Tag: badger basketball

Wisconsin basketball ascends latest AP Poll after 8-0 start to 2024-25 slate

Wisconsin basketball ascends latest AP Poll after 8-0 start to 2024-25 slate

Wisconsin basketball landed at No. 11 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.

After being ranked No. 15 in the poll’s Week 5 installation, Wisconsin earned 903 points in this week’s update to claim the No. 11 spot in the hierarchy. UConn, which held the No. 2 position, and Houston, which boasted the No. 6 spot in Week 4, each fell out of the top 10 to elevate the Badgers.

Purdue (No. 8) is the only Big Ten squad ranked higher than Wisconsin on this week’s list. Oregon (No. 12) and Illinois (No. 23) are the two other Big Ten teams to make the top 25.

For context, UW received 666 points in Week 4 after securing wins over UT Rio Grande Valley, UCF and Pittsburgh from Nov. 18-24. Wisconsin’s Greenbrier Tip-Off-clinching win over Pitt, a team now ranked No. 18 in the poll, and 103-88 win over Arizona appear to hold some extra weight for voters.

Meltdowns from other squads also help the Badgers’ case. The Indiana Hoosiers dropped two straight to Louisville and No. 7 Gonzaga to drop out of the rankings, No. 20 North Carolina lost to both No. 2 Auburn and Michigan State, and No. 17 Houston lost to No. 10 Alabama and Notre Dame.

Wisconsin sensation John Tonje deserves a bulk of the credit for Wisconsin’s scorching start. The 6-foot-5 wing is averaging 22.9 points per game off 52.7% from the floor, over 42% from deep and nearly 95% from the charity stripe.

As a team, UW is averaging nearly 85.3 points per game off 46.8% from the field, 35.9% from beyond the arc and a blistering 86.4% from the free throw line.

Wisconsin’s next game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT vs. Michigan at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will then travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to face rival Marquette, the current No. 5-ranked team in the sport.

Wisconsin surges in USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll after 8-0 start

Wisconsin surges in latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

After notching eight straight wins to start to 2024-25 season, Wisconsin is now up to No. 11 on the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Wisconsin played just one game this past week, a 74-53 win over the Chicago State Cougars at the Kohl Center. Losses from the Indiana Hoosiers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Houston Cougars and North Carolina Tar Heels prompted voters to elevate the undefeated Badgers to No. 11 on the most recent list.

Wisconsin’s upward trajectory is apparent. The Badgers failed to garner any consideration in the first in-season update after landing in the ‘receiving votes’ section in the preseason edition of the poll. Greg Gard’s team is now No. 11 in the latest update, plus No. 11 in the AP Poll.

Kansas remains the No. 1 in the poll after securing a statement win over Duke on Nov. 26. The Jayhawks are followed by No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Marquette and No. 5 Iowa State. Notably, two-time defending national champion UConn dropped out of the hierarchy entirely after three straight losses.

Including Wisconsin, a total of six Big Ten squads cracked Dec. 2’s installation of the top-25 list. Oregon, which beat both Texas A&M and Alabama during the week, moved up a staggering 27 spots in the poll while Michigan State and Michigan both entered the poll as well.

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 7-0 760 (19)
2 Auburn 7-0 755 (12)
3 Tennessee 7-0 694
4 Marquette 8-0 646
5 Iowa State 5-1 629
6 Kentucky 7-0 628
7 Purdue 7-1 535
8 Gonzaga 7-1 517
9 Duke 5-2 472
10 Oregon 8-0 457
11 Wisconsin 8-0 450
12 Alabama 6-2 441
13 Florida 8-0 427
14 Cincinnati 6-0 376
15 Memphis 6-1 265
16 Baylor 5-2 262
17 Illinois 6-1 234
18 Houston 4-3 221
19 Pittsburgh 7-1 213
20 Ole Miss 6-1 139
21 Oklahoma 7-0 111
22 North Carolina 4-3 96
23 Michigan 6-1 90
24 Texas A&M 6-2 86
25 Michigan State 6-2 73 

Schools Dropped Out

No. 2 UConn; No. 15 Indiana; No. 19 Creighton; No. 21 Arkansas; No. 22 Xavier; No. 23 Arizona;

Others Receiving Votes

UConn 63; San Diego State 56; Texas 54; Mississippi State 39; Arizona State 39; Drake 34; Texas Tech 32; Arkansas 28; UCLA 17; Xavier 16; BYU 16; Ohio State 15; Utah State 13; Saint Mary’s 12; Dayton 10; St. John’s 8; Nebraska 8; Indiana 8; Creighton 8; West Virginia 5; Maryland 5; Clemson 5; Georgia 3; Arizona 2; UC Irvine 1; Nevada 1;

Wisconsin is back on the court on Dec. 3 against Michigan. Greg Gard’s team will then gear up for its iconic I-94 rivalry game against a formidable Marquette Golden Eagles team on Dec. 7 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in first installation of NCAA NET rankings

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in first installation of NCAA NET rankings

Wisconsin basketball checked in at No. 17 in the first installation of the NCAA men’s basketball NET rankings on Monday.

Unlike ESPN BPI and KenPom, the NET ranking is a list that evaluates a program’s performance primarily based on the strength of its resume.

A significant aspect of the NET rankings is a team’s record in each quadrant. The NET features four quadrants formed based on game location and the opponent’s ranking, per the NCAA.

Here’s how those quadrants shake out:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

For instance, if the Badgers defeated Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse and the Jayhawks held a 25 NET ranking, UW would receive a Quadrant 1 victory. If Greg Gard’s group dropped a game to Minnesota at the Kohl Center and the Golden Gophers boasted a NET of 80, it would be considered a Quadrant 3 loss.

Through eight games, the Badgers have collected one Quadrant 1 win over Pittsburgh in the Greenbrier Tip-Off and a pair of Quadrant 2 wins over UCF and Arizona.

Only Illinois (No. 10), Ohio State (No. 12), Oregon (No. 15) and UCLA (No. 16) are ranked ahead of Wisconsin in this season’s opening version of the ranking.

Wisconsin is off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 2013-14. Greg Gard’s crew is captained by star wing John Tonje, a former Missouri Tiger playmaker who averages nearly 23 points per appearance off 52.7% from the floor, 42.1% from three-point range and 94.5% from the charity stripe.

UW will be back on the hardwood for its first Big Ten match against the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Kohl Center.

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers win over Chicago State

What Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Badgers win over Chicago State

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard addressed the media following the Badgers’ 74-53 win over Chicago State on Saturday.

For the first time since Wisconsin reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 2014, the team is 8-0. To achieve that on Sunday, the Badgers orchestrated a 21-5 scoring burst to break the game open in the second half against a winless Chicago State squad.

Wisconsin looked much more poised in the closing frame. In the second half, the Badgers worked through the post, nailed open looks and shared the basketball. It’s safe to say Gard was pleased with the performance.

“Simple post touches got us to the free throw line, and simple post touches got us wide-open threes,” Gard said after the game. “I thought we shared the ball really well to get 17 assists on 23 baskets. Defensively, we were solid. When the ball is not going in, you have to continue to find ways to have success.”

Wisconsin also received 19 bench points from Xavier Amos, Riccardo Greppi, Jack Janicki, Markus Ilver and Carter Gilmore. Even though the second-unit guys don’t often receive the headlines from media or attention from Badger faithful, Gard honored those contributions following the win.

“The other thing that jumped out is the guys that got minutes off the bench, even if it was the small amount that Camren Hunter [or] Riccardo Greppi got,” Gard said. “I thought they made the most of it… I always remind guys that no matter if you’re getting 20 seconds or 39 minutes, make the most of it because they all add up.”

Another bright spot for Wisconsin was big man Steven Crowl. The senior assisted or scored on UW’s first seven points in the win and finished with nine points, seven rebonds and five assists in the effort.

“His ability to pass, he’s a very willing and sometimes too unselfish of a passer,” Gard said. “At seven feet, he’s such a great weapon. You’re inverting your offensive. You just throw it in and play off that. Guys are getting more comfortable on when to cut, where to cut to. He does a really good job of finding people whether it’s backside or if they don’t cover a cut at the rim, he finds them.”

UW will return to the hardwood for its first Big Ten game against the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 3 with hopes of remaining undefeated before the I-94 rivalry game vs. No. 10 Marquette on Dec. 7.

RECAP: Wisconsin rolls past Chicago State to notch eighth win of 2024-25 season

RECAP: Wisconsin rolls past Chicago State to notch eighth win of 2024-25 season

Wisconsin basketball rolled past Chicago State 74-53 on Saturday to pick up its eighth victory of the 2024-25 season. As many predicted, it was all Badgers from start to finish.

UW wing John Tonje again captained Wisconsin’s offensive attack with 22 points off 5-of-12 from the field, 3-of-6 from deep and 9-of-10 from the free throw line in 29 minutes of action. The North Omaha, Nebraska native also added five rebounds and three assists in the 21-point blowout win.

Veteran center Steven Crowl logged nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 28 minutes, and sophomore center Nolan Winter added 12 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes as well.

Fresh off their Greenbrier Tip-Off win on Nov. 24, the Badgers set the tone early. UW built a 12-2 lead within the first five minutes of action courtesy of eight points from Tonje and a pair of layups from big men Crowl and Winter.

Wisconsin maintained a relatively comfortable lead from that point forward. Fueled by 10 points from Winter, the Badgers piloted a 21-5 scoring spurt to stretch their lead to 53-32 by the 10:14-minute mark of the second half.

Greg Gard’s bench essentially put a bow on the second half scoring, and Wisconsin claimed its eighth straight win of the 2024-25 slate in dominant fashion.

It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Wisconsin did exactly what it needed to do to snag the victory. As a unit, the Badgers shot an underwhelming 39% from the field and 33.3% from outside. The team shared the wealth with 17 assists, plus scored 19 points off Chicago State turnovers. The Badgers leaned on Winter and Crowl’s size against Cougars — UW out-rebounded Chicago State by eight in the effort.

With the win, Wisconsin starts the season 8-0 for the first time since 2013-14.

The Badgers will now look to keep its undefeated start to the season alive when it hosts the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 3.

How former Wisconsin transfer fared in No. 1 Kansas’ big win over Duke

How former Wisconsin transfer fared in No. 1 Kansas’ big win over Duke

Former Wisconsin Badgers transfer A.J. Storr played an integral role in No. 1 Kansas’ 75-72 win over No. 11 Duke on Tuesday night.

The former Badger notched 11 points in 28 minutes in his first start with the Jayhawks. Storr also registered a pair of assists and a steal in the three-point win.

Storr’s most memorable moment in the blue-blood bout came within the first five minutes of the opening half. The Rockford, Illinois, native cut backdoor from the right corner, fielded an alley-oop pass from point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. and threw down a thunderous dunk with Duke stars Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg converging at the rim.

Storr scored eight of 11 points in the first half to help Bill Self’s team build a double-digit advantage. The Blue Devils rallied to take the lead in the second half, but Kansas prevailed to remain undefeated.

Individually, Storr is averaging 9.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists to go with 50% shooting and 47% from 3-point range thus far through six games. He has logged at least 23 minutes in three appearances this year and appears to have discovered a clear role for one of the nation’s best teams.

Storr transferred to the Jayhawks this offseason after one year with UW in 2023. As a Badger, he chalked up averages of 28.8 minutes, 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.6 steals per game as Wisconsin’s go-to offensive weapon.

While his departure loomed large, Wisconsin found his replacement, star wing John Tonje. The back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Week has accounted for 23 points and over five rebounds per game off 54.3% from the field, 40.6% from deep and 95.2% from the free-throw line.

Wisconsin and Kansas are two of the undefeated teams remaining at the top of the AP Poll.

Wisconsin Badgers legend dominates in second USA Basketball appearance

Wisconsin Badgers legend dominates in second USA Basketball appearance

Wisconsin basketball legend Frank Kaminsky dominated in his second appearance with the 2024 USA Men’s AmeriCup qualifying team on Monday night.

In the second leg of his USA Basketball debut, Kaminsky once against started alongside David Stockton, Robert Covington, Paul Watson and Javonte Smart. 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 in more than 20 minutes of action against the Bahamas.

Kaminsky’s stellar performance helped the Americans secure a 97-74 win. The USA holds the top spot in Pool D of the qualifying window with teams eyeing the AmeriCup Tournament in 2025.

In his first taste of FIBA action on Friday, Kaminsky notched 10 points, three assists and two steals in over 15 minutes against Puerto Rico.

Kaminsky’s performance reminded onlookers of what he’s capable of. The big man can stretch the floor, defend down low and execute in the painted area with swift footwork.

His most recent taste of professional action was when he joined the Phoenix Suns training camp roster in late September. The Suns, however, waived Kaminsky on Oct. 12 ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Still, he has proved his worth on several NBA teams. 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.

At Wisconsin, the 7-footer pocketed the 2015 National College Player of the Year award and was a consensus first-team All-American with the Badgers. As nearly every Badger hoop fanatic knows, he was UW’s go-to option on consecutive trips to the Final Four in 2014 and 2015.

John Tonje pockets second consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week honor

John Tonje pockets second consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week honor

Wisconsin Badgers wing John Tonje earned Big Ten Player of the Week nods for the second straight week on Monday. The veteran is the first Badger to boast that feat since Johnny Davis in 2022.

The honor arrives one day after Tonje native fueled UW during its 2-0 run at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

The transfer wing averaged 24 points and 6.5 rebounds en route to pocketing the event’s MVP honor. In the tournament’s finale, he dropped 33 points against Pittsburgh, 25 of which came in a tightly-contested second half.

Backed by his 23.0-point per game output, the Badgers are 7-0 for the first time since 2014-15 and boast the No. 15 position in the latest AP top 25 poll.

The former CSU Ram and Missouri Tiger is putting together arguably the best first few weeks of a season in program history. Through seven games, Tonje leads the nation in free throw percentage and ranks No. 9 in scoring. He’s also the first Division I player to score 33 or more points against two high-major opponents in November over the last 15 years, per UW Athletics.

In three wins last week, Tonje scored 67 total points on a 52.6% clip from the field and nearly 96% mark from the foul line.

He and the Badgers now return home for a Nov. 30 showdown against Chicago State before squaring off against Michigan on Dec. 3.

How Wisconsin transfer forward has fared at Seton Hall to start 2024-25 season

How Wisconsin Badgers transfer forward has fared at Seton Hall to start 2024-25 season

Wisconsin Badgers transfer forward Gus Yalden has logged action in seven games with the Seton Hall Pirates to start the 2024-25 season.

Yalden is averaging 2.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per appearance in just over 10 minutes of playing time per game. In his most recent outing against Florida Atlantic, Yalden scored two points and snared one rebound in nine  minutes of play. He is shooting 36.8% overall from the field (7-of-19) and 25% from the free-throw line (1-of-4).

The Appleton, Wisconsin, native scored a season-best six points and grabbed four rebounds in Seton Hall’s 57-56 loss to Fordham on Nov. 9.

At 4-3, Seton Hall is 10th in the Big East behind DePaul, Marquette, Xavier, Providence, UConn, Creighton, Butler, Georgetown and St. John’s. Only Villanova (3-4) has a worse record in the conference.

Yalden entered the portal on March 28 after redshirting in his only season in Madison. The former four-star recruit was considered the 17th best center in the country for his class, according to 247 Sports. However, he dealt with numerous off-the-court issues in 2023-24 and quickly fell out of favor with the coaching staff.

Yalden’s high school profile suggests he can contribute at a much higher capacity. In 2023, he was 247Sports’ No. 122 player in the class of 2023, No. 17 center and No. 4 recruit from the state of Indiana.

He will look to fulfill that promise with the Pirates. Seton Hall’s next game is Nov. 30 against Monmouth.

Wisconsin basketball’s unsung hero continues to impress

Wisconsin basketball’s unsung hero continues to impress

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball program is off to a historic start to the 2024-25 season. Without Kamari McGee, that might not be possible.

The senior guard continues to prove his worth for Greg Gard’s program. In the Badgers’ 81-75 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, McGee scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists in 28 minutes off the bench.

Eight of those 10 tallies arrived at crucial points in the second half. The Racine, Wisconsin native hit a layup to knot things at 38 early in the second half, then nailed a three-pointer to push Wisconsin ahead 65-62 with under seven minutes to play.

In fact, the Badgers never relinquished their lead after McGee’s first look from outside. His second, arguably the dagger of the contest, came with the Badgers leading by just one point with 2:54 remaining. The senior netted the look right in front of his bench to essentially seal the win.

On the season, McGee is averaging 7.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in over 23 minutes per game off the bench. His leadership, coupled with a clutch shot-making ability, make him one of the more integral pieces to one of college basketball’s hottest teams to start the 2024-25 season.