Illini seniors shooting to go out winners
In newspaper parlance, it would take a special section to detail all of Brian Randle's injuries, surgeries and maladies during his five years at Illinois.
Basically, if a body part has a name, then it has been in pain for the senior forward from East Peoria.
Up until this season, though, it barely required a paragraph to list the number of losses Randle endured at Assembly Hall.
In the senior forward's first four years at Illinois, he experienced just 5 home losses in 61 games.
But in his final season, Randle and his teammates have scuffled to a 6-8 home record.
Randle, as well as fellow seniors Shaun Pruitt and Chris Hicks, are hoping they can put the injuries and the inconsistent showings behind for just one day -- on Senior Day today against Minnesota.
"It's tough, but I think it just gives us motivation," Randle said. "Between the three of us and the rest of the guys, you shouldn't want anything else but to win your last game -- and win convincingly.
"It'll be hard, but I think it'll give everybody a boost and a lot of emotion."
Randle, who dislocated his shoulder just 17 days ago, thinks he'll be able to start. He played 10 minutes Thursday against Michigan State.
Wisky history: If Wisconsin wins at Northwestern today, it claims the school's second outright Big Ten title since 1947. The Badgers also would capture the No. 1 seed at next week's Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.
That would also make it easier for a third Illinois-Indiana contest to occur.
If Wisconsin wins and Indiana has the same result as Purdue this weekend, then the Hoosiers would earn the No. 2 seed.
They would await the winner of No. 10 seed Illinois' first-round game with either Penn State or Iowa.
Blue Demons blues: Despite winning at Cincinnati on Thursday night, DePaul finds its Big East tournament door more closed than before.
In fact, the Blue Demons could be eliminated from the chase for the 12th and final tournament spot before they take the floor for Sunday's regular-season finale at Pittsburgh.
They'll learn their fate by watching Villanova (18-11, 8-9) play at Providence (15-14, 6-11) and West Virginia play at St. John's (11-18, 5-12).
DePaul (11-18, 6-11) and Providence are the only teams that can take the 12th spot.
If the Friars build off their upset of No. 13 Connecticut and beat Villanova, then they clinch the bid because they topped DePaul 79-65 on Feb. 5 in their lone meeting.
But if Providence loses, then DePaul has two chances to advance:
DePaul can upset Pittsburgh (21-9, 9-8) to gain the bid outright. Or, if DePaul loses and St. John's shocks West Virginia to forge a three-way tie, the Blue Demons have the tiebreaker in their favor.