The second ranked Iowa wrestling team opens the Big Ten Championships Saturday morning at Michigan. The Hawkeyes finished the regular season 15-1 in duals.

That’s Iowa coach Tom Brands feels the health of the lineup is improving. The Hawkeyes struggled with injuries during a good portion of the season.

Top ranked Penn State is an overwhelming favorite to win the team title.

The Iowa State and UNI wrestling teams travel to Tulsa this weekend for the Big 12. Tournament. The Cyclones are ranked fifth after finishing 16-3 in duals and coach Kevin Dresser says the postseason is a new challenge.

Dresser hopes the Cyclones are a better tournament team this season.

UNI is ranked 18th and coach Doug Schwab says the competition this weekend will be tougher than last year.

Schwab says it will take a complete effort for the Panthers to have a shot at the team title.

Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger says he remains a fan of Caleb Grill even though he is no longer part of the team. Otzelberger dismissed ISU’s top three point shooter from the team on Wednesday, just days before the Cyclones close the regular season at seventh ranked Baylor.

Grill played for Otzelberger at UNLV and followed him to Ames when he took the Iowa State job. He averaged nearly 10 points while playing in 25 games this season.

In a statement Grill said the dismissal stemmed from a word he said that he regrets. Otzelberger did not want to discuss any specific incident.

Otzelberger says he has to balance what is best for the player against what is best for the team.

The Cyclones have lost four straight games heading into Saturday’s contest at Baylor.

All RVC 1st Team

Name School Grade

Eva Steffensen, CAM Jr. Unanimous

Quinn Grubbs, Exira-EHK, Sr. Unanimous

Shay Burmeister, Exira-EHK, Sr. Unanimous

Breeley Clayburg, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Jr.

Paige Klocke, Glidden-Ralston, Sr.

Nicole Shearer, Woodbine, Sr.

Charlie Pryor, Woodbine, So.

Maclayn Houston, West Harrison, Jr.

All RVC 2nd Team

Tiela Janssen, Glidden-Ralston, Jr.

Kiera Nichols, CAM, Jr.

Amanda Newton, Woodbine, Jr.

Becca Anderson, Paton-Churdan, Fr.

Meredith Rich, CAM, Jr.

Maggie Regaller, ArWeVa, Sr.

Malia Clayburg, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Fr.

Addison Erickson, Woodbine, Sr.

Class 5A semifinals

10:00 a.m. –  Johnston (23-1) vs. Ankeny Centennial (18-6)

11:45 a.m. –  Pleasant Valley (24-0) vs. Dowling Catholic (20-4)

Class 3A Semifinals
1:30 p.m. – Vinton-Shellsburg (18-7) vs. Benton Community (22-3)

3:15 p.m. –  Solon (23-2) vs. Sioux Center (19-5)

Class 4A Semifinals

5:00 p.m. –  Dallas Center-Grimes (21-3) vs. Ballard (19-3)

6:45 p.m. –  North Polk (22-2) vs. Bishop Heelan (23-2)

Drake seniors Roman Penn and D.J. Wilkins are healthy are ready to make one more post season run. The duo grew up in northwest Indiana and both got off to slow starts after offseason surgery. Wilkins suffered an ACL injury late last season and Penn underwent two surgeries to repair a broken foot. Both played their best basketball during a stretch run that saw the Bulldogs win 10 of their last 11 games.

After playing the end of last season on a broken foot Penn is happy to be pain free.

Like Penn, Wilkins was focused on rehab during the summer and it took a while to round into game shape.

After a string of frustrating injuries Wilkins is happy they are both available for the Missouri Valley Tournament.

After falling at Bradley in the winner take all regular season finale Penn says the Bulldogs are focused on the tournament title.

The Bulldogs are the second seed and open Friday night in St. Louis against the winner of Thursday’s game between Murray State and Valparaiso.

The 23rd ranked Iowa State women cut a 17 point fourth quarter deficit to three but could get no closer in a 98-93 loss at Kansas.

That’s Cyclone coach Bill Fennelly. Kansas was 11 of 20 from three point range.

Drake sophomore Tucker DeVries has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. De Vries averaged 19 points and more than five and a half rebounds for a Bulldog team that- finished the regular season 24-7 and 15-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake opens the Valley Tournament in St. Louis Friday night.

A year ago DeVries was named the Valley Freshman of the Year.

DeVries became a much more consistent shooter this season as a sophomore.

DeVries becomes the fifth different Bulldog to win the Larry Bird Trophy and the first since Adam Emmenecker in 2008.

The UNI Panthers open Arch Madness in St. Louis Thursday afternoon by taking on Illinois State in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Tournament. The eighth seeded Panthers are 13-17 and beat the Redbirds twice, including a 65-63 win in Cedar Falls in mid-January.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson. The Illinois State combination of Darius Burford and Seneca Knight is averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Panther guard Bowen Born has struggled with a calf injury but did manage to play 30 minutes in the regular season finale against Belmont.

Illinois State is 11-20. Redbird coach Ryan Pedon says his team must match UNI’s toughness.

Pedon says another key will be forcing Bowen Born to take tough shots.

The winner will advance to play top seed and regular season champion Bradley on Friday.

AMES, Iowa – Senior guard Caleb Grill is no longer with the Iowa State men’s basketball team, due to a failure to meet the program’s expectations.

“We hold our players to high standards and there are expectations that our student-athletes are held accountable for,” Iowa State men’s basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger said.

Grill appeared in 25 games with 22 starts, this season. He averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.