The first of two seismic seasons for the annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge opens in early December. This year the ACC welcomes newcomers Notre Dame, Syracuse and Pittsburgh — all of which were NCAA tournament teams last season. The 2014-15 campaign will offer two new Big Ten teams, including current ACC member Maryland (and Rutgers). It’s [...]

The Big Ten’s top four players will rank among the nation’s top 10 at the end of the season. Michigan guard Trey Burke, Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas, Indiana center Cody Zeller and Indiana guard/forward Victor Oladipo all are competitive for first-team All-American honors. All four are almost assured of landing on the top two [...]

IOWA CITY — Urban Meyer arrived at Ohio State 14 months ago with a national title pedigree and a penchant for recruiting excellence. As expected, the two-time national championship coach has shook up the Big Ten’s football culture, and the league’s recruiting costs have skyrocketed. Meyer has turned the Buckeyes from a regional powerhouse into [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the wake of a 72-63 loss Tuesday at No. 14 Ohio State, Iowa players and coaches were frustrated by their performance but encouraged by their resolve. Iowa trailed the Buckeyes by 24 points with 12:49 left in the game. The Hawkeyes (13-6, 2-4 Big Ten) then rallied possession-by-possession to cut its [...]

IOWA CITY — Two weeks ago Iowa fell into a coma defensively at Michigan, giving up 95 points and allowing scores on 33 of 41 possessions over a 23-minute span. Iowa (13-5, 2-3 Big Ten) allowed the Wolverines to shoot better than 58 percent. That included transition baskets (16), points off turnovers (15), in the paint [...]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Iowa coach Fran McCaffery questioned his team’s toughness last year after the Hawkeyes were pulverized 95-61 at Michigan State. The final score didn’t adequately reflect the pounding Iowa absorbed. The Spartans were — as always — more physical than Iowa. But Michigan State competed on each possession at both ends of [...]

object id=”bimvidplayer0″ width=”670″ height=”380″ classid=”clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000″> ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was one dunk attempt in a series of possessions, but Iowa forward Aaron White’s attempt changed the complexion of Iowa’s game at No. 2 Michigan on Sunday. White, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, went up strong for a game-tying dunk with 3 minutes left in the first half. [...]

object id=”bimvidplayer0″ width=”670″ height=”380″ classid=”clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000″> ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Questions tend to linger around a basketball program when vices turn into habits. Toughness, intensity and effort are intangibles that Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery expects from his team. Yet when they are lacking, like in Sunday’s 95-67 loss at No. 2 Michigan, they bubble up and blister. [...]

IOWA CITY — Michigan’s Fab Five didn’t do this. Neither did the Wolverines’ 1989 NCAA championship squad. No. 2-ranked Michigan is 14-0, just two wins off the school’s best start in 1985-86. That squad didn’t reach the national finals. This year’s version could make a Final Four run like its previously mentioned brethren. Michigan boasts [...]

IOWA CITY — Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery touted Trey Burke long before the Michigan point guard became Trey Burke, All-American. McCaffery tried to recruit the Columbus, Ohio native when he took over at Iowa, then when Burke decommitted from Penn State. When Burke signed with Michigan, McCaffery knew the Big Ten would have its hands [...]