This won’t matter as far as Indiana’s game against Gonzaga Thursday, but I thought you might be interested in today’s update on the legal status of Gonzaga forward Josh Heytvelt, who was the Zags’ second-leading scorer and leading rebounder before his suspension last month for drug possession.

According to the Spokane SpokesmanReview.com Heytvelt struck a surprise deal today with prosecutors that will allow him to avoid prosecution by participating in a diversion program in which he has to stay out of trouble for one year.

For today’s full report from the SpokesmanReview.com, click here.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few said Sunday that Heytvelt and teammate Theo Davis, who was arrested in the same incident, definitely will not play in the NCAA Tournament and their suspensions will last until the end of this season.

According to a SpokesmanReview.com report, police just before midnight on Feb. 9 stopped the vehicle in which Heytvelt and Davis were riding and found about 33 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms in a backpack in the cargo area of the vehicle, which belonged to Heytvelt, along with a small amount of marijuana that police said Davis admitted to having in his possession.

I’ve seen the expected start time for Indiana’s NCAA tournament game Thursday released tonight as being either 9:55 or 10 p.m. Bloomington time.

That’s not great news for fans who like to go to bed early or for reporters who are typically supposed to have their stories turned in before this game will even end so that everybody back in our office can finish up their jobs in getting the paper put together and printed in the early morning hours.

It’s all the rage, this NCAA Tournament thing. Hear what Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson had to say about it by clicking right here. It’s free.

Airline tickets to Sacramento are expensive. I had to give up on returning Sunday – at close to $800 roundtrip – and bought tickets at $519 each to return Monday.

Anybody else get a better deal?

With the logistics of getting to Sacramento so we can report on the game for our friends at The Hoosier Scoop taken care of, let’s get back to the tournament itself. This is draw for the Hoosiers.

Gonzaga is a good team for a No. 10 seed and if Indiana gets past the Zags, UCLA will likely be waiting. The Bruins, ranked No. 1 in the country earlier in the season, will have something to prove after being given a No. 2 seed.

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OK, the news we’ve been waiting for is in. Indiana has a No. 7 seed and will play No. 10 Gonzaga. How about that? Gonzaga for the second straight year! This West Region game will be Thursday in Sacramento, Calif.

So I’m off to work on buying some airline tickets to Sacramento. Be back as soon as I can.

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Midwest bracket just announced, here it is:

New Orleans
1. Florida, 29-5 vs. 16. Jackson State 2-13;
8. Arizona (20-10) vs. 9. Purdue (21-11)

Buffalo
5. Butler (27-6) vs. 12. Old Dominion (24-8)
4. Maryland (24-8) 13. Davidson (29-4)

Chicago
2. Wisconsin (29-5) vs. 15. Texas A&M-CC (26-6)
7. UNLV (28-6) vs. 10. Georgia Tech (

Spokane
3. Oregon (26-7) vs. 14. Miami OH (18-14)
6. Notre Dame (24-7) vs. 11. Winthrop (28-4)

Comments: Purdue ended up a higher seed than a lot of people predicted. Hard to argue with that, though, after the way the Boilermakers played in the Big Ten Tournament.
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Well, we’re underway. Greg Gumbel informs us that the four No. 1 seeds are, in order of how the committee ranked them:

Midwest – Florida
East – North Carolina
South – Ohio State
West – Kansas

Obviously, UCLA hurt itself with its conference tournament loss. No real surprises here.

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We’ve sent Chris and Chris (Korman and Howell) to coach Sampson’s house. We’ll have updates and photos from them tonight on the scene there, as well as reaction from the Hoosiers on their first-round matchup.

Like many of you, I’m at home watching the selection show on TV. My most urgent job tonight, depending on where the selection committee sends the Hoosiers, is to buy the cheapest, best airline connections as soon as possible because after the brackets are announced, flights fill up and prices jump in a hurry.

So I’ll be right here with updates on the brackets as they’re announced. And once we find out who and where the Hoosiers will play, let us know what you think about Indiana’s first-round matchup.

and not in Joe Lunardi. Seems like a cool dude and everything but I’m sticking with you guys.

So, tell me:

– Indiana’s seed

– Its opponent in the first round

– Where it will play

– Anything else you might happen to know and feel like sharing with me. (Stock tips, the future, where I might find a good woman, etc.)

1:53, first overtime: Illinois 53, Indiana 50

Pruitt got four shots there. One was bound to fall.

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3:21, first overtime: Indiana 50, Illinois 50

Rod Wilmont has had one of those games where he just can’t do much. He got caught up by the double team there and was left taking that freaky lunging shot. The Hoosiers need more than two points and two rebounds out of him tonight.

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End of regulation: Indiana 50, Illinois 50

I’m rarely ever right about anything. This time, I’m honestly not happy about it. This is going to leave us no time to write.

Interesting call, going with a shot for Bassett. He’s certainly got the nerve for it.

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0:20, second half: Indiana 50, Illinois 50

Oh, does Kelvin Sampson have a flair for the dramatic or what? I mean, seriously, calling a time out exactly at the 20-second mark?

What’s the call here, Indiana faithful?
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1:11, second half: Indiana 50, Illinois 50

Yawn. Anybody having any fun?

Meachum came up pretty big at the line for an Illini team that has hit only 9-of-17 foul shots.

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Just what we needed. A controversy.

So apparently Frazier’s 3-point shot counts. And Keeling’s foul also counts. A possible 5-point play. If Pruitt hadn’t missed that free throw horribly.

This is just getting wild.

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3:49, second half: Indiana 46, Illinois 42

Ratliff was calm on that 3-pointer. Think he’ll keeping the shots? Wilmont is 0-for-5 from 3-point. Ratliff is 3-for-4.

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5:27, second half: Indiana 43, Illinois 41

Bassett hit that HUGE shot. Now, he’s getting worked on during this time out. Looks like he is cramping up.

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7:48, second half: Illinois 39, Indiana 37

I’m sensing Indiana’s first overtime game of the season coming. That is all.

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11:04, second half: Illinois 34, Indiana 33

Bassett to Keeling again. Freshmen roommates feeling the vibe tonight.

Carter’s the dangerous man for the Illini here late. He’s been matched up with 6-4 Rod Wilmont and will be able to get a shot pretty much at will.

Pruitt and Randle are in foul trouble, and Illinois has gotten nothing from it’s guards. Calvin Brock has been the most active, and recently Trent Meacham has been pesky but that’s about it.

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13:47, second half: Indiana 30, Illinois28

Shameful plug for Doug coming. You’ve been warned.

He predicted in our podcast today that this game would come down to which team makes plays late int he game.

I know, I know…a very long, thin limb. (Sike.)

Still. That’s what it’s down to here at the United Center. The Illinois crowd has kicked in and the Hoosiers are making road mistakes. Sampson’s desperately trying to calm them down right now.

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15:42, second half: Indiana 30, Illinois 24

Indiana would really like to be an inside-out team, but mostly it’s an outside team.

One play can change that, especially in a game so tight.

Keeling’s excellent feed through a double team combined with Rod Wilmonts court awareness led to that D.J. White jumper. The Hoosiers will hold onto this lead if they make two or three more plays like that. Illinois just won’t know how to counter.

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Neither of Illinois’ starting guards has scored a basket yet. Chester Frazier, who had 21 points last night, is 0-for-3. Rich McBride, who hurt the Hoosiers in Champaign, is 0-for-2.

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Half: Indiana 24, Illinois 21

Twenty minutes in and this game is going exactly as everybody thought it would. There are so many fights for the ball. There’s really not much basketball flow, but if you’re a true Big Ten fan this is what you love. Rugged basketball.

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4:23, first half: Indiana 22, Illinois 16

The Illini went at least five minutes without a field goal for a stretch there. Both teams are playing very thick defense through the middle of the court.

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7:54, first half: Indiana 18, Illinois 14

Okay, so while I wasn’t look the Hoosiers snuck Ben Allen out there. He didn’t last long and was replaced by Xavier Keeling. No Stemler yet.

But Keeling just crept in backside to take that feed from Bassett after a hard-charging drive to the lane. Bassett’s been matched up against McBride at both ends, and that’s a tough assignment for him. McBride is 205 pounds and uses all of it. Bassett’s just 176 and not naturally a very physical player. He got the better of it there, though.

Earl Calloway’s got five boards already. The pushing and shoving for the ball in the paint is so tough that many rebounds aren’t being grabbed until the ball is out past the arc, where Calloway usually stands.

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11:50, first half: Indiana 12, Illinois 8

Doug pointed it out below, but just in case you missed it, A.J. Ratliff appeared to hurt his left wrist a bit under the basket. He’s been OK since then but it’s something to watch.

Mike White’s been a brute in the paint but he’s got three fouls already. Lance Stemler will have to come off the bench for him soon and he’ll probably have a lot of the same troubles. Look for the Hoosiers to really start pressuring the ball out top. It’s probably their best hope of stopping that big trio of Illini down low.

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15:28, first half: Illinois 6, Indiana 3

Mike White with two tough early plays to draw fouls. Indiana has been able to do that against Illinois and would benefit greatly from not having to face so much length the entire game.

D.J. White atoned for his mistake with a great piece of offensive rebounding off a Mike White missed free throw, and then D.J. finished it by going high in the air and dropping a hook shot through the rim.

How’s the view from home, ya’ll?

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18:30, first half: Illinois 6, Indiana 0

Sampson just looked at D.J. White like White just drove a brand new BMW into a lake. White left Pruitt open for that easy feed and basket.

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Illinois has the edge in number of fans for sure but it’s certainly not overwhelming.

White, White, Bassett, Calloway and Wilmont to start for the Hoosiers.

Wisconsin 70, Michigan State 57 — So the Badgers pull away to win by 13 and await the winner of the Illinois-Indiana, which figures to start a few minutes after the scheduled 9:10 Eastern time.

Alando Tucker showed why he’s the best player in the Big Ten, scoring 21 points and grabbing six rebounds. Interestingly, he tied for the most assists on the team, too, with four. And only one of his baskets was not a 3-pointer. Just for good measure, he had a game-high two steals.
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Michigan State has come storming back here to cut the lead to six with 12:50 left.

Wisconsin is still the much more poised team, though. None of those guys will even be fazed by this.