Why is this news?: D'Angelo Russell keeps racking up the accolades, J.T. Barrett speaks to the media

"Russell started the season as a fringe top-20 recruit, and now he's being discussed as a top-three pick in the NBA Draft. He can play the point or off the ball, and he's dazzled fans--and dizzied opposing defense--with his incredible passing."

- Sports Illustrated

While this is likely the only season Ohio State fans will see D'Angelo Russell in the Scarlet and Gray, the Louisville native is making it count by racking up numerous accolades with his incredible performances this year. The latest recognition for Russell is being named to Sports Illustrated's 2015 College Basketball All America First Team. Earlier in the week Russell was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year, as well as being named to the All-Big Ten's First Team. The freshman will try and state his case for a number of the individual awards he is still in the running for by leading Ohio State to deep runs in the Big Ten Tournament this weekend, and the NCAA Tournament, which starts next week.

Russell isn't the only freshman in the country whose exceptional performance has earned him high praise. Duke's Jahlil Okafor impressed enough to be the other freshman placed on Sports Illustrated's First Team. Okafor will likely be taken high in the NBA Draft, much like Russell. The rest of the First Team is filled out with seniors, with the most familiar name to Buckeye fans being Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, who deservedly beat out Russell to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors. Notre Dame's Jerian Grant and Utah's DeLeon Wright round out guard postions on the First Team.

"We were talking and we know at the quarterback position there will only be one guy getting the snap on each and every play. Is there going to be patience if I'm not the starter? Yeah, there's going to be patience. That's not anything I'm afraid of."

- J.T. Barrett

It's only the second day of spring practice for the Ohio State football team, but the quarterbacks already they sound like they are well versed in dealing with what will surely be the countless amount of questions that they'll be asked about the battle to earn the starting quarterback job. Today J.T. Barrett spoke with the media after practice, and stated he is ready to accept whoever the coaching staff decides to tab as the starter, even if it isn't his number that is called. Barrett is still recovering from the broken ankle he suffered against Michigan in late November, but is ready to earn the spot he held for 12 games last year back.

Barrett knows that whoever winds up taking the snaps for Ohio State when the season begins will have earned the job, but he isn't worried about what the other two talented quarterback vying for the job are doing in the competition. The redshirt sophomore knows the abilities he has and what he is capable of, and if the coaches decide to go with either Braxton Miller or Cardale Jones behind center, it is because it is best for the football team.

While Barrett said he is progressing well from his injury and starting to do some work, as well as continue to receive treatment, there was another piece of good news Barrett talked about with the media. After plenty of speculation that Braxton Miller might transfer to another school with the depth Ohio State has a quarterback, Barrett seems convinced that Miller isn't going anywhere this year. With Barrett and Miller talking everyday, it sounds like it would certainly be news to Barrett if Miller ended up leaving to take the reigns at another programs this year.

"According to witnesses in the report, Handrahan made sexual comments or innuendos about female players and their relationships with their boyfriends, and he routinely used sexually explicit or vulgar language during practices and games."

- The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State will have to find a new women's hockey coach after Nate Handrahan resigned on Monday following an investigation into improper conduct during his time as coach. The investigation began in late November after there was an anonymous complaint of sexual harassment by Handrahan. The complaint came a day after Handrahan and an assistant were observed being "intoxicated and unprofessional" at an airport following a series with North Dakota. The following investigation found numerous other instances of inappropriate conduct by Handrahan, and there was some that called the former coach a "bully".

Handrahan was in his fourth season as Ohio State women's hockey coach, and during his time in Columbus had amassed a 67-64-15 record. In a January 20th meeting with Ohio State investigators, Handrahan described himself as "demanding but not demeaning", but the evidence against him was just too much for him to continue coaching with the team. Along with Handrahan, second-year assistant Keith Maurice was found to be in violation of the university's whistleblower policy, and is no longer included on the team's roster.

"This year's March Madness college basketball tournament is expected to lead to more than $9 billion in bets, and nearly $2 billion in lost worker productivity, according to research by two groups."

- Karen Farkas, Northeast Ohio Media Group

With each passing year of the NCAA Tournament the numbers estimated in terms of total bets, as well as lost worker productivity, seem to continue to grow, and this year is no different. Many of those around the country that don't skip out of work for the first two days of the NCAA Tournament will be stuck at the office and trying to figure out ways to watch while pretending to do work. The loss of worker productivity isn't just limited to the games on Thursday and Friday afternoon, but starts after the brackets are realized. Many will spend time early next week trying to analyze and perfect their brackets, which will cut into their time at work when they are supposed to be working. Hard to blame people though, with the spectacle the tournament is every year.

A survey by the American Gaming Association estimates that 40 million Americans will fill out brackets this year, with an average of $29 being bet on each one. A survey by GfK Custom Research North America found the average person will fill out nearly two brackets this year, and half of all March Madness viewers will have filled out a bracket at least once in their lifetime. Every year there seems to be more and more brackets available to fill out on-line, which helps bring friends across the country together to participate in some contests, not only for bragging rights, but often times for a pretty good chunk of change.

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