ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Big Ten newcomer Maryland is the pick to win the conference in women’s basketball in a vote by coaches and media. Minnesota’s Rachel Banham is the Preseason Player of the Year.
Maryland and Rutgers are playing in their first season in the conference. The Terrapins won 28 games and reached the Final Four last season. They beat out Michigan State for preseason conference honors, with Iowa picked third.
Banham, a senior, averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals last season.
She was joined on the coaches’ preseason team by Iowa’s Samantha Logic, Michigan State’s Aerial Powers, Nebraska’s Rachel Theriot and Northwestern’s Nia Coffey. Six players were chosen because of a tie.
Chicago — Nebraska junior guard/forward Terran Petteway was honored Thursday morning, as he was chosen for the preseason All-Big Ten team.
The five-member team, which is selected from media members from around the Big Ten region, were announced prior to the opening session of Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. Petteway is a returning first-team All-Big Ten pick after averaging a conference-high 18.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2013-14.
He is the first Husker chosen to a preseason all-conference team since Aleks Maric in 2007.
In 2013-14, Petteway became the first Husker to lead the conference in scoring in over 60 years en route to earning first-team all-district accolades by the NABC (coaches) and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (writers). He was a consistent scorer for the Big Red, reaching double figures 30 times in 32 games, including a pair of 30-point outings. He had a career-high 35 point game – the most by a Husker since 2008 – against Minnesota. Petteway had many of his best games against NU’s toughest opponents, averaging 20.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 12 games against top-50 RPI teams last season.
Petteway is joined on first team by Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell, Caris LeVert of Michigan and the Wisconsin duo of Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. In addition, the conference released the top three teams in the preseason poll. Wisconsin was a unanimous choice to win the league with Michigan State and Ohio State picked second and third, respectively.
ROSEMONT, Ill. – All-session tickets for the 2015 Big Ten Women’s and Men’s Basketball Tournaments will go on sale to the general public on Monday, Oct. 20, at Noon CT. The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held from March 4-8 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will return to the United Center in Chicago from March 11-15. Both events will feature a five-day format for the first time in conference history.
Lower level tickets for both tournaments may be purchased through the 14 Big Ten university ticket offices, but please contact the schools directly for on-campus sale dates. General public tickets for the women’s event can be purchased through the Sears Centre Arena ticket offices at 1-888-SEARS-TIX (732-7784) or www.searscentre.com. Upper level tickets for the men’s tournament may be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or going towww.unitedcenter.com.
The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament all-session tickets are available for $70 through January 31, which is a 22 percent discount off the regular price of $90. Fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets within their university’s fan block for their respective team’s games are encouraged to contact their school’s ticket office. The women’s tournament will feature general admission seating, allowing fans to witness the action from the best available seats in Sears Centre Arena.
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament all-session tickets for the 100 and 200 levels at the United Center are available for $375 through the Big Ten university ticket offices only. All-session tickets for the 300 level are available for $275 or $200 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the United Center box office only. Orders will be limited to four all-session tickets.
The men’s tournament will continue to feature a discounted student ticket program. For the 2015 event, students of Big Ten universities will be able to purchase tickets for $20, good for only the session or sessions featuring their school. All students must have a valid student ID for entry. Student section seating will be available in balcony sections and orders will be limited to one ticket per student. Details on the new discounted student ticket program will be sent to the university ticket offices for distribution directly to students.
The 2015 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament will be played at the Sears Centre Arena for the second time in the past three years. The 2015 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Chicago for the ninth time, including the inaugural event in 1998 and most recently in 2013. For more information on both events, including full brackets, go to bigten.org.
There are 10 Big Ten teams scoring at least 26 points per game.
Rest assured, however, that the late Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler would still recognize the conference where they once relied on rock-hard defenses.
After all, even though it seems every game ends up 45-38 and that spread offenses are running rampant, defense still has an often overlooked foothold in the 14-team league.
The Big Ten is represented by six of the top 20 teams in the nation in total defense, five of the top 20 in scoring defense and five of the top 25 in stopping the run and interceptions.
For the third time in five weeks, Nebraska I-back Ameer Abdullah earned a Big Ten weekly honor, as the senior was chosen as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Abdullah, who leads the nation in rushing yards and is second in yards per game, rushed for 208 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in Saturday’s 45-14 win over Illinois. He totaled 196 yards and all three scores in the first half, as the Huskers raced to a 31-14 lead.
The 208-yard performance marked Abdullah’s third 200-yard effort of the 2014 season and fourth of his collegiate career. His three 200-yard games in 2014 are one shy of the school mark set by Mike Rozier in 1983. Abdullah also climbed into second place on NU’s career lists for 100-yard games (21), career 200-yard games (four) and yards from scrimmage (4,339) while he also pulled within 70 yards of second place on the Huskers’ all-time rushing list. Abdullah had 212 all-purpose yards in the game, increasing his career total to 5,974 yards and moving him within 26 yards of becoming just the seventh player in Big Ten history with 6,000 career all-purpose yards.
The Big Ten honor was one of three awards Abdullah received Monday, as he was also named the Athlon Sports Big Ten Player of the Week and the College Football Performance Awards Running Back of the Week.
The Huskers, who are 5-0 and ranked 19th in the country, take on No. 10 Michigan State this Saturday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. (central) on ABC.
The Big Ten is coming off its best week of non-conference play in six years with wins in 12 out of 13 games.
It followed the league’s worst showing in non-conference play in 22 years, one in which Big Ten teams lost six of nine games and had national college football analysts howling about the conference’s lack of strength.
The stunning turnaround didn’t result in any chest thumping among the coaches on Tuesday’s teleconference with reporters. Nebraska’s Bo Pelini said it’s “ludicrous” to judge a conference on one weekend, good or bad.
The last time the Big Ten had a winning percentage of .923 (12-1) or better during a week in which it played more than two non-conference games was Sept. 26, 2008, according to STATS. The league went 11-0.
Nebraska I-back Ameer Abdullah earned Big Ten weekly honors for the second time this season on Monday.
Abdullah shared Big Ten Offensive honors with Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon following Nebraska’s 41-31 win over Miami Saturday night. Abdullah totaled 313 all-purpose yards – an NCAA single-game high in 2014 – as he rushed for 229 yards on 35 carries and two scores and added a three-yard touchdown reception. He also had four kickoff returns for 81 yards in the win, as his all-purpose yard total was second in Nebraska school history. He moved from fifth to third on Nebraska’s career rushing list while also becoming the Huskers’ career all-purpose yards leader, passing College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Rodgers.
Abdullah also earned the weekly honor against Florida Atlantic in the season opener when he rushed for 232 yards. Abdullah is one of only two players in the country with multiple 200-yard rushing games in 2014. Nebraska has won at least one Big Ten weekly award in each of the first four weeks of the season.
The Big Ten honor was one of several for Abdullah, as he was also named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for the second this season on Monday and was chosen as the Athlon Sports Big Ten Player of the Week.
Below are this week’s honorees:
Co-Offensive Players of the Week
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
Sr., RB, Homewood, Ala./Homewood
• Recorded 313 all-purpose yards, including 229 rushing yards, in Nebraska’s victory over Miami (Fla.)
• Carried the ball a career-high 35 times, reaching the end zone twice on the ground and adding a third touchdown on a three-yard reception in the second quarter
• Became Nebraska’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, passing 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers
• Records the third Offensive Player of the Week award of his career and second of the season
• Last Nebraska Offensive Player of the Week: Ameer Abdullah (Sept. 1, 2014)
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
Jr., RB, Kenosha, Wis./Bradford
• Needed just 13 carries to register 253 yards and matched a school record with five touchdowns in Wisconsin’s win against Bowling Green
• Averaged 19.5 yards per carry, shattering the previous school record of 14.9 yards per attempt
• Helped Wisconsin set a modern-era Big Ten record with 644 team rushing yards and a school record for total offense with 756 yards.
• Earns the second Offensive Player of the Week award of his career
• Last Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Week: Melvin Gordon (Sept. 23, 2013)
Defensive Player of the Week
William Likely, Maryland
So., CB, Belle Glade, Fla./Glades Central
• Recorded nine tackles, including one tackle for loss, and an interception to lead Maryland to a victory at Syracuse
• Notched his second career interception late in the second quarter and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown
• The interception return for a touchdown was the longest by a Maryland player since 1989
• Claims his first career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor
• First Maryland Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award
Special Teams Player of the Week
Chris Gradone, Northwestern
Jr., P, Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier
• Averaged 44.1 yards on seven punts as Northwestern defeated Western Illinois
• Six of his seven punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, including two inside the five-yard line
• Claims his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor
• Last Northwestern Special Teams Player of the Week: Jeff Budzien (Dec. 2, 2013)
Co-Freshmen of the Week
Tegray Scales, Indiana
LB, Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain
• Recorded five tackles and one sack to help Indiana defeat No. 18/19 Missouri
• Registered his first career sack as the Hoosiers collected their first road win over a top-20 team since 1987
• Wins his first career weekly award
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Ralphael Green III (Nov. 25, 2013)
Chris Streveler, Minnesota
QB, Crystal Lake, Ill./Marian Central Catholic
• Logged 161 yards on 18 carries, including a touchdown, to lead Minnesota to a victory over San Jose State in his first career start
• Posted the third-most rushing yards ever by a Minnesota quarterback
• Wins his first career weekly award
• Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Mitch Leidner (Sept. 23, 2013)
There are a couple of nonconference tests and rivalry games on the Big Ten schedule this week, but this week is more about recovery.
The brand took a hit with decisive losses by Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan to high-profile opponents, and the Spartans have this Saturday off. The Buckeyes and Wolverines host teams from the Mid-American Conference.
There were some shaky wins last week, too, with Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois barely getting by lower-tier foes.
But, hey, there are plenty of games left.
The postseason outlook already brightened since that rough weekend. Penn State learned it will be bowl eligible, with the lifting of NCAA sanctions stemming from the child sex-abuse scandal revealed three years ago.
Rosemont, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference, through its Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COPC), has agreed today to restore Penn State’s eligibility for the Big Ten Football Championship Game. The agreement follows the announcement today, by the NCAA, to further modify sanctions set forth in the Consent Decree entered into with Penn State on July 23, 2012, including the elimination of Penn State’s postseason football ban, effective immediately, and the restoration of its full complement of football scholarships beginning with the 2015-16 academic year. As a result of the announcement, based strongly on recommendations by Independent Athletics Integrity Monitor Senator George Mitchell, Penn State will be eligible to compete in both the Big Ten Football Championship Game and a bowl game, beginning with the current season.
The $60 million fine, vacation of wins from 1998-2011, Athletics Integrity Agreement (AIA), and five-year probation initially imposed by the NCAA will remain in effect, as will the official censure, five-year probation and monetary fine equal to Penn State’s Big Ten bowl revenue share during the probationary period initially imposed by the Big Ten COPC.
The NCAA’s decision to modify the Consent Decree was based on recommendations by Senator Mitchell, who has been serving since August 2012 as the independent Athletics Integrity Monitor responsible for overseeing Penn State’s implementation of the reforms set forth in the AIA. The AIA was entered into on August 29, 2012, by the NCAA, the Big Ten and Penn State as one of the requirements of the Consent Decree.
As a party to the AIA, the Big Ten COPC met with Senator Mitchell on Monday, September 8, and received his report on Penn State’s progress. Senator Mitchell’s briefing included a recommendation that the NCAA reduce the postseason ban effective immediately and restore full scholarship availability beginning with the 2015-16 academic year. Mitchell’s recommendation was based on the significant progress Penn State has continually made in its compliance and reform efforts over the last two years and focused exclusively on NCAA penalties that directly impacted student-athletes.
“Following our briefing with Senator Mitchell, the COPC reached consensus agreement to support his latest recommendation and also agreed to restore the school’s eligibility for the Big Ten Football Championship Game, which ran concurrently with the NCAA postseason bowl ban” said COPC Chair and Iowa President Sally Mason. “We support the NCAA announcement acting on that recommendation, thank Senator Mitchell for his dedicated service and appreciate Penn State’s ongoing commitment to improvement.”
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Big Ten newcomer Maryland is the pick to win the conference in women’s basketball in a vote by coaches and media. Minnesota’s Rachel Banham is the Preseason Player of the Year.
