Big Ten Basketball

The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes suffered a stunning upset against unranked Minnesota on Friday night as the Golden Gophers defended their home court, 102-95 in overtime.

Luka Garza finished with 32 points and 17 rebounds, but the Hawkeyes (7-2, 1-1 Big Ten) couldn't hold on down the stretch, blowing a seven-point lead with 40 seconds remaining in regulation. Minnesota's Marcus Carr (30 points, eight assists) hit a three-pointer with five seconds left to send the game to overtime after Jordan Bohannon's last-second game-winner attempt fell short for Iowa. 

The win moves the Gophers to 8-1 (1-1 Big Ten) on the year and in line to jump crash the AP Top 25 on Monday. 

It's Iowa's second loss in three games after falling to No. 1 Gonzaga, 99-88, on Dec. 19. A 15-point victory against Purdue earlier this week made it seem like things were getting back on track for the Final Four-hopefuls. 

Now it's back to the drawing board without much time to switch things up. 

The Hawkeyes are back in action against a surging Northwestern team on Dec. 29. The Wildcats defeated Indiana and Michigan State in their last two times out. This isn't exactly the easy win it looked like it might be when the schedule came out. Then on Jan. 2, Iowa travels to No. 11 Rutgers for a matinee in New Jersey.  

The next stretch of games could be the most pivotal of the season for Iowa after this week's setback. 

Head coach Fran McCaffery can at least feel good about his team's ability to score as Garza, Joe Wieskamp and CJ Frederick combined for 69 points on Friday.

That just wasn't enough to power past Minnesota. 

Junior center Liam Robbins poured in 18 points with five rebounds while senior forward Brandon Johnson added 26 points and nine rebounds himself. 

It's a resume-making win for a Gophers team that already knocked off Saint Louis, Boston College and North Dakota this year. Unfortunately, that could all fall apart in the next few games. Minnesota's next six games are all against ranked opponents including a rematch against Iowa on Jan. 10 and two games against No. 19 Michigan. 

Ohio State senior forward Seth Towns knelt before the Buckeyes' 90-85 win over Notre Dame on Tuesday in protest of a police officer who killed his friend.

Towns tweeted a photo of his protest after the game:

According to CNN's Laurie Ure, Rebekah Riess, Eric Levenson and Nicquel Terry Ellis, 23-year-old Casey Goodson was shot and killed Friday while entering his home by sheriff's deputy Jason Meade in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus Division of Police said Meade reported investigating a man he saw with a gun while operating as part of a task force looking for violent offenders. The task force was not looking for or investigating Goodson, who has no criminal record.

Goodson and Meade reportedly exchanged words prior to the shooting, which occurred as Goodson put his keys into the door of his house.  

While Meade reported seeing Goodson carrying a gun, the Goodson family's attorney said Goodson was legally armed at the time of the shooting and only had a Subway sandwich in his hands when he was killed.

Towns tweeted the following after Goodson's shooting death:

The 23-year-old Towns is a Columbus native who spent two seasons playing at Harvard before transferring to Ohio State.

Towns, who was the 2017-18 Ivy League Player of the Year, has not appeared in a game since that season  because of multiple knee injuries.

He did not play in Tuesday's win over Notre Dame as he continues to recover from a knee injury and has yet to make his debut this season for the Buckeyes.

Per ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Towns made headlines nationwide after he was detained at a Black Lives Matter protest in Columbus in May following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Federal authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Goodson's death, according to CNN.

The Wisconsin Badgers became the third Top Five team to lose this season thanks to Justin Lewis' buzzer-beater that gave Marquette a 67-65 victory on Friday at Fiserv Forum. 

With the score tied at 65 with 0.9 seconds remaining, Lewis tipped in D.J. Carlton's missed free throw as time expired:

Wisconsin entered the game ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 and had a 3-0 record, though its victories came against Eastern Illinois, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Green Bay. 

Marquette is the first significant test the Badgers have faced to this point. It was clear in Wisconsin's performance, as the team set season lows in points (65) and shot 37.5 percent overall, including 7-of-24 from three-point range. 

The Golden Eagles were coming off a 70-62 loss against Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Head coach Steve Wojciechowski got his team back on track thanks to Lewis' career day. The freshman led the team with 18 points off the bench and grabbed eight rebounds, including the biggest one of the game in the final second.

Friday's victory is Marquette's first time knocking off a team ranked in the AP Top Five during the regular season since Jan. 24, 2017 (No. 1 Villanova). 

Wisconsin joins Villanova and Illinois as Top Five teams to lose through the first two weeks of the men's college basketball season. Illinois was beaten by No. 2 Baylor on Wednesday, while Villanova, which opened the season ranked No. 3, was upset by Virginia Tech on Nov. 28. 

The Badgers will look to turn things around Wednesday at home against Louisville. Marquette will host Green Bay on Tuesday.       

Former Michigan State men's basketball player Keith Appling was sentenced to 18 months probation after being arrested in February and found with 19 grams of heroin, per Christina Hall of the Detroit Free Press.

Appling pleaded guilty to controlled substance-delivering/manufacturing less than 50 grams and operating a vehicle without a license on his person. 

Per Hall, the conditions of Appling's probation are that he is to "have no drugs or alcohol; be employed 30 hours a week; undergo outpatient or residential treatment; and have his license suspended for six months (restricted after 30 days for employment and probation), in addition to paying fines and court costs."

He will be allowed to travel if he can show "extensive proof" of playing basketball games overseas as his job. 

Appling, 28, spent four seasons at Michigan State (2010-11 to 2013-14). He went undrafted but had a brief stint in the NBA, appearing in five games for the Orlando Magic in the 2015-16 season. He also spent time in the Summer League and G League and playing overseas.

In 2017, he was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to charges of carrying a concealed weapon and resisting and obstructing a police officer following a traffic violation.

One of the most dynamic recruits in the country has made his college decision, as Bryce McGowens will attend Nebraska starting with the 2021-22 season. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, McGowens is the highest-ranked recruit in the history of the program, and he said that playing alongside his brother, Trey McGowens, played a role in his decision.

"Having an opportunity to play with my older brother is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," the younger McGowens brother said.

McGowens previously committed to Florida State in February. 

"It's the right place for me to grow and develop as a player," he told Kennington Lloyd Smith III of the Anderson Independent Mail at the time. "(Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton) was definitely happy."

In October, though, Borzello reported McGowens decommitted from the Seminoles and was opening up his recruitment. 

Per 247Sports' composite rankings, he is a 5-star prospect, No. 3 shooting guard and No. 25 overall prospect in the 2021 freshman class. He's listed at 6'6", 175 pounds, and has shown tremendous scoring ability during his time at Legacy Charter High School. 

According to stats compiled by MaxPreps, McGowens averaged 23.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game through his first three high school seasons. The South Carolina native shot 51 percent overall and 42 percent from three-point range. 

The Cornhuskers emerged as a surprise favorite for McGowens when his brother, Trey, transferred to the program in April. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Jason Jordan, McGowens' final five came down to Nebraska, Florida State, Michigan, Georgia and LSU after he met with each of the programs via Zoom last month. 

According to Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald, McGowens is the first 5-star recruit who has ever committed to play basketball at Nebraska. 

Head coach Fred Hoiberg had a brutal first season with the Cornhuskers. Their 7-25 record was the fifth-worst in the program's history and the first time Hoiberg has had a losing season as a college head coach. 

Adding McGowens to the fold gives Nebraska instant credibility in the Big Ten. It also allows the coaching staff to pitch other high-end recruits on the idea that their program is one that can be a destination for talent as they try to build a winning culture. 

Michigan State announced Monday men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo has tested positive for COVID-19 and will self-isolate for 10 days.

Izzo returned a presumptive positive antigen test on Monday morning, and the diagnosis was later confirmed through a PCR test. No other members of the Michigan State program have tested positive since the team began daily antigen testing along with the rest of the Big Ten conference on Oct. 26.

In a statement, Izzo said his symptoms are minor, and he can return to the program on Nov. 17, since his symptoms began on Saturday. In his absence, associate head coach Dwayne Stephens will lead practices, with the 2020-21 college basketball season scheduled to begin Nov. 25.

The 65-year-old Hall of Famer, who has coached at Michigan State since 1995, said he isn't sure how he contracted the virus: 

"I've been extremely diligent for many months now, wearing my mask in public and around the office, while adhering to social distancing guidelines. I've been racking my brain, trying to figure out if there was a time where I let my guard down for just an instance. And while I haven't identified any area of exposure, what I have determined is that this shows the power of the virus. You'd be hard pressed to find a coach who's taken more precautions than I have, following all the protocols put in place by our medical team, and yet I still contracted the virus."

Izzo said in a statement that he will spend his time in isolation watching film and following the instruction of team medical staff, while asking that his family, team and the Michigan State fanbase "continue to listen to medical experts and follow their advice." 

"I'm proof that no one is immune, but I still believe that there are steps everyone can take to reduce their chances of contracting the virus," he said.

According to the school, there were 78 cases of COVID-19 detected among the university population through testing done on the MSU campus during the week of Nov. 2, and there were 22 cases of the virus reported to the school by the Ingham County health department during the week of Oct. 26. 

Moussa Diabate is going to bring his unique skill set to Michigan in the 2021-22 season.

Diabate told basketball reporter Joe Tipton on Monday that he has committed to the Wolverines. Jeff Borzello of ESPN confirmed the commitment.

Born in France, Diabate played for his home country in the 2018 FIBA U16 European Championship. He averaged 11.1 points and 10.3 rebounds in seven games to help the French squad finish fourth.

In 2019, Diabate enrolled at IMG Academy in Florida to hone his basketball skills. The move seems to have paid off, as 247Sports' composite rankings list him as a 5-star prospect and the No. 20 overall player in the 2021 class.

Diabate has tremendous potential in his 6'10" frame, though he needs to add more muscle—he is listed at 215 pounds.

Jerry Meyer of 247Sports named former Georgia Tech star Gani Lawal as the best comparison for Diabate:

"Long arms at 6-9. Energetic athlete who plays with aggression and a competitive edge. Thrives on contact and has an unorthodox style that is physically intimidating. High level rebounder who goes out of his area to pursue the ball. Very limited shooting range. Not uncomfortable with the ball but not a playmaker. A versatile and adept defender."

Given the immense ceiling Diabate possesses, the Wolverines will have no problems adding him to their rotation. A lot of development remains, especially as an offensive player as he continues to work on a consistent shot.

If Juwan Howard and his staff can get Diabate to reach his full potential, he can become one of the best players in college basketball as a freshman.

Highly touted power forward Caleb Houstan has committed to Michigan.

"I was down to four great schools, but one definitely stood out to me the most—I decided to commit to Coach Juwan Howard and the University of Michigan," he confirmed to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. "I was recruited by a lot of great schools, and I appreciate all the time they all spent with me and my family."

Houstan is the second-best power forward and eighth-best player overall in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Montverde Academy star was originally slated to arrive in 2022 but decided to graduate from high school early to reclassify for 2021.

"I feel like I'm ready to take the next step," he told Givony in July. "Being at Montverde and playing for Team Canada at the FIBA level has helped prepare me for that. The best decision for me is to go to college in 2021. That will help me get to next level and eventually where I want to go, which is the NBA."

As Houstan outlined, he already has some international experience after representing Canada in the 2018 U17 World Cup and 2019 U16 Americas Championship. He was particularly good in the latter, where Canada made a run to the final before losing to the United States.

He was the tournament's second-leading scorer (22.8 points) behind Jean Montero of the Dominican Republic. He finished with 25 points in the championship game, accounting for almost a third of Team Canada's total output (77 points).

A slightly deeper dive into the Americas Championship provides a general picture as to Houstan's game. He averaged 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0 percent and going 12-of-37 from beyond the arc. The 6'8", 205-pound forward isn't afraid of firing up from deep, especially in catch-and-shoot situations.

With the news the prep star was reclassifying, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman tweeted that he had watched some film on Houstan: "Advanced shooter for age/size, + defensive tools, plays with balance/control. Not explosive athletically or super creative yet."

In a prior era, Houstan's frame would likely limit him to small forward since he'd get bullied inside by bigger power forwards. Instead, he's perfectly suited to serve as a stretch 4.

He should make an immediate impact in Michigan's frontcourt.

Given the timing of John Beilein's departure, Juwan Howard had an almost impossible task of immediately bringing the kind of success the Wolverines enjoyed under his predecessor. A 19-12 finish showed the work Howard had ahead of him.

Michigan assembled a solid 2020 class, signing Hunter Dickinson, Zeb Jackson, Terrance Williams and Howard's son Jace. The momentum is continuing into 2021 as Houstan joins Frankie Collins, Kobe Bufkin and Isaiah Barnes.

The office of Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel announced Tuesday that charges would not be filed against former Michigan State Spartans basketball player Brock Washington, who was accused of sexual assault in January.

"Following an in-depth review and consideration of the evidence, the attorney general's office has decided not to file charges against Brock Washington, who was a Michigan State University student and athlete when he was accused of sexual misconduct," AG spokesperson Ryan Jarvi said in a statement to Ken Palmer of the Lansing State Journal.

Nessel's office reviewed the case after the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office previously declined to file charges against Washington, who was suspended from the Spartans basketball team on Jan. 24.

According to ESPN's Paula Lavigne, Michigan State's Office of Institutional Equity determined in August that Washington violated the school's sexual misconduct policy and recommended he be permanently barred from classes and banned from the campus for two years. The office found that "Washington 'engaged in oral and vaginal sexual penetration with [a woman] without consent' while she was incapacitated," per Lavigne.

Michigan State spokeswoman Emily Guerrant told Palmer that Washington is currently not enrolled at the university.

The university will hear Washington's appeal to the Office of Institutional Equity's findings, potentially as soon as December, per Palmer. 

"It's frustrating to me that allegations somebody makes against someone are not really looked at," Washington's attorney, Mary Chartier, told Palmer. "So I'm glad MSU has granted our appeal, and now we get the opportunity to present the case we wanted to all along."

Washington will not return to the school, however, with Chartier saying he simply wanted to clear his name and that Michigan State's handling of the accusations made against him "soured him to the MSU experience."

Washington played in 16 games for the Spartans over two seasons. 

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said Friday he's confident the 2020-21 college basketball season will take place despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Izzo discussed his reason for optimism during an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. The Spartans play in the Big Ten, which announced Tuesday all fall sports, including football, would be postponed until spring because of COVID-19 health and safety concerns.

"I think basketball guys will learn from football, and I'm close to my football guys and a lot of football guys in this country," he said. "We're gonna try to get ahead of it a little better. I 100 percent believe we're gonna play."

Izzo also said he's hopeful the remaining time before the college basketball season tips off in November will yield further support for safely playing sports.

The 65-year-old Michigan native said whether it's a vaccine or further advancement of saliva-based testing—Robinson Meyer and Alexis C. Madrigal of The Atlantic analyzed the potential benefits of frequent, widespread antigen tests Friday—three months is plenty of time for a significant breakthrough:

"I think there's a lot of things that are gonna happen. Ours is a little easier to manage. One, I don't know why, I just think there'll be a vaccine. I think they're testing, you guys hear about the saliva test that the NBA and I think the NFL is using, isn't quite FDA-approved, but it's getting close. I think there's a lot of things that could change in the weeks to come, and hopefully that'll advance us and we get a chance to learn."

Izzo noted the Spartans made it through a June camp without any positive COVID-19 tests and said he "can't think of any safer place" than the MSU athletic facility based on the standards put in place. They've also made clear to players the importance of following guidelines.

"The sacrifices these kids have made to get where they're at, I think now we gotta say, 'Hey, you know what, guys—you can't be the normal college student,'" he said. "But probably we've been saying that for 50 years: 'You can't do everything the normal student does.' And now it's just taken to a new level."

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported Thursday there have been discussions about the potential for a college basketball "bubble," similar to what's being used by the NHL and NBA to finish their seasons.

NCAA President Mark Emmert hinted Thursday the organization may reduce the size of the 2021 NCAA tournament after the hallmark event was canceled this year because of the pandemic.

"Starting with 64 teams is tough," he said. "Thirty-two, OK, maybe that's a more manageable number."

Izzo has been the head coach at Michigan State since 1995. He's led the program to six Big Ten tournament titles, eight Final Four appearances and a national championship in 2000.