Tag: Badgers

Badger legend Tamara Moore helps to break collegiate coaching gender barriers

Tamara Moore has her goals set on shattering the gender barriers that exist in men’s basketball

Former Wisconsin basketball star Tamara Moore is helping to break gender barriers in collegiate men’s basketball. The 2017 UW Athletics Hall of Fame inductee was recently named the head men’s basketball coach at Mesabi Range College in Minnesota. The hiring currently makes Moore the only woman to be the head coach of an American men’s college basketball team.

I’m beyond blessed to start this new decade with this amazing honor,” Moore stated on her Facebook page. “I would like to thank Mesabi Range College for this great opportunity & I know we will be successful.”

As a player, Moore starred at Wisconsin from 1998-2002. She finished her Badger career by averaging 16.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in her senior season. The Minnesota native then went on to a six-year WNBA career that ended in 2007, before finishing her playing career in Israel.

The NBA has begun to hire more woman to work in full-time assistant coaching roles over the past five years. Former WNBA star Becky Hammon has been on the San Antonio Spurs staff since 2014, and has even been rumored to be in the discussion for a head coaching job in the near future. There has never been a female head coach at the NBA level. According to a Reuters article published last year, there are also 18 women serving in NBA front office roles.

The college game has been slower to break the gender barrier. Currently, Maine assistant coach Edniesha Curry is the only full-time assistant coach on a men’s basketball staff in the NCAA.

The team that Moore inherits represents Mesabi Range College, a small, community college in Virginia, Minnesota. Moore is not the first woman to lead a men’s program at the community college level. The community college barrier was broken when Kerri-Ann McTiernan was the men’s basketball coach at Kingsborough Community College in New York City in the early 2000’s. No woman has ever been a division one men’s head coach. That is another ceiling that Moore is trying to shatter. “I’m honored to coach on any level,” Moore told ESPN in a recent interview.“The ultimate goal for me is to be a Division I coach. I’ve never been doubted about my coaching ability. I just think it’s all about opportunity. The message, with my hiring, is that the ceiling is now broken, and let’s just take it even further.”

Current Badgers understand the impact that the former Badger is having on the game. Wisconsin women’s basketball head coach Jonathan Tsipis  showed his support for Moore via Twitter yesterday.

The barrier of a woman leading both a men’s division one team and an NBA team is going to broken soon. It is always great to see that a former Badger is helping to lead the way.

 

2021 Badger commit Deacon Pe’a Hill selected for the Polynesian Bowl

Pro-style QB commit Deacon Pe’a Hill has been selected for one of the most prestigious events in high school football

[lawrence-newsletter][lawrence-related id=16144]The Polynesian Bowl announced that 2021 Wisconsin QB commit Deacon Pe’a Hill has been selected for the 2021 game in Hawaii. The game began in 2017, and has since served as a way to bring the best high school talent in America together to showcase their skills in Honolulu. A plethora of four and five-star talent is already on the roster for the 2021 edition.

The 6-4, 225 pound pro-style quarterback fielded offers from Kansas State and Nevada, before ultimately choosing the Badgers.

The Santa Barbara (Calif.) native recently spoke with BadgersWire about how why he chose the Badgers, his quarantine routine, and more.

In that Q and A, he told BadgersWire what made him most excited about being a Badger. “What makes me most excited is being able to join that family and being surrounded by guys who wanna push each other to be the best.” Now, the west coast QB has been recognized as one of the best in his class, and will have a chance to showcase his talents on January 23, 2021 in Hawaii.

 

Locked On Badgers Podcast: Mock draft part one, 2020-21 Big Ten early basketball preview

Asher takes a look at how next year’s Big Ten will play out and Locked On presents round one of the 2020 NFL Mock Draft.

[lawrence-newsletter]The Locked On Badgers Podcast is a daily Wisconsin basketball and football podcast bringing you short-form, daily coverage of Badgers sports Monday through Friday. On today’s episode, Asher gives you a way-too-early look at the 2020-21 Big Ten basketball scene. Also, Locked On presents part one of the 2020 Locked On NFL Mock Draft. Check it out:

You can listen to Locked On Badgers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you find your podcasts, Monday through Friday.

The Badgers pro day came at the perfect time for Wisconsin’s NFL hopefuls

The Badgers pro day was one of the last sporting events to take place. It could prove to be huge for UW’s NFL hopefuls.

Wisconsin’s NFL pro day came on one of the wildest days in sports history. Luckily, it took place in the morning. On March 11th, eleven Badger hopefuls participated in drills that were put on for NFL coaches, scouts, and other team personnel. That night in Oklahoma City, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 and the NBA went into shutdown mode. Had the pro day been one day later, you never know if UW would have gone forward with it.

For players with established NFL Draft futures like Jonathan Taylor and Zack Baun, the pro day was a chance to improve their already solidified stock. Arguably more importantly, the luck of the timing allowed Badger prospects with larger draft questions to show out in Madison. If Quintez Cephus hears his name called at the 2020 NFL Draft, the results of the pro day could be a big reason why. The Badger wide receiver ran a 4.73 in his 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, a number that was a major red flag for NFL teams. In just a matter of weeks, the Georgia native improved that number to 4.58 at Wisconsin’s pro day. Had he not been given the chance, who knows what NFL team’s would be speculating about his 40-yard dash time.

For Chris Orr, the lack of a combine invite was a slap in the face after a phenomenal senior season. His 11.5 sacks in 2019 were not enough to get him to the combine, but he was able to put up solid numbers at Wisconsin’s pro day. The Badger ‘backer ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, to go along with a 36.5 inch vertical jump. For Orr, those numbers could be the difference at the NFL Draft.

Wisconsin’s pro day was one of the last sporting events to take place in the United States. We would never have completely known it at the time, but the Badger hopefuls were lucky they had the chance to ball in front of NFL teams.

A way-too-early projection for who finishes at the top of the 2020-2021 Big Ten basketball standings

Sure, it is only April 12th. But without live sports, we need to speculate on what will happen when we finally get them back. In these uncertain times, we were deprived of of a finish to the college basketball calendar, and that makes next year all …

Sure, it is only April 12th. But without live sports, we need to speculate on what will happen when we finally get them back. In these uncertain times, we were deprived of of a finish to the college basketball calendar, and that makes next year all the more exciting. It is never too early to check out how next year’s Big Ten basketball conference will shake out. Here is BadgersWire’s first look at projecting next year’s regular season top three in the best conference in college basketball.

No. 1: Wisconsin Badgers (Last year: 21-10 (14-6) Co-Big Ten regular season champions) 

No, I swear there was no bias involved. This team should be the favorite in the Big Ten conference. The Badgers return 88% of their minutes from a squad that won the Big Ten regular season crown this past year. A plethora of Badgers played the best basketball of their season down the stretch. D’Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, Nate Reuvers, and Micah Potter each took their turns in the spotlight during Wisconsin’s eight-game winning streak in February and March. The best news? They are all coming back to Madison for one final ride. No team in the Big Ten has the kind of roster consistency that the Badgers do. While most Big Ten squads have new significant pieces that will decide their season or major questions surrounding the NBA draft, we know what we are getting in Madison. A trip to the 2021 Final Four in Indianapolis should be the goal for Greg Gard’s group.

No. 2: Iowa Hawkeyes (Last year: 20-11 (11-9) T-5th in the Big Ten) 

This ranking hinges mightily on the decision that looms for reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza. Anytime you have the prospect of losing a player that averaged 23.9 points per game and nearly ten boards this past year, that will have a major effect on your pre-season expectations. Garza has announced he will test the NBA Draft process while still keeping eligibility, via his Twitter account. Based on how the rising senior fairs in terms of the draft process and projected draft location, Garza will make a decision regarding whether or not he returns. The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award winner is not the only significant Hawkeye with questions, however. Losing starting point guard Jordan Bohannon to season-ending hip surgery in December meant that the Hawkeye senior could apply for a medical redshirt, and will be back for a second senior year. If Bohannon and Garza are both healthy and still Hawkeyes come this November, watch out.

No. 3: Michigan State (Last Year: 22-9 (14-6) Co-Big Ten regular season champions)

You can never count Tom Izzo and Sparty out. Without 2018-19 Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston holding the keys to the car, things will get trickier for the Spartans on their quest to retain Big Ten supremacy. The key question for MSU next season is a similar one to the question surrounding Iowa and Garza: Will Xavier Tillman stay in East Lansing or go to the NBA? In the same fashion as Garza, the MSU big man declared for the draft while maintaining eligibility. A key difference between Garza and Tillman is that the Michigan State product has been consistently ranked as a late first-round selection, while Garza has rarely found himself on mock draft boards at all. If Tillman, who averaged 13.7 points and 10.3 boards this past season, returns, the Spartans have a foundation of Rocket Watts, Aaron Henry, and Tillman that will contend for a Big Ten crown. The addition of former Marquette player Joey Hauser will certainly prove significant given his immediate eligibility. Without Tillman staying though, it would be tough to see Michigan State repeating.

Wisconsin basketball has the luxury to stay out of the current transfer portal madness

The Badgers have the luxury of returning their solid core from a year ago

[lawrence-newsletter][lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]Transfers in college basketball have become the new recruiting battle in college basketball. According to 247sports, a one-time immediate eligibility rule is expected to pass for transfers when the NCAA votes on May 20th. That change would likely increase what has already become a massive pool of talent in the transfer portal due to those players gaining immediate eligibility with no questions asked.

You only need to look around the Big Ten to see what the madness of transfer season creates. Look no further than the Ohio State Buckeyes as an example. Two-year starter Luther Muhammad has transferred out of the Buckeye program along with D.J. Carton and Alonzo Gaffney. On the flip side, Ohio State has brought in Harvard transfer Seth Towns and just yesterday it was announced that Utah State point guard Abel Porter would use his graduate year of eligibility to join OSU. All of a sudden, in a matter of two weeks, an entire Big Ten roster sees itself flipped. It almost feels like an NBA offseason.

The Badgers had enough transfer drama during the year. Now they can sit back and watch everything unfold. When Kobe King transferred out in the middle of the Big Ten season, and then a few weeks later committed to Nebraska, the Badgers were able to face adversity on the fly. They bonded together as a unit during the second half of the season. The best news? That unit is coming back.

The Badgers only lose one significant contributor in terms of minutes, that being Brevin Pritzl. With 88% of the minutes coming back to Madison, and nobody leaving in the transfer madness, Wisconsin can stay out of what has already been a wild off-season for multiple Big Ten programs. Even more important for UW, a returning core that has played with each other for a full year (and more in most cases) has built the chemistry that only comes with time.

Turnover in transfer season may be fun for fans, and if the NCAA vote on May 20th grants immediate, one-time eligibility that would be a major win for the players. Staying out of the entire process as a team, however, will likely translate to consistency and wins. Take two teams of relatively similar talent. One of those teams has three new significant pieces while three players have departed. The other has the same solid nine players that made up last year’s foundation. Who would you take?

Wisconsin basketball not only has the luxury of depth, but also a foundation of players who are not going through the grinds of a Big Ten season for the first time. While the transfer portal may feel like a fun, shiny new car, the Badgers have a steady ride that will not break down in 2021.

New destinations for Baun and Taylor in the latest USA TODAY Mock Draft

Taking a look at where former Badgers fell in the latest USA TODAY Mock Draft

[lawrence-newsletter][lawrence-auto-related count=2]Our friends at USA TODAY’s DraftWire site recently uploaded the latest edition of their 2020 Mock Draft series. 

Here is where the five Wisconsin Badger’s taken through the first four rounds fell:

Jonathan Taylor, RB — 29th overall to the Tennessee Titans 

The only Badger taken in the first round was Taylor, who by nearly all projections will be the first Badger off the board in a couple weeks. The two-time Doak Walker Award Winner had previously been slotted by USA TODAY to end up going 28th overall to Baltimore and 24th overall to New Orleans in the previous two mock’s respectively. The Titans do not seem like the most natural fit for Taylor given the play of bruising back Derrick Henry, but the Badger legend landing anywhere in the first round feels like a win.

Zack Baun, LB — 36th overall to the New York Giants 

This is the highest spot that the former Badger has landed in USA TODAY’s Mock Draft series so far. The first team all-Big Ten performer could make an immediate impact on a defense that needs help in New York. We also know that the Dallas Cowboys are interested in the linebacker with the 51st pick near the end of the second round given they interviewed Baun via Zoom last week.

Here is where the rest of the Badgers taken in the first four rounds fell:

Tyler Biadasz, OL — 78th overall to the Atlanta Falcons

Chris Orr, LB — 109th overall to the Detroit Lions 

Quintez Cephus, WR — 127th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles 

Luka Garza’s NBA decision could be very significant for the Badgers

The best player in the Big Ten Conference has his NBA decision looming

The Big Ten Conference is gearing up for another year on top of the college basketball world, and the Badgers have plans to be on top of the conference in 2021. A common theme among the way-too-early projections for college basketball rankings see Iowa playing second fiddle to Wisconsin in top-25 lists among a variety of major networks. The Badgers and the Hawkeyes have consistently been projected to be top-10 teams next season. Although no coach or player wants to focus on what other teams and players are doing, Iowa basketball recently made news that could have a major effect on Big Ten supremacy.

The battle for the Big Ten runs through Iowa City and Madison in 2021, although the path could be come much clearer for the Badgers given the results of a pending decision. Iowa star Luka Garza recently made headlines with a decision on his future. The 2019-20 Big Ten Player of the Year has decided to enter the NBA Draft without losing his senior season eligibility, per his Twitter account. “If it ends up not being the right time to make the move to the NBA, I’m excited about the potential of what my senior season as a Hawkeye could have in store,” Garza said via Twitter.

 

The Iowa center had a career junior season in which he averaged 23.9 points per game and 9.8 rebounds in an award-filled campaign. Garza would not only be the popular pick to repeat as Big Ten Player of the Year, but also the clear favorite to take home the Wooden Award for best college basketball player in the nation, an honor that he narrowly missed out on this year when Dayton star Obi Toppin took home the hardware. As the biggest pre-season threat to the Badgers repeating as Big Ten Champions, the Hawkeyes would certainly look extremely different without their best player.

So how does this decision work for Garza? According to NCAA rules he is now able to keep his eligibility through the draft process, and participate in workouts, the NBA Draft Combine and other events with teams. His name can still be entered in the NBA Draft pool, and given where he feels like he would fall Garza can make a decision on his future after the pre-draft process plays out. Another interesting element in his decision could be an NBA Draft process that looks extremely different. If the NFL Draft is any indication, the draft process in a global pandemic will certainly change drastically. Badger fans should keep their eye on Garza throughout his process, as the big man’s decision could have a major say in who wins the conference next season.

Where are they now: Alec Ingold

Catching up with the former Badger fullback, and looking at where his NFL career has taken him

[lawrence-newsletter]The newest edition of the “where are they now” series, a series of articles looking at former Badger football standouts and checking in on where they are in the NFL or elsewhere, turns its focus to fullback Alec Ingold. 

The Wisconsin native came to Madison by way of Bay Port High School (Wis.) where he was a dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015. After fielding offers as a quarterback and eventually committing to Northern Illinois as a signal caller, the 6-1 athlete eventually ended up re-committing to the Badgers without a designated position.

At Wisconsin, Paul Chryst and the coaching staff started Ingold out as a linebacker, before making the permanent switch to fullback early in his Badger career. As a fullback, the former Bay Port standout had a career-high seven total touchdowns in his 2018 senior season. Ingold finished his Badger career with 21 total touchdowns in 51 total games. The former quarterback was invited to the 2019 NFL combine, but went undrafted in the 2019 NFL draft.

When the Raiders called in May of 2019, the former Badger was close to accepting a sales job from the tech giant Oracle. Instead, he was finally able to live out his NFL dream. Ingold signed with the Raiders on May 2nd, 2019 and ended up appearing in all 16 games for Oakland. The partnership with Coach Jon Gruden and the silver and black proved to be the perfect one. As a rookie this past season, the fullback made key blocks for fellow rookie running back Josh Jacobs, and even found the end zone himself through the air in week 10 against the Chargers:

This offseason, in the midst of a global pandemic, Ingold along with fellow Raider rookies, has found a creative way to help feed people in need. With a $20 donation to the organization linked in the tweet, fans can be entered for a chance to meet Ingold and fellow Raiders Foster Moreau, Josh Jacobs, and Hunter Renfrow.

There were few undrafted rookie free agent signings who made a bigger impact this season than Ingold. The Wisconsin native finished with six receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown through the air, as well as 10 carries for 17 yards on the ground that came mostly in 3rd-and-1 or 4th-and-1 situations. Even more impressive were the monster blocks he delivered, an aspect of his game that Badger fans remember well from Ingold’s days in Madison. Expect the former Badger to be a major part of the now Las Vegas Raiders’ future in their new home.

 

 

Locked On Badgers Podcast: Three things every Badger fan should watch during quarantine

On this episode of Locked On Badgers, Asher details three things that all UW fans should watch during quarantine

The Locked On Badgers Podcast is a daily Wisconsin basketball and football podcast bringing you short-form, daily coverage of Badgers sports Monday through Friday. On today’s episode, Asher gives you three things that every Wisconsin should watch during quarantine. He also believes that Barry Alvarez and UW made the wrong decision about spring athletes and their eligibility.

You can listen to Locked On Badgers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you find your podcasts, Monday through Friday.