Big Ten links: Tom Izzo win total, Jarrod Uthoff praise & more

Tom Izzo now stands tied with Gene Keady on the all-time Big Ten wins list with 512. This is perfect. Has there ever been two coaches more alike? Rough, tough, defensive-minded. ? The only league coach with more Big Ten wins is Bob Knight with 661. Can Izzo catch The General? Probably not. But, who cares? Izzo is an all-time great.

"The only way you accomplish things like that is two things, you've got to have an administration that keeps you around, and you've got to have good players that have played for you, and I think I've got both," Izzo said.

Amen, Brother Tom.

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Speaking of Bob Knight ? the IndyStar.com played some ?What if?? What if Bob Knight never coached at Indiana? The General almost took the Wisconsin job. Imagine how that would have altered the landscape of college hoops.

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Nicole Auerbach of USAToday trumpets that Jarrod Uthoff deserves national player of the year talk.

Good to see the national media get on the Uthoff bandwagon. The guy is a versatile stud who does a bit of everything well and is the reason why the Hawkeyes are a top five team and legit national title contender.

Remember when he began his career at Wisconsin and Bo Ryan wasn?t gonna let him leave? What a crock. To think a coach/school can dictate where a kid can transfer is so blatantly wrong on so many levels. Thank god Uthoff got the chance to go home to Iowa. What a great story.

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I knew there was a reason why I liked Wisconsin?s Nigel Hayes. It?s because of self-criticism, looking in the mirror for answers instead of outwardly pointing a finger of blame when things aren?t going well.

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With Signing Day fast approaching, NJ.com looks at the top New Jersey players to sign with Rutgers since 2000. No. 1? It?s CB Devin McCourty. Not gonna argue with that.

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Pennlive.com has done a similar exercise, ranking Penn State?s top offensive line recruits in the post-sanctions era.

This is one area that has lagged to the point of being a big concern. When will the worm turn? Until the offensive line gets better, the Nittany Lions figure to be no more than an average Big Ten program.

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How much do autographs of recent Ohio State players cost? Interesting look from Cleveland.com.

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And how about this: Ezekiel Elliott already has a website devoted to selling his apparel.

?Zeke Mode?? Really? Not very creative. Think I?ll pass.

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Remember that humiliating loss for Nebraska at Purdue last fall? Well, Husker DC Mark Banker said it served as motivation. Well, I?m sure glad it didn?t go to waste. From that dark, dark, dark, dark, dark, dark, dark day ? NU finished 3-1. And, that offered hope, which this program needed a mega dose of.

"When you're in a situation like that, as coaches, you look your players in the eyes and you keep talking to them," Banker said. "You get back in the meeting room on Monday and you look at them - you don't turn away. There was something that happened after that game. I don't know what it was."

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OK, time for your daily ?crazy Michigan football story.? This time, we have a first-person account of a student trying out for Jim Harbaugh?s team.

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