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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Bob Diaco has not seen the old Nike commercial in which Michael Jordan explains that all of his successes are direct results from his failures. But the Notre Dame defensive coordinator expressed a similar message to his players in wake of a blowout loss to Alabama in the Discover BCS National Championship.

"I haven't seen the ad," Diaco said Friday morning when asked, "but what you're saying right now is exactly what I'm talking about."

After a defense that gave up less than 11 points per game in the regular season surrendered 42 to the Crimson Tide on Jan. 7, and after a unit that had allowed less than 287 yards per game was gashed for 529, the Irish defense sought lessons through film watching and exercises that pre-dated the 2012 season, as they hope to turn the page from their biggest (and only) defeat and work toward a greater triumph.

"We communicated about it in detail," Diaco said. "We watched the game probably a half-dozen times. We went back and we made notes on every single play. You walk out of the game and you were absolutely defeated, demoralized, dejected, just like I'm sure everyone in the world that's a Notre Dame person felt. We all felt the same 100 times. But after you have a chance to inspect it, then the reality of it was, it wasn't just an absolute push around. We had a misfit here or there, a miscommunication here or there, a missing lineman here or there. Then, we were faced defensively with a challenge that we really hadn't been faced with — that's a bang-bang-bang score.

"So now there's a feeling of, you're exasperated, and you want to make the play. And it's all out of great intentions, but all of a sudden, your eyes are wandering, your feet are happy, you're misaligned and it just starts to snowball from there, and it's hard to get it back on track. It's good to watch and be able to show the players and the staff on each particular play, 'Hey, if this changes, this is what'll be the result.'"

Diaco said he had the defense study the personalities of Dan Gable, Nelson Mandela, Father Theodore Hesburgh and Carl Brashear before the season, with the story of Gable providing a narrative he hopes can take shape throughout 2013.

Gable, the Iowa wrestling coach when Diaco was a linebacker at the school, suffered his only collegiate loss in his finale at Iowa State before bouncing back to win the gold medal at the 1972 Olympics without surrounding a single point.

"The lessons learned in that propelled him to go on and win Olympic gold," Diaco said. "The unit needs to understand those lessons. We've got to make sure that that moment right there is really our greatest moment. We have to turn it into our greatest strength. An understanding of what we need to do, an opportunity for everyone to sharpen the blade, so to speak, on their knife moving forward. It has to be viewed that way."

That starts with 15 practices this spring — two of which are in the books — while trying to channel thoughts of what-could-have-been into something to build on moving forward.

"The worst part from our standpoint is we never even got into our game plan," offensive coordinator Chuck Martin said of the title game. "We were unfortunately a three-and-out, a six-and-out and OK, now we're in catch-up mode and a lot of the things we would've liked to try to do, I guess if we could've done them or not we'll never know, but a lot of these were kind of out the window."

Northwestern is expected to interview Duke assistant Chris Collins for its head coaching job next week, according to a source familiar with the situation, who described Collins as a leading candidate to replace Bill Carmody.

Read the entire story.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Brian Kelly is dealing with a a high-profile second-year transfer for the second consecutive spring. And though the impact of Gunner Kiel's departure won't likely hit the surface for Notre Dame in 2013, it does not mean the loss was not disappointing.

"Sure," Kelly said. "I think you never want to see guys not stay in the program. You don't bring guys in expecting them to transfer. There's always a sense from my end that we wish he would have given it an opportunity. But kids make decisions based upon what are important factors to them. Gunner and his family felt like it was best for them to pursue other opportunities.

"Yeah, I mean, again, we're coaches, teachers, educators. We want to see guys succeed."

Kelly had told Sports Illustrated in November that the spring would present another open quarterback competition, and he said again Tuesday that the staff had created an opportunity for Kiel to compete this spring. The fact that Kiel would have entered it fourth in terms of playing experience, however, did not exactly leave Kelly blindsided by the recent developments.

The fourth-year Irish coach said Kiel made an extensive list of both national and regional programs that he might transfer to, with Kelly giving him fair leeway about which potential future landing spots he could seek out.

"I don't think it was a restriction as much as we had an open conversation about the schools," Kelly said. "Again, I think the schools that he was looking at were in line with the schools that I thought were appropriate relative to who was on our schedule. "

The state of Illinois will be represented by 41 players on the 68 teams in the NCAA tournament this year. Here’s a look at the players, including their hometowns and high schools:

Illinois sophomore guard Tracy Abrams (Chicago, Mount Carmel)
Western Kentucky freshman forward Eddie Alcantara (Chicago, Hales Franciscan)
Michigan senior guard Josh Bartelstein (Highland Park, Ill., Highland Park)
Illinois junior guard Kevin Berardini (Lake Forest, Ill., Lake Forest)
Illinois junior guard Joseph Bertrand (Sterling, Ill., Sterling)
Michigan freshman forward Max Bielfeldt (Peoria, Ill., Notre Dame)
Albany senior guard Mike Black (Chicago, Fenwick)
Louisville sophomore guard Wayne Blackshear (Chicago, Morgan Park)
Bucknell junior guard Ben Brackney (Lincoln, Ill., Lincoln)
Wisconsin junior guard Ben Brust (Hawthorn Woods, Ill., Mundelein)
North Carolina A&T freshman forward Corvon Butler (Champaign, Ill., Champaign Central)
Notre Dame senior forward Jack Cooley (Glenview, Ill., Glenbrook South)
Valparaiso junior guard LaVonte Dority (Chicago, Foreman)
Wisconsin junior forward Duje Dukan (Deerfield, Ill., Deerfield)
Illinois sophomore forward Nnanna Egwu (Chicago, St. Ignatius)
Saint Louis junior forward Dwayne Evans (Bolingbrook, Ill., Neuqua Valley)
Wisconsin senior guard Dan Fahey (Chicago, St. Ignatius)
Marquette sophomore guard Dylan Flood (Lemont, Ill., Benet)
Chicago sophomore forward Myke Henry (Chicago, Orr)
Akron sophomore guard Deji Ibitayo (Chicago, Rich Central)
Butler sophomore forward Roosevelt Jones (O’Fallon, Ill., O’Fallon)
Wisconsin sophomore forward Frank Kaminsky (Lisle, Ill., Benet)
Illinois freshman guard Mike LaTulip (Arlington Heights, Ill., Prospect)
Wisconsin freshman guard George Marshall (Chicago, Brooks)
Saint Louis junior guard Mike McCall (Chicago, Foreman)
Harvard sophomore guard Alex Nesbitt (Chicago, University of Chicago Lab School)
Kansas State freshman guard Michael Orris (Crete, Ill., Crete-Monee)
Illinois senior guard Brandon Paul (Gurnee, Ill., Warren)
Illinois senior guard D.J. Richardson (Peoria, Ill., Peoria Central)
Valparaiso sophomore guard Alex Rossi (Winnetka, Ill., New Trier)
Illinois sophomore forward Mike Shaw (Chicago, De La Sale)
Memphis senior forward Stan Simpson (Chicago, Simeon)
Ohio State junior guard Lenzelle Smith (Zion, Ill., Zion-Benton)
Marquette freshman forward Steve Taylor (Chicago, Simeon)
Ohio State sophomore forward Sam Thompson (Chicago, Whitney Young)
Davidson junior guard Clay Tormey (Chicago, Henderson International)
Kansas freshman forward Jamari Traylor (Chicago, Julian)
Albany junior forward Dave Wiegmann (Breese, Ill., Breese Central)
Wichita State freshman guard Fred Van Vleet (Rockford, Ill., Auburn)
Michigan senior guard Matt Vogrich (Lake Forest, Ill., Lake Forest)
Duke senior forward Todd Zafirovski (Lake Forest, Ill., Lake Forest Academy)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Brian Kelly will begin his fourth year at a job Wednesday for the first time in 19 years. What he sees when he enters the Loftus Sports Center for the first of Notre Dame's 15 spring practices is a system he knows with players who understand it, and a collective personality that differs from the 2012 outfit whose season ended in college football's final game last season.

"It's you know what you got," Kelly said Tuesday during his pre-spring news conference. "You don't come in going, 'All right, if this happens...' You really know what you have and you can really identify the things you need to work on. When you have the protocols and the process in place on a daytoday basis, the expectations have already been set, it allows you to really work on the development of your football team."

Kelly addressed some of those individual developments during a 10-minute opening statement in which he listed specific weight gains for no fewer than eight players. He talked about the returns of Matt Hegarty (mini-stroke), Austin Collinsworth (shoulder/back surgeries), Lo Wood (Achilles) and safeties coach Bob Elliott (kidney transplant), all of whom are back this spring. He mentioned the progress of Ronnie Stanley (elbow surgery) and the trio of Bennett Jackson, Dan Fox and Nicky Baratti, each of whom underwent shoulder surgery.

Kelly said he sees Elijah Shumate returning to safety after dabbling all over the secondary last season, and he will cross-train C.J. Prosise at wide receiver and safety. Whereas Notre Dame lost key defensive leaders in Manti Te'o and Kapron Lewis-Moore, Kelly has seen Wood, Jarrett Grace and Tyler Stockton step up in the offseason, the latter of whom serves as the biggest surprise among the six fifth-year invitees on the roster.

"Each year I've had different groups," Kelly said. "This team is different than last year's team. You have different personalities. I think every year you have to change the way you address the team because it's a different group. Last year I had a lot of guys that clearly understood the way I wanted them to do things. This year it seems to be a similar situation where the guys really have a great work ethic, they're starting to understand the things I need them to do to be successful.

"Now I have to spend more time with them individually in building that leadership as well as our coaches. Each year it's a little bit different. I don't think you can be the same every single year. You have to really play to the strengths of the team."

On offense, Kelly's priorities are figuring out the offensive line — specifically the center position — developing second-year starting quarterback Everett Golson and sorting out the running back duties, which he said will likely fall on George Atkinson III's shoulders to begin with.

He fielded zero catfishing questions among 52 exchanges, and he was happy to joke about more weight gains when a reporter late in the session asked about the kickers.

"Let me get to them. Let's see," he said. "They're not even on here. Sorry."

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

With Northwestern now looking for a new coach, basketball recruit Jaren Sina will be released from his letter of intent, but is still considering the Wildcats, his father said on Tuesday.

Read the entire story.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The short-lived Gunner Kiel era is officially over at Notre Dame.

Kiel is not listed on the Fighting Irish's spring roster, and head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday that the former four-star quarterback recruit is no longer a part of the program.

Kelly said the schools that Kiel is considering transferring to are in line with what are appropriate, given Notre Dame's schedule.

To read the full story, click here.

CHICAGO -- Illinois coach John Groce doesn't preach patience, so it makes sense Brandon Paul wanted his "one shining moment" a week early.

In the first game of the Big Ten tournament at the United Center, Illinois and Minnesota were tied with overtime looming. Paul got the ball in an isolation against Gophers guard Austin Hollins at the top of the key, crossed him over going left and shot a fadeaway 15-footer for the win. The Illinois bench went nuts. The Illinois fans erupted. Gus Johnson went Gus.

March had officially begun.

Read the entire column.

Illinois was selected Sunday to play in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed and will play No. 10-seeded Colorado in Austin, Tex. in the East region on Friday.

The Illinois-Colorado winner will play the winner of No. 2-seeded Miami and No. 15-seeded Pacific in the third round on Sunday.

“Our main goal throughout the season was just to get better every day, putting 100 percent,” Illinois senior guard Brandon Paul said. “3-19-13 (first day of the NCAA tournament) was on our wrist bands, and when we finally saw our name called it was pretty much a blessing. We were excited about it, and we were excited about the challenge ahead.”

The Illini went 22-12 overall and 8-10 in the Big Ten. Their quality wins included at Gonzaga, Ohio State, Indiana and Minnesota, who they defeated twice. They are ranked No. 39 in RPI and No. 63 in ESPN’s BPI.

Colorado was 21-11 overall and 10-8 in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes’ quality wins include Arizona, Baylor and Oregon. They are ranked No. 38 in RPI and No. 39 in BPI.

Illinois began the season with 12 consecutive wins and shot up to No. 10 in the AP poll. After a 13-1 non-conference season, the Illini dropped seven of their first nine Big Ten games. They bounced back with a win over No. 1-ranked Indiana on Feb. 7 and closed out the conference season winning six of their final nine games.

“They had that (tournament) goal from the very beginning when I met with (them),” Illinois' first-year coach John Groce said. “They really solidified that as something they wanted to do in the fall when we first got together and talked in particular to our seniors. To see that come to fruition in a way they had to grind it out and be really tough at different parts of the season when maybe others doubted them, but I think it’s a great life lesson for our guys. Certainly not satisfied because we have work to do, but I’m a proud for those guys.”

Groce said after Friday’s loss to Indiana in the Big Ten tournament he was happy with the way his team was playing headed into the NCAA tournament.

“I would like to play two complete halves defensively and offensively. But I like our mindset,” Groce said. “I like our body language. I like our passion. I thought we really competed in this tournament both days. I thought we really played hard. I thought we played for one another. I think the guys are playing the game right way. Hopefully, we can continue to move forward here in the next few days and figure out how we can put together two halves when we’re defending and playing good offense. I think that’s the next step.”

Illinois did not appear in the NCAA Tournament last season and has been selected twice in the previous five years. The Illini haven’t been to the Sweet 16 since 2005.

Illinois fired Bruce Weber after the program failed to reach the NCAA Tournament last season. Groce was hired after taking Ohio to two NCAA tournaments, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2012 in four seasons.

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.”

Northwestern Wildcats sophomore starting point guard David Sobolewski and Northwestern recruit Nathan Taphorn will determine whether they want to remain with the Wildcats after a new coach is hired, their former club coach said Saturday.

The Wildcats fired Bill Carmody Saturday morning after 13 seasons.

Sobolewski started two seasons under Carmody, and Taphorn committed to Carmody in July 2012 and signed with the Wildcats in November.

Illinois Wolves club coach Mike Mullins said Saturday he has had discussions with both players about their futures at Northwestern.

“David has enjoyed playing for Coach Carmody and the staff and loved the school,” Mullins said. “Nathan was looking forward to the opportunity to do the same thing. They realized there was a chance this could happen. They’re going to wait and see what happens, to see who the next coach is and the new staff. I think it’s too early to say anything hypothetically; wait for the facts and discuss.

“Both players have proven themselves and could have other options beside Northwestern. They’re like the rest of us waiting anxiously on who they decide to lead their program and what level of commitment the school is going to give to improve some things to make them competitive in the Big Ten they’re competing with on a weekly basis.”

Sobolewski, a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaged 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 34.8 minutes as a sophomore.

Taphorn, a 6-7 forward, averaged 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds and shot 82.5 percent from the free throw line during his senior season at Pekin High School in Pekin, Ill.

Here's a look at potential candidates for Northwestern, who fired Bill Carmody on Saturday after 13 years at the school:

Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker: Amaker has won and recruited well at Harvard. The Crimson are headed to their second consecutive NCAA tournament under Amaker, who has a 111-64 record in six seasons at the school. He also has Big Ten experience with six seasons as Michigan’s head coach.

Duke assistant coach Chris Collins: Collins’ name has been thrown around a lot if Northwestern’s job ever opened. This could be the ideal first head position for him. He has been on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s staff since 2000 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2008. He grew up in Northbrook, Ill. and is the son of NBA coach Doug Collins.

Valparaiso head coach Bryce Drew: Drew has succeeded quickly at the Valparaiso. The program is headed to the NCAA tournament in his second season as head coach. The Crusaders are 48-19 overall and 27-7 in conference in the past two years. He’s recruited the Midwest and comes from a coaching family.

Northwestern assistant coach Tavaras Hardy: Hardy is a longshot, but he fits the mold of what Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips likes in his football coach Pat Fitzgerald. Hardy is a former Wildcats’ player and a longtime assistant. If he doesn’t get a shot at the job, he could be retained on the staff.

Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson: Henderson, a former Northwestern assistant, is in his second season as Princeton’s head coach. The Tigers were 17-11 overall and 10-4 in the conference this season.

Richmond coach Chris Mooney: Mooney’s stock may have cooled off a bit since Richmond’s back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2010 and 2011. Richmond has remained competitive in the Atlantic 10 and is still only 40 years old. He did sign a 10-year deal with Richmond in 2011.

Bucknell coach Dave Paulsen: Paulsen was able to turn Bucknell’s program around. Bucknell was 7-23 in Paulsen’s first season, and he’s since coached the Bison to two NCAA tournaments in five seasons at the school.

Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson: Robinson, another former Northwestern assistant, would have been a more likely candidate the past few seasons. The Beavers have struggled this season with a 14-18 overall record and 4-14 Pac-12. He has been at Oregon State for five seasons and has recruited the Chicago area.

VCU head coach Shaka Smart: Smart wasn’t interested in any openings last season, but the idea of leading Northwestern to its first NCAA tournament could be enticing to some high-profile coach. It’s worth at least a phone call.

Wright State head coach Billy Donlon: Donlon has Wright State moving in the right direction in his third season. The Raiders lost in the Horizon League tournament championship game and finished third during the conference season. The 36-year-old Donlon is originally from Northbrook, Ill. and has recruited the Chicago area.

Lehigh head coach Brett Reed: The 40-year-old Reed has developed Lehigh into a consistent winner in his six seasons there. The Mountain Hawks have won 20-plus games three of the last four years and been two NCAA tournaments. Lehigh shocked Duke in the tournament last season.

CHICAGO -- Illinois coach John Groce said Friday he is confident the Illini accomplished enough this season to be selected to the NCAA tournament.

"At this point, I think we've done what we needed to do, but again that's out of my hands," Groce said following Friday's loss to Indiana in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. "We have 22 wins. We play in the best conference in the country. We won seven of our last 11 games. Three of those four losses were on the road to teams who were a combined 51-5 at home.

"The fourth one is to Indiana today, who has been ranked No. 1 in the country more than anyone all season. We play good basketball. We're in a good league. We got six top-25 RPI wins, third most in the country. But again, I don't make those decisions. That's them."

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had Illinois in his latest bracket on Friday. Lunardi put Illinois as a No. 8 seed playing No. 9 Oregon in the round of 64.

Illinois is ranked No. 62 in ESPN's College Basketball Power Index. The Illini went 6-9 against top-50 BPI opponents. Their quality wins include Gonzaga on the road and at home against Indiana and Ohio State. They also defeated Minnesota twice, including in the Big Ten tournament on Thursday.

Illinois began the season with 12 consecutive wins and shot up to No. 10 in the AP poll. After a 13-1 non-conference season, the Illini dropped seven of their first nine Big Ten games. They bounced back with a win over No. 1-ranked Indiana on Feb. 7 and closed out the conference season winning six of their final nine games.

Illinois did not appear in the NCAA tournament last season and have been there just once during the career of the Illini's seniors.

"We're looking forward to the (selection) show," Groce said. "I know our guys are. We've had that as a goal since we first got together in the spring. The seniors told me that's what they wanted to do. It's pretty cool. We're approaching the date."