With Jim Field.

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(Radio Iowa) – March is “Problem Gambling Awareness” month and the head of Iowa’s treatment program says they are trying to let everyone know that things don’t have to get out of control. Eric Pruess says that’s why they have started their “Be Number One at Getting Help” campaign. “To help those who might not understand much about gambling have a bit more empathy understanding and support for those individuals — to encourage them to reach out for support rather than anger and I can’t believe you did this, how could you do this? Why do you have this problem and no one else has this problem,” Pruess says.

He says the gambler and those around them need to know what’s involved. “It’s a disease, it’s something that people need help for and there’s help available. That’s really what we are trying to get at,” Pruess says. “And certainly within the theme of Problem Gambling Awareness Month is awareness plus action makes good things happen.” Sports betting has taken off in Iowa since becoming legal — and Preuss says there’s no doubt it increases the temptation for those who might gamble illegally. “All you have to do is watch T-V and know there is a very high level of competition that is going on with the new sportsbooks when the sports law changed,” Preuss says.

He says there are a lot of offers out there trying to get people into sports gambling. “They’re competing for a limited number of Iowans and trying to build that relationship with Iowans to do sports wagering. And they are doing it in some very enticing ways — bet a dollar win a hundred. We guarantee you won’t lose your first 25 dollars,” Preuss says. ” For a person who hasn’t gambled before, it sounds like ‘why wouldn’t I try that?” He says gambling doesn’t have to take over your life. “We really just want to get the message out to them to play responsibly — to stay within their means. Make sure you are only wagering your discretionary income and not looking at it to make money,” according to Pruess. ” I mean, it’s fun, it’s entertainment. If you win great, if you don’t, you walk away and you had fun doing it, that type of thing.”

He says if you feel you have a problem there is help at 1-800-BETTS-OFF or by going online to yourlifeiowa.org. “And they can initiate a chat session there. But they can also find more information about responsible gambling, what a gambling problem might look like, and other resources to assist them,” he says.  Pruess says about one percent of Iowans meet the criteria for a gambling disorder and about 14 percent who may be at risk for gambling disorder.

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga, Illinois, Baylor and Michigan are the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which begins first-round play on Friday. The Bulldogs have claimed the No. 1 overall seed and will head the West Regional. The Zags are the only unbeaten team in men’s Division I hoops and are trying to become the first squad to run the table on its entire schedule since Indiana in 1976.

Iowa has the second seed in the West, followed by Kansas and Virginia. The Hawks will take on No. 15 Grand Canyon, Friday, March 19th. Additional details are to be determined. Gonzaga beat each of those teams by double-digits during the regular season, including a 23-point rout of the defending-champion Cavaliers. Baylor tops the South bracket and heads into the tourney with just two losses, including a setback in the Big 12 semifinals. The Bears spent most of the season as the No. 2 team in The Associated Press poll.

Ohio State is No. 2 in the South, just ahead of Arkansas and Purdue. Louisville, Colorado State, St. Louis and Mississippi have been put on stand-by. They could find their way into the bracket if a team in the field notifies the NCAA by Tuesday night that it must withdraw because of health concerns.

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Gabi Haack hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points to lead Bradley to its first NCAA Tournament with a 78-70 win over Drake in the championship game of the reconfigured Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Haack had a pair of 3-pointers in a 14-2 run in the fourth quarter that gave the fifth-seeded Braves a 76-66 lead with 2:37 to play. Drake, the second seed, was 2 for 6 with four turnovers in the last seven minutes.

Bradley was scheduled to play league champion and 17th-ranked Missouri State in the semifinals on Saturday but the Bears, probably an NCAA Tournament lock with a 21-2 record, pulled out over a positive COVID-19 test in the Bradley party. Grace Berg scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Drake.

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Backup Sto Labanowitz threw for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Southern Illinois rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit to beat Northern Iowa 17-16. It was Southern Illinois’ second victory this season over a top-five team after snapping three-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State’s FCS-record 39-game winning streak on Feb. 27. UNI stated the final drive at its 11 with 1:48 remaining.

On fourth-and-10, Will McElvain found Quan Hampton over the middle, and he broke free from a defender at midfield to race for a 52-yard gain. Four plays later, Matthew Cook was wide left on a 30-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Seventh-ranked Maryland’s scoring depth and impressive skill were once again on display in a 104-84 rout of Iowa to claim a second consecutive Big Ten Tournament championship on Saturday. Seven of eight players who scored early had more than one basket. Coach Brenda Frese’s Terrapins (24-2) have reached this title game in each of the seven seasons since Maryland joined the conference, and won six of seven regular-season titles.

Maryland players react following a timeout by Iowa in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big Ten Conference tournament, Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Chloe Bibby led the Terps with 21 points, including 11, with three 3-pointers, in the opening quarter.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Mason Randall scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 3:34 remaining and San Diego beat Drake 13-10 in the season opener for both teams. Randall’s score capped an 11-play, 75 yard drive for the Toreros. Randall was 19-of-25 passing for 234 yards and had two interceptions. Michael Carner and Derek Kline combined for 12 catches for 188 yards receiving. Brandon Eickert kicked field goals of 25 and 36 yards.

Drake was held to 25 yards of total offense and was 2 of 11 on third-down conversions. Ian Corwin scored on a 5-yard run and Nathan De Bruin kicked two field goals for Drake.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kofi Cockburn scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half, and No. 3 Illinois beat No. 5 Iowa 82-71 to advance to the Big Ten Tournament title game. The Fighting Illini have won six straight, with three coming against top-10 foes. If Illinois wins one more, against No. 9 Ohio State, it would claim its first tourney title since 2005.

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn (21) celebrates after being fouled on a basket against Iowa in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 points for Illinois, and reserve guard Andre Curbelo finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Luka Garza had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Iowa.

w/ Chris Parks

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