Tag: Badgers

Wisconsin wins the (ESPN BPI) National Championship: Yes, let’s recap the simulation

Wisconsin has won the ESPN BPI simulated National Championship!.
When coronavirus halted the 2019-20 NCAA season, it left a never-ending list of “what-ifs”.
With the BPI simulator, which is a tool that combines stats to predict the outcome of two teams going head-to-head, we got answers.
ESPN’s simulation went mega-specific on this one and said that D’Mitrik Trice hit a game-winning three at the buzzer to send the Badgers to glory

Wisconsin has won the ESPN BPI simulated National Championship!.
When coronavirus halted the 2019-20 NCAA season, it left a never-ending list of “what-ifs”.
With the BPI simulator, which is a tool that combines stats to predict the outcome of two teams going head-to-head, we got answers.
ESPN’s simulation went mega-specific on this one and said that D’Mitrik Trice hit a game-winning three at the buzzer to send the Badgers to glory

Ten Badger Moments: Aleem Ford finds his rhythm

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 word is balance.

Wisconsin’s offense was as balanced as you could find throughout the entire country. The stat that always impresses me most about the Badger February win streak is that through the first five wins, five different Badgers led the team in scoring; and none of those five players were UW’s leading scorer Nate Reuvers.

On February 18th against Purdue, that leading scorer was none other than Aleem Ford. There were no doubt some dark times, especially early in the year, for the junior swingman. The first time Wisconsin met Michigan State in mid-January, Ford played a total of six minutes and only attempted one shot. Fast forward about a month? The Georgia native is playing the most confident basketball of his career. The Badgers used that confidence to get redemption on a Purdue team that beat the doors off of UW at Mackey Arena.

NCAA Basketball: Purdue at Wisconsin
Feb 18, 2020; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center Matt Haarms (32) defends a shot from Wisconsin Badgers forward Aleem Ford (2) during the first half at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Ford had a career-high 19 points against the Boilermakers, and shot 5-8 from distance. UW was able to hold off a late Purdue run and win it 69-65 to mark their third-straight victory at the time. Thanks to Ford’s shooting, balanced offense, and excellent free-throw shooting down the stretch Wisconsin closed it out at the Kohl Center. Throughout February and into March, Aleem Ford was a brand new player offensively. The 6-8 sharpshooter had found his range. Badger fans will certainly look forward to seeing what he brings in his senior campaign.

Wisconsin wins the (ESPN BPI) National Championship: Yes, let’s recap the simulation

Wisconsin has won the ESPN BPI simulated National Championship! I genuinely am wondering: Is this a good thing? Or does this just add to the never-ending list of “what-ifs” that the entire nation of college basketball was left with when the season …

Wisconsin has won the ESPN BPI simulated National Championship! I genuinely am wondering: Is this a good thing? Or does this just add to the never-ending list of “what-ifs” that the entire nation of college basketball was left with when the season came to an abrupt halt.

When coronavirus halted the 2019-20 NCAA season, seniors were left without their final chapter, coaches were left wondering how March would have treated their squads, and yes, we went to data analytics to answer the unanswerable questions. I have seen people playing out the NCAA tournament on College Hoops 2K8 (a great quarantine purchase), simulating the NBA draft through NBA 2k20, and using different types of data models to determine outcomes in a tournament that, in all honesty, has an unquantifiable luck factor. Last year, Virginia’s national championship run was perhaps the best example of how unpredictable the madness can be. The Cavaliers not only trailed by double digits to 16-seeded Gardner Webb in the first round, but through their Elite Eight, Final Four, and National Championship games, the ‘Hoos trailed with less than 15 seconds left in all three contests.

Who really cares about how unpredictable March is, let’s trust ESPN’s BPI tool to figure out who deserves the National Championship. Per ESPN, the BPI is a tool that combines stats to predict the outcome of two teams going head-to-head. The metric includes a BPI creates respective data points for a teams offense and defense that allows two teams to be matched up in a simulated game. The Badgers had quite a bit of help on the road to the final four in ESPN’s simulation.

In the first round, the 4-seeded Badgers took care of North Texas. Then the madness begun. 12-seeded Liberty took out the 5-seed Auburn, and the Badgers handled the Flames in the second-round. Who was waiting for UW in the Sweet-16? No, not Kansas who was the number one overall seed. Upstart Marquette, who shocked the Jayhawks in round two! Was there ever any doubt? The Badgers hand Marquette the L in a tight one.

Then, it was time for sweet revenge. The Duke Blue Devils stood between Wisconsin and the Final Four. ESPN’s simulation went mega-specific on this one, and said that D’Mitrik Trice hit a game-winning three at the buzzer to send the Badgers to glory. Trice was the least bit surprised.

This Final Four was interesting, and that’s putting it mildly. The Badgers were joined by Maryland, BYU, and Virginia. Two 4-seeds and two 6-seeds made up the last four standing. The Badgers met Maryland, and yes, you guessed it, Brad Davison hit a dagger three to send UW to the national championship game. Sound familiar?

In quite possibly the biggest party school mismatch in the history of college basketball, the Badgers met fellow-cinderella BYU in the national championship game. To nobody’s surprise, Wisconsin uses balanced offense, solid defense, and a bit of magic to win the 2020 (simulated by ESPN BPI) National Championship.

Badger Signee Johnny Davis named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball

Future Badgers just keep on winning. This morning, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named Johnny Davis the 2019-20 Mr. Basketball award winner in the state of Wisconsin. Davis led his La Crosse Central Red Raiders to a 20-5 mark, …

Future Badgers just keep on winning. This morning, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) named Johnny Davis the 2019-20 Mr. Basketball award winner in the state of Wisconsin.

Davis led his La Crosse Central Red Raiders to a 20-5 mark, and a 10-2 record in conference before their postseason was cut short. The Wisconsin native averaged 27.2 points per game for a team that finished 9th in the state according to MaxPreps.com rankings. The 6-4 swingman is part of a 2020 class that features five solid pieces, including his brother Jordan Davis. 

Jonathan Davis has the look and feel of a player who is ready to make an impact right away. He optimizes the word smooth, with athleticism, enough size for his position, and the ability to score at all three levels. His length creates matchup problems for smaller guards, and he is an above-average finisher at the rim. Greg Gard has a player stepping into Madison that will be ready to contribute as a freshman.

There is plenty to be excited about for the future of Wisconsin basketball, and pieces like Davis, as well as the rest of the 2020 recruiting class, are major reasons why.

Ten Badger Moments: Brad Davison has a career day at Nebraska

Ten Badger moments: Brad Davison’s career day at Nebraska

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 fifth installment, that word is streaky.

Yes, once again we feature the heart and soul of this Badger team, Brad Davison. Wisconsin basketball, and Davison for that matter, defined streaky throughout the 2019-20 season. In fact, most of the college basketball world was more streaky than they were consistent. It was a college basketball year where most nights, you did not what version of your favorite team was going to show up. For the Badgers, the best version showed up throughout February, often led by a different catalyst.

In the Badgers 81-64 route at Nebraska,Davison carried the team offensively. The UW captain tied his career-high by pouring in 30 points en route to a blowout win. A guy who could not find the range through the first few months of the season suddenly could not miss if he tried. The game was close throughout, and it was not until the second half that Wisconsin was able to pull away from the upstart Huskers. A 16-0 UW streak put the contest to bed, and the Badgers picked up a rare road win.

Davison finished 8-11 from three. Those eight made threes were a season high for the Minnesota native, and equaled the eight total threes he had made throughout his previous seven games leading up to the Nebraska clash. The win in Lincoln was just the second consecutive Badger win at the time, but it sparked a run of eight consecutive wins in February. Three of those wins came on the road. The streak made it possible for the Badgers to come from behind and grab a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Davison, like the rest of the rotation, elevated his game when it mattered most. We all wish we could see how that would have translated to March.

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

According to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 to win the 2020-21 National Championship .
The Badgers have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn.
Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama

According to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 to win the 2020-21 National Championship .
The Badgers have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn.
Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama

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

According to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 to win the 2020-21 National Championship .
The Badgers have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn.
Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama

According to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 to win the 2020-21 National Championship .
The Badgers have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn.
Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama

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

According to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 to win the 2020-21 National Championship .
The Badgers have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn.
Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama

According to Bet MGM, Wisconsin checks in at +5000 to win the 2020-21 National Championship .
The Badgers have the same odds as Michigan, Penn State, and Auburn.
Vegas sees a three-horse race for the natty between Clemson, Ohio State, and Alabama

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.