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Finishing Strong

Eric Gordon knew the frustration would come pouring from the stands, so he really wasn't surprised even if he looked a little shellshocked in his first game at Illinois.

Indiana's star freshman was booed, taunted and cursed. He was sloppy early on, giving Illinois fans something to cheer, but came through late for the Hoosiers.

Gordon hit a clutch 3-pointer late in regulation and Armon Bassett scored 11 of his 16 points in the second overtime to lead No. 14 Indiana to a 83-79 victory against Illinois Thursday night.

Big 10 Matchup in Illinois

Before Eric Gordon decided to stay close to home and play for Indiana, he was headed to Illinois.

Gordon will make his first appearance on the Champaign campus since reneging on an oral commitment to play for the Illini, as they host the 14th-ranked Hoosiers on Thursday night.

Free Falling

Pittsburgh has spent the past 42 weeks ranked in the Top 25, rising as high as No. 2 in the nation.

Losing its next game to its archrival could make that lengthy streak disappear.

The No. 22 Panthers (17-5, 5-4) look to avoid consecutive Big East losses for the first time in nearly two years on Thursday when they host West Virginia, making the 75-mile trek up I-79 from Morgantown.

Bruins Take on Cougars

The first game between No. 5 UCLA and No. 17 Washington State was a blowout, although you couldn't tell by the final score.

The Cougars hit seven 3-pointers in the final 90 seconds of the game in Los Angeles, and still managed to lose 81-74. It knocked the 14-0 Cougars from the unbeaten ranks and started a streak in which they lost four of seven games.

Back on Track at UCONN

Jim Calhoun has turned Connecticut into an annual contender for the Big East title and a regular in the Top 25. After an uncharacteristic year in which the Huskies were neither, a five-game win streak finally has Calhoun's team back on track.

Calhoun and No. 19 Connecticut look to extend their run and solidify their spot in the rankings when they visit Syracuse on Wednesday, a matchup that features two of Division I's winningest coaches in Calhoun and the Orange's Jim Boeheim - each going for his 767th career victory.