Sports
Is This Finally the Year the Big Ten Ends Its College Basketball Title Drought?
It’s been more than a quarter-century since it happened. President George W. Bush was not yet in office the last time a Big Ten Conference team won the men’s basketball national title.
So is it actually a fool’s errand to bet on the conference to quash that drought this spring? Or maybe… they’re just due?
Famously, the Big Ten’s last champion in men’s hoops was the 1999–2000 Michigan State Spartans, with Mateen Cleaves at the controls and Tom Izzo the ripe old age of 45. The Big Ten has had moments since then where it’s looked like the best league in the sport, but it’s failed to deliver another champ partly due to the unpredictability of the NCAA Tournament.
If there were ever a year to bet on that drought going by the wayside, it’s this one.
The Big Ten has five legitimate national title contenders in Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Illinois and Purdue. It may not be the best conference altogether — Penn State, Northwestern, Maryland and Oregon really drag down the bottom — but there’s no debating which league is strongest at the top.
To wit: The quintet mentioned above are ranked Nos. 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 in this week’s AP poll. The highest-ranked SEC team, Arkansas, is No. 15. In KenPom’s net efficiency ratings, Big Ten teams check in at Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 before you hit your first SEC team.
Other than Purdue, which has stumbled into a three-game losing streak, the other four Big Ten teams we’re discussing have a 9–1 or 8–1 league record — a true tussle at the top. The SEC contenders, none of whom besides Vanderbilt (!) looked especially great during nonconference play, have taken one another down a peg lately. At 6–1 in the league, the SEC leader — any guesses? — is Texas A&M, NET ranking 40.
It’s a refreshing change of pace after the SEC put 14 of its 16 teams in the 2025 tournament field. I remember writing last year that the SEC warranted at least 12, controversial at the time if you don’t live in the South (and I don’t — for example, I know how to handle a snowstorm). But four of their schools made the Elite Eight and Florida won the title, so the SEC hype was partially warranted.
No longer. When Texas A&M and Vandy and John Calipari’s Razorbacks are your best hopes, you’ve lost your throne. I’d listen to arguments that the Big 12 is up there with the Big Ten, with its crew of Arizona, Houston, Iowa State and Texas Tech, and I’d rather bet on the ACC to produce the national champ than the SEC just for Duke alone.
But my mind returns to the Big Ten.
We got to see one of the best games of the year Tuesday when Michigan trailed most of the way before pulling out the last six points to finish a 75–72 comeback and hand a short-handed Nebraska its first loss. Both teams deserved to win that game; they both shot a touch lower than 50% and each excelled in their own areas of strength. To overuse a cliché, it was a heavyweight fight.
Guess what? It’s a full card of heavyweight fights in the next week and a half.
- Friday: No. 3 Michigan at No. 7 Michigan State
- Sunday: No. 9 Illinois at No. 5 Nebraska
- Saturday, Feb. 7: No. 9 Illinois at No. 7 Michigan State
Each team has its own identity, from the Cornhuskers’ collection of underrecruited, less athletic dudes — six of whom are from Nebraska, as well as guys from the Netherlands and Turkey — to Michigan’s high-powered machine led by a coach who took FAU to a Final Four, to Illinois’ merry band of Balkan brothers.
If you’re into this stuff, it’s a thrill to watch. And I’m confident that one of them will be cutting down the nets in April.
Sports
OpTic Texas emerges with hard-fought win at CDL Stage 2 major qualifying
OpTic Texas won a five-map battle with GS Minnesota on Saturday, the second day of Week 1 matches in qualifying for the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major.
Other winners on Day 2 were Paris Gentle Mates, FaZe Vegas and the Los Angeles Thieves.
The 12 Call of Duty teams are playing a full qualifying round robin to determine seeding for the second major of the season, to be held March 27-29 in Marston Green, England, as part of the DreamHack Birmingham event.
The top six teams in qualifying head straight into the Stage 2 Major playoffs, while the teams in seventh through 10th place will compete in a play-in round.
The Stage 2 Major champion will receive $150,000 and 100 Call of Duty League points, while the runner-up will get $90,000 and 75 CDL points.
Paris Gentle Mates downed the Riyadh Falcons 3-1 on Saturday, dropping the opener on Colossus Hardpoint 250-194 before running together wins on Colossus Search and Destroy 6-2, Den Overload 4-3 and Scar Hardpoint 250-93.
Daniel “Ghosty” Rothe recorded 91 kills and a plus-20 kill-death differential for Paris, while fellow American Travis “Neptune” McCloud had 89 kills and a plus-12 K-D differential. American Arthur “Cellium” Jovel was the only member of the Falcons with a plus K-D differential (83 kills, plus-6).
OpTic Texas rallied for a 3-2 win over G2 Minnesota, which took the first two maps, 250-154 on Den Hardpoint and 6-4 on Scar Search and Destroy. But Texas came back with must wins on Scar Overload (3-1), Scar Hardpoint (250-221) and Raid Search and Destroy (6-5).
Mason “Mercules” Ramsey posted 97 kills and a plus-10 K-D differential, and fellow American Cuyler “Huke” Garland had 103 kills and a plus-9 for OpTic Texas. Kyle “Kremp” Haworth of the United States led Minnesota with 110 kills and a plus-17 differential.
FaZe Vegas swept Toronto KOI 3-0, winning 250-153 on Blackheart Hardpoint, 6-1 on Den Overload and 5-3 on Exposure Search and Destroy.
Zachary “Drazah” Jordan of the United States paced Vegas with 61 kills and a plus-15 K-D differential, teammate Jordan “Abuzah” Francois of Belgium had 55 kills and a plus-12, and Chris “Simp” Lehr of the United States had 60 with a plus-12. No Toronto player had a plus differential.
The Los Angeles Thieves topped the Vancouver Surge 3-1. The Thieves opened with a 250-241 victory on Scar Hardpoint before the Surge drew even with a 6-3 win on Colossus Search and Destroy. Los Angeles then won 7-5 on Den Overload and 250-136 on Exposure Hardpoint.
Thomas “Scrappy” Ernst of the United States led Los Angeles with 104 kills and a plus-28 K-D differential, and teammate Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez of France had 99 kills and a plus-25. No Vancouver players had a positive K-D differential.
Sunday’s matches to conclude Week 1:
–Paris Gentle Mates vs. Miami Heretics
–Riyadh Falcons vs. Boston Breach
–Los Angeles Thieves vs. Carolina Royal Ravens
–G2 Minnesota vs. Cloud9 New York
Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major qualifiers standings (match record, map differential)
1. OpTic Texas, 2-0, +4
T2. Carolina Royal Ravens, 1-0, +3
T2. Miami Heretics, 1-0, +3
T4. Los Angeles Thieves, 1-0, +2
T4. Paris Gentle Mates, 1-0, +2
6. FaZe Vegas, 1-1, even
7. Cloud9 New York, 0-0, even
8. G2 Minnesota, 0-1, -1
T9. Riyadh Falcons, 0-1, -2
T9. Vancouver Surge, 0-1, -2
11. Boston Breach, 0-1, -3
12. Toronto KOI, 0-2, -6
–Field Level Media
Sports
Italy's Federica Brignone wins giant slalom; Mikaela Shiffrin finishes 11th
Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States in action during her second run in the women’s giant slalom on Sunday in Belluno, Italy, at the Milan Cortina Olympics. She finished in 11th place, CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Italy’s Federica Brignone completed a golden double on home snow at the Winter Olympics on Sunday, adding the giant slalom title to the super-G won last Thursday, as U.S. Alpine ski great Mikaela Shiffrin again missed out on a medal.
Sweden’s Sara Hector, champion at Beijing 2022, shared silver with Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund with the pair astonishingly clocking identical times in both runs in a race of fine margins.
Italy’s Lara Della Mea finished fourth, missing out on the podium by an agonizing 0.05 of a second with Austria’s pre-race favorite Julia Scheib, the World Cup giant slalom leader, a further 0.02 behind in fifth.
Brignone, who only returned to the Alpine ski World Cup in January after a career-threatening leg injury, won by 0.62 of a second.
She dominated the first run in bright sunshine on the Olimpia delle Tofane piste and then took a safer approach with the medal beckoning.
“It was such an easy run, because the snow was so easy,” the 35-year-old, who now holds both the world and Olympic titles.
“I was almost too calm,” she said of the second run. “I was afraid of not being aggressive enough.”
No other female Italian Alpine skier has ever won two individual golds at the same Games. Brignone is now the oldest Olympic gold medalist in Alpine skiing as well as the oldest female medalist.
Shiffrin, seventh after the first run of a discipline she has found challenging since a nasty crash in 2024, missed out on an Olympic medal again after finishing 11th on a course set by her coach.
The most successful skier in World Cup history, with a record 108 wins, Shiffrin has not won an Olympic medal since 2018 after drawing a blank in Beijing and now has just the slalom remaining to end that drought.
She will be favorite for that title, having won seven of eight World Cup slaloms this season.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Norway’s ‘King Klaebo’ reigns as greatest with 9 Winter Games golds
Johannes Klaebo of Norway celebrates with fans before crossing the finish line to win the Winter Olympics gold medal in the men’s 4×7.5 km relay on Sunday in Lago, Italy. TESERO, Italy — Norway’s Johannes Klaebo cemented his legacy on Sunday by winning a ninth Olympic cross-country gold to become the greatest Winter Olympian of all time.
Nine golds put him ahead of compatriots and fellow cross-country skiers Marit Bjoergen, Bjoern Daehlie and biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who have eight Olympic titles each.
“It was good to share the top with them for a couple of days, but it feels even better to be on the top. It’s a big achievement and will take some time to sink in,” said Klaebo, who won the medal in the men’s 4 x 7.5km relay.
Klaebo’s ninth gold puts him level with six Olympic greats, including Finn Paavo Nurmi, a distance runner, and U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis. One more would lift him to second on the all-time list for any Olympics — Winter or Summer — but he would have some way to go to surpass American swimmer Michael Phelps, who towers above all with 23.
Klaebo could win his 10th in the coming days with a victory in either the men’s team relay on Wednesday or the 50km classic race next Sunday.
“He (Klaebo) is the greatest of all time. We knew that, and now it is also in the numbers,” Italian skier Elia Barp said.
The 29-year-old Klaebo, who lives in Trondheim, Norway, is competing in his second Olympics. His 83-year-old grandfather, who is also his coach, was sitting in the stands at the Tesero Ski Stadium when he won gold on Sunday.
“This is something he has really worked hard for,” Klaebo said. “He’s been my coach since I was 15, and we have really worked hard for it.”
Klaebo is No. 1 in the World Cup standings, and at the Olympics, he has beaten competitors with wide enough margins to casually cross the finish line and wave at the crowd.
The men’s 10km interval freestyle race had been seen as the best chance to knock him off the top of the podium, but he still managed to win that competition by nearly five seconds.
“It makes our job that much harder. Nine more golds until we can get in front of him,” joked U.S. skier Ben Ogden after Sunday’s relay race.
“It is pretty cool, and I like that he’s starting to get some really big recognition for how talented he is because it’s well deserved.”
Klaebo became a household name after a video of him running uphill in the men’s classic sprint went viral, putting the spotlight on a sport that lacks the Olympic fanfare of figure skating or Alpine skiing.
“I think he’ll go down as the greatest of all time. To be racing the same era as him — it is crazy to witness that and to fight against that,” said Canadian skier Remi Drolet.
–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media
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