Sports
Men’s Big Ten conference guide: 10 NCAA tournament-bound teams, plus 6 on bubble
If, come April 6, the Big Ten has ended its quarter-century national championship drought, it still won’t change an uncomfortable fact: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, no conference has done less with more in the NCAA tournament.
The Big Ten has averaged exactly eight NCAA tournament bids in each of the past five seasons. That’s 40 teams altogether — and all 40 have gone home with a loss. The record of this 18-team conference in the Big Dance is just six games over .500 (46-40), which should be impossible with a team seed average under six (5.97 to be exact).
So either five selection committees have underperformed when it counts, or the league itself has. And, well, we all know where the bodies are buried: No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago over 1-seed Illinois in 2021 (round of 32), No. 15 Saint Peter’s over 3-seed Purdue in 2022 (Sweet 16), No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson over 1-seed Purdue in 2023 (round of 64). You get the idea.
But it began to change this past March. Four of eight Big Ten teams made the second weekend, with Michigan State reaching the Elite Eight. For a change, the conference played to its seed across the board.
We’ll see this March (and April?) whether that was a trend or a one-off. This Bracketologist is betting on the former.
The Big Ten begins conference play on Dec. 2.
Final Four contenders
Michigan Wolverines
Purdue Boilermakers
Michigan State Spartans
Illinois Fighting Illini
0:49
Highlight: Kentucky falls to Michigan State in Champions Classic
The Wildcats shoot 35 percent from the field against the Spartans’ 50 percent as they struggle to keep up in the 83-66 loss in Madison Square Garden.
Michigan sits atop the first Bracketology of December and Purdue is No. 1 in both wire service polls. Both are legitimate national championship contenders. At least two others appear good enough to win four games and play into April.
Likely tournament teams
Indiana Hoosiers
USC Trojans
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Wisconsin Badgers
UCLA Bruins
1:15
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Indiana Hoosiers: Game Highlights
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Indiana Hoosiers: Game Highlights
Indiana and Nebraska are the most interesting names in this group. The Hoosiers haven’t gotten it right in a long time, winning only one tournament game in the past decade. With the benefit of hindsight, three Sweet 16 teams under Tom Crean from 2012-2016 is looking pretty good. Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers remain the only power conference team to never win an NCAA tournament game. That has a real chance of changing in 2026.
Possible tournament teams
Ohio State Buckeyes
Northwestern Wildcats
Washington Huskies
Oregon Ducks
Maryland Terrapins
0:48
Arrinten Page wins it for Northwestern as time expires
Arrinten Page wins it for Northwestern as time expires
If form holds, at least a couple from this group will be smiling on Selection Sunday. Ohio State fell just outside the previous group and should make it. Even if the Buckeyes are the only one from this group, the conference is going to send double-digit teams dancing for the first time.
Sleeper team
1:17
Ole Miss Rebels vs. Iowa Hawkeyes: Game Highlights
Ole Miss Rebels vs. Iowa Hawkeyes: Game Highlights
It’s hard not to be fascinated by the Hawkeyes, who are transitioning from the scoring machines of the Fran McCaffery era to the sub-350 tempo of the Ben McCollum era. Iowa fans will take whatever results in deep runs, and so far, so good. The Hawkeyes open Big Ten play in the top 30 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Long shots
Penn State Nittany Lions
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Rutgers might never again recruit the likes of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, and as such will always have an uphill climb to the NCAA tournament. Penn State and Minnesota can be good on a regular basis, but the sheer number of teams they need to pass in a league this deep is daunting.
Key games to watch
Illinois vs. Tennessee in Nashville (Saturday)
Michigan at Michigan State (Jan. 30)
Michigan at Purdue (Feb. 17)
Michigan vs. Duke in Washington, D.C. (Feb. 21)
Michigan State at Purdue (Feb. 26)
Today is a very important and decisive clash between India and Pakistan to reach the semi-finals in the Under-19 World Cup 2026.
This important match will be played today, Sunday, in Zimbabwe, which will start at 12:30 pm according to Pakistani time and 1 pm according to Indian time.
This match is the last match of the Super Six stage and one team is yet to be decided for the semi-finals, England from Group 2 has already qualified for the semi-finals, while the other team will be India or Pakistan.
India is currently in a better position with six points and its net run rate is 3.337, it is very easy for India, it only has to win the match and it will qualify for the semi-finals.
But on the other hand, Pakistan has four points and its net run rate is 1.484, which is significantly lower than India. Pakistan not only needs to win this match but also by a large margin to equal India in points and also surpass them in net run rate.
If Pakistan scores 300 runs batting first, it will need to win by at least 85 runs. If Pakistan bowls first and restricts India to around 200 runs, the target will have to be achieved in 31.5 overs.
If India scores 251 runs, Pakistan will have to achieve this target in around 33.2 overs to make it to the semi-finals.
It should be noted that this match will not be just about winning or losing but will be a test of runs, overs and nerves where a small slip-up can knock one team out of the World Cup.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The judge in Alabama men’s basketball player Charles Bediako‘s eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA has recused himself from the case.
Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge James Roberts filed the order Wednesday, according to court documents. AL.com first reported Roberts’ recusal.
The case was reassigned to Judge Daniel Pruet, an Alabama graduate who is overseeing the murder case involving former Crimson Tide player Darius Miles.
The NCAA filed a motion for recusal Tuesday, noting Roberts’ donations to the university as well as public perception that his relationship with Alabama athletics could alter his judgment in the case. Roberts was listed as a donor on the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website.
“Courts in Alabama and beyond have widely recognized that a mere appearance of partiality is sufficient to require the recusal of a trial judge,” the NCAA wrote. “This appearance can be compounded by widespread media and public scrutiny questioning the trial court’s impartiality. Despite the NCAA’s confidence that the Court can disregard his connections to the University of Alabama and its athletics programs, recusal is still necessary to protect these proceedings from an appearance of impropriety.”
Bediako’s attorneys did not oppose the motion.
Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to regain college eligibility despite leaving school and entering the 2023 NBA draft. He went undrafted but signed a two-way NBA contract and played the past three seasons in the G League. Roberts granted a temporary restraining order last week that allows Bediako to play for the Crimson Tide, at least until a hearing on an injunction can be held.
No. 23 Alabama plays at No. 19 Florida on Sunday.
The NCAA and several college coaches, including Florida’s Todd Golden, have strongly opposed Bediako’s return to college basketball.
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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 for “aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official,” the NBA announced Saturday.
The league’s announcement said the incident happened with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday.
Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game when he stormed the court after a no-call against Sam Merrill for driving on Collin Gillespie after he bumped into an official before being escorted off and ejected from the game.
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat April 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)
Atkinson whipped his arm against the nearby referee before the whistle was blown.
Atkinson ripped the officials in a postgame news conference.
PGA TOUR STAR JUSTIN THOMAS RIPS NCAA FOR CURRENT STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 6, 2025. (David Richard-Imagn Images)
“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that [is 26th in fouls],” Atkinson said. “And the second free throw we got was after a flop. I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. Parts of the game seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league.
“Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don’t stand up to them. And the game turns into reviews, challenges, go to the monitor for 20 minutes when we’re just trying to play basketball. I don’t think it’s good for the league, and I know it wasn’t good for us tonight. Thought they let the game get out of hand.”
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the first half against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 4, 2025. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
The Cavaliers fell to 29-21, while Phoenix improved to 30-19.
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