How News-Gazette staff writer Tony Bleill voted in this week's Associated Press women's Top 25 college basketball poll:

News you can't leave work without:

Former Illini Steve Stricker is No. 1 - and under pressure to win a major.

Signing Day was five days ago but Illinois may not have completely filled its Class of 2010 quite yet.

DJ Woods, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end from Tampa (Fla.) Robinson, flew up to the UI campus an official visit on Sunday and toured the campus Monday. He could go home as the 21st member of the Illini recruiting class.

Sunday's crowd featured a who's who of Illinois recruiting targets, including Indianapolis junior Mike Conley Jr., sophomore E.J. Gordon and swingman Marques Johnson, a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., and E'Twaun Moore, a sophomore guard from East Chicago, Ind.

"We talked the other night — and maybe I shouldn't have — that we're getting down to four home games, three now, for the seniors and everybody," Weber said. "Maybe you try to do too much."

Ex-Maroon key to Indiana hot streak

CHAMPAIGN – With 5:45 remaining in the first half of Sunday's Illinois-Indiana game, Hoosiers coach Felisha Legette-Jack pulled forward Hope Elam from the game and gave the former Champaign Central star a loud verbal lashing in plain sight – and earshot – of just about everyone at the Assembly Hall.

CHAMPAIGN – These days, answers are hard to come by for the Illinois women's basketball team.

Take, for instance, the team's psyche. Is it still intact? Battered beyond repair? Hanging by a thread?

CHAMPAIGN – Illinois and Wisconsin split the 10 wrestling matches Sunday, but the 21st-ranked Illini got one more bonus point than the 13th-ranked Badgers to pull off a 19-18 upset at Huff Hall.

"We wrestled hard, did some good things and made some adjustments from Friday night (a 27-13 loss to No. 5 Minnesota)," coach Jim Heffernan said. "We needed bonus points at a few weights and it was important to get off to a good start, and we did both of those things."

LOS ANGELES – In a tournament everyone expected him to win, Steve Stricker was trying not to lose.

Instead of firing at flags and trying to make birdies, which allowed him to build a 6-shot lead at Riviera, the former Illini suddenly found himself playing it safe and trying not to make bogeys. Instead of having a chance to break the 25-year-old tournament scoring record, he feared matching a PGA Tour record for blowing the biggest lead.

FINAL: Indiana 67, Illinois 54

With Minnesota's loss Sunday, the Illini had a chance to escape the Big Ten cellar. It was an opportunity squandered. 

Game 23

UI women vs. Indiana,

Former Illini drains seven birdies in second round at Norther Trust Open

CHAMPAIGN – No. 5 Minnesota got off to a fast start, winning the first five matches en route to a 27-13 wrestling win against No. 21 Illinois on Friday at Huff Hall.

No. 2 John Dergo (184 pounds) won his match by major decision and No. 14 Patrick Bond (197) beat 10th-ranked Sonny Yohn. They were the only two Illini to win matches. John Deneen (125) picked up a win by forfeit.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Illinois blocked a school-record 12 shots and held Purdue to 27.0 percent shooting, but it wasn't enough in a 53-48 loss in Big Ten women's action.

The Illini committed 23 turnovers and went almost eight minutes without scoring during one second-half stretch.

TRACY ABRAMS (Mount Carmel) – On Tuesday, not even an errant fire alarm could stop Abrams from scoring 23 points as Mount Carmel (19-2, 9-0) rolled over St. Rita 79-56.

Prediction: PURDUE 59, ILLINOIS 49

Considering that Illinois beats Purdue with all the frequency of a presidential inauguration, it isn't difficult to forecast a winner. Illinois just doesn't win at Mackey. Plus, the Boilermakers have the type of guard play that can give the Illini major problems. They have a penetrator in Malone and three-point shooters in Rayburn and Howell. That should be the difference tonight. (News-Gazette prediction record: 13-8)

Ranking the Big Ten

Here's how staff writer Bob Asmussen sees the 2010 Big Ten classes:

CHAMPAIGN – There have been easier classes to put together for Ron Zook. Like all of them.

On his way to signing 20 prospects Wednesday, the Illinois coach had to hire five coaches, gained and lost a handful of players, and had to deal with negative recruiting coming off a 3-9 season.

Bob Asmussen here. AND I NEED YOUR VOTE. There's still time to grade Ron Zook's Class of 2010 in our daily poll to the right. I've got a radio spot onWDWS and a TV spot on WAND, then I'll get back to your questions.

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