home the 2006 crown and have compiled a 6-4 record on the floor. NATIVE SONS: Six student-athletes hail from the host city of Indianapolis: Indiana's Devan Dumes and Steven Gambles, Iowa's Devon Archie and Purdue's Patrick Bade, Kelsey Barlow and JaJuan Johnson. WINNINGEST COACHES: Four active coaches boast winning percentages of .600 or better in Big Ten Tournament play. Illinois' Bruce Weber leads all active coaches with a .688 win percentage and ranks second all-time. The Fighting Illini skipper has guided his teams to an 11-5 Big Ten Tournament record, including one title and two runner-up finishes. Thad Matta led Ohio State to the championship final last year to improve his overall tournament ledger to 8-4. Matta's .667 win percentage is tied for fourth among all coaches and is second among active skippers. Bo Ryan led the Badgers to the 2008 title and increased his win percentage to .625 with a 10-6 record. Minnesota's Tubby Smith (3-2) boasts a .600 win percentage over two tournament appearances. TOP TOURNEY TEAMS: Illinois leads the conference in winning percentage and total wins in Big Ten Tournament play with a record of 22-10 (.688) over 12 years. That mark includes two tournament crowns and four second-place finishes. Wisconsin boasts the conference's second-best winning percentage with a record of 14-10 (.583), including two tournament titles (2004 and 2008), while Iowa and Michigan State follow in third place with a 13-10 mark (.565) and two titles each. TURNING HEADS: Ohio State's Evan Turner was named among the final six candidates in consideration for the 2010 Bob Cousy Award. The annual award is given to college basketball's top point guard. Turner completed the regular season among the top two in points, rebounds, steals and assists in the Big Ten to become the only player in conference history to finish in the top two in each category since assists became an official stat during the 1983-84 season. The Buckeye junior is averaging 19.5 points per game (1st), 9.4 rebounds (1st), 5.8 assists (2nd) and 1.8 steals (2nd). Only five players in Big Ten history have finished in the top 10 of those categories since 1983-84, including both Turner and Michigan's Manny Harris last season. No Division I player has achieved those minimums since at least 1996-97.

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The NCAA will announce the 330 student-athletes set participate in the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships via a Web stream selection show on NCAA.com on Wednesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. ET. NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee chair, Brad Traviolia, will provide the show's introduction while Pat Tocci, Director of Administration and Public Relations for the National Wrestling Coaches Association, will serve as the host as he unveils each of the 10 brackets in the championships field. Fans wishing to view the show can do so at the link below: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-wrestl/champpage/inc/div1/m-wrestl-div1-announcements.html Complete printable brackets will be available on NCAA.com at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 10.

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PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The field is set for the 2010 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament that will take place Thursday-Sunday, March 11-14, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Ohio State (24-7, 14-4) claimed the No. 1 seed after capturing the Big Ten title for the third time under Thad Matta's tutelage and 18th overall. Although OSU, Michigan State and Purdue completed the regular season with identical conference records at 14-4, the Buckeyes earned the top seed by virtue of their higher win percentage versus the group. The tiebreaking procedures also made Purdue (26-4, 14-4) the No. 2 seed, while Michigan State (24-7, 14-4) clinched the No. 3 spot. Wisconsin (23-7, 13-5) claimed the No. 4 seed with Illinois (18-13, 10-8) earning the No. 5 seed. Each of the top five teams receives a first-round bye and will start tournament play on Friday, March 12. The 13th annual Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will tip off on Thursday, March 11, with No. 8 Michigan (14-16, 7-11) taking on No. 9 Iowa (10-21, 4-14) at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The second game of the tournament will feature No. 7 Northwestern (19-12, 7-11) against No. 10 Indiana (10-20, 4-14) on ESPN2. The final game on Thursday will include No. 6 Minnesota (18-12, 9-9) and No. 11 Penn State (11-19, 3-15), with the Big Ten Network providing live coverage. Day two will begin with top-seeded Ohio State facing the winner of the Michigan-Iowa game at Noon ET on ESPN. The Buckeyes are the No. 1 seed for the fourth time in tournament history as OSU claimed the No. 1 seed in 2000 and in back-to-back Big Ten Tournaments in 2006 and 2007. Ohio State will look to capture its first tournament title since 2007 and better its performance from last year after falling just short of the tourney crown in the final. The No. 1 seed has won the tournament only four times with Wisconsin claiming the title in 2008, Ohio State in 2007, Illinois in 2005 and Michigan State in 1999. Illinois and Wisconsin will meet in the second game of the day on ESPN. The Badgers earned a No. 4 seed for the second straight year after posting a 13-5 record in Big Ten play. The Illini captured the fifth remaining first-round bye with a 10-8 ledger in conference action. With Purdue and Michigan State tied at 14-4 in the conference standings, the Boilermakers merited a No. 2 seed in the tournament by virtue of their 2-2 record against OSU and MSU. Both the Boilermakers and Spartans will make their second appearance in the Big Ten Tournament as a No. 2 and No. 3 seed, respectively, and earn a first-round bye. Purdue will open Friday's second session in a meeting with the winner of the Northwestern-Indiana contest on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Michigan State will hit the hardwood in the final game of the evening against the winner of the Minnesota-Penn State matchup. Both evening contests will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Tournament semifinals and championship will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14, and all three games will air on CBS Sports. The first game on Saturday begins at 1:40 p.m. ET while the tournament will conclude with the championship game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Since the first Big Ten Tournament in 1998, six teams have captured postseason titles with Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin each owning a pair of tournament crowns to lead the conference. Ohio State and Purdue also have one tournament title to their name. The No. 2 seed remains the event's leader, boasting a 16-6 overall record while claiming four titles (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006) and five berths in the tournament final. The sixth seed is the lowest to ever win a Big Ten Tournament crown with Iowa accomplishing the feat in 2001. All-session ($165 or $220) and single-session tickets ($30-60) to the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament can be purchased through the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

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MADISON, Wis. -- Greg Jackson, a former 12-year veteran of the NFL, has been named nickel back and assistant linebackers coach for the Wisconsin football team, head coach Bret Bielema announced Sunday. Jackson has seven years of experience as an assistant coach at the collegiate level, including the last three at Tulane. "The experience Greg brings as a player and a coach and the leadership he has shown in both positions makes him a perfect fit for our staff," head coach Bret Bielema said. "He is a wonderful addition and I look forward to seeing him work with our defense and special teams." Jackson coached Tulane's safeties, nickel backs and kickoff team in 2009, the linebackers in 2008 and the safeties and nickel backs in 2007. Prior to going to Tulane he spent three seasons as the defensive backs coach at Louisiana-Monroe, where he coached all-Sun Belt Conference defensive back Chris Harris, who led the country with seven interceptions in 2004. Two of Jackson's top pupils at ULM -- Kevin Payne and Chaz Williams -- received invitations to the 2007 NFL Combine. Payne was a two-time all-Sun Belt Conference selection as a defensive back after earning the honor as a freshman at running back. Williams earned all-Sun Belt honors as a junior when he led the league in interceptions. Jackson joined the ULM staff after one season as secondary coach at Idaho, where he coached the Vandal defensive backs to a No. 31 national ranking in pass defense, up from No. 111 the season before he arrived. "I'm very excited to be a part of the Wisconsin Badger football program," Jackson said. "It's a great situation for me to join a winning football team that has been successful for a number of years. I'm eager to get started and help in any way I can." Jackson was a third-round draft choice of the New York Giants in 1989 and was a member of the Giants' 1991 Super Bowl championship team. In 1994, he went to the Philadelphia Eagles for two seasons, and played the New Orleans Saints (1996) and San Diego Chargers (1997-2001). Jackson's leadership abilities were recognized often and early during his playing career. He was one of five captains of the 1988 LSU team and after only three years in professional football, he was voted team captain of the Giants in 1992 and 1993. He was also voted the Giants' Player of the Year for activities outside football in 1993. He was captain of the 1996 Eagles and was special teams captain for San Diego in 1998 and 2000. Jackson enjoyed a great career at LSU from 1985-88, helping the Tigers to a combined 36-10-2. LSU won Southeastern Conference championships in 1986 and 1988, and played in bowl games every year. Jackson, a safety, was a first-team All-American in 1988, leading the nation with seven interceptions. His 219 interception return yards is the second-highest single-season total in SEC history and he tied an NCAA record by returning an interception 100 yards against Mississippi State. A native of Miami, Fla., Jackson earned a bachelor's degree in communications broadcasting from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2004. Jackson and his wife Dina, have two children, Greg Jr. and Jayden, while his oldest son, Jamal, is a football student-athlete at Appalachian State University.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Sunday was just another work day for Ohio State's Jantel Lavender. The Buckeyes center tied a Big Ten tournament record by scoring 35 points, the last two coming on free throws with 1.9 seconds left to give the Buckeyes a 66-64 victory and the conference tournament championship. FULL TOURNEY RESULTS THURSDAY INFO #7 Michigan 67 #10 Northwestern 54 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #6 Penn St. 63 # 11 Minnesota 52 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #9 Illinois 59 #8 Indiana 53 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE FRIDAY INFO #2 Michigan St. 61 #7 Michigan 50 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #3 Iowa 82 #6 Penn St. 75 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #1 Ohio State 66 #9 Illinois 55 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #4 Wisconsin 73 #5 Purdue 51 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE SATURDAY INFO #3 Iowa 59 #2 Michigan St. 54 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE #1 Ohio State 82 #4 Wisconsin 73 RECAP WITH VIDEO BOX SCORE It was a huge day for Lavender, who joined the 2,000-point club and had her 100th straight double-figure scoring game on the same day Ohio State (30-4) tied the school mark for victories. Not surprisingly, the three-time Big Ten player of the year also earned her second straight Most Outstanding Player award for the tourney. Ohio State, the six-time regular-season conference champs, won its second straight tourney and claimed the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes are the first team other than Purdue to win back-to-back tourney titles since Penn State in 1995-96. Iowa (19-13) was led by Kamille Wahlin with 20 points and Kelly Krei with 18. The Hawkeyes had a chance to win it after Lavender's late free throws, but Wahlin's shot from near half-court missed the rim to the right. It certainly wasn't easy for the Buckeyes, who had to rally from a 16-point second-half deficit. They didn't take the lead until Lavender made two free throws with 3:51 left. She tied it again at 64 on a putback with 1:18 to go, and then made the two free throws to win it. Iowa was in control until midway through the second half when Lavender and Samantha Prahalis triggered a 10-3 run that got the Buckeyes within 54-47 with 9:53 to go. Ohio State was only getting started. Lavender's 5-foot bank shot got the Buckeyes within 60-58 and Prahalis drove through the lane for a nifty scoop shot to tie it at 60 with 5:04 to go. Lavender finally broke the tie with two free throws, and then it was Iowa's turn to rally. Wahlin tied it at 62 with two free throws and Jaime Printy put in a layup with 2:34 to go to give Iowa a 64-62 lead. But Lavender finished the game with four straight points, and the Hawkeyes didn't score again, giving the defending tourney champs a second straight title.

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Lawrence Westbrook scored 20 points and Damian Johnson had 10 points and a career-high 11 assists in what could be the seniors' final game at Williams Arena to lead Minnesota to a 88-53 victory over Iowa on Sunday. Devoe Joseph added 17 points and Minnesota was 12-for-19 from 3-point range to bury the Hawkeyes. Aaron Fuller scored 16 points for Iowa, which suffered its biggest loss of the season and lost nine of its last 11 to close out the Big Ten season. The Gophers (18-12, 9-9) are the sixth seed and will face 11th-seeded Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The Hawkeyes (10-21, 4-14) are seeded ninth and will face eighth-seeded Michigan in the first round. Iowa lost the final two games of the regular season by a combined 62 points, including a 27-point loss at Wisconsin.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Iowa seniors Jay Borschel (174) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) wrestled their way to conference titles Sunday afternoon at the 2010 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, MI. The duo helped the top-ranked Hawkeyes win their third-straight Big Ten title and the school's 34th overall. Iowa scored 156.5 points en route to the team title, which is its highest since 1995 (185), and the Big Ten's highest since Minnesota scored 174 in 2002. Iowa also qualified its entire 10-man lineup for the upcoming NCAA Championships for the 18th time in school history and the first since 2004. Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third straight year becoming the first coach in conference history to earn the honor in three consecutive seasons. Iowa redshirt freshman Matt McDonough, who placed second at 125 pounds, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He is the fifth Hawkeye in school history to earn the honor and the first since Steve Mocco in 2002. FINAL STANDINGS 1. Iowa 156.5 2. Minnesota 119.5 3. Wisconsin 109 4. Ohio State 102.5 5. Penn State 91 6. Purdue 76 6. Michigan State 68.5 8. Illinois 64 8. Indiana 64 10. Michigan 57.5 11. Northwestern 20 "We had two champions who did what they were supposed to do," said Brands. "We have some explaining to do with the other finalists. We thought we were ready to go and we weren't. We have to go out and execute." Borschel, who was the tournament's top seed at 174 pounds, picked up his first Big Ten title with an 8-1 decision over Minnesota's Scott Glasser in the finals. The Hawkeye senior controlled the match, scoring a takedown in each period, a second-period escape and a point for accumulating 2:59 of riding time during the match. Borschel is undefeated at 32-0, and the title is Iowa's first at 174 pounds. Erekson became Iowa's 27th two-time conference champion with his 9-6 win over top-seeded Nate Everhart of Indiana in the finals. Erekson took Everhart to his back right off the opening whistle, scoring a takedown and three nearfall points to take a 5-0 lead. Everhart, who entered the bout with an undefeated 35-0 record, scored two escapes, but Erekson took a 6-2 lead when he was awarded a penalty point for Everhart fleeing the mat. Erekson started the third period with an escape, but Everhart rallied scoring two takedowns. Erekson held off the rally and added a point for 1:01 riding time to remain undefeated at 12-0 this season. McDonough, and seniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149) and Phillip Keddy (184) all earned second-place finishes for the Hawkeyes. Sophomore Montell Marion (141) placed third, while junior Jake Kerr (157) and senior Ryan Morningstar (165) placed fourth, and senior Chad Beatty (197) placed sixth. McDonough, who was making his first Big Ten Championships appearance, lost a close 6-4 decision to three-time Big Ten champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana in the finals. Both wrestlers entered the bout with undefeated 32-0 records. After two periods full of scrambles, Escobedo led 1-0. McDonough escaped early in the third period to tie the score at 1-1, but Escobedo scored a quick takedown to take a 3-1 lead. McDonough escaped with 40 seconds left in the match, but Escobedo scored another takedown to make the score 5-2. McDonough reversed the top-seeded Indiana senior with 13 seconds left to pull within one (5-4). He let Escobedo up, but ran out of time before he could score again to lose his first bout of the season. Dennis, who was also wrestling in his first Big Ten finals, lost to two-time Big Ten champion Jayson Ness of Minnesota, 9-3, in the 133-pound finals. Ness, who was the top seed and is undefeated at 25-0, scored a first period takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Dennis chose the neutral position to start the second period and neither wrestler scored in the allotted two minutes. Ness chose the down position to start the third period, scoring an escape, takedown and two nearfall points to go up 7-0. Dennis escaped and scored a takedown of his own, but Ness escaped and added a riding time point for the 9-3 win. The Hawkeye senior is now 18-3 this season. Metcalf was going for his third-straight 149-pound Big Ten title, but Ohio State's Lance Palmer spoiled the effort with a 9-3 victory in the finals. Metcalf led 3-1 after the first two periods, but Palmer had 1:33 in riding time going into the third. Palmer chose down to start the third period, and was awarded a penalty point after Metcalf was called for locked hands during a scramble. Metcalf held on to get the riding time under one minute, but Palmer escaped to tie the score at 3-3. The pair scrambled after an offensive flurry and Palmer came out on top, scoring a takedown and three nearfall points when he caught Metcalf on his back. Palmer held on to get the riding time point back, win his first Big Ten title. The Buckeye handed Metcalf (31-1) his first loss of the season while scoring his first win over Metcalf in five attempts. Keddy placed second for the second-straight year, losing a 5-2 decision to top seed John Dergo of Illinois in the finals. The Hawkeye senior put the first points on the board with an escape to start the second period. Dergo followed with a takedown, but Keddy quickly escaped to tie the score at 2-2. Dergo started the third period in the down position and escaped to grab a 3-2 lead. Keddy had several offensive attempts, and Dergo capitalized on the last one, scoring a takedown for the win. The Hawkeyes had some key matches early in Sunday's consolation round to ensure 10 national qualifiers. The NCAA only allocated four automatic qualifiers at 141 and 157 pounds, which meant that Marion and Kerr needed to with their first round matches to earn a trip to the NCAA meet. Morningstar's 165-pound class allowed for five qualifiers, meaning that he needed to win at least one match to make the national trip, and the 197-pound class took seven qualifiers so Beatty was guaranteed to go regardless of his finish. Marion was the only Hawkeye to win two matches on the day, posting an 11-6 decision over Wisconsin's Cole Schmitt in the consolation semifinals and a 5-2 win over Purdue's Juan Archuleta in the third-place match. Against Schmitt, Marion led 4-2 at the start of the third period, but the Badger escaped and scored a takedown to take a 5-4 lead. Marion reversed Schmitt to take a 6-5 lead with 42 seconds remaining. Schmitt escaped to tie the score at 6-6 and had 1:06 of riding time banked, but Marion's takedown with 12 seconds left and three additional nearfall points as time expired gave him the 11-6 win. Kerr scored a 5-3 decision over Michigan's David Johnson in the consolation semifinals, but lost a 6-4 decision in overtime to Michigan State's Anthony Jones to place fourth. Morningstar held off a late charge from Indiana's Paul Young to post a 4-3 win in the consolation semifinals. He was tied 2-2 with Penn State's Dan Vallimont in the third-place bout, but was injured going out of bounds and was forced to default the match and take fourth place. Beatty, who was wrestling in his first competition since December due to injury, posted medical forfeits in each of his matches to place sixth. Up next for Iowa is a trip to the 2010 NCAA Championships. The three-day tournament will be held March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE. Iowa has won 22 NCAA team titles, including the last two.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The first time Wisconsin and Illinois met this season, the Illini couldn't miss on the way to winning their fifth straight. Badger forward Jon Leuer missed that game with a broken wrist and Jordan Taylor struggled with eight points. Sunday was a different story. Leuer and Taylor had 20 points apiece as the 17th-ranked Badgers won 72-57, dealing the Fighting Illini's NCAA tournament hopes a significant blow. "Jordan Taylor, what are you going to say?" Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "His heart's twice as big as he is." "Leuer's obviously a great player," Illinois forward Bill Cole added. "He hurt us a little bit in the first half, parts of the second half. He's a big difference in their team." Wisconsin's win gave the Badgers (23-7, 13-5 Big Ten) the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, meaning they'll face the Illini again on Friday in Indianapolis. While the Badgers are a lock for the NCAA tournament, the Illini (18-13, 10-8) are probably in must-win mode. They have lost five of six and could miss the NCAAs for the second time in three seasons. Wisconsin led by as many as 16 midway through the second half, but the Illini, according to coach Bruce Weber, wasted a chance to climb back in the game. Leuer and Trevon Hughes -- who finished with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds -- both headed to the bench within about three minutes of each other midway through the half after picking up their fourth fouls. That gave the Illini, trailing 54-38, their best shot. In the 2½ minutes they sat, Illinois cut a 14-point gap to nine, with Cole hitting two free throws to close within 54-43. A couple minutes later, Cole hit a 3-pointer that made it 55-48. Before the crowd had a chance to settle back into their seats, Mike Davis stole the ball from Leuer, setting up a break that ended with a foul on Mike Tisdale, sending the 7-1 center to the line for a pair of free throws that cut the lead to 55-50. Weber brought his team to the bench and reminded them the win was there for the taking. "I said, 'You're going to have one opportunity to grab the game. You've got to play smart on both ends of the court,'" Weber said. "And we have three straight possessions on the other end -- two air balls and a turnover on the offensive end. "Sooner or later against a good team, they're going to grab the game. And that's what happened." Keaton Nankivil put back a free throw miss by Hughes with 5:27 to play to stretch the Badger lead back to 57-50, and over the next three possessions, the Badgers held Illinois to only a pair of free throws while extending the lead to 60-52. The Badgers held the Illini to seven points over the last seven minutes. Illinois was 2-9 from the floor over that stretch and 16 of 45 (35.6 percent) for the game. Wisconsin hit 41.9 percent of its shots (26 of 62). Ryan gave credit to his bench, which let Illinois close the gap but kept the Badgers in the lead while Leuer and Hughes were out of the game. "They did a pretty good job of making sure that it didn't get to the point where they caught us or got ahead of us," he said. "They stepped up big." Tisdale led Illinois with 16 points and Cole had 14. Midway through the first half, Illinois looked like it might give the Badgers a run. The Illini temporarily fixed an early rebounding drought -- one that allowed the Badgers to take almost twice as many shots as the Illini in the game's first 10 minutes -- and took their first lead at 15-14 with 8:18 to play in the first half on a jump shot by Tisdale. The teams traded leads four times over the next five minutes before the Badgers pulled away again, thanks in part to their rebounding. Wisconsin finished the game with a 40-30 edge on the boards and Illinois had only eight offensive rebounds. When the Illini beat the Badgers 63-56 last month in Madison, Wisconsin shot 35.8 percent while Illinois was an efficient 53 percent from the floor. Since then, the Illini have struggled with poor shooting and now Weber has to find a way to fix the problem if they want to stay with the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament. "They've got one last chance to make the season a positive," Weber said. "But we've got to play smarter."

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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Tom Izzo had just become the sixth coach in Big Ten history with at least six conference championships, and he didn't even realize it. "Really? That's the one thing I don't keep track of," Izzo said after No. 12 Michigan State beat Michigan 64-48 Sunday to finish the regular season in a three-way tie. "I keep track of national championships, and I want more of those." If Raymar Morgan can maintain his momentum, the Spartans will have a shot to give Izzo his second national title and the school its third. Morgan scored 13 of his season-high 22 points in the first half, helping Michigan State build an 18-point lead that it used to cruise to an easy victory against its overmatched rival. The senior forward -- whose career has been marked by inconsistency -- averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds over the last four games. "If he plays like he's been playing lately, the sky is the limit for us and we can get back to the Final Four," teammate Kalin Lucas said. Michigan State has advanced to the Final Four a nation-best five times in the previous 11 NCAA tournaments. The Spartans (24-7, 14-4 Big Ten) shared the conference championship with Ohio State and Purdue, winning their second straight title and sixth since Izzo was promoted to replace Jud Heathcote for the 1994-95 season. They will be the third-seeded team at this week's Big Ten tournament behind the top-seeded Buckeyes and Boilermakers. "I can enjoy this one right now because it was the toughest of the six to get," Izzo said shortly after the school's 12th Big Ten championship banner was hoisted to the Breslin Center's rafters. "We were picked to win it, which makes it hard, then we had to overcome some setbacks along the way." The Wolverines' season has been full of setbacks since being ranked No. 15 in The Associated Press preseason poll, and the lowlight might've been getting routed at Michigan State after a 28-point win over Minnesota. "It was really disappointing and frustrating, but never discouraging," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "It was over real early." Michigan failed to live up to high expectations, slumping to a .500 record after six games and following up a win over then-No. 15 Connecticut two months ago by going 4-9. The Wolverines (14-16, 7-11) will have to make a stunning appearance in the Big Ten tournament final to avoid a losing record and would have to win that postseason title to earn a second consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament. They will be seeded eighth and matched up with ninth-seeded Iowa on Thursday. "It's a different season now," DeShawn Sims said. "We have nothing to lose." That's one way to look at it. Michigan might not even earn a spot in the NIT and might be relegated to the College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Beilein looked as upset as he's been in three seasons on Sunday, but he refused to sound defeated. "We have a plan and we're working on it," Beilein said. "I'm very confident in the plan." Michigan's Manny Harris and Sims made only one shot each in the first half as their team matched a Big Ten-low with 14 points, outscoring Morgan by only a point. Harris missed nine of 10 shots, finishing with four points, and Sims scored just nine. "This is definitely one of the best places to play," Sims said of the Breslin Center, where the Spartans have won 18 of 21 against their rival. "They definitely put on a show." Harris has said he plans to return for his senior season, but declined to say if he just played his last regular-season game for Michigan. "I'm not thinking about that right now," he said. "I'm going to the Big Ten tournament to try to win the whole thing. Then, I'll think about the future." It took a look at the Big Ten's past to figure out who's in Izzo's company. He became the first coach to win at least six conference titles in his first 15 seasons since Bob Knight won seven during the same span at Indiana. Knight finished with 11 championships with the Hoosiers from 1971-2000, matching the Big Ten record set by Purdue's Ward "Piggy" Lambert. The other coaches with at least six Big Ten titles are Minnesota's Walter Meanwell, Ohio State's Fred Taylor and Purdue's Gene Keady. If Izzo gets his wish of a national title, he and the program will be in elite company. Izzo would trail just John Wooden, Adolph Rupp, Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski on the list of coaches with multiple titles, and Michigan State would join UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are the only programs with at least three championships. "Right now we're better than I give us credit for," Izzo said. "But not as good as I think we can be."

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Samantha Prahalis scored 29 points and Jantel Lavender added 27 to help No. 10 Ohio State beat Wisconsin 82-73 in a Big Ten tournament semifinal Saturday. Lavender, the Big Ten player of the year, also had nine rebounds and three blocks. Tayler Hill added 14 points and six rebounds for Ohio State, which won all three games against Wisconsin this season. The Buckeyes (29-4) will defend their tournament championship Sunday against Iowa, which beat No. 25 Michigan State 59-54 in the early game. Alyssa Karel scored a career-high 31 points and made all five of her 3-pointers for Wisconsin (21-8). Lin Zastrow scored 14 points and Teah Gant added 12 for the Badgers. The Badgers shot 46 percent a day after shooting 51 percent in a 73-51 win over Purdue. Wisconsin had averaged 71 points in its previous five games. Wisconsin made five of its first seven shots to take an early 13-9 lead. Lavender, a 6-foot-4 center, picked up her second foul with 7:15 left in the first half and Wisconsin leading 28-24. The Buckeyes hung tough without her, but Wisconsin shot 55 percent in the first half to lead 41-37 at the break. It was a well-played first half, with six ties and just seven turnovers between the teams. Karel scored 14 points for the Badgers, while Prahalis scored 11 for the Buckeyes. A 3-pointer by Karel rattled in and gave Wisconsin a 46-39 lead early in the second half. Ohio State responded with a 7-0 run, including a 3-point play by Lavender, that tied the score at 46. The Buckeyes finally took the lead when Prahalis drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Ohio State a 62-60 lead with just over nine minutes to play. The lead seesawed until the final minutes, but Ohio State began to pull away after Prahalis converted a 3-point play to give the Buckeyes a 78-72 lead with 1:42 left. Wisconsin shot over 50 percent for most of the game, but didn't make a field goal for the final 4:17. Lavender struggled early before dominating the second half. She went 5-for-9 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line for 19 points after the break. Prahalis gave the Buckeyes the outside punch to balance Lavender with four 3-pointers. She made all 11 of her free throws in the second half.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Kachine Alexander had 14 points and 10 rebounds, helping Iowa beat Michigan State (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) 59-54 in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday. Kamille Wahlin added 13 points, and Jaime Printy and Trisha Nesbitt each scored 10 for the third-seeded Hawkeyes (19-12), who advanced to play No. 10 Ohio State or Wisconsin in Sunday's championship game. Iowa last reached the tournament final nine years ago and won titles in 1997 and 2001. Aisha Jefferson had 23 points for No. 2 seed Michigan State (22-9), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped. The Spartans were seeking their first finals berth since winning the tournament in 2005. Iowa, which trailed 26-25 at halftime, opened a five-point lead twice in the second half, but the Hawkeyes failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities to open a bigger advantage. Iowa went scoreless for more than four minutes after taking a 42-37 lead midway through the half, allowing Michigan State to reel off seven straight points for a 44-42 edge. The teams traded the lead over the next few minutes before the Hawkeyes took control for good. With the score tied at 52, Wahlin came off a screen and nailed a wide-open 3-pointer with 1 minute remaining. Kalisha Keane missed a 3 on the Spartans' ensuing possession, and Alexander hit a pair of free throws after missing a shot and chasing down her own rebound. Michigan State cut it to 57-54 on Lykendra Johnson's layup with 12 seconds left, but Alexander hit two more free throws to seal the victory. In a sloppy first half, which saw each team commit 14 turnovers, Iowa led by as many as seven points and the Spartans' biggest lead was two. The Hawkeyes opened a 17-11 advantage on Nesbitt's 3-pointer with 8 minutes left, but Michigan State scored the next seven points to take its first lead since 3-2. Keane's jumper gave the Spartans a one-point halftime edge. Michigan State center Allyssa DeHaan, who didn't play in the second half of the team's quarterfinal win over Michigan due to back spasms, came off the bench and finished with two points, two rebounds and one block. The 6-foot-9 senior and reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year is the NCAA Division I career leader in blocks.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The No. 7 Michigan Wolverines finished off their 8-0 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks (9-9) in emphatic fashion on Sunday. The Wolverines (14-4) scored one run in the fifth inning. In the fifth, reliever Kierstyn White gave up two runs on a Angela Findlay single. Later that inning, two runs came in when Dorian Shaw singled. Findlay drove in three Wolverines runners. She went 2-3 at the plate. In addition to her single in the fourth, Findlay homered in the third inning. Michigan is used to seeing big plays from Findlay, who has been solid this season with a OPS of .949. On the season she has 19 hits in 57 at bats. She has driven in 22 runners and scored 15 runs. South Carolina was unable to make good contact against Stephanie Speierman. The Gamecocks managed no hits off of the freshman relief pitcher. Speierman allowed no earned runs, no walks and struck out three during her three innings of work. Ashley Chastain lasted just one-third of an inning in the circle for the Gamecocks before being replaced. She allowed three hits and two runs. The Wolverines have been on a roll lately. They have won six games in row. The Wolverines last lost on Feb. 27 against Alabama. Michigan's next game is on Saturday, March 13 against Louisville in Louisville, Ky. in the Red & Black Tournament. Powered by Narrative Science Inc.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jordan Hulls scored a season-high 24 points, all on 3-pointers, and Derek Elston scored five of the first seven points in overtime to help Indiana get past Northwestern 88-80 Saturday. The victory ended Indiana's 11-game losing streak and gave the Hoosiers (10-20, 4-14 Big Ten) their first win since Jan. 21. Northwestern (19-12, 7-11) was led by John Shurna with 31 points and Michael Thompson with 25, not enough for a school-record 20th win. The Hoosiers appeared headed toward a victory after taking a 69-61 lead with 3:24 left in regulation. But two turnovers and two missed free throws allowed Northwestern to rally, and the Wildcats finally tied it 69-69 on Thompson's 3-pointer with 1:12 to go. In overtime, Elston and Hulls combined for the first seven points to make it 76-69, and Northwestern never seriously challenged again. Elston had a season-high 17.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State men's hockey team advanced to the CCHA tournament quarterfinals, completing a series sweep of Notre Dame with an 8-2 win Saturday in the OSU Ice Rink. Ohio State scored twice in the first four minutes of the game and led 4-0 after the first period. The team extended its lead to 6-1 after the second and scored two late goals for the 8-2 final. Buckeye junior Hunter Bishop had a hat trick and added two assists, the first five-point night for a Buckeye since 1999. Junior defenseman Chris Reed had a career-high four assists and +5 mark in the win. Junior goalie Dustin Carlson matched his career high with 47 saves in the victory. Sergio Somma scored twice and added an assist for three points, while Kyle Reed and Zac Dalpe each had two assists and CJ Severyn had two points on a goal and a helper. The No. 8 seed Buckeyes now await their opponent for the quarterfinals (teams are reseeded after each round). No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha and No. 7 Michigan already swept their first-round series, with No. 5 Alaska and No. 12 Western Michigan facing off at 7:05 p.m. Alaska time Saturday. A Nanook series win would send the Buckeyes to Oxford, Ohio, to take on No. 1 seed Miami. A Bronco series win would send WMU to Miami and pit the Buckeyes against No. 2 Michigan State. Alaska won the opening game of the series. Ohio State led 4-0 after the first period. Matt Bartkowski opened the scoring at 3:36 with a power-play goal, coming across the crease and scoring on the backhand. K. Reed and Dalpe assisted on the goal. Just 24 seconds later Somma scored with a wrist shot on the rush down the left side, assisted by his linemates Peter Boyd and Dalpe. At 12:20 senior Mathieu Picard got his third tally of the weekend. K. Reed got the puck to C. Reed who kept the puck in at the blue line and dropped a pass to Picard and his quick shot found the back of the net. Severyn scored the final goal of the period at 17:53 , beating ND starter Mike Johnson glove side, assisted by Bishop and C. Reed. Carlson stopped all 15 shots he faced in the stanza. Notre Dame started the second period with a 5-on-3 advantage for two minutes after the Buckeyes were assessed two minors at the end of the first. The Irish took advantage, as Calle Ridderwall scored 46 seconds into the period. Bishop scored twice in the final 5:29 of the period to extend the Buckeye lead to 6-1. His first goal came shorthanded at 14:41. With the Buckeyes killing a 5-minute major, C. Reed got the puck to Bishop and he scored stick-side from in close. He added another goal at 19:06, as John Albert found him alone in front, with Severyn on the second assist. Shots were 17-7 in favor of the Irish in the period. In the third, there was no scoring until Notre Dame's Christiaan Minella put home the rebound of a Nick Larson shot at 11:54. Somma got his second of the night at 14:21 with Ohio State on the power play. C. Reed got the puck down low and it went from Bishop to Somma in front of the net. He was able to gather it and score before ND goalie Tom O'Brien could get in position. The final goal came at 17:25, as Bishop completed his hat trick. Somma picked up the puck from Carlson in the Buckeye zone and broke in 2-on-1 with Bishop. Somma passed over to Bishop driving to the net and he redirected it home for his first career hat trick. Carlson had 16 saves in the stanza. The Irish outshot the Buckeyes, 49-25. Carlson played all 60 minutes and had 47 saves to match his career best. Notre Dame starter Johnson played the first period and allowed four goals on nine shots. O'Brien had 12 saves, allowing four goals, in the final 40 minutes. The Buckeye penalty kill was 5-for-6 in the game, while the power play was 2-for-3.

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President Barack Obama honored the national championship Alabama football team at a White House event where the president proclaimed, "The Tide is back."

Dave Brandon joked there's no place to hide in his new office - a second-story, window-filled space on the corner of a busy intersection near campus. He likes it that way.

Michigan State receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell have been sentenced to 18 months of probation and 150 hours of community service for their roles in a Nov. 22 campus fight.

Boise State senior safety Jason Robinson has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.

The NCAA has denied Oregon State's appeal for an additional year of eligibility for quarterback Lyle Moevao.

A college football coach in Texas is backing players accused of removing every copy of a student newspaper from racks around campus because of a front-page article about teammates being arrested on drug charges, according to a police report.