McGee played 27 minutes off the bench in the winning effort, totaling 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Yet again, he served as a crucial spark plug for the Badgers. His status as the team’s sixth man does not preclude his minutes from being highly productive.
The former UW-Green Bay transfer has developed significantly since transferring to Wisconsin ahead of the 2022-23 season. Gard highlighted that improvement:
“Just his poise and maturity,” Gard began. “I think he’s operating at a very functional speed right now. Two years ago, I think he tried to play everything at a thousand miles an hour. Now, he understands the importance of pace and patience. When to pick your spots, when to step on the gas, when not to. So I think you’re seeing the evolution and the maturity of a player that’s done a really good job for us.”
McGee’s elevated role speaks to that development. Through two games this season he’s averaging 27.5 minutes, 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game, all while shooting 54% from the floor and 40% from three-point range.
Here’s more from Gard on what McGee means to the team:
“He’s been a steadying influence. He changes the game with his defense, he changes the game with the pace he comes up with the ball. But I just think the decisions, and the conscious effort to read and feel of the game, when you can go fast and when you can’t. He didn’t understand that two years ago, and it’s taken time for him to learn that and get a good feel. He’s obviously figured out a lot of good things.”
Much of Gard’s focus was on McGee’s contributions on offense. McGee’s comments postgame, meanwhile, centered around the defensive side of the court
“I know that defense is going to win us a lot of games,” the senior guard said. “I’ve always had the defensive mindset ever since I started playing basketball. That’s winning basketball, is getting defensive stop. We have enough scorers, we have enough guys doing great things at the other end. I make sure I try to lead by example and get my guys engaged as well. Because when it’s crunch time like that and it’s time to close a game out, you’re going to need stops more than scores.”
Gard, McGee and the Badgers are back on the court on Sunday, Nov. 10 at home against Appalachian State. It’s reasonable to predict another high-impact game from the senior guard in his established sixth-man role.
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Greg Gard defends Wisconsin senior forward after strong play vs. Montana State
This story was updated to add new information.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard came to the defense of Badgers senior forward Carter Gilmore after the team’s 79-67 win over Montana State on Thursday.
Gilmore, who played 19 minutes off the bench in the Badgers’ victory, again played a big role on both sides of the court. He finished with four points on 2-of-3 shooting, two assists, two rebounds and one highlight block.
Gard highlighted his performance, especially on the defensive side, when speaking postgame.
“[Gilmore] just gives us such a steadying [presence],” Gard began. “And I know he’s taken a lot of s*** over his career here. And it’s, quite frankly, unwarranted. Because if you have you have any idea what you’re looking at, you can see that he really anchors us defensively, he covers up a lot of stuff, he’s really good in the ball screens…He’s just a ballplayer.”
The senior forward has nine total points on 4-of-5 shooting through two games, in addition to four rebounds, two assists and a block. Those totals are all on an early pace to surpass his 2022-23 totals when he averaged 18.8 minutes per game off the bench.
Gard highlighted Gilmore’s versatility in the lineup, pointing to more minutes and more opportunities down the road.
“We can play him at various positions, played him at the three a lot during the preseason,” Gard continued. “He’s covers up mistakes defensively of other guys, Tyler Wahl did that. They’re different. But he has such a good feel for the game and talks the game the right way. The things he’s talking about and asking about — he’s seeing it and talking like a coach…He’s been able to play within his strengths and not get outside of his strengths. He’s very valuable. He’s smart, he’s tough, he covers up mistakes, he knows what we’re doing. He really is a good leader…He’s an unsung important piece to this group.”
Gilmore currently slots into the lineup as a primary backup forward behind starters Nolan Winter and Steven Crowl. He should continue to be a key force off the bench as the team continues to grow throughout the season.
Gard, Gilmore and the Badgers are back on the court on Nov. 10 at home against Appalachian State.
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Auburn let loose with a 94-43 victory in front of a packed Neville Arena
The 2024-2025 Auburn Tigers are an extremely well-rounded basketball team.
After an exhibition season which saw Bruce Pearl’s team win two games in extremely lopsided fashion, Auburn let loose in front of a packed Neville Arena to open up the regular season, taking down Vermont 94-43 in ridiculously efficient fashion. Auburn outscored the Catamounts 46-21 in an up-and-down first half before showing off on the defensive end to open up the second stanza, dispelling any hopes of a Vermont comeback with a 16-0 run to open the frame.
Five of the nine Tigers that saw double-digit minutes on Wednesday night finished with at least 10 points. Georgia Tech transfer [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] led the way, welcoming himself onto the Plains in heroic fashion to the tune of 21 points on 7 3-point field goals. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] may have been overshadowed by Kelly and Denver Jones’s 16 points, but the All-SEC forward was his usual, dominant self in a 12-point, 7-rebound, 2-block effort.
Newcomer [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] filled point guard the role previously held by Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson phenomenally. The Furman transfer showed immediately he could handle Bruce Pearl’s extensively complicated offense with a perfect 3/3 shooting night to go along with 4 rebounds, an assist, and two steals. Second year Tiger Chad Baker-Mazara was also his normal, stat-stuffing self in an 11-point, 3-rebound, 2-assist effort. Surprisingly, the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native did not swipe away a steal or block.
While Auburn wasn’t quite able to reach triple-digit scoring numbers in the opener. the Tigers offense played about as well it has since Bruce Pearl took over as the head coach. While free throw shooting was sub-par (6/10), Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, and the Tigers shot 56% from the field in the win, including an impressive 16/35 mark from beyond the arc.
Auburn will need to continue shooting the ball efficiently well over the course of a non-conference schedule that may be the hardest the Tigers have ever encountered. The waters get much more wavy as soon as Saturday, when Auburn takes on No. 4 ranked Houston at the Toyota Center in Houston. Head coach Kelvin Sampon’s Cougars, who are historically known for their defense, held Jackson State to just 40 points in an equally as impressive 97-40 opening night victory.
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The Badgers trailed the Crusaders, ESPN BPI’s No. 331 (of 364) team in the sport, 13-3 in the opening minutes of the game, 23-7 midway through the first half and 36-35 at halftime. A second-half surge led by transfer wing John Tonje created enough separation for the final score to indicate wire-to-wire dominance despite the Badgers’ significant early deficit.
That separation, importantly, led to a great moment for Badgers head coach Greg Gard and his son, Isaac.
Isaac, a junior walk-on guard, got one minute of action in the game’s closing moments. He made that limited action count, drilling a three-pointer for the first points of his college career:
Isaac joined the team as a walk-on ahead of the 2022-23 season. He appeared in five games that season, then six games in 2023-24. He was just 0/2 from the field over those 11 appearances as a freshman and sophomore.
The reaction of Wisconsin’s bench says it all, highlighted by John Blackwell leaping in the air.
Greg Gard highlighted that reaction when speaking about the moment postgame:
“It’s a credit to [Isaac],” Gard said. “He’s put time into it. He’s made himself a better player. He’s gotten bigger and stronger, it’s amazing what a weight room four days a week will do for somebody…I’m standing there as I’m trying to get guys in the game, and I knew the shot clock was winding down a little bit. Just the reaction of his teammates. To them, yea, he’s coach’s son, but he’s one of the guys. And they know at home, he’s my son. But at practice, he’s one of the guys. It’s neat. It’s obviously cool for him.”
The Badgers’ head coach continued to reflect on the moment:
“I don’t think his mom was at the game tonight, so I’m sure she’ll be pissed at me for not being able to see it live,” Gard continued. “He puts in just as much work as everybody else. He’s in the weight room, he’s running the hill. It’s hard being a coach’s kid. I haven’t been able to be present all the time as he was growing up, and our other two kids as well. To have this time with him day after day, you’re not making up for time, but you’re not losing any more time. And he’s also proven that he can be a handful some days when he’s running off screens and banging threes. He gives John Tonje nightmares…Just the team around him, that’s the neat part to watch. They’re happy for him and I’m happy for him too. Time goes fast, so you have to enjoy it. You won’t be able to coach your son forever.”
Wisconsin is back on the Kohl Center court on Thursday against Montana State. The team will look to notch another blowout victory, one large enough for Gard to again empty the bench late in the second half.
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The sixth-year senior led the team with 23 points and five rebounds on six of 11 shooting, three of six from three-point range and a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. His offense was a key catalyst for the Badgers overcoming an early deficit and finishing with a 24-point win.
For further context on Tonje’s impact, his 23 points are the most for a Badger in his Wisconsin debut since at least 2000, according to official word from the program.
The total surpasses Josh Gasser’s debut as a freshman in 2010 (21 points). Compared to other recent transfer additions, Tonje’s total of 23 points bests A.J. Storr’s 15 in the 2023-24 opener and Micah Potter’s 12 to begin 2019-20.
Tonje’s emergence has a versatile offensive weapon is significant news for a Wisconsin team looking to replace the wing production of Storr, who transferred to Kansas this offseason. The Missouri transfer already looks like an impact addition for Greg Gard and his staff as the Badgers enter a critical 2024-25 season.
Tonje will lead Wisconsin back on the court on Thursday for a home matchup with Montana State.
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Things got away from the Raiders near the end of the first half and never came back.
Hard to believe this game was tied with three minutes left in the second quarter. The Bengals got the ball and drove through the Raiders defense about as easy as any team could.
In just over two minutes, they went on a seven-play drive that had just ONE second down. That second down saw Maxx Crosby jump the snap and hit Joe Burrow hard, leading to an offsides penalty AND a roughing the passer penalty.
That drive gave the Bengals a 17-10 lead. The Raiders looked like they might respond, but after driving into Cincinnati territory, just a few yards from field goal range woth :17 seconds left in the quarter, Antonio Pierce opted to punt on fourth down instead of trying to score.
That decision showed how little faith he has in both his offense and his defense. They took that lack of faith into the third quarter.
The Bengals opened the third quarter with another hot-knife-through-butter drive for a touchdown.
The Raiders response was a fumbled handoff to DJ Turner recovered by the Bengals at the Vegas 21, leading to another quick touchdown to TE Mike Gesicki. And just over ten minutes of game time, it went from a 10-10 tie to a 31-10 Bengals lead.
Gardner Minshew was taken out and replaced by Desmond Ridder, who didn’t have any more success. Minshew went 10 of 17 for 124 yards with no TDs and no INT.
There was still over 20 minutes left in the game, but the Raiders were showing no signs of life on either side of the ball. They had just one first down in the third quarter and they were losing the overall first down battle 22-10.
Things got a bit interesting midway through the fourth quarter when Jack Jones stepped in front of a Burrow pass into the right flat, returning it for a touchdown to make it a 31-17 game.
Jones broke up a pass on third down on the next drive to give the Raiders the ball back.
At that point, Ridder seemed to get things going. He completed six passes, moving the Raiders deep into Cincinnati territory. But by this point, only touchdowns were going to get the Raiders back in this game. The Bengals dialed up pressure and sacked Ridder twice on three plays. And on fourth down, they came after him again, leading to an incompletion and a turnover on downs.
On the ensuing drive, the Bengals put the exclamation on it with Burrow finding Mike Gesicki for another touchdown, putting the lad back to three scores at 38-17.
Surely making things more difficult for the Raiders were injuries.
The lost two left tackles with both Kolton Miller and Andrus Peat leaving with injuries. On the other side of the ball, they saw top cornerback Nate Hobbs carted off with an ankle injury.
Munford in particular struggled at left tackle. Trey Hendrickson beat him several times, allowing three of Hendrickson’s career-high four sacks in the game. Peat allowed the other one.
The final sack was the strip variety with the Bengals recovering at the Vegas 13-yard-line. They would add a field goal to make it 41-17.
A garbage time TD from Ridder to Brock Bowers gave us the final score of 41-24.
Joe Burrow finished the game 27 of 39 for 251 yards, 5 TD’s and 1 INT.
The Raiders head into their bye at 2-7. The Bengals improve to 4-5 on the season.
Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers have to ‘look in the mirror’ after big loss to Iowa
The tone of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s postgame press conference after the Badgers’ 42-10 blowout loss to rival Iowa reflected a common sentiment: moderate disbelief.
“Not a lot that words can say to explain how I feel,” Fickell began his media availability saying. “It’s really really tough to put it to words right now. We’re going to have to pick ourselves up, we’re going to have to move forward. And we’re going to have to find a way to make sure we’re better.”
That disbelief followed arguably the program’s worst loss during his tenure as head coach. The Badgers surrendered 330 rushing yards to their rival, the most the program has allowed in more than 12 years. They were thoroughly dominated in every facet of the game by a team and program that somewhat embodies what Wisconsin used to look like.
The 32-point margin is Wisconsin’s worst loss to Iowa since a 41-0 defeat in 1968.
Losses of that magnitude often preceded changes, which Fickell hinted at during his press conference, noting that “a lot of guys, myself included first and foremost, are going to have to have a self check and look in the mirror and really self evaluate where they are and what they are willing to do to move forward.”
Luke Fickell post game: “There is nothing that stings more than this. A lot of guys, myself included first and foremost, are going to have to have a self check and look in the mirror and really self evaluate where they are and what they are willing to do to move forward.”…
That ‘look in the mirror’ can begin during the Badgers’ upcoming by week before No. 1 Oregon travels to Madison on Nov. 16. After that, Wisconsin has critical season-closing matchups against Nebraska and Minnesota.
The Badgers need just one more win over those last three games to reach bowl eligibility. More importantly, the team needs to show that its performance at Iowa isn’t an indicator of further struggles to come.
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RECAP: Wisconsin crushed in Iowa City, lose to Hawkeyes 42-10
The Iowa Hawkeyes delivered a dominant 42-10 win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Badgers defense forced a punt on Iowa’s opening possession. They followed that with a 12-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a 38-yard Nathanial Vakos field goal. That 3-0 advantage was the only lead Wisconsin would hold in the contest.
Iowa went on to miss a 56-yard field goal on its next drive, continuing to hand momentum to Wisconsin. But that momentum quickly turned when Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke threw the first of two interceptions.
Quarterback Brendan Sullivan and running back Kaleb Johnson finished off back-to-back drives with rushing touchdowns as Iowa took a 14-3 lead into halftime.
The Hawkeyes kept the momentum going following the break, scoring touchdowns on all four of their possessions in the second half — two by RB Kaleb Johnson.
Braedyn Locke and C.J. Williams finally connected for a 14-yard score with 14:12 in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin’s first touchdown of the evening. That narrowed the margin to 28-10, which was the closest Wisconsin would get down the stretch.
Iowa out-gained Wisconsin 422-261 in total, churning out an eye-popping 329 rushing yards in the contest. Running back Kaleb Johnson turned 24 carries into 135 yards and three touchdowns, while fellow backs Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson combined for 130 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Additionally, quarterback Brendan Sullivan completed seven of 10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown while also adding 58 yards and a score on the ground.
For Wisconsin, quarterback Braedyn Locke completed 15 of 29 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions in the loss. He has now thrown eight picks in six starts in 2024. Running back Tawee Walker was limited to just 52 yards on 16 carries while backfield mate Darrion Dupree had 52 yards on seven totes.
It was just the fourth time ever that Wisconsin allowed 40-plus points to Iowa — the first since 1975.
The Hawkeyes improved to 6-3 on the season and 4-2 in Big Ten play with the victory. Wisconsin, on the other hand, drops to 5-4 on the season and 3-3 in conference play.
The Badgers will be idle in Week 11 before they’ll host No. 1 Oregon at Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16.
There was a lot of good to take away from Florida’s loss to Georgia, but there was also a lot of bad and far too much ugly involved as well.
Things were running smoothly for the Florida Gators until the injury bug swarmed into Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium, where the Georiga Bulldogs won the war of attrition by a final score of 34-20.
But make no mistake — this game was a lot closer than that final tally. In fact, the Orange and Blue took a one-touchdown lead into the locker room at halftime while preventing the Bulldogs from entering the endzone during the first 30 minutes.
However, everything changed with 5:14 in the first half. From there, it was an uphill battle the rest of the way and Billy Napier’s roster simply did not have the depth to keep up.
The Gators Wire staff reflected on what happened on Saturday and offered their takes in a good, bad and ugly format. Take a look at what we have to offer below.
The defense held its ground
James Gilbert/Getty Images
GOOD: The defense held its ground against Georgia. Despite the Gators not being able to do a whole lot on the offensive side of the ball, the defense kept them in it throughout the whole game. Florida forced Carson Beck to throw multiple interceptions and despite the momentum shifting toward Georgia’s side, the Gators were able to swing it right back thanks to the defense.
I mean, what a turnaround on that side of the ball. They look, night and day, like a completely different unit out there.
BAD: Injuries, injuries, injuries. The Gators’ luck with injuries has been painful. Florida had to deal with multiple injuries today against Georgia, with DJ Lagway at the top of that list. But, I’ll get into that in my “ugly” section.
Devin Moore appeared to have injured his lower leg as the first half came to an end and was seen on the sidelines in crutches in the second half.
Then in the third quarter, there was a drive that saw three defensive backs get injured. Jordan Castell, Dijon Johnson and Sharif Denson had to get taken off the field due to injuries. Castell was able to return during that same drive but Johnson and Denson remained out.
The injury bug has hit the Gators and it’s a shame because you have to think this game would’ve turned out differently if they were healthy.
UGLY: I think we all know what the ugly from this game was. With five minutes to go in the first half, Lagway appeared to hurt his left hamstring. He was in the pocket and had a weird fall. Billy Napier said that Lagway’s injury was “pretty significant” which is definitely not a good sign for the Gators.
Lagway was forced to be carted off the field and into the locker room which prompted redshirt freshman Aidan Warner to take over as Florida’s quarterback. We’ll find out more information on the severity of Lagway’s injury but it’s just a brutal blow for this Florida offense. — Aidan Gallardo
I hope the football gods are pleased with themselves
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
GOOD: The first half was filled with hope unseen against Georgia since the start of the decade, with the defense shutting down the ‘Dawgs while the offense managed to outscore their opponent in the first half. For a while, it looked like this might be THE game for Florida.
Then, of course, THAT happened.
Regardless, the overall effort will probably be seen as a feather in Billy Napier’s cap — especially the emergence of the defensive corps as a formidable group. If not for the “ugly” this might have been a win for the Orange and Blue, but perhaps it will serve as a moral victory (if they even exist).
BAD: The second-half performance was perfectly predictable with the loss of the team’s five-star freshman gunslinger, with Aidan Warner being thrust into a position he simply is not suited for. There was also the botched field goal that presumably led to a 10-point swing that began nailing the coffin shut that pretty much titled the table toward UGA.
UGLY: Injuries, man. Injuries. The Gators may have lost DJ Lagway for the season and Devin Moore was also seen on the sidelines on crutches; others also were forced off the field. It is as if the football deities were just toying with the players like the gods in Clash of the Titans.
And Florida was not alone. Georgia lost former Gator Trevor Etienne as well. I hope the football gods are pleased with themselves. — Adam Dubbin
Did we mention DJ Lagway’s injury yet?
James Gilbert/Getty Images
GOOD: DJ Lagway really is the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived, or at least it seemed that way after hitting Aidan Mizell for a 40-yard touchdown to take the lead in the first half. Billy Napier was on his way to saving the program and his own job, and then everything went to… well, you know.
Losing Lagway is the worst-case scenario for this team, and the only hope Florida has at a bowl game is getting him back sooner than expected. Aidan Warner simply doesn’t have it and it’s going to be difficult to win games with him at the helm, considering Florida is in the middle of the gauntlet portion of its schedule.
The defense was also very good for most of the night. They’ve proven themselves over the past four games and deserved to be a part of a win this week. Stuff happens. What a shame.
BAD: I already hit on Warner’s ineptitude (no shade, he’s just not an SEC starter at this point), so let’s go with the botched field goal that allowed Georgia to take its first lead. For a team that prides itself on elite play from the special teams unit, this was proof that the Lagway injury rattled everyone on the roster.
Suddenly, the pressure was no longer on the 19-year-old true freshman. It was on every single one of the players on the field.
Who knows? If Florida hits that field goal, maybe Georgia doesn’t score as quickly for the lead. Maybe the clock works out in Florida’s favor and Warner doesn’t throw that fourth-quarter interception. This whole game is a big “what-if,” but that one play seemed to determine the Gators’ fate.
UGLY: Did we mention DJ Lagway’s injury yet?
Get used to hearing about it because that’s going to dominate the news cycle for the next week or longer. Florida had its best arm since Kyle Trask and maybe its best quarterback since Tim Tebow was taken away this week. Fans left the building as soon as Georgia took the lead.
You hate to see a young player’s season derailed like this. Even more, you hate to see a team’s season derailed like this. If Lagway is done for the season, Florida might not even beat FSU in the finale… — David Rosenberg
Florida’s next game details
Florida will go on the road and face the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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Transfer guard John Tonje led the way for the Badgers with 15 points, while center Steven Crowl and forward Carter Gilmore added 14 and nine, respectively.
The contest got tight in the second half, with UW-River Falls cutting the Badgers lead to just two points with 12:55 remaining. Wisconsin would pull away in the end, though its performance was far from dominant.
There aren’t many big-picture takeaways from the performance of Greg Gard’s team in its first unofficial game action. The group, with new faces at nearly every position, will need some time to gel and find on-court rhythm.
One thing we can read into from the contest, however, is the Badgers’ initial starting lineup and early rotation.
Wisconsin entered the scrimmage as follows:
G: John Blackwell
G: Max Klesmit
G: John Tonje (transfer)
F: Nolan Winter
C: Steven Crowl
Gard’s first two players off the bench were F Markus Ilver and G Kamari McGee for Winter and Tonje, respectively. He proceeded to quickly rotate after that pair, using as many as 10 total players in the first 12 minutes of the exhibition.
Both the general rotation and starting lineup point to a main theme: the Badgers are deep throughout the lineup.
Blackwell, Klesmit and Crowl are easy write-ins to the nightly starting five. Tonje and Winter, meanwhile, are battling among a larger group that also includes veterans Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee, top freshman Daniel Freitag, transfer forward Xavier Amos and transfer guard Camren Hunter. That isn’t even mentioning Ilver, who could earn a role.
Where the 2024-25 Badgers lack in top-end star power after the offseason departures of Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr they excels in depth of contributors. The busy battle for the two spots alongside Blackwell, Klesmit and Crowl shows that reality.
Gard is now tasked with finding a rotation that maximizes depth that could possibly reach 11 spots. That effort will begin on Monday, Nov. 4 when the Badgers officially open their 2024-25 season against Holy Cross at the Kohl Center.
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