Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, March 25, 2014

Lots going on at Indiana recently, with the recent announcement that Jeremy Hollowell and Austin Etherington will transfer. Even bigger: Noah Vonleh is going to turn pro after just one season. Earlier, Luke Fischer bolted. Last season, Remy Abell and Maurice Creek transferred. Jeff Rabjohns of Peegs.com has a nice recap of all the activity.

Don?t fret the attrition, Hoosiers fans. It happens everywhere.

***

Time to play the ?what-if? game. What if Michigan big man Mitch McGary had opted to have surgery on his back in November instead of January?

Had the procedure been done in November, McGary may have been able to return to play in this NCAA tourney run. Fascinating, isn?t it?

Speaking of Michigan, Nik Stauskas?s rep as a shooter keeps improving. John Beilein marveled at Stauska?s prowess at a recent practice.

?Nik shot threes today and he had to make 36 threes in three minutes, two balls, one rebounder,? he said. ?He went 36 for 37. It should have taken him three minutes. It took him a minute and a half.

?It was incredible. Boom, boom, boom. Over and over again.?

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You betcha that Trey Burke is following the NCAA path of his school, Michigan. And he thinks sophomore Nik Stauskas is a first-round pick.

?I saw it in him the first time I saw him play,? Burke told the Detroit News. ?He?s a legit 6-foot-6, can handle, can score. There?s things you can work on, there?s definitely potential to be a first-rounder, this year, if he decides to come out.?

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Ohio State took some heat this past season for playing a soft non-conference schedule. Well, fans should like the fact the Buckeyes have scheduled a tilt with North Carolina to be played in Chicago for next season.

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If Michigan State fans don?t notice that the Spartans kick off spring drills today, that?s understandable. The hoop team is rolling onto the Sweet 16 with a trip to the Final Four in its sights. No worries, Mark Dantonio is ready to roll. And the message to his players: Handle success.

***

Nice video of Wisconsin writers Tom Oates and Jim Polzin discussing the Badgers? Sweet 16 game vs. Baylor.

Speaking of Wisconsin, it may have the most challenging Sweet 16 game among Big Ten squads, as a red-hot No. 6 Baylor team looms.

That Bears? zone defense can be confounding, given Baylor?s length and athletic ability. The Bears crushed a good Creighton team by 30 points in the third round, using a vexing 1-3-1 zone.

***

Good stuff from Mike Griffith of Mlive.com. Tennessee beat upcoming Michigan State foe Virginia like no other team this season. Cuonzo Martin shares the keys to the Vols? resounding win over the Cavs. Someone put this article on Tom Izzo?s desk.

***

Well, Penn State?s hoop season is over, ending with a not-so-glorious loss to Siena in the CBI.

TWEETS THAT MATTER


My take: Tough blow for the Buckeyes, as the kid picked Duke.


My take: I?m not gonna bet against Craft.


My take: Interesting.


My take: So there is that.


My take: Kids being kids, right? Right.


My take: The answer would be ?yes.?


My take: Agree.


My take: LOL


My take: How about that?

About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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