Tag: cornhuskers

A former Wisconsin Badger will return to the Kohl Center on Sunday

A former Wisconsin Badger will return to the Kohl Center on Sunday

The Wisconsin Badgers (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) are back home after a California road trip. They return to the Kohl Center court on Sunday afternoon against a struggling Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-7, 2-6 Big Ten) team.

A top storyline entering the game is Wisconsin’s quest for a bounce-back performance after its seven-game winning streak came to an end at UCLA. Another is a homecoming: Sunday will be Nebraska shooting guard Connor Essegian’s first game against his former program.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after UCLA loss

Essegian transferred to the Cornhuskers last offseason after two years with the Badgers. He originally joined the program as a three-star recruit in the class of 2022.

The Albion, Indiana native excelled as a freshman at Wisconsin, playing an average of 27.4 minutes per game and tallying 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds on 40.4% shooting and 35.9% from three. His role diminished as a sophomore in 2023-24, however, as Greg Gard reworked his rotation around transfer guard A.J. Storr and emerging freshman John Blackwell. Those per-game totals dropped to just 7.3 minutes, 3.2 points and 0.8 rebounds on 38.5% shooting and 30% from three.

Essegian entered the transfer portal after the 2023-24 season concluded. He then committed to a Nebraska program with a clear path to playing time and further development, variables that have each proven true. The sharpshooter is currently averaging 22.8 minutes, 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 43.1% shooting and 41.5% from three through 19 games. That point total is good for third-most on the team.

Wisconsin’s guard rotation excelled since Essegian’s departure. Max Klesmit, Blackwell, John Tonje and Kamari McGee have all been significant driving forces behind the team’s strong start to the season.

Essegian and Chucky Hepburn (Louisville), meanwhile, have each found undeniable success at their new destinations. A.J. Storr, now at Kansas, is still working to establish a consistent role.

Keeping Essegian in check will be key to Wisconsin’s chances at a victory on Sunday. Nebraska started the season 7-0 when he eclipsed 10 points. That streak recently ended, as the Cornhuskers have now lost five straight games despite the sharpshooter scoring in double figures in three of them.

Gard touched on Essegian’s game when meeting with the media on Friday, including what Wisconsin must do to keep him in check.

“He’s got a quick trigger, ball comes off the hand just like it did when he was here,” Gard said. “He’s a recipient of Brice Williams and Juwan Gary, of those guys playing with the ball in their hands and finding him. You have to pay attention to him, can’t lose him. He moves well without the ball. [I’ve seen] a lot of the same things that we saw here.”

Wisconsin and Nebraska will tip off at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT. There’s a good chance that Essegian’s three-point shooting, or lack thereof, defines the game’s final result.

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Notre Dame’s best players all-time from Nebraska

Notre Dame’s top players all-time from Nebraska

Before Notre Dame and USC began meeting annually the Irish (who weren’t yet known as the Irish) had quite a rivalry going with Nebraska.  The two met every year from 1915-1925 with the two going an even 5-5-1 against each other.

The Irish and Cornhuskers have met just five times since 1925 as Notre Dame’s links to the Cornhusker State don’t run particularly deep.

Full disclosure, I’ve had an appreciation for Nebraska for a long time.  The football team is a blue blood despite recent years, but I’m talking about the state.  For a school state report in second grade I remember pulling the name of states out of a basket and my friends were getting some stellar places like New York, Florida, and California.

Meanwhile, I got Nebraska.  Talk about having to work for that A…

A couple years later the assignment we had was to create a travel brochure for a state and a specific landmark we were randomly assigned.  My friends were pitching the Smoky Mountains and Tennessee, the Alamo and river walk in San Antonio, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  I

had the duty of pitching Chimney Rock in Nebraska as a vacation destination.

A few of those memories certainly crossed my mind when Notre Dame landed their newest recruiting commitment in the 2024 class.  Linebacker Teddy Rezac of Omaha announced his decision on Friday, May 12.

For being a state that produced a powerhouse program for decades, Nebraska isn’t known for turning out worlds of high school football talent.  Who are some of the biggest names to play for Notre Dame who have come through Nebraska?

Here is a short list of some of the better ones.

Dylan Raiola’s dad says top 2024 prospect’s recruitment is ‘wide open’

According to Raiola’s father Dominic, Dylan’s recruitment is “wide open.”

The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024 is Chandler (Ariz.) quarterback Dylan Raiola. He appeared to be on his way to play for Ryan Day at Ohio State. However, Raiola decommitted from the Buckeyes one month ago. Now, it’s anybody’s guess where he will wind up playing his college ball.

According to Raiola’s father Dominic, Dylan’s recruitment is “wide open,” per Steve Wiltfong at 247 Sports.

However, there are some rumored contenders to get Raiola’s commitment. That list includes Nebraska, where new head coach Matt Rhule has reportedly made an impression on Raiola and his family. The Cornhuskers also have an inside track as their offensive line coach is Dylan’s uncle.

Rhule is one of several coaches who have visited Raiola at Chandler recently. Other schools that have sent delegations include Michigan (who sent coach Jim Harbaugh), Oklahoma, USC and Arizona State, per 247 Sports. He also has family connections at TCU and has made official visits to Baylor, Florida State, Clemson, Oklahoma and Texas, among others.

According to Chad Simmons at On3, Georgia, Oregon and USC are the main contenders to watch. Raiola raised some eyebrows after praising the Bulldogs following their second-consecutive national championship – calling Georgia the “cream of the crop” in college football.

Whichever school lands Raiola will be getting a rare talent at the game’s most-important position. He’s one of only a handful of recruits all time to have a perfect composite score.

More football recruiting stories

Jaden Rashada files for release from Florida

Cormani McClain visits Colorado

Athlon Sports ranks greatest college football champs since 1968

Who is the greatest college football team you’ve ever seen?

Who is the greatest college football team since 1968?

Every college football fan has their own answer to that but for me it’s the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers.  They went 12-0 overall, weren’t challenged all season long as they won every game by at least 14 points, beat four top-10 teams by an average of 31.5 points per game.  Their style of play doesn’t fit what works in college football today but they were unstoppable in every sense of the word.

Athlon Sports recently ranked every college football team to win a championship since 1968 and as our colleagues at Cornhuskers Wire pointed out, they got the top overall team wrong.

I’ll make you click the link above to see the entire list but here are where Notre Dame’s champions since 1968 ranked (’73, ’77, ’88).

Welcome to the college wires network, Cornhuskers Wire!

What if instead of USC @trojanswire, Nebraska was Notre Dame’s biggest football rival?

We’re happy to pass along the news that there are a handful of new college wire sites and we’ll start the welcoming parade for those with a team that used to be an annual rival of Notre Dame’s…Nebraska.

Cornhuskers Wire has recently launched and will be the place to stop for any Nebraska fans in your life as Evan Bredeson and his team will compile Nebraska news, information, and thoughts going forward.  Be sure to check them out now and going forward.

Notre Dame and Nebraska’s rivalry in college football is far from deep but is certainly at least worth mentioning, however.  Before USC emerged as Notre Dame’s biggest football rival, the Irish played Nebraska annually from 1915-1925 with each team going 5-5-1 in those 11 games.

Legend has it that USC sent their athletic director and his wife to the Notre Dame game at Nebraska on Thanksgiving in 1925 with the intent on talking Knute Rockne into scheduling an annual game with the Trojans.  Although that’s widely been accepted as gospel, Rockne had already been in talks about adding an annual west coast game, which is the reason behind Notre Dame’s  bizarre Rose Bowl appearance on New Year’s Day 1925.

The legend goes that USC athletic director Gwynn Wilson and his wife attended that game in Lincoln, Nebraska, tried to talk Rockne into an annual game with USC, but that Rockne declined until his wife talked him into it a few weeks later.  The truth is most likely that those talks were much further along than what we’re led to believe in regards to the wives tale.

Next:  What if?

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