March 2011 Archives

Michigan's Sean Ryan and Ohio State's duo of Elliott Keefer and Tim Phillips will swim for the United States at the 2011 University World Games Aug. 14-19 in Shenzhen, China.

Known internationally as the Summer Universiade, the multi-sport event takes place every two years and is considered the second largest international competition behind the Olympic Games. It boasts competitors from around the world and is open to student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 28 who are less than one year removed from college or its equivalent.

For the entire list of swimmers, click here.

Indiana's Ashley Jones and Taylor Wohrley, along with Penn State's Amy Modglin and Wisconsin's Ashley Wanland will represent the United States as they compete in the 2011 World University Games, Aug. 14-19 in Shenzhen, China. The Big Ten boasts the second highest competitiors with four, behind the Pac-12 with eight.

Known internationally as the Summer Universiade, the multi-sport event takes place every two years and is considered the second largest international competition behind the Olympic Games. It boasts competitors from around the world and is open to student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 28 who are less than one year removed from college or its equivalent.

To see the list of all competing participants, click here.

The conference office announced on Wednesday the weekly women's outdoor track and field awards. Ohio State's Letecia Wright was recognized as Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, while Indiana's Vera Neuenswander earned the nod as Field Athlete of the Week honoree.

For a complete release, click here.

2011 Women's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week

March 23: T: Chimerem Okoroji, Jr., MINN
                F: Allison Liske, Jr., MICH
March 30: T: Letecia Wright, Sr., OSU
                F: Vera Neuenswander, Sr., IND

The conference office announced on Wednesday the weekly men's outdoor track and field awards. Ohio State's Thomas Murdaugh was recognized as Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week, while Indiana's Derek Drouin earned the nod as Field Athlete of the Week honoree.

Click here for the complete release of this week's honorees.

2011 Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week

March 23: T: No selection
                F: Micah Hegerle, So., MINN
March 30: T: Thomas Murdaugh, Jr., OSU
                F: Derek Drouin, Jr., IND

The four-time Big Ten Player of the Year led the conference in scoring and rebounding at 22.8 and 10.9 per game, respectively. She was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press on Tuesday.

The John R. Wooden Award Men's All American teams were announced today by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Included on the ten-player men's team were Purdue's JaJuan Johnson and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger. The top five men's vote-getters will be invited to Los Angeles for the April 8 announcement of the 2011 John R. Wooden winner as the college basketball player of the year.

INDIANA def. Northern Kentucky, 7-3

South Dakota State def. IOWA, 7-4 (14)

OHIO STATE def. Xavier, 4-1

PURDUE def. IPFW, 8-1

Big Ten Among NCAA Leaders
Big Ten teams/players among NCAA top 25 through March 27
COMPLETE NCAA STATS

TEAM LEADERS
Batting Average
   8. Michigan State (.331)
   12. Purdue (.325)
Runs per Game
   12. Purdue (8.0)
Hits
   19. Purdue (271)
Doubles per Game
   7. Purdue (2.57)
Slugging Percentage
   14. Purdue (.474)
Sacrifice Bunts
   8. Iowa (33)
Hit by Pitch
   3. Purdue (52)
Sacrifice Flies
   16. Purdue (16)
ERA
   25. Michigan State (2.78)
Walks Allowed per 9.0 IP
   8. Michigan State (2.26)
   14. Purdue (2.45)
Double Plays per Game
   6. Northwestern (1.35)
   8. Penn State (1.32)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Batting Average
   9. Brandon Eckerle, MSU (.448)
   24. Jeff Holm, MSU (.427)
Hits
   25. Brandon Eckerle (39)
Doubles per Game
   11. Joey DeBernardis, PSU (.55)
Triples per Game
   10. Trevor Willis, IOWA (0.20)
   13. Sean Deegan, PSU (0.19)
Stolen Bases per Game
   18. Micah Johnson, IND (0.64)
   24. Jeff Holm, MSU (0.60)
Strikeouts per At-Bat (toughest to strike out)
   8. Kevin Plawecki, PUR (29.7)
   17. Casey McMurray, ILL (23.7)
   20. Ryan Cypret, OSU (22.7)
   21. Ryan Jones, MSU (22.3)
Sacrifice Bunts per Game
   12. Zach McCool, IOWA (0.40)
Sacrifice Flies
   15. Ryan Bridges, PUR (4)
Victories
   5. Dave Walkling, PSU (5)
Walks Allowed per 9.0 IP
   24. Steven Hill, PSU (0.86)

It is the second straight year Lavender has been named a first team AP All-American. This season, she led the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding at 22.8 and 10.9 per game, respectively.

The conference office announced on Tuesday the 2011 Big Ten Men's Swimmer and Diver of the Year award winners as voted on by the conference's coaches. Indiana's Eric Ress captured Swimmer of the Year honors, while Purdue's David Boudia was a unanimous pick for Diver of the Year after winning the award the past two seasons.

To read the entire release about the two honorees, click here.

This week, the Illini and Nittany Lions put their undefeated marks on the line as the two faceoff in a two-game set, beginning on Saturday. Both contests will be streamed on www.BigTenNetwork.com, two of four contests that will be nationally distributed this week. The Big Ten Network opens its linear coverage of 2011 Big Ten softball on Sunday with Iowa visiting Purdue.

Click here for the complete weekly release.

ILLINOIS vs. Missouri (Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo.) - Postponed

Northern Kentucky at INDIANA - 3:05 p.m.

South Dakota State at IOWA - 5:05 p.m.

Xavier at OHIO STATE - 6:35 p.m. (www.BigTenNetwork.com)

IPFW at PURDUE - 4 p.m.

All times ET

The Indiana first varsity eight boat claimed this week's Boat of the Week honor after defeating Notre Dame, Purdue and Eastern Michigan last weekend at the Indiana Invitational on Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis, Ind. The Hoosier boat of Shifumi Terasaka, Asja Zero, Karlijn Keijzer, Elisabeth Kleipool, Rachel Anderson, Cara Donley, Kathryn Laine, Jaclyn Riedel and coxswain Alex Burkle steadily increased its lead throughout the 2,000-meter race. At the finish, Indiana won in a time of 6:28.0, a second ahead of Notre Dame, which finished second in 6:29.0.

Click here for the entire release.

Michigan's Dorian Shaw and Illinois' Danielle Zymkowitz were named finalists for the award, which will be announced on June 3 at the Women's College World Series. The winner will be selected by media and coaches votes, while fans can have their votes counted as well by logging on and voting through May 10.

For more information on this year's honorees, click here.

Purdue's JaJuan Johnson and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger were both named Associated Press first-team All-Americans while Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor was given second-team honors.

After being named Big Ten Player of the Year, Johnson's recent honor makes him the Boilermakers' first consensus All-American since Glenn Robinson in 1994. He is one of 17 Purdue players to earn a total of 25 consensus All-America honors, which ranks as the second-highest total in NCAA history.

With this honor, Sullinger became the seventh freshman All-American over the last five years. The Buckeyes have boasted a player on the first-team All-American list in three consecutive seasons, with the last coming from Evan Turner in 2009 and 2010.

Taylor is the fourth Wisconsin player to earn first or second-team All-America honors, joining Alando Tucker (2007), Don Rehfeldt (1950) and Devin Harris (2004).

Penn State's Talor Battle, Purdue's E'Twaun Moore and Wisconsin's Jon Leuer were named to the honorable-mention list.

To read the entire release, click here.

Co-Player of the Week:
Liz Watkins, Iowa
Jr., C, Taylor Ridge, Ill./Rockbridge

Watkins hit at a .714 clip and finished the week with six RBI, leading Iowa to a series sweep on the road against Ohio State last week. The junior backstop was 5-of-7 at the plate last week in which she drove in three runs in each contest against the Buckeyes. In the series opener, she was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a run scored. In the finale on Sunday, Watkins belted a three-run home run in her first at-bat and scored two runs as Iowa went on to a 7-2 win and the series sweep. It is the second Big Ten Player of the Week honor of Watkins' career.

Last Iowa Player of the Week: Stephanie Ochoa (March 21, 2011)

Cassidy Bell, Penn State
So., OF, Bakersfield, Calif./Liberty

Bell finished the week with four hits, all of which went for doubles, hitting .667 to help Penn State to a series sweep over Wisconsin. In the series opener the sophomore went 2-for-4 at the plate, drove in a pair runs, scored two more and stole a base in an 8-5 victory. In the series finale on Sunday, Bell hit safely in both at-bats, scored twice and stole her second base of the weekend as Penn State earned the 3-2 win and the series sweep. It is her first Big Ten Player of the Week honor.

Last Penn State Player of the Week: Danielle Kinley (Feb. 13, 2007)

Pitcher of the Week:
Lisa Akamine, Penn State
Jr., P, Escondido, Calif./Escondido

Akamine allowed just one hit in 8.2 innings of work and pitched in both Penn State victories against Wisconsin last weekend. The junior earned the win on Saturday, tossing 3.2 innings of relief in which she struck out four Badgers to cement the 8-5 Nittany Lion win. On Sunday, she took the ball to start the game in which she gave up one hit through five innings, allowed one run and struck out seven as Penn State earned the series sweep with a 3-2 win. Akamine finished the week with a 0.81 ERA and held Wisconsin batters to just .037 hitting to clinch her second career Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade.

Last Penn State Pitcher of the Week: Lisa Akamine (March 29, 2010)

Freshman of the Week:
Andie Varsho, Purdue
OF, Chili, Wis./Marshfield

Varsho earns her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor after hitting .545 and leading the Boilermakers to a 3-0 record last week. Notching two multi-hit games, the freshman finished with an OPS of 1.454 after ripping six hits, including two doubles and a triple, last week. Varsho was a perfect 4-for-4 on the base paths, swiping two bags each against Toledo and Ball State, also accounting for two RBI and a run last week to help Purdue to its best start in program history.

Last Purdue Freshman of the Week: Andie Varsho (March 14, 2011)

INDIANA def. Evansville, 6-5 (10)

Evansville def. INDIANA, 7-5

IOWA def. Western Illinois, 6-2

MICHIGAN STATE def. MICHIGAN, 5-4

MICHIGAN STATE def. MICHIGAN, 8-2

MINNESOTA def. Cal Poly, 9-4

PENN STATE def. Le Moyne, 10-3

PENN STATE def. Albany, 6-4

PURDUE def. Bradley, 12-1

IOWA def. Western Illinois, 5-4

NORTHWESTERN def. Campbell, 3-2

OHIO STATE def. Cal State Bakersfield, 10-8

PENN STATE def. Le Moyne, 6-2

ILLINOIS def. Indiana State, 7-6

Western Illinois def. IOWA, 4-2

MICHIGAN STATE def. MICHIGAN, 9-3

Cal Poly def. MINNESOTA, 5-1

NORTHWESTERN def. Campbell, 6-5

Cal State Bakersfield def. OHIO STATE, 7-3

Le Moyne def. PENN STATE, 10-6

Bradley def. PURDUE, 9-4

This weekend, Indiana hosts Minnesota, Northwesten welcomes Michigan, Ohio State entertains Iowa, Penn State opens the conference season with Wisconsin coming to town, and Illinois hosts Michigan State.

Saturday's full slate of contests can be found below:

MINNESOTA at INDIANA, 1:00 PM ET
MICHIGAN at NORTHWESTERN, 2:00 PM ET
IOWA at OHIO STATE, 2:00 PM ET
WISCONSIN at PENN STATE, 2:00 PM ET
MICHIGAN STATE at ILLINOIS, 3:00 PM ET
PURDUE at Miami (Ohio), 3:00 PM ET
Toledo vs. PURDUE, 5:00 PM ET

MARCH 25

Michigan at Florida State Invitational, All Day

Stanford Invitational, All Day [1]

MARCH 26

Big Ten vs. SEC Challenege, All Day [2]

Michigan at Florida State Invitational, All Day

Stanford Invitational, All Day [1]

[1] -- Palo Alto, California

[2] -- Starksville, Mississippi

MARCH 25

Baldy Castillo Invitational, All Day [1]

Stanford Classic, All Day [2]

Michigan at Florida State Relays, All Day

MARCH 26

Big Ten vs. SEC Challenge, All Day [3]

Baldy Castillo Invitational, All Day [1]

Michigan at Florida State Relays, All Day

Stanford Classic, All Day [2]

[1] -- Tempe, Arizona

[2] -- Palo Alto, California

[3] -- Starkville, Mississippi

MARCH 26

IOWA vs. MINNESOTA, All Day

MICHIGAN at OHIO STATE, All Day

MICHIGAN STATE at Eastern Michigan, All Day

MARCH 27

INDIANA at Indiana Invitational, All Day

MARCH 25
Indiana State at ILLINOIS, 4 p.m.
Western Illinois at IOWA, 7:35 p.m. (www.BigTenNetwork.com)
MICHIGAN STATE at MICHIGAN, 3 p.m. (www.BigTenNetwork.com)
Cal Poly at MINNESOTA, 7:35 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN at Campbell, 6 p.m.
OHIO STATE at Cal State Bakersfield, 4 p.m.
LeMoyne at PENN STATE, 3:35 p.m.
PURDUE at Bradley, 4 p.m.

MARCH 26
Indiana State at ILLINOIS, 2 p.m.
INDIANA at Evansville (DH), 1 p.m.
Western Illinois at IOWA, 2:05 p.m. (www.BigTenNetwork.com)
MICHIGAN at MICHIGAN STATE, 1:05 p.m.
Cal Poly at MINNESOTA, 3:05 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN at Campbell, 1 p.m.
OHIO STATE at Cal State Bakersfield, 4 p.m.
LeMoyne at PENN STATE, 1:05 p.m.
PURDUE at Bradley, 2 p.m.

MARCH 27 
Indiana State at ILLINOIS, 1 p.m.
Evansville at INDIANA, 1:05 p.m.
IOWA at Western Illinois, 2 p.m.
MICHIGAN STATE at MICHIGAN, 1 p.m. (www.BigTenNetwork.com)
Cal Poly at MINNESOTA, 12:05 p.m.
LeMoyne at PENN STATE, 12:05 p.m.
Bradley at PURDUE, 2 p.m.

All times ET

Campbell def. NORTHWESTERN, 9-6

CSU Bakersfield def. OHIO STATE, 13-2

NCAA REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
No. 8 Butler def. No. 4 WISCONSIN, 61-54
When the final horn sounded Thursday night, the Bulldogs calmly congratulated each other and walked over to shake hands with Wisconsin, yet another higher seed sent packing. It all seemed rather routine, at least for the Bulldogs.

After narrowly surviving its first two NCAA tournament games by margins of two points or less, Butler led by 20 points before holding on for a 61-54 victory over the Badgers. RECAP & BOX SCORE

NORTHWESTERN at Campbell - 6 p.m.

OHIO STATE at Cal State Bakersfield - 5 p.m.

All times ET

INDIANA def. Ball State, 10-2

NC State def. NORTHWESTERN, 8-7

PURDUE def. Wabash, 9-3

Day one of the 2011 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships is underway as the preliminary events begin at Noon CT at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

Competition begins today with the 200 freestyle relay and concludes Saturday, March 26, with the 400 freestyle relay. This year's event will feature 62 Big Ten student-athletes from all ten participating conference institutions. Overall, student-athletes from 41 different schools will compete this week with 235 swimmers and 35 divers taking part at the national meet. Seven Big Ten teams appear among the top-25 in the latest CSCAA rankings. Michigan fronts all schools at No. 7, followed by No. 10 Ohio State, No. 12 Indiana, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 19 Purdue. Penn State and Iowa round out the conference contingent at Nos. 22 and 24, respectively.

Click here for live results from the NCAA Championships.

NIT THIRD ROUND
Washington State def. NORTHWESTERN, 69-66 (OT)
In an emotional contest worthy of a championship game, Northwestern saw its National Invitation Tournament run come to an end Wednesday evening, falling 69-66 in overtime to Washington State. RECAP & BOX SCORE

On Wednesday the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the 2011 Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field preseason rankings. The Big Ten boasts three teams ranked in the polls, one men and two women.

On the men's side, Minnesota finds itself in the top-10, earning the No. 10 spot. This marks the second year in a row the Golden Gophers have earned preseason honors.

Penn State, the defending women's outdoor track and field champion enters the 2011 season at No. 19 while Indiana rounds out the conference contingents at No. 23.

For complete rankings, click here.

The University Aquatic Center and the University of Minnesota will play host to the 2011 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. Competition begins Thursday, March 24, with the 200 freestyle relay and concludes Saturday, March 26, with the 400 freestyle relay. This year's event will feature 62 Big Ten student-athletes from all ten participating conference institutions. Overall, student-athletes from 41 different schools will compete this week with 235 swimmers and 35 divers taking part at the national meet. Seven Big Ten teams appear among the top-25 in the latest CSCAA rankings. Michigan fronts all schools at No. 7, followed by No. 10 Ohio State, No. 12 Indiana, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 19 Purdue. Penn State and Iowa round out the conference contingent at Nos. 22 and 24, respectively.

For the NCAA Championships Central page, click here.

INDIANA at Ball State, 3 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN at NC State, 3 p.m.
OHIO STATE at Fresno State. 9:05 p.m.
Wabash at PURDUE, 4 p.m.

All times ET

Big Ten Among NCAA Leaders
Big Ten teams/players among NCAA top 25 through March 20
COMPLETE NCAA STATS

TEAM LEADERS
Batting Average
   6. Michigan State (.335)
   14. Purdue (.329)
Runs per Game
   12. Purdue (8.1)
Hits
   16. Purdue (228)
Doubles per Game
   14. Purdue (2.47)
Slugging Percentage
   12. Purdue (.481)
Sacrifice Bunts
   11. Iowa (27)
Hit by Pitch
   3. Purdue (44)
Walks Allowed (per 9.0 IP)
   10. Michigan State (2.31)
Double Plays per Game
   3. Northwestern (1.40)
   11. Penn State (1.22)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Batting Average
   3. Brandon Eckerle, MSU (.500)
Hits
   9. Brandon Eckerle, MSU (36)
Doubles per Game
   15. Joey DeBernardis, PSU (0.56)
   21. Chris Lashment, NU (.530)
Triples per Game
   T5. Sean Deegan, PSU (0.24)
   T5. Trevor Willis, IOWA (0.24)
   24. Greg Solomon, OSU (0.18)
On-Base Percentage
   12. Brandon Eckerle, MSU (.556)
At-Bats per Strikeout (toughest to strike out)
   8. Casey McMurray, ILL (33.5)
   19. Kevin Plawecki, PUR (25.0)
Sacrifice Bunts per Game
   25. Andrew Host, IOWA (0.36)
Wins
   T1. Dave Walkling, PSU (5)
Strikeouts per 9.0 IP
   15. Dave Walkling (12.0)

NC State def. NORTHWESTERN, 4-1

Fresno State def. OHIO STATE, 3-2

Illinois State def. PURDUE, 5-4

Green Bay 65, Michigan State 56
Michigan State ended its season in the second round of the Dallas Region following a 65-56 loss to Green Bay on Tuesday night. Kalisha Keane led the Spartans with 20 points and five rebounds as they end the season having won the Big Ten Championship, the third in school history. RECAP

The conference office announced on Tuesday the 2011 Big Ten Women's Swimmer and Diver of the Year award winners as voted on by the conference's coaches. Wisconsin's Maggie Meyer captured Swimmer of the Year honors, while Minnesota's Kelci Bryant was a unanimous pick for Diver of the Year after winning the award last season.

Meyer won the NCAA 200-yard backstroke title in a time of 1:50.76, setting a new school record. After ending the season undefeated in the event, the senior also recorded the fastest time in the country this year. The White Bear Lake, Minn., native earned Wisconsin's first women's individual national title in program history. Meyer ended the 2011 NCAA meet as a six-time All-American and earned 18 All-America or honorable mention All-America accolades throughout the course of her career. Meyer's award is the seventh in Badger history and first since Yo Ying Siow accomplished the feat in 2007.

After earning the national title in the three-meter springboard last season, Bryant captured the one-meter diving title during this year's NCAA Championships with a score of 349.65, becoming the first two-time national champion in Gopher history. For her performance at the national two-day event, Bryant was named the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Diver of the Championships. The first-team All-Big Ten honoree also earned Diver of the Championships accolades earlier this season as she took the conference titles in both springboard events.

Dallas Region
at Wichita, Kan.
MICHIGAN STATE vs. Green Bay, 9:40 p.m., ESPN2

Minnesota's Second Varsity Eight claimed the first Big Ten Boat of the Week honor of the 2011 season after competing against No. 16 Tennessee on Saturday on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Earning the win was coxswain Sara Baldvins, Christine Beauparlant, Ellen Hughes, Leah Rogotzke, Kathryn Switalski, Ali Haws, Katrina Pichelli, Kate Ladell, and Maddy Bourgeois in a first-place time of 6:15.10.

Click here for the full release.

For the complete results of the 2011 draft, click here.

DePaul 75, Penn State 73
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The No. 6 seeded Penn State Lady Lions (25-1-, 11-5) dominated much of the game, but a pair of Keisha Hampton free throws with four seconds left gave the No. 3 seed DePaul (29-6, 13-3 Big East) a 75-73 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Bryce Jordan Center Monday night. Sophomore guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored 17 of her team-high 21 points in the second half to finish the season with back-to-back 20-point games. RECAP

Dayton Region
at Columbus, Ohio
#4 OHIO STATE vs. #5 Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ILLINOIS def. Southern Illinois, 8-2 (12)

MICHIGAN def. Eastern Michigan, 5-2

Evansville def. MICHIGAN STATE, 6-5

NORTHWESTERN def. Dartmouth, 3-2

California def. OHIO STATE, 4-0

California def. OHIO STATE, 11-1

PENN STATE def. Wichita State, 9-4 (11)

PURDUE def. Tennessee Tech, 12-4

Dallas Region
at Wichita, Kan.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Big Ten player of the year Kalisha Keane scored 17 points, Taylor Alton added 14 and fourth-seeded Michigan State maintained its run of success in first-round NCAA tournament games, beating Northern Iowa 69-66 on Sunday. Michigan State (27-5) is 9-1 in first-round NCAA games, with its only loss coming in 2003. The Spartans will play fifth-seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay in a second-round game Tuesday. RECAP

WNIT
Alabama 72, Northwestern 70
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern fought valiantly against a high-powered Alabama squad Sunday afternoon, but the Wildcats fell short 72-70 in the WNIT's second round. A lay-in attempt by senior Meshia Reed as time expired was no good, which preserved the win for the Crimson Tide. Senior Beth Marshall led the Wildcats (19-14) with 20 points, including a 4-of-6 effort from downtown, while classmate Amy Jaeschke scored 19. RECAP

Illinois State 62, Wisconsin 59
MADISON, Wis. -- Despite a furious comeback that saw the Badgers cut a nine-point deficit to one in the final seconds, the Wisconsin women's basketball team's season came to an end with 62-59 loss to Illinois State in the second round of the WNIT Sunday at the Kohl Center. UW finishes with a 16-15 record while Illinois State improves to 22-10 and moves on to the third round. RECAP

Minnesota junior Kelci Bryant and Golden Gopher diving coach Wenbo Chen received top honors from the College Swimming Coaches Association of American (CSCAA) following the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships.

Bryant is the first athlete to win multiple NCAA titles in Minnesota swimming and diving history. Chen coached both Bryant and freshman Maggie Keefer to All-America honors at the 2011 Championships.

Minnesota sophomore Haley Spencer captured the national title in the 200-yard breaststroke giving the Gophers their third individual title at the 2011 Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. Spencer won the crown with a career-best time of 2:06.12.

The Golden Gophers led all Big Ten teams competing at the national event, tallying 192 points, collecting its best finish at the national meet and scoring the most points at NCAAs in Gopher history. Wisconsin amasssed 160 tallies to place 11th, followed by Indiana in 15th with 86.5 points and Ohio State in 17th place, earning 64 total points. Purdue(25), Iowa(T30), Michigan(T30) and Penn State (35) round out the conference contingent.

Wisconsin senior Maggie Meyer claimed the schools first NCAA individual title in school swimming history. Meyer won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:50.76, a new school and Big Ten Conference record. The White Bear Lake, Minn., native ended the season with the fastest time in the country this year.

The national title went to California with 424 points, earning the Golden Bears' second NCAA crown in three years.

Click here for the entire recap.

ILLINOIS def. St. Louis, 7-4

INDIANA def. Dartmouth, 10-7

Gonzaga def. IOWA, 7-2

MICHIGAN def. Oakland, 2-1

Evansville def. MICHIGAN STATE, 2-0

Massachusetts def. NORTHWESTERN, 11-4

Army def. NORTHWESTERN, 5-2

PENN STATE def. Wichita State, 4-2

Tennessee Tech def. PURDUE, 8-3

NCAA THIRD ROUND

No. 1 Duke def. No. 8 MICHIGAN, 73-71
The University of Michigan men's basketball team had its season come to an end Sunday afternoon (March 20), losing 73-71 to top-seeded Duke in the third round of the NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 1 OHIO STATE def. No. 8 George Mason, 98-66
Once Ohio State's Jared Sullinger declared it was over, it was over.
David Lighty made all seven of his 3-pointers and scored 25 points, Sullinger added 18 after informing one of George Mason's players "it's over" and top-seeded Ohio State made 16 3s to advance in the NCAA tournament with a jaw-dropping 98-66 win Sunday. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 11 VCU def. No. 3 PURDUE, 94-76
The question is no longer whether Virginia Commonwealth belongs. Instead, it's: Who can stop the Rams?

Bradford Burgess scored 23 points and 11th-seeded VCU made it three victories in five days Sunday night, routing third-seeded Purdue 94-76 to earn a trip to the Southwest regional semifinals. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 1 Kansas def. No. 9 ILLINOIS, 73-59
Mike Davis led the Fighting Illini (20-14) with 17 points and seven rebounds, but Illinois lost to No. 2 Kansas 73-59 on Sunday night. RECAP & BOX SCORE

NCAA Live Bracket

Dallas Region
at Wichita, Kan.
#4 MICHIGAN STATE vs. #13 Northern Iowa, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

WNIT
Alabama at NORTHWESTERN, 3 p.m. ET
Illinois State at WISCONSIN, 2 p.m. ET

Penn State 75, Dayton 66
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The No. 6 seeded Penn State Lady Lions (25-9, 11-5) used a 25-point performance from sophomore guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) to post their first NCAA Tournament win since 2003-04 with a 75-66 decision over No. 11 seed Dayton (21-12) Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State is now a perfect 9-0 in NCAA Tournament games in the BJC. The Lady Lions advance to face the winner of the DePaul/Navy game on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. RECAP

Gonzaga 92, Iowa 86
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Saturday's first round NCAA Tournament game was expected to be a high-paced, up-and-down affair. The game lived up to its billing. The sixth-seeded University of Iowa women's basketball team lost a track meet at 11th-seeded Gonzaga, 92-86, at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Gonzaga's campus. RECAP

NCAA THIRD ROUND
No. 4 WISCONSIN def. No. 5 Kansas State, 70-65
Kansas State's Jacob Pullen won the individual matchup of marquee point guards, scoring anywhere and everywhere while Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor struggled to find his shot.

Finding ways to contribute even when his shots weren't falling, Taylor made the biggest plays of the game down the stretch, hitting two big free throws and blocking Pullen's tying 3-point attempt in the closing seconds to seal the Badgers' 70-65 win over Kansas State on Saturday. RECAP & BOX SCORE

NIT SECOND ROUND
NORTHWESTERN def. Boston College, 85-67
All five Northwestern starters scored in double figures led by Michael Thompson's 22 points as the Wildcats advanced the quarterfinal round of the National Invitation Tournament with an 85-67 victory at Boston College on Saturday. RECAP & BOX SCORE

The Big Ten went a combined 5-2 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The two losses came by a combined four points - a Penn State loss on a last-second shot and a Michigan State comeback that fell just short.

With wins from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue on Friday, the Big Ten went 4-0 on one NCAA Tournament day for the first time in conference history.

The Big Ten is one of only two conferences (Big East) with five or more teams in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Over its seven second-round games, the Big Ten combined to outscore its opponents by 102 points (14.6 ppg).

The five Big Ten teams that won their second-round games combined for an average margin of victory of +21.2.

Dayton Region
at Columbus, Ohio
#4 Ohio State vs. #13 Central Florida, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2

Spokane Region
at Spokane, Wash.
#6 Iowa vs. #11 Gonzaga, 4:10 p.m., ESPN2

Four Big Ten rowing squads were ranked in the first USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division I Coaches Poll of the season. Michigan State leads the conference contingent at No. 8 while defending Big Ten Champion Wisconsin comes in at No. 10. Michigan follows closely behind at No. 11, while Ohio State rounds out the conference at the No. 13 spot.

Click here for the complete rankings.

Northern Illinois def. ILLINOIS, 15-14

Army def. INDIANA, 12-10

IOWA def. Notre Dame, 11-2

Gonzaga def. IOWA, 9-1

MICHIGAN def. Alma, 4-3 (12)

MICHIGAN STATE def. Evansville, 10-3

Jacksonville State def. NORTHWESTERN, 3-2

Wichita State def. PENN STATE, 9-0

PURDUE def. Tennessee Tech, 13-3

Minnesota senior Jillian Tyler swam to the national title, winning the 100-yard breaststroke in day two of the 2011 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. The Calgary, Alberta native, finished in a time of 58.39 seconds, after two runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009. Tyler is the second Golden Gopher to win the NCAA title in the 100 breast. Defending NCAA 3-meter champion, Kelci Bryant earned a runner-up finish with a score of 395.85.

For the complete recap of the NCAA Championships, click here.

Minnesota junior Kelci Bryant captured the 1-meter diving national title at the 2011 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships in Austin, Texas on Thursday. Bryant gathered 349.65 points to win the crown.

After six events in the books, the Gophers pace all Big Ten teams in eighth place with 67 team points, followed by Wisconsin at 56 and Ohio State at No. 16 with 18 points. After day one, Indiana sits at No. 20 while Penn State and Michigan are tied at No. 26 on the team leaderboard. Purdue rounds out the conference contingent at No. 29 with five team points.

For the complete recap, click here.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 
ILLINOIS vs. Northern Illinois [24], Noon
INDIANA vs. Army [20], TBA
IOWA vs. Notre Dame [23], 1 p.m.
IOWA vs. Gonzaga [23], 5 p.m.
MICHIGAN vs. Alma 2 p.m.
MICHIGAN STATE at Evansville, 6 p.m.
MINNESOTA at Santa Clara, 5 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN vs. Jacksonville State [20], TBA
OHIO STATE at California, 5:30 p.m.
PENN STATE at Wichita State, 7:30 p.m.
PURDUE at Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 19
ILLINOIS vs. St. Louis [24], Noon
INDIANA vs. Dartmouth [20], TBA
IOWA vs. Gonzaga [23], 5 p.m.
MICHIGAN vs. Oakland, Noon
MICHIGAN STATE at Evansville, 2 p.m.
MINNESOTA at Santa Clara, Noon
NORTHWESTERN vs. Army [20], TBA
NORTHWESTERN vs. Massachusetts [20], TBA
OHIO STATE at California, 4 p.m.
PENN STATE at Wichita State, 3 p.m.
PURDUE at Tennessee Tech, 3 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 20
ILLINOIS at Southern Illinois, 3:30 p.m.
MICHIGAN STATE at Eastern Michigan, 2 p.m.
MINNESOTA at Santa Clara, Noon
NORTHWESTERN vs. Dartmouth [20], TBA
OHIO STATE at California, 4 p.m.
PENN STATE at Wichita State, 2 p.m.
PURDUE at Tennessee Tech, 2 p.m.

KEY
20 - RussMatt Central Florida Invitational (Winter Haven, Fla.)
23 - Notre Dame Tournament (San Antonio, Texas)
24 - Carbondale, Ill.

Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue all picked up wins on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, marking the first time in conference history that the Big Ten has gone 4-0 on a single day of the tournament. The Big Ten is 5-2 overall in second-round games this year as Wisconsin picked up a win on Thursday night. Friday's results are below.

NCAA SECOND ROUND
No. 8 MICHIGAN def. No. 9 Tennessee, 75-45
The University of Michigan men's basketball team held Tennessee to just 16 second-half points on the way to a 75-45 victory on Friday in the NCAA Second Round held at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Junior guard Zack Novak scored 14 points to lead five U-M players in double figures. Michigan will now take on the winner of the Duke/Hampton game in the Round of 32 on Sunday. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 1 OHIO STATE def. No. 16 UTSA, 75-46
William Buford scored 18 points, freshman Jared Sullinger added 11, and Ohio State looked every inch the part of a No. 1 overall seed in rolling to a 75-46 win over Texas-San Antonio in the second round of the NCAA tournament Friday. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 3 PURDUE def. No. 14 Saint Peter's, 65-43
E'Twaun Moore scored 19 points and JuJuan Johnson added 16 with 16 rebounds Friday night as third-seeded Purdue routed St. Peter's 65-43 in the second round of the NCAA's Southwest Region. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 9 ILLINOIS def. No. 8 UNLV, 73-62
Mike Davis tied his season high with 22 points, Demetri McCamey added 17 points and seven assists and Illinois dominated UNLV 73-62 Friday night to set up another meeting between Fighting Illini coaches past and present in the Southwest Region of the NCAA tournament. RECAP & BOX SCORE

NCAA Live Bracket

All times ET

NCAA SECOND ROUND
No. 7 Temple def. No. 10 PENN STATE, 66-64
In a thrilling NCAA Tournament game full of guts and guile, No. 10 seed Penn State (19-15) took No. 7 seed Temple (26-7) to the wire before Juan Fernandez's 17-foot leaning jumper at the buzzer elevated the Owls to a 66-64 victory in Tucson, AZ, Thursday in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Recap & Box Score

No. 4 WISCONSIN def. #13 Belmont, 72-58
Wisconsin brought its offense out of the deep freeze into the desert, and the thaw was remarkable.

Jon Leuer scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and the Badgers methodically dispatched Belmont 72-58 on Thursday night, the Badgers' fifth consecutive NCAA tournament-opening victory. Jordan Taylor added 21 for fourth-seeded Wisconsin (24-8), 14 in the first half. RECAP & BOX SCORE

No. 7 UCLA def. No. 10 MICHIGAN STATE
UCLA kept clanking free throws, Michigan State kept draining 3-pointers. It turned a potential rout into a nailbiter.

In the end, the Bruins escaped. Barely.

Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee scored 16 points apiece and seventh-seeded UCLA held off a late comeback by the 10th-seeded Spartans 78-76 in the Southeast regional of the NCAA tournament. RECAP & BOX SCORE 

NIT First Round
Milwaukee at NORTHWESTERN - 8 p.m. ET, ESPN3.com

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the National Athletes of the Year for the 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season. High jumper Derek Drouin of Indiana is the coaches' pick for best male field athlete of the season. The junior won the NCAA high jump title with a clearance of 7-5 (2.26m), and moved him to a tie for third indoors all-time in the collegiate ranks. Drouin is the first back-to-back indoor national champ since USC's Jesse Williams in 2005 and 2006.

For the complete release, click here.

Thursday's open practice session begins at Noon CT with a 40-minute session for 15th seed Akron and continues throughout the day with the eighth and final session beginning at 6:40 with the winner of USC/VCU from Wednesday's First Four contest. In addition, Florida State, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Purdue, Saint Peter's and Texas A&M will each hold their own open practice times during the day on Thursday. A complete schedule of the open practice sessions appears below.

Click here for the complete release.

INDIANA def. Pittsburgh, 9-2

Texas A&M Corpus Christi def. IOWA, 5-4

Wisconsin begins first-round play at home against Butler on Wednesday, while Michigan begins play on Thursday, when it travels to Eastern Michigan. Northwestern will host a first-round contest on Thursday when it welcomes Creighton.

Earlier on Monday, five Big Ten teams were chosen to play in the NCAA Championship. It is the third time in the last four seasons the conference has sent eight or more teams to the postseason

Player and Co-Freshman of the Week:
Andie Varsho, Purdue
Fr., OF, Chili, Wis./Marshfield

Varsho earns Big Ten Player of the Week status for the first time in her career after batting .714 and accounting for 11 runs to help Purdue to a 3-1 record last week. The freshman had four multi-hit games, drove in six runs and scored five times in finishing the weekend with a 1.928 OPS. Varsho went 10-for-14 on the week, including three-hit games against Rutgers and Middle Tennessee and two-hit efforts against Buffalo and Hofstra. In addition to a double, a triple and a home run last week, she also had one stolen base. Varsho claims her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolade.

Last Purdue Player of the Week: Molly Garst (Feb. 21, 2011)
Last Purdue Freshman of the Week: Kim McMillan (Feb. 28, 2011)

Pitcher and Co-Freshman of the Week:
Sara Moulton, Minnesota
Fr., P, Eagan, Minn./Eagan

Moulton allowed just four earned runs in 27 innings of work for a 1.04 ERA in earning her first Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade. The freshman went 3-1 last week for the Gophers, striking out 26 and throwing three complete-game shutouts to lead Minnesota to the Mizuno Classic title. In her three wins, Moulton surrendered just 10 hits in 21 innings in victories over Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa and against No. 20 Oklahoma State in the championship contest. She claims her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor.

Last Minnesota Pitcher of the Week: Lacey Middlebrooks (March 1, 2010)
Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: N/A

The Wooden Award All-America Teams will be announced the week of the Elite Eight, with the Wooden Award winner being announced on April 8.

The Big Ten leads all conferences will five honorees for the John R. Wooden Award and boasts two of the three schools which have multiple honorees. Still in the running for the award are Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Purdue's JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, and Wisconsin's Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor.

The Wooden Award All-America teams will be announced the during the week of the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. The 35th-annual Wooden Award ceremony will take place on April 8, 2011, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

For all the information regarding the John R. Wooden Award, click here.

Eleven Big Ten divers qualified last weekend for the 2011 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The Championships begin this Thursday March 17-19 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas. The follow is a list of the participants: Indiana's Gabby Agostino and Amy Cozad, Iowa's Deidre Freeman and Veronica Rydze, Michigan's Amanda Lohman, Minnesota's Kelci Bryant and Margaret Keefer, Ohio State's Bianca Alvarez and Katherine Bell and Purdue's Kara Cook and Erin Mertz.

Last week, seven Big Ten divers qualified for the 2011 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, which will be held March 24-26 on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The conference will send Indiana's David Piercy and Darian Schmidt, Minnesota's Andrew Brown, Ohio State's Christian Holstein and Purdue's David Boudia, Danny Cox and JP Perez.

For more on the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, click here.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the  270 women that earned either first-team or second-team USTFCCCA All-America distinctions for the 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season. Each school was represented, as the Big Ten garnered 23 recipients.

Click here for complete results.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces the 267 men that earned either first-team or second-team USTFCCCA All-America distinctions for the 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field season. The Big Ten had 45 individuals who received the honor, including Illinois' Andrew Riley and Indiana's Derek Drouin, both took home NCAA crowns in their respective events.

For the complete release, click here.

The United States Basketball Writers Association named their 2010-11 All-America Team today as the Big Ten hoists two candidates. Purdue's forward/center JaJuan Johnson and Ohio State's freshman forward Jared Sullinger took home the honors. Johnson became the first Boilermaker to garner first-team honors in 17 years while Sullinger is the Buckeyes' second consecutive first-team member, as Evan Turner earned the award last season. The Big Ten is the only conference with two first-team honorees.

For the complete release, click here.

Western Kentucky def. ILLINOIS, 13-5

INDIANA def. Akron, 4-1

IOWA def. Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 10-9 (10)

Stony Brook def. MICHIGAN, 3-1

MICHIGAN STATE def. Pittsburgh, 7-4

Gonzaga def. MINNESOTA, 15-6

Army def. OHIO STATE, 14-9

Norfolk State def. PENN STATE, 4-2

PENN STATE def. Norfolk State, 5-0

ILLINOIS def. Western Kentucky, 9-5

Central Michigan def. INDIANA, 3-0

Texas Tech def. IOWA, 6-4

Stony Brook def. MICHIGAN, 3-1

MICHIGAN def. Winthrop, 9-8

MICHIGAN STATE def. Akron, 5-1

Gonzaga def. MINNESOTA, 10-3

NORTHWESTERN def. St. Louis, 15-9

OHIO STATE def. Yale, 12-6

PENN STATE def. Norfolk State, 5-1

PENN STATE def. Norfolk State, 12-1

PURDUE def. Tennessee-Martin, 8-7

Michigan led all Big Ten teams as competition came to a close at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University on Saturday. The Wolverines tallied 12 team points to finish tied in 12th place. Rounding out the Big Ten contingent was Wisconsin (T36), Indiana (T36), Ohio State (T40), Penn State (T45), Illinois (T50), Iowa (T50), Minnesota (T50) and Michigan State (T57). Oregon earned the NCAA team crown with 67 points, followed by Texas with 38 and LSU with 37.

For the third straight year, Indiana and Minnesota led all Big Ten conference teams at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Hoosiers and Gophers both tied with 27 team points at the conclusion of the two-day event. Iowa racked up 20 points as the Hawkeyes tied for eighth place, followed by Penn State tied for 11th place with 16 team points. Illinois earned 23 points while Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin tallied 4.50, 4.00 and 3.00 respective team points.

For the entire recap of the NCAA Championships, click here.

The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Championship has arrived and we are set to crown the 2011 winner.

Today's contest will be between the top-ranked and top-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (31-2) and the sixth-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions (19-13).  The tournament final will be broadcast live on CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Among the storylines, Ohio State is competing in its third-straight Big Ten Tournament final and fifth in the past six years, while looking for their fourth BTT title, although the 2002 crown was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions.  Penn State makes its first-ever appearance in the championship game.

The 2011 final marks the second consecutive No. 1/6-seeded game as the top-seeded Buckeyes bested No. 6 Minnesota last year, 90-61.

It is the seventh year overall that a team will compete in the finals after playing three games in three straight days -- a history that includes 1999 (No. 11 Illinois), 2001 (No. 6 Iowa), 2002 (No. 9 Iowa), 2003 (No. 8 Ohio State), 2008 (No. 10 Illinois) and 2010 (No. 6 Minnesota).  The Hawkeyes in 2001 were the lone team to actually win four games in four days.

This will mark the second consecutive Big Ten Basketball Tournament Championship featuring Ohio State and Penn State.  Last week in the women's tournament, the Buckeyes defeated the Lady Lions, 84-70.

In Big Ten Tournament history, Ohio State and Penn State have met three times with the Buckeyes holding a 2-1 advantage.  PSU's lone win was over the top-seeded Buckeyes in 2000.  In the previous three games, the average margin of victory is five points.  History tells us we should be in store for a good one tomorrow.

A complete breakdown is below:

No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Penn State (3:30 p.m. ET)
Ohio State leads Big Ten Tournament series, 2-1

2000, Q, No. 9 Penn State def. No. 1 Ohio State, 71-66
2005, 1st, No. 6 Ohio State def. No. 11 Penn State 72-69
2006, Q, No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 8 Penn State, 63-56

Western Kentucky def. ILLINOIS, 3-1

Texas Tech def. IOWA, 9-7

Winthrop def. MICHIGAN, 8-5

MICHIGAN STATE def. Yale, 14-1

MINNESOTA def. Gonzaga, 8-1

NORTHWESTERN def. St. Louis, 8-5

St. Louis def. NORTHWESTERN, 5-2

Illinois State def. OHIO STATE, 12-1

PURDUE def. Tennessee-Martin, 4-3

1999, Q, No. 2 Ohio State def. No. 10 Michigan, 87-69
2002, Q, No. 2 Ohio State def. No. 10 Michigan, 75-68
2007, Q, No. 1 Ohio State def. No. 8 Michigan, 72-62
2010, Q, Mo. 1 Ohio State def. No. 8 Michigan,. 69-68

2001, Q, No. 7 Penn State def. No. 2 Michigan State, 65-63

MARCH 11
ILLINOIS at Western Kentucky, 4 p.m.
IOWA at Texas Tech, 6 p.m.
MICHIGAN at Winthrop [19], 4 p.m.
MICHIGAN STATE vs. Yale [20], 5 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN at Saint Louis, 3 p.m.
OHIO STATE vs. Illinois State [20], TBA
PENN STATE at Norfolk State, 4 p.m.
PURDUE at Tennessee-Martin, 5 p.m.

MARCH 12
ILLINOIS at Western Kentucky, 3 p.m.
INDIANA vs. Central Michigan [20], TBA
IOWA at Texas Tech, 5 p.m.
MICHIGAN vs. Stony Brook [19], 11 a.m.
MICHIGAN at Winthrop [19], 6 p.m.
MICHIGAN STATE vs. Akron [20], 4:30 p.m.
NORTHWESTERN at Saint Louis, 1 p.m.
OHIO STATE vs. Bradley [20], TBA
PENN STATE at Norfolk State (DH), 1 p.m.
PURDUE at Tennessee-Martin, 2 p.m.

MARCH 13
ILLINOIS at Western Kentucky, 2 p.m.
INDIANA vs. Bradley [20], TBA
IOWA vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi [21], 1 p.m.
MICHIGAN vs. Stony Brook [19], 10:30 a.m.
MICHIGAN STATE vs. Pittsburgh [20], 10 a.m.
OHIO STATE vs. Army [20], TBA
PENN STATE at Norfolk State, Noon
PURDUE at Tennessee-Martin, 2 p.m.

KEY
19 - Bojangles Baseball Classic (Rock Hill, S.C.)
20 - RussMatt Central Florida Invitational (Winter Haven, Fla.)
21 - Lubbock, Texas

Welcome to Quarterfinal Friday where we have four games on tap for today.

Action begins at noon with the top-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes facing No. 8 Northwestern, which ousted Minnesota last night.  The second game of the day features No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Illinois.  To begin Session 3, No. 2 Purdue will battle No. 7 Michigan State, while No. 3 Wisconsin will face No. 6 Penn State in the nightcap.

Among the storylines, all four games today feature brief Big Ten Tournament history between the teams, including today's tip-off matchup against the Buckeyes and Wildcats, who have never faced one another in BTT play. 

In the second game, Michigan looks for its first win over Illinois in three Big Ten Tournament  contests.  This will be the first year that the Wolverines are ranked better than the Fighting Illini.  The previous two meetings have resulted in double-digit wins by the Illini.

In the third game of the day -- the first of the evening session -- No. 2 Purdue will also look for its first win in the three-game BTT series with Michigan State.  The Spartans have topped the Boilers as both the No. 5 and 6 seed, but can they keep the pattern going as the No. 7 seed?

The nightcap takes us all the way back to the first Big Ten Tournament in 1998.  In the first round of the inaugural event, the 10th-seeded Badgers upset No. 7 Penn State in a close 52-51 outcome.

Check out the breakdown below:

Game 4:  No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Northwestern (12 p.m. ET)
First Meeting in the Big Ten Tournament

Game 5:  No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 5 Illinois  (Approximately 2:30 p.m. ET)
Illinois leads Big Ten Tournament series, 2-0

2004, S, No. 1 Illinois def. No. 5 Michigan, 74-60
2009, Q, No. 2 Illinois def. No. 7 Michigan, 60-50

2003, Q, No. 5 Michigan State def. No. 4 Purdue, 54-42
2006, 1st, No. 6 Michigan State def. No. 11 Purdue, 70-58

1998, 1st, No. 10 Wisconsin def. No. 7 Penn State, 52-51

• No. 8 Northwestern vs. No. 9 Minnesota
• No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Iowa
• No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Indiana
  

1995, 1st, No. 8 Minnesota def. No. 9 Northwestern, 64-56
2003, 1st, No. 10 Northwestern def. No. 7 Minnesota, 76-64
2008, 1st, No. 6 Minnesota def. No. 11 Minnesota, 55-52
2009, 1st, No. 8 Minnesota def. No. 9 Northwestern, 66-53

2000, Q, No. 2 Michigan State def. No. 7 Iowa, 75-65
2005, Q, No. 7 Iowa def. No. 2 Michigan State, 71-69
2006, S, No. 2 Iowa def. No. 6 Michigan State, 53-48

2003, 1st, No. 6 Indiana def. No. 11 Penn State, 77-49
2009, 1st, No. 6 Penn State def. No. 11 Indiana, 66-51

The tournament schedule is as follows with single-session ticket prices listed for each session (game times are Eastern):

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced on Wednesday its Division I All-District teams, naming 10 Big Ten men's basketball players to the District 7 first and second teams. Student-athletes selected to the All-District teams are eligible for the State Farm Coaches' Division I All-America teams, which will be announced on Saturday, April 2. The Big Ten's honorees are listed below. COMPLETE RELEASE

NABC All-District (District 7)
First Team:
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Talor Battle, Penn State
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

Second Team:
Darius Morris, Michigan
Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota
William Buford, Ohio State
David Lighty, Ohio State
E'Twaun Moore, Purdue