Tag: Minnesota

Saints 2024 undrafted free agent will sign with St. Louis Battlehawks

This 2024 Saints rookie free agent will be heading to the UFL, joining the St. Louis Battlehawks ahead of the spring league’s 2025 season:

One of the members of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 undrafted free agent class will be joining the UFL, as defensive lineman Kyler Baugh has signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks. Baugh played college football at Minnesota before signing a standard rookie contract with New Orleans that guaranteed him just $25,000.

Baugh was on three different rosters in 2024, starting off with the Saints during the offseason, then moving on to the New York Giants, and ending his year on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.

His contract with the Falcons to remain on their practice squad expired, and he was not one of the 17 players they signed to a reserve/future contract either, which allowed him to complete this move. He would not get a chance to play during the 2024 season, and only played a small amount during the preseason. Going to the UFL will give Baugh the opportunity to work towards some more time on the field, and give coaches a chance to see what he can do.

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Wisconsin basketball rises in Big Ten standings, thanks to rival Minnesota

Wisconsin basketball rises in Big Ten Conference standings without playing a game

Wisconsin basketball (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) is alone in fourth place in the Big Ten standings after Minnesota’s upset win over Oregon on Saturday.

The result dropped Oregon (16-4, 5-4 Big Ten) into a crowd of teams tied for fifth. Wisconsin was idle on Saturday as it prepared for a Sunday home game against Nebraska.

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

Minnesota’s recent play is one of the biggest stories in the conference. The Gophers have won three straight: 84-81 vs. No. 21 Michigan, 72-67 at Iowa, and 77-69 vs. No. 15 Oregon. That trio of Quad 1 victories follows the team’s 0-6 start in conference play. That start included an 80-59 loss to Wisconsin.

The Badgers’ victory over their rival continues to improve in quality with those results. The two teams are set for a rematch in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 5 in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

Oregon, meanwhile, will visit Madison, Wisconsin on Feb. 22. The team is falling in the conference standings after a red-hot start. It has two losses in the last three games.

Wisconsin takes the Kohl Center court against Nebraska at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT on Sunday. The team is looking to return to the win column after a road loss to UCLA.

The Badgers, alone in fourth place, are behind Michigan (14-5, 6-2 Big Ten), Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) and Michigan State (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) in the Big Ten standings. They have road games remaining against the top two teams.

Wisconsin isn’t far from contending for a Big Ten title. A win over Nebraska is a required first step in that direction.

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Is Max Klesmit playing today? Injury updates for Wisconsin basketball senior guard

Is Max Klesmit playing today? Injury updates for Wisconsin basketball senior guard

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The Wisconsin Badgers (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) are set for a Tuesday night showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) at the Kohl Center.

The game will tip off at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT and will be carried exclusively on Peacock.

Wisconsin enters the contest riding a five-game winning streak dating back to a win over Butler on Dec. 14. The team is 3-0 to start the calendar year, with wins over Iowa, Rutgers and Minnesota. Those results have sent the team back toward the top of the Big Ten standings.

Related: Updated Big Ten basketball power rankings (Jan. 13): Wisconsin reenters top tier

One notable storyline entering Tuesday’s game between the Badgers and Buckeyes is the health of Wisconsin senior guard Max Klesmit. Klesmit suffered an ankle injury during the second half of the Badgers’ Jan. 6 win over Rutgers. He then missed the team’s Jan. 10 win over Minnesota.

As we approach tip time, here is the latest information on his status against Ohio State, including head coach Greg Gard’s comments after Monday’s practice.

(NOTE: this piece will be updated as more information becomes available)

Max Klesmit injury update

Wisconsin is officially listing Klesmit as ‘questionable’ entering Tuesday’s game, according to CBS’ Jon Rothstein.

Greg Gard said the following when meeting with the media on Monday:

“He practiced somewhat [on Sunday], and he was back going pretty much full blast today. We’ll see how he responds, but I think he’s feeling better and better every day.”

More information will become available when the team takes the court for pregame shoot-around.

UPDATE (6:30 p.m. ET): Klesmit does not carry an injury designation in the pregame status report.

UPDATE (8:50 p.m. ET): Klesmit is in the starting lineup.

Wisconsin Badgers depth chart

The Badgers had no trouble defeating Minnesota without Klesmit in the lineup. Veteran guard Kamari McGee excelled in his absence, playing 33 minutes and totaling 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals on five-of-10 shooting.

McGee is likely to remain in the starting lineup if Klesmit is inactive.

Next to McGee, Jack Janicki played an extended 16 minutes of the bench against the Gophers. He’d again be in line for an increased role. The rest of Klesmit’s 30-plus minutes-per-game were evenly divided among the rest of the primary lineup.

Wisconsin’s plan worked well in its lopsided win over Minnesota. Ohio State figures to poise a much larger threat, as it enters Tuesday ranked No. 31 in KenPom.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Wisconsin basketball inches forward in NCAA NET Rankings following Minnesota win

Wisconsin basketball inches forward in NCAA NET Rankings following Minnesota win

Wisconsin basketball continued its strong stretch of play with an 80-59 win over Minnesota on Friday.

With the triumph, the Badgers improved to 13-3 and 3-2 in Big Ten play, marks that have each been greatly aided by the team’s five-game winning streak (three over Big Ten opponents).

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s blowout win over Minnesota

The win continued the team’s forward momentum in KenPom and ESPN’s BPI. There is a strong chance the program will crack the AP Poll and Coaches Poll when the two are released on Monday.

Another important metric to track is the NCAA NET Rankings. By assigning a value to each result, the rankings quantify a team’s resume, which will matter during the NCAA Tournament selection process. It judges wins and losses based on the quality of the opponent and location. This allows a road win over the 70th-ranked team in the country to mean as much as a home win over the 25th-ranked team, for example.

Specifically, here is how its four quadrants shake out:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Wisconsin rose from No. 25 to No. 24 in the NET Rankings following its win over Minnesota.

The Badgers possess a 2-3 record in Quad 1 games, a 4-0 mark in Quad 2, 2-0 in Quad 3 and 4-0 in Quad 4. Friday’s win qualified as a Quad 3 win given Minnesota’s current No. 148 ranking.

Wisconsin is still the seventh highest-ranked Big Ten team in the NET, trailing Michigan (No. 9), Illinois (No. 10), Michigan State (No. 15), Maryland (No. 20), Oregon (No. 21) and Purdue (No. 23).

The team is back on the court on Tuesday night for a home matchup against Ohio State (No. 31 in NET). The game is a great chance for another resume-boosting Quad 2 victory.

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Wisconsin top rival loses its defensive coordinator

Wisconsin top rival loses its defensive coordinator

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Minnesota defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman is leaving for the same position at Miami, as first reported by 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. ESPN’s Pete Thamel later confirmed the move.

The fast-rising coordinator spent one season with the Gophers. He was previously the linebackers coach at Rutgers (2022-23), defensive coordinator at James Madison (2019-21) and defensive coordinator at Maine (2016-18).

Related: Final conference bowl records for 2024-25 college football postseason: Big Ten supremacy

Thamel reports that Minnesota will look internally for Hetherman’s replacement.

Hetherman departs after leading the Golden Gophers to the nation’s No. 5 total defense (285.7 yards allowed per game) and No. 9 scoring defense (16.9 points) in 2024. The unit was a driving force behind the team’s resurgent 8-5 season and 24-7 win over Wisconsin.

He reportedly signed a two-year extension with the Gophers last month after that breakout campaign. Matt Fortuna added the new contract, with a bigger buyout, ‘was not an impediment’ to Miami’s pursuit.

Wisconsin struggled mightily in that matchup against Hetherman and the Gophers defense. The Badgers managed just seven points on 166 total yards (136 passing, 30 rushing). That point tally is the team’s lowest in the rivalry matchup since 1990 (21-3 loss).

It goes without saying that the Badgers must reverse their recent form against their top rivals if 2025 is to look any different than the last two seasons. Minnesota ushering in a new defensive coordinator will be a storyline to watch as the end-of-season battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe nears.

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Wisconsin basketball continues momentum in KenPom, ESPN BPI with win over Minnesota

Where the Badgers rank in KenPom, ESPN BPI after Minnesota win

Wisconsin basketball improved to 13-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten play with a decisive 80-59 win over Minnesota on Friday.

The win continues the team’s strong momentum to start the calendar year. The Badgers have now won five straight games dating back to Dec. 14, including over Big Ten opponents Iowa, Rutgers, and now Minnesota.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s blowout win over Minnesota

The Badgers have continued their strong offensive performance through this stretch. They are averaging 86 points per game, highlighted by a record-breaking 116-point showing against Iowa.

More significantly, the team is rounding into form defensively. It is allowing just 69 points per game over its last three wins. Defense defined the victory over the Golden Gophers, as Wisconsin held Minnesota to just 45 points through the first 35 minutes of game action. Wisconsin had a 29-point lead at that time. The game was in hand, which allowed Minnesota to close on a mini-run to boost its scoring total.

The defensive side of the court will define Wisconsin’s postseason success. Strong complimentary play, highlighted by top-end defense, will be required for the team to finally make a deep run in March.

As of Jan. 11, rating metrics are taking note of that defensive improvement. Here is where the Badgers stand in both KenPom and the ESPN BPI after the win over Minnesota:

  • KenPom: No. 21 overall (same ranking as it held after the Rutgers win) and No. 6 in the Big Ten, with the No. 12 offense and No. 56 defense in the country.
  • ESPN BPI: No. 27 overall (up four spots) and No. 6 in the Big Ten, with a projected record of 21.6 – 9.4 and a 7.2% chance to win the Big Ten.

Of note, Wisconsin’s KenPom defensive rating has shot up from the 80s into the mid-50s. That trajectory should lead to a further rise over the coming weeks.

The Badgers are back on the court on Tuesday for a home game against Ohio State. They may again carry a ranking in the AP Poll by the time that game tips off.

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Wisconsin center Steven Crowl continues dominant stretch since Greg Gard call-out

Wisconsin center Steven Crowl continues dominance since Greg Gar call-out

(This story was updated to add new information.

Wisconsin basketball’s 80-59 win over Minnesota was yet again led by strong play from senior center Steven Crowl.

Crowl finished the contest with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists on six-of-seven shooting, two-of-two from three and four-of-four from the free throw line. The win was Wisconsin’s fifth in a row — directly coinciding with Crowl’s in-season resurgence.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s blowout win over Minnesota

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard called Crowl out publicly after the center failed to record a rebound in the Badgers’ Dec. 10 loss at Illinois. Crowl averaged just 7.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists through the team’s first 11 games. That loss capped off a three-game skid, which has since become the turning point for the season.

The Badgers are 5-0 since that date with wins over Butler, Detroit Mercy, Iowa, Rutgers and now Minnesota. They’ve now started 2025 with three conference wins by an average margin of 21.3 points (31 points vs. Iowa, 12 vs. Rutgers and 21 vs. Minnesota).

Crowl’s play has done a 180-degree turn during that winning stretch. After Friday’s win over Minnesota, Crowl is averaging 16.6 points and 6.4 rebounds on 76.2% shooting and 100% (13-of-13) from the free-throw line in those five games.

His last three performances have easily been his best of the season:

  • vs. Iowa: 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists on four-of-four shooting
  • at Rutgers: 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists on eight-of-11 shooting
  • vs. Minnesota: 18 points, five rebounds and three assists on six-of-seven shooting

Crowl is reemerging as a key factor of the Badgers’ success on both sides of the football. His offensive efficiency falls in line with a team that continues to score with the best teams in the nation (KenPom No. 12 offense). His defense and rebounding, however, have also taken big steps forward, in line with his offensive game.

There appears to be a correlation between Crowl’s performance on each side of the court. When he’s aggressive, the offensive game clicks. When that clicks, he tends to play his best defense. That collective recipe leads to Wisconsin winning basketball games.

Gard called again called Crowl out after the Minnesota game. This time, in a positive way.

“He was a grown man,” Gard said. “That’s what we’ve seen here since Butler. He understands how good he can be when he’s aggressive. I think the rotational shift and getting him in and out in shorter spurts has helped. But he’s also just been assertive and dominant in his own way. It’s great to see.”

The Badgers improved to 13-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten play with the victory over Minnesota. They are back in action on Tuesday at home against Ohio State.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Is Max Klesmit playing today? Injury updates for Wisconsin basketball senior guard

Is Max Klesmit playing today? Injury updates for Wisconsin basketball senior guard

This story was updated to add new information.

The Wisconsin Badgers (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) return home on Friday night for a matchup against a struggling Minnesota Golden Gophers team (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten).

The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT and will be carried exclusively on Peacock.

Wisconsin enters the contest riding a four-game winning streak dating to Dec. 14. The last two triumphs are over Iowa and Rutgers, respectively, and have moved the team back toward the top of the Big Ten.

Senior guard Max Klesmit suffered an ankle injury during the second half of the team’s win over Rutgers on Monday, however. Gard called him day-to-day when meeting with the media on Wednesday. Klesmit did not participate in practice that day and was seen afterward in a walking boot.

As we approach tip time, here is the latest information on his status against the Golden Gophers (this piece will be updated as more information becomes available):

Max Klesmit injury update

Wisconsin is listing Klesmit as questionable for Friday’s game against Minnesota, according to CBS’ Jon Rothstein.

More information will become available when the team takes the court for pregame shoot-around.

UPDATE (6:30 p.m. ET): Klesmit is in full uniform and went through pregame warmups.

UPDATE (6:50 p.m. ET): Kamari McGee is in Klesmit’s spot in the starting lineup.

UPDATE (7:30 p.m. ET): The broadcast listed Klesmit as doubtful to play

Wisconsin depth chart

Klesmit is one of the Badgers’ senior leaders, averaging 30.3 minutes, 10.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and three assists through their first 15 games. If he is to miss time, bench guard Kamari McGee will likely slide into his place in the starting lineup.

Wisconsin’s other depth at the position, includes Camren Hunter, Jack Janicki and Daniel Freitag. Janicki averages more than 10 minutes per contest, while Hunter and Freitag each average just above two.

Starters John Blackwell and John Tonje will be tasked with leading the team on offense if Klesmit misses the Minnesota game. While the Badgers are deep at the position, any extended absence could prove costly.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Wisconsin basketball’s game vs. Minnesota will only be available on one streaming platform

Wisconsin basketball vs Minnesota will only be available on one streaming platform

The Wisconsin Badgers (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) are back on the Kohl Center court on Friday night for a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten).

The teams’ records display a discrepancy in quality, as do the latest KenPom standings. Wisconsin is No. 21 in the nation (No. 5 in the Big Ten) while Minnesota is No. 109 (last in the Big Ten).

Related: Updated win-loss predictions for Wisconsin basketball schedule after win over Rutgers

The Badgers seek a fifth consecutive victory and third straight Big Ten win when the two teams tip at 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT. For fans interested in tuning in, the game will be carried exclusively on Peacock.

Wisconsin is 1-2 in Peacock-only games this season: a big win over Arizona plus tough losses to Michigan and Illinois. Minnesota appears far less of a test than those three top-ranked foes, at least on paper.

The Badgers enter the contest with considerable momentum after big wins over Iowa and Rutgers, the former in record-breaking fashion. Minnesota, meanwhile, has lost two straight to No. 20 Purdue and Ohio State. It has dropped all four conference games it has played this season.

Wisconsin enters Friday’s game as the prohibitive favorite. Fans will need to tune into Peacock to see how the game unfolds.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Wisconsin vs Minnesota live on Peacock” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/Y9vDoJ”]

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Wisconsin coach Greg Gard updates Max Klesmit’s injury status entering Minnesota game

Update on Max Klesmit’s injury entering Minnesota game

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard updated the status of Badgers senior guard Max Klesmit entering the team’s upcoming home matchup with Minnesota:

“He’s day-to-day right now,” Gard told the assembled media after Wednesday’s practice. “We’ll see how it continues to respond through the next few days.” Klesmit did not practice on Wednesday and was seen afterward in a walking boot.

Related: Updated win-loss predictions for Wisconsin basketball schedule after win over Rutgers

The senior guard got hurt during the second half of the Badgers’ win over Rutgers on Monday. He landed awkwardly on the foot of Rutgers guard Jeremiah Williams while attempting a three-pointer several seconds after a whistle.

Gard discussed the nature of the injury, which went to a video review but was not upgraded to a flagrant.

“Injuries happen,” Gard said. “You have people come down on feet all the time. Just unfortunate, bad timing of it. Because the whistle had blown when Nolan [Winter] got bumped coming through the lane. So, injuries happen. Anything more about that, we just want to get him back as fast as we can.”

Klesmit is averaging 30.3 minutes, 10.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and three assists on 33% shooting through the first 15 games of the season. He’s a key member of a starting lineup that has led the Badgers to four consecutive wins, the latter two over Iowa and Rutgers, respectively. Kamari McGee would likely see an increased role in the backcourt if Klesmit were to miss time.

Wisconsin has yet to incorporate transfer Camren Hunter or top freshman Daniel Freitag into the regular rotation. Klesmit’s potential absence would leave more than 30 minutes unaccounted for, which could lead to increased playing time for those two off the bench.

The Badgers (12-3, 2-2 Big Ten) are back on the Kohl Center court on Friday against Minnesota (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten). They then host Ohio State (10-5, 2-2 Big Ten) next Tuesday before a West Coast road trip to face USC (9-6, 1-3 Big Ten) and UCLA (11-4, 2-2 Big Ten).

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.