BLOOMINGTON —
Four times in the first six years of the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament, the No. 1 seed lost its opening game.
Indiana University is hoping recent history holds to form, as the top seed has won the tournament five times in the last six seasons, including the past three years.
The Hoosiers (26-5) enter the Big Ten tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time and therefore won’t have to play on the tournament’s first day. It’s the first time since 2008 that IU has drawn a first-round bye.
IU will face either Illinois or Minnesota in Friday’s first game.
Not only were the Illini and Golden Gophers each ranked in the Top 10 at one point this season, they’re also the only two Big Ten teams that IU lost to away from Bloomington this season. The Hoosiers had the conference’s best road record at 7-2.
“Practice has been kind of different because we’ve been going over both teams’ plays and players,” IU senior Derek Elston said. “We don’t know exactly who to get ready for, but we keep doing what we do in practice.”
The Illini defeated the Hoosiers 74-72 when Tyler Griffey was left undefended and scored a layup at the buzzer. IU answered that loss with four straight wins, including road victories over then-No. 10 Ohio State and then-No. 4 Michigan State. Then Minnesota outmuscled the Hoosiers 77-73 behind a 21-point, 12-rebound performance by Trevor Mbakwe. IU has won two of three since, including Sunday’s comeback at Michigan to win the regular-season title.
But the Hoosiers have never won the Big Ten tournament. IU has played in the championship game just once in the tournament’s 15-year history, in 2001.
“This year, to have a bye and to be able to play on Friday just shows how much hard work we’ve gone through during the season,” said Indiana junior Victor Oladipo, who was named Player of the Year by The Sporting News on Wednesday.
Today’s first-round matchups:
• No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Minnesota — The teams split their season series, with each winning on the other’s home court. The Illini’s 23 Big Ten tournament wins are the most of any school. Illinois’ Brandon Paul has scored in double figures in five straight games after a mid-February slump. Minnesota’s win at Illinois was its last away from home; the Gophers have lost eight straight on the road.
• No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 Penn State — A rematch of the Big Ten’s biggest upset of the season. The Nittany Lions had started the conference schedule 0-14, including a 79-71 loss at Michigan 10 days before upsetting the Wolverines 84-78 on Feb. 27. Penn State finished 2-16 in the conference, while Michigan still had a chance at a share of the conference title before losing to IU. The 84 points Penn State scored against Michigan tied its season-best output. This is the third time the schools will meet in the Big Ten tournament; Penn State is 2-0, having won in 2000 and 2001. The winner gets a second-round matchup with No. 4 seed Wisconsin.
• No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 10 Nebraska — Purdue has yet to lose to Nebraska since the Cornhuskers entered the Big Ten, winning both regular-season matchups the last two seasons as well as notching a Big Ten tournament victory last spring. In this year’s game, Nebraska trailed by 20 at one point in the second half before cutting Purdue’s lead to five. But D.J. Byrd hit two 3-pointers to help Purdue stave off the rally. No. 2 seed Ohio State awaits the winner of this game.
• No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Northwestern — The Hawkeyes swept the season series, winning 70-50 at Northwestern and 71-57 at home. The Wildcats enter the tournament on an eight-game losing streak and it likely won’t end there. Iowa boasts the conference’s best field-goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 38.7 percent. Northwestern is 11th in the Big Ten in field-goal offense, shooting 40.2 percent. The winner will face No. 3 seed Michigan State on Friday.
Big Ten men’s basketball tournament
At The United Center
Chicago
First round
Today
Illinois (21-11) vs. Minnesota (20-11), noon
Michigan (27-6) vs. Penn State (10-20), 2:30 p.m.
Purdue (15-16) vs. Nebraska (14-17), 6:30 p.m.
Iowa (20-11) vs. Northwestern (13-18), 9 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Friday
Indiana (26-5) vs. Illinois-Minnesota winner, noon
Wisconsin (21-10) vs. Michigan-Penn State winner, 2:30 p.m.
Ohio State (23-7) vs. Purdue-Nebraska winner, 6:30 p.m.
Michigan State (24-7) vs. Iowa-Northwestern winner, 9 p.m.
Semifinals
Saturday
Indiana—Illinois-Minnesota winner vs. Wisconsin—Michigan-Penn State winner, 1:40 p.m.
Ohio State—Purdue-Nebraska winner vs. Michigan State—Iowa-Northwestern winner, 4 p.m.
Championship
Sunday
Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m.
College
IU top seed as Big Ten tourney set to start
- College
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Manaea's shoulder causing him latest pain
Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea has battled through so many aches and pains during the 2013 season that it can be hard to discern the serious pain from the pain he pitches through.
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ISU's Negele answers call in big way in wake of Manaea injury
When Indiana State starting pitcher Sean Manaea slumped on the mound in obvious pain after he took his warm-up pitches, red flags raised for ISU’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament hopes.
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ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction
Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. -
ISU track sending record 22 to postseason
On the heels of their thrilling double victory at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships both the Indiana State men and women moved up in the national rankings which were released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
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ISU's athletic treasure trove
Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.
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Ort sets ISU RBI record in 16-7 win
Robby Ort celebrated his Indiana State baseball Senior Day on Saturday by becoming the Sycamores’ all-time leader in RBIs as ISU ended its regular season with a 16-7 win over Bradley at Bob Warn Field.
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Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU
Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
ISU couldn’t do it. -
Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
Indiana State women add five transfers, including experienced D-I point guard
Indiana State coach Teri Moren believes the addition of five more newcomers to the program — in addition to the five who had already joined the program earlier this calendar year — will provide her coaching staff the athleticism and depth it needs to play a successful, up-tempo brand of basketball next season.
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Metro roundup: Woods softball takes seventh in national tournament
The St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball team finished seventh in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association softball tournament on Tuesday at Firestone Stadium.
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Metro Roundup: Indiana State’s Shakir Bell on Performance Awards watch list
College Football Performance Awards has announced its watch list for the 2013 CFPA FCS Running Back Award, and Indiana State’s Shakir Bell earned a spot on the list.
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ISU baseball team builds on success with 14-2 rout
Indiana State’s baseball victory over Alcorn State on Friday would take on more meaning Saturday if the Sycamores could build momentum and pick up on the good work they did in Friday’s ninth-inning rally.
Mission accomplished.
The Sycamores were aggressive from the opening inning at the plate and starting pitcher Devin Moore gave them eight valuable and effective innings on the mound as ISU defeated Alcorn State 14-2 at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a really good experience for everybody. It felt great to finally come out here and put some things together. It’s also really nice when your offense puts a lot of runs on the board,” Moore said.
Moore’s eight innings of work were as valuable as gold to an ISU team that is short on quality arms due to injury and ineffectiveness. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and one of the two runs he conceded was unearned. -
Johnson, Lyke win MVC titles for ISU
Indiana State’s Felisha Johnson and Maurice Lyke were both crowned Missouri Valley Conference champions on Saturday during the MVC Track and Field Championships at Drake University.
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ISU earns badly-needed win
Alcorn State’s baseball team might be ranked in the bottom 10 in RPI and Indiana State might have never lost to a Southwestern Athletic Conference team. So it wouldn’t appear that a quality win was in the offing when Alcorn State visited Bob Warn Field on Friday.
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Metro roundup: RHIT’s Evans sets Div. III record in high jump
For the third time this season, Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans topped the NCAA Division III all-time national record in the outdoor high jump Friday night.
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ISU’s Mascari and Hope win MVC track & field titles
Indiana State produced two champions during the opening day of action in the Missouri Valley Conference track and field championships Friday at Drake. Freshman John Mascari, a Terre Haute native, won the men’s 10,000-meter race and Nicole Hope won the women’s pole vault for the second time in three seasons.
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ISU pole vault tradition continues with help from its author
Pole vault is track and field for the adrenaline junkie, Indiana State senior Nicole Hope proclaimed during a recent practice at Marks Field.
To catapult oneself about 14 feet into the air with a large $500 fiberglass pole on a daily basis is a risky endeavor.
“We have to be fearless. You can’t be afraid at all,” said Hope, who has also catapulted herself into the NCAA’s elite in the event, ranking 15th in the NCAA with her leap of 13-feet, 9 1/4. -
Sycamores searching for answers after seventh loss in eight games
These are the bad times for the Indiana State baseball team.
The will is there for the Sycamores to pull out of their worst slump of the season, but the results are not. The suffering continued on Wednesday at Bob Warn Field as Eastern Illinois defeated ISU 5-3. -
METRO ROUNDUP: ISU men's track picked first in MVC Championships, women second
The Indiana State men’s track team has won the last two Missouri Valley Conference outdoor championships, but the women have not stood on the top podium since 1999.
That may change this year, but the Sycamores will face some stiff competition in their quest for the championships. -
North grad Welker helps Whitson earn first NCAA bid as coach
Eastern Kentucky girls golf coach Mike Whitson, an alumnus of his employer, enjoyed his stay in Terre Haute as coach of Indiana State, where he started the women’s golf program.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman wins HCAC all-sports trophy
Rose-Hulman has won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s all-sports trophy for the fifth time in the past six year, the league announced Monday.
Rose tallied 66.5 points for its finishes in 11 men’s sports, just ahead of Franklin with 66. Hanover was third with 53 points. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose-Hulman tennis falls in HCAC semifinal
Rose-Hulman’s hot streak in men’s tennis came to an end Saturday in the semifinal round of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament at the West Indy Racquet Club.
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Manaea fights off bad hip, wet weather to toss four innings
Mother Nature has been the bane of the Indiana State baseball team’s existence all season. Eight games wiped due to weather are a testament to that. So it was no surprise, though no less disappointing, when she didn’t deal Indiana State pitcher Sean Manaea the greatest hand on Saturday as he tries to recover from a hip injury.
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ISU track enjoys big night at IU's Billy Hayes Invitational
The Indiana State Sycamores either won or finished as the top collegian in 12 events, led by the record-breaking performance of senior Brandon Pounds at the 2013 Billy Hayes Invitational Friday at Indiana University.
Pounds broke his own school record to win the men’s hammer throw. -
Lansing looking for more home games for next fall
Indiana State’s men’s basketball team is looking for a few good games.
Home games that is.
The Sycamores have filled in most of the blanks in their nonconference schedule, but as ever, ISU coach Greg Lansing would like to visit the friendly confines of Hulman Center a bit more often. -
Secret weapon: Kelsey Rosselli finishing Woods career with a bang
At Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, reporting game results to the Tribune-Star after a win or a loss is not always a high priority.
So when one of its athletes enjoys an outstanding season, like senior Kelsey Rosselli is doing for the Pomeroys’ softball team in 2013, media publicity doesn’t always follow.
In fact, her efforts almost seem like a government secret.
Rosselli’s name might sound familiar to longtime Terre Haute softball followers because she was a standout for North High School, from where she graduated in 2009.
Since then, she’s helped The Woods finish runner-up in three straight U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national tournaments in 2010, 2011 and 2012. -
ISU baseball gets back into rhythm with victory
Baseball is a rhythm game. With contests every day or five times a week in the case of many college programs, you have the chance to build on success or wallow in a slump.
Mother Nature took that rhythm away from Indiana State’s team last week. After a 7-1 loss to Indiana on April 24, ISU was supposed to play a three-game series at Tennessee-Martin, but it was wiped out by rain.
So the rhythm was disturbed, but perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.
ISU was in a five-game losing streak before its unintended vacation and the Sycamores made a move in the right direction Wednesday with a 7-0 win over DePauw at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a disappointing weekend. We went all the way down to Tennessee and didn’t get to play. We sat around in the hotel room. We came here and it was still raining. It was nice to get out and see some live pitching,” ISU center fielder Landon Curry said. -
Metro roundup: ISU hands out spring awards
The Indiana State University athletic community, along with family, friends and fans, paused Tuesday night to honor the spring sports teams at the Terre Haute Savings Bank Spring Sports Banquet.
Most of the ISU teams are still in competition with the baseball team having 13 games left of its regular-season schedule before beginning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament May 21, the softball team with just three games left of the docket this coming weekend against Southern Illinois and the track and field program with just one more meet before beginning its postseason events.
The ISU women’s golf team is the team that has ended at this time, with the group recording a sixth-place finish at the MVC championships one week ago. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Rose baseball wins another thriller
Rose-Hulman earned its third victory in its last at-bat in the last five days with a 6-5 win over Franklin in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball Tuesday night at Art Nehf Field.
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ISU relay teams enjoy strong day at Drake Relays
It was a day for the relay teams to shine at the 104th Drake Relays Saturday as four of the five Indiana State relay teams that competed ran times that put the team among the top five in school history for their respective events.
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