Tag: Big Ten Basketball

Wisconsin basketball rockets up both KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Appalachian State

Wisconsin basketball rockets up both KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Appalachian State

Wisconsin basketball improved to 3-0 on the 2024-25 season with a blowout win over Appalachian State on Sunday.

The win was powered by transfer wing John Tonje, a common sentence in the season’s early stages. He finished with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting, plus seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Senior center Steven Crowl also had his best outing of the young season, adding 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings after first week of 2024-25 season: Wisconsin’s downfall was greatly exaggerated

Wisconsin is off to a strong start. Though the opponents are far from the class of the sport, the Badgers are taking clear steps forward with every contest. That improvement, mixed with decisive winning, should be enough to create optimism surrounding the team’s rest-of-season outlook.

For more on that outlook, here is where Greg Gard’s group stands in KenPom and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index after the win over Appalachian State:

  • KenPom: No. 40 overall (up nine spots) — No. 37 offense, No. 55 defense
  • ESPN BPI: No. 29 overall (up 10 spots) — 13.1 rating, 18.8 – 11.2 projected record, 6.7% chance to win Big Ten Conference

Those trend lines are just from the decisive victory over Appalachian State. The movement has the team now ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten by BPI and No. 10 by KenPom.

The latter may be a bit more reserved on the Badgers’ quality after only three games. Regardless, it’s worthwhile noting that our updated Big Ten basketball power rankings aren’t the only measure that is upgrading Wisconsin after the first week of the season.

The Badgers are back on the Kohl Center court for a premier matchup against No. 10 Arizona on Friday. A win would only continue the team’s current upward trajectory.

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Wisconsin vs Montana State injury report: Latest updates, news for Thursday’s game

All the latest updates and news on Wisconsin’s injury report ahead the Montana State matchup

Wisconsin basketball (1-0) will play Montana State (0-0) at the Kohl Center in its second game of the 2024-25 non-conference state on Thursday night.

Greg Gard’s crew enters the contest after vanquishing Holy Cross 85-61 in its season opener on Nov. 4. In that game, transfer John Tonje impressed with 23 points and five rebounds in his Badger debut.

Montana State, meanwhile, opens its 2024-25 season against the Badgers. The Bobcats have won three consecutive Big Sky titles — securing three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. They will look to build off that momentum with a respectable output against one of college basketball’s most consistent programs.

Transfer guard Camren Hunter will make his Wisconsin debut Thursday after missing the season opener with an illness. Hunter averaged 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 33.9 minutes per game in 2022-23 with Central Arkansas before missing the entire 2023-24 season due to injury. His minutes and role should be worth monitoring against Montana State.

Gard went with starters John Blackwell, John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter in the opener vs. Holy Cross, plus leaned on guard Kamari McGee as his top bench asset.

Both teams enter Thursday’s game at full strength. The two will tip off at 7:00 p.m. CT on BTN+.

Wisconsin injury report

No reported injuries

Montana State injury report

No reported injuries

Three teams are expected to battle USC women’s basketball for Big Ten title

If you’re sad about USC football, don’t worry — USC women’s hoops is ready to compete for a Big Ten title. See which teams are likely to challenge the Trojans.

If you haven’t followed women’s college basketball closely in recent years, but are now ready to dive into women’s hoops because USC has an elite team, welcome! We’re happy you’re here, and we hope you will stay with us for complete coverage of USC women’s basketball this coming season. The Trojans are a Final Four contender. They are No. 3 in the two main preseason polls. If they stay healthy, they will be very good for sure. The question is how great they can become in the Big Ten and on a national level.

The women’s basketball website Swish Appeal broke down the Big Ten women’s basketball race into several tiers. USC is obviously in the top tier, given that the Trojans have been picked to win the conference in preseason polls. An item of interest for USC fans studying up on women’s hoops this year: Which teams are expected to contend with the Trojans at the top of the Big Ten? Swish Appeal offered its own view:

One foremost contender is UCLA, to no one’s surprise. Then come the third and fourth selections in the Big Ten’s top echelon:

Ohio State is ranked No. 14 in the nation and are coming off their first outright Big Ten title since the 2009-10 season. No one is sleeping on the Buckeyes, even if they aren’t being picked by many to repeat as champions. Junior forward Cotie McMahon was named to the Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year watch list, and head coach Kevin McGuff is coming off a season where he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Last but certainly not least in the first tier is No. 18 Maryland. Terrapin senior guard Shyanne Sellers is box office, and with her in charge, they’ll be an exciting team to watch and one that can upset the best teams in the country on any given game day.

Indiana, voted to finish fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll, is not included in the top tier by Swish Appeal. The Hoosiers have been excellent the past several seasons but have lost crucial players who carried the program.

It will be interesting to see if either Ohio State or Maryland can rise above the Los Angeles schools. It will also be intriguing to see if Indiana or another team not included in the top four can pull off a surprising rise in the Big Ten this season.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, Ducks Wire, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

USC women’s basketball can see how Big Ten increases program’s exposure

If you caught any parts of Big Ten basketball media days in suburban Chicago, you saw exactly why the Big Ten will help USC women’s basketball.

Big Ten basketball media days unfolded earlier this week in Rosemont, Illinois. USC was part of the festivities as one of the four new school in the Big Ten Conference. First of all, USC was picked to win the Big Ten in the preseason poll. That’s obviously great. What matters more, though is that it is already apparent how much more national exposure USC women’s basketball will receive in the Big Ten.

A short video from USC women’s basketball, featuring remarks from head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, underscores the value of the broader exposure USC will receive in the Big Ten. For one thing, USC will be visiting a lot of new cities and new arenas the Trojans haven’t played in before. Precisely when USC’s national brand is rising and the Trojans are becoming a more popular program for elite recruits, USC will be able to be seen by more eyeballs in more parts of the country. What you can also see from the video, if you pay close attention to college basketball, is that national college basketball personalities and reporters such as Big Ten Network’s Mike DeCourcy, attended Big Ten media days and were able to interact with Gottlieb and USC stars JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen. That’s tremendously important in enlarging USC women’s basketball’s national profile. The Big Ten is going to be really good for USC women’s basketball, and we’re only just beginning.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, Ducks Wire, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Wisconsin basketball again severely underrated in Big Ten preseason media poll

Wisconsin basketball again severely underrated in Big Ten preseason media poll

Another year, another example of the Big Ten and national college basketball media not believing in Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers.

This now feels like an annual occurrence. Wisconsin experiences a rough season or loses a few key players and everybody expects it to suddenly finish 12th in the Big Ten and miss the NCAA Tournament.

Related: Big Ten basketball teams ranked by returning production entering 2024-25 season

That is where Wisconsin is ranked by the Big Ten media entering the season: tied for 12th. The ranking was released on Wednesday in advance of the conference media days in Chicago, Illinois.

The context makes some sense. Stars from the program’s 2023-24 team that went 22-14 are now gone, headlined by PG Chucky Hepburn transferring to Louisville, SG A.J. Storr transferring to Kansas and F Tyler Wahl running out of eligibility.

Those losses accounted for combined per-game totals of 36.6 points, 4.1 assists and 12.6 rebounds. Anybody who watched or followed the Badgers can recognize the impact of their respective departures.

But history also matters. Wisconsin finished fifth in the Big Ten in 2023-24, 11th in 2022-23, tied for first in 2021-22, 6th in 2020-21, 1st in 2019-20 and 4th in 2018-19. The program rarely falls near the bottom of the conference, minus a forgettable 2022-23 season.

Greg Gard and his staff also responded to those roster losses offseason. Wisconsin landed transfers John Tonje (Missouri), Camren Hunter (Central Arkansas) and Xavier Amos (Northern Illinois), pairing them with a freshman class headlined by top point guard Daniel Freitag.

The team may need some time to gel given all of the new faces. But if Freitag and John Blackwell reach their potentials, and the transfers prove to be valuable contributors, Wisconsin has a chance to surprise. Returning starters Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit should help to bridge that gap.

This may be a natural reaction to Wisconsin football struggling with lofty expectations. But the upcoming 2024-25 basketball season has all of the makings of a classic ‘how did everybody underestimate the Badgers again?’ type of season

For more on what exactly to expect, here is our recent look at the Badgers updated starting lineup and rotation after signing Italian center Riccardo Greppi.

The Badgers begin their season at home on Nov. 4 against Holy Cross.

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Big Ten media preseason media poll has Michigan State basketball in the top-5

The media has Michigan State as a top-5 team in the expanded Big Ten heading into the season

Big Ten basketball is almost here, and with that comes the preseason media polls. On Wednesday, John Fanta posted the Big Ten preseason media poll on social media, and the media actually seems decently high on the Spartans heading into the season.

The Spartans are No. 5, according to the media. Purdue is still on top despite losing Zach Edey to the NBA.

You can see the full poll below:

1. Purdue

2. Indiana

3. UCLA

4. Illinois

5. Michigan State

6. Oregon

7. Rutgers

8. Ohio State

9. Michigan

10. Maryland

11. Iowa

Tied for 12th: Wisconsin, Nebraska

13. USC

14. Washington

15. Northwestern

16. Penn State

17. Minnesota

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Wisconsin blanked from Big Ten basketball preseason All-Conference team

Wisconsin blanked from Big Ten basketball preseason All-Conference team

Zero Wisconsin men’s basketball players earned a spot on the 2024-25 preseason All-Big Ten team on Tuesday.

The first-team includes Indiana center Oumar Ballo, Iowa forward Payton Sandfort, Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia, Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer, Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, Penn State guard Ace Baldwin Jr., Purdue guard Braden Smith, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper and Washington forward Greg Osobor.

Smith, Purdue’s all-world guard and 2023-24 All-Big Ten Team member, was selected as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

Wisconsin’s absence from the list doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially given its recent departures. Those include guard Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), wing A.J. Storr (Kansas) and veteran forward Tyler Wahl (graduation). Wahl and Hepburn both earned preseason honors ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The only remaining postseason nominee from 2023-24 on UW’s roster is sophomore John Blackwell, who earned Big Ten All-Freshman team nods following a his eight-point, 3.2-rebound per-game averages a season ago.

Wisconsin will now look to lean on its senior center, Steven Crowl, alongside its three transfer additions Camren Hunter, John Tonje and Xavier Amos. The crew went 22-14 in 2023-24 and fell in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

LOOK: Wisconsin basketball full 2024-25 Big Ten conference schedule

LOOK: Wisconsin basketball full 2024-25 Big Ten conference schedule

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball program released its 2024-25 Big Ten conference schedule on Thursday.

A total of 10 Big Ten squads, which features conference newcomers Oregon and Washington, will visit the Kohl Center this season.

Greg Gard’s crew will welcome the Michigan Wolverines for its conference opener on Dec. 3, roughly a month before the Iowa Hawkeyes venture to Madison for a Jan. 3 contest.

Wisconsin will then square off against Minnesota (Jan. 10), Ohio State (Jan. 14), Nebraska (Jan. 26), Indiana (Feb. 4), Illinois (Feb. 18), Oregon (Feb. 22), Washington (Feb. 25) and Penn State (Mar. 8) to close its 2024-25 conference home game slate.

UW will play 10 conference away games this season.

The Badgers will travel to Champaign, Illinois to face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Dec. 10 and Piscataway, New Jersey, for a test against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Jan 6.

Wisconsin will then head west for a two-game trip against the USC Trojans on Jan. 18 and UCLA Bruins on Jan. 21 before flipping coasts for a game against the Maryland Terrapins in College Park on Jan. 29.

The Badgers finalize the away slate with Northwestern (Feb. 1), Iowa (Feb. 8), Purdue (Feb. 15), Michigan State (Mar. 2) and Minnesota (Mar. 5).

Here’s the program’s schedule release video from Thursday afternoon:

https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/1836873380542201999

The Badgers will also play non-conference games against Holy Cross (Nov. 4), Montana State (Nov. 7), Appalachian State (Nov. 10), Arizona (Nov. 15), UT-Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 18), UCF (Nov. 22) and either LSU or Pitt (Nov. 24) before the holiday.

Chicago State (Nov. 30), Marquette (Dec. 7), Butler (Dec. 14) and Detroit Mercy (Dec. 22) are scheduled as well.

Wisconsin will kick-start its loaded 2024-25 schedule with an exhibition game against UW-River Falls on Oct. 30.

Nebraska men’s basketball in ESPN 2025 Top 100 recruit Antione West Jr’s final four

An ESPN 2025 Top 100 recruit is down to his final four schools heading into his final year of high school. Antione West Jr. announced that he is deciding between Purdue, Dayton, Ohio State, and Nebraska. Nebraska is in the mix to land a three-star …

An ESPN 2025 Top 100 recruit is down to his final four schools heading into his final year of high school. Antione West Jr. announced that he is deciding between Purdue, Dayton, Ohio State, and Nebraska.

Nebraska is in the mix to land a three-star shooting guard following a massive 2023-2024 season. The Huskers finished 23-11, the second most wins in school history, in a season that involved their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 and a semi-final finish in the Big Ten Tournament.

West, a 6-foot-3 guard, received an offer from Nebraska in October 2023. He is ranked No. 77 in the ESPN 2025 Top-100 recruit list. He is one of three Top 100 recruits with Nebraska in the hunt. Koa Peat is No. 4 on the list, while Jalen Wilson is No. 95.

The Toledo, Ohio, native is coming off a strong junior campaign. At Whitmer High School, he averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He hit 49 percent of his shots from the floor and 70-of-187 from beyond the arc.

He also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his career midway through his junior year. He helped the Panthers to the semi-finals and finished 25-3 on the season. He scored 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals in Whitmer’s state semifinal loss to Centerville.

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Duke returns to Madison Square Garden in February to face Illinois

Duke and Illinois set matchup at Madison Square Garden in February of 2025.

Duke ensured the program’s 60th all time game at the infamous Madison Square Garden would be a big one. The Blue Devils are taking on Big Ten foe Illinois at MSG on Saturday, February 22, 2025 in an epic non conference battle.

This matchup will be broadcast on FOX and features a pair of teams that went to the Elite Eight last season. Duke has now played at least one game at MSG in 11 of the past 12 seasons and 21 of the past 23. The Blue Devils are a whopping 41-18 all time at Madison Square Garden, and coach Jon Scheyer is 21-5 in his time as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.

Illinois won the Big Ten for the third time in the past four years last year, while reaching the Elite Eight and finishing sixth in the AP Poll.

For Duke this represents another excellent non conference matchup. The Blue Devils are already playing Auburn, Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona as they load up the schedule to prepare a young roster – led by incoming freshman phenom Cooper Flagg – to win the ACC and make another deep run in March.