If you have watch Tubby Smith dance passionately on your bucket list, now's your chance to cross it off. As the unranked Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team beat the #20 Wisconsin Badgers in over time 58-53 in OT (yes, even in overtime, some Big Ten scores are still in the 50s) they celebrated in the locker room. And the Gophers basketball victory dance looks like it was … [Read more...] about Gophers basketball beats Badgers, mocks Wisconsin’s own victory dance (video)
College Basketball
Misinterpreted Fighting Illini basketball promotion exudes family values (photo)
It's been a great week and change for Illinois Fighting Illini basketball. They beat the #1 Indiana Hoosiers, then the #18 Minnesota Golden Gophers at their place. Then they finally ended their 8 game losing streak to Purdue, trouncing them by 20. I don't have the facts and figures, but I bet the winning streak was good for their ticketing office. So things were going great for … [Read more...] about Misinterpreted Fighting Illini basketball promotion exudes family values (photo)
This March Madness bracket should be madder than ever
Anyone who picks all #1 seeds in his March madness bracket this year needs to get his head checked. Indiana stayed at #1 in the polls despite losing to the unranked Illinois. Thus ended a stretch of five straight weeks in which the top ranked team went down. Now the #1 team in the country is just whoever hasn't lost lately. And if these trends hold, your march madness … [Read more...] about This March Madness bracket should be madder than ever
What’s the matter with Kansas Jayhawks basketball?
Heard anything about Kansas Jayhawks basketball lately? What's the matter with Kansas? And I'm not talking about the 2003 Thomas Frank tome explaining how the middle and low classes in the rural populace consistently votes against their own economic interests. I'm talking KU hoops. Just a week ago, Kansas had the nation's longest winning streak at 18 games. Now, the program … [Read more...] about What’s the matter with Kansas Jayhawks basketball?
Notre Dame vs Louisville 5 OTs: instant classic
ESPN College GameDay picked the right game to feature this week as Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center gave us the game of the regular season. Notre Dame vs Louisville on Saturday night was a 5 OT masterpiece won by ND 104-101. This was reminiscent of the 6 OT Big East Tournament game between UConn and Syracuse. Contests like these make me sad that this is a soon to be defunct … [Read more...] about Notre Dame vs Louisville 5 OTs: instant classic
Wisconsin’s Ben Brust may be the Badgers most important player by a longshot
With only 2.4 seconds left on the clock, Wisconsin Badgers junior guard Ben Brust made one of the most memorable shots in the history of the program. Brust took an inbound pass from teammate Mike Bruesewitz at half-court, turned the corner and hit a game-tying 40 foot running jump-shot at the buzzer with a Michigan defender draped all over him. Not only did he hit one of the … [Read more...] about Wisconsin’s Ben Brust may be the Badgers most important player by a longshot
Possible sports photo of the year: Illini coach John Groce and son
I'm not talking about the picture above; I'm talking about the Chicago Tribune photo after the jump. It's Illini coach John Groce and his son embracing the moment after knocking off the #1 Indiana Hoosiers, their hated rival. Of course, there's conflict for Groce as he grew up a huge Hoosiers fan in Muncie, Indiana. And his wife went to IU as well. … [Read more...] about Possible sports photo of the year: Illini coach John Groce and son
Illini basketball topple #1 Hoosiers, but lots of work left to do (video)
Tonight was so big for Illini basketball that even Kevin Durant, one of the best players in the NBA tweeted about it. "Wow what a game in champagne! Big time win for the fighting illini," the Durantula tweeted. Unranked Illinois took out the #1 Indiana Hoosiers, making this the third time the Illini beat a #1 ranked team in school history. First was Magic Johnson's Michigan … [Read more...] about Illini basketball topple #1 Hoosiers, but lots of work left to do (video)
College basketball is AWFUL in all of Illinois, yet again
What a shame. What a crying shame that Chicago, which every year has some of the best preps talent in the country, has zero going for it on the college level. Unless the Illinois Fighting Illini can somehow go 6-3 down stretch (and they face some brutal opponents so this highly unlikely) what Land of Lincoln team will get into the big dance? An improved UIC team that is 9-2 at … [Read more...] about College basketball is AWFUL in all of Illinois, yet again
Hoosiers Cody Zeller is apparently a hydroelectric engineer, on Twitter
The #3 Indiana Hoosiers defeated the #1 Michigan Wolverines 81-73 as Cody Zeller scored 19 points. It's the third time in school history that the Hoosiers (19-2, 8-1 Big Ten) have beaten the No. 1 team at home, and the first time they've done it in back-to-back seasons. The win gives Indiana a five-game winning streak, sole possession of the Big Ten lead and likely the top … [Read more...] about Hoosiers Cody Zeller is apparently a hydroelectric engineer, on Twitter