PSU, OSU give Big Ten gift of unwanted tickets

Thanks to Ohio State and Penn State, students and alumni at other Big Ten universities will have an opportunity to attend the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.

A number of the tickets allotted to those two schools have been sent back because they didn't sell. The unwanted tickets now will be distributed at other schools in the conference, which had high demand for tickets to the tournament being held in the United Center in Chicago on March 5-8.

Each Big Ten school was given 1,600 tickets to sell to alumni, donors and students. The price of the ticket, which is good for all sessions, is $200.

"I was expecting to not sell them all," Meredith said. "But I thought we would sell more than we did."

Meredith cited the distance to Chicago and the tournament being in its first year as possible reasons for the disinterest among Nittany Lion fans.

No one was available from Ohio State for comment on how many tickets were sold there.

Big Ten Associate Commissioner Richard Falk said the tickets from Penn State and Ohio State have been sent to schools in the conference that requested more. Although he wouldn't say which schools, he said "more than two" schools asked for them. The failure to sell the tickets at some schools didn't surprise Falk.

"We didn't know what to expect," Falk said. "It's a long distance to travel for some people and it's a commitment of an entire weekend."

Iowa and Wisconsin meet tonight in Madison, Wisc., in a battle of mediocrity. The Hawkeyes (15-6, 4-4 Big Ten) started the season like a ball of fire but have dropped their last four games. A victory over the Badgers (10-11, 3-6) may be just the shot in the arm the team needs going into the second half of the season.

Wisconsin has beaten up on the lesser opponents of the conference but has also lost its last four games.

Don't expect a high-scoring game. Both coaches, Iowa's Tom Davis and Wisconsin's Dick Bennett, preach defense. Wisconsin ranks second in team defense in the league and Iowa ranks fourth.

Too much Ryan Bowen and too much full-court pressure will be the difference in this one as the Hawkeyes get back on track.

Pick: Iowa 71, Wisconsin 62

Illinois forward Jerry Hester wore No. 40 his first three years with the Fighting Illini. But this year Hester's jersey number is 23, and with good reason.

Freshman Sergio McClain, who attended the same high school as Hester, won four state titles in his prep career wearing No. 40.

Hester gave McClain the jersey in hopes that a little of the good luck McClain experienced in high school rubs off on Illinois this season.

"He's won four state titles wearing that number," Hester said. "He needs to wear it here, too."