UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA RICHARD PITINO WILL REMAIN AS HEAD COACH

According to multiple sources, University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino and the University of Minnesota have agreed to him being the men’s basketball coach.

Pitino finished with a 15-16 overall record and were 8-12 in the Big Ten Conference.

The Gopher won their first game against Northwestern in the Big Ten Conference tournament. The Big Ten Conference tournament was cut short due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the country.

SPORTING EVENTS COME TO A STOP DUE TO COVID-19

The current sports world as we know it now is up in the air. There is a new virus going around the world -- COVID-19. Effects of COVID-19 virus has had to take a toll on different people that are affected, not only as a health concern but to the way and events that have been postponed or canceled because of the new virus. 

In Minnesota and around the country On Wednesday, March 11, sporting events started postponing or canceling their seasons and post-season tournaments.

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

Symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are a cough, high temperature and shortness of breath. Simple measures like washing your hands often with soap and water can help stop viruses like coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading. There’s no specific treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19). Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms until you recover. It's not known exactly how coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads from person to person, but similar viruses are spread in cough droplets.”

Here is a growing list of sporting events around the United States and in Minnesota have been canceled because of COVID-19. 

According to Michelle Griffith of the Minneapolis Star Tribune,“NBA postponed its season, effectively canceling all Minnesota Timberwolves games at Target Center indefinitely.

NHL postponed its season, which renders the Minnesota Wild inactive.

The NCAA canceled men's and women's basketball championships (March Madness), along with all remaining winter and spring sports championships.

U.S. Bank Stadium was scheduled to host the NCAA Wrestling Championship, but the event, which was expected to draw 45,000 attendees per session, is canceled.

The Big Ten Conference announced delays in "all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future."

The Boys Grade State Basketball Championship, which would have had 873 teams playing in 22 locations across the state on March 14 and 15, is postponed.

The Minnesota State High School League canceled all prep tournaments, which includes the girl’s state basketball tournament.”

Also, the MSHSL Boys’ State Basketball Tournament which was scheduled to be played March 18-21 has also been canceled. 

BIG TEN STATEMENT ON EXPANSION

From Scott Chipman, Big Ten Conference
Park Ridge, Ill.—

The Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors (COP/C) held its winter meetings  today in Park Ridge, Illinois. The following statement is issued by the Big Ten office on behalf of the COP/C.

This time last year, the COP/C believed that the time was right for the conference to explore the possibility of conference expansion and Commissioner James E. Delany was asked to provide recommendations for consideration over the next 12 to 18 months. The Big Ten began a thorough, deliberate evaluation and on June 11, 2010, the COP/C unanimously approved an application for membership from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Since that announcement, the conference has been actively engaged in incorporating Nebraska, both academically and athletically, into the fabric of the conference and all parties eagerly await the completed integration which will take effect in July, 2011.

 During today’s meeting it was decided that it was appropriate to focus completely on conference affairs at this time. “We have been thoroughly engaged in the process since last December,” said COP/C Chair and Indiana University President Michael McRobbie. “Following detailed discussions at today’s meeting, my colleagues and I can report that we believe that this process has reached its natural conclusion. We are pleased with the addition of Nebraska and look forward to working with our colleagues there in the years ahead.

Although the conference will continue to monitor the intercollegiate landscape, it will not be actively engaged in conference expansion for the foreseeable future and does not expect to be proactively seeking new menbers.                                                                                                                                                                         

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MINNESOTA GOPHER MENS BASKETBALL TEAM SNAPS 20 GAME LOSING STREAK BY BEATING ILLINOIS

The Minnesota men's basketball team ended its 20-game losing streak to Illinois with an impressive 59-36 win over the 21st-ranked Illini Thursday night at Williams Arena.

Lawrence Westbrook went 3-of-4 from three-point range and paced the 24th-ranked Gophers with 15 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Freshman center Ralph Sampson III added 10 points and seven rebounds to help Minnesota improve to 18-3 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten.

Carrying the momentum of a six-point halftime lead into the second half, the Gophers shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) over the final 20 minutes of play and blew the game open – leading by as many as 23 – in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 14,625 at The Barn.

But the story of arguably Minnesota's biggest home win of the season was the Gophers’ ability to stifle the Illini with Tubby Smith's patented ball-line defensive scheme.

Aggressive all night, the Maroon and Gold held Bruce Weber's squad to 29.4 percent shooting from the field. The Illini went 7-of-28 in the first half, 8-of-23 in the second half and finished the contest 15-of-51 from the field, including just 2-of-16 shooting from behind the arc (12.5 percent).

The 36 points Minnesota held the Illini to on this night marks the lowest point total by an Illinois team in 24 years (Illinois scored 34 points in a loss to Purdue on Jan. 30, 1985). The point total was also the fewest allowed by the Gophers in a conference game since 1951. The 23-point loss was the largest margin of defeat for the Illini under head coach Bruce Weber.

Additionally, the Gophers 23-point win is the largest over a ranked opponent in the history of the program. The previous mark of 21 points in a win over No. 9 Purdue was set in 1993.

From the onset, it was obvious that Thursday night’s game would be a defensive battle. The Gophers held the Illini without a field goal for the first five minutes and 23 seconds of regulation.

Yet, Minnesota’s strong defense didn’t pay dividends on the scoreboard early on. With the Illini locking down Minnesota, the Maroon and Gold trailed seven minutes into the game.

That, however, quickly changed.

Down 6-5, Minnesota went on an 8-0 run – capped by a three-pointer from Blake Hoffarber – to take a 13-6 lead midway through the first half. The Gophers’ lead eventually ballooned to eight, 20-12, after a layup by Al Nolen forced Bruce Weber to call a timeout with 3:49 remaining in the first stanza.

Illiniois cut Minnesota’s lead to four in the final minutes of the first, but an acrobatic layup by Westbrook on Minnesota’s final possession of the first half sent the Gophers into the locker room up 22-16 at halftime.

From there, the Gophers would never trail.

Minnesota jumped on the Illini from the get-go in the second stanza.

The Gophers opened the second half on a 13-6 run and built a 35-22 lead following a free throw by Sampson III with 12:25 to go in regulation.The Illini shrunk Minnesota’s lead to 36-27 after Calvin Brock hit Illinois’ first three of the night, but the Gophers responded with a 9-0 run and led 45-27 following a three by Lawrence Westbrook with 7:46 left to go.

The Illini scored five quick points to cut into Minnesota’s advantage, but Westbrook hit another three to put the Gophers ahead by 16, 50-34, with 4:52 to play – all but ending Illinois' attempt at a comeback.

Minnesota returns to action on Wednesday when the Gophers travel to East Lansing to challenge Michigan State.

Noteworthy:

Minnesota outrebounded Illinois 44-29

Minnesota went 15-of-24 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, the Illini went just 4-of-7 from the charity stripe.

The Gophers shot 31.8 percent in the first half, but finished the game at 40.8 percent (20-of-49).

Minnesota outscored Illinois by 17 in the second half (37-20).