After teaching at Chicago State University for 26 years, Haki Madhubuti decided to resign as a professor on Friday. Madhubuti, a celebrated poet who has founded Third World Press and oversees three charter schools and a private school in Chicago, stated that the primary reason for his resignation was due to the strained relationship between him and the president of CSU, Wayne Watson. Madhubuti had said in his remarks at the annual Gwendolyn Brooks Conference for Black Literature and Creative Writing on Friday that he had no choice but to leave and was 'forced out" of his position at CSU: more ›

Both teams rode winning streaks into last night's game, but Ottawa skated out the winner after ousting the Blackhawks 4-1. The Sens took a 2-0 lead in the first but Marian Hossa scored his 13th goal of the season - a short-handed goal just over six minutes in to the second period - to cut that lead in half. But Ottawa was too much, scoring another goal in the second and one more for good measure in the third to cruise to the victory even as the 'Hawks out-shot them 30-18. Huet allowed all four goals and grabbed 14 saves in net for Chicago. The 'Hawks try to bounce back tomorrow night in Calgary (8:30 p.m., CSN). more ›

Bulls Thump T-Wolves more ›

DePaul's conference woes continue as they lost their 22nd straight regular season conference game as they were crushed by No. 6 Villanova 99-72. The Blue Demons put up a fight in the second half, but that didn't help erase a 25-point halftime deficit. Mac Koshwal led DePaul with 17 points and 11 rebounds. more ›

The Blackhawks kept on rolling last night, beating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 5-2 for their third straight win and their 10th win in their last 12. After a scoreless first period, Kris Versteeg got the 'Hawks on the board and Troy Brouwer added a goal to give Chicago a 2-0 lead. Marian Hossa then scored twice in the first four minutes of the third - once at full-strength and once on a power-play - to give the 'Haws a 4-0 lead that was extended again by Jonathan Toews. Two late goals by Anaheim spoiled the shutout but Antti Niemi still recorded a solid game in goal with 22 saves overall. At just past the halfway point of the season, the 'Hawks are 29-10-3 and sit atop the Western Conference in a first place tie with San Jose (61 points each). The 'Hawks welcome the Minnesota Wild tomorrow (7 p.m., VS). more ›

Like their United Center roommates the Bulls, the Blackhawks are off on the annual Circus Trip (more on that from Benjy in a bit) on a winning note after edging the Sharks 4-3 in overtime last night. Brent Sopel scored a little more than four minutes in to give the 'Hawks an early 1-0 lead that the Sharks would even up before the end of the first period. San Jose would strike twice more within the first two minutes of the second period to jump out to a 3-1 lead. The 'Hawks held firm and got two second period goals of their own, first from Patrick Kane and then, in the closing minutes, from John Madden to send the game to the final period at a 3-3 tie. After a scoreless third, it was a goal from Brent Seabrook in the opening minute of overtime that clinched the Blackhawks victory, their seventh straight win at home. Huet was in goal once again for the 'Hawks, allowing the three goals but also making 20 saves in the winning effort. After playing four games at home in seven days, the team now has a few days off before opening their two-week road trip in Calgary on Thursday (8:30 p.m., CSN). more ›

• One person is dead and two others were wounded in a shooting in Bolingbrook this morning.
• Sheriff Dart gave the new Craigslist "adult" section a thumbs up.
• Said Ayesh, the father who kidnapped his own daughter last fall, has been sentenced to three years in prison after which he'll be deported to his native Jordan.

The students and faculty at Chicago State aren't too pleased with their new school president, Wayne Watson. The students and faculty were upset about the way the school's board of trustees handled the selection and the lack of acceptable candidates. Speaking to WBEZ, Watson dismissed the issues: "Where's the facts to back it up. You can't google me and find, well Wayne Watson was politically involved with, endorsing, cutting deals, or doing anything with these people. [Be]cause it's not there, it didn't happen." Watson was previously the City Colleges of Chicago chancellor, which had some opposed to his appointment crying accusations of being an insider. more ›

• The most updated swine flu er, H1N1 influenza A tally for Illinois stands at 20, give or take.
• If Judge Clayton Crane has his way, former Chicago police commander Jon Burge will have to testify in the torture case against him.
• Governor Quinn's reform commission panel stands by their decision to advise against a recall amendment.

Notre Dame couldn’t keep pace with the no. 16 Villanova Wildcats on Monday, losing 77-60. The game was neck and neck for the first 30 minutes, but the Wildcats pulled away with a 16-1 scoring run midway through the second half. With only four minutes left on the clock, the Irish remained well out of striking distance for the rest of the contest. Ryan Ayers was the game’s top scorer with 25 points, 21 of which came by way of the three. The Irish close out the regular season at home against St. John’s on Saturday. more ›

The Chicago Bulls looked to be in line for their third consecutive double-digit loss Saturday night, but instead rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 105-102. Up three at the half, the Rockets steadily built their advantage to 17 by the end of the third quarter. The situation looked dire for the Bulls, having gained no ground by the midway point of the fourth, but Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose decided they weren't finished yet. Gordon started the run with a quick five points, and Rose added six more over the next two minutes. By the time they were done, the two Chicago guards had scored 22 of the game's final 26 points and earned the Bulls a blistering comeback victory. It was not all smiles for Chicago, though, as Luol Deng was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right tibia and may miss the rest of the campaign. more ›

The Chicago Bulls earned an impressive victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, 120-102. Chicago, leading by seven with seven to play, recorded eight-straight from the free-throw line to ignite a 13-2 scoring run and put the game away. The Bulls were a clutch 20 of 22 from the charity stripe and shot better than 56 percent from the field. Coach Del Negro spread the wealth, with no player seeing more than three quarters of court time, and nine Bulls playing 20 minutes or more. Derrick Rose led Chicago with 22 points, while six other Bulls reached double figures in scoring. more ›

The Blackhawks scored a 3-1 victory over the Stars on Saturday, completing a four-game, season sweep of the Dallas skaters. Patrick Kane poked in the game-winner seven and a half minutes into the second period, bookended by one-timers from defensemen James Wisniewski and Matt Walker as Chicago took a 3-0 lead. Cristobal Huet was once again stellar in net with 30 saves on 31 attempts, the spoiler coming on a breakaway goal midway through the third. The 'Hawks will return to a hero's welcome when they host the Minnesota Wild tonight, having amassed nine wins in their last 12 games, 11 of which were played on the road. more ›

Chicago State defeated the Longwood Lancers Monday night, 94-84. The Cougars were outscored from the floor, but found a 23-point advantage at the free throw line. Chicago State star David Holston recorded 15 of his 21 points at the charity stripe as Longwood tried to slow down the nation’s second leading scorer. With much of the defensive attention on Holston, all five Cougar starters reached double figures in points. The Cougars also out-rebounded their opponents 54-32, en route to their second victory over the Lancers this season. more ›

After a scoreless affair in St. Louis Friday night, the Blackhawks exploded offensively with a 6-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Dallas goalie Marty Turco kept his finger in the dam early, but Chicago was relentless in their assault on net. The ‘Hawks rattled off 15 shots in the first period alone, breaking through on Troy Brouwer’s one-timer at the 13:22 mark. The second period brought more of the same, as Martin Havlat scored twice for Chicago. The Blackhawks built their lead to five, with goals from Jonathan Toews and Colin Fraser in the third. Dallas did muster a pair of goals later in the period, but Chicago clearly had the game in hand. It was not all smiles for ‘Hawks fans, however, when Patrick Sharp left the game with an undisclosed injury to his left leg. No further details are yet available, but Sharp is not expected to travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip. more ›

Chicago State got more than it bargained for against the 3-21 Houston Baptist Huskies Monday night, managing to pull off a 112-108 victory in OT. Trailing by double digits with under two minutes to play the Cougars surged back into contention, getting five-straight points from David Holston to end regulation and force overtime. In the bonus period Chicago State gained a late advantage on a Mike Wilson three, and preserved its lead with solid free-throw shooting down the stretch. Holston scored 39 for the Cougars, who close out a four-game road trip at NJIT on Saturday. more ›

Dirk Nowitzki powered the Dallas Mavericks past the Bulls in a 115-114 overtime victory. Three Bulls scored over 20 points: Gordon (28), Thomas (23), and Rose (22). But it wasn't enough as Nowitzki and the Mavs proved too much for Chicago. After a predominantly see-saw regulation, the Mavs jumped out to a four point lead in the extra period, then extended it to six and never looked back. The Bulls finally play at home again Tuesday versus the Pistons. more ›

Paced by rookie Derrick Rose's team-high 21 points, the Bulls had no problem beating the Chris Paul-less New Orleans Hornets, 107-93. Six players scored in double-figures for the Bulls, who took a comfy 62-44 lead to halftime. It was the Bulls' fourth win in five games but even with the win, the Bulls are still at six games under .500 and a game back of the last playoff spot. Said Rose, "We were just running, playing an up-tempo type game, pushing it, playing defense. We need to do that more often.'' The Bulls are 4-2 on their current road trip and end it with a game in Dallas Saturday night. more ›

It was too little too late for the Blackhawks as they fell victim to the Los Angeles Kings Thursday, 5-2. Scoreless through the first 27.5 minutes and down 3-0, Chicago's Dave Bolland ripped a one-timer past goalie Jonathan Quick to cut LA's lead to two. A mere 37 seconds later, however, Alexander Frolov got it back for the Kings when the 'Hawks coughed up the puck in front of their own net. Chicago showed some fight when Patrick Sharp scored his own one-timer a few minutes later, but two more scores with less than nine minutes to play was too much to ask of the 'Hawks. Brian Campbell assisted both Chicago goals, and Cristobal Huet took the brunt of it in the 'Hawks net. more ›

No. 22 Notre Dame dropped their fourth straight, this time in a 71-64 loss to the no. 8 Marquette Golden Eagles. Knotted at 57 with four minutes to play, Marquette went on an 11-4 run which featured a devastating three from Jerel McNeal that permanently push the lead to two possessions. Luke Harangody tried to carry his team with 29 points and 17 boards, but the balanced Eagles' attack proved to be too much. The Irish are amidst a brutal stretch of basketball, facing seven ranked opponents (five in the top ten) over eight games. Next on the docket: a Saturday afternoon tussle with the no. 3 Pitt Panthers. more ›

No. 19 Notre Dame couldn't keep it alive against the no. 3 Connecticut Huskies Saturday, losing 69-61 and ending the nation's longest home winning streak at 45 games. more ›

The Bulls suffered another close defeat Wednesday, losing 105-102 to the Hawks from Atlanta (no, the hockey team didn't pick up a basketball, although...). With the game tied at the start of the fourth quarter, the lead would see-saw seven times in the next seven minutes. The advange then tilted in Atlanta's favor, however, as Mike Bibby led a quick 7-0 surge for the Hawks. This pushed the lead to two-possessions, and put the game out of grasp for Chicago. Ben Gordon led the Bulls in scoring with 21, and Luol Deng was good for another double-double. more ›

Just college hoops on the agenda. more ›

At the dawn of a five-game home stint, the Bulls got up on the wrong side of the bed, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-92. Trailing by seven, Chicago mustered eight straight points to start the fourth quarter and took their first lead since the opening period. The T'wolves battled back, however, and Ryan Gomes' three ball at the two-minute mark gave Minnesota enough elbow room to wrestle this one away. Derrick Rose outscored the rest with 22 points. more ›

In dire need of a road win, the Bulls came through against the New Jersey Nets Monday night, 100-87. Knotted at 86 with 4:35 to play, Chicago held Jersey to just one point down the stretch while Ben Gordon sunk a pair of treys to seal the deal. Those six points brought Gordon's game total to 24, and Derrick Rose added 21 while dishing out 13 assists. Coming into the contest the Bulls were 0-for-December away from the United Center, and they hadn't won in New Jersey since 2001. more ›

The Blackhawks completed their Canadian conquest Saturday night, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Patrick Sharp had the game winner in the second period, bookended by scores from Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews. Cristobal Huet played the role of backstop, denying 30 of 31 attempts on goal. The 'Hawks now return home for the holidays, hoping to resume their hot streak Friday against the Flyers. more ›

The Bulls did their best Charlotte Bobcats impersonation on Wednesday, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 115-109 in overtime. In eerily similar circumstances to last night's contest, the Bulls' Ben Gordon drew a foul on a three-point attempt with 20 seconds left in regulation. Gordon's play was of the four-point variety, and tied the game to force an extra period. With the momentum in their favor this time around, the Bulls secured the W on two clutch jumpers from Luol Deng. Gordon and Andres Nocioni each scored 22 to help thwart a 30-point effort from the Clippers' Zach Randolph. more ›