Both Northwestern and Minnesota enter the Big Ten Tournament desperate for a turnaround after closing the regular season on two-game losing streaks. The 12th-seeded Golden Gophers (15-16) and 13th-seeded Wildcats (16-15) will battle Wednesday in Indianapolis, with the winner earning a second-round matchup against No. 5 seed Wisconsin on Thursday. For Minnesota, the stakes are clear. Both teams finished 7-13 in Big Ten play, and their most recent meeting on Feb. 25 was a closely contested game before Northwestern pulled away late for a 75-63 road victory. The Wildcats leaned on their star, Nick Martinelli, who erupted for 29 points, including 19 after halftime. Garcia did his best to carry Minnesota in that game, finishing with 26 points and nine

NEW YORK — Georgetown showed major improvement in coach Ed Cooley’s second season as Micah Peavy earned a spot on the All-Big East first team and injured center Thomas Sorber made the third team and the conference’s all-rookie team. The seventh-seeded Hoyas (17-14) will face 10th-seeded DePaul in the first round of the Big East tournament on Wednesday night. The winner will advance to face second-seeded Creighton on Thursday. Georgetown improved by eight wins after going 9-23 in 2023-24, ending a run of three consecutive 20-loss seasons. Cooley successfully recruited Peavy from TCU via the transfer portal and brought in Sorber, who was a force before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Peavy led the Hoyas with 16.9 points per game,

NEW YORK — Providence and Butler ended disappointing regular seasons with the dubious claim of being among the Big East’s coldest teams. Two teams on lengthy losing streaks will open the Big East tournament Wednesday afternoon when eighth-seeded Providence faces ninth-seeded Butler in an opening-round game. The winner will advance to face top-seeded St. John’s on Thursday. Providence (12-19) is concluding its first losing season since going 15-17 in former coach Ed Cooley’s first year in 2011-12. The Friars also finished with a losing conference record for just the second time since then and were without star forward Bryce Hopkins for most of the season due to a knee injury. Bensley Joseph was one of the few bright spots for

As the Big Ten Tournament tips off in Indianapolis, the No. 11 seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights (15-16) and No. 14 seed USC Trojans (15-16) face off in a win-or-go-home showdown on Wednesday. Both teams aim to extend difficult seasons with a five-game Cinderella run that would secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. This matchup is a rematch of their February 23 meeting, where Rutgers claimed a 95-85 victory at home. Now, on a neutral court, USC looks for redemption while Rutgers hopes to continue its late-season surge. Freshman sensation Dylan Harper was the star of the first meeting, delivering 25 points, nine assists, and six steals. Alongside fellow freshman standout Ace Bailey, Harper has helped Rutgers develop into