ILLINOIS def. MINNESOTA, 61-48
Recap and Box Score

INDIANA def. No.4/6 OHIO STATE, 67-62
Recap and Box Score

IOWA def. PURDUE (-/rv), 70-50
Recap and Box Score

MICHIGAN def. No. 23/rv PENN STATE, 66-62
Recap and Box Score

NORTHWESTERN def. WISCONSIN (rv/rv), 68-62
Recap and Box Score

Purdue at Iowa, 3 p.m.
ESPN2

Penn State at Michigan, 1 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Illinois at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Northwestern at Wisconsin, 5 p.m.
Big Ten Network

INDIANA at ILLINOIS | 2 p.m. ET | ESPN2
IND Game Notes | ILL Game Notes

Indiana will travel to Illinois for a 2 p.m. ET showdown against Illinois in the second meeting between the program this season. Indiana's head coach Tom Crean and Illinois head mentor Bruce Weber will lead a group of Big Ten coaches in sporting Nikes as they pace the sidelines during weekend competition in honor of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Awareness Weekend. In addition, the Fighting Illini will wear pink-branded Nike uniforms to raise awareness about Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society (ACS).

In their last meeting in early January, the Hoosiers relinquished a double-digit second half lead and the Illini escaped with a 66-60 victory in Bloomington. Since then, Indiana has gone 2-2 while Illinois has posted a 2-3 record. The Hoosiers have not played since a 58-43 loss at home to Iowa last Sunday while the Illini are coming off a 77-67 win at Penn State on Wednesday.

This Saturday, watch as junior Demetri McCamey attempts to net his 1,000 career point. The 6-3 guard is just nine points away from becoming the 43nd player in Illini history to join the exclusive club.

IOWA at MICHIGAN | 4:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
IOWA Game Notes | U-M Game Notes

The Iowa Hawkeyes (8-13, 2-6) hit the road for the third time in four games, traveling to Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday to face the Wolverines (10-10, 3-5). Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET from inside Crisler Arena. Michigan enters the game on a three-game losing skid, while Iowa has won three of its last five.

The Wolverines are coming off a  four-game stretch in a nine-day period -- all against top-25 opponents. The Maize and Blue are one win away from becoming the fifth Big Ten program to earn 700 conference wins, joining Illinois (866), Purdue (852), Indiana (848) and Wisconsin (707) in the elite group to have already accomplished the feat. The Hawkeyes need three more wins to achieve the 700 mark.

Look for Manny Harris to crash the boards on Saturday. The junior Wolverines sits three rebounds shy of entering the 500 rebound club. Teammate DeShawn Sims is already a member as he is 21st all-time with 636 rebounds.

The Big Ten Network will televise Saturday afternoon's game to a national cable audience. Wayne Larrivee and Greg Kelser will call the action.

Series History: Michigan leads, 84-57

NORTHWESTERN at #5/5 MICHIGAN STATE | 7 p.m. ET Big Ten Network
NU Game Notes | MSU Game Notes

Northwestern will look to repeat last season's memorable win at the Breslin Center when it travels to East Lansing on Saturday to take on fifth-ranked Michigan State. The Spartans return to East Lansing riding on a pair of one-point triumphs at Minnesota and Michigan. The Big Ten Network will provide live television coverage of Saturday's contest, which is set for 7 p.m. ET.

At 8-0 in conference action, Michigan State will look to secure its unblemished streak and extend its best start in school history to nine consecutive. Saturday will conclude the season series between NU and MSU, with the last game resulting in a 91-70 decision in favor of the Spartans.

A year ago, the Wildcats stunned the Spartans, 70-63, on the strength of a 31-point effort from Kevin Coble. The contest was eventually deemed the Big Ten's Game of the Year by the Big Ten Network regardless of sport. Saturday's game marks NU's fifth test against a ranked opponent this month. The 'Cats are looking to rebound from a 65-61 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday.

Series History: Michigan State leads, 78-37

 

MICHIGAN def. ILLINOIS, 64-48
Recap and Box Score

WISCONSIN (rv/rv) def. INDIANA, 55-47
Recap and Box Score

MICHIGAN STATE (rv/rv) def. NORTHWESTERN, 56-52
Recap and Box Score

No. 4/6 OHIO STATE def. MINNESOTA, 81-58
Recap and Box Score

PURDUE def. No. 23/rv PENN STATE, 80-76 (OT)
Recap and Box Score

Wisconsin (rv/rv) at Indiana, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Minnesota at #4/6 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network

Michigan State (rv/rv) at Northwestern, 8 p.m.

Purdue (-/rv) at #23/rv Penn State, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Throughout the season, we'll be introducing you to Big Ten women's basketball players as part of the Big Ten's Get to Know Her campaign. Sign up for the Get to Know Her Club at any Big Ten home women's basketball game, or search "Get to Know Her Club" from your Facebook page to become an online member!

For more information on the Get to Know Her campaign, go HERE or e-mail GTKH@bigten.org. 

Dannielle Diamant, Northwestern
Unlike other incoming Northwestern freshman student-athletes, Dannielle Diamant did not spend her summer on campus taking courses. Instead, in July, the 6-4 forward represented the United States in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. Her team won five games, defeating Great Britain, Australia, Canada and Israel (twice) en route to the gold medal. Diamant, a consistent starter for the 'Cats, is the granddaughter of legendary UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian.

Several Big Ten players are raking in honors prior to the start of the 2010 season.  Look below for a full list of Big Ten players on preseason All-America squads.

NCBWA Preseason All-America:
Dan Burkhart, Ohio State, C, Second Team
Alex Wimmers, Ohio State, SP, Second Team
Ryan LaMarre, Michigan, OF, Third Team

Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America selected by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper:
Alex Wimmers, Ohio State, SP, Second Team
Scott Matyas, Minnesota, RP, Third Team

Ping!Baseball Preseason All-America:
Alex Wimmers, Ohio State, SP, First Team
Dan Burkhart, Ohio State, C, Second Team
Scott Matyas, Minnesota, RP, Second Team
Alex Dickerson, Indiana, DH, Third Team

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ranks two Big Ten teams in its preseason poll with Ohio State at No. 14 and Minnesota at No. 30. Illinois and Michigan are receiving votes outside the top 40. COMPLETE POLL

Despite not ranking a Big Ten team in his publication's preseason poll, Baseball America's Aaron Fitt has Minnesota and Ohio State on the cusp of the top 25 and thinks the Big Ten will be a three-bid conference in the 2010 NCAA Baseball Championship. READ MORE

Battle Tested, Spartan Approved


What they are saying:
Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy: When analysts begin to question whether you have the NBA-quality talent to win the national title, that's really good news. Does Michigan State? With Kalin Lucas playing like this, the Spartans might be good enough. Since Tom Izzo sat him down for a practice Dec. 29, Lucas averaged 16 points entering the week and MSU was 8-0.

ESPN.com's Pat Forde makes the case for the 10 teams in the nation that could win the National Title. What he says about the Big Ten contenders.

Michigan State (5). Why the Spartans can win it: Seven players in the rotation were key parts of their 2009 run to the national championship game, and guard Kalin Lucas apparently has gotten the leadership message his coach sent a while back. Izzo is as good a coach as there is in the country, and you know his teams will rebound and defend until the last dog dies. Their 7-0 Big Ten start shows that Sparty is locking in right on time.

Why they might not: Michigan State doesn't have anyone taller than 6-foot-8 in the regular rotation, which could eventually create a problem despite the surplus of biceps in Izzo's lineup. The Spartans also could find themselves a step slower than some elite competition.

Record against RPI top 50: 2-1  |  Record against RPI top 100: 7-3.

Purdue (6). Why the Boilermakers can win it: Given Michigan State's obsessive drive to reach the Final Four in its home state last year, the same dynamic could work in Purdue's favor in Indianapolis this year. The Boilers' big three of Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson can play with anybody's. Chris Kramer is an annoyance to any and all guards. And coach Matt Painter said Monday that injured point guard Lewis Jackson -- the missing ingredient thus far for the 16-3 Boilers -- is very close to being ready to play.

Why they might not: There remains a chance that Jackson will never be 100 percent, or that he'll choose to redshirt this season. ("He has to understand that if he gets knocked out after two games, that's his year," Painter said. "That's his season. We have to paint a couple worst-case scenarios for him so he understands.") Purdue's three-game losing streak earlier this month was enough to instill doubt. And it might be a lot to ask for a group of players and a coach who have never been to a Final Four to jump up and win it all.

Record against RPI top 50: 3-2  |  Record against RPI top 100: 7-3

ILLINOIS at PENN STATE | 6: 30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
ILL Game Notes | PSU Game Notes

Penn State and Illinois will continue what has become a thrilling series full of last-second game-winners and stunning upsets. The Nittany Lions (8-11; 0-7 Big Ten) and Illini (12-8; 4-3 Big Ten) have seen five of their last nine meetings decided by one-point and the last six separated by just 2.1 ppg. The game tips off at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on the Big Ten Network.

Series History: Illinois leads, 22-11


#20/24 OHIO STATE at IOWA | 8: 30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
OSU Game Notes | IOWA Game Notes

After playing the last two games on the road, Iowa (8-12, 2-5) returns home Wednesday night when it entertains 20th-ranked Ohio State (14-6, 4-3). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:36 p.m. (CST) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

After starting the year 5-11, Iowa has won three of its last four. The Buckeyes have also won three of their last four. Iowa won its last outing, 58-43, at Indiana Sunday, while Ohio State fell at 11th-ranked West Virginia Saturday, 71-65. The Buckeyes are in a three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten, while the Hawkeyes are in 10th position; only one game behind four teams tied for sixth.

Series History: Iowa leads, 73-65 

In Tuesday's NWCA/USA Today rankings, eight conference squads pepper the top 25, including No. 1 Iowa, which now boasts a 16-0 overall record and a 2-0 mark in Big Ten action. Ohio State and Minnesota rank third and fifth, respectively, while Wisconsin, Penn State and Indiana occupy No. 12, No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Illinois appears at No. 20, while Purdue rounds out the top 25 at No. 25.

InterMat's weekly rankings showcase seven conference schools and Iowa once again tops the charts at No. 1, while Ohio State checks in at No. 4 and Minnesota at No. 5. Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana are 12th, 13th, and 14th, respectively, and Illinois rounds out the Big Ten squads at No. 24.

Also according to InterMat's rankings, four Big Ten grapplers rank at the top of their respective weight classes. Indiana's Angel Escobedo is No. 1 at 125 pounds, Michigan State's Franklin Gomez tops the 133-pound weight class, Iowa's Brent Metcalf leads the 149-pound group and Wisconsin's Andrew Howe is No. 1 at 165.

Michigan was the top conference school in the poll, appearing at No. 17 with an average score of 194.600. Penn State was 19th, averaging a team score 194.458, and Michigan State's score of 193.862 ranks it 22nd. Minnesota appeared at No. 23 with an average team score of 193.833 and Ohio State is 25th with an average of 193.625.

Complete team rankings, as well as the top 25 ranked teams by event, can be found by clicking here.

The top two spots in the latest poll belonged to Big Ten squads as Illinois came in at No. 1 and Michigan checked in at No. 2. The teams total scored are two points higher than any other school as the Illini boast a team score of 353.750, while Michigan has a team score of 353.500. Ohio State and Penn State are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the rankings, Minnesota is eighth, and Iowa is rated ninth.

For the complete list of rankings, as well team leaders in each event, can be found by clicking here.

Players of the Week
Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke was named Big Ten Player of the Week following performances in which she scored her 1,000th career point and became her school's all-time leading blocked shots leader. Iowa's Jaime Printy was named Freshman of the Week after back-to-back 20-point performances. COMPLETE RELEASE

Coach Speak
Ohio State dipped to No. 6 in the latest coaches poll, while Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin receive votes outside the top 25. COMPLETE POLL

Vertesheva wins her first women's tennis Athlete of the Week honor after posting a 4-0 record over the weekend. In Indiana's doubleheader against Miami (OH) and Ball State, Vertesheva dropped just five games and won both of her singles matches in straight sets. She knocked off Ball State's Hayley Hall, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 1 singles, then Miami's Stephanie Danesis, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Also, the sophomore paired with teammate Lindsey Stuckey and defeated Miami, 8-6, at No. 2 doubles and Ball State, 8-2, at No. 1 doubles to help the Hoosiers to a 2-0 weekend.

Last Indiana Athlete of the Week: Katya Zapadalova (Jan. 27, 2009)

Graves defeated two ranked foes as Northwestern scored victories over No. 18 Alabama, 4-3, on Friday and No. 75 William & Mary, 5-2, on Sunday. At No. 1 singles, Graves defeated 62nd-ranked Saketh Myneni of Alabama, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, then paired with Alex Sanborn to defeat the Alabama tandem of Ricky Doverspike and Ian Chadwell, 8-4, at No. 2 doubles. Graves also earned two wins against William & Mary, defeating 122nd-ranked Keziel Juneau, 6-4, 6-4, before teaming with Sanborn for a win over the Tribe's No. 2 doubles team of Daniel Mihalov and Sebastien Vidal, 8-4. The weekly honor is Graves' first of his career.

Last Northwestern Athlete of the Week: Christian Tempke (Feb. 2, 2006)

Michigan State's David Cheza defeated a pair of ranked opponents over the weekend, while Ohio State's Lance Palmer defeated a top five opponent to split Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors.

For complete information on this week's winners, click here.

#5/5 MICHIGAN STATE at MICHIGAN | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
MSU Game Notes | U-M Game Notes

After two seasons of meeting just once on the hardwood, Michigan State and Michigan will provide fans and alumni with a double-dose of the epic rivalry, with the first contest slated for Tuesday night in Ann Arbor. The first-place Spartans are riding on an eight-game win streak, fresh off a come-from-behind victory at Minnesota on Saturday while the Wolverines have dropped their last two Big Ten matches since toppling No. 15-ranked UConn on Jan. 17.

Michigan's leading scorer Manny Harris (19.2 ppg.) returns to the lineup for the Maize and Blue (10-9, 3-4) after enduring a one-game suspension during Saturday's matchup against Purdue. The junior guard will look to tag team with U-M leading rebounder DeShawn Sims (7.6 rpg.) who owns a Big Ten-leading 20.9 point average in conference-only games on the year.  

MSU (17-3, 7-0) is 4-2 in road contests this season. With wins at Northwestern, Iowa and Minnesota, the Spartans have extended their Big Ten road slate to 11-1, dating back to last season for the first time in school history. Junior point guard Kalin Lucas (15.8 ppg.) has showcased his ability to lead on the road in conference play, averaging a team-best 19.0 points per game in conference road contests this season.

Michigan leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 91-72, including a 56-28 advantage in games played in Ann Arbor. However, MSU has won 16 of the last 19 meetings between the two rivals, including six of nine in Crisler Arena.

Series History: Michigan leads, 91-72


NORTHWESTERN at MINNESOTA | 9 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
NU Game Notes | MINN Game Notes

Minnesota and Northwestern are set to clash for first time this season on Tuesday at Williams Arena. The game is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Dave Revsine and Bob Ford on the call.

Northwestern (14-5, 3-4) comes to the Twin Cities on the heels of a 73-68 victory over Illinois in Evanston last Saturday. A victory Tuesday would propel NU back to .500 in Big Ten play and would mark the team's second conference road win. The Wildcats will try to build their case for an NCAA bid as they enter their eighth of 10 straight games against 2009 NCAA Tournament participants in Big Ten action.

Minnesota enters Tuesday's contest after suffering a heartbreaking 65-64 loss to Michigan State on Saturday. The Gophers (12-7, 3-4) led for most of the game as Lawrence Westbrook and Devoe Johnson piloted the team with 16 points apiece. Westbrook leads the Gophers' balanced scoring attack with an average of 13.4 points per contest. Blake Hoffarber also contributes 11.1 tallies per outing and leads the Big Ten with a .486 shooting percentage from behind the arc.

Last season, Northwestern and Minnesota split their regular season series with each team winning on its home court. The Gophers won the rubber match in the Big Ten Tournament, defeating the Wildcats by a score of 66-53. Minnesota leads the all-time series, 88-57, which dates back to 1909.  

Series History: Minnesota leads, 88-57

The conference office tabbed Indiana's Margaux Farrell and Minnesota's Kelci Bryant Swimmer and Diver of the Week, respectively on Tuesday.  The Hoosier sophomore posted season bests in each of her four events over the weekend, including an NCAA provisional mark of 1:48.14 in the 200 free in the dual meet win over Purdue. Meanwhile, Bryant posted two NCAA qualifying scores to sweep the springboard events in aiding Minnesota to a team victory at the Swimming World College Conference Championships.

To learn more about this week's honorees, look here.

The Big Ten featured two of its own in the premier 2010 women's indoor track and field national rankings, released Tuesday by the USTFCCCA. Penn State improved four spots from its preseason standing to earn a sixth-place ranking in this week's poll while Illinois remained inside the top-25, voting in at No. 24.

For a complete look at this week's national rankings, look here.

The Big Ten continues to earn high marks in the NCAA RPI report, led by No. 8 Ohio State. With No. 17 Michigan State, No. 21 Wisconsin, No. 34 Penn State and No. 35 Illinois, the Big Ten has 45 percent of its teams within the top 35, which is the second-highest percentage among all conferences. No. 43 Michigan gives the conference six top-50 teams, making the Big Ten one of three conferences with over half its teams ranking in the top 50. The Big Ten is also one of just three conferences with all its teams within the RPI's top 105. COMPLETE REPORT

The Big Ten Conference will be well-represented on Sunday, Feb. 7, in Super Bowl XLIV with 20 former student-athletes and 13 coaches with previous conference connections on the rosters of the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. The Big Ten leads all conferences with 20 players on the two Super Bowl squads, followed by the SEC (19 players), Big 12 (18), ACC (15) and Pac-10 (13). Read more by clicking on this link.

Penn State's Brandi Personett earned her 11th Big Ten Gymnast of the Week award after finishing first in four events and scoring a perfect 10 on vault, while Michigan's Natalie Beilstein earned her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor after helping Michigan to a dual meet split over the weekend.

For complete information on this week's winners, click here.

Michigan's Thomas Kelley and Minnesota's Aaron Fortunato shared Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors, while Penn State's Felix Aronovich claimed his second Freshman of the Week honor of the season.

For complete information on this week's winners, click here.

The conference office announced on Monday the third weekly women's indoor track and field honors for meets through January 18-24. Illinois' Melissa Bates took home the weekly track laurel and Minnesota's Alicia Rue collected her second consecutive Field Athlete of the Week award of the season.

A junior sprinter, Bates posted three top-finishes, highlighted by an NCAA  provisional qualifying effort in the 400 meter (54.74). In other completion, Minnesota's Rue continued her assault on the Minnesota record book bettering her own school record and University Fieldhouse record in the pole vault, clearing 14 feet, 4 1/2 inches at the Jack Johnson Classic. The winning effort marked her third straight individual title on the year as she improved her previous standard by half an inch. The height was Rue's third NCAA automatic qualifying performance of the season and her seventh meet clearing over 14 feet.

Look here for more information on this week's honorees.

PENN STATE (rv/rv) def. ILLINOIS, 70-66
Recap and Box Score

MICHIGAN def. INDIANA, 70-56
Recap and Box Score

MICHIGAN STATE (rv/rv) def. MINNESOTA, 66-57
Recap and Box Score

IOWA def. NORTHWESTERN, 78-69
Recap and Box Score

Indiana at Michigan, Noon
Big Ten Network

Michigan State (rv/rv) at Minnesota, 3 p.m.
ESPN2

Illinois at Penn State (rv/rv), 1 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Friday will feature four Big Ten matchups, while Northwestern hosts Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. CT in non-conference action. In Big Ten action, #14 Wisconsin hosts Indiana for an 8 p.m. ET dual that will be televised live by the Big Ten Network. Elsewhere, #19 Illinois heads to #13 Penn State and #5 Minnesota travels to Michigan State for 7 p.m. ET matchups that will be streamed live by BigTenNetwork.com. Finally, top-ranked Iowa will visit Michigan.

A matchup between #5 Minnesota and Michigan is the lone dual scheduled Saturday, while four more decorate Sunday's slate. #1 Iowa will face #25 Purdue in Lowell, Ind., #19 Illinois visits Michigan State and will appear on BigTenNetwork.com, #11 Indiana squares off against Northwestern and #3 Ohio State hosts #13 Penn State that will air in tape delay on the Big Ten Network.

For the complete weekend schedule, up-to-date standings and rankings, check out the Big Ten weekly wrestling release by clicking here.

1. Four Big Ten teams (Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin) boast clean home slates this season to rank second amongst all Division I conferences in the nation.

2. Michigan's Manny Harris is just seven rebounds away from becoming just the 27th Wolverine to join the exclusive 1,000 point/500 rebound club. He currently has 1,451 points and 493 rebounds. Teammate DeShawn Sims is also part of the exclusive listing with 1,358 points and 623 rebounds.

3. Michigan State's Draymond Green is proving to be one of the nation's premier sixth men, coming off the bench in 15 of 18 games. The Spartan sophomore is averaging a team-best, 7.8 rebounds per game, recording double-figures off the glass in five games. He also ranks first on the team in steals (29), second in blocks (15), field-goal percentage (.602) and scoring (10.9 ppg), and third in assists (3.2 apg). Despite coming off the bench in a majority of the contests, he ranks third on the squad in minutes per game (24.9 mpg).

4. Wisconsin's Bo Ryan will try to become just the 18th head coach in conference history with 100 Big Ten wins when the Badgers welcome Penn State to Madison this Sunday. The UW head general is poised to tie Indiana coaching legend Branch McCraken (100-40) as the second-fastest to coach to post 100 W's in conference action. The Badgers are 11 -0 at the Kohl Center this season and are riding a 16-game home winning streak overall.

5. Big Ten Basketball Fans - March is on. Help Paint Indianapolis your school colors this March! For the first time the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will feature a special discounted rate of $50 for all-session tickets available only to students. January 31st is the deadline to guarantee seats in your school's respective ticket blocks. Call your favorite Big Ten School's ticket office to secure your seats today. Act fast and make sure to order your tickets before they sell-out. Look here for more information.

#6/7 MICHIGAN STATE at MINNESOTA |Noon ET | CBS Sports
MSU Game Notes | MINN Game Notes

Minnesota welcomes Michigan State to Williams Arena on Saturday for a Big Ten rematch. The game is scheduled for Noon ET and will be broadcast on CBS with Gus Johnson and Greg Anthony on the call.

Michigan State comes to the Twin Cities as the sixth ranked team in the country and fresh off of a 70-62 victory over Iowa in East Lansing. The Spartans have started the Big Ten schedule with six straight victories, including a win over the Gophers, 60-53, 10 days ago. MSU won despite shooting a season-low 36.2 percent from the field. The Spartans only surrendered10 turnovers after Minnesota entered the game forcing 19.2 miscues per game against conference opponents. Although both teams boast a deep bench, MSU's reserves out-scored Minnesota's, 27-3.

Minnesota ranks in the top 10 nationally in three statistical categories, including turnover margin (seventh, 5.3), steals per game (eighth, 10.5) and assists per game (ninth, 17.5). The Gophers are led in scoring by Blake Hoffarber, who ranks third nationally in three-point field-goal percentage (.495). Watch as Lawrence Westbrook attempts to notch his 1,000 career point during Saturday's contest. The senior co-captain needs 10 more to reach the milestone.

Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 58-56, although the Gophers own a 35-20 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won seven straight, including 12 of the last 13.

Series History: Michigan State leads, 58-56

MICHIGAN at #13/15 PURDUE | 4 p.m. ET | ESPN
U-M Game Notes | WIS Game Notes

Michigan will go on the road to face No. 13/15 Purdue on Saturday inside Mackey Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET with ESPN providing live television coverage. Saturday's game will mark the only meeting between the two schools in the regular season. The turnover battle will be key on Saturday, as both teams average less than 12 miscues per game heading into the contest.

Michigan arrives in West Lafayette, Ind., after splitting its last two games. The Wolverines prevailed in an upset 68-63 victory over 15/15 UConn last week before suffering a 54-48 setback at 18/19 Wisconsin on Wednesday evening. U-M's Manny Harris is closing in, or has already reached several milestones at U-M, but he is just seven rebounds away from becoming just the 27th U-M player to join the exclusive U-M 1,000 point/500 rebound club. He currently has 1,451 points and 493 rebounds. Teammate DeShawn Sims is also part of the exclusive listing with 1,358 points and 623 rebounds.

The Boilermakers recently snapped a three-game losing skid with a win at Illinois on Tuesday. Juniors JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel head into the Michigan game with streaks of 15 and 17-consecutive double-figure scoring performances, respectively. The duo also occupies the fourth and fifth spots on the Big Ten's overall rebounding chart, making Purdue the lone school to boast two of the conference's top rive rebounders.

Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan, 80-61, and has won five of the last seven meetings with the Wolverines. The Boilers are 28-13 against Michigan at Mackey Arena.

Series History: Purdue leads, 80-61


#21/25 OHIO STATE at #11/12 West Virginia | 2 p.m. ET | CBS Sports
OSU Game Notes | UWA Game Notes

Ohio State looks to wrap up its non-conference season with a visit to #11/12 ranked West Virginia on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET from inside the Coliseum in front of a nationally televised audience on CBS.

Ohio State is 4-3 against ranked teams in the Associated Press Top 25 this season and 4-1 with a full roster. Evan Turner missed six games this season with a back injury, in which OSU went 3-3, including 0-2 against ranked foes. Turner averages 24.2 points and 9.6 rebounds when competing against the AP-Top 25 this season.

Ohio State and West Virginia have met 15 times since the series opener in 1940. The Buckeyes own a 9-6 lead all time starting with wins in the first eight games played through 1980. The Mountaineers have been successful in six of the last seven meetings, including a 76-48 victory a season ago in Columbus. Both teams enter the game this year ranked among the Top-25 for the first time in series history.

Series History: Ohio State leads, 9-6

The Wildcats return to action when they host in-state rival Illinois at Welsh Ryan Arena. The contest will mark the second meeting between the two teams on the year with the last game resulting in an 89-83 overtime decision in favor of the Illini.

Both teams are coming off of tough losses in conference action. In the early game on Tuesday, Northwestern fell victim to cold shooting, dropping a 76-56 loss on the road at Ohio State. Later that night, the Illini came up short against Purdue, despite a game-high 28 point performance from Demetri McCamey.

The last time the two teams square off, NU struggled to contain Mike Tisdale and fellow big man Mike Davis, who combined for 51 points and 28 rebounds. The towering tandem also united to post 10 of Illinois' 15 points in the overtime session.

Series History: Illinois leads, 127-34

Indiana def. Northwestern, 61-55
Recap and Box Score

#5/4 Ohio State def. Michigan, 58-56
Recap and Box Score

Michigan State (rv/rv) def. Purdue, 72-54
Recap and Box Score

Penn State (rv/rv) def. Wisconsin (rv/rv), 54-43
Recap and Box Score

Northwestern at Indiana, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

#5/4 Ohio State at Michigan, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Purdue at Michigan State (rv/rv), 7:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network

Penn State (rv/rv) at Wisconsin (rv/rv), 8 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

All times are Eastern

INDIANA at PENN STATE | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2
IND Game Notes | PSU Game Notes

Penn State will be looking to end a five-game losing skid and post its first conference win of the season when it plays host to Indiana Thursday night. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET, with ESPN2 providing live coverage from inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

The Nittany Lions (8-9, 0-5) have lost six games by five points or less on the season, including a one-point loss at Illinois and three-point loss at Iowa in its last two games. Junior guard Talor Battle posted 31 points in the Lions last outing agins the Hawkeyes, and leads the Big Ten with three 30-point games on the year. Battle moved into 14th place all-time on the Nittany Lion career scoring charts with 1,264 points and became just the fourth Lion ever to post 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists for their career.

Indiana (8-9, 2-3) is coming off an 81-78 overtime victory over Minnesota in Bloomington on Sunday. The Hoosiers are led by guard Verdell Jones III (13.4 ppg.) and Big Ten freshman scoring leader Christian Watford (13.0 ppg.)

Series History: Indiana leads, 27-7

For more information on the Get to Know Her campaign, go HERE or e-mail GTKH@bigten.org. 

Brittany Rayburn, Purdue
Purdue sophomore Brittany Rayburn is a small-town girl who keeps the big picture in focus. The Attica, Ind., native and last year's Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year is studying animal science, taking the demanding class load knowing that her basketball career will not last forever. Ideally, Rayburn would like to become a veterinarian and open her own private practice in a small town. Until then, the former Indiana Miss Basketball will continue to work hard in the classroom and on the hardwood.

IOWA at #6/7 MICHIGAN STATE | 6:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
IOWA Game Notes | MSU Game Notes

Michigan State and Iowa are set to collide for the second time in a span of 12 days. The Spartans won the first meeting, 71-53, on Jan. 9 in Iowa City. Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET from inside the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.

MSU currently holds a one-game lead in the Big Ten standings and enters tonight's contest on a six-game winning streak, while Iowa has won its last two contests. The Spartans boast a perfect 11-0 home record this season, while the Hawkeyes are 0-3 in true road games.

MSU leads the all-time series with Iowa, 61-52, including a 39-17 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 18 of the last 25 meetings.

The Big Ten Network will televise Wednesday night's game to a national cable audience. Gus Johnson and Steve Smith will call the action.

Series History: Michigan State leads, 61-52


MICHIGAN at #18/19 WISCONSIN | 8:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
U-M Game Notes | WIS Game Notes

Wisconsin returns to the Kohl Center on Wednesday to face Michigan (10-7, 3-2) for the first time this season. UW (14-4, 4-2) currently occupies the third-place position in the conference standings, sitting one win ahead of U-M (10-7, 3-2). The Wolverines opened the season with a split 5-5 record, but have since won five of their last seven.

The Badgers split a pair of road contests last week in Big Ten play, earning a 60-50 road win at Northwestern and falling short, 60-51 at Ohio State on Saturday. Senior captains Jason Bohannon and Trévon Hughes have been shouldering the load for Wisconsin since Jon Leuer's wrist injury put him on the bench indefinitely. In the Badgers' last time out the duo posted over half of UW's points with a combined total of 28, including four treys from Hughes. Watch as Bohannon attempts to rack up 15 points in tonight's contest to reach 1,000 for his career.

The Wolverines are coming off a pair of wins last week, earning a redemption victory over Indiana before notching a signature win over No. 15 UConn. John Beilein's squad is led by junior Manny Harris, who leads the Big Ten in scoring with 19.6 points per game and ranks third with 4.47 assists per game. He has topped the 20-point barrier nine times this season.

Michigan leads the all-time series 86-63, but the Badgers own a 43-32 advantage in games played in Madison. UW has won 13 of the last 17 meetings with the Wolverines, including six in a row.

Series History: Michigan leads, 86-63

At 14-0, Iowa ranks No. 1 in both polls and defeated fourth-ranked Oklahoma State last weekend in Iowa City. Ohio State and Minnesota were voted into the top five in both polls, Ohio State appearing at No. 3 in the NWCA poll and No. 4 in the InterMat rankings, while Minnesota was fifth in each. Indiana (#11 NWCA/#11 InterMat), Penn State (#13/13) Wisconsin (#14/19), and Illinois (#19/24) appeared in both rankings while Purdue checked into the NWCA poll at No. 25 this week.

Individually, four conference grapplers rank No. 1 in their respective weight classes, according to InterMat. Indiana's Angel Escobedo leads the class at 125 pounds, Michigan State's Franklin Gomez is No. 1 at 133 pounds, Iowa's Brent Metcalf sits atop the 149-pound weight class and Wisconsin's Andrew Howe leads the pack in the 165-pound division.

Marcan was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career after going 7-0 and being named the tournament winner at the Boilermaker Invitational over the weekend. Marcan won each singles match in straight sets, knocking off Purdue's P.J. Rose, 6-3, 6-3; Eastern Kentucky's Alex Das, 6-2, 6-3; Valparaiso's Adam Whitmer, 6-1, 6-3; and Western Michigan's Kazuya Komada, 6-4, 6-2. The freshman then teamed up with Balazs Novak in doubles to knock off teams from Purdue, 8-6, Valparaiso, 8-2, and Western Michigan, 8-3.

Last Ohio State Athlete of the Week: Bryan Koniecko (April, 21, 2009)

Penn State freshman Amy Modglin was named Counsilman Hunsaker National Collegiate Swimmer of the Week on Tuesday following a sensational effort at last weekend's Pittsburgh quad meet. She also earnedBig Ten Women's Swimmer of the Week laurels. Modglin won three events at Pittsburgh, including two "NCAA B" marks while also breaking more than a 30-year pool record by over a second.

The national honor is presented by CollegeSwimming.com and given to the top Division I, II and III swimmers from the previous week. The weekly accolades mark the Lions' first of the season and first since last Jan. 27 when Karie Haglund was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week.

Modglin's two "NCAA B" times up her season total to eight. Her three first-place finishes improve her season (and career) total to 13.

Fudge was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week for the fourth time in her career after a 4-2 weekend, including a 2-1 mark in singles competition that included a win over a ranked opponent. At the UCF Quad Tournament, Fudge defeated Florida State's Francesca Segarelli, the No. 62 player in the country, 7-5, 6-2, in her first match of the competition, then defeated Central Florida's Alexis Rodriguez, 6-1, 6-1. In doubles play, Fudge teamed with different teammates to earn victories over Central Florida, 8-3, and Alabama, 8-4.

Last Illinois Athlete of the Week: Megan Fudge (April 14, 2009)

NORTHWESTERN at #21/25 OHIO STATE | 7 p.m. | Big Ten Network
NU Game Notes | OSU Game Notes

Northwestern goes on the road to face its third straight ranked team for a Big Ten matchup against No. 21/25 Ohio State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET with Big Ten Network providing live television coverage. Tuesday's contest is the lone regular season meeting between the two schools.

Ohio State (13-5, 3-3) enters the game fresh off consecutive wins over ranked opponents, winning at No. 6 Purdue Tuesday before posting a 60-51 home win over No. 13 Wisconsin Saturday. Four-time Big Ten Player of the Week Evan Turner has returned from missing a month due to injury to lead Ohio State. The junior paces the Buckeyes with averages of 18.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. 

The Wildcats (13-4, 2-3) are coming off a 72-64 home win over No. 6 Purdue Saturday, marking the highest ranked opponent NU has beaten since downing No. 4 Michigan State 83-65 Jan. 17, 1979. Michael Thompson paced NU with 20 points, while Luka Mirkovic contributed a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The 'Cats dominated the Boilermakers on the boards, posting a 42-23 advantage.

Ohio State leads the overall series with NU, 106-45, including a 63-14 advantage when playing in Columbus. With an unblemished 11-0 home record at stake, Ohio State try to fend of the Cat's, who will be on the prowl for their first win in Columbus since the 1977 campaign.

Series History: Ohio State leads, 106-45

#13/15 PURDUE at ILLINOIS | 9 p.m. | ESPN
PUR Game Notes | ILL Game Notes

The No. 13/15-ranked Boilermakers will try to end their three-game losing skid was it travels to Champaign, Ill., for a road test against Illinois on Tuesday night. The Illini will begin its defense of a perfect 10-0 home when the teams collide at 9 p.m. ET before a national audience on ESPN.

The Illini are off to a 4-1 start in Big Ten play - its best conference start under head skipper Bruce Weber. Illinois will look to return to its winning ways after dropping its first loss of the conference season in a 73-63 decision at Michigan State on Saturday. Demetri McCamey leads the Orange and Blue in scoring with 14.8 points per game. The junior guard ranks first in the Big Ten in assists (6.8 apg.) and second in assist-turnover ratio (3.8), handing out 34 assists with just nine turnovers in five conference games. 

Purdue's Robbie Hummel continues to prove himself as one of the most versatile players in that nation. In the Boilermakers' last five games, Hummel has elevated his averages in points (20.8 ppg), rebounds (7.2 rpg.), while connecting on 51 percent of his attempts from the floor and 92 percent from the free throw line. 

Tuesday night's outcome could be decided at the free throw line as both teams enter the contest shooting 73 percent from the charity stripe on the year.

Dave O'Brien will handle handles play-by-play for tonight's contest with Steve Lavin alongside as color analyst and Erin Andrews on the sideline.

Series History: Purdue leads, 89-84

Michigan led the conference, appearing at No. 15 in the polls with a team score of 194.875 points. Fellow in-state school Michigan State checked in at No. 19 with a team score of 194.175 and Penn State, with a score of 194.025, appeared at No. 22 in the national rankings.

For a complete list of the ranked teams, as well as rankings in each event, click here.

Illinois is this week's top team after their opening the season with a total of 353.750 points and a team championship at the Windy City Invitational. Michigan is third after totaling 351.350 points at the Invitational, while Ohio State is fifth with 347.150 points scored at the meet. Penn State scored a 345.425 at the West Point Open and is sixth in the poll, while Iowa ranks eighth (339.600) and Minnesota is 10th (337.650).

A complete list of rankings, including a breakdown of event rankings, can be found here.

The conference office announced on Tuesday the 13th weekly men's swimming and diving honors for meets from Jan. 11 -17. Michigan's Tyler Clary becomes the third Wolverine to earn Swimmer of the Week honors in as many weeks and Ohio State's Ryan Jefferson brings home the first weekly diving award of the season for the Scarlet and Gray.

Clary led the seventh-ranked Wolverines to their second consecutive title at the prestigious SMU Classic with four top-two finishes over the weekend.  Overall, the U-M junior picked up four NCAA provisional marks.  In the springboard events, OSU's Jefferson posted two NCAA qualifying marks two sweep the one- and three-meter events in the Buckeyes' dual meet victory over Indiana.

Look here for more information on this week's honorees.

Marion was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the first time in his career after recording a win in the 141-pound bout in No. 1 Iowa's 19-16 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma State on Saturday night. Marion, who is unranked, took on the fourth-ranked grappler in the 141-pound weight class, Jamal Parks. After a scoreless first period, the sophomore escaped to start the second stanza, then scored a takedown to take a 3-0 lead into the third frame. Parks could not escape as Marion won by a 4-0 decision, improving his record to 12-2 on the season.

Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Jay Borschel (Jan. 12, 2010)

Players of the Week
Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the second straight time and the third time this season. Penn State's Alex Bentley earned Freshman of the Week honors for the first time this year, sharing the accolade with Wisconsin's Taylor Wurtz, who received the award for the second consecutive week. COMPLETE RELEASE

In the Polls
Ohio State remained at No. 5 in the AP poll released on Monday, while Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State all received votes outside the top 25. COMPLETE POLL

In the RPI
Big Ten teams continue to boast impressive rankings in the NCAA RPI report, led by No. 5 Ohio State. With No. 15 Michigan State and No. 17 Wisconsin, the Big Ten has 27 percent of its teams in the top-20, which is the second-highest percentage among all conferences. The Big Ten joins the ACC and Big 12 as the only conferences with more than half its teams in the RPI top 50 and with all its teams in the RPI top 100. COMPLETE REPORT

To read more on this week's winners, click here.

For complete information on this week's winners, click here.

The conference office announced on Monday the second weekly men's indoor track and field awards for meets through January 11-17.  Ohio State's Thomas Murdaugh earned a share of the weekly track laurel for the second straight week along with Ryan Foster of Penn State in what proved to be a record-setting weekend. Meanwhile, Michigan State's Kyron Foster set a school record in the triple jump to garner Field Athlete of the Week honors.

The Buckeye sophomore posted two meet records and NCAA provisional marks en route to a pair of top finishes in the 400 meters and mile relay to lead Ohio State to a 92-70 victory in the Dual meet over Michigan on Saturday.  Also on the track, PSU's Foster clocked a school record with a blistering 2:19.60 in the 1,000-meters. With the new meet and facility record, the Tasmania native became the 2010 world leader in the vent and set a new Australian national record.

MSU's Foster also set a school record and national leading leap of 16.06 meters in the triple jump during the Kentucky Invitational on Friday. The NCAA provisional mark narrowly edged the defending national champion, Andre Black of Louisville by 0.03 meters, for first place.

The conference office announced on Monday the second weekly women's indoor track and field awards for meets through January 11-17. Fawn Dorr returned the weekly track laurel to State College, Pa., for the second consecutive week while Minnesota's Alicia Rue earned the Gophers their first weekly field honor of the season.

Dorr turned in two NCAA provisional marks to go along with a pair of personal bests at the Penn State Northeast Challenge on Saturday. The Nittany Lion senior provided an exciting finishing kick in the last 100-meters to win the 400-meters in 53.32 - the second fastest time in the NCAA this year.

Rue captured her second pole vault title of the season, clearing a season-high of 4.31 meters at the Minnesota Open on Saturday. The winning effort marked the second NCAA automatic qualifier of the 2010 campaign for the Gopher senior.

For more information on this week's honorees, look here.

WISCONSIN (rv/rv) def. ILLINOIS, 63-51
Recap and Box Score

No. 5/5 OHIO STATE def. INDIANA, 81-64
Recap and Box Score

PURDUE def. IOWA, 81-59
Recap and Box Score

PENN STATE def. No. 20/23 MICHIGAN STATE, 68-60
Recap and Box Score

NORTHWESTERN def. MINNESOTA, 61-60
Recap and Box Score

Indiana at Ohio State, 2 p.m.
Big Ten Network

#20/23 Michigan State at Penn State, 1 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Iowa at Purdue, Noon
Big Ten Network

Illinois at Wisconsin (rv/rv), 2 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

1. Only four Division I teams have two wins over the AP-Top 10 with two of them hailing from the Big Ten. Purdue and Wisconsin help make up the fearsome foursome along with Syracuse and Texas. More impressive, Wisconsin is the only team with four wins over the AP Top-25 this season through games played to date.

Most Wins over AP-Top 25
Wisconsin, 4-1
Georgetown, 3-0
Syracuse, 3-0
Duke,   3-1

2.  With its win over Minnesota on Wednesday, Michigan State inched one step closer to tying the Division I lead for most wins over the past calendar year. At 33-8, the Spartans sit one win shy of Memphis, which leads all teams with 34 wins since January, 2009. A complete breakdown follows:

Most Wins by Division I Teams Since Jan. 10 2009
Memphis                34-5 (.872)
Michigan State      33-8 (.805)
Louisville               33-8 (.805)
North Carolina      32-8 (.800)
Gonzaga               32-5 (.865)
Villanova               32-7 (.821)
Missouri                32-8 (.800)

3. Wisconsin's Bo Ryan needs just two more wins to become the second-fastest coach to notch 100 W's in the wins column against Big Ten opponents. Currently the Badgers' head general owns a 98-39 record in conference games to date. He will have the chance to position himself between Indiana coaching legends Bob Knight (100-31) and Branch McCracken (100-40) when Wisconsin squares off against Ohio State and Michigan, beginning with an 8 p.m. ET matchup inside Value City Arena on Saturday.

Fastest Coaches to 100 Big Ten Wins
Name                                         Total Games    Record
1.  Bob Knight (IND)                   131                100-31
2.  Branch McCracken (IND)     140                 100-40
3.  Harry Combes (ILL)              141                 100-41
4.  Walter Meanwell (WIS)         142                 100-42
5.  Tom Izzo (MSU)                      143                 100-4
     Fred Taylor (OSU)                  143                 100-43

Bo Ryan (WIS)                             137                 98-39

4. On Tuesday night in West Lafayette, history was made. For only the third time in conference annals, a player on each team scored 30 or more points. Ohio State's Evan Turner scored 32 points, while Purdue's Robbie Hummel accounted for 35 of his teams' total points.
 
1/31/1998 | Michigan State vs. Northwestern           
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (34) and Evan Eschmeyer, Northwestern (30)

1/20/1999  | Michigan vs. Minnesota
Louis Bullock, Michigan (33) and Quincy Lewis, Minnesota (30)

1/12/10 | Ohio State vs. Purdue
Robbie Hummel, Purdue (35) and Evan Turner, Ohio State (32)

5.  Let the countdown begin. Fifty-five days is all that stands between you and the 2010 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. The perennial event returns to Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse for the third of a five-year commitment. This year's tournament will tip off on Thursday, March 11 and the champion will be crowned on Sunday, March 14. We look forward to seeing you in Indy for a celebration of Big Ten Basketball! 

For ticket information and further details, visit our Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament page at bigten.org.

PENN STATE at IOWA | 1 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
PSU Game Notes | IOWA Game Notes

The Iowa Hawkeyes (6-11, 0-4) will wrap up a stretch of playing seven of eight at home Saturday when Penn State (8-8, 0-4) visits Iowa City. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. ET inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Saturday will be the only regular season meeting between Iowa and Penn State as both teams look to notch their first win in conference action this season.

Iowa recently snapped a four-game losing skid with a victory over Tennessee State on Tuesday evening. The Hawkeyes were led by sophomore Aaron Fuller, who notched his first career double-double posting game and career highs with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Matt Gatens leads the team in overall scoring with 12.8 points per game - a common trait of the Hawkeye squad as underclassmen have combined to generate eighty-one percent of Iowa's offense (870 of 1,068 points) this season.

The Nittany Lions will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak of their own when they travel to Iowa City after suffering a heartbreaking one-point loss at Illinois earlier in the week. Sophomore Chris Babb led the team against the Illini with a career-best 15 points and 10 rebounds. Also powering the PSU offense is junior Talor Battle, who ranks second in the conference in scoring with 17.6 tallies per contest.

Penn State brings the Big Ten's second-best defense into the game giving up just 61.2 ppg and having held seven opponents to 60 points or less on the season. Penn State also ranks second in rebounding margin in the Big Ten having out-rebounded all four of its Big Ten opponents and 13 of 16 opponents on the season while posting a 5.5 rebound advantage.  Iowa has also earned a spot on the Big Ten leaderboards, ranking second in the conference with an average of 8.4 threes per game. The Hawekeys have certainly not been shy about shooting the long ball, having more than 48.9% of its field goal attempts coming from downtown.

The Big Ten Network will televise Saturday afternoon's game to a national cable audience. Craig Coshun and former Hawkeye Kenyon Murray will call the action.

Series History: Iowa leads 21-11.

ILLINOIS at #7/8 MICHIGAN STATE | 3:30 p.m. ET | CBS Sports
ILL Game Notes | MSU Game Notes

Saturday marks a showdown of the only undefeated teams in Big Ten play, as Illinois faces Michigan State in a battle for first place in the conference standings. The Illini (12-5) are off to a 4-0 start in Big Ten play for the first time since 2005, and just the fifth time in the last 40 seasons. The Spartans (14-3) are also off to a perfect 4-0 start in the Big Ten and own a 33-18 advantage against Illinois when playing in East Lansing. As if a matchup showcasing the Big Ten's two lone unbeatens is not enough, the stage grows even bigger as the all-time series stands knotted at 53 wins apiece. 

After giving up more than 80 points in three consecutive games against Missouri, Northwestern and Gonzaga, the Illini have allowed an average of just 51.7 points over the last three games - all against conference opponents. The Illini have four players averaging double-digits in scoring, including juniors Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis, who lead the Big Ten in assists (5.9 apg.) and rebounds (9.7 rpg.), respectively.

Michigan State will be looking to extend its perfect 10-0 slate from inside the Breslin Center on Saturday. Through 16 games, Michigan State has proven it has several different offensive weapons as five Spartans currently average in double figures. Junior point guard Kalin Lucas paces the Spartan offense at 15.5 points per game. 

CBS will provide live coverage of the Big Ten matchup with Gus Johnson and Greg Anthony calling the action.

Series History: Tied, 53-53


#6/6 PURDUE at NORTHWETERN | 5:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
PUR Game Notes | NU Game Notes

Purdue and Northwestern will look to return to their winning ways as the two teams collide for a Big Ten showdown in Evanston, Ill., at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Both teams enter Saturday's contest after dropping their previous games at home against Big Ten rivals, Ohio State and Wisconsin, respectively.

Purdue (14-2, 2-2) recently lost its second consecutive game after starting the season 14-0. The sixth-ranked Boilers have not surrendered more than two-straight games since dropping five in a row from Feb. 18-March 9, 2006 - during head coach Matt Painter's first season at the helm. Despite the losses, Purdue remains of just four Division I teams with two wins over teams ranked in the top 10.

The Boilers are led in scoring by juniors E'Twaun Moore (17.1 ppg.) and Robbie Hummel (16.4 ppg.). During Tuesday's game against Ohio State, Hummel tied Purdue single-game record with eight treys en route to career-high 35 points. In the last three games, the 6-8 sharpshooter has posted two double-doubles and connected on 17-straight free throws. 

Currently leading the Big Ten with an average of 9.44 three-pointer field goals made per contest, Northwestern will meet its match when it goes up against a Purdue defense that is limiting opponents to just 28.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc on the road this season. The Wildcats are led in scoring by sophomore John Shurna (17.4 ppg.) and NU floor general Michael Thompson (14.0 ppg.) who also leads the conference in minutes played, averaging 38.12 minutes of action per outing this season.

Purdue owns a 118-42 lead in the all-time series after splitting a pair of meetings a year ago. The Boilermakers have won the last three meetings at Welsh-Ryan Arena, and own a 52-29 all-time record in Evanston.

Series History: Purdue leads, 118-42.

#13/16 WISCONSIN at OHIO STATE | 8 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
WIS Game Notes | OSU Game Notes

On New Year's Eve, then-ranked No. 15 Ohio State left the friendly confines of Columbus, Ohio, to open the conference season at No. 23 Wisconsin. The game resulted in a 65-43 decision in favor of the Badgers in what would be the first of three-straight Big Ten losses on the road for OSU. On Saturday night, the Buckeyes will have a second chance when they complete the season series against UW from inside Value City Arena.

The two teams are red-hot after each handing Purdue its first pair of losses on the year. Ohio State is 3-3 versus ranked teams in the AP-Top 25 this season and 3-1 with a full roster, including leading scorer Evan Turner. The Buckeye junior missed six games this season with a back injury, but has since returned and is averaging 26.5 points and 11.8 rebounds against ranked opponents - most recently posting 32 points and 10 rebounds at sixth-ranked Purdue. The Buckeyes will look to Turner for a spark against the Badgers as they seek to protect their perfect 10-0 home slate.

OSU is shooting 53 percent as a team at home this season and 43 percent from long range. But Wisconsin will look to turn OSU's hot-hand from scarlet to gray as the Badgers come armed with a conference-leading scoring defense. In 17 games, Wisconsin has limited opponents to a mere 56.6 points per game while also leading the Big Ten in rebounding defense (29.9 rpg.). Bo Ryan's squad is the only team with four wins over the AP-Top25 so far this season. The Badgers are led in scoring by senior Trévon Hughes, who sank four of five treys in the final seven minutes of Wednesday's contest at Northwestern in leading the Badgers to a 60-50 victory over the Wildcats.

Series History: Ohio State leads, 80-64.
 

No. 5/5 OHIO STATE def. ILLINOIS, 72-61
Recap and Box Score

INDIANA def. MICHIGAN, 62-60
Recap and Box Score

PENN STATE def. IOWA, 68-62
Recap and Box Score

WISCONSIN (rv/rv) def. No. 20/23 MICHIGAN STATE, 48-45
Recap and Box Score

MINNESOTA def. PURDUE, 74-47
Recap and Box Score

Penn State at Iowa, 8 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Wisconsin (rv/rv) at #20/23 Michigan State, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Purdue at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network

Illinois at #5/5 Ohio State, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

All times are Eastern

INDIANA at MICHIGAN | 9 p.m. ET | ESPN
IU Game Notes | U-M Game Notes

The Michigan Wolverines will have redemption on their minds when they entertain Indiana from inside Crisler Arena on Thursday evening. The two teams will clash for the second time in as many weeks in front of a national stage on ESPN, with tip-off slated for 9 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers proved victories in the last meeting between the two teams on Dec. 31, pulling ahead of Michigan in the final minutes of play to edge the Wolverines 71-65, to open conference play.

Junior Verdell Jones III led the Hoosiers (7-8, 1-2) in the Big Ten season opener with 20 points and seven assists while freshman Christian Watford added 19 points in the win. With Maurice Creek sidelined due to knee surgery, Jones leads IU in scoring with 13.1 points per game. 

Indiana native Zack Novak hit four long-range buckets to lead Michigan (8-7, 2-2) with a season-best 18 points in U-M's previous clash against the Hoosiers. Fellow Indiana-native Stu Dougalss added four triples of his own as he closed with 14 points. Michigan's own "Motor City Duo" of DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris continue to be one of the best one-two scoring combinations in the country. Harris leads the team with a 19.7 ppg. average while Sims is not far behind at 17.3 per game. In addition, both pull down around seven rebounds per outing.

Indiana and Michigan enter Tuesday's matchup thirsty for a win after dropping their last decisions at home against Illinois and Northwestern, respectively.

Tune in as ESPN's Brent Musburger and Steve Lavin provide live coverage of Thursday's one and only Big Ten matchup. 

Series History: Indiana leads, 98-52

Michigan State welcomes one more season from standout LB Greg Jones

A humbling lesson led former Iowa RB Shonn Greene to improve himself in academically and athletically

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced on Thursday the 10 female collegiate track & field athletes named to the official preseason watch list for the 2010 awarding of The Bowerman as selected by The Bowerman Women's Watch Committee. Included in the preseason watch list is 2009 NCAA Cross Country Champion Angela Bizzarri of Illinois.

On the track in 2009, Bizzarri was the NCAA champ at 5000 meters and placed third in the event at the USATF Championships. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Bizzarri accounted for 18 team points as winner of the 5000 meters and as runner-up in the 1500. Indoors, Bizzarri placed fourth at 3000 meters.

For more information on The Bowerman, the award, the recently-debuted trophy, and Bill Bowerman himself, visit TheBowerman.org. Keep up with Bowerman candidates on the USTFCCCA's weekly results page (http://www.ustfccca.org/weekly-results) and by following the organization's twitter feed twitter.com/USTFCCCA.

Penn State senior Megan Hodge was named the Honda Award winner in the sport of volleyball, becoming the second consecutive and fourth overall Big Ten player to earn the distinction.

COMPLETE RELEASE

The 11-time defending conference champion Northwestern Wildcats open the season Friday as they host the Wildcat Invitational. Three other conference schools begin the new year on Saturday. Illinois travels to Orlando for the Central Florida Invitational, Michigan hosts the Michigan Invitational and Purdue will take part in the Hilton Garden Inn Eagle Invite in Fort Myers, Fla.

Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin also begin this weekend as they open the season with duals on Sunday. The Hoosiers will host Western Michigan and Butler, Minnesota will face Iowa State in a neutral site matchup, and Wisconsin entertains UW-Milwaukee and Northern Illinois.

For more information on the start of the 2010 women's tennis season, click here.

Michigan State's Allyssa DeHaan and Ohio State's Jantel Lavender each appeared on the midseason list. DeHaan is averaging 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per contest this season for the 11-5 Spartans. Lavender leads the Big Ten in scoring at 22.0 points a contest and is second in the conference with 10.2 rebounds a game for the 17-1 Buckeyes.

The John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball and is presented to the nation's best player who also excels in the classroom. Players that don't appear on the award's midseason list are still eligible for the national ballot, which will be selected in March. The winner will be announced on April 9.

The Big Ten recently sat down with Player of the Week DeShawn Sims to see what life is like beyond college hoops. Take a look and see what he had to say in today's one-on-one matchup with Michigan's senior forward.

Q: In honor of the Golden Globe Awards this weekend, what is your favorite movie from 2009-10?
A: The Blind Side

Q: What actor would play you in the movie of your life?
A: Morris Chestnut

Q: If you could have one fantasy date, who would it be with?
A:  Keri Hilson or Ciara

Q: Name one item that you must take with you on road trips.
A: My laptop

Q: What has your experience as an athlete taught you?
A: Discipline

Q: Who or what inspires you and why?
A:  The Process of Success

Q: Name one goal you would like to accomplish in 2010.
A: Win the Big Ten!

Steve Breaston, WR, Arizona (Michigan): Caught seven passes for 125 yards with a touchdown in the Cardinals' 51-45 overtime win over Green Bay.

Bobby Carpenter, LB, Dallas (Ohio State): Made two tackles and recovered two fumbles in the Cowboys' 34-14 win over Philadelphia.

Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets (Iowa): Rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries to help the Jets' to a 24-14 win over Cincinnati.

Dustin Keller, TE, New York Jets (Purdue): Finished with three catches for 99 yards and a touchdown in the Jets' 24-14 win over Cincinnati.

Jim Leonhard, S, New York Jets (Wisconsin): Recorded four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the Jets' 24-14 win over Cincinnati.

Chike Okeafor, LB, Arizona (Purdue): Registered two tackles and a sack in the Cardinals' 51-45 overtime victory over Green Bay.

Anthony Spencer, DE, Dallas (Purdue): Had two tackles and a sack in the Cowboys' 34-14 win over Philadelphia.

Charles Woodson, CB, Green Bay (Michigan): Finished with six tackles and a forced fumble in the Packers' 51-45 overtime loss to Arizona.

The final Big Ten football release of the 2009-10 season has been finalized and is now available on the Big Ten website. Below are a few highlights of the release.

Full release in PDF format

MINNESOTA AT #7/8 MICHIGAN STATE | 6:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
MINN Game Notes | MSU Game Notes

Michigan State looks to open a three-game homestead on Wednesday when it invites Minnesota to East Lansing as the Big Ten's top two scoring powers collide for a 6:30 p.m. ET showdown on the Big Ten Network. The Spartans (13-3, 3-0) currently sit in a tie with Illinois atop the conference standings, but the Gophers (12-4, 3-1) sit just one game back from the pair of frontrunners.

Through 16 games, Michigan State has proven it has several different offensive weapons as five Spartans currently average in double figures. Junior point guard Kalin Lucas paces the Spartan offense at 15.6 points per game. No doubt, MSU will rely on depth in tonight's contest as the Spartans look to extend their home win streak to 10-0 on the year.

The Gophers are are averaging 84.1 points over the last nine games and 78.9 overall. Lawrence Westbrook leads Minnesota in scoring for the season with a career-high 13.6 points per outing. He enters the contest just 32 points away from 1,000 for his career.

Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 57-56, including a 36-19 advantage in games played in East Lansing.

Series History: Michigan State leads, 57-56

#13/16 WISCONSIN at NORTHWESTERN | 8:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
WIS Game Notes | NU Game Notes

The Big Ten will continue its opening stretch to the conference season when Northwestern plays host to No. 13/16 Wisconsin at Welsh-Ryan Arena, with tip-off slated for 8:30 p.m. ET. UW leads the all-time series between the schools 105-61, but NU holds a narrow 38-36 advantage in Evanston.

Wisconsin (13-3, 3-1) enters Wednesday night's contest after derailing Purdue from the nation's pack of unbeatens in an impressive 73-66 home win over the Boilers on Saturday. The Badgers are 4-1 against ranked teams this season, toppling Purdue (4), Duke (6), Ohio St. (15) and Maryland (21). Those four wins against AP top-25 teams are the most of any team in the nation. UW is one of four teams (Purdue, Syracuse and Texas) to beat two top-10 teams this season.

Jordan Taylor came off the bench against Purdue to lead the Badgers with 23 points, while Jason Bohannon added 20; but the Badgers suffered a significant loss in as junior forward Jon Leuer broke his wrist and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Northwestern returns home after a successful road trip at Michigan where the Wildcats overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Maize and Blue. Bill Carmody's squad is off to its best 15-game start since the 1945-46 campaign (12-3,1-2) as the 'Cats continue to enjoy success on their home court with an 8-2 record at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Sophomore John Shurna leads NU with 17.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, along with junior Michael Thompson and freshman Drew Crawford (10.7 ppg.). The 'Cats are making a name for themselves around the perimeter as NU currently leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth nationally with an average 9.7 treys per game, while also sitting third in the nation with over 27 long-range attempts per contest. 

The Big Ten Newtork will provide coverage of the border-showdown with Wayne Larrivee and Shon Morris providing coverage of the action.

Series History: Wisconsin leads, 105-61.

For more information on the Get to Know Her campaign, go HERE or e-mail GTKH@bigten.org.

Jori Davis, Indiana
Jori Davis is one of the most well-rounded student-athletes at Indiana. Not only is she talented on the court, but also in the classroom after earning Academic All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore. Davis also has the experience of playing internationally after spending her freshman season of high school in England.

Atop both polls were the Iowa Hawkeyes, who last weekend won their third-straight NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Championships. Joining the Hawkeyes in the top five included Ohio State (#3 NWCA, #4 InterMat) and Minnesota (#5/5), who also made successful appearances at the national duals as the Buckeyes went 3-1 and the Gophers went 2-2. Indiana (#12/12), Penn State (#13/13), Wisconsin (#14/21) and Illinois (#19/25) also were rated in this week's rankings. Purdue is receiving votes in the NWCA poll.

In InterMat's weight class rankings, four Big Ten grapplers rule their respective divisions. Indiana's Angel Escobedo is No. 1 at 125, Michigan State's Franklin Gomez leads the 133-pound weight class, Iowa's Brent Metcalf is tops at 149, and Wisconsin's Andrew Howe appears at No. 1 in the 165-pound weight class.

Players of the Week
Ohio State sophomore Samantha Prahalis was named Big Ten Player of the Week after dropping 32 points against then-No. 19/21 Michigan State on Saturday. Wisconsin's Taylor Wurtz was named Freshman of the Week after leading the Badgers with 27 points in a win over Michigan on Sunday. COMPLETE RELEASE.

In the Polls
Ohio State improved to No. 5 in the AP and coaches' polls, while Michigan State was voted No. 20 by the AP and No. 23 by the coaches. Wisconsin is receiving votes outside the top 25. COMPLETE POLLS

Each Big Ten bowl team had at least three players on ESPN.com's Big Ten all-bowl team

Heisman Trophy winner and former Michigan star Charles Woodson Named NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Iowa's Adrian Clayborn earns national honors from the College Football Performance Awards

OHIO STATE at #6/6 PURDUE | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
OSU Game Notes | PUR Game Notes
Purdue returns to its home court on Tuesday when it plays host to Ohio State at Mackey Arena, where it has won its last eight games. Redemption will be the theme for tonight's Big Ten showdown as both teams enter the contest in the wake of weekend losses.

The sixth-ranked Boilermakers (14-1, 2-1) will look to return to their winning ways after suffering their first loss of the season at Wisconsin onSaturday. Purdue is enjoying its 35th consecutive week ranked in the AP-Top 25 and is led by the dangerous scoring tandem of E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel. The junior duo enters Tuesday night's game with streaks of 14 and 12 consecutive games with double-figure point totals, respectively, while Hummel recently netted his 1,000 career point during Saturday's contest against the Badgers.  Purdue not only touts a balanced scoring attack, but has consistently stifled opponents by forcing an average of 17.7 turnovers per contest.

The Buckeyes (11-5, 1-3) are also aiming to get back on track after falling short at Minnesota on Saturday. Junior Evan Turner leads a high-powered offense that is poised to go toe-to-toe with their host for the evening. The Buckeyes boast four players averaging double-digit scoring figures, including Jon Diebler, who needs just two treys to reach 200 three-pointers for his career.

Purdue leads the overall series, 81-74, against the Buckeyes with the Boilermakers owning a 53-23 advantage in West Lafayette. The teams have played 31 times previously when Purdue was ranked among the Top-25. The Boilers are 18-13 in those games.

Series History: Purdue leads, 81-74

PENN STATE at ILLINOIS | 9 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
PSU Game Notes | ILL Game Notes

The Penn State Nittany Lions will be in the hunt for its fourth straight win at Illinois when it travels to face the Illini inside Assembly Hall on Tuesday. The second Big Ten matchup of the evening is slated to tip off at 9 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network with Dave Revsine handling play-by-play and Jim Jackson alongside as color analyst.

PSU (8-7, 0-3) will be looking to end a three-game losing skid and post its first conference win of the season after allowing a 16-point second half lead to slip away against Michigan last Thursday. The Nittany Lions are led by Talor Battle, who ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring with 18.1 points per game. Watch for a battle on the boards as the junior point guard aims to become just the fourth player in school history to post 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists in a career.

On the other hand, expect the Illini (11-5, 3-0) to take advantage of their familiar settings as they seek to extend their unblemished home slate to 10-0 on the year. Illinois is rapidly earning a reputation for its comebacks and will enter Tuesday night's matchup after erasing a 15 point-deficit to edge Indiana 66-60. The Illini have four players averaging double-digits in scoring, including juniors Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis, who lead the Big Ten in assists (5.9 apg.) and rebounds (10.1 rpg.), respectively.

Series History: Illinois leads, 21-11.

Tennessee State at IOWA | 9 p.m. ET | BigTenNetwork.com
IOWA Game Notes | Tennessee State Notes

Iowa welcomes Tennessee State to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for its final non-conference game of the regular season. The Hawkeyes ((5-11, 0-4) enter Tuesday's game on a four-game losing skid, while Tennessee State (4-13, 1-5) has lost five of its last six. In their last time out, the Tigers defeated Tennessee Martin, 73-59, while Iowa dropped a 71-53 decision to Michigan State.

Iowa boasts the strongest strength of schedule amongst Big Ten teams in games played through Jan. 9 and rank fourth nationally, according to realtimerpi.com. The Hawkeyes have seen four players pace the team in scoring at least twice this season, with underclassmen generating 80 percent of their offensive production. Todd Lickliter's squad is currently led by sophomore Matt Gatens (12.8 ppg.), who has reached double figures a team-best 10 times this season.

This will be only the second meeting between the two programs, with the previous matchup resulting in an 84-51 decision favor of the Hawkeyes in 2002. Fans can watch tonight's game online at bigtennetwork.com.

Series History: Iowa leads, 1-0

Borschel wins his first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award after posting a 4-0 record and winning Division I Outstanding Wrestler honors at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals last weekend. The Hawkeyes won their third straight team title at the event as Borschel defeated four ranked opponents, earning major decision victories in the semifinal and championship matches. In opening-round action, Borschel, ranked No. 2 at 174 pounds, defeated No. 3 Stephen Dwyer of Nebraska, then knocked off No. 16 Nate Lee of Boise State in the quarterfinals. The senior then defeated No. 13 Scott Glasser of Minnesota in the semis and No. 14 Duke Burk of Iowa State in the final.

Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Brent Metcalf (Jan. 5, 2010)

Jung claims his first Big Ten Athlete of the Week honor after his efforts in Michigan's season-opener at the Key Biscayne Individuals in Key Biscayne, Fla., over the weekend. The junior went 2-0 in singles play, winning both matches in straight sets. Jung defeated Denver's Yannick Weihs, 6-1, 7-6 (4), in his first match, then knocked off Texas' Kellen Damico, 7-6 (5), 6-3, in his second match. Jung finished the competition with a 3-2 overall mark, going 1-2 in doubles action.

Last Michigan Athlete of the Week: Matko Maravic (March 28, 2007)

Northwestern's Kassia Shishkoff was named Swimmer of the Week after engineering the Wildcats' come-from-behind win at Notre Dame on Saturday. The senior won all three of her races, nabbing victories in three of the last four swimming events in the entire meet to give NU a six-point win over the Fighting Irish.

Meanwhile, former Wildcat and current Ohio State senior Chelsea Davis led a one-two OSU finish on both the one- and three-meter springboard events to lead the 30th-ranked Buckeyes to a pair of wins over Toledo and Wright State last week. For her efforts, Davis was named Diver of the Week for the seventh time of her career. The Columbus, Ohio, native posted four top-two finishes, including three individual wins in back-to-back days of competition to help OSU improve to 4-0 on the season.

To learn more about this week's honorees, look here.

Michigan nabbed its second straight weekly award as sophomore Dan Madwed earned the nod as Swimmer of the Week while Purdue sophomore David Boudia collected his 10th career weekly diving accolade.

Madwed was one of two multiple-event winners for the seventh-ranked Wolverines as Michigan defeated No. 20 Indiana, 158-82, to kick off Big Ten competition. Madwed picked up an NCAA consideration time in the 200-yard freestyle with a winning time of 1:38.24.  In other Big Ten action, Boudia led the Boilermakers to a sweep of the top five places in both springboard events against Michigan State. He scored 377.40 points from the one-meter and tied his season-best score of 469.80 off the three-meter to win both events and help Purdue defeat the Spartans.

To learn more about this week's honorees, look here.

Penn State's Shavon Greaves and Indiana's Faith Sherrill collected their first career weekly awards after opening the 2010 season in convincing fashion at their respective home openers over the weekend.

Greaves made a statement on the NCAA sprint scene at the Penn State Relays last Saturday, posting NCAA-leading marks in the 60- and 200-meters. The Nittany Lion junior opened the day with an NCAA-provisional qualifying 7.33 in the 60-meter preliminaries, and followed up with an impressive 7.30 in the event final. She then sprinted to a speedy personal-best 23.22 in the 200, which was also good for first place and another NCAA-qualifying effort.

Junior Faith Sherrill posted the nation's best mark in the shot put while also breaking a longstanding IU record that stood for 18 years with a heave of 16.70m (54-9.5). The mark is a foot and a half better than the second best in the Big Ten so far this season. READ MORE ...  

Indiana and Ohio State ran away with the first weekly awards of the 2010 Indoor Track and Field season. Buckeye sophomore Thomas Murdaugh opened the year with a dominating victory in the 400-meter dash with a winning time and NCAA provisional mark of 48.25. He also anchored Ohio State's 4x400-meter relay team to a first-place time of 3:15.06.

Meanwhile, Hoosier sophomore Derek Drouin posted an NCAA automatic qualifying mark by clearing 2.24 meters (7-4.25) in the high jump - the best mark in the nation so far this indoor season. READ MORE ...

The inaugural Freshman of the Week award went to Michigan's Natalie Beilstein, who won two events to help Michigan to a tri-meet victory over Iowa and Bowling Green.

Complete information on this week's winners can be found here.

Aronovich scored a 14.200 on the pommel horse, then a 14.300 on the parallel bars in his individual event victories.

To read the complete release, click here.

ILLINOIS (-/rv) def. MINNESOTA, 64-62
Recap and Box Score

PENN STATE def. INDIANA, 77-71 (OT)
Recap and Box Score

WISCONSIN (rv/-) def. MICHIGAN, 68-48
Recap and Box Score

PURDUE def. NORTHWESTERN, 53-42
Recap and Box Score

• Go behind the scenes for Evan Turner's return from a back injury that sidelined the Ohio State star until this week

• Find out how Michigan State is replacing some key seniors and leaders from last year's national runner-up team

• Check in with Purdue as the Boilermakers look to make the Final Four just down the road in Indianapolis, similar to how Michigan State played a "hometown" Final Four last year in Detroit

• Visit Northwestern as the Wildcats attempt to continue their early success and make history by reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

The time has come. With college football over and done, it's all hoops on Saturdays.  Four Big Ten matchups decorate Saturday's slate, beginning with a clash between two top-20 foes as fourth-ranked Purdue looks to keep its unbeaten streak alive as it travels to face No. 17/20 Wisconsin at the Kohl Center.

#4/4 PURDUE at #17/20 WISCONSIN | 1: 30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
PUR Game Notes | UW Game Notes

Fourth-ranked Purdue will look to open conference play with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2002-03 on Saturday when it travels to Wisconsin for a 1:30 p.m. Big Ten showdown. The Boilers will be in the hunt for their best start in school history as they aim to extend their win streak to 15-0 and preserve one of the four remaining unblemished slates in NCAA Division one hoops.  The road to victory will not be easy however, as Bo Ryan and the Badgers have yet to give up a home contest this season, owning a perfect 9-0 ledger from inside the Kohl Center.

The Boilermakers are led by juniors E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel, who enter Saturday's contest with streaks of 14 and 11-consecutive games with double-figure point totals, respectively. Hummel will also be looking to notch his 1,000 career point and will need just 10 on the day to accomplish the feat.

The veteran tandem of Jon Leuer and Trévon Hughes lead the Badgers averaging close to 16 points per game.

This marks the 165th meeting between the two programs with the Boilermakers leading the all-time series, 102-62, but the Badgers own a 46-36 advantage in Madison, but Purdue has won the last two meetings at the Kohl Center.

The game will air on the Big Ten Network. Wayne Larivee and Shon Morris have the call.

Series History: Purdue leads, 102-62

OHIO STATE at MINNESOTA | 3:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
OSU Game Notes | MINN Game Notes

The Minnesota Golden Gophers return to Williams Arena after a two-game stint on the road last week to face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, with tip-off slated for 3:30 p.m. ET.
The Golden Gophers split is last two road contests against Iowa and Purdue to begin the conference season at 3-1 for the second straight year. Senior Lawrence Westbrook leads Minnesota with 13.5 points per contest and will enter Saturday's contest looking to make some headway between the 56 points that stand between him and the century mark.

Ohio State welcomed back Evan Turner earlier this week against Indiana. The junior guard returned by posting eight points and four rebounds in 20 minutes of action after missing the previous six weeks due to a back injury. Tune in to watch as Turner attempts to become the 21st player in OSU history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

In the second game of the Big Ten Network quadruple header, Craig Coshun will have the call alongside analyst John Laskowski.

Series History: Ohio State leads the all-time series, 74-54

#10/11 MICHIGAN STATE at IOWA | 5:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
MSU Game Notes | IOWA Game Notes

Michigan State travels to Iowa looking to maintain its position at the top of the Big Ten standings. The Spartans are coming off back-to-back wins over ranked opponents to open league play and have won three straight games overall. Although Iowa enters the contest on a three-game losing streak, all five of the Hawkeyes' wins have been at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Spartans pace the conference in scoring offense  (80.5 ppg.) and rebounding margin, overpowering their opponents on the boards by 10.5 boards per contest. As a team, MSU is shooting .501 from the floor, leading the Big Ten and ranking seventh in the nation.

The Big Ten Network will televise Saturday's Big Ten matchup with Mark Neely performing play-by-play alongside Kenyon Murray as color analyst.

Series History: Michigan State leads, 60-52

ILLINOIS at INDIANA | 8 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
ILL Game Notes | IND Game Notes

Illinois plays its second true road game of the season Saturday night, traveling to Indiana for its 2010 Big Tenroad debut.  The Illini have started 2-0 in conference play with victories over Northwestern and Iowa at home while Indiana sits even at 7-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

All five regular Illini starters are scoring in double figures, averaging between 10.4 and 13.8 points. Junior Mike Davis leads the Big Ten and ranks 18th in the NCAA in rebounding (10.0 rpg), while Demetri McCamey leads the conference and ranks 19th in the nation in assists (5.7 apg).

Tip-off for Saturday night's contest is set for 8 p.m. ET with the Big Ten Network's  Ari Wolfe and Jim Jackson with the call.

Series History: Indiana leads 82-80

#6/6 Ohio State at #19/21 Michigan State, 2 p.m.
CBS Sports

January 10

Minnesota at Illinois (-/rv), 4:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network

Indiana at Penn State, Noon
Big Ten Network

Northwestern at Purdue, 2 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Michigan at Wisocnsin (rv/-), 2 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

1. Saturday's slate pits two ranked conference foes against one another in what promises to be one of the marquee matchups of the weekend as No. 4/4 Purdue collides with No. 17/20 Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. A win would give Purdue its best start in program history (15-0) and also mark the first time since 1999-00 that the Boilermakers have won their first two conference road contests.  Purdue enters Saturday's contest one of just four Division I teams that remain undefeated, and one of just three in the nation with two wins over AP top-10 opponents.

2. Six student-athletes represent the conference among the NCAA's top 25 in assist-to-turnover ratio, including three in the top 10. Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor ranks fifth in the nation with a 3.27 rating, while Minnesota's Al Nolen and Purdue's Chris Kramer sit tied at No. 10 with a 3.00 assist-to-turnover ratio. On their heels is Northwestern's Michael Thompson at No. 12 (2.95). Together, the foursome paces the conference in leading the nation with six squads ranked among the top 25 in the category.

3. A trio of Big Ten sharpshooters are nearing career milestones and will look to inch closer to their marks this weekend. Purdue's Robbie Hummel needs 10 points to reach 1,000 for his career while Minnesota's Lawrence Westbrook sits 56 tallies away from the century mark. Ohio State's Jon Diebler is rapidly approaching another benchmark of his own and will enter Saturday's game against the Gophers a mere three treys shy of notching his 200th three-pointer. 

4. Evan Turner is back in action after starting his first game during Wednesday's win over Indiana since breaking two bones in his back in early December. Previously estimated to sit out for eight weeks, the stalwart guard cut his recovery time in half and did not miss a beat, posting eight points, four rebounds and five assists in 20 minutes of action in his return to the hardwood. Only 20 players in OSU history have scored more than 1,000 points and collected 500 rebounds. With 1,041 career points to his name, Turner will look to join the select few on Saturday as he needs just seven boards to reach the 500-mark.

5. A whopping 35 Big Ten student-athletes are averaging double figures in scoring amidst the ninth week of the 2009-10 season. This year's scoring column is flooded with double-digits as 10 Big Ten teams boast two or more players with double-figure averages, including three different squads (Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue) touting at least four individuals to average at least 10 points per game. 

With bowl season now complete, the Big Ten led all conferences with four teams ranked among the top 16 and three teams among the top 10 in the final Associated Press (AP) poll. The Big Ten had twice as many top-16 programs as any other conference, as the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Mountain West and SEC each had two top-16 teams. The SEC was the only other conference with multiple teams in the final top 10.

The Big Ten placed at least one team among the final AP top 10 for the eighth consecutive year and produced three top-10 programs for the fourth time in the last eight seasons. The Big Ten also ended the year with three top-10 schools in 2006 (#2 Ohio State, #7 Wisconsin, #8 Michigan), 2003 (#4 Ohio State, #6 Michigan, #8 Iowa) and 2002 (#1 Ohio State, #8 Iowa, #9 Michigan).

Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champion Ohio State led the way at No. 5, its fourth top-five finish in the last five years (#5 in 2007, #2 in 2006, #4 in 2005). Orange Bowl Champion Iowa was rated No. 7, its first top-10 finish since ending the year at No. 8 in 2004 and best final ranking since finishing third in 1960. Capital One Bowl Champion Penn State appeared at No. 9, its second straight top-10 finish after ending last season at No. 8. Champs Sports Bowl Champion Wisconsin was rated No. 16, its fifth appearance in the final AP poll in the last six years and best final ranking since earning the No. 7 spot in the last 2006 Top 25.

MICHIGAN def. PENN STATE, 64-55
After holding Michigan to 16 first half points, Penn State let a 16-point second-half lead slip with 12:24 to play as the Wolverines scored 38 of the game's final 51 points to claim a 64-55 victory Thursday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.  U-M senior forward DeShawn Simms led all scorers with 25 points.

The Nittany Lions forced nine turnovers in the first stanza while holding Michigan to 0-for-12 shooting from long range and Big Ten leading scorer Manny Harris to a mere two points in the first half. But the Wolverines would not go quietly, returning in the second half with three consecutive treys in the span of 1:11, shooting 66.7 percent in the second half and 7-of-12 from behind the arc to come from behind for the win. Michigan guard Laval Lucas-Perry ignited the run with four second-half three-pointers, finishing with 16 points on the night.

Penn State fell to 0-3 in the Big Ten and 8-7 on the season as they committed a season-high 17 turnovers and saw Michigan (8-6, 2-1 Big Ten) capitalize scoring 21 of its 48 second half points off miscues and 29 points off turnovers overall.

Recap | Box Score | Video Highlights

NORTHWESTERN def. Texas-Pan American, 53-44
Northwestern fended off a determined Texas-Pan American team to claim a 53-44 win Thursday night from Evanston, Ill., in a game that saw two Wildcats post double-doubles. Sophomore forward John Shurna notched his first career double-double, finishing with a game-high 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wildcats while sophomore center Luka Mirkovic added 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds of his own to aid in the win.

The 'Cats held the Broncs to just 28 percent shooting on the night while improving to 11-3 on the year with one non-conference opponent remaining in regular-season action.

Recap | Box Score

INDIANA def. ILLINOIS, 50-48
Recap and Box Score

MICHIGAN def. IOWA, 63-46
Recap and Box Score

MINNESOTA def. NORTHWESTERN, 73-65
Recap and Box Score

WISCONSIN def. PURDUE, 64-51
Recap and Box Score

The Nittany Lions host Army on Saturday, one week before the conference's remaining five gymnastics squads begin competition. The following weekend, Penn State will travel to West Point, N.Y., for the West Point Open Jan. 15-16. On Jan. 16, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State will open their 2010 campaigns in Chicago for the Windy City Invitational.

MICHIGAN at PENN STATE | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2
U-M Game Notes | PSU Game Notes

The Big Ten's top two leading scorers are set to collide Thursday night as Talor Battle leads Penn State in welcoming Michigan and Manny Harris for a 7 p.m. ET showdown inside the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.  The Nittany Lions (8-6, 0-2) will be on the prowl for their first Big Ten win of the season against a recharged Michigan squad that is fresh off an impressive victory over then No. 15-ranked Ohio State. 

Thursday night's contest will mark the fifth meeting between Battle and Harris, who were each recently named among the top 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award. Of their four previous meetings, none was more memorable than their duel in 2008 when Battle posted 28 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while Harris logged 29 points, five boards and an assist in a 69-61 PSU victory. Tonight's matchup boasts potential for more stellar performances from the junior first-team All-Big Ten duo as the race for the Big Ten scoring title chase heats up.

Michigan leads the all-time series between the two teams, but Penn State has won two of the last three including a 73-58 victory in the Jordan Center last season.

You can catch all the action of tonight's Big Ten matchup on the Duece as Terry Gannon handles play-by-play with Stephen Bardo alongside as color analyst.

Series History: Michigan leads the series, 22-10

Texas-Pan American at NORTHWESTERN | 7 p.m. ET | BigTenNetwork.com
NU Game Notes | Texas Pan-Am Game Notes

Northwestern will take a break from conference action as it welcomes Texas-Pan American to Welsh-Ryan Arena Thursday night, with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. ET. The Wildcats will look to regain their footing after falling short in their first two Big Ten matchups against Illinois and Michigan State following a 10-1 start.

NU leads the nation with a 1.69 assist-to-turnover ratio, handing out 235 assists while committing only 139 turnovers. In addition to taking care of the rock, Northwestern leads the Big Ten and is tied for third nationally with an average 10.0 three-point makes per game, while also ranking third in the nation with 27.8 three-point attempts per outing. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Week John Shurna currently leads the 'Cats in scoring with 17.8 points per game - good enough to rank third in the conference behind Manny Harris (19.8 ppg.) and Talor Battle (18.8 ppg.).

The Broncs (1-15) are coming off a 72-57 loss Tuesday evening at Virginia. UTPA is led in scoring by Jared Maree with 9.9 points per contest. The Broncs' lone win this season was 61-50 decision over Chattanooga on Nov. 27.

Fans unable to make it out to Welsh-Ryan can catch a live video stream at BigTenNetwork.com.

Series History: Northwestern leads, 4-0

Iowa at Michigan, 7 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Northwestern at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Purdue at Wisconsin (rv/-), 7:30 p.m.
Big Ten Network

Friday's action begins with Penn State, the conference coaches' preseason pick to win the Big Ten Championship, traveling to Michigan State for a quad-meet that will also feature West Virginia and Western Michigan. Ohio State will visit Missouri, while Illinois heads to Corvallis, Ore., in a quad-meet against Air Force, Alaska and host Oregon State.

On Saturday, Iowa will face Michigan in Ann Arbor as part of a tri-meet that will also include Bowling Green. Also on Saturday, Minnesota opens the 2010 season at home, welcoming Denver.

Indiana will travel to Las Vegas for the UNLV Spring Invitational, Michigan heads to the Key Biscayne Invitational in Key Biscayne, Fla., and Ohio State travels to Plantation, Fla., for a USTA Futures event.

More information can be found by clicking here.

The Big Ten recently sat down with Player of the Week John Shurna to see what life is like beyond college hoops. Take a look and see what he had to say in today's one-on-one matchup with Northwestern's standout sophomore forward.

Q: What motivates you? 
A: Knowing that there's always someone working to get better.

Q: Why did you pick Northwestern?
A: NU offers top-notch education, coaching and competition in the Big Ten Conference.

Q: What is your favorite sports memory?
A: Winning the gold medal as a member of the U19 USA national team.

Q: What is your favorite sports movie?
A: Remember the Titans or Talladega Nights

Q: What is your favorite meal to cook?
A: I make a mean pasta and vodka sauce.

Q: If you could have one fantasy date, who would it be with?
A: Colbie Caillat

Q: Who would you most like to meet?
A: Harry Potter

Q: Name one thing you would need if you were on a deserted island.
A: The black pearl (ship from Pirates of the Caribbean)

Q: What was your most memorable moment of 2009?
A: Winning the gold medal with the U19 USA national team in New Zealand.

Q: What are your New Year's resolutions?
A: I haven't decided yet.

Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn and the Hawkeye defense were up to the Georgia Tech rushing challenge

Four wins over ranked opponents lead to a successful 4-3 bowl season for the Big Ten

Numerous Big Ten singles and doubles performers are also ranked in the ITA's preseason rankings. Singles rankings can be found here, and doubles here.

The conference's women's tennis squads begin the 2010 spring season next weekend.

The complete ITA rankings can be found by clicking here. Numerous Big Ten singles and doubles performers are also ranked in the ITA's preseason rankings. Singles rankings can be found here, and doubles here.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released the preseason indoor edition of national track and field team rankings for NCAA's Division I on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Four Big Ten teams, including two men's and two women's squads, were featured in the national coaches' poll entering the 2010 season.

Minnesota led the conference representatives in the men's poll with a No. 10 national ranking. Wisconsin also made an appearance in the top 25, checking in at No. 24. On the other hand, the Penn State women's team also appeared at No. 10, while Illinois rounded out the Big Ten contingent at No. 19.

The men of Florida State have been identified as the No. 1 team in the land entering the season with in-state rival Florida at No. 2 close behind. On the women's side, Texas A&M, the defending outdoor champion enters the season No. 1 in the rankings.

The first regular release of updated rankings for NCAA's Division I will start on Tuesday, January 26, with updates occurring the following seven Tuesdays leading to the NCAA Indoor Championships, March 12-13. In addition, the 2010 preseason watch list for The Bowerman will be announced next Tuesday, January 12.

Look here for the complete 2010 preseason USTFCCCA poll.

#17/20 WISCONSIN at #10/11 MICHIGAN STATE | 6:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
MSU Game Notes | UW Game Notes

Michigan State welcomes Wisconsin to East Lansing in the Spartans Big Ten home opener, set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET inside the Breslin Center. Both teams enter Wednesday night's contest on the heels of impressive road wins with MSU downing Northwestern by 21 points and the Badgers topping Penn State by 17. The matchup promises a hard fought battle - one that is most likely to be won on the glass as the Spartans and Badgers are the top two rebounding teams in the Big Ten.

MSU is averaging 14.2 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 16.7 second chance points per game. In 14 times out, the Spartans have out-rebounded their opponents by an average of 10.3 boards per game to lead the conference in rebounding margin. Wisconsin rates second among all Big Ten teams in that category with an average +5.6 rebounding advantage over their opponents. The Badgers have out-rebounded 11 of 14 rivals this season, sporting a 10-1 record in those games. UW leads the Big Ten in rebounding defense, allowing just 29.1 opponent boards per outing while pulling down 76.0 percent of the rebounds on the defensive end.

Wisconsin ranks fourth in the nation and leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing just 56.4 points per contest while holding two conference foes to a remarkable 44.5 points per game. But if UW is the yin of the scoreboard, MSU is the yang as the Spartans pace the Big Ten in scoring offense (82.4 ppg). Through 14 games, Michigan State has proven itself with several different offensive weapons as five Spartans currently average in double figures, led by junior point guard Kalin Lucas (16.1 ppg).

MSU's head coach Tom Izzo is 12-2 in Big Ten home openers, including winning the last seven. The Spartans lead the all-time series against Wisconsin, but the Badgers have won four of its last five meetings between the two schools. UW is 11-4 against MSU under Bo Ryan, including 2-4 at the Breslin Center.

The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Gus Johnson and Steve Smith calling the action.

Series History: Michigan State leads, 67-58


INDIANA at OHIO STATE | 8:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
IND Game Notes | OSU Game Notes

Ohio State is set to entertain Indiana in the Hoosiers first true road contest of the season Wednesday evening with tip-off slated for 8:30 p.m. ET. Indiana will look to carry the momentum from its previous outing when it knocked off Michigan while the Buckeyes seek redemption after Sunday's loss to the Wolverines cost them to fall out of the national rankings.

Already this season, Indiana surpassed its overall win total from last year and equaled its number of Big Ten victories from 2008-09.The Hoosiers are led in scoring by freshman Maurice Creek (16.4 ppg.), who recently underwent knee surgery and is unlikely to return this season. Tom Crean's squad will rely on the young scoring tandem of Christian Watford and Verdell Jones III who combined for 39 of the Hoosiers' 71 points against the Maize and Blue.

Ohio State begins the home portion of the Big Ten Conference season after starting with road games at Wisconsin and Michigan. The Buckeyes will travel to Minnesota and Purdue to complete an opening stretch of four road games in the first five conference matchups of the season. Thad Matta's squad is 9-0 at home to date and shooting well on familiar ground, connecting on 54 percent as a team from inside Value City Arena and 43 percent from long range. OSU has reached 100 or more points three times this season and average a margin of victory of +30.4. The Buckeyes are led in scoring by juniors Jon Diebler  (14.1 ppg.) and David Lighty (14.0 ppg.).

Tonight's game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Wayne Larivee calling the game alongside Shon Morris.

Series History: Indiana leads, 101-73

Ray Edwards, DE, Minnesota (Purdue): Registered a pair of tackles and had a sack in the Vikings' 44-7 win over the New York Giants.

Lee Evans, WR, Buffalo (Wisconsin): Made four catches for 49 yards and had a touchdown in the Bills' 30-7 win over Indianapolis.

Charles Godfrey, S, Carolina (Iowa): Made two tackles and forced a fumble in the Panthers' 23-10 win over New Orleans.

Chad Greenway, LB, Minnesota (Iowa): Recorded four tackles and had an interception in the Vikings' 44-7 win over the New York Giants.

James Hall, DE, St. Louis (Michigan): Had five tackles and a sack in the Rams' 28-6 loss to San Francisco.

Mike Hart, RB, Indianapolis (Michigan): Scored on a one yard touchdown run in the Colts' 30-7 loss to Buffalo.

Brian Hartline, WR, Miami (Ohio State): Made a pair of catches for 34 yards and had a touchdown on a 16-yard run in the Dolphins' 30-24 loss to Pittsburgh.

Chad Henne, QB, Miami (Michigan): Threw for 140 yards on 16 of 20 passing and had a touchdown in the Dolphins' 30-24 loss to Pittsburgh.

Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh (Ohio State): Scored on a five-yard touchdown catch in the Steelers' 30-24 win over Miami.

Bryant Johnson, WR, Detroit (Penn State): Had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 37-23 loss to Chicago.

James Laurinaitis, LB, St. Louis (Ohio State): Made five tackles and had a sack in the Rams' 28-6 loss to San Francisco.

Jim Leonhard, S, New York Jets (Wisconsin): Made two tackles with a sack and a forced fumble in the Jets' 37-0 win over Cincinnati on Sunday night.

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver (Purdue): Threw for 431 yards on 32 of 56 passing and a touchdown in the Broncos' 44-24 loss to Kansas City.

Bernard Pollard, S, Houston (Purdue): Finished with six tackles with an interception and recovered a fumble in the end zone in the Texans' 34-27 win over New England.

Jay Richardson, DE, Oakland (Ohio State): Made two tackles and recorded a sack in the Raiders 21-13 loss to Baltimore.

Anthony Spencer, DE, Dallas (Purdue): Finished with five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the Cowboys' 24-0 win over Philadelphia.

LaMarr Woodley, LB, Pittsburgh (Michigan): Finished with three tackles with two sacks in the Steelers' 30-24 win over Miami.

Throughout the season, we'll be introducing you to Big Ten women's basketball players as part of the Big Ten's Get to Know Her campaign. Sign up for the Get to Know Her Club at any Big Ten home women's basketball game, or search "Get to Know Her Club" from your Facebook page to become an online member!

For more information on the Get to Know Her campaign, go HERE or e-mail GTKH@bigten.org.

Lacey Simpson, Illinois
Fifth-year senior Lacey Simpson is already a graduate of the University of Illinois, earning her bachelor's degree in sport management in May 2009. Simpson has continued her education in her final year of eligibility, working toward a master's in human resource education. After this season, she plans to continue playing basketball for as long as she can before pursuing a career in broadcasting or coaching. Simpson is one of the most active Illini in the Champaign-Urbana community and has become a role model to young fans with frequent visits to elementary schools. Last season, Simpson kept busy by interning in the Illinois Sports Information Office and hosting the Illini Insider television show.

Iowa ranks at the top of both polls, boast a 9-0 dual meet mark and won the program's 21st Midlands Championship last week. The Hawkeyes are the No. 1 seed in this week's NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Other ranked teams include Ohio State (#3 NWCA/#3 InterMat), Minnesota (#6/#5), Indiana (#12/#13), Penn State (#14/#14), Wisconsin (#18/#22) and Illinois (#20/-). Purdue is receiving votes in the NWCA polls. Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin, along with Northwestern, will take part in the National Duals this weekend.

Additionally, five Big Ten wrestlers rank No. 1 in their respective weight classes in InterMat's weekly weight class rankings. Indiana's Angel Escobedo (125), Michigan State's Franklin Gomez (133), Ohio State's Reece Humphrey (141), Iowa's Brent Metcalf (149) and Wisconsin's Andrew Howe (165) enjoy spots at the top of the rankings.

The Hawkeyes solved the Yellow Jackets' explosive triple option and Ricky Stanzi threw two early touchdown passes for a 24-14 victory in the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl. Read more about the Orange Bowl by clicking on this link.

The return of QB Ricky Stanzi to the Iowa offense provides a confidence boost

MINNESOTA at #4/4 PURDUE | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
MINN Game Notes | PUR Game Notes

If offense sells tickets and defense wins games, what happens when a team's defense creates opportunities for scoring? Ask Minnesota and Purdue. The two teams are turning defense into their greatest offensive weapon by capitalizing on two of the top turnover margins in the nation. The Boilermakers (13-0, 1-0) own a 7.6 turnover advantage over their opponents, good enough to rank third in the country, while Minnesota (11-3, 2-0) rates sixth with a +6.0 turnover ratio.

Purdue will look to open conference play with a 2-0 record for the first time since 2002-03. The Boilermakers remain one of just four Division I teams that remain undefeated and will look to tie the 1993-94 team for the best start in school history at 14-0. Matt Painter's squad enters Tuesday's contest in the midst of a three-game win streak in which it has turned the ball over less than 10 times. The Boilers' ball security will be put to the test against a Minnesota squad that most recently converted 25 turnovers into 45 points in their road win over Iowa.

Minnesota arrives in West Lafayette, Ind., riding a seven-game win streak. During that stretch, the Gophers are averaging 89.1 points per contest and have overcome opponents by a 25.2 point-margin of victory.

Senior Lawrence Westbrook leads Minnesota in scoring for the season with a career-high 13.8 points per game. He enters the contest 56 points away from 1,000 for his career. Purdue's Robbie Hummel is also nearing a career milestone and needs just 28 points to reach the century mark. The Boilermakers are led in scoring by junior E'Twaun Moore, who is averaging 16.3 points per game.

Tonight's Big Ten matchup will be televised on ESPN. Dave O'Brien will handle play-by-play with Steve Lavin alongside as color analyst.

Series History: Purdue leads, 84-73.


IOWA at ILLINOIS | 9 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
ILL Game Notes | IOWA Game Notes

Iowa will travel to Champaign, Ill.,, to face Illinois in its first conference road test of the season inside Assembly Hall, Tuesday night with tip off slated for 9 p.m. ET. The Hawkeyes (5-9, 0-2) will be in the hunt for their first win in Big Ten action, while the Illini (9-5, 1-0) are looking to rebound from a hard-fought loss against Gonzaga on Saturday.

Iowa begins the conference schedule with four of its first five games at home, the first time to do so since the 1962-63 campaign. The Hawkeyes boast the strongest strength of schedule amongst Big Ten teams in games played through Jan. 2, ranking 16th nationally according to realtimerpi.com.

Illinois tipped off its conference slate with a win over Northwestern last week. As a team, Illinois ranks second in the conference in free throw shooting (.738), rebounding (38.9), defensive rebounds (26.93) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.300), as well as third in scoring (79.1). The Illini are led by the junior tandem of Demetri McCamey -- who recently tallied his fifth 20-point game of the season against Gonzaga - and Mike Davis, who leads the Big Ten and ranks 10th in the nation in double-doubles this season with eight.

The Big Ten Network will televise Tuesday night's game with Craig Coshun and Jim Jackson calling the action.

Series History: Illinois leads, 76-66.

Metcalf won his third straight Midlands Championship last weekend and was named the Dan Gable Most Outstanding Wrestler at the event. The Hawkeyes won the team championship with 168.5 points, with Metcalf accounting for 32.5 points, the most by any individual at the meet. In the 149-pound bracket, the top-ranked Metcalf pinned three opponents, recorded a technical fall and a major decision before winning his weight class with a 9-2 decision over No. 2 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin. The weekly honor is the fourth of Metcalf's career.

Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Brent Metcalf (Feb. 24, 2009)

No. 3/3 Notre Dame def. PURDUE, 79-75
Recap and Box Score

Player of the Week
Illinois senior Jenna Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Week after leading her team to wins over Penn State and Wisconsin. Smith averaged 22.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as the Illini improved to 10-3 on the year. Illinois' Karisma Penn and Iowa's Jaime Printy shared the conference's Freshman of the Week honor. Penn averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 boards, 3.5 blocks and 2.0 assists, while Printy put up 19.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals over two games. COMPLETE RELEASE

In the Polls
Ohio State maintained its hold on the No. 6 spot in the Associated Press poll, while Michigan State fell slightly to No. 19. Wisconsin is receiving votes outside the top 25. COMPLETE POLL

ILLINOIS def. WISCONSIN (-/rv), 53-52
Recap and Box Score

No. 16/24 MICHIGAN STATE def. INDIANA, 53-44
Recap and Box Score

MINNESOTA def. IOWA, 72-69 (OT)
Recap and Box Score

No. 6/6 OHIO STATE def. MICHIGAN (rv/rv), 59-56
Recap and Box Score

PENN STATE def. NORTHWESTERN (rv/rv), 88-68
Recap and Box Score

Sunday, Jan. 3

No. 23 WISCONSIN at PENN STATE | 2 p. m. ET | Big Ten Network
WIS Game Notes | PSU Game Notes
The Nittany Lion basketball team (8-5, 0-1) will look to open 2010 when it takes on No. 23 Wisconsin (11-2, 1-0) in its Big Ten home opener Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

The Nittany Lions have won 12 of their last 14 Big Ten home games and three of their last five games overall against ranked opponents. Penn State, 36-8 at home over the last three seasons, will look to end a 10-game losing skid to the Badgers and earn its first victory over Wisconsin since 2003. The Nittany Lions will be led by junior point-guard Talor Battle who stands second in the Big Ten averaging 19.1 points per game.

Wisconsin is coming off a 65-43 victory over No. 15 Ohio State in Madison in its Big Ten opener. Junior forward Jon Leuer leads the Badgers with 16.5 points per contest and 6.2 rebounds per outing while senior guard Trevon Hughes is avergaing 16.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The Badgers have won five straight games and have victories over Duke, Marquette, Arizona and Maryland on the season.

Series History: Wisconsin leads, 23-8

No. 15 OHIO STATE at MICHIGAN | 4:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
U-M Game Notes | OSU Game Notes 
The No. 15 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 0-1) will travel to Ann Arbor to square off against rival Michigan (6-6, 0-1) in their first game of 2010 on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. inside Crisler Arena. Both teams enter Sunday's contest after falling short on the road in their Big Ten openers.

The Wolverines are led by Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, who are averaging 19.5 and 15.8 points per game, respectively. Harris also leads the team in rebounding (7.0) with Sims second at 6.8 per contest. The duo owns a combined seven double-doubles this season and together they make up 50.1 percent of U-M's offensive production.

Ohio State continues its opening stretch in conference play with its second straight road game and second of our over their first five Big Ten contests of the season.

Series History: Ohio State leads, 85-70 

WISCONSIN (-/rv) at ILLINOIS, 4 p.m. 
BigTenNetwork.com

#16/24 MICHIGAN STATE at INDIANA, Noon  
Big Ten Network

IOWA at MINNESOTA, 3 p.m.

PENN STATE at NORTHWESTERN (rv/rv), 3 p.m.

MICHIGAN (rv/rv) at #6/6 OHIO STATE, 2 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

All times ET

#16/24 Michigan State at Indiana    Noon
Big Ten Network

Iowa at Minnesota    3 p.m.

Penn State at Northwestern (rv/rv)    3 p.m.

Michigan (rv/rv) at #6/6 Ohio State    2 p.m.
BigTenNetwork.com

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno earned his NCAA record 24th bowl triumph with a 19-17 victory over LSU in the Capital One Bowl. After building a 16-3 lead, the Tigers rallied for a 17-16 lead before the Nittany Lions converted on a field goal with less than a minute left for the win. Read more about the Capital One Bowl by clicking on this link.

ILLINOIS def. PENN STATE, 69-60
Recap and Box Score

PURDUE def. INDIANA, 76-66
Recap and Box Score

IOWA def. WISCONSIN (-/rv), 61-51
Recap and Box Score

No. 16/24 MICHIGAN STATE def. MICHIGAN (rv/rv), 86-71
Recap and Box Score

No. 6/6 OHIO STATE def. NORTHWESTERN (rv/rv), 86-60
Recap and Box Score