Big Ten Notebook: Illinois men’s basketball wins fourth Big Ten title

Illinois basketball won the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday

For the fourth time in program history, the Illinois Fighting Illini are Big Ten Tournament champions. On Sunday, they defeated Wisconsin 93-87 in a hard-fought championship game battle that went down to the wire. They were led by the talented duo of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask.

As Illinois pulled away in the second half, Shannon Jr. set the tone offensively. The Chicago native scored a team-high 34 points while draining three-pointers. He got some help from Domask, who scored 26 points and only missed one shot.

While Wisconsin’s Big Ten Tournament ended in disappointing fashion, there were a few bright spots. That includes Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr. Just like he has done all season, Storr was a scoring machine. He added 24 points and three steals to his resume. Hepburn had one of his best games of the season, scoring 20 points.

 

 

Part of Illinois’s ability to take control late was due to its success close to the basket. They scored 40 points in the paint, while Wisconsin only scored 36. The Fighting Illini also shot over 50 percent from the field and made seven three-pointers.

[lawrence-related id=36407,36405]

Once the confetti was released, Illinois had a reason to celebrate beyond winning a title. Their star, Terrence Shannon Jr., was named the 2024 Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament

Nebraska softball splits final day of the Razorback Rumble

The Huskers entered the final day of the Razorback Rumble with a doubleheader against St. Francis and South Alabama.

The Huskers entered the final day of the Razorback Rumble with a doubleheader against St. Francis and South Alabama. Nebraska split the last day, falling to St. Francis and defeating South Alabama.

In the loss to St. Francis, the Huskers led 2-0 after five innings but failed to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities. Nebraska finished the game with ten runners left on base. St. Francis took advantage by forcing extra innings before jumping out to take the 6-3 win in eight innings.

Ava Bredwell led Nebraska in the batter’s box, hitting 2-of-3 with a double, a triple, and a walk. Bella Bacon hit a pair of RBIs, while Billie Andrews doubled to extend her hitting streak to 16 games.

Sarah Harness took the loss for Nebraska. Harness started in the circle and tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. Emmerson Cope pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Harness re-entered the game and pitched the eighth inning, giving up four runs.

In the win over South Alabama, Nebraska took control of the lead in the first inning and held it to the end. Bacon put the Huskers on the board with her lone hit of the game, resulting in an RBI.

Sydney Gray dominated the game for Nebraska, delivering three hits, two home runs, a double, and three RBIs. Alina Felix brought in the final run for the Huskers with an RBI off a fielder’s choice.

Kaylin Kinney pitched the whole game and faced 29 batters. Kinney earned the win and threw two strikeouts while surrendering six hits and a run.

Nebraska moves to 11-11 on the season and will return home to host the Big Red Spring Classic from Thursday to Sunday. The Huskers will start the tournament against Northern Colorado on Thursday night. The first pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.

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Illinois Fighting Illini need a bounce back season in 2024

In each part of this series, we will unveil where each of the 18 teams in the new look Big Ten conference begins. Illinois under the leadership of Bret Bielema is No. 17 out of 18.

It’s never too early for a “way too early” Big Ten power ranking! Things will change. Players will hurt the portal, players will transfer in, and injuries will happen but for the most part, we have a pretty good understanding of rosters after National Signing Day and so much transfer portal movement.

In each part of this series, we will unveil where each of the 18 teams in the new look conference begins. We started at No. 1 with the revamped Ohio State Buckeyes. Then, the Oregon Ducks come in at the second spot. Coming in at No. 3 were the defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines, who are in a bit of a transition period.

At No. 4, we unveiled the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are returning a lot of talent from their 2023 roster. Then we made way for the old reliable, the Iowa Hawkeyes. At No. 6, another new addition to the conference, the USC Trojans. Next up at No. 7, the Wisconsin Badgers came in, followed by the Washington Huskies at No. 8 in the ranking.

Coming in at No. 9, another pretty consistent program with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. They come into the 2024 season as a real wildcard. Speaking of wildcards, there may not be a bigger one than the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They come in at No. 10 on the ranking.

Following Nebraska is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at No. 11, coming off a bit of a breakout season in 2023 under head coach Greg Schiano. A team in transition, but an exciting one, is the Indiana Hoosiers. At No. 13 is the Michigan State Spartans, who are another team in transition. Then you have the Purdue Boilermakers at No. 14 who enter the second year under former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.

Another new entrant into the new look Big Ten conference, the UCLA Bruins enter with a lot of uncertainty at No. 15. Coming in at No. 16, the Maryland Terrapins have a more familiar face in Mike Locksley heading into year seven, followed by the Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 17. 

Bret Bielema had the team heading in a great direction in 2022, showing an elite defense and lots of signs that the program is being built well. Unfortunately, they took a step back in 2023, limping to a 5-7 record. In 2024, the team will have to lean on the defense, which returns a lot of talent. They should be led by pass rushers Seth Coleman and Gabriel Jacas,  both of whom are on NFL radars. 

Offensively, there is a lot of doubt about how good Illinois could be. They have two huge defections on the offensive line, but did grab former New Mexico offensive tackle JC Davis the portal who is one of the more underrated players at his positional national. Davis will be helping to pave the way for sophomore running back Kaden Feagin, who is a load at 240 pounds.

Full Big Ten Rankings

  1. Ohio State Buckeyes
  2. Oregon Ducks
  3. Michigan Wolverines
  4. Penn State Nittany Lions
  5. Iowa Hawkeyes 
  6. USC Trojans
  7. Wisconsin Badgers
  8. Washington Huskies
  9. Minnesota Golden Gophers
  10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
  12. Indiana Hoosiers
  13. Michigan State Spartans
  14. Purdue Boilermakers
  15. UCLA Bruins
  16. Maryland Terrapins
  17. Illinois Fighting Illini 
  18. TBD

How to watch the 2024 Big Ten wresting championships

Check out the five of the country’s top-10 ranked wrestling teams this weekend at the Big Ten championships.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Saturday, Mar. 9, and Sunday, Mar. 10 at the 2023-24 Big Ten Tournament, headlined by the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes 

The annual Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set to take place at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the NWCA top 25 including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Michigan. 

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. All action will be airing on BTN and B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championship session 1″ link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

Last year the Nittany Lions took home the conference championship competing in the toughest wrestling conference in the country. With a lot of their roster returning from last season, Penn State is the likely favorite once again.

Big Ten Wrestling Sessions

Date Session Broadcast Time (ET) Stream
Mar. 9 Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks BTN 10 a.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks B1G+ 5 p.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Semifinals BTN 7 p.m. Click here
Mar. 10 Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7th Place Matches B1G+ Noon Click here
Mar. 10 Session 4 – Championship, 3rd and 5th-Place Matches BTN 4:30 p.m. Click here

Get more Big Ten coverage from our network of team sites

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championships Quaterfinals” link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

How to watch the 2024 Big Ten wresting championships

Check out the five of the country’s top-10 ranked wrestling teams this weekend at the Big Ten championships.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Saturday, Mar. 9, and Sunday, Mar. 10 at the 2023-24 Big Ten Tournament, headlined by the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes 

The annual Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set to take place at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the NWCA top 25 including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Michigan. 

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. All action will be airing on BTN and B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championship session 1″ link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

Last year the Nittany Lions took home the conference championship competing in the toughest wrestling conference in the country. With a lot of their roster returning from last season, Penn State is the likely favorite once again.

Big Ten Wrestling Sessions

Date Session Broadcast Time (ET) Stream
Mar. 9 Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks BTN 10 a.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks B1G+ 5 p.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Semifinals BTN 7 p.m. Click here
Mar. 10 Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7th Place Matches B1G+ Noon Click here
Mar. 10 Session 4 – Championship, 3rd and 5th-Place Matches BTN 4:30 p.m. Click here

Get more Big Ten coverage from our network of team sites

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championships Quaterfinals” link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

How to watch the 2024 Big Ten wresting championships

Check out the five of the country’s top-10 ranked wrestling teams this weekend at the Big Ten championships.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Saturday, Mar. 9, and Sunday, Mar. 10 at the 2023-24 Big Ten Tournament, headlined by the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes 

The annual Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set to take place at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the NWCA top 25 including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Michigan. 

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. All action will be airing on BTN and B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championship session 1″ link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

Last year the Nittany Lions took home the conference championship competing in the toughest wrestling conference in the country. With a lot of their roster returning from last season, Penn State is the likely favorite once again.

Big Ten Wrestling Sessions

Date Session Broadcast Time (ET) Stream
Mar. 9 Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks BTN 10 a.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks B1G+ 5 p.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Semifinals BTN 7 p.m. Click here
Mar. 10 Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7th Place Matches B1G+ Noon Click here
Mar. 10 Session 4 – Championship, 3rd and 5th-Place Matches BTN 4:30 p.m. Click here

Get more Big Ten coverage from our network of team sites

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championships Quaterfinals” link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

How to watch the 2024 Big Ten wresting championships

Check out the five of the country’s top-10 ranked wrestling teams this weekend at the Big Ten championships.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Saturday, Mar. 9, and Sunday, Mar. 10 at the 2023-24 Big Ten Tournament, headlined by the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes 

The annual Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set to take place at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the NWCA top 25 including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Michigan. 

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. All action will be airing on BTN and B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championship session 1″ link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

Last year the Nittany Lions took home the conference championship competing in the toughest wrestling conference in the country. With a lot of their roster returning from last season, Penn State is the likely favorite once again.

Big Ten Wrestling Sessions

Date Session Broadcast Time (ET) Stream
Mar. 9 Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks BTN 10 a.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks B1G+ 5 p.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Semifinals BTN 7 p.m. Click here
Mar. 10 Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7th Place Matches B1G+ Noon Click here
Mar. 10 Session 4 – Championship, 3rd and 5th-Place Matches BTN 4:30 p.m. Click here

Get more Big Ten coverage from our network of team sites

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championships Quaterfinals” link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

How to watch the 2024 Big Ten wresting championships

Check out the five of the country’s top-10 ranked wrestling teams this weekend at the Big Ten championships.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Saturday, Mar. 9, and Sunday, Mar. 10 at the 2023-24 Big Ten Tournament, headlined by the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes 

The annual Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set to take place at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the NWCA top 25 including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Michigan. 

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. All action will be airing on BTN and B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championship session 1″ link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

Last year the Nittany Lions took home the conference championship competing in the toughest wrestling conference in the country. With a lot of their roster returning from last season, Penn State is the likely favorite once again.

Big Ten Wrestling Sessions

Date Session Broadcast Time (ET) Stream
Mar. 9 Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks BTN 10 a.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks B1G+ 5 p.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Semifinals BTN 7 p.m. Click here
Mar. 10 Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7th Place Matches B1G+ Noon Click here
Mar. 10 Session 4 – Championship, 3rd and 5th-Place Matches BTN 4:30 p.m. Click here

Get more Big Ten coverage from our network of team sites

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championships Quaterfinals” link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

How to watch the 2024 Big Ten wresting championships

Check out the five of the country’s top-10 ranked wrestling teams this weekend at the Big Ten championships.

Get ready for collegiate wrestling action on Saturday, Mar. 9, and Sunday, Mar. 10 at the 2023-24 Big Ten Tournament, headlined by the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes 

The annual Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set to take place at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, will include competitors from 10 ranked teams in the NWCA top 25 including No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Michigan. 

If you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. All action will be airing on BTN and B1G+.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championship session 1″ link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

Last year the Nittany Lions took home the conference championship competing in the toughest wrestling conference in the country. With a lot of their roster returning from last season, Penn State is the likely favorite once again.

Big Ten Wrestling Sessions

Date Session Broadcast Time (ET) Stream
Mar. 9 Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks BTN 10 a.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks B1G+ 5 p.m. Click here
Mar. 9 Session 2 – Semifinals BTN 7 p.m. Click here
Mar. 10 Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7th Place Matches B1G+ Noon Click here
Mar. 10 Session 4 – Championship, 3rd and 5th-Place Matches BTN 4:30 p.m. Click here

Get more Big Ten coverage from our network of team sites

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Big Ten Wrestling Championships Quaterfinals” link=”http://bit.ly/WR24Sesh1″]

UCLA Bruins have a lot to prove in early Big Ten ranking

UCLA Bruins have a lot to prove in early Big Ten ranking

It’s never too early for a “way too early” Big Ten power ranking! Things will change. Players will hurt the portal, players will transfer in, and injuries will happen but for the most part, we have a pretty good understanding of rosters after National Signing Day and so much transfer portal movement.

In each part of this series, we will unveil where each of the 18 teams in the new look conference begins. We started at No. 1 with the revamped Ohio State Buckeyes. Then, the Oregon Ducks come in at the second spot. Coming in at No. 3 were the defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines, who are in a bit of a transition period.

At No. 4, we unveiled the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are returning a lot of talent from their 2023 roster. Then we made way for the old reliable, the Iowa Hawkeyes. At No. 6, another new addition to the conference, the USC Trojans. Next up at No. 7, the Wisconsin Badgers came in, followed by the Washington Huskies at No. 8 in the ranking.

Coming in at No. 9, another pretty consistent program with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. They come into the 2024 season as a real wildcard. Speaking of wildcards, there may not be a bigger one than the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They come in at No. 10 on the ranking.

Following Nebraska is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at No. 11, coming off a bit of a breakout season in 2023 under head coach Greg Schiano. A team in transition, but an exciting one, is the Indiana Hoosiers. At No. 13 is the Michigan State Spartans, who are another team in transition. Then you have the Purdue Boilermakers at No. 14 who enter the second year under former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.

Another new entrant into the new look Big Ten conference, the UCLA Bruins enter with a lot of uncertainty. New head coach DeShaun Foster brings a lot of optimism to the table, and is someone who loves the program and will do anything to help rebuild the proud Bruin tradition. 

The problem is that the previous regime left this roster in a really bad spot, which is especially troubling while making the jump to the Big Ten. Offensively, there are some playmakers to work with, including wide receivers J. Michael Sturdivant and Kyle Ford. They must find solid quarterback play and rebuild the offensive line quickly. 

On defense, the team is in even worse shape. Not only are they losing a ton of talent to the NFL but they also lost defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to USC this offseason. That side of the football will need to find an identity quickly.

Full Big Ten Rankings

  1. Ohio State Buckeyes
  2. Oregon Ducks
  3. Michigan Wolverines
  4. Penn State Nittany Lions
  5. Iowa Hawkeyes 
  6. USC Trojans
  7. Wisconsin Badgers
  8. Washington Huskies
  9. Minnesota Golden Gophers
  10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
  12. Indiana Hoosiers
  13. Michigan State Spartans
  14. Purdue Boilermakers
  15. UCLA Bruins
  16. TBD
  17. TBD
  18. TBD