Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, February 19, 2016

Did any Big Ten team need a win more than Minnesota? Nope. It was good to see the Golden Gophers notch their first Big Ten win and end a 14-game slide.

Let?s take another look at those tears of joy from Minnesota?s Joey King.

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When discussing Iowa, pundits typically prattle on about Jarrod Uthoff and Mike Gesell. But the guy with the most pro potential may be Peter Jok, who has NBA scouts scribbling furiously in their notebooks after seemingly putting it all together as a junior after bouts of inconsistency.

David Jones of Pennlive.com says Jok actually surpassed Uthoff as Iowa's most dependable scorer with six games of 23+ and a 20.3 average in the Hawkeyes' last 11 games. While his teammates almost uniformly look fatigued, Uthoff included, Jok shows no effects. That's a very good sign for an NBA prospect.

And Jones thinks he could be among the first 20 picks in the June draft.

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Good Q&A with new Penn State OC Joe Moorhead, who says the installation of his offense is going smoothly.

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We?ve all heard to rumblings: Connor Cook isn?t a good leader. I mean, the guy wasn?t even voted a captain last year by his peers even though he was a wily veteran who played the most important position on the field. Well, Spartan OT Jack Conklin says we have it all wrong.

"I think it's people reading him wrong," Conklin told Bruce Feldman of FOXSports. "I know (people) expect him to be captain, but with our team, we have 12 eagles that our team voted. They are 12 guys that are voted by the team, and then three guys from that are voted the captains."

Conklin confirmed that Cook was one of the eagles on the Spartans and said there were so many great leaders on the team. He also said the other nine eagles rotated as the fourth captain from week to week, a role Cook fill in two different games.

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A neat movie about Ohio State legend Jesse Owens called ?Race? opens on Friday. Here is a video from Cleveland.com that looks at the Buckeye icon in the school?s archives, where Owens lives on to this day ? in a matter of speaking.

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It is good to see "Voice of the Gophers" Dick Jonckowski beat cancer and celebrate 30 years behind the mic.

He is one of just two public address announcers in the 88-year history of The Barn. That?s pretty dang impressive and was honored on Thursday. His most memorable season was the vacated 1997 Big Ten title and NCAA Final Four year. He has enjoyed too many teams and players to name all who played under Haskins, Dan Monson, Tubby Smith and now Richard Pitino.

?It?s amazing,? Richard Pitino said. ?He?s a really good guy. To do anything for 30 years is remarkable, and I know he takes great pride in it. He?s a legend, that?s for sure.?

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Amid much fanfare, Illinois introduced new A.D. Josh Whitman, who David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune called an ?unorthodox choice.?

Haugh says the choice of the 37-year-old Whitman is unorthodox but not necessarily unwise for an underachieving program that should aspire to compete for national championships. Whitman has some big decisions ahead surround who is leading the hoops and football programs. Those decisions will go a long way in shaping his tenure. Good luck, kid.

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Northwestern is the first Big Ten team to begin spring drills, kicking off Feb. 23. InsideNU.com has some good position previews to prime the pump. No better place to start than QB, a position that has to get better. Yes, we?re looking at you, Clayton Thorson.

Thorson's lack of progress throughout the year was worrisome and a hindrance to Northwestern's offense. His statistics for the year were pedestrian at best: 50.8 completion percentage, 1,522 yards, 7 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

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Devin Bush, Sr., is headed to Michigan as a defensive analyst, according to Mlive.com.

Devin Bush Sr., the father of current Michigan freshman linebacker Devin Bush Jr. and head coach of Flanagan (Florida) High School's 2015 state championship team, is coming to Michigan to work as a defensive analyst this season. Michigan still has a senior offensive analyst job open after T.J. Weist's departure to South Florida earlier this offseason.

Michigan also has an opening left on its recruiting staff after Erik Campbell was hired as UConn's new wide receivers coach.

The Wolverines also need to formally fill linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Chris Partridge's old job — director of player personnel. And, of course, Michigan now has one full-time staff opening with the recent departure of defensive backs coach Greg Jackson to the Dallas Cowboys.

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More football: The IndyStar.com says two JC transfers will be key to Indiana?s success in 2016. No doubt about that.

Indiana?s two mid-year enrollees, junior college transfers Jayme Thompson and Richard Lagow, knew before arriving on campus that they would be rooming together. So Thompson, a safety and former Ohio State Buckeye, laid something out plainly for Lagow, a quarterback and former Oklahoma State Cowboy, before the pair made it to Bloomington.

?I told him, ?If I?m out of line, if you?re out of line, I want you to tell me,? ? Thompson said. ?He holds me to a high standard. I hold him to a high standard.?

IU will need the highest possible standard from both players - albeit for different reasons - in coach Kevin Wilson?s sixth season. Both of these guys must earn starting spots.