For a change, Tom Izzo and Michigan State entered a season unranked and on the outside of many experts' list of Big Ten title contenders. Izzo worked his magic, per usual, as the Spartans shared the Big Ten crown, won the Big Ten tournament and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourney to […]
So much for the Michigan football program's struggles. After suffering through the worst three-year period in program history (15-22), the Wolverines came out of nowhere to card an 11-2 record, including their first BCS win since 2000, in Year 1 of the Brady Hoke regime. Naysayers will argue the schedule played out perfectly for Michigan […]
That's more like what Iowa fans were thinking when the men's basketball team hired Fran McCaffery to replace Todd Lickliter. After a disappointing 11-20 first season under the former Siena coach, Iowa surprised many with its 18-17 encore — a season highlighted by upset victories over ranked Wisconsin, twice, then-No. 13 Michigan and then-No. 18 […]
Any talk about Indiana's 2011-12 athletic year begins and ends with the turnaround of the men's basketball program. On the heels of a forgettable three-year run that yielded a 28-66 record, the Hoosiers returned to relevancy with a 27-9 season, highlighted by a Sweet 16 berth and upset wins over eventual national champ Kentucky and […]
When it comes to the 2011-12 athletic year for Illinois, many people will remember it for all of the transition. Football coach Ron Zook, men's basketball coach Bruce Weber and women's basketball coach Jolette Law all coached their last games and gave way to Tim Beckman, John Groce and Matt Bollant, respectively. But it also […]