Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
HoopsHype ranks the Top 10 player older than 40 years old in NBA history, including Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.
With four-time league MVP LeBron James about to turn 40 years old, we thought it would be a fun time to rank the Top 10 players in NBA history who competed at age 40 or beyond.
James will likely top this list himself by the end of 2025-26 – if not sooner – but for now, this is how we rank the best players to play past the big 4-0.
Interesting data on the valuations of college athletic programs
Wisconsin’s athletic program is the classic model of consistency — both the football and men’s basketball teams have had just one losing season since the turn of the century.
Parenthetically, the football’s one losing season just occurred. But that should not eliminate its larger body of work dating back to the late 1990s.
Related: Final Big Ten Power Rankings after 2024 season: Oregon is your conference champion
Some of Wisconsin’s top programs are even a model of excellence. Wisconsin women’s hockey is the winner of three of the last five national titles, while Wisconsin volleyball took home a title trophy in 2021.
Success impacts Wisconsin’s brand value, as does its place in the Big Ten Conference among some of the most influential brands in the space. Those converging factors make it one of the most valuable athletic departments in the country.
CNBC recently published a full study on the valuation of every major athletic department in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It partnered with AthleticDirectorU, which consults with those in the sport looking into private equity investment, to compile a comprehensive list of both valuation and annual revenue.
Wisconsin’s valuation of $838 million is No. 15 overall in the published study. More significantly, it is just No. 5 in the expanded Big Ten Conference — ranked behind only Ohio State (No. 1 overall at $1.32 billion), Michigan (No. 4 overall at $1.06 billion), Nebraska (No. 8 overall at $943 million) and Penn State (No. 11 overall at $924 million).
College sports programs aren't just about wins and losses—they're billion-dollar brands driving revenue through media rights, sponsorships, and community impact. But how do we measure their true value? @AD_University and @CNBC present the first ever athletic department… pic.twitter.com/5BuYlSpwev
— Jason Belzer (@JasonBelzer) December 19, 2024
By no surprise, 20 of the top 22 schools are currently affiliated with the Big Ten or SEC. Notre Dame (No. 6 at $969 million) and Clemson (No. 16 at $800 million) are the only outliers.
Television deals and major-conference branding are significant factors in each school’s annual revenue, which then plays into its overall valuation. Consider this study further proof of the Big Ten and SEC’s respective dominance over the larger college athletics landscape.
For more specifics on how the Badgers compare to the rest of the Big Ten, here is the full study.
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Where Wisconsin’s transfer class rankgs
Wisconsin is off to a red-hot start to the 2025 transfer cycle. The program has nine players committed, highlighted by Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol and Tulane defensive lineman Parker Petersen.
That strong start has the program’s class at No. 9 in 247Sports’ team transfer portal class rankings.
Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments
Wisconsin slots behind No. 1 Ole Miss (nine commits, five four-stars), No. 2 LSU (nine commits, five four-stars), No. 3 Texas Tech (11 commits, four four-stars), No. 4 Auburn (eight commits, four four-stars), No. 5 Texas A&M (five commits, three four-stars), No. 6 Mississippi State (eight commits, one four-star), No. 7 Houston (11 commits, one four-star) and No. 8 Minnesota (10 commits, zero four-stars) at this early stage of the cycle.
The Badgers entered the offseason with significant roster needs, some which were heightened due to departing transfers. The biggest needs were quarterback, defensive line, edge rusher, tight end, linebacker and safety.
Wisconsin has done extremely well in addressing those positions. It’s landed a starting quarterback (Edwards Jr.), a backup quarterback (Danny O’Neil), a star tight end (Koziol), several defensive linemen (Petersen, Corey Walker, Charles Perkins), an edge rusher (Mason Reiger) and a starting safety (Matthew Traynor). Several of those players were among the best available, highlighted by Edwards Jr. and Koziol.
The Badgers still have work to do, most notably at wide receiver and linebacker. But taking a snapshot on Dec. 18, the program appears to be taking strong steps forward entering a pivotal 2025 season. Any finish within the top 10 of the national transfer class rankings could be a strong indicator of success to come.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.
Wisconsin rises in both KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Butler
Wisconsin basketball ended its three-game losing streak on Saturday with an 83-74 win over Butler.
The victory improves the Badgers to 9-3 on the 2024-25 season. Importantly, it guarantees momentum entering the holiday break, barring an unforeseen loss to Detroit Mercy (No. 318 in KenPom) on Dec. 22.
Related: Big takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s important win over Butler
The Badgers had tumbled in both KenPom and ESPN BPI during the mentioned losing streak. The team fell from a fringe-top-20 contender down to the mid-30s of both rankings.
The win over Butler righted that trajectory. Wisconsin rose in both rating metrics:
The Badgers are the No. 9 and No. 8-ranked team in the Big Ten in those two rankings, respectively. While a step down from where the team was after its 8-0 start, each slot is a significant upgrade over where it stood entering the season (No. 46 in KenPom, No. 39 in BPI).
That sentence likely captures the tone of the fanbase: the three-game losing streak paused big-picture expectations, especially in a gauntlet Big Ten. But overall, the Badgers look far better than any expected when the season began.
Wisconsin is back on the court on Dec. 22 at home against Detroit Mercy. It is then off until Jan. 3, 2025 when the Big Ten schedule continues with a home matchup against Iowa.
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Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after 0-2 week
The Wisconsin Badgers (8-2, 0-1 Big Ten) saw their red-hot momentum come to a screeching halt last week.
The team entered at 8-0 and ranked No. 11 in the nation. It then dropped two critical games — 67-64 at home vs. Michigan and 88-74 on the road at No. 5 Marquette.
Related: Updated Big Ten basketball power rankings (Dec. 9): Wisconsin slides, Michigan surges
The two losses dampen the team’s sky-high expectations. They begin to expose possible weaknesses, including inconsistent defense and struggles in the interior.
Notably, the two results also dropped the team in both KenPom and BPI. The Badgers are down to No. 37 in KenPom (No. 19 offense, No. 88 defense) and No. 36 in BPI. Those slots are good for No. 10 and No. 9 in the Big Ten, respectively.
Greg Gard’s team now faces a critical upcoming week with games at No. 19 Illinois and against Butler (neutral site). Those two contests can do one of two things — either wins will reverse the team’s course and reestablish it as one of the Big Ten’s best, or losses will continue the slide from the top of the rankings.
That Illinois game is set for Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT available exclusively on Peacock.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.
Wisconsin basketball finds steady position in KenPom, ESPN BPI after win over Chicago State
Wisconsin basketball improved to 8-0 on the 2024-25 season with a decisive 74-53 win over Chicago State on Saturday.
The Badgers didn’t have much trouble vanquishing the winless Cougars squad (No. 360 in KenPom). Greg Gard’s team led by seven at the half-time break before building a 13-point lead at the 15:00-minute mark of the second half. It then extended the lead to 21 points with 10 minutes remaining, sealing the victory.
Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s win over Chicago State, 8-0 start
The Badgers are 8-0 for the first time since 2013-14. Their record includes some strong wins: 103-88 over Arizona (No. 30 in KenPom) and 81-75 over Pittsburgh (No. 13).
As more results are added, rating metrics are developing a consensus about where the team stands.
Wisconsin is now No. 29 in KenPom (No. 19 offense, No. 67 defense) and No. 31 in ESPN BPI after the Chicago State win. Those marks are both good for seventh in the expanded Big Ten Conference.
The Badgers were No. 15 in the AP Poll entering the week. That ranking is sure to rise when the updated poll is released, as numerous highly-ranked teams fell during a busy Feast Week.
Wisconsin may need further decisive efforts in upcoming games against Michigan (Dec. 3) and No. 10 Marquette (Dec. 7) to rise further in KenPom and BPI. For now, the only thing that matters are the tallies in the win-loss columns. Wisconsin is off to a perfect start to the season in that regard.
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Luke Fickell’s Badgers have yet to beat a team as good as the 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers
The following statistic tells an accurate story for those in search of a glimpse at Wisconsin football’s current state of affairs under head coach Luke Fickell: the Badgers are 0-and-9 against teams ranked higher than No. 50 in ESPN FPI since the start of 2023.
Looking a year-end FPI numbers from 2023 and the updated rankings entering the final week of 2024, the Badgers’ best win was against Rutgers (No. 50) last season. Otherwise, Wisconsin has lost every game against a team inside FPI’s top 50.
Those losses include the following:
Fickell was hired to not only win those matchups but elevate the Badgers toward the top tier of the Big Ten. Obviously, that has yet to come to fruition.
That reality sets up the Badgers’ upcoming rivalry matchup against Minnesota. The Gophers enter 6-5 on the season and 4-4 in Big Ten play. Their quality is better than the record suggests — FPI currently ranks the team No. 33 in the nation.
That ranking can be attributed to narrow losses to North Carolina, Michigan and top-ranked Penn State, plus statement wins over USC and Illinois. The Gophers are a few bounces of the football away from 9-2 and long-shot College Football Playoff contention.
Of note, Wisconsin has not beaten a team close to the quality of the 2024 Gophers, according to FPI, during the Fickell era. That reality creates an opportunity for a defining victory, but it also paints a negative light on the team’s chances. That 0-for-9 mark against top-50 teams is a significant trend that doesn’t come as some large fluke.
The Badgers need a win to clinch bowl eligibility for the 23rd consecutive season. Maybe most importantly, they need a win to show some life under the no-longer-new regime.
Wisconsin and Minnesota will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Friday afternoon.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.
Wisconsin football plummets in ESPN FPI and SP+ after loss to Nebraska
Wisconsin’s season continued to dive in the wrong direction on Saturday, the latest result a 44-25 loss to rival Nebraska.
The Badgers are now 5-6 on the season and 3-5 in Big Ten play. They stood at 5-2 and 3-1, respectively, just four weeks ago. What followed was a home loss to Penn State, a blowout loss to Iowa, a narrow defeat to top-ranked Oregon and Saturday’s historic loss to Nebraska. That four-game stretch has changed the 2024 season, and is beginning to change the overall sentiment surrounding Luke Fickell and the program.
Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s 44-25 loss to Nebraska
Part of that sentiment is seen in ESPN FPI and SP+’s latest updates.
Wisconsin entered the Nebraska game ranked No. 34 in FPI. The loss dropped the team down to No. 41. FPI now projects the Badgers’ final record at 5.5 – 6.5 and gives it just a 51% chance to defeat Minnesota in Week 14 and make a bowl game.
SP+ is even less confident in the team’s quality. The Nebraska loss dropped Wisconsin from No. 50 to No. 59 in the metric. It is now ranked as the No. 13 team in the Big Ten, ahead of only Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern and Purdue.
Having a coin-flip Week 14 game to reach bowl eligibility and being ranked in the class of Rutgers and Maryland is far below the program’s typical standard. It’s also far below the expectation set by both Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell when the latter was hired in 2022.
A win over Minnesota to extend the program’s bowl streak to 23 games would be an important step in the right direction. Otherwise, the program’s rapid fall from national relevance will only continue.
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Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over UT Rio Grande
This story was updated to add new information.
Wisconsin basketball improved to 5-0 on the 2024-25 season with an 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande on Monday.
The Badgers struggled defensively for much of the contest, allowing the Vaqueros to shoot 49% from the floor and nearly 40% from 3. The team was somewhat on the ropes midway through the second half before John Blackwell and John Tonje led a scoring surge that tipped the scales, eventually leading to the three-point win.
Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s narrow win over UT Rio Grande Valley
One big stat that continues to matter: Wisconsin shot 84.4% (27-of-32) from the free-throw line in the victory. The team’s final 11 points came from the charity stripe. The Badgers are No. 2 in the nation in team free throw percentage at 88.6%; the stat has been a driving force behind the team’s 5-0 start.
That undefeated start led to national recognition, even before the win over UT Rio Grande. Wisconsin entered the AP Poll at No. 19 and USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll at No. 25 on Monday.
While the Badgers’ resume is building with each passing performance, their win on Monday didn’t impress some rating metrics. Wisconsin dropped 11 spots in KenPom from No. 29 to No. 40 after the win. Greg Gard’s team possesses the 18th-ranked offense and 83rd-ranked defense in the metric.
Allowing 84 points to a UT Rio Grande team that is No. 199 in KenPom assuredly led to the ratings downgrade, specifically defensively.
The Badgers also dropped from No. 22 in ESPN BPI to No. 30, reflecting the same general trend. BPI has the team’s projected final record at 19.6-10.4 and gives it an 8.2% chance to win the Big Ten.
Minus the needed defensive improvements, it’s hard to not be impressed by Wisconsin’s start to the season. This early season stage figured to see significant growing pains with new faces in the rotation. Instead, the Badgers are flashing top form and entering the conversation atop the Big Ten.
Wisconsin is back on the court on Friday against UCF at the Greenbrier Tip-Off.
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Wisconsin enters latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll
Wisconsin basketball cracked the top 25 of the latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll after the second week of the 2024-25 season.
The Badgers are up to No. 25 in the poll after Friday’s 103-88 win over No. 9 Arizona highlighted their 4-0 start to the season.
Related: Updated Big Ten basketball power rankings (Nov. 18): Wisconsin enters the top tier
The USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll is conducted weekly throughout the college basketball regular season. It polls a panel of head coaches from across the country, each coach submitting a full 1-25 ranking. 25 points are awarded for every first-place vote, 24 points for second-place votes and so on.
Wisconsin earned 75 total votes in the poll’s latest update. It is the Badgers’ first appearance in the top 25 of the 2024-25 season.
Kansas still leads the nation after a 4-0 start. It is followed by UConn at No. 2, Auburn at No. 3, Gonzaga at No. 4 and Iowa State at No. 5. Other Big Ten teams in the top 25 are Purdue at No. 6, Indiana at No. 18, and Illinois at No. 20.
Here’s a look at the full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll following Nov. 18’s games:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 4-0 | 665 (21) |
| 2 | UConn | 3-0 | 632 (3) |
| 3 | Auburn | 3-0 | 608 (2) |
| 4 | Gonzaga | 3-0 | 599 (1) |
| 5 | Iowa State | 2-0 | 516 |
| 6 | Purdue | 4-0 | 513 |
| 7 | Houston | 2-1 | 470 |
| 8 | Alabama | 3-1 | 470 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 4-0 | 462 |
| 10 | Duke | 3-1 | 421 |
| 11 | Kentucky | 3-0 | 381 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 2-1 | 377 |
| 13 | Creighton | 4-0 | 348 |
| 14 | Marquette | 4-0 | 319 |
| 15 | Baylor | 3-1 | 313 |
| 16 | Cincinnati | 3-0 | 229 |
| 17 | Arizona | 2-1 | 228 |
| 18 | Indiana | 3-0 | 208 |
| 19 | Florida | 4-0 | 168 |
| 20 | Illinois | 3-0 | 133 |
| 21 | St. John’s | 4-0 | 119 |
| 22 | Texas Tech | 3-0 | 95 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 3-1 | 94 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 2-1 | 82 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 4-0 | 75 |
No. 22 Ohio State; No. 24 Rutgers;
Rutgers 56; Xavier 43; Ole Miss 39; BYU 28; Saint Mary’s 18; Pittsburgh 18; Texas 14; Michigan State 9; Mississippi State 5; Oregon 4; Nevada 4; Ohio State 3; Dayton 3; Wake Forest 2; VCU 2; UCF 2;
Wisconsin is back on the court on Monday night against UT-Rio Grande. The team will then travel for a set of weekend games at the Greenbrier Classic.
Greg Gard and the Badgers are looking to continue their dream start to the 2024-25 season. National recognition has quickly followed the team’s big win over the Wildcats.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.
