Here is the latest Big Ten Conference sports news from The Associated Press

By The Associated Press
Updated: March 25, 2025 - 12:07 PM
Published: March 25, 2025 - 4:00 AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor with a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of top-seeded USC’s game against Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament. Watkins was driving to the basket when she went down with a non-contact injury. She grabbed her right knee with a pained expression on her face. A team spokesperson says Watkins will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation. The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points and is one of the biggest stars in the women’s game.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Skylar Vann scored 17 points, Payton Verhulst added 16 and No. 3 seed Oklahoma cruised into the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament, dispatching No. 6 seed Iowa 96-62. Raegan Beers had 11 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in just 18 minutes for the Sooners. Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk beat her alma mater and advanced past the second round for the first time in her four years with the Sooners. Oklahoma will play UConn or South Dakota State on Saturday in Spokane, Washington. Iowa had reached the previous two national title games with Caitlin Clark, who’s now in the WNBA.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Aziaha James scored 26 points and second-seeded N.C. State made an NCAA Tournament program-record 15 shots from 3-point range in an 83-49 victory over seventh-seeded Michigan State in the women’s second round. James connected for six 3s and Madison Hayes, who had 17 points, drilled five 3-pointers. Saniya Rivers added 17 points and 11 assists and Zamareya Jones had 12 points for the Wolfpack (28-6). N.C. State will meet either Florida State or LSU in a Sweet 16 matchup Friday in Spokane, Washington. The Wolfpack will be in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in coach Wes Moore’s 12 seasons.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Madison Booker scored 20 points and No. 1-seed Texas used a smothering defense to earn a 65-48 victory over No. 8 Illinois in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. The win sends the Longhorns to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda added 19 points for Texas. Texas outscored Illinois 18-6 in the second quarter, then broke the game open at the start of the third when the Longhorns stretched the lead to 24 after steals by Booker and Rori Harmon led to quick baskets. Adalia McKenzie led Illinois with 13 points.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota has hired Colorado State’s Niko Medved as its next coach. The native of the Twin Cities area and former student manager for the Gophers had the Rams within one basket of the Sweet 16. Colorado State hit the 25-win mark and made the NCAA Tournament three times in Medved’s seven seasons. He was 143-85 with the Rams for the second-best winning percentage in program history. Medved was the front-runner for the Minnesota job from the start. His predecessor Ben Johnson was fired after going 56-71 overall and 22-57 in the Big Ten Conference over four years on the job.

UNDATED (AP) — Ben McCollum, who led Drake’s dominating run through the Missouri Valley Conference and a win in the NCAA Tournament in his only season with the Bulldogs, is the new head coach at Iowa. Athletic director Beth Goetz announced McCollum’s hiring 10 days after she fired Fran McCaffery and two days after McCollum wrapped up a 31-4 season with a second-round loss to Texas Tech. McCollum takes over a program that had its worst season in seven years. The Hawkeyes were 17-16 and tied for 12th in the Big Ten. Terms of McCollum’s contract weren’t announced.

DENVER (AP) — They’re playing for more than trips to the Final Four and a chance to cut down nets at March Madness. It’s also a chance to see and be seen – by other teams. In yet another sign of the times in college sports, the transfer portal opens Monday, giving basketball players a 30-day window to switch schools. It means some of the 1,000 or so players on the 68 teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament are playing to win, but also for more money, more playing time, a chance to be seen and potentially set things up for next year.

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern coach Joe McKeown plans to retire after next season. McKeown has a 777-432 record with 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in 39 years at Northwestern, George Washington and New Mexico State. McKeown says it’s “been an honor to be in Evanston for the past 17 years.” McKeown is 268-258 in 17 seasons at Northwestern. The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2021. McKeown led George Washington to a 441-154 record and 15 NCAA appearances in 19 seasons, with four trips to the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight appearance in 1997. He coached New Mexico State to a 68-20 mark and two NCAA appearances from 1986 to 1989.