Minnesota Golden Gophers defeat Penn State Nittany Lions, 76-55

INDIANAPOLIS - Damian Johnson snatched the ball from Sasa Borovnjak.

And the Penn State forward looked at his hands as if Johnson had performed some kind of magic trick late in the first half of the Gophers' 76-55 plastering of Penn State during the first round of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament Thursday.

Johnson finished with two steals, two blocks and numerous altered shots, setting the tone on defense for the Gophers. Three days before Thursday's game, Big Te...

The Gophers are about to enter the most intense one-week beauty pageant in sports.

A multitude of NCAA bubble teams will try to gain the attention of the tournament's selection committee during this week's conference tournaments.

If those teams impress -- by recording crucial victories in the days before Selection Sunday -- they just might make the cut.

The Gophers' only sure shot of an NCAA bid requires a Big Ten tournament title, a feat that only one sixth seed ...