IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Keegan Murray had 26 points and 18 rebounds, and sixth-year guard Jordan Bohannon added 18 points in his final home game as No. 24 Iowa defeated Northwestern 82-61. It was the eighth double-double of the season for Murray, who came into the game ranked fourth nationally in scoring at 23.2 points per game. Bohannon, the Big Ten’s all-time leader in 3-pointers and Iowa’s career leader in assists, had four 3-pointers. Connor McCaffery had a season-high 17 points for the Hawkeyes. Murray nearly outscored Northwestern in the first half. He had 13 points, while the Wildcats scored just 17 on 22 percent shooting.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Casey Thompson has opened Nebraska’s spring practice as its No. 1 quarterback. Thompson transferred to Nebraska after starting 10 games and passing for 24 touchdowns for Texas last season. New offensive coordinator Mark Whipple says Thompson is the clear choice at quarterback but that nothing is set in stone. Among the Cornhuskers’ priorities is sorting out the quarterback situation following Adrian Martinez’s transfer to Kansas State. Thompson and Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy are competing with returnees Logan Smothers and Heinrich Haarberg.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has emerged as one of college basketball’s biggest surprises because of an uncanny ability to win close games. The 10th-ranked Badgers have won their last 14 games that were decided by six points or fewer. This marks the first time since the introduction of the 3-point line in the 1986-87 season that a Division I team has such a long winning streak in games decided by two scores or less. Wisconsin needs to win just one of its two remaining games to earn at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title.
UNDATED (AP) — Iowa climbed nine spots in the AP women’s basketball poll to No. 12 after a big week for the Hawkeyes. South Carolina remains the unanimous No. 1 team, followed by Stanford, N.C. State and Louisville and Baylor in the top five. LSU, UConn, IOwa State Texas and Michigan round out the top 10 teams in the poll.
UNDATED (AP) — The top six and seven of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 lost on the same day last week, both records. The single day of chaos led to some big changes in this week’s poll — everywhere but at the top. Gonzaga and Arizona remained the top two teams in the poll released Monday, holding steady despite both losing their most recent games. The Zags received 43 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel after being a unanimous pick last week. No. 3 Baylor had four first-place votes and No. 4 Duke picked up 11. Auburn rounded out the top five.
UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten plans to take a group of athletes from member schools on a three-day trip to civil rights sites in Alabama this summer as part of a conference-wide program exploring race relations and social justice. The July 15-17 trip will be funded by the Big Ten as part of a program designed to provide additional educational experiences for athletes. Conferences across the country have developed social justice initiatives in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in 2020. The Big Ten trip to civil rights sites is the first of its kind.
UNDATED (AP) — Florida State pitchers Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart have formed the most effective 1-2 punch in the country through two weeks. The redshirt sophomore left-handers have combined to strike out 46, walk three and allow one run in 23 2/3 innings. Unbeaten Texas posted two shutouts while sweeping Alabama. The Longhorns remain the consensus No. 1 team in the polls. Freshman Tommy White continued his early-season tear with four more home runs in North Carolina State’s three-game sweep of Quinnipiac.
