Michigan State freshman tears left ACL

(AP) Michigan State standout freshman Branden Dawson is out for the rest of the season after injuring his left knee against Ohio State. Dawson limped off the court with 10:16 left in the first half of Sunday's 72-70 loss to the 10th-ranked Buckeyes, which left the No. 5 Spartans in a three-way tie for the Big Ten title with Ohio State and Michigan. After the game, Michigan State said Dawson has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward ranks third on the team in scoring (8.5) and is second in rebounds (4.6).

The Spartans will be the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which begins Thursday in Indianapolis (bracket). Also, don't forget about BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart's instant tourney analysis.