Minnesota didn’t make the NCAA tourney, but it compiled one of the better seasons in team history. The Gophers set a record for wins in a single season (25) on their way to claiming their third NIT crown. Not bad for a team with a first-year coach and a revamped roster from a team that won a game in the NCAA tourney a season ago.

Headed to its first Final Four since 2000, the Wisconsin Badgers grace this week’s Sports Illustrated. Josh Gasser and Frank Kaminsky are featured on one of the magazine’s four regional covers leading up to the Final Four. Wisconsin’s cover is a terrific reaction shot of the team’s celebration after topping No. 1 seed Arizona in the West Region final. See the cover in this post.

ESPN asked this simple poll question today: Which team are you rooting for to win the men’s college basketball national title? The results were interesting and pretty humorous. The interesting: Wisconsin led the way, with 37 percent of the votes, at the time of the picture below. The humorous: Only one state was rooting for Kentucky. See the poll results in this post.

Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers play at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. One might ask what that has to do with the Big Ten, and he or she would be right. Thanks to Paul, though, there’s an important Iowa angle to the event.

It’s not Thursday, but, boy, was there a Throwback Thursday-worthy Bo Ryan photo tweeted out Monday. Ryan is the man in the middle, the one wearing glasses, an oversized bow tie and plaid pants.

Wisconsin is headed to its first Final Four since 2000. And knowing this team, the national media should be thrilled. The Badgers are a team filled with engaging personalities and excellent soundbites. For example, this guy. Only a freshman, Nigel Hayes is someone fans and media already love and appreciate. But, again, this is a team full of characters, and here’s a look at some of the fun they’ve had on their way to the Final Four.

Wisconsin welcomed home its Final Four-bound Badgers on Sunday afternoon. The Badgers, who advanced to their first Final Four since 2000 with Saturday night’s thrilling overtime victory over Arizona, were introduced to the crowd and thanked the fans during a short ceremony at the Kohl Center. Watch the introduction of the West Region champs here and hear from Bo Ryan and West Region Most Outstanding Player Frank Kaminsky in this post.

John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, is a former Michigan quarterback, and his brother in-law, Tom Crean, is the Indiana basketball coach. So, when the CBS cameras caught the Baltimore Raves head coach wearing a Michigan State hat during the team’s Elite Eight game Sunday afternoon, it had people talking.

There’s a picture of Bo Ryan that is all over social media Sunday, and for good reason. On the plane headed home to Madison following Saturday night’s exciting Final Four-clinching overtime win over Arizona, Ryan flashes the team’s recently adopted hand symbol at the camera. If it looks familiar, it should. So classic. See the picture of Ryan in this post.

What does a star NFL quarterback do during the offseason? How about take in a Sweet 16 NCAA tournament game and celebrate with his team’s state school?

Tom Izzo has Michigan State two wins away from another Final Four. The Spartans can get to Arlington, Texas, with victories over Virginia and either Iowa State-UConn this weekend in the East Region. With Izzo and his team in the spotlight, Steve Mariucci, one of Izzo’s best friends, decided to share an epic throwback photo of the two on Twitter. Thank you, Mooch!

These days, when he’s not tweeting (example 1, example 2), calling into a Nebraska radio show or discussing his faux cat, Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini is busy organizing military homecomings. Pelini recently helped Sergeant Matthew Salomons surprise his wife, Becca, at the team’s football facility.

Richard Pitino didn’t seem to want to any part of his chair during a timeout in Tuesday night’s NIT quarterfinal game vs. Southern Miss. With his players gathered around him, the five on the floor sitting in their respective stools, the first-year Minnesota coach picked up his seat and spiked it to the Williams Arena court. Watch Pitino in this post.

Three Big Ten teams are one weekend, or two wins, away from advancing to the 2014 Final Four at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The court is ready for the event, and there’s a great time-lapse video of its construction, courtesy of Connor Sports. See the court that Big Ten teams hope they will be playing on Saturday, April 5, and Monday, April 7, in this post.

BTN basketball play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton, also the voice of the Cleveland Indians, had a special moment Monday afternoon. At the ballpark as a fan, for a change, Hamilton watched his son, Nick, Cleveland’s 35th pick in the 2012 MLB amateur draft, get his first career MLB at-bat. It was a proud moment for dad, obviously, and cameras even caught him tearing up. Nick, the former Kent State star, grounded out to second and finished the day 0-for-4.