Tag: Badgers

The Wisconsin Basketball March Madness guide to hand-washing

Our friends at Auburn Wire realized that the CDC is not thinking of college sports fans in their hand-washing recommendations. Sure, we could all sing our favorite song for 20 seconds as we vigorously apply soap, but Auburn Wire had a better …

Our friends at Auburn Wire realized that the CDC is not thinking of college sports fans in their hand-washing recommendations. Sure, we could all sing our favorite song for 20 seconds as we vigorously apply soap, but Auburn Wire had a better suggestion for Tiger fans: spend your CDC-recommended 20-second hand-wash listening to the radio call of Auburn’s miracle return for the win against Alabama:

I have to admit, even as a non-Auburn fan, that is one of the greatest ways any sports fan can spend 20 seconds. I have to add that if you are going to choose any song, there is only one choice to be made for premium March hand-washing:

But how about Badger fans? This is still March, ladies and gentlemen. The madness of our constant hand-washing, which a few weeks ago may have seemed like madness but now should be every American’s common practice, needs some Wisconsin flavor. Let’s start with a Bronson Koenig classic:

The game-winner that sent the Badgers to the 2016 Sweet Sixteen is still one of the sweetest shots in Wisconsin basketball history. There are many reasons why it is perfect, 20-second material. You see not only the corner-fadeaway shot and all of the reaction that follows, but the Milwaukee Brewers’ own Brian Anderson gives you an electric call of the action.

An alternative? How about a nearly-perfectly timed clip from the Big Ten Network of the dagger three by Sam Dekker in 2015 that sent the Badgers to the Final Four for the second straight season. Shoutout to Zach Heilprin for delivering a ton of throwback Badger clips on his Twitter timeline over the last few days:

There’s no shortage of Badger basketball memories, and no better time to stay at home and enjoy some classics while keeping yourself healthy.

Does Vegas think Wisconsin Football has a chance at a National Championship?

I have seen some pretty interesting things in regards to sports betting over the last few days. An industry that was on its way to a complete takeover has been abruptly halted, or at least stalled, with the cancellation of most sports around the …

I have seen some pretty interesting things in regards to sports betting over the last few days. An industry that was on its way to a complete takeover has been abruptly halted, or at least stalled, with the cancellation of most sports around the globe. There have been people gambling on predicting the weather, the color of the next car that drives by, and yes, I am sure there has been a major uptick in interest with Mexico’s top soccer league, one of the only sports leagues still running. While many sports gamblers are currently running to bet Liga MX, order will soon be restored not only in the world of sports, but more specifically in the world of sports gambling.

Reminding us that brighter days lie ahead, Bet MGM has many futures that look intriguing. Next year’s college football season will be here before we know it (please, come soon), and full odds for the 2020-2021 national champion are available.

Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama. The three perennial powerhouses, at least over the last decade, all check in with similar odds:

Clemson +250 (A $10 dollar wager pays $25)

Ohio State +300 (A $10 dollar wager pays $30)

Alabama +300 (A $10 dollar wager pays $30)

The Badgers are certainly longer than long shots, but would provide serious value if you have faith that a magical 2020-21 season awaits. Currently, according to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 which means a $10 bet on the Badgers to win the national championship would pay $500. For reference, the Badgers currently have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn. While it is certainly a Vegas long shot, I have seen more ridiculous things listed at +5000 than a Badger national championship.

Ten Badger Moments: The Badgers hold on against Michigan State

In this series, I want to look back on the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments …

In this series, I want to look back on the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this fourth installment, that adjective is adversity.

February 1st looked like a completely different world for Wisconsin basketball when comparing to March 1st. The magical ride that February turned out to be for this team carried into what little of March we actually got to enjoy. The first day of the month, Wisconsin played host to Michigan State at a time when even just the Badgers NCAA Tournament hopes were still up in the air. There was added adversity, however, as UW had just found out that second-leading scorer Kobe King was entering the transfer portal mid-season. With the players and coaches scrambling to replace arguably Wisconsin’s best one-on-one scorer, the Badgers had a massive game to play against the best team in the conference.

The first half of that Saturday matinee was the stuff of dreams for Wisconsin fans. The Badgers led 43-27 after a shooting clinic and limiting every Spartan on offense not named Cassius Winston. As the second half wore on, it became apparent that Michigan State had a few punches left for the Badgers, despite being cornered in the first twenty minutes. The Spartans, led by their national player of the year candidate Winston, came out firing, and had things within one possession through the first ten minutes of the second half.

NCAA Basketball: Michigan State at Wisconsin
Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

After Wisconsin bounced back through timely buckets from Brevin Pritzl, Nate Reuvers, and D’Mitrik Trice, they finished the game off at the defensive end. Their 64-63 win, that in reality did not come down to a final possession as the Spartans hit a meaningless three as time expired, set the blueprint for how the Badgers went on an eight-game winning streak. In the face of adversity due to losing King, UW used each other on offense and had balanced scoring that day and throughout February. The true identity for this team was at the defensive end of the floor, where they stalled any Spartan hopes of a comeback victory down the stretch.

The Badgers improved to 13-9 following the win, and from that moment on you felt that this team had a clear path towards the NCAA Tournament.

Ten Badger Moments: Brad Davison’s game-saving sequence

In this series, I want to look back on the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments …

In this series, I want to look back on the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this third installment that adjective is clutch.

There was something about this group that had that refuse to lose mentality. Time and time again as the season wore on, the Badgers found ways to win games they had no business coming out on the right end of. Many different players, up and down the eight-man rotation, made huge plays towards the second half of the season. The most clutch individual sequence of the year? Look no further than Brad Davison against Maryland.

The Terrapins and the Badgers met at the Kohl Center on January 14th, in a game that was back and forth from the opening tip. Neither squad was able to gain much separation as the battle wore on. The first half was marked by Micah Potter, and a nearly perfect shooting display. The Ohio State transfer finished the game with 14 points on 6-7 from the field in just 13 minutes. Fans during the final stretch were questioning why Potter was not on the floor for the final 7-plus crunch-time minutes, and the Badger offense stalled as Maryland tried to put UW away. The answer, as we found out after the game, was Greg Gard feeling that his defense, especially in the high pick-and-roll, was better that night with Potter on the pine. Instead of sulking, perhaps the loudest Badger fan during the final stretch was Micah Potter, who encouraged his teammates and the Kohl Center crowd as the action went down to the wire.

With Maryland clinging to a one-point lead with only 12 seconds left, the Terps were forced to inbound from under Wisconsin’s basket. The Badgers either needed a quick steal or they would be forced to play the foul game. Enter Brad Davison. The junior captain knocked the rock off of the initial player throwing the inbounds pass, Daryl Morsell. What happened on the ensuing possession you ask? I am sure most of you remember:

This Badger team, because of the heart of competitors like Davison, found ways to win in the clutch. As much as we all would have loved to see them do it in March, they gave us quite the taste throughout the year.

Ten Badger Moments: A gritty upset in Columbus

In this series, I want to remember the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that …

In this series, I want to remember the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this second installment that adjective is grit.

The inevitable fast-forward in time through a mostly forgettable November and December for the Badgers brings us to the first game of the new year. On December 11th, the Badgers fell at Rutgers in their first Big Ten clash to bring them to 5-5 overall on the year. This team lacked an identity, character, and fight that they had yet to find. Signs began to show when the Badgers went on the road to Tennessee and took care of business in a 20-point blowout win near the end of December. UW rolled into Columbus on January 3rd winners of three straight, and looking for what at the time would be a significant upset.

On January 3rd, the Ohio State Buckeyes were everybody’s favorite Big Ten story. The Buckeyes started the year a blazing 9-0, with wins over Villanova, UNC (did that really mean much?), and Penn State among others. Just two weeks before the Badgers paraded into Value City Arena (really not the greatest arena name in the country), Ohio State had taken out Kentucky on a neutral floor. OSU was ranked fifth in the nation when the two powerhouse programs met.

The first twenty minutes were exactly how Greg Gard wanted them to be: ugly. Like really, really ugly. Would you rather win ugly or lose pretty? This Badger team had a clear answer that night. UW imposed their defensive will, holding the Buckeyes to just 57 points. OSU was limited to 19-47 (40%) from the field and 6-20 (30%) from beyond the arc. The Badgers, if anything, shot the rock even less effectively, going just 6-23 (26%) from distance.

After Wisconsin held OSU’s star big Kaleb Wesson and crew in check through the first twenty minutes, the Buckeyes came out hot, scoring ten straight points early in the second half to jump to a 7-point lead. Many times would have packed up and gone home after being punched in the mouth on the road by a talented Buckeye team. That was not in the DNA of this gritty Badger group. Wisconsin fought their way back, and Nate Reuvers gave UW their first lead in over 17 minutes with just under two minutes left in the contest. From that moment on, two massive plays sealed the win. Brevin Pritzl hit a dagger three in the left corner off of a set play to give the Badgers a four point lead headed into the final minute.

After the Buckeyes cut it to one on the ensuing possession, Tyler Wahl grabbed a game-changing offensive rebound that forced OSU to play the foul game. One of the best free-throw shooting teams in the nation then put the Buckeyes out of their misery at the stripe. This win turned the narrative on what had previously been a disappointing 13-game start for the Badgers. A 61-57 win in Columbus became the blueprint for how the Badgers survived the Big Ten gauntlet: grit.

NCAA stops all on and off-campus recruiting until at least April 15th

The NCAA has made the decision to stop all on-campus recruiting and off-campus recruiting until at least April 15th in a continued global effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly all sports-related activities on all campuses have now …

The NCAA has made the decision to stop all on-campus recruiting and off-campus recruiting until at least April 15th in a continued global effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly all sports-related activities on all campuses have now come to a halt in the last two days.

This of course not only affects the institutions who are recruiting athletes, but the athletes trying to land life-changing scholarships. This news comes after many national recruiting camps for college sports had been cancelled yesterday and into today. This is an uncertain time for many, and the question to truly ask is not when recruiting will pick back up, but when students in general, athletes and non-athletes, will be back on campus.

The Big Ten Conference has already halted all team activities until at least April 6th, but in the case of the University of Wisconsin the earliest classes could start in-person would be April 10th. Obviously, that is a very fluid date given the rapidly changing nature of the virus and the protocol being put in place to slow the spread. While some recruits will never get the chance at a full recruiting cycle, hopefully many young athletes find their homes for the next four or more years in the midst of all the chaos.

Ten Badger Moments: Jerell Moore is part of the family

A quick primer before I dive into this new BadgersWire series: It has been a tumultuous 24 hours not only for sports, but for the world. Instead of focusing on all of the negative media and cancelations, in this series I want to try and help us …

A quick primer before I dive into this new BadgersWire series: It has been a tumultuous 24 hours not only for sports, but for the world. Instead of focusing on all of the negative media and cancelations, in this series I want to try and help us think of the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this first installment that word is family.

The Badger season began with tragedy. An unimaginable, tragic car accident claimed the lives of assistant coach Howard Moore’s daughter and wife, leaving him and his son injured. Moore’s 13-year old son, Jerell, needed a family around him in the months that followed. Wisconsin basketball was that family.

The Badgers wore shooting shirts all year with their motto: Do Moore. Be Moore. 4 Moore. UW also wore a jersey patch with the names of Moore’s wife and nine-year-old daughter, Jen and Jaidyn. The patch also included the words “4Moore.” In the locker room, after Wisconsin defeated Indiana to win the Big Ten regular season title, Greg Gard quickly reminded his Badgers that their 60-56 win ended with a winning margin of four. The Moore family was with Wisconsin basketball all year long.

Perhaps no moment all season was more impactful than what took place back on November 8th, during the starting lineup introductions for Wisconsin’s home opener against Eastern Illinois. Wearing his very own Badger jersey, Jerell Moore was included in the starting lineup and received the largest ovation of the night.

The Badgers went on to defeat the Panthers by 13, but the win and the score seemed largely irrelevant that evening. Wisconsin basketball gave Jerell a home, not only that night but all season long. It was a moment nobody at the home opener would soon forget. It defined one word that described Badger basketball this season: Family.

The NCAA Tournament has been canceled: This was not how it was supposed to end

In a move that has felt inevitable for the last 24 hours, the NCAA has officially canceled both the 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments due to the coronavirus outbreak. This did not feel like a choice being made, but rather a global …

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In a move that has felt inevitable for the last 24 hours, the NCAA has officially canceled both the 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments due to the coronavirus outbreak.  This did not feel like a choice being made, but rather a global health necessity in a time of crisis. It had to be done, but that does not make it any easier for so many of us to handle.

A 24-hour chain reaction has seen the canceling of nearly all collegiate spring sports, including those in the Big Ten Conference. After Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus on Wednesday night before the Jazz played the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA quickly suspended their season. With the amount of unknowns surrounding this virus and its scope in the United States nearly all major leagues and events have followed suit. The news about the NCAA tournament also comes just a day after NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that the tournament would go on, but without fans. The situation is clearly changing rapidly.

There are much bigger issues to face in the days to come than whether or not we get to enjoy basketball in March, however, that doesn’t take away from how meaningful this event is to so many of us. My first thoughts are with the seniors who get the ending that nobody deserves. Brevin Pritzl and Michael Ballard suited up as Badgers for the last time at Assembly Hall this past Saturday, and they would have never known it. Here are Pritzl’s own words:

At least he and Ballard went out on top. Wisconsin basketball gave us memories that we will never forget in the month of February and March. At least the eight-game winning streak stays in tact. This team will forever be Big Ten Champions.

There are seniors in nearly every locker room in America that will never again have the pride of representing their university on the basketball court. Every year, the crushing defeats that hundreds of seniors face in March once their season ends is heartbreaking enough. This time they had the hope of the big dance taken away before they had the chance at their one shining moment. There was nothing they could do to change that.. Then, you think of how many jobs are affected by not only the NCAA canceling their tournament, but when the entertainment and sports industries shut down. In truth, the spiral of how many lives are affected by the canceling of the tournament never ends. These games, this time of the year, this culmination of college basketball is what we wait for all season. We make brackets, we watch old one shining moment videos (at least I do), we find our cinderella, we hunker down and just enjoy basketball in its purest, wildest form. It’s beautiful. It brings me, and so many of us, more happiness than any sporting event all year long. My only hope is that once this is all over, whenever it is over, we find an entirely new beauty and meaning in sports and the hope it gives us. We will be here, waiting to dance again when we get the chance.

Micah Potter should be the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year

First things first, let us not take anything away from the impact that Aaron Wiggins has had at Maryland. Wiggins was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year on Monday, and helped lead the Terps to a co-Big Ten regular season title. The sophomore …

First things first, let us not take anything away from the impact that Aaron Wiggins has had at Maryland. Wiggins was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year on Monday, and helped lead the Terps to a co-Big Ten regular season title. The sophomore combo guard finished the year averaging 10.4 points per game to go along with nearly five rebounds, and is coming off of an excellent month. The North Carolina native lead Maryland in scoring in back-to-back games against Ohio State and Minnesota during the final week of February. This argument is a reflection of how well Micah Potter played rather than taking anything away from the significant impact of Wiggins for the Terrapins.

With that being said, Micah Potter completely deserves this award. A common first thought about why the Ohio State transfer did not come away with the hardware could be games missed. This award, however, is only indicative of conference performance and Potter only missed two conference games out of the 20. Not only was he an energy-providing stretch big for this team, but he was also one of the key differences between a team that started conference play with a loss at Rutgers (this loss did not turn out to look so bad), and a team that ended the year as co-Big Ten regular season champions. Once Kobe King left the program, Potter, for matchup reasons, was inserted into the starting lineup for a total of three Big Ten games including the Badger win at Indiana. Despite those three games, the Ohio native’s main role was as a key contributor off the pine. Now let’s break it down statistically.

There are certain arguments with Potter and Wiggins that cancel each other out. They both averaged right around ten points per contest, Potter had a slight edge in the rebounding category as a big, their teams both won the same amount of conference games, and they each had games where they led their respective squads to w’s. One major separating factor, however, is how Potter and Wiggins individually got their respective numbers. For the Badger big man, efficiency was incredibly high in conference play. Potter shot an incredible 48.9% from beyond the arc, nearly 55% on all field goals, and 83% from the line. He did all of that while only playing nearly 19 minutes per game. Potter only played in three games that were not conference clashes. He did not make a three in those three games, and he averaged just under five points a game. The Mentor, Ohio product elevated his game, got his legs under him, and did damage in conference play.

Wiggins, on the flip side, got to his numbers in a much less efficient way. In conference play, the sophomore guard shot just 38% from the field and a bit under 32% from distance. His scoring average actually dropped slightly down to 10.0 points per conference game in comparison to the non-conference slate. Additionally, Wiggins played nearly eight more minutes than the Badger big man on average in conference play. In college basketball terms, Wiggins has not actually been incredibly inefficient. Once again, this is an argument about the incredible efficiency of Potter in conference play.

Had Maryland and Wisconsin’s records been significantly different, which at the beginning of February looked likely, it would have made sense to reward winning and therefore reward Wiggins. With these two teams tied at 14-6 in the conference after an eight-game Wisconsin winning streak? It’s truly hard to see how Potter did not come away with a well-deserved trophy.

Greg Gard wins Big Ten Coach of the Year from media and coaches

Greg Gard rallied late in the season to win the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award from both the coaches and the media in the conference.
Wisconsin’s eight-game winning streak was enough to give Gard the deserved award.
Penn State head coach Pat Chambers lost his touch in late February and early March, which helped Gard win the award.
Tom Izzo of Michigan State, Mark Turgeon of Maryland, Steve Pikiell of Rutgers, and Brad Underwood of Illinois all did well this season

Greg Gard rallied late in the season to win the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award from both the coaches and the media in the conference.
Wisconsin’s eight-game winning streak was enough to give Gard the deserved award.
Penn State head coach Pat Chambers lost his touch in late February and early March, which helped Gard win the award.
Tom Izzo of Michigan State, Mark Turgeon of Maryland, Steve Pikiell of Rutgers, and Brad Underwood of Illinois all did well this season