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Adam Rittenberg wraps up Big Ten spring meetings from Chicago, where league commissioner Jim Delany talked bowl lineups, scheduling and a little bit of expansion.

Tom VanHaaren discusses the ESPN 150 offensive tackle who trimmed his list to four at the Chicago NFTC and the quarterback who stole the show. And Jared Shanker joins via Skype to discuss Ohio State’s recent trio of QB offers, and a weekend addition for Northwestern.

One of Illinois coach John Groce's biggest, or at least most interesting, challenges next season will be how he goes about replacing Brandon Paul. The senior guard had an up and down career, to be sure, and while his senior season was no different (Paul started as hot as any player in the country but finished the year having made just 32.5 percent of his 240 3s), he will be difficult to replace in a variety of ways, namely in the sheer number of possessions and shots he took for his team while on the floor. Paul wasn't always on, but when he was, he was as good as anyone in the country at creating his own shot.

Luckily enough, Groce found a long-term replacement in Paul's own family. On Saturday, Darius Paul, Brandon's younger brother, announced he would transfer from Western Michigan to play for the Illini:

It's a privilege to be put in this situation I've been put in..will be wearing orange & blue for the rest of my college career #Illini

— Darius Paul (@D_Raw35) May 5, 2013

On Sunday, ESPN Chicago's Scott Powers reported that the decision came about because of a "coaching staff change" at Western Michigan and "the desire to play at a higher level, according to his mother." But the bond Groce formed early in his tenure with his embattled senior -- which was evident as early as media day, and paid clear dividends throughout the season -- surely played a large role in the younger brother's decision to choose Illinois over a raft of quality offers, including those from Florida, Iowa State, Marquette, Miami (Fla.), Missouri, Nebraska and Nevada. On Saturday, Darius Paul watched his older brother accept Illinois' Most Outstanding Player award at the team's athletics banquet, which just so happened to coincide with his official visit to the school. Good timing.

Anyway, the younger Paul won't really replace the elder. For one, he's a big man, not a guard; for another, he'll have to sit out a year before resuming his final three years of eligibility. But he is a really promising player. Darius Paul averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds and won the MAC Freshman of the Year award in 2012-13, with a particularly impressive offensive rebounding rate (12.8 percent) and some solid interior scoring (and 51 percent from 2) in just his first year. Darius Paul may not have garnered the same recruiting hype as his brother coming out of high school, and he may not be the same kind of player. But it's not a stretch to think he can make a similar-sized impact as Brandon -- and maybe, one day, leave Illinois the better player. Either way, nice get by Groce.

Western Michigan freshman forward Darius Paul announced on Twitter on Saturday that he will follow in his older brother Brandon's footsteps and transfer to Illinois.

Darius Paul, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward, was the MAC Freshman of the Year averaging 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds last season. He decided to transfer because of a coaching staff change and the desire to play at a higher level, according to his mother.

Darius also had offers from Florida, Iowa State, Marquette, Miami (Fla.), Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada and others since receiving his release from Western Michigan. He will have to sit out next season per NCAA rules and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Read the entire story.

PASADENA, Calif. -- Legends and Leaders are no more, as the Big Ten will use geography to determine its new divisions and division names beginning in the 2014 season.

The Big Ten will replace Legends and Leaders with East and West when Maryland and Rutgers join the league in 2014, league sources told ESPN.

The proposed Big Ten West includes the six teams located in the Central time zone -- Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin -- plus Purdue, sources said. The proposed Big Ten East includes Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.

Read the entire story.

Patrick Baldwin was announced Friday as the second assistant to join Northwestern coach Chris Collins’ staff.

Baldwin, a former Northwestern player, spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Missouri State and was previously at Loyola Chicago for seven seasons.

(Read full post)

Dave Telep and Paul Biancardi offer a blueprint for success for coaches taking over programs this offseason.

New Northwestern coach Chris Collins left his comfort zone as an assistant at Duke. But he didn't venture outside his area of expertise when he returned to where he grew up.

He is now at a school where the pool of talent is small and is limited by the highest academic standards in the Big Ten.

Collins, who been on the job for a little more than a week, has one goal, and that is to get Northwestern to the NCAA tournament for the first time.

Since he arrived in Evanston last week, his main focus has been on these five items:

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Mike Hankwitz didn't inherit a bare cupboard when he arrived as Northwestern's defensive coordinator in 2008.

The defense included several future NFL players, including end Corey Wootton and cornerback Sherrick McManis. Eight starters returned, and the unit improved from 88th nationally in points allowed to 26th in Hankwitz's first season.

But something was missing. As Hankwitz surveyed the number of spread offenses in college football -- not to mention the one his defense practiced against every day at Northwestern -- he knew the Wildcats' defense needed a speed boost.

"We had some players with good speed, but as a total defense, we didn't have that same speed at every position," Hankwitz told ESPN.com. "In this day in age with spread offenses, you need to have athletes who have the ability and speed to make plays in space. That's where we were a little deficient at the time. If you had a guy hurt, the next guy might not have been as fast. So we recruited to that end. We tried to recruit better speed to cornerback, and we're making progress in that way.

"As a whole, our team defensive speed has improved, and we're excited about that."

It was noticeable last season as Northwestern's defense improved to 47th nationally after plummeting to 80th the year before. Several younger players who were part of the speed-driven recruiting push played key roles, including defensive backs Ibraheim Campbell and Nick VanHoose, linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo and linemen Dean Lowry and Deonte Gibson.

Northwestern's speed upgrade on defense has jumped out during spring practice. In Tuesday's workout, Lowry zoomed past a tackle for an easy "sack" against quarterback Trevor Siemian. Speed has helped cornerback Dwight White put himself in position to start opposite VanHoose in the fall. The same holds true for safeties like Traveon Henry, Jimmy Hall and Terrance Brown, competing to start next to Campbell.

"Our team speed is definitely much improved," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "Our secondary runs as well as it has at all four positions."

The popularity of the spread offense, which Northwestern has used since 2000, fueled the team's speed push in recruiting. Northwestern needed more athletes who could make plays in space, especially in the secondary.

Not surprisingly, the secondary had the most dramatic upgrade last season, and depth at both cornerback and safety has improved for 2013. The secondary not only has more speed but better size.

"Traveon Henry's a 6-[foot]-1, 200-plus-pound safety, Jimmy Hall's the same way, Terrance Brown is the same way; we've upgraded our size at corner," Fitzgerald said. "Most of our guys used to be 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10. Now we're 5-11 and 6-foot. That size-speed combination is critically important if we want to take the next step in this league."

Greater speed allows Hankwitz to be "a little more aggressive" with his defensive calls. It also helps younger players get on the field early as they can overcome some weaknesses technically and fundamentally.

"Last year, being a little undersized at D-end as a freshman, I relied on my speed a lot of times to beat tackles," said Lowry, who had a sack, six quarterback hurries and three tackles for loss as a true freshman. "When you're fast, it sets up moves, so if a tackle is overset, you come back with a counter. You've got to make sure you use your technique, use your hands where the coaches teach you. But having the extra speed, it's almost like you can't teach that.

"It's something most guys don't have."

Northwestern's speed push started with the linebackers and spread quickly to the secondary, but the line hasn't been neglected. Redshirt freshman end Ifeadi Odenigbo, the team's most-decorated recruit in years, only started playing football as a high school sophomore but made his mark with speed, twice tracking down Braxton Miller in a playoff game.

Both Odenigbo and Gibson ran track in high school, while both Gibson and Lowry played basketball.

"They're very, very athletic," said senior end Tyler Scott, who finished . "Dean's very athletic. Deonte, when he's healthy, is a force coming off the edge. And Ifeadi, he's got some speed that we haven't seen here for a while."

Northwestern's defense expects to be seeing more of that speed in the coming seasons.

"We're still not quite there where we have all five classes at an elite level athletically," Fitzgerald said, "but I think we're really close."

Northwestern offensive coordinator Mick McCall talks about the two-quarterback system, the questions on the offensive line and the unit's outlook for 2013.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The one-time, small-time coach is back in the big time.

Jim Larranaga, who last made a significant NCAA tournament run at George Mason in 2006, has led the second-seeded Miami Hurricanes to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000 with a 63 -59 win over No. 7 Illinois at the Frank Erwin Center Sunday.

Overview: In a game that went back and forth throughout the second half, Miami found just enough offense from Shane Larkin to pull away late. With Miami down one, Larkin hit a step-back 3-pointer to put the Hurricanes ahead for good with one minute left.

Turning Point: Illinois had the chance to go up by two inside of two minutes and possibly put some pressure on Miami but Tracy Abrams missed the second of two free throws, allowing the Hurricanes some measure of comfort as they went down the floor for what was the game-winning shot.

Key Player: Larkin not only hit the big shot at the end of the game but proved his value as a point guard all night. The sophomore was consistently able to penetrate, draw and dish to his teammates. And when the Illini didn't cut off the lane Larkin was comfortable finding his shot among taller players. He finished with 17 points and five assists.

Key Stat: The Illini were able to hang in the game because they kept the Hurricanes off the offensive glass. In fact it was Illinois that thrived, getting 19 second-chance points to Miami's eight. Nnanna Egwu led the way with 12 boards for Illinois.

Next Up: Miami will play No. 3 Marquette in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

 
AUSTIN, Texas -- Somewhere lost in all the pomp, circumstance, inspirational montages and endless car commercials of the NCAA tournament is the little secret someone forgot to mention to Colorado and Illinois -- in order to win, you must put the ball in the basket with at least a modicum of regularity.

That's not to say the seventh-seeded Illini and No. 10 seed Buffaloes missed all their shots. But each did miss enough -- 11 straight for CU to end the first half; 14 in a row, including 11 3-pointers, for the Illini at the start of the second half -- to build unnecessary and frustrating drama into a game that could have been void of both. (Apparently it is in the contract of both teams that, since this is March, they must provide some madness. And boy, were the coaches plenty red in the face.)

But, finally, the drama came to a close, along with Colorado's season, as Illinois' 16-point lead -- built during CU's horrid shooting stretch -- was enough to withstand a 23-2 Buffaloes run -- made possible by the Illini's putrid shooting stretch -- to eke out a 57-49 win in the second round on Friday.

"It's easy to come back. It is hard to come back and win,'' CU coach Tad Boyle said. "Our scoring droughts are tough to deal with. We played well enough to win today. We just didn't play well enough down the stretch to win.''

It's hard to say Illinois (23-12) played well enough to win, either. The Illini shot 13 percent in the second half. But they pulled it out at the end.

"It was only fitting that the game was maybe as strange a game -- as far as the ebb and flow of it -- that I have been associated with this group,'' said Illinois coach John Groce. "We have done it the hard way with this group a lot.''

"We just find ways,'' said Illinois guard Tracy Abrams.

Now it is time for Illinois to try to find a way to win against Miami, which appears to be about as intimidating as Tony Montana. The Illini get the No. 2 seeded Hurricanes here in Austin on Sunday. So they get to deal with size -- three players of 6-foot-10 or better in the rotation; speed -- Shane Larkin moves like mercury on marble; and an experienced coach -- Jim Larranaga has been there, done that, with much less talent, just a few years ago at George Mason. It appears to be a daunting task for an Illinois program that slogged through the first nine games of its Big Ten schedule at 2-7. Miami started ACC play 13-0, by the way. Oh, and the Hurricanes had a 27-point win over then-No. 1 Duke.

"I know that they have got great size and they are going to play very hard,'' Groce said.

Illinois had its win over a No. 1, too, beating Indiana 74-72 on Feb. 7. So the Fighting Illini are capable. But they also need to be held culpable for their errors. It was those errors -- all 14 of them in a row -- plus a couple of turnovers, that might leave some wondering just how big a mismatch Sunday will be. (Did anyone mention Miami won 78-49 and had nine guys score in the first half against Pacific on Friday? Well, it did.)

OK, there are a few glimmers of hope. Illini guard Brandon Paul didn't improve his shooting percentage -- he is a 40 percent guy -- but did make 9 of 10 free throws, five of which helped seal the game. In fact, for as bad as the Illini were from the field (30.8 percent), they were solid from the line (70.8 percent).

"D.J. [Richardson] was in my ear, telling me to just keeping fighting,'' Paul said.

Then there was the defense and the rebounding. Illinois has now held two tournament teams under 50 points in its past three games -- Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament and Colorado (21-12) on Friday. The Illini, despite giving up 14 rebounds to Josh Scott, were able to win the battle of the boards 37-36. And that was crucial in a game where misses were rampant -- and will be crucial again against the taller, thicker Hurricanes.

Illinois proved it could close. After failing so miserably from the field and falling behind, the Illini finished on an 18-5 run. One might say that they looked into the abyss and didn't blink. Miami looms large; if they can look at the Ibis and do the same, they just might be OK.

Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian talks about his work this spring, splitting snaps with Kain Colter and the team's outlook for 2013.

CHICAGO -- When Aaron Craft spotted Shannon Scott in the corner, he instructed the sophomore from Alpharetta, Ga., in a relaxed tone that belied the urgency of the moment.

“Knock it down,” Craft said as he flicked a pass to the underclassman in the second half of Ohio State’s 61-58 win over Michigan State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament at United Center on Saturday.

That’s not an unusual command from the veteran point guard.

Craft excelled in his typical role for the Buckeyes throughout the win.

He was the orchestrator and the distributor (nine assists, two turnovers). He was also the thief (four steals).

His emergence as the scorer, however, seemed odd but necessary.

As Deshaun Thomas wrestled with a Michigan State defense that harassed him in the second half, Craft recognized the void.

So he took more shots. He scored on layups. He hit a 3-pointer. He made jumpers, too.

In all, Craft registered 18 of his 20 points in the second half of a win that guaranteed Ohio State’s fifth consecutive Big Ten tournament title game appearance -- the Buckeyes will play Wisconsin for the third time (1-1) this season.

“Just trying to believe in myself,” Craft said. “I think we have a lot of plays that we can execute that either get me open shots or I can help create for somebody else, and tonight I found some openings and was able to knock down some shots and that definitely opened up other things … whether it was Deshaun [Thomas] or guys like LaQuinton [Ross] that can knock down shots as well.”

In recent weeks, the chatter about college basketball’s hierarchy has centered on the fluctuation toward the top of the rankings. Duke, Gonzaga, Indiana, Kansas, Georgetown, Miami, Louisville and Michigan have been submitted as candidates for “the best team in America” discussion.

Meanwhile, Ohio State continues to add to one of the country’s most impressive current winning streaks. The Buckeyes have won seven in a row since suffering a 71-49 loss at Wisconsin on Feb. 17.

They’ve beaten Michigan State twice since that loss. They’ve defeated Indiana in Bloomington. They won the other four games by double digits.

They’re quietly approaching the NCAA tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country.

“Man, Ohio State [doesn’t] get respect sometimes,” Thomas said. “But it’s all good, though. Just like last year. Nobody knew we were going to get to the Final Four and we did.”

But they nearly lost their mojo in Chicago.

They went 11-for-32 in the first half against the Spartans. But they were only down 29-28 after committing just two turnovers prior to the break (five turnovers overall).

And then, Craft happened.

He scored 13 points in the first 10-plus minutes of the second half. His 3-pointer with 11:48 to play gave Ohio State a 48-45 lead. His layup with 9:47 to go gave the Buckeyes a 51-47 advantage.

But the Spartans kept fighting. Keith Appling hit a 3-pointer that cut Ohio State’s lead to three points with 3:24 on the game clock. Nix’s layup and free throw, after he was fouled with 1:54 to go, reduced the deficit to one.

But Nix grabbed Craft on a drive at the 1:27 mark. Officials called it a flagrant foul.

And Craft made one of two free throws to extend Ohio State’s lead to two points.

Thomas (16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists) came up with a crucial rebound in the last minute. And then he hit a runner with 22 seconds remaining in regulation. His shot -- he scored just five points after halftime -- extended Ohio State’s lead to four points (60-56).

Sam Thompson contested Keith Appling’s layup in the final seconds, which essentially secured the win. Thomas capped the game with another free throw (Denzel Valentine scored Michigan State’s final bucket).

Craft soothed his squad when Thomas struggled. He kept the Buckeyes in a rhythm even as Michigan State scored multiple buckets in the final minutes.

“You look at what he has accomplished thus far in his career at Ohio State and just the wins, the big plays that he's made …. In coaching, you don't get to coach a lot of guys like him just from A to Z and everything he stands for,” Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said after the game.

The Buckeyes could be a perplexing case for the selection committee (Joe Lunardi listed Ohio State as a No. 2 seed in his 6:45 p.m. ET projection on Saturday evening), especially if they beat the Badgers on Sunday. In early February, they were just perplexing. They lost three of their first four games last month.

Craft was 3-for-11 from the 3-point line during that stretch.

But Matta still trusted him.

“He kind of makes us go on both ends of the floor, obviously when he's making shots, but a lot of people panicked when he wasn't scoring in the middle of the season, and I'm like, I don't have a problem with it, it'll come,” he said.

Thomas couldn’t find the rim on Saturday. But he trusted Craft enough to suppress his personal offensive urges and allow his teammate to lead.

“Probably two years ago or last year, I probably would have been like ‘I need that ball, I need that ball’ and going crazy,” Thomas said. “Just me learning the game and being mature and knowing we’ve got guys who can plays also ... I trust [Craft] no matter what.”

Craft embraces the responsibility even if it demands more shots and fewer passes. The workload doesn’t matter.

The Buckeyes needed everything from their captain against the Spartans. He ran toward those expectations, not from them.

That’s why Ohio State is playing its best basketball right now. When it matters most.

“Everything is going a lot better when you’re knocking down shots,” he said. “It kind of relaxes everybody else. It takes pressure off everyone.”

And when Craft plays the way he did on Saturday, it puts more pressure on every team facing the Buckeyes.

CHICAGO -- Ryan Evans' poor free throw shooting had become a semi-obsession. Wisconsin’s senior leader began to think about free throws throughout the day. And then again at night.

It wasn’t just his decline from a 73 percent clip his junior season to a 40 percent mark his senior year. It was the unpleasant feeling that seized his body every time he reached the charity stripe. It was the free throws that completely missed the rim. It was the embarrassment stemming from a problem he just couldn’t fix.

As the slump persisted, Evans lost confidence.

So coach Bo Ryan decided to pitch a few unconventional ideas to the veteran after Wisconsin’s loss at Minnesota on Valentine’s Day.

“Well, it was A, B or C,” Ryan said. “A was the jump shot, Hal Greer-style. Hal Greer [an NBA star in the 1960s] had a little jump [shot]. It wasn't quite as accentuated, for the older people in the room, as Ryan's is. Ryan's is his game jump shot. Hal had a little jumper, mini-jumper. B was Harlem Globetrotter, kick the ball in. Dropkick. You drop it down; you kick it up. And third was underhanded.

"So it was A, B or C. Ryan chose A. He's OK with it. His numbers are up.”

Evans was initially reluctant but eventually accepted the change. It’s certainly not a traditional approach, but it has helped. He’s 6-for-10 from the free throw line in two Big Ten tournament games. And he’s aggressive again.

“[Ryan] gave me the courage to go up here and try something new,” Evans said. “I think it's been effective to this point. I'm no longer shooting 40 percent. So I mean, it's a good thing right now, and I'm going to stick with it for now.”

On Saturday, he led the Badgers to their 12th consecutive win over the Hoosiers, 68-56. Evans finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, 4 turnovers and a steal. Jared Berggren added 11 points and three blocks. Ben Brust scored 12 points, and Sam Dekker finished with 11 points.

Evans helped the Badgers corral Victor Oladipo (4-for-12, 10 points), and he helped Wisconsin maintain its edge, even as Indiana charged in the final minutes.

Wisconsin fans cheered whenever he made a free throw. Twice in four tries.

The switch is an extension of the principles that guide Wisconsin’s program. The Badgers have a strong sense of their vulnerability. They’re not the type of team that can give one guy the ball and expect him to make plays without help. Wisconsin needs everyone.

One missed defensive assignment, one poor pass or one botched free throw could change the outcome of a game and the entire season. And the Badgers know it. So Evans tweaked his free throws to boost his team’s chances of overcoming its weaknesses.

Yet the Badgers are aware of their opponents’ limits too.

On Saturday afternoon, they understood they were playing Indiana, not the Chicago Bulls who had won multiple NBA titles in this building. They weren’t intimidated.

Not by Oladipo or Cody Zeller (Berggren’s defensive effort against the future lottery pick changed the game) or the NBA scouts who traveled to Chicago to see them play.

“It’s just the dynamics of our team. We can beat anybody, and we can be beaten by anybody,” said Traevon Jackson. “But when we play together, I think that we’re really tough to beat. And when we hit our shots and we do our defensive assignments and rebound, we’re a tough team.”

The Badgers closed the first half with an 18-9 run that allowed them to snatch the lead (34-31). The two teams were tight until Dekker recorded seven unanswered points (two layups and a 3-pointer) to give his team a 50-43 lead with 11:11 to play.

The Hoosiers responded with a 6-0 rally of their own. But Wisconsin’s defense wouldn’t budge.

Berggren blocked both Zeller and Oladipo in the final minutes of the game. Tom Crean’s squad went nearly five minutes (10:02 to 5:04) without a field goal down the stretch.

“[It] just means we have a bunch of guys that want to play and play hard. Kind of how college basketball has gone this whole year,” said Mike Bruesewitz. “I think we have had numerous times a change in No. 1, and I think it's going to make for a great NCAA tournament because I don't think a whole lot of 1-seeds are going to be making the Final Four. If they do, it's great, but it's a wide-open thing, and anybody can beat anybody on any night. We have to make sure we bring our A-game; otherwise we might be one of those teams.”

Indiana’s losing streak to Wisconsin was the least of Crean’s concerns.

The only thing the Hoosiers wanted in Chicago -- other than a Big Ten tournament title, of course -- was a chance to prove to the NCAA tournament selection committee that they deserve a No. 1 seed and a slot in the Midwest Regional in Indianapolis.

It’s no longer a guarantee after their third loss in six games. And the riddle that hails from Madison could be the culprit if they’re disappointed on Selection Sunday.

“My mindset is you try to win every game and take the next one as it comes, and certainly we would have liked to have won it,” Crean said. “But it doesn't undo what we have done to this point. It doesn't undo any of that. We have had an excellent season. There's room for growth; there's no doubt about that. But we would have liked to have played better today, no question.”

The Badgers rarely discussed the postseason implications of their run to Sunday’s Big Ten tournament title game. They were more focused on showering and preparing to watch game film.

As players rose from their seats and reporters gradually left the locker room, Evans continued to answer questions about his free throw shooting technique.

He said coaches have sent him text messages to thank him for a form that their teams have adopted. He even joked about the jump shot free throw becoming a “movement.”

The awkwardness of it all? Evans isn’t worried about it.

“I don’t care what people are thinking too much,” he said. “If I care what people are thinking too much, I wouldn’t be out there shooting jump shots. But I don’t. It’s about knocking them down. It’s about getting wins. And that’s what we’re doing at this point. So I feel great.”