NCB1

Illinois surge into the national spotlight headlines this latest college basketball power rankings update as several contenders separate themselves entering the heart of conference play, with performance metrics and on court results beginning to define the postseason picture. Illinois has emerged as one of the most complete teams in the country after last season’s midyear collapse raised questions about sustainability. Brad Underwood’s current group answers those concerns wit

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Yaxel Lendeborg finished with 18 points and nine rebounds as No. 3 Michigan defeated Ohio State 74–62 on Friday night. Morez Johnson added 12 points for the Wolverines, who improved to 18–1 overall and 8–1 in Big Ten play. Michigan took control of the game in the second half with a decisive 21–6 run after Ohio State had tied the score for the ninth time. The Buckeyes, now 13–6 overall and 5–3 in conference play, were unable to recover from the surge. Ohio S