College

The ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK – Deon Thompson had 15 points and 12 rebounds and No. 6 North Carolina held on for a 77-73 victory against No. 15 Ohio State in the 2K Sports Classic semifinals Thursday night.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Tyrel Reed hit four three-pointers for 12 points, and No. 1 Kansas scored 23 consecutive points in the first half to overwhelm Central Arkansas, 94-44, on Thursday night.

They have been here before and want more.

EVANSTON – Shelvin Mack had 15 points, Gordon Hayward added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 11 Butler showed off its depth with a 67-54 victory against Northwestern on Wednesday night.

CHAMPAIGN – Freshman Brandon Paul is making an immediate impact for Illinois.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State’s winning streak at home against nonconference teams was in jeopardy.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky freshman John Wall scored 19 points – including the game-winning jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining — to lift the fourth-ranked Wildcats (2-0) to a 72-70 win against Miami of Ohio on Monday night.

Illinois men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber doesn’t mind scheduling games against in-state opponents, but there’s one thing he won’t budge on.

CHICAGO – Deirdre Naughton scored 20 points, topping 1,000 in her DePaul career to help the No. 17 Blue Demons beat North Dakota State, 77-65, on Sunday.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

NEW YORK – TCU’s big win wasn’t enough for the Horned Frogs to make a move up the BCS standings.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU has easily proven itself as the best in the Mountain West with lopsided victories over the league’s other Top 25 teams — at BYU and now Utah, last year’s BCS buster.

CHAMPAIGN – Mike Kafka spent the third quarter carving up the Illinois’ defense and building a 21-3 lead for Northwestern.

PITTSBURGH – In need of a big win, Charlie Weis and Notre Dame couldn’t turn around a troublesome trend. Pitt keeps winning and winning like it hasn’t done in 27 years, and the Panthers are one more win away from a really big bowl.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The oldest of the Buckeyes sent Ohio State back to the Granddaddy of all bowls.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Ben Hansbrough scored

CHAMPAIGN – Mike Kafka spent the third quarter carving up Illinois' defense and building a 21-3 lead for Northwestern.

CHAMPAIGN – Last Saturday in Minneapolis, Illinois put on Act II in its late-season offensive resurgence, scoring 35 points in an upset of Minnesota.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Durrell Summers scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half, Kalin Lucas scored 21 and No. 2 Michigan State pulled away from Florida Gulf Coast for a 97-58 victory Friday night.

EVANSTON – With star forward Kevin Coble announcing possible season-ending surgery and key reserve Jeff Ryan helped off the court in the first half because of a knee injury, Northwestern might have faded in its season opener Friday against Northern Illinois.

PITTSBURGH – If Dave Wannstedt and Charlie Weis feel like they have been here before, it’s because they have.

CHAMPAIGN – Illinois freshman Brandon Paul didn’t wait long to get his name in the school’s record book.

EVANSTON – Northwestern found its way to the postseason a year ago – the NIT, not the NCAA – with some stirring road wins that were tempered by some gut-wrenching home losses.

LEBANON – Harry Statham recalls his first victory as coach at McKendree University. That’s no small feat – it was in 1966, when the Bearcats beat Westminster, 90-78, in the season opener.

DeKALB – Ball State coach Stan Parrish had no doubt that he would see Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish take the field at some point Thursday.

DeKALB – After all the talk, hype and preseason prognostications, fans, players and coaches are anxious to see what kind of improvements Northern Illinois has made.

The last time Ohio State played in the Rose Bowl was Jan. 1, 1997. It’s almost hard to believe it’s been that long.

Ask any college football coach or player at the start of the season what the No. 1 goal is and the all-but-inevitable answer is “Win the conference.”

BERKELEY, Calif. – California star tailback Jahvid Best is resting at home after his frightening fall and concussion, and the team has not talked about when he might return to the football field.