Iowa Coach Steve Alford is the favorite to take over as head coach of Indiana next season. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Steve Alford is the favorite for the Indiana job, with Tom Crean of Marquette a possible second choice. If Alford leaves Iowa, Greg McDermott of Northern Iowa is his likely successor.
-- NorthJersey.com

According to his current deal, Ohio State coach Thad Matta is allowed to negotiate for other jobs between the end of the regular season and April 15. OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith wouldn't talk about whether he would be willing to sweeten Matta's eight-year, $11 million contract to keep him from talking to Indiana.
-- Cleveland Plain Dealer

With four regular-season games to play, IU likely needs to win at least three to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Hoosiers play Penn State and Michigan State at home this week, before games at Purdue and Michigan. Illinois fans thought they had a keener grasp on reality late in the game as they began chanting, "NIT, NIT,'' as the Hoosiers had the ball.
-- Indianapolis Star

Dana Altman of Creighton is considered the early front-runner at Missouri, although Rick Majerus has been mentioned. Sean Sutton, Eddie's son, is the heir apparent at Oklahoma State, but you have to wonder how the administration will react if Eddie wants to come back.
-- NorthJersey.com

The federal investigation into Ricky Clemons' academic work before his 2002 transfer to Missouri isn't over. Quin Snyder's staff arranged with former Barton County Community College coach Ryan Wolf for Clemons to attend the community college that summer because he needed 24 credits to transfer to MU.
-- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Coach Eddie Sutton called the Oklahoma State locker room yesterday afternoon following the Cowboys' upset of Texas and offered words of praise. "He said that looks like an Oklahoma State basketball team," said his son, Sean, the interim coach. "That was probably the best compliment he could have given me."
-- Philadelphia Inquirer

Looking back after Sunday's loss to USC, UCLA freshman guard Darren Collison says the three days off coach Ben Howland gave the team might have been too much of a good thing. "I think, as a team, we got complacent," Collison said. "We didn't play as hard in practice because we were trying to stay away from more injuries, trying to rest up. Then, after Cal lost Saturday," to Arizona State, "we were happy to be playing SC because we had a chance to be in first place in the conference. But it backfired on us."
-- Los Angeles Times

A second USC signee's season ended prematurely because of injury when Dwight Lewis suffered a sprained ankle last week. Lewis, a 6-foot-5 swingman from Katy (Texas) High, could only watch from the bench Friday as his team suffered a season-ending 48-47 overtime loss. Kasey Cunningham a 6-7 forward from Albuquerque Cibola High, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last month. He recently underwent successful surgery and is expected to be able to play again in about four months.
-- Los Angeles Times

Police and university investigations are continuing in the case of the Michigan State student involved in a physical altercation Saturday afternoon with Michigan backup center Amadou Ba. The student engaged in a verbal exchange with Ba, who was seated on the bench. Ba responded with a shove that knocked the student backward onto the court.
-- Detroit Free Press

The Minnesota Gophers thought they had recruited an outstanding player in Kevin Payton of Camden, N.J., and now that Payton's injured shoulder has come around, coach Dan Monson is convinced the 6-5 forward will move right in and do a great job next season.
-- Minneapolis Star Tribune