HILLARY SMITH: Purdue's Minch is confident, not cocky

WEST LAFAYETTE | A mere eight months after Purdue baseball won its first Big Ten title in 93 years and hosted an NCAA Regional, the graduation toll on the Boilermakers has started to show.

REGION COLLEGIANS: Mel doing quite well at Texas A&M

Whiting’s Mel Dumezich has done just about everything during a brilliant prep and college career. The Texas A&M senior recently added another special honor to her loaded awards collection.

Big East non-football schools consider departing

NEW YORK | The seven Big East schools that don't play FBS football are considering making a break from the drastically reshaped conference — and how best to go about doing it.

Purdue has 'MAC attack,' hires Kent State's Hazell as football coach

WEST LAFAYETTE | Darrell Hazell spent most of his coaching career telling others to "be great." Now he'll try to live up to that message at Purdue.

Kevin Wilson's Hoosiers tackle to-do list for 2013 season

BLOOMINGTON | Indiana coach Kevin Wilson applauded the progress he saw this season.

Purdue holds on over Illinois

CHAMPAIGN | Ralph Bolden and his Purdue teammates have been through a lot, but they're one win from bowl eligibility following a 20-17 victory at Illinois Saturday.

Choosing a college on the strength of its brand

Intense competition has forced schools to stay ahead of the curve by clearly defining their academic offerings. In the business world, it’s a concept known as branding.

Evans to be an assistant football coach at Homewood-Flossmooor

Albert Evans will reunite with his prep football coach and keep football in his blood.

Upsets plentiful in balanced Big Ten

Indiana gets it now.

Western Michigan takes on Purdue in Pizza Bowl

DETROIT | Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit was thrilled after he found out his team would be playing in a bowl close to home.

Emmert considers advisory role on abuse guidelines

INDIANAPOLIS | Mark Emmert is willing to help colleges and universities do a better job protecting minors on campus.

Michigan State welcomes Valpo transfer for 1-and-done stint

EAST LANSING, Mich. | Tom Izzo sounds a little sheepish about the way he landed Brandon Wood.

Illinois capitalizes on IU mistakes for Big Ten win

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. | Indiana coach Kevin Wilson spent all week trying to correct the mistakes.

Nebraska's arrival creates two Big Ten divisions, need for title game

Remember the three-way title that capped the 2010 Big Ten football season?

Mount Carmel's Chris Sujka is The Times 2011 Illinois Male Athlete of the Year

CHICAGO | Chris Sujka remembers when he visited Mount Carmel as an eighth grader at St. Damien's in Oak Forest.

Breaking down the 2011 NCAA D-1 attendance figures

Win or lose, people love watching the Indiana Hoosiers play in Assembly Hall.

Purdue's Johnson Big Ten Player of Year, Moore on team

PARK RIDGE, Ill. | Purdue's JaJuan Johnson was voted Big Ten Player of the Year on Monday and the Boilermakers' Matt Painter was honored as Coach of the Year after their team finished second in the Big Ten despite losing star Robbie Hummel to injury.

No. 12 Wisconsin beats Northwestern 78-63

MADISON, Wis. | Beyond being deliberate on offense and disciplined on defense, it's the defining characteristic of Bo Ryan's Wisconsin teams: They don't lose at home.

Where Are They Now?: Kelly Komara

Kelly Komara is aware of just how small the college basketball world can be.

No. 13 Wisconsin looks to topple No. 1 Ohio State

MILWAUKEE | Jordan Taylor, Jon Leuer and the rest of No. 13 Wisconsin saw firsthand how difficult it was to beat undefeated No. 1 Ohio State -- in football -- and the raucous celebration that ensued.