Tag: badger basketball

Wisconsin Badgers legend dominates for Toronto Raptors G League affiliate

Wisconsin Badgers legend dominates for Toronto Raptors G League affiliate

Wisconsin basketball legend Frank Kaminsky dominated in his second appearance with the Toronto Raptors NBA G League affiliate on Saturday.

Representing Raptors 905, Kaminsky logged 33 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a 112-11 overtime win over the San Diego Clippers. He shot 12-of-19 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep in the one-point victory.

Kaminsky made his Raptors 905 debut on Dec. 19 in a 17-point loss to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In that game, he tallied six points and five rebounds.

Prior to his current stint with Raptors 905, Kaminsky represented USA Basketball at the two-game 2024 AmeriCup Qualifying circuit in Washington, D.C. In his second game representing the red, white and blue, the UW legend scored 14 points, grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds, dished a team-best four assists and tallied a game-high two blocks.

That time with the national team appears to have reignited Kaminsky’s fire to compete at the NBA level. He most recently laced up for the Phoenix Suns training camp roster in late September ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

In eight NBA seasons, Kaminsky averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 43% shooting and 35% from 3. He most recently appeared in 26 games for the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets in 2022-23.

With the Badgers, the talented 7-footer earned National College Player of the Year nods and was a consensus first-team All-American in 2015. He led Wisconsin to back-to-back Final Four appearances in the best stretch in program history.

At this stage, it appears as if he will look to continue his basketball journey in the G League.

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers blowout win vs. Detroit Mercy

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers blowout win vs. Detroit Mercy

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard addressed the media following the Badgers’ 23-point win over Detroit Mercy on Sunday.

Wisconsin big men Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter were the story of the contest. The two 7-footers combined for 33 points and 15 rebounds off 13-of-19 from the field and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.

After building a 20-point lead early in the second half, Gard was able to deploy a batch of his bench players to close the contest. Carter Gilmore, Kamari McGee, Markus Ilver, Jack Janicki and Xavier Amos each logged at least 10 minutes in the 23-point triumph.

“Happy for our guys to be able to get through finals week and a few days off this week,” Gard said after the win. “I thought we did a lot of good things, and it was good to go really deep into the bench for some substantial minutes. I think that’ll help not only those individuals, but us collectively going forward because we’re going to continue to need all the help we can get. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

That road includes 18 consecutive Big Ten games to close the season. While wings John Blackwell and John Tonje have played exceptionally well to begin the season, the crew’s team defense and consistency down low will prove critical to close the season.

“I thought the two bigs were good and efficient,” Gard said. “We didn’t shoot the three great, but I thought we had really good looks and defensively did a lot of good things to keep the ball out of the paint for the most part. In the first half, they only had one basket at the rim. By and large, a pretty workmanlike effort.”

UW spread the wealth with 22 bench points, 36 points in the paint and 13 assists. The story still revolved around Winter and Crowl. Over the past two wins, the two are accountable for 71 combined points and 29 rebounds.

“I have always known the potential of those two and how complete their games can be,” Gard said. “Steve, over the last two games, has done a better job at being more aggressive and intentional with it. Nolan’s just been hatched so to speak. He’s so young in terms of where he can be and what he can do. You see that size, skill level and athleticism he has, and he has a motor. I don’t know if he realizes how impactful he can be. It’s our job to keep pushing that bar higher for him.”

Wisconsin returns to the hardwood for a Jan. 3 showdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center.

RECAP: Wisconsin closes nonconference schedule with blowout win over Detroit Mercy

RECAP: Wisconsin closes 2024 with blowout win over Detroit Mercy

Wisconsin basketball cruised to its tenth win of the 2024-25 season with a 76-53 victory over Detroit Mercy on Sunday.

For the second consecutive contest, Wisconsin sophomore big man Nolan Winter captained UW’s offensive attack with 18 points off 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-5 from deep and 4-of-4 mark from the free throw line. The Minnesota native also snagged a game-best 11 rebounds, five of which were offensive.

Wisconsin center Steven Crowl also dominated against the Titans — 15 points, four rebounds and one block in 21 minutes. Sophomore guard John Blackwell added 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and two swipes in 26 minutes as well.

Eight days removed from their much-needed nine-point win over Butler, Wisconsin set the tone early. After sparring with the Titans for the first 10 minutes of play, UW rattled off a 14-0 scoring spurt over the ensuing 4:30. From then on, Greg Gard’s crew didn’t look back.

Wisconsin built off its 13-point intermission lead to open the second half — Winter, Crowl and Blackwell combined to extend the advantage to 20.

With that type of edge, Gard emptied his bench for the remainder of the bout and allowed Markus Ilver, Jack Janicki, Kamari McGee and Xavier Amos to punctuate the impressive showing.

As a team, Wisconsin dominated inside. The Badgers snared 14 more rebounds and notched 22 more points in the painted area. 10 playmakers scratched the score sheet off 13 team assists.

With the win, Wisconsin moves to 10-3 on the season with the rest of its games scheduled against Big Ten squads. Wisconsin will look to add to its win total on Jan. 3 against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Madison.

Wisconsin women’s basketball program makes history in win over UAlbany

Wisconsin women’s basketball program makes history in win over UAlbany

Wisconsin’s women’s basketball program made history in its 69-59 victory over UAlbany on Friday.

For the first time since the 2006-07 season, which marks the last time UW reached the 20-win threshold in a single campaign, the Badgers have started the season with a 7-0 mark at home.

In the win, reigning Big Ten Player of the Week and superstar forward Serah Williams scored a game-high 28 points off 10-of-15 from the field. She also reeled in 12 boards, denied two shot attempts and shot 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

2023-24 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Carter McCray also finished with arguably her best performance of the season. The Western Kentucky transfer tallied 15 points and a game-leading 14 rebounds in the 10-point win.

Wisconsin’s most thrilling victories at the Kohl Center have arrived against Rutgers, Georgetown and Omaha this season. Following the triumph over Albany, Marisa Moseley’s program will embark on its Big Ten slate for the remainder of the season.

On the season, Wisconsin is 10-2 and is on a five-game win streak. Only Ohio State, Maryland, UCLA, Michigan State, Nebraska and USC boast better records than UW as of Dec. 20.

Wisconsin will return to the hardwood for a Dec. 28 clash against the Indiana Hoosiers on Dec. 28 in Bloomington.

Wisconsin women’s basketball forward named Big Ten Player of the Week after 36-point outburst

Wisconsin women’s basketball forward named Big Ten Player of the Week after 36-point outburst

Wisconsin women’s basketball forward Serah Williams earned Big Ten Player of the Week nods for the second time in her career on Monday.

The honor arrives five days after Williams notched a career-best performance in Wisconsin’s double-overtime victory over Butler in Indianapolis.

In that contest, the Brooklyn, New York native logged 36 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in 43 minutes of action. The star forward also shot 13-of-26 from the field and 10-of-12 from the foul line in the signature win.

Her 36 points were also the most in program history since the 2007-08 season, per UW Athletics.

Williams has been nothing short of dominant for the Badgers throughout the 2023-24 season. In 11 appearances, she is responsible for 19.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, three assists and 2.9 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game.

The junior forward also ranks No. 2 in the nation in rebounds per game behind LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, and No. 36 in points per game.

Marisa Moseley’s program now sits at 9-2 to start the season with a bevy of Big Ten games remaining on the schedule. UW returns to the court on Dec. 20 for a contest against UAlbany.

Where Wisconsin basketball ranks in latest AP Poll after loss to Illinois, win over Butler

Where Wisconsin basketball ranks in latest AP Poll after loss to Illinois, win over Butler

Wisconsin basketball fell out of the latest AP Poll on Monday.

After being ranked No. 20 in the poll’s Week 6 installation, Wisconsin earned just 19 points in this week’s update to fall from a top 25 ranking. The Badgers’ tough road loss to Illinois, which followed back-to-back losses to Michigan and Marquette, appears to have urged voters to drop the team from the list.

Marquette holds the No. 9 position in the latest poll, Michigan boasts the No. 24 spot and Illinois pocketed 70 votes, just outside of the top 25.

Tennessee remains in the No. 1 slot after a buzzer-beating win over the Fighting Illini improved it to 10-0 on the season. The Volunteers are followed by Auburn, Iowa State, Kentucky and Duke. No. 11 UConn, which collected a win over No. 13 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden, made the largest jump in this week’s installation.

Big Ten teams in the top 25 include No. 10 Oregon, No. 16 Purdue, No. 18 UCLA, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 24 Michigan. Alongside Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, Maryland and Indiana, were also ‘receiving votes.’

Here is a look at the full updated AP Poll top 25:

Wisconsin returns to the hardwood on Dec. 22 against Detroit Mercy for a chance to improve to 10-3 before the remaining Big Ten schedule.

UW’s convincing win over Butler on Dec. 14 provided fans with some clarity on how big men Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter look when at their best. The two combined for 38 points and 14 rebounds in the nine-point triumph to quell the Bulldogs’ front court attack.

Nonetheless, Greg Gard’s team faces a brutal second half schedule. Starting Jan. 3, the Badgers will tip off against 18 consecutive conference foes before the Big Ten Tournament.

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What Michigan head coach Dusty May said after win over Wisconsin

What Michigan head coach Dusty May said after narrow win over Wisconsin

Michigan head coach Dusty May addressed the media following the Wolverines’ 67-64 win over Wisconsin on Tuesday.

May, who took over the Wolverines’ head coaching responsibility this spring after Juwan Howard was fired, secured his first career Big Ten win as Michigan’s head coach vs. the Badgers. He previously coached at Florida Atlantic — and took the Owls to the Final Four in 2022-23 in his fifth season at the helm

To steal the victory over Wisconsin, May turned to his two-headed attack of big men Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin. Wolf, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and a team-best five assists, primarily orchestrated the Wolverines’ offense in the fourth quarter.

“He really is a guard in a 7-footer’s body,” May said. “The way he dribbles, the way he shoots it, the way he can create space. As the games have boiled down, we’re trying to figure out what’s our best plan of attack in the half court. That, in a small sample size, had been a really efficient attack for us. So we started trying to get everyone more aware of it… Danny wasn’t trying to hit home runs, he was just making the right play… he created the advantage.”

Goldin also played a monumental role. The 7-footer scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half, including the final six points for Michigan.

“I think he picks his spots really well,” May said of Goldin. “Obviously he’s so big and strong around the rim. Offensively, when you have the hands that he has and you’re such a big target, we’ve got to find ways to continue to get him the ball. He played at a very efficient rate, and I think he had a few that didn’t drop that we expect to go in moving forward.”

In preparation for the Badgers, May focused on Wisconsin wings John Blackwell and John Tonje. The two account for more than 37 points per appearance for UW and generate countless opportunities at the free throw line.

By keeping the two from exploding offensively, the Badgers turned to others to create from deep. Greg Gard’s seven other rotational pieces went a combined 3-21 from deep in the loss.

“Blackwell and Tonje, they shoot the three off the bounce, off the catch, they get downhill and when you reach, they make you pay,” May said. “I thought they both found different ways to impact the game. We took a calculated risk to plug a bit more off the big guys, and they didn’t knock them down tonight. Also, because we were going at them a little bit defensively, maybe they didn’t have quite the legs. I’m not sure. Our game plan was to keep those two off the free throw line and try to limit their three-point shots.”

Michigan now moves to 7-1 on the season and will likely wind up in the next installation of the AP Poll. Wisconsin, meanwhile, falls to 8-1. It is back in action on Saturday against No. 5 Marquette.

Wisconsin basketball dips in KenPom, ESPN BPI after loss to Michigan

Wisconsin basketball dips in KenPom, ESPN BPI after loss to Michigan

Wisconsin basketball fell to 8-1 on the season with a 67-64 loss to Michigan on Tuesday.

The score seesawed for virtually the entire contest until Michigan center Vladislav Goldin orchestrated an individual scoring spurt late to put the Wolverines up for good. Michigan’s big men — Goldin and forward Danny Wolf — combined for 44 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks in the victory.

Two of Wisconsin’s primary contributors — center Steven Crowl and guard Max Klesmit — struggled mightily against the Wolverines. The two shot a combined 1-of-11 from the field and could not find a rhythm throughout the entire contest.

UW’s loss to Michigan is nowhere near an indictment the team and its quality. The Wolverines land at No. 17 in KenPom (No. 42 offense, No. 5 defense) and No. 32 in the ESPN BPI following the triumph — they could be among the best in the Big Ten.

Still, Wisconsin dipped a few spots in both rating metrics after the loss.

Greg Gard’s squad is now ranked No. 33 in KenPom (No. 25 offense, No. 56 defense) and No. 35 in the ESPN BPI. Following their win over Chicago State on Saturday, the Badgers were ranked No, 29 in KenPom and No. 31 in ESPN BPI.

Wisconsin’s next game could further dampen their positions in these ratings metrics. The Badgers are set to square off against No. 5 Marquette in Milwaukee on Dec. 7. The game will serve as a true indicator of what this team is capable of against true juggernauts in the sport.

Wisconsin basketball to debut ‘By the Players’ uniforms vs. Michigan

Wisconsin basketball to debut ‘By the Players’ uniforms vs. Michigan

This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.

The Wisconsin Badgers will debut their 2024-25 ‘By the Players’ alternate uniforms on Tuesday vs. Michigan.

For the fifth straight season, UW’s players collaborated with Under Armour to produce a unique uniform that will be featured several times throughout the 2024-25 slate. That tradition began in 2020 with jerseys designed by Brad Davison, Aleem Ford, Micah Potter and D’Mitrik Trice.

This season, veteran guards Wisconsin native Kamari McGee and Max Klesmit spearheaded the design effort. The jerseys feature Madison’s skyline above the players’ last names on their threads, a pair of enlarged Bucky Badgers on the shorts, and a red emblem of the state on the athletes’ waistbands.

The uniforms also include a black and red zig-zag design on each side of the torso. Similar to last season, the jerseys include a white background. The lettering, however, will be a red with a shade of black surrounding the edges.

Outside of looking distinct, the initiative also UW’s players to feel connected to the product. McGee and Klesmit’s involvement as senior Wisconsin natives also makes the jersey’s all the more special for a roster poised to make a postseason run this season.

UW’s game vs. the Wolverines will commence at 8:00 p.m. CT exclusively on Peacock.

Former Wisconsin transfer guard makes history for Nebraska in 31-point win

Former Wisconsin transfer guard makes history for Nebraska in 31-point win

Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian made history in Nebraska‘s 103-72 win over North Florida on Sunday.

In the blowout win, the former Badger transfer went off for 22 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals on 8-of-10 shooting and 6-of-8 from three. Essegian joined Cary Cochran as the second player in school history to nail six or more three-point field goals in back-to-back games.

This was also the second straight game Essegian scored 20 or more points. The former Badger went for a career 29 points of 10-of-22 shooting and 6-of-15 from three in Nebraska’s recent win over South Dakota.

The Fort Wayne, Indiana native’s stellar string of performances now pushes his per-game averages to 21.5 minutes, 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 50% shooting and 44.4% from three.

The Cornhuskers certainly hoped to acquire this version of Essegian when he elected to transfer from Wisconsin to Nebraska this April. As a freshman for the Badgers, Essegian averaged 11.7 points per game off nearly 36% from deep in 35 appearances.

His production dropped dramatically as a sophomore with UW, prompting the sharpshooter to transfer to a different program this spring. He’s beginning to hit his groove under head coach Fred Hoiberg, a fellow marksman during his tenure in the NBA from 1995-2005.

The Cornhuskers sit at 7-1 on the season and earned 22 votes on Monday’s AP Poll. Essegian’s team opens Big Ten play on Saturday, Dec. 7 against Michigan State.