Chicago Tribune - 07.03.2020

CHICAGO SPORTS

Chicago’s best sports section, as judged by the Associated Press Sports Editors

Saturday, March 7, 2020|Section 2

After beating one of the two
worst teams in the conference,
Illinois coach Brad Underwood
proselytized about the strength of
the Big Ten.

“Someone mentioned this is

arguably the best league in the

country,” he said after the Illini

beat Northwestern 74-66 last

week. “You can forget that. There

is no arguing about it. This is the

best league in the country. You

have to play every single night.”

While it’s common for coaches

to praise their conferences, no

matter how strong or weak,

Underwood is right about the Big

Ten this season. It has been wild

— in a good way.

Entering the final two days of

the regular season, only two

games separate first place from

seventh and just four games sepa-

rate first from 11th.

Illinois (20-10, 12-7) is in

fourth, a game behind the three

co-leaders, with a chance to earn

a double bye in the Big Ten Tour-

nament with a win Sunday night

against Iowa.

While beating up on each

other, the Big Ten teams have

pulled each other up too. The

conference could see a record-

tying 11 teams invited to the

NCAA Tournament on Selection

Sunday. (The Big East set the

record in 2011 with 11 bids in a

16-team conference.)

That would continue a remark-

able progression from only four

NCAA Tournament teams in 2018

to a Big Ten-record eight last year.

As CBSSports.com reporter

Matt Norlander pointed out, the

Big Ten is enjoying this resurgence

in part thanks to its controversial

decision to expand the conference

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, left, backs down Michigan State forward Marcus Bingham Jr. during another competitive Big Ten game on Feb. 11.

BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

A packed party

Big Ten teams have been beating up on each other all season. Now it could

pay off with a record number of schools in the NCAA Tournament.

Shannon Ryan

On college basketball

Turn toRyan, Page 6

MESA, Ariz. — Lucas Gi-

olito didn’t try to sugarcoat

things Friday when asked if

the matchup against the Cubs

at Sloan Park was just another

spring training game.

After making his 2020 de-

but in a 6-3 win, Giolito con-

ceded that the crosstown

rivalry — and a record crowd

of 16,095, the largest in Cactus

League history — gave him an

adrenaline boost.

“I always look forward to it,”

he said. “It’s fun. This environ-

ment is the closest you’re

going to get to a big-league

game in spring training. The

place was packed. ... I went out

there with a little bit of that

adrenaline, but we did a good

job to control it, and I’m look-

ing forward to doing the real

thing, too, during the real

season.”

The real games obviously

will be much more intense

than Friday’s matchup, but

that didn’t spoil things for Sox

fans who made the trip to the

Valley of the Sun.

It was a near-perfect day

with temperatures in the 80s,

the return of Giolito, the debut

of Yasmani Grandal, a win over

the Cubs and a five-year, $

million extension for Yoan

Moncada that solidifies a core

growing stronger every year.

It was almost deja vu for

Sox general manager Rick

Hahn, who announced a five-

year, $32.7 million extension

for Chris Sale before a Cubs-

Sox game at HoHoKam Park

on March 7, 2013. On that day

Hahn said he was “thrilled” to

have “one of the best young

starters in the league in a

White Sox uniform for poten-

tially the next seven years.”

Giolito

focused

on getting

better

Sox ace knows big

money will come as

he continues to work

Paul Sullivan

In the Wake of the News

Turn toSullivan, Page 4

MESA, Ariz. — Nomar

Mazara walked over to Yoan

Moncada in the White Sox

clubhouse Friday morning and

greeted the third baseman with

a congratulatory handshake.

Moments later, Alex Colome

did likewise.

Moncada had plenty of rea-

sons to celebrate after officially

coming to terms on a five-year,

$70 million extension with the

Sox.

The contract includes one

club option that could extend

the deal through the 2025

season.

“It was a good opportunity,”

Moncada said through an in-

terpreter. “It was a good oppor-

tunity that showed up, and you

have to take advantage of the

opportunities when they pre-

sent (themselves), and that’s

what I did.

“I wanted to be with this

team too. That’s another factor.

With all this happening, I can

say I’m going to play alongside

(left fielder) Eloy (Jimenez)

and (center fielder) Luis

Robert for a very long time, and

that’s going to be a key for the

success of this team.”

Moncada will receive a $

million signing bonus, $1 mil-

lion in 2020, $6 million in 2021,

$13 million in 2022, $17 million

in 2023 and $24 million in

Moncada

exactly

where he

wants to be

By LaMond Pope

Turn toMoncada, Page 4

DETROIT — After defeating
the Oilers 4-3 on Thursday night
for their fourth consecutive vic-
tory, the Blackhawks pulled
within four points of the second
Western Conference wild-card
spot.
And with a game Friday against
the lowly Red Wings, by far the
worst team in the NHL, the
Hawks looked primed to win a
season-high-tying fifth straight.
But Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby
Fabbri scored second-period
goals, and the Wings held on to
beat the Hawks 2-1.
Jonathan Bernier stopped 32
shots for the Red Wings, who even
with the win have a league-low 37
points, trailing the rest of the
league by 21.
Patrick Kane scored his 31st
goal with 1 minute, 5 seconds left

in the second period to pull the

Hawks within a goal. Corey Craw-

ford made 23 saves.

The Hawks are in last place in

the Central Division despite hav-

ing a winning record, and their

points total — 70 — doubled the

Wings’ entering the game.

The Wings snapped their fifth

six-game losing streak of the

season.

The Red Wings got off to a good

start with Bertuzzi’s goal 20 sec-

onds into the game. Fabbri scored

his 14th goal midway through the

second period.

The Hawks had a power play

midway through the third period

but couldn’t take advantage. They

pulled Crawford late to put an

extra skater on the ice and could

not pull into a tie to force over-

time.

Hawks defenseman Connor

Murphy gingerly skated off the ice

with 12 seconds left. He appeared

to hurt his right leg, which took

the brunt of the impact against the

right post when he raced back to

stop the puck from going into the

empty net.

RED WINGS 2, BLACKHAWKS 1

Old rival halts

winning streak

Hawks’ run ends at

4 after being clipped

by struggling Wings

By Larry Lage
Associated Press

One game after coach Jim Boylen issued a challenge to his Bulls

players to improve their toughness, they responded with fight,

cutting a 23-point deficit against the Pacers to single digits in the

fourth quarter. But the Pacers held on for a 108-102 victory at the

United Center for their ninth straight win in the series. The Bulls

have not beaten the Pacers since Dec. 29, 2017. Coby White led the

Bulls with 26 points, and guard Shaquille Harrison scored a

career-high 25 points and made 5 of 6 3-point attempts. He came

into the game as a career 27.7% 3-point shooter. Pacers big man

Domantas Sabonis had 24 points and 10 rebounds. For more, go to

chicagotribune.com/sports

TERRENCE ANTONIO JAMES/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

PACERS 108, BULLS 102

Fight, but still finished