MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Only eight of the top 25 scorers in the Big Ten from last season returned to their teams. The conference had three of the top 10 picks in the NBA draft last summer. The natural question for Iowa is who the next standout will be after the departure of Keegan Murray to the NBA. Kris Murray is getting plenty of attention because he’s his identical twin brother. Iowa takes a developmental approach and leans more on existing players in the program to fill those voids. Michigan State follows that philosophy, too. Spartans coach Tom Izzo did not pursue any transfers.
UNDATED (AP) — Bret Bielema suddenly has No. 24 Illinois looking like a Big Ten West contender in his second year since replacing Lovie Smith as the Illini’s coach. They’re ranked for the first time since 2011. They beat Iowa and Wisconsin in the same season for the first time since 1989, and they are rolling behind a stingy defense and productive offense. Bielema, of course, is no stranger to success in the Big Ten. He won big at Wisconsin.
UNDATED (AP) — This weekend in college football includes a season-high six games matching teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Three of those games also match unbeaten teams. They include No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee; No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan; and No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU. By Saturday night, the championship picture could be very different. AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo calls it a Super Saturday.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Offensive tackle and former five-star recruit Logan Brown has said via Twitter that he’s entering the transfer portal and leaving Wisconsin. Brown issued a tweet Wednesday thanking Wisconsin for the opportunity and saying, “I will be entering the transfer portal and will be continuing my academic and football career elsewhere.” Brown was rated as the nation’s No. 17 overall prospect in the 2019 class, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. He started two games at right tackle and one at left tackle this season.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Monika Czinano only needed a few days to finalize her decision to play a fifth season in the post for Iowa. Superstar point guard Caitlin Clark is leading the way for a third year with the Hawkeyes. They’re revved up to go well beyond just a defense of their Big Ten title. Iowa was the consensus favorite in the Big Ten preseason polls. Clark is the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year. Czinano joined Clark on the 10-player preseason all-star team. She was third in the conference in scoring in 2021-22 and led the country in field goal percentage.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Call it the Big Ten’s midseason “Disappointment Bowl.” Michigan State was 15th and Wisconsin 18th in the preseason AP Top 25. Neither team has a winning record as they prepare to face off Saturday at East Lansing. Wisconsin already has made a coaching change. Wisconsin had gone 0-3 against Power Five opponents before winning 42-7 at Northwestern last week. Michigan State is in even worse shape. The Spartans have followed lopsided victories over Western Michigan and Akron by losing four straight games by an average margin of 20.3 points.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen recently asked her players to raise their hand if they played last season with a teammate next to them. Nobody did. That’s because the Gophers only have three players back from 2021-22. The good news in Whalen’s fifth year running the program is the incoming freshmen are filled with promise. Minnesota’s class was ranked 10th in the country by ESPN. Whalen has been having the players scrimmage in practice more often to compensate for the inexperience. The team is also spending more time with a sports psychologist.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Purdue had a sudden end to last season with a loss in the Sweet 16 to St. Peter’s. The Boilermakers were ranked in the AP top 10 from wire to wire and a No. 3 seed for the NCAA Tournament but had little to show for it beyond their 29 wins. Coach Matt Painter spoke at Big Ten media day about the disappointment. Three of their top players are gone. Zach Edey is their best returner. They ought to be in the mix again for a conference title. But preseason predictions are as difficult as ever with the transfer portal.
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