FRAN MCCAFFERY

Purdue is No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time.

A former Iowa State University football player has been arrested in connection with an assault of a University of Iowa basketball star in May.

Luka Garza of Iowa is The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year.

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)Gonzaga and Baylor spent almost the entire season holding down the top two spots in the Top 25. Makes sense they'd hold down a bunch of spots on The Associated Press All-America teams. The Bulldogs' Corey Kispert and the Bears' Jared Butler led the way with first-team nods Tuesday from the national panel of 63 media members that vote each week in the AP Top 25 poll. Just like the first- and second-team All-Americans, their teams also will be playing in the NCAA Tournament this week. ___AP Basketball Writer John Marshall and AP Sports Writers Michael Marot and Stephen Hawkins contributed to this report.

(AP Photo/Chase Stevens)INDIANAPOLIS – There has never been a better time to have senior leadership in the NCAA Tournament than this season. AdVirginia intends to play after withdrawing from the ACC Tournament because of COVID-19 protocols, which means fans will get to say Sam Hauser running the show. Dru Smith is their leading scorer and Jeremiah Tilmon finally reached his potential this season, and both aim to help Missouri snap a four-game NCAA Tournament skid. Herb Jones is an All-American candidate and Jaden Shackelford is Alabama's leading scorer, but John Petty Jr. makes the SEC Tournament champs go. Then there's Tennessee forward John Fulkerson, who sustained facial fractures in an SEC Tournament win over Florida and underwent surgery Sunday.

Iowa center Luka Garza walks off the court after an NCAA college basketball game against Wisconsin, Sunday, March 7, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. All rights reservedIOWA CITY, Iowa – It was Senior Day, but Luka Garza didn’t know he was going to have to give a speech. Minutes after the 6-foot-11 star scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds to lead the fifth-ranked Hawkeyes over No. 25 Wisconsin 77-73 Sunday, Iowa athletic director Gary Barta announced Garza’s jersey No. “Those two guys (Garza and Bohannon) were going to make sure we didn’t lose the game,” McCaffery said.

Dickinson gave Garza fits around the basket, and Franz Wagner scored 21 points to lead No. Michigan answered that with a 14-2 run that took place mostly while Dickinson was on the bench. The 7-foot-1 Dickinson, who like Garza went to high school in the Washington area, blocked Garza's first shot attempt of the game. “I know I’ve got to be better for my team,” Garza said. Michigan: The Wolverines have only one day off before playing at Indiana on Saturday.

15 Iowa still had enough from the rest of its team to rout Michigan State 88-58 on Saturday. Michigan State started the afternoon hoping to earn a quality win against a team it lost by just six points to earlier this month. Michigan State: Izzo was in his second season the last time he didn't coach in the NCAA Tournament, and the next time might be next month. POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Hawkeyes should move up in the Top 25 after routing Michigan State on the road and beating No. 25 Rutgers by 13 points earlier in the week.

Indiana guard Rob Phinisee (10) celebrates with teammates during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa led by nine in the second half, then went 11 minutes without a field goal as Indiana went on a 23-3 run. Iowa was 9 of 34 from the field in the second half, including 1 of 10 on 3-pointers. But he faced constant double-teams and with no outside shooting to open the lane, found himself surrounded in the second half. “Credit to them, they did a good job in the second half of taking everything away from me,” Wieskamp said.

Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon (3) shoots against Rutgers during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Piscataway, N.J., Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. 10 Iowa, but otherwise, 14th-ranked Rutgers managed to stifle the Big Ten's top offense. Garza scored 15 of his 25 points in the second half and Iowa took advantage of Rutgers' abysmal free-throw shooting for a 77-75 victory Saturday. Rutgers (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) has struggled at the foul line this season, hitting just 62%. “Wins and losses happen, but what we took away from today is we got to hit foul shots,” Rutgers guard Ron Harper Jr. said.

FILE - Gonzaga players celebrate after defeating Saint Mary's in an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the West Coast Conference men's tournament in Las Vegas, in this Tuesday, March 10, 2020, file photo. Gonzaga will begin the college basketball season No. 1 for the first time after coach Mark Few's bunch earned 28 first-place votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll released Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Iowa was picked fifth behind national player of the year front-runner Luka Garza, its highest preseason ranking in school history. The Bears, who also have their highest preseason ranking, spent five weeks at No. THE REST OF THE POLLCreighton lost Ty-Shon Alexander to the NBA and Davion Mintz to Kentucky but still landed the highest preseason ranking in school history at No. 17, its highest preseason ranking since the final Phi Slama Jama team of Hakeem Olajuwon began the 1983-84 season at No. 6 in the final poll last season but losing Mountain West player of the year Malachi Flynn and two other elite producers.

IOWA CITY, IA – The Iowa Hawkeyes were down to eight scholarship players and still outplayed No. Joe Wieskamp scored 26 points and Big Ten scoring leader Luka Garza had 21 as Iowa beat Maryland 67-49 Friday night. The Hawkeyes (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) got more balanced scoring in the second half, leading by as many as 22 points. “When we play connected defensively, and when we’re rebounding, not giving them second shots, we can be really good,” Wieskamp said. “It’s a long season,” Turgeon said.